Stop Wasting Time on the Wrong Game
Why Hustle Isn’t Enough Without the Right Category Strategy
Welcome to 🔥” The Slap” 🔥, the official newsletter of The MisFits, where we dive into what it takes to build a brand that slaps—covering everything from category design to creative bravery. We're not just about tips and tricks; we're about reshaping the market and making you a category of one. Visit our website | Listen to our mixtapes | Schedule a call
Back in 2008, as a Junior at the Naval Academy, I was rooming with an Air Force cadet for the semester, who turned $25,000 into over $150,000 in less than a year.
Both of us had just received the 25k career starter loan at 1.25% APR. USAA gave us the loan to cover the costs of uniforms and other post-graduation expenses, but we saw it as an opportunity to make moves. He spent his free time reading books like The Millionaire Next Door and The Intelligent Investor. Meanwhile, I was just trying to survive on sheer hustle and blind optimism.
Here’s where our paths split.
I parked my $25K in a low-interest savings account because I didn’t know any better. I wasn’t financially literate, and honestly, I’d never seen that much money in my life. My roommate, on the other hand, took his $25K, invested it in stocks like Apple, and turned it into over $150K,
Same room. Same loan. Same opportunity. Two wildly different outcomes.
The difference? He was playing a different game.
Hustle Only Matters If You’re Playing the Right Game
That experience taught me something I didn’t fully grasp until years later: Success isn’t about how hard you hustle or how much effort you put in. It’s about playing the right game in the first place.
When it comes to entrepreneurship, most people don’t realize they’re grinding in the wrong direction. They’re too focused on tactics—getting more users, boosting clicks, building funnels—without stopping to ask:
Am I even in the right category?
The Real Game Is Category Design
It’s not enough to have a great product or service. To win big, you need to dominate a category that matters.
Look at Facebook.
When Facebook bought Instagram and WhatsApp, they weren’t chasing clicks or likes. They were playing a bigger game: owning the entire social media category. And when they rebranded to Meta? That wasn’t a marketing gimmick. It was a strategic move to leave social media behind and create the next big category: the Metaverse.
Are You Playing the Right Game?
Think about where you’re pouring your energy right now:
Are you trying to out-hustle your competition?
Or are you carving out a space where you don’t even have to compete?
Most entrepreneurs are stuck in the grind:
Launch a product.
Hustle like hell.
Wonder why it’s not working.
If you’re playing the wrong game, no amount of effort will save you.
The Misfit’s Playbook
If you want to win, here’s how to start:
Pick a Winning Category: Stop fighting for scraps in crowded markets. Find a space where you can lead.
Define Your POV: Make people see the world through your lens. Why does your category matter?
Dominate the Narrative: Own the conversation. Make your category the future.
Winning isn’t about grinding harder. It’s about seeing the game for what it is and playing it smarter. If you’re ready to stop hustling in the wrong direction, let’s talk.
The game is yours to win—if you’re playing the right one in the first place
– “IRON” Mike
Chief Misfit
Misfits don’t get into flow, we cook. That means you're locked in, head down, and in the zone. To help you get there, we stream the dopest mixtapes this side of the East Coast, thanks to our DJ friends at bunkr.
Additional Resources:
The Category Design Reading Lists