I had an epiphany recently.

There’s been a common thread running through everything I’ve done the past 20+ years — I’m obsessed with leverage.

Building stuff that keeps growing without adding more grind.

In this post, I’ll break down how how Gen X entrepreneurs can use business leverage frameworks like the Star Principle and Naval Ravikant’s Four Types of Leverage to build a sustainable business that grows without more hours.

Back when I was a mechanical draftsman, I figured out how to design complex documentation for standard product lines that could be reproduced across departments with little or no extra effort from me.

Build once, produce forever.

That same obsession with leverage is what pushed me to innovate on the job… and eventually leave it.

It start with reading The 4-Hour Work Week.

That book (and the rabbit hole that followed) hit the same nerve:

How do I multiply effort and income without multiplying hours?

Eventually, that turned into my Google Ads business—which, for 12 years, has given me great leverage.

But if I’m being honest, I wasted a lot of it.

I didn’t document my systems.
Didn’t share the process publicly.
Didn’t build an audience around it.

So when client work ends… a lot of that hard work just evaporates.

This time, I’m doing it differently.

When I started sketching out my new business, I asked one question:

How can I design for leverage from day one?

That led me to two frameworks by people much smarter than me.

First, Richard Koch’s Star Principle — build a business that’s #1 in a niche growing 10%+ per year.

When momentum’s already there, half the work’s done for you.

Second, Naval Ravikant’s Four Points of Leverage —

The magic happens in code + media—what Naval calls permissionless leverage.

No gatekeepers. No approvals. Just systems and ideas that scale while you sleep.

When you stack Koch’s Star Principle on top of Naval’s Leverage Framework, you start to see where your time, systems, and attention really belong.

We’re the first generation reinventing careers mid-stream—too young to quit, too old to chase every shiny new thing.

Building using these frameworks are how we stay relevant without burning out.

They help us stop spreading energy in ten directions and start stacking effort where the wind’s already at our back.

For anyone reinventing work or launching something new:

A Star Business doesn’t just scale income—it scales impact.

That’s exactly how I’m building The WorXshop community through the lens of Star + Leverage.

I even used ChatGPT to vet whether it was worth building. (If you want that prompt, reply and I’ll share it.)

The WorXshop isn’t another “tips & tricks” group.

It’s a place where Gen X creators and business owners design Star Businesses together—projects that grow even when you step away.

Because redefining retirement isn’t about quitting.

It’s about creating work that keeps paying dividends long after the grind stops.

Anyway… that’s this week’s rabbit hole.

David Bowie – “Modern Love (Live)”

The word modern has been circling in my head all week.

So naturally I thought of this song.

I wasn’t a huge Bowie guy BUT always loved this song.

Here’s a great live performance from Live Aid in 1985…

Each of these takeaways can serve as a simple reminder for designing your work and systems with intention:

If you’re ready to apply these leverage frameworks for Gen X entrepreneurship inside your own business, join us in The WorXshop.