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PSA: There are no dumb questions. Sorry, there are.

MJ DeMarco

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Public Service Announcement

It's time to address this once and for all.

It's one of the many pieces of "conventional wisdom" that is honored as a fact.

There are no dumb questions.

Uh, sorry, there are.

In the last week we've heard this here in response to some really, really poor questions.

But I thought there were no dumb questions!


There are when you consider context.

Consider this.

There's a 10 page thread that shows you how to start a hustle on Elance.

Instead of reading the 10 page thread, you ask a question that's been asked TWICE and answered TWICE.

Dumb question?

Yes, because your question reveals much more ABOUT YOU, than just the question itself.

  • It reveals, I didn't read.
  • It reveals, I might be lazy.
  • It reveals, I might have an issue comprehending.
  • It reveals, I might have an issue with entitlement.
  • It reveals, I don't want to work to solve problems, I want someone to solve them for me.
  • In other cases, it reveals I don't know how to use Google.

Here's another example...

How do I start a business?


Good question?

Or a bad one that shows you lack even the cursory process of due diligence or problem solving?

Ask better questions to get better answers.

And a better question shows that you've done some cursory investigation.

How about, how do I start a business selling custom made ashtrays when Amazon won't allow me to sell them because they are tobacco related?

The latter question will engage a discussion.

The former will have you dismissed (and possibly cursed at) from the forum.

When someone says "there are no bad questions" they're simply regurgitating Scripted group-think parroted from Scripted MODEL citizens.

There are two types of questions...

1) Questions that make you look like a lazy fool


and

2) Questions that make you sound educated, but curious.

Ask away, but please, lets try to be #2.

Thank you
~ MJ
 
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G-Man

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MJ, I'm currently unemployed and living with my mom. When I make my first hundred million with my life coaching Instagram business, how should I invest it?

Please, with your limited time, provide math and references to peer reviewed research. I'm too not working to Google it.
 

justacar

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that's a great way of both adressing forum norms and providing a nudge towards ideas at the same time. the specific question example is actually pretty cool as there are lots of things Amazon or eBay won't let you sell. the restricted products list is here Restricted products - Amazon Seller Central in case anyone is looking for ideas :) just open up an online shop on any of those categories (hmm... except maybe the human body parts one).
 

mikey3times

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This whole, “there’s no such thing as a stupid question” bullsh** ends in high school. This is life. We’re playing for points. And there are a sh** ton of stupid questions.

- Chris Porter:


Sorry. I know this is a serious thread, but I couldn’t help myself.
 
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AllenCrawley

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Kak

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This should go at the very top of the hot threads list... in perpetuity.
 

msufan

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In addition to the issue of dumb questions, a lot of people are asking the wrong questions. How to invest $10 million is a great question... if you have $10 million. But if you're trying to make your first sale, it's the wrong question to be asking.
 
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Raoul Duke

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All I wanted to know.... Is it possible to earn a living ($60,000/year) with online book arbitrage? I just want to make a living.
 

Andy Black

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I’ve been told our job as business owners is to ask better questions, and to get other people to answer them. (I quote a guy called Blaise Brosnan)

So yeah, ask better questions.
 

George Appiah

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This is something I deal with every single day, being in tech support.

No matter how much education I do, some people will always email and scream out: "George, my computer/website is not working!!!"

Then I have to waste a whole lot of time going back-and-forth just to get to know what the real problem is. Oh, and they ALWAYS conveniently forget to mention what they did or were doing before the problem occurred. It's the server dammit!
 
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ZF Lee

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Excellent write-up, MJ. I heard Dan Pena said the same thing in his videos.

MJ, I'm currently unemployed and living with my mom. When I make my first hundred million with my life coaching Instagram business, how should I invest it?

Please, with your limited time, provide math and references to peer reviewed research. I'm too not working to Google it.
Peer reviewed research? Lol.
Too much business research papers are lip service or use populations/sample data that the asker is not represented accurately. I did one too many biz paper assignments to find that out.

All I wanted to know.... Is it possible to earn a living ($60,000/year) with online book arbitrage? I just want to make a living.
Oh no...that thread...:happy:

This is something I deal with every single day, being in tech support.

No matter how much education I do, some people will always email and scream out: "George, my computer/website is not working!!!"

Then I have to waste a whole lot of time going back-and-forth just to get to know what the real problem is. Oh, and they ALWAYS conveniently forget to mention what they did or were doing before the problem occurred. It's the server dammit!
The magic move: Restart computer:smuggy:
 

The Abundant Man

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This is something I deal with every single day, being in tech support.

No matter how much education I do, some people will always email and scream out: "George, my computer/website is not working!!!"

Then I have to waste a whole lot of time going back-and-forth just to get to know what the real problem is. Oh, and they ALWAYS conveniently forget to mention what they did or were doing before the problem occurred. It's the server dammit!
upload_2018-11-2_0-52-26.jpeg


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn2FB1P_Mn8
 

LiveEntrepreneur

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I think we were all guilty of this at some point and probably still are of doing this. I know I've definitely have been. Like MJ said, people ask "How do I start a business?", it is a lazy question because there are countless resources which you would of found faster than starting a new thread and typing it all in.

I feel, learning to be a problem solver and being self reliant is very important. You can save a ton of time, rather than waiting for a forum response.
 

sparechange

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Anyone wanna invest? Seeking $10m for 20% of my company.

@justacar

buisnessidea.JPG
 

ryanbleau

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Some of the questions asked are due to the participation trophy mentality that seems to be prevalent to the younger generation coming on board. "Dammit, I showed up, where's my million dollar business already!!" mentality just gets under my skin. The ones who have never worked yet expect the first question they ask to be the one that scores them the ability to never work again. A well thought out question and explanation of ones background and prior experience goes farther in showing the depth of character of a person than " Why won't anyone start my business for me? or How do I live off $100 million dollars in the bank?"
 
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sparechange

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oh wow lol, maybe this really is fastlane :D
 

sparechange

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Would be hilarious to sit in that boardroom meeting.

''Everyone, I have an idea that involves all of us crapping in this bag its science guys''
 
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