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“Business opportunities are like buses. There’s always another one coming.” -Richard Branson The outside world is an interstate of business opportunity buses passing you by, waiting to be boarded or ignored. Some buses, though, are going too fast. Those buses left the station a long time ago, and there’s no hope in trying to flag…
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I was going down to SF to see Ramit Sethi, an expert on negotiation and psychology. Ramit and I have known each other for a while, and he asked me to film a segment in his studio for an upcoming course.
I should explain now that Ramit and I, along with Jonathan Fields, have the habit of calling everyone dude, regardless of their age or gender. I texted Ramit: Dude, flight delay up here. What should I do? He wrote back: Dude, hold on. I’m busy counting stacks of money! Just kidding—Ramit didn’t actually say that. He was busy filming someone else, but I heard from his assistant and we quickly looked at the schedule together. Read More
This morning we reopened Adventure Capital for general admission! It's been nearly six weeks since our initial beta launch, and we're now ready to welcome a wider group of members.
-->Check out the site over here, or read more below. Adventure Capital is an intensive, 12-month series of modules. Each month you'll receive a new module focusing on specific strategies and tactics you can apply in your business. I want to help a special group of people over the past year with this project. It's definitely not for everyone, so check it out and see if it's for you. Read More
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Four weeks ago, we launched Adventure Capital to a small group of beta members.
We're now gearing up to launch it more widely... next week! Wednesday, May 29 is the day when our initial group will be available to refer new members, and a few special partners will be writing about it as well. But first! In the spirit of adventure, we're giving away two full scholarships to the entire year-long program. Win a Full Scholarship (Short Version) It's very basic. Adventure Capital is all about helping new business owners increase income by taking deliberate action over the course of a year. To enter, simply comment in this post about what kind of business you'd like to start, improve, or grow. We'll choose two winners on Sunday night at 6pm PST. -->Enter the contest here Read More
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Most productivity advice doesn't help me. I work on a lot of projects at once. I read and reply to email throughout the day. I say yes more than I say no.
But I've found a new habit that is helping a lot. The habit is changing my default behavior. Those of us who do knowledge work for much of the day have no shortage of choices. As I've written before, for me the ultimate superpower is to always know what to do next. Read More
I received a copy of the new book Decisive by Chip and Dan Heath, two brothers and co-authors responsible for the previous bestsellers Switch and Made to Stick.
I've always enjoyed Chip and Dan's work, so when our mutual publisher asked me to share an excerpt of their new book, I was happy to do so.
Check out the excerpt below, or pick up the book for full reading.
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After producing a new project, I try to circle back and share a few of the lessons learned. Last week we had a small beta launch for Adventure Capital, a new business course, so it's time for another breakdown.
It's been a long time since I've released a paid product of any kind, and there's nothing for sale in this post. If you're creating offers of your own, or if you're just curious how things went with the beta launch last week, I hope the lessons are helpful.
Let's kick off the debrief!
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I mentioned earlier that most new business owners struggle with at least one of two fundamental problems:
1. They don't make the right products or services.
2. They don't connect with the right people.
One way or another, if you're trying to get a new project up and running, the struggle likely relates to one or both of these issues.
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After a long delay, my new project Adventure Capital will be launching tomorrow in beta. A lot of people have asked for more info on it, and a few people have also asked, “What took so long?”
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Jon was inspired by a blog post that told him to quit his job and start a business. He dutifully did so, firing off a farewell message to his boss and former colleagues. Having heard about becoming “location independent,” he bought a backpack and went off to the world. What was it about that business thing? How would he actually make a living? He would figure it out along the way, he assured himself ...
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In talking with Chris Brogan for his new podcast recently, he said something I've been thinking of ever since. It was a question that you ask yourself when evaluating new opportunities. This question didn't actually come from Chris—I believe he said it was from one of his other podcast guests—but Chris is the one who implanted it in my head.
The question is: How will this new opportunity help me serve the community I already have?
Wow. Tough question.
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Over the next two weeks, I'll be touring India and then traveling elsewhere in the world. While I'm away, we'll be publishing a new series of Questions and Attempted Answers (Q&AA) from readers. I'll share my answer, and you're invited to share an answer of your own as well ...
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Greetings from Hong Kong. I made it in from Vancouver last night and will be flying on to Mumbai shortly to begin the first leg of an extended tour in India. I'm very excited about this trip. I haven't been to India in many years—in fact, the last time I was there was right after I started writing this blog way back in 2008. This is also my first experience in presenting the ideas and stories from The $100 Startup to a crowd that is primarily cross-cultural. I don't expect that everything from the U.S. or “the western world” applies elsewhere, and I try to position myself as a learner. At the same time, however, I also believe that the ability to start a successful microbusiness and earn a good living on your own is increasingly becoming universal.
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“People used to expect companies to take care of them,” he said. “Now you’re in charge of your own destiny, for better or worse.” -From a recent article about the decline of the app-making industry as a road to riches.Read More
Let's do this one more time, because it's important. Micro-entrepreneurship is changing the world. The best opportunities in the new economy are centered on creating your own assets. It doesn't matter who wins the U.S. election this fall, at least not in terms of how the economy affects you. No matter what happens, the unemployment rolls will continue to be full. Perhaps even worse, many people will remain underemployed by working at jobs that offer few benefits and little opportunities for advancement.
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