Built in Public

Last week, I dipped my toes into uncharted waters, setting sail on this journey of lead generation. I was fuelled by my ambition to kickstart my automation service venture. Here’s the story of my journey, the worn-out post-it notes, unexpected insights, and how I tried to swim when the tide seemed against me.

The Ripple that Set Things in Motion

I’ve been working on AI automation, but not under the umbrella of a start-up, agency, or SaaS product. It’s just me, rolling up my sleeves, trying to alleviate some pain points for someone out there while learning more about automation in the process.

Everything started as a passion project. I built automations for friends and some kind-hearted folks whom I met on Reddit. I allowed them to dip their toes into the magic of automation for free, to see if it could make their lives a tad bit easier. Now, armed with confidence in my skills, I am ready for a bigger adventure – looking for more leads. As you can guess, this meant stepping out of my comfort zone into the space of cold outreach, and that’s what triggered this exciting new chapter in my journey.

The Jolt that Stirred It Up

With Noah Kagan’s “Million Dollar Weekend” as my weekend read, I was all fired up to leap into action by Monday. Turned out, reality had a different plan. Facing the mirror, I saw myself stuck in the maze of analysis paralysis. It was like waking from a dream, my clarity had evaporated.

My battle plan included digging out emails and springing hundreds of cold messages out into the world. Did I unleash that avalanche? No. My feet were frozen in place. However, rather than let momentum slip away, I managed to kick the levers into action by dropping messages to five Etsy shop owners. Taking those small steps sparked a sense of pride because I finally set things into motion.

The Midweek Wisdom

Hump day came with its own set of revelations. I cooked up what seemed like a brilliant scheme – reaching out to YouTube influencers whose audiences comprised of ESL teachers, folks like me. High on optimism, I generated emails, laid out a whole strategy plan on Excel. Guess what I didn’t do? Yes, you guessed it right – I didn’t hit a single ‘send’.

One of these wisdom-finding sessions on YouTube for entrepreneurial motivation, nudged me towards this simple, yet profound rule – the “100 Rule.” It was a cup of simplicity brewed – 100 emails, 100 reach-outs per week, for 100 days. Just like that, my perspective shifted, and my actions found a purpose and structure. Now every action was a part of a grand plan.

The Etsy Connection

In the process, I discovered who I really wanted to connect with – the solopreneurs. Because, guess what, I’m a solopreneur myself and large companies were out of my league. Here, Etsy offered me a safe harbour, a place full of solo operators naming stores after themselves.

YouTube influencers, on the other hand, sparked an intimidation with their professional sites and lighting setups. The simplicity and accessibility offered by Etsy nudged me to take action. And action I took, I sent out messages to five Etsy shop owners. Would any of them reply? I don’t know. But what I do know is I still have 95 more to go this week.

Navigating The Mind Maze

Most of the transformation in this week wasn’t about tactics. It was internal. I locked horns with my behaviour, understood what stops me, and found ways to bypass those barriers:

• For analysis paralysis – when caught in that loop, I now engage with the 100 Rule and shift back to action mode.
• For hesitation – it occurs when I am not aligned with my target. So, focusing on solopreneurs who’d “get” what I offer, made all the difference.
• For distractions – I learned to recognise when something is not the top priority, valuable may it be. Now, I know how to bookmark those moments for later.

Changes And Constants

My view of lead generation itself hasn’t changed drastically. However, understanding how I operate, identifying the roadblocks, and setting up bypass systems has indeed helped me create a mechanism to keep myself on track.

If You Were To Ask Me for Advice

My week came with a handful of valuable lessons which I’d love to share:

• Don’t get stuck in analysis — just start doing.
• Focus on folks who feel approachable and mirror your journey.
• Learn to identify distractions and keep your eye on the priorities.
• Bring structure to your efforts like the 100 Rule to keep you focused.

Hindsight and Moving Forward

Would I do anything differently if given a chance? In retrospect, no. I believe in relishing each experience as it comes, wrapping it up as a lesson, turning it into something useful.

My Energy Sources

What kept me going was a persistent desire to keep learning, and oddly enough, the influx of information