My First Million

Entrepreneurs looking for defensible business ideas, developers comfortable with data processing, anyone seeking government data arbitrage opportunities

1Identify a personal frustration with finding information that should be publicly available

2Research what government databases contain relevant data

3Map data access methods (APIs, FOIA requests, bulk downloads, web scraping)

+5 more steps

6-18 months to launch, 2-5 years to build defensibility

Scale a physical wellness product from zero to $100M+ revenue

Entrepreneurs with wellness/lifestyle physical products seeking rapid growth

1Identify underserved premium market segment

2Build basic MVP from readily available parts

3Execute influencer seeding tour in concentrated area

+4 more steps

3-4 years

Build a trusted supplement testing and recommendation business

Content creators or entrepreneurs wanting to enter the health/wellness authority space

1Choose specific supplement niche focus

2Set up scientific testing capabilities

3Create short-form comparison content

+4 more steps

2-3 years to build trust, 5+ years for major monetization

Identify and focus on best customers while eliminating worst ones

Business owners after 9-12 months of operations with diverse customer base

1List top 10-20% of customers by profitability

2List bottom 10-20% by profitability and time consumption

3Identify patterns in best customers

+3 more steps

1-3 months for analysis and implementation

Decide whether to raise venture capital or bootstrap a profitable business

Early-stage entrepreneurs with functioning business models showing initial traction

1Honestly assess total addressable market size and competitive dynamics

2Calculate current unit economics and path to profitability

3Evaluate whether competitive moats require scale to defend

+2 more steps

6-12 months for initial decision, revisited at major growth milestones

Scale CPG product from small regional chains to national distribution

Consumer packaged goods companies with proven product-market fit in initial stores

1Prove exceptional performance in initial 3-5 test stores

2Document velocity metrics and customer feedback data

3Expand within same chain based on performance data

+2 more steps

12-36 months for major retail expansion

Train selective attention on valuable versus trivial matters

People who get emotionally hijacked by minor inconveniences

1Identify your happiness as the most valuable asset

2Recognize when trading happiness for trivial concerns

3Practice the golden cup exercise: attempt something impossible to understand value

+2 more steps

Daily practice for 2-4 weeks to build habit

Develop conscious control over emotional state entering situations

People whose emotions determine their decision quality and life outcomes

1Practice the bowl exercise: observe how violent reactions create chaos

2Experiment with contrasting response styles in same day

3Before entering situations, consciously choose your emotional state

+2 more steps

Practice for 3-6 weeks to develop state awareness and control

Build acquisition-based holding company from profitable agency cash flows

Service business owners with 40%+ margins looking to scale beyond trading time for money

1Build profitable agency with 40%+ margins (15+ years consistency)

2Hire CEO for agency to remove yourself from operations

3Use agency profits instead of typical startup expenses (no ball pits/status spending)

+4 more steps

10-15 years to meaningful scale

Launch a local service business by leveraging neighborhood complaints and pre-selling before building infrastructure

Entrepreneurs who want to start location-based service businesses with minimal upfront investment

1Identify widespread neighborhood complaint through social media groups

2Post in local Facebook groups gauging switching interest

3Create simple landing page with referral incentives

+5 more steps

60-90 days from idea to first customer

Transform existing offers to command premium pricing while increasing conversion rates

Business owners, marketers, and sales teams with existing products or services

1Map current offer against value equation components

2Identify all customer obstacles in each category (risk, time, effort, sacrifice)

3Create specific solutions for each identified obstacle

+4 more steps

2-4 weeks for analysis and redesign, ongoing optimization

Close more sales at higher prices using strategic bonus delivery instead of discounting

Sales teams and business owners who currently use discounts to close deals

1Create 7+ bonuses that address different customer obstacles

2Present core offer first without bonuses

3When prospect objects, identify specific constraint

+4 more steps

1-2 weeks to implement, immediate results

Acquire first 100 customers through authentic community engagement

Early-stage B2C startups with clearly defined user communities

1Identify 5-10 Facebook groups where your target users congregate

2Join groups and spend 2-3 weeks only adding value (helpful posts, answering questions)

3Identify group admins and active power users

+5 more steps

3-6 months

Build a multi-generational family business where family members work together and live in proximity

Families with complementary skills who want to build wealth together while maintaining close relationships

1Identify a business opportunity suitable for family involvement

2Define clear roles for each family member based on strengths

3Establish boundaries between family and business decisions

+2 more steps

10-20 years

Sell a business while retaining the most valuable strategic asset for ongoing revenue

Business owners who have identified a core competency that transcends their current business model

1Identify core competency that created competitive advantage

2Structure core competency as separate legal entity

3Negotiate exit deal that excludes strategic asset

+2 more steps

5-10 years

Maintain freedom to work on what you love while building a successful business

Entrepreneurs and creators who want to avoid being trapped by success into working on things they don't enjoy

1Identify what work activities you genuinely love doing

2Build initial success around those core activities

3As success grows, actively resist opportunities that distract from core work

+2 more steps

Career-long strategy

Systematically evaluate and optimize personal investment allocation through peer feedback

High-net-worth individuals seeking objective feedback on investment strategy

1Document current allocation across all asset classes with percentages

2Prepare rationale for each allocation decision

3Present to trusted peer group or advisors

+3 more steps

Quarterly or annual review cycle

Convert entrepreneurial success into sustainable long-term wealth

Entrepreneurs planning for or having completed a business exit

1Target business sale by specific age (e.g., 30)

2Live frugally during business building phase

3Upon exit, immediately diversify windfall into low-risk investments

+3 more steps

10+ year wealth preservation and growth strategy

Create a problem slide that makes investors immediately understand the scale and urgency of what you're solving

Founders crafting investor pitch decks, especially B2C and healthcare companies

1Find the biggest credible statistic about your problem (industry reports, government data, academic studies)

2Convert that statistic into human impact numbers (X million people affected)

3Add personal story connection (founder experienced this, doctor treated thousands with this)

+2 more steps

30 minutes to research and write

Clearly communicate your competitive advantage in a way investors immediately understand

Any founder who needs to explain how they're different from existing solutions

1List all current ways people solve your problem

2Identify the core approach most competitors use

3Articulate your fundamentally different approach

+3 more steps

1 hour to research competitors and formulate differences

Acquire and turn around distressed luxury brands

Investors with operational expertise and brand intuition

1Identify distressed but authentic luxury brands with heritage

2Raise capital for acquisition and operational overhaul

3Fire non-essential staff and streamline operations

+3 more steps

5-10 years for full turnaround

Build trusted business relationships entirely through digital interactions

Entrepreneurs, freelancers, and remote workers seeking to scale partnerships

1Establish initial contact through quality content or referrals

2Exchange value through small projects or advice

3Gradually increase trust through consistent delivery

+3 more steps

6 months to 2 years per relationship

Transform underperforming magazine into profitable commerce platform

Media entrepreneurs targeting enthusiast communities

1Acquire magazine at 3-5x EBITDA in enthusiast category

2Audit subscription pricing and eliminate money-losing subscribers

3Raise prices significantly for true enthusiasts (test $30-40 vs $8)

+5 more steps

12-24 months for turnaround, 3-5 years for full commerce buildout

Pre-sell real estate development using owned media

Media companies with enthusiast audiences interested in lifestyle real estate

1Identify land that can be arbitraged through audience-specific amenities

2Purchase land with development potential in target geography

3Create vision document focused on lifestyle experience not just real estate

+5 more steps

6-12 months for pre-sales validation, 3-7 years for development

Build a business designed from inception to sell at premium multiples

Entrepreneurs starting service or technology companies who want to maximize exit value

1Research studies on what differentiates high-multiple exits in your industry

2Design business model around those success factors from day one

3Establish international presence early (even if just one office)

+3 more steps

5-10 years from business launch to exit

Identify genuinely intelligent candidates during interviews

Hiring managers and executives recruiting for leadership or complex roles

1Evaluate quality of questions they ask about your business

2Present real business problems for them to deconstruct

3Listen for frameworks and experiences you weren't aware of

+2 more steps

Per interview cycle (2-4 weeks)

Hire C-level executives who can operate as true partners

CEOs and founders hiring senior leadership roles

1Present real business cases, not hypothetical scenarios

2Evaluate their network - who can they bring with them

3Test full-stack capabilities from tactical to strategic

+2 more steps

3-6 months per role

Experience controlled fear and fight-or-flight response through safe sparring

Anyone (men and women) who wants to experience controlled stress and build mental toughness

1Find a boxing gym with experienced instructors

2Train basic technique for first month

3Begin light sparring with experienced partner who can control intensity

+2 more steps

3 months

Handle public employee termination situations without legal and PR disasters

CEOs, HR leaders, company executives dealing with employee terminations

1Communicate termination privately first

2Document legitimate business reasons

3Provide clear severance terms

+2 more steps

immediate crisis management

Build a multi-billion dollar international education empire through systematic school acquisition

Private equity firms and education entrepreneurs targeting wealthy expatriate families

1Start with single school or education service in one market

2Prove the unit economics and replicable model

3Identify fragmented international school markets

+5 more steps

20-30 years to build significant scale

Create a prestigious content creation university that becomes the Harvard of digital media education

Education entrepreneurs and content creation influencers looking to build educational institutions

1Partner with established content creator (like Mr. Beast) for brand credibility

2Acquire accredited institution or gain accreditation

3Build physical campus with state-of-the-art content creation facilities

+6 more steps

10-15 years to build reputation and scale

Start your first business to learn entrepreneurship fundamentals

18-25 year olds who want to be successful but lack capital, network, or clear vision yet

1Pick a service business that requires more boldness than skill

2Target something other people find embarrassing or tedious to do themselves

3Start with free work to build portfolio and credibility

+3 more steps

6-18 months to profitability

Create mental and physical space for the new year by eliminating clutter and unused commitments

Anyone feeling overwhelmed by accumulated digital and physical clutter who wants to start fresh

1Delete unused apps from your phone

2Cancel all unused subscriptions and services

3Clean out and organize your car

+5 more steps

1-2 hours total, can be done in small chunks

Create a comprehensive review of the past year to identify accomplishments, gaps, and lessons learned

Anyone who wants to learn from their past year and feel good about their accomplishments before planning the next year

1Go through your phone photos month by month

2Write down all major highlights and experiences on one page

3Review your calendar for forgotten events and trips

+4 more steps

20-30 minutes for basic review, up to 1 hour for comprehensive version

Transform a personal hobby into a scalable business

Hobbyists with some marketing or content creation skills who want to monetize their passion

1Document your hobby journey through content creation

2Build audience by solving problems you encounter

3Validate product demand through audience feedback

+3 more steps

3-5 years to meaningful revenue, 7-10 years to major scale

Launch a physical product using existing content audience

Content creators with established audiences who want to monetize through products

1Identify products your audience asks about repeatedly

2Create content featuring the product naturally

3Build simple e-commerce page with pre-orders

+2 more steps

3-6 months from idea to first sales

Transform content creation from hobby into profitable business operations

Content creators with existing audience wanting to scale revenue and reduce stress

1Audit current revenue sources and identify dependencies

2Learn business fundamentals: SOPs, KPIs, OKRs, CRM systems

3Develop products that serve audience needs beyond entertainment

+3 more steps

6-12 months

Launch a profitable online course using proven marketing and positioning strategies

Subject matter experts with audience who want to monetize their knowledge

1Study marketing fundamentals (100 Million Offers, DotCom Secrets)

2Research audience problems through direct conversations

3Craft grand slam offer before creating content

+5 more steps

3-6 months

Acquire and consolidate dying magazines into profitable commerce-driven media business

Entrepreneurs with access to capital who understand specific niche audiences

1Identify large publishing companies with underperforming magazine portfolios

2Target magazines around expensive hobbies (aviation, boating, luxury goods)

3Negotiate bulk acquisitions at 3-5x EBITDA multiples

+5 more steps

3-7 years to build substantial portfolio

Build $30M+ tax-free retirement account through legal Roth IRA contribution loopholes

High-income earners with 401k plans that allow after-tax contributions and in-service withdrawals

1Start regular Roth IRA contributions ($7k/year) by age 21

2At age 30, begin mega backdoor Roth via 401k ($70k/year)

3Make after-tax 401k contributions up to IRS limit

+4 more steps

30-40 years from age 21-30 to retirement

Launch a seasonal porch decoration business

Stay-at-home parents or entrepreneurs in suburban areas

1Buy retail pumpkins and decorations from grocery stores

2Copy existing Instagram designs for initial layouts

3Film iPhone time-lapse of decoration process

+5 more steps

3-6 months to first revenue, seasonal scaling

Pivot existing contractor business to sport court installation

Existing service business owners or contractors

1Get quotes from all subcontractors (concrete, painting, fencing)

2Create network of reliable subs for each component

3Test pricing against competitor quotes (typically 50% lower)

+4 more steps

6-12 months to scale

Launch a profitable AI consulting practice targeting specific verticals

McKinsey/consulting professionals or technical experts who want to build their own practice

1Quit traditional consulting job

2Pick one vertical (law firms, dental practices, manufacturing)

3Identify 1-2 specific AI tools/processes that clearly help that vertical

+6 more steps

5 years to build and potentially exit

Build valuable digital likeness rights portfolio before market matures

Entrepreneurs with business development and legal background

1Create digital likeness license framework

2Identify target celebrities/athletes/influencers

3Partner with talent agencies (CAA, WME)

+4 more steps

2-3 years to establish rights portfolio