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Are most Fastlane businesses middlemen activities?

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zeitgeist

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So - I've been reading a lot of the posts here and it seems like some of the big businesses are middlemen. They act somewhere in the middle and simply get a fee from upselling and such.

I live in Poland (I'm American) and most of these businesses have historically been ran by Jewish people like the Chinese in America so it's hard to break in.

I'm not sure if I am wrong - but are most people in the Fastlane middlemen businesses? Is this the quickest way to wealth?
 
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AllenCrawley

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So - I've been reading a lot of the posts here and it seems like some of the big businesses are middlemen. They act somewhere in the middle and simply get a fee from upselling and such.

I'm from Poland and most of these businesses have historically been ran by Jewish people like the Chinese in America so it's hard to break in.

I'm not sure if I am wrong - but are most people in the Fastlane middlemen businesses? Is this the quickest way to wealth?
Could you give an example or three of what you consider a middleman business?
 

zeitgeist

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This is what I thought, I read a post by a guy named "Kak" who seems to make a lot of money by being a middleman.

I'm looking into what I can commercially export from Poland that has value to other consumers, assuming the companies don't already export themselves.
 
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OldFaithful

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@zeitgeist almost anything can become a "Fastlane" business, if properly structured. Have you read the book, "The Millionaire Fastlane " upon which this forum is based? It might help.

The most common business model on the forum today, seems to be eCommerce. Yes, much of eCommerce could be considered a "middle man" position. That doesn't mean you should do that, just because everyone else seems to be doing it. Most of the members here are in the USA, so we have little knowledge of the unique needs of people in Poland. Where can you provide value to others in Poland? What needs do you see around you?

Look for the needs/opportunities, not the money!
 

townhaus

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I heard that Eastern Europe has skilled developers and tech talent, do you know much about this?

Something like a web development agency where you are the middleman between the staff and clients could be a good business.

Polish people have a reputation for being skillful and having a good work ethic in the UK (some are worried that they work for cheaper, better and undercut British builders and tradesmen).
 

zeitgeist

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I heard that Eastern Europe has skilled developers and tech talent, do you know much about this?

Something like a web development agency where you are the middleman between the staff and clients could be a good business.

Thank you, I was literally just looking into this at this moment. Hiring coders and such to have jobs for Western consumers.

Just looked at some of the people hiring developers in Poland and ironically the first one that came up was an Israeli company
 
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jazb

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I wouldn't call it middleman as such. I would call it leverage. fastlane businesses leverage everything so that 1 small decision yields large results

leveraging other people's money

leveraging other people's products (factories)

leveraging other people's talents (sales people)

leveraging other people's time
 

Digamma

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I think this is a false dichotomy. Every business is a middleman.

Many users in this thread seem to make a distinction between those who actually build a product, who would be "not middlemen", and those who do not build the product itself, who would be "middlemen". This is purely artificial.

Sure, the salesman is a middleman.

But the factory owner is a middleman too.
He middles between his clients and the means of producing something their clients need.

So is the app developer.
He middles between his clients and the business value technology can provide.

In general, you are at the middle between your clients and the value your clients desire.
That's what business is.

Incidentally: if you are a producer and don't think of yourself as a middleman, that might very well be what is holding you back.

Beware of ego.

Ego is what makes you think "I'm an engineer! Code is my art form!" - and by thinking that, you miss the key: nobody cares about that shit.

We care about business value. You are a middleman to value. That's all.
Something like a web development agency where you are the middleman between the staff and clients could be a good business.
Can work if you are skilled enough to guarantee quality. Otherwise you waste your client's money.
 

eTox

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I think this is a false dichotomy. Every business is a middleman.

Many users in this thread seem to make a distinction between those who actually build a product, who would be "not middlemen", and those who do not build the product itself, who would be "middlemen". This is purely artificial.

Sure, the salesman is a middleman.

But the factory owner is a middleman too.
He middles between his clients and the means of producing something their clients need.

So is the app developer.
He middles between his clients and the business value technology can provide.

In general, you are at the middle between your clients and the value your clients desire.
That's what business is.

Incidentally: if you are a producer and don't think of yourself as a middleman, that might very well be what is holding you back.

Beware of ego.

Ego is what makes you think "I'm an engineer! Code is my art form!" - and by thinking that, you miss the key: nobody cares about that shit.

We care about business value. You are a middleman to value. That's all.
Can work if you are skilled enough to guarantee quality. Otherwise you waste your client's money.

Wow, this got me thinking straight.

Thank you :)
 
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RahKnee

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This is what I thought, I read a post by a guy named "Kak" who seems to make a lot of money by being a middleman.

I'm looking into what I can commercially export from Poland that has value to other consumers, assuming the companies don't already export themselves.

Poland has a reputation for making great vodka. find a brand you like and see if it's sold anywhere else. if not, look for buyers in other countries like the US and China.

purchase from the producer and ship to the buyer while taking your cut.
 

biophase

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Almost every you buy has a "middleman" if you discount any value add going on.

Unless you are buying food direct from a farmer, you are using a bunch of "middlemen" in between.
 

QDF

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Unless you are buying food direct from a farmer, you are using a bunch of "middlemen" in between.

Or is the farmer just a middleman between you and the crops....


In all honesty, this isn't a very good question OP. Although I'd say the answer is generally yes, "middleman" is very ambiguous.

And you'd be limiting yourself by only looking at ideas resembling being a "middleman"
 
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Kubson

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Polish game developer here! Actually looking to level-up my consulting service and considering partnering with English native speaker who is able to sell and talk with clients. Currently I work as a subcontractor in long chain of subcontractors for big clients like Disney and I am often the only one responsible for doing development work. So there are many middlemen in the deal, and a lot of money to be saved :) Let me know if you are interested.
 

nradam123

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*Runs to pick up The Millionaire Fastlane *

*Comes back and sits in front of laptop*

*Starts typing furiously ... * .....lol

Remember the Fastlane Wealth Equations ?

Wealth = Net Profit + Asset Value
Net Profit = (Units Sold) X (Unit Profit)
Asset Value = (Net Profit) X (Industry Multiplier)

If you have a website selling products you can raise unit sold by increasing traffic, increasing conversion ratio .etc
You can also raise unit profit to make more net profit.
Nothing is tied to time so you don't have a speed limit. High speed limit = High potential income.
This is known as Controllable Unlimited Leverage

Your asset value is important when you are planning to exit. Your industry multiplier (Depends on the price to earning ratio like in stock trading) will multiply with your net profit to create the value of your asset.

So what does that mean?
Any business that can leverage the fastlane wealth equation with a high speed limit will make you rich. This means that the work required to run 10 clients or 10,000 clients must not change much.

So things like freelancing is generally out of question. But all businesses that are fastlane are not middlemen businesses.

So what kinda businesses are fastlane?
Lets get back to the book :)

There are many business systems that can be fastlane seedlings. I will write them below. All the below systems can also be hybrid. Example, Distribution systems can work along with content systems and software systems and it is a potential fastlane.
  1. Rental systems (Example - Real estate, leases, royalty payments, licensing, patents)
  2. Computer/Software systems (Example - This can be Saas (Software as a service), General Software or Apps)
  3. Content Systems (Distribute content via traditional publishing such as books and online publishing such as ebooks, online magazines, blogs, social networks .etc)
  4. Distribution Systems (Distribute your product via ecommerce stores, wholesale distributors, affiliate marketers, clickbank, 2am infomercials, retailers, app stores, franchising, chaining, .etc)
  5. Human Resource Systems (If you need a higher human resource to fulfill higher requirement you are running this system. Amazon is a hybrid of human resource and distribution, Uber is a hybrid of rental system and human resource system, coaching using teachers and web development by hiring developers .etc)
Do you think all the above business systems are middlemen businesses?

But if I start or leverage any of the above business systems will i be rich?
No. But if you want the HIGHEST chancees you should select the FASTLANE INTERSTATES.
Interstates are the fastest roads to drive if you want to go fastlane.

What are Fastlane Interstates bro?
"Thou shalt not invest in a needless business. Thou shalt not trade time for money. Thou shalt not operate on a limited scale. Thou shalt not relinquish control. Thou shalt not let a business startup be an event over process" - MJ DeMarco

Interstates are businesses that can leverage the CENTS commandments quite easily. Of course, you have to run your due diligence.

The 3 fastlane interstates are ...

1) Internet
- Internet is the shark of the fastlane. The shark that ate all other traditional businesses that ruled for centuries. Internet businesses fall into 7 broad categories.

  1. Subscription based - Offer users access to data, information or software and charge a monthly fee. Data can be leads, sales information, a proprietary database, or good old fashioned pornography. When 10,000 people pay you $9.95 per month for your information, you’re in the Fastlane!
  2. Content based - This forum is an example of content based model. Other examples are blogs, online news magazines .etc. The problem with this model is that commandment of entry has declined considerably. Also if you engage in affiliate programs to get money you are losing control.
  3. Lead generation based - Pool a highly fragmented industry into a one centralized source and lead them to a seller. This can be a middleman business (Like you said)..
  4. Social Networks - Aggregators of people together in the internet. Such as facebook, instagram .etc.
  5. Brokerage Systems - Bring buyers and sellers together and take a cut of of the transactions. Example, paypal, upwork, sellanycar .etc
  6. Advertising - Similar to brokerage but you get money by advertising fee and not transaction fee.
  7. Ecommerce - Sell good and services in the internet. Can be a middle men business if you are a marketplace or you can also sell your own goods.
2) Innovation - Invent a product, service, piece of information. Then do the following -
  1. Manufacture - Invent/tweak/change a product that solve needs.
  2. Distribute - Get it into the hands of millions.
Just manufacturing wont help. You have to also distribute.

3) Intentional Iteration
- If you have one house for rent you will make X cash. If you own 400 houses you will earn 400X cash. And dont forget the asset value as well. This is called intentional iteration. If you make one store your goal must not be one store but hundreds of stores by chaining and franchising.

The biggest problem with intentional iteration is that it does not satisfy the commandment of scale. So you cannot become rich fast.







I have one more question bro, are all fastlane businesses middleman businesses??????
No. Please read above atleast 3 times :)


- Adam
 

AgainstAllOdds

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most of these businesses have historically been ran by Jewish people like the Chinese in America

giphy.gif


First off, I don't understand how this is relevant. You're essentially using this statement as a means of limiting what you can accomplish. @AndrewNC can chime in more and possibly help you with his coaching.

Second off, you're basing your subconscious thought processes and behaviors on an asinine assumption. Jews haven't been in Poland in significant numbers since the creation of Israel. Furthermore, the Chinese have had very little impact in American business relative to other groups. It didn't stop other groups from "breaking in" (read: controlling market plurality). There's no reason it should stop you.

Stop making excuses before even starting.
 
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Digamma

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Polish game developer here! Actually looking to level-up my consulting service and considering partnering with English native speaker who is able to sell and talk with clients. Currently I work as a subcontractor in long chain of subcontractors for big clients like Disney and I am often the only one responsible for doing development work. So there are many middlemen in the deal, and a lot of money to be saved :) Let me know if you are interested.
You could do that, but why not build your own brand?

If you start making interesting games and publishing them (nothing fancy! just itch.io or your own website) and writing interesting stuff about the biz, I can guarantee you soon you'll be drowning in offers of all kinds.
There is literally no reason for you to not do that in this time and age. Cut out these pesky middlemen!
First off, I don't understand how this is relevant. You're essentially using this statement as a means of limiting what you can accomplish. @AndrewNC can chime in more and possibly help you with his coaching.

Second off, you're basing your subconscious thought processes and behaviors on an asinine assumption. Jews haven't been in Poland in significant numbers since the creation of Israel. Furthermore, the Chinese have had very little impact in American business relative to other groups. It didn't stop other groups from "breaking in" (read: controlling market plurality). There's no reason it should stop you.

Stop making excuses before even starting.
Ah! Found the lizard person. Away with your lies - it's definitely da jews.
 

Andy Black

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Add value. Get paid.

I don't get the question.
 

Vigilante

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