Random Chat, Thoughts, Posts, and/or Rants Thread

[MTF]

Whenever I travel to the Americas I just can't believe my eyes.





Who the F*ck puts SUGAR (dextrose) in SALT? I've never seen any shit like that anywhere else in the world.

I found this crap in my Airbnb.

I also saw sugar added to almost everything in the supermarket, even to F*cking tofu.

In the recent years one of the big factors influencing my travel decisions is whether I'll be able to get healthy food easily and whether locals value a healthy lifestyle. This is why I love Europe so much as you can always find good, healthy stuff easily and people who understand it.

Perhaps I should stop traveling to small islands that rely on food imports from some of the most obese countries in the world lol.

 

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[JordanK]

I'm always so happy that I grew up in small town Ireland in a pretty normal school. We're 20 years behind the US with all the random nonsense in the classroom. I wouldn't mind my kid going to the same school I did only a few years ago. If anything the only issue might be that the education is a little basic after you discover all the Fastlane skills that you could have been taught. However, all the spare time and messing about gave me an opportunity to learn on my own about business from age 14 onward.

With regards to the A.I discussion we are already seeing disruptions to the jobs market. Take a look at this quick daily video by Peter Zeihan a very popular economist that I follow on Youtube. His content/books are amazing.

@MJ DeMarco "QUICK QUESTION!" When can I book my flight to Utah for the next summit

 

[WillHurtDontCare]

I screwed up a big (well, relatively minor by this forum's standards - several grand per month + potential referrals) opportunity a few months ago, and here are some lessons.

So a few months ago I wanted to learn about machine learning, so I created a SaaS that used python + spacy + chat gpt to analyze customer reviews and find insights that could be used to improve the listings and advertisements, ultimately to improve revenue and drive down ad spend.

It took back seat to two other consulting projects that I was working on (because they actually pay my bills) and I ultimately killed it because I got too busy consulting.

So here's the screw up: I did manage to schedule some Zoom calls from messaging people on LinkedIn, including one guy who mentioned that he ran an agency that worked for an Amazon aggregator (companies that buy up Amazon businesses) that did around $200M in annual revenue. For whatever reason it never occurred to me to just ask him to introduce me as a consultant, which could have led to a decent retainer, possible referrals later, and actual direct expertise that would have been useful for developing that SaaS app (which I probably would have just charged like $50-200 a month for anyway). Even though I didn't have much experience with the tools at the time, I would have been able to figure it out, especially since I have friends who are data scientists.

So my lessons were:

1) There are opportunities that come up all of the time that you probably don't even realize. I should have just put my rinky dink SaaS app idea on pause and tried to pitch the consulting angle. It would have been more profitable and I would have learned faster. It's laughable in hindsight that I didn't think to do that.

2) If you're pitching a new idea to a new market, be open to the idea that someone might present you with a much better opportunity. Don't get so honed in on what you're doing that you couldn't jump to something better.

3) Building SaaS applications after direct consulting experience >>> building SaaS apps just because. If you're going into the SaaS game, I'd recommend trying consulting / job -> productized service -> product.

So I hope this saves someone some time and missed opportunities. It was a dumb mistake in hindsight, though, there are always endless opportunities, so I'm not worried.

 

[BizyDad]

Who in the forum is in the oil and gas industry in some capacity? Anyone know?

There's that one guy. He used to be in Brazil or Colombia. Was trying to broker equipment. Oh man, I don't remember his name, but you know... That guy! He's awesome.

I wonder where he got off to. Haven't seen him around these parts in a little bit.

I absolutely believe that the right private school can be an order of magnitude better than public school.

I also believe proper self and home education has the potential to be an order of magnitude better than private education.

The problem with private education is it is the same traditional classroom and curriculum model teaching relatively the same stuff as public school. Math this far by 18. Grammar this far by 18. Science this far by 18. Meh.

I went to a prestigous private college with a ton of private school kids that, in college, were no smarter or better than my plebian public school upbringing.

My problem isn't public school. It is traditional schooling. The hard-core inefficiencies. The one size fits all path to graduation. And with all that, my kids being essentially raised by someone other than me and my wife (and the people we individually allow to impart wisdom on them).

There's another side to this as well. Snooty dickhead rich kid syndrome. Of course, if I wasn't home schooling, I would hypothetically put them in the best private school possible, but then, I essentially get entitled prick lessons for free with my tuition.

As we have seen time and time again... When you are wealthy, it is tough (not impossible, but tough) to raise humble and hard working kids that have the fire to do cool things with their lives.

I know the "who you know" thing is an important consideration to many, but that's what country clubs are for. If we are talking purely education, I am 100 percent confident I can raise the smarter kid than a squad of the best 28 year old communist teachers money can buy.

Listen, nobody wants to admit it so I'll hafta give you all a dose of THE REAL TRUTH.

The problem isn't public school. It's not private school. It's not even homeschool.

The problem is the youth.

Generations of older humans have known the truth of this.

But no one wants to admit it in the present time. Not my kid. My kid ain't the problem.

Just wait until you get even older dear reader. You'll see. Everybody's children are the problem. They are always the problem. You know it. I know it. We all know it.

And no amount of schooling can fix them. The only solution is age and maturity.

Youth is so wasted on the young. They really have no idea. /s

Who in the forum is in the oil and gas industry in some capacity? Anyone know?

@Itizn

That's the guy!

 

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[GPM]

Who in the forum is in the oil and gas industry in some capacity? Anyone know?

Me

 

[PureA]

Hey MJ, quick question?

How come "quick questions" never have quick answers?

Whilst we're here... LOL.

I was re-reading TGRRE last night...

Do you use anything during your writing? Coffee? 'nootropics'? etc.

 

[Awakened2022]

In the recent years one of the big factors influencing my travel decisions is whether I'll be able to get healthy food easily and whether locals value a healthy lifestyle. This is why I love Europe so much as you can always find good, healthy stuff easily and people who understand it.

It is time you visited Uganda and sampled organic foods right from the garden, but only if you can stand crazy traffic jams and potholes.

 

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[MattR82]

First time I've ever heard of him. Interesting life! Went head to head with mob boss Sam Giancana over a girl lol. And won.

 

[MattR82]

While on Sam Giancana, if anyone is ever looking for a great fiction book (well, fiction is used loosely in this case lol), one of my faves was James Ellroy's (author of LA Confidential, The Black Dahlia) Underworld USA trilogy.

From wiki:
The Underworld USA Trilogy is the collective name given to three novels by American crime author James Ellroy: American Tabloid (1995), The Cold Six Thousand (2001), and Blood's a Rover (2009).
The trilogy blends fiction and history to tell a story of political and legal corruption in the United States between 1958 and 1973. American Tabloid covers the years 1958 to 1963, beginning exactly five years before the assassination of John F. Kennedy, with the assassination as the book's dénouement. The Cold Six Thousand begins concurrently with the end of American Tabloid and covers a slightly longer period, culminating in the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy in 1968. Blood's a Rover spans the years 1968 to 1973, encompassing the Vietnam War, the death of J. Edgar Hoover, the Black Power movement, the Mob's attempt to build casinos in the Dominican Republic, and the Nixon administration.

The series was supposed to be released on audio up as some kind of radio podcast thing which sounds cool, but looks like it hasn't eventuated yet

James Ellroy Adapting His ‘American Tabloid’ Novel Into Scripted Podcast Series With Audio Up

EXCLUSIVE: James Ellroy, the demon dog of American crime fiction, is doubling down on the world of podcasting. Ellroy, who Deadline revealed in April was working on true crime audio series Hollywood Death Trip, has teamed up with podcasting firm Audio Up to adapt his American Tabloid novel into...

deadline.com

 

[Revuelto_Reveals]

Going to work.

I'm one of those poor saps whose business doesn't yet supply enough income to quit the day job. Tragic, I'm aware. However, if used in the right way, one will begin to see every day getting on the bus (I sold my car so I didn't have a car payment or to pay for gas - huge amounts of money being recycled into my business) and coming home on the bus and getting funny looks from my co-workers (how does such a smart guy not own a vehicle?) as a FTE (F*ck this event. I haven't picked up Unscripted yet - I watched a summary of his book on YT - after being lectured by MJ about it on one of my threads, will read soon). The act of working, itself, is a bunch of mini FTE's that will eventually pile up into the one, overarching FTE that makes me quit, permanently, whether I'm ready to or not. I literally start foaming at the mouth at work whenever some "higher-up" starts talking to me, whenever I think about the fact that, any day I pick, I could just never show up to work and listen to the inane drivel or "advice." Ever again.

Work (the W-2, the job I don't own, the job that owns me) should be used for what it is. All sorts of fuel. Fuel in terms of money that you'll put into the supercar that is your business. Fuel in terms of the hatred that it makes boil under your skin thinking about doing work that you know is beneath you. Fuel in listening to Linda with the bad breath complain about the workplace and being cursed with the common decency not to ask her what she's doing when she gets home to get herself out of the mess she voluntarily put herself in 30 years ago when she decided to accept a W-2 as the only source of income she'll ever have, other than getting wasted and turning on the tube to drown her sorrows in the flood of cheap dopamine.

Nothing fuels the growth of my business, learning, and output more than the ten hours of quiet rage simmering just beneath the surface of my skin at work. I'm destined for more than this, I know I can do better, and I feel blessed by this knowledge and discontent. It allows me to throw more into bettering my life circumstances.

 

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[UK_Mike]

5. Daily conflict with other kids allows them to lean social skills. I’ve only met one person in my life who was home schooled … and let me tell you, he was a CEO of a decent company! All good but his one regret was … being home schooled. Sample of 1 isn’t a sample at all, still that’s the only reference I got. His complaint was that at university he was socially awkward. It was the hardest battle he fought. I don’t want my kid to be socially awkward.

I don't think it's correct to necessarily blame home schooling for that, I went to "normal" schools and left there socially awkward, and still am, many years later. Some people just don't mix well. My only running thought when reading this topic was about the effects of a lack of mixing with other kids. But then home schooling doesn't necessarily mean schooling in isolation, either.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Whilst we're here... LOL.

I was re-reading TGRRE last night...

Do you use anything during your writing? Coffee? 'nootropics'? etc.

Why you ask?

I might have written part of it under the influence of medical cannabis.

Generally speaking, I don't use any mind-bending substances while I write.

 

[KiwiEC]

Warren Buffett sees so few worthwhile deals that Berkshire Hathaway’s cash pile just hit a record $157.2 billion

Berkshire has struggled to find the big-ticket deals that galvanized Warren Buffett’s renown, despite ramping up its acquisition machine.

fortune.com

Something bad incoming?
He definitely knows more than we do.

 

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[Ing]

Warren Buffett sees so few worthwhile deals that Berkshire Hathaway’s cash pile just hit a record $157.2 billion

Berkshire has struggled to find the big-ticket deals that galvanized Warren Buffett’s renown, despite ramping up its acquisition machine.

fortune.com

Something bad incoming?
He definitely knows more than we do.

US bankrupt, when printers fail or too less.

 

[Kak]

Mark my words, this product will have 6000 Amazon reviews by this time next year (it currently has 3). Goes to show a cool product can combine two to three existing functions.

Player+ GPS Speaker

Looking for a golf GPS speaker Player+ that delivers exceptional performance? Our GPS Speaker offers a glass touchscreen display, dynamic audio experience, radical dual bass, and a 100ft range. With a magnetic strip for easy attachment, power bank functionality, and 10+ hours of battery life...

blueteesgolf.com

 

[Kak]

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7VKZOmUhmII&si=FkxTMD05wwa_gt1r

 

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[Kak]

2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger First Look: The Unlimited-Range Electrified Pickup?

The 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger adds an on-board generator to a full-frame, fully-electric truck to produce a 690-mile range powerhouse, but it won’t be cheap.

www.forbes.com

An EV that would actually work for me. Very cool.

"Unlimited range" because it has a gas generator you can run to extend the range.

No actual mechanical driveline, all electric. All the gas engine does is generate electricity when you decide to run it. 690 miles of total range.

I assume you lose the front trunk though which is a bummer.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Amazing how the little things make us happy...

A superhero should be rare with superpowers.
However if EVERYONE is a superhero with an new movie every 2 weeks, NO ONE is a superhero.

As the article states, You've seen this movie 32 times before.

No, I haven't. Because the last superhero movie I paid to watch, Bill Clinton was president.

 

[J Mutua]

Recently I've been shook, having sleepless nights.

Why?

Because of the concept of Who, Not How.

I am sitting in a coding class right now.

It is so hard to pay attention, because all I see when I look around at the others in the class..

Is resources.

I have probably made 10 posts about this in the last 2 weeks on this forum lol, because it's keeping me up at night. All of these people who are programmers became programmers so they can serve ME (win-win situations of course).

Recently I've been shook, having sleepless nights.

Why?

Because of the concept of Who, Not How.

I am sitting in a coding class right now.

It is so hard to pay attention, because all I see when I look around at the others in the class..

Is resources.

I have probably made 10 posts about this in the last 2 weeks on this forum lol, because it's keeping me up at night. All of these people who are programmers became programmers so they can serve ME (win-win situations of course).

IMO, as an aspiring entrepreneur I don't believe it is the right concept to build your business empire on.

You will be setting yourself up for a lot of disappoint.

People are ruled by self-interest and could less about servicing you.

 

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[BizyDad]

IMO, as an aspiring entrepreneur I don't believe it is the right concept to build your business empire on.

You will be setting yourself up for a lot of disappoint.

People are ruled by self-interest and could less about servicing you.

IMO, most people are sheep looking for a shepherd.

It is in the sheep's best interest to be safe with the shepherd.

Be the shepherd.

Edit:

My first like on this post...

 

[MJ DeMarco]

IMO, most people are sheep looking for a shepherd.

It is in the sheep's best interest to be safe with the shepherd.

https://twitter.com/MJDeMarco/status/1723093133637095679?s=20

 

[GPM]

Amazing how the little things make us happy...

A superhero should be rare with superpowers.
However if EVERYONE is a superhero with an new movie every 2 weeks, NO ONE is a superhero.

As the article states, You've seen this movie 32 times before.

No, I haven't. Because the last superhero movie I paid to watch, Bill Clinton was president.

View attachment 52366

I don't feel bad watching Marvel and Disney die. I used to watch most of these Marvel movies on opening day. Then I started to watch them at home. Now I won't even watch them if they are free, they are a complete waste of time.

I suffered through the latest Thor and Black Panther. Both of those were easily some of the worst movies I have ever seen in my life. I skipped the latest Ant Man, and I am going to skip this one too. Modern Marvel is absolute trash.

 

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[mikecarlooch]

IMO, as an aspiring entrepreneur I don't believe it is the right concept to build your business empire on.

You will be setting yourself up for a lot of disappoint.

People are ruled by self-interest and could less about servicing you.

Actually, it is a win-win because they are doing exactly what they want to be doing, and so are we as entrepreneurs.

 

[xShepherdx]

Edit:

My first like on this post...
View attachment 52375

I saw my opportunity and had to take it

 

[WillHurtDontCare]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1714717987729797381

View: https://twitter.com/ShinghiD/status/1714717987729797381

 

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[Noyaux]

https://twitter.com/MJDeMarco/status/1723093133637095679?s=20

I don't know if that's what you intended but you linked a private thread with a public one (sorry if I misunderstood)

 

[J Mutua]

Actually, it is a win-win because they are doing exactly what they want to be doing, and so are we as entrepreneurs.

Well and good but as an entrepreneur it’s still important to have a high degree of control and understanding of the product/service you are offering and not just sit back and depend on the sheep to take care of your empire.

 

[Andy Black]

Hmmm. Should I accept that Facebook friend request from a mindset coach?

 

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[matteblack]

Hmmm. Should I accept that Facebook friend request from a mindset coach?

Definitely. Give him a free seminar on mindset he needs it , after all

 

[mikecarlooch]

Hi guys ! does anyone have any suggestions on books about product launch?

I'm thinking of steering away from the Jeff Walker Product Launch Formula stuff.. But let me know.. Thanks guys