The Entrepreneur Forum | Financial Freedom | Starting a Business | Motivation | Money | Success

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

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

Join over 80,000 entrepreneurs who have rejected the paradigm of mediocrity and said "NO!" to underpaid jobs, ascetic frugality, and suffocating savings rituals— learn how to build a Fastlane business that pays both freedom and lifestyle affluence.

Free registration at the forum removes this block.

I feel like a traitor because I want to start a similar business than my friend (but different approach and customers)

Topics relating to managing people and relationships

Llmmu

New Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
25%
Jun 4, 2021
4
1
Hi, I've been feeling like this since I had the intention to start a business, and it's really holding me back.

When I started looking for a job as a fresh graduate I found this person who was helping people like me to get really good job opportunities in tech. This was the beginning of his coaching business, I accepted the program and I actually paid him $5k for his services. Long story short, I was one of his first clients so we became really good friends, plus I was able to land a job that payed way more than expected so I'm 100% happy about this decision.

It's been more than a year now and his business has kept growing but he is only serving certain "segment" of the market. But over the same period of time I've seen that there are a lot of people still struggling with this problem and I know he's not interested in serving them, also I've been learning more about the subject by myself, so I know that I can also serve those people maybe with a different approach that I have in mind. I'm in the process of validiting the market but each time that I work on the idea I feel that I'm betraying him, because I'll work on his niche in a similar business model.

Does that make sense? Some people had told me that I should not be feeling this because business is business and that we can all earn something. But I am scared that if I'm able to grow it, at some point he'll find out, and I don't want to hurt his feelings, but at the same time I'm afraid to ask him about this for the same reason.

Thanks for reading btw!
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

peddletothemetal

Bronze Contributor
Read Rat-Race Escape!
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
149%
Apr 5, 2021
110
164
Could enter the market, lavish him with praise, then tell him you're specialising in X sector (versus his Y), and you'd be happy if you could exchange referrals. He doesn't want them, so referring them to you in exchange for you referring his preferred type to him could be win win. More common than you think. Doctors refer to each other all the time, as a simple example. More money for everyone.
 

100k

Gold Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
149%
Oct 20, 2012
1,529
2,284
Do what the two guys above wrote.
Speak with your friend, tell him your plans, work out a referral exchange program and make it a win win for both parties.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

alexkuzmov

Gold Contributor
Read Rat-Race Escape!
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
130%
Sep 20, 2019
1,014
1,318
Bulgaria
Hi, I've been feeling like this since I had the intention to start a business, and it's really holding me back.

When I started looking for a job as a fresh graduate I found this person who was helping people like me to get really good job opportunities in tech. This was the beginning of his coaching business, I accepted the program and I actually paid him $5k for his services. Long story short, I was one of his first clients so we became really good friends, plus I was able to land a job that payed way more than expected so I'm 100% happy about this decision.

It's been more than a year now and his business has kept growing but he is only serving certain "segment" of the market. But over the same period of time I've seen that there are a lot of people still struggling with this problem and I know he's not interested in serving them, also I've been learning more about the subject by myself, so I know that I can also serve those people maybe with a different approach that I have in mind. I'm in the process of validiting the market but each time that I work on the idea I feel that I'm betraying him, because I'll work on his niche in a similar business model.

Does that make sense? Some people had told me that I should not be feeling this because business is business and that we can all earn something. But I am scared that if I'm able to grow it, at some point he'll find out, and I don't want to hurt his feelings, but at the same time I'm afraid to ask him about this for the same reason.

Thanks for reading btw!
This is a little missguided. Also, dont listen to people saying "business is business" as a way to mask your feelings.

Why not join forces?
You said that you are friends, right?
So whats the problem with working together?
 

Itizn

Gold Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
190%
Sep 25, 2019
600
1,139
Colombia
Business is all about relationships.

Whether those are negative or positive, businesses can thrive.
 

Post New Topic

Please SEARCH before posting.
Please select the BEST category.

Post new topic

Guest post submissions offered HERE.

New Topics

Fastlane Insiders

View the forum AD FREE.
Private, unindexed content
Detailed process/execution threads
Ideas needing execution, more!

Join Fastlane Insiders.

Top