You’re Working Like a $10 Freelancer

But thinking like a $10K CEO is what actually builds freedom.

The16hourclub
July 23, 2025

You’re working hard.

You’re always doing something.

But somehow… you’re still in the same place you were 3 months ago.

You’re solving small problems over and over instead of solving the real problem once and for all.

That’s the hidden cost of being in constant motion.

You never rise above the noise long enough to think bigger.

There are two kinds of problems in business:

$10 problems: Quick fixes. Annoying. Urgent. Never-ending.
$10K problems: Strategic. Foundational. Often ignored. But solve them once — and everything changes.

Let’s compare:

$10 Problem	$10K Thinking
“Clients keep asking the same questions.”	“What onboarding video or doc would eliminate this forever?”
“I forgot to send that follow-up email.”	“How can I automate this workflow?”
“Leads aren’t converting.”	“Is my offer positioned for the right audience?”
“Revenue is flat.”	“Do I have a scalable acquisition strategy?”

Most entrepreneurs stay overwhelmed because they’re trapped responding to what’s urgent instead of designing what’s important.

Being busy feels productive.

But real growth comes from stepping back and asking:

“Why does this problem keep happening in the first place?”

That’s what separates a hustler from a builder.

Here’s what upstream thinking looks like:

Don’t fix. Redesign.
Stop treating symptoms. Solve the root.
Create once, use forever.
If a task repeats, systemize it.
Measure decisions by leverage.
“Will this save me 10 hours a month? Will it scale without me?”

That’s how you stop running on the treadmill and start building the damn machine.

Pick one recurring issue in your business.

Now ask:

“How can I solve this once, so I never need to deal with it again?”

It could be a:

Whatever it is, fix it at the root.

Then move on to solving the next real problem.

📌 Save This Thought:
“If your business is full of repeat problems, it’s not broken. It’s underbuilt.”

Until next week.

Step back. Think higher. Solve deeper.

That’s how you build a business that builds itself.

If you would like to connect on a deeper level, feel free to REPLY to this email and I’ll get in touch with you.

Be unstoppable,

Amos - Founder of The16hourclub