I bet my life-savings Pieter Levels will become a billionaire by...
Tim Denning@Tim_Denning
49 views
Aug 19, 2024
1
I bet my life-savings Pieter Levels will become a billionaire by 2029.
Not because he currently makes $195K/month with zero employees from his laptop.
Because he found the secret formula for online business (it’s so basic I couldn't believe it):
Not because he currently makes $195K/month with zero employees from his laptop.
Because he found the secret formula for online business (it’s so basic I couldn't believe it):
2
Run from the American Unicorn Dream as fast as you can
• Lots of cofounders
• Work long hours
• Diluted ownership
• VC acts like 9-5 boss
• Pressure to grow fast
• Unprofitable
• Sell for $100M...
But walk away with $1M if lucky, or more likely bankrupt
Stop smoking pot
• Lots of cofounders
• Work long hours
• Diluted ownership
• VC acts like 9-5 boss
• Pressure to grow fast
• Unprofitable
• Sell for $100M...
But walk away with $1M if lucky, or more likely bankrupt
Stop smoking pot
3
Be ruthlessly AI first
Pieter's superpower is AI.
He predicted the future before most business owners did.
AI is built into his products. It's his biggest revenue generator & why he has zero employees.
• Make AI your employee
• Make money off AI
Pieter's superpower is AI.
He predicted the future before most business owners did.
AI is built into his products. It's his biggest revenue generator & why he has zero employees.
• Make AI your employee
• Make money off AI
4
Be an uns*xy indie hacker
Perfection, plans & having big unicorn startup fantasies are overrated.
Pieter says:
• Build something
• Start a TikTok account
• Post daily on TikTok
• Add a bio link for people to buy first version
After 30 times, pick the most profitable
Perfection, plans & having big unicorn startup fantasies are overrated.
Pieter says:
• Build something
• Start a TikTok account
• Post daily on TikTok
• Add a bio link for people to buy first version
After 30 times, pick the most profitable
5
Be stupidly transparent
Pus$ies are obsessed with protecting IP. They love to make you sign NDAs too.
Pieter is like Elon. He doesn't give a f*ck. He shares everything.
Sharing is how you attract people to your mission
We're all using the same AI-wrappers anyway, aren't we?
Pus$ies are obsessed with protecting IP. They love to make you sign NDAs too.
Pieter is like Elon. He doesn't give a f*ck. He shares everything.
Sharing is how you attract people to your mission
We're all using the same AI-wrappers anyway, aren't we?
6
Kill the losers after 30 days
If the idea doesn't have traction by then, Pieter recommends to move on.
* Iterate
* Go fast
* Break sh*t
* Ignore your ego
If the idea doesn't have traction by then, Pieter recommends to move on.
* Iterate
* Go fast
* Break sh*t
* Ignore your ego
7
Pay your own rent first
Wannabe entrepreneurs are dreamers
Pieter says you must pay your own rent first. Meaning, build something small & pay the bills. Then get more ambitious and s*xy.
Goal:
Make enough money online to replace your salary. Then go bat sh*t crazy.
Wannabe entrepreneurs are dreamers
Pieter says you must pay your own rent first. Meaning, build something small & pay the bills. Then get more ambitious and s*xy.
Goal:
Make enough money online to replace your salary. Then go bat sh*t crazy.
8
Own your distribution through social media
"X gets 26,000x more views than my blog"
• Website blogs are dead
• Go where people are
Post as yourself, not some boring company brand
Once you have distribution you can build anything. Buying ads becomes an amplifier, not a must
"X gets 26,000x more views than my blog"
• Website blogs are dead
• Go where people are
Post as yourself, not some boring company brand
Once you have distribution you can build anything. Buying ads becomes an amplifier, not a must
9
Dare to post hot takes on X
Pieter: Nobody talks about how you pay $2,217,160 to borrow $1,000,000 for a mortgage!
Renting isn't so bad now, is it?
Lesson: everything is now marketing for your business
Pieter: Nobody talks about how you pay $2,217,160 to borrow $1,000,000 for a mortgage!
Renting isn't so bad now, is it?
Lesson: everything is now marketing for your business
10
Launch a wild challenge to put yourself on the map
Pieter invented "12 Startups in 12 Months Challenge" back in 2014
Most of his startups failed. But the idea made him known as a hacker.
It also forced him to fail fast with a business
Pieter invented "12 Startups in 12 Months Challenge" back in 2014
Most of his startups failed. But the idea made him known as a hacker.
It also forced him to fail fast with a business
11
Have strong values that make you lean and mean
Pieter's:
- 100% async
- 100% remote
- no monitoring systems
- no scheduled meetings
- no whiteboard interviews
The cool thing about building a business is you set the rules. That's real freedom.
Pieter's:
- 100% async
- 100% remote
- no monitoring systems
- no scheduled meetings
- no whiteboard interviews
The cool thing about building a business is you set the rules. That's real freedom.
12
Use a basic b*tch tech stack
Pieter builds his websites with PHP and jQuery.
People want it to be complicated when it's not. New, s*xy tech is often a distraction.
Pieter builds his websites with PHP and jQuery.
People want it to be complicated when it's not. New, s*xy tech is often a distraction.
13
Realize a college MBA is useless
Pieter posted a tweet of everything he learned from a prestigious MBA.
It was one slide.
$100K+ MBAs are a joke.
Real entrepreneurs are building shit & A/B testing their assumptions, not listening to professors.
Pieter posted a tweet of everything he learned from a prestigious MBA.
It was one slide.
$100K+ MBAs are a joke.
Real entrepreneurs are building shit & A/B testing their assumptions, not listening to professors.
14
Surround yourself with influential people
Pieter's hero is Stripe founder Patrick
Now Pieter has a big audience, he has leverage to meet big names
Then he takes photos with his heroes which creates more social proof which creates more trust
Trust = Higher Sales Conversions
Pieter's hero is Stripe founder Patrick
Now Pieter has a big audience, he has leverage to meet big names
Then he takes photos with his heroes which creates more social proof which creates more trust
Trust = Higher Sales Conversions
15
Shamelessly copy & paste
Pieter modeled his successful landing pages on those from Oliver B
When a site does well he copies & pastes the best parts to new sites (steal from yourself)
Business=Simple
• Look at data
• Pay attention to what works
• Stop trying to be original
Pieter modeled his successful landing pages on those from Oliver B
When a site does well he copies & pastes the best parts to new sites (steal from yourself)
Business=Simple
• Look at data
• Pay attention to what works
• Stop trying to be original
16
Add real social proof, not BS testimonials
• Text testimonials and screenshots are fakeable
• Pieter puts customer tweets on his website
There's so much social proof, it's hard for you not to trust him.
Become undeniable.
• Text testimonials and screenshots are fakeable
• Pieter puts customer tweets on his website
There's so much social proof, it's hard for you not to trust him.
Become undeniable.
17
Plan for a future post AGI
AI will hurt order-takers and uncreative employees. It'll hurt entrepreneurs too.
Pieter says:
• Post insanely human content
• Build communities
• Build your email list
• Be entertaining
• Create happy customers with support + CX
Then be free.
AI will hurt order-takers and uncreative employees. It'll hurt entrepreneurs too.
Pieter says:
• Post insanely human content
• Build communities
• Build your email list
• Be entertaining
• Create happy customers with support + CX
Then be free.
18
Be happy when others win (instead of jealous)
People buy from good humans. Also, celebrating others is good PR.
The best thing to celebrate is your competitors. The internet market is big enough for everyone.
Abundance over scarcity mindset.
People buy from good humans. Also, celebrating others is good PR.
The best thing to celebrate is your competitors. The internet market is big enough for everyone.
Abundance over scarcity mindset.
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The failure rate is supposed to be high
Wealth & freedom don't come easy.
Pieter: "Only 4 out of 70+ projects I ever did made money and grew
>95% of everything I ever did failed"
Most people refuse to fail. Therefore, you have almost no competition. Start. Ship often.
Wealth & freedom don't come easy.
Pieter: "Only 4 out of 70+ projects I ever did made money and grew
>95% of everything I ever did failed"
Most people refuse to fail. Therefore, you have almost no competition. Start. Ship often.
20
Find ways to do radically different marketing
"I'm going to give one random person that retweets this $10,000. Cause I’d rather spend my ad budget on you than BigTech"
There's always a way when you use creativity
Traditional marketing can't compete cause they post boring ads
"I'm going to give one random person that retweets this $10,000. Cause I’d rather spend my ad budget on you than BigTech"
There's always a way when you use creativity
Traditional marketing can't compete cause they post boring ads
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Final Thought
Pieter Levels is one of the best entrepreneurs alive. Give @levelsio a follow and some love.
Remember: Learn from the top 1%
Pieter Levels is one of the best entrepreneurs alive. Give @levelsio a follow and some love.
Remember: Learn from the top 1%
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@levelsio If you want to build the foundation of an online business like Pieter Levels, start writing online.
My free email course will help you do it faster: timdenning.com/startonsocial-…
My free email course will help you do it faster: timdenning.com/startonsocial-…