I get pitched a lot.
Partnerships. Startups. The next Facebook. The next Amazon. Always something “game-changing.”
Every time, it’s the same setup:
“This will totally reinvent the way people ___.”
“It’s never been done before.”
“It’s going to change the world.”
Then—like clockwork—they drop the buzzword: “unicorn.”
A billion-dollar exit. Once-in-a-lifetime growth. A story so rare they make Netflix docs about it.
Let’s be realistic.
It could happen.
But it probably won’t.
You know what will happen?
Buy a boring, simple, profitable business—and show up every day.
It might not change the world.
It might not sell for a billion.
But you’ll make millions.
Business Is Simple. That’s Why It’s Hard.
Entrepreneurship isn’t about dreaming up something new.
It’s about solving a real problem, for a real customer, in a way they’ll actually pay for.
That’s it.
Most successful small businesses are a hot mess.
A mix of proven strategies, borrowed playbooks, and real-world execution.
They take sales from one place, ops from another, pricing from a third—and they make it work.
It’s not flashy. But it scales.
Innovation Comes After Cash Flow
You don’t get to innovate until you’ve earned it.
You start by proving you can deliver the basics:
- Serve a customer.
- Make a profit.
- Keep doing it.
Only after that do you get to play with features, models, or disruption.
Innovation is just smart plagiarism with good timing.
Every time I’ve grown a company, I’ve done it by copying what already worked—then improving it.
Not guessing. Not hoping. Not pitching a dream.
Doing the work.
Stop Making It Harder Than It Is
You don’t need a blue ocean.
You need a business that earns.
Study what works. Copy it. Execute better.
- Want to run Meta ads? So do a million others—because they work.
- Want to price like a competitor? Great—just do it with better service.
- Want to build a productized service? Fantastic. Start with what’s already selling.
You don’t get extra points for originality. You get paid for results.
A swimming pool cleaning company is simple and cheap to start. Simple and cheap = no moat; true but great service can be your moat, your differentiator, your competitive advantage. Read A Platform for People, Pools and Profit to get an idea how I did it.
Final Word
If you’re building something—build a business, not a TED Talk.
Don’t make it complicated.
Don’t chase clever.
Don’t try to impress investors before you’ve impressed a customer.
You’re not here to win startup theater.
You’re here to build something that works.
So copy what works. Put together your hot mess. And run the play.
Because this game isn’t won by the most original idea.
It’s won by the cleanest execution.