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How to Be a Better Entrepreneur in the Next 30 Minutes

37 points by jasonlbaptiste 17y ago

nreece 17y ago
It doesn’t have to be an innovative business that solves a pain in the market place; it just has to be a business that can turn a healthy profit every year. On the contrary, a business must solve a pain the market place, to become profitable and healthy.
- ispivey 17y ago
  But his example, a plumbing business, both solves a pain in the marketplace (people need their pipes fixed and plumbing installed) and is not at all innovative.
- rokhayakebe 17y ago
  I think you have way more chances at being successful by copying something that already exist and being a competitor, than creating something totally new and trying to persuade people that it will fix their problems.
mjnaus 17y ago
Here is how to Be a Better Entrepreneur RIGHT NOW... don't read link bait fluff like this and get to WORK!
- webtickle 17y ago
  When I think of link bait, I think of sites that go after Digg and not really Hacker News. Hacker News is an awesome resource (better than digg imho), but if you get to the top I don't think you get too many links out of it.
fuzzmeister 17y ago
"putting up motivational posters" Seriously?
- dcurtis 17y ago
  As stupid and cliche as this sounds, it's kind of right. I have this quote up, and every time I look at it, I get a boost: "Get action. Do things; be sane, don't fritter away your time; create, act, take a place wherever you are and be somebody; get action." -theodore roosevelt
  - Dobbs 17y ago
    I have: "Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." -Walt Disney
    - dcurtis 17y ago
      I have a Disney quote too: "I can never stand still. I must explore and experiment. I am never satisfied with my work. I resent the limitations of my own imagination." WALT DISNEY
  - arien 17y ago
    My PC wallpaper says: "Don't be stupid. Do your work". Straight to the point, just wonderful :)
- Maciek416 17y ago
  Motivational posters might work for some people -- I have a Ralph Steadman poster above my desk here ;) . He's definitely right about having a nice space to work in where you can feel like you can breathe a bit. Comfortable chair, good solid desk, space to put up sticky notes or a whiteboard... Yes even a plant can help make it feel a bit more welcoming.
zackattack 17y ago
Smart guy and he gets to the point - great article and thanks for posting.
- zackattack 17y ago
  Okay, so I decided my short term goal is to be making $35/day. Explained: $500/mo apt + $350/mo food + $200/mo entertainment = $12,600/yr = $35/day I also have a long term goal to be making $835/day. :) I want to come up with an idea for a business that could be making $35/day reasonably quickly, but also have the potential to eventually scale up to $835/day. I order to make $35/day, I need to create something that can do 7 sales of a $5/(month)/profit product every day.

It doesn’t have to be an innovative business that solves a pain in the market place; it just has to be a business that can turn a healthy profit every year. On the contrary, a business must solve a pain the market place, to become profitable and healthy.

ispivey 17y ago
But his example, a plumbing business, both solves a pain in the marketplace (people need their pipes fixed and plumbing installed) and is not at all innovative.
rokhayakebe 17y ago
I think you have way more chances at being successful by copying something that already exist and being a competitor, than creating something totally new and trying to persuade people that it will fix their problems.

mjnaus 17y ago

Here is how to Be a Better Entrepreneur RIGHT NOW... don't read link bait fluff like this and get to WORK!

webtickle 17y ago
When I think of link bait, I think of sites that go after Digg and not really Hacker News. Hacker News is an awesome resource (better than digg imho), but if you get to the top I don't think you get too many links out of it.

fuzzmeister 17y ago

"putting up motivational posters" Seriously?

dcurtis 17y ago
As stupid and cliche as this sounds, it's kind of right. I have this quote up, and every time I look at it, I get a boost: "Get action. Do things; be sane, don't fritter away your time; create, act, take a place wherever you are and be somebody; get action." -theodore roosevelt
- Dobbs 17y ago
  I have: "Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." -Walt Disney
  - dcurtis 17y ago
    I have a Disney quote too: "I can never stand still. I must explore and experiment. I am never satisfied with my work. I resent the limitations of my own imagination." WALT DISNEY
- arien 17y ago
  My PC wallpaper says: "Don't be stupid. Do your work". Straight to the point, just wonderful :)
Maciek416 17y ago
Motivational posters might work for some people -- I have a Ralph Steadman poster above my desk here ;) . He's definitely right about having a nice space to work in where you can feel like you can breathe a bit. Comfortable chair, good solid desk, space to put up sticky notes or a whiteboard... Yes even a plant can help make it feel a bit more welcoming.

zackattack 17y ago

Smart guy and he gets to the point - great article and thanks for posting.

zackattack 17y ago
Okay, so I decided my short term goal is to be making $35/day. Explained: $500/mo apt + $350/mo food + $200/mo entertainment = $12,600/yr = $35/day I also have a long term goal to be making $835/day. :) I want to come up with an idea for a business that could be making $35/day reasonably quickly, but also have the potential to eventually scale up to $835/day. I order to make $35/day, I need to create something that can do 7 sales of a $5/(month)/profit product every day.