# Pros & cons of a small industry Unfortunately, not everybody in your niche is going to be a good actor. In fact, in almost every single niche I've ever worked (marketing, supplements, CBD, ecommerce, M&A, gaming, crypto, ai), there have been people who simply don't operate with integrity. This usually isn't a problem long-term, as you can stop doing business with them, climb out of the pit of snakes, and after some time recovering from the venom in your veins you'll have developed resistance and become stronger. Unless the pit of snakes continues to expand in your ecosystem and forces you over and over to have to keep climbing out. Recently, a dear friend and trusted professional ally alerted me to what at first appears to be a huge error in judgment. Our company we're building together, in which I'm a minority partner, agreed to make a deal with the king cobra. This is the source of the serpent pit, and we're jumping in headfirst to sign a deal in ~~blood~~ ink. I personally have been bitten by this creature to the tune of possibly 6-7 figures, depending on how the dice fall in the next couple of years. My partner knows this, yet decides to proceed. How does one in my position continue to do business in this way? Well, I'm just not sure yet but will keep you posted. My only saving grace has been building my own business where I have control, so I don't have to remain at the whim of others who can tell me what to do.