What Are The Rules You Filter Your Opportunities Through? - The Russell Brunson Show

Summary4 min read

Podcast Summary: The Russell Brunson Show
Episode: What Are The Rules You Filter Your Opportunities Through?
Air Date: August 28, 2017
Host: Russell Brunson (with guest Garrett Pearson)

Episode Overview

In this episode of The Russell Brunson Show, Russell dives into a critical topic for entrepreneurs and business owners: how to set up personal “rules” or filters for evaluating opportunities. Drawing from a recent mastermind session with software entrepreneur Garrett Pearson, Russell shares actionable strategies for determining which projects to pursue and which to decline, aiming to help listeners avoid overwhelm and ensure long-term success.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Need for Opportunity Filters

Russell’s Struggle with Overcommitment (00:00 – 02:20)
- Russell opens up about the continual influx of new business ideas and the challenge of wanting to say "yes" to everything.
- He stresses the importance of setting up a system or “filter” for evaluating projects to maintain focus and avoid burnout.
- Quote:
  
  "So many cool opportunities come by and I’m just like, yes, yes, yes. I gotta say yes. And it’s like, no. You have to create a filter, otherwise it'll consume your whole business and your whole life."
  — Russell Brunson (01:59)

2. Garrett Pearson’s Software Opportunity Filter

Introduction to Garrett’s Rules (02:23 – 05:57)
- Garrett Pearson shares the set of criteria his company uses before launching any software project.
- The rules help keep the business focused and prevent “shiny object syndrome.”
Garrett's Opportunity Filter Criteria
- Is it sexy?
  - The product must fill a clear need or want in a way that’s attractive and desirable.
- Is it sticky?
  - Recurring software revenue depends on products that are difficult for users to quit.
  - Example: ClickFunnels—people don’t leave even if they’re unhappy because they’ve built multiple funnels.
  - Memorable Moment:
    
    "If you’ve got ten funnels, you’re not going to leave, right?"
    — Garrett Pearson (03:29) "Even if you hate me?"
    — Russell Brunson (03:37) "Even if. Exactly, you’re not going to leave, right?"
    — Garrett Pearson (03:38)
- Can you charge recurring billing?
  - Only take on products where monthly or yearly recurring payments are possible.
  - Insight: “Recurring billing is where software...why it's the ninth wonder of the world.” (04:38)
- Can you sell it via a call center?
  - Their model emphasizes high enough pricing to support telephone sales and make it worthwhile for the sales team.
  - If a product can’t support this, they tend to skip it.
- Can you promote it to your existing customer base or target market?
  - They focus on complementing their current offerings.
  - Occasionally make exceptions, but as a rule, want overlap with existing markets.
- Is the programming excessive?
  - Projects taking more than 6–8 months with one or two programmers are avoided.
  - They keep dev cycles lean and manageable.
- Is it customer service friendly?
  - Products must be easy to support to prevent operational headaches.

3. Customizing Your Own Rules

Russell Reflects on Personal Filters (05:57 – 07:31)
- He reinforces that while Garrett’s rules work for his business, every entrepreneur should define their own depending on their goals and model.
- For example, some might prioritize products that can't be sold via call center, or other unique qualifiers.
Personal Experiences and External Warnings
- Russell recounts receiving the same advice—“slow down, be in this for the long haul”—from two respected mentors within weeks. He sees this as a sign to put stricter filters in place for his own wellbeing and long-term performance.
- Notable Quote:
  
  "You gotta slow down. You need to be in this for the long haul... I got to create my filters. I got to create these rules for myself because... we’re doing a lot of stuff... if I’m not careful, I’m going to burn out."
  — Russell Brunson (06:30)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

On Saying No:

"If you’re not careful, you [get] committed to too much stuff. If you suffer from overcommitment, that’s the problem. And I’d definitely say I fall in this trap."
— Russell Brunson (05:57)
On Hiring Filters from Mentors:

"Thank God is telling me something consistently and I’m hearing it loud and clear. And now I’m trying to figure out for myself, like, okay, I got to create my filters."
— Russell Brunson (06:20)

Key Timestamps

00:00 – 02:20
Russell’s introduction & importance of filtering opportunities
02:23 – 05:57
Garrett Pearson shares his company’s specific rules for pursuing software opportunities
05:57 – 07:31
Russell reflects on customizing filters and shares lessons from mentors

Takeaways for Listeners

Stay focused: Too many opportunities can dilute your energy and effectiveness.
Build your own filter: Define clear, personalized criteria for saying “yes” or “no” to new projects.
Learn from others, but adapt: Use frameworks like Garrett’s for inspiration but tailor them to your unique business context.
Long-term vision: Pace yourself to avoid burnout and build something sustainable.

Action Steps

List your own opportunity rules—what must be true before you say “yes” to a project?
Assess current commitments through your filter—Are you overextended?
Set reminders to revisit and update your filters as your business or priorities evolve.

This episode provides a practical and inspiring framework for entrepreneurs at any stage to make smarter, more intentional decisions—and ultimately, to preserve sanity and ensure lasting impact.

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Transcript5 lines

[00:00]
A
What's up, everybody? This is Russell. I want to welcome you back to the Marketing Secrets podcast. This episode I'm going to be talking about some of the rules you need to set up before you say yes to any project. So the big question is, how are entrepreneurs like us who didn't cheat and take on venture capital, were spending money from our own pockets? How do we market in a way that lets us get our products and our services and the things that we believe in out to the world and yet still remain profitable? That is the question, and this podcast will give you the answer. My name is Russell Brunson and welcome to Marketing Secrets. Alright, so for today's podcast, again, this is another cool thing that we got from the affiliate Mastermind Group. So one of my friends, his name is Garrett Pearson, he runs a bunch of cool companies and we're actually launching company soon together, which I'm really excited for. I won't ruin the surprise for yet, but it is amazing and you're gonna go crazy. And should I tell you more after you see the webinar, you will want to create a software program inside of your company. That's what I'm giving you. Okay. With that said, so Gary came and he kind of showed the business we're building together, kind of present it to all the affiliates. Because again, I think that every affiliate, I think every business should have software component to it. I think you're kind of crazy if you don't. Of all the businesses I've been in, I've been in supplements, info, products, et cetera, ecommerce, like everything. Like, by far my favorite business ever is software, which is probably why I love software, as you can tell. But one thing that Garrett talked about is they have a list of rules that they. Before they see a project. Because he said, he's like, I have a new idea for a new software product every hour. And he's like, if we didn't have a filter. And at first when he got started his business, he didn't. He just would create everything. And he said, we created this filter and so I asked him if he'd share that filter with everyone during the Mastermind event. So I'm gonna have him share that filter. I'm gonna show you guys that clip right now. And his filter may be different than your filter, but listen to this because you need to create your own filter. And I struggle with this as well. So many cool opportunities come by and I'm just like, yes, yes, yes. I gotta say yes. And it's like, no. You have to create a filter, otherwise it'll consume your whole business and your whole life and something I'm working on. And so it was a good reminder for me. And so I wanna hear you guys hear Garrett's his filter. He runs things through before he jumps in and says yes to a project. So let me show you that clip right now.
[02:24]
B
We had to come up with a way to stop us from doing too much because you have to focus. Like Russell said, you have to focus. So here's how we, we stay grounded and we don't, we don't do a software if it doesn't pass all of these things. Okay, so is it sexy? Does your product fill a need or want in a desirable, attractive way? I mean, that's pretty obvious, right? You've got to find something that people want. More importantly, in the software world, is it sticky? Okay, so in the software world, if you want recurring billing, you want recurring revenue, you need somebody that's going to pay you over and over and over again, month after month or year after year. So is it sticky? Is it going to be difficult or painful for client to stop using our software? So click Funnels is a good example. I don't know what Russell's churn rate is and that's people that stop using it. But with the amount of users he has, that's just part of doing business in the software world. But it's super sticky because if you've got 10 funnels, you're not going to leave, right? Huh?
[03:37]
A
Even if you hate me?
[03:39]
B
Even if. Exactly. You're not going to leave, right? And so our shopper approved software, it's a rating and review software, Free E commerce companies, they start using us, they, they get even 50 reviews, they're gonna stay with us forever and keep paying us and paying us, paying us. Okay, so is it sticky? That's really, really important. So for example, with, with Allison's, it's, it's definitely sexy, right? It's definitely sticky because you're gonna keep using it over and over again, hopefully. And so that people are going to keep paying month after month. Can you charge recurring billing? We don't do anything unless we can charge recurring billing. And so it's very, very important because the recurring billing is where software, as we've already talked about today, why it's the ninth wonder of the world, can you sell it via call center? Now this is for us, these can be different for you guys. We love to sell our products in a call center. And so for us, if we can't sell it in a call center. Now for example, where something wouldn't work for us if it's 47 bucks a month because we can't sell that in a call center because our guys won't make enough money, right? Our sales team won't make enough money. So if we can't sell it in a call center, then we don't generally do it. Can you promote it to your existing customers target market? Now this is for us because we already have software in certain niches, right? So we try and build stuff that we can sell to our existing customers or that market. So we don't if now this software funnels is an exception. But sometimes you gotta make exceptions, right? Is it programming programming excessive? If it takes us more than six to eight months to develop with one or two programmers, generally we won't do it. Is it customer service friendly? It's got to be customer service friendly or it's going to be a nightmare to work with over time, right? So those are the things that we go through and if it doesn't pass those, we don't do it.
[05:58]
A
Alright, so to recap what Garrett said, is it sexy? Is it sticky? Can you charge recurring? Can you sell it through a call center? Can you promote to existing customers? Is it a. Is the programming excessive and support friendly like for them? Those are the filters they need to have. Now you don't have to have the same filters for you. Some of you guys don't want a call center. Maybe that's the opposite filter. Like it cannot be sold in the call center, it's got to be sold online. But you got to pick like your rules. Like these are the rules of what I'm willing to do and not willing to do otherwise as I found in my life. And I still struggle with this. Like I said, if you're not careful, you committed to too much stuff. If you suffer from over commitment, that's the problem. And I would definitely say that I fall in this trap. In fact, it's been interesting. In the last two weeks, two people have been placed into my life. It's been interesting. One from someone I haven't seen in 16 or 17 years, a spiritual leader who I have so much respect for, who I haven't heard from six or seven years. I hear from him and like a couple weeks later he's in my office sitting there talking to me. And then he's gone. And then just today happened again. Again, someone I respect a ton. And both of them basically almost word for word said the same thing. Like, Russell, you gotta slow down. You need to be in this for the long haul. And I was like, I, thank God, is telling me something consistently and I'm hearing it loud and clear. And now I'm trying to figure out for myself, like, okay, I got to create my filters. I got to create these rules for myself because as you guys probably see, I'm running faster now. We're doing a lot of stuff, which is good. It's fun, I love it. But same time, like, if I'm not careful, I'm going to burn out. And I need to be in this long haul for myself to keep me happy long term in my life, for my customers, for my partners, for our employees, for for everyone. So just a good reminder for me and hopefully for you as well. Thanks again for listening to the Marketing Secrets podcast. Hope you appreciate it. If you do, if you learn anything, please share this with your friends. Please come into itunes, come comment, let us know and we'll talk to you soon. Bye, everybody. Would you like to see behind the scenes of what we're actually doing each day to grow our company? If so, then go subscribe to our free behind the scenes reality TV show at www.funnelhacker.tv.