An Obvious Opportunity May Be a Trap

Originally published 2022-11-10Compiled notes (original source not yet confirmed)

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Collected in Robin Shen’s Field Notes · Content type and attribution are shown above

English translation of the Chinese post originally published 2022-11-10. Translated 2026-10-30 with AI assistance. Historical figures and claims have not been updated or independently verified. 中文原文

Reading guide

Many founders understand entrepreneurship as spotting an obvious opportunity and quickly copying it—and end up failing. This suggests that obvious opportunities and paths that are easy to enter may be traps. The question is how to escape the pull of conventional thinking and fantasy and discover real opportunities that others dismiss, fail to see, or do not understand.

Key points

Quickly copying an obvious opportunity often ends in failure.
A path that is easy to enter may be a trap.
Discover real opportunities that others dismiss, fail to see, or do not understand.

One clear path continues into the distance among several branching routes, suggesting choice and focus. — Entrepreneurship & strategyThematic illustration · AI generated

Full text — English translation

Many founders think entrepreneurship means spotting an obvious opportunity and quickly copying it. They all end up failing. This also demonstrates that, in entrepreneurship, the obvious opportunities you see and the paths that seem easy to enter may all be traps. How can you escape the pull and deception of conventional thinking and fantasy to discover real opportunities that others dismiss, fail to see, or do not understand?

These articles are personal notes, book excerpts, and collected reprints. Figures and events reflect the time of the original publication, are not current information, and do not constitute investment advice.

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