Contributed By: Steve Baldus
There’s a lot of discussion right now about men in crisis. Most of it is diagnosis, very little of it is solution-based.
But crises aren’t solved with better explanations of the problem. They are solved when someone builds replacement systems that actually work.
Historically, men relied on three things that no longer function at scale:
Tight social bonds.
Older men to learn from.
A clear sense of direction.
Those have mostly disappeared and most young guys haven’t just “figured it out.” They flounder, and then they pay for anything that promises traction.
That’s the opportunity.
Below are two businesses that replace broken infrastructure with something concrete. These are not abstract ideas, they are things you could start this quarter.
Idea One: Men’s Retreats (With Mandatory Follow-Through)
A pre-sold retreat that onboards men into a paid accountability group, using proven structures from YPO, CrossFit, and founder masterminds, applied to male friendship.
The Problem
Adult male friendship used to come from built-in structures: work, religion, the military, or lifelong communities. Those structures are gone.
What’s replaced them doesn’t work:
Meetups lack commitment.
Online communities lack intensity.
One-off retreats fade immediately.
Men want connection, but there is no durable container that forces it to last.
Why This Works
This model doesn’t invent new behavior, it borrows from structures that already work:
YPO/EO Forums: Mandatory peer groups drive long-term retention.
Founder Masterminds: Retreats are used as trust accelerators, continuity is monetized.
CrossFit: Shared physical hardship creates fast bonding.
AA-Style Groups: Consistency and obligation outperform inspiration.
The retreat creates intensity. Mandatory follow-through creates value.
What You Build
Not a retreat brand. You build:
One repeatable 3-day retreat format.
Plus a required post-retreat structure (weekly calls, pods, shared goals.)
The retreat is onboarding. The group is the product.
Who It’s For
This works best with narrow cohorts.
Strong wedges:
Recently divorced men.
First-time managers.
Men who moved cities in the last year.
A shared transition replaces shared history.
How It Runs
3-Day Retreat
Physical Challenge
Meals Together
Structured, facilitated conversations.
Zero content consumption.
Follow-Through
Weekly facilitated group calls.
Small accountability pods.
Shared 90-day goals.
Enrollment is mandatory and happens before anyone leaves.
Economics (First Cohort)
Revenue:
20 × $2,000 = $40k upfront.
$99/month/attendee ongoing membership.
Costs
20 × $1,000 = $20k upfront - venue, facilitators, food, insurance.
$300/month for ongoing tech/follow-up sessions with facilitators.
Real margin comes from retention.
Why We Like It
Mirrors existing, proven structures.
Can be fully pre-sold before any cash outlay.
Cohort-based design → organic referrals.
Simple operations, repeatable playbook.
This concept doesn’t require custom apps or venture funding.
Who Should Try This
Operators comfortable with:
Enforcing structure.
Facilitating groups.
Selling commitment, not content.
You’re not selling a weekend, you’re rebuilding a structure that used to exist, using models that already work.
Idea Two: The Role Model Network (Mentorship That’s Not Therapy)
A paid mentorship network that gives men direct access to role models who’ve already lived the next chapter; borrowing from apprenticeships, executive coaching, and professional guilds.
The Problem
Men used to learn by proximity. You watched older men at work. You absorbed judgment, boundaries, and decision-making by observation. That pathway is gone.
Now guidance is replaced by:
Search engines.
Podcasts and content.
Therapy that isn’t designed for directional advice.
When men lack models, they don’t just stall, they spiral.
Why This Works
This is not a new behavior, it’s missing structure.
The same model already works elsewhere:
Apprenticeships (Trades): Learn by watching someone competent, not consuming content.
Executive Coaching: Pay for judgment and perspective, not empathy.
Professional Guilds: Access is gated by trust and reputation.
Religious Mentorship (Historically): Older members guiding younger ones through life stages.
The opportunity is to formalize access to role models without turning it into therapy or a content business.
What You Build
This is not a massive mentorship marketplace.
You build:
A small, high-trust role model network.
Carefully vetted mentors.
Intentional matching.
Clear expectations on both sides.
Trust is the moat, scale will follow.
Who It’s For
Men at inflection points, not optimization phases.
Strong initial use cases:
Career reset or stall.
Divorce recovery.
First-time leadership roles.
Directional uncertainty in their 30s.
This is about judgment, not tactics.
How It Works
Mentors
15–20 men others would genuinely want to emulate.
Retired executives, founders, tradesmen, veterans.
Manually vetted: interviews, references, explicit expectations.
Mentees
Intake survey focused on life stage.
Matching prioritizes lived experience over goals.
Product
Weekly or biweekly calls.
Fixed timelines (e.g., 90 days.)
Accountability and follow-through.
You sell access to perspective, not advice libraries.
Economics
Costs
Software: <$5k
Vetting and admin: primarily time.
Trust-heavy, labor-light.
Revenue
$250–$500/month per subscription.
Optional 20–30% take if mentors are paid per session.
Clear willingness to pay with minimal infrastructure.
How This Gets Bigger
Group mentorship tracks (career, leadership, life transitions.)
Enterprise programs for new managers.
Turn top mentors into anchors and cohort leaders.
Formats scale better than people.
Why We Like It
Mirrors structures that have worked for centuries.
High perceived value, low marginal cost.
Defensible through curation and trust.
No content treadmill or algorithm risk.
No therapy claims. No influencer dynamics. No race-to-the-bottom marketplace.
Who Should Try This
Operators who:
Have access to credible older men.
Are comfortable vetting and rejecting applicants.
Understand that trust scales slower, but compounds.
Men don’t need more content. They need someone who can say, “I’ve been there. Do this.”
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