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I'm writing this together for Matt because I think he’s one of the most determined founders I’ve met. His unwavering conviction has already propelled him toward building one of the fastest-growing companies in Canada. I truly believe that in the next decade his companies will hit $100M per year and I can say I knew him at $3M ARR.
In our modern world where people constantly wonder what to do, it’s important to highlight someone young who can show others how value is created in life. By capturing his lessons here, I hope to provide a clear, accessible resource for anyone seeking to build the next big thing. ~ Ayden Lum
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I didn’t start with a plan to build a company. I just wanted to learn how the world worked and build something useful.
I believe in small, elite teams. Cash flow first. Speed over perfection. Sell before you build. Only work with people who are better than you. Then stay out of their way.
I’ve made a lot of mistakes. I’ve also seen what works. This project is a snapshot of what I’ve learned so far. It’s not meant to be a playbook. It’s just my attempt to document patterns that seem to repeat when things go right.
If you want to build something real, I hope this helps.
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Success begins not with a spreadsheet, a pitch deck, or the perfect feature list, but with the interior world of the builder. Money is only a lever. Once you have enough to remove basic scarcity, its real value is the freedom to direct energy toward shaping the world. The greater reward is the transformation that occurs as you pursue the work.
The person who leads a one‑million‑dollar company is not yet capable of steering a hundred‑million‑dollar enterprise. Growth is forged through the process itself. Treat the journey as a game: assemble your crew, lay out the plan, execute the heist, and enjoy the mission. Gamification turns endurance into play.
Balance, in this view, is seasonal rather than daily. There will be long stretches of lock‑in, when focus is absolute, followed by open seasons reserved for rest or reflection. Think in arcs, not in micro‑calendars. Every decision made during a high‑trajectory arc generally pays off about a year later, a truth that rewards patience and compound effort.
Most founders chase the slowest channels first. Content marketing and SEO take months to gain traction, and email campaigns only work once traffic already exists. Start with channels that move fast: paid ads, targeted cold outreach, and cold calls.
The winning sequence is simple: land paying customers, hit break‑even, make profit day one, fund product development with that cash flow, then launch your full go‑to‑market strategy.