Thread: Starting small to prepare for the fastlane

Hello! I've been lurking these forums for a while now and read The Millionaire Fastlane (which is awesome, thanks MJ) a few months back and have basically been stuck overdosing on information and not taking much action. I've been training myself to see more opportunities and I have been spotting more lately, but I've yet to find an idea worthy of pursuing. This might be me though.. Starting a fastlane business seems intimidating for someone with no real business experience and no programming skills. Any idea I have will have to be outsourced as far as programming goes and I'm currently still saving for this which is not easy with a minimum wage, soulsucking technical helpdesk job.. I have confidence that I will succeed fastlane-wise eventually and am also confident that I will be able to do the marketing etc well myself if I put my mind to it, but it seems going fastlane with zero experience and a very (<$1000) small budget might not be optimal right now.

So lately I've been comtemplating starting a small non-fastlane business first to gain some momentum, experience, confidence and to finally get myself to take proper action. Also, it would be good if I could replace my shitty helpdesk job (€7.50 per hour) which feels as a waste of time and life (I value my time higher than this)... I was thinking along the lines of mobile websites for small local business, affiliate marketing or creating an online presence for small local businesses for example. I'm not sure yet as it might or might not delay my fastlane future, but it might be the best way to get into the action.

Do you think this is a good plan or should I just get my balls together and try fastlane right away?

I would say go Fastlane. Just learn how to program there so much info online about it. It will be better for you in the long run rather than paying people something you have no idea about.

So lately I've been comtemplating starting a small non-fastlane business first to gain some momentum, experience, confidence and to finally get myself to take proper action. Also, it would be good if I could replace my shitty helpdesk job (€7.50 per hour) which feels as a waste of time and life (I value my time higher than this)... I was thinking along the lines of mobile websites for small local business, affiliate marketing or creating an online presence for small local businesses for example. I'm not sure yet as it might or might not delay my fastlane future, but it might be the best way to get into the action.

It seems like a waste of time to start with something "slow". I'm not saying that you idea is slow. I think it can make money..every idea really has potential.

My point is that we don't live forever..Do what you want to do & don't waste your time.

Also, you don't need to know how to do anything. Some people will invest in you and an idea while still in the idea stage. That is what happened to me. I just sort of went with it. You can really learn a lot as you go.

Do whichever one gets your backside off the couch and moving. Movement = progress = experience = better opportunities.

Originally Posted by SPX

I would say go Fastlane. Just learn how to program there so much info online about it. It will be better for you in the long run rather than paying people something you have no idea about.

This doesn't seem very fastlane to me. If what I've read on these forums is correct, learning how to program well enough would take around 2 years. I'd rather trade my time for money in for example affiliate marketing (which is very doable with something like Wordpress) and then pay someone to program for me. Also, I would love to substitute my current job as soon as possible, not only do I hate wasting my time in such a boring way, minimum wage doesn't give me alot of room to save for my entrepreneurial ventures.

Originally Posted by johnp

It seems like a waste of time to start with something "slow". I'm not saying that you idea is slow. I think it can make money..every idea really has potential.

My point is that we don't live forever..Do what you want to do & don't waste your time.

Also, you don't need to know how to do anything. Some people will invest in you and an idea while still in the idea stage. That is what happened to me. I just sort of went with it. You can really learn a lot as you go.

It does seem like a waste of time when you're talking millions, but my dream is not necessarily to be super-rich as soon as possible. I'm not that big on Lamborghini's or big villa's (though it would be nice obviously), my goal for now is just a nice passive income so I can avoid working a mindnumbing job like so many people have, travel when I want to and just enjoy my twenties. Going truly Fastlane is somewhat more a longterm plan to secure my future, I would be very content with 200k relatively passive income per year for example. My main goal is freedom of time and the money to do awesome things with that time.

Originally Posted by ZCP

Do whichever one gets your backside off the couch and moving. Movement = progress = experience = better opportunities.

This is what I thought. There are so many different roads to choose and contemplating which one to go with can easily freeze you in your tracks. I think it's time to stop analyzing and just take a little gamble, see where it takes me. Maybe it's a detour but it's better than not moving at all.

Thanks for the feedback thusfar!

It does seem like a waste of time when you're talking millions, but my dream is not necessarily to be super-rich as soon as possible. I'm not that big on Lamborghini's or big villa's (though it would be nice obviously), my goal for now is just a nice passive income so I can avoid working a mindnumbing job like so many people have, travel when I want to and just enjoy my twenties. Going truly Fastlane is somewhat more a longterm plan to secure my future, I would be very content with 200k relatively passive income per year for example. My main goal is freedom of time and the money to do awesome things with that time.

I think you may have answered your own question. As I read your comments, it seems like you are leaning towards slow to fast. If that's what you want then do it!

I also agree with you. I don't really care about cars or millions of dollars I just want to do something good for people and not have to work an 8 hour job..getting rich just happens to be a nice result that leads to freedom (depending on how you look at it). I also work a sort of tech job where I sit at a computer. I spend many days wanting to bang my head against the wall. Instead of doing that I get my main work done real fast then, I use the time to work on my business.

There is a Ferrari lot about 15 minutes down the street from me. By next year I plan to walk into that store sit down, wave some money infront of the sales person's face. Then walk out without buying the car since I have no desire to own a Ferrari. I just want to have the money so I can do something like that haha

Go Fastlane and make 4Million. Then passively live off 5% of that for the rest of your life knowing you'll never work for the man again. And think what you'll learn in the process. Repeat for fun.

Stridone - your idea of "getting your feet wet" first is common, but let me tell you that you'll be stepping into quicksand. I spent nearly a decade as a consultant...similiar idea as yours...get experience, and shorter time to positive cash flow. I helped a lot of other people make a lot of money and I got to be my own boss but (big emphasis) BUT I never got out of the slow lane. Heck I forgot where I was going or why. I finally took an exit ramp for Corporate America. Your mileage may vary, but my advice is go all in full speed and don't look back.

Originally Posted by Kung Fu Steve

I was just going to let this one go and let you figure it out on your own but why don't I share a couple quick things with you. Take it for what it's worth.

1. The only place "starting slow" can get you to is nowheresville. The world was only ever moved by big ideas. Any successful person here will admit they took MASSIVE action to become successful. The whole point of the "fastlane"is to ignore the rhetoric that if you slowly save money or slowly invest in this or that - you will slowly be wealthy... Take "slow" out of your vocabulary.

2. Confidence comes from results. "I know I can do it AGAIN" - When you say "I am confident that someday I may succeed" ... buddy I don't mean to be a dick (although I kind of am ) - but you don't know what you don't know yet. TRY SOMETHING. Even if it's wrong. Actions produce results, results produce knowledge, knowledge produces new decisions, new decisions produce action... new results... etc. etc.

3. If you want to "get your balls together" in any way shape or form - stop taking advice from some strangers on a forum and go do something. You want it? Go get it. Any of us would be glad to help on the technical aspects of selling your product, marketing it, where to take your business to the next level, etc. etc. but this, my friend, is a silly question to ask.

This is a kick in my ass as well. I fully understand I need to take action to get anywhere but so far ive gotten nowhere besides educating myself and making a few hundred. I need to grow some balls and do something.

Originally Posted by Kung Fu Steve

I was just going to let this one go and let you figure it out on your own but why don't I share a couple quick things with you. Take it for what it's worth.

1. The only place "starting slow" can get you to is nowheresville. The world was only ever moved by big ideas. Any successful person here will admit they took MASSIVE action to become successful. The whole point of the "fastlane"is to ignore the rhetoric that if you slowly save money or slowly invest in this or that - you will slowly be wealthy... Take "slow" out of your vocabulary.

Yeah, but massive action most likely requires a decent amount of startup money (commandment of entry) and the way I'm currently amassing that money is not exactly fast nor interesting nor beneficial to my learning process. I'm definitely not trying to take it slow or chickening my way out, it's just that the budget I currently possess might be better put to use trying to amass money in a more efficient way (in the meanwhile perhaps sacrificing the commandment of scale but learning more in the process), such as affiliate marketing. The key difference is not slow or fast, but how scalable it would be.

2. Confidence comes from results. "I know I can do it AGAIN" - When you say "I am confident that someday I may succeed" ... buddy I don't mean to be a dick (although I kind of am ) - but you don't know what you don't know yet. TRY SOMETHING. Even if it's wrong. Actions produce results, results produce knowledge, knowledge produces new decisions, new decisions produce action... new results... etc. etc.

3. If you want to "get your balls together" in any way shape or form - stop taking advice from some strangers on a forum and go do something. You want it? Go get it. Any of us would be glad to help on the technical aspects of selling your product, marketing it, where to take your business to the next level, etc. etc. but this, my friend, is a silly question to ask.

Very true, it's just finding that something that's been slowing me down.

Thanks everyone, this forum is great. Seems like the opinions on this topic are somewhat divided.