Your Move: The Underdog’s Guide to Building Your Business

by Ramit Sethi

our new model says, “You know what? I’m pretty good at something. I’m good enough that if I can find the right people, they will pay me.”

There are already things we pay for, and we happily pay! It’s more efficient to pay money in exchange for someone’s knowledge or expertise or skills. And if you’re willing to pay for someone else’s expertise, there are people out there who will pay for yours.

What if I’m Not an Expert at Anything?

they’re just not immediately obvious: I call these our “invisible expertise.”

“I am a software engineer, and my audience is other software engineers,” Jarrett says. “So I know the language the people out there are working with.”

Jarrett could have let his “lack of credentials” stop him. Instead, he zeroed in on the exact words his market was using, and was quickly earning $700 per client with his interview business.

Bony To Beastly. Gain 20 pounds of muscle as a skinny guy.

Go Where the Fish Are

The same is true for your business. Shortcuts are like rare gems when it comes to business, and this “shortcut” is a 10 carat diamond: Go where the fish are. In theory, it’s that simple.

Whatever your idea is, it has to be something somebody wants. Otherwise, you’ll invest money and time building a business that only attracts looky-loos: Those people who come into your store, browse for 20 minutes, and NEVER buy anything.

Create something that people WANT to buy.

There are many audiences you should not build a business around, simply because they will never buy. For example, any business that serves nonprofits is doomed. Nonprofits are not going to pay you. Neither will restaurants or students. Restaurant owners believe they’re “too busy” for most services, and students are poor and want to spend their limited money on alcohol.

A huge part of your success in business comes from consciously choosing who you’re attractin...

Finding Your Profitable Ideas

Step 1: Start with business ideas that suck

There are no bad ideas in the beginning stages.

The first step to finding a profitable business idea: You have permission to come up with ideas that suck. Got it?

Step 2: Ask yourself these 4 questions

Question #1: What do I already pay for?

For example, maybe you pay someone to: Clean your apartment Change the oil in your car Make your dinner

When you start to make your list, you’ll quickly see that you pay other people every day.

So take a second — right now — and think of about 3-5 things that you already pay for. Write them down on a sheet of paper and move on to the next question.

Question #2: What skills do I have?

What are you great at? Write those...

Remember, there are no bad ideas here. Your list of skills can inclu...

If you’re amazing at Excel, I know plenty of people who would gladly pay you to create some charts for them right now.

I want you to push yourself to come up with a list of at least 10 skills you already have.

Write down anything that comes to mind. Don’t filter any of your ideas (remember Step 1: Start wi...

Question #3: What do my friends say ...

Sometimes it’s easy to forget we have these skills because they come naturally.

Shoot for at least 3-5 ideas and feel free to ask coworkers and family if you want. You might get different insights that way.

Question #4: What do I do on Saturday morning?

“When you’re trying to find a business idea, think about what you do on a Saturday morning bef...

What are you reading? Fashion magazines? Fitness books? What are you watching? What one t...

If you were locked in a room with a friend, what could you talk about...

Once you get to 20, you’re bound to have a few that you can turn into a profitable business today.

Step 3: Use the Demand Matrix to guarantee your success

In the upper right-hand corner of the chart, you’ve got the Golden Goose. Ideas that fall under this section make GREAT businesses.

See how it works? It’s a great way to test your ideas for (1) profitability and (2) demand.

3. The Secret to Creating 100, 1,000, or 10,000 Loyal Customers

Actually listening is the critical differentiator between a successful business with happy customers… and everyone else.

I cannot emphasize enough that the simple act of actually listening to people — without judgment — can skyrocket your business.

The Magical, Million-Dollar Words

“Tell me about that.”

Just like that, by showing EMPATHY, the flood is unleashed, and they’ll tell you everything:

And you’re ACTUALLY LISTENING. You’re not trying to sell anything. You’re just listening to learn.

Make Sure You’re Talking to Your Target Market

These people can be friends, they could be family, but you want to make sure that these are the customers you’ll actually serve.

In real life, when you’re talking to your family, friends, or colleagues, your ears should perk up whenever you hear the words “I want,” “I wish,” or “I don’t know.” When you’re online or browsing on your phone, you’re looking for these kinds of words, too.

It can be in blog comments, online forums, Reddit, or Facebook.