Most founders don’t struggle with effort.

They struggle with direction.

You work. You push. You try things.

But when your back is against the wall and you need to make money…

Guessing gets expensive.

That’s where most people default to stale thinking:

More outreach. More content. More offers. More noise.

What actually helps is forcing better thinking.

Not motivation. Not more tactics.

Better constraints.

Here are 7 simple frameworks you can use when things feel stuck:

1. Crazy 8s (Speed over perfection)

Set a timer for 8 minutes.

Write down 8 ways your business could make money.

Bad ideas allowed. Half-baked ideas encouraged.

You’re not trying to be right. You’re trying to break the “I only have one option” trap.

2. How Might We (Reframe the problem)

Instead of: “How do I get more clients?”

Ask: “How might I get paid before delivering the work?”

Or: “How might I close deals without more calls?”

The quality of the question determines the quality of the solution.

3. Worst Possible Idea (Remove fear)

Write down the worst ways to grow your business.

Spam everyone. Slash prices to zero. Promise everything.

Then flip them.

Somewhere in the opposite direction is usually something usable.

This removes the pressure to be smart.

4. Constraint Flip (Use what you already have)

Instead of asking: “What should I build?”

Ask: “What can I sell with what I already have today?”

This is the fastest path to cash.

Most of the time, the answer isn’t new.

It’s unfinished.

5. Impact vs Effort (Stop wasting motion)

List your ideas.

Then sort them:

High impact, low effort → do now High impact, high effort → plan Low impact, low effort → filler Low impact, high effort → kill

Most founders spend time in the bottom right.

6. Reverse Funnel Thinking (Start from money)

Instead of building from the top:

Content → leads → calls → sales

Start from the bottom:

What would someone pay for today?

Then work backward.

Money first. System second.

7. The “Do Less, Better” Filter

If everything feels important, nothing moves.

Force this question: “If I could only do ONE thing this week to generate revenue… what is it?”

Then ignore everything else.

This is harder than it sounds.

But it’s where leverage actually comes from.

When you zoom out, all of these do the same thing:

They reduce noise.

They force clarity.

They move you out of reaction mode and back into control.

Because the real problem isn’t that you don’t have ideas.

It’s that you have too many… and no filter.

If you’re in a spot where things feel tight, don’t add more.

Change how you think.

That’s usually the unlock.

– Jason

PS. If you need some help brainstorming or building something new, grab some time on my calendar here!