10 Business Lessons I’d Share With My Younger Self (If I Was Starting Over)

Welcome to the Letters of Wonder, where I explore insights on wealth, fulfillment, growth, and mastery—sharing lessons and reflections to help you live a life filled with purpose.

1. Building Confidence through Speaking to Strangers

Story: My first "business" was selling wristbands door-to-door when I was in 4th grade. Every time I knocked on someone’s door, I felt super anxious. I didn’t know it then, but that was my introduction to becoming more confident.

Formula: Confidence = (Direct Experience) x (Repetition)

Lesson: Getting comfortable with speaking to people early is like lifting weights. You’re not going to be that good when you start. But as time goes on, you’ll get better.

Practical Application: Don’t wait to feel “ready” to talk to or approach people. Just do it more and you’ll find your confidence builds over time.

WOW Insight: Growth begins the moment you embrace discomfort.

2. Moving from Chasing Hype to Skill Building

Story: In middle school, I was super into buying and flipping Instagram theme pages. In high school, that became drop-shipping. The thing was, I kept trying to chase what was hype. It felt like the next “big idea” was right there and I would be the one to make it big. And sure, sometimes people do get lucky. But I don’t think banking on luck alone is a reliable path to wealth. And every successful entrepreneur out there who built a sustainable business would probably agree.

Even if you pursue something something that can make money fast, it’s worth taking the time to actually build skills within it rather than only chasing money. This is one of the mistakes I made early on in my career. Skills are what make your efforts replicable and sustainable. I get it - chasing things that make money fast seems very cool. Who wouldn’t want to make $1M in 1 week?

Without a solid foundation or genuine interest, most people usually just go to the “I quit” phase. And then this becomes a loop of starting and stopping in a repeated cycle without ever getting anywhere.

The real key is staying committed long enough to get through the “Oh man, this sucks” phase and finally reach “I got good at this.” But how do you get there? You master a skill—whether it’s sales, marketing, or product development. This helps you break the loop and actually start seeing progress (even though it’s still hard as shit).

Formula: Real Skill Development > Hype Chasing

Lesson: Hype fades. Jumping from one fad to the next won’t get you far. True success comes from building skills.

Practical Application: Start with a skill that really interests you. If not, lean into what you’re good at. For example, if you enjoy talking to people, learn sales. If you’re absolutely unsure, then just dive into something like I did, but don’t quit immediately. Keep trying and learn the skills required. Even if that venture doesn’t work, you’ll build skills that serve you elsewhere.

WOW Insight: Build what lasts; fads will pass, but skills remain.

3. Figuring Out What the Market Actually Wants

Story: You want to find the intersection of what you love and what people want.

Start by identifying something you enjoy and that has market demand. If you can’t find both, start with just one until you find the intersection. This might take time, but stay flexible. For me, I loved YouTube but couldn’t gain traction and quit. Then, I tried TikTok and couldn’t gain traction. But this time, I didn’t just quit. I spent time thinking about what people actually wanted to watch on TikTok. I studied other videos for hours and became obsessed with making a viral video. That’s when I landed on life-hacks, which I enjoyed and where the demand was clear. The videos took off from there.

Okay, so what if you are unable to find this intersection?

1: You know what the market needs, but you don’t love it

If you only focus on what the market wants at first, you may actually grow to love it over time (Scott Galloway, for example, built successful businesses in areas he didn’t initially love, but his passion for the process of business kept him motivated.)

2: You love something, but are unsure if the market needs it

If you follow what you love but there’s no demand, you might magically stumble upon something that the market needs. Just be super open to pivoting as you go. I think it’s a superpower to go all in on what you love (as long as you’re flexible and not stubborn).

Formula: High Demand + Specific Skill = Success Opportunity

Lesson: Focus on what you do well/enjoy and align it with market demand.

Practical Application: Pay attention to what people are asking for. If there’s demand, it means there’s an opportunity. Align your skills with that need. If you love it as well, that’s a double bonus.

WOW Insight: When purpose meets need, fulfillment follows.

4. Building Consistency and Leaning Into What Works

Story: Once you find something promising, commit to it. I started creating content on TikTok in 2019 while studying at UC Berkeley. Every video I made, I was experimenting and observing with what resonated. After trying a few formats, I made a life-hack video which got over 10M+ views (and Berkeley actually emailed me to take it down lol). I was consistent for a long time, and eventually, my following grew to over 1M+. I got my brother involved and we both stayed consistent for years.

Formula: Consistency + Recognizable Edge = Credibility and Growth

Lesson: Keep going. If you’re the type to quit right upon starting something, you gotta change if you want to become successful.

Practical Application: Commit to consistent effort in one area and lean into what resonates with your audience. Pay attention to the feedback you’re receiving and make sure to adapt. Consistency and focus will naturally build credibility and differentiate you from others.

WOW Insight: Small, steady steps lead to the biggest transformations.

5. Getting into the Right Rooms

Story: Once I established my edge as a creator, I knew it was time to start sharing my story and connecting with people in my industry. I reached out to journalists every single day. This eventually led to writing opportunities with Forbes Councils and Entrepreneur.com and I built connections with other creators and entrepreneurs. Eventually, I got introduced to a startup house by a good friend.

This wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t have a large following (he probably thought I was a good fit because of my following). I then got accepted after applying (due to the following). I joined the creator program and connected with founders (who were also invited). This was what led me to the founder world. Eventually, one of the founders introduced me to a growing startup who needed help with their content. This was an opportunity that eventually transformed into the creative agency I run today.

Formula: Established Edge + Intentional Networking = Expanded Opportunities

Lesson: Developing your unique edge isn’t the finish line; it’s the start. Once you have something that makes you stand out, get in front of people who can help amplify it. The more rooms you enter with your “edge,” the more you increase your chances of unlocking valuable opportunities.

Practical Application: Increase your “luck surface area” by putting yourself in rooms where your unique skills and story will stand out. Reach out to as many people as you can.

WOW Insight: The right people appear when you show up fully prepared.

6. Starting Small and Learning Along the Way

Story: After the introductions, my brother and I unofficially launched the agency. But tbh, we had no structure because we had never done something like this before. So we took on our first client without contracts, payment systems, or clear processes. When they eventually dropped us, it was a tough but valuable lesson.

We rebranded and officially registered as an LLC, but without systems, we struggled. We were able to get 2-3 more clients through outreach to our connections. But the clients expected more from us, and we couldn’t keep up because we were relying solely on hard work instead of processes. But that’s exactly what helped us learn. We figured out the things we needed to do as we went and this helped us build a much more official business.

Formula: Basic Structure + Immediate Action = Learning by Doing

Lesson: Start small and be okay with not knowing everything. Mistakes are your teachers.

Practical Application: Don’t wait for the perfect plan. Start small and learn as you go. No one really knows what they’re doing. Everyone is just figuring it out and eventually you stumble upon something great. Remember that mistakes are valuable feedback.

WOW Insight: Start now, learn always.

7. Investing in Coaching/Mentorship - or Just Asking for Help

Story: When we first started building our agency, we realized quickly that we didn’t know everything about scaling a business. We decided to invest into a few expensive coaching programs. These programs were the stepping stones to learning things like how to onboard clients and create playbooks for our contractors. Those takeaways alone were worth the cost and saved us from so many mistakes.

Another pivotal moment came from a cold DM I sent to Justin Kan, who co-founded Twitch. I noticed he was sharing more content and thought we could help him with his TikTok. I offered to help with his content and showed him the value we could bring. After working with him for a while, he introduced us to some really cool people. This single outreach transformed our business and taught me that just reaching out and offering value can open doors you didn’t even know were there.

Formula: Intentional Investment + Value-Driven Outreach = Massive Opportunities

Lesson: A good mentor or program can save you from costly mistakes. The right investment pays off in knowledge and confidence.

Practical Application: If you know anyone who can help you, just reach out with good intentions. If you have an abundance mindset (Saturday newsletter coming to you soon), things will unfold. Chances are that someone has already solved the problem you’re facing.

WOW Insight: Guidance lights the way, but you still walk the path.

8. Not Caring About Fancy Titles

Story: My brother (Sai) and I have a running joke about who gets to be “CEO” of our ventures. Anytime one of us does something well, the other “promotes” them to that role. For example, Sai is great at website tweaks and updates, so I dubbed him the “Chief Website Officer” (CWO) after he fixed up our site once. And when I ran a great creator call, I got the unofficial title of “Chief Creator Officer.”

As we built, we quickly learned they don’t mean much without the substance behind them. We’d even joke that whoever was doing a particular task well had to “own” it, so the titles would pile on as we figured out what worked. At some point we realized that the focus had to be on actually making our product and process better, not on who held what title.

Unless you’re at a point where legal structures require defined roles, all the fancy titles can probably wait. Just don’t get too caught up in them.

Formula: Skill + Execution = Real Independence

Lesson: Titles are empty without the skills to back them up. True self-employment means being able to execute, not just calling yourself a founder.

Practical Application: Forget the title and focus on mastering a skill. Your results will speak louder than any title you hold.

WOW Insight: Mastery speaks louder than any title.

9. Not Waiting to Feel Ready

Story: If I’d waited until I felt “ready” to start any of my ventures, I’d still be waiting. Each project taught me that getting started is the hardest part, but it’s the only way forward. I’m still figuring things out, but I’m so glad I actually started rather than just waiting for the right moment to come up. If you try enough things and reach out to enough people, something will happen.

Formula: Action > Perfection

Lesson: The “perfect time” doesn’t exist. Every day you wait, you’re postponing progress. 99% of people push things off. If you want to be in the 1%, you need to start executing like them.

Practical Application: Even if it’s just an hour a day on your idea, just start now. You’ll never feel fully ready.

WOW Insight: The best time to start is always now.

10. Avoiding Getting Stuck in Learning Mode

Story: I’ve seen countless people (my past self included) read endless business books and watch hours of videos but never actually start. Learning is great, but nothing teaches you more than doing. Truth is, you will know if you’re bullshitting yourself.

Formula: Action + Learning = Real Progress

Lesson: Knowledge without action is a trap. You can spend forever “getting ready” and still be where you started. It’s still very important to build knowledge (especially if you’re lacking in areas), but you need to just start to figure things out as you go.

Practical Application: Set limits on learning and spend most of your time applying it. The feedback from real experience is priceless.

WOW Insight: True learning happens only in action.

Here’s the last and probably most important lesson I’ve learned on this journey: If you really want to become successful, there’s one skill that matters above all else. And that’s the ability to listen without letting your ego get in the way.

I can’t tell you how many times this lesson has come up for me. The most successful people I know never get defensive when someone points out an area they could improve. They don’t make excuses or brush it off. Instead they take a second, assess if it’s true, and then actually work on it.

If you can build this skill of listening, genuinely hearing feedback, and acting on it, then you’re already on the path to success.

Bonus tip: Ask people ahead of you for advice and act on it. You’ll move 10x faster.

If you're on the path to building something meaningful—whether it’s a business, a project, or personal growth—I’d love to hear about what you're learning or struggling with.

Thanks for reading and being part of this 🙂