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MTF

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MiLeung

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What's considered "big"? Physically? Should I pursue my dream of creating the worlds largest cheese grater? I think the more appropriate phrase is to think radically different.
 

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TYLER WALL

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This is something that I've been thinking/doing a lot lately.

I have a project that I'm working on that has a scale and scope that I've already established (on paper). I've been working off this for months.

Just recently, I thought just that - Think BIG and then think BIGGER. Who else can I serve? Who else would benefit from this? What other avenues can I take it down? Are there any cross streets and intersections with other existing businesses or ideas that I can cross-pollinate?

What I came up with is much BIGGER. Yes, it adds more to the project and creation, but I see these new areas as rich opportunities.

Guess what? I'm going to discover more too as I start travelling down these roads. It is easy to come up with an idea and try to stay in the lanes and confines of whatever that is by looking and travelling straight ahead. Just remember there's much more on the horizon and we have a periphery for a reason.
 

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What's considered "big"? Physically? Should I pursue my dream of creating the worlds largest cheese grater? I think the more appropriate phrase is to think radically different.

Really?

You missed the point entirely .
 
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MTF

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@Kak, I actually have a question for you regarding your thought process...

What's your thinking process when you're working on one opportunity (or it's already working quite well for you) and you get an opportunity to work on something new that can be much bigger?

In other words, how do you decide whether you should exercise thinking big applied to something you're already working on vs something new? How do you know when it's time to move from one big opportunity to another, even bigger one?

For example, a guy owns an e-commerce FBA business selling a generic product imported from China, say, woolen socks. It's doing very well, but his business doesn't really let him "think big" (when compared to the subject of this thread). Should he apply "thinking big" to his business that will probably never get super huge or try to find another opportunity with much more potential?
 

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This is a very inspiring thread. I'm not qualified to tell others how this is done, only to listen and learn. I'm grateful for the ideas that prompt me to look up to a bigger horizon.
 
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Kak

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@Kak, I actually have a question for you regarding your thought process...

What's your thinking process when you're working on one opportunity (or it's already working quite well for you) and you get an opportunity to work on something new that can be much bigger?

In other words, how do you decide whether you should exercise thinking big applied to something you're already working on vs something new? How do you know when it's time to move from one big opportunity to another, even bigger one?

For example, a guy owns an e-commerce FBA business selling a generic product imported from China, say, woolen socks. It's doing very well, but his business doesn't really let him "think big" (when compared to the subject of this thread). Should he apply "thinking big" to his business that will probably never get super huge or try to find another opportunity with much more potential?


Good questions!

First lets examine some assumptions and how I define the following:

Employee- Guy exchanges time for money.

Self employed- Guy exchanges time for money with more flex-ability, risk and maybe more reward. Photographer, consultant, freelancer, broker, realtor...

Small business- Guy exchanges time for money and has a few systems and employees in place that he also uses to make money. Some are better time trades than others. Basically a business that will probably, at some point, hit a time-leverage dead end where you cant afford to grow the company internally and you also can't afford to quit. Business is an asset to some extent, but the owner usually works on location so it wouldn't sell for very much. Bakery, nail salon, boutique, FBA stores, mall kiosk, contractor.

A Real Company- Something that can grow from within. Has the potential to support resources every step of the way. There is either enough value in sales or company growth to either snowball or just raise money with small amounts of stock. People want to be part of it. Stock options and profit shares have real value. You can, or will be able to afford the things you would worry about in a small business. Accountants, legal help, insurance, finance help, sales, managers, ETC... You aren't expected to know how to do everything. You can lead or step out, replace yourself and let it exist on its own.

To me it depends completely on what kind of "big" potential the current business has vs the new one. I will tell you straight up, "a guy selling things on FBA" isn't even a company... Can the venture even afford one extra employee to grow itself? If not, its a small business that has already hit the dead end. It may have a decent trade of time for money, but I would use it to get to something bigger and better.

Some ventures make the jump from small to company (go-pro, yeti, mypillow, etc), but most are born to be big. I like the latter.

Also, no one said you could only have one business... You run the show!
 
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Real Deal Denver

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Maybe Andrej is getting ahead of himself and is going to doom us all. Or he's going to solve a major human problem. I don't know.

I'm in a career that is in the process of being automated by computers (real estate appraising). It may not be replaced entirely, but computers are going to hamper growth. Because of this, it has become a dead end job. This is not the first time something like this has happened, so I'm no fan of thinking computers replacing humans.

Elon Musk going to Mars. Is there anything bigger. He doesn't think it can't be done, but rather how can I do it, and then finds the way.

I always look at the end game. What am I going to accomplish when all is said and done? So we go to Mars. Big damn deal. We find water, or we don't. What does it matter? So we know what it used to be like a billion years ago. That's like dinosaur bones - very very interesting - I could look at them for months at a time - not. Doesn't matter one iota.

Should I pursue my dream of creating the worlds largest cheese grater?

At least we would have SOME amount of functionality from this pursuit. Since Wisconsin is known as the cheese heads, it might be the start of a theme park to rival Disney. Cheese World. Sound stupid? Not compared to going to Mars!

Two guys are building a bullet train down in Texas, y'all got to witness.

As impressive as this is, I always wondered how long it was going to take us to catch up with Japan in this regard. Even Spain has a mass transit system that is the envy of the world. But. Not. Us.

Kind of embarrassing. I'm old enough to remember when Japan entered the automobile industry and really taught us how to build quality cars that last. Merle Haggard even recorded a song, "Are the good times really over for good" in which he says he wishes that a Ford and a Chevy could last ten years, like they should. They do now, but that was not always the case.

We're a hollow shell of what we would like to think we are. I get no pleasure out of saying that - but I call things the way they are. Japan has had bullet trains now for how many decades? But they sure don't have the world's biggest cheese grater!

For how many decades has our government spent money on NASA - and there is no bullet train in LA - where they need it most, perhaps. If you're in rush hour traffic in LA, you better not have to pee for, um, up to half a day? Yep. Eat a lot of crackers. Maybe cheese and crackers. They absorb the liquid in your body.

Hey. That cheese grater idea might not be so bad after all!

I'm all for progress, and am not criticizing anyone here. The bullet train will be a great achievement when it is finished, for sure. Just thought I'd throw in a healthy dose of reality, for a bigger picture perspective. We can do SO much better. And we should be.
 
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MTF

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Some ventures make the jump from small to company (go-pro, yeti, mypillow, etc), but most are born to be big. I like the latter.

Also, no one said you could only have one business... You run the show!

Thank you for the answer. I like your definitions. It's interesting because I'd say that self-publishing and any other similar business model with high margins is a small business, but at the same time can actually become a big business because thanks to high margins, you can afford to get outside help if you need it.
 

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@Kak your threads are butt kicking!

I have always thought this way (re thinking big) but you articulate better than I have ever heard it!

Rep+

I want to start evaluating all my ideas with this 'think big' filter.

I already have some projects I'm working on that I feel are already dead on arrival after reading this thread.

Question 1:

Do you have a framework that you can provide to help frame things with the filter of 'thinking big' for evaluating ideas?

Question 2:

In the eventuality that you can't raise capital. I know limiting beliefs are frowned at on this forum but it's hard to raise capital where I'm from.

I don't want to dally around trying to raise capital and letting time pass by.

What's an alternative? Can you elaborate on how to bootstrap your way from self employed or small business to real company.

You mentioned how companies like yeti, mypillow, did this.

Question 3:

Can you recommend a book that really nails this 'think big' route.

Thank you.
 

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Do you have a framework that you can provide to help frame things with the filter of 'thinking big' for evaluating ideas?

MJ's books.

I don't want to dally around trying to raise capital and letting time pass by.

What's an alternative? Can you elaborate on how to bootstrap your way from self employed or small business to real company.

MJ's books.
Guy Kawasaki's book "The art of the start." Watch his presentations on Youtube.
The "startup school" material from YCombinator, although it's almost all focused on building software to conquer an industry.

Can you recommend a book that really nails this 'think big' route,

MJ's books!
 
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Late Bloomer

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... it has become a dead end job. .

You might already have a thread on this, but have you discussed what you see as next steps for you?

You overlooked something critical. The bullet train might actually go to Wisconsin... 500 mph across the prairie, direct to Cheese World! Now there's something that really matters! :hilarious:
 

Late Bloomer

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First lets examine some assumptions and how I define the following:

Looks like you're using Robert Kiyosaki's Cashflow Quadrants grid. Not sure if that was original from him, but I saw it first from him. There's a lot to dislike about what he says, but I think that quadrant concept is brilliant and really useful.
 

Kak

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Wow! This thread blew up when I wasn't looking!

Do you have a framework that you can provide to help frame things with the filter of 'thinking big' for evaluating ideas?

The straight answer is no. No framework. It's just thinking. I just make sure that whatever I do has the ability to, as MJ said in his book, "Impact Millions". I understand that some strange things like pop sockets and fidget spinners end up impacting millions... That is a fad. I don't count fads. No one can accurately create fads. As long as you are going to play ball, play ball on the biggest field you possibly can.

In the eventuality that you can't raise capital. I know limiting beliefs are frowned at on this forum but it's hard to raise capital where I'm from.

I don't want to dally around trying to raise capital and letting time pass by.

What's an alternative? Can you elaborate on how to bootstrap your way from self employed or small business to real company.

Is this a question? Like what do you do if you can't raise money? Why is it automatically an "eventuality"? If someone tells you no, you find out why and use that data to improve the pitch or the business then go to the next person.

I don't know how Yeti and Mypillow went from small to big, that is a RARE occurrence compared with other multi-million dollar companies.

Can you recommend a book that really nails this 'think big' route.
Yes! I just read Zero to One by Peter Thiel and it was pretty good on this issue.
Also, anything by Grant Cardone can get you coked up on thinking big pretty easily.
 
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Kak

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Based upon my posts in the thread: "What is the best Skill to have to get Rich?" @Andy Black wanted me to start a new thread about Leadership. I think it fits perfectly within this thread and I want to tie it all together.

From the other thread:
That's the second time you have said it here. The ideas thread I bumped earlier was the first time, if I can remember. :)

One question: In your opinion, @Kak, what's the difference between a leader and a manager? Or to an extent, does the leader manage some things as well?

I am currently leading a few groups for groups presentations in my current university classes (which can be another thread of extreme frustrations), and I found myself torn in between....

No problem @ZF Lee
First of all a "manager" is just a job title... A manager can be a leader or not.

Leadership is about WAY more than just guiding employees. It is about establishing overall influence, being someone that others want to be associated with, and believe in. You NEED people in order to build a real company.

Good leaders can inspire those around them.
Good leaders are able to raise money without much effort.
Good leaders can sell without selling.
Good leaders surround themselves with people smarter than themselves, yet the people surrounding them wouldn't agree.
Good leaders are NEVER a dickhead tyrant or know it all.
Good leaders never have to tell you how great they or their product or idea are.
Good leaders can explain value propositions.
Good leaders can easily find bad a$$ business partners.
Good leaders can get people excited about working for them or on their projects.
Good leaders can get any task finished regardless of if they know how to do it themselves or not.
Good leaders can get what they want without even asking for it.

I believe wholeheartedly that people will only truly rise to their level of leadership. The cool part is that it's possible to learn to be a better leader.

How does one learn to be a better leader? Experience + honest self-reflection?

Curious on this. Lots of people say leaders are born, but I think people only say that because their ego is too big to admit they can improve themselves.

I don't call domineering egotistical douches leaders anyway. Sure they might be in a leadership position, but that doesn't make them a good leader.

The best way to learn leadership in my opinion is to learn how to deal with people. It's more a study of psychology than one of power and domination. Who wins long term? The guy who only concerned with leverage and working angles? Or the guy that has respect, trust, some leverage, a good track record, charisma and an understanding of what motivates the people they are leading?​

I hope you are beginning to see the connection between BIG ventures and leadership. None of these truly big ventures and game changing companies can exist without LEADERSHIP. Honestly, it is the only thing that even matters. Leadership can get you EVERYTHING you need to make something like this happen.
 
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Thanks for an amazing thread on Thinking Big and Leadership. I believe the two concepts go together and it's hard to study anyone who achieved great impact and success without finding these two traits in them.

An excellent book I've been reading that highlights some of the characteristics you mentioned above, it's a classic and I find it extremely beneficial to go through once a month - "How to win friends and influence people".

It's incredible how simple adjustments can be made internally improve one's quality of life, I'm personally practicing GRATITUDE as a habit I would love to improve this month.

Great thread as always @Kak
 

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Real Deal Denver

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Jetpacks and Tech-Enabled Cities: How We’ll Live in the Future Jetpacks and Tech-Enabled Cities: How We’ll Live in the Future

These guys think big... Cool article.

Thunderball, 1965, Sean Connery

James Bond 1965.JPG

Over half a century later. Nothing. Smog and congestion for hours in jam packed super highways every day - that's what reality is. Add more lanes. That's the level of technology we're at.

I vividly remember being told in grade school that we'd be driving flying cars within 20 years. You have NO idea of how close I held that dream to me. The Jetsons! I couldn't wait! How lucky I was to be born at the time I was! Lies.

I'd be super happy with fiber internet from Google, which was installed in Kansas City as their first test site way back in 2012. It's 40 times faster than broadband. Japan and Korea have it. Most of Europe has it too. We don't. Damn lies.

Why don't these things happen? Money. The powers that be don't want the status quo upset. They want to keep selling oil to run our outdated gasoline engines. Battery powered cars? Kind of slow to get here - maybe in another decade we'll have some serious contenders.

Streaming movies on your phone? Big money in cell phones. That's why they ARE here. Money.

If there's not a ton of money in it, it doesn't get done. If there's a ton of money in something else that is inefficient and dated, that stays around forever.

Along with google fiber, I'd like health care at LEAST as good as the peasants in Cuba get. Yeah, like that cash cow is ever going to change...

Don't get me started. I'm an optimist. I believe in progress. I also believe that the hands that control the money, above or below the table, are the ones that steer the future.
 

Kak

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View: https://youtu.be/AGVwrWYyjYg


Super cool tech advances like this are why I have no interest in learning to fly helicopters despite my love of flying fixed wing.

The multidimensional business model here is ABSOULTELY big thinking. It's part tech, part engineering, part raw capitalization, and a HUGE part regulatory. I see massive barriers to entry and a massive market that will make billionaires out of the first movers.

Aircraft certification process only approves one at a time. There are NO coattails to ride on here. You either wear it or you don't.

This industry could be the next automobile.
 

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View: https://youtu.be/AGVwrWYyjYg


Super cool tech advances like this are why I have no interest in learning to fly helicopters despite my love of flying fixed wing.

The multidimensional business model here is ABSOULTELY big thinking. It's part tech, part engineering, part raw capitalization, and a HUGE part regulatory. I see massive barriers to entry and a massive market that will make billionaires out of the first movers.

Aircraft certification process only approves one at a time. There are NO coattails to ride on here. You either wear it or you don't.

This industry could be the next automobile.

On another note... This is a business that requires only raw and bad a$$ leadership out of the entrepreneur. Leadership that can raise money, lobby regulators, find the right engineers and techies. And put the spokes of the venture together.

This is why I consider leadership the most important skill some can have in business.
 

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@Kak, just wanted to say that I've been really enjoying your recent posts on the forum (not just in this thread). Love how they all connect to your message of thinking bigger. They make me think how to take things to the next level (and obviously act on these ideas, too).
 
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The-J

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View: https://youtu.be/AGVwrWYyjYg


Super cool tech advances like this are why I have no interest in learning to fly helicopters despite my love of flying fixed wing.

The multidimensional business model here is ABSOULTELY big thinking. It's part tech, part engineering, part raw capitalization, and a HUGE part regulatory. I see massive barriers to entry and a massive market that will make billionaires out of the first movers.

Aircraft certification process only approves one at a time. There are NO coattails to ride on here. You either wear it or you don't.

This industry could be the next automobile.

Wow how have I never heard of this?

These guys are out of China.

Yep, you all heard that right. China. Not the US. Not Japan. China.

Is it that only Chinese entrepreneurs are crazy enough to attempt something like this? Is Chinese business culture quickly changing to that of 'determinate optimism' like Peter Thiel describes?

This machine seems to have the capability to take off and land all at the push of a button. No navigation skill needed. You don't need to take a pilot's class to learn how to press a button.

With the tech they're building, they could create traffic thruways in the sky by using load balancing, queueing, and machine learning. This shit can scale, and scale big.

Right now it's not super powerful. It can travel approx. 50km in one direction on a single charge (but it flies in a u-shape so it's more like 40-45km). Charging time is longer than travel time. But the applications are enormous.

It's also electric powered.
 

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@Kak, just wanted to say that I've been really enjoying your recent posts on the forum (not just in this thread). Love how they all connect to your message of thinking bigger. They make me think how to take things to the next level (and obviously act on these ideas, too).

When I can tell you about him in person is that none of this is just talk.
 

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