The CENTS Framework: The Entrepreneur’s Secret Weapon for Building Wealth and Freedom

Building a business that grants true freedom requires more than passion—it demands strategy. The CENTS framework from MJ DeMarco’s UNSCRIPTED distills this strategy into five critical pillars: Control, Entry, Need, Time, and Scale.

Control means owning key aspects of your business—product, marketing, sales—so you’re not vulnerable to external forces. Without control, you remain a cog in someone else’s machine.

Entry barriers protect your business from easy competition, ensuring your efforts yield durable rewards. This might mean niche specialization, patents, or unique expertise.

Need focuses on solving real problems or desires, guaranteeing demand. Businesses that address genuine needs attract loyal customers and sustain growth.

Time independence decouples income from your presence. Through systems, automation, and teams, your business earns even when you’re not working.

Scale is the multiplier that turns a small venture into a wealth engine. Scalable businesses grow exponentially without requiring proportional increases in your effort.

Entrepreneurs who master CENTS build productocracies—businesses that run themselves and provide passive income. This requires systematization, automation, and delegation.

Common pitfalls include lack of control, failing to scale, and ignoring real customer needs. Avoiding these traps is essential for freedom.

By applying CENTS, you transition from trading time for money to creating lasting wealth and autonomy.