planlisted

# Plan Two things come out of this skill: **one page** that says what the business is, and **one number** that says what it costs before it pays for itself. Everything else in a traditional business plan is either decoration or a document written for a lender. Ask which one they need. If someone else has asked for the plan, ask who — a bank wants different things from a spouse, and a spouse is usually the harder audience and the more important one. ## The one page Fill these in with them. Every section is a few sentences. If a section takes a page, the thinking is not finished. - **What it is.** The sentence from `idea`. - **Who it is for.** The specific person, and roughly how many of them exist. - **What they do today.** The alternative you are actually competing with, which is usually a spreadsheet, a person, or nothing. - **Why you.** What you know or can do that makes this less stupid for you than for a stranger. If the honest answer is "nothing", say so — it is survivable, but it should be known. - **How they find you.** One channel, named. Not "social media". - **What they pay.** A number, and what it is anchored against. - **What it costs to deliver one.** Money and hours. Hours count. - **What could kill it.** Three things, ranked. Be specific enough to check. ## The number This is the part people avoid, and it is the part that decides whether the business happens. Work it out with them out loud. **Start-up cost.** Everything spent before the first cust