Hey folks, I've spent all week rounding up the most interesting things I've found on the internet to help you become happier, healthier and wealthier.
This week I turned 23 and as always I like to spend some time reflecting and setting my direction for the next year.
One thing that stood out is how I feel a lot older than 23, probably due to being the youngest child (of 4) trying to grow up quickly mixed with doing this whole online thing since 18.
Anyway, I'm super pumped for this next year and I feel like I'm ready to push forward and really build this year.
Alrighty, let's get into the Filter!
The first business complex
Your first business should be simple.
Figure out how to do one thing well, then offer your services to businesses that will benefit.
Most people get so caught up with sexy business ideas that they forget about the basics.
They chase raising capital, building software, and scaling huge teams. But they forget to build skills, intuition, and resilience first.
If you fail at your first business, it’s unlikely that you’ll try again.
For most people, the best first business is a service business (agency or freelance).
The reasons are simple: service businesses have low barriers to entry, you can get started quickly with no capital, and learn the essential skills as you go.
Every project brings new opportunities.
You get insights into how other businesses operate and you’re paid to develop your own craft.
The feedback loops are short, your decision-making improves and you learn at speed.
When you have no business experience your view of how the world works doesn't reflect reality.
Service work helps you to understand different industries and spot future opportunities.
You probably don't want to sell your time for money forever, but it's the best place to start.
I.
Life is 10x better when you keep your head down and focus on the inputs — the rest takes care of itself.
II.
"Intelligence consists in ignoring things that are irrelevant." - Nassim Nicholas Taleb
How to tell great spoken stories: I've been deep down the storytelling rabbit hole the past couple of weeks and this is one of the best things I've found. Julian Shapiro breaks down all the ingredients to become a world class storyteller. The key ingredient?
To be so invested in your story that it blows your own mind as you tell it.
As Julian says: "They don't feel it in their bones unless it looks like you're feeling it first."
We spent 24 hours with MrBeast: Colin and Samir created a mini documentary following MrBeast as he launched his first beast burger store trying to serve 10,000 people in a day. This is fascinating, but I couldn't help find it a little painful — everything about this type of mainstream fame seems like hell to me.
As David Perell says, niche fame is where you want to be.
Do owners take on more risk than employees?: I find risk a fascinating topic. I have a tendency to be drawn to taking risks and thrive in those situations. This discussion on Reddit shares a great breakdown of the levels of risk in business.
**BONUS FIND**
How immune cells chase bacteria: Your immune system is wild, this animation visualises how immune cells chase down and destroy bacteria. Here’s the original non-animated version.
END NOTE
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Have a fantastic week!
- Stephen
