My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
Confidence and self-belief matter more for business success than raw intelligence
The Reasoning
High confidence leads to bigger risk-taking, faster decision-making, and self-fulfilling prophecies that create more opportunities than cautious intelligence
What Needs to Be True
- Markets reward execution over perfection
- Confidence translates to action
- Intelligence without confidence leads to paralysis
- Success requires taking risks
Counterargument
Intelligence helps avoid costly mistakes and enables better strategy in complex situations
What Would Change This View
Data showing high-IQ, low-confidence people consistently outperform high-confidence, moderate-IQ people in business outcomes
Implications for Builders
Work on self-belief alongside skills
Take action despite uncertainty
Focus on execution over endless planning
Surround yourself with confident people
Example Application
“Multiple billionaires at the event weren't the smartest people there but had unshakeable belief in their vision and ability to execute”