What if your goals are too small—and your timelines too long?

In this deep-dive conversation, Dr. Benjamin Hardy (author of "The Science of Scaling" and "10x Is Easier Than 2x") challenges Ryan to rethink what it really means to scale. Together they unpack why the right goal is less about certainty and more about clarity, how collapsing time transforms strategy, and why raising the floor often means cutting what feels "good enough."

They explore:

Why a billion-dollar goal can be more useful than a hundred-million-dollar one
How to filter distractions and find the few "who's" that change everything
The psychology behind hidden commitments and unconscious goals
Lessons from Tom Brady, Elon Musk, and entrepreneurs who actually scale
Why focus and courage matter more than confidence at the start

Whether you're building your first business or running a portfolio of brands, this episode will challenge you to strip away distractions, clarify your true north star, and use time as the most powerful tool for scaling.

CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Intro: Goals, human systems, and impossible targets 00:06:30 Pivot and focus: Ben's move to books, audio, and strategic psychology 00:13:00 Learning styles and focus: high/low rep learning and raising the floor 00:19:30 Collapse time: What changing deadlines reveals (100M by 2030 → 2027) 00:26:00 Team design and acquisitions: who to hire, what to cut, and thresholds 00:32:30 Pathways thinking: finding the high-leverage who vs doing more work 00:39:00 Power law in practice: distribution, capability, and leverage examples 00:45:30 Breakout case study: Alicia Alt's rapid scaling through partnership 00:52:00 Margin and leverage: collaborators who bring the path and distribution 00:58:30 Sports and focus: Tom Brady vs others as a model for singular goals 01:05:00 Company goals and accountability: choosing a north star and raising standards 01:11:30 Hidden commitments: immunity to change and psychological blind spots 01:18:00 Close: belief, courage, and practical next steps

402 - Is Anybody Listening?