I’ve been thinking lately about how some of the most successful businesses aren’t flashy tech startups - they’re quiet, “boring” operations that just solve a basic problem really well

Things like portable toilet rentals, parking lot striping, or industrial cleaning services. Nobody’s talking about them on LinkedIn, but they’re pulling in millions with low overhead and little competition

Have you ever come across a business like that in real life or while researching ideas? Would love to hear examples - especially ones with potential for automation or growth

Let’s shine a light on the businesses hiding in plain sight

Remember, in business, everything can change, and fast.

My business was pulling in multiple $100k+ months with decent margins for over a year, and over $200k at the peak month.

I was confident, felt inspired, motivated, like I could take on the world, like this would grow exponentially forever. I got there with $0 in paid ads, starting with $20. I was very proud, still am.

Now, the business is pretty much dead, and I'm looking for a remote job.

Did I see it coming? Yes. Did I adapt? No.

If you see something coming, don't ignore it, don't put it off.

Focus on it, get uncomfortable.

Just because it's working now doesn't mean it will a year from now.

I used to think Sales calls were just me and the client strategizing how to best tackle whatever challenge they were facing.

I loved that part.

They'd tell me what's not working, and I'd tell them exactly how I'd fix it.

But now, 8 years later, I think that was a huge mistake.

And it's not because "the client will just steal your ideas and run off."

Even though that has happened to me before...

But because that was my way of avoiding actually pitching myself.

I was hiding behind "giving value" because I was terrified of the moment where I had to stop being the helpful expert and become the "salesperson." I didn't know how to make that transition without feeling sleazy, so I just... didn't. I'd end the call with a weak "Well, let me know if you want to move forward!"

Then they'd ask what I'd charge, and I also dodged that question by saying I'll come up with a proposal. I'd send it over and then hope for the best.

This led to some serious ghosting. And I absolutely HATED following up on those emails. It icks me out just writing one out: "Hey, have you had time to go over the proposal?"

At some point, I realized I needed a better system, and the pitch deck I want to share with you today is the result of a lot of trial-and-error.

Here's the slide-by-slide breakdown (I'm linking my public template in the comments if you prefer to see it in practice):

When to share your screen / start pitching

This pitch deck isn't a "Hi, I'm Clawed Platypus, here are my slides" situation.

I only share my screen after I'm done with the entire discovery phase. So I first start by interviewing them about their problem, until I actually understand what they need. (I wrote a long-ass post about this and shared my entire script in this subreddit a few weeks ago, and more than 5000 people saved/shared it...)

That's why I start my pitch by confirming I understand their situation.

Slide 1

This is my bridge from "listening" to "leading." Before I say a word about my solution, I first prove I heard them.

• Structure: I use three columns:
  • Current Situation: their pain in their own words. (e.g., "Your emails land in spam.")
  • Where You Want To Be: their goal (e.g., "Increase your email revenue by 20%")
  • The Roadblocks: What they told me is stopping them. (e.g. "Lack of technical expertise")

I fill this slide out live in front of them.

So I start sharing my screen, then start editing this first slide and put their words in live on the call. This is to make sure they feel 100% understood and shows I'm not running a canned pitch.

Slide 2

Once they've agreed I understand their problem, I immediately position myself as the person who solves it.

• Structure: A professional photo of me, with a single, clear promise: "I help [Their Client Type] Achieve [Their Core Goal]. Below that, I place a row of logos from past clients."

This slide is a timing thing. Slide 1, they're thinking "ok, they get me," slide two is "great, I'm speaking to a specialist."

But the promise you just made is a claim (I help X do Y), so we need more proof to show that it's actually true.

Slide 3 - 6

This is where I back up my big promise.

• Structure: A simple split screen. On one side, a visual of a previous client (their website, my work, their photo, whatever makes sense). On the other side, I put the client's name, the big result we achieved, and a few bullet points on the benefits they saw.

This isn't just showing off your portfolio. It's also sharing mini-stories of transformation. It helps reinforce that you know what you're doing.

Slide 7

This is the 30,000-Foot View. It's how I stopped myself from giving away free consulting. I don't tell them how to do it - I show them the map of the journey I'll take them on.

• Structure: The simpler, the better. I use a clean diagram with 4-5 boxes showing the major phases of my work. I use arrows to visually show the journey, and I end the journey on whatever goal I'm promising.

This turns the service from a vague idea into a tangible, professional roadmap. It screams "I've done this before, I have a plan," and really helps build massive confidence and justifies a higher price later on.

Slides 8 -> (12)

I make a slide for each of the big steps shown in slide 7 and zoom in.

• Structure: One slide for each step from my process diagram. Just a title and 3-4 bullet points explaining what's going on at each step.

This is the part you'll probably iterate over the most. Because any time you get asked a service-specific question, you can add an answer to it here. This helps with substance and dismisses objections before they happen.

Slide 13

This is where I shift from my process to their value.

• Structure: A simple list or flowchart. But this time, I list out all the tangible deliverables ("landing page, checkout page, ads, 60 emails, ...").

People don't buy your process, they buy results. Your process is what convinces them that you know what you're doing, but they still want to know what exactly they'll get out of it. This is the slide where you're building the value in their eyes.

Slide 14

Timeline. Pretty self-explanatory. It's a small slide, but it's really important for managing expectations, and let's be honest, it's probably the #1 asked question for people interested in anything. ("When can I get it?")

• Structure: Again, just a flowchart, I do a horizontal line across the middle of the slide and then vertical lines alternating up and down, with the key dates / timeframes on top and bottom.

Slide 15

"Any questions?" slide. I never talk about pricing before they ask about it. So up to this point, I never mentioned the price. This is where I ask them if they have any questions about what they've heard.

• Structure: Just a giant "QUESTION?" title.

I stay on this slide answering questions until they ask about the price. That's when I move on.

But until they do, I'll keep asking "any other questions?"

If at this point they don't ask about the price, they're probably not interested in what you're selling.

Slide 16

This is the price reveal. I simply state the price and then stay quiet. I'm waiting to see their reaction.

If you can't reveal your price I wouldn't show this slide, I'd simply state "I've done similar projects for X." And then I'd again, shut up. If you really can't go into pricing, then just go into your standard proposal / audit / whatever spiel.

• Structure: I like mine to look like those pricing boxes you'd see when buying SaaS. So a service name, with a bunch of bullets underneath, and then a price at the bottom.

I try to only pitch a single price, but I have another slide hidden at the end that has other packages if they'd prefer to start with a downsell.

-------

And that's it, really.

From here, all that's left is objection handling and onboarding, if they're willing to start immediately.

I'm gonna be linking the template I use in the comments. It's fully editable with "what to say" on each slide, if you want a complete step-by-step template to start with.

I'm also going to link my Sell Like A Doctor Reddit post below if you want to read how I handle objections and what happens before I start pitching.

Anyway...

Hope you found this useful.

Last year I worked with Marcus, a digital marketing agency owner stuck at $55K annual revenue. He was charging $497/month for social media management while his competitors charged $400-800. Seemed reasonable, right? Wrong. He was attracting price-sensitive clients who viewed his service as a commodity, constantly defending his prices, dealing with late payments, and watching clients cancel after 2-3 months. His churn rate was 65% - absolutely brutal.

After analyzing his numbers, I told Marcus double your prices. Today. Not 10% higher, not 20% higher. Double. From $497 to $997. His said Are you trying to kill my business? Nobody's gonna pay that! But here's what most people don't understand - pricing isn't just about money, it's about positioning. When Marcus charged $497, he was saying he's basically the same as everyone else. When he doubled to $997, he was saying he's fundamentally different. We rebuilt his entire approach instead of social media management, he positioned as revenue-focused social media strategy. Instead of talking about posts and followers, he talked about conversion rates and customer acquisition. Added monthly strategy calls, required 6-month minimums, introduced performance bonuses tied to client revenue growth.

The results? Lost 40% of existing clients but signed 8 new ones at the higher rate. Average client lifetime went from 2.8 months to 11+ months. Old model $497 × 25 clients × 2.8 months = $34,790 total value. New model $997 × 15 clients × 11 months = $164,505 total value. Same work, same time, 373% more revenue. The crazy part? His new clients were EASIER to work with. When someone pays $997/month, they take it seriously. They show up, implement recommendations, measure results. Marcus went from working 60-hour weeks serving 25 demanding clients to 35-hour weeks serving 15 clients who see him as essential. Revenue hit $190K, but more importantly, his life got infinitely better.

Look at your business from this perspective

If you were about to get fired in 9 months, and you want to make $8,000 a month after taxes, what is the business that you would start today in order to get you there?

I always thought running a business was about working hard and having a great idea. But once I actually started, I realised the hardest part was managing my own mindset, dealing with doubt, inconsistency, and not knowing what’s next.

What’s one brutal truth you realised only after starting your business?

I think if we share these honestly, it’ll help others prepare better for what’s ahead.

Noticed this across multiple clients, industries, even countries.
The ones with the smallest budgets often want daily calls, unlimited revisions, and 24h turnaround.
Meanwhile, the big spenders? Chill, trusting, minimal back-and-forth.

Is this your experience too?
Would love to hear your theories.

Hey everyone! I made a post back in this subreddit a few weeks back when I wrote an edition of my newsletter on Jaguar and the changes in their company. I got so much great feedback I figure I’d share the company I covered this week, 7-Eleven.

After looking in recent news I saw 7-Eleven just declined an acquisition offer stating the $47 Billion offer was too low. With that I decided to read up on why.

Recently 7-Elevens parent company, Seven & i Holdings, Recently rejected a $47 Billion acquisition offer from the Canadian group Alimentation Couche-Tard, the company that owns Circle K. This would have been one of the largest retail acquisitions in history with the offer being almost an all cash offer. But instead, 7-Eleven walked from the deal. Why?

They said that the offer undervalued their long term strategy and came with too many regulatory risks. 7-Eleven has gone through some changes recently which has then stating they’re well positioned to be worth more than the $47 Billion offer in just a few years, most notably them acquiring Speedway for a staggering $21 Billion back in 2021. They’ve ramped up their digital loyalty program and delivery infrastructure. They’re experimenting with drone drop-offs and EV charging stations, they’re also laying the groundwork to break off North American stores into their own company for a North American IPO. Essentially, 7-Eleven thinks they’re going to grow much more on their own without Circle K. This is because they no longer see themselves as a convenience store company, they see themselves as a tech-powered retail platform per their recent PR.

I’d love to hear your guys thoughts, do you all think it was the right call to stay independent to maintain their long term vision?

Here’s why...

I know this goes against a lot of the caution you hear, but after years of building SaaS MVPs for clients as a freelancer and working with founders from all kinds of backgrounds, I honestly think more people should give entrepreneurship a shot, even if it’s just a side project.

Starting a business teaches you things you’ll never learn as an employee. You get to see the whole picture: talking to customers, building products, handling money, and figuring out how to actually sell something real. Even if your first idea flops, you come out way smarter and more resilient.

I’ve worked with clients who had zero business background, but once they jumped in, they picked up skills fast. They learned to manage uncertainty, adapt, and solve problems on the fly. A lot of them surprised themselves with what they could handle.

You don’t need to quit your job or risk everything. Start small. Build something on the side. Launch a micro SaaS or a service for a niche community. The point isn’t to become the next unicorn, it’s to learn, grow, and maybe even make a little money along the way.

Honestly, some of the happiest people I’ve worked with are those who tried building something, even if it didn’t turn into a huge business. They gained confidence, new skills, and a totally different perspective on work.

If you’re curious, restless, or just want to see what you’re capable of, give it a go. Worst case, you learn a ton and become even more valuable in your regular job. Best case, you build something that changes your life.

You don’t have to be a genius or have it all figured out. Just start. You’ll be surprised where it can take you.

Business flopped. No other opportunity seems to be opening up. Finally swallowed my ego and started applying for jobs. Getting rejected because I don't have the experience necessary. The only available job right now is to be the desk assistant of another business person. Answer her calls and emails. Book her hotels when she is traveling. I don't think I can bring myself to do that. It would feel like a fresh slap on the face everyday.

No offense intended, I just want to hear the stories of business providing goods and services to customers rather than optimization of other businesses or apps for this and that. The kind of stuff that requires labor that's not your own to consumers.

Everyone glamorizes entrepreneurship freedom, money, working on your own terms.

But beneath the surface, there are some harsh realities most people don’t see (or don’t want to admit).

Let’s get real.

What’s one brutally honest truth you’ve experienced as an entrepreneur that most people never talk about?

I’ll go first:

“Some days, I question everything my choices, my ability, even my idea. But I still show up, because I know no one else is coming to save me.”

Would love to hear your unfiltered takes. Let’s build a thread that tells the truth behind the hustle.

Over the past couple of months, I’ve seen a noticeable dip in organic traffic to my site and I’m guessing a big reason is the AI-generated answers Google is showing right at the top now. Most users don’t even scroll anymore. It’s frustrating because content that used to rank well and bring in steady traffic is now getting buried.

I’m wondering how others are dealing with this. Are you shifting your focus to other channels? Trying different types of content? Or just riding it out?

It's painful to think about, but I recently lost 10k usd (as a solo bootstrapped developer) building my product, and want to share my story. Although it might sound like an amateur mistake please make sure to not let this happen to you.

The story: It was my first app. I spent 6 months building it and release it to 0 users, and after 6 more months of making TikTok videos it finally caught traction. ESPN featured a video created with my app, and it started growing fast.

The Mistake: I was using flutter flow. And I created an api call to a cloud function with my actual compute service account key. This was obviously a huge mistake, but it was my first app and I assumed flutter flow probably encrypted api calls, and I thought users wouldn't be able to see the source code anyways, and it was a "temporary workaround".

I removed the key in the next update, but it was too late. The Android App and source code were somehow indexed on multiple websites, and cracked versions were regularly released as well. And of course one of these had my API key.

What made this even worse is because of the momentary viral traction I had requested a quota increase to hundreds of A100 GPUs.

The Attack: I received a random email on a Sunday that google detected mining. This made no sense at the time, and decided to got to bed and handle it in the morning. I woke up to an email alert of 100% budget reached and found hundreds of A100 GPUs running. In just 24 hours my bill had reached 10k USD. I shut the full app down, and immediately deactivated and replaced my api keys.

Unfortunately after 3 request for a billing adjustment, Google is making me pay the full price.
So this goes down as a very expensive lesson for me. Don't make the same mistake!

TLDR leaked my google api key, was attacked with mining, Google made me pay

Hey everyone.... I’ve been spending the last few months learning how to monetize simple skills using just my phone and WiFi. It started with curiosity, a few sleepless nights, and a lot of trial and error but now I’ve made a bit of money using free tools like Canva, Notion, Gumroad, and Reddit itself. Recently I realized that we often overlook the smallest skills that could make us money if we leaned into them more: things like creating Notion templates, writing product descriptions, organizing info, or just knowing what to Google. So here’s what I’m curious about....What’s one “small” skill you learned or practiced that ended up helping you make actual money even if it wasn’t sexy or glamorous? Whether it’s flipping items, setting up automation, editing something for someone, or something niche... I’d love to hear. Let’s build a thread that helps people see what skills are really working out here 🙏

Looking for ideas to STAY AWAY FROM

Need advice of things to avoid!

Early on, I thought the goal was profit. So I obsessed over margins, saved on tools, did everything myself, and delayed hires. Revenue looked fine on paper - but I was exhausted, and nothing was scalable.

The truth? I was “saving” money but costing myself growth. I hired a life coach who helped me realise this it was actually my relationship with money that was holding me back.

I see this all the time now - founders clinging to every dollar, proud they’re lean, but stuck in a job they built for themselves.

Eventually I realised profit is the reward of smart growth, not the input. When I started spending where it counted - on systems, expertise, and time-saving tools - that’s when the business took off.

If you’re stuck, it might not be a lack of hustle. It might be fear of investing or your relationship with money in business.

Question- What’s one thing you wish you invested in earlier?

E-commerce and digital products are the obvious ones that come to mind. Any other dream businesses for the introverted and socially anxious entrepreneur?

I’ve been hitting around 6-10 hours of deep focused work in per day and i am finding it totally exhausting!

Rolling with average chair got from staples a couple year ago. My ass hurts, my back hurts and I find myself losing my focus more often veering off into random thoughts

Does anyone else deal with this? How many hours are you doing per day? Looking for something that can handle it. any recs?

I have a family friend in his mid 60s - I'm 29 and we get along great. He's a long time blue collar worker who worked extensively in the drilling business and has a lot of private and commercial connections in the infrastructure world.

He's approached me over the last year heavily about starting up a cement truck delivery business that he's been researching over the last 2 years (specifically using volumetric mixer trucks/on-site concrete mix). He'll be fronting 100% of the capital and wants my sweat equity in exchange to buy in, a small pay cut vs what I make now as an Accountant. In writing we'll have a vesting schedule for increment ownership growth over the next 5+ years; eventually he'll exit and wants me to take over while he reaps residual profits at a smaller %. His ultimate goal is to retire and keep income coming in, and he sees this as his way to achieve that.

I will indefinitely have a business lawyer look over everything in writing, but he's made it clear "I'm his guy" for the job.

EDIT: He does not have a son, we've known each other for 6 + years, in a way I think I'm the son he's never had.

I realize this is a great opportunity for my own entrepreneurial growth by helping get this thing off the ground, but I'm at a crossroads between continuing my path in accounting as a financial analyst or committing to what will probably be at least the next 8-10 years of my life to this beast. I know it will be long nights, hard days, and probably the most stressful period of my life to date, but I'm prepared for the opportunity. Without getting into the numbers that we've put together between our fixed and variable costs, it will likely be profitable if we execute this thing right (specifically net profits) within the first year.

His connections in the infrastructure sector and personality will be great for maintaining client acquisitions and even getting long term delivery contracts in place, and the fact that he's fronting all the capital makes it even that more appealing. My risk right now is my time, stress, and leaving a stable job for the opportunity.

Would I be crazy to pass this opportunity up? I'm not passionate about concrete delivery, but the scalability and potential for long term net profits is definitely present. Has anyone been in a similar position with this type of opportunity? How did things turn out?

EDIT: The general consensus seems to be "GO FOR IT!" A lot of great comments and points being made, along with considerations to think about. I've thought deeply about AI and its impact on the Accounting profession, and this could be a great way to mitigate the valid concerns. If anything, I gain invaluable experience in starting up a book business which can translate into future opportunities I wouldn't have otherwise by sticking purely with Accounting. I can always go back and have gained real operational/financial experience making big decisions.

As some of you said, it seems like I'm the fence and am looking for validation, which is accurate. My gut is telling me yes, and that scares me to death. If I could glean into the versions of myself in the future, this one would thank myself for having the balls to take it on. And, this opportunity is that "unicorn" that passes by ONCE or not at all in life. Thank you all!

What book do you think is the most legit?

Business owners want to retire. They take home about $320k a year. It's split between the building and the business.

We're not looking to purchase a job, but rather diversify our investments. There are 2 owners, 1 spends a few hours doing the books, and the other works full time but not as manager (he does it for the love of it).

The staff there is strong and dedicated. There's a store manager who basically runs the business. We know we'd need to hire another person, and probably another seasonal person.

I'd be financing the purchase.

With the costs of the additional staff, plus the debt service (~$200k / year) needed to cover the loans, we should have a take home of ~$50k.

The downpayment would be ~400k.

In my head, this seems like a reasonable 12.5% annual rate of return.

We've also identified a number of opportunities to improve the net profit to improve that return. We also believe providing equity to the manager, and a couple other key people as part of this would show our appreciation and desire for them to be a meaningful part of this business.

Am I thinking about this correctly? Would you do this deal?

Started a janitorial company a couple of years back. I sold it a while back for more than I ever thought I would get out of it. I have enough to live comfortably for a really, really long time.

I finally stepped away today, and I feel empty. I'm 33 and I'm not ready to retire yet. Ideally, I would love to start another business down the line, but my first business was built out of desperation. I want to be more passionate about my next venture moving forward.

I don't do well just sitting around. Like, at all. I have to be busy at all times or I tend to go down a ...not great path. As my work has been winding down with the transition period I have been thinking about moving into the corporate world for a year or two before taking the leap into another venture- always knowing that I have "FU money" if things get rough.

What have you guys done when you finally step away from your biz? What do you wish you would have done?

I’m a 30-year-old founder running a startup with 6 employees doing €380K ARR. I'm the commercial guy, which means my inbox is basically just this:

It drives me crazy!

So last weekend, I built a little AI agent (of course, who hasn’t these days?) that:

• Detects meeting requests in emails
• Checks my calendar
• Responds with a proposed time (or alternatives)
• And auto-books the meeting when confirmed

I casually shared it with some founders in my accelerator, and now strangers are DMing me asking to use it. I’m wondering if I should clean it up, make a landing page, and launch it properly?

This is my 4th side hustle (the others make a bit of cash), but this one’s getting a lot more interest. Has anyone else been here? Would you go all-in, or just keep it light? Shall I look to convince a friend to join me to have more hands?

Any advice is welcome!