Day 4 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.
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Part 1: Build a One-Page Business Plan
Welcome to Day 4. We’re taking 28 Days-- 28 small steps-- to help you (and me) build a side hustle that’s meaningful, impactful, and profitable. Today’s focus is on creating a lean, one-page business plan—a simple… effective tool that should help you clarify your vision, organize your priorities, and guide your next steps.
If Day 1 was about discovering your “why” (your purpose) and Day 2 was narrowing down to the “what” (the problem you’ll solve first), and Day 3 was understanding the competitive landscape, then Day 4 is about pulling all of that together into a concrete plan. Days 1-3 should have given you rough answers to what problem your business is solving, who it’s solving it for, and how you plan to make money from the idea. Don’t panic if those answers are still a draft in your head because the process of writing a one-page business plan will help you flush that out.
This might be a little obvious but writing a business plan is as much for you as it is for whoever you’re going to share it with. The writing process should help you define the essentials of your business in a way that’s actionable, accessible, and easy to share. And that “share” part is super important because over the next month, you’ll need collaborators and potentially, investors, and they need to get on the same page as you.
Just keep telling yourself: If you don’t set your own boundaries, someone else will... and unless it's your Mom those boundaries will favor them.
So today’s questions are where purpose meets execution. By getting you to write a little– or to get the AI prompt to write for you– you’re better positioned to spot gaps and to sharpen your priorities– superskill number 2. And don’t stress it… your plan should be a living document—it’s not about perfection… but direction. It’s just a tool you can actually use. And you’ll adapt it as you learn more.
Ok. The questions:
1. What is the primary goal of this business plan? Is it to attract investors, align internal teams, or secure partnerships?
2. What are the specific metrics or milestones tied to your idea that should be highlighted (e.g., market size, potential revenue streams)?
And Senor Quizzy– el Ninja Azul– who on day 4 of this series already has a larger fan club than I do– has a third bonus question: Should we include financial projections or focus solely on vision and strategy? Gracias senor, wherever you are.
Asking these three questions forces you to prioritize– superskill number 2– to prioritize what matters most, so you don’t get distracted by details that don’t drive results.
So… why are these questions important? Because the answers turn your abstract ideas into actionable clarity. And why is that important? Because without a clear, concise plan, even the best side hustle risks becoming a chaotic mess of disconnected goals and well intentioned but half-baked strategies. A one-page business plan forces you to focus— one of our 3 magic skills. It helps you simplify complexity. It helps you align your vision with execution. And it creates a roadmap that’s easy to share with collaborators or investors. It’s also a confidence-builder– for you and for others. It distills your hustle into measurable goals, milestones, and strategies. It reframes who you are– from dreamer to doer. As cheesy as it sounds, a business plan isn’t just paperwork—it’s credibility… it’s momentum… It's motivation… your roadmap for sustainable growth.
Even a rough plan is better than none. As I tell myself every day: if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing poorly.
Ok. Enough with the preachy, preachy.
If you’re motivated by living, breathing examples…. Tristan Walker– this guy:
Founder of Bevel, started with a simple business plan: solve razor bumps for Black men—a problem ignored by big brands. He wrote his plan on a single page, focusing on one audience, one product, and one promise. That clarity helped him raise millions, build a cult following, and eventually sell his company to Procter & Gamble. Sometimes, a one-page plan is all you need to turn a personal pain point into a movement.
The right plan doesn’t just attract resources—it attracts the right people to your mission.
Ok. A good one-page business plan is all about simplicity—it focuses on the essentials without overwhelming you with unnecessary details. Everything is easier with a template so we’re going to use the following framework to organize your answers into a simple document:
- Vision: What problem are you solving, and who are you solving it for?
- Offering: What product or service are you providing?
- Revenue Model: How will you make money?
- Target Market: Who are your ideal customers?
- Marketing Strategy: How will you reach those customers?
- Goals: What milestones do you want to achieve in the next 28 Days?
One last bit of the preachy, preachy. One of my favorite sayings is “If it's worth doing, it’s worth doing poorly.” Nothing we do for the hustle is about perfection—it’s about progress! This one-pager that you’re writing can (and should) evolve as your hustle grows and as you learn more about what works best for your audience. My point: This is worth doing. Do it… even if you’re doing it poorly for now.
Progress beats perfection every day. The act of writing your plan moves you forward. It's the act, not the script.
Ok. Take a moment and try to answer the Day 4 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 Business Model Canvas: Today's Ivy League MBA Skill
Day 4, Part 2 of Lunch Break Millionaire– where we turn whatever you're eating for lunch into an Ivy League MBA degree. Soup-er Thursday! Today’s soup recommendation: Sundubu Jjigae- my absolute favorite Korean soft tofu stew. It drops the f-bomb of heat! Kinda like the MBA skill we’re going to pick up today– something called a business model canvas. Doesn’t sound spicy but it is. And it’ll hopefully turn your hustle into something that’s both spicy and substantial.
Ok. If you ever were at some miserably offsite at work and they made you stick a bunch of multi-colored Post-it Notes to a wall, you have the Business Model Canvas to thank. It’s every marketing dweeb’s idea of a “fun” exercise and to be fair, it’s a kind of MBA cheat code for building a business that actually works. Forget those 40-page business plans nobody reads. This is a single sheet—nine boxes, one page, and if you do it right…. suddenly, your whole side hustle’s going to make a shit ton of sense. You get to see how all the pieces fit together, and where you’re missing something important BEFORE you waste time or money. Superskill 1: focus. Superskill 2: prioritization.
The Canvas is the tool that lets you step back and say, “Okay, here’s how I’m going to make money, here’s who I’m serving, here’s how I’m going to reach them, and here’s what it’s all going to cost me.” It’s the plan for how your hustle survives in the wild.
So let’s break it down. The Canvas has nine building blocks. You’ve got your Customer Segments—who are you serving? The real people or businesses who need what you’re building. Then, your Value Proposition—what’s the thing you’re offering that makes their life better? Channels—how do you actually get your product or service to them? Customer Relationships—how do you keep them coming back? Revenue Streams—how does the money come in? Key Resources—what do you need to make this all happen? Key Activities—what do you actually have to do, day in and day out? Key Partners—who do you need to team up with, because you can’t do it all alone? And finally, Cost Structure—what’s it going to cost you to keep the lights on?
If that sounds like a lot, don’t stress. The beauty of the Canvas is you can sketch it out on a napkin. You don’t have to have all the answers right now. You just need to get your ideas out of your head and onto the page so you can see what’s missing, what’s strong, and what needs work. It’s a living document, not a homework assignment you turn in once and forget about. You’ll keep coming back to it and tweaking it as your hustle grows and you learn more.
Now, let’s connect this to today’s questions. When you’re thinking about the primary goal of your business plan—whether it’s to attract investors, align your team, or just get your own head straight—the Canvas helps you get there. It forces you to prioritize, to focus on the essentials, and to see how everything connects. When you’re thinking about the specific metrics or milestones you want to highlight, you can use the Canvas to map out what matters most: how big your market is, what your revenue streams could look like, what resources you’ll need, and what it’s all going to cost. And if you’re stuck on whether to include financial projections or just focus on vision and strategy, the Canvas helps you do both. You can sketch out your big-picture vision and then start to fill in the numbers as you get more data.
Take a sec and pull up a blank sheet of paper. Draw nine boxes. Label them: Customer Segments, Value Proposition, Channels, Customer Relationships, Revenue Streams, Key Resources, Key Activities, Key Partners, and Cost Structure. Now, start filling them in. Don’t worry about getting it perfect. Just get something down for each box. Who are you serving? What are you offering? How will you reach them? How will you make money? What do you need? What do you have to do? Who can help you? What will it cost? If you get stuck, use the AI prompt in the post description later today or ask a friend for feedback.
Keep telling yourself, the goal isn’t to have a perfect plan—it’s to have a clear, simple map you can actually use. The Canvas is your business at a glance. You can pin it to your wall, make it your desktop background, share it with a potential partner, or just use it to keep yourself honest about what really matters. The more you use it, the more you’ll see where your hustle is strong and where you need to double down.
The Business Model Canvas– or just the Canvas– is your shortcut to building a business that’s a real, living system that can grow with you. It’s how you turn your lunch break into something that lasts. So take a sec, sketch it out, and see your hustle for what it really is—and what it could be. That's how you hustle smarter.
Part 3: Learn From My Business Plan: The 28-Day Case Study
This is Day 4, Part 3 of Lunch Break Millionaire. This is the segment where we #BuildinPublic– where I answer the daily questions from part 1– using the MBA skills we just learned in part 2– and showing my work here in part 3– 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. I don’t care how smart you are. At some point in life– in the middle of a test that’s kicking your ass– you’ve glanced– we’ve all glanced– over at the test of the person next to us. Writing a one page business plan is hard. It might kick your ass. But not today. Let me share my answers.
I’m going to show you three separate versions– for three separate audiences– 1) investors, 2) your internal team and 3) potential partners… collaboration opportunities. And trying to read it on your phone will make your eyes bleed so I’ll also link to the docs in the post description.
I’m going to throw each version up and explain them a bit but it's important to understand that each version is intentionally different.
Investors get numbers and market size—they need proof your hustle can scale.
Internal Teams get tasks and deadlines—they need clarity on what to do next.
And partners get collaboration perks—they need reasons to trust you as an ally, not a competitor.
So each plan speaks to its audience’s priorities: profit, execution, or partnership.
Let me throw up the first one– the one-pager for Investors
Of the three versions… This is the fancy one. It focuses on market potential and financial returns because investors care about scalability and profitability. It emphasizes my hustle’s disruptive potential in the $285B ad industry, and it positions it as a trust-driven alternative. Financial projections (even estimated ones) show growth potential, while metrics like CAC (cost to acquire a customer) and LTV (lifetime value of a customer) prove the hustle’s sustainability. For example, if it costs me $50 on advertising to get a creator but they pay $360/year, that’s a great return.
I hate using jargon without an explanation…. So real quick:
- CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost): Imagine you’re selling lemonade. If you spend $10 on signs to attract 20 customers, your CAC is $0.50 per customer. For my hustle, it’s the cost of ads and outreach to get one user.
- LTV (Lifetime Value): If each lemonade customer spends $3 total over the summer, your LTV is $3. For my hustle, it’s how much a creator or a business pays over their time using the product. A good business has LTV 3–5x higher than CAC.
Before we move on…. You haven’t seen the other two versions yet but this one is different because unlike the internal and partner versions, this one avoids technical jargon about product features. It just tried to answer the question: “How big can this get, and how fast?”
Ok. Let me throw up the second one– the one-pager for my internal team.
This version is a playbook, not a pitch. It breaks down what needs to be built (like MVP features)... how they need to be built (like KPIs around 90% content-matching accuracy), and who does what (engineering vs. marketing roles). If you do it right, this version is actionable, with clear milestones (e.g., “5 pilot clients by Q4”) to keep your team aligned.
How is it different from the one for investors we just saw or the one for partners which we’ll see next? Well, this one has no financial jargon— just practical steps. Investors care about revenue, teams care about execution. So this one-pager skips market stats and focuses on shipping code, hitting metrics, and avoiding burnout.
Ok. Let me throw up the last one– the one-pager for partners.
We talked yesterday about competitive analysis but I don’t (yet) see anyone in the market as a direct competitor. I see them all as partners. And if I’m going to reach out to them– and I am– they’ll want to know what’s in it for them. This one-pager highlights collaboration benefits: revenue sharing, co-branding, and exclusive API access. Metrics like “10+ platform integrations by 2026” show my commitment to partnerships.
This last one’s different from the first two because it isn’t about money or tasks—it’s about shared wins. Unlike the investor or team plans, this one avoids technical or financial details and instead focuses on mutual growth opportunities.
Key Takeaway for me from my Day 4 exercise:
1. Every audience deserves their own version of whatever it is you’re doing. Crafting three distinct versions of a one-pager really drove home that success hinges on speaking directly to the priorities of your audience: investors, teams, and partners—each with their own lens of value.
2. Progress Beats Perfection Every Time. Your whole life is a draft. Living it matters more than getting it perfect.
3. Numbers tell stories Numbers inspire. So understand metrics like CAC and LTV.
4. That third plan really drove home the idea that connection leads to collaboration leads to opportunity. Everyone– especially competitors– are potential partners.
5. A Plan is so much more than a document. It’s confidence. In you and your hustle.
Prompt #1 - Build Your One-Page Business Plan
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Prompt #1 - Build Your One-Page Business Plan ○
Today you’ll pull together everything from Days 1–3-your “why,” your problem, and your competitive insights-into a simple, one-page business plan. You’ll be coached by Ivy League faculty whose research is foundational in business model design and entrepreneurial execution:
- **Professor Alexander Osterwalder, Visiting Professor at Columbia Business School:** Creator of the Business Model Canvas and global authority on lean business planning.
- **Professor Eric Ries, Yale SOM guest lecturer (Lean Startup):** Pioneer of rapid experimentation and validated learning.
- **Professor Rita McGrath, Columbia Business School:** Expert in strategic execution and agile business models.
**What Today’s Coaching Will Help You With:**
You’ll clarify your vision, organize your priorities, and create a living document that guides your next steps-without getting lost in the weeds.
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### Step 1: Reflection Questions
Please answer these questions in a few sentences each:
1. **What is the primary goal of this business plan?**
- Is it to attract investors, align your team, or secure partnerships?
2. **What are the most important metrics or milestones you want to highlight?**
- Think about market size, potential revenue streams, or key launch goals.
3. **Should you include financial projections, or focus solely on vision and strategy?**
- Consider your audience: investors may want numbers, partners may care more about collaboration, and your team may need clear milestones.
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### Step 2: MBA Skill – Business Model Canvas
Today’s MBA lesson is the Business Model Canvas-a one-page tool that helps you map out the essentials of your business. The nine building blocks are:
- **Customer Segments:** Who are you serving?
- **Value Proposition:** What unique value do you deliver?
- **Channels:** How will you reach your customers?
- **Customer Relationships:** How will you keep them coming back?
- **Revenue Streams:** How will you make money?
- **Key Resources:** What assets do you need?
- **Key Activities:** What must you do every day?
- **Key Partners:** Who will you collaborate with?
- **Cost Structure:** What will it cost to operate?
Sketch out your answers for each block. Don’t worry about perfection-just get your ideas down.
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### Step 3: Coaching & Real-World Example
After you reply, I will use the writings of Professors Osterwalder, Ries, and McGrath to:
- Help you refine your one-page business plan for clarity and focus.
- Guide you in adapting your plan for different audiences (investors, team, partners).
- Offer feedback on your Business Model Canvas and highlight any missing pieces.
- Share a real-world example of how a one-page plan led to rapid progress and alignment.
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**How to use this prompt:**
- Respond with your answers to the reflection questions and your draft Business Model Canvas.
- Your Ivy League coaching panel will help you refine your plan, identify gaps, and suggest next steps.
- Remember: Progress beats perfection. Your plan is a living document-update it as you learn.
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Ready? Share your answers and draft plan below. Let’s hustle smarter, one lunch break at a time!
Secret Dessert Course
Ok. Too much talky-talky. Instead of just having some good ideas sitting on a page, let’s use AI to turn it into an action plan– a simple checklist that takes you from talky-talky to do-y-do-y. (I don’t think that’s a word.) Anywho… the goal is to go from a theoretical plan to breaking down each section of the plan into specific, step-by-step, bite-sized actions that you can tackle this week… at night or on the weekend.
It takes you from “overwhelmed by where to start” to boring little steps you can take. Simple, time-bound tasks. Building real life momentum. Seeing real life progress. Actually starting to bring your business to life-one lunch break at a time. Just copy and paste this prompt into your favorite AI assistant to enjoy Day 4’s dessert course.
Prompt #2 - Complete Your Plan-to-Action Checklist
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Prompt #2 - Complete Your Plan-to-Action Checklist ○
Today’s focus: translating your business plan into real, time-bound action steps-so you don’t just plan, you actually *do*. This Plan-to-Action Bridge Checklist will help you break down each section of your business plan into specific, achievable actions for the coming week. You’ll be coached by Ivy League experts in execution, project management, and entrepreneurial focus:
- **Professor Teresa Amabile, Harvard Business School:** Expert in progress, motivation, and how small wins drive momentum.
- **Professor Rita McGrath, Columbia Business School:** Authority on strategic execution and turning plans into measurable results.
- **Professor Linda Hill, Harvard Business School:** Specialist in leadership, team accountability, and making change stick.
**What Today’s Coaching Will Help You With:**
You’ll learn to bridge the gap between “what’s on paper” and “what gets done.” By the end, you’ll have a simple, actionable checklist-one that turns every section of your business plan into a next-step with a clear owner and deadline.
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### Step 1: Business Plan Snapshot
Please provide (copy/paste or summarize):
1. Your business plan’s main sections (e.g., Vision, Offering, Revenue Model, Target Market, Marketing, Operations, Milestones).
2. For each section, 1–2 sentences on your current plan or goal.
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### Step 2: Plan-to-Action Bridge Checklist
After you reply, I will use the writings of your Ivy League coaching panel to:
- Break down each section into a specific action step for this week (e.g., “Set up a business bank account by Friday” or “Draft first 3 social posts by Wednesday”).
- Assign a clear owner (if it’s just you, that’s fine!).
- Set a realistic deadline for each action.
- Highlight one “quick win” you can achieve in the next 48 hours to build momentum (Amabile).
- Suggest ways to track progress and hold yourself accountable (Hill).
- Offer tips for adapting your plan as you learn (McGrath).
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**How to use this prompt:**
- Respond with your business plan summary above.
- Your coaching panel will return a table/checklist mapping each section to a concrete, time-bound action.
- You’ll leave with a simple, personalized “do-next” list for the week-so you can move from planning to progress, one step at a time.