Lessons / One of six tracks
Foundations The ideas every business shares. Each one is taught through one real business, then checked against a very different one, so you see what changes and what doesn't.
The Foundations Trail: a dotted footpath winding down from the hills past numbered stops, with signposts showing a coin, a pie and a balance scale, over stepping stones across a river and past fields, to a little flag by the bay. FOUNDATIONS TRAIL $ 1 2 3 4 5 The lessons 1 Level 1 0 of 10 XP to level 2 Start → 1 Part 1 of How does a business make money?: Where does McDonald's money come from?, start here Start here Where does McDonald's money come from? Lesson 1 · part 1 · 3 tickets · 5 min 2 Part 2 of How does a business make money?: Who pays, and how?, not started 3 Part 3 of How does a business make money?: The coffee club lab, not started Lesson 1: How does a business make money?, not finished Lesson 1 · 14 min How does a business make money? 1 Part 1 of Margins: where each dollar goes: How much of an Adobe sale is left?, not started 2 Part 2 of Margins: where each dollar goes: Take Adobe's dollar apart, not started 3 Part 3 of Margins: where each dollar goes: The deals website, not started Lesson 2: Margins: where each dollar goes, not finished Lesson 2 · 14 min Margins: where each dollar goes 1 Part 1 of How many guests just to stay even?: How many guests a day?, not started 2 Part 2 of How many guests just to stay even?: The break-even sheet, not started 3 Part 3 of How many guests just to stay even?: Open for dinner?, not started Lesson 3: How many guests just to stay even?, not finished Lesson 3 · 14 min How many guests just to stay even? 1 Part 1 of What should you charge?: More meals or fewer?, not started 2 Part 2 of What should you charge?: Prices that change by the day, not started 3 Part 3 of What should you charge?: Saturday prices, not started Lesson 4: What should you charge?, not finished Lesson 4 · 14 min What should you charge? 1 Part 1 of Profitable and still broke?: How long does a builder wait to be paid?, not started 2 Part 2 of Profitable and still broke?: A building job's cash diary, not started 3 Part 3 of Profitable and still broke?: The gym's January, not started Lesson 5: Profitable and still broke?, not finished Lesson 5 · 14 min Profitable and still broke? 1 Part 1 of What does a person really cost?: How many hours a week?, not started 2 Part 2 of What does a person really cost?: When hours are the product, not started 3 Part 3 of What does a person really cost?: The project ends early, not started Lesson 6: What does a person really cost?, not finished (members-only) Lesson 6 · 14 min What does a person really cost? Members (members-only) Included (included in your membership) 1 Part 1 of What does a customer cost?: What does one buyer cost in ads?, not started 2 Part 2 of What does a customer cost?: What keeps big sellers going, not started 3 Part 3 of What does a customer cost?: Money for new customers, not started Lesson 7: What does a customer cost?, not finished (members-only) Lesson 7 · 14 min What does a customer cost? Members (members-only) Included (included in your membership) 1 Part 1 of Why can't anyone just copy you?: How big is Starbucks, really?, not started 2 Part 2 of Why can't anyone just copy you?: A chain opens across the street, not started 3 Part 3 of Why can't anyone just copy you?: Buyers for every seller, not started Lesson 8: Why can't anyone just copy you?, not finished (members-only) Lesson 8 · 13 min Why can't anyone just copy you? Members (members-only) Included (included in your membership) 1 Part 1 of Too much or too little?: How much food goes to waste?, not started 2 Part 2 of Too much or too little?: The order sheet, not started 3 Part 3 of Too much or too little?: Online, nothing spoils, but…, not started Lesson 9: Too much or too little?, not finished (members-only) Lesson 9 · 14 min Too much or too little? Members (members-only) Included (included in your membership) 1 Part 1 of Profit, cash, and what you own: Where did Chipotle's cash go?, not started 2 Part 2 of Profit, cash, and what you own: The three-reports lab, not started 3 Part 3 of Profit, cash, and what you own: Profit up, cash down, not started Lesson 10: Profit, cash, and what you own, not finished (members-only) Lesson 10 · 14 min Profit, cash, and what you own Members (members-only) Included (included in your membership) 1 Part 1 of Whose money starts a business?: How many sell a piece of the business?, not started 2 Part 2 of Whose money starts a business?: The loan lab, not started 3 Part 3 of Whose money starts a business?: Who owned Figma?, not started Lesson 11: Whose money starts a business?, not finished (members-only) Lesson 11 · 14 min Whose money starts a business? Members (members-only) Included (included in your membership) 1 Part 1 of Who sets the rules for your business?: What does an empty year cost?, not started 2 Part 2 of Who sets the rules for your business?: The double tax, not started 3 Part 3 of Who sets the rules for your business?: The hot-coffee burn, not started Lesson 12: Who sets the rules for your business?, not finished (members-only) Lesson 12 · 14 min Who sets the rules for your business? Members (members-only) Included (included in your membership) 1 Part 1 of What could go wrong?: Whose kitchen is it?, not started 2 Part 2 of What could go wrong?: A small restaurant's insurance bill, not started 3 Part 3 of What could go wrong?: The fire closes you, not started Lesson 13: What could go wrong?, not finished (members-only) Lesson 13 · 14 min What could go wrong? Members (members-only) Included (included in your membership) 1 Part 1 of One shop or many?: What does a new Shack cost?, not started 2 Part 2 of One shop or many?: Buying a franchise, step by step, not started 3 Part 3 of One shop or many?: Store by store, or customer by customer, not started Lesson 14: One shop or many?, not finished (members-only) Lesson 14 · 14 min One shop or many? Members (members-only) Included (included in your membership) 1 Part 1 of Why do businesses fail?: How many restaurants last?, not started 2 Part 2 of Why do businesses fail?: What sank them?, not started 3 Part 3 of Why do businesses fail?: Failing on costs, or on customers, not started Lesson 15: Why do businesses fail?, not finished (members-only) Lesson 15 · 15 min Why do businesses fail? Members (members-only) Included (included in your membership) Finish: All 15 big ideas Finish All 15 big ideas
The big ideas, one by one 01 1. How a business makes moneySelling meals, memberships, subscriptions or fees: the ways money comes in.
02 2. Margins: where each dollar goesWhat's left of each sale after paying for everything.
03 3. Fixed vs. variable costsCosts that stay put, costs that grow with each sale, and the break-even point.
04 4. PricingHow businesses decide what to charge.
05 5. Cash flowWhy profitable businesses still run out of money: the timing of money.
06 6. PeopleHiring, wages and scheduling.
07 7. Getting customersAds, regulars and word of mouth.
08 8. CompetitionWhat makes a business hard to copy.
09 9. Operations and suppliersSuppliers, spoilage, inventory and shipping.
10 10. Reading the numbersProfit report, balance sheet and cash flow statement.
11 11. Money to start and growSavings, loans and investors.
12 12. RulesLegal structure, permits and taxes.
13 13. Risk and insuranceWhat can go wrong, and who gets paid to carry the risk.
14 14. GrowingFrom one location to many.
15 15. Why businesses failHow each kind of business usually fails, compared side by side.