My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
Business school training actually makes entrepreneurs less effective because it narrows their focus to conventional business metrics rather than expanding their ability to see opportunities
The Reasoning
Business education trains people to look for specific patterns and metrics (looking for 'blue'), but entrepreneurial success requires seeing unexpected opportunities ('red') that others miss because they're trained to ignore them
What Needs to Be True
- Most business opportunities exist outside conventional frameworks
- Pattern recognition training can create blind spots
- Wide attention span is more valuable than deep specialization in business fundamentals
- Best opportunities require breaking established rules
Counterargument
MBA programs provide valuable frameworks, networks, and analytical skills that help entrepreneurs avoid common mistakes and scale more effectively
What Would Change This View
Data showing MBA entrepreneurs outperform non-MBA entrepreneurs in innovative industries, or evidence that business frameworks help identify breakthrough opportunities rather than just optimizing existing ones
Implications for Builders
Don't over-formalize early processes
Actively look for inspiration outside your industry
Question conventional business wisdom regularly
Maintain beginner's mindset even as you gain expertise
Example Application
“Instead of following traditional distribution strategies, entrepreneur notices customers actually want to buy products at gas stations (not grocery stores) and builds distribution around that insight”