No network? No money? No idea? No education? NO PROBLEM!

[IceCreamKid]

@KLaw:

This is just my opinion, I'm not an expert by any means - but, I think it's still valuable to learn copywriting. By just copying, you could probably create some pretty effective copy. Especially if you split test everything, track results, and figure out what's most effective over time. You would probably even be able to pick up a lot of the ideas behind copywriting by doing it this way.

However, the biggest benefit I've gained from actually learning and studying copywriting is learning the mindset - figuring out WHY things work, the mindset of customers, how to market to different groups of people, which angle to take on certain products - some people get it intuitively, but IMO it's not something most people could learn just by copying what other people have done.

You can copy a layout someone did and put in your own info, but how do you know it's effective for your market? You really wouldn't, unless you know how to analyze that information. How do you know which, out of many, benefits you should focus on? Your customers have desires that they are hoping your product will be able to provide - do you know these desires? Do you know the psychological background behind these desires? All of this changes how you write your copy.

Even though copying layouts may seem like it's saving you time, I think in the long run, you'll waste a lot less time and be much more effective by actually learning copywriting.

Basically, what she said. lol

On the outside, copywriting looks like nothing more than a bunch of catchy headlines. If you dig deeper, you'll find that it reveals to you the framework by which humans function. When you understand that framework, it is easier to identify products which could sell to the masses.

I personally don't really enjoy teaching copywriting to people because it exposes the dark side of humans...the greed, ego, selfishness, need for instant gratification, laziness...all that is exposed when you learn copywriting. It literally will change the lens through which you view the world. When you walk around and see advertisements, salespeople, etc you'll notice the tiny details about them that you wouldn't have noticed before.

There is a dark side to almost everything...the yin and the yang.

 

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[jkkkjkhk]

Not that I'm an authority on the subject, I'm only on the 4th book in the challenge, but copy is basically psychology. Understanding the brain, how different fonts, words, colors, phrases, borders, placement... all affect how we view things and scientifically picking these things to grab the largest audience and generate the most business. Thinking about it as simply writing headlines and ads can make it sound pretty boring but once you see it's all psychology it becomes infinitely more interesting. I find many times when I'm reading I just don't want to put the book down. It's a great feeling when every page you read you really feel that you're learning something useful and interesting.

 

[csalvato]

@KLaw:
You can copy a layout someone did and put in your own info, but how do you know it's effective for your market? You really wouldn't, unless you know how to analyze that information. How do you know which, out of many, benefits you should focus on? Your customers have desires that they are hoping your product will be able to provide - do you know these desires? Do you know the psychological background behind these desires? All of this changes how you write your copy.

This is exactly how I look at it.

When I started writing copy I was just stealing everything. That's cool too, its actually called swiping. All good marketers have a "swipe" file where they take copy that has converted them (or that they know works for a similar market/idea) and puts them into a file or Evernote notebook. Then when you need to appeal to that idea, you can reach into your swipe file.

For example, if you are writing about an opportunity that has HUGE ROI, you can look at your swipe file for things that sell that idea. If its something that saves time, you can swipe a letter that pushes that main idea.

But you need to be able to take that copy and modify it for your needs.

Even if you don't know what you're doing you can probably get some good conversions just by stealing/swiping copy with minimal adjustments.

But if you want to blow it out of the water, you probably need to study copywriting and sales psychology a lot more to make your edits to your swipes really shine through.

My 2¢.

 

[bboyu]

Thank you for the thread @IceCreamKid. Just going off of the thread's title - it made me think about whether you and the other legends here have any insights on being resourceful?

I know there are a lot of you here who, even if you lost it all, you would BE ABLE to make it all back within a short period of time. Obviously depending on the country or place you find yourself in - the ventures you could pursue would be different.

It's the know "how" and know "what" that is important in anything.

It's like The Arabs and the Oil situation. They have these natural resources that they've been sitting on for centuries but didn't know it was there, how or what to do with it, how profitable it could be etc etc. Until the West went in to tell them (early 1900's).

Obviously that is a big deal and the people who know what to do with it - will get in touch and they did. But still the Arabs may not know until this day what opportunity lies therein because they didn't know what they didn't know.

So it's a question of how do you know what you can do with the resources you have at hand? How can you find out what you don't know?

You are new to the place and everything in the title reflects your situation - what would you look for in your area? How would you be resourceful?

 

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[IceCreamKid]

So it's a question of how do you know what you can do with the resources you have at hand? How can you find out what you don't know?

This is a big question that I have pondered enough to last me 3 lifetimes. How do you know what you don't know? Here's what I would do:

1. Do my best to turn myself into a magnet. In other words, try to become the kind of guy that the people would want to work with. This means be an action taker, don't waste time, use your brain, and be resourceful. Oh yeah and be respectful...that's a huge one. I see to many people EXPECTING things to be handed to them just because they breathe oxygen.

2. Read books. People have laid out everything that they learned in books. $10 is a small price to pay in exchange for someone's life learnings. You can either pay for experience monetarily or pay for experience with time and failure.

3. Ask somebody for help. There are some people who have so much knowledge about a vast array of topics, it's amazing.

Bottom line, the best way to find out what you don't know is to take action. Action gives the answers that theory cannot solve. Here's an example of how action gives you the key to realizing what you don't know. This all happened over the span of 2 weeks btw.

1. Got accepted into zen*******'s guppy tank. Within 1 week I realized it's waaaay better to travel with a pack of wolves.
2. While creating my Amazon Seller account, I realized I need to set up an LLC. I didn't know how to do that because my uncle always set up my LLC's so I had to learn. Accomplished within 3 days.
3. While dealing with manufacturers in China, I found out that all of them refused to ship to a residential home so I learned that I needed to get a UPS box for $15 a month.

My point is this: if I just sat in my room THINKING about the business in my head, I NEVER would have found out that I needed all of these things...the wolf pack, how to create an LLC, what to get before dealing with manufacturers, etc.

I still don't know what I don't know and I'm perfectly content with that. Just gotta keep taking action daily. That's the motto.

People want all of the steps laid out in front of them before they make even ONE move. That's not how the game works. So if you want to know what you don't know, just make a move and everything will fall into place.

Keep it moving. Jump off the cliff and learn to fly on the way down.

Your Man,

ICK

 

[Kaizen]

Ok, did a little more research using Google Trends and Google Adwords.

Google Trends shows that natural toys, quality toys, and related keywords are declining in interest, indicating that this is a declining market (though it seems to be declining pretty slowly).

Hi Fiona,

I think I know what you are seeing here in Trends. When you look at a lot of industries and keywords over time it looks like a decline if you assume that the graph is expressing total keyword search volume over time.

However, Google Trends is actually showing you how much search there is for a keyword as a fraction of total google search over time.

So even if keyword search volume has grown over time, if it has grown slower that total google search volume, you will see a declining graph.

Given how fast Google search per day volume has grown over the last decade, this makes sense. A Google employee recently told that on a daily basis, the algorithm is seeing 16% of searches being completely new, never searched before queries.

So quality toys have most likely seen a massive search growth over time, Trends just will not show you that. It is a tool best used for identifying seasonal search trends.

Hope that is useful.

 

[FionaS]

Hi Fiona,

I think I know what you are seeing here in Trends. When you look at a lot of industries and keywords over time it looks like a decline if you assume that the graph is expressing total keyword search volume over time.

However, Google Trends is actually showing you how much search there is for a keyword as a fraction of total google search over time.

So even if keyword search volume has grown over time, if it has grown slower that total google search volume, you will see a declining graph.

Given how fast Google search per day volume has grown over the last decade, this makes sense. A Google employee recently told that on a daily basis, the algorithm is seeing 16% of searches being completely new, never searched before queries.

So quality toys have most likely seen a massive search growth over time, Trends just will not show you that. It is a tool best used for identifying seasonal search trends.

Hope that is useful.

Thank you, @Kaizen!!! I hadn't used the tool in the past, and I guess I failed to do the research to figure out exactly how it worked.

Thanks for the clarification. I thought it seemed odd, as I had been seeing more and more stuff in that niche, lately.

 

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[Nur]

what is your opinion on this book?

is it sufficient to learn copy?

 

[GuestUser113]

what is your opinion on this book?

is it sufficient to learn copy?

I haven't read that book. I would start here - https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/co...ert-30-day-challenge-copywriting-group.50217/

 

[Nur]

Tell you what, ICK. I'll do it. Just to prove to everyone that just about anyone can do this and succeed.

I have a product I'm working on, but I'll do this in the same niche, and if nothing else, it'll be great market research. So, nothing to lose. Except some fear... because I feel that after doing something like this, and actually following through, being scared just isn't as big a deal.

Because a lot of people seem to be focused on why this won't work, here are my "limiting factors" (and that's in quotes because these factors really are just small hurdles to overcome, everything is possible if you're willing to put the work and effort in):

• I'm a full time mom of two kids under three.
• I don't have anyone to help watch them or take them of my hands while I work, for at least the next two months.
• After those next two months, I lose car access and will be mostly home-bound until we can afford a second car.
• I can't 'go get a job' for extra cash - I need to stay with my kids, daycare is expensive, won't have a car as soon as my husband gets back from his assignment.
• I have no spending cash (I do have $2000 in student loans a month, though, yay!).
• I have to clean, and cook, and play with the kids during the day.
• I'm risk adverse - money is tight so the thought of losing it is stressful for me (I think this might be my biggest issue).
• My youngest gets really upset if I'm not holding her or if her brother won't let her steal all his toys (I'm writing this holding her, bouncing up and down in front of the computer).

I'm having problems thinking of more - and this is why: I chose to not view my life through limiting beliefs. If I did, nothing would ever happen. There's no denying that I'm busy. That I have two kids to take care of all day (who often keep me up hours every night). We currently don't have a bunch of extra resources. I probably can't work as fast as a lot of other people, because I am always multitasking (except when the kids are asleep).

If I only looked at the negatives, I'd be in bad shape. I decided a while ago that I would always re-frame negative thoughts and make them positive.

For example:

• I have the opportunity to spend all day with my kids, and watch them learn how to walk, how to talk, and all the other important milestones in their lives.
• I may not have car access for long, but I have a computer that's a portal into the world and on which I can do so much, as well as a phone with which I can contact almost anyone. If I had a meeting, I could always find a baby sitter and get a cab, if necessary - but almost everything is possible with technology. Skype, anyone?
  
• Having little disposable income helps me put a priority on spending and helps me create a lean, rather than bloated, business.

STEP ONE:

• Keep studying copywriting (I do about 2 hours a day, I'll keep doing so), and put together a list of 100 people with their contact information. List will be completed by the end of the day.

I am getting carried away.... I like writing too much.

TLDR; I'll do this challenge. No money down, except to pay for a domain and maybe some hosting. Oh, I think I'll make myself earn that money, too. Just to show that you really can do this with NO MONEY at all. Because, I know you can.

(Should I start a new thread or post here?)

sorry should read the whole thread till finish (opportunity for a better forum software?)

 

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[TheUltimateWarrior]

Just wanted to say that this has become a massively useful thread.

 

[IceCreamKid]

Holy shnykies I need to update this thread with more actionable steps. I'm going to be doing a free conference call teaching copywriting soon btw.

 

[TheUltimateWarrior]

Holy shnykies I need to update this thread with more actionable steps. I'm going to be doing a free conference call teaching copywriting soon btw.

Where do I sign up?

 

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[IceCreamKid]

Where do I sign up?

I'll let you know. I'm super busy in the guppy tank right now. No lie, as soon as I think I have a solid understanding of the chaos being taught in there, they throw more action items at us and the chaos continues. I hate it, but I love it. I love love love it!

 

[RogueInnovation]

Update: Mentor told me not to learn code
Thought about it long and hard, and am going to learn code.

I know I know, coding is stupid. But you know what stupid REALLY is?
Quitting ahead of time cuz its tough.

Why is this relevant to the thread?
Cuz no one can GIVE you the step by step guide.
Unless YOU make the choice to follow it and ask.


When given the choice between two visions
1) A guy that gets decent at biz and starts launching, and learns code to get into the niche (still kinda puking that I made this decision btw) and then launches the most successful xyz site ever
2) A guy that gets decent at biz and then floats around on the decision and only outsources, wavering and stuck in insecurity, launches 2nd best website of xyz.

I just have to say "f#ck it, taking it all the way and being resilient is who I am".
And since I made that choice, I have to accept ALL the consequences, all the beatings all the "omg what an idiot".
Shame me up, cuz it still is worth it.

Decide slowly, execute without question.
Ask yourself what you will regret more, long term.

Chances are, that if you have thought it out well, the one you regret most is not taking action.
(again: code is not action, for me its ONLY and singular use, is competitive advantage cuz I know what I'll be able to do to take it a step beyond)

It is a choice. WHAT IS BETTER. Not generally, but for YOU.
Will you accept it in its horrific truth? Or will you hide and run away...
Blaming others for why you didn't make it.

OWN your own decisions. Then make them happen.

 

[FionaS]

Quick update.

Internet hasn't been working too well, so haven't gotten quite as much done as I would like. I'm only at 50 people so far, quite a few I don't think I have real good contact information for (contact forms seem to be pretty prevalent, generic emails). I'm having the most trouble with the bigger toy companies (Hasbro, Lego, Melissa and Doug), who obviously don't see the benefit of being interviewed by a website that hasn't even been started yet.

Haven't been able to get a hold of upper management for any of the bigger companies yet, but the teachers that I've contacted seem more receptive (I guess they don't get nearly as many interview requests ).

Stats:
Interviews -
Yes: 3 (2 teachers, 1 association)
No - 1 (1 author)
Later - 1 (1 teacher, after website is live)

The rest haven't replied to emails. I'll need to try to contact them again. Haven't actually gotten any interviews back, yet.

I've figured out the basic website layout, and have started to put it together.

There is definitely a bit of fear, here. I'm still scared of actually picking up the phone (years and years of ingrained habits, here). I'm trying to figure out how to best overcome that obstacle (I'm thinking of starting with one simple step - 1 phone call - idea extraction, interview request, I don't really care - a day, then, once I can do that, start doing more phone calls).

Another obstacle has been gate keepers (I assume, as people aren't replying) or simply not having an interesting enough request for these all together busy individuals. I'm going to start treating these emails like a piece of copy. See what type of email gets the largest amount of replies. I've never done this before (in the past, I've just started posting and adding content to the website, then interviewing people that I already knew) so the learning curve seems pretty big.

Not insurmountable, though. Definitely not.

 

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[IceCreamKid]

The rest haven't replied to emails. I'll need to try to contact them again. Haven't actually gotten any interviews back, yet.

If your emails adhere to industry averages, you should get roughly a 5% response rate to your first email. By the 3rd follow up, the response should skyrocket to 20%. Be encouraged by the fact that it's not super easy because that means less competition. =P

There is definitely a bit of fear, here. I'm still scared of actually picking up the phone (years and years of ingrained habits, here).

Most people are quite kind and respectful so keep that in mind when reaching out.

Another obstacle has been gate keepers

If you want to avoid gatekeepers altogether then just use LinkedIn.

I'm going to start treating these emails like a piece of copy. See what type of email gets the largest amount of replies.

This is exactly what marketing is all about. Test, test, test. Then when you find something that sticks, nail and scale.

Keep going! You're awesome!

 

[IceCreamKid]

The rest haven't replied to emails. I'll need to try to contact them again. Haven't actually gotten any interviews back, yet.

If your emails adhere to industry averages, you should get roughly a 5% response rate to your first email. By the 3rd follow up, the response should skyrocket to 20%. Be encouraged by the fact that it's not super easy because that means less competition. =P

There is definitely a bit of fear, here. I'm still scared of actually picking up the phone (years and years of ingrained habits, here).

Most people are quite kind and respectful so keep that in mind when reaching out.

Another obstacle has been gate keepers

If you want to avoid gatekeepers altogether then just use LinkedIn.

I'm going to start treating these emails like a piece of copy. See what type of email gets the largest amount of replies.

This is exactly what marketing is all about. Test, test, test. Then when you find something that sticks, nail and scale.

Keep going! You're awesome!

 

[Nur]

Update: Mentor told me not to learn code
Thought about it long and hard, and am going to learn code.

I know I know, coding is stupid. But you know what stupid REALLY is?
Quitting ahead of time cuz its tough.

Why is this relevant to the thread?
Cuz no one can GIVE you the step by step guide.
Unless YOU make the choice to follow it and ask.


When given the choice between two visions
1) A guy that gets decent at biz and starts launching, and learns code to get into the niche (still kinda puking that I made this decision btw) and then launches the most successful xyz site ever
2) A guy that gets decent at biz and then floats around on the decision and only outsources, wavering and stuck in insecurity, launches 2nd best website of xyz.

I just have to say "f#ck it, taking it all the way and being resilient is who I am".
And since I made that choice, I have to accept ALL the consequences, all the beatings all the "omg what an idiot".
Shame me up, cuz it still is worth it.

Decide slowly, execute without question.
Ask yourself what you will regret more, long term.

Chances are, that if you have thought it out well, the one you regret most is not taking action.
(again: code is not action, for me its ONLY and singular use, is competitive advantage cuz I know what I'll be able to do to take it a step beyond)

It is a choice. WHAT IS BETTER. Not generally, but for YOU.
Will you accept it in its horrific truth? Or will you hide and run away...
Blaming others for why you didn't make it.

OWN your own decisions. Then make them happen.

I wane learn both i should quit doing mechanical automotive stuff but unsure what job/career should i switch to...

It takes years to either learn code/copy?

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk 2

 

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[RogueInnovation]

I wane learn both i should quit doing mechanical automotive stuff but unsure what job/career should i switch to...
It takes years to either learn code/copy?

No one can make your decisions for you.
Decide long and slow and write out negatives and positives to each choice then be realistic in what each choice requires and what payoffs there are.

Learn copy. That'll get you ahead. Code is a much more abstract choice. I'll tell you that, even the best in the world make many failures, and that it can take hundreds of thousands of dollars and several YEARS!!! to properly launch the best websites in the world.
Why bother with that when you can get a good website for 2k.

YEARS and YEARS to develop a website. Do you really care about doing that?
Unless you have a clear path to reward that is not delusional (I'm still half thinking I'm delusional) I think that code is painful. Learn it as a hobby if you like and are into it.

I'd stick to copy, as its more flexible, and utilisable in biz.

 

[ctcrompton]

Just wanted to chime in here. I've been doing my own reaching out and have been keeping detailed reports of who has responded, who's been interviewed, etc.

I've so far emailed/Facebook messaged/website-contacted 43 industry experts. 20 have responded. I've sent interviews to 19 of them, and received 5 responses with answers. Tonight I'll be hitting up another bunch of people in an effort to get to 100.

 

[Joe Cassandra]

Quick update.

Internet hasn't been working too well, so haven't gotten quite as much done as I would like. I'm only at 50 people so far, quite a few I don't think I have real good contact information for (contact forms seem to be pretty prevalent, generic emails). I'm having the most trouble with the bigger toy companies (Hasbro, Lego, Melissa and Doug), who obviously don't see the benefit of being interviewed by a website that hasn't even been started yet.

Haven't been able to get a hold of upper management for any of the bigger companies yet, but the teachers that I've contacted seem more receptive (I guess they don't get nearly as many interview requests ).

Stats:
Interviews -
Yes: 3 (2 teachers, 1 association)
No - 1 (1 author)
Later - 1 (1 teacher, after website is live)

The rest haven't replied to emails. I'll need to try to contact them again. Haven't actually gotten any interviews back, yet.

I've figured out the basic website layout, and have started to put it together.

There is definitely a bit of fear, here. I'm still scared of actually picking up the phone (years and years of ingrained habits, here). I'm trying to figure out how to best overcome that obstacle (I'm thinking of starting with one simple step - 1 phone call - idea extraction, interview request, I don't really care - a day, then, once I can do that, start doing more phone calls).

Another obstacle has been gate keepers (I assume, as people aren't replying) or simply not having an interesting enough request for these all together busy individuals. I'm going to start treating these emails like a piece of copy. See what type of email gets the largest amount of replies. I've never done this before (in the past, I've just started posting and adding content to the website, then interviewing people that I already knew) so the learning curve seems pretty big.

Not insurmountable, though. Definitely not.

Test your email subject lines.. make sure you do a tad bit of research, find a commonality somewhere (same city or I get 100% response for any fraternity member(Kappa Sigs anyone?) Ive ever reached out to etc.)

Check out http://breakthroughemail.com with Bryan, tons of great stuff...google his name and "interview" to hear some of his tips being interviewed on podcasts.

Download Banana Tag extension..it tells you when an email gets open (5 free a day) use that data to see which emails get opened and then responded.

Keep emails short..if they are local meet them especially the more you have in common the easiest it is to start the convo when you meet and keep it going.

Use Linkedin as @IceCreamKid said...trick: if you cant send them a message due to Linkedin membership. ..find a group they are in..join it then you can message them for free (hehe Linkedin will catch that loophole at some point)

Hope that helps! Keep it up Fiona!@FionaS

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

 

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[bboyu]

This is a big question that I have pondered enough to last me 3 lifetimes. How do you know what you don't know? Here's what I would do:

1. Do my best to turn myself into a magnet. In other words, try to become the kind of guy that the people would want to work with. This means be an action taker, don't waste time, use your brain, and be resourceful. Oh yeah and be respectful...that's a huge one. I see to many people EXPECTING things to be handed to them just because they breathe oxygen.

2. Read books. People have laid out everything that they learned in books. $10 is a small price to pay in exchange for someone's life learnings. You can either pay for experience monetarily or pay for experience with time and failure.

3. Ask somebody for help. There are some people who have so much knowledge about a vast array of topics, it's amazing.

Bottom line, the best way to find out what you don't know is to take action. Action gives the answers that theory cannot solve. Here's an example of how action gives you the key to realizing what you don't know. This all happened over the span of 2 weeks btw.

1. Got accepted into zen*******'s guppy tank. Within 1 week I realized it's waaaay better to travel with a pack of wolves.
2. While creating my Amazon Seller account, I realized I need to set up an LLC. I didn't know how to do that because my uncle always set up my LLC's so I had to learn. Accomplished within 3 days.
3. While dealing with manufacturers in China, I found out that all of them refused to ship to a residential home so I learned that I needed to get a UPS box for $15 a month.

My point is this: if I just sat in my room THINKING about the business in my head, I NEVER would have found out that I needed all of these things...the wolf pack, how to create an LLC, what to get before dealing with manufacturers, etc.

I still don't know what I don't know and I'm perfectly content with that. Just gotta keep taking action daily. That's the motto.

People want all of the steps laid out in front of them before they make even ONE move. That's not how the game works. So if you want to know what you don't know, just make a move and everything will fall into place.

Keep it moving. Jump off the cliff and learn to fly on the way down.

Your Man,

ICK

Thank you for the reply. I have one more question.

How do you get past the mind trap that I'm currently experiencing? When you think you have found a need or a problem to solve or a product to sell..."why do you think it is your duty to provide? or solve this problem? cater to this need? Why do you think it is you who needs to do this? Why you??? when you don't have the experience or knowledge?"

I have this voice in the back who makes me feel as though it shouldn't be me but someone else. I know one can do a SWOT analysis or something but still what if you don't have any major strengths? do you just think about the way your life could change if you empower yourself? look at the money that could be made and just pursue?

Sometimes I feel as though I shouldn't even pursue the "fastlane" because it seems like a big daydream, a fantasy...or just mental masturbation.

 

[csalvato]

I have this voice in the back who makes me feel as though it shouldn't be me but someone else. I know one can do a SWOT analysis or something but still what if you don't have any major strengths? do you just think about the way your life could change if you empower yourself? look at the money that could be made and just pursue?

This is so common. I struggle with this so much. And when you start PRODUCING, people will question your right to do so, and try to tear you down.

The truth is you can learn anything, and be a world class expert in it within a year. Not all things, but many things -- especially if you are specializing very heavily.

As you start to talk to more people, you become an expert. And why you? Well, because you're the only one with the guts and drive to do it. That makes you part of 1% of 1% of the population.

There's a reason books selling REAL entrepreneurship don't sell. Because only 1 in a ten thousand people would actually give a damn. You happen to be one of them, and you're DOING something.

That's why you should be doing it and not anyone else. Not just because you can. But because you WILL.

 

[RoadTrip]

@IceCreamKid,
I am not exactly following your step-by-step plan but have been following Dane Maxwell's theory over the past few months. During this time I have called over 300-400 companies in about 4 industries with about a 10% response rate (for those still worried picking up the phone, the fear definitely diminishes after each call you make and you'll get much more confident about it!).

The majority of these calls have been in 2 industries only. In the niche I am currently investigating I have found a problem related to planning several companies experience, but it only applies to those companies which have between 2-30 employees. They want software which helps them manage (recurring) jobs and perhaps even include invoicing. Bigger companies need and use more expensive and complex software (what they also complain about) which the smaller companies are hesitant to spend that much money on and also mention it's too complex for their current business size.

I still need to continue investigating some more to find explicit requirements, but given the fact that you (and with you others) advise to find the industry leaders, I am wondering if it's the right path I am on now? Will these smaller companies still be a good market, considering the fact that smaller companies have less to spend and there are only about 3k companies of that size in my country?

 

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[StayPositive]

@Senergia
Talking to the market leaders is good because they are often the most ambitious companies/people in your niche. When you talk to the average Joe, there is a good chance he is just OK with what he has already achieved. I've been there. The leaders can see the things the majority can't. The leaders just want to see more in order to be more successful. They subconsciously know there is a better solution to their pain somewhere.

I'm not telling the smaller companies are not good for you, though. They can be your specific niche. When I was extracting ideas in attorney niche, I've noticed that many big companies were playing in the 'other league'. Often, they have their own IT systems (which they were enforced to implement). But conversations with them were always the eyeopening ones.

 

[randomnumber314]

Thank you for the reply. I have one more question.

How do you get past the mind trap that I'm currently experiencing? When you think you have found a need or a problem to solve or a product to sell..."why do you think it is your duty to provide? or solve this problem? cater to this need? Why do you think it is you who needs to do this? Why you??? when you don't have the experience or knowledge?"

I have this voice in the back who makes me feel as though it shouldn't be me but someone else. I know one can do a SWOT analysis or something but still what if you don't have any major strengths? do you just think about the way your life could change if you empower yourself? look at the money that could be made and just pursue?

Sometimes I feel as though I shouldn't even pursue the "fastlane" because it seems like a big daydream, a fantasy...or just mental masturbation.

Remember the first time you tried to walk? Probably fell right on your a$$. Think about how easy it is to get up and walk right now. This is what everyone is referring to when they say "it's a process." Sure, you don't know anything about a certain subject, but you can learn, right? So you decide you're going to create a printing company. What's the first step? What's the 10,000th? Well you might be able to answer the first step, but you have to learn to walk before you even know what the 100th, or 1000th, step is.

It's all a process. Find a need, study that until you have no more questions, keep moving, learn to walk. If you're worried that someone will call you out for not knowing anything, stop fearing it, it will happen. I had a guy laugh in my face a couple of months ago, now I'm a little better at what I do, in a year I'll be much better.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Saw this was one of the most liked threads of the last 3 months ... worthy of a bump, and a GOLD.

 

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[JasonR]

if you define the world by what you cant do, it will look like that for the rest of your life.
if you start to define the world by what do you have to do to get X, it will start to shape its self, accordingly

Holy shit - how did I miss this gem of a quote? This will literally change someone's life.

Read this. And re-read it, 20 times if you have to, until you get it.

I didn't think Zen could blow me away, any more.

This is one of the truest statements I've ever seen anywhere.

This is literally the key to getting whatever you want in life.

 

[leveragehacker]

This post is so so so valuable. Those action steps are exactly what lead to value being created. Love it ICK!!!

If I get stuck with my current idea then these are the action steps I am going to follow for sure.