Admitting there's a problem is the first step.

[throttleforward]

Call me stupid... wait, don't call me that... why are we contacting CEO's of companies? I am trying to follow this thread and everything just took a 90 degree hook in another direction and I am confused how everyone is on the same page but me. Who are we calling and why?

It's a tactical side discussion on how to effectively conduct idea/pain extraction interviews with decision-makers. This should help the OP find opportunities.

 

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[IceCreamKid]

Call me stupid... wait, don't call me that... why are we contacting CEO's of companies? I am trying to follow this thread and everything just took a 90 degree hook in another direction and I am confused how everyone is on the same page but me. Who are we calling and why?

He is contacting CEO's to find ideas, needs, and pains. It's part of the bigger picture that I outlined here:
https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/the-astonishing-secrets-that-zen*******-never-told-you…exposed.50097/page-20#post-343667

It is simple in concept, but complicated in execution. I am rooting for the guy. Buying shiny objects loses its fun quickly, but helping people better themselves never gets old.

 

[RHL]

I keep telling myself that the $1 is too little

And it is, if $1 is all it ever amounts to.

Think about it like a diet. 1 pound is not a lot. You can literally alter your weight by more than that just by eating/drinking a lot over the space of an hour. But if you can lose a pound repeatedly, you're getting somewhere.

$15. Also a small amount; you'd earn that at McDonald's in two hours.

You'd need to earn just $15/day to make $100/week extra. You could literally earn more than that by cutting three lawns per week or pulling 3 minimum price gigs on Fiverr per day.

You're probably thinking, "What, $100/week? That's not going to get me my freedom."

No, but it is $5,200 extra per year, or the equivalent of around a 10% raise for the average American worker. How hard would you have to work and beg and plead to get a 10% raise at work? $15/day gets you there, and it isn't very much. Push yourself to create $1.00 in value, not once, but daily. Then $5, then $15. Early on, if you don't have an idea, you'll get them by doing this, because the only way you're going to make $15/day apart from your job is by directly entering the value creation process with your own customer. Buy a Fender guitar for $500 and sell it for $550. Cut a lawn. Haul away a free tredmill, put a new $80 belt on it, and resell it for $150.

As you create the value, look for needs. When you spot one, one confirmed by people willing to pay, that's your one idea. Then you're rolling. Remember that the idea doesn't need to need to be the end game. It doesn't have to be "millions or nothing" on the first try. Try to make $100-200/week. Remember that if you are single and don't have debts, and can run a tight financial ship while you plan your business, you could quit your job by generating as little as $700-800/week. $800/week, every week, not "a million dollar idea," is what could really change your life.

 

[CommonCents]

This might help your motivation:

https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/co...ill-stuck-in-the-slow-lane.51778/#post-354417

 

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[IAmTheJeff]

Good evening everyone! Whew, getting people to talk for more than a couple seconds is tough!

I have three specific needs confirmed in manufacturing (three places for two of the needs and four places for the other), but I definitely feel like I need to get more validation in one single niche before I claim victory. Of 150 or so calls, I've only gotten 8 to actually talk to me and only 5 entertained my request. I have a looooooooong list of others to call back tomorrow and Monday.

I'm proud of myself though, I'm definitely getting a lot more comfortable cold calling and I feel that I'm going to make some good headway tomorrow.

Just wanted to give you all an update so you don't think I just bailed!

@zen******* doesn't get to cash any checks this week! I think.....

 

[Vigilante]

Holiday Fridays are tough... Nobody wants a cold call tomorrow so tomorrow should be something other than cold calling.

 

[IAmTheJeff]

Oh that's right, I forgot about Easter this weekend.

Hmmmmm. I think I know exactly what I'm going to work on tomorrow then. My effing delivery on the phone! I have a friend that owns a machine shop, so I think I might call there a few times, see if I can't sell him something. He's one cheap dude, so he never buys anything.

 

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[IAmTheJeff]

Think some emails might help to build some credibility?

 

[randomnumber314]

*Stands*

My name is Jeff, and I'm a wantrepreneur.

*Sits*

Why do I feel this way? Well, because I want to do something. In fact, I want to do lots of somethings. "So do it," you might say. I would love to. I would love to just pick something, commit 10,000% to it, and do it. Why can't I? Because as much as everyone preaches that you have to make $1 before you can make $100, I keep telling myself that the $1 is too little. If I'm doing something, it needs to be MASSIVE. But I'm doing it all wrong.

I don't want to hear "well you can't skip steps." No shit. The problem is that with every small step in progress, my mind goes from that little step to trying to skip the next 5. Reinvesting only that $1 will never yield a 10,000% return, no matter what amount of time you allow it.

Can someone give me a mental and emotional beat down? Not a "keep going, you'll get there" style pep talk, that's what I do with my 3 year old when he tries to beat some level on "Angry Birds." More of a "you suck until you prove me wrong."

Believe it or not, this is no cry for help, or hand holding, or even advice. This is my shallow attempt at trying to FOCUS on one single thing at a time, instead of investing $1 profit from one thing in to something entirely unrelated.

Missing the ability to commit yourself to one thing at a time seems to be the Achilles heel to many of us beginning our journeys. This is where the winners and losers are discovered, and either encouraged or eaten. This is where the Shark Tank of the real world comes in to play. Sink or swim, you need to commit to ONE SINGLE THING AT A TIME. Otherwise you'll stretch yourself beyond the breaking point. Yep, there ARE OPPORTUNITIES EVERYWHERE. That is where the root of most problems shows itself. We want the path of least resistance, so when we start on a path but notice something that might be easier, we take the side street. A little "shortcut to success," if you will.

When that becomes a larger path that's more difficult to navigate, and we see another side street, we turn again. We fail to remember that the shortest distance from one point to another is a straight line ie. one single path. It may have hills that slow down our progress, but when you reach the top, you can accelerate without any effort. Sure, there may be another hill - but every one has a peak, and over every peak is some free acceleration.

I offer this thread, as insignificant as it may be in your life and journey, to show the effects of what happens - in a real life, day to day fashion - when someone does exactly what it seems that I'm doing to myself. Focus and commitment are necessary to success, and without them you end up right where you started.

This is my commitment to hold myself accountable for my own actions or inactions, my focus or lack thereof, my commitment or estrangement, and my faithfulness or adulteration of these ideas that could each be incredible if executed properly, and raised from birth to maturity.

Will I exorcise my entrepreneurial demons, or will I be overcome by the evils that I subconsciously foster and generally succumb to on a conscious level? Is there room for me in the trillion dollar pond?

I guess I'll find out.

Jesus that's a wall of text.

I see vig posted, reread that 100 times.

Stop stopping. Start moving. Quit your job, or just change something.

Why aren't you successful? <- answer that honestly.

We all want to change the world, but we have to start somewhere.....

 

[CarrieW]

give dude an easter special

imo you want to be persistent but not be annoying you do not want to seem desperate... unless someone specifically asked me to call back the next day I usually would wait at least a week if not longer before contacting them again. and I always made an excuse to contact them... a sale on product, delivery truck actually going that way and we wanted fill up a truck so cut a delivery fee etc... following up on an email or fax or snail mail I sent...

make sure you always take good notes. if their mothers is sick, kids r in a play etc. so you can ask them about it... builds a rapport. if they think you really actually care you will get LOADS more information than you even know what to do with!

Idk what your doing but I hope these help!

 

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[LightHouse]

I thought about not posting this but I felt it would be doing you a disservice to not tell you.

You don't need this thread.
You don't need any of the "top guys" of this forum holding you accountable.
You don't need to romanticize your "struggle"
You don't need to post updates every day telling strangers you picked up the phone, made one call, and felt you did something for the day.

You're action faking. Even your "I'll give people money to hold me accountable" is action faking. Does zen******* have his check yet? Why not? Why do you tag every major player of this forum in your posts? Do you think MJ gives a shit? Every one of your posts in this thread is either an action fake or an approval grab.

Look at the "support" you've received so far. The only reason they're even offering you SOME help is because your posting right now embodies everything that they hate. Laziness, Pity, Weakness, Helplessness. These are the things that they've purposely had to crush within themselves. You think they don't have those feelings? Think again. The difference between them and you is that they beat it. They didn't succumb. They bailed themselves out. When you post and remind them that this mindset still exists it exasperates them. It really says something about the quality of the people on this forum that this thread has been entertained for this long.

I think you're going to fizzle out. I think Zen will become $1000 richer (if he ever receives your checks). And I think that homeless shelter will miss out on a care package. So if your success is a stock, I'm shorting you.

Did I strike a nerve? Prove me wrong. Everyone's watching.

+Rep$

 

[RogueInnovation]

getting people to talk for more than a couple seconds is tough!

I take every rejection at the bottom as a sign of incompetancy in their staff every rejection at the top as necessary resistance to keep out the lame guys. Both are acceptable for me to crush. So do not relent, get around it no matter how rough it gets!Sometimes you will know everyone in the company by name, know their positions, the business model and know their psychology inside and out before you get through. Its a pain in the a$$ but eventually you know everything so well that you can't stomach more fooling around and so get to business. (enough flirting and foreplay, lets get to it)
Learn when they are handing you off and cut ahead of them in the process, because remember, you are there to find pains and fix them. For every failure solidify your approach and aim to get in top down as vig said.

Vig is 1000% on point regarding CEO's, get to them as no one else has any real power or accountability and is afraid of losing their job and are doing monkey on a typewriter jobs, punching in expected incoming and creating expected out goings.

Don't let any of it scare you, monkeys make one phone call and get scared, entrepenuers make as many as it takes and build the guts. Don't ever let your belly out, just keep going and stomach it. You have a lot more hammering ahead. Step it up a level.

My tip for this is that eventually you read what the true issues are
- They are in a period of contemplative doubt
- They are confused and disorganised and take 2 weeks to sort through it and get back to it
- They are not massively interested in their business or customers or looking for people
- They are complacent and BS about their systems
- They let their staff operate on really loosely/poorly designed roles

That gives you a great read on them as a person (can tell a lot about a guy from how he runs his biz) and that gives you an advantage coming in as fresh blood.
Stagnation is the biggest enemy for most businesses, and whilst they don't "appreciate" disruption, do not treat that BS as gospel (as its a straw house and just needs a few puffs), they actually should always appreciate (to some degree) the impact that new angles and cooperation brings, or they are gonna die out.

KNOW how to squeeze their balls on that point and bring cold hard reality along with a sense of "well I guess I have time, lets cooperate" with it.

Improve their "business karma", by essentially kicking their a$$ into gear and not stumbling around when you have the CEO, get him talking.

Think some emails might help to build some credibility?

Almost worthless.
In person is king. Do not POSTURE, because posturing bozo's are really easy to reject.
Don't fuel their sense of self importance by acting like an iddy biddy thing, walk the hell in.
There is an old chines proverb, "tell them and they forget, show them and they may remember, involve them and they will understand". You need to fully engage their brain otherwise its weak nothing moves.

IMO, if you don't need a drink after, to stop you from breaking stuff, you probably aren't trying hard enough. Cuz its getting over that insurmountable inner pain, that makes it work.

I recall zen******* posting once about how if you overnight a fedex package to someone higher up the ladder, they will for sure open it. What a clever move.

Thats so good it is almost evil!

 

[IAmTheJeff]

Has anyone read Accidental Genius by Mark Levy?

I started reading it this morning because it sounded interesting, and I figured the "free writing" concept that it describes might help keep my mind fresh over the weekend. Plus, it would be pretty cool if it works out the way it's supposed to.

To save searching:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1605095257/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20

 

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[TBreezy]

Page 1

You've read too many books. You talk in too many platitudes. Stop F*cking talking and start taking action. This is your 400th post on here. WTF? 400 posts? You posted this like a noob. You're too easy on yourself.
Shit or get off the pot. Stop talking about it.

Page 3

Has anyone read Accidental Genius by Mark Levy?
I started reading it this morning because it sounded interesting, and I figured the "free writing" concept that it describes might help keep my mind fresh over the weekend. Plus, it would be pretty cool if it works out the way it's supposed to.

 

[IAmTheJeff]

Page 1


Page 3

Hahaha I've been action taking all week, can't really make many calls on a holiday weekend.

For the record, I basically got the jist of it from the first portion of the book, did a session and it really does open your mind and helps you to get more creative.

 

[RogueInnovation]

Hahaha I've been action taking all week, can't really make many calls on a holiday weekend.

Tic toc tic

You know what that sound feels like to me?
It sounds like a bomb warning blaring in my ears.

You do not have the skill level to PLAN this. ONLY action until unconsciousness, should allieviate ANY of that alarm signal in your head!!!
ONLY getting through DILIGENCE can allieviate that alarm bell.

Have you organised a weeks worth of calls? Plans for what to do to adapt if strategy isn't working? Have you gotten source material for these industries so that you aren't going in blind? Have you studied all that is available FIRST?
If not, then WHY is your plan hinging on THEM doing all the work when it comes to meeting you and finding a reason to share their valuable pain points?

It won't come spontaneously on the day unless you grease the wheels at night.

Getting in the door is a process in itself, and you need to drive yourself at it unreasonably. The wall in itself will start telling you things, and you STILL have to keep going.

Here is a tip, I wake up before 4am, on weekss where I am doing high stress calls. It ENSURES that I have hours of planning DONE as I hit the phones EARLY in the day.
Around about 11am I start getting dizzy, so, I always try to have some physical locations mapped out and plan to go see some of these people. Then I CRAM until closing.

AFTER that days work, I get piles and piles of useful info, and weed through it, and mull on it, and find the cream that I can organise for the next day. (then after some sleep and getting up early I'm roaring towards the aims)

Only CLOSERS get weekends. You can't WASTE TIME, AT ALL. How are you going to make back the ground you lost on this easter weekend? Answer that for yourself, and wake up earlier than the sun to get everything done.

What are your aims with these manufacturers? It should have developed by now into clearer focuses!!!
"I wanna investigate margins, distribution, systems, etc etc" Get READY
Pump blood sweat and tears through EVERYTHING you can get your hands on.

 

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[IAmTheJeff]

Well, I don't have an entire week worth of calls mapped out, only three days with alternates for Tuesday and Wednesday in case I run in to the same issue I had last week. The alternates are many of the failed calls from last week, so I can remind them that I want to talk to them. Perhaps I should make the alternates in to the priority since that's a (slightly) warmer lead.

I'm shockingly much more prepared than even I thought I was. I have all publicly available information for each company including financials, management, everything numbers related, and a history of each company.

I was a busy guy Friday!

 

[Magik]

Read this, you may find some of yourself in it: https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/comfort-defiance.51875/

 

[MyDuckets]

What are you doing this week to keep @zen******* from cashing the next check?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

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[IAmTheJeff]

I actually came up with a SaaS that I'm having developed based on a conversation I had with a few old friends over the weekend. Today, along with my other calls, I validated the idea with a few other sources, so that solidified that it is definitely a need due to the crappy systems currently available. I have one dev that's willing to work on it, but I think I'm going to shop around to ensure that it is built exactly how it needs to be to surpass the abilities of the existing systems.

Hopefully it won't take very long to build, since it is an absolute pain and I would love to help these guys out. Kind of crazy how you can find a problem without really looking too hard.

Now the question is - should I still look at the manufacturing industry and try to find a definite pain within, particularly since I'm already having something built that basically puts me in a waiting game?

 

[Kak]

*Stands*

My name is Jeff, and I'm a wantrepreneur.

*Sits*

Why do I feel this way? Well, because I want to do something. In fact, I want to do lots of somethings. "So do it," you might say. I would love to. I would love to just pick something, commit 10,000% to it, and do it. Why can't I? Because as much as everyone preaches that you have to make $1 before you can make $100, I keep telling myself that the $1 is too little. If I'm doing something, it needs to be MASSIVE. But I'm doing it all wrong.

I don't want to hear "well you can't skip steps." No shit. The problem is that with every small step in progress, my mind goes from that little step to trying to skip the next 5. Reinvesting only that $1 will never yield a 10,000% return, no matter what amount of time you allow it.

Can someone give me a mental and emotional beat down? Not a "keep going, you'll get there" style pep talk, that's what I do with my 3 year old when he tries to beat some level on "Angry Birds." More of a "you suck until you prove me wrong."

Believe it or not, this is no cry for help, or hand holding, or even advice. This is my shallow attempt at trying to FOCUS on one single thing at a time, instead of investing $1 profit from one thing in to something entirely unrelated.

Missing the ability to commit yourself to one thing at a time seems to be the Achilles heel to many of us beginning our journeys. This is where the winners and losers are discovered, and either encouraged or eaten. This is where the Shark Tank of the real world comes in to play. Sink or swim, you need to commit to ONE SINGLE THING AT A TIME. Otherwise you'll stretch yourself beyond the breaking point. Yep, there ARE OPPORTUNITIES EVERYWHERE. That is where the root of most problems shows itself. We want the path of least resistance, so when we start on a path but notice something that might be easier, we take the side street. A little "shortcut to success," if you will.

When that becomes a larger path that's more difficult to navigate, and we see another side street, we turn again. We fail to remember that the shortest distance from one point to another is a straight line ie. one single path. It may have hills that slow down our progress, but when you reach the top, you can accelerate without any effort. Sure, there may be another hill - but every one has a peak, and over every peak is some free acceleration.

I offer this thread, as insignificant as it may be in your life and journey, to show the effects of what happens - in a real life, day to day fashion - when someone does exactly what it seems that I'm doing to myself. Focus and commitment are necessary to success, and without them you end up right where you started.

This is my commitment to hold myself accountable for my own actions or inactions, my focus or lack thereof, my commitment or estrangement, and my faithfulness or adulteration of these ideas that could each be incredible if executed properly, and raised from birth to maturity.

Will I exorcise my entrepreneurial demons, or will I be overcome by the evils that I subconsciously foster and generally succumb to on a conscious level? Is there room for me in the trillion dollar pond?

I guess I'll find out.

One thing I think you should try to realize here is the fact that this was all talk too. Much like you describe your grand plans and thoughts this post looks like hardcore procrastination to me. Just because you start a business today doesn't mean you need to keep it forever. Likewise pondering the possibilities isn't doing anyone anyone any good.

Put the ideas on paper. Pick the one with the most potential that you believe you can start with your current resources and get started. If you think this is hard just wait until you are up and running. If it fails it fails, don't be afraid to fail, in a way you are failing 10x worse every time you lose a day to bullshit like this.

 

[IAmTheJeff]

One thing I think you should try to realize here is the fact that this was all talk too. Much like you describe your grand plans and thoughts this post looks like hardcore procrastination to me. Just because you start a business today doesn't mean you need to keep it forever. Likewise pondering the possibilities isn't doing anyone anyone any good.

Put the ideas on paper. Pick the one with the most potential that you believe you can start with your current resources and get started. If you think this is hard just wait until you are up and running. If it fails it fails, don't be afraid to fail, in a way you are failing 10x worse every time you lose a day to bullshit like this.

Damnit, that OP is going to haunt me for months. I own it @Kak. I acknowledge that it was all talk, all procrastination, all bullshit, basically just childish excuses. At the same time, I'm glad I posted it. Without the boost from some of these guys - Vig and Zen in particular - I may be stuck in that same spot right now. I'm not proud I was there, but I'm sure as hell glad I'm out of it now.

The one I posted about last night - I'm in. I'm having it built, I'm trying to figure out how to make a mockup and potentially work on pre selling. I know, it may seem like more action fake to you all - but to me, this shit is real. If it wins it wins and if it fails it fails but I'm over the games.

After I get my mock up done, I'll screen shot and post it here. Wish me luck on that though, I'm not a designer. Lol

Edit:
Zen definitely got the checks, he sent me a picture of them last night - I think as a little reminder not to eff it up. When you out your money where your mouth is, it feels more like there's something to lose - because there really is. If anyone else out there has the same problem I was having, I highly suggest doing it. That little piece of action lit a fire under my a$$. I can't afford to just throw away a grand, can you??

 

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[MyDuckets]

This is my shallow attempt at trying to FOCUS on one single thing at a time,

Now the question is - should I still look at the manufacturing industry and try to find a definite pain within, particularly since I'm already having something built that basically puts me in a waiting game?

 

[IAmTheJeff]

Yeah, I thought about that after I posted it. I was sick as a dog yesterday so my mind wasn't quite where it should have been. Good catch.

 

[RogueInnovation]

No excuses man, because if you accept that runaround stuff from yourself, you are going to be accepting it from others and get duped 24/7 on all fronts (other people, you, your friends and people who lose faith in challenging you).
Now you found a problem on friday within YOU, you cannot call these guys and get in, GET IN THAT DOOR and talk to them, turn that problem in you into a solveable set of actions, don't just say "f#ck it I figured out a Saas", thats hippy talk.
You don't wait while people make stuff out of scraps you picked up on the side of the road. That is NOT control!!! That is not TIME!!! That is arguably NOT a perfected NEED!!! That is not SCALE, because you are not talking to these guys to find out if they will buy it from you NOW!
Its not barrier of entry yet because you just SCRAPED THE TOP, and are developing of obvious stuff, and have not got deeper than OTHERS have the stomach to go!

So, wtf is this cr#p? Get in their doors, get need and scale, do not waste your time juggling random BS. Pick up the phone, get in there, and master the conversation until you are sick and tired and crazy about it, then keep going.

Here is a model I use to stop me stopping

----|----|----|----|---->>>

Every vertical bar is a BS "point of clarity", ADMIT that they are BS, KNOW they are BS, don't let it BS you, NOW is the time. The >>> is when I start doing stuff, and have NO questions in a crazy trance, throwing things out of the way. Kill the BS quickly, because if you are not like >>> --- >>> --- >>> --- >>> --- >>> you are wasting time (the --- are actions like picking up the phone and mastering the discussion).

You are the first diagram, CUT THAT SH!T OUT. Act, act, act, LEAP, act, act, act, LEAP.

Lose sight of land

Find your errors, find where you are wrong, then find TON more. Because imperfection drives results!!!

 

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[Skys]

Hahaha I've been action taking all week, ....

And you will have to keep taking action next week, next month, next decade, and for the rest of your life.

Don't just read, instead: study. Read books that you can relate to, which build a contrast where you are now and where you want to be. Inspiritational (you can decide what's inspirational to you. This can be from Marcus Aurelius to The Fastlane Millionaire), How-to books (you are cold calling now, right? Are you trying to reinvent the wheel or did you actually study the art of persuasion?) and autobiographies (You think your life is tough? Read Mandela's autobiography. Beating apartheid versus your "problems".. well, your life ain't so bad).

I feel remorse for some of the books I decided to read in the past and how much time I wasted with them. I believe information overload happens when you keep putting information in your head while there is no output for it in real life. It's mental mastrubation, it's fearing to face reality where you are at. From reading this topic, I notice you have an mindset not optimal to achieve greatness.

Where am I? Where do I want to go? What do I need to do to get there?

Create a filter which you decide trough what information you are going to put into your brain. Make sure you brainwash yourself the right way, because you are always being brainwashed. Unlearning is always harder than learning it in the first place.

If you read, make sure you have a clear idea if it's for entertainment or education. Reading a good book for entertainment is most of the time better than watching television. However, don't confuse reading with actually taking action. That's fooling yourself and that's something you have been doing long enough now.

See my 600+ messages? I joined 2011. That's simply to many. Non-productive activity to fool myself I was taking action.
It's even crazier when you consider the bulk of these 600+ posts I made in 2011-2012. Since 2013 I started to work on me. To improve from the inside out.

You can lurk around on a forum like this but if your problems don't change all you are doing is taking value, which is in the allergy of most of the forum members here who are truly passionate and serious about their profession. You are lazy, and you confuse activity on this forum by telling yourself that you are doing 'research'.

You need to take massive action, and your actions has to be smart. Any idiot can pick up the phone and say "hi" and ask for the sale. However, what makes a cold call effective? Why do you want to hit a certain number of dials every day? What's your pitch and how can you improve uppon that pitch? How is your relationship with people? What are you lacking in personality which makes so many people become harsh towards you on this forum? What are you biggest weaknesses and how can you turn it around?

Now don't pick these questions and make it into an event. An event where you have some big aha moment, and decide to change your entire life overnight. Study patterns. Study habits. Read http://www.amazon.com/The-Power-Habit-What-Business/dp/081298160X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398179939&sr=8-1&keywords=power of habit or even better, read the summary at: http://sivers.org/book/PowerOfHabit. The summary will save you time and you get the core message.

Little bit of a rant, but the only way you can change is to take massive action.

 

[LiveTheWay]

Valuable thread on so many levels. I also have spent much time stuck in the crack den of business learning with inaction, whilst thinking I am somehow making progress. Thanks for helping me see my BS and I get my behind in gear.

 

[DeletedUser394]

Do anything in the past 7 days?

 

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[IAmTheJeff]

Do anything in the past 7 days?

Why yes, sir. I've been very busy refining my process. After I posted, exclaiming that I'm making a software, a few people messaged me, making me realize how it was really more of an action fake.

That's right, everyone! I done messed up! I'm learning more about what the hell I'm really doing every single day. THAT is what I call progress. That's what will separate me from the next guy. Whether Vig, Zen, MJ, Rogue, etc see this as progress or not is beyond my level of caring. (Kind of...zen does still have $1k worth of my checks....) I know that what I'm gaining will absolutely help me in creating real value for my customers.

I am still making that software, but a very small portion of what I originally planned. I'm working with four different companies to create an application that will offer the maximum amount of value in the lightest possible framework.

I'm loving what I'm learning. This is a real life challenge, and even if this one doesn't pan out exactly how I want, I'm about 4.6 million steps ahead for my next try. I'm starting to become one of those guys that the secretary asks how my day is going before they transfer me to the boss. That shit will be valuable for a lifetime.

@RichKid, thanks for asking. I actually forgot to update here.

 

[RogueInnovation]

still making that software, but a very small portion of what I originally planned. I'm working with four different companies to create an application that will offer the maximum amount of value in the lightest possible framework

That sounds interesting, and more realistic.
I wonder though if they don't have more pain points than sales.
Aka, what can they do to refine xyz processes also that will make maximum bang for their buck

Something interesting I can see here is, you are doing a B2B service/product. I wonder if it can't be solved in other creative ways, like streamlining a process they are scr#wing up, and getting an equity deal etc.

Its just, for me, most medicre businesses have egos, and that is why they are outdated and slow. This gets in the way of them innovating enough to reshape their process, and it manifests in two ways, cheapskate mentalities regarding what upgrades they buy, and "we are the best and don't need to improve" mentalities.
So you have to figure out what will light a fire under them, and how to take the share of value you are responsible for. Demonstrate value, stretch them further, and get better returns that help them get profitable.

If I was hitting hard at a manufacturing business my first place to look would be outdated systems, software, hardware, missing things like barcode systems etc. Then would display to them wastage and possible upsides of x product then hook them up.

A b2b service is ok, but I feel that there is more leverage to be had if you might get under their skin more, and get past the BS shield.
Find their warts, then find ready made solutions, package that as an upgrade, then come in and fix it up.
Or if you are a real ball breaker, find their achilles heel, and BURST onto the scene with those systems and install a managerial team etc that can do a better job than your competitors.

My only question is, what is going to give you CLEAR and actionable steps, what is going to get done laser fast, and how far can you push the idea of "what we want" before it gets unreasonable and too expensive/mastabatory/wishlist.

Laser fast - Requires you to spot what they overlook and has solutions (which should be plentiful in older business industries)
What is reasonable - Comes down to, how complicated the jobs is, and if people are puffing their chest to make it look harder than it is versus, stuff that is SUPER hard, that chumps think is easy (if you can cut guys off at the knees, when they push you into stuff they THINK is easy but is actually really hard, you should be able so simplify and identify efficiencies that can be immediately substituted to replace their outdated masterbatory thinking)
Clear steps - Are there any wish washy unknowns? (and in older industries you should be able to squash these, since the value proposition, pricing structures, distribution etc should be easier to identify)