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My First Million

My First Million

The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.

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Transform a failing traditional business into a differentiated entertainment experience

Entrepreneurs in commoditized industries, particularly entertainment, sports, or experience-based businesses

5-15 years

What Success Looks Like

Waiting list demand exceeding capacity, premium pricing without price resistance, word-of-mouth marketing driving growth, business valued at 10x+ revenue multiple

Steps to Execute

1

Identify core problems with industry experience from customer perspective

2

Study entertainment masters from adjacent industries (Disney, PT Barnum, WWE)

3

Start small with low-stakes experimentation on customer experience

4

Implement daily idea generation practice to fuel innovation

5

Choose radical differentiation over incremental improvement

6

Create new rules/format that eliminates traditional pain points

7

Build team culture around 'fan-first' mentality

8

Scale through touring/replication rather than single location expansion

Checklist

Have you spent time as a customer experiencing your industry's typical offering?
Do you generate new customer experience ideas daily?
Have you eliminated all hidden fees and friction points?
Do you have memorable 'weird' elements that people talk about?
Is your team genuinely excited about the experience you create?
Can you articulate why your approach is better than industry standards?

Inputs Needed

  • Industry experience and customer empathy
  • Willingness to live with extreme financial constraints initially
  • Creative partner or team member who shares the vision
  • Basic venue or platform to test ideas
  • Time to experiment (3-5 years minimum)

Outputs

  • Differentiated brand with premium pricing power
  • Waiting list demand exceeding capacity
  • High customer lifetime value and word-of-mouth referrals
  • Scalable touring or licensing business model
  • Industry recognition and media coverage

Example

“A struggling local theater company studies Disney, WWE, and live music experiences, then creates interactive comedy shows where audience votes on plot direction, includes meal and drinks in ticket price, and performers call every ticket buyer personally to build anticipation”