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Ideas. Ideas. Ideas. Execution starts today.

Idea threads

Please read the OP from the TL;DR — Choose 2 businesses that make the most CENTS. Thx.


  • Total voters
    24
  • Poll closed .

Genius01

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When I envision the goals that we've set and I place this week's efforts into that context, the progress feels glacially slow, especially when the results are subpar.
I think that's standard for almost all startups, pace seems painfully slow at first, then picks up exponentially till you find yourself having a hockey stick growth curve, and wondering how you got there all of a "sudden".
You're on the right path, keep it up.
Kudos for "kinetic execution".
 
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Dave Daily

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G'day Dave @Hugh Nivers from Oz,

I saw the video. Liked it. It's raw. But true.

If this is something you desire. And want to do. As Napoleon Hill says, "Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything."

And remember. You're not going to be making them into infinity. Once you know what's required of making a table, you'll be outsourcing it to professionals more skilled than you are. But you need to know how it's made. Before you can hand it over to someone else. Just so that you know the process.

This is exactly what we did with all our products. We made the first 'X' amount. Before handing it over to a sewing company. Just so we knew the problems they may have.

This is just the beginning. And you're doing just fine. ~Carol❤

Thanks @Carol Jones,

I think building and selling the first 100 or 1,000 tables is the right thing to do. I may decide to hand it over to another company or three, just to make sure no single company controls our business or I may decided to build a larger production facility. It's far too early to decide, but I agree that it will probably be best to get more skilled craftsmen handling the manufacturing.

I just signed my son and I up to use a local makerspace, so for now, we've got a much larger facility to grow in and it costs a fraction of what it would cost to have our own shop. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.
 
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Dave Daily

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I think that's standard for almost all startups, pace seems painfully slow at first, then picks up exponentially till you find yourself having a hockey stick growth curve, and wondering how you got there all of a "sudden".
You're on the right path, keep it up.
Kudos for "kinetic execution".

I would love to have a hockey stick growth curve, lol, that sounds awesome. Thanks for nice thought at the end of a somewhat long day. :)
 
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Dave Daily

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Kinetic Execution Update

I believe I have a better solution to having a good table building workshop, rather than just enlarging our backyard workshop. Instead we are going to pay for a membership at the Idea Fab Labs in Chico where we can reserve the woodshop and the CNC Shopbot Router for up to 8 hours each week. We can still do some of the home in our backyard and reserve the time at the Fab Lab for router work and major assembly tasks.

 
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Dave Daily

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Kinetic Execution Update

After signing up this week for the Idea Fab Labs, I laid out some typography in Adobe Illustrator, bought some MDF and headed over to use the Shopbot CNC router for the very first time. It was a good test. There is a lot more to learn in order to make this work on tables, but the result came out pretty good.

The sign is not perfect, but let me know if you want it @MJDeMarco. I'll add some finishing touches and ship it to you. :)


It's Spring Break next week, so I'll be spending a lot of time doing tests like this and hopefully getting at least one table top done.
 

Xeon

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The documentation and process in this thread is reminding me of Vick's epic eyewear thread!

Don't worry about the videos and being "awkward" lol. The fact that you as an introvert dare to make youtube videos already prove you've bigger balls than other introverts like myself

You should do more videos of you and your son/family in the process of assembling the table, the whole hard-at-work stuff, as well as those vids like that CNC cutting vid (looks beautiful in real life btw). As a guy, I find these sort of manual labor stuff very interesting to watch.
Then on your About page and social media, you'll have plenty to post and lots of stories to tell and draw people in ("We were bringing the table out into the open when this fat squirrel dashed across my legs...).
 
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Genius01

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Kinetic Execution Update

After signing up this week for the Idea Fab Labs, I laid out some typography in Adobe Illustrator, bought some MDF and headed over to use the Shopbot CNC router for the very first time. It was a good test. There is a lot more to learn in order to make this work on tables, but the result came out pretty good.

The sign is not perfect, but let me know if you want it @MJDeMarco. I'll add some finishing touches and ship it to you. :)


It's Spring Break next week, so I'll be spending a lot of time doing tests like this and hopefully getting at least one table top done.
Looks cool!
 
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Dave Daily

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The documentation and process in this thread is reminding me of Vick's epic eyewear thread!

Don't worry about the videos and being "awkward" lol. The fact that you as an introvert dare to make youtube videos already prove you've bigger balls than other introverts like myself

You should do more videos of you and your son/family in the process of assembling the table, the whole hard-at-work stuff, as well as those vids like that CNC cutting vid (looks beautiful in real life btw). As a guy, I find these sort of manual labor stuff very interesting to watch.
Then on your About page and social media, you'll have plenty to post and lots of stories to tell and draw people in ("We were bringing the table out into the open when this fat squirrel dashed across my legs...).


Thanks @Xeon ,

I appreciate the encouragement.

I'm planning to do more videos. Whether anyone watches or not, I'd like to have a good record of the events leading up to success or failure or pivot to something else.

What are you working on at the moment? Let me know how I can encourage you. Thx.
 
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Genius01

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Lol, finding these interesting.
What exactly is this CNC Router thingy? Is it like some software you use to design whatever you are going to imprint on your table, before translating the actual designs to your table?
Pardon my novice question, don't have a clue about these things...
 
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Dave Daily

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Lol, finding these interesting.
What exactly is this CNC Router thingy? Is it like some software you use to design whatever you are going to imprint on your table, before translating the actual designs to your table?
Pardon my novice question, don't have a clue about these things...

CNC stands for computer numerical control, so a CNC router is basically a router attached to a robot arm which is controlled by a computer. The designs can be made in any vector art program. I'm using Adobe Illustrator and then it's converted into a file that the ShopBot program can read, and that's an SBP file.
 

Niptuck MD

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milk sales have declined in the last 4 decades

the only milk that needs to be drank is from thou mothers. am glad you pointed this stat out MJ because the lobbying and the bull from many greedy and cynical people (ahem nicotine cigarettes) have wonderfully constructed a marketing plan form back then making it seem as if it was natural that people should drink the milk from another much larger (even a baby calf weights around 20-40 lbs) mammals organs.... really crazy. A baby goat or milk from a goat makes sense (weight of a baby goat resembles that of an average newborn baby)

i hope like MJ says, this is a movement and not a passing trend nor fad. (i dont think it will) even the stubborn southern states are going gung-ho over this. NC/SC/GA/FL and Tennesee especially.
 

Niptuck MD

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CNC router is basically a router attached to a robot arm which is controlled by a computer.

also CNC overall is responsible for bulk manufacturing. There are many facets and types of machineries that are controlled by Computer Numerical Control ;

(lasers, mills, drills, lathes, robots, medical devices, etc etc)

CNC is one the basic most important elements of manufacturing as well as design for manufacturing. The language that allows for CNC is a myriad of G code, M code and Ladder Logic (more of the hardware side) but with G and M code and the right machining processes is how 90% of the products you own are manufactured.
 
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Dave Daily

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Since this is my progress thread, I thought I'd keep it real and put it on the record that I've had some triggering moments yesterday, which have put my mind/belief system in a tough place. I'm confessing it here partly for the history of this thread and partly as a way to dispel the demons. "Demons out!" ;)

We all carry baggage around with us, but the fact is that no one really cares. Someone might offer a few words of well-intentioned and empathic support, and that helps, but then they're back to their life and you're back to yours and your challenges. Whatever you are doing, YOU have to find the resources and the work-arounds to get to where you want to go.

I'm writing this vulnerable post because I've stalled for the last two days due to limiting beliefs, and I hope it helps both me and those of you who have similar internal struggles to get where we want to go. Our beliefs about ourselves and what we can do are truly the only things stopping us from serving others in a meaningful and profitable way. For good or ill, here's a sample of my limiting beliefs and actions over the last two days:
  • I had to fix a problem with my daughter's phone and bumped into some stuff about my ex which led to:
  • Hang-ups with regard to my ex spouse
  • Then I got emotional and spent half the day blocking people on Facebook—this may not have been a good idea
  • Facing fears with regard to using a table saw. The table saw at the makerspace I'm using doesn't have any safety features, like a riving blade or a guard. It's just pure blade and the push sticks are shit. I've been watching youtube videos and I'm finding out that there are a lot of things wrong with the setup of the table.
  • The makerspace workshop is a shared space and so leaving large table pieces around is not an option. So I'm a bit stuck trying to figure out where to leave things. I'm thinking about renting a storage unit for lumber, partial builds, and complete tables. A big dream for me would be to be able to get my own shop, but that's a few clicks out.
  • Procrastination in general is happening due to all of the above and stuff related to the day-to-day of being a single dad on spring break with his two children while wanting to devote more of this "free" time to the business. The words "bad father" rattle around some in my head. I'm trapped "shoulding" all over myself, in neutral instead of in gear and moving in the fastlane.
  • Fear of judgment here and at the makerspace.
  • The general insecurity that comes with the doubt that I can even pull this thing off, all originating from 48 years of thinking in a "scripted" way.

Now that I've let the demons out, the plan is to tackle the practical issues of the day. I've committed myself to giving away three custom tables over the next several weeks. As I said, I feel like I've wasted some time, so the first thing to do is to get back over to the shop and make some headway on the table base for the first table. Once I have the base, then it'll be time to use the damn table saw to prep the top pieces, assemble the top, and test the typography one the first table top. I hope to have something to show by the end of the week.

Just bought one of these grrripper thingies to serve as a hand-held guard and push stick when working on the table. I think I'm going to need to buy a riving blade for the shop as well.
IMG_6853.jpeg
 

Dave Daily

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the only milk that needs to be drank is from thou mothers. am glad you pointed this stat out MJ because the lobbying and the bull from many greedy and cynical people (ahem nicotine cigarettes) have wonderfully constructed a marketing plan form back then making it seem as if it was natural that people should drink the milk from another much larger (even a baby calf weights around 20-40 lbs) mammals organs.... really crazy. A baby goat or milk from a goat makes sense (weight of a baby goat resembles that of an average newborn baby)

i hope like MJ says, this is a movement and not a passing trend nor fad. (i dont think it will) even the stubborn southern states are going gung-ho over this. NC/SC/GA/FL and Tennesee especially.

I assume you are referring to the plant-based movement. It's interesting that you bring this up because of all the businesses that I included in the poll for at the top of this thread, the one I can't stop thinking about as I work on Together Tables is Good to Go. I really want to have one myself. I would love to drive through a place and have fresh plant-based foods served up conveniently. I hate cooking and would hand over my entire monthly food budget for something like that.
 

ExaltedLife

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Do the Value Array analysis from UnScripted on these ideas - if you can see a place where you can add huge value, hit the ground running!
 
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eliquid

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Facing fears with regard to using a table saw. The table saw at the makerspace I'm using doesn't have any safety features, like a riving blade or a guard. It's just pure blade and the push sticks are sh*t. I've been watching youtube videos and I'm finding out that there are a lot of things wrong with the setup of the table.

Oh the stories I could tell about people losing fingers on table saws and chop saws.

You lose a finger, but gain a hotdog!

.
 

Dave Daily

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Oh the stories I could tell about people losing fingers on table saws and chop saws.

You lose a finger, but gain a hotdog!

.
Mmmmm hotdogs. ;)

I’m a noob so what do I know, but a few of the guys at the makerspace seem to be a bit overconfident when it comes to the table saw.
 

eliquid

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Mmmmm hotdogs. ;)

I’m a noob so what do I know, but a few of the guys at the makerspace seem to be a bit overconfident when it comes to the table saw.

Those are the guys that will end up in a accident. Trust me on that
 
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Genius01

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CNC stands for computer numerical control, so a CNC router is basically a router attached to a robot arm which is controlled by a computer. The designs can be made in any vector art program. I'm using Adobe Illustrator and then it's converted into a file that the ShopBot program can read, and that's an SBP file.
Thanks for the clarification.
Same goes to @Arun Siva .
Learnt something new.
 

Dave Daily

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Anyone here use Clickfunnels.com? I'm looking around for website options and this looks pretty turn-key, although it ain't cheap. They have a funny and persuasive marketing video though:

 

ZF Lee

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Anyone here use Clickfunnels.com? I'm looking around for website options and this looks pretty turn-key, although it ain't cheap. They have a funny and persuasive marketing video though:


I haven't smiled at a marketing vid for SOOO long.
@IceCreamKid, a possible case study for the Marketing Chronicles? :rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
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NMdad

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Mmmmm hotdogs. ;)

I’m a noob so what do I know, but a few of the guys at the makerspace seem to be a bit overconfident when it comes to the table saw.

Table saws should rightfully freak you out. I took the blade guard off on mine (since it gets in the way & kinks when pushing wood through). If I'm doing a lot of cutting, I use ear plugs, but find that NOT using ear plugs focuses me on the loud whir of the blade & thus makes me much more conscious of the possibility of split-second ripping through my irreplaceable fingers.
 

Dave Daily

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Table saws should rightfully freak you out. I took the blade guard off on mine (since it gets in the way & kinks when pushing wood through). If I'm doing a lot of cutting, I use ear plugs, but find that NOT using ear plugs focuses me on the loud whir of the blade & thus makes me much more conscious of the possibility of split-second ripping through my irreplaceable fingers.

Yep. As soon as I can afford it, I'll buy one of those SawStop table saws.
 

Dave Daily

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It seems longer than 3.5 months but I'm calling it quits on Together Tables. I have mixed emotions including guilt, shame, sadness, fear, relief, hope, and many others. I don't think I gave it a fair shot to be honest. To be real honest, I just didn't make it through the desert of desertion.

Having made that confession, there are a number of other reasons which suggested to me that my time might be better spent in other endeavors. I started this business because I had sold a couple of tables with my son. I thought of it as an opportunity to do something with him after my divorce. Well, it's like pulling teeth to get him to participate these days. Of course, I could still proceed forward, but I came to realize that a lot of this business was about that. Woodworking is fun, but tables are everywhere and although I had some interesting value skew that I planned to apply to the tables, the thought that I never really found a true market need kept nagging at me. I just kept telling myself that I'd get a few tables out there to see. Well, I never did that, and that is where the negative emotions flood in.

If I can make any strong argument for leaving this business it would be this: From the beginning, I've wanted to build an internet based business. The only reason I took this one on was because of my son. Since his interest has flagged, I'd like to go back to building a business that has a large international market potential and is portable. Tables are far from portable—at least the kind we were intending to build.

And it's not true that I've been at this business for only 3.5 months. That's just the time on this forum. My son and I started almost a year ago. We've just taken breaks.

Anyway, I want to be honest with this community about my successes and my failures. I don't know if I can call this a legit failure because I think to truly fail you have to fail because the idea failed. I don't think I gave the idea enough of a chance to fail.

I'd appreciate feedback if you have any. If I need to eat some humble pie, I understand. I don't intend to quit altogether. At my age, I want to pick something that is not only in line with a true market need, but fits more of the CENTS criteria. The "N" in this case was very nebulous for me. In my next endeavor, I want that "N" to be very very clear.
 
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It seems longer than 3.5 months but I'm calling it quits on Together Tables. I have mixed emotions including guilt, shame, sadness, fear, relief, hope, and many others. I don't think I gave it a fair shot to be honest. To be real honest, I just didn't make it through the desert of desertion.

Having made that confession, there are a number of other reasons which suggested to me that my time might be better spent in other endeavors. I started this business because I had sold a couple of tables with my son. I thought of it as an opportunity to do something with him after my divorce. Well, it's like pulling teeth to get him to participate these days. Of course, I could still proceed forward, but I came to realize that a lot of this business was about that. Woodworking is fun, but tables are everywhere and although I had some interesting value skew that I planned to apply to the tables, the thought that I never really found a true market need kept nagging at me. I just kept telling myself that I'd get a few tables out there to see. Well, I never did that, and that is where the negative emotions flood in.

If I can make any strong argument for leaving this business it would be this: From the beginning, I've wanted to build an internet based business. The only reason I took this one on was because of my son. Since his interest has flagged, I'd like to go back to building a business that has a large international market potential and is portable. Tables are far from portable—at least the kind we were intending to build.

And it's not true that I've been at this business for only 3.5 months. That's just the time on this forum. My son and I started almost a year ago. We've just taken breaks.

Anyway, I want to be honest with this community about my successes and my failures. I don't know if I can call this a legit failure because I think to truly fail you have to fail because the idea failed. I don't think I gave the idea enough of a chance to fail.

I'd appreciate feedback if you have any. If I need to eat some humble pie, I understand. I don't intend to quit altogether. At my age, I want to pick something that is not only in line with a true market need, but fits more of the CENTS criteria. The "N" in this case was very nebulous for me. In my next endeavor, I want that "N" to be very very clear.
You have been noticeably absent mate, good to hear from you despite developments. Maybe revise the options you presented previously or do something new. Anyway good luck for the future, We all do stuff for the offspring and get ditched by them at some point. Never give up.
 

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Good insight that the table idea wasn't a good fit for you and/or didn't have a big enough need. Good to decide that now instead of 10 years from now.

Don't beat yourself up about taking 3.5 months (or 1 year since the start) on it. Use that insight for your next experiment. The faster you can get through these experiments, the faster you'll hit on a good idea & get traction.

Toward that end, for your next experiment, ask questions like:
What's the fastest, easiest way I can validate the market?
How could I make/do this simpler?

Set a deadline for your next experiment--like 7, 14, or 30 days. Quick & focused.

Working with your son = priceless (and yes, they don't always want to work with you). As dads (my kids are 14 & 17 now), there are bunches of ways to teach & model for our kids; working on a business idea together is just one way. Showing them how to use a saw, drive a car, make an omelette, etc. are other ways.

So, what's your next experiment?
 

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I'd appreciate feedback if you have any. If I need to eat some humble pie, I understand. I don't intend to quit altogether.

Good morning Dave from Oz,

Why do you have to eat humble pie? Humble Pie is for those who have done something wrong. You've done nothing wrong.

Business Is A Tough Gig. For everyone. The road to success is zig-zag. Not straight.

You've taken a fork in the road. Found out it was a dead end. Turned around. And are willing to try another fork in the road. Kudos to you for staying on the road.

That's how all of us in business get from A to Z.

Some people take a fork in the road. Find out it's a dead end. And are unwilling to ever try another fork in the road. They will never get the opportunity to live life in the fast lane.

And if your next decision doesn't work out as you like. Try another one. Some of the most successful people in business had multiple failures. And bankruptcies. Learned from each one. Until one day they put all that learning together, like a jigsaw puzzle, and created their dream business.

We live in an era of instant everything. Gratification. Success. Buy now. Pay later.

We've also lost our curiosity. And our appetite to experiment. Or. As we say in Oz. Give it a go. And see where it takes us.

Suck it and see (what happens) has a lot going for it. Inventors apply this philosophy to everything they do. Most of what they do isn't successful. But when success rises up, it's such a winner that all the past deflations are forgotten.

Then there are the fad businesses which have instant success. Which many people compare themselves with. Not realising most of these have short shelf lives. The Fidgit Spinner. It was on the front counter of every newsagent in Australia. No more. Pet rocks. Lava lamps.

Nothing has changed about the path to long-term success. It's slow. It's a grind. Much of it is hack work. Sometimes it's one step forward. Two steps backwards. But success is built on knowledge and experience gained over a lifetime. One poor decision. One good decision. At a time.

Stop reading about how well others are doing. They're not.

Kate Spade. Anthony Bourdain. Robin Williams. Et al. Do not live their lives as we envisage.

Elon Musk. Tiger Woods. Madonna. And a squillion other successful people. Can't sustain family/personal relationships.

Keep us in the loop. We're all interested in what you do. And I've no doubt that sharing your candour about your decision to pull the plug on tables has helped many in the forum come to grips with making similar decisions.

Best wishes always. ~Carol❤

PS. The link below is a story everyone should read about JK Rowling. How she lifted herself out of poverty and depression. To become a billionaire. Who donates much of her fortune to charity.

The operative words for this story are:

Quote:
Read stories of successful people and it's easy to think they possess some intangible something -- ideas, talent, drive, skills, creativity, etc. -- that you don't have.

In most cases, they don't.
Unquote

This is the link. How Did J.K. Rowling Become a Self-Made Millionaire? She Found the Perfect Response to Failure
 
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Dave Daily

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Good insight that the table idea wasn't a good fit for you and/or didn't have a big enough need. Good to decide that now instead of 10 years from now.

Don't beat yourself up about taking 3.5 months (or 1 year since the start) on it. Use that insight for your next experiment. The faster you can get through these experiments, the faster you'll hit on a good idea & get traction.

Toward that end, for your next experiment, ask questions like:
What's the fastest, easiest way I can validate the market?
How could I make/do this simpler?

Set a deadline for your next experiment--like 7, 14, or 30 days. Quick & focused.

Working with your son = priceless (and yes, they don't always want to work with you). As dads (my kids are 14 & 17 now), there are bunches of ways to teach & model for our kids; working on a business idea together is just one way. Showing them how to use a saw, drive a car, make an omelette, etc. are other ways.

So, what's your next experiment?

That's a great question: What is the fastest, easiest way to validate a market? I think that's a million dollar question. Probably more.

As far as making it simpler, I've decided to limit myself to opportunities which are portable. I don't want to manufacture anything unless I'm sending digital plans to a fabricator, or for dropshipping, or manufacturing (if I'm going to sell it myself).

I have my next experiment in the hopper but I'm going to hold it closer to the vest this time, at least until I have a handle on it. I think I get a lot of what I need from talking about ideas and instead, I need to use that energy in production. I'm not sure if that makes sense.

Thank you for the boost.
 
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Dave Daily

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Thanks @Carol Jones,

It's been a while. Nice to hear from you again. I don't think the table business was a dead end. Frankly, after my son couldn't be bothered, I just lost interest. It is very true that I didn't quite feel right about it, but that is an excuse that a lot of people make when they don't want to work. I don't think that's exactly true of me, but it bothers me a bit.

Nevertheless, I am on to new things and will keep everyone posted when I'm further along. I want to make sure that I'm deep into the process and making considerable headway before I start talking about progress.

I may pop in to get some advice if I'm stuck though.

Thanks again. I hope all is well with you and your husband and your ironing board cover business. Cheers.
 

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