You can rebuild a business from the road if you stop moving while you do it. Most of the rebuilds I've seen fail on the road didn't lack ideas, they lacked long stretches of quiet time. So the first step is logistical: stay in one place for three months.
Pick a boring base
Choose somewhere cheap, stable, with good internet and few temptations. A city that you've already visited is ideal because you won't feel the need to explore it. A low monthly cost also buys you what matters most at this stage, which is a longer runway. Work out your runway before you do anything else.
Keep what pays
Don't tear down the income you have until the new version earns. Sort everything you do into three groups: what brings in money now, what might bring in money later, and what simply fills the week. Keep the first, test the second, and stop the third. It's usually a shock to see how much sits in that last group.
Talk to your customers before you build
- List your ten best customers, past or present.
- Ask each of them what they were trying to solve when they found you.
- Note the exact words they use.
- Offer one narrow service or product that solves that problem.
- Sell it manually to three people before you build a website, a funnel or an app.
A twelve week plan
- Weeks 1 to 2: set up your base and your routine, and sort your activities into the three groups.
- Weeks 3 to 4: customer conversations and one clear offer.
- Weeks 5 to 8: sell it by hand and deliver it. Fix what's wrong as you go.
- Weeks 9 to 10: rebuild the site, only now that you know what to say on it.
- Weeks 11 to 12: review the numbers and decide what comes next.
Protect your energy
Rebuilding alone in a foreign city can get lonely, and burnout tends to arrive quietly. Keep regular hours, keep one thing in the week that has nothing to do with work, and get someone to hold you to your plan. A coworking friend will do. I'd read the signs of burnout early, not when you need them.
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