"If you build your house on rented land, don't be surprised when the landlord raises the rent or kicks you out." — MJ DeMarco
Are you a Business Owner or a Hitchhiker?
A business owner drives the car. A hitchhiker sits in the passenger seat and hopes the driver goes to the right place.
If you rely 100% on Amazon, YouTube, or Uber for your income, you are a Hitchhiker.
In Part 7 of The Millionaire Fastlane series, we discuss the first two commandments of the C.E.N.T.S. framework: Control and Entry. Fail these, and your business is a ticking time bomb.
1. Detailed Analysis: The Commandment of Control
The Commandment of Control states: You must control everything in your business—your product, your pricing, your revenue model, and your operational structure.
The Trap of "Rented Land"
Many "Digital Entrepreneurs" are actually just digital sharecroppers.
Scenario: The YouTuber
You have 1 Million subscribers. You feel rich.
The Violation: YouTube changes the algorithm tomorrow. Your views drop 90%. Or worse, they ban your channel.
Result: Your income goes to zero instantly. Why? Because you didn't own the platform; you rented it.
Scenario: The Amazon Seller
You sell phone cases on Amazon. Sales are booming.
The Violation: Amazon sees your success, launches "Amazon Basics" phone cases at half your price, and pushes your listing to Page 2.
Result: Game over. Amazon has Control; you don't.
2. Stop Hitchhiking, Start Driving
Does this mean you shouldn't use YouTube or Amazon?
No. Use them, but don't rely on them.
The Fix: Diversify & Own Data
1. Email List: Move your YouTube subscribers to an Email List. You own the list. No algorithm can take it away.
2. Own Website: Use Amazon to get the first sale, but put a coupon inside the box that drives the customer to your website for the second purchase.
3. Brand Equity: Build a brand so strong that people search for you, not just the generic product.
3. The Commandment of Entry
The Commandment of Entry states: As entry barriers fall, competition rises, and profit falls.
"If anyone can start your business in 1 day with ₹5,000, you are in trouble."
The "Crowded Room" Theory:
If a door is open and easy to walk through, thousands of people will enter. The room becomes crowded. It becomes loud. No one makes money.
Examples of Low Entry Barriers (Bad Business):
• Network Marketing (MLM)
• Filling Online Surveys
• Dropshipping (in saturated niches)
• Blogging (without a unique angle)
Why they fail: Because "easy" means "competition." When supply is infinite (everyone is doing it), prices crash to zero.
4. Real-Life Examples (Indian Context)
The TikTok Ban (Control Violation)
In 2020, India banned TikTok.
Thousands of influencers who had millions of followers suddenly lost their entire career overnight.
Why? Because they built their empire on Rented Land. They didn't have an email list or their own website. They violated the Commandment of Control and paid the price.
The Ola/Uber Driver (Entry Violation)
When Ola/Uber started, drivers made ₹1 Lakh/month. Why? Because there were few drivers (High Barrier).
Then, everyone heard "It's easy money." Thousands of drivers joined.
Now, drivers struggle to make ends meet.
Lesson: When the barrier to entry is low (anyone with a license can join), the profit inevitably drops to minimum wage.
5. The "Process" is the Barrier
If you want to make millions, you must choose a business with High Barriers to Entry.
• Starting a Software Company? (Hard - Need coding/team). Good.
• Manufacturing a unique product? (Hard - Need prototype/factory). Good.
• Buying a Franchise? (Medium - Need capital). Okay.
• Joining an MLM scheme? (Easy - Just sign up). Terrible.
The Rule: If looking at the "To-Do List" of a business scares you, that's a good sign. The difficulty filters out the competition. The difficulty is the moat.
Key Takeaways
- Own, Don't Rent: Never rely on a single third-party platform (YouTube, Amazon, Facebook) for your survival.
- Build Assets: An email list is an asset. A YouTube channel is a marketing channel. Know the difference.
- Avoid "Easy": If "everyone is doing it," run the other way. The gold is not where the crowd is.
- Difficulty = Value: The harder it is to start, the more valuable the business usually is.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: Does this mean I shouldn't be a YouTuber?
A: Be a YouTuber, but don't just be a YouTuber. Use YouTube to drive traffic to a business you control (e.g., selling your own course or product on your own site).
Q2: How do I create a barrier to entry?
A: Through "Process." It takes time to learn to code, to build a brand, or to get a patent. The time and effort you put in creates a gap that lazy competitors cannot cross.
Q3: Is Real Estate a good business for Control?
A: Yes. You own the property. You control the rent. But be careful of "Entry" - if anyone can buy a flat and rent it out, margins will be low. You need a unique angle (Magnitude).
Up next: Part 8 – The 5 Commandments (CENTS): Time & Scale.
📚 Credit & Disclaimer:
This post is a summary based on the bestseller "The Millionaire Fastlane" by MJ DeMarco. Content is for educational purposes only.
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