Chapter 25: Why 10x Is Easier Than 2x

I used to think growth only came from working harder.

More hours. More clients. More grind.

But here’s what I’ve learned:

Not all effort is created equal.

Some levers move inches. Others move worlds.

Which brings us to this week’s idea…

The 10x Lens

This one comes from the book 10x Is Easier Than 2x by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy.

And here’s the core premise:

Obvious? Maybe. But almost no one lives this way.

Why?

Because it’s uncomfortable. Risky. Less crowded.

But here’s the magic:

When you apply the 10x lens, your options shrink.

You reduce the number of bets you can make…

But you increase the chance that one of them changes your life.

Netflix and the Art of Self-Disruption

Netflix could’ve coasted.

They were already winning. Shipping millions of DVDs to doorsteps across America.

The 2x move?

More warehouses. Faster delivery. Squeeze the model harder.

Instead, they made the 10x move:

Disrupt their main business and go all in on streaming.

It was risky. Betting against your own business model always is.

But they saw where the world was headed.

And because they bet on the bigger vision?

They became the largest streaming platform in the world.

10x isn’t about doing 10x more.

It’s about doing the one or two things that have the biggest upside.

A Tale of Two Trainers

Let’s say you’re a fitness coach making $60K/year.

You want to help more people.

The 2x plan?

Double your clients. Work 14-hour days. Burn out in 6 months.

Or…

You carve out 90 minutes a day.

You tell your story online. You highlight your clients’ journeys. You build an audience.

You launch a digital product or cohort.

Same skills. Same hours. Exponentially more upside.

→ You didn’t work harder. You worked with leverage.

A Challenge I’m Thinking About

I’ve always known I wanted to make a big impact.

But to do that, you need leverage.

And in 2025, media is the biggest lever you can pull.

So I started telling stories online.

And the messages started rolling in…

Don’t get me wrong — it’s been incredible.

And if I wanted to 2x I could just keep doing more of the same.

But I’m thinking bigger…

How do I turn my ideas and story into a movement?

For example — what if we took 10 people who want to quit drinking…

Brought them together in one location…

Trained for the longest run of their life…

And taught them how to tell their story online?

We’d get sponsors on board. Film the entire journey.

Turn it into a documentary and a digital challenge.

Micro win: 10 lives changed.

Macro upside: Inspire millions.

I’m putting out a reel this week to see if the idea has legs. We’ll see what happens.

Try This Today

Ask yourself:

• What am I doing right now that only has 2x potential?

• What’s one lever could I pull that has 10x upside?

• What’s the first step I can take today on it?

The goal isn’t perfection.

The goal is direction.

Most people are sprinting in circles for limited upside.

The 10x lens points the compass toward something bigger.

Wrapping Up

When you raise the bar, most of your options fall away.

That’s a feature, not a bug.

Because it forces focus.

And focus is what builds momentum.

So next time you’re weighing what to work on…

Don’t ask:

“How can I improve this by 2x?”

Ask:

“What are the things I could do that would have a 10x impact?”

Then get to work.

Rooting for ya,

—Dodds