# Derek Johnson — derekpedia.com > Entrepreneur, author, and world traveler. Derek has visited 71 countries across all seven continents. Official pages and published writing. ## Pages (16) - [Derek Johnson](https://derekpedia.com/) - [Essays](https://derekpedia.com/blog) - [Books I Love](https://derekpedia.com/books) - [Predictions](https://derekpedia.com/predictions) - [Work with Me](https://derekpedia.com/work-with-me) - [Preparing for Our Call](https://derekpedia.com/work-with-me/prep) - [Shows](https://derekpedia.com/shows) - [Podcasts](https://derekpedia.com/podcasts) - [Gear](https://derekpedia.com/gear) - [Words to Live By](https://derekpedia.com/words) - [Apps & Services](https://derekpedia.com/apps-services) - [Contact](https://derekpedia.com/contact) - [Full Bio](https://derekpedia.com/bio) - [Tatango](https://derekpedia.com/tatango) - [The Disruption Formula](https://derekpedia.com/the-disruption-formula) - [Jessica (My Wife)](https://derekpedia.com/jessica) ## All published blog posts and essays (67) - [I Built an AI Team. Then Realized I Wasn’t Needed.](https://derekpedia.com/blog/i-built-an-ai-team-then-realized) - [The 50% Rule for Staying Sane in Business](https://derekpedia.com/blog/the-50-rule-for-staying-sane-in-business) - [Get Ready for the Retrade](https://derekpedia.com/blog/get-ready-for-the-retrade) - [Who Really Disrupts?](https://derekpedia.com/blog/who-really-disrupts) - [The Cure for Almost Every Business Problem](https://derekpedia.com/blog/the-cure-for-almost-every-business-problem) - [When You Get a Windfall, Pay the Taxes Immediately](https://derekpedia.com/blog/when-you-get-a-windfall-pay-the-taxes-immediately) - [AI is Quietly Killing Your Next Fundraise](https://derekpedia.com/blog/ai-is-quietly-killing-your-next-fundraise) - [I Owned the Majority of My Company. I Almost Couldn't Sell It.](https://derekpedia.com/blog/i-owned-the-majority-of-my-company-i-almost-couldnt-sell-it) - [One Bidder Is No Bidder](https://derekpedia.com/blog/one-bidder-is-no-bidder) - [The Four Stages of AI in Business](https://derekpedia.com/blog/the-four-stages-of-ai-in-business) - [The Best Dividend Isn't Money](https://derekpedia.com/blog/the-best-dividend-isnt-money) - [Your Apps Are About to Disappear](https://derekpedia.com/blog/your-apps-are-about-to-disappear) - [How to Blow a Fortune: Sudden Wealth Mistakes](https://derekpedia.com/blog/sudden-wealth-mistakes) - [Why I Make Entrepreneurs 10X Their Goals](https://derekpedia.com/blog/why-i-make-entrepreneurs-10x-their-goals) - [When You Come Into Money, Only Make Decisions You Can Undo](https://derekpedia.com/blog/when-you-come-into-money-only-make-decisions-you-can-undo) - [Run a Sale Process, Even If You Never Plan to Sell](https://derekpedia.com/blog/run-a-sale-process-even-if-you-never-plan-to-sell) - [You Just Raised VC? Sorry to Hear That.](https://derekpedia.com/blog/you-just-raised-vc-sorry-to-hear-that) - [10X Cheaper, Faster, or Better](https://derekpedia.com/blog/10-times-cheaper-faster-better) - [You Keep Judging the First iPhone](https://derekpedia.com/blog/you-keep-judging-the-first-iphone) - [When the Money Lands, Stop Thinking in Monthly Payments](https://derekpedia.com/blog/when-the-money-lands-stop-thinking-in-monthly-payments) - [ETA's Dirty Secret: You Can't Change the Business You Just Bought](https://derekpedia.com/blog/the-eta-trap-you-cant-change-a-business-you-just-bought) - [Too Many Choices Is Killing Your Sales](https://derekpedia.com/blog/too-many-choices-is-killing-your-sales) - [Flying Blind Without a Proforma](https://derekpedia.com/blog/flying-blind-without-a-proforma) - [Disruption Isn’t Luck. It’s a Formula.](https://derekpedia.com/blog/disruption-isnt-luck-its-a-formula) - [Two Ways To Protect Yourself When Raising VC](https://derekpedia.com/blog/two-ways-to-protect-yourself-when-raising-vc) - [The Reciprocity Hack Every Business Owner Should Know](https://derekpedia.com/blog/the-reciprocity-hack-every-business) - [The Human Touch Is Not Going to Save Your Job From AI](https://derekpedia.com/blog/the-human-touch-is-not-going-to-save) - [Why Your Business Model Needs to Be Scalable (Even If You Don’t Plan to Scale)](https://derekpedia.com/blog/why-your-business-model-needs-to-scale) - [How Barrett Ersek Disrupted Lawn Care — and Changed My Life](https://derekpedia.com/blog/barrett-ersek-changed-my-life-and-the-introduction-i-hope-youll-read) - [Drill Baby Drill: The Boring Secret to Scaling a Business](https://derekpedia.com/blog/drill-baby-drill-the-boring-secret) - [How a $5 cup of coffee becomes $1.50](https://derekpedia.com/blog/how-a-5-cup-of-coffee-becomes-150) - [Stop Comparing Autonomous Robotaxis to ATMs](https://derekpedia.com/blog/stop-comparing-autonomous-robotaxis-to-atms) - [Subtract to Multiply](https://derekpedia.com/blog/subtract-to-multiply) - [The AI Chasm: Why Most Businesses Won't Survive the Jump to AI-First](https://derekpedia.com/blog/the-ai-chasm-why-most-businesses-wont-survive-the-jump-to-ai-first) - [Small Tweaks Won’t Save a Sinking Ship](https://derekpedia.com/blog/small-tweaks-wont-save-a-sinking) - [The Second Bite of the Apple Is a $70M Deal](https://derekpedia.com/blog/the-second-bite-of-the-apple-is-a-70m-deal) - [Why Entrepreneurs Should Value Their Earnout at Zero](https://derekpedia.com/blog/why-entrepreneurs-should-value-their-earnout-at-zero) - [Founder Vesting is Critical](https://derekpedia.com/blog/founder-vesting-is-critical) - [How I Lost $3 Million Angel Investing](https://derekpedia.com/blog/how-i-lost-3-million-angel-investing) - [How a $100,000 Tax Deduction Turned Into a Ponzi Scheme](https://derekpedia.com/blog/how-a-100000-tax-deduction-turned-into-a-ponzi-scheme) - [Why 10X Isn’t Enough for VCs](https://derekpedia.com/blog/why-10x-isnt-enough-for-vcs) - [A Windfall Is a Math Problem, Not a Returns Problem](https://derekpedia.com/blog/a-windfall-is-a-math-problem-not-a-returns-problem) - [Why I Rarely Invest in Private Asset Classes](https://derekpedia.com/blog/why-i-rarely-invest-in-private-asset) - [I Asked Claude Which Industries It's About to Disrupt](https://derekpedia.com/blog/i-asked-claude-which-industries-its-about-to-disrupt) - [Beware the Banker With the Biggest Number](https://derekpedia.com/blog/beware-the-banker-with-the-biggest-number) - [My Customers Don't Want to Talk to AI](https://derekpedia.com/blog/my-customers-dont-want-to-talk-to) - [Founder Mode or Sell](https://derekpedia.com/blog/founder-mode-or-sell) - [When to Sell Your Business in the AI Era (Sooner Than You Think)](https://derekpedia.com/blog/when-to-sell-your-business-in-the-ai-era-sooner-than-you-think) - [Stop Betting the Farm on a “One Last Push”](https://derekpedia.com/blog/stop-betting-the-farm-on-a-one-last) - [How I Got Sober](https://derekpedia.com/blog/how-i-got-sober) - [Cheaper, Faster, Better. But Mostly Cheaper](https://derekpedia.com/blog/cheaper-faster-better-but-mostly-cheaper) - [The Math Says Keep Your Mortgage. I Paid Mine Off Anyway.](https://derekpedia.com/blog/the-math-says-keep-your-mortgage-i-paid-mine-off-anyway) - [Step Aside and Let Someone Better Lead](https://derekpedia.com/blog/step-aside-and-let-someone-better) - [The Cost of Waiting to Sell Your Business](https://derekpedia.com/blog/the-cost-of-waiting-to-sell-your-business) - [No Human Will Ever Contact Your Business Again](https://derekpedia.com/blog/how-ai-assistants-will-change-business) - [Real Estate Syndication Returns After 6 Years (11 Deals)](https://derekpedia.com/blog/real-estate-syndication-returns-after-6-years) - [Selling Isn't Quitting](https://derekpedia.com/blog/selling-isnt-quitting) - [Will There Be Room for Employees in the Future?](https://derekpedia.com/blog/will-there-be-room-for-employees-in-the-future) - [Are we investing in the SpaceX IPO?](https://derekpedia.com/blog/are-we-investing-in-the-spacex-ipo) - [Is Your Customer Acquisition a Gumball Machine?](https://derekpedia.com/blog/is-your-customer-acquisition-a-gumball-machine) - [The AI Assistant War Will Be Won by Hardware](https://derekpedia.com/blog/ai-assistant-war-will-be-won-by-hardware) - [How to Use Grok Bot to Build Your AI-First Company](https://derekpedia.com/blog/how-to-use-grok-bot-to-build-your-ai-first-company) - [Sell, Then Build](https://derekpedia.com/blog/sell-then-build) - [What are your upsells?](https://derekpedia.com/blog/what-are-your-upsells) - [Stop Planning. Start Testing.](https://derekpedia.com/blog/stop-planning-start-testing) - [Why Second-Time Entrepreneurs Obsess Over Distribution](https://derekpedia.com/blog/why-second-time-entrepreneurs-obsess-over-distribution) - [I'm Betting on the End of Car Ownership](https://derekpedia.com/blog/im-betting-on-the-end-of-car-ownership) ## Countries and travel (74) - [Countries Visited](https://derekpedia.com/countries) - [Travel](https://derekpedia.com/travel) - [Indonesia](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Indonesia) - [Antarctica](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Antarctica) - [Italy](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Italy) - [Uruguay](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Uruguay) - [US](https://derekpedia.com/countries/US) - [Luxembourg](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Luxembourg) - [Czech Republic](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Czech%20Republic) - [Sweden](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Sweden) - [United Kingdom](https://derekpedia.com/countries/United%20Kingdom) - [Montenegro](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Montenegro) - [Cambodia](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Cambodia) - [Ireland](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Ireland) - [Germany](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Germany) - [Singapore](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Singapore) - [San Marino](https://derekpedia.com/countries/San%20Marino) - [Laos](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Laos) - [Canada](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Canada) - [Finland](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Finland) - [Portugal](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Portugal) - [South Korea](https://derekpedia.com/countries/South%20Korea) - [Malta](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Malta) - [Colombia](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Colombia) - [Albania](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Albania) - [Argentina](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Argentina) - [Liechtenstein](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Liechtenstein) - [Latvia](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Latvia) - [Slovenia](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Slovenia) - [Egypt](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Egypt) - [Greece](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Greece) - [Bahamas](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Bahamas) - [India](https://derekpedia.com/countries/India) - [France](https://derekpedia.com/countries/France) - [Estonia](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Estonia) - [Vietnam](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Vietnam) - [Slovakia](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Slovakia) - [Peru](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Peru) - [Malaysia](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Malaysia) - [Iceland](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Iceland) - [Kosovo](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Kosovo) - [Japan](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Japan) - [Denmark](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Denmark) - [Bosnia and Herzegovina](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Bosnia%20and%20Herzegovina) - [Turkey](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Turkey) - [Switzerland](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Switzerland) - [New Zealand](https://derekpedia.com/countries/New%20Zealand) - [Hungary](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Hungary) - [China](https://derekpedia.com/countries/China) - [Norway](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Norway) - [Scotland](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Scotland) - [Netherlands](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Netherlands) - [Romania](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Romania) - [Brazil](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Brazil) - [Austria](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Austria) - [Australia](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Australia) - [Serbia](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Serbia) - [Panama](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Panama) - [Lithuania](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Lithuania) - [Vatican City](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Vatican%20City) - [Bulgaria](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Bulgaria) - [Spain](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Spain) - [Croatia](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Croatia) - [United Arab Emirates](https://derekpedia.com/countries/United%20Arab%20Emirates) - [North Macedonia](https://derekpedia.com/countries/North%20Macedonia) - [Morocco](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Morocco) - [Belgium](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Belgium) - [Monaco](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Monaco) - [Mexico](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Mexico) - [Poland](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Poland) - [Taiwan](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Taiwan) - [Thailand](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Thailand) - [Andorra](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Andorra) - [The Ultimate Cavtat Travel Guide — Derek Johnson](https://derekpedia.com/countries/Croatia/cavtat) ## How to Blow a Fortune (27) - [How to Blow a Fortune](https://derekpedia.com/how-to-blow-a-fortune) - [Introduction](https://derekpedia.com/how-to-blow-a-fortune/intro) - [Lesson 1](https://derekpedia.com/how-to-blow-a-fortune/lesson-1) - [Lesson 2](https://derekpedia.com/how-to-blow-a-fortune/lesson-2) - [Lesson 3](https://derekpedia.com/how-to-blow-a-fortune/lesson-3) - [Lesson 4](https://derekpedia.com/how-to-blow-a-fortune/lesson-4) - [Lesson 5](https://derekpedia.com/how-to-blow-a-fortune/lesson-5) - [Lesson 6](https://derekpedia.com/how-to-blow-a-fortune/lesson-6) - [Lesson 7](https://derekpedia.com/how-to-blow-a-fortune/lesson-7) - [Lesson 8](https://derekpedia.com/how-to-blow-a-fortune/lesson-8) - [Lesson 9](https://derekpedia.com/how-to-blow-a-fortune/lesson-9) - [Lesson 10](https://derekpedia.com/how-to-blow-a-fortune/lesson-10) - [Lesson 11](https://derekpedia.com/how-to-blow-a-fortune/lesson-11) - [Lesson 12](https://derekpedia.com/how-to-blow-a-fortune/lesson-12) - [Lesson 13](https://derekpedia.com/how-to-blow-a-fortune/lesson-13) - [Lesson 14](https://derekpedia.com/how-to-blow-a-fortune/lesson-14) - [Lesson 15](https://derekpedia.com/how-to-blow-a-fortune/lesson-15) - [Lesson 16](https://derekpedia.com/how-to-blow-a-fortune/lesson-16) - [Lesson 17](https://derekpedia.com/how-to-blow-a-fortune/lesson-17) - [Lesson 18](https://derekpedia.com/how-to-blow-a-fortune/lesson-18) - [Lesson 19](https://derekpedia.com/how-to-blow-a-fortune/lesson-19) - [Lesson 20](https://derekpedia.com/how-to-blow-a-fortune/lesson-20) - [Lesson 21](https://derekpedia.com/how-to-blow-a-fortune/lesson-21) - [Lesson 22](https://derekpedia.com/how-to-blow-a-fortune/lesson-22) - [Lesson 23](https://derekpedia.com/how-to-blow-a-fortune/lesson-23) - [Lesson 24](https://derekpedia.com/how-to-blow-a-fortune/lesson-24) - [Lesson 25](https://derekpedia.com/how-to-blow-a-fortune/lesson-25)