Notes from Chris

Episode 1136

In recent Classroom episodes, we’ve looked at different side hustle ideas—where they come from, categories of different ideas, how to decide between competing ideas, and so on.

This episode is called Roadmap to Launch: What Lies Ahead. Let’s preview all that’s to come as we go from your idea phase to the preparation phase to the launch phase. Benjamin Franklin said: “By failing to prepare, you are preparing for failure.” I don’t want you to fail, so that’s the last time I’ll use that word today.

So let’s assume you believe in the value of planning. Knowing what you need to do in advance will save you so much time as you go along. Often you have limited time and energy to work on your side gig. It greatly helps to be able to refer to a list and remember, “Oh, right - that’s what I need to do now.”

The first thing you should do is:

1. Visualize an outcome.

I don’t mean metaphysically speaking, I mean nuts and bolts. Imagine that your idea works as well as you’d like it to, and maybe even more. What does that look like?

Do you have customers? Clients? Are you selling your product online? Are you interacting with potential customers? Are you trying to grow your following?

Whatever it is, imagine the final outcome of that process. You have the customers, the clients, the followers.

2. Ask: what has to happen for that to occur?

This is meant to be very practical, so let’s keep it grounded. Are customers buying something from you online? Well, then presumably you need a website and a shopping cart. Or maybe you’re selling through a third-party platform—you still need an account there, and of course the product itself.

If it’s a service business, will you have a workflow of how to provide a consultation? (We’ll talk about that later.) Will you need an online calendar for people to schedule appointments?

There could be all kinds of things that you need, and you might not know what all of them are until you’re in the process. Still, if you visualize that outcome, I bet you can at least identify several of the major tasks that you’ll need to tackle in the coming weeks and months.

Focus on what’s essential, not what’s optional. If you try to accomplish all the things you could do, you’ll never get off the ground. What do you really need to reach your objective?

3. Write this down! Document your plan of action.

You need a plan of action. Use a journal or paper notebook, use your favorite digital notetaker, or even dictate your roadmap using a voice memo if you’re on the go and you like that method.

Nothing is set in stone, but this will give you something to come back to as we go along. It will be a checklist, a guidepost, and a to-do list.

Listen to today's Classroom episode to learn more...

 

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THIS WEEK’S ASSIGNMENT:

Craft your roadmap to launch! Identify at least four to six tasks you need to complete in order to launch your new product or service.

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  Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

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