Start your first biz from scratch: no money, no ideas, no mailing list.

[MarcusAurelius]

The idea of this post, to keep track of the beginnings of a business, was given to me by the great @Andy Black.

The main purpose is to report the start-up and execution of a small business.

From scratch, no money, no list.

What I have in mind is based on three principles:

- It helps people.
- You get paid.
- Helps more people

(If you’ve already read it somewhere... yes, it’s Andy’s own bio).

If you have read my intro (you can find it here), you already know that I, perhaps more than many others, am stuck and paralyzed in starting my entrepreneurial adventure.

There are a lot of questions going through my mind. I’ll keep track of them here.

As first step, I did Keyword Planner research.
I’ve been researching terms that are easier for me to deal with.

- Psychology
- Triathlon - my sport
- Supply Chain - the market where I work (Supply chain has more searches of "international trade")

I’ll bring you back a screen of the results, because maybe there’s something I don’t understand:

Psychology - Italian language - location: Italy

Triathlon - Italian language - location: Italy

Supply Chain - English language - location: Italy and USA

Triathlon - English language - location: Italy and USA

Psychology - English language - location: USA and UK

Research extract from psychology/USA and UK, about three sub-topics of which I have a minimum of knowledge and could cover.

The suggested words, however, remain very generic.

In psychology, there are no specific suggestions about pathologies (such as anxiety) but a list of all types of psychology.

In triathlon, there are specific types of triathlon and competitions.

In the supply chain, we speak of management and bunches of very generic words.

So I ask myself: how do you identify the topics to be covered?
Do you choose one from that list?
Or do you do a deeper search on new keywords? If so, how?

Then, how individuals what is sold and where? Clickbank?
I understood the concept of staying simple, and working, well and so, when the lead contacts you, somehow.
But I really miss the concepts...

By sticking to psychology, by continuing what we said before, and not making things too complicated, with these general findings, how do you understand what people need?

I thought I’d make a list of all the pathologies/terms related to psychology and go and do a search on the planner of those words.

Is that a useful method?

I’m asking because I really feel connected to what you’re saying, "help people, get paid, help more people." But I don’t know how. ☹

 

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[PC123]

The main purpose is to report the start-up and execution of a small business.

From scratch, no money, no list.

What I have in mind is based on three principles:

- It helps people.
- You get paid.
- Helps more people

(If you’ve already read it somewhere... yes, it’s Andy’s own bio).

If you have read my intro (you can find it here), you already know that I, perhaps more than many others, am stuck and paralyzed in starting my entrepreneurial adventure.

There are a lot of questions going through my mind. I’ll keep track of them here.

As first step, I did Keyword Planner research.
I’ve been researching terms that are easier for me to deal with.

- Psychology
- Triathlon - my sport
- Supply Chain - the market where I work (Supply chain has more searches of "international trade")

I’ll bring you back a screen of the results, because maybe there’s something I don’t understand:

Psychology - Italian language - location: Italy

Triathlon - Italian language - location: Italy

Supply Chain - English language - location: Italy and USA

Triathlon - English language - location: Italy and USA

Psychology - English language - location: USA and UK

Research extract from psychology/USA and UK, about three sub-topics of which I have a minimum of knowledge and could cover.

The suggested words, however, remain very generic.

In psychology, there are no specific suggestions about pathologies (such as anxiety) but a list of all types of psychology.

In triathlon, there are specific types of triathlon and competitions.

In the supply chain, we speak of management and bunches of very generic words.

So I ask myself: how do you identify the topics to be covered?
Do you choose one from that list?
Or do you do a deeper search on new keywords? If so, how?

Then, how individuals what is sold and where? Clickbank?
I understood the concept of staying simple, and working, well and so, when the lead contacts you, somehow.
But I really miss the concepts...

By sticking to psychology, by continuing what we said before, and not making things too complicated, with these general findings, how do you understand what people need?

I thought I’d make a list of all the pathologies/terms related to psychology and go and do a search on the planner of those words.

Is that a useful method?

I’m asking because I really feel connected to what you’re saying, "help people, get paid, help more people." But I don’t know how. ☹

Possibly stick to simple psych terms, many don't know the actual pathologies/terms but can describe symptoms - demotivated, down in the dumps, burn-out, disorders, etc.

 

[PC123]

Possibly stick to simple psych terms, many don't know the actual pathologies/terms but can describe symptoms - demotivated, down in the dumps, burn-out, disorders, etc.

The main purpose is to report the start-up and execution of a small business.

From scratch, no money, no list.

What I have in mind is based on three principles:

- It helps people.
- You get paid.
- Helps more people

(If you’ve already read it somewhere... yes, it’s Andy’s own bio).

If you have read my intro (you can find it here), you already know that I, perhaps more than many others, am stuck and paralyzed in starting my entrepreneurial adventure.

There are a lot of questions going through my mind. I’ll keep track of them here.

As first step, I did Keyword Planner research.
I’ve been researching terms that are easier for me to deal with.

- Psychology
- Triathlon - my sport
- Supply Chain - the market where I work (Supply chain has more searches of "international trade")

I’ll bring you back a screen of the results, because maybe there’s something I don’t understand:

Psychology - Italian language - location: Italy

Triathlon - Italian language - location: Italy

Supply Chain - English language - location: Italy and USA

Triathlon - English language - location: Italy and USA

Psychology - English language - location: USA and UK

Research extract from psychology/USA and UK, about three sub-topics of which I have a minimum of knowledge and could cover.

The suggested words, however, remain very generic.

In psychology, there are no specific suggestions about pathologies (such as anxiety) but a list of all types of psychology.

In triathlon, there are specific types of triathlon and competitions.

In the supply chain, we speak of management and bunches of very generic words.

So I ask myself: how do you identify the topics to be covered?
Do you choose one from that list?
Or do you do a deeper search on new keywords? If so, how?

Then, how individuals what is sold and where? Clickbank?
I understood the concept of staying simple, and working, well and so, when the lead contacts you, somehow.
But I really miss the concepts...

By sticking to psychology, by continuing what we said before, and not making things too complicated, with these general findings, how do you understand what people need?

I thought I’d make a list of all the pathologies/terms related to psychology and go and do a search on the planner of those words.

Is that a useful method?

I’m asking because I really feel connected to what you’re saying, "help people, get paid, help more people." But I don’t know how. ☹

"If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment." - Marcus Aurelius

Leverage this - many seek insight/help/advice through classic/high profile greats (i.e. their writings, quotes, etc.).

 

[MarcusAurelius]

Possibly stick to simple psych terms, many don't know the actual pathologies/terms but can describe symptoms - demotivated, down in the dumps, burn-out, disorders, etc.

That's a great hint.

Not to label a single pathology but focus on symptoms... I didn't think about this POV

 

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[MarcusAurelius]

"If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment." - Marcus Aurelius

I know... I’m really looking for a way to change my perception of the situation..

 

[PC123]

That's a great hint.

Not to label a single pathology but focus on symptoms... I didn't think about this POV

The loneliness epidemic is a major theme recently.

 

[Primeperiwinkle]

Step 1

Go ask 100 triathletes if there's anything they're having difficulty with.

 

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[MarcusAurelius]

Step 1

Go ask 100 triathletes if there's anything they're having difficulty with.

Good hint @Primeperiwinkle!
Thanks a lot for your support!

 

[MarcusAurelius]

The loneliness epidemic is a major theme recently.

Thanks @PC123!
I'm searching for various symptoms in order to check what's currently sold to solve these problems...

 

[PC123]

Thanks @PC123!
I'm searching for various symptoms in order to check what's currently sold to solve these problems...

Professional cyclists (silently) battling disordered eating, obsessing over the best/most densely nutritional snacks before/during races.

 

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[MarcusAurelius]

Professional cyclists (silently) battling disordered eating, obsessing over the best/most densely nutritional snacks before/during races.

This is true. Even more so in triathlon competitions where you have to train many hours a week and we always count the minutes.

We eat energy gels and protein bars because they are fast meals, but the body suffers, in terms of health.

Fueling is an obvious problem even in the race. I have to check with my nutritionist to see what foods can decrease the "binge-eating" of energy gel and protein bars.

It’s something I have on the list.

Thanks anyway, it helps me a lot to receive these feedback, at least I’m taking the right steps.

 

[MarcusAurelius]

Here's some thoughts during the process.

Based on the advice of @Primeperiwinkle, I did a survey on several triathletes, and I am receiving the first answers.

I currently have around 20 replies, for the moment. And the answers are almost always the same.

What gives me so much to think is that, the problems indicated, are out of my control or I could create something but only with huge investments.

The main problems that have been declared are as follows:

- Lack of time for training - impossible to find a definitive solution (?)

- Difficulty in combining training time with family needs - impossible to find a definitive solution (?)

- Excessive costs, both for tools (running shoes, bike shoes, bicycle, swimming suit) and for races. - This problem could be solved. But how? (Create a dedicated clothing line at a low price. Create a specific marketplace for reselling equipment, which was one of the ideas I had in mind but the investment, as far as I know, should be very large)

- Injuries - The solution would be the management of the training load (it is possible to do an infoproduct but more than anything else you need preparation in Sport Science to plan workouts targeted to the condition of the athlete at all times).

- Difficulty swimming in sea water or lake. Here, perhaps, you can make an infoproduct.

There were two answers that made me think:

- Lack of a dedicated triathlon facility. It is necessary to adapt to the workouts of individual disciplines for group workouts. Group training requires "adaptation" to the group workouts of the individual sport, which often have different goals than triathlon. Example a swimming group focused on speed races, which have nothing to do with the long distances of an Ironman. (This is huge feedback and you could do an outstanding job creating some sort of specific facility for triathlon workouts. But the investment to create it would be huge in turn.)

- Maintain a detached approach to sport, so that it remains passion and does not become obsession. - Here perhaps an infoproduct?


I would appreciate your feedback.

Thank you