Hello World.

Outcomes

Every one wants better outcomes in life. Startup founders are no different. Not every one wants to raise capital or can. Not every one has a local product offering. Not every one knows how to scale. Not every one has a cousin in the US that can open a PayPal Account for them? So how does one change their Outcomes? By researching the problem at hand. You want a better outcome? At a macro level which countries are aligned with you? Candidate 0 would be Canada especially if you are a startup. Let's rewind.

Canada needs people, and lots of them, to continue growing its economy and financing its social safety net. Fast forward. What this means is that they need entrepreneurs (desperately). On its pre-COVID growth trajectory, the country could face some serious problems down the line. The share of their population above 65 would reach 28% by 2060 (up from around 16% today) and average GDP growth would fall from 2% to 1.5%. So things need to change FASTer in Canada. What is the one thing we have domestically, really smart startups within a younger demographic. How do they tap this opportunity?

Simple. Do some research. Ive done the hard work for you. Its a three step process if you are a startup founder, Go read up on the startup visa program(sans investment), explore to see if you are eligible to apply, if you are then the best route for a product company is to find an incubator that will take you on and give you the opportunity to scale your dreams. Whats the fine print? Canada’s Start-up Visa Program targets immigrant entrepreneurs with the skills and potential to build businesses in Canada that:

• are innovative

• can create jobs for Canadians

• can compete on a global scale

1) Start-up Visa Program

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/start-visa.html

2)Find out if u can Apply

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/start-visa/about.html

3)See the Incubators that may adopt you

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/start-visa/designated-organizations.html#incubators

Why are you still here? Go Get Started.

One New Thing

The one thing I learnt today was You might expect a liar to struggle with eye contact, when lying through his teeth. But a study by University of Michigan researchers suggests that liars may look at their questioners in the eye more often than people telling the truth. People who are lying also wave both hands around far more than those who are being honest.

Boring stuff that scales

Boring company /startup/ service ideas. People ask me nearly all the time, what could we be looking at that's boring but needs disruption. In no particular order or scientific breakdown here are some areas worth exploring.

1) Corporate research as a service ( think economist intelligence unit)

2) Save the Saith(like save the date but not the same) this works only if you have a decade plus SME & you build a brainstorming service for idea validation for a small fee. Or you productise your industry/vertical learning & sell a subscription to your best practices /sops/Kpis

3) Contract management & negotiation as a service. Some thing like http://buyer.co but also a place where folks can track their contracts. Mid to large sized companies use excel and have over 50 service relationships without expiry dates, tracking or renewal intelligence

4) Productivity training & digitization planning as service for mid/ large enterprises. Most local companies who are evolving from mid to large size & those growing from large to larger are being mis led from consultants to self nominated digital experts. Simple half day workshop.

5) Social media audit as a service with actionable outcomes. Given the gap between what people think they know & how their companies behave socially. A service CEOs can do with is evaluation of content strategy, customer acquisition channels & social media engagement at large.

6) CEO Influencer brand building as a service. Ceos need digital engagement help in our market. More times than none. Look around you, how many use social channels to build their brand? A key PR service is to be an agent to manage CEOs personal brand on Twitter & LinkedIn.

There are many other boring verticals that don't need capital investment to get started. They build on your own abilities and depend on you to acquire customer #1. Stop waiting to get funded, most of the above need a cold email & some pre work on a small portfolio of beta clients. Will you act On it?

You heard it here first ...

Too many people treat digital transformation as something around infrastructure and IT. It's not; it's about the company culture, it's about DNA, and it's about business models. Digital Transformation in most companies will not work because they don't want to change their business model. If you or your organisation are un willing to un-learn old business models and legacy actions, the only thing you will do fast, is fail FASTer than those who are willing to unlearn

What you should be reading & why

How to Get Rich by Felix Dennis. The book that should be mandatory reading at age 14. For perspective & humor if nothing else.

Monetise your time

Time is the most valuable and finite resource we have. "Free for coffee so I can pick your brains?" I’m giving you permission to create a “pick your brain” session people can pay for. You heard that right.knowledge & experience were not free to obtain, so they aren't free to give. Founders in the consulting, creative or ideation space, I mean you. The FASTer you learn to say no to your brain Being Picked, the FASTer you monetise your time.

Requests to “pick your brain” or “just grab coffee” might not always seem like a big deal, but when you take into account the value of your time and the lost productivity and income, it becomes a different story. Its a struggle to respond to these requests, especially if you are some one, who operates in the knowledge economy & if your business relies heavily on how you use your time to make money.

As you take stock of your time, coffee dates with new people is the least bang for your buck. Especially when the purpose of the meeting is for them to intellectually mine you.

If your skills are in demand & every time someone wants to grab a “coffee” or a “chat over a coffee", its time to charge them. Looked at differently you aren't going to go to their business and take a product and walk out after handing a cup of coffee? Time is the exact same concept.

Once you start to think about how many valuable things you can do in an hour or two, you start to value your time appropriately. Implement a process/intake-form/url designed to solve the most commonly asked question of you, so you can have clear boundaries for these requests.

Having a defined process & response means you don’t have to get caught up in being polite or worrying about what to say every time some one wants your time. Just tell them sure they can have your time & advice, they’ll have to schedule a "session" share a link with a paywall. Boom

If you dont value your time no one else will.People have become extremely smart,they will blow smoke up your rear end & "pretend value" your time socially so that they create an "obligation bubble" for you. Don't fall for the trap. Creators of value need to bill $s....

Monetise FASTer. Monetise without Shame.

Made in Pakistan

www.tradeforesight.com (free to use) Global trade data. Incredible find. For every time you wondered what we are importing or exporting or if some thing had export related scope. Look no further. The Product is so bloody simple it tells you areas that have export opportunities. Phir na kehna, aap nay to bataya hi nahin...

One Last thing.

Syzygium cumini. Say what. Ertugulesque some thing? Hardly. Jamun people. The super food that ain't getting its super cool status. It's long been known to have anti-diabetic properties.

Some clinical studies have shown that to be true. With the hot weather approaching and Jamun to be in abundance soon. what are you doing to build a "supplements business" a "Super food food business" in and around the fruit and its seed. We waste this stuff by the millions of pounds. If marketing $s and infomercials can get America hooked on Acai berry. Isnt it time , that Jamun has its day. 5 Step Transformation Approach in building from 0 to Hero.

1) There is next to no content on Jamun as a Super Food.(Build a Site, get to SEO work)

2) Supplements are being sold in other markets, research the who what why, how elements of it getting to Western Markets.

3) Start building your virtual brand and get some product into production using 3rd party supplement manufacturers or food manufactures who can safely freeze dry/dehydrate or use other mechanical processes to get to the end product. Test locally, then work your way up the value chain and think about export $s.

4) Himalayan salt has had its moment, but how? We exported it raw un processed on the cheap, akin to exporting waste. Italy imported it, added it in glass bottles marked it up 200% and made a killing. Let history be your guide, own the value chain. Be a Jamun aficionado. Like cold pressed olive oil work on your own "origin story" You have the time, no one else seemingly is.

5) Get started today. Build FASTer so you can grow even FASTer.