All Episodes

August 13, 2025 36 mins

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Hey everyone, Nik here!


I've seen it all in entrepreneurship – the wins and the losses. My friends, Brandon and Nick, are perfect examples. Brandon hit it big, doing $100,000 a month in four months, now with 39 locations. Nick, well, he was bankrupt in eight.


Why the huge difference?


Nick made the same mistake many first-time entrepreneurs make: evaluating a business like a 20-year veteran when he'd never run anything!


In this episode, I'm going to share some brutal truths about starting your first business. For rookies, you are the business, and your willingness to outwork everybody else is your real competitive advantage.


We'll dive into the four rookie realities you must confront before getting into the game.


I'll even show you my personal evaluation framework and the unique Neanderthal score to help you pick a business that truly amplifies your strengths.


The goal for your first year? Just survive.


Enjoy the conversation!


Questions This Episode Answers:

• Why did my friend Nick's restaurant business fail so quickly, while Brandon's thrived?

• What are the four rookie realities that first-time entrepreneurs must confront when evaluating a business?• Why is a first-time entrepreneur's personal work ethic their primary competitive advantage?

• How do margins and cost to play impact a rookie's ability to survive the learning curve?

• Why should first-time entrepreneurs seek businesses with strong macro tailwinds and easy scalability?

__________________________

Love it or hate it, I'd love your feedback.

Please fill out this brief survey with your opinion or email me at nik@cofounders.com with your thoughts.

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__________________________

This week we covered:

00:00 The Rookie Entrepreneur's Journey

03:44 Evaluating Business Opportunities

08:07 Rookie Realities: Handling Operations

12:04 Customer Acquisition Challenges

15:55 Surviving the Learning Curve

19:48 Growing Without Breaking

24:11 Real-Life Business Evaluation

29:57 Mindset Shift for Success

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