Leverage is the solopreneur cheat code.

I used to think growing a business meant adding a ton of complexity.

More team members. More products. More channels. More everything. After all, in startup-land, I found this was often true.

But after generating over $10.5M as a solopreneur, I've discovered the opposite is true for one-person businesses. Growth comes from finding the right leverage points and pulling them hard.

Last week, I shared eight of those leverage points on X, and it seemed to strike a nerve.

So today, I want to dig deeper into my five most important leverage points, and tell you exactly how I think about implementing them.

Leverage Point #1: The content multiplication effect

Most creators are, unfortunately, on the content hamster wheel. They spend the majority of their time creating content, publish it once, and then they have to keep creating. I know it’s exhausting, because it’s how I operated my business for many years.

But now I follow the 5-12-3 rule, which makes my life a heck of a lot easier. Every piece of content must work in 5 seconds (the hook grabs attention), remain relevant 12 months later (try your best for evergreen value), and function across at least three platforms (repurposing).

Here's exactly how I do it:

I write and publish two X posts on Monday morning. I screenshot the higher-performing one on Tuesday, add context about why this matters for professionals, and it becomes a LinkedIn post. Wednesday, that LinkedIn post hits Instagram with some hashtags for discovery. Thursday, the original Tweet hits Threads and Substack for a brand new audience.

One idea. Five platforms. Four days. Zero additional creative work.

When you follow this rule, you stop being a content hamster and start becoming an asset builder. My best performing post from 2024 still generates a few leads here and there.

Leverage Point #2: Your time has two price tags

If you're thinking about getting some help for your business, it makes sense to calculate your hourly rate first. For example, I can outsource admin tasks and customer support to someone who does a great job for $30/hour. Those same hours, when I'm focused on strategy or product improvement, can generate $1,000+ per hour in value.

The math is usually pretty simple, but it's the execution where people fail.

They feel guilty delegating or don't feel like they can give up any control. Meanwhile, they're answering emails at 11 am and 9 pm instead of building products or spending time with their family.

I learned this the hard way. Last year, I spent two hours troubleshooting an issue with payments coming through a software I use. A week later, the same issue repeated itself, and I spent another two hours or so. I finally hired someone for $300 to create a permanent fix and documentation. The hours I got back from not having to deal with that problem? I used them to create newsletters and content that added five or six-figures to the business.

Remember that every task you do has an opportunity cost. Buy back your time at its lowest value and reinvest it at its highest.

Leverage Point #3: The "hell yes" filter

Back in 2020, I took on a nightmare consulting project that paid well but drained my soul. Six months of Sunday anxiety, dreading Monday calls, and creating work I wasn't proud of. I promised myself I'd never do that again.

Now I use "hell yes pricing." If I'm going to do a partnership or consulting project, I need to be genuinely excited enough to drop something else important that's on my plate.

Last month, I turned down a $100,000 consulting offer. Good company, interesting problem, but when they described the weekly commitment and travel requirements, my gut said "hell no." So I politely declined. Two weeks later, a $40,000 project came along that had me immediately clearing space. Why? Complete creative control, async work, and solving a problem I'm obsessed with.

I recognize this sounds privileged, and it absolutely is. But if you're in a position to be selective, the principle applies at any level. Better to charge $500 for work that energizes you than $1,000 for work that you absolutely hate doing. The energizing work leads to better results, happier clients, more referrals, and a business you actually want to run.

Leverage Point #4: Stories sell, features fail

When I released my last course, The Creator MBA, I did it at a 5x rate versus my other course products. And the reason 6,500+ entrepreneurs have bought it has nothing to do with the modules, worksheets, or features. They bought it because of the story I told.

Rather than saying, "come learn how to build a business," I wanted to show the customer that I understood who they were, the journey they're on, and the frustrations they've come up against.

The sales page doesn't start with "14 modules of world-class content." Instead, it starts with a compelling narrative (above) that’s intended to create recognition. To say, "I understand what you’re going through."

Of course the product has to be excellent too, but how you tell the story determines whether anyone sticks around to discover that excellence.

Leverage Point #5: Distribution beats everything (even genius)

The best product with no distribution loses to an average product that's everywhere and easy to find.

I spend 80% of my time thinking about distribution. How can I reach more people? What platform haven't I explored? Who could seamlessly share this on my behalf? Creating and optimizing content takes up maybe 65% of my focus.

Here's my current distribution breakdown that drives ~12M monthly impressions:

• LinkedIn: 7M impressions
• Twitter/X: 2M impressions
• Instagram: 1M impressions
• Newsletter: 1M impressions
• Everything else: 500k impressions

You’ll notice that one channel (LinkedIn) drives the majority of results. I spent two years going all-in on LinkedIn before touching anything else. Most creators try to be everywhere from day one and end up invisible on all platforms.

A good product that 100,000 people see will always outsell a great product that 500 people discover. Build something good, then obsess over getting it in front of people. The market rewards reach, not perfection.

The bottom line

You don't need a team to build something meaningful. You need leverage.

Find the few things that multiply your efforts. Pull those levers hard and ignore everything else.

The market rewards speed and simplicity, not perfection and complexity. Start with one offer for one specific group. Distribute through one channel until it works. Then compound ruthlessly.

That's how you build a business that serves your life instead of consuming it.

And that's all for today.

See you next Saturday.

P.S. Since distribution beats everything, and content is the name of the game, come learn how to grow a bigger (and more meaningful) audience on LinkedIn. It's the best place to grow a business online, period.