The Anti-Course: Why You Can Build a X-Figure Business in X Days
Part 1: The Mindset Playbook
Happy Memorial Day to my fellow Americans… remember the sacrifices of those who’ve built the foundation upon which the world America made may stand…
A note before we dive in—
This Part 1 is about mindsets. It is the larger piece previewed in The Monty Hall Proof and a piece several readers have asked for.
Part 2 will be about specific deals, projects, clients, and decisions I made over the last four years — with key names and details obscured for confidentially — that will reflect how, I believe, “success” is more the fruits of these mindsets than any tactical “how-to” playbook… it’s more “why-you”.
Each mindset could be its own standalone essay — and some have been (I will link to them) and others probably will be. As you read them, they together form a kind of chapter outline for a future book I might write. Some overlap with others thematically, but with distinct expression.
For now, I’ve condensed most of them into their clearest, most essential forms — hopefully not watering them down too much, but to help you absorb them quickly. Think of this as a “map” to a different way of thinking — one that made this life possible for me. Perhaps some combination of them can help you or others.
The intro and the first 5 mindsets are longer reads… partly autobiographical for context… then mindsets 5 through 12 are breezier summaries you can fly through and get the idea. Over time, I’ll expand on them further.
Enjoy.
-VEO
I speak to or share advice with a new person or friend on average about 1–2 times a week. It’s been this way for years. Some weeks, way more — like in the wake of a banger viral tweet or something. Some weeks, zero — when I’m preoccupied jamming on a project or on vacation with my family.
So 1–2 a week is a lot of new friends and associations. And it’s fun. A lot of those people I’ve ended up becoming IRL friends with — and see in real life often, assuming they live near where I live… which, oftentimes, they do.
I enjoy giving advice. Maybe it’s an ego thing… maybe it’s selfishness disguised as the better-sounding pay-it-forwardism, in that I expect or hope for something down the line. Maybe I just like to stay sharp and learn from others’ challenges and ideas. Maybe I just like it. I don’t know. But I’ll keep doing it.
I’ve been giving advice to and mentoring people my entire adult life. From being a formal “peer leader” in high school to almost 10 years in emergency medicine and rescue, driving ambulances, training younger team members, and participating deeply in the community… to my early days in corporate and Wall Street, giving advice to college students and fresh grads about “how to break into” front-office gigs or interesting corporate roles… and of course, being the oldest brother of three sons — and the oldest son of the ultimate advice-giver: our business-owning, life-loving, freewheeling father.
But the advice I give is different now. Maybe it shouldn’t even be called advice at all. Maybe it’s more of an inspiration than guidance. I’ll explain.
Ten years ago, if some fresh grad or kid stuck in a back- or middle-office finance job reached out — through a friend or on LinkedIn — asking “how can I break into Wall Street” in a front-office role (like equity research working for a top-ranked analyst, which I did for six years… or sales and trading… or investment banking), I could offer a very specific perspective and set of actions to try to accomplish that…
Make sure you’re reading the WSJ and financial/business press so you at least have a baseline understanding of what’s going on.
Find alumni, family friends, friends of family friends, etc. who are in those roles now — ideally 5–15 years older than you. That’s the sweet spot: 25–40 year old’s who are still young and eager, and love to talk about themselves and their career journeys. Let them talk a lot. Listen well. Make a good impression. Pepper in great questions that show you’re listening and eager as well. They’ll remember you, and you’ll stay in touch. It’s a numbers game. One day, maybe they’ll think of you for a job they — or someone they know — can help you land.
Build a portfolio of financial models and institutional-grade research reports — either on companies, industries, or both. Reach out to top analysts, associates, bankers, or even management consultants, introduce yourself, and offer to send your portfolio. Ask for feedback. A free model and research report? Ambitious kid emailing me unsolicited with clearly a lot of work behind it? People will respond. It’s like a turbo-charged version of #2.
Consider pursuing the CFA (not the MBA) if you want to work on Wall Street.
Consider pursuing an MBA (not the CFA) if your goal is to work in management or executive-level roles in your 30s, 40s, or 50s — rather than staying in technical, in-the-weeds roles — whether in corporate or on Wall Street.
A pretty good playbook, right? It makes sense. You can get off the phone with me and start doing these things right away.
Now fast-forward 10 years to today.
I left Wall Street four years ago. I’m married (10 years, actually) and have two kids now. I live in Europe — not the shadow suburbs of NYC. I abandoned the “front office” world for the “no office” one. Yet I still have an income. I still work. I’m still deeply involved — despite what my X feed might look like sometimes (err... a lot of the time).
So what do you think people ask me now?
More often than not, it’s some version of:
I’ve become a bit disillusioned with the traditional path and career expectations.
How did you escape and make it work?
They’re not really asking for a how-to manual. If they are, I can’t give that to them because I don’t have one.
They’re more often looking for some proof that it can happen.
Or just a story that makes them feel like they’re not crazy for wanting something else.
They need a “why-you” manual… not a “how-to” one
And so I’ve realized that before I can talk about how I’ve built a business and life outside the “traditional path”… I first have to talk about why it’s even possible. And that means unpacking a few key mindset shifts that made this life not only achievable — but inevitable.
Mindset #1: Gear Shifting Through The Seasons
These days, I often stress the importance of living in “seasons.”
A big reason I started my own business — and then later why my wife and I “blew up” our lives downsizing, selling most things, and moving from New Jersey to the Netherlands — is that we wanted our 30s, these key years of (hopefully) peak or at least good health, fitness, and energy, to be family-focused. No more barely seeing the kids during the week. No more spending more time on train tracks and highways than at home. You get the idea.
But this doesn’t mean we’ve abandoned ambition. Far from it.
We also wanted to see more of the world… to put ourselves in uncomfortable situations for personal growth… to find more adventure. As my father always says:
You’ll be dead a long time.
I often wear a skull ring — as a mortal reminder of that fact.
All of this is to say: we’re in a certain season right now. And it works for us now. Will it forever? I don’t know — and that’s OK. Seasons change.
The idea that your life needs to be one continuous, upward, logical path is fiction — a script sold to you by people who benefit from your predictability. Instead, ask yourself:
What season am I in right now — and what would make the most of it?
Your career, your parenting, your ambition, your geography — all of it can shift. And it should. Life’s more interesting when it has actual chapters.
Some seasons are for adventure. Some are for recovery. And some are for grinding really hard on something deserving of an intense work ethic.
There were times when I worked like hell. I worked almost ten years in emergency medicine and rescue while also working or studying full-time. On Wall Street, I put in ridiculous hours... sometimes 80 or even 100+ during some earnings seasons or IPOs. I showed up early, stayed late, built my reputation, built skills. I was trying to become someone who could earn freedom later.
That’s the point many people miss:
You don’t get to “work to live” until you’ve proven you can work really hard.
This isn’t “grindset” or hustle culture stuff. If you’re in a season of energy, ambition, and opportunity — max it out. If you’re young and don’t yet have a family or heavy obligations — put yourself through your own personal professional or commercial gauntlet. Build a tolerance for pain. Stack credibility you can use later.
And then — when the season shifts — be smart and willing enough to change with it.
People who tell you to “keep paying dues” forever are often just afraid to stop climbing. So they defend the ladder they clung to.
Grind hard when the moment is right — not because someone said you had to, but because you chose to. Work like hell in the right season, so you can live differently when the leaves change. You can always work like hell again when the leaves return to form.
This idea of “living in seasons” is a combination of my “gear shifting” advice and something else I talk and think about often:
Make sure your life has a lot of chapters.
Ask yourself: if someone were reading a book about your life, how many chapters would it have? Chapters with new information, new stories, new ideas — new journeys that are distinct from the ones before. Would they want to keep reading after the first few pages? Would they be enthralled, wondering what you did next?
It’s a more literary way of asking:
Is your life interesting?
Mindset #2: Write Interesting Chapters
The more interesting your life, the more connections you make.
The more connections you make, the more friends — or at least positive acquaintances — you’ll have among them.
And the more of those you have, the more advocates or “followers” you’ll naturally attract for your subsequent chapters.
If one of those next chapters is starting a business or “going solo” or something else off-path… those supporters will often become your early lead gen sources — referring opportunities, making intros, spreading the word. Some may become customers or clients themselves. Others might just offer the right nudge, connection, or encouragement at exactly the right moments.
Even without referrals or business opportunities from these personal “followers,” having a life filled with interesting stories, adventures, and experiences makes for rich conversation with new people and prospective customers. Because people love hearing exciting stories. They remember them. They associate you with them. And that builds trust, curiosity, and connection — all without an actual pitch for any product or service you’re selling.
This is basically the adult version of “extracurriculars.”
Remember those?
Young people obsess over stacking extracurriculars in high school or college so they can cram them into an application or resume and get into a great school or land a great job — and then they do the exact opposite for the next 10–20+ years. They stop doing interesting things. They get pigeonholed. They end up writing a long, boring chapter that doesn’t seem to end and people stop reading.
Don’t do that.
And just so I’m not talking in abstractions — here’s what some of my chapters have looked like so far:
I grew up in a blue-collar construction family. My dad is a contractor, and I spent much of my childhood hanging around job sites and working on them in my teens— absorbing the grit, dirt, and creative problem solving of the trades. This is an important opening chapter in my life. I’m a huge proponent of getting literally dirty — developing a work ethic and understanding mechanics and how things physically function and fit together. Knowing “how the world works” is an superpower for navigating it.
We had a lot of hobbies, thanks to my parents. Skiing, dirt biking, fishing, camping, fireworks, working in the garage. We were always doing stuff — real stuff — with our hands, our tools, and as a family.
At 16, I joined the local EMS and rescue squad for no other reason than it looked awesome and I wanted the adrenaline. It was intense — I’ve seen a lot — and I stuck with it for nearly a decade, both paid and volunteer. It shaped how I handle pressure, how I lead, how I prioritize outcomes… and maybe even my views of life and death.
I eventually ended up working Giants and Jets games at MetLife Stadium, plus big concerts and music festivals, while also holding a day job on a fixed income trading desk in suburban New Jersey.
That trading desk job came through a connection at the lumber yard my dad used for years. Not glamorous — but it was a door, and I opened it.
I decided I wanted to break into Wall Street in NYC — but didn’t go the CFA or MBA route and certainly didn’t do the much-advised Wall Street recruitment-internship dance in college. I pivoted off-script and took a job in consumer research at a pharma and CPG company to build data and insights skills that could differentiate me later… partly acting on advice from a mentor I met through the family business who worked on the Street.
It worked. I eventually landed a spot with a top-ranked equity research team at a top-ranked investment bank — and spent six years building a strong reputation in the industry.
Outside of work, I joined the board of the historic Fraunces Tavern in my late 20s, co-founded a college business alumni association, and volunteered around NY and NJ for civic and community events. I was even on Fox News once, holding an American flag on Flag Day.
Then my wife and I became parents, and priorities started to shift for us.
I formally left Wall Street in early 2021 and started two “businesses” — though they were and are really just solo shingles — but which I eventually merged under a single master brand a couple years later and infused with a small network of wonderful like-minded part-time contractors.
The first was getting my real estate license and hanging it with a business and commercial real estate brokerage. I started as an agent, mainly to learn small business transactions and SMB M&A. I had no formal background in M&A, but I’d always wanted to break into the grittier, deal-side of entrepreneurship after spending so many years as an analyst and “thinker.”
The second was a data and strategy consulting business. I helped small consumer companies — mostly CPG brands — on a fractional basis with all kinds of things, but especially data analysis, KPI development, and storytelling.
There were emotional ups and downs and tough moments, but the newfound flexibility gave my wife and I a taste of something more. We realized we weren’t anchored to anything. And maybe we were starting to really taste freedom after all.
So we decided to make our next chapter a big one… we moved to Europe.
I took on a corporate project for about a year — a full-time “W2 role” — which was perfect for helping with the logistics and admin side of immigration. After a long garden leave, I officially left that company and stood up a European subsidiary of my business. And just like that, I returned to the work I’d been building since the moment I left Wall Street.
Some of that came down to luck. Some of it was persistence. Most of it, though, was just being willing to say yes to doors that opened — and being able to tell good stories about what happened on the other side.
The more chapters you write, the more interesting you become. The more interesting you are, the more memorable and referable you become. And that’s half the battle in building a business without cold outreach or a sales funnel.
People like to work with — and for — people who are going somewhere interesting.
Mindset #3: Open the Damn Door (The Monty Hall Framework)
If you’ve read The Monty Hall Proof already, you can jump to Mindset #4.
There are a few analogies I’ve used for this over the years. My love of The Matrix films — and their allegorical depth — is probably the one I lean on most. I often imagine walking with the Keymaker through an endless corridor of doors that lead to all the possibilities of your life and the world itself. They’re all there, waiting for you to open and peek inside. Most people never do. They’re afraid. Or they’ve been trained not to.
But since I’ve got the space for long-form here, I want to introduce a deeper — and in some ways more powerful — analogy that I love even more…
The Monty Hall Problem
You might remember it from the movie 21, based on the true story of the MIT blackjack team, starring Kevin Spacey. There’s a moment where Spacey — playing a statistics professor — breaks down a classic probability puzzle tied to game theory called the Monty Hall Problem.
Here’s how it works:
You’re on a game show. You’re presented with three closed doors. Behind one of them is a brand new car. Behind the other two are goats.
You think to yourself — correctly — that you have a 1 in 3 chance (~33%) of picking the car. There’s no information to go off of, so you make a random choice — say, Door #1.
Then Monty Hall — the host, who knows what’s behind each door — opens one of the other doors, say Door #3, and reveals a goat. Now he gives you a choice:
Stick with your original pick, or switch to the remaining unopened door.
Most people think:
Now there are only two doors left. It’s 50/50 now. And my odds actually improved, so I’ll stick with my original pick.
Wrong.
You should switch doors every single time.
Here’s why…
The odds of your original choice — Door #1 — having the car are, and always will be, ~33%. The reveal of new information doesn’t change the initial odds — it just gives you insight into the likelihood of other possibilities working out better. When Monty reveals one of the losing options, he’s effectively handing you the combined odds of the two remaining doors.
Think of it this way: at the beginning, the two doors you didn’t choose had a combined 2 in 3 (67%) chance of having the car. Monty knows what’s behind each door and always reveals a goat — meaning he’s essentially guiding you away from the wrong option and toward the better one. By switching, you're now choosing that combined probability, and your odds jump from ~33% to ~67%.
Your odds of success will never change if you stay put.
But you double your odds of success by being willing to switch.
Most people don’t understand this puzzle. Admittedly, it takes some pondering to “get it” — because it violates our gut-level intuition. That’s why there was an entire movie scene about this problem specifically — just pondering it can be dramatized in film. But once you do get it, it becomes an incredibly powerful framework for making decisions in your life.
So what’s the real-world application?
Most people pick a “door” in life early — a college major, a job, a city, a lifestyle, a relationship — and then stick with it. Even when new information comes in. Even when better options appear. Even when something is clearly revealed to “be a goat.”
In fact, many people see the failure or irrelevance of other options — the revealed goat — as validation that their original choice was the right one all along. But it’s the opposite. Fear of switching is a deeply human response, rooted in safety and sunk cost bias. But it’s just your base-level programming.
The people who win — the ones who create momentum, build leverage, and find more fulfilling paths — are the ones willing to re-evaluate and switch.
The Monty Hall Problem is about doors… and whether you’re willing to open another one.
Especially when it doesn’t make obvious sense at first glance.
Your life is like a game show where the doors — opportunities — are constantly appearing and disappearing. Sometimes they’re only open for a sliver of time. And there are far more than just three — they come in infinite shapes and sizes, and they’re always in motion.
It’s less like a glitzy game show and more like that scene from Monsters Inc., where all the doors are hanging like laundry at a dry cleaner, flying by in every direction. The winners aren’t the ones who cling to their first pick. The winners are the ones who are willing to switch when the goat is revealed — not because it feels safe, but because it’s statistically, strategically, and spiritually smarter to do so.
As for what “success” or “winning” really means…
Mindset #4: Define Your Own Success Metrics
Ah… the age-old question. I’ve written about this in various ways — sometimes philosophically, sometimes practically. But here’s where I’ve landed lately:
Success is being able to do what I want to do, when I want to do it, for reasons I define — not ones handed to me.
That’s it. It’s not a title. It’s not a follower count. It’s not a valuation. It’s freedom of motion and of motive.
Yes, sometimes you do need to “succeed” in some baseline level financially or professionally to buy that freedom — to achieve so-called “escape velocity”. I’m not naïve to that. That’s why I don’t reject hard work — I reject worshipping it. Work hard in the right season, but don’t let that initial run at success transmogrify into your entire internal identity.
Because it will try to. Especially if you’re good at it. I dig into this in The High-IQ Trap.
At one point, I thought I had to keep going. The path was working. My reputation was growing. The money was fine. But then I had a moment — call it an AHA or a burnout or an awakening — where I realized:
I was already happy.
I had reached a baseline level of peace, fulfillment, and autonomy.
And continuing to climb would now deliver diminishing happiness returns.
That’s when I knew it was time to switch doors.
A big part of this realization came from looking at people 10, 20, 30 years ahead of me — successful, by many measures — and thinking:
Not for me
Not because they failed. Maybe they’re perfectly content and thriving. But I didn’t want that script. I saw the goats… saw better doors. And I’ve always been willing to open them.
Maybe I’m crazy or “out there.” But it’s working for us this season. Or maybe I’m seeing the forest through the trees... the “system” for what it is.
I don’t care what people think about “what I’m doing with my life.” I don’t care if my resume makes sense to them. This is my story. And I’m living it with my family.
The only scoreboard I care about is the one I create.
If you don’t define “winning” for yourself, the system will define it for you.
And its definition always involves you working just a little longer, climbing just a little higher… until you’re out of time.
Mindset #5: Stop Asking for Permission
Even those brave or wise enough to leave the path often carry this lingering hesitation — like they still need permission to do a certain thing or pursue a certain interest.
Wrong.
There is a gigantic economy out there. Much bigger than what you see online or in your LinkedIn bubble or your “diverse” resume of 10-20+ years of corporate work “across sectors.”
Did you know you can literally drive to an industrial park or commercial area in your town, walk into a business, ask to speak with the owner, and… just introduce yourself? Ask for a tour. Ask about what they do. Ask how they got started.
The first time you do this, you will almost certainly feel like a total weirdo. You’ll fumble your words. You might come off awkward or overeager. It’ll be very uncomfortable — especially if you’re introverted or used to white-collar “polish” and are taken aback by the sights and sounds of the “real economy” humming in front of you.
But do it anyway.
That discomfort is the cost of growth — and most people simply won’t pay it. Your competition in both business and in life is… pretty bad. They’ll dip a toe in that cold lake, shiver, and never jump in. “Too cold.” “I don’t have a towel.” Sure.
You don't need a credential to be curious.
You don’t need a certification to enter a business and ask questions.
This is the problem with our over-credentialed, over-filtered, careerist, white-collar “knowledge” world… it tricks people into believing that you need permission to participate in the economy — like there’s some velvet rope and bouncer keeping you from accessing entire sectors, skillsets, or business models.
There isn’t.
The system just wants you to believe there is — because credentialism is profitable, and obedience is convenient to those selling you the credentials. Sure, it’s a little harder just to become a doctor (you still can.. anytime.. any age)… but you can walk into a hospital and say hello anytime.
The sunk cost of your past (education, career, status) doesn’t obligate you to continue playing a game that no longer suits you.
You can switch lanes. You can start fresh. You can try something weird.
Stop asking for permission.
Actually…. while you’re at it…. stop asking for advice.
Yes, learn. Yes, read. Yes, talk to people. But at some point you have to just do something — avoid analysis paralysis and performative planning.
Don’t wait until you feel confident. Confidence comes after a lot of practice and failures, not before.
“You can just do things” gets tossed around a lot these days in entrepreneurial circles. But Nike said it first. And probably some stone tablet two thousand years ago said it even better.
So just do it.
6. Rewrite the Code (You Were Not Meant to Be Anyone)
So much of what holds people back is a script they didn’t write. We explore this deeply in The Matrix and the Cosmic Joke, The Religion of Progress, and Builders and Cheaters.
Here’s some of that coding:
Normalcy and Routine: Wake up, work, retire on schedule. Deviate, and you’re a risk-taker at best, a weirdo at worst.
Destiny and Expectations: Others’ expectations define your self-worth and identity.
Prestige and Status: Some people are “better” for intangible reasons.
Careerism: Your job is your soul. Love it or pretend you do.
Time is Money: Idleness is wasteful.
These are not facts. They’re code — written by your upbringing, school, media, culture, even well-meaning mentors.
It’s time to deprogram.
You are not your LinkedIn headline. You are not your college major. You are not someone else’s dream.
You are the main character — not because you’re special, but because this is your story. And it’s yours to rewrite. Start by questioning everything. Pretend you were born yesterday. Would you still choose this job? This belief? This routine? If not, walk away.
But there is an important nuance to this “main character” concept. Being the main character in your story doesn’t mean you’re immortal. It doesn’t mean things will work out just because you believe they should.
There’s the famous end scene in one of my favorite films, Unforgiven, that’s stuck with me for years.
Little Bill (Gene Hackman): “I don't deserve this... to die like this. I was building a house.”
William Munny (Clint Eastwood): “Deserve’s got nothin’ to do with it.”
You can do all the “right” things as you see them, and still lose. You can still get sick, be forgotten, die. There’s no cosmic scorekeeper keeping track of your effort.
This should be liberating. It means you don’t have to wait for the perfect moment, the divine sign, or external validation. It means you can switch paths at any time — and not feel guilty for leaving a path you thought you “deserved” a reward from.
The world isn’t waiting to make your life fair.
So write your own code. And act accordingly.
7. Use Reputation Strategically, Not Religiously
I’m not anti-reputation. In fact, I’ve used mine well. My early work ethic in my teens opened doors for me. Those doors opened new doors to Wall Street, and so on. My online presence has brought leads. My past credibility built trust.
Your reputation is a tool, not your identity.
Don’t become the person who clings to their employer’s brand like a badge of honor 10 years too long.
Don’t drink the corporate or college Kool-Aid.
Use the institution’s brand to build your own — then walk away when it stops serving your story.
Be known for what you do and how you do it — not just where you work or even when.
And never confuse being respected with being happy.
8. Adapt Quickly, Travel Light
One of the smartest things we did before and especially after moving to Europe was cut our cost of living (accept smaller apartment, no car, etc). Granted, it’s easier to do this in Europe, but it gave us flexibility, optionality, and breathing room.
I used to think success meant accumulation. Turns out, it means mobility.
Most people are stuck not because of their skills — but because of their overhead. The house, the debt, the lifestyle inflation. They’re too heavy to pivot.
So they stay put, telling themselves they have no choice.
You do. But only if you’re willing to live lighter. To let go of the stuff you think you need. To see the scratch on your new car not as a tragedy, but as a test of what really matters. Practice Wabi-Sabi.
Darwin discovered that success is about adaptability and longevity within your broader environmental context — not being the biggest or strongest.
9. Don’t Chase to Repay Imaginary Debts
You don’t owe your past self anything.
Not the career you said you’d pursue. Not the plan you mapped at 22. Not the degree you paid for. That version of you is gone.
If you’re chasing success out of obligation — or narrative debt — just stop.
Instead, pause. Check in. What actually makes you feel alive? Is it this path… or is it just familiar?
Most people chase in search of happiness. But I’ve learned the reverse is more effective: develop happiness first, then decide what to chase.
Sometimes, the breakthrough isn’t a pivot. It’s a reevaluation.
10. Follow Ideals, Not Idols
Don’t deify anyone.
Not founders. Not authors. Not companies. Not countries. Everyone is flawed. Every system is imperfect.
But that doesn’t mean you throw the baby out with the bathwater.
I’ve always admired the ideals that drive people to build and fight and create. But I don’t worship the people themselves. Because people fail. Ideas don’t.
Take the United States — a country I love and where I trace family origins to the very beginning. It is still a deeply flawed place in terms of execution, but revolutionary in its original aims and ideals. Same goes for Apple, Tesla, Elon Musk, MLK, Jefferson, even your personal mentors.
Learn from their thinking. Not their image.
Ideals are pure. People are not. Know the difference.
11. Play the Long Game in a Short-Term World
I’m not in a rush. And that’s become a superpower.
Every major decision I’ve made — from starting a consultancy to moving countries — was made with a long timeline in mind. Not “how can I get rich in 6 months?” but “how can I build leverage over the next decade and maintain happiness?”
Everyone else is sprinting. That means you win by walking with purpose.
Treat relationships as multi-year arcs. Treat projects as foundations, not fireworks to show off. Avoid the dopamine loop of short-term validation and instant gratification. Delay the glory for compound rewards.
Your best moves won’t make sense this quarter, but they’ll be obvious by 2030.
12. The Gunslinger Principle
Your competition is worse than you think.
Most people will never send the email. Never start the project. Never ask the question. They’re too scared, distracted, or fragile to move.
So when you do take action — even imperfectly — you instantly rise above 90% of the field. Even the people who do try will usually panic when it counts. They’ll fumble the draw.
There’s another key theme in Unforgiven — when Little Bill (Hackman) explains how he’s survived so many gunfights over the years….
Other men panic and get too excited. They fumble the draw and then fire wildly and chaotically.
He stays calm and still. Slowly reaches for his holster. Aims deliberately and shoots straight.
He is otherwise a pretty terrible character to emulate, of course, but this lesson is powerful and analogous to so many aspects of business and life.
Be the calm gunslinger.
Everyone else is reaching for their gun too fast and will probably miss their target.
Next: The Anti-Course, Part 2
In Part 2, I’ll walk through actual clients and projects — where they came from, how they unfolded, and how a mix of old friends, random connections, and loose acquaintances turned into real revenue that I then built upon over time.
No funnels or “hacks.”
Just opening doors and walking through them. Making Monty Hall smile.
Another banger