Entrepreneurial Ideas That Move You Forward
Meet the Author
Lewis Vandervalk
Lewis Vandervalk is an entrepreneur and strategist who helps business owners think critically, lead intentionally, and market with clarity. He’s passionate about challenging conventional ideas and guiding others toward practical, personalized solutions. Through this blog, Lewis shares lessons, insights, and bold questions to help you grow your business your way.
One Size Does Not Fit All: Why You Need to Think Critically (and Experiment Relentlessly)
"Business is not a bathrobe. One size does not fit all. Different problems in different environments for different people at different stages of development require different solutions. Never ask an encyclopedia salesman if you need an encyclopedia. He has the kind of one-size-fits-all mentality that will wreck your business."
— Keith Cunningham, The Road Less Stupid
We live in a world overflowing with advice. Books, podcasts, YouTube videos, courses — all filled with people telling you what worked for them. And it’s tempting to copy and paste their blueprint into your business or life. But here’s the thing: that’s a shortcut to mediocrity if you don’t filter it through critical thinking.
What Keith Cunningham is saying here is powerful. Business — like life — is not a bathrobe. One size does not fit all.
Great Coaches Teach from Experience
The best coaches and mentors don't just parrot generic advice. They preach what they've done. What they've lived. And because they’ve walked the path, they can speak with clarity about what worked for them — not necessarily what will work for you.
Take Tim Ferriss, for example. He once suggested that volunteering for organizations you admire is a great way to get a foot in the door. And he's right — for him. That insight came from his own trial and error. He tested dozens of ideas before finding what clicked.
A Million Ways to Win
There isn’t just one path to success. There are a million. A million ways to a million dollars. A million ways to build a business. The trick is figuring out which way works for you, right now, in your unique environment.
That’s the part most people skip. They hear someone say “This is the way,” and assume it's the only way. But what if that advice is right for someone with a totally different set of skills, goals, or context than yours?
The Beauty of the Online World
The online world gives you an incredible advantage: you can test ideas quickly and cheaply. You can try something today, measure the result tomorrow, and adjust by the weekend. That’s a gift previous generations of entrepreneurs never had.
But the key is to try. Try often. Experiment. Watch what works — not just for others, but for you. Then when you find something that resonates, double down. Own it. Teach it. That becomes your story, your angle, your value.
Final Thought
Just remember: every expert was once a beginner sifting through bad ideas. Most of those ideas weren’t wrong — they just weren’t the best fit for them at the time.
So stop chasing “the right way.” Instead, chase your way — with curiosity, courage, and the willingness to learn through action.
Because business isn’t a bathrobe.
