Hey everybody,
A young founder recently told me he wanted to raise a ton of money for a “huge” idea.
My advice to him: “You’ve got it backwards.”
Here’s what I mean.
My next live lecture is Wednesday, July 30: How to hire great people.
I’ve looked at thousands of resumes and hired hundreds of people, from VAs to CEOs.
I’ll share how I do it in a live lecture/Q&A next Wednesday.
(Nothing to sell — just want to give back a little. It’s free.)
My small bet
There’s this myth, especially among new entrepreneurs, that success comes from massive bets and bold moves.
But in real life, it’s usually the opposite.
In hindsight, it might look like a grand vision.But really, it’s just one small “Let’s try this” after another, stacking up over time.
It’s how one of my most successful projects (our podcast Acquisitions Anonymous) started as a random tweet.
I literally had a “what if?” moment one day: what if I found some smart people to riff on small businesses for sale, live on a podcast? No prep, just a few friends who know their stuff, some jokes, and some insight. Sounded fun.
So I tweeted the idea. A couple folks I admired responded, including Mills Snell — now my co-host and partner. (We’ve still never met in person, by the way.)
We didn’t overthink it: No LLC. No bank account. No contracts. We just said: “Let’s try one episode.”
The result was rough. No polish, no producer, and our budget was $20 to a Fiverr editor. But it worked. People liked it.
So we took our next small bet. A lot of first-time podcasters might bank 10 episodes before launch, work out the kinks, build the branding, all that stuff — instead, we just put that first scrappy show out into the world to see if anyone gave a crap.
Turns out, they did.
TOGETHER WITH NEAR
Growing your business doesn't need to be overwhelming.
My company Near helps you hire and build your team with great, affordable, remote talent from Latin America, risk-free.
Just choose the role you’re looking to hire for, and we’ll send you a list of pre-vetted candidates. Then we’ll work with you until you get the perfect person in the role.
Girdley readers get 5% off your first hire!
Four years, no prep, one real business
We didn’t set out to build a media business.
We took it one small bet at a time. One episode, then the next, then we got a sponsor, then we got a part-time producer. Eventually, we had a real business.
Today, Acquisitions Anonymous has a full-time staffer, pulls in six figures in ad revenue, and we still get to show up with zero prep.
Looking back, it’s easy to forget how big a deal that is. We made something from nothing. No splashy launch, no upfront capital. Just a consistent series of small, smart risks.
People on Twitter love saying “You can just do things.” It’s a bit simplistic, but the principle is right on.
If you’re just starting out in entrepreneurship, or you’re eyeing your next project: forget the grand slam.
Bunt. Go for singles. Try stuff. Make small bets. Stack wins.
Four years from now, you might look back and realize you’ve built something big.
—
3 things from this week
Appetizer: Want to ski in June? This roadside ski basin in Montana makes that possible—barely. One of the strangest deals we’ve seen.
Main: I had my biggest YouTube video ever last week. Turns out people really have feelings about Topgolf!
Dessert: I get some great answers to this every time I ask. Check them out here.
Thanks for reading!
If you’re noodling on an idea but not sure how to start, hit reply—I’d love to hear what you’re thinking.
Michael
Get new content like this every week, straight to your inbox → Sign up here!
MORE WAYS I CAN HELP YOUR BUSINESS
💡 START → The Low-Risk Business (ebook)
Get the 5-step framework I've used to build multiple businesses from scratch. 40 pages of hands-on, practical guidance.