What the Fantastic Four Teaches Us About Business

A few days ago I watched the new Fantastic Four movie.

I’m kind of a movie buff so I rarely miss new releases.

And outside of all the controversy around Pedro Pascal, his social anxiety and his being touchy-feely with female co-stars (this was all over social media), I think the movie was decent.

Pascal also played the role of the classic brooding, tortured and misunderstood genius of Reed Richards really well.

One part of the movie really stayed with me and inspired me to write this week’s email.

Towards the end of the movie, without spoiling it for those of you who haven’t watched it, Reed’s character necessitates the need for a lever to fight and win against the big bad villain of the movie, Galactus.

He quotes Archimedes, the great Greek mathematician and physicist:

“Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.”

Now, what do the Fantastic Four, Archimedes and the publishers and producers of the Fantastic Four (Disney) have in common?

They all understand leverage, which simply is the ability to apply a multiplier to a force or system.

Reed did this in the movie with an invention of his to take out Galactus.

Archimedes did this quite often as a real-life inventor and famously with his Archimedes screw which pulled tons and tons of water from a lower level to a higher level (for irrigation).

And Disney does this with their business.

You see, Walt Disney started Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio in 1923 with his brother Roy Disney using $500 borrowed from their uncle.

For years, they scraped by, barely making payroll.

His first major character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, was stolen from him by Charles Mintz (Universal Studios) along with most of his animators.

Disney learned a brutal lesson about not owning your intellectual property.

That betrayal led to Walt creating Mickey Mouse in 1928.

But even Mickey couldn’t solve Disney’s fundamental problem.

Disney had created beloved characters, but he was trapped in additive thinking: more cartoons, more movies, more hours in the studio.

This is the same mistake most marketers and business owners currently make, additive thinking.

So Walt had to take a risk. It was the only way to move forward in his industry and create a media empire.

In 1934, Walt made a bold decision that would define his legacy: to produce the first-ever full-length animated feature film.

Walt Disney created Snow White to prove that animation could tell emotionally rich, feature-length stories, inspired by his admiration for the fairy tale and desire to expand beyond the status quo of short cartoons.

Unlike the creation of Mickey Mouse, which was driven by additive business needs and designed for humorous shorts, Snow White was a groundbreaking multiplicative artistic gamble meant to elevate animation as serious cinema.

Snow White introduced more realistic characters and deeper storytelling, marking a dramatic advance over the simple, comedic style of Mickey Mouse cartoons.

Its massive success also enabled Disney’s studio to pursue even bigger projects.

The budget overran by 100% to $1.5 million in 1930s money.

Critics lambasted it for its length and content.

But when the film premiered, audiences were spellbound.

It became the highest-grossing film ever at the time.

And with it started Disney’s golden age.

After Snow White came Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, Bambi, Cinderella—all massive hits.

1957 was the year of the iconic napkin sketch that changed everything.

Disney drew what he called his “theory of business”, a spiderweb of connected ventures where each piece fed every other piece:

Movies created characters.

Characters drove merchandise.

Merchandise filled theme parks.

Theme parks inspired TV shows.

TV shows launched new movies.

This wasn’t additive thinking.

This was multiplication with compound interest.

Everyone said he was crazy.

“Why would a movie studio build an amusement park?”

The banks refused to lend him money.

His brother Roy begged him to reconsider.

Even his own board of directors voted against it.

Disney mortgaged his house and sold his life insurance policy to fund it himself.

Opening day was a disaster.

It was over 100 degrees F. The asphalt was still wet, trapping women’s high heels.

Half the rides broke down. Food ran out.

The press called it “Black Sunday.”

But Disney had a vision his critics didn’t: Disneyland wasn’t an expense.

It wasn’t an addition. It was a lever.

It was a multiplication engine.

Every family that visited Disneyland went home and bought Disney merchandise.

They watched Disney movies.

The kids demanded Disney toys for Christmas.

One theme park visit created several different revenue streams.

By 1965, Disney’s stock had increased 1,400%.

The napkin sketch had worked.

Disney later died leaving behind a $200M legacy.

Here’s what Disney understood that most copywriters and marketers of today miss:

Additive thinking keeps you broke:

Writing more sales pages.

Adding more services.

Working longer hours.

Raising your rates by $50.

Freelancing forever.

Multiplicative thinking builds wealth:

Creating intellectual property (a moat) that generates revenue across multiple channels.

Building systems where each success feeds every other success.

Relationships (networking) that open new audiences for you.

Positioning yourself in niches where your value compounds over time.

This means it’s time to stop writing custom copy for everyone, that’s addition.

Instead, create frameworks, methodologies, and signature approaches that become your moat, the thing that you’re exclusively known for.

Just like Archimedes and his screw nearly 2,000 years ago. And Disney napkin sketch.

As a copywriter and marketer your tools are different but you can still apply leverage.

Here are examples of how you can multiply for your business and create levers:

Organic Social Media: Post organic video and written content and turn your best copy into repurposed content series.

Paid Media: Use your proven copy as ad creative that drives multiple offers or grows your following.

Podcasting: Interview clients about results, turn case studies into recurring episodes and testimonials.

Speaking/Webinar: Present your methodology at events or online, charge premium fees.

Cohort: Package your unique approach into a live cohort of paying students.

Info Products: Sell your knowledge and expertise for a fair fee.

Affiliate Marketing/Licensing: Let other copywriters and marketers pay to use your knowledge and frameworks.

Software: Turn your copy process into tools others subscribe to.

1 on 1 Consulting and Coaching: Command premium rates for your proven methodology.

SEO: Have your own ranked website that drives traffic where people can find you.

Email: Build an email list that will persist with you so long as you grow it that you can directly sell to.

This creates a synergy loop.

For example: Webinar guests who came from social media become cohort students.

Cohort students then become case studies.

Case studies provide social proof for paid ads/info products.

Paid ads/info products generate more webinar watchers.

Each channel feeds every other channel.

The point is: you will never achieve wealth by addition.

Wealth comes from systems that multiply, not tasks that add up.

Your business should work the same way.

Stop chasing the next client.

Multiplicative and leverage-based thinking is why I started Clientless Copywriting and left Upwork in the dust.

Instead, focus on building intellectual property that you own that generates revenue or demand while you sleep.

It isn’t easy or built overnight, but build systems upon systems and do it over time.

Live below your means.

At some point you will make more than you need for your lifestyle expenses.

Then invest the rest.

Even if you're investment is just a 401k with decent monthly investments, you will become a millionaire someday.

That’s how you become wealthy. It’s math.

Next, why not create your own version of “napkin sketch”?

Map out the entirety of your business and all it's systems of leverage in a $1 dollar notebook.

To at least begin to think multiplicatively instead of additively.

Until next Saturday,

Fathi