The 90/10 Barbell Strategy: How to Protect Your Business and Bet on Growth

The 90/10 Barbell Strategy: How to Protect Your Business and Bet on Growth

Let me ask you an uncomfortable question:

Where are your eggs?

In one basket? Spread across many small baskets? Or in the structure used by Netflix, Jeff Bezos, and some of the world's most successful entrepreneurs?

If your answer is "I have no idea," this post is for you.

Because there is a way to divide your resources that protects your foundation while still letting you make big bets. And most entrepreneurs never discover it.

It is called the barbell strategy.

And once you understand it, you will stop living in the indecision between "playing it safe" and "going all-in."

What Is the Barbell Strategy? (The Explanation That Finally Makes Sense)

Imagine a barbell at the gym.

It is heavy. But all the weight sits on the two ends. In the middle... there is nothing.

That is exactly how your business should be structured.

On one end: 90% of your resources in ultra-safe assets. On the other end: 10% in asymmetric bets. In the middle: nothing. No "lukewarm" resources where you drain energy without clear results.

That is barbell.

And it is the opposite of what most entrepreneurs do.

Why "Balanced" Is Actually a Trap

Here comes the truth nobody wants to hear:

When you "diversify" by spreading your energy evenly everywhere, you end up mediocre everywhere.

You have 10 marketing channels. None of them works well. You have 5 products. None of them is exceptional. Your attention is split across 15 things at once. You master zero.

It is like a soldier trying to defend 100 meters of front line with 50 men. Everyone is scattered. Nobody has depth. A small attack at any point and the whole line collapses.

The barbell strategy is different.

It says: "I want one ultra-defended position (my stable business) and offensive points of attack (my asymmetric bets). But nothing in the middle where I dissipate energy."

The 90%: Your Fortress, The Safe Business That Already Works

This is your shield. Your foundation. The part that generates predictable, stable cash flow.

Characteristics of the 90%

✓ It already works. It is not experimental. It is proven. ✓ It generates predictable income. You roughly know how much you will earn. ✓ It requires maintenance, not invention. The formula already exists. ✓ It is your safety net. If everything else fails, this keeps you afloat.

Examples of a "Safe 90%" (By Business Type)

Independent consultant:

Your recurring clients who pay every month
Your core service that you have already refined
Your local reputation that is already established

SaaS/Digital Product:

Your active customer base
Your product that already has traction
Your automated sales process

Agency:

Your long-term clients
Your flagship service (the one making the most money)
Your operations team that runs without you

E-commerce:

Your best-selling product
Your traffic channel that converts
Your repeat customers

The Most Important Thing About the 90%

Do not abandon it. Do not "disrupt" it trying to make it "cooler." Do not "pivot" it because you saw a trend.

You protect it. You optimize it. You defend it.

Because if your 90% collapses, no 10% will save you. You are done.

The 10%: Your Power, The Asymmetric Bets

This is where the magic happens.

What Is an "Asymmetric Bet"?

A bet where:

If you lose: you lose little (maybe that 10% of time or money)
If you win: you win big (2x, 5x, 10x your investment)

Probability of winning: low (maybe 20-30%) Potential return: extremely high

Does that sound crazy? Here is why it works.

Simple math:

If you make 10 small asymmetric bets:

7 of them fail. You lose that 10%.
2 of them work a little. You make 2x.
1 of them explodes. You make 10x.

Final result: You win big, even though 70% of your experiments failed.

In the world of the 90%, that would be a failure. In the barbell world, it is the perfect system.

Examples of "10% Bets"

The restaurant above:

Its 90%: Proven local menu
Its 10%: A corporate catering experiment
- If it fails: it lost one manager's time for 2 months
- If it works: new $50k/month revenue line

The consultant:

Its 90%: 1-on-1 consulting ($5k/client)
Its 10%: Creating an online course ($500/customer)
- If it fails: 100 hours invested, gone
- If it works: 10x more leverage, with no client cap

The agency:

Its 90%: Social media management services
Its 10%: Building post-planning software
- If it fails: 3 months of development lost
- If it works: a new recurring SaaS product

What Is Crucial About the 10%

You do not bet your life on one idea. You make small bets, frequently. You document what works. You scale what works.

It is like an investor who makes 20 small startup investments. They expect 16 to fail, 3 to return the capital, and 1 to become a massive success that pays for everything.

That is the barbell.

Why This Is the Opposite of "Even Diversification"

Most business advice says:

"Diversify. Have multiple income streams. Do not depend on anything."

Sounds good. It is terrible.

Why? Because you end up with resources spread across everything and excellence in nothing.

Barbell is the opposite:

Instead of "having many mediocre things," you have:

ONE exceptional thing (the 90%)
SEVERAL experimental things where you expect to fail (the 10%)

Result: Protection + exponential upside

5 Steps to Implement the Barbell in Your Business

Step 1: Clearly Define Your 90%

Ask yourself:

What is my service/product that:

Generates the most revenue TODAY?
I feel most confident selling?
My customers love the most?
I can deliver without burning out?

Write down 3 things. From those 3, choose 1 (or at most 2).

That is your 90%.

Everything else that is not that... is friction you need to eliminate.

Step 2: Protect Your 90% As If Your Life Depended on It (Because It Does)

Now that you know what your 90% is:

✓ Assign the best resources to it (your time, your money, your best people) ✓ Create processes so it does not depend entirely on you ✓ Measure it: is it growing? is it predictable? ✓ Scale slowly: add capacity little by little

Do not abandon it to chase trends. Do not change it because you saw a YouTube video about a "better business model."

Protect it.

Step 3: Identify 3-5 Small Bets for Your 10%

Now comes the fun part.

Ask yourself: What experiments could I run with only 10% of my time or money that, if they work, would multiply my income?

Some options:

A digital product based on your expertise
A new sales channel
An app or tool
An added service
A new audience or market

It does not need to be perfect. In fact, if it is perfect, it is probably too ambitious for a 10% experiment.

Step 4: Set Criteria for "Success" and "Failure"

Before you start, decide:

What result would I consider a "success"? (Example: 10 customers in 3 months, $5k in revenue, 100 people on an email list)

When do I declare this a "failure" and abandon it? (Example: after 3 months with no results, or after spending X hours with no return)

This is crucial. Without it, experiments turn into ghost projects that consume energy with no clear decision.

Step 5: Amplify What Works. Kill What Does Not.

Every month, review your 10% experiments:

Is this experiment showing positive signals? -> Amplify it.
Is this experiment dead? -> Kill it. No guilt. Next.
Is this experiment in a gray zone? -> Give it 1 more month. Then decide.

Here is the secret: when one of your 10% experiments takes off, move it into the 90%.

Now you have TWO safe things. Your new 10% fills with new experiments.

That is how you grow exponentially.

Real Cases: How Successful Entrepreneurs Use the Barbell

Jeff Bezos & Amazon

The 90%: Selling books online (the business that worked) The 10%: Experiments in:

AWS (cloud servers)
Third-party marketplace
Kindle (e-reader)
Prime (membership)

Most of those experiments looked like "distractions" from the core business.

Today, AWS accounts for 60% of Amazon's profits. The 10% experiment became the new 90%.

Elon Musk & Tesla

The 90%: Selling electric cars (the core) The 10%: Experiments in:

Energy (home batteries)
Storage (energy solutions)
Supercharger (charging network)

Some work. Others do not. But the structure allows Tesla to explore without destroying its main business.

A Local Restaurant

The 90%: Dine-in local menu (already works) The 10%: Experiments in:

Event catering
Ghost kitchen (delivery)
Online store for homemade sauces
Cooking classes

One of those experiments takes off. Others die. But the restaurant does not depend on any of them. Its core is safe.

Common Mistakes When Implementing the Barbell

Mistake 1: "My 90% Is Not Really My 90%"

You hear the concept. You decide your consulting service is the 90%.

But you spend all your time creating an online course. Looking for the perfect client. Going on podcasts.

In reality, your 90% has been abandoned.

Fix: Be honest. If your 90% is not really producing predictable money, redefine what your 90% actually is. Or protect it once you have clarified it.

Mistake 2: The 10% Eats the 90%

You start with a small experiment. It is exciting. It seduces you.

Suddenly, you are spending 30% of your time on it. Then 50%. Your 90% gets neglected.

Fix: Create time boundaries. "I dedicate Wednesday and Thursday to the 10%. The rest of the week goes to the 90%." No negotiation.

Mistake 3: "I Am Doing Barbell" (But Not Really)

You have 20% in X, 20% in Y, 15% in Z, 15% in W, and 30% in the "safe" part.

That is not barbell. That is even distribution with prettier words.

Fix: Be brutal. Put 90% into one thing, or at most two. Put 10% into the rest. Period.

Mistake 4: You Do Not Amplify What Works

Your 10% experiment works. It makes $2k a month.

But you do not give it more resources because "well, it was only an experiment."

Fix: When it works, AMPLIFY. Add money. Add time. Move it to the 90%.

The Uncomfortable Question: What Is Really Your 90%?

Be honest for a second.

Where does most of your income come from today?

Not where you want it to come from. Not where it "should" come from.

Where it comes from RIGHT NOW.

That is your 90%. (Even if you do not like it.)

Where is the rest of your time and energy going?

Scattered across "side projects"? Into ideas that will never take off because you do not have clarity? Into "innovation" that is sabotaging your main business?

That is your 10% (even if it is not structured that way).

The difference between you and successful entrepreneurs is that they know exactly where everything is. And they protect it.

Conclusion: The Power of Clarity

Barbell does not make you invulnerable. But it gives you something better:

Clarity.

You know exactly what to protect. You know exactly where to experiment. You know exactly what to discard if it does not work.

And that clarity, more than money or luck, is what separates entrepreneurs who grow exponentially from those who stay stuck.

Ready to implement it?

Your Turn: Build Your Barbell in 5 Minutes

Do it right now. Answer:

1. What is your 90%? (Your service/product/customer that generates your main income)

2. How much time do you really spend protecting it? (Honest percentage)

3. Where is your 10%? (If it is scattered across 10 things, that is the problem)

Write your answers below in the comments. I challenge you.

Because when you name your barbell, it becomes much easier to implement it.

📥 Free Bonus: Barbell Template for Your Business

Download the Customizable 90/10 Template, where you can:

Define your 90% and your success metrics
List 3-5 experiments for your 10%
Create a review calendar
Scale what works

[Download the free template ->]

Closing

The barbell strategy is not about eliminating risk. It is about distributing it more intelligently so your business has a stable base and, at the same time, real room to grow.

If this approach made you rethink how you are using your time, your money, or your attention, it is worth sitting down for an hour and sketching your own 90/10. That is usually where a lot of clarity appears.

At creacosas.com, you will find more content to help you design businesses with stronger judgment, resilience, and adaptability.

You can also watch this reflection on YouTube
Watch the full video here.