Devil's Advocate

The "I" issue in Business

Key Takeaway from the First Strike Incubator [https://www.linkedin.com/company/first-strike-incubator/] Team Conversation: If your business language is filled with “I”, you’re operating on ego, not evidence. Real builders shift from I → They → Proof. The moment you stop centering yourself and start centering the customer, your business becomes testable, scalable and real. With over 200 startups directly launched by this team, 100s of international firms grown and scaled, 400+ products/services commercialized plus mentorship of over 5900 others; you should tune in, follow/subscribe on the In Focus Brands [https://www.linkedin.com/company/in-focus-brands/]' YT Channel and on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/linkedin/].

Perfect is the Enemy

Perfect doesn’t scale. Execution does. The First Strike Incubator Team tackles a reminder every operator needs: waiting for perfect is just another form of procrastination dressed up as "exacting standards.” You should know your product market fit.2:24 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=144s] Do not go to market without knowing who the customer is.3:10 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=190s] Your definition of perfect might have nothing to do with what your customer wants.3:26 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=206s] Set clear design goals. 3:48 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=228s] More features do not mean more market share.3:52 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=232s] Find the features your customer will pay you for.3:58 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=238s] Set your design goals. Get your product in the hands of your target market.4:41 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=281s] Our job is to help you focus on what you need.5:13 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=313s] Are you focusing on the right market?5:46 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=346s] We are trying to get to the Alpha that will move the needle the most.6:40 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=400s] An audience of one.7:00 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=420s] Are they your true target market?7:30 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=450s] Have pay to play testing for your product.8:43 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=523s] It's an expensive miss. 9:58 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=598s] You get a lot of feedback with paid testing. The feedback is gold.10:41 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=641s] Apple is the perfect example.11:20 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=680s] Go after the market you are validated in.11:57 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=717s] Business is not static.12:49 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=769s] Clear design goals, proof of concept and paid testing with feedback.13:27 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=807s] Practical things you can do on your own to test your product.14:32 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=872s] Write down your design goals.16:08 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=968s] Do your research. Who are your competitors?16:53 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=1013s] It's OK to know what you don't do.17:25 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=1045s] Know who you are creating the product for. It is easier to rank your priorities. 18:18 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=1098s] We saw a lot of theory.18:40 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=1120s] We learn more from failures.19:36 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=1176s] Hard product design has many factors.20:02 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=1202s] The theory is one thing but then you have to apply it.20:37 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=1237s] When we speak, we are talking from real experience.20:57 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=1257s] This can be applied to general business practices. 21:15 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=1275s] We have walked in both the blue-collar and white-collar world.21:46 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=1306s] You can patch mistakes with software. Hard goods require more hands-on work. 22:13 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_D9t5Qtlg&t=1333s] Tesla can't send a patch to fix their gas pedals.

Devil's Advocate

Devil's Advokate The First Strike Incubator [https://www.linkedin.com/company/first-strike-incubator/] Team and the whole In Focus Brands [https://www.linkedin.com/company/in-focus-brands/]' Portfolio are big believers in making sure every member has a voice and that all have the platform to pose questions to make sure all bases are covered. The Devils Advocate [https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/all/?keywords=%23devilsadvocate&origin=HASH_TAG_FROM_FEED] Model isn’t about being difficult. It’s about being responsible. It’s how you build resilient strategies, stronger teams and companies that don’t stall or break the moment reality shows up and markets, clients or conditions change. With over 200 startups directly launched by this team, 100s of international firms grown and scaled, 400+ products/services commercialized plus mentorship of over 5700 others; you should tune in, follow or subscribe. We recommend that every team assigns someone as the devil's advocate.1:33 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwcQKUsQgdk&t=93s] It's better to answer hard questions now in a pre-emptive way.1:53 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwcQKUsQgdk&t=113s] In a manufacturing sense, iron out the details now so it is not expensive later.2:25 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwcQKUsQgdk&t=145s] It stops the nemesis of business which is "group think".3:25 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwcQKUsQgdk&t=205s] Agreement is not always helpful. Sometimes pushback is needed.4:32 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwcQKUsQgdk&t=272s] It holds everyone accountable. We are not just winging it. 5:19 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwcQKUsQgdk&t=319s] I ask people to go one step further with follow up questions.6:07 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwcQKUsQgdk&t=367s] When the idea is your baby you need outside perspectives and pushback.7:05 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwcQKUsQgdk&t=425s] Use devil's advocate to inform your designs, marketing and sales procedures.7:26 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwcQKUsQgdk&t=446s] It gets people comfortable with asking questions.8:10 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwcQKUsQgdk&t=490s] It forces you to look at real actionable data.8:54 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwcQKUsQgdk&t=534s] When your team is on the same page you can lose the "prove it" mentality.9:15 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwcQKUsQgdk&t=555s] Theranos.10:12 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwcQKUsQgdk&t=612s] You need the fundamentals of the why and the how and to listen to the market.11:42 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwcQKUsQgdk&t=702s] We are all representative of the marketplace.12:01 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwcQKUsQgdk&t=721s] Assign a devil's advocate. Their job is to try and destroy everything you say.12:37 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwcQKUsQgdk&t=757s] Qualified people are generally okay with explaining things.13:22 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwcQKUsQgdk&t=802s] You have to be okay with pushback and where it takes you.13:35 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwcQKUsQgdk&t=815s] Someone on your team should be responsible for pushback.

Mindset

Short, direct, and necessary for anyone building anything real. MINDSET decides the business long before the market does. This episode breaks down a truth most founders avoid: You don’t rise to your goals; you fall to the level of your habits, your systems and your mindset. Mindset isn’t motivation. It’s not hype. It’s not “believe and achieve.” It’s the operating system behind every decision you make: *How you handle pressure *How you filter advice *How you respond to failure *How you execute when no one’s watching Spend a few minutes getting perspective and insight from the market; not theories. 1:17 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgP6yaJKARM&t=77s] We are talking about Mindset today.1:43 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgP6yaJKARM&t=103s] I believe in "Devil's Advocate" as a model.1:59 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgP6yaJKARM&t=119s] Imposter Syndrome vs. Dunning-Kruger.3:22 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgP6yaJKARM&t=202s] These days I meet a lot more people who are Dunning-Kruger adjacent.4:08 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgP6yaJKARM&t=248s] Making a billion in tech doesn't mean you know how to make a hard good. 4:49 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgP6yaJKARM&t=289s] Analysis Paralysis.5:37 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgP6yaJKARM&t=337s] A lot of imposter syndrome comes from comparing yourself to your peers and mentors.7:28 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgP6yaJKARM&t=448s] We are all affected by social media.8:05 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgP6yaJKARM&t=485s] The Stoics and Memento Mori.9:59 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgP6yaJKARM&t=599s] Every day is on the job training.11:01 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgP6yaJKARM&t=661s] Everyone I know who has been in business for a long time is unshakeable.11:35 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgP6yaJKARM&t=695s] Not everything is the end of the world.12:24 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgP6yaJKARM&t=744s] Happiness is a choice.12:30 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgP6yaJKARM&t=750s] Character is shown when everything goes wrong.13:09 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgP6yaJKARM&t=789s] Experience does gird you against a lot of the doubts.13:40 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgP6yaJKARM&t=820s] We are human. We fail more than we succeed.14:20 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgP6yaJKARM&t=860s] Don't see every failure as the end of the world.15:19 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgP6yaJKARM&t=919s] It has taken me years to change the way I view setbacks.15:33 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgP6yaJKARM&t=933s] You have to be realistic and dictate your own mindset.

DO YOU REALLY NEED A WEBSITE?

A very controversial discussion that is from our actual experiences. DO YOU REALLY NEED A WEBSITE? Or Are You Just Following the Crowd? Learn how to make that decision from your markets & clients. With over 200 startups directly launched by this team, 100s of international firms grown and scaled, 400+ products/services commercialized plus mentorship of over 5000 others; you should tune in, follow/subscribe on the In Focus Brands [https://www.linkedin.com/company/in-focus-brands/]' YouTube Channel [https://www.linkedin.com/company/rehaniqbalyoutube/] and here on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/linkedin/]. What is your goal for the website?1:39 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=99s] A website is like a living document. It takes work to maintain.1:58 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=118s] Your website should be driving users to something.2:44 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=164s] Why are we talking about this? It is a common topic with new incubator members.3:13 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=193s] What if your actual company name domain is already taken? 4:11 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=251s] Fabbro Industries web strategy.5:26 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=326s] EDA Funding.6:24 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=384s] If you can't put up relevant, cogent information about what you're doing, why have a website?6:35 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=395s] What is your message and target market?7:29 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=449s] Triggers, calls to action, SEO and the resources you have.8:07 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=487s] Sometimes having a website does you a disservice.8:20 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=500s] Know what channels your customers buy from.8:50 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=530s] Don't just automatically assume you need a website.9:23 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=563s] I know my market, so I took down my websites and doubled down on social media.10:20 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=620s] You have to be an expert about your own company. 10:43 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=643s] I don't sell on Etsy because I feel it would dilute my particular brand.12:16 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=736s] Do your research for your particular product and market.12:31 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=751s] Our products sell better in person because they are heirloom quality.13:43 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=823s] Use proper intel to know your market.13:56 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=836s] You must do your research specific to your own products and goals.14:34 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=874s] Theories and books are great, but they are not 100% applicable to each specific case.15:03 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=903s] One of our members came in with all the buzzwords but didn't know how to apply them.15:27 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=927s] The Chinese restaurant we use doesn't have a website.15:43 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=943s] Try it, test it, listen to the market and be willing to change.16:02 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=962s] Know your business model and what your customers value and how to provide that value.16:23 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=983s] Have the right resources at the right time to execute your web strategy.16:56 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=1016s] What is the journey you are taking your customers on?17:23 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=1043s] Observe your market first to see where you fit.17:53 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=1073s] It can pay off 10-fold to have your strategy properly mapped out.18:40 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=1120s] Founders and inventors can get frustrated by a lack of quick progress.19:07 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=1147s] Don't buy the hype, buy the journey, and other useful cliches.19:34 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuh9gC06ZpM&t=1174s] Listen to the market research and filter the information.