Working in a factory or corporation in a major city was something many individuals aspired to during the early 20th century for the economic prosperity relative to a more tenuous farming life. Yet, as we’ve seen, the limit has shifted. Economic growth has stalled both for society and for us as individuals. Because of the qualitative and structural

While our first instinct is usually attempting to push harder, it’s more valuable to figure out where to push. The famous dictum, “If I had an hour to solve a problem, I would spend 59 minutes asking the right questions,” recognizes that defining the system and its limit often makes the solution obvious:

Great work—the kind of work that will create wealth in our lives and the lives of others is not the product of obligation—is the product of freedom. Freedom gives us a longer lever, a better leverage point.

Times have changed. It’s now less valuable than ever to understand how to follow directions and implement best practices. It’s the work of understanding and operating in the complex and chaotic systems—entrepreneurship—that’s increasingly in demand.

Stated in a formula, the Fast Lane is: Wealth = Net Profit + Asset Value Those terms are defined: Net Profit = (Units Sold) × (Unit Profit) Asset Value = (Net Profit) × (Industry Multiplier)

approximately $150,000 a month in 2000 to run a basic internet application. Running that same application today in Amazon’s cloud costs about $1,500 a month. If the same decrease had happened to cars and homes, a $50,000 luxury car would cost $500 today and a half million dollar home would cost $5,000. Because technology develops faster than

It’s cheaper, easier, and safer to start a business. When you grow it using variables you control, you make more money because you have unlimited leverage. You also are building an asset which can be sold. And, you’ve acquired a skillset that protects your downside.

Everyone has access to the sum total of human knowledge and resources at their fingertips, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Getting closer. The punchline is this: the gatekeepers are dying. You, sitting in your apartment, can communicate with everyone on Earth more effectively than any media company twenty years ago.

More Money, More Freedom, and More Meaning