The right business model is staring you in the face

It is infinitely easier to be the coach than it is the player.

I’ve known that for a long time. But, the last two weeks have been a stark reminder.

The last two weeks have been packed with new clients.

I spent a lot of last week pushing one of those clients to nail down their unique value proposition.

Me: “I hear you. But, that isn’t a distinguishing value proposition for your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile).”

Them: “Sure it is. Everyone we talk to wants it.”

Me: “Ok. But are they paying you to get it?”

Them: <Blank look…>

It was easy to see the problem. What they were offering IS a real pain point for a lot of people. It’s just that those people are paying SOMEONE ELSE to solve it for them.

We talked things through some more and left the call having decided that they would go back to the research phase.

Afterwards I sent them a copy of my Pains and Goals tracker that they could use to capture that research. You can find it here and download it for free.

I’ve had a weird feeling about my own business lingering in the back of my mind for a while.

Something just hasn’t felt right about my product mix.

When I hung up with my client, it hit me.

The proof was in my own Pains and Goals tracker all along.

I’ve ignored my own unique value proposition.

I tend to experiment with business models. I’ll launch a landing page or website for a new venture and then if it doesn’t get traction I’ll kill it off.

Most of my recent experiments have been centered around my experience building products.

But, my Pains and Goals was showing me that wasn’t what people called me for help with.

They call me for help with fundraising.

Case in point, over the last two weeks, every single customer that I’m working with hired me for help in fundraising.

Meanwhile, I had tried to move away from that business model, for a variety of reasons. I’m a Senior Product Executive at a publicly-traded company. I know how to build and scale products. Surely people would want my help in that area. It turns out that some do, but my real ICP, all along, has been founders that need help fundraising.

My business model has been staring me in the face this entire time. So, is yours.

What a lot of people do, including me, is that they pursue businesses because they are trending, like AI, or they are more passionate about them, i.e. building a business around a hobby.

More than likely, if you are looking to build a side hustle or business, the model you should be exploring is right in front of you.

It’s leveraging a skill set you already have. That you are known for having.

What I’m working on

1. Based on my Pains and Goals tracker, I’m relaunching a service I provided in the past. It’s a month long engagement to help startups get “investor-ready.”
2. I don’t just help people attract investors. I also broker commercial loans. I lot of business acquisitions are funded through SBA loans. Since I lead the top SBA lender in my state, I know what makes a good SBA loan application. Unfortunately, applicants don’t always know their chances of getting approved and can end up spending a lot of money on attorneys and consultants. So, I’m currently building an app to tell applicants their chances of getting approved.
3. I’m also building an app that will help you improve your go-to-market strategies. By answering questions about your current approach, you’ll give a score back with suggestions for improvements.

I’m having a lot of fun building these solutions out. Especially the apps, which are letting me combine my creative-side with my Product background.
If you are "vibe coding" any products, I'd love to hear about it. Hit reply and let me know what you are building.

What I’m consuming

I just finished reading “The Fear Project” by Jaimal Yogis. I first learned about Yogis’ work through his book, “Saltwater Buddha.” The Fear Project is his study of where fear originates from, how it has served humankind, and how it can get in your way of achieving your goals. Along the way the book includes stories of Yogis facing his own fears of surfing mammoth, i.e. killer, waves and becoming a father.

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