Hey Reader,

This past week, America turned 250. One of the key figures in the American Revolution (who now appears on our one hundred dollar bill) was Benjamin Franklin.

You might think of Benjamin Franklin and picture an inventor with a kite or a diplomat who worked to secure French support for American independence.

But I find his story as a business owner—from print-shop apprentice to owning the majority of newspapers in the colonies—even more interesting.

I've spent the past few years writing a book called The Ladders of Wealth. It's about the idea that making money is a skill and outlines a proven path (the ladders) I learned from following history's greatest entrepreneurs.

Benjamin Franklin climbed all four ladders and his career is the best example I've found that illustrates how they all work—which is why he opens the book.

I thought I'd share part of it with you here:

Ladder I: Trading Time for Money

At 12 years old, Benjamin Franklin started as an apprentice in his brother James' print shop in Boston, doing low-level, physically demanding work for a fixed wage. Not only did he learn the trade's skills, but he also built a love for reading and writing.

Working under his brother, trading time for money, Franklin acquired skills in three core categories: the technical side of printing (typesetting and running the press), the intellectual side (reading, writing, and editing), and the operational side (running the small, controversial newspaper when his brother was jailed by colonial authorities for alleged libel). Together, the three layers were exactly what Franklin needed to jump to the next ladder.

Ladder II: Working for Yourself

In 1728, after moving to Philadelphia, Franklin formed a partnership with Hugh Meredith and founded his own print shop, printing contracted work like handbills, forms, and legal documents one job at a time. Like many other entrepreneurs, Franklin likely learned that partnerships and co-founders can be great ways to help bridge the chasm between working for someone else and starting your first company.

Franklin's hands-on experience with all aspects of the printing and publishing industry made his venture a success. He even bought out Meredith after two years. During his time on Ladder II, he still had to add new skills, like raising capital (printing presses are expensive), sales, and delegating work to apprentices.

Ladder III: Scaling Your Services

Franklin knew the benefit of moving from bespoke, custom work to predictable, repeatable services—what we call productized services. He did this by first creating clear scope and offers. Instead of negotiating every job from scratch, Franklin standardized his services with fixed rates, set expectations, and reliable turnaround. This let him serve more customers without multiplying his effort.

Second, he built recurring revenue streams. His subscription newspaper, leased advertisement space, and ongoing government contracts created steady cash flow without requiring new customers. This is structurally identical to a modern agency introducing retainers or productized monthly services.

Third, he streamlined operations. Franklin developed defined workflows for typesetting, proofing, and press runs, then trained apprentices using clear systems for quality and consistency. By reducing inefficiencies, he could produce far more work in the same hours, transforming himself from bottleneck into manager of a small system.

Ladder IV: Selling Products

In 1732, Franklin made his biggest leap by publishing Poor Richard's Almanack, a compilation of seasonal weather forecasts, calendars, practical tips, and witty sayings. This was a true product that could be written once, printed in large quantities, and sold again and again. This wasn't custom work—it was intellectual property that earned money without corresponding increases in labor. The blend of useful information and entertainment—all packaged for mass appeal—led to Franklin selling tens of thousands of copies. And he only had to create the product once.

Franklin mastered three critical product skills: he learned to manufacture at scale, turn his product into a brand, and build distribution. From 1729 to 1753, Benjamin went from publishing just The Pennsylvania Gazette to publishing eight of the fifteen English newspapers in the colonies. By the 1740's, Franklin had become one of the wealthiest men in the colonies.

Franklin's ultimate Ladder IV move came at age 42 when he retired from the printing business entirely. He sold the shop to his foreman, structured ongoing payments as passive income, and retained rights to certain publications. For the first time, he collected income without working the press—a newfound financial freedom. Product-based wealth freed his time for experiments, civic projects, and political influence.

Benjamin Franklin climbed all four ladders over his lifetime, learning the skills as he went.

But not everyone climbs all of the ladders. Some people stay on the first ladder and build a wonderful life there. Others move across all four (like I did). What matters is that you make that choice on purpose with a clear sense of what each path requires—as well as the opportunities they afford.

And that's what the book is about.

I'll share more as we get closer to the release, but if you'd like, you can pre-order The Ladders of Wealth here.

PODCAST

From Zero to $1M Before 30

After burning out at 22, Mallory Rowan built a million-dollar net worth by 29 without sacrificing her health to get there. She joins me to talk about building wealth that supports the life you want to live.

She's candid about what burnout cost her, and how rethinking success changed the way she built everything after. Here's what we cover:

• How to use cash flow from your business to buy equity
• Why she sets her goals around net worth instead of revenue
• The Six Solutions Theory she uses to find a way through any problem

​Watch or listen to episode »​

EVENT

How To Write And Publish Your Book

I'm joining my friend Chandler Bolt for a free workshop he's hosting that will help you write and publish your book.

Chandler has helped thousands of people go from blank page to published author through selfpublishing.com. He'll break down the biggest myths about writing and publishing, how to find your bestselling book idea quickly, and how to sell your book without feeling pushy or salesy.

I've noticed the creators who become the definitive voice in their space almost always have a published book behind them. If yours has been sitting half-formed in your notes app, this is a good place to start.

​Register now »​

PODCAST

I Went to Craft + Commerce. Here's Everything I Learned.

Sam Vander Wielen is one of the amazing people who's spoken on stage at Kit's conference in previous years and keeps returning as an attendee.

She shared a really fun podcast episode recapping her experience—where she includes a bunch of on-the-street interviews she did with other attendees. I might have made a cameo.

​Listen »​

Have a great week!

—Nathan