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I think even the cliche tropes of lemonade stands and Girl Scout cookies etc teach you very powerful things that you cannot really learn any other way. Busking for tips, selling t-shirts at a pop-up booth, looking at people’s faces while they decide whether or not to give you $
my sense is that lots of people’s model of reality is informed by authority and structure - parents, teachers, bosses. but the boss is just a proxy for the market. you can go straight to the market. I feel everyone should at least try some version of it even if it’s not for them,
because the precise ways in which it’s “not for you” will teach you a lot about yourself and a lot about the world. it allows you to navigate more deftly and confidently, like someone who can do parkour vs someone who’s gingerly trying not to hurt themselves
here's a thread about the lessons I learned organizing concerts and selling tickets as a teenager https://t.co/TS7XmCfo4v
when I was a teenager, I discovered that sterile Singapore actually had a delightful local music scene – sweaty, earnest, vulnerable, intimate. I knew immediately that I wanted to be a part of it, so I learned to play (terribly), and sought out bandmates to play with https://t.co/7qYxBd0PNv
and here's a thread of learnings informed mainly by my experience selling t-shirts https://t.co/J3UdbimheD
Like, run small experiments. Do a pop up store to test to see if people want to buy your stuff before you put down $$$ for retail space. Honestly IMO the reason most businesses fail is because most businesses are started by people with no survival instinct. Do the reading
on pricing:
on doing the math
people don't really do the math 0.1% of people is a lot of people most aren't willing to take 1000 shots for the 0.1% payoff they'll write it off as risky lottery chasing but you just need to be able to afford those 1000 shots then it's just math, and victory is inevitable
@visakanv One of the most valuable learning experiences I have had was running a small stall (well, a blanket on the ground with stuff on it) on the side of the road with my then girlfriend. I would crouch there reading books on sales and trying stuff out!
@visakanv It also teach you to find what actually people want and to disconnect from your head. My family put me to sell refreshments in a bus terminal when I was 10 so I could learn what they were doing and to deal with sales. I hated it I just wanted to read, but it was very valuable
@visakanv See also: People who've worked customer-facing minimum-wage jobs and people who haven't. (Often shorthanded to 'retail', but a lot of the same bad experience comes with a lot of service industry or similar work, including call centres)
@visakanv Visa, my good man! So nice of you to join us! *slaps your back vigorously* Come in, come in! *hands you a cigar* Sit down, sit down. What can I get you? Brandy? Scotch? https://t.co/mgkf5XRlHr
@visakanv @kendrictonn agree https://t.co/snxrXojI8X
@visakanv Great thread. Creating and selling in the market also greatly influences political orientation. Increased support for reducing barriers of entry for creators of every type. (Universal healthcare being one example)