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Depending on the person, their approach to entrepreneurship and their mindset can be as different as heaven and earth.
To succeed in entrepreneurship, a mindset for grasping success is necessary.
However, most people often greatly misunderstand and misinterpret the mindset for success.
From the very beginning, they are already taking a big detour.

The other day, I met a certain young person.

He said, "I'm aiming to be an entrepreneur, so I'd like some advice."
Asking for advice is good, and I want them to keep asking.
However, the moment I heard the content of his question, he was already missing something crucial for success.

"What do you think is most profitable right now?"

That's the kind of question he threw at me.

Let me be clear.
The moment he uttered these words, there's no doubt he was already on the path to being a loser.
If he continues with the same way of thinking, he will never succeed in his life.

On the other hand, even without being taught anything, there was a young person who earned several million yen on their own in the same year.
That young person also came to me asking for advice on what to do.
But, they asked a completely different question from the former person.

"I'm thinking of starting a business that solves this kind of problem, what do you think?"

Everything has potential.
Even if we say what's bad or good, in the end, if you try it, it might succeed.
However, whatever the outcome, advice on content that the child thought of themselves will become ingrained in them.
We accepted both good and bad opinions, brushed them up, and produced results.

So, what is the big difference between the former and latter mindsets?
It's not something that can simply be concluded with the single phrase 'whether you thought about it yourself or not'.
In fact, we must recognize that a deep problem regarding entrepreneurship in Japan is hidden here.
Today, I'm going to talk about the difference in mindset between the former, who keeps failing, and the latter, who keeps succeeding.

The prerequisite mindset for success. Thinking for yourself.

Ask successful people. It's faster to ask those who know.
Many people have probably heard such words.
However, these words should not be taken literally.

I assert.
Every successful person thinks carefully for themselves.

I am figuring out for myself both what to do and how to earn.
Thinking for yourself and making an effort is the most fundamental prerequisite.
This is like the magic of words.

Typically, everyone says when starting a business.
Listen to the stories of successful people and copy them, or imitate them.
We almost always talk about such things.
But, do you know what they'll say if the results don't come in?

"Everyone has no choice but to find their own way."

"There are no such things as success formulas or theories; in the end, you need to find your own way."
"Even after repeatedly telling people to imitate and copy at first, ultimately it's about 'your own way'."
"And in the end, they tell those who didn't get results, 'Don't blame others'."
"You might think, 'After telling us to imitate and copy, that's an outrageous thing to say'."

"But, thinking that way is already a loss."

"They are not saying anything wrong at all."
"It's just that their words are insufficient."
"Between 'Imitate, copy' and 'Your own way, don't blame others,' an 'explanation' is needed."
"The two are not immediately directly connected, leading to results."
"So, what kind of explanation is needed?"

"It means, 'Use others' knowledge and experience as a foundation, think for yourself, and earn'."

"Simply taking 'imitate' at face value and continuing to imitate will not yield results."
"You won't be able to earn much, nor will it lead to results."

"Because it is, after all, 'that person's way'."

"First, as individuals, personalities and preferences differ."
"Writing style, presentation skills, and human nature are also completely different."
"A successful person's method is merely a method that worked because it was *them*."
"The mindset, way of thinking, philosophy, and ideals that only that person possesses."
"Vision and potential."
The result of various elements merging is that person's success pattern.

Even if someone tries to completely copy it in exactly the same way, they cannot.
The knowledge and experience of successful people are merely a help in finding your own success pattern.

It's not something you can do by imitating someone else's pattern exactly as it is.
You are not that person, nor do you possess anything of theirs.
Acquire knowledge, and based on that, find your own method while receiving advice from successful people.
Ultimately, what successful people can do is 'help' you find your own pattern.

This was something I struggled with greatly in the early stages of teaching business.
Even when I taught what I did, everyone couldn't do it.
Even things I would push through and complete, they might not be able to push through.
On the other hand, if you try to force them to do it, they get tired and quit.
Even if I ask them to do it the same way, something is different.
Whether writing text or doing tasks, errors appear somewhere in all of it.
And these errors accumulate, leading to failure.
As a result, they can't achieve anything and drop out midway.
I realized it was difficult to have others implement what I had done.

Even though I succeeded, making someone else succeed with the same method is incredibly difficult.
This is an overwhelming fact and tells the whole story.

Many people spout phrases like 'make money' and then lead others to failure.
It's proof that making money yourself and making someone else make money are 'completely different skills'.

If you don't have the will to think, any knowledge or know-how you acquire will be useless.
Knowledge and know-how are merely seeds; you must find your own patterns yourself.
All information is nothing more than a 'criterion for judgment to think'.

For successful people to make others successful, they can only 'help them find their own way'.
Ultimately, we can only share know-how and experience, and act as training wheels.

The minimum requirement for a success mindset is 'thinking for yourself'.
You must deeply consider how to increase sales and what will sell, and then come up with answers yourself.
By repeating failures and successes, you will eventually find the path that says, 'This is what I should do'.
You fail because you abandon that effort and ask, 'Is there anything I can earn from?'

Even though you need to think for yourself and create your own path, you are fundamentally abandoning thinking.
You won't succeed unless you find it yourself, and if you cut corners in finding it yourself, you will fail.
Naturally, success does not exist beyond that point.

It's a matter of will and approach.

That's why I focused not on making them successful, but on 'being training wheels for them to find their own success'.
Since then, they have increasingly been able to smoothly step towards their own success.

I cannot talk about making you earn money or guaranteeing profits.
Because I can only help you find your own success patterns.

Although the marketing-friendly appeal is lost, good talent has started reaching out to me.
First, let's recognize that after 'imitate,' comes 'find your own pattern'.
'Imitate, copy' and 'find it yourself' are a set.

First, have you understood that simply following someone else's success pattern will not lead to success?
People who say things like 'I'll make you money' or 'You can easily make money' are either wizards who brainwash people or fraudsters.
As the first mindset you should learn, I want you to keep this thought in mind.

Solving problems close to you is closer to success than searching for ways to make money.

Now, let's move on to the mindset regarding 'what kind of business to do'.
In the example at the beginning, the former person started with the question, 'What should I do to make money?'
However, the very idea of 'can I make money?' creates 'cannot make money'.

Business, in the first place, is about providing for someone.
Give value to a third party, and receive money in return.
Basically, the exchange of value for value is the foundation and principle of business.
Therefore, to make money, you must first provide value to someone.

Many people forget this basic principle.

That's why ideas like 'What should I do to make money?' arise.
What you should be asking is, 'What kind of problems can I solve to be useful to people?'

There are still many problems in the world.
There is no one in this society who isn't troubled, and there are many things that need to be made more convenient.
Imagine finding someone's problem, solving it, and receiving money in return.

Suppose a neighbor tells you, 'I'm having trouble with this.'
If one person is troubled, there are probably others who are also troubled.
In that case, you should think of a mechanism to solve that problem and receive money in return.
Finding someone's problems is also the essence of business creation.

Of course, if there are people in need, it's easy to sell.
Normally, to sell something, you need to take time to make people understand the value of your business.
However, if everyone already recognizes it as a problem, then demand has already arisen.
They understand it's 'necessary' without even needing to be told.
If that's the case, all you have to do is set a fair price and sell the solution.
There's nothing difficult about it.

This is both a mindset and a method for generating business ideas.
I often meet people who say, 'I want to start a business but have no ideas,' or 'I don't know what to do.'
There are several ways to generate business ideas, but 'problem-solving' is also the most accessible method.
You just need to observe what your neighbors, friends, acquaintances, and colleagues are struggling with.
Once you find a problem, you just need to create a business that solves it.

Even when we say 'create a business,' it just means creating your own product/service and setting a price.
Basically, with just that, a 'business that people want' is born.

Even if you look for something profitable, you won't be able to earn money.
If you can make money that way, it's either genuinely useful or a scam.
Or, it's likely one or the other: taking on significant risk and investing.
Investment can have success separate from business, but also significant failures.
If you find your own pattern, business can proceed without risk.
Success becomes distant because you're looking for what's profitable.
More than that, it is certain to look for someone's troubles and try to solve them.

Also, there are people who try to make money by taking advantage of a 'system' created by someone else.
This is undoubtedly another foolish idea.
It's as if you've already put yourself among the losers at the starting line.

For example, let's say someone told you, 'You can make money if you sell this!'
Why has this person been teaching how to make money?

The reason is that I want to earn money myself.
Because I want someone else to sell it for me, and I want to earn with minimal effort.
At this point, those who have already been invited are now part of the exploited.
As long as you're selling it yourself, you'll ultimately have no choice but to remain on the exploited side.

Success is further away than if you start on your own.
After all, your own efforts are not 100% rewarded.
At least more than half will likely be siphoned off.
Even thinking normally, it's best to get the maximum return for the effort put in.
We need to aim for 100% reimbursement if it operates at 100%.

Let's say someone approached me and offered, 'I've created a system like this, why don't you try to make money with it?'
From what I heard, it sounds dubious, but depending on an individual's state of mind, it can overwhelmingly 'resonate'.

What's more, if the other person has a good personality, you'd be all the more eager.

But, please consider it for a moment.
Why would someone invite others to a system that allows them to earn money?
Because by recruiting someone and making them work, you can earn money yourself.

Basically, the moment you join someone's system or product sales, you are exploited.

People do not work for free, except in the spirit of volunteering, donations, or charity.
No one recruits others when there is no benefit.
In business, this is a matter of course.

If someone invites you to work at the bottom of a system, assume you will be exploited.
This is a fundamental principle and something that should naturally be questioned.
There is some strategy to overwhelmingly absorb your hard work and effort.
That's why they try to bring people into the circle with talk of 'you can earn' or 'we'll make you earn'.

If you are invited, you must first be suspicious.
Be suspicious and thoroughly investigate the other party's background and system.
You need to fully understand how the other party generates profit.
Only then, if you are convinced, it might be okay to participate.

Of course, this is different from recruiting 'team members'.
If it's about starting a business together, that's completely different.
It's more about earning together than exploiting.
Doing something together, facing challenges together, that's good.
But 'join the system, you can earn here' is not good.
Since you'll be on the exploited side from the start, success will be further away.

What you should learn is not how to earn money, but how to create a business.
It's about the means and mindset to start from scratch on your own.
If you abandon creating something yourself and join someone else's plan, you need to be prepared.
That you'll have to work 'many times harder' than starting on your own to earn the same amount.

The courage to involve others and develop while listening to their feedback.

The difference between those who earned and those who didn't is still evident in the opening question.
Business is interesting because there's so much information in just one question.

The former was looking for 'what can be earned'.
In other words, they are trying to 'have it decided for them' from the starting point.
What does that mean? It means they haven't even started running yet, they're at absolute zero.

On the other hand, what about the latter, the person who earned? They are asking for 'feedback'.
In other words, they are asking to further refine their own ideas.
A big difference is already made at the point where they decide to start themselves and aim for the future.

It's a clear difference in mindset that separates winners and losers.

There is something most important for making a business successful.
It's about improving ideas while involving others.

Normally, when a good idea comes to mind, people hesitate to talk about it with someone.
They might think of keeping it a secret because it could be stolen.

However, this won't lead to success.

After all, there are limits to one's own imagination and what one can notice.
Subjectivity is involved, and biases also apply.
That becomes a hindrance to truly creating something useful for someone.
You need to fearlessly ask many people for their feedback.
You need the will to involve everyone and build it together.

Especially, listen to potential users who are likely to use your service.
Like this time, it's good to ask experienced people for their feedback.
If they are knowledgeable, they will give you advice without denying it.
Because sensible people know that you can't predict what will be a hit.
Therefore, they don't outright deny things.
However, it's safe to say that people with such a mindset hardly exist.

Of course, just because feedback has been gathered doesn't mean everything will be incorporated.
You need to select what's necessary and postpone ideas that you think are unnecessary for now.
Gather many opinions and feedback, and select the most necessary content from them.

The 'editing ability' for opinions and feedback is necessary.

That's why it's natural to seek opinions on your ideas.
Fearlessly revealing your ideas is the right path to a success story.
Especially, you need to gather constructive opinions and feedback from experienced people and build upon them.

Currently, it's called 'co-creation,' where businesses are built by involving various people.
Rather, even paying users are involved, and everyone works together to improve quality.
The work of improving something that isn't perfect from the start is done by 'everyone'.
Because that way, growth is overwhelmingly faster.

In the past, secrets were thoroughly kept hidden.

But now, we expose everything from the start and create things by involving various people.
Otherwise, we won't be able to keep up with the speed of the times.
Times are constantly changing, and society is evolving.
While a few people are brainstorming ideas, society changes.
While creating, both society and mindsets change, and even the best ideas become unnecessary.

It's faster to develop by borrowing a little from everyone's minds worldwide than by developing with a team of just a few people.
The sense of speed from conception to development and then to dissemination is what matters.
Instead of fearing someone creating a similar business, disseminate it before a similar one emerges.
If you don't have that level of awareness regarding speed, you won't be able to keep up with the pace of modern business.
There's no time to hide things, calling them secrets.

AI development, for example, truly represents the modern business sense.
The mechanism itself is made public, and its accuracy is improved by having everyone use it.

For example, a LINE bot.
If you add it as a friend and say something to it, it replies with a conversation.
This is how artificial intelligence learns conversations by having many people talk to it on LINE.
It's also a typical example of improving accuracy by having everyone use it.

When creating a business, it's similar.
Once it's somewhat developed, we gather opinions and feedback on the ideas.
We select what we need and feed it back into the business.
Once it's developed to a certain extent, have users try it and listen to their feedback.
By involving others in this way, we will improve its accuracy.

Don't keep it a secret, be open for the fastest growth.
This is an essential mindset to keep up with modern business speed.
If you don't have the image of everyone building it together, everything will slow down.

With the mindset of 'co-creation' in mind, let's get back to the topic.

The latter question clearly possesses the 'elements for the fastest growth'.
Create your own standards and direction, and gather opinions for that purpose.
Then, make choices yourself and refine the ideas.
With a clear path, they are trying to proceed constructively.

On the other hand, the former probably has no such thing in mind at all.
They are merely searching for ways to make money and cannot see any subsequent developments.
It's like doing a haphazard treasure hunt.
In a vast desert, even if you try to find an oasis, you will only die along the way.
You need to have some idea and proceed to a certain extent.

Which one can gain a greater advantage is not even worth thinking about.
It is a matter of course that the latter will achieve victory more than the former.
In this sense as well, a significant difference arises between the two terms.

To challenge with a vision and passion, to ensure success.

This is the fundamental point.
People won't follow those who lack vision or passion.
That's because there's absolutely no passion when you promote your business.
Having vision and passion is an important element, even as a mindset.

As long as you do business, you need to involve someone.
That could be customers, colleagues, or people who help you.
It might be investors, or it might be competitors.
In any case, involving someone is important in business.

Despite that.

Who would follow you if you just say, 'I'm doing business because I want to make money'?
When asked, 'Why are you doing business?' if you just say, 'Because I want to make money'.
Who on earth would follow you?

For example, if there's a reason behind 'because I want to make money,' it's still understandable.
If it's an unavoidable situation, like being poor and struggling to make ends meet, or to make life easier for your parents, then it's understandable.
In such cases, there will be people who want to support you.

However, if it's about wanting to live luxuriously or achieve an ideal lifestyle.
There are very few people who would think, 'Let's support this person!'
It's difficult to involve people.

In other words, that means you can't involve customers either.

Suppose there's someone in front of you who says, 'I'm doing business because I want to live luxuriously and make money.'
Would you feel like doing something for that person or supporting them?
How many people would truly feel like they want to support such a person?

Most likely, it's just a wishful thought that they might be able to "make money" by following that person.

Unfortunately, for most people, it becomes an object of aversion.
Friends and foes are clearly separated and distinguished.
The allies are only people driven by greed, solely wanting money.
In most cases, such communities are prone to trouble.
Troubles unrelated to business will increase enormously.

Fundamentally, business thrives because it is developed for the benefit of others.
That, in turn, eventually returns to oneself as value.
There is absolutely no such thing as a shortcut or a two-step jump.
Doing something that benefits someone else, this is the principle and an absolute rule.

That's why a vision to "solve problems" or "make the world better" is essential.
Having the will to improve something for someone else makes it easier to involve people.
Very occasionally, something might expand without a vision because it's "too innovative and convenient."
However, if there had been a vision and the charm to involve people, even more loyal fans would have been created.

Especially in the initial startup phase, it's fair to say that vision is the only weapon.
There's no financial power, no connections. No technology, no experience.

In such a state, to involve someone, you need to convey your vision and passion.
The same applies when trying to persuade someone to join your team.
Initially, you can't pay a large salary, and there might be risks.
The only reason people would join us in such a situation is because they resonate with our vision and passion.
It's because they want to work together as part of the same team.

Whether it's engaging customers or building a team, initially, only your vision and passion serve as your weapons.
Whether you have a vision and passion or not significantly changes the subsequent developments.
Conversely, if you don't have that passion, what exactly would you use as a weapon to engage people?
It's hard to imagine such a thing readily existing in this world.

That's precisely why we should strive to find problems that can be solved for someone else, for society.
And let's cultivate a vision and passion to solve those problems.
If you can't have one, you have no choice but to search for something you can have.
It's almost impossible to earn a lot with a half-hearted mindset.
This is because without passion, you cannot overcome the efforts and accumulation in between.

Everyone who has succeeded has worked desperately many times harder.
They are only successful as a result of accumulating more effort than anyone else.
However, such efforts are not visible, so it just looks like they succeeded easily.
People often cannot even imagine what they cannot see.
It's impossible to try to earn money without considering any of the effort, hard work, and accumulation in the process.
Yet, for some reason, people try to skip the difficult intermediate process and reach the goal.
Such people are the least likely to succeed.
They will inevitably give up midway and keep circling the same spot repeatedly.
As a result, they start cursing the world, saying, "I can't make money."

Strong passion and will, a vision that truly motivates you.
To achieve success, you need to gain the endurance to persevere, fueled by your passion.
Beyond involving others, passion is necessary to strengthen your own will.
It can be said to be the most important mindset.

The core of the mindset. Vow to absolutely accomplish it, and just enjoy it.

Within the words of the two people, there exist this many differences in mindset.
Between the former and the latter, there is a vast difference in awareness in every word they utter.
In resolve, strategy, and way of thinking, there was an overwhelming difference in all of them.
The difference in awareness creates immeasurable power, separating success and failure.
That is precisely why it manifested as a clear result one year later.

There is something I want you to keep in mind.
It is the most important way of thinking, and it can be called a mindset.

It is that 'if you cannot enjoy difficulties, it's impossible to succeed even if you try'.
This might also connect to the topic of vision and passion.

For example, if you vaguely want to do business but don't anticipate working hard.
If there is no will to overcome difficulties beyond that.
This is a case that will definitely fail.

Of course, once you start moving, there are numerous difficulties.
You need to break through many walls.
But when you started, you didn't anticipate difficulties, and you have no image of overcoming them.
No matter how difficult it is, if you don't have an image of overcoming it from the beginning, you will fail.
This is the most common reason for failure in starting a business, side business, or any business venture.
Because it's tough and full of difficulties, people quit

Therefore, from the moment you start, assume that there will be many difficulties.
And solidify your strong will to see it through no matter what happens.

It makes a big difference if you solidify this will before you start, at the very beginning.

Let's make a vow in words.
There is a big difference in results between those who vow in words and those who don't.
Humans can become stronger just by recognizing a single word.

When put into words, the feeling and will to
It becomes fixed within your heart.
And when you're about to break, the will to never give up will well up.
To create this situation, it's important to make a vow at the beginning.

No matter what wall you face, enjoy the process of overcoming it like a game.
In games, the process and difficulties are more enjoyable than seeing the result.
The same goes for movies.
While watching a movie, you enjoy the process, not the ending.
Everyone must be experiencing a simulated experience through entertainment.
You just need to fully enjoy that simulated experience in real life too.

Of course, in reality, there's pressure and risk involved.
You might think it's different from movies or games, but surprisingly, once you get used to it, it's not so bad.
Overcoming the difficulties and walls in between is surprisingly like a game and enjoyable.
And although there's no ending, the feeling when you achieve something is addictive.
You just need to keep going until you develop a mindset of enjoying challenges within yourself.

Many entrepreneurs answer the question, "Why do you keep starting businesses?" with "Because it's exciting."
They get excited about initiating new things and achieving something.
That's why they take action, precisely because it's fun.

This kind of mindset is not easily acquired.
It's because success experiences and overwhelming self-confidence make it so.
Movies and games are fun because we understand there's an end.
And most of the time, you succeed, so you can enjoy the process with peace of mind.

The real world is the same.

If you have overwhelming self-confidence and believe you can overcome any difficulty, it becomes fun.
It's similar to the feeling of clearing a game, knowing you'll succeed at the end.
I can do it. I can overcome it with my own strength.
That's why it becomes fun to rack your brain and challenge yourself to figure out how to overcome it.

And by repeatedly taking on challenges, people gain confidence, ability, and power.
It's not something only a select few can acquire; it's something anyone can do.
By trying and failing, and repeating failures and successes many times, excitement is cultivated.
Later, the higher the wall, the more excited you become.
It would be good to first keep in mind how to build this mindset.

In any case, if you don't challenge yourself, nothing will begin.

Please take on the challenge, keeping in mind the difference in mindset seen from the questions of the two people I told you about this time.
Even if you only increase your knowledge, true ability is acquired through experience.
In any case, the key is to take the first step of putting knowledge into practice and gaining experience.

How to specifically build up a business will be written in future updates.
By all means, I want you to take the next step starting today.
Beyond that, your new life, way of living, and ideals await.