This is part of my Internet Business Fortune Cookie series, where I extract business wisdom from actual fortune cookies. The fortune this week came from Pei Wei Asian Diner, which makes what I would call Americanized Chinese food. The lemon pepper chicken was solid. The fortune was even better.

“Life Always Gets Harder Near The Summit”

The Last Ten Percent Is the Hardest

Back in 2008, I was trying to rank my article directory list page on the first page of Google. I had gotten to position four pretty quickly, but climbing those last few spots to the number one position felt like pushing a boulder uphill. The sites above me had years of domain authority and thousands more backlinks than I did.

That experience taught me something that applies far beyond SEO. In almost every area of business, the last stretch toward your goal is disproportionately harder than everything that came before it.

Getting your first 100 email subscribers feels like a miracle. Getting from 100 to 1,000 takes real work. Getting from 1,000 to 10,000 requires a completely different level of strategy and consistency. Each level demands more of you than the last.

Why Entrepreneurship Gets Lonely

There is another dimension to this fortune that resonates even more deeply after seventeen years of building businesses on the side. The higher you climb, the fewer people around you understand what you are doing.

When you are just starting out, everyone is supportive. Your friends and family think it is cute that you are building a little website. But as you start to succeed, things change. Some people get uncomfortable with your progress. Others simply cannot relate to the challenges you face.

Your day-job colleagues do not understand why you are tired because you were up until 2 AM working on your email sequence. Your non-entrepreneur friends do not understand why you are stressed about a Google algorithm update. And there is nobody in your immediate circle who can help you troubleshoot a broken sales funnel at midnight.

How to Combat Entrepreneur Loneliness in 2026

The good news is that you do not have to climb alone. Here is what has worked for me over the years.

Find your people. Join communities of entrepreneurs who understand your journey. Whether that is a paid mastermind, a free Facebook group, a Discord server, or a local meetup, being around people who get it makes an enormous difference. Online communities have made this easier than ever.

Get a business buddy. Find one person who is at roughly your level and check in with them regularly. Share wins, troubleshoot problems, and hold each other accountable. This single relationship can be worth more than a dozen casual connections.

Invest in mentorship. Whether it is a formal coaching relationship, a podcast you listen to religiously, or a course that gives you access to the instructor, having someone ahead of you on the path provides both guidance and encouragement.

Celebrate the climb, not just the summit. If you only celebrate when you hit the top, you will spend most of your time feeling like you are falling short. Learn to appreciate the progress you are making, even when the summit feels far away.

The cookie was right. Life does get harder near the summit. But that does not mean you have to face it alone.

For more practical advice on building your business one night at a time, listen to the Late Night Internet Marketing Podcast.