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One powerful strategy you can use to navigate this journey is the “Rule of 1,” which emphasizes a focused approach to developing your business.
Today, I’m going to show you how the Rule of One can help side hustles and solo businesses sharpen their focus, avoid distractions, and accelerate toward their first $10k+/m in sales (+$100k annually).
Keep reading — exclusive subscriber offer below.
When you’re still under $10k/m, resources are limited. The last thing you can afford is spreading your energy thin across multiple audiences, offers, and strategies. The Rule of One is about focus:
- One ideal customer persona
- One solution
- One repeatable, scalable process
By focusing on these three, you’ll cut through the noise, optimize your resources, and speed up your path to traction.
Unfortunately… most founders fall into the “do more” trap:
- They chase multiple customer segments at once.
- They add new offers before nailing the first one.
- They build random processes that don’t scale.
The result? Slow progress, confused customers, and a scattered brand.
What is the Rule of 1 for Solo Creators?
The Rule of 1 directs you to concentrate on three main areas:
- One ideal customer persona (your ICP)
- One solution (your offer)
- One process (repeatable and scalable)
Here’s what happens when you commit:
- Resource Optimization: Your limited time, money, and energy go exactly where they matter most.
- Clarity & Consistency: Your messaging, product, and marketing stay fully aligned.
- Faster Iteration: Feedback loops are shorter, so you improve quickly.
- Stronger Market Fit: You solve targeted problems for a clearly defined audience.
The good news: this is simple to start. Let’s break it down.
How to Apply the Rule of One in 3 Steps
Here’s the practical framework you can put into action right now:
- One Ideal Customer Persona
- One Solution
- One Repeatable & Scalable Process
Step 1: One Ideal Customer Persona
Start by identifying your ideal customer.
This is a specific market segment that has the most to gain from your solution and is likely to be the most receptive.
👉 How to do it:
Research: Conduct market research to understand different segments and their needs.
Profile: Create detailed profiles of potential customer segments.
Select: Choose the segment that aligns best with your product and has the highest potential for engagement and revenue.
Example: If you’re a course creator, your ideal persona might be burned-out professionals who want a practical, step-by-step path to escape the 9-to-5 using their existing skills.
Step 2: One Solution
With your ideal customer persona defined, focus on solving a specific problem they face. This should be a pressing issue that impacts their daily operations or success.
👉 How to do it:
Identify Pain Points: List the major challenges your ideal customer faces.
Develop a Core Offering: Create a solution that directly addresses these pain points.
Validate: Test your solution with a small group of target customers to ensure it meets their needs effectively.
Example (digital product): Instead of launching three mini-courses, ship one flagship course that solves the core problem end-to-end, then iterate until it consistently delivers results.
Step 3: One Repeatable & Scalable Process
Finally, establish a process that can be repeated and scaled as your business grows.
This includes both your product development methodology and your go-to-market strategy.
👉 Steps to establish a scalable process:
Document: Create detailed documentation for your product development and customer acquisition processes.
Optimize: Continuously refine these processes based on feedback and performance metrics.
Automate: Where possible, use automation to increase efficiency and scalability.
Example (digital product): Set up an automated course onboarding: purchase → instant welcome email → Module 1 unlocked within 24h → weekly check-ins → completion survey.
Every new client gets the same repeatable process, making it easy to handle more accounts without chaos.
Ready to try the Rule of One?
- Pick one platform (ie X or LinkedIn) where your ideal customers actually spend time.
- Pick one clear offer that solves a painful, valuable problem.
- Pick one customer type so specific that most people don’t qualify.
The real challenge is fighting the urge to expand too early. Even when traction shows up, stick with your “one” until it’s solid and repeatable.
It’s simpler than it sounds — and it can be fun once you lean into it. If you try it, let me know how it works out for you.
🔥 PRE-RELEASE OFFER
🧭 If you’re stuck, it’s because you don’t have a step-by-step blueprint. Let’s fix that.
I’m releasing the 1-Offer Playbook soon — the framework to build a single clear offer, a simple funnel, and a content system that brings clients to you without endless chasing.
Join the waitlist today and be among the first 20 people to get lifetime access for free (yes, free, spots are limited) — a $450 value.