7. The Empire

6 lessons

1. Lesson 1 · article Personal Accountability: The Biggest Threat to Your Business Is You

   Managing yourself isn't the soft part of the business. It's the foundation. Cut your expenses, journal, use the GTD method, get through obstacles. And remember: there's nobody coming to save you.

2. Lesson 2 · article Vampires: The Three Things That Will Drain Your Wealth

   Three things will try to take your money: litigators, tax collectors, and inflation. Here's how to protect yourself from each, and why the most important first step is to not let any of them stop you from starting.

3. Lesson 3 · article Automate and Streamline: This Course Doesn't Cover It (And Why That's Okay)

   Ross explicitly skipped automation and streamlining in the course. Here's why, and what to do about bandwidth management before you get to that stage.

4. Lesson 4 · article Recruiting Vendors: It's About Your Skills, Not Your Team

   Everybody tells you to "build a great team." That's the wrong framing. Build great skills: profiling, recruiting, leadership. The vendors rotate. Your ability to find and manage them doesn't.

5. Lesson 5 · article Scaling Up: The Answer Is Already in The Steps

   Ross didn't cover scaling as a separate topic in the course because The Steps section already is the scaling plan. This post bridges the two.

6. Lesson 6 · article The All Weather Approach: Four Things to Focus on No Matter What

   The business gets complex. Markets change. Contractors flake. Deals fall apart. These four things keep you focused regardless of conditions: find great deals, manage projects ruthlessly, level up your vendors, and build smart scopes of work.