I gave a talk at BetaBlox over a decade ago about products or services. In that talk, I provided a simple metaphor correlating every new offer to either a painkiller or a vitamin.

Since weight loss is in the media due to the adoption of GLP-1s, here's how I would explain this metaphor in that industry.

Painkiller: Take this shot once a week for 12 weeks and lose 20 lbs.

Vitamin: Eat the macros and calories that match your goals, sleep well, exercise, and maybe you'll hit your weight loss target sometime in the next year or two.

The painkiller sells itself while the vitamin needs a believer.

Founders building products don't always get to choose, as some problems require painkillers while others require vitamins.

What's interesting is that the painkiller almost always points back at a vitamin deficiency.

GLP-1s work because the body's regulation of hunger is broken, overwhelmed, or both. The drug fixes the symptoms while ignoring the cause.

I see the same pattern in the work I do.

Almost every founder who walks in asking for the painkiller is suffering from a lack of vitamins. The symptoms: a business that is too dependent on them, revenue that isn't recurring, or a team that can't run on its own.

When people ask me what we actually do at Diffactory, the simple answer is we sell vitamins.

We do so by helping owners do the slow, boring work of reducing their dependency, building recurring revenue, and strengthening their teams, so that when the moment comes for the painkiller, the painkiller actually works.

Founders who achieve the best outcomes do both: They take the painkillers when they need them while never stopping the vitamins.

Are you offering those you serve painkillers or vitamins?

Can you offer both?

Have a phenomenal weekend!

-Kevin Oldham
Founder @ Diffactory