Road to $1M ARR day 31/60: Shu Ha Ri

(bro started speaking Japanese)

Day 31 of the $1M ARR sprint.

Today i want to share a principle i follow that finally has a name.

Some guy i follow on Instagram keeps sharing nuggets of wisdom in reels. Today’s topic hit different. Shu Ha Ri.

This Japanese concept i’ve been living without knowing what to call it.

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Here’s how i’ve been operating without realizing it had a framework: every time i have a challenge, i look for who or which company tackled it best.

Then i reverse engineer their solution based on my positioning and my specific set of information.

Not blind copying. Strategic adaptation.

Everything is the next derivation of the previous thing. You build on what exists, adapt it to your context, then eventually transcend the original form.

1-First you follow the rule (copying)

2-Then you break the rule (test new things)

3-And finally you become the rule (make the test your own)

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The Shu phase aka the copying phase is interesting.

You don’t yet have enough information to adapt anything. But you have enough information that this is a test that needs to be done.

So you copy first. See how the variables react. Then you start understanding why it works, not just that it works.

Most people get stuck here. They never move past copying. They never ask why something works in their specific context.

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Transcending the form means understanding that foundations are just there to set direction and create a fallback environment.

It’s on you to use everything at your disposal to go beyond the template.

SOPs aren’t chains. They’re launching pads.

Best practices aren’t rules. They’re starting points someone else validated.

Once you internalize this, you stop looking for perfect systems and start building your ability to adapt any system.

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I’ve been doing this for quite some time now without the vocabulary for it.

Finding who solved my current problem. Understanding their approach. Adapting it to my reality.

Shu Ha Ri.

Go have a read about it, it’s an amazing concept.

On a side note i booked 3 calls for next week today :)).

ARR: $681K → Target: $1M | Days remaining: 29

See you tomorrow 👊

O.

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accidentally built a million ARR GTM agency by refusing to spray & pray. now racing to $1M just to prove cold emails gurus wrong.

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