Answering the One Question Everyone Seems to Have
Entrepreneur Office Hours - Issue #261
It’s finals week at Duke, which isn’t a particularly stressful time for professors (yay!), but it sure is busy. Dozens of students want to get meet one last time before they head home for the break, and, since I love meeting with students, I do my best to meet as many as possible. This semester, that resulted in me having three lunches per day for an entire week.
BMI challenges aside, having so many meals back-to-back-to-back has been amazing because of what it’s taught me about my students. Specifically, every one of them wants to discuss the same thing. Yes, they use different words to ask their questions, but the core question is basically the same: “What choices do I need to make now to have the best life possible in the future.”
My answer usually turns into some version of this:
Life doesn’t have a perfect formula or a single path that guarantees future happiness and success, so stop searching for it. The truth is, life is about exploring possibilities and embracing uncertainty. It’s about understanding you can’t just pick a path and expect it to remain perfect. As soon as you start walking along whatever path you choose, the world will shift, and you’ll have to adapt.
Because life is unpredictable, you won’t make a great future for yourself by choosing the “right” thing now. You’ll make it by staying open to new opportunities, learning from setbacks, and nurturing relationships that support your growth. Focus on figuring out what actually matters to you, follow that instinct, and be willing to course-correct along the way.
Anyway… I wish I could have lunch with all of you, too. Unfortunately, we can’t. But I imagine some of you readers out there in Internet-land are sitting around with similar concerns as my students, so I wanted to share the same advice.
Yes, keep dreaming and planning. But don’t trick yourself into thinking someone else has a magic recipe you could follow, and it will lead to success, happiness, and fulfillment. Instead, focus on developing your ability to learn and iterate. When you stay curious, compassionate, and willing to embrace change, the future you’re building will be far more meaningful than any carefully scripted plan.
-Aaron
Podcast: ThoughtWave Episode #7
Why You're Struggling to Get Customers
In this episode of ThoughtWave, Dr. Dinin and Chris dive into the art of reaching customers at the perfect moment, dissecting strategies that merge creativity with tactical precision. From leveraging life transitions like new home purchases to tapping into the untapped value of local community platforms, they explore how businesses can position themselves to solve problems when and where customers need it most. They share real-world examples, from porch piracy solutions to leveraging NIL opportunities for college athletes, illustrating how entrepreneurs can identify and capitalize on moments of change to scale their ventures.
With actionable insights on balancing proactive community-building with opportunistic guerrilla marketing, this episode is a must-listen for founders and audience builders eager to amplify their impact. As always, the hosts remind us that growth isn’t magic — it’s about doing the work, learning from the grind, and refining strategies over time.
Listen now on: Apple | Spotify | Online
This week’s new articles…
Three Impossible Questions Every Entrepreneur Has About Their Startup
Are you one of those entrepreneurs who’s wasting time searching for an answer nobody will be able to give?
The Four-Hour Meeting That Might Have Just Killed My Startup
The meetings that feel most satisfying in the moment are often the meetings setting us up for failure.
Office Hours Q&A
———————
QUESTION:
Hello! I’m sorry to bother you at such a time. But is it ok if I ask something?
So, I figured out the general problem of why my product is failing (I.e not enough audience and not enough ways to do it.)
But, now the question comes in how to solve it. I want to target parents and teenagers because my business model revolves around helping them get and win scholarships.
So, with that being said, would a website be the right go?
-Ambrosia
----------
You’re on the right track thinking about a website — it can certainly serve as a hub for your content and services. But, as you’ve already identified, the real challenge isn’t just having a website; it’s figuring out how to get people there. At the end of the day, a website is more like an empty storefront. If nobody knows it exists or why they should visit, it might as well be invisible.
So let’s talk about driving traffic and building awareness. Asking yourself “How will people find my website?” is the key question. Sure, you could rely on Google or Facebook ads, but just throwing money at ads won’t necessarily solve your problem if you don’t have a strategy. You need a plan for targeting the right audience — parents and teenagers in this case — and giving them a compelling reason to visit.
Consider starting with some form of content marketing. In your case, since you’re helping people win scholarships, think about the kind of information your audience is already searching for. Maybe they want tips on creating strong application essays, or they’re looking for lists of overlooked scholarships. By producing high-value, free content — whether that’s blog posts, an email newsletter, YouTube videos, or TikTok explainers — you can begin to establish credibility and trust. Over time, your audience will start to see you as a go-to resource.
Social media is also a powerful lever. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are especially good for reaching teenagers; short, engaging videos on topics like “The 3 Biggest Scholarship Mistakes” or “My Favorite Lesser-Known Scholarships” can hook their interest. For parents, platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn could be more effective, sharing articles or short updates about recent scholarship deadlines or application hacks.
Think about building a community around what you’re offering. Maybe you create a Facebook group or Discord channel where parents and students can swap experiences, share recommendations, and ask questions. If you’re able to foster engagement and become the person people turn to for scholarship advice, your website naturally becomes the next place they want to go for more info, tools, or services.
At the end of the day, the website itself is just an anchor. Your real value comes from the brand and authority you build around your content and community interactions. Start by carving out a clear niche — maybe you specialize in helping first-generation college applicants, or focus on athletic scholarships — and create content that’s so useful and specific that people want to share it. As your community and authority grow, sending them to your website for more resources, newsletters, or a paid product becomes a natural next step.
In other words, a website is a great starting point, but think of it as one piece of a bigger puzzle. You need to cultivate an audience who cares about what you’re doing, and that means meeting them where they are (TikTok, Instagram, Facebook groups, etc.), consistently providing value, and making your website the place they go for even deeper engagement.
Got startup questions of your own? Reply to this email with whatever you want to know, and I’ll do my best to answer!