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Blueprints for Digital Entrepreneurship · Modularity Podcast

• 0:00
  I think one of the most overlooked skills in entrepreneurship is just
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  being able to spot a real market gap.
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  Like, not just "oh, I wish this app existed," but actually seeing where
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  there's friction, inefficiency,
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  or just a pain point that's not being solved well.
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  Look at what Melanie
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  Perkins did with Canva.
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  She saw how clunky and inaccessible traditional design tools were for
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  non-designers, and she didn't try to out-Photoshop Photoshop,
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  she made something that was dead simple and approachable.
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  That's a billion-dollar
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  SaaS company now, just from seeing that gap.
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  Yeah,
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  and it's funny, because sometimes those gaps are hiding in plain sight.
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  You don't need to invent a new technology,
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  you just need to listen to what people are complaining about.
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  I always tell people, if you hear the same complaint three times from
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  different people, that's a signal.
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  Melanie Perkins didn't have a background
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  in Silicon Valley, she just paid attention to what teachers and students
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  were struggling with.
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  That's the kind of market research that's way more valuable than just
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  reading trend reports.
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  Totally.
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  And for us at Modularity, that's kind of how Modularity Maker came about.
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  AI gave us the ability to create websites at a price that is a no brainer
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  for any business, and done in record time.
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  Need a website by EOD?
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  We got you.
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  Yeah, and I think that's where a lot of people get tripped
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  up.
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  They think they need to be the next Steve Jobs or whatever,
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  but really, it's about being a good listener and having the discipline
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  to validate your assumptions.
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  Do the research,
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  talk to real people, and don't just build in a vacuum.
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  I mean, you can use frameworks-like the lean startup approach,
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  or even just basic customer interviews-to figure out if your idea actually
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  solves a real problem.
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  Exactly.
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  And, you know, there's so much data out there now,
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  Google Trends, social media, even just reading through Reddit threads
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  or niche forums.
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  You can spot patterns if you're paying attention.
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  But you gotta be willing
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  to challenge your own assumptions,
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  too.
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  Sometimes the thing you think is a great idea is just...
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  not.
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  And that's okay.
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  The key is to keep iterating until you find that real gap.
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  And don't be
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  afraid to go niche, either.
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  Some of the best digital businesses started by serving a really specific
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  audience.
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  Once you get traction there, you can always expand.
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  But if you try to be everything to everyone from day one,
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  you're just gonna get lost in the noise.
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  Once you've found that gap,
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  the next step is figuring out how to actually build something that solves
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  it-without burning through your life savings or spending two years coding
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  in your mom's basement.
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  That's where technology comes in.
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  These days, you've got low-code and no-code platforms,
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  open-source tools, cloud services...
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  it's never been easier to launch something quickly and test it in the
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  real world.
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  Yeah, and honestly, I think a lot of people still underestimate
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  how powerful those tools are.
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  You don't need to be a hardcore developer to get started.
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  You can use something like WordPress with Modularity Maker to get a product
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  out there and start getting feedback.
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  Yeah,
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  and I've seen that firsthand with small businesses.
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  I've helped clients launch with open-source solutions-WordPress,
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  Ghost, even headless CMS setups-so they're not locked into some proprietary
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  system.
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  It keeps costs down, and it means they can scale or pivot as they grow.
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  And with cloud services, you don't have to worry about servers or infrastructure.
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  You focus on building value for your users.
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  And the other thing is,
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  you can automate so much now.
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  Marketing automation, analytics,
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  even customer support with chatbots.
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  It's not about replacing people,
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  it's about freeing up your time so you can focus on the stuff that actually
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  moves the needle.
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  I mean, we use a mix of open-source and SaaS tools at Modularity,
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  and it lets us punch way above our weight class.
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  Yeah,
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  and don't forget about community,
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  too.
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  Open-source isn't just about free software,
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  it's about tapping into a network of people who are solving similar problems.
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  You can learn from others, contribute back,
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  and avoid reinventing the wheel.
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  That's a huge advantage, especially when you're just starting out and
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  resources are tight.
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  Absolutely.
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  And, you know, the barrier to entry is so much lower now.
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  You don't need a huge team or a ton of capital to get started.
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  You just need to be resourceful and willing to learn.
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  The tools are out there-you just have to use them.
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  The true test lies
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  in implementing ideas effectively-a hurdle for many.
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  Let's look at the book that influenced me the most on my entrepreneurial
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  journey, The Four Hour Work Week,
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  which revolutionized conventional views on productivity with the DEAL
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  framework:Definition, Elimination,
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  Automation, Liberation, this remains an essential toolkit for success
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  in today's digital economy.
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  Yeah,
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  I remember when you first told me about it,
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  I was a little skeptical.
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  Like, "Four hours?
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  Come on." But it's not really about working less,
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  it's about working smarter, right?
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  Exactly.
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  So, the first step is Definition-getting really clear on what you actually
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  want.
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  Not "I want to make more money," but what kind of life do you want?
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  What are your non-negotiables?
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  The book really pushes you to challenge
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  the whole idea of deferring happiness until retirement.
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  Like, why wait until you're 65 to start living?
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  Set specific goals, figure out what excites you,
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  and build your business around that.
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  Yeah,
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  and then Elimination is all about cutting out the noise.
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  The 80/20 rule-focus on the 20% of tasks that give you 80% of the results.
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  And Parkinson's Law-work expands to fill the time you give it.
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  So,
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  if you give yourself less time,
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  you'll get more done.
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  And then Automation-this is where digital tools
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  really shine.
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  You can set up systems to handle repetitive stuff,
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  whether it's using virtual assistants,
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  automating your email marketing,
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  or even just batching your tasks.
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  The goal is to get your business running
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  without you having to touch every single thing.
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  That's how you free up time for the stuff that matters-or just to take
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  a break and recharge.
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  And then Liberation,
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  right?
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  That's the dream-being able to work from anywhere,
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  on your own terms.
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  Whether that's negotiating remote work,
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  or building a business that's location-independent.
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  I like the idea of mini-retirements,
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  too.
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  Instead of waiting for some big payoff at the end,
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  you take breaks along the way,
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  travel, try new things.
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  It's a mindset shift, but it's so important if you want to avoid burnout.
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  Yeah,
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  and honestly, it's not about being lazy or doing less.
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  It's about being intentional.
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  If you can define what you want,
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  cut out the distractions, automate the boring stuff,
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  and give yourself the freedom to live how you want-that's the real win.
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  And it's totally doable, especially with the tools and opportunities
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  we have now.
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  So, let's say you've found your market,
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  built your platform, and you're running things efficiently,
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  now comes the hard part: scaling your business.
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  It's one thing to get a business off the ground,
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  but growing it sustainably is a whole different challenge.
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  You've got to think about business models: subscriptions,
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  marketplaces, whatever fits your audience and product.
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  But you also have to watch out for things like platform dependency.
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  If you build your whole business on top of someone else's platform,
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  you're always at risk if they change the rules or raise their fees.
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  Yeah,
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  and cybersecurity is a big one,
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  too.
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  As we talked about in our cybersecurity episode,
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  the more you grow, the more you become a target.
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  You've got to take data privacy seriously,
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  use best practices, and stay on top of the latest threats.
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  It's not just about protecting yourself,
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  it's about protecting your customers' trust.
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  And then there's product-market
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  fit.
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  You can have the best tech in the world,
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  but if you're not solving a real problem for real people,
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  it's not going to scale.
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  Hiten Shah talks about this a lot-keep iterating,
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  keep talking to your users, and don't be afraid to pivot if something
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  isn't working.
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  And look at what Whitney Wolfe Herd did with Bumble-she found a unique
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  angle in a crowded market, focused on user experience,
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  and built a massive business by really understanding her audience.
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  Yeah,
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  and I think the key is to stay agile.
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  The digital landscape changes fast-new competitors,
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  new regulations, new tech.
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  You've got to be willing to adapt,
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  keep learning, and not get too comfortable.
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  And don't try to do it all yourself.
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  Build a team, leverage partnerships,
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  and use the right tools to scale without burning out.
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  And if you're listening
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  and you want help navigating all this,
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  that's literally what we do at Modularity.
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  Head over to modularity.
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  us, get a quote,
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  and let's see how we can help you grow your business in the digital world.
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  There's never been a better time to build something online,
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  but you don't have to do it alone.