Last night, I dusted off one of my favourite books from 2019, The Great Mental Models by Farnam Street. One lesson leapt out at me: The map is not the territory. It means representations often don’t reflect reality. A map might say one thing, but when you start travelling, the terrain is completely different. Understanding this makes you more adaptable to advice. This is crucial as an entrepreneur—especially if you’re building online. You have so many people telling you what to do. So many maps to follow. Instead of having a clear GPS to your destination you end up wandering the digital world overwhelmed by the information. The problem? Everyone’s plan is persuasive. It’s not because influencers are trying to manipulate you (at least, most aren’t). It’s because they genuinely believe in what they do, and they’ve spent years mastering their message to get you to believe it too. As a result, you’re pulled in hundreds of directions—busy going nowhere. An example from my life is the debate of daily emails. Email marketers swear by ‘em. In fact, you’re an idiot for ignoring them. In their eyes, a lack of daily emails is the equivalent of setting fire to stacks of cash. But does their map reflect your reality? Perhaps, but there’re influencing factors you must consider. Daily emails are smart for some but not for all. And you can get the right advice at the wrong time—it depends entirely on your priorities. If you don’t question what you’re told, you will spend your career in the shadow of someone else’s advice (instead of carving your own path). Follow a map, but check the terrain. Hope this helps, Kieran P.S. You update your map by experimenting with advice. I’ve tested tonnes of business models to find what works for me as an early entrepreneur. Inside Magnetic Emails, I break down the factors you need to consider and share the hybrid approach that’s helped me scale to $500k/year (with 90% of that revenue generated through my newsletter). If you’re struggling to decide how many emails to send for your business, you’ll love module 1 of the course. It launches on September 1st. You can join 1689 people on the waitlist by clicking here. |
On a mission to become a better writer, thinker, and entrepreneur • Ex-dentist, now building an internet business (at ~$500k/year)
Last week, I sent an unfortunate message to my affiliates. I’d promised they could help launch Magnetic Emails. But I since changed my mind, explaining the launch would be private. No affiliates. No advertising. No selling on social media either. For reference, my last launch grossed 6 figures. Affiliate sales were 40% of the income. And I have 239,000 followers across social media platforms. So it’s a considerable chunk of business I’m throwing away. Why am I doing this? Because I was being...
Studies show 50% of businesses fail within 5 years. But I’d bet 95% of creator-first businesses will crash and burn. Consider this email a word of warning—a conversation I wish I had with myself three years ago. It begins with the truth: The online game isn’t as simple as people think. From an ‘outsiders’ perspective, every social media influencer is rolling in cash. Big brand deals, flashy cars, great holidays. This intrigues many people. So they dive into online business with their 4 Hour...
Three months ago, as I strolled along Leeds canal in the blistering UK heat (23 degrees), I listened to Tim Ferris interview Seth Godin. Ferris asked Godin how he’s kept so consistent with his popular daily blog, of which he’s posted 8,109 times. Godin replied with a point I loved: ”It’s not your job to say new things. It’s your job to say things that confirm your audience’s beliefs.” Most writers, myself included, think the secret to success is coming up with novel and unique ideas. But...