ME vs THEM

MJ DeMarco · Nov 19, 2012

What usually separates Fastlane businesses from other businesses? What separates a business that will just pay your bills versus make you a fortune?

ME vs THEM.

ME:

"I need a business that allow ME to dump the job and the boss" -
"I need a business that allows ME to work 4 hours a week"
"I need a business that lets ME do what I love"
"I need a business that lets ME be creative"
"I need a business that lets ME follow my passion"

Me. Me. Me.

Sounds like a prescription for a business that might survive, but probably not Fastlane.

THEM.

"I need a business that solves a big problem."
"I need a business that creates value massively."
"I need a business that makes the world better."
"I need a business that people love to use/recommend/buy."

Here is a great article that was the impetus for this post:

Marketing is like Fertilizer

Obviously, the "motherload" would be for you to find the sweet-spot that combines BOTH!

socaldude · Nov 19, 2012

Your post reminds me of one of kevin O'Leary's quotes: "Your tears don't add value". Which means the opposite is true: "Your joy doesn't add value."

.

I tend to see this a lot: Horray I filed for an LLC! Horray check out my logo! Oh shit the credit card bills are going up I better find a way to make some money!" How does any of this add any value? It doesn't.

To me marketing is all about communicating value. communication. communication. communication. Communicate in one form or another to the external world that what you have to offer delivers value or some marginal benefit.

great post.

LightHouse · Nov 19, 2012

This reminded me of this picture I saw earlier and had a similar thought...

So they are saying, " Oh you need money, well get it from THEM, not ME" There is no tax me and them etc. Its always you vs us.

mayana · Nov 19, 2012

LightHouse said:
This reminded me of this picture I saw earlier and had a similar thought...

So they are saying, " Oh you need money, well get it from THEM, not ME" There is no tax me and them etc. Its always you vs us.

Lol... How long did it take them to organize something like this? I bet they could've used that time a little more efficiently.

Roberteking78 · Nov 19, 2012

mayana said:
Lol... How long did it take them to organize something like this? I bet they could've used that time a little more efficiently.

Before reading MFL, I would only see the political and social dynamics of this stuff. Now I see the $$$ involved in making discontented people into money trees. Someone somewhere is selling those people t-shirts, riling them up on radio shows, selling them silver bullion and survival shelters and crap like that.

socaldude · Nov 19, 2012

mayana said:
Lol... How long did it take them to organize something like this? I bet they could've used that time a little more efficiently.

Thats the irony about this picture. The reason they are not in the 1% is because they value their time at ZERO.

MMatt · Nov 19, 2012

I was just about to make a comment about how little they value their time. They spend their time trying to display their message of taking money from the rich, rather than spending time learning how to make more money by themselves. "Those darn 1 percenters, I'm just gonna sit in formation in protest to their wealth."

The-J · Nov 19, 2012

I catch myself in the ME ME ME line of thinking often times. It really is dangerous and can prevent you from seeing opportunities right in front of your face.

Awesome post!

dknise · Nov 19, 2012

I joined an entrepreneur incubator to work at just to get out of the house... and I can't even begin to tell you how much I hear this. Several of them, MJ, have actually read your book! And when I start saying during their pitch "but where is the value being provided here, what need are you solving?" they usually laugh and tell me I sound like that guy from some Fastlane millionaire book. The majority of them are ex-Microsoft. They show up an 9am, start packing up at 4:55pm, and every single one of them believes starting a business and succeeding is 100% luck. They refuse to recognize their failures and use them as learning opportunities and are focused on the bottom line.

Makes me happy to sign on here and see stuff like this. :thumbsup:

mayana · Nov 20, 2012

dknise said:
I joined an entrepreneur incubator to work at just to get out of the house... and I can't even begin to tell you how much I hear this. Several of them, MJ, have actually read your book! And when I start saying during their pitch "but where is the value being provided here, what need are you solving?" they usually laugh and tell me I sound like that guy from some Fastlane millionaire book. The majority of them are ex-Microsoft. They show up an 9am, start packing up at 4:55pm, and every single one of them believes starting a business and succeeding is 100% luck. They refuse to recognize their failures and use them as learning opportunities and are focused on the bottom line.

Makes me happy to sign on here and see stuff like this.

Wow! It must be pretty frustrating to listening to them all day

Personally, I don't believe in "luck" per-se. I think we've got to put ourselves out there in front of the right opportunities in order for us to find "luck". You can't take chance completely out of the equation, but I'd say it's probably only like 5-10% of what makes someone successful. The 90% or so is a lot of damn hard work, persistence, being hard-headed, and the right idea (it won't do those guys any good to work hard in the wrong direction).

You must be a very patient person... lol!

Maxjohan · Nov 20, 2012

mayana said:
Personally, I don't believe in "luck" per-se.

I used to believe in luck in business. I remember thinking, "well, that Bill Gates guy was kind of lucky to start a computer company when pcs and the Internet was new".

I think a lot of people believe in luck in business. For me, it took a few years to get perspective. Growing as a human being takes time. I practice critical thinking a lot. You need to separate the sh*t from the golden nuggets, you know? I also kind of used to think that most people where like me and that's not really the case. There are a ton of crooks and liars in this world, that I didn't knew excisted when I was younger. I think that's mostly the case for most normal people growing up, we don't see them or think about them then.

Also, I tried to figure out what religion was the true one. I later came to the conclusion that there's no religion that is the true one, it's all in your head what you decide to believe in. Sure, you may have a liking for one religion more than any other one. But that doesn't make it more true than any other religion. Or so I think.

Edit: Hope it's okay to talk about religion like this, just a little on the surface, without going in to details of what I believe and so on. Okay?

Welcome to the only entrepreneur forum dedicated to building life-changing wealth.

Build a Fastlane business. Earn real financial freedom. Join free.

ME vs THEM

MJ DeMarco

I followed the science; all I found was money.

socaldude

Saturn Sedan and PT Cruiser enthusiast.

LightHouse

Legendary Contributor

mayana

Gold Contributor

Roberteking78

New Contributor

socaldude

Saturn Sedan and PT Cruiser enthusiast.

MMatt

Bronze Contributor

The-J

Dog Dad

dknise

Gold Contributor

mayana

Gold Contributor

Maxjohan

Bronze Contributor

Sponsored Resources: Jumpstart Your Fastlane

Post New Topic

Latest Posts

New Topics

Fastlane Insiders

CONNECT WITH MJ DeMARCO

FASTLANE TOOLBOX

JOIN A MOVEMENT

TURBO-CHARGE WEALTH CREATION