How to start a profitable bizz on the side
For the last four years, we’ve started a new internet business every six months. The ones that didn’t work we killed and the ones that worked we kept. These series of posts are about how we do this and what we’ve learned. Let’s go on a journey together!
Most people will tell you to research the market thoroughly before starting anything. This is only partly true. We’ve started companies that were perfectly aligned to what the market needed just to find out our passion for these companies ran out faster than a teenager’s gas-tank.
If your passion runs out before your company is at a profitable level, honestly, all you’ve done is waste a bunch of time impacting nobody’s life. Money comes and goes, but time doesn’t. For us personally, the most important thing to do with our lives is impact other people’s lives by creating what they need and making their lives easier.
So should we not research the market? Sure, we do have to. But here’s what’s to check up on first: your real passions. Only a long-term passion will work when going through the stress (read: fun) of setting up an internet business.
And trust me, finding out your passions is way cooler than staring at market numbers and population demographics!
STEP 1 – Write down your long-term passions
Take a minute to brainstorm what you’ve been pumped about for a long time already (think years). Try to think of them in terms of a job role. For example, if you like to ‘explain things’, write down ‘teaching’ (Because that’s a job… and explaining things isn’t).
Here’s our list:
#game design
#game development
#teaching
#ministry
#writing music
#sound design
#visioneering
#startups
If you put more than four down it means you’re probably a very busy person. Don’t hold back though, write them all out. It helps asking other people about what your long term passions are. Don’t tell them the ideas you have, just ask them what comes to mind when they think of you and get their honest opinion about what they think you like doing.
Why write these down in the first place? Well, in our next post we’re going to look at some other factors that we need which leads up to a simple formula that you can put these results into. This formula becomes your business.
Notice that there’s a couple things that we’re not doing at this stage:
- As said, we’re NOT looking at market statistics. We do that later.
- We’re NOT starting with product ideas (like ‘an iPhone App’). We do that later.
- We’re NOT looking at a need or brilliant idea. Plenty of time for that later.
See you tomorrow!
The Twins
Know someone that wants to hear this? Tweet or Facebook it! Also, don’t forget to give us your feedback below. We read them all.
PART 2 >>
Here’s mine:
#game design
#game development
#teaching
#ministry
#writing music
#sound design
#visioneering
#startups
What are yours?
-Efraim
wow you guys are posting some really great stuff! thanks for all the help/advice you are giving!
Thx dude!
Sorry guys, the CAPTCHA plugin seemed to be broken for leaving comments. Should be okay now, please don’t hesitate to re-post.
-E
Mine are quite similar
#Programming
#Problem solving
#Game Development
#teaching
#start-ups
Great post guys, look forward to the next one.
Cool, quite similar here. Awesome, thx for adding to the discussion!
Hey gentlemen another great post here are mine:
# Game Design
# Generating 2D art from 3D images
# 3D Asset Generation
# Animation
Trying to get my head around programming at the moment but as an artist and not a programmer it is tricky.
Dark Out
Great post guys, mine are:
#game design
#game development
#filmmaking
#arts research
Interesting post, here’s my list.
# Modelling, rigging, animation
# Story writing
# C++, Python
# Home Education
# Veg gardening
# Informative book reading (seems to be a lot of probability theory lately)
# Family Radar
[...] DON’T QUIT YOUR JOB :: Part #1 [...]
Thx for all this great job my list:
#Game Programming
#Game Designer
#Websites Developer
#Animator
[...] In part 1 we’ve looked at our core-passions In part 2 we’ve looked at our core-target group [...]
# Animation
#Game Design
#Game Development
#Teaching
#Philosophy
#Psychology
looking to combine these in story format through animated movies and games
Hey Twins!
First of all, I never comment on anything! Ever!!!
Second, I just wanted to say that you have by far the best content that I have read in regards to self start-ups and game creation. I have a full time job as a project manager but spend all of my free time reading blogs, books and researching, on how to create the next great start-up [mostly online] or how to create the next great iOS time waster like Angry Birds.
I have had some half successful start-ups fail because of me losing interest and not willing to go the extra step to raise capital, 6 month into the project [even though the traffic was picking up]
With all the content that you have across all your sites, this has ignited a new fire in me to continue with trying to build something great or maybe just finishing something that I start!
Here is my list
#project management
#game design
#visioneering
#startups
You guys truly rule!