Am I a trembling creature, or do I have the right?
Or a minute of biology.
Humans are deeply social creatures.
Everything we do, consciously or not, is influenced by biological and evolutionary laws:
- Health and money: rooted in the instinct for self-preservation.
- Relationships and recognition: driven by the instinct to find the best partners for reproduction.
You can dive into the details, tease out nuances.
But the essence remains: our actions are governed by nature.
Even something as seemingly abstract as recognition stems from deep evolutionary mechanisms.
For the species, it’s a survival tool.
The best mates must find each other to pass on their genes.
It’s hardwired into our DNA, into life’s imperative to evolve and reproduce.
When that stops, extinction is inevitable.
But there’s something more.
What sets humans apart from animals?
Self-improvement — the drive to understand oneself and the world.
It’s the pinnacle of intelligent activity, something that surpasses basic instinct.
But even this is often shaped by society:
- spending money on meaningless things because it’s “approved,”
- chasing imposed goals and standards of success,
- following “right” trends and narratives of achievement.
Even criminal groups use this psychology:
“Work is for losers; all the cool ones are with us.”
And suddenly, people trade freedom for the illusion of easy success.
Breaking this cycle happens in only one place — your mind.
Your brain will always compare, crave dopamine, and seek validation.
But you decide your measure of success.
- If success means helping others, great.
- If it’s living under a palm tree, your call.
- If it’s both — fantastic!
Your goals are yours alone.
The business world falls into the same social traps.
It’s easy to fall for the narrative that success means:
- go international,
- change the world,
- or being acquired by a tech giant.
If you’re not growing, you’re failing.
Nonsense.
You decide what kind of business you want to build:
- A small, profitable company.
- A solo project with a comfortable income.
- Or a massive startup — if that’s your path.
Technology today gives even small entrepreneurs the tools to build a profitable business.
AI, digital products, and global markets are accessible to anyone.
These tools allow you to build a sustainable business while maintaining a balance between work and life.
You don’t need external approval.
You don’t owe anyone an explanation for your goals.
When you can hold your ground and say:
“Yes, I’m a solopreneur. And so what?”
When you stop caring about meeting others’ standards of success.
Your goals, your values, and your fulfillment.
These are the only measures that matter.
Disclaimer.
Every business has its nuances, and every founder has their unique context and resources. Whether or not my advice applies depends on your situation, experience, and needs. But one thing is universal—use your brain.
Think about how to apply the advice in your context before acting.
Your way.
And one more thing.
Well, dear diary.
Another New Year arrived.
Sure, not much will change.
Same monsters, same evil lurking around, the same dirt and battles.
But hey, now we’ve got our own robot!
So that should be more fun.
Alright then, since it’s tradition to make wishes...
I wish for myself to care less about the opinions of random idiots.
After all, you and I know exactly where we’re going and why.
Right?
From the journal of Nyx Thorne.
- Eugene
Join the “most offbeat” Businessletter on entrepreneurship.
Hi, I’m Eugene.
Over the past 20+ years, I’ve grown an international agency from one-person freelance to a multimillion-dollar business. I’ve led teams, scaled systems, burned out, rebuilt, and learned (the hard way) what it really takes to run a business that doesn’t consume your life.
I help them make sense of complexity, design simple systems, and create the kind of business they actually want to run.
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