Quick game. Which of these sounds like a better business?
One. A company making a revolutionary new device that will change how people live.
Two. A company that picks up garbage.
Almost everyone picks the first one. Almost everyone is wrong, at least about which one is more reliably profitable.
Garbage collection, pest control, industrial fasteners, gravel, uniform rental, elevator maintenance. These are the industries nobody writes articles about, nobody dreams of working in, and nobody mentions at a dinner party.
They are also among the most dependable money-making machines in the American economy.
Understanding why teaches you more about business, and about your own financial life, than a hundred stories about exciting companies.
Come on, this one is fun.