Inches vs Miles

If you feel like there's no way through, You need to stop thinking in miles, And start thinking in inches. Everything is conquerable.

Sometimes, the key to scaling a business lies not in thinking big, but in thinking small. This is the story of Colin C. Campbell, a serial entrepreneur who turned his tech ventures into multi-million-dollar successes by focusing on inches, not miles.

The Early Days: A Vision Too Big to Grasp

Colin Campbell, a Canadian entrepreneur, started his first company, Internet Direct, in the 1990s. Like many founders, he had grand visions of revolutionizing the internet access industry. But the sheer scale of his ambition initially paralyzed him. "I wanted to build the largest independent ISP in Canada, but the goal felt so far away," Colin recalls. "I was constantly overwhelmed by the enormity of the task."

The Turning Point: Thinking in Inches

Colin’s breakthrough came when he shifted his mindset. Instead of focusing on the end goal—becoming the largest ISP—he started breaking down the journey into smaller, actionable steps. "I realized that if I could just focus on the next inch—whether it was signing up one more customer or improving our service by 1%—I could make progress," he says. This shift allowed him to tackle challenges incrementally, building momentum with each small win.

For example, instead of trying to dominate the entire Canadian market overnight, Colin focused on securing partnerships with local businesses. He also invested in scalable technology early on, ensuring that his systems could grow with the company. These small, deliberate steps eventually added up, and Internet Direct became the largest independent ISP in Canada before being sold in 1999.

Scaling Through Incremental Growth

Colin’s approach to scaling wasn’t just about breaking tasks into smaller pieces; it was also about empowering his team to think the same way. He learned to delegate responsibilities, not just tasks, and encouraged his team to take ownership of their roles. "When you’re scaling, you can’t do everything yourself. You need to trust your team to handle the inches while you focus on the bigger picture," he explains5.

This philosophy carried over to his subsequent ventures, including Hostopia, a cloud computing company that became a global leader in email and web hosting services. By focusing on incremental improvements—like optimizing server efficiency or streamlining customer onboarding—Colin and his team were able to scale the company to serve major telecom clients like AT&T and Vodafone.

The Lesson: Conquer the Inches, and the Miles Will Follow

Colin’s story is a testament to the power of thinking small. By focusing on inches—small, manageable steps—he was able to conquer what once seemed like insurmountable challenges. His journey reminds us that scaling a business isn’t about making giant leaps; it’s about taking consistent, deliberate steps forward.

For entrepreneurs feeling stuck, Colin’s advice is simple: "Stop thinking about the miles. Focus on the inches. Every small step you take brings you closer to your goal. And before you know it, you’ll look back and realize you’ve traveled miles."

This week, take a page from Colin’s playbook. Break down your biggest challenges into smaller, actionable steps. Trust your team to handle the details, and keep your eyes on the next inch. Because when you conquer the inches, the miles will take care of themselves.

Colin C. Campbell is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and author of a bestselling book on starting, scaling, and exiting businesses.

How to Retire in Your 20s (Yes, Really)

Let’s cut through the noise. You want financial freedom early? Here’s the playbook:

1️⃣ Find a winning SaaS. Take a big, bloated software and strip it down. Make it simpler, faster, and easier to use.

2️⃣ Own a niche. Pick a vertical, plant your flag, and grow. No need to reinvent the wheel—just spin it better.

3️⃣ Hit $10K MRR. Once you’re there, you’ve got options. Keep scaling, or…

4️⃣ Sell for $x to 100k. Platforms like @acquiredotcom are filled with buyers hunting for clean, profitable businesses. Depending on the niche.

5️⃣ Rinse & Repeat. Take your win, build the next one, stack the cash, and get closer to that early exit. Your ability to monetize is tied to your ability to learn AI tools to help you achieve this freedom. Stop free lancing start AI-Preneurship

That’s it. Simple. Scalable. No excuses. Your move. 🚀

Fear is learnt. Un-learn how to be afraid to get ahead. Do not second guess your choices because your bias shows when you do. Learn from babies on how to process emotions.

Rentokil – The $15B Pest Control Empire

The Boring Business: Killing Rats & Bugs

Most people don’t think about pest control—until they have a problem. But one entrepreneur saw past the "boring" and turned it into a $15 billion global powerhouse.

The Entrepreneurial Move:

Rentokil started in 1925 as a tiny fumigation business. Over decades, it scaled through relentless acquisitions and efficiency in operations. Today, it dominates pest control worldwide.

The Lesson:

The best businesses aren’t flashy. They’re essential. While others chase the next hot trend, smart entrepreneurs quietly build boring, profitable empires.

What’s the next “boring” business waiting for an empire-builder like you? 🚀

AI-Powered Lead Gen: How I Built a Scalable Business in 8 Weeks

Most people overcomplicate starting a business. I went the opposite route—quick, dirty, and scalable from Day 1.

Step 1: Spot the Hidden Opportunity

I pulled up Google Maps and zoomed in on a mid-sized U.S. town. Using satellite images, I built a simple AI model to scan 10 zip codes and identify homes with pools. Granted you need some understanding and self learning of APIs etc. But its all learnable.

Step 2: Validate the Market with No Upfront Cost

With a list of pool-home addresses, I cold-called the top two pool cleaning businesses in town:
💬 “Want guaranteed leads where every home has a pool?”
💰 Both said yes.

Step 3: Automate the Competitive Advantage

To pick the best partner, I automated the review collection process for both businesses.
📊 The provider with higher reviews got the exclusive deal.

Step 4: Repeat the Model for Another Vertical

Next, I ran the same play for large backyards—this time selling leads to landscapers and lawn service companies.

Step 5: Scale Fast

🚀 8 weeks later, I’m in my 20th town.
Each market is the same playbook:
1️⃣ Use AI to pre-filter high-value homes.
2️⃣ Find service providers who want leads.
3️⃣ Automate lead generation & reviews.
4️⃣ Charge per lead, no upfront risk for clients.
5️⃣ Expand to the next city.

Why This Works

❌ No expensive software.
❌ No complicated tech.
✅ AI does the heavy lifting.
✅ Local businesses love guaranteed, high-quality leads.

What’s Next?

This can scale nationwide. AI isn't just for billion-dollar startups—it’s a tool for speed.

Pick a niche. Build fast. Automate. Scale.
🚀 Your move.

Stop chasing perfection. Perfection is the enemy of making money.

Books are the enemy of self doubt. Do your self a favor go here to get access to tons of free books.

Bonus! Thought of the week

An app for every use case, made by you. No more excuses, heres the million dollar unlock for you.

Contrarian Take: 

Stop Learning, Start Earning

Look, I get it. You're addicted to "one more course," "one more book," "one more YouTube deep dive on ‘How to Start a Business in 2025."

Enough.

At some point, you’re just procrastinating with extra steps.

🛑 Nobody ever got rich from a Udemy certificate.
🛑 No investor ever asked, "Before I buy your company, can you show me your Skillshare history?"

Action beats education.

You don’t need another tutorial—you need to launch something messy, imperfect, and profitable.

The real MBA? Making Bank Already. 💰🚀