CENTS!! I'm loving this term! But something's wrong!! help, lol.

[james2777]

Some Background :-
I'm 24 years old working 9 to 9, I have 5 years of experience as a full stack sofware developer in India and doing quite well relative to the standards out here in terms of skill & technical knowledge. But i'm starting to get quite frustrated as for 8 months I've been overworked and underpaid(only 10% salary increament) which I realized after stumbling upon MJ DeMarco from Reddit. So I left the job for the good.


Problem Statement :-
I've read TMF and Unscripted , and the term CENTS is by far the most interesting topic I've found. But something's not clicking in my mind about the Control, Entry and Need part. The Time and Scale is self-explanotory and easy to understand.

Control :- The foundation of which our business is on should be controlled by ourselves and not by any external entity or person.
Entry :- The business we're going to start should be difficult to bootstrap and not any gamer from his moms basement should even think about it.
Need :- The product or service our business is going to offer should be wanted or needed

Now this is surely what all the good startups are doing, I surely can't replicate The Fastlane Forum(TFF) easily, and TFF is needed by people looking out for advice like I am, and it's surely not controlled by external entity but by MJ DeMarco himself.

I also know as per mentioned in the book that any business doesn't have to immediately fullfil all of the CENTS as it's going to sacrifice one over another until it's established.

But when I tried doing this for my Software Development Freelancing adventure, I couldn't find any client organically or outreaching. I never used Upwork, Fiverr & others as they're called external entity and not controlled by me. I looked for the demand for the services and found out it was quite decent also I was having decent volume in the job. Also not every gamer can code like a 5 year experienced developer so it's quite good for entry as well.

It seems like my mind can't think of CENTS but some vague argument over why should I not start a particular business rather than starting one.
The problem is I can't just go and start coding a SaaS software myself right? As It will take ages for me to even develop a minimum viable product(MVP). I might just need to invest money in millions to research for niche, supply & demand, development & operations just to get bootstraped as a SaaS right?

Now it's been 2 months I've got no results and comtemplating joining a job again. If there's any advice you have please do enlighten me. I really had high hopes from myself but difficult to have counterintiutive beliefs like MJ has.


Final words :-
The funny part is I found TFF before I found MJ DeMarco LOL!
I'm new to the business world and my belief has shifted after the books because I thought all rich people were privileged and those who weren't and still made it were just simply outiers and it's an unrealistic standards to have.
I'm so lucky to have found this forum as I was going all over the place on internet like discord, reddit & youtube but couldn't find any relevant information as everyone is selling course nowadays for their own good. I don't know who to trust and whom to not anymore online. I tried to meet a successful local entreprenuer irl but all he had to offer was philosophy & psychology.

I have completely avoided indulging in Anti CENTS buisness models from the get go like Dropshipping, Affiliate Marketing, YouTube, Selling Course, Coaching business, Crypto, Newsletters, Self-Publishing, Blogging, Trading, Influencer and the list goes on.
Any business model other than freelancing I learn about seems to have strong counter argument and doesn't fit in CENTS well. Maybe I'm completely wrong about my understanding of CENTS, I don't know what do anymore LOL

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Bounce Back]

But when I tried doing this for my Software Development Freelancing adventure, I couldn't find any client organically or outreaching. I never used Upwork, Fiverr & others as they're called external entity and not controlled by me.

First you gotta recognize this for what it is - an excuse.

I've seen quite a few of these threads over time. You have nothing now. You have built nothing. So you are worried about losing control over exactly what?

Control is a bit more non-binary than this. If you are are freelancing business than each of those sites is but one "tool" you can choose to use or not. If once you got some legs under you you find 50%+ of your revenue (not an absolute percent) is still coming from a single one of those then worry about it at that time and figure it out.

If everyone applied CENTS the way you are thinking about it it would be like not using Google Ads because you don't control it , etc. You've missed the point/big picture.

 

[Andy Black]

@MJ DeMarco... you have a thread about CENTS holding people back somewhere. I tried searching but can't remember the title.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

@MJ DeMarco... you have a thread about CENTS holding people back somewhere. I tried searching but can't remember the title.

Sometimes the learning experience is more valuable than following the formula.

GOLD! - MINDSET - Is CENTS Destructive to Action?

Over the years I've read thousands of introductions here. A common thread I'm seeing follows the following format: A) I have 3 ideas, X,Y, and Z. B) None of them meet CENTS. C) X is missing entry, Y is missing scale, and Z is missing a mix of both. D) I don't know what to do. The end result...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Andy Black]

Some Background :-
I'm 24 years old working 9 to 9, I have 5 years of experience as a full stack sofware developer in India and doing quite well relative to the standards out here in terms of skill & technical knowledge. But i'm starting to get quite frustrated as for 8 months I've been overworked and underpaid(only 10% salary increament) which I realized after stumbling upon MJ DeMarco from Reddit. So I left the job for the good.


Problem Statement :-
I've read TMF and Unscripted , and the term CENTS is by far the most interesting topic I've found. But something's not clicking in my mind about the Control, Entry and Need part. The Time and Scale is self-explanotory and easy to understand.

Control :- The foundation of which our business is on should be controlled by ourselves and not by any external entity or person.
Entry :- The business we're going to start should be difficult to bootstrap and not any gamer from his moms basement should even think about it.
Need :- The product or service our business is going to offer should be wanted or needed

Now this is surely what all the good startups are doing, I surely can't replicate The Fastlane Forum(TFF) easily, and TFF is needed by people looking out for advice like I am, and it's surely not controlled by external entity but by MJ DeMarco himself.

I also know as per mentioned in the book that any business doesn't have to immediately fullfil all of the CENTS as it's going to sacrifice one over another until it's established.

But when I tried doing this for my Software Development Freelancing adventure, I couldn't find any client organically or outreaching. I never used Upwork, Fiverr & others as they're called external entity and not controlled by me. I looked for the demand for the services and found out it was quite decent also I was having decent volume in the job. Also not every gamer can code like a 5 year experienced developer so it's quite good for entry as well.

It seems like my mind can't think of CENTS but some vague argument over why should I not start a particular business rather than starting one.
The problem is I can't just go and start coding a SaaS software myself right? As It will take ages for me to even develop a minimum viable product(MVP). I might just need to invest money in millions to research for niche, supply & demand, development & operations just to get bootstraped as a SaaS right?

Now it's been 2 months I've got no results and comtemplating joining a job again. If there's any advice you have please do enlighten me. I really had high hopes from myself but difficult to have counterintiutive beliefs like MJ has.


Final words :-
The funny part is I found TFF before I found MJ DeMarco LOL!
I'm new to the business world and my belief has shifted after the books because I thought all rich people were privileged and those who weren't and still made it were just simply outiers and it's an unrealistic standards to have.
I'm so lucky to have found this forum as I was going all over the place on internet like discord, reddit & youtube but couldn't find any relevant information as everyone is selling course nowadays for their own good. I don't know who to trust and whom to not anymore online. I tried to meet a successful local entreprenuer irl but all he had to offer was philosophy & psychology.

I have completely avoided indulging in Anti CENTS buisness models from the get go like Dropshipping, Affiliate Marketing, YouTube, Selling Course, Coaching business, Crypto, Newsletters, Self-Publishing, Blogging, Trading, Influencer and the list goes on.
Any business model other than freelancing I learn about seems to have strong counter argument and doesn't fit in CENTS well. Maybe I'm completely wrong about my understanding of CENTS, I don't know what do anymore LOL

@james2777 ...

Remember this line:

"Overthinking is the art of solving problems you don't have."


You're solving the problem of control when you haven't solved the problem of helping/serving people, then the problem of getting paid (making sales), then the problem of helping more people (scaling).

Do the first thing first.


This video might help:

MINDSET - For those getting started - Stop learning & overthinking. Just go off and do it

I did a call to help teens, students, and others get started in business. This 8 minute extract seems to help people so I've created a separate thread for it. I'll upload the transcription shortly, and copy/paste other people's takeaways below. What's your takeaways? What will you do...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

 

[james2777]

Remember this line:

"Overthinking is the art of solving problems you don't have."

I'll note this in front of me, This did solve my problem.

I was worrying about losing control over my non existant business.

Sometimes the learning experience is more valuable than following the formula.

Control is a bit more non-binary than this. If you are are freelancing business than each of those sites is but one "tool" you can choose to use or not. If once you got some legs under you you find 50%+ of your revenue (not an absolute percent) is still coming from a single one of those then worry about it at that time and figure it out.

Thanks alot.

 

[Andy Black]

I'll note this in front of me, This did solve my problem.

I was worrying about losing control over my non existant business.




Thanks alot.

Our pleasure.

Now then... watch that 8 minute video and report back your takeaways and what you'll do different going forward.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[james2777]

Our pleasure.

Now then... watch that 8 minute video and report back your takeaways and what you'll do different going forward.

Here's some takeaways

You basically taught about how the critical thinking is important which I didn’t use much of my life, I just followed the advice and resources.

First thing I get is I don’t need to take permission or validation from any kind of authority or credible source to do something. Just do it.

From what I understand is I have to be thinking more like a monkey, you jump around and explore & simply be nasty, then you poke and back, poke and back, much like the mosquitoes in the night. Even though a human can clap the mf in a second.

Another thing I learned is Nothing is hard & fast. My opinions about things should not be binary. Much like I’m missing the untapped gray area and orange area in between.

My mistake is that I was chasing after the perfect circumstances to occur before I start taking some action and using it as an excuse.

What I'll be doing differently
I'll try every possible way to use tools & technologies to my advantage in order to acquire clients & deliver the quality work that they need. Rather than going about it only organically or finding that "perfect strategy" for client acquisition.

I don't need to waste my time over some "green light" and I'll start working on it immediately.

After getting the outcome of work, I'll use all the advice in the world I've got to assess my work, and then do it better the next time.


A Realization
I didn't realize my mind was in such a limiting belief even though a literal book pointed it out to me.

 

[Andy Black]

Here's some takeaways

You basically taught about how the critical thinking is important which I didn’t use much of my life, I just followed the advice and resources.

First thing I get is I don’t need to take permission or validation from any kind of authority or credible source to do something. Just do it.

From what I understand is I have to be thinking more like a monkey, you jump around and explore & simply be nasty, then you poke and back, poke and back, much like the mosquitoes in the night. Even though a human can clap the mf in a second.

Another thing I learned is Nothing is hard & fast. My opinions about things should not be binary. Much like I’m missing the untapped gray area and orange area in between.

My mistake is that I was chasing after the perfect circumstances to occur before I start taking some action and using it as an excuse.

What I'll be doing differently
I'll try every possible way to use tools & technologies to my advantage in order to acquire clients & deliver the quality work that they need. Rather than going about it only organically or finding that "perfect strategy" for client acquisition.

I don't need to waste my time over some "green light" and I'll start working on it immediately.

After getting the outcome of work, I'll use all the advice in the world I've got to assess my work, and then do it better the next time.


A Realization
I didn't realize my mind was in such a limiting belief even though a literal book pointed it out to me.

@MJ DeMarco ... our work is done. We can proudly watch James ride off into the sunset without his training wheels.