From Idea to Execution: My Journey of Validating a SaaS Idea

I’m on a quest to find profitable micro SaaS ideas. Validation is hard and messy and while I haven’t hit gold yet, I’m reflecting and improving on the process to increase my velocity with this project. To that end, let me share a recent journey of validating a SaaS idea in the product analytics space. Ideas on paper It all started with an idea. I sat down for some grueling minutes and just punched out a few micro SaaS ideas that came to mind....

June 27, 2023 · 6 min

The Power of the Right Incentives

Don’t ask a barber if you need a haircut. – Charlie Munger The premise behind the model is that the behavior of humans (and indeed, many animals) can be shaped by rewards (positive reinforcement) and punishments (negative reinforcement). Actions that are rewarded are likely to be repeated, and actions that are punished or lead to undesirable outcomes are likely to be avoided. This simple model is surprisingly powerful in predicting human behavior in a wide range of contexts....

June 6, 2023 · 3 min

Finding the Best Solution: Opposing Sides Debate the Fate of Prague’s Historic Bridge

Making decisions is hard and I found decision-making skills challenging to practice. One exercise that I’m currently exploring is the deliberate use of mental models to analyze case studies. This one is about the article “Like knocking down the Eiffel tower, battle to save historic Prague bridge“. Summary of the main points The Vyšehrad bridge in Prague is facing demolition due to a plan from Czech Railways to replace it with a modern structure....

January 27, 2023 · 6 min

The Fall of the Maya

This post is a short analysis of a history article. My goal was to practically apply mental models in order to improve my thinking. Question to answer: What led to the Mayan’s downfall? Article Summary The Mayan Empire was centered in the tropical lowlands of what is now Guatemala, and reached the peak of its power and influence around the sixth century A.D. Unlike other scattered Indigenous populations of Mesoamerica, the Maya were centered in one geographical block and remained relatively secure from invasion by other Mesoamerican peoples....

January 13, 2023 · 4 min

The Crucial Step of Problem Definition

All life is problem-solving. – Karl Popper To create value for someone, to make progress with anything usually means solving problems. You want to achieve a goal, but unfortunately, there are obstacles in your way that you need to resolve to get there. At any one point in time, you probably have a full to-do list of problems that never empties. New items appear with every progress you make....

December 12, 2022 · 7 min