What are the four main strategies for my business going forward?

What are the four main strategies that I can implement to grow my business? These are not meant to be microstrategies, such as running Super Bowl ads or increasing ad spend before Christmas. These are the big strategies, the ones that will really dictate the direction of my company moving forward.

The important thing to remember is that a rudderless ship can go nowhere. If I don’t know where I’m going, I’ll never get there. So, I want to be intentional about how I direct my company. These are the four main strategies that I could think of for you.

Going public: I never thought of myself as the kind of person who could take a company public. I’m a very private person by nature and don’t like to put myself “out there,” but it’s worth it to note that virtually all of the absolute richest people in America, from Elon Musk to Jeff Bezos to Warren Buffett, made most of their money owning public companies.

This is significant, in that if I want to have a chance at reaching the absolute top, financially speaking, I’m going to have to make money not just for myself, but for other people as well. Obviously, just thinking about the miles of red tape and the memes (oh my God, the memes!) is enough to send me running for the hills!

The real danger in this is that you could give up too much equity and end up with nothing more than a job (and a lot of debts). I remember that I never really wanted to apply for Shark Tank or even watch the show because I saw entrepreneur after entrepreneur giving up 90% equity in their company for $100K! Seeing that was mind-blowing. How could they be so blind? It’s true.

Keep the company private: There is a way that I could keep 100% of the company and still move forward. I would retain 100% of the ownership of the company and would not have to be beholden to anyone except for Uncle Sam and my higher self (and my creditors).

The issue with this approach is that it involves a lot of debt! D-E-B-T! Don’t Ever Buy That! The amount of debt would likely be so high, under the best of circumstances, that nobody in their right mind would ever think that I would be able to pay it back on time.

That’s an interesting problem to have. I would suggest that if you’re going to go this route, you have to understand money and how it works. If you’re taking out $5 million in debt or even $50K, it’s easy to believe that “Santa has your number” and he’s “making it rain.” Which is true, but probably not in the way that you’re thinking.

The amazing thing about debt is that it comes with a feeling of weightlessness. You feel as though you’re floating through the sky, and you don’t want to come back down. And then you fall.

Go Not for Profit: I talk a lot about how much of a “boss” I am and how I’m going to be killing it in business, but the fact is that I’ve been on welfare every day since conception.  For me, striking it rich means going through a month without having my food stamps garnished. Not that type of garnish.

Anyway, the fact is that I’ve survived every day of my life on a collection of government grants. Welfare and government grants are not the same thing, but I have seen them used interchangeably. The point is that the only way I’ve ever made money is by applying for it.

I’m not an “Alpha Male” in the American sense of the word. I don’t just go out and “make money.” For the most part, money stays out of my hands. But I have skills and experience. And can use them to help others.

What I was thinking, specifically, was that I could open a not-for-profit that teaches computer science or game design, even Artificial Intelligence or Generative AI. Obviously, they might be looking for someone with a bachelor’s degree, whereas I only have an associate degree. But all is all.

My Way or the Highway: Okay, hear me out. This is what I was thinking. I’ve been producing media (including interactive media), music, podcasts, art, you name it, for the past 16 years. And I did it for free! No red tape. No asking permission. I did it for nothing.

What I’m saying is that being on welfare may be the best blessing that anyone could ever have. Especially when you consider that I still have all my mental faculties (for now) and that I can read, write and speak standard English. That will help me tremendously if I work.

What I would like to do is just work for free. Robert Kiyosaki said in his book that “The rich don’t work for money.” That was a very gratifying speech. But everyone forgets the second half: “The rich work for free.” And that is a quote that I always return to.

He goes on to say in his book that “If you aren’t willing to work for free, you’ll never be rich.” It’s worth a shot. If I can build up a portfolio of high-quality content and digital products, I may be able to just “walk over” the competition easily.

These are the four main strategies that I could think of. They are not too small and not too big. I’m leaning towards the last strategy, because it is uniquely fitted to my circumstances and my way of thinking. It will be fun to see where this goes. Or doesn’t.

All I want to do is make it to 40 without fornicating. If can make it to 40 without putting my children through what I just went through, I will be a resounding success. Though I might not be heralded for it during my lifetime, or ever. And your thoughts?