Day 32 Transcript
NOTE: Today’s transcript is followed by an AI prompt that can be used with your AI provider of choice. Just copy and paste it into ChatGPT or Perplexity and it will help you answer today’s questions for your specific side hustle… the way a human teaching assistant would help you in an Ivy League university. If you’re eager for more on today’s topic, I’ve included a Secret Dessert Course at the very end — a bonus section that isn’t directly covered in today’s video but has a lot of value practical, hands-on value. That dessert also comes with its own AI prompt.
—
Part 1: Anticipate Disruption
Looking up… looking into the distance every once in a while is a habit. You either have the habit or you’re comfortable standing still. Don’t be comfortable standing still.
Welcome to bonus week– week 5– Day 32 of starting your side hustle! We finished our month-long journey last week, and this week is all about all the lessons I wish we’d had time for. Today’s focus is horizon planning—looking into the distance to spot inflection points before the market changes. If you want to outmaneuver competitors, you have to anticipate future competitors– you need to obsess over what’s coming.
The real world example today is Whitney Wolfe Herd, the founder of Bumble. Whitney didn’t just build another dating app—she anticipated shifts in social norms, privacy concerns, and the rise of women’s empowerment. By planning for a future where women would want more control over online interactions, she positioned Bumble to ride the wave of changing attitudes toward dating, safety, and gender dynamics. Her horizon planning meant building features and policies that could adapt to new regulations and cultural trends, helping Bumble grow into a global platform valued at billions.
So today’s question that help you be like Whitney:
1. What emerging tech stack could kill your story?
2. How could you protect yourself against black swans? That’s a fancy way of saying the absolute worst-case scenarios—think: geopolitical shocks, AI ethics scandals, or regulatory earthquakes—to bulletproof your hustle.
Let’s break down why these questions matter:
All the stuff you’re building– your data moat, your proprietary data, your features, your brand— they’re all advantages with a half-life. They can’t go on forever. The moment you stop regularly tracking emerging tech, emerging trends, emerging needs… you’re driving blind. You’re shortening the half-life of everything you’ve built.
For instance, if your hustle relies on AI-generated content, what happens when viewer sentiment inevitably sours on synthetic crap? Or– to get a little techie– what happens when the SaaS tool you’ve built relies on AWS, what happens when some genius finally cracks quantum-resistant encryption? That sounds sci-fi but it's not.
The black swan thing isn’t some tinfoil-hat-wearing bs. It’s reasonable, thoughtful planfulness. And like all planning, the value isn’t in the plan you produce. It’s in the process of getting to the plan. Traditional risk management– which we learned about at the end of week 1 reacts– and that’s needed. And what we’re talking about here is anticipatory… preemptive… proactive... think pre-mortems, rather than post-mortems. Pre-mortems based on looking into the horizon.
Ok. Take a moment and try to answer the Day 32 questions for your hustle without AI and before you listen to the next section-- the 28-Day Ivy League MBA. I personally think it's useful to try to answer questions without AI first, but if you'd rather do that: The AI teaching assistant prompt will drop with today's case study... in a couple of hours. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out Lunch Break Millionaire Day Zero... or go over to superserious.com where I’m posting daily transcripts. The AI prompts are there too. That's it. Hustle smarter.
Part 2: 💼 Map Your Three Horizons: Today's Ivy League MBA Skill
A tiny bit of spirituality here. If you learn to listen deeply, the future reveals itself—like the sound of a breeze, whispering its secrets. The future sounds like this: ffffthooosh.
Day 32, Part 2 of Lunch Break Millionaire– where we turn whatever you're eating for lunch into an Ivy League MBA degree. I’m going to suggest a French tasting menu for today’s lunch– or if that’s too fancy for you, your local Diner’s appetizer sampler– chicken wings, mozzarella sticks… that kind of thing. Because today’s lesson is about sampling what’s new, and always leaving room for a delicious wild card that could change the whole meal. Like the world before jalapeno poppers. The MBA lesson there is called: the Three Horizons Framework.
Ok. I’m trying to avoid using some really cool sounding jargon: “strategic foresight.” It means building systems to spot and prepare for the future before it blindsides you. The Three Horizons Framework is exactly that– a tool for mapping your business across three time frames—Horizon 1 is what you’re doing now, Horizon 2 is what’s emerging or starting to disrupt, and Horizon 3 is the long-term future that could transform everything. Instead of just asking “what’s next?” When you’re in trouble, you’re always running a parallel process: sustaining today, experimenting for tomorrow, and dreaming for the day after.
Let’s get hands-on with the framework. Start by mapping your current hustle into the three horizons. Horizon 1: What are your core products, customers, and differentiators right now? Horizon 2: What new tech, trends, or behaviors are starting to show up in your space—even if they’re not mainstream yet? Horizon 3: What wild, transformative shifts could completely change the game—stuff that seems far off, but could hit fast, like generative AI, quantum computing, or new regulations? The MBA move here is to schedule regular “horizon reviews”—quarterly or biannually—where you and your future team (or just you and your AI assistant) scan for signals, update your map, and brainstorm what bets or experiments you should be making in each horizon.
Now, tie this back to today’s questions. When you ask, “What emerging tech stack could obsolete your current differentiators in 18 months?” you’re working in Horizon 2—scanning for signals and running experiments to stay ahead of the curve. When you ask, “How could you build a ‘future crimes unit’ to stress-test your model against black swans?” you’re working across all three horizons—using scenario planning, war games, and cross-functional teams to bulletproof your strategy and make sure you’re ready for anything.
Take a sec and sketch your own Three Horizons map. List your core business in Horizon 1, your experiments and early signals in Horizon 2, and your wild-card bets or existential threats in Horizon 3. Pick one signal from Horizon 2 and one from Horizon 3, and set a reminder to check back in three months—what’s changed? What’s getting closer? The more you practice this, the less likely you are to get blindsided—and the more likely you are to spot the next big thing before everyone else.
Keep telling yourself, the best hustlers keep scanning, keep experimenting, keep adapting. Strategic foresight is all about building the habit of looking up, looking out, and preparing for what you see in the distant horizon. That’s how you hustle smarter.
Part 3: Stress-Test Your Differentiators: The 28-Day Case Study
This is Day 32, Part 3 of Lunch Break Millionaire. This is the segment where we #BuildinPublic– where I answer the daily questions every hustle should– using the MBA skills we just learned– and showing my work– sharing how I’m building my hustle from scratch-no filters, just the real journey. You don't need to actually like or subscribe. I'm not doing this for the clicks. But if you’re leveling up from other creators you follow or know, introduce us. I want to learn from them and help them level up, too. We all deserve better than just making rich people richer.
Ok. Not a lot to say on horizon planning. As I’m building out Metatorial and superserious, I am under the complete delusion that my differentiator is unassailable. That differentiator being creator ownership. Not renting a platform. Owning one.
But I still tap friends– my own little pre-mortem team– most as an excuse to break bread with them. Dinners where the conversations start to sound like simulations… where we all play tech futurists– mapping out our 3 horizons. The other night, we were talking about the artist formerly known as AI-generated deep fakes and how it’s no longer about them flooding every platform, eroding trust. It’s now turned into established creators creating AI versions of themselves– intentionally, in the open, completely transparently– so they can… I guess… spend their time on something more useful than content creation.
What could possibly go wrong if you tell your followers that they’re not worth your time.
So in my horizon I need to map a future where “ownership” means nothing; not because creators can’t prove their own authenticity but because they choose not to. Yeah, I get dizzy thinking about it.
I guess my takeaway is: there are limits to superskill 3 - delegation. And one of those limits is any activity that defines an authentic you.
Prompt #1 - Future-Proof Your Hustle
○
Prompt #1 - Future-Proof Your Hustle ○
Today, you’ll learn how to look beyond the day-to-day and plan for the long-term future of your business-so you can spot threats and opportunities before they hit, adapt ahead of the curve, and keep your hustle relevant no matter how the world changes. You’ll be guided by the writings and frameworks of Ivy League faculty whose research is foundational in strategic foresight, innovation, and growth:
- **Professor Rita McGrath, Columbia Business School:** Specialist in strategic inflection points and agile growth.
- **Professor Clayton Christensen, Harvard Business School:** Pioneer of disruptive innovation and the “jobs to be done” theory.
- **Professor Amy Edmondson, Harvard Business School:** Authority on adaptive leadership and learning organizations.
**What Today’s Coaching Will Help You With:**
You’ll map out your business’s “three horizons”-what’s working now, what’s emerging, and what could disrupt you next-so you can balance today’s wins with tomorrow’s risks and opportunities.
---
### Step 1: Reflection Questions
Please answer these questions in a few sentences each:
1. **What is your “core” offering that’s working right now and paying the bills?**
- Be specific about what’s driving your current results or revenue.
2. **What new ideas, trends, or experiments are you exploring that could become your next big thing?**
- Think about emerging tech, changing customer needs, or side projects you’re testing.
3. **What’s one outside force or potential disruption (tech, competitor, regulation, culture) that could threaten your business in the next 1–3 years?**
- Identify the risk, and describe how you might adapt or pivot if it happens.
---
### Step 2: MBA Skill – Three Horizons Planning
Today’s MBA lesson is about the “Three Horizons” framework:
- **Horizon 1:** Your core business-what’s working now, and how to keep it strong.
- **Horizon 2:** Emerging bets-new ideas, products, or markets you’re testing for future growth.
- **Horizon 3:** Disruptions-big changes or wildcards that could reshape your industry or make your current model obsolete.
Sketch out your business across all three horizons. Ask yourself: Are you investing enough in Horizon 2 to avoid getting blindsided? Are you keeping an eye on Horizon 3 so you’re not caught off guard?
---
### Step 3: Coaching & Future-Proofing Action Plan
After you reply, I will use the writings of Professors McGrath, Christensen, and Edmondson to:
- Help you clarify your three horizons and spot where you’re over- or under-invested.
- Guide you in balancing short-term execution with long-term exploration and risk management.
- Suggest ways to stress-test your differentiators and build adaptability into your business model.
- Offer examples of businesses that thrived by planning for disruption, not just reacting to it.
---
**How to use this prompt:**
- Respond with your answers to the reflection questions and your draft three-horizon plan.
- I’ll help you refine your horizon map, spot blind spots, and suggest next steps for future-proofing your hustle.
Secret Dessert Course
There is such a thing as having too many good ideas. It’s a curse really. Especially if you haven’t been exercising your two most important skills as an entrepreneur: focus and prioritization.
That’s where today’s AI prompt can help. It walks you through a “Core vs. Explore Audit.” It helps you sort out what’s paying the bills right now (your “core” offerings) versus what could be your next big thing (your “explore” projects). By mapping out both, you’ll spot where you’re spreading yourself too thin, where you can double down for stability, and where it’s safe to experiment for future growth.
Just copy and paste the following prompt into your favorite AI assistant to enjoy Day 32’s dessert.
Prompt #2 - Audit Core vs. Explore Initiatives
○
Prompt #2 - Audit Core vs. Explore Initiatives ○
**Today’s Focus:**
Balance stability and innovation by mapping your current revenue drivers ("Core") against future growth bets ("Explore"). You’ll be coached by Ivy League faculty with expertise in strategic prioritization and innovation:
- **Professor Rita McGrath, Columbia Business School:** Authority on transient advantage and managing dual strategies for stability/growth.
- **Professor Clayton Christensen, Harvard Business School:** Pioneer of disruptive innovation and resource allocation frameworks.
- **Professor Gary Pisano, Harvard Business School:** Specialist in strategic experimentation and risk-managed innovation.
**What Today’s Coaching Will Help You With:**
You’ll learn to separate "what pays now" from "what could transform tomorrow," avoid overextension, and allocate resources strategically.
---
### Step 1: Reflection Questions
**Answer these in a few sentences each:**
1. **Core:** List 3-5 offerings/activities generating ≥80% of your current revenue or impact. What makes them indispensable?
2. **Explore:** What 2-3 experiments or prototypes are you running that could become future revenue streams?
3. **Resource Check:** What time/money/assets are currently split between Core and Explore? Is the ratio aligned with their strategic importance?
4. **Risk Tolerance:** For Explore projects-what’s your "fail fast" threshold? (e.g., "Kill if no traction in 90 days")
---
### Step 2: Core vs. Explore Framework
After you reply, I will use the writings of Professors McGrath, Christensen, and Pisano to:
1. **Map Your Portfolio** using a 2x2 matrix:
- X-axis: Current Revenue/Impact (Low → High)
- Y-axis: Future Growth Potential (Low → High)
- Plot all Core/Explore items
2. **Prioritize Actions:**
- **Double Down:** High-revenue + high-growth items (invest aggressively)
- **Optimize:** High-revenue + low-growth items (streamline, protect)
- **Experiment:** Low-revenue + high-growth items (test cheaply, iterate)
- **Sunset:** Low-revenue + low-growth items (divest/outsource)
3. **Allocate Resources:** Recommend % splits (e.g., 70% Core/30% Explore) based on your risk profile and industry dynamics.
4. **De-Risk Explore:** Suggest low-cost experiments (e.g., MVP tests, pre-orders) to validate Explore bets before scaling.
---
**How to use this prompt:**
- Respond with your answers to the questions above.
- Your Ivy League panel will return a tailored audit with clear prioritization and action steps.
---
**Example Next Step:**
"Redirect 15% of Legacy Product Line resources to fund 3 AI Content Tool pilot tests by Q3."