Day two. And the fireworks have stopped.
Yesterday was all spark and adrenaline. Today? The emotions settled. Stabilized. And honestly, that's not a bad thing — because now I can actually think. Look at this from a distance instead of standing inside the explosion.
So let's think. There's a framework in building things — a classic one — called "fake it till you make it." The idea is simple: you sell something that doesn't exist yet, just to see if anyone gives a shit. If they do, you build it. If they don't, you saved yourself months of wasted effort.
I love this concept. It has risks, sure. Someone might feel lied to. Reputational damage, blah blah. But let's be real — in business, everyone is overselling what they have. It's not a scandal, it's the standard. Companies do it every single day. The real risks are different: that you can't actually deliver what you promised, or that the people who want it need it today and won't wait for you to figure it out.
But here's the thing — you're not trying to deliver. Not yet. You're gathering signal. You're testing the market.
You don't need a product to validate a product idea. You need a reaction.
Now — this idea from the last chapter needs a name. "AI Journal" was the first thing that came to mind, but it's too generic. Not hipster enough. So let me try this: Artificial Journal. Because what is this, really? It's an artificial version of a physical journal. A digital representation of something that, in my head, is a leather-bound book on paper. "Artificial" from artificial intelligence. I like it. It clicks.
If the Artificial Journal were to become real, we'd need to fake it till we make it. And the "it" has two sides.
Side one: the users. People who would use the journal for free. And why would they? Same reason people use any social media — they trade their privacy for the feeling of being heard. That's the deal. It's not new. It's not controversial. It's how the entire internet works. You get a platform, they get your data. Except here, the data (I belive) is something way more interesting than your shopping habits.
Side two: the money. Big corporations. The Apples of the world. They'd pay — and pay a lot — to access psychological profiles of a huge population of real people. Not survey responses. Not focus group bullshit. Real, unfiltered human thinking that they can run their products and strategies against. One deal with one of these companies? That's the kind of money that makes a living. And if we're being ambitious — why not? — it could be much more than that.
Two sides of the same coin. One gives their thoughts for free. The other pays a fortune to understand them.
So if we're faking it — and we are — we'd need to build something to show these corporations. A value proposition. A pitch deck, a promo video, something that communicates the idea when you're sitting across from whoever holds the budget. That part? That's the easy part. I can build a deck in my sleep.
The hard part is getting in front of those people.
LinkedIn is the obvious channel, but let's be honest — LinkedIn is shit. More and more people are leaving it. What's actually getting traction right now is X. The old Twitter. It's becoming what LinkedIn used to pretend to be — a place where real professionals actually post real thoughts. More authentic, less corporate cringe. But I'm not trying to start a platform war here.
Then there's the non-digital route. Conferences. Walking up to someone and pitching them face-to-face. Old school, but it works. Especially for an idea this unconventional — you almost need the in-person energy to sell it.
So yeah. That's more or less how you'd build a business from day one with nothing but an idea. You name it. You frame the value. You build the pitch. You find the people. And you sell what doesn't exist yet.
Consider this chapter a business lesson from someone who hasn't built the successful business yet. Take it or leave it.
Now — will I actually do any of this? I don't know. Day two energy is real. The enthusiasm from yesterday took a bit of a dive. I'm occupied with other things. I'm cutting weight right now, running a calorie deficit, and let me tell you — that does not exactly fuel the entrepreneurial fire. Hard to change the world when your body is screaming for carbs.
But the idea is here. Written down. Timestamped. And if it goes anywhere, this is the chapter where it started taking shape.
Cheers.