The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future

A good launch should increase sales and influence at the same time. If you’re getting positive feedback from people who don’t buy your product but want to support you in other ways, you’re on the right track.

compelling offers often create an illusion that a purchase is an invitation, not a pitch.

Another way to practice strategic giving is to deliberately not take advantage of every opportunity to increase income.

Franklin, an old-school entrepreneur, put it this way: “If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins.”

Think about keywords that people would use to find a solution to a problem. If you were looking for your own product online but didn’t know it existed, what keywords would you search for?

Brett’s project had all the predictors of success we’ve considered thus far: It began with something he was both passionate about and skilled in, and then he forged his knowledge into a useful package that could be acquired instantly by users.

“Seven Steps to Instant Market Testing.”

“If I gave you a treasure map, would you complain that it was only one page long?” It turned out the joke was on me. All of us place a subjective value on goods or services that may not relate to what they “should” be. Just as what we want and what we say we want aren’t always the same thing, the way we place a value on something isn’t always ratio

Despite the diverse backgrounds and regions, I heard the same story over and over: “Before my price increase, I was worried that no one would hire me again. After the price increase, I realized how easy it was, and I wish I had done it sooner.” In most cases, the change was anticlimactic. Clients said, “OK, sure,” and moved on.