1. Assume that you need an extraordinary product beforehand, or a service that marvels customers. You must create something quite different from what the rest is offering. If you don’t have it, if your business is not remarkable, you must focus on this key point until you have an edge. Stop reading, stop looking for the secret sauce, subscribe less, stay on track, do what you need to do. Rethink, prototype, enhance. Ship, test, redesign, polish, ship again, test again, analyse. One day, you’ll have this kind of product or service.
2. Build a list of the right people you need in order to make your business works. That’s basically your (dream) team. Do not consider hiring anybody unless they develop a critical function: customer care, maintenance, distribution, design and development, operations, sales, etc.
3. Build another list with a comprehensive and detailed job description for every position you need to fulfil.
4. More lists please, build another list (which follows the other two) that describes what these people need to achieve.
5. No matter if you have a freelancing team or not. You should consider firing everyone that does not match #1, #2, #3 and #4. Then, go, look and test for minded-professionals until you find the right people for the desired outline – outcome.
From now and on, it’s a matter of time. What is coming next are strategies, tactics and execution. Team spirit, finance management, media and sales. The rest is plain guts, passion, is excellence, caring, consistency. It’s humanity and coherence. And principles.