The Hard Truth About Starting
One of the most common calls I get is: “Are there any grants available?”
Everyone wants funding to get started. And sometimes, yes—you’ll need capital. But here’s the thing: nothing makes a stronger case to a bank, investor, or even a grant committee than already having sales.
Selling first does two things:
It brings in cash you can reinvest.
It proves your idea actually works.
And that proof is what lenders and investors are really looking for.
The problem? Most people still do everything except sell:
They design logos.
They register domain names.
They tweak fonts and colors.
They even write business plans nobody ever reads.
It feels like progress. But none of it gets you to the only proof that matters: a paying customer.
A Smarter Way to Start
AI makes this trap even easier to fall into—you can spin up logos, brand kits, and “coming soon” websites in minutes. But that’s still polish, not proof.
The smarter move is to use AI to accelerate selling first. Focus on three things:
Clarity – Use AI to sharpen your idea into a single, clear sentence you can pitch anywhere.
Pricing – Use AI to model different price points and buyer types so you’re confident making an offer.
Outreach – Use AI to draft simple messages so you can start real customer conversations today.
If you can do those three things, you’re closer to funding, growth, and sustainability than 90% of would-be entrepreneurs.
That’s why I built the Start Something Kit—a Notion-based toolkit with one-page plans, pricing frameworks, a first-10-customers tracker, and targeted AI prompts to keep you focused on action.
👉 Take this short quiz to see if you’re ready. You’ll get a discount code for the kit when you finish.
Prompts of the Week
Here are three AI prompts to help you start selling before you start spending:
Clarity Prompt
“Summarize this idea in one clear, persuasive sentence: [insert idea]. Make it simple enough that a 10th grader would understand.”
Pricing Prompt
“Suggest three possible price points for [product/service]. For each, explain what kind of customer would pay that price.”
Outreach Prompt
“Write a short, casual message I could send to someone I know asking if they’d like to try [product/service]. Keep it under 50 words.”
On the Podcast This Week
We shot this week’s episode on-location. The video focus was way off, but the content was solid—so we launched it anyway. Because good enough beats perfect.
Same goes for your first sale: get it out there, get the proof, and improve as you go.
Check it out on YouTube. Bad acting and poor focus. Rip us in the comments.