In episode 135 of The Side Hustle Experiment Podcast  John (https://www.instagram.com/sidehustleexperiment/ ) and Drew  (https://www.instagram.com/realdrewd/) get brutally honest about their biggest mistakes and bad bets over the last two years - trying to build their own thing.

They break down why “just give it 90 days” almost derailed them, how chasing too many models at once hurts momentum, and why owning traffic and skills beats reselling all day long. They also get into reading vs podcasts, how to actually use AI without getting mid results, and the dangerous mindset of “eh, that’s good enough.”

If you’re stuck between shiny objects, feel like you’re working hard but not getting traction, or you’re trying to turn a side hustle into a real business, this one will hit.
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Chapters

00:00 Biggest mistakes we’ve made in the last 2 years
01:02 The myth of “just give it 90 days”
02:54 Skill stacking vs getting world-class at one thing
05:18 The blog I should’ve gone all-in on (and what it taught me)
08:28 Ownership, traffic, and the “1,000 true fans” mindset
12:29 Turning local hustles into scalable, “ownable” businesses
16:28 The copywriting book that changed everything 
20:39 Reading vs podcasts (and lessons from 75 Hard)
24:15 How to actually use AI without getting average results
26:39 Why most advice doesn’t work for you (context problem)
30:08 Data, feedback loops, and why “no strategy” will save you
33:17 Squeezing more juice out of the Amazon Influencer Program
38:10 Systems for reselling, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace
41:46 “Good enough” vs world-class work in a world of AI
47:42 Efficiency vs effectiveness (the kayak up the river story)
54:32 Big guests, 2026 focus, and closing thoughts


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Listen on your favorite podcast platform
Youtube: https://bit.ly/3HHklFO
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/48RRKcP
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Check out Drew's Stuff
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realdrewd
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrewFBA

Check out John's Stuff
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sidehustleexperiment/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SideHustleExp 

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