No Six Figure jobs, no crazy benchmarks to break; in hours worked. There is a much simpler model to work backwards in building the life you want to lead and the opportunity cost you want to trade. You likely need 26 customers paying you $99/mo to make an average U.S. Monthly Income. Depends if your dreams and aspirations are average. But building a product that people will spend 16,000 PKR on digitally to consume or otherwise is not easy, whilst big dreams are. It may take 26 years to build some thing that 26 people would want to pay for at this effective rate. Expertise to a side (which I am assuming is a given before you enter this job vs creator mindset), this framework helps you think & scale whilst doing a reality check around the product, service, company & life you want to build. If your dreams involve getting to 10K$ a month, I recently shared a stream of thoughts around small data and small wins in getting to your target and likely transitioning well beyond the middle class mind-set.

(Re-Shared below)

Outcomes

Not a day goes by where I meet, wana-preneurs, who talk about "If I did X, Id be doing so well", "Oh I had this idea years ago, but I didn't know any one in China", or my favourite, "but not one told me how to go about developing the actual product". After years of listening to this, I came across some threads about idea to launch processes that I have been putting away in my notes. Here are some thoughts from the various copy paste jobs, so that you have a fair idea about how to get to your desired outcomes and what it takes to launch a brand new consumer product from zero.

Step 1:

Idea + Validation |IV|. We will skip this, we assume that you had a great idea, you ran the market test, you did some basic prototyping, it got your juices flowing and you are thinking, you are on to some thing big.

Step 2:

The prototype worked to get attention, now what? PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT. For physical products, its simple you can hire an industrial designer to do a CAD model. This is stage one of step 1 refinement, where you take your high-school science project and define its boundaries, you will still need to use odd bits and ends, materials, design sensibilities, many hours of re work and narrow down product/component/price matches. It's a gruelling process. For physical products, you are in luck, if you have access to a 3d printer. Iterate, test, re test, go back to your original feedback in step 1. Validate again, there is no shame in being wrong, what there will be shame in, is if you go to the next step and build a product no one wants.

Step 3:

Manufacturing. Aka sorting out your SUPPLY CHAIN. Manufacturing is not easy, but its very easy to romanticise the Apple model and bring and build every thing in house to control every thing - if you are dumb enough at an early stage you will invest time & money to dive in the rabbit hole, please opt to outsource instead.

Your choices can range from:

1. Alibaba

2. Local Sourcing

3. Local Manufacturers using imported components

4. Global Design Firms with sub-contracted Chinese producers

5. Sourcing Agents to manage global Supply Chains (based locally)

A simple and first time trick to deploy would be to use a sourcing agent to manage the supply chain; sourcing, vetting & managing factories. Some ones spent the time to figure it out, give them their keep and move the F on.

A key thing to note is, that most take a fee as a % of the cost to manufacture. Negotiate that, vs flying to China and figuring this out. You wont - in time, it's a wasted idea.

When they come on board and vett a factory, the following process frame work can really help you.

• A Factories first step is to make a “hand made” version of the product.

• After a fully completed handmade prototype you have to lock in specs + materials + packaging, shipping details, taxes, import duties.

• Always agree on the above in writing and insist to get a package sample for final approval that goes through the supply chain process including customs etc to proof-of-concept the final price minus surprise add-ons of cost like taxes etc.

• Then you move to tooling & subsequently a "base production" run .

• In parallelI figure out the shipping logistics as well. Work with a 3PL to warehouse, pick/pack/ship your products to customers. Know today how easy and at what price point your fulfilment will happen.

Step 4:

The hardest part. Product Marketing/Branding/Market Making: Critiquing other brands existing messaging is easy and not a skill, it's human nature and does not make you a product launch expert. To get great outcomes, know your shortcomings. Creating on point messaging from scratch is tough. The right help can be a game changer. Time to get an agency on board for just this purpose, no retainers. A one time fee.

Step 5:

WEBSITE is not the same as product marketing. Thats all I want to leave you with. It takes some ones intention after having found you, to transact, so make sure there is a call to action on your site vs pretty product shots only. If there is no big-ass buy button, no one will buy any thing. So make sure you convert, browse intent (BRI) to buying intent.(BUI)

Step 6:

Just LAUNCH. There will never be a perfect storm, till you create it. So go get micro influencers, friends, phuppos, folks who wont stop talking about you and your product. Let them be the signal in other peoples noise filled days.

Lessons from many years ago of manufacturing Golf Simulators in multiple countries.

Manufacturing like old-age, has nothing in the present time that allows you to prepare for it. Till you are knee deep and especially if you went from software to hardware, you will cry a lot.

Having a valid passport with a Chinese Visa is a great life hack, factory visits can go a long way. Especially when you scale. On floor resolution beats, You to Sourcing agent to translator to Chinese Manufacturer to their Line Staff to Production Support to design person communications.

Agree to dis-agree on design to manufacture process, but put it as their cost in the contract, you will reduce many many fights and agree on most things that make you happy.

Armed with this info, I hope you have way better outcomes than the first time I went sourcing. You have to put in the work to see the silver lining.

One New Thing (that I learnt recently)

"When Ayub shifted the capital from Karachi to Islamabad, he picked the best plot for himself. It was on a hill overlooking the vales and dales of beautiful Potohar Plateau. He built his home that son Gohar Ayub later sold to Sadru Hashwani"

Sadrudin Hashwani is an intriguing person. Whilst we are on the subject of vision and execution its pertinent to note that his memoirs are worth the read.

Boring stuff that (can)scale

"Boring" isn’t some new thing that’s suddenly in; it’s something that’s worked for a long time. Plus, boring things aren’t always, well .... boring. They might just be specific and misunderstood but they provide some serious opportunity to make money. A boring business is the kins of business that isnt out there to change the world, it doesn't exist to reshape humanity's basic building blocks. It is the kind of business that exist to make money and make products and offer valuable services - without a woke, universe-denting mission statement. Understanding that is key, because you will look at scaling differently. A boring business scale opportunity is typically fulfilling a demand that exists and is not created. So it's not like pants that have an ass drawn on them that some micro influencer peddles on tiktok and now every one wants one. Its more like soy sauce, every one consumes it and we don't need a micro influencer drinking bottles of it to create demand. The latent demand is big enough that if you build a good product, with a visible brand you will be challenged to keep up. Those are the boring things that scale beautifully.

The key to wealth is you must create something which separates time from income. Even most high-income professions (such as doctors) don’t become truly wealthy because they can’t do this.

Normal people: spend time = get paid. (Jobs, services, etc.)

Wealthy people: spend time = build something which creates income without (much)time. (Products, investments, loans, etc). So think of all the ideas below as some thing that you start based on a skill, you productise it and let others run with it, over time you dis-associate your time by training others.

Here are some Ideas that can scale for you(as individually led/organised businesses) , based on my experience of a serious lack of such services available locally:

1) Resume Writing

2) CPG-FMCG Store Placement Expertise

3) Culinary Consulting (Menu Planning, Ingredient Selection etc)

4) Helping others franchise their business. Helping others operationalise and scale is the biggest time and money hack out there, if you are good in a particular vertical, charge people to franchise their models by taking a retainer in the growth and success as you teach them how to do it vs taking your own time and building a business in each vertical your self.

5) All in Maintenance Service.(Scheduled Monthly HandyMan Visit). You organise, own and deploy, then replicate and sell subscriptions. Its like a buffet, the house always wins. We all think we need a handy man all the time but we don't, we will pay for it, but use less and less when its availability is guaranteed.

6) Career Counselling for Early-Mid Career Professionals. (Starting with you, then enlisting others to deliver a one to one structured experience based on real advice vs the BS that is present in the market today, or rather the absence of excellence which has resulted in idiots providing career advice)

7) Advice Templates. (Building a Home, Buying A Car, Going to University, Getting Married), a business that curates, builds and sells inexpensive financial and process templates for the domestic market.

8) Subscription, Make Me Meals @ Home(MMM@Home). (End consumer buys 20 meals including cost of product, then schedules them in home for some one to come cook for them. Max 2 meals at a time, either you go cook or you mobilise a small team that executes this flawlessly based on your recipes or pre made items)

9) Qualified Professional Experiences from Retirees ( Great mentoring isn't free, exceptional mentoring is scarce, this is the reverse of feeling sorry for your self and instead making your experiences count.)Like the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America but a paid service to mobilise the retired and guide the youth or any one else who seeks sector/trade specific expertise, different mission but similar construct. If you are retired you collect your friends, build a pool and then rent a friend and split the fee. You bring distribution to the idea and use others to execute.

10) Personal Shopper as Service (Don't think food/groceries only, think a concierge for all else, subscription driven, having your own educated, qualified person to be your chief of staff for shopping, you build the system hire young staffers, have every one follow a process map and deliver exceptionally curated service, starting with you, but scaling to others. Trusted, Discrete, Always on.)

You (likely)heard(saw) it here first

Harchandrai Vishandas “A true Sindhi & Father of modern day Karachi” which is also called as “City of Light”. This is quite unfortunate that many Karachi walas don't know about Mr. Vishandas who brought electricity to their city.

Born to in Bharvani family in May 1862, Harchandrai Vishandas was known for his public-spirited activities in Karachi. He completed his matriculation in Karachi in 1878. He later went to Bombay for higher studies and completed his law degree in Elphinstone College in 1882.

Harchandrai served as Mayor of Karachi between 1911 to 1921.

What did he do for the people of Karachi?

During his mayor ship, first ever power plant was installed in Karachi that was producing electricity for entire city. Mr. Vishandas also granted free lands to community organizations to support their activities. These communities included Sant Dharam Mandal, the Dosa Kaniya Patshala, the Khoja Ismaili Council, the Mission Girls School Lohana Wadya Mandal, the Lohana Industrial and Technical Institute and an educational institute affiliated with the Sindhi Madrassa.

The Lyari River used to flow right in the centre of the city. People living near its banks were always at risk. Not only did it pose a threat of a disaster at times, but hazards such as mosquitoes and insects causing diseases such malaria were also present.

To rid the people of Karachi of this problem, Seth Harchand Rai prepared a plan with consultation from experts and engineers. A bund was built on the river at Gandhi Bagh (Karachi Zoo) and the course of the river was changed. Not only did this plan solve a number of problems, but cleared a huge amount of land for another quarter colony to be constructed for residential purposes.

What you should be reading (quickly)

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

Being an Essentialist is about a disciplined way of thinking. It means challenging the core assumption of ‘We can have it all’ and ‘I have to do everything’ and replacing it with the pursuit of ‘the right thing, in the right way, at the right time'.'

The book is 250+ Pages and some of it can be condensed but it has some good raw insights. Like these nuggets:

You cannot have it all. Decide what your agenda or goal is, and pursue only opportunities that lead you to that goal. If you don't have your own agenda, someone else will make it for you. Don't commit casually to plans you're not sure about.

Don't be afraid to be unavailable. If you can't do a side project, say so. Focus requires you to set aside time for your priority.'

This is a lazy few days read, not a life changing book with massive things you are missing but a structured way to organise your thoughts. In our cluttered lives this is an effective guide to de-clutter and go after the core things that matter.

Monetise your time (hack your procrastination)

The Zeigarnik Effect: Hack Your Procrastination and have Better Creative Ideas. Sounds too good to be true? But it's not. I am exceedingly fascinated by this topic and have written about procrastination in previous editions also. This, no less is new material info for me and Ive spent a more time than I'd like to disclose on trying to understand the Zeigarnik Effect.

Strategic Procrastination

Have you ever been distracted doing some thing random and the solution to a problem pops into your head that is unrelated to what you set out to do, like when you were in the shower or driving or walking ? Or you had a Eureka moment with a creative idea when completely detached from it.

It happens a lot, right?

This is the Zeigarnik Effect in play.

What is it and how can you use it to have better ideas?

It’s unfinished business. It's only later that the solution pops into our conscious minds or our creativity sparks into action.

If we can actively harness this, we can be the modern day equivalent of pearl farmers and the oysters they trick in to producing pearls synthetically. Now imagine synthetic co-creation of a process that leads to procrastination that leads to strategically better outcomes by tricking your brain to doing the heavy lifting.

The real life example of success and memorable hacks comes from this story that I read about some time back. If it worked for Martin Luther, its good enough to work for me. (To try atleast)

On the 28th of Aug, 1963, MLK Jr was preparing to speak to 250K+ people on Capitol Hill.

I have a dream speech is one of the most famous speeches in history.

But Martin Luther King Jr winged it! (See the guardian article for details)

The original draft was called “Normalcy, never again.” King has been up till 3 am drafting and re-drafting the speech.

Noted gospel singer, Mahalia Jackson shouted to King from the crowd “ Tell them about the dream, Martin”

King departed from his prepared remarks and started improvising, punctuating his points with “I have a dream", the rest is history.

So a simple life rule, you gotta start some where vs thinking about a perfect finish. Those are over rated, if you don't start your brain will never have the urgency to solve things subliminally.

Avoid, creative mediocrity: Being bland. Staying in your lane. Repeating safe bets in your comfort zone and following the crowds.

Made in Pakistan

A team of three/five scientists that led to Pakistan's entry in Space through the launch of the Rehbar-1 in collaboration with the NASA on June 7, 1962 from the Somiani beach. This is their story, its worth a watch.

One Last Thing

Korean supermarket,E-mart sells packs of bananas that span the range of very green to very ripe, which means users will be able to have a perfectly ripe banana every day! Wasteful for some but genius for others. Depends on what problem or lens you are using and what outcomes you are looking for.