Knowledge Marketplace
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.

Back to Playbooks

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

Career-long strategy

What Success Looks Like

Ability to work exclusively on projects you're passionate about, declining lucrative distractions, and having money follow from doing what you love rather than chasing money directly.

Steps to Execute

1

Identify what work activities you genuinely love doing

2

Build initial success around those core activities

3

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

4

Say no to higher money and status if it compromises freedom

5

Reinvest gains into more freedom rather than lifestyle inflation

Checklist

Can you work on this activity for decades without burnout?
Does this opportunity align with your core interests?
Will accepting this preserve or reduce your freedom?
Are you choosing based on money/status or genuine interest?

Inputs Needed

  • Clear understanding of what work you love
  • Financial discipline to avoid lifestyle inflation
  • Ability to say no to attractive distractions

Outputs

  • Sustained high performance in chosen field
  • Compound returns from focused expertise
  • Higher life satisfaction from alignment

Example

Podcast host turning down multiple lucrative speaking engagements and consulting offers to focus entirely on creating better episodes, resulting in higher long-term revenue and satisfaction.