From $10k to $10: Why You’re Out of Excuses
It's Never Been Cheaper To Just Try
Let me take you back, old-school dotcom style. A company I worked for wanted a basic website. Guess how much they planned to spend? Not $10k. Not $100k. Try $300,000 USD just to get the damn thing live.
Oh, and they’d raised an extra $2 million to keep it afloat for six months. Fast forward: six months gone, money torched, everyone sacked, website vanished. Poof. In those days, if you wanted an online business, raising (and risking) a small fortune was just part of the deal.
“Back then, starting up was a game for high rollers. Blink, and your cash and dreams disappeared.”
That Was Then. This Is Now.
Welcome to the gilded age of online entrepreneurship. Costs have dropped from eye-watering to barely-there. These days, the cost of launching a new idea? It’s closer to $10 than $10,000. In 24 hours, you can have a website, a storefront, and a marketing campaign humming, no MBA required.
The New Toolset: Big Power, Tiny Price
So, what changed? Simple it’s the tools. The “no-code” revolution means you can drag-and-drop your way to a smart-looking business in your pyjamas. Want proof?
Website: Wix, Squarespace, Carrd — under $20/month, or even free if you’re keeping it simple.
Online Store: Shopify lets you sell for $5/month. No-risk: Gumroad and Substack take their cut only when you make a sale.
Design: Canva puts logos, flyers, and Insta-story templates at your fingertips for free (and your kid could use it blindfolded).
Outsourcing: Need something bespoke? Hire a surprisingly talented freelancer on Fiverr for less than your next Ubereats binge.
AI & Automation: ChatGPT for copywriting, Zapier for gluing your apps together.
Building a credible business used to take a bank loan and a team of specialists. Now? You can do it solo, with your phone, during a lazy Sunday on the sofa.
“Turns out, you don’t need a fortune to start just WiFi, an idea, and a smidge of nerve.”
Why Should You Care?
Every week, I hear from smart, seasoned people (yes, that’s us 50+ Gen Xrs) who say, “I would have started my own thing, but it’s too late, or too expensive.”
Look, you’re reading “Faark I Hope It’s Not Too Late” for a reason. You know damn well it’s not too late, and now you know it’s not too expensive either.
TRY THIS
What would you launch if it only cost you a takeaway curry to try? Grab a scrap of paper (or, you know, your Notes app) and jot down three business ideas you’d try if you could fail cheaply. Don’t overthink it just the first three that come to mind.
Trying and Failing Fast (With Pocket Change)
Old-school startups took outsize risks. Now, it’s about lots of small, quick bets. The “fail fast” mantra isn’t just for Silicon Valley venture bros anymore; it’s for anyone with a laptop and a caffeine habit.
The $20 MVP: Test Run Your Next Big Thing
Ready? Here’s how you launch version 0.1 of your dream without a second mortgage:
Pick an idea. Newsletter, digital download, coaching, drop-shipping whatever floats your boat.
Give it a brand. Canva for an instant logo and social banners.
Get online. Set up a Carrd or Shopify site for a fiver to twenty bucks.
Get out there. Hype it up on TikTok, Insta, or LinkedIn. For free.
Learn, then iterate. See what bites. Double down, pivot, or chuck it out without ongoing guilt or maxed out credit cards.
“If you can order a pizza, you can launch a business idea. No more excuses.”
TRY THIS
Take a single one of your ideas from above. In the next 48 hours, try and make something no matter how rough: a quick Canva logo, a Carrd landing page, a social post saying “I’m thinking about this, interested?” Send it to a mate. That’s momentum, right there.
Wrapping Up: Your Move
You’ve been waiting. The tools are here. The cost is pocket change. The regret of not even trying? Priceless and in the worst way. Your younger self, the one who survived dial-up and Nokia ringtones, would kill for the shot you’ve got now.
“Stop waiting for the perfect moment. Start small. Start scrappy. Just START.”
TRY THIS
Got friends facing the same crossroads? Forward them this article. Spark a chat about what you’d launch for $10. You might just kick up an idea worth… well, a lot more than that.
You’re not too old. You’re not too late. Time to get stuck in.