Holloway Editione1.0.0
Updated August 14, 2024Youβre reading an excerpt of Great Founders Write, by Ben Putano, writer, entrepreneur, and book publisher. Heβs the founder of Damn Gravity Media, a publishing house that inspires and educates tomorrowβs great founders. Purchase now for lifetime access to the book and on-demand video course.
We all have goals and desires.
Some of us want financial independence. Others want to travel. Some people dream of a simpler life, while others want adventure. Many people want to go back to the way things used to beβback to when they were happier, healthier, and had fewer worries in the world.
When your reader tells you what they want, listen to them. But keep in mind, this is not the most important thing youβll learn about them, and it shouldnβt be the only thing, either. But knowing what your reader wants is a great starting point. You can use this information to pique their interest.
Think about Sandy, your friend who wants to open a pottery studio. What are her goals? Does she want to build a pottery empire or a small lifestyle business? What does success mean to her?
Humans are never satisfied for long. Virtually everyone wants more of something. Itβs your job to identify the thing they want and help them get it.
But thereβs a big difference between what your reader wants and what they need.
Most people are very good at telling you what they want: money, free time, adventure, independence.
But most of us are less adept at knowing what we need. Our needs, both physical and psychological, sit just below the surface of our consciousness. We donβt know we need something until we get it, or itβs suddenly taken away.
Letβs talk about your friend, Sandy. She wants to leave her corporate job and open a pottery studio. But what does she need to make this happen?