Starting An Online Business:
The Psychology and Strategy
(A five-part series that shows you how to get from being unstuck, to idea generation to creating expertise online)
The starting point to every business is to pick the right idea. But how do you know if you've made the right decision?
An idea—a good idea—is precisely what's needed to get a business off the ground.
With a good idea, we develop it as a product, explore the potential and eventually scale up. Yet, we seem to be stuck at the starting point. How do we know whether we have picked the right idea? Without the right idea, it seems impossible to develop it as a product or scale in any meaningful way. And so we go round in circles, unsure of what to do next. We feel restless in our need to break through our current situation, but don't know what to do next.
Everything, it seems, hinges on the idea.
But what if there were a way to systematically take you through the steps to getting started? What if there were a fool-proof method to not only get an idea, but an idea that works just for you?
Introducing: Starting An Online Business—The Psychology and Strategy
Starting up a business, or even a new project needs a precise strategy.
Yet, the strategy can't be overwhelming. It needs to be restrained to just the ideas that matter, so you don't get bogged down with needless information. The sensible way forward is to have “exactly what's needed” to get started and keep moving.
Yet it's at this moment that another problem pops up. It's one thing to have strategy and quite another to navigate the mental minefields. So many questions bounce about in your brain.
How do you overcome “impostor syndrome”, for example? Do you need to get a “thousand true followers”, or is that just plainly impractical and unnecessary? And how can we quickly test a product or service, before going deep into developing it?
This series helps you figure out what's needed right now, while helping you look deep into the future as your business expands. And instead of rushing madly ahead, it shows you why you need to ease back over time. It shows you how to create a world where your business can thrive without sacrificing time with your family and life.
Most importantly, how you can build not just a product or service, but also a secure business and living ecosystem.
Let's take a look at what you should expect from this series.
A visual snapshot of what to expect from this series
(Video and audio files and transcripts)
Most videos are dull because they don't use graphics, cartoons and captions. The use of the above elements make the learning a very pleasurable experience. It is also sprinkled with lots of examples, so you can get ideas for your own business. Plus there are always detailed summaries that gives you a bird's eye view at every stage.
Series 1: How To Create A Stream Of Profitable Ideas When Starting Up
When starting up one of the biggest problems is we're frozen when it comes to idea generation.
We think we have a half-decent idea, only to find there are tens of thousands of people who are already better known than us. What's worse is that they've explored “our idea” in great detail. It seems almost hopeless to even attempt to get going.
This session shows you how the seemingly saturated market is precisely what you need to enter.
You learn how to start with the most “boring” topic and why “boring” is important. Then we work our way into second-level isolation, and finally to why “just needed information” is the key to getting clients to pay attention and then keep coming back.
In this 53-minute session we will cover:
- Why competition is good and create vibrancy
- How to generate ideas for products and services
- How to start with the most “boring” topic and why “boring” is important
- Why “just needed information” is the key to getting clients to pay attention and then keep coming back
- How to create the Second-Level problem without wasting time
Format: Video, audio and transcript.
Series 2: How To Scale Your Business (And Where To Start First)
When you're starting up, should you get more clients, or is it better to increase revenue instead? Or should you try to get more “fame” and use that to draw in clients? Or should you avoid all three for the short term?
Presenting: How to scale your business (and where to start first)
Easily the most crucial part of a business venture is the abundance of time. When you have time, you are able to get momentum and create products, services and training that clients want. Yet we're already super-strapped for time.
How can we break out of the time-trap and find a lot more time so that you can do a lot more without going bananas?
And once you sort out the problem of time, how do you scale your impact? How do your make your info-product, training or consulting far superior to others? So far ahead, in fact, that clients keep coming back time after time, cancelling out the need to do expensive advertising and promotions.
Finally, it's down to scaling systems
Which system has stood the test of time and how can you use it to your advantage? See real examples of how people who were complete unknowns become reasonably famous and are able to leverage that fame to grow their business.
In this 33-minute session you will learn:
- Scale Time
- Scale Impact
- Scaling Systems
Format: Video, audio and transcript.
Series 3: How To Get To Expertise Without Being Overwhelmed
If you try and become an expert, there's probably a good chance of failure. What then, should we do?
In order to get and keep clients we have to not only become experts in our field, but also get our audience to see us as experts. Or do we?
In this third part, we explore why expertise is desired, but not needed and why you need to go down a slight detour, that will give you as good results, in a much shorter time frame.
In this 65-minute session you will learn:
- How to close the psychological gap that stop us from being “experts”
- How to get from zero expert level to a thousand (and why going vice versa is crucial too).
- How to instantly reduce the huge overwhelming “expertise factor” into manageable subsets
- An explanation of the Three Prong System and how it puts you high above the competition.
- Why the philosophical understanding of the inner and outer world is the key to being considered an expert.
There's more of course, but you'll find out for yourself.
Format: Video, audio and transcript.
Series 4: How To Get Unstuck
Whether it's a project or setting up a business, we can't seem to get off the ground. Should we start with creating a product, or does it need to be a service? Should it be digital or physical?
These are the problems that whirl around in our heads. Yet, when we look at the reasons why we're stuck, they're primarily psychological.
We're distracted.
We're unsure.
There's fear, uncertainty and doubt.
All of this exists long before we get going on any project. If we're to proceed, we need a way to get out of this constant loop.
In this 60-minute session you will learn:
- Why fear isn't the biggest culprit that is slowing you down
- Techniques that professionals use to avoid distraction on a daily basis.
- How to use energy management, not time to get to your goals.
- How to stop living in someone else's dream and start living your own, instead.
- Why creating your own philosophy will give you the precise direction you need.
- How to combine time and energy to create an incredibly powerful propellant for your business.
Format: Video, audio and transcript.
Series 5: How to create an "Ecosystem strategy" to move your business forward
If you look very closely at a successful business, you'll notice an ecosystem.
Which is why an atom-sized business can succeed almost as well (and sometimes better) than a much bigger business, And you've probably seen this ecosystem grow in any backyard. The plant grows into a bush; seeds grow into trees; birds show up, and before we know it, there's a flourishing ecosystem.
A business, no matter how tiny, can also create an ecosystem.
In this episode, you'll learn how to recognise what makes a healthy, growing ecosystem for your business. You'll also learn why sequencing is the key to making that system more robust, even in bumpy times.
In this 45-minute session you will learn:
- How nature creates ecosystems and how you can do it for your own business
- Why it's crucial to create a “watering hole” (and where to find watering holes)
- The crucial difference between an obvious and non-obvious watering hole
- Why the non-obvious watering hole has almost no competition
- The difference between advertising-based watering holes and content-based
- How to create a trust factor by understanding the three concepts of risk, uniqueness and results
- Modelling your business strategy on the “dinner sequence” (It works for dinner as well as business)
- Why you need to create a simple ecosystem long before you create a complex one.
- Understanding how watering holes dry up (and why referrals matter the most).
Format: Video, audio and transcript.
Peter Brash
United Kingdom
I would recommend the Psychology and Strategy of Starting Up a Business because I think it can help you at any stage of business – whether you are starting up or whether you are well past that stage. It deals with big concepts that you may not have noticed or at least articulated up to now and it also has granular, practical advice on things you should be doing now day-to-day (and things you should avoid).
I am self-employed as a solicitor (attorney) in a small firm that has been going a long time (100+ years) in a small town in a rural area.
I’ve seen possible opportunities for starting up associated businesses but I was not sure whether this series would be too ‘basic’ or whether it would seem to have universal application.
I have known Sean as a teacher for a few years and over several courses, so I was confident that I would find the series interesting and engaging but I wasn’t sure that the subject matter would be that relevant to someone who is already in an ongoing business or whether the material would only seem to be applicable to certain types of business (e.g. product-based businesses as opposed to service-based).
I found ‘The Psychology and Strategy of Starting Up Series' really helpful to get an overview of many different aspects of starting a business, including choosing your topic, clarifying the philosophy behind your business and the attainment and application of expertise.
The series is taught to a clear structure, with incremental learning, frequent summaries.
The presentations are always absorbing and the emphasis on frequently-changing images – many of them Sean’s own cartoons – rather than blocks of text, allows the concepts to sink in gently. It also means that re-watching the presentations is never a chore. There’s a lot of material packed into each session and you probably need to watch each one at least 3 times to begin to get the full benefit from it.
It may be that each time you just come away with one “big idea” but that’s enough when you can so easily go back and watch again. I had this experience, for example, with the concept of business philosophy (and how you get to your own one) and again, towards the end of the series, with the realisation of the central importance and enduring power of referrals as a source of business. I wanted to go away and think about those things immediately and come back to take in other elements from these particular presentations later.
The thing that stands out for me about this starting-up series is that it proved to be a good back-to-basics for someone with an existing business (emphasising the word “existing”) – almost a kind of “health check” as to the fundamentals that need to be in place and being nurtured and developed. It provided me with new ways of looking at my business – finding some gaps to be filled and some opportunities to explore.
Three other benefits:
—Sean is always on hand to answer questions in the WhatsApp group. I contributed very little but I found the discussions entertaining and educational, and they also helped to develop a sense of community among the people going through the series. Others were very generous in sharing their learning outcomes and summaries of what they had taken from particular topics.
—It has got me thinking more about related businesses that could be started up, what they might be and how they would work (for example, one is a sort of lifestyle website for the local area we serve which could have possible spin-off benefits in terms of attracting interest from people who may wish to move to the area and who would then need services we offer such as house buying). In other words, the series has provided me with a lens or, maybe better, a framework within which to analyse the “pluses” and “minuses” of possible business ideas.
I would recommend the Psychology and Strategy of Starting Up a Business because I think it can help you at any stage of business – whether you are starting up or whether you are well past that stage. It deals with big concepts that you may not have noticed or at least articulated up to now and it also has granular, practical advice on things you should be doing now day-to-day (and things you should avoid).
Sean always provides practical advice with real enthusiasm, which is inspiring. At the same time, he never avoids the difficult issues or makes you think that you can somehow make it all happen without hard work. He makes it seem manageable and helps you to see how to approach these things in a way that minimise the risk of you becoming overwhelmed – which is bound to be a risk if you’re trying to start a business.
Sarah Hamilton
Germany
I feel like I’ve been “starting up” forever, yet somehow, I never get quite to where I feel I should be with my business. So I guess that’s what one would call “stuck.”
Enter the Startup Series
This is not my first Psychotactics course, nor will it be my last.
From the first session, Sean works on your mindset, helping you to reframe your perspective about how a business actually works and offering very practical steps to figure out what you should be doing, then refining that idea, etc. There’s even a wonderful session about getting unstuck!
Sean is always an excellent teacher.
He puts a lot of effort and care into his presentations, and that’s clear because they are never boring. He keeps you engaged in the content, audio and visuals so that the information actually enters your brain. Later, after the session, it keeps churning there, generating new ideas and connections.
In other words, he makes you think! In a good way.
I’m still working on my startup project after finishing the series, but I feel a lot more focused and on target with my daily work getting things going. And I’m listening to the series for a second time now.
I definitely recommend this series, even if you’re simply considering starting your own business.
And if you’ve never learned from Sean, and aren’t familiar with his lovely way of transforming the complex into the simple, you’re definitely in for a real treat.
Oleg Miroshensky
BC, Vancouver, Canada
One of my doubts was about where do I stand in the business starting journey? I sort of started, but my consulting is more of a side gig rather than a full-time endeavour. So I was not sure how applicable this series is going to be for my situation.
I was familiar with many of Sean’s ideas on the presented topics and already bought into his philosophy. But I think my biggest doubt was about the outcome of the series. I wanted to avoid information and get to some concrete results after attending.
I am glad I got the series. The series helps answer the why-questions about starting up a business.
- Like why it is important to create more time. Understanding these concepts is crucial, in my opinion, to get through the mental struggle of starting up.
- It helps diffuse self-doubts and provides inspiration to keep going.
- It also ties business to life. And this may be a bit philosophical but is very important because business is part of life. We work to live and not the other way around.
The specific feature I like the most about the starting-up series is:
Now I have new ways to look at common questions about moving ahead. Even though I have seen many concepts before, e.g. 3-prong system, there was a new layer for them in the series. Besides, there were brand new ideas for me, like time management approaches or starting from 1000 vs. starting from 0 or the importance of the philosophy. While some of these concepts may not be immediately implementable, I find it valuable to know about them. So that I can use them when I have a need.
Three other benefits:
– Reinforces understanding of concepts seen in other courses/products/articles.
– WhatsApp group.
*Gets you out of the vacuum and provides an area to hang out with people going through the same pains of starting up. Seeing other people struggle the same or more makes me realize that struggle is a normal part of starting up.
*Also simply getting to know people. It helps to make connections outside of my usual circle.
*The ability to ask Sean questions has a lot of benefits. Just being able to ask your question is a boost of confidence. Plus it saves a lot of time searching for answers by getting a detailed response from Sean.
This series provides a good overview of the whole “start-up your business” idea
It gives the inspiration to get/keep going, explains why certain challenges happen, e.g. like getting stuck. And the series explains the methods to get over these challenges. The first session provides a specific result – defining your first/second level problems. So that you will walk out with a specific result.
What This Product Is About
1) It's about the psychology of starting up
Some of the biggest issues we have occur in our brains. Most of us are more than capable of starting up, and flourishing in a business. Yet, we are hesitant about what to do, or even “IF” we are the ones to do it. We hesitate, not because we are incapable, but because most starting up messages hover around technology, websites, sales pages etc., when in reality what's in our brain is far more important.
2) It's also about strategy—but has less, not more information
It's common to run into 200 page books or 17 videos when you run into a course. This isn't “that kind of course”. Instead, it sticks to what's relevant and gives you the precise detail that you'll need to get going. Which means that instead of getting derailed along the way, you can go from one end to the other and get going sooner than never at all.
3) Webinars that are non-boring
Each of these webinars are interwoven with stories, animation and graphics that will keep your attention. You won't find yourself getting bored as the speaker drones on. You'll find that every slide has been well designed and every webinar has been re-recorded for excellent sound quality.
4) It doesn't separate life from work
One of the main purposes in starting up a business is to have a better life. A lot of information about starting up and running a business is all about work, work and more work. It's all about yet another to-do list. This series ties in work along with life. It shows you how to design your working week so you can have time for your work, your family and most importantly, yourself.
What This Product Is NOT About
1) It's not a technology-based course.
You're not going to learn how to put together a document in Word or InDesign. You're not going to learn how to set up an e-mail list or sustain a blog. What you're going to learn are the overarching principles of what is crucial to a business start up, and then how to implement them into your own day to day life.
2) It's not a step by step process—because in reality you can't have a step by step process.
One person may start up with blogs, another with YouTube, the third with Instagram. Every path way is different, yet the core principles remain the same. What you get isn't some “do this, then that, and the other” because that would suggest that we're all doing EXACTLY the same thing. And we're not. If you're looking for an “every step of the way” program, then this isn't for you. However, if you want to learn the elements that allows businesses to set up and grow, then you'll find this very valuable, indeed.
3) It doesn't show you how to create an information product.
Nor does it show you how to develop a product. It shows you how to get from being unstuck, to idea generation to creating expertise online. It deals with the psychological mindset required for starting an online business.
What’s Unique About This Series?
Most other training courses are solely focused on a long to-do list of work, work and even more work. This course is different in the sense that it's not entirely focused on work. Instead, it's a mix of work and having a life. That's what makes it quite different from most start up courses on the Internet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this series just video-based? Are there transcripts?
Yes, it's a video-based series. However, it's not the live recording of the event. Instead, it's been re-recorded so it doesn't have all the glitches and disturbances of a live event. Each of the episodes is a treat to watch, with plenty of cartoons and joyful, not over-the-top animations. And yes, there are unedited transcripts for you to follow along for every session—including the premium question and answer session.
Will I get a paint by dots method for starting a business?
No, it's not a paint by dots. Instead, the series comprises of the most crucial elements. It's not designed to impress and overwhelm. Instead, it's meant to get you going. What's cool about this series, is that no matter how many new products or services you start up, these principles will form a solid bedrock. You'll be able to use the very same principles over and over—and over again.
What do I get? Are there any transcripts or notes?
You will get a video and audio file for each of the sessions. And transcripts too.
Can I download the files to my computer or mobile device?
You will be able to download the files to your computer. And yes, you can transfer these files to your phone or tablet. However, if you want to directly view it on your devices, you will need an Internet connection and will need to click on the links. For offline viewing, you'll need to transfer it to your device from your computer (It's not our idea, just how Windows and Macs work).
How do I get the product right away?
The product will next be available on 3 May 2025. However, you have to get on the priority list. Click here to get on the priority list.
Smiley Psychotactics Guarantee
What if the product isn't good for you? This product is guaranteed for a whole month. If for any reason (and you don't have to give a reason) you don't like the product, you can ask for a full refund. And we'll refund your money with a smile.
Special "Premium" Bonus 1: Question and Answer on Starting Up
In this session, we go through a series of questions from a live call. It's well worth going through this audio/video. The video is a live recording of the event itself, and not a slide presentation.
This is a question and answer section and covers:
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- Distraction Vs Overwhelm
- Validation of your idea
- Impostor Syndrome
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Special "Premium" Bonus 2: Whatsapp Group
What unique about the Whatsapp Group?
It may seem like it's just another “group” that you're joining, but you'll find that unlike other group. Sean is very much present and answers a ton of questions.
- It's a great place for clarification
- To ask more questions
- To genuinely have conversations
You'll also be surprised at the quality and intensity of the conversations. Give it a shot and who knows: you may be genuinely pleased. All questions and comments are welcome and be prepared to meet others just like you.
How do I purchase the Starting An Online Business product
| The Psychology and Strategy of Starting Up An Online Business | Regular | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Series 1: How To Create A Stream Of Profitable Ideas When Starting Up (Video and audio files + unedited transcript) 53 minutes |
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| Series 2: How To Scale Your Business (And Where To Start First) (Video and audio files + unedited transcript) 43 minutes |
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| Series 3: How To Get To Expertise Without Being Overwhelmed (Video and audio files + unedited transcript) 65 minutes |
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| Series 4: How To Get Unstuck (Video and audio files + unedited transcript) 60 minutes |
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| Series 5: How to create an "Ecosystem strategy" to move your business forward (Video and audio files + unedited transcript) 45 minutes |
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| Premium Bonuses | ||
| Bonus 1: Question and Answer on Starting Up (Webinar recording) (Video and audio files + unedited transcript) |
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| Bonus 2: Whatsapp Group (Ask Sean your question) |
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| Special Price | US$ 203 | US$ 207 |
Important: What will happen once you click the button
Once you fill out the form, you will be on the priority list and receive an email with more details.
Sean D'Souza
Psychotactics.com
