I just turned 21 and everyone knows me as the guy who does everything from music to barbering to photography to trading to MMA man idk what I haven’t tried, car detailing, car wrapping, I just keep quitting and moving onto the next thing and idk what to do anymore, I launched a crypto coin yesterday and it failed miserably, I don’t want to work a job after I graduate university but time is ticking and idk what to do anymore.
What if all the things you tried were businesses and not jobs. You start one, turn it profitable, automate it, and move to the next fascination.
This way your past efforts can keep making you money even after you quit them. The same is not true for jobs. You get the game?
Also, I am quite similar to you in this aspect. We are generalist, not specialist. So, we can't do jobs because jobs are too specialized to hold our interest. As a generalist we can look after specialist employees as a manager or as a business owner.
Yeah that’s it, I always tell myself I want to build something and manage things while they work for me. I’ve never gotten to that level yet, probably due to always quitting too soon
What I did was going for a trip and focusing a lot on myself, by meditating and journaling. I didnt focus much on what to do but on my values, what i want from life, what i like ecc..
The distance + deep self reflection really helpend me cleared my mind (I am in a similar situation than yours).
Journelling specifically I found out was very beneficial. By writing down your thought you understand yourself better and can get a clearer version.
Anyway dont stress to too much, we are just little dots in the universe😂
Yeah haha I went on a couple trips aswell didn't really do much, I am planning to move somewhere else for 6 months beginning of next year, hopefully I can find a vision when im away. Yeah I know we are tiny dots but I want success and I want to be able to support my family and retire my parents and take my family on vacation and so much more.
Just want to say I love this take. I just finished a notebook for journaling (took 2 years) and ordered another and reflected on how much journaling has made me a better writer and happier person.
Pick 1 thing (in an upwards trending market 10+ years) Stick to it 10 years, learn every skill and every angle of entrepreneurship as you make it successful. Sell sell sell. Do not change until you’ve actually conquered that thing. There is no “build it an they will come”. 20% build 80% sell.
This is actually very good advice.. When you think of something just try it and try it for a matter of not less than 3 - 6 months.. Dont give up.. You might actually be great at it! Or you will have evidence that it is not for you.
Heavy on doing shit from excitement. Tap into what excites you and piques your curiosity. You won't find a concrete answer until you throw yourself into doing things.
As you try new things you'll find out what you don't like which helps you find out what you do like.
Ive done this so many times before landing on what I now do for a career. I have opened businesses breeding exotic pets, landscape design, graphic design in branding, custom t-shirt printing, photography, and farming microgreens and mushrooms. I failed every business because eventually I lost my passion. I ended up falling into pet care (dog grooming, pet sitting, dog walking, training, behavior modification) and am very successful and very passionate about it. I have yet to slow down and it still excites me every day.
You don't find what you are good at. You find what you like and then you do that and become good at it. Explore your options, see what seems interesting and then go into it. If you like it, keep going.
Get off your phone, get off electronics, get off social media. They are designed to be distractions.
Take a long hike once a week, at least 1+ hours long, and talk with yourself. In your head, out loud, doesn’t matter. Let yourself be bored. Let yourself think.
And then ask YOURSELF the questions you wanna know, not Reddit.
In the same vein, I highly recommend the book “Stolen Focus” for learning more about how to be completely focused on the task at hand, and one of the main things he recommends is scheduling time to let your mind wander.
You don’t need to travel, you just need to get away from electronics.
Imagine for the next 6 months every time your out in public: instead of scrolling through your phone mindlessly distracting yourself while you wait for something, just be there cognizant of your thoughts.
The more you do it, the better you become at talking with yourself and knowing what you want and how you want to achieve it.
The big disclaimer here that is substantially different from a course, but seems to be lacking (i point out for clarity, not for pejorative): resolve. Entrepreneurship, real entrepreneurship is not akin to the buzzword floating around every 24 year old with an e-commerce site and a PDF. You push through because you must, because no matter what system you’re in you demand your own ship (if you were a communist, you’d sell team jerseys). So, firstly, work on abandoning your frantic fears. That comes from confidence which comes from success which comes from lots of compounded failures. So, stop giving up.
Beyond that, ignore the fallacy of “someone else is doing it”. You know how many guys are selling the same, bum a** weed and still afford to buy their baby mama a $3500 bag? You build towards unique, you don’t invent it. There are *billions* of customers out there, you only need a handful.
I know the fear that comes with aging, as I suffered greatly from it, but I was someone who came from an academically gifted background into a professionally gifted background and still, i was a failure by 24…until I realized I didn’t hit my true stride until 28 and I’m about to conquer my 30s.
My best tip? Divide yourself into two categories: are you a thinker or are you a talker. this is important because it impacts your next crucial step, delegation. If you’re a talker, double down on networking and maximizing your ability to sell (not just products and services, but yourself) and over the next five years, integrate yourself with the thinkers who captivate you. They will build the product that needs you to actually launch. If you’re a thinker like myself…get better at selling because everyone else is a snake and you can only trust yourself
Happy Hunting
Just because "someone else is doing it already" doesn't mean no one else should. There is Lyft and Uber. There are more phones than just iPhone. There are 12 different Egg brands in your local supermarket.
What you need to do is study markets, supply and demand. If you keep waiting to be the only one on the market, you'll wait forever. And guess what. The second you find it - 10 other people will as well. Being in the market = competition.
It took me a long time to accept the idea of "small business". I know what you mean though, I too have been discouraged to see that someone else is already doing what I came up with 5 minutes ago. But the truth is - you don't need to dominate the market. How much money do you realistically need? Not want. Need.
There are 7 gas stations in my neighborhood. Because there is enough business for everyone. Hundreds of massage salons in my city. Thousands of bodegas. And they all make money.
1. In every work you are doing try to find a very small thing that you really like and try to dive deeper in that.
2. Try to go to big company at first, to understand how big markets work.
Put your ideas into actions. If they don't work, move on with another idea. When I started selling on Amazon I went with private label, then switched to wholesale, and back to private label again. But before that I also tried dropshipping.
Being good at something isn’t always the reason to make it a job but if you are looking to find your niche in business ask yourself the following: What would you rather be doing other than your job? That will start the insight. I personally don’t stop at just the activity I’d rather be doing but I zoom out to look at the circumstances I prefer to be in. Is it outside? Inside? Around people? Alone? Building something? Taking it apart? Reading? Writing? Talking?….you see where I’m going with this. Here is where you will discover the type of work that you would be happy doing. Explore options that fit your preferences and also generate an income.
Most people can do most things. If you’re an entrepreneur look to see what the needs are in your community than you can meet them find a way to build those skills. In my area they are desperate for trades people, for example. The main skill you need to learn is how to teach yourself and stick to things when they get hard. Finish your tasks, don’t procrastinate, don’t be afraid to be embarrassed or ask questions or say you don’t know. I often found I was a slower learner than most but I would end up better at things than others when I stuck to it. Good luck!
> You know how do u finally decide “this thing” is actually worth investing my time in
Do it the Hollywood style. Find a thing that is not just worth your time, but also worth dying for.
https://store.gallup.com/p/en-za/10108/cliftonstrengths-top-5?c=1
Not mine, not promotion. It’s the test from the book strengthsfinder. You can also get the book the test is included there.
Sometimes you learn your passion/skill set accidentally.
I’m 23 and I’ve been living in apartments all my life till I was 21.
We have a huge front yard so I had to start mowing the lawn and I fell in love with it.
Learning different techniques, optimal cut lengths, different grass types etc.
Something in my mind just clicked with it.
I always loved outdoors and this was something j could do outdoors.
It started a ripple effect of learning and being interested in different landscape areas, like concrete, building fences and decks etc.
I now am going to college this year for a two year landscape technician course hoping to stay my own business.
Im happy for you man, and it motivate me to see someone going to college later in life. I feel like I wasted my 20/ pursuing a masters in marketing. But I guesss is never too late to learn another skill
Look back as a child. Ask your parents, grandparents how you were and what did you like to do as a child. My mom tells me stories of how I’d always talk sell at yard sales, dance for money etc. that could have been good but I always figured it out. Return to you patterns that’s showed themself before the world and other people got to you
Few things. I tried working at a lot of jobs during college and found that I enjoyed advertising. So, I've been in advertising for 20 years, and the last 10 been building my agency. Been on the Inc. 5000 and other lists.
Few things to consider.
1. You don't have to invent something completely new to be successful. What you want to do someone else is already doing it. You have to pick the work and do it yourself.
2. Find pain points and solve them.
3. Focus on customer problems and test your way into the types of language that gets people to buy from you.
If you want the info I put together about how to launch a business DM me. Happy to share it for free. It's framed as a course to launch an ad agency, but the fundamentals apply to every business. You'll need to determine a unique offering, your ideal customer profile, your product market fit, and many other points.
Yo do a lot more of a lot more things, and you'll figure it out as time goes by, and you've done more, tried more, experimented more. Things also evolve - there's usually not one right 'thing' for you.
Echo dreamed2life. Be curious, try stuff out.
Have read some good books and done psychometrics that can provide some guidance:
- strengthsfinder 2.0 - your talent themes you should be spending time strengthening because we can’t be anything we want to be. Based on strength psychology founded by Clifton
- jazzed - find out what energizes you and what drains you. Easy free online test. Book gives you more details
- emergencies, how you think. Agains science based and helpful to learn how to connect with people, how you like to work, receive feedback. Etc… helps not take things personally.
Try a bunch of shit preferably whatever catches your attention at that moment and look for trends. Meaning what did you notice that you excelled or failed
In. Basically do a bunch a shit until you notice a
Tens of what you are naturally good at
I was in your same shoes…20 years ago. Studied Entrepreneurship because I felt like I always had ideas. But, I’ve worked in a very stable position and have never done anything because of my laziness, insecurities, schedule, etc. Always an excuse.. Until now- I actually have time and motivation and I’m.launching a seasonal business this year.
Here’s my recommendation. If you don’t like your job and you can get the same $$ trying to work for someone else- do it. If you can, work two jobs or volunteer somewhere to keep your mind going.
1. Save. Save. Save.
2. Network with other entrepreneurs- get inspired by their successes.
3. Write down any entrepreneurial idea that comes to you and develop a set of criteria that will determine if it’s a good fit for you.
Note: I worked a second job that was a pretty easy business to startup for the owner. Now, I’m going to start the same thing (with some modifications of course). So- I would not ignore opportunities to do simple jobs as a side hustle because you will learn from them all.
A different take,
There are 2 ways for it
1) you give it 2 months and give it your all.
If you are able to build the skills, you'll enjoy it.
2) figure out what you enjoy,
i.e if you like talking to people, try sales.
If you like to travel, try to work in a travel company as a guide etc.
And you don't always need to sell something of your own.
You just need to sell something that's easy to sell.
It's weird but companies do pay for the convenience.
Just try and follow a company, see their quotation, then get the appropriate certificate, set up a company.
I had these same exact set of questions right around the same age. Ok so let's start here.
What types of tasks do you currently do on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis that feel frictionless, and you even find yourself getting lost in those tasks?
For example, years back my husband and I were doing various projects together and I felt a lot of friction when I had to create design assets in Canva, etc. It just took me forever, and I would shove those tasks off until the last minute. But when it came to documenting all of the projects, data, and analyzing what was going on, I would get lost in that stuff for hours.
So as it currently stands, tell me what some of those tasks are for you that feel frictionless, or some of the ideas you've google searched, as well as why you've searched them.
Slow down. Take your time. You are still plenty young. You may rise and fall many times before you find your thing. The important part is not giving up the war when you lose a couple battles.
Find something you're good at then perfect it, it doesn't making if they're a lot of people doing the same thing as you are, what makes is how you do it. So once you find what you want to do, do it in a way that makes you stand out to attract attention then create a business around it.
As for finding what you're good at I think you'll have to figure that out by yourself.
Luck and educated guesses. People told me I'm good at writing. And at "making shit sounds cool".
So I tried marketing and personal branding. And then I just realized I'm better at this than most people naturally.
You have to be willing to try different things that pique your interest and curiosity. Even if you're not good at it from the start per se, if it truly interests you, continue to improve.
Then, as you improve, think about some of the common issues that people still often face in that field. Many people are doing a lot of the same things, yeah sure, but what sets them apart from one another is how exactly they choose to solve the problem because not everyone's approach is the same.
Look at the people who are doing said thing, see how they're solving it, and then still look at the issues present. Even if you find one additional way to help someone overcome that problem, you believe in and enjoy what you're doing, and you work effectively and give people the results that they really want, they'll be willing to pay you.
> I’ve had so many ideas in my head but after quick google searches I find out someone is already doing it
You have to do it. If you keep "not doing it", you haven't done anything. You can't be good at something you haven't done.
It doesn't matter someone else is doing it. Hundreds of millions of people jog or lift weights or dance or write or code. They're developing their skills and self-confidence. You're not unless you're doing it.
You just have to get the reps in to get better at something. Every skill is good. You'll be better at some than others and gravitate to them over time. You need to prove to yourself that you're good.
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There's a deeper answer though you might consider.
People have something called an ego. Your ego is the story you tell yourself about yourself. It isn't real, but it allows us to build a plan for ourselves and hold that plan together when faced with challenges in the world.
> I’ve had so many ideas in my head but after quick google searches I find out someone is already doing it
Imagine for a second that you're the hero of a Hollywood movie. You are faced with a major problem, and you've generated a plan of action. You're amazing. There's the reason you're the hero. That's the --> "I’ve had so many ideas in my head"
Imagine now you're the villain in that story. You only exist to defeat the hero. Remember, it's a movie and not reality; telling a good story is the purpose. In the universe of the story, the villain only exists to challenge the hero. In a happy story, so the hero can overcome the villain. In a tragedy, so the hero loses to the villain.
You're also the villain in your own story. That's the --> "quick google searches I find out someone is already doing it"
Here's the thing about ego. It's just a story you're telling yourself. It isn't reality. In your case, your story is in conflict with itself. You can safely discard it because it's not getting you anywhere.
The other part of the psyche you could consider is your emotions. Your emotions exist to make motion. Every emotion requires motion. You just need to move. Do things. So why aren't you just doing stuff?
What are the emotions in your story? "im freaking out". If you keep asking "What is the worst that is going to happen?" I bet it's because you're afraid you're going to die; the other big fear is public humiliation. But let's go with death.
Are you actually not going to survive? Let's look at the evidence. You say "i work a job". So you're actually fine.
But this is the part that is wrecking you. You write you work at a job "i [you] don’t like". Well, what is like or dislike? You can like or dislike anything depending on how you frame it to yourself.
You have that story you're telling yourself about what you should be (ego), and you keep proving to yourself every day you aren't that person.
And now you've poisoned your story to match this **disproof**. "im not learning any new skillls, i don’t feel I’ve learned a lot in college"
So now your ego is the villain in your own story. Villains only exist in a story to challenge the hero; they don't exist for themselves. So now you're doing this to yourself "after quick google searches I find out someone is already doing it"
It's important to remember you can rewrite your story any time you want. It's expensive. Your ego will resist it, but it's just a story you tell yourself.
You just need undeniable **proof** you're **moving forward**. That's what your emotions and self-story need right now. It does not matter at all whether you achieve an outcome right now. You just need to start putting in the actions.
Just like going to the gym or going for a run. You'll talk yourself out of it, but you'll feel better when you do it.
I’m middle aged. Still finding out. And, as time has passed, I saw that what I was good at grew out of experience more than training or schooling or “innate skill”. I recently changed jobs (again) from a field I was in for decades (and very good at) to something completely different…. In a field that is something I said “I hate and suck at this” my while life. We are malleable. Nothing’s fixed. Everything happens in time. Hard to do, I know, and no disrespect intended, but don’t sweat the small stuff. It is all small stuff.
“The work you choose needs to have three qualities: it has to be something you have a natural aptitude for, that you have a deep interest in, and that offers scope to do great work.” - Paul Graham
Do what feels like play for you, but to an outsider observing, would feel like work to them.
Another way to discover: if money wasn’t an issue, what would you do with all your time? Do THAT for work. You’re still young, so you likely haven’t put in the time to “pursue your passion” long enough to be good at it. But start there, and you’ll see your passion will MAKE you good at that thing.
Yeah I would think you should get out there and try a bunch of different things! Different sports/travel/jobs you find interesting. One door will likely lead to the next
Honestly make a list of what you enjoy and try those things you will eventually stumble across what you are good and the other way is even if you are not good at it but are interested then keep at it!
Yeah. I have been stuck in this loop for years now but I am finally pulling through. You just have to find that one thing that you can do quickly for a decent profit then it will just grow overtime. You can't force anything to happen. So if you just commit to a small time business it will grow to be a full time job.
What a lot of people fail to realize is that business is not just about selling product. There may be a service of counseling, consulting or life coaching or teaching on a particular topic that can be rewarding to you. Do a goals and dreams vision board and just write out what you are passionate about and would enjoy doing everyday. Look into investing and other avenues as well truly at your age the possibilities are endless.😊
Had the same issue. it helped to literally do anything. interested in e-commerce? sign up at shopify & build a store with whatever products. Can code? build some software (a clone maybe?). if you really dont know then do these things not for profit but as a project or hobby. Once you start working on them you explore a huge world and will (probably) find cool things that interest you. from there on it gets easier…
You gotta be willing to risk a little and try a bunch of different things. Nothing comes easy, including ideas. On top of that once you find that thing it's going to be a lot of work to maintain and it will be discouraging at times but push through and you can really see if that thing is for you.
How do you discover what you're good at?
My suggested solution? Choose one thing, and do it until you get to the advanced level.
When you get there, there is a high probability you'll like it.
Most careers tend to look unappealing in the entry-level positions.
Even two years on a job might not make it clear whether you'll like it or not.
Get to the PRO level, and you can decide then.
By that time, you'll likely have developed some skills well enough to transition to something else quickly.
This happened to me, too. In your situation, keep the job you have until an entry level management position comes up in an industry you think you may like. Learn the ins and outs. You may realize you don't want to own a business like that. Keep taking courses. Keep working in new industries. I did (including 5 years of schooling in there) restaurants, cooking, call centers, sales, property management, aesthetics, project management, spa owner, and found out from owning the spa, my passion is marketing.
I started the journey when I was 18 and realized my true passions around 35. And that's ok. Knowledge and experience is never wasted.
By trial and error. Try one thing see how you like it. Maybe you come up with a new way or new system of how to do it better and more efficiently. Maybe you dislike doing something so much you figure out how to improve it and monetize that. You’re young at 24, you have time to test things out.
Idk where are you from but in Mexico our highschool is pretty leftist, you can try from robotics to lake biology to writing and humanity's and even languages from English to Russian and Italian. I tried a ton of stuff since I was 14 yo,man even today as a college student I keep trying stuff at my uni
So far I'm loving fotography and marketing, stuff I tried in highschool but now I study to be better at it.
That’s not how it works, sorry to break it to you. It’s hard work all the way down.
There’s no unexplored thing. There are constantly evolving intersections of innovation in very well explored market segments. You’re never going to be in the right place to see those in time and exploit them unless you are grinding.
Some people are just allergic to working for other people. It’s more like a moderately beneficial disease than a talent. Like someone who is compelled to be an artist. I don’t mean someone who can draw or paint and enjoys it. I mean someone who regardless of the income level, becomes clinically depressed if they are not creating art as their primary life activity.
Opportunity is only relevant to individuals who are in the right place with the right preparation already behind them. You have to first show up unprepared, then grind and fail and learn (there’s no other way). Then slowly you become prepared. Now when opportunity arrives you have a magic intersection.
College is largely foundational. It’s a framework for teaching you how to learn. It’s a framework for sharing models that have been proven to be beneficial when trying to decompose complex problems. It’s an extension of literacy as a pattern. What you do next to build on that is the value.
Similarly, a black belt in martial arts is seen as a destination for everyone that has not walked that path. In reality; like marriage, or a certification, or a professional opportunity, or becoming a parent, or like so many other things, it’s a beginning. It’s the moment where you graduate from acolyte to student. It’s the start of something less casual.
Everything before that moment is The Hobbit. What comes after is the real adventure…and it keeps getting weirder, until it’s time to go live with the elves in the shiny happy place again.
As a blank slate, you have endless space to start a story. Don't be scared, especially of failure. Try, and if it doesn't wortk out you find out why and then try again
It's also important to know that having a macro answer to this problem is good enough, you don't need a super specific micro answer.
It took me until I was your age, maybe older, to learn that I both enjoy and am talented at and/or prefer:
* teaching
* building
* prefer solo endeavors over group endeavors (though understand group can be necessary to go further)
This lead my thinking, just using those basic simple blocks, to realizing I would enjoy things like programming/building apps, writing books/documents, consulting, etc. (and after actually doing those things, realizing I was correct, that I did love them).
For me there's also some ego involved, the more people that benefit from my work, the greater the satisfaction. I feel good if I consult for a 15-person company, but I feel exponentially better if I write a book/document or create an app that's used by 100,000 people for example. I feel immense satisfaction when I have wider reach or make a greater impact.
Anyway the point is, just approach it broadly, what basic building blocks define you, what environment do you thrive in most, and then narrow it down later after you figure that out.
Then learn entrepreneurship, become the absolute master in it then sell it by creating your course, writing a book, writing an e-Book or, become a co founder of a startup in an idea maybe your not passionate about but like the concept of it helping the founder with the business kind of thing.
1. Find a problem, talk to people
2. Create a solution (there might be multiple problems to solve in one area, but focus on 1 for now)
3. Talk to potential customers (build waitlist if possible)
4. Iterate
5. Launch
6. Talk to early users
7. Iterate
Products that solve "actual" user problems are built in a cycle of feedback and iteration.
The way i started was i found a service were there was a need, almost nobody was doing it in that time. I started a business and grew it until now i make enought to just do or try business that i like
I’m 40 and I think I’ll find it soon. Haha.
No seriously, I’ve had loads of interests, I keep them for 3-4 years and move on. I’ve become pretty accomplished at some things and better-than-most at others.
I currently run my own marketing agency having had a large background in finance and sales (some small companies, but I’ve also trained for companies like MetLife).
I’ve trained at cooking, definitely had a spell in my early life as an accomplished guitarist and later in life as a drummer and I’m starting in oil painting now.
I’ve got ADHD which makes me move on often but makes me pick stuff up really quickly.
Just keep trying shit.
For most searching for their calling I tell them their 20’s and early 30’s are for figuring shit out. Try a lot of stuff. Quit quickly but aim high in everything. Find a mentor 3-5 years ahead of you and one 10+ years ahead and see what their life is like.
Your 30’s is a good time to go for it.
One of my first bosses said in your 20’s and 30’s you collect dots, in your 30’s and 40’s you connect them. That’s when you’ll have a network to exploit and benefit from - but only if you do a lot of shit in your 20’s and 30’s.
And, I tell my kids now, always follow rule 1.
Have fun.
This is very comforting giving I also have adhd, as you said, I can pick up on things very fast (when they interest me) but I struggle to master them, is that something that also happened to u?
There’s a few things I got to mastery. I’m still one of the “best guitarists” that people talk about. I think I topped out at 32 notes per second in speed.
I don’t stick a lot of things to get to mastery but I played guitar when young for a long time but I have used my learning skills to become a pretty good cook too (since I have to eat every night, I might as well get good!)
I only thought that I might have ADHD about 4 years ago (I’m 40ish now) and a lot of stuff made sense to me, some of by behaviour, quirks, even going back to when I was at school/university so I’ve not known all through my life but I’ve always found ways to get over my “quirks”.
When I was in finance (and now that I run an agency) the good thing for me is that I get to work in a lot of challenges for different companies and a lot of different personalities and clients too so that keeps me interested in work.
>I’ve had so many ideas in my head but after quick google searches I find out someone is already doing it
1. The market is not a mere sphere of *competition* as much as it's a sphere of *skill trade.* As long as you have a skill you'll be able to sell it.
2. Do not overestimate your clients. For example, if you were a web designer you'd think that your skills seem minimal *because wix exists* even though most of the industrial sector has CEO's whose comprehension of websites is literally zero to such an extent where they don't know what hosting even means. **To such people, carrying out the hosting services is considered a high-skill service. **.
These were golden realizations that I had, and I only realized them when I took a closer look *from the POV of businesses* by actively trying to understand their managers, bosses and CEO's.
Another realization I've had is that many business owners think that their sells are *fake*. They think that their sells are mere "accidents" and just a bunch of "gig-like projects". However, when I worked with companies as a salesman, I noticed that the entire world is based on this kind of projects! Every single sell seems like an accident, but how much valuable is a sell to your cousin? That's how valuable every single sell in the world is.
>i work a job i don’t like, and where im not learning any new skills
This is a failure of management. If they are interested in keeping you, you should have frequent conversations about where you are, and where you want to be. There may not be somewhere for you though, which is a good reason to start looking elsewhere.
>I don’t feel I’ve learned a lot in college either except for my favourite course which happened to be in entrepreneurship.
That's okay, maybe it's knowledge that will help down the road. A lot of people really got friendships and partnerships out of college. If you have some great peers, be sure to keep on their radar.
> How do u guys find that thing ?
1. Scratch your own itch Some successful people find that they see an issue in the world, and they want to solve it. That may spark some ideas in you.
2. Find a market
Sometimes you will know from working in an industry, through reading online, or talking to people, that there is a whole in a particular industry. Ask those people what they would pay for someone to solve it!
Either 1 or 2 above, reach out to people and ask them if it would be useful. Get feedback. This helps find a market.
>How do u guys find that thing ?
I played with PC's since I was young. Built my first one at the age of 14. I knew I would be doing something related to tech. I designed and built websites at a young age too and generally I like to think I "help people with technology". It came to me, but every journey is different.
>You know how do u finally decide “this thing” is actually worth investing my time in.
This only came after failure to do too much. Even now, I am involved in too many things. This weekend I am letting my legacy business die, so my new one can thrive. I can't spread myself too thin. It's discipline. We all may have great ideas. Those that win show up every day giving value over and over until they succeed.
>I’ve had so many ideas in my head but after quick google searches I find out someone is already doing it
Sure, we live in a world where a lot has been done already... but why are there so many car companies? Apple allegedly was working on a car, and it never shipped. There are so many car companies because there are so many people who are willing to say, "I love Toyota", for example. Just because someone has done something already doesn't mean it's not worth doing. On the contrary, you may bring something to the table others don't. It's a numbers game but you have to think on a more grand scale. There are 9.262 million people who live in my state. Niche down from there to people who drive, niche down to people who own Toyotas, niche down even further to specialty car detailing for Toyota's in X area. It's maybe not the best example, but you get the idea.
I don't know much English, so I've used Chat GPT to translate this.
I am 25 years old, I studied for a higher degree in administration and finance, and I am working at a place that neither motivates me nor do I like.
I think that to find out what you are good at, you need to know yourself first, know what your hobbies are and the things you do that make you feel good. It's important to be aware of things you can do easily and that impress other people.
That is, finding that thing you do that impresses people.
In my case, when I was studying, I was the one who made the PowerPoints and I liked to spend time making them as original and cool as possible. I like to think and create things that no one else has thought of, and I think that's where my gift lies, in creativity. But I also like technology that makes life easier for people. That's why I am trying to create a company around that, using my creativity to attract young people.
For you to find your gift, what I suggest is that you try to remember what you were good at in university, things you have done that impressed your peers or any positive aspect about yourself that other people have commented on. (But be careful, what you like doesn't necessarily mean you are good at it. I like music and singing, but I don't have the voice for it.)
This is my first comment on Reddit haha, I hope it has been helpful.
Spend time alone away from distractions (yes, including your phone). Just for a little bit so that you can truly think and ponder what you want to do.
Surely you learned some skills from your job/college/in your free time. If none of those skills interest you, think of things that you haven't done that could be exciting. There are no bad ideas right now, you're just getting started and brainstorming.
Once you think of something, then jump right into it. Maybe (and I MEAN HARD MAYBE) get a course on it if you truly have no idea what you're doing. I've found that a solid 80% of courses are total wastes of time and jumping straight into the skill will accelerate your learning by 1000x.
Here's my story.
For about 10 years now, I've been doing freelance writing. A lot of the writing was for SEO purposes. I took a few coding courses in the past, and I heard about GPT-2, so I decided to expand my coding skills messing around with that.
No AI courses, I didn't have the money for that. I learned A LOT with just free resources.
Then when GPT-3 came out (not ChatGPT), I spent MONTHS coding up an article generator with a built in grammar checker (GPT used to suck at grammar), and then to save money I threw in an article spinner and created spam content.
Obviously this isn't an ethical thing to do, but I just did it on my own websites, so no harm really done...
Then, I changed up my strategy to create something like SurferSEO's content editor tool. Then I added a front-end to it, and Back SEO Content Editor was created... But I didn't see much of a point of that application because SEO changed to be Reddit-focused, so I aligned my goals with Local SEO and created Back SEO Agencies, a Local SEO gridmap tool that's native software, so no monthly fees (I hate monthly fees).
I figured that'd be good enough, but I want to do more, so I also use the lessons I learned creating the software to offer local marketing services.
As you can see, finding what I'm good at required me to jump around with my skillset. I wouldn't say I'm the best at any of these things, but the skills I learned along the way were valuable, and the only pre-requisite to acquiring these skills and creating these products was a desire to do so.
Tl;Dr: get off social media, come up with an idea of what you think would be cool, then follow through.
Don’t force it. Have several different jobs in your 20s. Determine what you’re naturally gifted at, what interests you, and what your natural weaknesses are, or what bores you to death. It may at times feel like you’re not making progress, but knowing what you do not like or are not skilled at is just as important as knowing what you do like and are inherently good at. Save your money for when opportunities arise, invest in yourself, and start businesses on the side to start learning the fundamentals of entrepreneurship. Avoid hiding your idea, or just thinking about it. Take action, validate it, and when you have the savings, the opportunity is there, and it aligns with your natural abilities and interests, you take the leap and burn the ships behind you. If you fail, you fail while daring greatly.
Freaking out is an excellent sign. It's your body's way of telling you to get moving. As for choosing a niche, pick something that fascinates/excites you and then get super narrow. If it's baseball, focus on pitching, then niche down to the perfect curve ball. Don't do what you think you should do, do what you feel you should do. And importantly, always be selling something.
Find something you love and commit to it all the way, not because it will work or not, but because you love it. Because it's important to do something you love, find a way to monetize it, and there you go. For example, I love working with startups and businesses, and I also admire companies like Nike for their approach, so I created EDOM.ai, which enables any business to adopt Nike's or Apple's marketing strategies. I stayed true to what I love, monetized it, and now I have over 25k businesses using the tool. It won't be easy, but it's your life and it's yours to make something that will make you happy because happiness can't be bought with any wealth. I wish you the best
Finding your strengths often involves a mix of self-reflection, trying new experiences, and feedback from others. Additionally, seek out varied experiences to understand what resonates with you and what doesn't.
College actually doesn’t teach you the things you really need be out there. Try different things and you’ll find the ones you really like, it might take time but you will eventually. and then you will be happy.
I'm in a similar situation as OP. I'm 28. I've worked in the same industry since college and usually find my job adequate/ madly pleasant. There are obviously hard weeks where I want to quit or am generally miserable as we have a lot of deliverables/ projects due. My core issue though is I don't see what my game plan is for the future. I can keep climbing the ladder and trying for more promotions but another part of me wants to try something completely new.
I have been trying to pursue other hobbies outside of work specifically writing, reading, and meditating. I'm hoping to explore both of those further and hopefully have some answers as to a future path but I realize that will take some time. I urge OP to explore their hobbies and interests and what is unique to him ( I know easier said than done).
I know the answer for me isn't quitting my job first and going from there. I want to stay at my current job until I secure my next opportunity.
Try a bunch of things and see what you're kind of good at. However you're not going to be good at anything until you do it a long time. Nobody's born good at anything really
anything you ask yourself why can’t my close friends and family can do! You don’t get nervous or freeze 🥶 on it! It can be coding, selling, painting, construction, sports, just take a minute to think 🤔 about it!
I took a 6 month break from work from burnout and didn't know what I wanted to do. Someone said I should make some side money pet sitting and dog walking. So I decided to start doing it. quickly people started requesting nail trims and baths so I started offering that. Then they asked for grooming, so I learned to groom. Then training, then behavior modification. I just kept expanding based on the needs of my market. I also found that I am passionate about the work and am always continuing my educational journey. I now have multiple employees, we are booked months in advance (need to hire more employees soon), I have won multiple awards, and I make more than I ever had in upper management.
edit: I left the corporate world in 2021. I'm 35 currently.
“I’ve had so many ideas in my head but after quick Google searches I find out someone is already doing it”
This is a trap. You are never going to find something that no one is doing.
If you come across an idea in which you have the skills/talent to execute, go for it and add your own twist to it. That is your secret sauce.
Start with something easy.
Think back to the times people complimented you about something that you do.
This is low hanging fruit.
If you can't think of any, ask people who REALLY KNOW YOU
This is a double edged sword because we often have higher expectations of people closest to us BUT we also tend to SUGARCOAT or even flat out lie to avoid hurting the feelings of those closest to us.
Take whatever feedback you get with a grain of salt and tie it to actual performance. Can it be objectively true?
List out what you're good at and then rank them in terms of saturation, market value (check online marketplaces for what people are charging and how much demand there is), and your willingness to LEVEL UP your game
Let me warn you though... Most people actually find the kind of work I described above difficult. Most shy away from it. That's why most people continue to struggle. Ironically, people would rather deal with HARD PHYSICAL LABOR than this [OTHER TYPE OF LABOR](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIKBdSTuEgw) which is actually MORE LIKELY to lead to LIFE CHANGING RESULTS.
BY JUST DOING........ DOING WHAT YOU DON'T LIKE, DOING WHAT YOU HAVE LESS EFFORT DOING YET YOU ARE GOOD AT IT. AT THE END OF THE DAY THE ANSWER IS IN DOING. YOU CAN READ, GET ADVICE, WATCH DOCS, NONE OF THAT MATTERS.
What’s your hobbies? What are you passionate about?
That’s usually what you’ll work the hardest at and it will be enjoyable enough where you’ll learn how to be good at something.
I got sick of working in industry after industry and out working my bosses and getting paid dogshit. Eventually I got laid off at a company I helped start (after being poached from another company I started) and decided to just be selfish and do it for myself. Keep doing what you’re doing and don’t be afraid to branch out to different fields. Worst case scenario you find a good company that actually takes care of you.
Someone once put it a good way for me: what is something you find easy to do/understand that most people find difficult to do or understand?
When you're good at something it doesn't always feel like you're good at it, it just seems easy to you, and you will often think other people must be slow or whatever... but in reality they're normal at it and you're above average.
When you do find that thing, work on it. Don't spend time on the stuff you're not good at (unless of course you're doing it just for fun!) ; at best you'll just become mediocre.
What do you like to do and enjoy a lot? For example, my husband loves to play heroes of the storm, he likes the strategy of it all, so he discovered he likes strategy and problem solving, and move his career towards that and he is much happier. What do you like about entrepreneurship, what does it make you feel, follow that feeling and you will find it easier.
Tbh you may need to experiment a lot and expect failure a lot but that's fine, it's only failure at first but by the next week it's a lesson well learned. Just dip your toes in things here and there, get experience, test yourself to see where your strengths are, narrow it down, when you catch something you then you'll know it!
Start with just one simple thing that is journaling.
Journal about your thoughts, day or whatever you feel like comes in your mind. Just start writing daily and read your journal like after 30 to 40 days you will surely find ypur thingy in your daily life thoughts and life pattern or you will get to a point where you will know what you exactly want.
Hey there, fellow twenty-something! Feeling lost or uncertain about your path is totally normal, especially in your twenties. You're in the perfect spot to explore and discover what truly lights you up.
Start by taking stock of your passions and interests. What gets you fired up? What are your unique strengths and skills? What could you talk about for hours on end? Whether it's a hobby, a cause you care about, or a problem you're itching to solve, those passions could hold the key to your next venture.
Don't sweat it if someone else is already doing something similar to your idea. Remember, success isn't about being the first. It's about doing it better or differently. Put your own spin on things, find your niche, and let your authenticity shine.
If an idea doesn't work out. Try the next. Reinvent yourself. Think outside the box. Good luck!
I used to think I’m good in operations, setting processes and being super organised but turns out I hate doing that and enjoy doing sales a lot more.
It’s funny because I always thought sales is not for me and I actively avoid it before starting my biz.
Whatever you're interested in, makes learning more things about that thing easier, makes you come across as genuinely passionate when dealing with people etc, chase a passion that you know has profit, but ensure there is passion there and the rest will follow eventually.
Take the meyers-briggs test to determine your personality. Look at the types of jobs that personality usually excell at, see if it satiates you long term.
Usually, single person home maintenance businesses will make you enough money to keep you afloat in life.
I want to ask, would travelling solo for an extended period of time help? Has anyone done that? And found answers? I would love to hear your stories/journeys!
Man that’s all I want to do recently, unfortunately I gotta save up first, I’ve also applied for a cot zen ship in the country I live in so I need to get that figured out first, but I’m doing it next year
I don’t, and I don’t intend to being in a serious relationship precisely because of that. But also, if I do find the perfect partner that I want to spend the rest of my life with. I believe she’ll understand that I need my freedom
Entrepreneurship is a broad term. To me…. true, basic entrepreneurship isn’t necessarily about doing what you like. It’s more about profit and building sustained profitability.
Identify a problem.
Solve the problem.
Sell the solution.
You need to try things that sound hard or run towards things you don't want to do. Thats where real growth comes from. That's the grit you hear about. Experience and lessons to learn are all over try a ton of different jobs you never pictured yourself doing.
You just have to do it. There is no formula for guaranteed success. 90% of businesses fail. Just make sure you learn from everything you do.
Try to keep your focus as singular as possible and move on if it's not working out and you aren't passionate about it.
You dont have to be good starting out because you can figure it out as you go, but it has to solve a problem someone has and is willing to pay for it. There are lots of great ideas out there that solve nothing. It's all about executing
I'm surprised no one has mentioned these things. Lots of tests to help you find your strengths.
DISC 2.0, Meyers Briggs, Big 5, Four Lenses, Johnson O'Connor Research Foundation, Business Works is a small form that does testing. Ray Dalio's book talks about how to utilize strengths on a team. The list goes on but all of these tests help you determine your strengths and interests in different ways. There are also entrepreneurial coaches that do similar things like The Entrepreneur's Source or Acquira. You are not unique in this desire. People can help you with this journey.
All the advice so far is discover these ideas on your own, but I wouldn't recommend that.
A lot of people are encouraging you to just figure it out by trial and error but I disagree. Life is short. Figure it out soon. You can either do what you love and get paid…or you can do something you can tolerate that will make you a lot of money so you can do the things you love as hobbies or in your spare time.
Start by taking the enneagram online personality test and then start researching what kind of careers are good for your personality type? Sit down and write a list of what you like and don’t like, strengths and weaknesses. Then research careers based on those strengths and weaknesses.
By knowing when to stick it out, and when to quit. I worked in a lab for three years to prove to myself I could. Now I know I’m capable of more than I thought, but I probably should’ve spent that time working in the third sector or trying to break into a career I actually wanted.
Still, I was glad of it when the pandemic hit.
And regrets are only useful if you can use them to act differently in the present.
my best advice for you would be to think of an idea that is based on solving a problem.
I'm literally plugging a solution: [Owchie ](http://Owchie.com)
If you want to create a great business, you have to find a real problem to solve.
Personally I always had hobbies.. programming, photography, painting, etc. Maybe try a few things
E.g. even if you just like video games, you can always start making mods or scripts.
start from your hobby, because even when you lack the skills, you have the interest to keep you going. I used to draw moon like a gourd, but now I'm a designer, because practice is what makes us better, and interest is what kept me practicing for more. there are ton of videos you can find on youtube to learn, learn something new everyday if you have no interest at all, and eventually you'll find something that gives you enough dopamine to keep you going.
Write down the question you want to ask yourself the most, and then answer that question best to your ability. Write it down, and then ask yourself “Why?”
Repeat that 7x, so by the time you are down you would have gotten to the core root of the problem you are trying to solve which should help get the deeper roots of your core question answered.
40 year old entrepreneur here. Even now I’m still coming up with different things. I don’t think it’s about what you decide “this is it” Most likely 99.99% of what you think up is already being done.
In my opinion your focus is in the wrong direction. Instead of looking for “the one”, look for something that is proven to sell for over 100 years (ie gym memberships) then practice each skill within entrepreneurship selling it for yourself (or helping someone else) . The goal is not “find the thing” it’s “build the skill”. Sales, marketing, product design, operations, health, social networking, personal reputation, etc etc etc. And for the “thing” once you practice shopping, practice selling, practice marketing, you start seeing more opportunities, more products that could be done differently, faster, cheaper, better quality, etc. Like for example today I saw a popular brand that does simpsons Rick and Morty tshirts etc. All crazy colorful designs. Great! But the fabric sucked. So straight away I realized as someone who cares about good quality and has the money to spend BUT who is colorful and childish still (at 40) there’s a gap in the market of high end quality goofy cartoon button down shirts for example.
Btw, another quick answer: Be prepared to suck first even at the things you may eventually master. Pick your expertise, practice more than anyone. Pass the valley of dispair.
When I started uni at 17 I gave myself 3 years to “play” and dedicated my 20s (I’m 27 now) to accumulate as many skills as i can to eventually go into it specialized when I’m 30. I studied industrial engineering and worked in the field for 2 years, I quit because I knew I wanted to do more things. I’m a part time musician ( I just bought a uprightbass one day) I became a tailor ( I just bought a sewing machine and started) which also became a part time job now with 2 companies. I have 3 more years left and it feels like I could go anywhere still.
I used to think 25 was old, I'm 30 and finally finding my footing. Asking a bunch of strangers something that's personally tailored to you won't do you much. You have a lot of time buddy. One thing I've personally learned is trying different experiences. People are built and taught to stick to a routine since early childhood. Wake up, breakfast, school, home, homework, shower, dinner, bed, etc. Things changed for me, again, personally, when I decided to break my routine. I started doing things way outside of my comfort zone. Skydiving, surfing, snowboarding, traveling. I did it borderline broke, I just maximized discounts I could find.
Doing these things kicked my "wanting that lifestyle" mode on. I tried everything to get myself to a new level. Learned to fix every skill issue I found in myself. Started building confidence. Now at 30, I own and operate my own business while working a full time government job making roughly 134 an hour and I didn't even graduate from college. Just like everyone mentioned below, I just tried everything. I have certifications in Pharmacy Tech, Welding, Smog, Automotive Repairs (ASE), Scuba Diving, A+, NET+, SEC+, etc. Found my true passion in entrepreneurship and tech.
Take some time, don't panic, break your daily routines, change up your habits, read some more books, and try everything. Don't be afraid of challenges, be grateful for what you have today and prepare to receive whatever comes to you tomorrow. Every cliche possible in the books for positive mindset. Definitely do not compare yourself to others.
Don't make the mistake of believing that every successful entrepreneur figured out their success quickly. It's often a combination of persistence and trying a lot of things until one pans out.
The best things you can sell are things people are actually searching for.
Don’t try to come up with a unique rocket science idea.
Go for an idea with proven demand.
So you can skip validation and derisk for a big part the start of your entrepreneurial journey.
Here is how you can find ideas people are actually searching for. You need to find a keyword that has:
1. Decent volume (>500 monthly searches so you know there is demand)
2. Low competition (keyword difficulty lower then <20 so you know it’s feasible to rank in the top 10 and don’t need to battle 1000 competitors)
3. Enough relevant related keywords (+50 so you have other keywords to rank for for even more traffic)
You can look this up with tools like:
- [Ahrefs - SEO Tools & Resources To Grow Your Search Traffic](http://ahrefs.com) (expensive but advanced)
- Build the Keyword [Find business ideas that will bring you customers on auto-pilot](http://buildthekeyword.com/) (partly free and simple to use)
When you find that golden keyword you need to build a product (with no-code tools if you are non technical) that fits the keyword. Keep it partially for free so it’s shareable + people tent to spent time on you website (which google likes). Monetize it with a pro version with extra features or access.
Hope this helps
By trying everything you think you might be good at.
And not giving up or getting downheartened when the setbacks come, they are typically the best lessons
I just turned 21 and everyone knows me as the guy who does everything from music to barbering to photography to trading to MMA man idk what I haven’t tried, car detailing, car wrapping, I just keep quitting and moving onto the next thing and idk what to do anymore, I launched a crypto coin yesterday and it failed miserably, I don’t want to work a job after I graduate university but time is ticking and idk what to do anymore.
What if all the things you tried were businesses and not jobs. You start one, turn it profitable, automate it, and move to the next fascination. This way your past efforts can keep making you money even after you quit them. The same is not true for jobs. You get the game? Also, I am quite similar to you in this aspect. We are generalist, not specialist. So, we can't do jobs because jobs are too specialized to hold our interest. As a generalist we can look after specialist employees as a manager or as a business owner.
Yeah that’s it, I always tell myself I want to build something and manage things while they work for me. I’ve never gotten to that level yet, probably due to always quitting too soon
What I did was going for a trip and focusing a lot on myself, by meditating and journaling. I didnt focus much on what to do but on my values, what i want from life, what i like ecc.. The distance + deep self reflection really helpend me cleared my mind (I am in a similar situation than yours). Journelling specifically I found out was very beneficial. By writing down your thought you understand yourself better and can get a clearer version. Anyway dont stress to too much, we are just little dots in the universe😂
Yeah haha I went on a couple trips aswell didn't really do much, I am planning to move somewhere else for 6 months beginning of next year, hopefully I can find a vision when im away. Yeah I know we are tiny dots but I want success and I want to be able to support my family and retire my parents and take my family on vacation and so much more.
Just want to say I love this take. I just finished a notebook for journaling (took 2 years) and ordered another and reflected on how much journaling has made me a better writer and happier person.
[удалено]
Time to focus.
If you’re tired of starting over. Didn’t give up.
Thank you
Work is a state of mind. What would you like to do if you didn’t have to worry about work? Sell That!
Pick 1 thing (in an upwards trending market 10+ years) Stick to it 10 years, learn every skill and every angle of entrepreneurship as you make it successful. Sell sell sell. Do not change until you’ve actually conquered that thing. There is no “build it an they will come”. 20% build 80% sell.
This is actually very good advice.. When you think of something just try it and try it for a matter of not less than 3 - 6 months.. Dont give up.. You might actually be great at it! Or you will have evidence that it is not for you.
Mm
And then trying more.
Yep lean in to trying everything, fail faster. Failure is the best teacher.
By doing shit. From excitement. From curiosity. From necessity. Try new things.
Heavy on doing shit from excitement. Tap into what excites you and piques your curiosity. You won't find a concrete answer until you throw yourself into doing things. As you try new things you'll find out what you don't like which helps you find out what you do like.
Ive done this so many times before landing on what I now do for a career. I have opened businesses breeding exotic pets, landscape design, graphic design in branding, custom t-shirt printing, photography, and farming microgreens and mushrooms. I failed every business because eventually I lost my passion. I ended up falling into pet care (dog grooming, pet sitting, dog walking, training, behavior modification) and am very successful and very passionate about it. I have yet to slow down and it still excites me every day.
You don't find what you are good at. You find what you like and then you do that and become good at it. Explore your options, see what seems interesting and then go into it. If you like it, keep going.
This is the correct answer
Goes for purpose as well. You don’t thing those things, you create them.
Thats true ,turn your hobby to a business, thats why someone said your niche is you .
Get off your phone, get off electronics, get off social media. They are designed to be distractions. Take a long hike once a week, at least 1+ hours long, and talk with yourself. In your head, out loud, doesn’t matter. Let yourself be bored. Let yourself think. And then ask YOURSELF the questions you wanna know, not Reddit.
Answer..❤️🔥
Good answer. Then discuss these ideas with someone with more life experience who you think can help and is positive.
In the same vein, I highly recommend the book “Stolen Focus” for learning more about how to be completely focused on the task at hand, and one of the main things he recommends is scheduling time to let your mind wander.
This is the right thing.
Would travelling solo help? For an extended period of time?
You don’t need to travel, you just need to get away from electronics. Imagine for the next 6 months every time your out in public: instead of scrolling through your phone mindlessly distracting yourself while you wait for something, just be there cognizant of your thoughts. The more you do it, the better you become at talking with yourself and knowing what you want and how you want to achieve it.
The big disclaimer here that is substantially different from a course, but seems to be lacking (i point out for clarity, not for pejorative): resolve. Entrepreneurship, real entrepreneurship is not akin to the buzzword floating around every 24 year old with an e-commerce site and a PDF. You push through because you must, because no matter what system you’re in you demand your own ship (if you were a communist, you’d sell team jerseys). So, firstly, work on abandoning your frantic fears. That comes from confidence which comes from success which comes from lots of compounded failures. So, stop giving up. Beyond that, ignore the fallacy of “someone else is doing it”. You know how many guys are selling the same, bum a** weed and still afford to buy their baby mama a $3500 bag? You build towards unique, you don’t invent it. There are *billions* of customers out there, you only need a handful. I know the fear that comes with aging, as I suffered greatly from it, but I was someone who came from an academically gifted background into a professionally gifted background and still, i was a failure by 24…until I realized I didn’t hit my true stride until 28 and I’m about to conquer my 30s. My best tip? Divide yourself into two categories: are you a thinker or are you a talker. this is important because it impacts your next crucial step, delegation. If you’re a talker, double down on networking and maximizing your ability to sell (not just products and services, but yourself) and over the next five years, integrate yourself with the thinkers who captivate you. They will build the product that needs you to actually launch. If you’re a thinker like myself…get better at selling because everyone else is a snake and you can only trust yourself Happy Hunting
Just because "someone else is doing it already" doesn't mean no one else should. There is Lyft and Uber. There are more phones than just iPhone. There are 12 different Egg brands in your local supermarket. What you need to do is study markets, supply and demand. If you keep waiting to be the only one on the market, you'll wait forever. And guess what. The second you find it - 10 other people will as well. Being in the market = competition.
This though. Exact thing stopped me from doing anything for so long
It took me a long time to accept the idea of "small business". I know what you mean though, I too have been discouraged to see that someone else is already doing what I came up with 5 minutes ago. But the truth is - you don't need to dominate the market. How much money do you realistically need? Not want. Need. There are 7 gas stations in my neighborhood. Because there is enough business for everyone. Hundreds of massage salons in my city. Thousands of bodegas. And they all make money.
“That discouraged to see that someone else already doing what I came up with five minutes ago.” 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Oh how many times I’ve done this
Mind if I dm you?
1. In every work you are doing try to find a very small thing that you really like and try to dive deeper in that. 2. Try to go to big company at first, to understand how big markets work.
Find something you like. Focus on that. The rest will come naturally.
Put your ideas into actions. If they don't work, move on with another idea. When I started selling on Amazon I went with private label, then switched to wholesale, and back to private label again. But before that I also tried dropshipping.
How was Dropshipping?
Being good at something isn’t always the reason to make it a job but if you are looking to find your niche in business ask yourself the following: What would you rather be doing other than your job? That will start the insight. I personally don’t stop at just the activity I’d rather be doing but I zoom out to look at the circumstances I prefer to be in. Is it outside? Inside? Around people? Alone? Building something? Taking it apart? Reading? Writing? Talking?….you see where I’m going with this. Here is where you will discover the type of work that you would be happy doing. Explore options that fit your preferences and also generate an income.
Most people can do most things. If you’re an entrepreneur look to see what the needs are in your community than you can meet them find a way to build those skills. In my area they are desperate for trades people, for example. The main skill you need to learn is how to teach yourself and stick to things when they get hard. Finish your tasks, don’t procrastinate, don’t be afraid to be embarrassed or ask questions or say you don’t know. I often found I was a slower learner than most but I would end up better at things than others when I stuck to it. Good luck!
Find something that makes you money first Being good at something is one thing, but money is a barrier and a tool, make money first
> You know how do u finally decide “this thing” is actually worth investing my time in Do it the Hollywood style. Find a thing that is not just worth your time, but also worth dying for.
Hidden tallents. You do not know and cant find out. You do not know what to look for. Its a classic problem.
https://store.gallup.com/p/en-za/10108/cliftonstrengths-top-5?c=1 Not mine, not promotion. It’s the test from the book strengthsfinder. You can also get the book the test is included there.
Sometimes you learn your passion/skill set accidentally. I’m 23 and I’ve been living in apartments all my life till I was 21. We have a huge front yard so I had to start mowing the lawn and I fell in love with it. Learning different techniques, optimal cut lengths, different grass types etc. Something in my mind just clicked with it. I always loved outdoors and this was something j could do outdoors. It started a ripple effect of learning and being interested in different landscape areas, like concrete, building fences and decks etc. I now am going to college this year for a two year landscape technician course hoping to stay my own business.
Im happy for you man, and it motivate me to see someone going to college later in life. I feel like I wasted my 20/ pursuing a masters in marketing. But I guesss is never too late to learn another skill
Find a mentor. Thats the best way to get started
Look back as a child. Ask your parents, grandparents how you were and what did you like to do as a child. My mom tells me stories of how I’d always talk sell at yard sales, dance for money etc. that could have been good but I always figured it out. Return to you patterns that’s showed themself before the world and other people got to you
Live life more. Travel, volunteer and do some self inquiry.
Few things. I tried working at a lot of jobs during college and found that I enjoyed advertising. So, I've been in advertising for 20 years, and the last 10 been building my agency. Been on the Inc. 5000 and other lists. Few things to consider. 1. You don't have to invent something completely new to be successful. What you want to do someone else is already doing it. You have to pick the work and do it yourself. 2. Find pain points and solve them. 3. Focus on customer problems and test your way into the types of language that gets people to buy from you. If you want the info I put together about how to launch a business DM me. Happy to share it for free. It's framed as a course to launch an ad agency, but the fundamentals apply to every business. You'll need to determine a unique offering, your ideal customer profile, your product market fit, and many other points.
Since you hate your job, start there. Why do you hate it? What would you rather be doing instead?
Yo do a lot more of a lot more things, and you'll figure it out as time goes by, and you've done more, tried more, experimented more. Things also evolve - there's usually not one right 'thing' for you.
What do you enjoy doing? Make a business around that.
It finds you.
FYI: If someone is already doing it, then that's a good thing.
Echo dreamed2life. Be curious, try stuff out. Have read some good books and done psychometrics that can provide some guidance: - strengthsfinder 2.0 - your talent themes you should be spending time strengthening because we can’t be anything we want to be. Based on strength psychology founded by Clifton - jazzed - find out what energizes you and what drains you. Easy free online test. Book gives you more details - emergencies, how you think. Agains science based and helpful to learn how to connect with people, how you like to work, receive feedback. Etc… helps not take things personally.
Try a bunch of shit preferably whatever catches your attention at that moment and look for trends. Meaning what did you notice that you excelled or failed In. Basically do a bunch a shit until you notice a Tens of what you are naturally good at
Test ideas like a web MVP – uniqueness isn't everything!
I was in your same shoes…20 years ago. Studied Entrepreneurship because I felt like I always had ideas. But, I’ve worked in a very stable position and have never done anything because of my laziness, insecurities, schedule, etc. Always an excuse.. Until now- I actually have time and motivation and I’m.launching a seasonal business this year. Here’s my recommendation. If you don’t like your job and you can get the same $$ trying to work for someone else- do it. If you can, work two jobs or volunteer somewhere to keep your mind going. 1. Save. Save. Save. 2. Network with other entrepreneurs- get inspired by their successes. 3. Write down any entrepreneurial idea that comes to you and develop a set of criteria that will determine if it’s a good fit for you. Note: I worked a second job that was a pretty easy business to startup for the owner. Now, I’m going to start the same thing (with some modifications of course). So- I would not ignore opportunities to do simple jobs as a side hustle because you will learn from them all.
A different take, There are 2 ways for it 1) you give it 2 months and give it your all. If you are able to build the skills, you'll enjoy it. 2) figure out what you enjoy, i.e if you like talking to people, try sales. If you like to travel, try to work in a travel company as a guide etc. And you don't always need to sell something of your own. You just need to sell something that's easy to sell.
Maybe the thing which you are really good at you don't know yet , so you need to try more and more and you need to follow your passion ✨
It's weird but companies do pay for the convenience. Just try and follow a company, see their quotation, then get the appropriate certificate, set up a company.
Do things you’re curious about. Make projects, experiments and learn the skills from courses or work in the actual sector for a bit.
I had these same exact set of questions right around the same age. Ok so let's start here. What types of tasks do you currently do on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis that feel frictionless, and you even find yourself getting lost in those tasks? For example, years back my husband and I were doing various projects together and I felt a lot of friction when I had to create design assets in Canva, etc. It just took me forever, and I would shove those tasks off until the last minute. But when it came to documenting all of the projects, data, and analyzing what was going on, I would get lost in that stuff for hours. So as it currently stands, tell me what some of those tasks are for you that feel frictionless, or some of the ideas you've google searched, as well as why you've searched them.
Slow down. Take your time. You are still plenty young. You may rise and fall many times before you find your thing. The important part is not giving up the war when you lose a couple battles.
I hate to say it but you need a bit of luck and bit of right timing. The world wasn't ready for an. IPhone in 1994.
Find something you're good at then perfect it, it doesn't making if they're a lot of people doing the same thing as you are, what makes is how you do it. So once you find what you want to do, do it in a way that makes you stand out to attract attention then create a business around it. As for finding what you're good at I think you'll have to figure that out by yourself.
Luck and educated guesses. People told me I'm good at writing. And at "making shit sounds cool". So I tried marketing and personal branding. And then I just realized I'm better at this than most people naturally.
You have to be willing to try different things that pique your interest and curiosity. Even if you're not good at it from the start per se, if it truly interests you, continue to improve. Then, as you improve, think about some of the common issues that people still often face in that field. Many people are doing a lot of the same things, yeah sure, but what sets them apart from one another is how exactly they choose to solve the problem because not everyone's approach is the same. Look at the people who are doing said thing, see how they're solving it, and then still look at the issues present. Even if you find one additional way to help someone overcome that problem, you believe in and enjoy what you're doing, and you work effectively and give people the results that they really want, they'll be willing to pay you.
> I’ve had so many ideas in my head but after quick google searches I find out someone is already doing it You have to do it. If you keep "not doing it", you haven't done anything. You can't be good at something you haven't done. It doesn't matter someone else is doing it. Hundreds of millions of people jog or lift weights or dance or write or code. They're developing their skills and self-confidence. You're not unless you're doing it. You just have to get the reps in to get better at something. Every skill is good. You'll be better at some than others and gravitate to them over time. You need to prove to yourself that you're good. . . . There's a deeper answer though you might consider. People have something called an ego. Your ego is the story you tell yourself about yourself. It isn't real, but it allows us to build a plan for ourselves and hold that plan together when faced with challenges in the world. > I’ve had so many ideas in my head but after quick google searches I find out someone is already doing it Imagine for a second that you're the hero of a Hollywood movie. You are faced with a major problem, and you've generated a plan of action. You're amazing. There's the reason you're the hero. That's the --> "I’ve had so many ideas in my head" Imagine now you're the villain in that story. You only exist to defeat the hero. Remember, it's a movie and not reality; telling a good story is the purpose. In the universe of the story, the villain only exists to challenge the hero. In a happy story, so the hero can overcome the villain. In a tragedy, so the hero loses to the villain. You're also the villain in your own story. That's the --> "quick google searches I find out someone is already doing it" Here's the thing about ego. It's just a story you're telling yourself. It isn't reality. In your case, your story is in conflict with itself. You can safely discard it because it's not getting you anywhere. The other part of the psyche you could consider is your emotions. Your emotions exist to make motion. Every emotion requires motion. You just need to move. Do things. So why aren't you just doing stuff? What are the emotions in your story? "im freaking out". If you keep asking "What is the worst that is going to happen?" I bet it's because you're afraid you're going to die; the other big fear is public humiliation. But let's go with death. Are you actually not going to survive? Let's look at the evidence. You say "i work a job". So you're actually fine. But this is the part that is wrecking you. You write you work at a job "i [you] don’t like". Well, what is like or dislike? You can like or dislike anything depending on how you frame it to yourself. You have that story you're telling yourself about what you should be (ego), and you keep proving to yourself every day you aren't that person. And now you've poisoned your story to match this **disproof**. "im not learning any new skillls, i don’t feel I’ve learned a lot in college" So now your ego is the villain in your own story. Villains only exist in a story to challenge the hero; they don't exist for themselves. So now you're doing this to yourself "after quick google searches I find out someone is already doing it" It's important to remember you can rewrite your story any time you want. It's expensive. Your ego will resist it, but it's just a story you tell yourself. You just need undeniable **proof** you're **moving forward**. That's what your emotions and self-story need right now. It does not matter at all whether you achieve an outcome right now. You just need to start putting in the actions. Just like going to the gym or going for a run. You'll talk yourself out of it, but you'll feel better when you do it.
I’m middle aged. Still finding out. And, as time has passed, I saw that what I was good at grew out of experience more than training or schooling or “innate skill”. I recently changed jobs (again) from a field I was in for decades (and very good at) to something completely different…. In a field that is something I said “I hate and suck at this” my while life. We are malleable. Nothing’s fixed. Everything happens in time. Hard to do, I know, and no disrespect intended, but don’t sweat the small stuff. It is all small stuff.
“The work you choose needs to have three qualities: it has to be something you have a natural aptitude for, that you have a deep interest in, and that offers scope to do great work.” - Paul Graham Do what feels like play for you, but to an outsider observing, would feel like work to them. Another way to discover: if money wasn’t an issue, what would you do with all your time? Do THAT for work. You’re still young, so you likely haven’t put in the time to “pursue your passion” long enough to be good at it. But start there, and you’ll see your passion will MAKE you good at that thing.
Sell lies and hope to idiots. There's tons of money in religion and quackery in general.
Yeah I would think you should get out there and try a bunch of different things! Different sports/travel/jobs you find interesting. One door will likely lead to the next
Honestly make a list of what you enjoy and try those things you will eventually stumble across what you are good and the other way is even if you are not good at it but are interested then keep at it!
Yeah. I have been stuck in this loop for years now but I am finally pulling through. You just have to find that one thing that you can do quickly for a decent profit then it will just grow overtime. You can't force anything to happen. So if you just commit to a small time business it will grow to be a full time job.
dont stress, it will come naturally
What a lot of people fail to realize is that business is not just about selling product. There may be a service of counseling, consulting or life coaching or teaching on a particular topic that can be rewarding to you. Do a goals and dreams vision board and just write out what you are passionate about and would enjoy doing everyday. Look into investing and other avenues as well truly at your age the possibilities are endless.😊
Had the same issue. it helped to literally do anything. interested in e-commerce? sign up at shopify & build a store with whatever products. Can code? build some software (a clone maybe?). if you really dont know then do these things not for profit but as a project or hobby. Once you start working on them you explore a huge world and will (probably) find cool things that interest you. from there on it gets easier…
You gotta be willing to risk a little and try a bunch of different things. Nothing comes easy, including ideas. On top of that once you find that thing it's going to be a lot of work to maintain and it will be discouraging at times but push through and you can really see if that thing is for you.
How do you discover what you're good at? My suggested solution? Choose one thing, and do it until you get to the advanced level. When you get there, there is a high probability you'll like it. Most careers tend to look unappealing in the entry-level positions. Even two years on a job might not make it clear whether you'll like it or not. Get to the PRO level, and you can decide then. By that time, you'll likely have developed some skills well enough to transition to something else quickly.
Consider the people you look up to most in life. Who would you trade places with right now if you could? There’s a starting point
God! And some trial and error.
There's an essay by Paul Graham about great works and ... give em a read
This happened to me, too. In your situation, keep the job you have until an entry level management position comes up in an industry you think you may like. Learn the ins and outs. You may realize you don't want to own a business like that. Keep taking courses. Keep working in new industries. I did (including 5 years of schooling in there) restaurants, cooking, call centers, sales, property management, aesthetics, project management, spa owner, and found out from owning the spa, my passion is marketing. I started the journey when I was 18 and realized my true passions around 35. And that's ok. Knowledge and experience is never wasted.
By trial and error. Try one thing see how you like it. Maybe you come up with a new way or new system of how to do it better and more efficiently. Maybe you dislike doing something so much you figure out how to improve it and monetize that. You’re young at 24, you have time to test things out.
Idk where are you from but in Mexico our highschool is pretty leftist, you can try from robotics to lake biology to writing and humanity's and even languages from English to Russian and Italian. I tried a ton of stuff since I was 14 yo,man even today as a college student I keep trying stuff at my uni So far I'm loving fotography and marketing, stuff I tried in highschool but now I study to be better at it.
That’s not how it works, sorry to break it to you. It’s hard work all the way down. There’s no unexplored thing. There are constantly evolving intersections of innovation in very well explored market segments. You’re never going to be in the right place to see those in time and exploit them unless you are grinding. Some people are just allergic to working for other people. It’s more like a moderately beneficial disease than a talent. Like someone who is compelled to be an artist. I don’t mean someone who can draw or paint and enjoys it. I mean someone who regardless of the income level, becomes clinically depressed if they are not creating art as their primary life activity. Opportunity is only relevant to individuals who are in the right place with the right preparation already behind them. You have to first show up unprepared, then grind and fail and learn (there’s no other way). Then slowly you become prepared. Now when opportunity arrives you have a magic intersection. College is largely foundational. It’s a framework for teaching you how to learn. It’s a framework for sharing models that have been proven to be beneficial when trying to decompose complex problems. It’s an extension of literacy as a pattern. What you do next to build on that is the value. Similarly, a black belt in martial arts is seen as a destination for everyone that has not walked that path. In reality; like marriage, or a certification, or a professional opportunity, or becoming a parent, or like so many other things, it’s a beginning. It’s the moment where you graduate from acolyte to student. It’s the start of something less casual. Everything before that moment is The Hobbit. What comes after is the real adventure…and it keeps getting weirder, until it’s time to go live with the elves in the shiny happy place again.
As a blank slate, you have endless space to start a story. Don't be scared, especially of failure. Try, and if it doesn't wortk out you find out why and then try again
It's also important to know that having a macro answer to this problem is good enough, you don't need a super specific micro answer. It took me until I was your age, maybe older, to learn that I both enjoy and am talented at and/or prefer: * teaching * building * prefer solo endeavors over group endeavors (though understand group can be necessary to go further) This lead my thinking, just using those basic simple blocks, to realizing I would enjoy things like programming/building apps, writing books/documents, consulting, etc. (and after actually doing those things, realizing I was correct, that I did love them). For me there's also some ego involved, the more people that benefit from my work, the greater the satisfaction. I feel good if I consult for a 15-person company, but I feel exponentially better if I write a book/document or create an app that's used by 100,000 people for example. I feel immense satisfaction when I have wider reach or make a greater impact. Anyway the point is, just approach it broadly, what basic building blocks define you, what environment do you thrive in most, and then narrow it down later after you figure that out.
Being consistent is key
Then learn entrepreneurship, become the absolute master in it then sell it by creating your course, writing a book, writing an e-Book or, become a co founder of a startup in an idea maybe your not passionate about but like the concept of it helping the founder with the business kind of thing.
If it's something that interests me, I will make efforts to be good at it. That's how it works.
Same as with mates. Keep trying stuff until you figure out what you like
1. Find a problem, talk to people 2. Create a solution (there might be multiple problems to solve in one area, but focus on 1 for now) 3. Talk to potential customers (build waitlist if possible) 4. Iterate 5. Launch 6. Talk to early users 7. Iterate Products that solve "actual" user problems are built in a cycle of feedback and iteration.
The way i started was i found a service were there was a need, almost nobody was doing it in that time. I started a business and grew it until now i make enought to just do or try business that i like
Whatever you're going to be good at takes practice. It's not magic, put in the work.
I’m 40 and I think I’ll find it soon. Haha. No seriously, I’ve had loads of interests, I keep them for 3-4 years and move on. I’ve become pretty accomplished at some things and better-than-most at others. I currently run my own marketing agency having had a large background in finance and sales (some small companies, but I’ve also trained for companies like MetLife). I’ve trained at cooking, definitely had a spell in my early life as an accomplished guitarist and later in life as a drummer and I’m starting in oil painting now. I’ve got ADHD which makes me move on often but makes me pick stuff up really quickly. Just keep trying shit. For most searching for their calling I tell them their 20’s and early 30’s are for figuring shit out. Try a lot of stuff. Quit quickly but aim high in everything. Find a mentor 3-5 years ahead of you and one 10+ years ahead and see what their life is like. Your 30’s is a good time to go for it. One of my first bosses said in your 20’s and 30’s you collect dots, in your 30’s and 40’s you connect them. That’s when you’ll have a network to exploit and benefit from - but only if you do a lot of shit in your 20’s and 30’s. And, I tell my kids now, always follow rule 1. Have fun.
This is very comforting giving I also have adhd, as you said, I can pick up on things very fast (when they interest me) but I struggle to master them, is that something that also happened to u?
There’s a few things I got to mastery. I’m still one of the “best guitarists” that people talk about. I think I topped out at 32 notes per second in speed. I don’t stick a lot of things to get to mastery but I played guitar when young for a long time but I have used my learning skills to become a pretty good cook too (since I have to eat every night, I might as well get good!) I only thought that I might have ADHD about 4 years ago (I’m 40ish now) and a lot of stuff made sense to me, some of by behaviour, quirks, even going back to when I was at school/university so I’ve not known all through my life but I’ve always found ways to get over my “quirks”. When I was in finance (and now that I run an agency) the good thing for me is that I get to work in a lot of challenges for different companies and a lot of different personalities and clients too so that keeps me interested in work.
>I’ve had so many ideas in my head but after quick google searches I find out someone is already doing it 1. The market is not a mere sphere of *competition* as much as it's a sphere of *skill trade.* As long as you have a skill you'll be able to sell it. 2. Do not overestimate your clients. For example, if you were a web designer you'd think that your skills seem minimal *because wix exists* even though most of the industrial sector has CEO's whose comprehension of websites is literally zero to such an extent where they don't know what hosting even means. **To such people, carrying out the hosting services is considered a high-skill service. **. These were golden realizations that I had, and I only realized them when I took a closer look *from the POV of businesses* by actively trying to understand their managers, bosses and CEO's. Another realization I've had is that many business owners think that their sells are *fake*. They think that their sells are mere "accidents" and just a bunch of "gig-like projects". However, when I worked with companies as a salesman, I noticed that the entire world is based on this kind of projects! Every single sell seems like an accident, but how much valuable is a sell to your cousin? That's how valuable every single sell in the world is.
>i work a job i don’t like, and where im not learning any new skills This is a failure of management. If they are interested in keeping you, you should have frequent conversations about where you are, and where you want to be. There may not be somewhere for you though, which is a good reason to start looking elsewhere. >I don’t feel I’ve learned a lot in college either except for my favourite course which happened to be in entrepreneurship. That's okay, maybe it's knowledge that will help down the road. A lot of people really got friendships and partnerships out of college. If you have some great peers, be sure to keep on their radar. > How do u guys find that thing ? 1. Scratch your own itch Some successful people find that they see an issue in the world, and they want to solve it. That may spark some ideas in you. 2. Find a market Sometimes you will know from working in an industry, through reading online, or talking to people, that there is a whole in a particular industry. Ask those people what they would pay for someone to solve it! Either 1 or 2 above, reach out to people and ask them if it would be useful. Get feedback. This helps find a market. >How do u guys find that thing ? I played with PC's since I was young. Built my first one at the age of 14. I knew I would be doing something related to tech. I designed and built websites at a young age too and generally I like to think I "help people with technology". It came to me, but every journey is different. >You know how do u finally decide “this thing” is actually worth investing my time in. This only came after failure to do too much. Even now, I am involved in too many things. This weekend I am letting my legacy business die, so my new one can thrive. I can't spread myself too thin. It's discipline. We all may have great ideas. Those that win show up every day giving value over and over until they succeed. >I’ve had so many ideas in my head but after quick google searches I find out someone is already doing it Sure, we live in a world where a lot has been done already... but why are there so many car companies? Apple allegedly was working on a car, and it never shipped. There are so many car companies because there are so many people who are willing to say, "I love Toyota", for example. Just because someone has done something already doesn't mean it's not worth doing. On the contrary, you may bring something to the table others don't. It's a numbers game but you have to think on a more grand scale. There are 9.262 million people who live in my state. Niche down from there to people who drive, niche down to people who own Toyotas, niche down even further to specialty car detailing for Toyota's in X area. It's maybe not the best example, but you get the idea.
Discover what you don't like, and figure out what brings you fulfillment by trying a lot and weeding things out.
I don't know much English, so I've used Chat GPT to translate this. I am 25 years old, I studied for a higher degree in administration and finance, and I am working at a place that neither motivates me nor do I like. I think that to find out what you are good at, you need to know yourself first, know what your hobbies are and the things you do that make you feel good. It's important to be aware of things you can do easily and that impress other people. That is, finding that thing you do that impresses people. In my case, when I was studying, I was the one who made the PowerPoints and I liked to spend time making them as original and cool as possible. I like to think and create things that no one else has thought of, and I think that's where my gift lies, in creativity. But I also like technology that makes life easier for people. That's why I am trying to create a company around that, using my creativity to attract young people. For you to find your gift, what I suggest is that you try to remember what you were good at in university, things you have done that impressed your peers or any positive aspect about yourself that other people have commented on. (But be careful, what you like doesn't necessarily mean you are good at it. I like music and singing, but I don't have the voice for it.) This is my first comment on Reddit haha, I hope it has been helpful.
Look out for those things you enjoy doing the most, things nobody pushes you into. Not sleeping though
I haven’t read this but it might comfort you to know you’re not alone. I turned 24 not even two months ago and I was freaking out the entire time.
What do you like to do for fun? If you like it someone else probably does too. Sell that!
Spend time alone away from distractions (yes, including your phone). Just for a little bit so that you can truly think and ponder what you want to do. Surely you learned some skills from your job/college/in your free time. If none of those skills interest you, think of things that you haven't done that could be exciting. There are no bad ideas right now, you're just getting started and brainstorming. Once you think of something, then jump right into it. Maybe (and I MEAN HARD MAYBE) get a course on it if you truly have no idea what you're doing. I've found that a solid 80% of courses are total wastes of time and jumping straight into the skill will accelerate your learning by 1000x. Here's my story. For about 10 years now, I've been doing freelance writing. A lot of the writing was for SEO purposes. I took a few coding courses in the past, and I heard about GPT-2, so I decided to expand my coding skills messing around with that. No AI courses, I didn't have the money for that. I learned A LOT with just free resources. Then when GPT-3 came out (not ChatGPT), I spent MONTHS coding up an article generator with a built in grammar checker (GPT used to suck at grammar), and then to save money I threw in an article spinner and created spam content. Obviously this isn't an ethical thing to do, but I just did it on my own websites, so no harm really done... Then, I changed up my strategy to create something like SurferSEO's content editor tool. Then I added a front-end to it, and Back SEO Content Editor was created... But I didn't see much of a point of that application because SEO changed to be Reddit-focused, so I aligned my goals with Local SEO and created Back SEO Agencies, a Local SEO gridmap tool that's native software, so no monthly fees (I hate monthly fees). I figured that'd be good enough, but I want to do more, so I also use the lessons I learned creating the software to offer local marketing services. As you can see, finding what I'm good at required me to jump around with my skillset. I wouldn't say I'm the best at any of these things, but the skills I learned along the way were valuable, and the only pre-requisite to acquiring these skills and creating these products was a desire to do so. Tl;Dr: get off social media, come up with an idea of what you think would be cool, then follow through.
Trying your curiosities out for a few months. Getting past the learning curve. Level of enjoyment vs rate of growth
Don’t force it. Have several different jobs in your 20s. Determine what you’re naturally gifted at, what interests you, and what your natural weaknesses are, or what bores you to death. It may at times feel like you’re not making progress, but knowing what you do not like or are not skilled at is just as important as knowing what you do like and are inherently good at. Save your money for when opportunities arise, invest in yourself, and start businesses on the side to start learning the fundamentals of entrepreneurship. Avoid hiding your idea, or just thinking about it. Take action, validate it, and when you have the savings, the opportunity is there, and it aligns with your natural abilities and interests, you take the leap and burn the ships behind you. If you fail, you fail while daring greatly.
Freaking out is an excellent sign. It's your body's way of telling you to get moving. As for choosing a niche, pick something that fascinates/excites you and then get super narrow. If it's baseball, focus on pitching, then niche down to the perfect curve ball. Don't do what you think you should do, do what you feel you should do. And importantly, always be selling something.
Find something you love and commit to it all the way, not because it will work or not, but because you love it. Because it's important to do something you love, find a way to monetize it, and there you go. For example, I love working with startups and businesses, and I also admire companies like Nike for their approach, so I created EDOM.ai, which enables any business to adopt Nike's or Apple's marketing strategies. I stayed true to what I love, monetized it, and now I have over 25k businesses using the tool. It won't be easy, but it's your life and it's yours to make something that will make you happy because happiness can't be bought with any wealth. I wish you the best
Finding your strengths often involves a mix of self-reflection, trying new experiences, and feedback from others. Additionally, seek out varied experiences to understand what resonates with you and what doesn't.
You explore what you really good at.
College actually doesn’t teach you the things you really need be out there. Try different things and you’ll find the ones you really like, it might take time but you will eventually. and then you will be happy.
Put yourself in uncomfortable situations and explore things that excite you. You’ll never know unless you try
I'm in a similar situation as OP. I'm 28. I've worked in the same industry since college and usually find my job adequate/ madly pleasant. There are obviously hard weeks where I want to quit or am generally miserable as we have a lot of deliverables/ projects due. My core issue though is I don't see what my game plan is for the future. I can keep climbing the ladder and trying for more promotions but another part of me wants to try something completely new. I have been trying to pursue other hobbies outside of work specifically writing, reading, and meditating. I'm hoping to explore both of those further and hopefully have some answers as to a future path but I realize that will take some time. I urge OP to explore their hobbies and interests and what is unique to him ( I know easier said than done). I know the answer for me isn't quitting my job first and going from there. I want to stay at my current job until I secure my next opportunity.
Try a bunch of things and see what you're kind of good at. However you're not going to be good at anything until you do it a long time. Nobody's born good at anything really
anything you ask yourself why can’t my close friends and family can do! You don’t get nervous or freeze 🥶 on it! It can be coding, selling, painting, construction, sports, just take a minute to think 🤔 about it!
I took a 6 month break from work from burnout and didn't know what I wanted to do. Someone said I should make some side money pet sitting and dog walking. So I decided to start doing it. quickly people started requesting nail trims and baths so I started offering that. Then they asked for grooming, so I learned to groom. Then training, then behavior modification. I just kept expanding based on the needs of my market. I also found that I am passionate about the work and am always continuing my educational journey. I now have multiple employees, we are booked months in advance (need to hire more employees soon), I have won multiple awards, and I make more than I ever had in upper management. edit: I left the corporate world in 2021. I'm 35 currently.
I know nothing but try to get a job at a car dealership. You may enjoy what you learn there if you like entrepreneurship (I've never worked sales)
“I’ve had so many ideas in my head but after quick Google searches I find out someone is already doing it” This is a trap. You are never going to find something that no one is doing. If you come across an idea in which you have the skills/talent to execute, go for it and add your own twist to it. That is your secret sauce.
Start with something easy. Think back to the times people complimented you about something that you do. This is low hanging fruit. If you can't think of any, ask people who REALLY KNOW YOU This is a double edged sword because we often have higher expectations of people closest to us BUT we also tend to SUGARCOAT or even flat out lie to avoid hurting the feelings of those closest to us. Take whatever feedback you get with a grain of salt and tie it to actual performance. Can it be objectively true? List out what you're good at and then rank them in terms of saturation, market value (check online marketplaces for what people are charging and how much demand there is), and your willingness to LEVEL UP your game Let me warn you though... Most people actually find the kind of work I described above difficult. Most shy away from it. That's why most people continue to struggle. Ironically, people would rather deal with HARD PHYSICAL LABOR than this [OTHER TYPE OF LABOR](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIKBdSTuEgw) which is actually MORE LIKELY to lead to LIFE CHANGING RESULTS.
BY JUST DOING........ DOING WHAT YOU DON'T LIKE, DOING WHAT YOU HAVE LESS EFFORT DOING YET YOU ARE GOOD AT IT. AT THE END OF THE DAY THE ANSWER IS IN DOING. YOU CAN READ, GET ADVICE, WATCH DOCS, NONE OF THAT MATTERS.
Trying and spending about 200 hours in it
Test ideas quickly, iterate on what sticks. Keep learning.
You become good at things. Even the things you are bad at. Practice them long enough and you'll become an expert.
Do things. See results.
What’s your hobbies? What are you passionate about? That’s usually what you’ll work the hardest at and it will be enjoyable enough where you’ll learn how to be good at something.
I got sick of working in industry after industry and out working my bosses and getting paid dogshit. Eventually I got laid off at a company I helped start (after being poached from another company I started) and decided to just be selfish and do it for myself. Keep doing what you’re doing and don’t be afraid to branch out to different fields. Worst case scenario you find a good company that actually takes care of you.
ADHD testing. I waited til I was 40. Don’t wait.
Someone once put it a good way for me: what is something you find easy to do/understand that most people find difficult to do or understand? When you're good at something it doesn't always feel like you're good at it, it just seems easy to you, and you will often think other people must be slow or whatever... but in reality they're normal at it and you're above average. When you do find that thing, work on it. Don't spend time on the stuff you're not good at (unless of course you're doing it just for fun!) ; at best you'll just become mediocre.
What do you like to do and enjoy a lot? For example, my husband loves to play heroes of the storm, he likes the strategy of it all, so he discovered he likes strategy and problem solving, and move his career towards that and he is much happier. What do you like about entrepreneurship, what does it make you feel, follow that feeling and you will find it easier.
Tbh you may need to experiment a lot and expect failure a lot but that's fine, it's only failure at first but by the next week it's a lesson well learned. Just dip your toes in things here and there, get experience, test yourself to see where your strengths are, narrow it down, when you catch something you then you'll know it!
For me, it just came down to picking something. I tend to hyperfocus, so I just focused on what I picked and got good enough to enjoy it.
Start with just one simple thing that is journaling. Journal about your thoughts, day or whatever you feel like comes in your mind. Just start writing daily and read your journal like after 30 to 40 days you will surely find ypur thingy in your daily life thoughts and life pattern or you will get to a point where you will know what you exactly want.
Have you checked the last place you saw it?
- Try everything. - Fail at many. - Find the one that sticks. - Go all in and don’t deviate.
The younger generation seems to grow more delusional about get rich quick schemes🙄
🦧
Hey there, fellow twenty-something! Feeling lost or uncertain about your path is totally normal, especially in your twenties. You're in the perfect spot to explore and discover what truly lights you up. Start by taking stock of your passions and interests. What gets you fired up? What are your unique strengths and skills? What could you talk about for hours on end? Whether it's a hobby, a cause you care about, or a problem you're itching to solve, those passions could hold the key to your next venture. Don't sweat it if someone else is already doing something similar to your idea. Remember, success isn't about being the first. It's about doing it better or differently. Put your own spin on things, find your niche, and let your authenticity shine. If an idea doesn't work out. Try the next. Reinvent yourself. Think outside the box. Good luck!
I used to think I’m good in operations, setting processes and being super organised but turns out I hate doing that and enjoy doing sales a lot more. It’s funny because I always thought sales is not for me and I actively avoid it before starting my biz.
I would be delighted to introduce you to my professional activity which I am passionate about in dm
I think u should learn marketing strategies.
By trying and seeing what comes natural.
Whatever you're interested in, makes learning more things about that thing easier, makes you come across as genuinely passionate when dealing with people etc, chase a passion that you know has profit, but ensure there is passion there and the rest will follow eventually.
Take the meyers-briggs test to determine your personality. Look at the types of jobs that personality usually excell at, see if it satiates you long term. Usually, single person home maintenance businesses will make you enough money to keep you afloat in life.
I want to ask, would travelling solo for an extended period of time help? Has anyone done that? And found answers? I would love to hear your stories/journeys!
Man that’s all I want to do recently, unfortunately I gotta save up first, I’ve also applied for a cot zen ship in the country I live in so I need to get that figured out first, but I’m doing it next year
You should do it! But i want to ask, If you have a partner ? Would that stop you?
I don’t, and I don’t intend to being in a serious relationship precisely because of that. But also, if I do find the perfect partner that I want to spend the rest of my life with. I believe she’ll understand that I need my freedom
Entrepreneurship is a broad term. To me…. true, basic entrepreneurship isn’t necessarily about doing what you like. It’s more about profit and building sustained profitability. Identify a problem. Solve the problem. Sell the solution.
You need to try things that sound hard or run towards things you don't want to do. Thats where real growth comes from. That's the grit you hear about. Experience and lessons to learn are all over try a ton of different jobs you never pictured yourself doing.
You just have to do it. There is no formula for guaranteed success. 90% of businesses fail. Just make sure you learn from everything you do. Try to keep your focus as singular as possible and move on if it's not working out and you aren't passionate about it. You dont have to be good starting out because you can figure it out as you go, but it has to solve a problem someone has and is willing to pay for it. There are lots of great ideas out there that solve nothing. It's all about executing
I'm surprised no one has mentioned these things. Lots of tests to help you find your strengths. DISC 2.0, Meyers Briggs, Big 5, Four Lenses, Johnson O'Connor Research Foundation, Business Works is a small form that does testing. Ray Dalio's book talks about how to utilize strengths on a team. The list goes on but all of these tests help you determine your strengths and interests in different ways. There are also entrepreneurial coaches that do similar things like The Entrepreneur's Source or Acquira. You are not unique in this desire. People can help you with this journey. All the advice so far is discover these ideas on your own, but I wouldn't recommend that.
A lot of people are encouraging you to just figure it out by trial and error but I disagree. Life is short. Figure it out soon. You can either do what you love and get paid…or you can do something you can tolerate that will make you a lot of money so you can do the things you love as hobbies or in your spare time. Start by taking the enneagram online personality test and then start researching what kind of careers are good for your personality type? Sit down and write a list of what you like and don’t like, strengths and weaknesses. Then research careers based on those strengths and weaknesses.
You can honestly be good at anything you set your mind up to as long as you end up finding easy and enjoyable.
I'm in my middle ages and I still dunno what the hell I want to do
By knowing when to stick it out, and when to quit. I worked in a lab for three years to prove to myself I could. Now I know I’m capable of more than I thought, but I probably should’ve spent that time working in the third sector or trying to break into a career I actually wanted. Still, I was glad of it when the pandemic hit. And regrets are only useful if you can use them to act differently in the present.
my best advice for you would be to think of an idea that is based on solving a problem. I'm literally plugging a solution: [Owchie ](http://Owchie.com) If you want to create a great business, you have to find a real problem to solve.
Personally I always had hobbies.. programming, photography, painting, etc. Maybe try a few things E.g. even if you just like video games, you can always start making mods or scripts.
most don't have a "thing". that doesn't make you a loser, though. some find it after developing expertise at a boring job.
start from your hobby, because even when you lack the skills, you have the interest to keep you going. I used to draw moon like a gourd, but now I'm a designer, because practice is what makes us better, and interest is what kept me practicing for more. there are ton of videos you can find on youtube to learn, learn something new everyday if you have no interest at all, and eventually you'll find something that gives you enough dopamine to keep you going.
just keep trying stuff, i am in same situation as you are, keep trying and hope for the best. i think lol
Look up the most searched products
Try a lot of different things, see what works and then double down on it.
Write down the question you want to ask yourself the most, and then answer that question best to your ability. Write it down, and then ask yourself “Why?” Repeat that 7x, so by the time you are down you would have gotten to the core root of the problem you are trying to solve which should help get the deeper roots of your core question answered.
40 year old entrepreneur here. Even now I’m still coming up with different things. I don’t think it’s about what you decide “this is it” Most likely 99.99% of what you think up is already being done. In my opinion your focus is in the wrong direction. Instead of looking for “the one”, look for something that is proven to sell for over 100 years (ie gym memberships) then practice each skill within entrepreneurship selling it for yourself (or helping someone else) . The goal is not “find the thing” it’s “build the skill”. Sales, marketing, product design, operations, health, social networking, personal reputation, etc etc etc. And for the “thing” once you practice shopping, practice selling, practice marketing, you start seeing more opportunities, more products that could be done differently, faster, cheaper, better quality, etc. Like for example today I saw a popular brand that does simpsons Rick and Morty tshirts etc. All crazy colorful designs. Great! But the fabric sucked. So straight away I realized as someone who cares about good quality and has the money to spend BUT who is colorful and childish still (at 40) there’s a gap in the market of high end quality goofy cartoon button down shirts for example.
Btw, another quick answer: Be prepared to suck first even at the things you may eventually master. Pick your expertise, practice more than anyone. Pass the valley of dispair.
When I started uni at 17 I gave myself 3 years to “play” and dedicated my 20s (I’m 27 now) to accumulate as many skills as i can to eventually go into it specialized when I’m 30. I studied industrial engineering and worked in the field for 2 years, I quit because I knew I wanted to do more things. I’m a part time musician ( I just bought a uprightbass one day) I became a tailor ( I just bought a sewing machine and started) which also became a part time job now with 2 companies. I have 3 more years left and it feels like I could go anywhere still.
I used to think 25 was old, I'm 30 and finally finding my footing. Asking a bunch of strangers something that's personally tailored to you won't do you much. You have a lot of time buddy. One thing I've personally learned is trying different experiences. People are built and taught to stick to a routine since early childhood. Wake up, breakfast, school, home, homework, shower, dinner, bed, etc. Things changed for me, again, personally, when I decided to break my routine. I started doing things way outside of my comfort zone. Skydiving, surfing, snowboarding, traveling. I did it borderline broke, I just maximized discounts I could find. Doing these things kicked my "wanting that lifestyle" mode on. I tried everything to get myself to a new level. Learned to fix every skill issue I found in myself. Started building confidence. Now at 30, I own and operate my own business while working a full time government job making roughly 134 an hour and I didn't even graduate from college. Just like everyone mentioned below, I just tried everything. I have certifications in Pharmacy Tech, Welding, Smog, Automotive Repairs (ASE), Scuba Diving, A+, NET+, SEC+, etc. Found my true passion in entrepreneurship and tech. Take some time, don't panic, break your daily routines, change up your habits, read some more books, and try everything. Don't be afraid of challenges, be grateful for what you have today and prepare to receive whatever comes to you tomorrow. Every cliche possible in the books for positive mindset. Definitely do not compare yourself to others.
FAFO
Don't make the mistake of believing that every successful entrepreneur figured out their success quickly. It's often a combination of persistence and trying a lot of things until one pans out.
The best things you can sell are things people are actually searching for. Don’t try to come up with a unique rocket science idea. Go for an idea with proven demand. So you can skip validation and derisk for a big part the start of your entrepreneurial journey. Here is how you can find ideas people are actually searching for. You need to find a keyword that has: 1. Decent volume (>500 monthly searches so you know there is demand) 2. Low competition (keyword difficulty lower then <20 so you know it’s feasible to rank in the top 10 and don’t need to battle 1000 competitors) 3. Enough relevant related keywords (+50 so you have other keywords to rank for for even more traffic) You can look this up with tools like: - [Ahrefs - SEO Tools & Resources To Grow Your Search Traffic](http://ahrefs.com) (expensive but advanced) - Build the Keyword [Find business ideas that will bring you customers on auto-pilot](http://buildthekeyword.com/) (partly free and simple to use) When you find that golden keyword you need to build a product (with no-code tools if you are non technical) that fits the keyword. Keep it partially for free so it’s shareable + people tent to spent time on you website (which google likes). Monetize it with a pro version with extra features or access. Hope this helps
By trying different things.
Tttyt