Get grounded in what makes a business worth buildingâand worth leading.
Every business that endures is built on more than hustleâitâs built on clarity, discipline, and timeless fundamentals. In this opening chapter, we focus on what truly matters in the early stages: solving real problems, staying curious, questioning your assumptions, and building something that actually works. These Rules remind us that the foundation isn’t just where you startâit’s what you return to every time things get shaky. Whether you’re launching, rebuilding, or leading through change, this is where the work begins.
CHAPTER 1, Foundations First features these 5 rules:
- RULE NO. 1 Solve a real problem.
- RULE NO. 2 Fall in love with the problem, not the solution.
- RULE NO. 6 Your first idea is rarely your best.
- RULE NO. 10 Never stop learning.
- RULE NO. 15. Work on the business, not just in it.
Ask yourself,
“Am I building on clarityâor just momentum?”
If youâre charging ahead without a clear problem to solve, clinging to your first idea, stuck in the day-to-day, or not actively learning, itâs time to slow down and shore up your foundation. This chapter isnât just for startupsâitâs for anyone who wants to lead with purpose, not just push for progress.
RULE NO. 1 is Solve a real problem.
Recommended Reading: The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
Why: Because, without a problem worth solving, everything else is wasted effort.
RULE NO. 1 SUMMARY 
If your product, service or strategy isnât solving a real problem for a real person, itâs a vanity project â not a business.
Painkillers outperform vitamins every time.
âThe question is not âCan this product be built?â Instead, it is âShould this product be built?ââ
â Eric Ries, The Lean Startup
RULE NO. 2 is Fall in love with the problem, not the solution.
RECOMMENDED READING: The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick
Why: Because, this keeps you customer-centered, not ego-driven.
RULE NO. 2 SUMMARY
Solutions come and go, but a deep understanding of the real problem creates lasting value. Focus on the true needs and challenges of your customersânot your preconceived ideas.
âYouâre not allowed to tell them what their problem is. They have to tell you.â
â Rob Fitzpatrick, The Mom Test
RULE NO. 6 is Your first idea is rarely your best.
RECOMMENDED READING: Originals by Adam Grant
Why: Because, this forces humility and iteration.
RULE NO. 6 SUMMARY
Great ideas emerge after rethinking and refining initial concepts, proving that persistence and revision often lead to better solutions. The most original thinkers donât settle for their first solutionâthey generate many. Great ideas often emerge later in the creative process, after initial concepts have been tested, challenged, or discarded. Quantity breeds quality when youâre willing to rethink, revise, and persist beyond whatâs obvious.
âThe greatest originals are the ones who fail the most, because theyâre the ones who try the most.â
â Adam Grant, Originals
RULE NO. 10 is Never stop learning.
RECOMMENDED READING: Mindset by Carol Dweck
Why: Because, growth mindset fuels reinvention.
RULE NO. 10 SUMMARY
A growth-minded leader embraces learning as a lifelong processânot a phase to graduate from. Whether youâre in the boardroom or the breakroom, staying open to new ideas, skills, and feedback separates those who evolve from those who become irrelevant.
âBecoming is better than being.â
â Carol S. Dweck, Mindset
RULE NO. 15 is Work on the business, not just in it.
RECOMMENDED READING: The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber
Why: Build systems, not a self-employed prison.
RULE NO. 15 SUMMARY
Successful businesses arenât built by overworked operatorsâtheyâre built by owners who step back, see the big picture, and design systems that scale. This rule is a wake-up call: if youâre stuck doing all the work yourself, youâre not building a businessâyouâve just bought yourself a job. Working on the business means shifting from technician to architect, from doing the tasks to designing the machine that gets them done.
âThe problem is not that people fail to work hard enough. The problem is that they work hard at the wrong things.â
â Michael Gerber, The E-Myth Revisited
Congratulationsâyouâve laid the groundwork. By studying these first five Rules, youâve done more than just beginâyouâve made a commitment to build something that lasts. Foundations arenât flashy, but they are everything. The strongest companies, teams, and leaders return to these principles often, especially when the path gets unclear.
When you’re ready, Chapter 2 is waiting. In it, we shift from groundwork to momentumâtaking what you’ve built and turning it into traction. Weâll cover the Rules that drive action, consistency, and early growthâthe habits that separate those who stall from those who scale. VISIT CHAPTER 2