Hey Daniel, I'm a little late to the party, but I have a problem that's keeping me from moving forward! I have an idea for an app that I think could be a big hit, but I'm not sure how to protect my idea. Is there any way to make sure it doesn't get stolen by the first programmer I talk to about this?

Hey, Daniel. It's Dan McDaniel (haha)!

I would love a high-quality mastermind group as a product. If most of your readers are 20-somethings with the goal to create freedom through entrepreneurship, then a mastermind group would be a great way to build community and accountability while on this often lonely journey of online business.

I'd happily pay $35 per month for this.

I already posted a specific question, but I had a follow-up thought after reading some of these amazing comments. I, too, consider myself a multi-passionate entrepreneur. I was feeling sort of upset about that the other day, because I really have 4 things I'm doing right now as possible entrepreneurial ventures (in addition to working 9-5!). But then I read a recent quote by Marie Forleo in Forbes, and she said that one of the biggest mistakes she made early on was trying to focus too narrowly too quickly. She said, "Many of us need to pursue multiple paths simultaneously before we discover our unique convergence point." Now I actually feel happy about my situation because my "unique convergence point" could be amazing.

Hi Daniel, great idea it might benefit lots of people.

My personal biggest barrier is actually approaching people, everyone here has of course a certain skill, maybe it is making food for elderly people, walk their dog or play a game of chess with them for an hourly or fixed rate so I do realise you can turn ANY skill into something but it isnt that easy as it sounds . My problem is that 1: I can't think of any good skills except for my IT skills and learning fast+improving the ideas of others/helping them out gaining an idea which does nothing for me. 2: Create a service out of my skill. And last but not least the extra frustrating hard bit nr 4 : WHO and HOW to approach people or a company. In my eyes I only have one shot to email the companies, this is quite a small town so if I screw up this email they will think I am not skilled enough the next time I will email them (with a better email hopefully) I could consider buying Ramit Sethi email templates book but I try to keep it down with the cost untill I earned some money.

P.s. Daniel did you get my email I did send to you last sunday ?

Ruben.

Hi Daniel, good question! My biggest challenge is TIME. It seems there is never enough time to work on my business and project ideas. My day job, which pays the bills, takes up most of my time. Similarly, I believe in the importance of health and fitness. So after work I go to the gym then come home and cook a healthy meal. When all is said and done I find myself with about an hour leftover a night where I usually try to relax/unwind and spend quality time with loved ones so my day isn't completely work-related. I have so many great ideas and want to grow a business of my own but am having trouble finding the time and managing my time effectively while still having a social life and not feeling burnt out. Because I'm a big health and fitness nut, I find it's imperative to have time away from slouching in front of a computer all day. Is it possible to be successful and grow a business but also be healthy, relaxed and stress-free? Or does entrepreneurship almost always mean lack of sleep, stress and less time for enjoying life?

Very lucky I discovered your site! Amazing info!

I, like many, am an aspiring entrepreneur stuck in my full-time job with wife and kids, and this and that...

I also live in Puerto Rico, where there's not a lot of support for wanting to get out of the mold....

Nevertheless, I am finally moving forward with one of my ideas and really need guidance.

I developed the concept for a children's product. Outsourced some concept art and renderings of the concept in Elance (a first for me), and then moved in to try and pitch the concept in Quirky.com.

Although it received great positive feedback from the community and reached the evaluation phase it was not selected for production at the time. I have asked all of my peers, friends, and strangers about my concept and I have received very positive feedback....so...ignorant and noob as I am, I made a deal with enhance.com. They revised the patentability of my concept (good report), processed a provisional patent and produced renderings and a sell sheet for my product concept. They are now pitching it in trade shows, etc to try and make a deal where I would get royalties....

Sorry to bore you with this! The point is that I want to try and move this myself! But I'm lost as to what the next step should be! I have a patent and concept, but no specs to be able to quote manufacture or prototype...can i pitch for funding to produce a prototype? Should i really test the waters with a Landing page? I have already spent a couple $$$ and cant invest much more (my wife will strangle me)!!!

Any guidance is greatly appreciated! If you're interested I can also send you my product sell sheet so you know what Im talking about!

All the best !

Miguel

My biggest challenge is probably just doing it and finding the right mentors who are able to guide me through the process of how to do it for myself. This would be a combination of psychology/mindset/overcoming limitations and fear & developing the relationships with people who've accomplished what I want to do and asking them how to replicate their success.

My biggest challenge is I don't know where to start. I am not sure what I can offer to people that they would pay for or what I am exceptionally good at.

My biggest challenge right now is generating more discussion with the people who visit my blog.

I'm getting some decent traffic but, I'm not able to get the discussion going.

Definitely appropriate pricing as a writer... followed closely by reaching the right kinds of clients.

The biggest challenge is getting that first step right - Finding the need. That is what makes me the most nervous. You want to solve a need, not just get into business because you had a cool idea.

In the past, my biggest challenge was charging too little for the services I provided, which affected my brand and limited the kinds of clients I would attract. Another challenge was trying to do everything and not honing in on a specific focus, which I think, also affected who I attracted. It's great if a company or consultant can do everything that you need but when it's priced too low, it can be perceived as under-priced due to lack of skill. Recently, my challenge been reaching the higher caliber clients since in that aspect, it's like I'm starting all over again.

Having a great idea, but not sure if I have the willingness to commit to the project over the long term.

My challenge is having my spirit replenished by a support system. I just don't have the friends, family, or connections to inwardly prosper as a person and that tends to starve me of the energy I need to execute. I'm putting that together but it's hard on me. There's a lot of wear and tear and sometimes I simply just get burned out trying to make things happen on my own. Playing every role to the fullest, for long periods of time, with no relief or support or encouragement? The ins and outs of running a business and being an entrepreneur get taken care of regardless -- and I enjoy working through the difficulties of those nuances -- but the core challenge I'm facing is a lack of a support system and network.

My biggest challenge is to get a large enough list. David

My biggest challenge (and I'm a little embarrassed to admit it) is deciding on exactly what kind of a business to start. It's probably going to be a product based business, but what? And if it's product-based, where am I going to sell it? I know my weaknesses, and cold-calling buyers will be sooooo difficult for me.

What kind of an enrepreneur can't even decide what the business is?

biggest challenge is start up capital... that and juggling a full time day job - ensuring I put in 100% in both can be hard when you are only 1 person! Just have to make use of every minute I have in the day, become more organised and strategic with my time... and "not break the chain" :-) I think finding out my working style is key to managing my time etc better to increase my performance

Hi Daniel! Honestly my biggest problem is trying to figure out how to have it all. I've come to realize that above all else I want to be a fully present mom and wife but I also want a successful business. I know there's a way to make this work for me but I just haven't figured out how yet.

Fear of looking like an idiot and people seeing my imperfections.

@Dan McDaniel Very cool, man. Could be a good product!

@AmyEMarshall SUCH A GREAT COMMENT! Had to feature this one!

No, I DON'T think being an entrepreneur means constant lack of sleep, etc.

I was in the same position as you — my solution...wake up earlier to work. LOL.

@Miguel Thanks so much for the comment!! Sure, send me the sell sheet. Daniel@rich20something.com

@Robert James Collier This is a big one! I featured it because I know many ppl who have the same question.

Here's a question for you: Do you have a system in place right now for finding mentors — or is it a little hit-and-miss?

@Josh Bretow Silly question: When someone taught you to ride a bike (mom/dad/sibling) were you concerned whether or not they were "exceptionally good" — or did you just want someone to teach you the basic skill, knowing full well that you would fall a few times?

@BenAustinBlog Ben, I love your blog and can't wait to run your guest post.

As for discussion — 5 things are going on here that made this post EXPLODE in less than 48 hours. Here they are, in order of importance:

1.) A direct call to action with a specific question that many people will be able to answer (everyone has challenges)

2.) Me jumping in and not just facilitating the commentary, but also asking follow up questions to keep things going (a few simple "Cool, thanks!" wouldn't inspire people to write more)

3.) I talk to so many tribe members on the phone/email/chat they actually want to respond

4.) This comment plugin (livefyre) notifies people when I've answered them (regular WP comments don't) and it threads the convo to make it easy to read

5.) I've reached critical mass with a good amount of subscribers

Make sense?

@Kate What type of writing do you do?

@Beekaysa Hmm....yes and no. I think sometimes having a cool idea is ok, too.

What are some of your skills or ideas?

@arialyssa Interesting!! Such a good point.

Have I ever shared with you my High Power Referral System for getting more/better clients?

@Rose Long term is scary. I totally understand!!! Here's a question: What's the first, SMALLEST step you can take to get rolling?

@TheAjax

This is me. My support system is on the smallish side right now. Building it has been a struggle because putting myself is not one of my greatest strengths!!!

Hit me up, let's see what we can build!

@TheAjax Great feedback on this one — I totally understand.

Question: What's your biz? Have we talked about this before?

@Barneyboo mmmm....I doubt that's the real challenge :)

What's your website?

@LolaB Totallllly get this — here's an idea: Have you ever considered starting with a service before moving to a product?

@Stylejunkie Thanks for jumping in!! Good stuff!

Lots going on here, and I want to dig in — bit first, I'm curious — what's your idea? What project are you working on?

@Tiffany Lee This is a great question — and you're CERTAINLY not alone. Here's a question: Rather than thinking about how overwhelming it might be to run a biz with all those responsibilities (mommy/wife is TOUGH and time consuming ;p) — have you thought about what the first step might be?

What's the smallest single step you can take right now? Any ideas?

@fstyles612 I hear you! A big fear of mine, too.

Here's a question: Have you ever made a mistake and felt "stupid" before?

Did people laugh at you, or did they mostly look the other way? Can you think of a specific story?

@Rich20Something Daniel, I'm looking forward to this topic. It's really great to see that someone greatly believes that being an entrepreneur does not mean constant lack of sleep.

I'd like to add something to this topic: Sometimes when I am swamped with work, both from my day job and my business, there is guilt when I want to stop hustling and take a break for a while. It's like it is hard to stop. You just want to keep going and going but you are getting tired. It is somewhat driven by deadlines and also your personal expectations. How do you remove this guilt from your system?

@Rich20Something I don't have a system in place. I've read and learned various tips on connecting with influencers and mentors, including a post Rich20, but I'm not systemically enacting any of these methods right now.

Currently, I'm emailing or calling someone new WITHIN my network every day just to catch up or see how they're doing, which has been great. I'm contacting people OUTSIDE of my network impulsively after reading engaging content or stumbling across information I think is pretty cool. But it is not systematic, and it's not regular.

I know that I can build back up to a systematic approach again, but doing so and developing a genuine relationship by exchanging value, like I have with you, in concert with developing the appropriate mindset may be the largest obstacle I face in jumping out and creating my own businesses.

Then, it'll be maintaining this mindset and continuing to develop relationships with mentors :)

@Rich20Something @Josh Bretow This is a great comparison, and helpful to think about! Thanks for sharing this.

I like the analogy and it is very true. I would want someone who could ride a bike with no issues. So I suppose the challenege for me is finding the skill that I could teach to others and what sort if value I could provide that they do no already have.

@Terra_Stardust

Sounds awesome! I just made a Facebook so if you want, you can add me. https://www.facebook.com/Flapsacus

@Rich20Something

We sure have. My businesses are the beauty competition, tea service, and online store.

@Barneyboo Hint: Rich20something is small compared to some guys with 50,000 or 100k+ people on their list — but I have one of the most engaged audiences on the internet. It's not just an email list. That's impersonal. I have a tribe. We're all friends that help each other.

Look at this post. Almost 100 comments in a day.

Is there any way to get more engagement from the ppl you already have?

I've actually given this a lot of thought and I think a good first step would be to write something every single day. I'm pretty intimidated by writing online so I find am going to have to make it a point to make time for it. I think it's the first step to any type of online business.

@Rich20Something @fstyles612 I can't think of a specific story where I made a mistake others would've been able to discern. But I did act out a monologue in front of an audience back in April and I felt like I messed up a bit- I went blank for couple seconds and didn't know what to say. At first I was going to panic, but I realized that the audience didn't know what was supposed to be next anyway, so I just shrugged it off and kept going. I think one person may have picked up that something was off because he stared at me blankly O_O but then again, maybe his expression didn't mean anything. Moral of the story- even though I felt like I looked stupid, I didn't die lol

@J Garcia I hope it's OK if I jump in here, J.

Whatever thoughts you're having that are causing you to feel guilty, change them to thoughts that make you feel good about what you're doing/not doing. If you have a belief somewhere inside that being an entrepreneur requires you to work tirelessly, that's a self-constructed belief that can be changed. If the process isn't enjoyable, then change the process, change your thoughts about the process, or don't do it. This is life, not a means to an end. (I'm repeating this to myself as I type!)

I highly recommend the book The Big Leap. The author reveals the truth about time, which is that we create it ourselves. One tidbit I can share is to take a holiday from saying anything negative about time, like, "I don't have time" or "I need more time" or anything like that. Try it for a week and see how different you feel. (I'm doing the 9-5 while developing a business, so I understand where you're coming from.)

@Josh Bretow Precisely. The best way to do that is just to figure out something you've done that people have (or might want to ask) "Hey, how'd you do that?"

You don't need to be an expert. But you can teach what you know.

Same thing on Rich20. I don't claim to know anything except the projects I've worked on...then I share my insight.

@TheAjax @Terra_Stardust sent ya a message on the book of faces, go ahead and add me!! :-)

@Tiffany Lee I agree with him. I tried the Seinfield Solution which basically says to start with very small chunks. I started doing a one minute rule for me to do certain habits each day. So far that is working..and of course, when I start I almost always go over the one minute mark. The mere fact that you are starting really small puts you in a relaxed state and in that state you can keep going on. It's only when we feel overwhelmed of what all needs to get done that makes us procrastinate.

@Tiffany Lee Better yet: Commit to writing ONE sentence per day. Commit to that extremely small "micro habit" - that way, you can reward yourself by completing it many days in a row. But you'll also find that it's almost impossible to only write one sentence. So you'll end up writing more, and be proud of yourself :)

@Rich20Something @fstyles612 lol yesss that makes alot of sense :)

@fstyles612 Ahh, looks like you've answered your own question. Harsh truth: Nobody cares. And not in a negative "I don't care about you" type of way. More of a "I'm so busy wrapped up in my own little world that I don't even notice your mistakes" type of way.

Another thing — People expect that whatever you're doing is the "correct" way. For instance, when I play guitar for my mom, who knows nothing about music, and I mess up...she doesn't even notice.

Does that make sense?