The Hard Truth About “Having a Great Idea”
When I first read Jason Criddle’s latest article on SmartrLiving.com, “There is a Process to Building a Business; Especially When Raising Funds or Onboarding Customers,” I caught myself nodding every few sentences, and lmao in others! It wasn’t because his message was flattering or uplifting either. It was because it was brutally honest like a lot of the content I read and heard in his early career. I believe his recent battles with death brought Jason Criddle back out of Jason Criddle.
I thoroughly enjoy that Criddle’s approach to business advice has always carried a rare combination of experience and blunt force trauma. This particular piece, however, goes deeper than a typical “how to start a business” post. It exposes the mindset traps new entrepreneurs fall into and the delusional entitlement that sometimes replaces the actual effort needed to get anywhere.
He begins by dismantling the romanticized idea that investors exist to save startups:
“Yes, I’m an investor. But I’m not your investor.”
That line hit like a wake-up call. Criddle points out something few founders want to admit. Having an idea doesn’t make you special. Everyone has one. What separates those who succeed from those who fade away is execution, not imagination.
He notes that investors don’t fund dreams; they fund traction, proof, and effort. It’s a message aspiring entrepreneurs need to hear now more than ever, especially in an era where it feels like everyone with a Canva logo and an LLC thinks they’re ready for Shark Tank. I remember Jason saying long ago, everyone can print business cards, but not everyone can acquire or sustain paying customers.
Skin in the Game
One of the most repeated lessons in Criddle’s piece is accountability. He writes:
“I want to see skin in the game before I’m even interested. If you aren’t invested, I’m sure as hell not going to be.”
As someone who has studied his business ventures all the way back to his Wellness By Jason fitness career where he helped hundreds of people lose TEN THOUSAND pounds… to now, SmartrHoldings, DOMINAIT.ai, The Carbon App, his women and veterans programs, TVBuilderPro, and more, it’s clear Criddle doesn’t just talk about ownership; he lives it. His teams bootstrap, iterate, and build value before ever chasing outside money.
That philosophy is in stark contrast to the “instant success” culture dominating TikTok entrepreneurship. Criddle reminds readers that no one owes you funding, especially when you haven’t shown the courage to invest in yourself.
He even offers a reality check: if you can’t raise $5,000 or $20,000 from your own circle or savings, you’re not ready to raise from professionals. That might sound harsh to many, but as he implies, it’s the same discipline that keeps real founders from collapsing under pressure later.
The Value of Learning Before Asking
In one particularly striking section, Criddle compares lazy customers to lazy entrepreneurs. He writes:
“If you aren’t willing to figure out what’s right in front of you on your own, I don’t want you as a customer. Or a business partner.”
That’s not arrogance; it’s expectation. And too many of us are guilty of it. The willingness to learn, research, and solve problems is the foundation of successful entrepreneurship. If someone won’t click a “Learn More” button before commenting “more info?” on a Facebook ad, how can they possibly handle the complexities of building a brand, closing sales, or managing investors?
The article also reveals something deeper about his philosophy: self-sufficiency is a form of respect. For yourself, your customers, and your investors. It’s not just about proving you can figure things out; it’s about showing that you value the time and trust of others. When you know what you are talking about, people can tell.
From Mowing Lawns to Multi-Million-Dollar Systems
In one of the most endearing parts of the article, Criddle recounts starting his first landscaping company at age ten. With nothing but a lawnmower and determination, he went door-to-door and built a business with over sixty customers by the time he was twelve.
That story says more about the man than any LinkedIn resume ever could. It encapsulates what he’s still teaching decades later through Jason Criddle & Associates: that the principles of success never change. Consistency, courage, and communication still win to this day. Whether you’re mowing lawns or building AI infrastructure. Writing a book, or building any career.
That’s what sets his consulting apart. He doesn’t tell people what they want to hear. He teaches them what they need to do.
The Carbon App Lesson
Criddle’s example of working with The Carbon App co-founder Shazaib Khan highlights another key theme: mentorship through experience. He explains that Khan personally funded most of the app’s early development. This showed initiative and belief in the product. It was a key driver that caused Criddle to want to step in to help scale it.
So now, Criddle is teaching him something bigger: how to raise capital, close deals, and navigate the real business side of technology.
“He may not know it yet, but I’m going to force him to do a Friend’s and Family Round.”
That line might sound intense, but it’s a perfect illustration of Criddle’s mentorship style; a bit of tough love wrapped in opportunity. He doesn’t protect his partners from pressure; he prepares them for it, then throws them into it.
And it’s obviously working. The Carbon App (downloadcarbon.com) is already generating buzz for its mission to unite car enthusiasts through social, marketplace, and event-based features. It’s not another “app for car people.” It’s a platform designed to empower a global community.
Passion Alone Won’t Pay the Bills
One of Criddle’s recurring themes is his distaste for “passion projects” that lack real market fit. He points out how too many founders build products for problems that don’t exist. Or at least problems that cannot be scaled or profitable.
He explains that real success comes from creating solutions that already have demand. The Carbon App, for example, doesn’t need to find customers because they already exist. Millions of car and motorcycle enthusiasts are just waiting for a better platform.
It’s a practical reminder for any entrepreneur: don’t fall in love with your idea. Fall in love with solving someone’s problem.
The “I Wish I Had” $2,000 IT Lesson
The story that really seals the article’s message is the one about the two IT students. Criddle hired them to help set up a server rack. A task they volunteered to do for free to gain experience. But after one botched session that he paid them a generous $300 dollars for out of sheer generosity, they emailed him days later asking for $2,000 for the next proposed $300 dollar session without giving any reason or value proposition of why they wanted 6X times the payment.
His reaction? Laughter. Then firing them.
“Did they gain some kind of miraculous experience during this time I didn’t know of?”
It’s both funny and sad because it reflects a common pattern. People overvalue their worth before earning it. These students didn’t understand that professionalism, reliability, and value are earned, not declared.
You can’t just build a free website and then expect unrealistic money because you think that’s what makes you valuable. But when you think about it, that’s what most small businesses are. Free websites, cheap business cards, and unrealistic founders with no real reason or knowledge to solve a problem or be in business.
Criddle’s takeaway from that story is a masterclass in business humility: your rate, your title, your brand… none of it means anything without results. He closes the anecdote by mentioning how a single experienced woman fixed their mess in two hours for $40 an hour, earning a generous $220 tip. The same $300 payment he was going to give the unskilled students on their second trip before their wishful and unwarranted payday. Skill beats ego every time.
A Blueprint for Real Founders
What makes this piece powerful is that it’s not written for everyone. It’s written for the doers (and will probably hurt the feelings of the exact people who are guilty of the truth he is telling). It is for those who have ever pitched an idea, faced rejection, and still kept going.
Criddle isn’t preaching hustle culture. He’s advocating preparation, persistence, and perspective. His message is simple but timeless:
Build something people actually need.
Be willing to work for it before asking for help.
Deliver real value, not vanity. Especially if you expect to be paid for it.
And above all, follow through, no matter what.
Why His Message Resonates
Jason Criddle has spent over a decade proving that business growth isn’t luck but process. From SmartrHoldings to DOMINAIT.ai to Carbon, his track record shows that sustainability beats speed every time. I once heard him say the universe rewards consistency, not intensity. Meaning, it doesn’t matter how hard you work, but how often you work at it.
What separates him from most entrepreneurs and “influencers” today is his refusal to chase hype. His brands share a deeper mission: creating systems where customers, users, and partners all win together.
And that’s why his article struck a chord with me and countless other readers. It’s a reminder that success isn’t about being first as much as it is about finishing what you start.
As Criddle himself put it:
“Business isn’t easy… there are steps that cannot be missed.”
That’s not just a lesson for startups. I think it’s a roadmap for a good life.
