Why 90% of Business Advice Is Worthless (And How to Find the 10% That Matters)

Let me ask you something: Would you take swimming lessons from someone who's never been in a pool?

Of course not. That would be absurd.

So why do so many entrepreneurs take business advice from people who've never actually built a business?

The Consulting Industrial Complex

Here's a dirty secret about the business consulting industry: most consultants have never started a business before becoming consultants.

They got an MBA. They read case studies. They learned frameworks with fancy names. Then they hung out a shingle and started telling entrepreneurs how to run companies.

I've sat in rooms with these folks. They talk about "synergies" and "value propositions" and "market positioning." They have beautiful PowerPoint decks and expensive suits.

But when I ask them a simple question—"How many businesses have you started?"—the room gets quiet.

Theory does not pay the bills.

What 100+ Businesses Taught Me

I didn't learn business in a classroom. I learned it by doing.

At 11 years old, I started my first business. By 20, I'd already failed twice and succeeded once. By 30, I'd lost count of my ventures. Now, at 57, I've started over 100 businesses across dozens of industries.

Here's what that taught me that no MBA program ever could:

1. Every Business Fails the Same Way

Bad idea? That's actually rare. Most business ideas are decent enough.

No, businesses fail because of cash flow. Every single time. Either they run out of money before they become profitable, or they grow so fast they can't fund the growth, or they extend credit to the wrong customers.

The consultants will tell you about "strategic misalignment" and "market timing." I'll tell you to watch your cash like a hawk watches a mouse.

2. People Problems Are Really Leadership Problems

When a business owner tells me they have "employee problems," I ask one question: "What's the common denominator in all these problems?"

They look at me confused. Then it dawns on them.

The common denominator is them.

If you keep hiring "bad" employees, you're either hiring wrong or leading wrong. Usually both. The consultants will sell you personality tests and HR systems. I'll tell you to look in the mirror first.

3. Simple Scales, Complex Fails

The businesses of mine that succeeded? They were simple. Simple product, simple pricing, simple delivery.

The ones that failed? They were too clever. Too many product lines, too many customer segments, too much complexity.

Business professors love complexity because it's interesting to study. Actual business owners should fear it because it's expensive to maintain.

4. The Best Time to Quit Was Yesterday (Or Never)

Here's something they definitely don't teach in business school: sometimes the right move is to walk away.

I've closed businesses that were making money because I could see where they were headed. I've doubled down on businesses that were losing money because I could see the path to profitability.

Neither decision was "logical" by traditional metrics. Both were right.

That kind of judgment doesn't come from reading case studies. It comes from having lost money before and never wanting to feel that way again.

How to Find Advice Worth Taking

So how do you find the 10% of business advice that actually matters? Here's my filter:

Ask them what they've built. Not what they've advised or consulted on. What have they actually built with their own hands and money? If the answer is "nothing," thank them for their time and find someone else. Ask them what they've lost. Anyone can tell you about their wins. The real education is in the losses. If someone hasn't lost significant money in business, they haven't taken real risks, and they don't understand what it feels like when the stakes are real. Ask them to be specific. General advice is useless advice. "You need to focus on your target market" is meaningless. "Your target market should be small business owners with 10-50 employees in manufacturing because here's why..." That's useful. Ask them to disagree with you. Find out if they'll tell you hard truths. If they agree with everything you say, they're selling you, not helping you. I've had clients hang up on me because I told them their business was a bad idea. Some of them called back later to thank me.

The Investment That Protects Everything Else

When you're starting a business, you're going to spend money. You'll spend it on legal, on accounting, on inventory, on marketing, on employees, on rent.

But here's what most people don't invest in: an honest assessment from someone who's been there.

That $1,000 you spend getting clarity from an experienced entrepreneur could save you $100,000 in mistakes. I'm not exaggerating. I've seen it happen dozens of times.

The business you don't start because someone showed you the fatal flaw? That's your savings account, your retirement, maybe your marriage that you just protected.

The business you do start because someone validated it and showed you the path? That's your future.

Find Your Guide

Every successful entrepreneur I know had someone who showed them the ropes. A mentor. An advisor. Someone who had been there and could help them avoid the worst of the mistakes.

I'm not saying that has to be me. But it should be someone.

Someone who's actually built things. Someone who's failed and gotten back up. Someone who will tell you the truth even when you don't want to hear it.

Because in business, the truth is expensive to learn on your own. But it's cheap to learn from someone who's already paid the price.

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Want business advice from someone who's actually done it? Book a call and let's have an honest conversation about your business.