Compound Leverage

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I'm behind on my business goal this year. Very behind.

The newsletter is growing thanks to you, but I've had a couple of problems in other areas: taking on work that wasn't a good match because it didn’t support my goals.

These things seemed promising when I took them, but weren’t a match to how I want to help people.

It showed in my delivery.

I said to myself, "I'm making things harder on myself," as I reflected on my progress.

You know that feeling when you check and realize you're not even close to where you thought you'd be? That's been me since May.

For weeks, I had been thinking that the solution was more of the same; it was a better mousetrap.

But all that "more" just made me more scattered.

I was busy, working hard, and getting further behind.

So I went home and did something I teach but wasn't practicing: I applied THINK to the problem.

First thing I did was open Claude and create a project called "THINK Scaling."

Brain dumped everything.

My 12-month goals, what's working, what's not, and mistakes I've made.

Then I uploaded 2-3 files with my targets, insights, and current status.

Here's what the AI revealed through our back-and-forth conversations:

• First insight: I needed to eliminate distractions. I was offering too many things to too many people.
  

• Second insight: What people buy from me is strategic thinking. They want strategic thinking + AI application. That's why I always say "business-first."

So I made cuts.

The biggest one?

Instead of trying to sell everything to everyone, I created an Academy model.

Now we can serve 15 Academy members over 12 months instead of chasing 100+ one-off projects.

I made this change last week, and honestly? It's already showing progress.

I closed one Academy membership earlier this week, and have another one that should close within the next two weeks. That leaves me with 13 spots.

The difference is night and day. Instead of constantly pitching new prospects for random projects, I'm having deeper conversations with people who want strategic thinking that uses AI integration to execute.

I stopped offering everything else, except for one digital product, two service offerings, and Academy memberships.

Now, I offer free consultations that guide people to the right level of support - whether that's a free offering, a digital product, or our services, whatever suits their needs.

But here's the key: Everything is tied to one thing, Business-First AI, helping people strategically THINK about AI for goal setting.

They're purchasing strategic thinking packaged as THINK, using AI as a vehicle for goal setting.

AI tools and agents get integrated into that process, but it's not about the tools.

It's about applying unique thinking to achieve a desired outcome.

THINK helps people use AI to transform how they approach solving problems.

This clarity changed everything.

But here's the best part.

I built this business advisor in Claude Projects and connected it to my data sources, apps, and tools, including Zapier and Notion, as needed.

Now it has become a central hub for business advisement.

I can do research with it. Integrate data from multiple sources. It brings everything together with my human intelligence.

I use it weekly, several times a week. Sometimes I'll talk to it on my phone while walking or when something comes up.

This is crucial: You start chasing things that don't make sense instead of focusing on one value, one problem, one solution.

Having an AI business advisor keeps me on track.

Here's my basketball court analogy:

If I come to the court with old shoes and an old t-shirt, does that mean the person with brand new Jordans and pristine Nike gear is a better player?

No. We both have a basketball.

It's how I use it and how I approach the game that separates us.

That's why I always promote THINK - because it's a method. It helps you focus on things that matter instead of AI tools.

The method matters more than the tools.

Here's what most people get wrong:

They look at AI as a replacement instead of a thinking partner.

Change your approach. See it as a partner. Then apply it to your work in ways that impact your results.

That's the difference between someone who uses AI tools and someone who thinks strategically with AI.

Projects are a great way to do that.

Here's the process you can use to get started:

1. Create a project.

2. Use an AI assistant to write the project instructions for what you want to accomplish.

3. Connect some tools and knowledge files tied to your goal.

4. Then start using it to help you dissect problems, uncover opportunities, make informed decisions, and take action.

5. Enable extended thinking in your conversations for deeper thinking (I use Claude Sonnet 4 or Opus 4 models)

See if that gets you where you want to be.

Half of business is focus, fast decisions, and perseverance.

Whether you work at a company or you're an entrepreneur, we all struggle with that because distractions are everywhere.

Use Projects to help you stay focused on what matters.

How can projects help you the rest of the year?

At the end of the year, you want to be happy with the outcome. No matter if you almost made it, crushed it, or got there, did you give yourself the best opportunity by being focused on the right things?

That's what this is about.

What I love about this newsletter is that it combines everything I'm passionate about, coming up with new ways to solve problems and helping people think through things differently.

I always say I'm good at patterns. I see connections others miss. I combine that natural ability with AI to help me do it at scale.

I appreciate your support because it provides me with an outlet to express myself and share my passion, helping others with their goals.

What's blocking you from a goal?

Create a business advisor today with a Project in Claude or ChatGPT to get help on your 2025 goals.

Marvin

PS: Three ways to start working on a 12-month goal with THINK.

1. Free THINK Email Course - Unsure how to start implementing business-first AI? Take our free THINK course. Enroll here.
   

2. Apply to Join THINK Academy - Get an AI Integrator to reach a 12-month goal with THINK methodology. 5X cheaper than hiring an AI builder and strategist. Only 14 spots remaining in 2025. Learn more.
   

3. Strategic Prompting Service - Get 3-5 strategic prompts tied to a business goal that cuts manual work. Limited: 10 spots/month. Prefer to learn how to build strategic prompts? Join the strategic prompt course waitlist here.