My Billion-Dollar Idea Came From a Lucid Dream
My Billion-Dollar Idea Came From a Dream. Here’s How I Use My Subconscious as a Co-Founder.
I have a secret co-founder. It’s available 24/7, costs nothing, is completely confidential, and is directly responsible for my biggest breakthrough.
I’m talking about my subconscious.
This isn't a metaphor. Ten years ago, long before the current AI gold rush and the explosion of the "mentorship movement," I had a lucid dream. In it, I wasn't just floating or flying; I was building. I saw the framework of an app, a community, and a predictive, intelligent engine that could connect people for life-changing mentorship.
That dream was the blueprint for WERULE.
This wasn't a one-off miracle. I’ve been a lucid dreamer for most of my life. For me, it's not an esoteric hobby. It's my most powerful strategic tool—a direct line to the most creative, visionary part of my mind, where my best ideas are born.
The Subconscious as Visionary
We’re all taught that big ideas come from brainstorming sessions, market research, and relentless grinding. And those things are critical for execution. But the truly disruptive ideas—the ones that are 10 years ahead of their time—often come from a different place.
Your waking, logical mind is fantastic at solving the problem in front of you. But your dreaming mind is an artist. It’s not bound by current reality or "what's possible." It absorbs millions of data points, senses unseen patterns, and makes connections that your conscious self would dismiss as illogical.
My waking mind 10 years ago wasn't thinking about AI-powered mentorship. But my subconscious, the part of me that just absorbs patterns, could already see the future convergence of community, technology, and artificial intelligence. The dream delivered the fully-formed concept.
The "Holographic Sandbox" for Building the Vision
Once the visionary idea is delivered, the lucid state becomes the ultimate "holographic sandbox" to build and refine it. This is where the real work begins. It’s a zero-risk lab where I can war-game any scenario.
I Build the Product: I'd go back to sleep and "build" new features in my mind, testing the user flow and feeling the experience.
I Solve Problems: When stuck on a complex problem, I'd bring it into the dream state and let my subconscious attack it from impossible angles.
I Rehearse the Future: And yes, I've absolutely used it to rehearse high-stakes keynotes and investor pitches. The lucid dream is the perfect simulator. Research shows that when you perform a task in a dream, your brain activates the same neural pathways as it would if you were physically doing it. You build real confidence and muscle memory.
How to Access Your Secret Co-Founder
This isn't a superpower; it's a learnable skill. It’s not "woo-woo"; it's mental training. Like any executive skill, it just takes practice. Here is the no-nonsense "founder's method" I use.
1. Start a Data Log (aka Dream Journaling)
You can't manage what you don't measure. As a founder, you love data. A dream journal is your data log for your subconscious. The simple act of writing down your dreams each morning (even fragments) trains your brain to rememberthem, which is the first and most critical step to becoming aware within them.
2. Run Daily "Systems Checks" (aka Reality Testing)
This is about cultivating a habit of metacognition. Several times a day, I run a "systems check." I’ll look at my hands, then look away, then look back. Or I'll read a line of text, look away, and re-read it. In a dream, your hands will often look distorted, or the text will be scrambled. This daily habit trains your mind to spot these anomalies, which can then trigger lucidity.
3. Set a Clear Intention (The MILD Technique)
This is the most powerful tool. Before I go to sleep, especially if I'm stuck on a problem, I will set a clear, direct intention. "Tonight, I will find the solution to X." "Tonight, I will explore the new app feature." You would be amazed at how often your mind, now primed, delivers.
The most successful leaders are those who leverage every asset at their disposal. And your own mind is the most powerful, untapped asset you have. We spend our entire waking lives trying to build our dreams.
It's time we used our dreams to build our lives.
