Edition 59: Spark.

Last week I asked what you’d like me to double-click on.

What’s keeping you up at night.

What’s stuck in your brain and won’t let go.

This one came through on DM, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since:

“I really want to start my own business… but I’ve got zero idea what to do. How do you get that spark going?”

If that’s you - sat on the edge of something but not sure what - you’re in good company.

Most founders don’t start with certainty and a 5 year roadmap.

They start with tension.

An itch.

A quiet voice that says,

“Not this… not forever.”

I certainly did.

Sat in my office thinking there must be more.

Let’s talk about that.

Not every spark looks like fire.

There isn't always a light bulb moment.

Sometimes it’s just friction.

A frustration.

A “surely this should be better.”

A “I’m done doing this job for someone else.”

That’s a spark.

But here’s the trap;

“I’m good at this, so I’ll start a business doing this.”

You spin up a site. You sell. You deliver.

Rinse. Repeat.

Before you know it, you’re not running a company.

You’ve just rebuilt your job… but with less sleep and no holiday pay.

You’ve made a shell to consult from.

Not a business that can scale.

Not freedom.

Not changing the world.

So how do you find the real spark?

The secret is that sometimes you don’t find it alone.

You find it with a co-founder.

Someone to jam with.

To bounce frustrations off.

To take an idea from “meh” to “maybe” to “let’s go.”

Woz needed Steve.

Hewlett needed Packard.

Page needed Brin.

Lennon needed McCartney.

It wasnt just for to start that fire.

Most importantly it is someone who keeps the fire going when yours flickers.

The spark is important.

But the fire is what matters.

And fire needs fuel.

Co-founders bring fuel. Rhythm. Belief. Bounce.

I know mine have.

I couldn't have done anything without people like Ross Methven and Jason Bates being there to pick me up... and shut me up sometimes also.

Don’t just build a business. Build a crew.

And when it’s time to dig for ideas?

Don’t start with your CV.

Start with pain.

Pain > Product

What drives you mad?

What problem do you understand because you’ve lived it?

Depth > Width

Ignore the trends. Look at what you know deeply.

Your experience is a filter. Use it.

Useful > Clever

Slack was a hack. Calendly was a fix.

Don’t shoot for genius. Solve something properly.

People > Pitch decks

Talk to people. Listen to pain. Patterns emerge faster than you think.

And don’t forget…

You don’t get clarity by thinking.

You get it by doing.

Start small.

Start messy.

Start now.

Side projects. Experiments. Voice notes. Doodles. Late night “what if…” chats.

Movement makes sparks.

Momentum builds the flame.

Here’s the question that gets people going:

“What do I know so well, or hate so much, that I’d spend the next 5 years trying to make it better?”

Answer that - and if you’re lucky - find someone else who wants to build that answer with you…

5 years later you've a business.

10 years later you've got legacy.

But it starts with great people.

And if you start with great people you’ve got more than a spark.

You’ve got fire.

-

Got something you want me to double-click on next?

DM me. Ping me. Whisper it through the fintech grapevine.

If it’s stuck in your head, chances are someone else needs to hear it too.

✌️

Brear