How I'm planning my next business model

Hey there, solopreneur!

Something wild happened last week.

I was sitting on my balcony in Cyprus when I felt it a literal physical sensation in my stomach - that familiar tingle of energy rushing back. After months of:

• grinding through near-burnout

• shutting down The AI Solopreneur products

• testing out new content niches

…I feel my entrepreneurial engine revving up again.

But this time? I'm doing things differently.

Instead of jumping straight into another venture, I've been meticulously mapping out my next move.

Cue the “what you work on is more important than how hard you work” Naval Ravikant quote.

So today, I'm sharing my raw, unpolished blueprint straight from the trenches.

No fancy frameworks. No polished theories. Just the real notes, filters, and questions I'm asking myself right now to find My next big thing…

Find the one trend that changes everything

Here's something most people miss about building businesses: The trend you ride matters more than your execution.

Think about it - riding the right trend gives you:

• Built-in traffic (people already searching)

• Natural media attention

• Tons of potential customers ready to buy

When I launched The AI Solopreneur, I hit the sweet spot by combining two explosive trends: AI and solopreneurship. They amplified each other perfectly.

Here are the meta-trends I'm watching right now:

• Technology + AI advancement making human connection more precious

• The great EU entrepreneur exodus

• The rise of cult-like business communities

• Longevity becoming mainstream while our environment gets more toxic

• Distribution costs soaring while software costs plummet

• The posture crisis from sedentary lifestyles

Quick tip: Look for trends with at least a 5-year runway. Being too early is just as painful as being too late.

Social media will tell you if you're onto something

Want to know if you're onto something? Drop it on social media.

Here's what I've noticed: My posts about EU entrepreneurs fleeing their home countries are catching fire. The comments explode. The DMs flood in.

That's the juice you're looking for.

Also, negative comments are actually a good sign. The best ideas always stir controversy because most people resist change. We call it a “hated rally” in crypto.

Share your idea in 3 different ways across social platforms. Strong reactions - positive or negative - suggest you've struck gold. Watch for patterns in engagement and the conversations that emerge.

Silence is the only true negative signal.

Test everything within 48 hours or it's not real

Here's the game-changer that nobody talks about:

Instead of planning for months, test your idea in 48 hours.

Example: If I wanted to build a European CEO community (Hampton's style), I wouldn't spend weeks perfecting the concept.

Instead, I’d:

• Find 3-5 potential members from my network

• Get them on a Zoom call

• Create bare-bones value

• Launch. Now.

You'll learn more from one messy launch than six months of perfect planning.

Passion isn't optional, it's your biggest moat

Something I learned the hard way: Sometimes we fall in love with the idea of an idea, not the actual reality of it.

Just like those digital nomad dreams that crash after three nights in a shitty hostel.

Building anything substantial is really hard. So I do think it’s absolutely necessary to be engaged and excited about what you do.

Real passion gets amplified by action. It's what carries you through those 2 AM crisis moments when nothing seems to work. That’s what will separate you in the market.

Before committing, do the unglamorous work for a week.

• Write 7 articles if you want to be a writer.

• Cold call 20 prospects if you want to start a business.

• Shadow someone for a day.

Get intimate with the grind before the glory. True passion survives this reality check.

Your past wins are future leverage points

Here's my current inventory of assets:

• Known for solopreneurship and social growth

• Strong US-based audience

• Deep EU entrepreneurship experience

• Trading/investing knowledge

• Been through creator burnout (and survived)

These aren't just resume points - they're launching pads for what's next. I will likely combine 2 or more of these into a unique product that only I could successfully build.

(it’s easier to be the only than the best)

Premium pricing filters out future headaches

Here's something wild I've learned after helping thousands of creators: A $1,000 customer often brings less headache than a $10 one.

Think about it - you could:

• Handle 100 support tickets for budget customers

• OR have deep conversations with 10 premium clients

That's why my next venture will be intentionally premium. I'd rather serve fewer people at a higher level than chase volume. Plus, wealthier people tend to be chiller customers.

Small secret: There's a premium version of literally everything. Even water has a luxury market (looking at you, Fiji).

Here's what I'm asking myself right now:

• Who's the customer that would happily pay 10x?

• What transformation would be worth that premium?

• How can I filter for serious players only?

These will be key components of my next offer.

Make something “sticky” so people never stop buying

Want to know the holy grail of business models? It's getting customers who never stop buying.

If you figure out how to create recurring revenue or a habit-forming product, you've solved 99% of all marketing problems.

This isn't just about subscriptions. It's about building something people can't imagine living without.

Think about these models:

• Habit-building products (meditation apps like Headspace, fitness trackers, daily journals, etc.)

• Recurring revenue machines (SaaS tools, tight-knit communities, coaching programs)

• Word-of-mouth magnets (that one incredible cookie shop in NYC with a line around the block)

• Naturally addictive experiences (mobile games, social media, nicotine products)

• Status-boosting offerings (luxury goods, exclusive memberships, rare collectibles)

The magic happens when you combine multiple elements. Imagine a premium community (recurring revenue) that becomes part of someone's daily routine (habit-forming) and gives them bragging rights (status).

I haven't completely cracked this code for my next venture yet.

But I'm watching how these pieces fit together + trying to find that perfect combination that makes customers stick around forever.

Sometimes the best insights come from doing nothing

Right now, I'm deep in the sauce of figuring this out. Some days it feels crystal clear, others like I'm trying to play Magnus Carlsen in chess blindfolded.

But here's what I keep coming back to:

The best businesses aren't just about making money. They're about creating something that matters.

So here’s your roadmap for building something that matters (the one I’m following myself currently):

1. Start with the meta-trends. Look for movements with real staying power - at least five years of runway. Could you merge two explosive trends like I did with AI and solopreneurship?

2. Drop your ideas on social media. Strong reactions (even negative ones) mean you're onto something. Silence is the only true red flag. Let the engagement patterns guide you.

3. Launch something in 48 hours. Talk to three potential customers. Create bare-bones value. One messy launch beats six months of planning.

4. Get intimate with the daily grind before committing. Your excitement should grow stronger when facing the unglamorous parts. Real passion survives the reality check.

5. Look at your unique advantages - your experiences, knowledge, networks. These aren't just resume points, they're launching pads. Find the intersection only you can own.

6. Think premium and sticky. Could this become part of someone's daily life? The best businesses combine recurring revenue with habit-forming elements.

7. Final gut check: Beyond the profit potential, would this leave a void if it disappeared tomorrow? That's where you find the real gold - when meaning meets market opportunity.

Speaking of what matters...

My parents just flew in to visit me in Cyprus. As I write this, we're planning our week together - something that would've been impossible in my old 9-5 life.

That's the real treasure of building your own thing: the freedom to close the laptop when it matters most.

The ocean waves are rolling in as I write this. My mom's making her legendary pasta in the kitchen. And even though I'm neck-deep in planning my next venture, I'm taking most of the week off to be present with them.

Sometimes the best biz insights come when you're not looking for them.

Ole's Bookmarks

Made to Stick (book): I’ve already ranted about this during this edition, but making a product sticky is KEY for success. I’ve started reading this book and it’s amazing for anyone looking to improve their product and business model.

LectroFan Evo White Noise Sound Machine: A random product that helps me focus and sleep much better. It creates white noise. Somehow this works better than playing it on headphones.

I highly recommend listening to the podcast episode with Dharmesh. I’m diving deeper into the AI agent space (maybe I’ll build something cool…). Loads of opportunity here right now. Crypto x AI might be the most bullish intersection I can think of rn.

Related^

My most recent health update with my most recent experimentations. I love testing out all these new products and protocols.

See you next week 🫡 

Ole

P.S. Let me know if you like these editions created STRAIGHT from the notes I’ve been writing for my own journey this week.