What I’d Do Differently (If I Was Starting from Scratch)

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THIS WEEK’S LESSON

If I started today, what would I do differently?

So this message popped into in my LinkedIn inbox the other day:

And here’s my answer …

How I started …

Spot the trend.

The year is 2015. My partner at the time tells me about a pod called “Entrepreneur on Fire.” I thought I could totally do that for education. I look at the current podcast landscape. Not many shows. I jump in.

I still think you can build a platform via podcast and YouTube.

Lead into your different.

Speaking of education podcasts, I knew I had a radically different POV. First came the idea of making a ruckus. Then the Do School Different POV.

When a listener accepts my POV and identifies as a Ruckus Maker where do they turn?

Consistency.

I have shipped a podcast every week since September 2, 2015. Consistency + value = trust with an audience.

Last week I wrote how making money is boring. Being consistent is boring. Boring = money.

Speaking of value …

Einstein said, “Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.”

If you’re out there creating results for others, you will win. The trick is knowing what people want help with. To be honest, I got lucky with that.

Invest in yourself (in this order)

Read books (more on that later).

Take courses. Learn what you don’t know.

Join a mastermind. You’ll get multiple perspectives and a space to figure it out. Doing it alone is stupid. Are you stupid?

You need a coach. Find someone a little further ahead of you. Someone you are aligned with and enjoy being around and paying well.

All of these give you leverage.

You can learn it on your own through years of experience and reflecting on your mistakes. I sped up the process by investing in myself.

What I’d do differently …

Learn Category Design. Each week I discuss aspects of category design. This is the surest path to cut through the noise and stand out in a crowded marketplace.

The best $200 investment you can make is subscribing to my mentors’ newsletter: Category Pirates. When you sign up, tell ‘em Danny sent you.

I also tell my business origin story in a premium post of they created called “How Danny Bauer Turned His Manager's "Concerns" Into A Media Empire For Educators.”

I wish I built a tech company.

But I’m not a programmer. So I didn’t start there.

These days with AI and “vibe coding” you can do it.

Why tech?

It scales. It’s selling “digital air” meaning it’s nearly all profit.

They say there will be a 8-figure, solopreneur company in the next 5 years.

Could be you.

Speaking of tech …

There are so many ed-tech companies out there.

If I were starting today, I’d do my best to land a job in one of those up and coming startups.

Learn what I could about business.

Then launch my own version in 3-5 years.

Avoid undervaluing your worth

When I first started the mastermind I charged $47/month.

(read that again).

If I charged that TODAY, the mastermind would generate less than $50K. Hard to live on that.

I was scared to ask for money.

Now it’s easier. My confidence has grown. I leverage empathy + silence on a sales call.

If someone doesn’t want to dance … That’s okay.

I’m not for everyone.

Consider the size of prize.

There are 91,000 principals in the USA and Canada.

Way more teachers than administrators.

Districts would rather support teachers through curriculum and tools than leadership development. Oops.

If I started over today, I wouldn’t even build in education.

I would go after a much larger market. Like bourbon. Which is why I launched RICKHOUSE.

Size of Prize = Opportunity for Making Money.

Read these 5 business books now …

Here are some of my favorite books on business:

22 Laws of Category Design. Learn what Category Design is and how to think like a Category Designer. School Leadership Development = BORING. Ruckus Makers Do School Different = AWESOME.

This is Marketing. Seth Godin has been the most influential person in my business life prior to meeting the Category Pirates.

Traction. This book teaches you how to actually run a business.

Superconsumers. If you understand this concept, you’ll make more money than you could ever dream of. Kinda like Kevin Kelly’s 1000 true fans, but even better.

Anything You Want. Build a business how you want. There are no rules except your own (and that you need to make more than you spend).