Beta

Explore every episode of The Startup Ideas Podcast

Dive into the complete episode list for The Startup Ideas Podcast. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

Rows per page:

1–50 of 219

Pub. DateTitleDuration
29 Jun 2023How to Sell Picks and Shovels in an AI World00:39:53

Today Greg is joined by Emma Lawler, the founder of Velvet, an infrastructure provider for cross-platform app authentication and monetization. In this episode, Greg and Emma talk about what trends are worth attention in an post-web3 world and why the Pick-and-Shovel Play could be the most exciting opportunity right now. 

â–șâ–șSubscribe to Greg's weekly newsletter for insights on community,
creators and commerce.You'll also find out when new and exclusive
episodes come out from Where it Happens. And it's totally free.

https://latecheckout.substack.com

FIND ME ON SOCIAL:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@gregisenberg

LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:
Production Team:
https://www.bigoceanpodcasting.com
Emma Lawler:
https://www.velvet.cash/
https://twitter.com/emmaryanlawler
https://www.emmalawler.com/

SHOW NOTES:
0:00 - Intro
7:53 - Takeaways from working at The Skimm
18:45 - Business trends to pay attention to
33:56 - Why your should build a "boring" business

27 Apr 2023I'm answering listener questions00:20:25

Today Greg is answering burning questions from the audience. 

â–șâ–șSubscribe to Greg's weekly newsletter for insights on community,
creators and commerce.You'll also find out when new and exclusive
episodes come out from Where it Happens. And it's totally free.

https://latecheckout.substack.com

FIND ME ON SOCIAL:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@gregisenberg

LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:
Production Team:
https://www.bigoceanpodcasting.com/

30 Mar 2023The Winning Formula to Building AI-first Products with Dave Rogenmoser00:50:02

Today Greg is joined by Dave Rogenmoser. Dave is the co-founder of Jasper, a Y Combinator-backed, generative AI platform for business that helps teams create content 10X faster. In this episode, Greg and Dave talk about why AI isn't enough to be a business on its own. You still have to talk to customers, find a niche, and solve a problem. Find out how in this episode. 

â–șâ–șSubscribe to Greg's weekly newsletter for insights on community,
creators and commerce.You'll also find out when new and exclusive
episodes come out from Where it Happens. And it's totally free.

https://latecheckout.substack.com

FIND ME ON SOCIAL:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@gregisenberg

LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:
Production Team:
https://www.bigoceanpodcasting.com
Dave Rogenmoser:
https://twitter.com/daverogenmoser
https://www.jasper.ai

SHOW NOTES:
0:00 - Intro
2:34 - Should founders be paying attention to noise on Product Hunt, Twitter, etc?
15:26 - How to get started using AI tools
25:49 - Non-obvious niches to apply AI-first products
32:55 - Dave takes questions from the community

02 Sep 20245 $1M+ startup ideas you can launch tomorrow with $000:48:01

Join us for an engaging conversation with Cody Schneider, Co-Founder and CEO of Swell AI, as we explore a wide range of startup ideas and business opportunities

1) Canva  Agency 
‱  Create tutorials on how to use Canva
‱ Build an audience through YouTube
‱ Offer design services to viewers
‱ Hire offshore talent for execution
‱ Monetize through ads, affiliate links, and services
‱ Potential: $80K/month with 80% margins 💰

2) AI-Generated Type Beats 
‱ Use AI to create thousands of "type beats"
‱ Upload to YouTube with SEO-optimized titles
‱ Monetize through streaming, licensing, and beat sales
‱ Top producers making $60K/month
‱ Distribution strategy: YouTube + beat marketplaces

3) Digital Influencers for DTC Brands 
‱ Create AI-generated influencers owned by brands
‱ Craft narratives and drama for engagement
‱ Cheaper and more controllable than human influencers
‱ Becomes a digital asset on balance sheets
‱ Use tools like Midjourney, DALL-E 2, Stable Diffusion

4) AI Email HTML Generator 
‱ Solve the pain of writing email HTML
‱ Create an AI-powered tool with visual preview
‱ Target keywords like "email HTML generator"
‱ Distribution: AI directories, Google Ads, content marketing
‱ Potential: $20K MRR, sellable for $1M+

5) Newsletter Service for Short-Form Creators 
‱  Help creators monetize through newsletters
‱ Creator records 30-min video, you create newsletter
‱ Build targeted B2B email lists
‱ Monetize through ads and sponsorships
‱ Potential: $20K/month per newsletter

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas 

🎯 To build your own portfolio businesses powered by community you might enjoy my membership.

You'll get my full course with all my secrets on building businesses, peer-groups to keep you accountable, business ideas every single month and more!

Spots are limited.

https://www.communityempire.co/

📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free:

https://www.gregisenberg.com/

70,000+ people are already subscribed.

To improve your rankings your business on Google and using AI for SEO, sign up to

http://boringmarketing.com/

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND CODY ON SOCIAL
Cody’s startup: https://www.swellai.com/
X/Twitter: https://tinyurl.com/5fjdn8d7
LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/28e89f5r

Episode Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
01:44 Startup Idea 1: Canva Agency 
10:53 Startup Idea 2: AI-Generated Type Beats 
19:37 Startup Idea 3: Digital Influencers for DTC Brands
33:44 Startup Idea 4: AI Email HTML Generator 
37:31 Startup Idea 5: Newsletter Service for Short-Form Creators 

09 Apr 2025The AI Gold Rush Has Officially Started00:42:11

Join me as I chat with Riley Brown to explore various opportunities in AI, from image generation to rebuilding essential software tools, while debating the future of content creation, customer support automation, and the concept of "vibe coding/marketing." 

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
02:05 - ChatGPT 4.0 image generation capabilities
07:30 - Rebuilding calendars, inboxes and CRMs
11:02 - Component Animation Library
12:59 - The "spaghetti video" and AI video progression
19:41 - Customer support automation
22:01 - The biggest trap for founders
24:43 - Sketching is the future of AI building
26:15 - Build Consumer AI Mobile Apps 
27:42 - AI Market Dynamics
29:01 - Rebuilding traditional products with AI advantages
30:51 - AI tools and AI Agents will be cheaper than humans
31:56 - Vibe Marketing is a huge opportunity
35:41 - AI will replace the homepage
36:56 - AI's impact on education and entrepreneurship

Key Points:

‱ ChatGPT 4.0's image generation capabilities will birth thousands of vertical software businesses
‱ Calendars, inboxes, and CRMs will be completely rebuilt with AI within three years
‱ AI-generated video has progressed dramatically and will transform content creation
‱ Most customer support will be fully automated within 36 months, including complex issues
‱ Mobile-first AI apps represent the next wave of $100M+ consumer applications

1) ChatGPT 4.0 ImageGen is as REVOLUTIONARY as the original ChatGPT launch

It will birth 1000+ vertical software businesses worth $1-100M each.

Riley: "It's incredible for generating gradients, components, character sprite sheets..."

The window to build these businesses is NOW.

2) Every calendar, inbox, and CRM will be COMPLETELY REBUILT in the next 3 years

Not just AI-enhanced — fully rethought from scratch.

We're talking about a $700B+ industry transformation.

Look at Micro HQ approach: turning email into a smart dashboard with intelligence baked in.

3) The "Will Smith eating spaghetti" video evolution shows how FAST AI video is advancing

739 days ago: Hilariously bad AI video
Today: Nearly perfect realism

In another 739 days? Full movies created with prompts, perfect dialogue, and integrated music.

The content creation landscape is about to be UNRECOGNIZABLE.

4) Most customer support will be fully automated within 36 months

Not just basic tier-one tickets — we're talking complex, multi-step resolutions that currently require senior staff.

The days of frustrating support calls may finally be ending as AI gets better at solving our problems instantly.

5) "The worst thing that can happen to your startup is mediocre success"

Enough to keep you going, but not enough to change your life.

Many founders get trapped in routines with projects they aren't passionate about.

The key? Pivot to something that excites you to wake up every day.

6) The SKETCHING economy is the real AI revolution

When anyone can turn rough sketches into production-ready designs, taste and ideation become the only scarce resources.

Greg's insight: "I've been sketching more myself... if I sketch a thumbnail and throw it into GPT-4.0, I might get twice the engagement.”

7) Consumer mobile is BACK in full swing

We went from:
‱ Desktop-first apps (Facebook)
‱ Mobile-first apps (Instagram)
‱ Now AI-first mobile apps (Cal AI)

The next wave of $100M+ apps will start mobile-first with AI baked in from day one.

8) AI is creating winner-take-most markets OVERNIGHT

The window to establish yourself as the go-to solution in a specific vertical?


9) AI will kill the homepage as we know it

Interfaces will be replaced by entry points that change based on who you are, what you need, and when you show up.

Just as ads became hyper-personalized, websites and apps will adapt to each visitor in real-time.

10) Schools won't be disrupted by AI — they'll be DISINTERMEDIATED

Smart teens will skip formal education to build audiences and run experiments.

Kids say they want to be creators, but creators are becoming entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurship is becoming the safest "job" in an AI-powered world.


LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND RILEY ON SOCIAL

Vibe Code App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/vibecode/id6742912146
X/Twitter: https://x.com/rileybrown_ai
Instagram: https://x.com/rileybrown_ai

17 Jun 2022Predicting the Future of Web301:06:47

Web 3.0 is the future, ready or not; are you? In today’s episode, we explain how Twitter increases earning & job potential, the ways Web 3 is revolutionizing the fitness and insurance industries, and why young people need to follow their interests and then double down. Hosts Sahil Bloom and Greg Isenberg are joined by guest Gaby Goldberg, who has become a pioneer in crypto, an expert in Web 3, and one of the earliest investors in The Chernin Group (TCG), all by the age of 23. Today Gaby shares the personal experiences that led her down the crypto rabbit hole, why young professionals are all in on Web 3, and shares the next generations biggest predictions for the future.


â–șâ–ș Want more community? Learn more here: http://trwih.com


SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

â–șâ–ș This episode is brought to you by Lemon.io. Did you know that one of the top reasons startups fail is bad hiring decisions? People can be unpredictable. And developers can be unpredicted, as well. Let Lemon.io take care of hiring your software engineers. They have a hand-picked roster of engineers from Europe, and we recommend them to companies we work with.

Sign up at lemon.io/room for 15% off for the first 4 weeks.


â–șâ–ș This episode is also brought to you by LMNT (http://DrinkLMNT.com/HAPPENS). LMNT is a delicious electrolyte drink mix with all of the things you need and none of the junk. It contains a science-backed electrolyte ratio: 1000 mg sodium, 200 mg potassium, 60 mg magnesium. LMNT can help prevent and eliminate headaches, muscle cramps, fatigue, sleeplessness, and other common symptoms of electrolyte deficiency. It tastes amazing and is great after a workout or one too many drinks :)

Right now LMNT is offering our listeners a free sample pack with any order. That’s 8 single serving packets FREE with any LMNT order. Get yours at http://drinklmnt.com/HAPPENS. And it’s so good they have a no questions asked refund policy but you won’t need it.


THIS EPISODE

Gaby Goldberg: https://twitter.com/gaby_goldberg

Sahil Bloom: https://twitter.com/SahilBloom

Greg Isenberg: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg

Production & Marketing Team: https://penname.co/


FIND US ON SOCIAL

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_trwih

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_trwih

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@_trwih

Web: https://trwih.com

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6aB0v6amo3a8hgTCjlTlvh

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-it-happens/id1593424985

22 Sep 2022The Laws of Community Building with Natalie Ellis01:01:07

Why are you waiting to build your community? In today's episode, we explain why the time is now to start creating, share the five tests to prove community exists, share how to have community members engage with one another, and so much more. Hosts Sahil Bloom & Greg Isenberg, are joined by Natalie Ellis, a self-taught entrepreneur who bootstrapped her way to a community-based company that generates over $6 million per year in recurring revenue. You won't want to miss this episode.


â–șâ–ș Want more community? Learn more here: http://trwih.com


A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR

â–șâ–ș This episode is brought to you by Retool https://retool.com/

Retool is the fast way to build your own custom internal tools for your business. With a complete library of 100+ fully-featured, accessible UI components that you can drag and drop into any interface, Retool’s platform lets you build the custom internal tools your team needs, 10x faster.

Thousands of teams at companies like Amazon, DoorDash, and NBC collaborate around custom-built Retool apps to operate faster and better. Also, teams of up to five can build Retool apps for free. We're huge fans of the product! If you want to learn more, go to https://retool.com/


LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:

Natalie Ellis: https://twitter.com/natalieellis91

Sahil Bloom: https://twitter.com/SahilBloom

Greg Isenberg: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg

Production & Marketing Team: https://penname.co/


FIND US ON SOCIAL

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_trwih

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_trwih

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@_trwih

Web: https://trwih.com

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6aB0v6amo3a8hgTCjlTlvh

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-it-happens/id1593424985


SHOW NOTES

00:00 Sneak Peek

00:57 Loving Cold Exposure

05:36 Why Start-Ups are like Ice baths

07:30 Natalie’s First “Little” Business

13:57 Creating Products from Community

17:47 Community VS Audience

23:05 Generating Engagement & Creating Culture

28:40 The Messy Middle

37:50 Content to Grow, Build, or Sell

41:00 Optimizing Funnels and Adding Value

46:46 Building and Safeguarding the BossBabe Brand

54:05 The Laws for Community Building

58:50 Finding Natalie Ellis

1:00:42 Thanks for Listening

01 Jul 2024The most profitable SaaS ideas I’ve heard in a long time00:49:18

Join us for an engaging conversation with Brett Goldstein, who is currently building a stealth startup. Previously, Brett was the Co-Founder and CEO of Launch House and served as a Senior Product Manager at Clearbit. In this episode, we explore a variety of startup ideas and business opportunities, including a conference event aggregator, vertical SaaS for matchmakers, data enrichment SaaS, and much more. Brett shares his framework for building a billion-dollar startup by disrupting legacy enterprise software companies. We break down how to transform spreadsheets into profitable startups and discuss the tactics and frameworks to build these businesses from idea to cash flow. Whether you're aiming to launch your first million-dollar business or are curious about cutting-edge entrepreneurial strategies, this episode is packed with actionable advice and inspiration. Don’t miss this essential guide to launching a successful startup!

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: [gregisenberg.com/30startupideas](http://gregisenberg.com/30startupideas)

🚀  My FREE 5 day email course to learn how to build a business of the future using the ACP funnel:
https://www.communityempire.co/free-course

🎯 To build your own portfolio businesses powered by community you might enjoy my membership.

You'll get my full course with all my secrets on building businesses, peer-groups to keep you accountable, business ideas every single month and more!

Spots are limited.

https://www.communityempire.co/

📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free:

https://www.gregisenberg.com

70,000+ people are already subscribed.

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND BRETT ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://x.com/thatguybg
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bgoldstein3/
Brett’s newsletter: [https://www.homescreen.news](https://www.homescreen.news/)

To improve your rankings your business on Google and using AI for SEO, sign up to: boringmarketing.com


Episode Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
02:55 Startup Idea 1: Conference Event Aggregator and Social Platform
17:20 Startup Idea 2: Vertical SaaS for Matchmakers
27:12 Startup Idea 3: Bespoke Dating App
36:22 Startup Idea 4: AI-powered Data Enrichment Startup

45:28 Framework: Enterprise workflow startup idea formula

16 Sep 2024Sales funnels for Beginners00:51:47

I’m joined by Jonathan Courtney, as we deep dive on how to set up million dollar sales funnels. 

1) Startup Idea 1: Paid Ads Agency
‱ Huge market for one-person ad consulting businesses
‱ Target specific verticals (e.g., hair salons, female info product owners)
‱ Take a cut of revenue instead of charging upfront

2) Facebook ads still crush it (for 40+ demo):
‱ Still effective for 40+ demographics
‱ AJ&Smart spends $80k/month on FB ads
‱ 318% ROI in June ($252k revenue from $80k spend)
"Meta ads are only dead for people under 35" - Jonathan

3) Funnel basics:
‱ Opt-in page → Free training video → Call booking
‱ Use ClickFunnels for quick tests
‱ Use Framer for validated funnels
Pro tip: Automate everything possible in your funnel

4)  The book funnel strategy:
‱ Offer free digital + physical book
‱ Lose money upfront to get email addresses
‱ Monetize later with other offers
Example: http://workshopperplaybook.com/

5) Copywriting hacks:
‱ Focus on increasing status (even for B2B)
‱ Use pain vs. pleasure framework
‱ Adjust tone based on economic conditions
Key insight: Status increase drives purchases, even in corporate training

6) Jonathan's funnel philosophy:
‱ Don't obsess over tracking every conversion source
‱ Focus on overall company growth
‱ Prioritize Facebook ad spend ROI
"You have your monthly P&L. You just make sure your company is growing" - Jonathan

To improve your rankings your business on Google and using AI for SEO, sign up to

http://boringmarketing.com/

🎯 To build your own portfolio businesses powered by community you might enjoy my membership.

You'll get my full course with all my secrets on building businesses, peer-groups to keep you accountable, business ideas every single month and more!

Spots are limited.

https://www.communityempire.co/

📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free:

https://www.gregisenberg.com/

70,000+ people are already subscribed.

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas 

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND JONATHAN ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jicecream
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-courtney-4510644b/

Episode Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
06:41 Startup Idea 1: Paid Ads Agency
26:19 Funnel Hacking and Conversion Optimization
34:34 AJ & Smart Funnel breakdown
44:27 Copywriting Hacks

29 Aug 2024The step by step guide to starting a business from $000:39:50

I’m joined by Adam Robinson who has bootstrapped startups to millions of dollars in revenue, as we deep dive on how we would validate and grow a startup idea.

1) The Yonder Phone Pouch market is exploding
‱ Locks phones away to create "phone-free spaces"
‱ Already in schools, concerts, comedy shows
‱ Huge potential for innovation (charging, remote unlock, etc.)
‱ Adam predicts 98% of middle schools will require in 10 years

2) How to validate & launch a Yondr competitor:
‱ Target affluent customers first (Elon approach)
‱ Have 100s of conversations before building
‱ Look for "eyes lighting up" as signal
‱ Prototype only after strong validation

3) Growth strategy: Micro-influencer UGC
‱ Outreach to 1000s of relevant micro-influencers
‱ Send free product, ask for honest posts if they like it
‱ No monetary incentives needed for authentic content
‱ Aim for breadth of coverage, not mega-influencers

4) Copywriting Framework
‱ Study successful brands in similar space (e.g. Jolie)
‱ Use AI (Claude, ChatGPT) to adapt their style
‱ Remember: Don't copy, but get inspired and make it your own

5) The "third way" of building startups:
‱ Combine Rework's bootstrapping principles with Y Combinator's focus on product excellence
‱ Result: Profitable growth without VC dependency
‱ If product is truly excellent, word-of-mouth drives growth

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas 

🎯 To build your own portfolio businesses powered by community you might enjoy my membership.

You'll get my full course with all my secrets on building businesses, peer-groups to keep you accountable, business ideas every single month and more!

Spots are limited.

https://www.communityempire.co/

📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free:

https://www.gregisenberg.com/

70,000+ people are already subscribed.

To improve your rankings your business on Google and using AI for SEO, sign up to

http://boringmarketing.com/

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND ADAM ON SOCIAL
X/Twitter: https://x.com/retentionadam
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/retentionadam/

Episode Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
02:34 Startup Idea 1: Yondr Phone Pouch 2.0
09:53 How to validate & launch a Yondr competitor
18:41 Growth strategy: Micro-influencer UGC
26:28 Copywriting Framework
30:43 The "third way" of building startups:

03 Feb 20254 microSaaS ideas you can build to make $100k/month00:38:27

In this episode, Sari Azout, Founder and CEO of Sublime,  explores various startup ideas and business concepts. The discussion centers on the evolving nature of startups in the AI era, emphasizing the importance of focusing on specific, well-defined problems rather than broad solutions. Sari shares multiple business ideas, from parental control services to creative tools, while discussing the philosophy behind building successful products in today's market.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction and setup
00:57 - Startup Idea 1: DrScreenTime
06:39 - Startup Idea 2: Business-in-a-box ideas
13:34 - What becomes scarce in an AGI world? 
14:38 - Founders and Their Approaches
16:10 - Akio Morita Simplicity Principle 
17:01 - Startup Idea 3: Podshot 
22:10 - Discussion on micro-startups 
25:53 - Testing Ideas and Positioning
29:03 -  Feedback and Intuition
33:04 - Startup Idea 4: Meme generator 

Key Points:
‱ Discussion of several innovative startup ideas including "DrScreenTime" (parental control franchise), PodShot, and meme generator 
‱ Exploration of business-in-a-box concepts and the future of trades/crafts
‱ Analysis of micro-startups vs. traditional startup approaches

1) The "Franchise for Parental Controls" Idea 

Parents are desperate for help managing screen time. Current solutions = messy.

Opportunity: In-home screen time consultants who:

- Set up controls
- Create family rules
- Recommend apps/tools

Revenue model:
‱ $2K setup fee
‱ Recurring affiliate revenue
‱ Think "Dr. Screen Time" 

2) The "Business in a Box" Trend 

Big insight: What becomes scarce in an AI world?
Answer: People doing things with their hands!

Opportunity: Modern craft business franchise
‱ Partner with local artists
‱ Supply chain + education
‱ Target: offline-first experiences
‱ Status = disconnecting from screens

3) The Trade School Revolution 

Huge opportunity in modernizing trade education:
‱ Lambda School model for trades
‱ Zero upfront tuition
‱ Revenue share after job placement
‱ Bundle with business tools/marketing
‱ Focus: plumbing, electrical, etc.

Why? Trades becoming MORE valuable in AI era

4) The Micro-Startup Strategy 

Modern startup playbook:

1. Have a 10-year vision
2. Unbundle into micro-products
3. Start with easiest/viral pieces
4. Build distribution first

Key insight: "Nobody searches for an inspiration engine"

5) Product Development Philosophy 

Two types of founders:
‱ Artists (creative vision driven)
‱ Scientists (iteration driven)

Choose your path but stick to it.

Sari’s 2024 goal: "Take less feedback, trust intuition more"

6) The Meme Generator Opportunity 

Final killer idea: Long-form to meme converter
‱ Input: articles, presentations, links
‱ Output: culturally relevant memes
‱ Train on curated meme library
‱ Potential $10M+ SaaS business

Why? No idea goes mainstream without memes 

Key Takeaway:

2024 startup strategy:

1. Build close to OR far from AI
2. Focus on what becomes scarce
3. Start micro, think macro
4. Distribution not Product

Notable Quotes:
"No idea will become mainstream if it's not captured in a meme." - Sari Azout
"Screenshots are the new bookmarks." - Greg

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND SARI ON SOCIAL

Sublime: https://sublime.app
X/Twitter: https://x.com/sariazout
Substack: https://sublimeinternet.substack.com

14 Apr 2025I built a team of AI Agents that grow my business 24/7 (full demo)00:36:12

Use agents https://www.lindy.ai/greg (thanks to Flo for hooking us up with 50% off and you can get started for free)

Join me as I chat with Flo Crivello, founder of Lindy AI, where he demonstrates how to build AI agents that can automate various business processes without coding. The conversation showcases practical applications including meeting recording, scheduling, recruitment, competitive analysis, and customer support. Crivello emphasizes that there's currently a significant gap between what's technically possible with AI agents and what most businesses are implementing.

Built your first AI Agent with Lindy: https://www.gregisenberg.com/ai-agents

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
02:08 - Demo 1: Meeting Notes
04:41 - Demo 2: YouTube comment scraping
06:49 - Meeting Notes Continued
08:27 - Demo 3: Outbound Phone Calling
10:16 - Demo 4: Meeting Prep
10:25 - Agent Swarms Explained
11:25 - Meeting Prep Continued
13:31 - Demo 5: Meeting Scheduler
15:04 - How to start using Lindy
15:52 - Live Building of a Recruitment Agent
17:57 - When should you loop in a human
18:37 - Building of a Recruitment Agent continued 
20:34 - Demo 6: Sales Prospecting 
22:44 - Why start using AI Agents
26:00 - Overview of template categories and use cases
28:52 - Demo 7: Elon Lindy
30:12 - Demo 8: Competitive Analysis
32:58 - Demo 9: CRM and Networking Manager
34:50 - Final Thoughts

Key Points:

‱ Lindy is a no-code platform for building AI agents that can automate business processes
‱ Users can create their first agent in 10 minutes and automate significant portions of their business
‱ The platform features "Agent Swarms" that can handle multiple tasks in parallel with greater reliability
‱ Lindy offers thousands of integrations with various platforms and services

1) Meeting Assistant Agents

The most universal use case for AI agents? Meeting management!

Lindy can:
‱ Record and transcribe your meetings
‱ Create searchable notes in Google Docs
‱ Organize notes by person (incredible for context)

Flo: "I just had to dig up Google Docs and send him everything we've ever talked about with this person."

2) The Agent vs Workflow Difference

Unlike Zapier which connects isolated steps, Lindy creates TRUE AGENTS that:

‱ Understand context between steps
‱ Can recover from mistakes
‱ Let you speak to them in natural language
‱ Don't need every step configured

The magic? You're basically telling an AI to execute a sequence of connected actions.

3)  Agent Swarms = GAME CHANGER

This new feature lets you deploy multiple agents simultaneously!

‱ Send personalized outreach to hundreds of leads
‱ Research multiple people in parallel
‱ Execute tasks reliably without losing coherence

Think Agent Smith in The Matrix - your agent duplicates itself to handle massive workloads FAST.

4)  Real-World Examples That Blew My Mind

Flo's Lindy made a restaurant reservation BY PHONE 

The hilarious part? The restaurant was using an AI receptionist!

"It's already happening - AI agents are working together in the wild"

His AI also schedules meetings, preps him for calls, and manages his network.

5) Building a Recruiter Agent LIVE

In just 2 minutes, Flo built a recruiting agent that:
‱ Takes job criteria
‱ Searches for matching candidates
‱ Researches them on Perplexity
‱ Sends personalized outreach emails

All with human approval built in when needed!

"There's a huge gap between what's possible and what people are actually doing."

6) The "Elon Lindy" = Middle Management Killer

This agent:
‱ Calls every team member weekly
‱ Asks what they accomplished
‱ Compiles everything into a report for the CEO

One customer deployed this to 1000+ employees, essentially "replacing the middle management layer"!

7) Competitive Intelligence on Autopilot

Flo's competitive tracker:
‱ Wakes up monthly
‱ Monitors competitors from a spreadsheet
‱ Tracks employee count, traffic, funding, etc.
‱ Sends reports on who's pulling ahead

8) The MASSIVE Opportunity Right Now

"There is a HUGE arbitrage between what's possible and what people are actually doing."

Companies exploiting this gap are EXPLODING:
‱ One AI ad generator hit $5M ARR in months with just 8 people
‱ Small teams can now operate like they have 30-50 people

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND FLO ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://x.com/Altimor
Lindy: https://www.lindy.ai

03 Mar 2022Anything Is Possible with David Friedberg01:07:52

David Friedberg (@friedberg), founder and CEO of The Production Board (TPB), is working to reimagine global systems in order to solve some of the biggest sustainability problems we face today. He joins hosts Sahil Bloom (@sahilbloom) and Greg Isenberg (@gregisenberg) to explain why the best path forward is using the latest science and technology innovations to meet the trends of human desire and consumption. An extreme optimist, Dave shares his positive outlook on scientific iteration, the changing brand landscape, and how Cana is revolutionizing the bottled beverage industry.


Want more community? Learn more here: http://trwih.com


SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR

This episode is brought to you by Beam. We can’t get enough of their Dream Powder. We both personally take this before bed a few times a week and wake up refreshed in the morning. Their nano-CBD helps improve your body’s ability to absorb CBD, making their product the perfect supplement before you go to bed. And now Beam is offering $20 off any order of $75 or more with the code ROOM at www.beamorganics.com/room.

03 Aug 2023Status Games, Fame, and the Truth about FIRE00:50:11

Today Greg is joined by Nicolas Cole, the co-founder of Ship 30 for 30, a daily writing challenge. In this episode, Greg and Nicolas talk about how much money it really takes to be free and why it's better to be anonymously rich than it is to be internet famous with no customers. 


â–șâ–șSubscribe to Greg's weekly newsletter for insights on community,
creators and commerce.You'll also find out when new and exclusive
episodes come out from Where it Happens. And it's totally free.

https://latecheckout.substack.com

FIND ME ON SOCIAL:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@gregisenberga

LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:
Production Team:
https://www.bigoceanpodcasting.com
Nicolas Cole:
https://www.ship30for30.com/
https://twitter.com/Nicolascole77

SHOW NOTES:
0:00 - Intro
4:37 - Someone somewhere is working harder than you
12:48 - A mental model for competition
20:32 - How much money does it take to be "rich"?
30:51 - Status games

30 Nov 2023Faceless YouTubers, Millions of Views00:36:20

Greg interviews Dru Riley, founder of Trends.vc, a newsletter and community for founders interested in new business ideas and markets.

They talk about growing newsletter subscribers, opportunities for "faceless" YouTube channels built using AI, systemizing companies, and more.


â–șâ–șSubscribe to Greg's weekly newsletter for insights on community,  
creators and commerce. You'll also find out when new and exclusive  
episodes come out from Where it Happens. And it's totally free.  
  
https://latecheckoutstudio.ck.page/
  
FIND GREG ON SOCIAL:  
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg  
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/  
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@gregisenberga  
  
LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:  
Production Team:  
https://PodFlow.com

Dru Riley:
‱ Company site: https://trends.vc
‱ Personal site: https://druriley.com
‱ X: https://twitter.com/DruRly
‱ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drurly/

  
TIMESTAMPS:  

00:45 - Dru introduces Trends.vc

02:00 - Newsletter co-registration


04:45 - Newsletter metrics


07:15 - Jumping on new media formats


9:08 - "Faceless" YouTube channels


16:15 - Examples of faceless channels


17:50 - Non-obvious ad sponsorship opportunities


23:00 - Custom GPTs


28:17 - Productizing execution


33:20 - Picking ideas to pursue

23 Dec 2024pov: brainstorming $1M+ startup ideas with Daniel Dalen01:05:13

Join me as I chat with  Daniel Dalen, CEO and Founder of Ecomflow, as we explore various startup ideas and business opportunities, focusing on embeddable businesses and the Shopify ecosystem. We discuss the potential of credibility badges, analyzing both successful and unsuccessful business concepts while sharing insights on product development, aesthetics, and bootstrapping versus venture capital approaches.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
01:39 - Startup Idea 1: Best Product Plaques for Credibility
09:00 - Startup Idea 2: Embeddable Businesses
31:49 - Startup Idea 3: Shopify ecosystem opportunities
45:53 - Building sustainable businesses
59:47 - Content creation strategy discussion

Key Points:
‱ Discussion of embeddable businesses and their potential in 2025
‱ Analysis of credibility badges/plaques as a business model
‱ Deep dive into Shopify ecosystem opportunities
‱ Insights on aesthetic vs luxury software products

1) First startup idea: "Best Product of Year" Certification Business

‱ Similar to Better Business Bureau model
‱ Sell digital badges + physical plaques to startups
‱ ~$200/year subscription model
‱ 99% margins, pure SaaS play
‱ Key challenge: Need massive distribution to create credibility

2) Second concept: "Embeddable Businesses"

‱ Greg built http://offerbutton.com as an example
‱ Place buttons/widgets on other people's websites
‱ Own digital real estate across the web
‱ Similar to "Sent with Superhuman" model
‱ Massive distribution potential through viral embedding

3) Fascinating insight on software categories:

Luxury Software is DEAD
Aesthetic Software is the FUTURE

‱ Users care more about design than status
‱ Example: People use Superhuman for its clean UI
‱ Shows they value design-thinking
‱ Growing trend in 2024+

4) On building Shopify apps:

‱ Massive opportunity in DTC ecosystem
‱ Need to deeply understand specific pain points
‱ Niche down (ex: CRO for specific industries)
‱ Can charge premium as money constantly flowing
‱ Avoid competing with Shopify's core features

5) Building mindset insights from Daniel Dalen:

‱ Bootstrap over VC if possible
‱ Focus on cash flow positive businesses
‱ Build with people who share your values
‱ Success = freedom to choose your projects
‱ Document over promote when building in public

6) Hot Take from Greg:

"The wealthiest people have the least amount of recurring meetings"

True wealth = control of your time
Automation over Meetings
Clear calendar = Clear mind

7) Key lesson on content:

Stop asking for likes/subs
Start asking for genuine feedback
Let quality speak for itself
Focus on documenting the journey
Real value drives real engagement

Notable Quotes:
"I feel like luxury software is old, and the new wave is gonna be aesthetic software." - Greg Isenberg
"The wealthiest people have the least amount of recurring meetings." - Greg Isenberg

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND DANIEL ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://x.com/danielvandalen
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@danieldalen/videos
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danieldalen/

10 Jun 2024Startup ideas brainstorm (steal this $100k/month idea)00:24:07

Join us for a jam session where I break down several startup ideas from the SIP community. I’ll share my insights on why these ideas are promising or problematic, and reveal the frameworks and strategies I’d use to grow these businesses. In this episode, we explore diverse opportunities, including affiliate websites, loyalty programs, DTC brands, and more. Discover the evaluation techniques and growth strategies that can help you build your next successful startup. Whether you're aiming to launch your first million-dollar business or are interested in entrepreneurial tactics, this episode is packed with actionable advice and inspiration. Don’t miss this essential guide to launching a thriving startup!

🚀  My FREE 5 day email course to learn how to build a business of the future using the ACP funnel:
https://www.communityempire.co/free-course

🎯 To build your own portfolio businesses powered by community you might enjoy my membership.

You'll get my full course with all my secrets on building businesses, peer-groups to keep you accountable, business ideas every single month and more!

Spots are limited.

https://www.communityempire.co/

📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free:

https://www.gregisenberg.com

70,000+ people are already subscribed.

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

To scale your revenue faster with conversion-focused creative sign up to https://designscientist.com

Episode Timestamps: 

0:00 Intro
01:25 First business: Newsletter focused on summarizing scientific journals
08:38 Second business: Loyalty program for gamers
11:48 Third business: Carnivore snacks DTC brand
15:29 Fourth business: Content website for plugs and adaptors
17:56 Fifth business:  Newsletter focused on QSBS and 83b startups 
19:41 Sixth business: Fantasy League for real-life physical activities

24 Jun 2024Peace of mind business ideas (and why they print cash)00:43:10

Join us for an engaging conversation with Natalie Ellis, founder of Boss Babe, as we explore a wide range of startup ideas and business opportunities. In this episode, we discuss the huge potential of building an all-in-one health company focused on pregnant women, a social media insurance company, and an AI wealth advisor. Natalie shares her insights on how to build a successful business and why she believes it is still possible to stand out. We dissect how to grow these companies using various tactics, from audience building to cold calling, and provide frameworks behind those strategies so you can apply them to any business. Whether you're aiming to launch your first million-dollar business or are curious about cutting-edge entrepreneurial strategies, this episode is packed with actionable advice and inspiration. Don’t miss this essential guide to launching a successful startup!

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: [gregisenberg.com/30startupideas](http://gregisenberg.com/30startupideas)

🚀  My FREE 5 day email course to learn how to build a business of the future using the ACP funnel:
https://www.communityempire.co/free-course

🎯 To build your own portfolio businesses powered by community you might enjoy my membership.

You'll get my full course with all my secrets on building businesses, peer-groups to keep you accountable, business ideas every single month and more!

Spots are limited.

https://www.communityempire.co/

📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free:

https://www.gregisenberg.com

70,000+ people are already subscribed.

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND NATALIE ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://x.com/NatalieEllis91
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamnatalie/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalieelizabethellis/ 

To scale your revenue faster with conversion-focused creative sign up to https://designscientist.com

Episode Timestamps: 

0:00 Intro
01:39 Startup Idea 1:  Health Tracking Platform for Pregnant Women 
16:00 Startup Idea 2: Social Media Insurance Company
29:45 Startup Idea 3: AI Wealth Advisor

19 Jan 2023Why a Gamer Mindset Can Change Your Life and Business with Nicolas Cole and Dickie Bush00:56:19

Today Greg is joined by the founders of Ship 30 for 30. In this episode, you'll hear how to stop worrying about being 'cringe' on Twitter and start developing a writing habit that pays off in your business and in your life.
 
â–șâ–șSubscribe to Greg's weekly newsletter for insights on community,
creators and commerce.You'll also find out when new and exclusive
episodes come out from Where it Happens. And it's totally free.

https://latecheckout.substack.com

FIND ME ON SOCIAL:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@gregisenberg

LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:
Production Team: https://www.bigoceanpodcasting.com

https://startwritingonline.com/
https://www.ship30for30.com/
Dickie Bush: https://twitter.com/dickiebush
Nicolas Cole: https://twitter.com/Nicolascole77


SHOW NOTES:
0:00 - Intro
0:55 - How esports (and obsessive attention) helps in business
11:30 - Playing the Twitter game right
25:00 - How to start writing
27:00 - Pseudonymity 
34:50 - Case Study: Ryan Holiday
41:45 - You're not special. The niche is special
45:48 - How to avoid doing too much

21 Apr 2025He's built multiple $1M+ funnels, Here's What Works In 202500:33:20

Join me as I chat with Niels Klement, CMO of Perspective, we discuss how agencies are building highly profitable productized services using AI. He explains that the most successful approach involves focusing on a specific industry niche, creating a repeatable funnel template that delivers consistent results, and using AI to automate fulfillment. The discussion covers funnel optimization techniques, the importance of mobile-first design, and how interactive elements like quizzes significantly improve conversion rates.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
01:44 - Overview of productized services and funnel building
03:21 - How to build a niche-focused service
07:59 - Implementation of funnel templates and ads
11:10 -  Funnel Strategies in 2025
14:43 - How to make a great VSL
18:54 -  Funnel Strategies in 2025 pt2
21:05 - Where to use funnels
23:51 - Demonstration of Perspective funnel building
29:48 - Using funnels to validate startup ideas

Build your next sales funnel: https://try.perspective.co/4i8i3dkviavy

Key Points:

‱ Agencies are building highly profitable productized services ($10K-100K/month) by focusing on specific niches and using AI and funnel tools like Perspective
‱ The most successful agencies target industries that aren't tech-savvy and focus on business-critical services like recruiting and lead generation
‱ High-converting funnels use interactive elements, personalization, and quiz formats to achieve 26-28% conversion rates on cold traffic
‱ AI can automate much of the service delivery, allowing small teams or solo founders to scale to significant revenue

1) The Productized Service Revolution

Agencies are shifting from service-heavy to product-heavy models using AI + automation.

Some are scaling to $1M/MONTH with 80% profit margins by:
‱ Targeting specific niches (bakeries, lawyers, etc)
‱ Delivering business-critical results
‱ Using ONE killer funnel template

The best part? You can run this with just 1-2 freelancers + AI agents.

2) The Two Most Profitable Service Models

Across thousands of agencies using Perspective, two business models consistently outperform:

A) RECRUITING FUNNELS
Help businesses find talent through automated systems

B) LEAD GENERATION FUNNELS
Deliver qualified prospects to businesses

3) The "One Funnel, Sell Twice" Strategy

The most successful agencies:

‱ Pick ONE industry (preferably not tech-savvy)
‱ Create ONE funnel template that delivers results
‱ Use AI to customize it for each client
‱ Automate fulfillment with AI agents

Top agencies in Perspective convert at 26-28% on COLD traffic! 

4) What Makes High-Converting Funnels Work?

The best performing funnels focus on:

‱ SPEED: Pages loading less than 1 second convert 2.5X better
‱ INTERACTIVITY: Quiz elements that create engagement
‱ PERSONALIZATION: Tailoring content based on responses
‱ CONSISTENCY: Matching ad messaging to landing page

These elements create a "dopamine hit" similar to social feeds.

5) The VSL (Video Sales Letter) Framework

For creating high-converting video content:

‱ Focus intensely on the HOOK (first 5 seconds)
‱ Provide genuine EDUCATION and value
‱ Show PROOF that builds credibility
‱ Create a natural progression to the OFFER

6) How To Build Your First Funnel

The process is simpler than you think:

1. Start with a mobile-first approach (95% of paid social traffic is mobile)
2. Use quiz elements to qualify leads
3. Personalize follow-up based on responses
4. A/B test continuously (Perspective makes this easy)

7) The Startup Validation Strategy

1. Build an audience on social
2. Create a funnel to test messaging
3. Send organic traffic to validate
4. Collect quiz data to understand pain points
5. THEN build your product

KEY TAKEAWAY:

The future of services is PRODUCTIZED.

With tools like Perspective + AI, you can build a highly profitable, low-overhead business by:
‱ Focusing on one niche
‱ Delivering one critical result
‱ Using one killer funnel
‱ Automating with AI

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND NIELS ON SOCIAL

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nielsklement
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nielsklement/

20 Apr 2023Breaking Down Top DTC Brands with Legend Nik Sharma00:45:01

Today Greg is joined by DTC marketing legend Nik Sharma. In this episode, Nik and I look at the best and worst DTC brands on the internet. 

â–șâ–șSubscribe to Greg's weekly newsletter for insights on community,
creators and commerce.You'll also find out when new and exclusive
episodes come out from Where it Happens. And it's totally free.

https://latecheckout.substack.com

FIND ME ON SOCIAL:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@gregisenberg

LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:
Production Team:
https://www.bigoceanpodcasting.com
Nik Sharma:
https://www.nik.co/
https://twitter.com/mrsharma

SHOW NOTES:
0:00 - Intro
6:17 - What The Honest Company is getting wrong
10:25 - A DTC brand that is getting it right (Cadence)
29:37 - Nik's favorite creator-led DTC brand (Rare Beauty)

02 Jun 2022How to Invent and Invest In the Future with Josh Wolfe01:07:49

The best way to predict the future is to help invent it. That's exactly what today's guest is doing as the founder and managing director of Lux Capital, where he invests in emerging science and technology ventures at the outermost edges of what is possible. Josh Wolfe (@wolfejosh), renowned Forbes journalist and visionary thinker, joins us on the show to share why we should question everything, how modern stressors differ from those our ancestors faced, the 3 important "M's" in life, and some future advancements to look forward to (like the digitization of human scent). Josh is incredible, and it's safe to say there's something for everyone in this episode.


â–șâ–ș Want more community? Learn more here: http://trwih.com


SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS


â–șâ–ș This episode is brought to you by Fundrise. Fundrise is on a mission to use technology to build a better financial system for the individual. With over $2.4B AUM and 250k active investors, it’s the largest direct-to-investor real estate investor platform in America.


Their platform is so easy to use and they make it so easy to diversify your portfolio. For a limited time if you sign-up, you can get $10 bonus. Just go to www.fundrise.com/room


â–șâ–ș This episode is also brought to you by LMNT (http://DrinkLMNT.com/HAPPENS). LMNT is a delicious electrolyte drink mix with all of the things you need and none of the junk. It contains a science-backed electrolyte ratio: 1000 mg sodium, 200 mg potassium, 60 mg magnesium. LMNT can help prevent and eliminate headaches, muscle cramps, fatigue, sleeplessness, and other common symptoms of electrolyte deficiency. It tastes amazing and is great after a workout or one too many drinks :)


Right now LMNT is offering our listeners a free sample pack with any order. That’s 8 single serving packets FREE with any LMNT order. Get yours at http://drinklmnt.com/HAPPENS. And it’s so good they have a no questions asked refund policy but you won’t need it.


THIS EPISODE

Josh Wolfe: https://twitter.com/wolfejosh

Sahil Bloom: https://twitter.com/SahilBloom

Production & Marketing Team: https://penname.co/


FIND US ON SOCIAL

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_trwih

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_trwih

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@_trwih

Web: https://trwih.com

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6aB0v6amo3a8hgTCjlTlvh

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-it-happens/id1593424985

20 Nov 2024How to start a Holding Company00:47:32

In this episode, I am joined by Michael Girdley, Chairman and CEO of Girdley Enterprises, as we discuss how to build a HoldCo. Michael shares his frameworks and best practices for structuring HoldCo’s.

Episode Timestamps: 
00:00 Intro
02:25 What is HoldCo
07:22 Types of HoldCo
09:45 Why go HoldCo
12:56 Types of HoldCo Pt 2
15:27 Frameworks for structuring your HoldCo
19:16 7 steps of starting a HoldCo
23:47 Why HoldCo’s are awesome
36:12 HoldCo’s are antifragile 
43:16 Make sure HoldCo’s are right for you
45:16 HoldCo Conference

1) What's a Holdco?
It's owning multiple businesses but not running any of them day-to-day.
Think Warren Buffett lite - you're the maestro orchestrating a portfolio of companies.

2) Why go Holdco?
‱ Diversify risk
‱ Create asymmetric bets
‱ Design your ideal lifestyle
‱ Leverage your passions
Girdley: "I tap dance to work every day, even when things are sucky."

3) Types of Holdcos:
‱ Roll-up (same biz, diff locations)
‱ Platform (related businesses)
‱ Pure Holdco (unrelated businesses)
‱ Conglomerate (big daddy version)
Pick your flavor based on your interests & expertise!

4) How to start your Holdco journey:
1. Have a plan
2. Define your goals
3. Design your org structure
4. Consult lawyers & tax pros
5. Build your all-star advisory team
6. Execute & iterate
7. Optimize for happiness!

5) The secret sauce? đŸ€«
‱ Low-cost tech makes it easier than ever to incubate new businesses.
‱ Girdley: "You can do that same business they built off the ground for a few $1000"
‱ Asymmetric bets FTW!

6) Centralize or nah?
‱ Depends on your asset types & personal strengths.
‱ Girdley keeps it "radically decentralized" - know thyself!
‱ "Don't try to do things that I know I suck at."

7) Who's it for?
Not everyone! But if you:
‱ Love variety
‱ Hate micromanaging
‱ Want to build long-term wealth
‱ Crave a custom-designed career
...Holdco life might be your jam!

8) Ready to dive in?
Start with ONE successful biz, then expand.
And if you're serious, check out Girdley's Holdco conference in Utah next spring!

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND MICHAEL ON SOCIAL
Michael Girdley’s Website: https://www.girdley.com/
X/Twitter: https://x.com/girdley
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelgirdley/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Michael-Girdley

13 Apr 2023Making the Most Out of Life and Business with the President of Shopify00:36:57

Today Greg is joined by Harley Finkelstein, the President of Shopify. In this episode, Greg and Harley talk about growing up in a predominantly immigrant neighborhood in Canada, getting mentors and finding joie de vivre.

â–șâ–șSubscribe to Greg's weekly newsletter for insights on community,
creators and commerce.You'll also find out when new and exclusive
episodes come out from Where it Happens. And it's totally free.

https://latecheckout.substack.com

FIND ME ON SOCIAL:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@gregisenberg

LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:
Production Team:
https://www.bigoceanpodcasting.com
Harley Finkelstein:
https://www.shopify.com/
https://twitter.com/harleyf

SHOW NOTES:
0:00 - Intro
5:49 - Growing up in Montreal as a Jewish Canadian
10:56 - Finding peers that inspire you
18:29 - The benefits of non-obvious mentors
26:06 - How to DM your heroes

01 Jun 2023The IRL Tribes That Could Change Your Life00:51:20

Today Greg is joined by Antonio Neves, the creator of the Man Morning Newsletter and community. In this episode, you'll hear how to build an IRL mastermind from nothing and the grittiness it takes to get into the most selective tribes in startupland. 

â–șâ–șSubscribe to Greg's weekly newsletter for insights on community,
creators and commerce.You'll also find out when new and exclusive
episodes come out from Where it Happens. And it's totally free.

https://latecheckout.substack.com

FIND ME ON SOCIAL:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@gregisenberg

LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:
Production Team:
https://www.bigoceanpodcasting.com
Antonio Neves:
https://theantonioneves.com/
https://twitter.com/TheAntonioNeves
https://www.manmorning.com/

SHOW NOTES:
0:00 - Intro
13:22 - Why proximity is a tool
25:54 - The good, the bad, and the ugly of Man Morning
35:50 - Greg answers community questions

05 Jan 2024Erik Torenberg's Playbook: How to Bootstrap a Multi-Million Dollar Media Empire00:58:55

I'm joined by Erik Torenberg, Co-Founder of Turpentine, a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more. We talk about why B2B creators are the next big thing, how to spot profitable niches and opportunities to monetize media businesses.

📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free: https://www.gregisenberg.com/


70,000+ people are already subscribed.


FIND ME ON SOCIAL


Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg

Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

12 Aug 2024How to write a book with AI [step-by-step guide]00:45:37

I’m joined by Justin Welsh, a 7-figure Solopreneur & Creator, where we dive deep into how we would build an AI-powered book empire and the opportunities and challenges that AI brings. 

1) AI-powered book empire 📚

Greg's step-by-step process:
‱ Use Claude/GPT-4 to brainstorm book concepts
‱ Analyze Amazon bestsellers with Jungle Scout
‱ Generate detailed outlines with AI
‱ Use Grammarly & Hemingway app for editing
‱ Leverage Bookstat for real-time sales data

2)  The rise of AI brings opportunities AND challenges 
‱ AI will devalue most content, making it harder to stand out
‱ Top 1% of creators may earn 100x more due to increased demand for quality
‱ Early adopters can capitalize on AI-powered content creation
‱ Long-term success still relies on unique perspectives and staying power

3) Creator-led businesses: The new frontier 
‱ Example: Midday Squares
‱ Buying products as a "tip" for valuable content
‱ Stand out in a world of commoditized products by becoming a person people want to support

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: gregisenberg.com/30startupideas

🚀  My FREE 5 day email course to learn how to build a business of the future using the ACP funnel:
https://www.communityempire.co/free-course

🎯 To build your own portfolio businesses powered by community you might enjoy my membership.

You'll get my full course with all my secrets on building businesses, peer-groups to keep you accountable, business ideas every single month and more!

Spots are limited.

https://www.communityempire.co/

📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free:

https://www.gregisenberg.com/

70,000+ people are already subscribed.

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND JUSTIN ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://x.com/thejustinwelsh
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinwelsh/
Justin’s Newsletter: https://www.justinwelsh.me

To improve your rankings your business on Google and using AI for SEO, sign up to

http://boringmarketing.com/

Episode Timestamps: 
0:00 Intro
01:49 Startup Idea 1: AI-powered book empire
05:46 Step 1: Brainstorm book concepts / generate detailed outlines with AI
08:19 The rise of AI brings opportunities AND challenges
18:22 Step 2: Leverage AI to create and edit content
22:03 Step 3: Track the sales of competitors
23:46 Step 4:  AI-powered book formatting
27:09 Step 5: Create the audiobook version of book using AI narration
30:27 Step 6: Self Publish Book
32:02 Startup Idea 2: All-in-one Solution for SaaS Verticals
39:18 Framework: The power of Creator-led businesses

16 Apr 2025The $1,000/Day boring business anyone can start tomorrow (Sweaty Startup Playbook) 00:30:47

Join me as I chat with Nick Huber to discusses how "boring" businesses like storage, lawn care, and service companies often create more reliable paths to wealth than tech startups. He shares his personal journey from a college storage business that sold for $1.75 million to purchasing and improving self-storage facilities worth millions. The conversation explores various low-tech business opportunities with high profit potential and minimal competition.

00:00 - Intro
02:08 - Nick's Sweaty Startup journey
05:20 - Self-storage facility investments and returns
07:31 - Examples of profitable service businesses
13:13 - Sweaty Startup Idea: Night Nurse Marketplace
18:49 - Value of a Good Domain Names
22:25 - The AI + Sweaty Startups Opportunity

Key Points

‱ Nick Huber shares his journey building "boring" but profitable businesses, including Storage Squad and self-storage facilities
‱ Sweaty startups (service-based local businesses) often have less competition and higher success rates than tech startups
‱ Simple marketing tactics like sidewalk chalk, bandit signs, and local networking can be highly effective for service businesses
‱ Domain names are valuable digital real estate worth investing in for business credibility and growth

1) The WEALTHY people in your town aren't tech founders

They own boring businesses:
‱ Underground utilities
‱ Surveying companies
‱ HVAC businesses
‱ Real estate development

While everyone's dreaming of being the next Elon, these folks are quietly building wealth.

2) Nick's first million came from... college student storage! 

He built Storage Squad with:
‱ $1500 Craigslist cargo van
‱ $2200 box truck
‱ SIDEWALK CHALK as his only marketing

Grew to $2.2M in revenue, sold for $1.75M in 2020.

No tech, no VC money, just hustle.

3) Self-storage facilities = GOLD MINES 

Nick bought a neglected facility for $625K with:
‱ 40,000+ square feet
‱ 180+ units
‱ Only making $4K/month

Another facility they bought for $1.5M now generates $40K/month and is worth $4.5M!

4) "Sweaty startups" are EVERYWHERE making serious money:

‱ Lawn care: $100K+ working 9 months/year
‱ Mobile detailing: $17K revenue/$10K profit PER MONTH
‱ High-end transportation: Consistent 6-figure income
‱ Tree removal: $3K for 4 hours of work (2 people)

All with minimal startup costs!

5) The DOMAIN NAME lesson that most miss:

Nick paid $450K for [Somewhere.com](http://somewhere.com/) and says it's already delivered MORE value than that.

"People will spend millions on physical real estate but balk at a few thousand for digital real estate - the home of your business."

6) The COMPETITION ADVANTAGE of sweaty startups:

Would you rather compete against:
‱ Stanford CS grad with $20M in VC funding
OR
‱ Local business owner who doesn't answer phones on Monday afternoons?

Choose your competition wisely!

7) BEST BUSINESS IDEA from the pod: Night Nurse Marketplace

‱ Domain available for $13K (or $1,100/month lease-to-own)
‱ Target new parents needing overnight baby care
‱ Build directory + blog with AI
‱ Charge $1K finder's fee to match families with nurses

$20K+ monthly potential!

8) The AI + SWEATY STARTUP opportunity:

The best AI companies might start as sweaty startups first.

Build the customer base and trust with a service business, THEN layer in tech and AI solutions.

This is how you build something valuable without competing with 1000 other AI startups.

Notable Quotes:

"The wealthy people that I know, the ones with giant beach houses in the outer banks and private jets at the local airport, almost all of them did something boring." - Nick Huber

"Do you want to compete against LeBron James or a fifth grade girl in basketball? I play against the fifth grade girl every time because my odds of having a win and making money are higher." - Nick Huber

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND NICK ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://x.com/sweatystartup
Nick’s New book: https://www.sweatystartupbook.com
Sweaty Startup Ideas: http://Sweatystartup.com/ideas
Bolt Storage: http://boltstorage.com
Somewhere: http://somewhere.com

05 Aug 20245 $1M+ AI startup ideas from an indie hacker legend00:38:59

I’m joined by Danny Postma, Founder and CEO of Headshot Pro, as we explore a wide range of AI startup ideas and business opportunities

1) AI Keyword Generator + Content Creator
‱ Use Ahrefs to find low-competition keywords
‱ Generate AI content for each keyword (e.g. AI tattoos)
‱ Build directories and tools for user-generated content
‱ Rapidly create 100k+ pieces of content
‱ Google loves it, traffic pours in

2) Comfy UI Marketplace
‱ Visual drag-and-drop interface for AI workflows
‱ YouTubers creating tutorials = market validation
‱ Build marketplace for Comfy UI templates
‱ Sell/rent out workflow templates
‱ Next big wave in AI development

3) Fiverr/Upwork 2.0 (AI-powered)
‱ Clone freelance platforms, but hire AI bots instead of humans
‱ Automate repetitive tasks (e.g. translations)
‱ Make it feel like hiring a person, but it's 100% AI
‱ Target businesses wanting reliable automations
‱ Potential acquisition target for Fiverr/Upwork

4) Niche AI Tools for Professionals
‱ Target specific professions (e.g. veterinarians, nurses)
‱ Create AI note-taking and workflow tools
‱ Less competition than broad consumer apps
‱ Professionals prefer specialized tools

5) AI-Powered Marketing Agency
‱ Run entire agency on AI without clients knowing
‱ Example: Headline99 for $99 landing page headlines
‱ Use questionnaires + AI to generate ideas
‱ Human in the loop for final selection
‱ Scale to $1B revenue with minimal staff

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: gregisenberg.com/30startupideas

🚀  My FREE 5 day email course to learn how to build a business of the future using the ACP funnel:
https://www.communityempire.co/free-course

🎯 To build your own portfolio businesses powered by community you might enjoy my membership.

You'll get my full course with all my secrets on building businesses, peer-groups to keep you accountable, business ideas every single month and more!

Spots are limited.

https://www.communityempire.co/

📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free:

https://www.gregisenberg.com

70,000+ people are already subscribed.

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND DANNY ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://x.com/dannypostmaa
Headshot Pro: https://www.headshotpro.com

To improve your rankings your business on Google and using AI for SEO, sign up to

http://boringmarketing.com/

Episode Timestamps
0:00 Intro 
01:50 Startup Idea 1: AI Keyword Generator + Content Creator
10:17 Startup Idea 2: Comfy UI Marketplace
18:49 Startup Idea 3: Fiverr/Upwork 2.0 (AI-powered)
28:08 Startup Idea 4: Niche AI Tools for Professionals
35:38 Startup Idea 5: AI-Powered Marketing Agency

08 Jul 20248 startup ideas backed by data/trends to get you paid (steal these $1M+/year ideas)01:13:51

Cody Schneider the Manic Startup Idea Machine is back. He's full of 7 figure ideas:

1) Blue Collar Startups (Window Cleaning, Power Washing, Lawn Mowing)

  • Low start up costs
  • Optimize Google My Business listing
  • Use AI to write keyword-rich descriptions
  • Scale into an agency, then buy portions of other companies
  • Potential for $1M-$5M/year business

2) Costco-style Membership Club

  • Target growing "Buy It For Life" subreddit (2.3M members)
  • Curate high-quality, long-lasting products
  • Offer subscription model (like Costco)
  • Potential for $5M-$20M/year business

3) Dumb Appliances Brand

  • Create simple, long-lasting appliances (no smart features)
  • Target people frustrated with over-complicated products
  • Focus on reliability and ease of use
  • Potential for $1M-$10M/year business

4) AI-Powered Print-on-Demand Mockup Generator

  • Use AI to create product mockups for print-on-demand
  • Target $6.8B market growing at 18% YoY
  • Potential for $1M-$10M/year business

5) AI Grant Finder and Writer

  • Tap into $2.5B grant management software market
  • Create all-in-one solution for finding and applying for grants
  • Automate grant writing proces

6) Programmatic SEO for E-commerce

  • Build massive websites with AI-generated content
  • Target businesses with large product catalogs
  • Create millions of landing pages for long-tail keywords

7) Curated Book Subscription Service

  • Use AI to recommend books based on influencers/experts
  • Target specific niches or industries
  • Include key insights from recommended books
  • Monetize through subscriptions and Amazon affiliates

8) Renewable Energy Land Acquisition

  • Leverage public data on best locations for wind/solar farms
  • Consider starting a fund to buy strategic locations
  • Take advantage of government subsidies and tax benefits
  • Potential for massive returns over 20-30 year period


Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: http://gregisenberg.com/30startupideas

🚀  My FREE 5 day email course to learn how to build a business of the future using the ACP funnel:
https://www.communityempire.co/free-course

🎯 To build your own portfolio businesses powered by community you might enjoy my membership.

You'll get my full course with all my secrets on building businesses, peer-groups to keep you accountable, business ideas every single month and more!

Spots are limited.

https://www.communityempire.co/

📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free:

https://www.gregisenberg.com

70,000+ people are already subscribed.

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND CODY ON SOCIAL

Cody’s startup: https://www.swellai.com/
X/Twitter: https://tinyurl.com/5fjdn8d7
LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/28e89f5r

To improve your rankings your business on Google and using AI for SEO, sign up to
http://boringmarketing.com/

Links Mentioned: 
Cody's Recommendation for Google Indexing Service: https://t.me/SpeedyIndexBot?start=5190421326

Episode Timestamps:
0:00 Intro

02:04 Startup Idea 1: Sweaty Startup

14:41 Startup Idea 2: Sweaty Startup HoldCo

27:17 Startup Idea 3: Buy-it-for-life brands Deal Club

33:00 Startup Idea 4: Curated Book Subscription Box

39:10 Startup Idea 5: Dumb Appliances

47:21 Startup Idea 6: AI-Powered Print on Demand Mock up Business

51:43 Startup Idea 7: Dynamic Landing Page Generator Agency

55:31 Startup Idea 7: AI Grant Writer

1:01:15 Startup Idea 8: Solar/Wind Farm

08 Dec 2022Money, Wealth, and Personal Holding Companies with Michael Karnjanaprakorn00:47:51

Today, Greg is joined by Michael Karnjanaprakorn, the founder of Skillshare and Otis. He's now taking time off to think and write about life, money and personal holding companies. In this episode, Greg and Mike talk about the thing Mike is *most* uncomfortable talking about: money.  


â–șâ–șSubscribe to Greg's weekly newsletter for insights on community,
creators and commerce.You'll also find out when new and exclusive
episodes come out from Where it Happens. And it's totally free.

https://latecheckout.substack.com

FIND ME ON SOCIAL:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@gregisenberg

LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:
Production Team: https://www.bigoceanpodcasting.com

Michael Karnjanaprakorn: https://twitter.com/mikekarnj

SHOW NOTES:
0:00 - Intro
1:12 - How much money does it take to be wealthy?
17:43 - The business of being a content creator
19:51 - How to choose a niche
31:00 - An argument for Personal Holding Companies
45:38 - Michael Karnjanaprakorn peers into the crystal ball

05 May 2022Why You Should Start a Business For Older Adults01:18:13

There’s a giant opportunity in helping older adults live a more vibrant, empowering life throughout their later years. Today we’re joined by John Zapolski, the founder and CEO of Alive Ventures, to better understand that opportunity. John is dedicated to building products and services that cater to older adults, and has developed a co-design system that allows them to be part of the process. On this episode we cover the future of smart wallets, Bing’s search engine, Greg’s security deposit business idea, and then bring in John to discuss several startup ideas geared towards older adults. Interested in developing these startup ideas further? Join us in the Discord.


â–șâ–ș Want more community? Learn more here: http://trwih.com


THIS EPISODE

John Zapolski: https://twitter.com/jzapolski

Sahil Bloom: https://twitter.com/SahilBloom

Greg Isenberg: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg

Production & Marketing Team: https://penname.co/


FIND US ON SOCIAL

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_trwih

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_trwih

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@_trwih

Web: https://trwih.com

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6aB0v6amo3a8hgTCjlTlvh

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-it-happens/id1593424985


SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

This episode is also brought to you by MarketerHire. MarketerHire provides on-demand access to pre-vetted, top-tier marketers who can freelance as much or as little as needed.

They’ve made it easy to hire great marketers. With pre-vetted talent and expert hand-matching, you can add a proven marketer to your team in less than a week.

Go to marketerhire.com to learn more.a

23 Nov 2022Building the Right Product, At the Right Time, For the Right People with Jack Butcher00:58:32

Are you ready for the next iteration of Where It Happens? Greg Isenberg is now the host of the podcast, which will be focused on catching up with incredible guests at the intersection of community, commerce, and content. 

Today, Greg is joined by Jack Butcher, the founder of Visualize Value, which offers community and content for building independent income on the internet. In this episode Jack tells Greg how he pivoted from the chaos of running an agency to building products for a community he understood. 


â–șâ–șSubscribe to Greg's weekly newsletter for insights on community,
creators and commerce.You'll also find out when new and exclusive
episodes come out from Where it Happens. And it's totally free.

https://latecheckout.substack.com

FIND ME ON SOCIAL:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@gregisenberg

LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:
Production Team: https://www.bigoceanpodcasting.com
Jack Butcher: https://twitter.com/jackbutcher


A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

â–șâ–ș This episode is brought to you by Retool.


Retool is the fast way to build your own custom internal tools for your business. With a complete library of 100+ fully-featured, accessible UI components that you can drag and drop into any interface, Retool’s platform lets you build the custom internal tools your team needs, 10x faster.


Thousands of teams at companies like Amazon, DoorDash, and NBC collaborate around custom-built Retool apps to operate faster and better. Also, teams of up to five can build Retool apps for free. We're huge fans of the product! If you want to learn more, go to https://retool.com/


â–șâ–ș This episode is also brought to you by Athletic Greens.


AG1 by Athletic Greens is incredible and we have been starting every day with it for several years. It’s just one scoop in 8-12 oz. of water each morning, and you're getting 75 high-quality vitamins, whole-food sourced ingredients, probiotics, and adaptogens to help you start your day right. It's one daily habit that supports gut health, supports the immune system, recovery, energy, and focus!


Right now, Athletic Greens is giving you a free 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D and 5 free travel packs with your first purchase. Take ownership of your health today by going to https://athleticgreens.com/wih





SHOW NOTES
0:00 - Intro
0:37 - The vision for Visualize Value
10:14 - Testing, iterating and validating an idea
13:28 - How to name your product or service
20:19 - What is Daily Manifest?
26:06 - The success formula of Visualize Value
33:46 - How Jack Butcher's brain thinks about Web3
38:56 - Future product mapping for Visualize Value
48:41 - Jack Butcher peers into the crystal ball of Web3

14 Dec 2023THE BIGGEST STARTUP OPPORTUNITIES IN 2024 BY LEAN STARTUP GUY ERIC RIES00:46:41

Greg interviews Eric Ries, author of "The Lean Startup" and founder of The Long Term Stock Exchange.

They talk about how to test business ideas, why businesses with a social mission will outperform, and opportunities in AI.

â–șâ–șSubscribe to Greg's weekly newsletter for insights on community, creators, and commerce. You'll also find out when new and exclusive episodes come out from Where it Happens. And it's totally free.

https://latecheckoutstudio.ck.page/


FIND GREG ON SOCIAL:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg

Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/

TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@gregisenberga


LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:

Production Team:

https://PodFlow.com

ERIC RIES:

Eric Ries's Newsletter: https://theleanstartup.com

Long-Term Stock Exchange (LTSE): https://ltse.com

Lean Startup Corporate Training and Events: https://leanstartup.co

X: https://twitter.com/ericries

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eries/


TIMESTAMPS:

00:34 Concept of AI companies being funded differently

02:06 Longevity of wrapper AI startups and platform wars

07:16 Benefits of creating viral startups

11:07 Idea of buying non-AI startups and adding AI capabilities

14:08 Approaches to quickly understand customer needs in a new space

21:41 Eric's point about companies doing the right thing and the importance of trust

36:23 First Business Idea: Religion startup - HQ trivia meets a church

37:08 Second Business Idea: Social network for gig workers

38:31 Third Business Idea: AI accountability bots

20 Dec 2024How to get 145k followers on LinkedIn in 1 year00:15:27

I share my experience growing from zero to 145,000 LinkedIn followers in 14 months, generating millions in revenue. I detail specific strategies for LinkedIn growth, including leveraging the new video tab, creating engaging story posts, and utilizing infographics. The presentation explains how to properly monetize a LinkedIn following through strategic content posting and lead magnet implementation.

This talk was given at Andrew Wilkinsons IP2 conference

Learn more about IP3
Andrew's Newsletter: https://neverenoughnewsletter.kit.com/signup
Andrew's Twitter/X: https://x.com/awilkinson
Andrew's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@NeverEnough2024


Episode Timestamps: 

00:00 - Intro
02:05 - The ACP Funnel Explained
02:50 - Case Study: BoringMarketing.com
04:42 - Tactical Tips for Going Viral on LinkedIn
06:10 - Leveraging Video Content on LinkedIn
08:10 - Crafting Compelling Stories for Engagement
09:46 - Using Infographics to Boost Engagement
10:31 - Monetizing Your LinkedIn Audience
12:16 - Creating Effective Lead Magnets

Key Points:
‱ LinkedIn in 2024 is comparable to Twitter in 2020 for viral growth potential
‱ Three main strategies for LinkedIn growth: video content, storytelling posts, and viral infographics
‱ Monetization through strategic lead magnets and post-editing techniques
‱ Building the ACP (Audience-Community-Product) funnel for business growth

1) The ACP Framework:
‱ Audience first
‱ Convert to Community
‱ Build Product for them
Example: Boring Marketer → Free community → $8M ARR SEO tool business

2) Why LinkedIn in 2025?
"LinkedIn right now is 2020 Twitter - it's fishing with dynamite"
Greg grew 125K followers in 14 months with just 15 hours of work 

3) LINKEDIN HACK #1: Video Content 

LinkedIn just added a video tab. Nobody knows this yet.
Two options:
‱ Faceless content with AI voiceover (use @elevenlabs)
‱ Record yourself

Pro tip: Videos are getting INSANE reach right now

4) LINKEDIN HACK #2: Stories that Convert
‱ Get someone to interview you
‱ Extract 15 career stories
‱ Focus on vulnerable moments
‱ MUST pair with photo of yourself
‱ Use storytelling frameworks

5) LINKEDIN HACK #3: Viral Infographics
‱ Find previously viral infographics
‱ Repost with credit
‱ Add universally agreeable caption
‱ Example: "This year's gonna be great" → 151K likes

6) THE MONETIZATION STRATEGY
Don't put links in original posts!
Secret sauce:
‱ Post content
‱ Wait 4 hours
‱ If more than150 likes, EDIT post to add link
‱ LinkedIn won't suppress it

7) LEAD MAGNET MASTERY:
Don't sell directly. Create valuable free content.
Example:
‱ Made startup ideas database
‱ 5,000 downloads in 30 days
‱ Segment in ConvertKit
‱ Nurture → Monetize later

8) KEY TAKEAWAY:
2025 will be HUGE for LinkedIn.
Start now while organic reach is insane.
Even 15 hours can build a massive following that drives millions in revenue.

Notable Quotes:
"LinkedIn is fishing with dynamite right now." - Greg
"I grew from zero to 125,000 followers with probably like 15 hours of work in 14 months." - Greg

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

11 Jan 2024$1M Startup Trends in 2024, With Michael Karnjanaprakorn00:46:42

I'm joined by Michael Karnjanaprakorn, former CEO of Skillshare. We talk about the biggest startup trends that will shape 2024: IRL community spaces, AI educational agents, and more.

📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free: https://www.gregisenberg.com/

70,000+ people are already subscribed.


FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter:

https://twitter.com/gregisenberg

Instagram:

https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/


FIND MICHAEL ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/mikekarnj
Website: https://www.mikekarnj.com/

28 Jul 2022How To Pick Startup Winners With Jason Calacanis01:16:06

Are you ready to start angel investing? In today's episode, we share the secret to creating long-term wealth, explain how to become a “sophisticated” investor, and discuss the downsides of crypto. Hosts Sahil Bloom and Greg Isenberg are joined by guest Jason Calacanis, the creator behind the All-In Podcast, a serial angel investor, and a leading entrepreneurial author. Jason explains the entrance costs to investing, shares why people need to validate their research, and then everyone places their bets on this week's “hot” stocks.


â–șâ–ș Want more community? Learn more here: http://trwih.com


SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS


â–șâ–ș This episode is brought to you by Wealthfront, a saving and investing app that can help you earn more on your money and build wealth for your future. The Wealthfront Cash Account grows your savings at 1.40% APY, and offers unlimited, fee-free transfers to your external accounts — plus, a ton of other features that help you optimize your cash. So, if your money is earning less anywhere else, now might be a good time to make a move.

Wealthfront is offering Where it Happens listeners a free $50 bonus with a $500 initial deposit to a new Cash Account. Go to wealthfront.com/Happens to claim your $50 and start growing your savings.

Cash account is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, Member of FINRA/SIPC. Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. We convey funds to partner banks who accept and maintain deposits, provide the interest rate, and provide FDIC insurance. Rate is subject to change. Investment management and advisory services--which are not FDIC insured--are provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC (“Wealthfront Advisers”), an SEC-registered investment adviser.


â–șâ–ș Did you know that one of the top reasons startups fail is bad hiring decisions? People can be unpredictable. And developers can be unpredicted, as well. Let Lemon.io take care of hiring your software engineers. They have a hand-picked roster of engineers from Europe, and we recommend them to companies we work with.


Sign up at lemon.io/room for 15% off for the first 4 weeks.


FROM THIS EPISODE

Jason Calacanis https://twitter.com/Jason

Sahil Bloom: https://twitter.com/SahilBloom

Greg Isenberg: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg

Production & Marketing Team: https://penname.co/


CONNECT WITH US

Newsletter: https://trwih.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_trwih

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_trwih

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@_trwih

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6aB0v6amo3a8hgTCjlTlvh

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-it-happens/id1593424985


SHOW NOTES

02:11 The Original Crypto Investor & “Sophisticated Investors”

06:28 Crypto Tokens: Public Market or Scheme

12:02 Where is Web 3.0 in Five Years?

15:35 Breaking Ownership with Web 3.0

17:55 The Downside of crypto

21:19 Default Centralized in a Crisis

23:39 Free to Mint NFTs

26:12 The Entrance Costs to Investing

30:05 Being Honest on Upsides AND Downsides

35:52 Validate Your Crypto “Research”

38:16 #JTrading & Betting on Disney

40:36 Super Forecasting and Creating Processes

46:06 SNAP: Buy or Sell?

49:19 BuzzFeed: Buy or Sell?

51:34 The Secret to a $10M Net Worth: Index Funds

55:26 Behind the Scenes with the All-In Podcast

1:02:44 What Motivates Jason?

1:05:08 Manufacturing Peak Experiences

15 May 20245 game-changing startup ideas from a life hacking genius01:04:15

Join us for an in-depth conversation with Chris Hutchins, an expert life hacker, financial optimizer, and host of the award-winning podcast, All the Hacks. On this episode, Chris shares his proven strategies on how to launch a million-dollar business in just 48 hours. We also explore the emerging trends of affluent consumers and unveil five transformative startup ideas to inspire your next venture.

🚀  My FREE 5 day email course to learn how to build a business of the future using the ACP funnel:
https://www.communityempire.co/free-course

🎯 To build your own portfolio businesses powered by community you might enjoy my membership.

You'll get my full course with all my secrets on building businesses, peer-groups to keep you accountable, business ideas every single month and more!

Spots are limited.

https://www.communityempire.co/

📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free:

https://www.gregisenberg.com

70,000+ people are already subscribed.

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND CHRIS ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hutchins?lang=en
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishutchins/
All the Hacks: https://www.allthehacks.com/

To improve your rankings your business on Google and using AI for SEO, sign up to boringmarketing.com

Episode Timestamps

00:00 First business idea: Premium Tutoring App
14:36 Second business idea: AI-Powered Service Businesses
33:06 Chris’s framework for building a million dollar business
43:30 Chris’s framework for creating media/content
48:07 Third business idea: Content as a Service for Big Creators
54:35 Fourth business idea: Bringing enterprise products/services to consumers
1:01:51 Fifth business idea: Agency for onboarding calls

21 Feb 2024I Met The Most Obsessed Man On The Internet00:55:18

I'm joined by Zach Pogrob, entrepreneur and content creator with over 1.5M followers. We discuss how to build a loyal audience in 2024, the importance of associating your brand with a word, three business ideas you can steal, and so much more.

🚀  My FREE 5 day email course to learn how to build a business of the future using the ACP funnel:

https://www.communityempire.co/

🎯 To build your own portfolio businesses powered by community you might enjoy my membership.

You'll get my full course with all my secrets on building businesses, peer-groups to keep you accountable, business ideas every single month and more!

Spots are limited. https://www.skool.com/community-empire-6150/about

📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free: https://www.gregisenberg.com

70,000+ people are already subscribed.

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg

Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/


FIND ZACH ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/zachpogrob
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachpogrob

Episode Timestamps

00:00 How to build an unforgettable brand
01:47 First business idea: Suffering as a service
03:05 What is the Run Cult?
15:24 Second business idea: Building agencies on the back of creators
22:09 Third business idea: A platform that helps creators get sponsors
25:28 Golden advice for creators and entrepreneurs
27:30 The importance of being authentic
31:37 Long-form vs short-form video
36:00 The future of online writers
38:19 Be strict with your message, flexible with the medium
39:52 The importance of associating your brand with a word
49:10 Zach’s biggest fears
55:10 Where to find Zach

If you enjoy the podcast, consider leaving a review to help others discover the show :)

20 Sep 2024My reaction to MrBeast's LEAKED 36 page production document00:33:38

My notes on mr beast's LEAKED 36 page leaked "how to succeed in mr. beast production" document

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:12 Initial Thoughts
02:38 Clarity of the Goal
03:27  YouTube is eating all media:
04:27 A, B, C player framework
05:15 How to go viral
08:21 Why isn’t MrBeast building the Y-Combinator of Creators? 
09:12  He defines his own language. ie: lull, reengagement 
11:26 Startup Idea 1: Audience and Engagement Insights Software for YT 
12:32 Obsession is a prerequisite 
13:13 Bias for Action
14:01 Grounds Himself
15:54 Constraint Fuels Creativity
17:39 Always have a Backup Day
18:54  Communication is key
19:37 Leverage Experts
21:55 "No does not mean no" can get toxic
22:43 Meritocracy 
23:27 His numbers are HUGE
28:02 Keep things simple
27:15 Work Life Balance Debate  
28:20  What is the goal of our “content”
29:37 Ads as Content
30:18 Does his culture scale 
31:12 His incentive structur  
32:28 Final thoughts

1) YouTube is eating all media:
‱ 99% of TV shows would flop on YouTube
‱ Platform-specific content is crucial
‱ MrBeast: "We are not Hollywood"

2) A-player mentality:
‱ Only hire obsessive, coachable people
‱ B-players can be trained, C-players must go
‱ "There's only room for A-players here"

3) Re-engagement strategy:
‱ Hook viewers at 3-minute mark
‱ Use spectacles that only MrBeast can do
‱ Example: Carl watching Josh in prison video

4)  Data-driven content:
‱ Creators are data scientists, not just entertainers
‱ 60M views = same as presidential debate
‱ Obsess over audience retention graphs

5) Constraints fuel creativity:
‱ Don't rely on big budgets
‱ Example: Year's supply of Doritos is more engaging than $20k cash
‱ "Creativity is the answer, not money"

6)  Communication is key:
‱ Define when to use in-person, email, or text
‱ No excuses, move on mentality
‱ "Late" isn't in MrBeast's dictionary

7) Consultants are cheat codes:
‱ Leverage expert knowledge
‱ Example: Call previous world record holder
‱ "Consultants are a gift from God"

8) Brand deal integration:
‱ Make ads part of the content
‱ Avoid boring, scripted brand mentions
‱ Goal: No viewer realizes it's an ad

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas 

🎯 To build your own portfolio businesses powered by community you might enjoy my membership.

You'll get my full course with all my secrets on building businesses, peer-groups to keep you accountable, business ideas every single month and more!

Spots are limited.

https://www.communityempire.co/

📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free:

https://www.gregisenberg.com/

70,000+ people are already subscribed.

To improve your rankings your business on Google and using AI for SEO, sign up to

http://boringmarketing.com/

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

03 Nov 2021Podcasts Are Broken00:03:59

The problem with podcasts is the conversations are all one-sided. But, what if the conversations became interactive? Welcome to "Where It Happens" a community-based podcast hosted by Sahil Bloom (@sahilbloom) and Greg Isenberg (@gregisenberg) that puts you in the center of what's next in business and allows you to interact with the best and brightest.


Want to watch the episodes? Subscribe to our YouTube channel here.

Want more community? Learn more here.

16 Dec 2024How to get your first customers (even with ZERO audience)00:50:00

Join me as I chat with Jonathan Courtney, Co-Founder and CEO of AJ&Smart, as we dive deep into various lead generation strategies. Jonathan shares his strategies and frameworks for building a client pipeline without having a large online following. 

00:00 - Intro
03:13 - The Dream 100 Strategy
11:01 - The Canvas Strategy (for reaching out)
18:12 - Go Where Your Audience Lives
27:21 - The Power of Strategic Gifting
36:33 - Content Creation (if you choose to)
40:47 - Key Mindset Shift around Content Creation

1) The Dream 100 Strategy:
‱ Make a list of 100 people/orgs who already talk to your target audience
‱ Research their platforms, reach, content
‱ Focus on building relationships with them
‱ Can start with just 10-20 names

Example: Web design agency targeting founders? Start with podcast hosts, community leaders

2) The Canvas Strategy (for reaching out):
‱ Don't just ask for favors
‱ Focus on providing extreme value first
‱ Make thoughtful, detailed pitches
‱ Show you've done your homework
‱ Be patient and play the long game

3) Go Where Your Audience Lives:
‱ Join paid communities ($149/mo is nothing if you land 1 client)
‱ Lurk in Reddit threads
‱ Answer Quora questions in detail
‱ Participate in Discord servers
‱ Be the MOST valuable member

No promotion, just pure value.

4) The Power of Strategic Gifting:
‱ Doesn't need to be expensive ($5-50 can work)
‱ Make it personal and meaningful
‱ Think long-term relationship building
‱ One mentor landed a huge deal with a $50k guitar gift
‱ Small gestures = big memories

5) Content Creation (if you choose to):
‱ Focus on MASSIVE value over production quality
‱ Create 5+ hour detailed tutorials
‱ Answer common questions exhaustively
‱ "Low quality, high effort" is the new formula
‱ Example: mastering . com's 11-hour tutorials

6) Key Mindset Shift:

Stop obsessing over:
‱ Social media metrics
‱ Personal branding
‱ Complex marketing funnels

Start focusing on:
‱ High-leverage relationships
‱ Direct value creation
‱ Being present where your audience is

7) The ROI is INSANE:
‱ Single partnerships can generate millions
‱ One webinar can outperform months of ads
‱ Relationship-based leads convert better
‱ More sustainable than viral marketing
‱ Less stressful than being an "influencer"

Pro Tip: Review your Dream 100 list every quarter. Most businesses forget this and focus on low-leverage tasks instead.

Links Mentioned: 

The Dream 100 Google Sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1a7d1GSZoJq_pT2Ptbvc9HsZWPxNsQDhRcUvT6d1V2Jw/edit?gid=0#gid=0

The Canvas Strategy Ep: https://youtu.be/fr5xG_bTV44

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND JONATHAN ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jicecream
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-courtney-4510644b/
AJ&Smart: https://ajsmart.com/

17 Aug 2023Personal Holding Companies: Build vs. Buy?00:39:21

Today Greg is joined by Nick Huber. In the last 9 months, Nick has co-founded 6 companies in addition to Bolt Storage. In this episode, Nick and Greg break down the inner workings of a personal holding company and how to grow it at max speed with minimal risk. 

â–șâ–șSubscribe to Greg's weekly newsletter for insights on community,
creators and commerce.You'll also find out when new and exclusive
episodes come out from Where it Happens. And it's totally free.

https://latecheckout.substack.com

FIND ME ON SOCIAL:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@gregisenberga

LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:
Production Team:
https://www.bigoceanpodcasting.com
Nick Huber
https://sweatystartup.com/

SHOW NOTES:
0:00 - Intro
3:23 - Twitter as a network accelerant 
8:15 - Personal Holding Companies 101
12:10 - Buy vs. Build
20:22 - Nick asks Greg for constructive feedback
26:39 - Avoid mental overload as a multipreneur
30:27 - Substack vs. ConvertKit


14 Jan 2022The Power of Becoming a Feedback Magnet with Kat Cole01:08:37

Great leaders help develop game-changing brands. Kat Cole (@KatColeATL) knows this first-hand, having led Focus Brands as their President and COO, and now in her new role as President and COO of Athletic Greens. Her secret? She understands how to find the feedback, process it, and turn it into ideas that make teams and businesses stand out from the competition. In this episode, you'll learn the frameworks she uses to lead, opportunities she is excited about, and how to spot the best leaders.


Want more community? Learn more here: http://trwih.com


SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS


COMMONSTOCK

https://commonstock.com/

Why settle for the old model of investing when new options offer you so much transparency to help you grow your wealth? Commonstock is the home of smart money and an innovative social media approach to investing. We both love the platform and have used it to enhance our financial strategy.


Commonstock is a social media platform like Reddit, but it removes anonymity and adds transparency. The app lets you see what smart money investors are buying and selling – in real-time – all while letting you see their reason why. This way, you know whether investors have skin in the game, or whether they only talk a big game. It’s a great way to get insights that support your investing strategy.


To learn more and sign-up today go to commonstock.com.


CAPCHASE

https://www.capchase.com/room


Today’s show is sponsored by Capchase.


Capchase is a new financing option for fast-growing startups. They are offering Where It Happens listeners .25% off their first draw, preferred onboarding, and more. Their main product Capchase Grow lets you tap into your future revenue today, meaning you can reinvest in your business faster. We love what they are offering to business owners.

To learn more go to capchase.com/room

27 May 2024I can't believe he gave away these genius 7 profitable startup ideas01:15:40

Join us for an engaging conversation with Cody Schneider, Co-founder of Swell AI, as we explore a variety of business ideas and opportunities ideal for first-time entrepreneurs. In this episode, we cover everything from marketing agencies and SaaS startups to talent management agencies. Cody shares his proven framework for taking any business from 0 to 1, providing valuable insights for aspiring founders. Whether you're looking to start your first million-dollar business or just curious about entrepreneurial strategies, this episode is packed with actionable advice and inspiration. Don’t miss this essential guide to launching a successful startup!

🚀 My FREE 5 day email course to learn how to build a business of the future using the ACP
funnel:https://www.communityempire.co/free-course

🎯 To build your own portfolio businesses powered by community you might enjoy my membership

You'll get my full course with all my secrets on building businesses, peer-groups to keep you accountable, business ideas every single month and more!

Spots are limited.

https://www.communityempire.co/

📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free:

https://www.gregisenberg.com

70,000+ people are already subscribed.


FIND ME ON SOCIAL


X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND CODY ON SOCIAL

Cody’s startup: https://www.swellai.com/
X/Twitter: https://tinyurl.com/5fjdn8d7
LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/28e89f5r

Cody’s Keyword Google Sheet: https://tinyurl.com/4n8wx8th

To improve your rankings your business on Google and using AI for SEO, sign up to boringmarketing.com

Episode Timestamp
00:00 Intro

02:53 First business: Local only marketing agency

20:27 Second business:Influencer marketing as a service

28:40 Third business: Google Ads agency for XYZ

40:28 Fourth business: Quickbooks app development studio

46:01 Fifth business: TikTok SEO as a service

54:35 Sixth business: A&R and talent agency for music artists

1:04:07 Seventh business: Newsletter acquisition

22 Jul 20243 crypto startup ideas: dating app, luxury watch marketplace, tutoring platform01:01:22

Join us for an engaging conversation with Ben Rubin, Co-Founder and CEO of Here Not There Labs, as we explore a wide range of startup ideas and business opportunities

1) Dating app with on-chain reputation:
‱ Track user behavior (response time, follow-through on dates)
‱ Use data to predict compatibility
‱ Reward good actors, discourage bad behavior

2) Luxury watch marketplace:
‱ Use RFID & blockchain to verify authenticity
‱ Create NFTs tied to physical watches
‱ Enable trusted P2P transactions
‱ Build exclusive communities for watch enthusiasts

3) Tutoring/coaching platform:
‱ Match students with teachers based on "fit" not just reputation
‱ Track engagement & retention to measure success
‱ Create efficient markets for education

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: gregisenberg.com/30startupideas

🚀 My FREE 5 day email course to learn how to build a business of the future using the ACP funnel:
https://www.communityempire.co/free-course

🎯 To build your own portfolio businesses powered by community you might enjoy my membership.

You'll get my full course with all my secrets on building businesses, peer-groups to keep you accountable, business ideas every single month and more!

Spots are limited.

https://www.communityempire.co/

📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free:

https://www.gregisenberg.com

70,000+ people are already subscribed.

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/


FIND BEN ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://x.com/benrbn
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rubinben/

To improve your rankings your business on Google and using AI for SEO, sign up to

boringmarketing.com

Episode Timestamps:

0:00 Intro
02:32 Crypto and Blockchain’s value proposition

12:53 Startup Idea 1: Dating app with on-chain reputation

27:28 Startup Idea 2: Luxury watch marketplace

46:10 Startup Idea 3: Tutoring/coaching platform

17 Feb 20257 validated startup ideas that will make $100K/month (and how to grow them)00:45:09

Join us for an engaging conversation with Cody Schneider, Co-Founder and CEO of Swell AI, as we explore a wide range of AI startup ideas and business opportunities with detailed analysis of market opportunities, implementation strategies, and potential revenue models.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction and technical setup
01:31 - Startup Idea 1: Lightroom Preset SaaS
04:41 - Startup Idea 2: Domain Portfolio for Lead Gen
10:56 -Startup Idea 3: E-commerce newsletter AI tools
15:19 -Startup Idea 4: High-LTV SaaS Services
20:08 - Startup Idea 5: Productized Service  Agency
28:11 - Startup Idea 6: Dog park bar concept
32:53 - Startup Idea 7: Micro app Studio

Key Points:
‱ Detailed discussion of an AI-powered Lightroom preset subscription business opportunity
‱ Analysis of e-commerce newsletter AI tools and market potential
‱ Exploration of physical business concept: Dog park combined with bar
‱ Discussion of micro-apps trend and opportunity in riding viral waves

1) Lightroom Preset SaaS

Photographers spend $$$ on presets. Time to disrupt.
‱ Build AI tool to generate Lightroom presets from sample photos
‱ Convert XML packets at scale
‱ $29/month subscription model
‱ Target Adobe users on FB ads

Infinite margins. Just code.

2) Domain Portfolio for Lead Gen

Law firms do it. Now apply it everywhere.
‱ Buy 1000+ exact-match domains for niche keywords
‱ Rank organically (still works!)
‱ Bundle leads to specific industries
‱ Sell entire portfolio to PE firms

40k+ per lead in some niches 

3) AI for Ecomm Newsletters

People hate coding email templates.
‱ AI chat interface for newsletter design
‱ Product storytelling automation
‱ Holiday campaign generation
‱ Template modification without code

Klaviyo users desperate for this.

4) Lalo Agency Play

New CRM taking music industry by storm.
‱ Help artists build fan lists
‱ Run targeted merch giveaways
‱ Geographic targeting for tours
‱ Less than $1 cost per signup

All major labels switching over 

5) Dog Park Bar Concept

The millennial country club is here.

‱ Combine dog park + bar
‱ Add app for daily dog updates
‱ Target high-income dog owners
‱ Members-only model potential

4pm is packed every day 

6) Micro AI Apps Studio

Text-behind-image went viral. More coming.

- Build simple, focused AI tools
‱ Ride viral trends
‱ Credit pack monetization
‱ $7/week pricing psychology

Adobe does this. Why not you?

7) High-LTV SaaS Services

Find tools people pay for but barely use.
‱ Target Klaviyo, HubSpot, Sage
‱ Build productized service
‱ Create digital assets/templates
‱ Add custom plugins

25k+ customer LTV 

Notable Quotes:
"Labels are like a bank. That's all they turned into." - Cody Schneider

"Find trends. That's a very hard thing, I think, for the average person to do. But I think to that point, I think it's gonna get easier and easier to see these trends that are occurring." - Cody Schneider

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND CODY ON SOCIAL
Cody’s startup: https://www.swellai.com/
X/Twitter: https://tinyurl.com/5fjdn8d7
LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/28e89f5r

28 Dec 2023My Year In Review: Lessons To Make 2024 Your Best Year Yet00:36:00

In this special end-of-year episode, Greg looks back at his biggest wins, biggest losses, business epiphanies, productivity unlocks, and so much more. 


📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free: https://www.gregisenberg.com/


70,000+ people are already subscribed.


FIND ME ON SOCIAL


Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg


Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/


LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

TIMESTAMPS


0:00 Intro

0:47 Big wins

07:11 Big losses

11:16 Business epiphanies

18:56 Productivity unlocks

22:11 Audience growth 

28:20 Game-changing products

36:22 Net worth & investment breakdown

39:26 Business updates

18 Dec 2024The framework for building AI startups from a product design genius00:42:51

Join me as I chat with Mike Hudack, CEO of Sling Money, as we deep dive into AI startup strategy by discussing frameworks for building AI companies, product development approaches, and go-to-market strategies. The conversation covers practical advice for entrepreneurs considering AI ventures, from choosing between B2B and B2C models to pricing strategies and competition analysis. Hudack shares insights from his experience at Facebook and current venture Sling Money.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
02:12 - AI agent framework and startup ideas
08:19 - Discussion of successful AI companies
16:20 - B2B vs B2C strategy
19:28 - Product development philosophy
25:20 - How to think about Competitors 
28:40 - Go-to-market strategies
33:46 - Pricing and monetization discussion
39:16 - Mark Zuckerberg's Perspective on AI

Key Points:
‱ Framework for AI agents: single clear action, instant feedback, bounded decisions, zero friction
‱ Three promising AI companies discussed: Greenlight (fin-crime), Granola (note-taking), Gradient Labs (customer service)
‱ B2C vs B2B strategy: B2C has higher potential but higher risk, B2B offers more predictable outcomes
‱ Product development approach: focus on solving genuine pain points and building with meaning

1) On picking AI startup ideas:

Look for repetitive, time-consuming tasks that:
‱ Have clear actions
‱ Provide instant feedback
‱ Make bounded decisions
‱ Create zero friction

Examples: Flight booking, restaurant reservations, scheduling

2) The most promising AI companies right now:

‱ Green Lite - Automating financial compliance
‱ Granola - AI-powered collaborative note-taking
‱ GradientLabs - Next-gen customer service
‱ Domu - AI debt collection with empathy

All solving specific, manual problems with tight feedback loops.

3) Framework for choosing what to build:

Run a "regret minimization" exercise:
‱ Imagine yourself 5-10 years in the future
‱ Consider all possible outcomes
‱ Pick something meaningful you'd be proud to work on
‱ Must be excited to wake up for it every day

4) On B2B vs B2C products:

B2B:
‱ Easier to validate
‱ Clear path to revenue
‱ Lower failure rate
‱ Smaller outcomes

B2C:
‱ Bigger potential upside
‱ Harder to get right
‱ Need to catch lightning
‱ More glory (if it works)

5) On pricing AI products:

Formula:
(Human labor cost saved + Emotional damage prevented) × (20-50% discount) = Your price

Pro tip: You CAN raise prices later if you build something people truly love.

6) Go-to-market strategy for AI products:

‱ Build in public
‱ Create early waitlists
‱ Find your core believers
‱ Let them help shape the product
‱ Focus on native content for your audience's platform

7) On competition:

Don't be afraid to copy primitives (basic features everyone needs)

BUT:
‱ Stay true to your vision
‱ Keep a mental tab on competitors
‱ Don't get sucked into being reactive
‱ Maintain consistent narrative

Most important lesson: Build something YOU deeply care about. The most successful products come from genuine passion, not just market opportunity.

Notable Quotes:
"We don't make services to make money, we make money to make better services." - Mike Hudack (citing Walt Disney/Facebook)
"If you build a thing which is beautiful and people love and has a place in their lives, you can charge more for it later." - Mike Hudack

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co/

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND MIKE ON SOCIAL

Mike’s Website: https://hudack.com/
X/Twitter: https://x.com/mhudack
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mhudack/
Sling Money: https://sling.money/

27 Aug 20245 validated startup ideas to get you paid (steal these $1M+/year ideas)00:43:33

I’m joined by Chris Koerner who owns 8 RV parks + 7 companies, as we jam on 5 ideas he would start tomorrow:

1) Content Management for underserved platforms 

‱ Instagram Reels can be cross-posted to Facebook
‱ FB Reels get massive organic reach (100k+ views/hr)
‱ Clickable links allowed in comments (unlike IG)
‱ Opportunity: Build a tool/agency to automate this for creators

2) Programmatic SEO Franchise

‱ Use tools like Zapier, TagParrot, Whalesync to create 1000s of local landing pages
‱ Target undersaturated home services niches
‱ Sell as a "business in a box" for $10k + monthly fee
‱ Cheaper than a franchise, potentially huge ROI

3) Viral-Content Finder

‱ Content often goes viral on one platform, unknown on others
‱ AI could scan for viral content in your niche across platforms
‱ Automatically repurpose & post to your accounts
‱ Bonus: Add viral potential prediction feature

4) "Lifetime Warranty" DTC Brand 

‱ Inspired by Shady Rays ($130M sunglasses brand)
‱ Offer lifetime replacements, factor cost into pricing
‱ Apply to other niches: flip flops, accessories, etc.
‱ Key: High margins + emotional connection to product

5) Shopify Abandoned Cart Call Center 

‱ Human outreach converts WAY better than automated messages
‱ Target high AOV Shopify stores (100$+)
‱ Offer no upfront cost, take % of recovered sales

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas 

🎯 To build your own portfolio businesses powered by community you might enjoy my membership.

You'll get my full course with all my secrets on building businesses, peer-groups to keep you accountable, business ideas every single month and more!

Spots are limited.

https://www.communityempire.co/

📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free:

https://www.gregisenberg.com/

70,000+ people are already subscribed.

To improve your rankings your business on Google and using AI for SEO, sign up to

http://boringmarketing.com/

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND CHRIS ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://x.com/mhp_guy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekoerneroffice/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thekoerneroffice/videos

0:00 Intro
02:16 Startup Idea 1: Content Management for underserved platforms 
10:24 Startup Idea 2:  Programmatic SEO Franchise
19:21 Startup Idea 3:  Viral-Content Finder
27:15 Startup Idea 4:  "Lifetime Warranty" DTC Brand 
30:46 Startup Idea 5:  Shopify Abandoned Cart Call Center 
35:09 Most Valuable Platform for Personal Brand Discussion 
39:42 Greg’s Elon Story

16 Mar 2023Sabbaticals in the Age of AI: Finding Opportunity Amidst Job Automation with David Spinks00:54:23

Today Greg is joined by David Spinks, the founder of CMX and author of The Business of Belonging: How to Make Community Your Competitive Advantage. In this episode, Greg and David talk about sabbaticals, bots as community managers, and having a personal board of advisors.

â–șâ–șSubscribe to Greg's weekly newsletter for insights on community,
creators and commerce.You'll also find out when new and exclusive
episodes come out from Where it Happens. And it's totally free.

https://latecheckout.substack.com

FIND ME ON SOCIAL:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@gregisenberg

LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:
Production Team:
https://www.bigoceanpodcasting.com
David Spinks:
https://davidspinks.com
https://twitter.com/DavidSpinks

SHOW NOTES:
0:00 - Intro
0:50 - Sabbaticals: Why you should take one
7:55 - AI community managers
23:55 - Ethics around bots in communities
31:30 - What's next for David Spinks
34:50 - Advice from Seth Godin, Ryan Hoover, Scott Heiferman and others (sort of)

18 Sep 2024Learn how to win on the internet in 28 min [tiktok shop, trends, building cult brands]00:28:52

Join me as I sit down with Oren John, the internet's creative director who's worked with major brands like Red Bull, Ciroc, Grey Goose, and YRB. Together, we explore the game-changing potential of TikTok Shop and how creators are using the platform to build thriving businesses. Oren shares his expert insights on the role of luxury, craftsmanship, and storytelling in product design, and how these elements can elevate your brand. If you're curious about using TikTok to grow your business, this conversation is packed with valuable takeaways!

Timestamps: 
00:00 Intro
00:55 Startup Idea 1: Collectible Pokemon iPhone Case
10:22 TikTok Shop is a game-changer
15:10 The power of creator communities
18:38 TikTok Shop success formula
21:40 Oren’s tech stack and tools
24:37 YouTube vs TikTok
26:29 Oren's content creation philosophy

1) Startup Idea 1: Collectible Pokemon iPhone Case
‱ Combines collectibility and utility
‱ A product’s utility is the best way to standout on the interet
‱ Tap into current trends to leverage the zeitgeist

2) TikTok Shop is a game-changer:
‱ Scale through affiliate creators
‱ Brands pay $1,500-$2,500/month retainer
‱ Creators earn 20% commission on sales
"Kids aged 20-25 are making 10-25k/month off these commissions" - Oren

3) The power of creator communities:
‱ Discord channels like "Your First Dollar"
‱ Brands recruit creators for TikTok Shop
‱ Learn video creation, hooks, and editing
Pro tip: Brands can find pre-trained creators here 

4) TikTok Shop success formula:
‱ Wide demographic reach
‱ Multiple creators across age/race/gender
‱ Leverage Amazon for fulfillment
Example: Goalie (gummy brand) offering Rolex, Lamborghini as affiliate incentives 

5) Content creation golden rule:
‱ Provide saveable, shareable value
‱ Entertain (replace Netflix experience)
‱ Or fail
"So many people fall in that third bucket because they go say, I'm going to talk about my brand story" - Oren

6) TikTok vs Youtube:
‱ TikTok algo allows for hyper-specific targeting
‱ TikTok has wider reach than YouTube for niche products
‱ Youtube is a less direct sales driver
‱ Youtube is great for brand building
‱ Long-form content still valuable
Hot take: "YouTube as a primary sales driver for most businesses" is outdated

7) Oren's content creation philosophy:
‱ 1) Value 2)entertainment 3)brand story
‱ Tell stories, not just facts
‱ Create content people want to bookmark
‱ Focus on your area of expertise
"I want your director to drop it in the Slack channel and be like, why aren't we doing this?" - Oren

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas 

🎯 To build your own portfolio businesses powered by community you might enjoy my membership.

You'll get my full course with all my secrets on building businesses, peer-groups to keep you accountable, business ideas every single month and more!

Spots are limited.

https://www.communityempire.co/

📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free:

https://www.gregisenberg.com/

70,000+ people are already subscribed.

To improve your rankings your business on Google and using AI for SEO, sign up to

http://boringmarketing.com/

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND OREN ON SOCIAL
X/Twitter: https://x.com/orenmeetsworld
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orenmeetsworld/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/orenj/

18 May 2023400k Followers in 100 Days in an AI World00:44:00

Today Greg is joined by Roberto Nickson, the entrepreneur and designer building Eluna AI, Metav3rse & MV3. In this episode, Greg and Roberto talk about how to win the game of social media using AI.

â–șâ–șSubscribe to Greg's weekly newsletter for insights on community,
creators and commerce.You'll also find out when new and exclusive
episodes come out from Where it Happens. And it's totally free.

https://latecheckout.substack.com

FIND ME ON SOCIAL:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@gregisenberg

LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:
Production Team:
https://www.bigoceanpodcasting.com
Roberto Nickson:
https://www.youtube.com/@RobertoNickson
https://twitter.com/rpnickson

SHOW NOTES:
0:00 - Intro
2:42 - Why you probably need an alt account
10:27 - Roberto's advice for new creators
19:26 - Go slow to go fast
30:33 - Roberto gazes into the AI crystal ball



12 Apr 2024Brainstorming AI startup ideas with Kevin Rose01:02:27

I’m joined by Kevin Rose, serial entrepreneur and technology investor. We discuss some of his best startup ideas: creating interactive podcasts with the help of AI, a nostalgic TV experience with old shows and commercials, using AI to talk to the dead, and so much more.

🚀  My FREE 5 day email course to learn how to build a business of the future using the ACP funnel:

https://www.communityempire.co/free-course

🎯 To build your own portfolio businesses powered by community you might enjoy my membership.

You'll get my full course with all my secrets on building businesses, peer-groups to keep you accountable, business ideas every single month and more!

Spots are limited.

https://www.communityempire.co/

📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free:

https://www.gregisenberg.com

70,000+ people are already subscribed.

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg

Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND KEVIN ROSE ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevinrose
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinrose/

Episode Timestamps

00:00 How to come up with million-dollar ideas
03:00 Products that were ahead of their time
12:20 First business idea: AI-powered podcast app
28:48 Second business idea: Normie TV
37:00 How Telly is reinventing TV
42:58 Third business idea: Using AI to talk to the dead

14 Feb 2024The Co-Founder Of A $75M+ Company Gave Me His BEST Business Ideas00:53:03

I'm joined by Alex Lieberman, Co-founder & Executive Chairman of Morning Brew. We discuss some of the hottest trends and opportunities for entrepreneurs in 2024, how creators can successfully monetize their newsletter and the best ways to innovate an existing business.

🚀  My FREE 5 day email course to learn how to build a business of the future using the ACP funnel: https://www.communityempire.co/

🎯 To build your own portfolio businesses powered by community you might enjoy my membership.

You'll get my full course with all my secrets on building businesses, peer-groups to keep you accountable, business ideas every single month and more!

Spots are limited. https://www.skool.com/community-empire-6150/about

📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free: https://www.gregisenberg.com/

70,000+ people are already subscribed.

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter:

https://twitter.com/gregisenberg

Instagram:

https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND ALEX ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/businessbarista
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-lieberman/

If you enjoy the podcast, consider leaving a review to help others discover the show :)

Episode Timestamps

00:00 Why content curation is a superpower
01:00 First business idea: The new Sports Illustrated
08:21 How to monetize a newsletter
13:21 How to rejuvenate an existing business
19:09 Second business idea: A modern-day Weight Watchers
28:30 Trend to watch out for: In-person peer groups
35:14 Third business idea: Software recommendations for entrepreneurs
40:17 Fourth business idea: Content curation as a service
52:19 Where to find Alex

03 Mar 2025How I find $130K/month AI SaaS Opportunities hiding in plain sight00:26:11

In this episode I share my exact framework for identifying profitable AI SaaS business opportunities by focusing on manual workflows that could be automated. We focus on export buttons and other manual processes in enterprise software as indicators of workflow breakdowns that AI could solve. The framework breaks down to solving niche problems, charging immediately for solutions, and focusing on quantifiable ROI.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
02:50 - The Export Button Theory of AI Opportunity
04:03 - Step 1: Identifying Repetitive Pain Points
08:31 - Step 2: Adding Intelligence to Manual Processes
10:53 - Step 3: Identifying Data Silos that Need Bridging
12:47 - Step 4: Finding Missing Connections Between Tools
14:12 - Step 5: Start Small, Grow Naturally
16:55 - Exploring Additional Manual Buttons for Startup Ideas
19:03 - The QuickBooks Export Gold Mine
20:43 - Your First 30 Days: Getting Started with Your AI SaaS Startup
24:02 - Final Thoughts on AI Startup Opportunities

Key Points:
‱ The "Export Button Theory" - Every export button in software represents a business opportunity worth $10,000-30,000/month
‱ Five-step framework for finding AI SaaS opportunities
‱ Manual buttons in software (like "generate report," "schedule meeting," "upload CSV") represent AI automation opportunities

1) The Export Button Theory of AI Opportunity 

Every time a user clicks "export" in software, they're signaling:
‱ A workflow breakdown
‱ Manual labor that could be automated
‱ A potential $10-30K/month feature

2) The 5-step framework for finding these opportunities:

Step 1: Identify repetitive pain points 

Watch how people use enterprise software daily:
‱ Exporting data to reformat it (Salesforce → Excel → PowerPoint)
‱ Copying between tools (Jira → Slack)
‱ Building the same reports weekly
‱ Maintaining spreadsheets manually

3) Step 2: Add intelligence to manual processes 

Every manual task is an LLM opportunity:
‱ Turn Stripe exports into AI-powered revenue analysis ($50-100K MRR)
‱ Convert CRM data into AI-formatted presentations ($80-120K MRR)
‱ Generate sentiment trends from support tickets ($30-70K MRR)

4) Step 3: Bridge data silos 

Look for phrases like:
"I need to pull this data every week"
"I wish I could see this alongside that"
"We keep this in a separate spreadsheet"

5) Step 4: Find missing connections between tools 

Watch for "I wish these two things worked together":

‱ HR system + Payroll → AI opportunity: automatic sync with anomaly detection
‱ CRM + Marketing automation → AI opportunity: bi-directional sync with AI prioritization

6) Step 5: Start small, grow naturally 

The MOST successful AI SaaS businesses:
‱ Pick a specific niche big players ignore
‱ Focus on ONE painful workflow
‱ Make it 10x better with AI
‱ Let AI suggest next actions
‱ Charge immediately (if solving real pain, people will pay day one)

 7) Beyond the export button, look for these manual buttons in software:
‱ "Generate Report" → AI opportunity: automatic insight generation ($2.5B market)
‱ "Schedule Meeting" → AI opportunity: context-aware scheduling ($1.8B market)
‱ "Upload CSV" → AI opportunity: intelligent data processing ($3.2B market)

8) The QuickBooks goldmine 

‱ 250M financial reports exported annually
‱ Each export = 45-90 mins of manual work
‱ Value of time: $75-150 per export
‱ Total addressable market: $12-18B annually

This is just ONE platform with massive opportunity!

9)  Your first 30 days roadmap:

Days 1-5: Select software with high export volume, research communities
Days 6-10: Interview power users about export habits
Days 11-20: Build minimal prototype (using V0, Lovable, Bolt, etc.)
Days 21-30: Get 3-5 PAYING beta users


Notable Quotes:
"Every export button in software represents a business opportunity. When a user clicks export, what are they saying to us? They're basically saying this software doesn't do what I need to, so I'm taking my data elsewhere to do manual work."

"The best AI opportunities aren't where everyone is looking. They're hiding in these mundane, repetitive tasks that knowledge workers are doing every single day."

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

02 Mar 2023How Bigger Pockets Grew to 2M+ Members00:54:53

Today Greg is joined by Josh Dorkin, the founder of Bigger Pockets, a community helping millions of members learn how to invest in real estate. In this episode, Greg and Josh talk about Josh's (sometimes) cautionary tale about the grind of building a community out of nothing.

â–șâ–șSubscribe to Greg's weekly newsletter for insights on community,
creators and commerce.You'll also find out when new and exclusive
episodes come out from Where it Happens. And it's totally free.

https://latecheckout.substack.com

FIND ME ON SOCIAL:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@gregisenberg

LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:
Production Team:
https://www.bigoceanpodcasting.com
Josh Dorkin:
https://www.biggerpockets.com/
https://twitter.com/jrdorkin


SHOW NOTES
0:00 - Intro
1:00 - The story behind Bigger Pockets
12:40 - Building an audience vs. Building a community
15:45 - Biggest challenges of running a community
18:18 - Protecting your brand
23:00 - Responsible monetization
28:44 - Creating products
32:57 - You don't need to be an expert
41:32 - Stop comparing 
47:47 - Josh's cautionary tale

18 Apr 20243 Easy to Start Big Startup Ideas with Jordan Mix00:32:53

I’m joined by Jordan Mix, Operating Partner at Late Checkout, to discuss some of the best business ideas on his mind: a productivity app that will kill Notion, the “upside down” desktop app, a brand-in-a-box service for internet-native companies, and so much more.

🚀 My FREE 5 day email course to learn how to build a business of the future using the ACP funnel: https://www.communityempire.co/


🎯 To build your own portfolio businesses powered by community you might enjoy my membership.

You'll get my full course with all my secrets on building businesses, peer-groups to keep you accountable, business ideas every single month and more!


Spots are limited.


https://www.skool.com/community-empire-6150/about


📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free: https://www.gregisenberg.com


70,000+ people are already subscribed.

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg

Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/


FIND JORDAN ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrdnmix
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-mix1/

05 Mar 2025My honest review of AI Product Designer backed by Y-Combinator (v0 Users Need to See This)00:30:43

In this episode, I test Polymet AI, an AI product designer tool, by creating a YouTube analytics prediction SaaS concept inspired by a viral tweet about predicting tweet performance. I compare Polymet AI with V0, keep in mind that while Polymet required multiple prompts and offered less feedback during the design process, both tools ultimately produced usable designs. 

Timestamps: 
00:00 - Intro
02:33 - First Impressions of Polymet
03:57 - Startup Idea: Predicting YouTube Engagement
05:03 - Initial Design Prompt
10:11 - Polymet’s First Design Output: TubePredict
11:04 - UI and Functionality Issues and Debugging
16:08 - Polymet’s Second Design Output
17:44 - Debugging pt 2
20:48 - Prompting v0 
22:30 - v0’s Design Output 
23:41 - Polymet’s Third Design Output
24:49 - Comparing v0 and Polymer and Final Thoughts on Design Outputs
27:36 - Conclusion and Recommendations for AI Design Tools

Key Points

‱ I test Polymet AI, a new AI product designer tool, that claims to help non-designers create production-ready designs
‱ I compare Polymet AI with v0 by having them design a YouTube analytics prediction tool
‱ Both tools produced functional designs, but with different user experiences and output quality

1) First impressions of Polymet AI:

‱ Clean interface similar to ChatGPT
‱ Includes voice input (huge plus!)
‱ Image upload capability for reference designs
‱ Credit-based system (250 free credits to start)
‱ 50 credits per page generation

2) The design process with Polymet was... interesting.

PROS:
‱ Named the product "TubePredict" automatically
‱ Created decent landing page copy
‱ Saved version history

CONS:
‱ Slow generation (2+ minutes)
‱ No progress indicator (frustrating!)
‱ Initial designs missed the mark completely 

3) After 3 attempts with increasingly specific prompts, Polymet finally delivered:

‱ Clean, modern interface
‱ Detailed A/B testing dashboard
‱ Statistical confidence indicators
‱ AI suggestions for optimization

But the communication was ONE-WAY. No feedback loop!

4) Meanwhile, v0 showed its strengths:

‱ Real-time reasoning as it designed
‱ Conversational approach ("I'll create a SaaS that...")
‱ Faster FEELING process (transparency helps!)
‱ Ability to ask clarifying questions

The difference in experience was NIGHT and DAY.

5) The final designs were surprisingly similar in quality!

Polymet's strengths:
‱ More detailed product features
‱ Hover states built in
‱ Actual code generation

v0's advantages:
‱ Slightly more polished visually
‱ More "glassy" as requested
‱ Better feedback loop

6) MAJOR INSIGHT: The future isn't about finding ONE perfect AI design tool.

It's about using MULTIPLE tools strategically:
‱ Generate initial concepts in one
‱ Refine in another
‱ Mix and match their strengths

Just like we do with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, etc.

7) The REAL lesson? Knowing design terminology matters!

When I specifically requested "glassmorphism" instead of just saying "glassy," both tools performed MUCH better.

The more precise your design vocabulary, the better your AI design results.

8) Would I recommend these tools? YES - but with expectations in check.

Two years ago this would have been MIND-BLOWING.
Today, our standards are higher.

But for quick prototyping or inspiration, both tools deliver value in different ways.


Notable Quotes:

"Two years ago, if I would have seen this, I would have been like, 'Oh my God, everything has changed.' And now our bar for all these AI products is so high that the output needs to be incredible for you to really use it in your workflow."

"How do you get the most out of them is just you use all of them, you realize what's best for each individual product... There's these nuances that make these products better."

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

18 Nov 20243 AI startup ideas to build in 2025 (and how to grow them)00:49:56

In this episode, I am joined by Arvid Kahl, CEO and Founder of Podscan, as we explore a wide range of AI startup ideas and business opportunities

Episode Timestamps: 
00:00 Intro
04:09 Startup Idea 1: AI Co-Founder
21:07 Startup Idea 2: Silent Refactoring as a Service
37:00 Startup Idea 3: Niche-specific AI-powered content curation

1) AI Co-Founder: Your 24/7 virtual partner with ZERO equity 
‱ Trains on your business data
‱ Handles marketing, sales, strategy
‱ Interacts with other AI agents for fresh ideas
‱ Potential pricing: $50-100/month to start

2-4) AI Co-Founder cont'd:
‱ Customizable personality (Elon-like? Thiel-like?)
‱ Reduces co-founder drama
‱ Ideal for solo founders wearing multiple hats
‱ Scalable SaaS model with potential for AI-AI interactions

5) Silent Refactoring as a Service: Your code's guardian angel 
‱ Constantly analyzes and improves your codebase
‱ Runs simulations to test performance
‱ Suggests optimizations based on future roadmap
‱ Fully tested, commented code delivered via PRs

6-7) Refactoring Service cont'd:
‱ Pricing models:
A) Per repository
B) Frequency of experiments
C) Value-based (replacing 3 full-time devs)
‱ Start at $50-100/month, scale with capabilities

8) Niche-specific AI-powered content curation 
‱ Aggregate data from various sources (podcasts, social, magazines)
‱ Summarize for specific industries (e.g., medical, equestrian)
‱ Personalize content format (text, audio, video) per user
‱ Potential for paid newsletters or SaaS products

9) Content curation tips:
‱ Choose a niche you're already part of
‱ Leverage AI for summarization and personalization
‱ Start with free content, add premium features
‱ Use as a wedge to build industry-specific SaaS later

10) Key takeaway: AI enables solo founders to tackle bigger problems! 

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co/

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND ARVID ON SOCIAL
Podscan: https://podscan.fm
X/Twitter: https://x.com/arvidkahl
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB6s-V1Ls4vc_mXEF-4Lz_Q

01 Jan 202510 Newsletter Business Ideas to start in 2025 00:39:29

In this episode, I share comprehensive guide to launching profitable newsletter businesses in 2025, focusing on niche markets and proven monetization strategies. The episode covers various newsletter concepts ranging from local news to B2B decision-makers, with detailed implementation steps and revenue projections for each model. Special emphasis is placed on using newsletters as a foundation to build larger businesses through multiple revenue streams.

Timstamps: 
‱ 00:00 - Intro
‱ 01:54 - Newsletter Idea 1: Marketing newsletter for global talent
‱ 08:03 - Newsletter Idea 2: Platform-based educational newsletters
‱ 11:24 - Newsletter Idea 3: Unofficial sports team coverage
‱ 13:03 - Newsletter Idea 4: Local real estate investor news
‱ 20:55 - Newsletter Idea 5: B2B decision maker
‱ 25:01 - Newsletter Idea 6: Niche ad examples for media buyers
‱ 26:37 - Newsletter Idea 7: Meme-based news coverage
‱ 29:23 - Newsletter Idea 8: Industry-specific AI tips
‱ 31:12 - Newsletter Idea 9: Leadership lessons and profiles
‱ 34:38 - Newsletter Idea 10: Local community newsletters
‱ 37:14 - Final Thoughts and Conclusion

Link Mentioned: 

Matt’s full article: https://www.newsletteroperator.com/p/10-newsletter-business-ideas

Matt’s Twitter/X: https://x.com/JMatthewMcGarry

Key Points:
‱ Detailed breakdown of 10 different newsletter business models with monetization strategies
‱ Focus on building profitable newsletters with low startup costs and high scalability
‱ Emphasis on combining paid acquisition (Facebook ads) with organic growth
‱ Strategy for turning newsletters into larger businesses (software, marketplaces, agencies)

1) Marketing Newsletter for Global Talent 

‱ Target overseas marketers seeking US jobs
‱ Cost: $0.25-0.50 per sub via FB ads

‱ Structure:
1) Remote job listings
2) Digital marketing news
3) Marketing tutorials

Monetization path to $28k/mo:
‱ Job board ($18k/mo)
‱ Recruiting blasts ($10k/mo)

2) Platform-Based Newsletter 

Pick ONE tool (Figma, Notion, Perplexity AI) and go deep.

The gold mine here:
‱ 20-50% recurring affiliate commissions
‱ Sell premium templates
‱ Potential acquisition by the platform
‱ Build & sell SaaS tools to your audience

3) Local Real Estate Investor Newsletter 

The math:
‱ 5-10k subs
‱ $2 CPA
‱ $7.5k/mo in ad revenue
‱ $50k from seminars
‱ $50k from premium subs

Total: $190k/year with just 10k subscribers!

4) B2B Decision Maker Newsletter 

The secret sauce:
‱ Need only 2k subs (if they're the right people)
‱ Target C-suite in specific industry
‱ Collect detailed subscriber data
‱ Charge premium for targeted access

5) Visual News & AI Newsletters 

Two massive opportunities:

A) Meme-based news
‱ 2-4 stories/day
‱ Prosumer focus (tech/finance)
‱ Visual over Text in 2024

B) Industry-specific AI tips
‱ Target specific verticals
‱ Focus on time/money saving
‱ $200/year subscription model

6) Local Community Newsletter 

The playbook:
‱ Focus on positive news
‱ Thursday "Weekend Plans" format
‱ $0.50 CPA possible
‱ Target high-LTV local sponsors

Real example: Naptown Scoop makes $400k/year in one city!

7) The bigger opportunity? 

Don't just think "newsletter"
Think "audience building machine" that can spawn:
‱ Software products
‱ Marketplaces
‱ Agencies
‱ Communities

Start with newsletter, expand into empire.

Pro tip: for ANY of these:
‱ Use pre/post CTAs on social
‱ Build one social channel alongside
‱ Collect subscriber data beyond email
‱ Think paid first, organic second

Pick one and start this weekend! 

Notable Quotes:

"Newsletter businesses are a cheat code... you can build a marketplace, you can build an agency, you can build so much on top of a newsletter."

"You don't need 100,000 subscribers to make $100,000 a year. With 5-10,000 subs, you can make $190,000 a year."

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

10 Mar 2025Launch a $1M+ Startup tomorrow (3 Data-Backed Market Trends)00:43:28

Im joined by Cody Schneider to jam on 3 trends/business ideas that will blow your mind. We analyze three main trends: the "buy it for life" movement (anti-consumerism focused on quality products), AI landing page builder for marketers, and TikTok templates. For each trend, we outline specific business models, monetization strategies, and tactical approaches to implementation.

Timestamps: 
00:00 - Intro
01:51 - Trend 1: The Buy It For Life
22:59 - Trend 2: AI Landing Page Builder
29:49 - Trend 3: TikTok Template Aggregator 
34:48 - Why we are in the Golden Age of Online Business Opportunities


Key Points:
‱ We discuss the "buy it for life" trend and how to build a directory website monetized through affiliate marketing
‱ We explore opportunities in AI landing page builders for digital marketing agencies
‱ We analyze the TikTok template trend and potential for creating a newsletter sharing viral formats
‱ We emphasize how easy it is to build online businesses in the current environment using AI tools
‱ We discuss strategies for building audiences on different platforms

1) The "Buy It For Life" Trend

69,000 monthly searches for people seeking products that LAST FOREVER instead of cheap disposables.

The subreddit r/BuyItForLife is EXPLODING with consumers sharing durable products across categories.

Here's the opportunity:

Build a directory website with:
‱ Beautiful UI (unlike Reddit's clunky interface)
‱ Filters by category
‱ Price drop alerts for premium products

Monetize through:
‱ Affiliate commissions
‱ Newsletter with exclusive deals
‱ Premium membership for instant alerts

Marketing strategy? Create value-packed Reddit posts with subtle domain signature.

2) AI Landing Page Builders

Digital marketers DESPERATELY need landing pages that match ad keywords.

Current tools are clunky and time-consuming.

The opportunity:

Create an AI tool where you:
‱ Input brand aesthetics
‱ Generate landing page templates instantly
‱ Deploy to subdomains with one click
‱ Modify with point-and-click

Target audience? Digital marketing agencies running paid ads who need SPEED.

"But what about Webflow and Shopify adding AI?"

Cody: "That's VALIDATION! Lead Pages does $50M/year. It's a MASSIVE category with room for many players."

3) TikTok Template Trend

98,000 monthly searches from creators hunting for viral TikTok formats.

The opportunity:

Create a newsletter showing:
‱ This week's viral TikTok templates
‱ How brands can adapt them
‱ One-click editor access

Acquisition? Twitter threads breaking down viral formats with newsletter CTA.

Monetization:
‱ Free weekly version
‱ Premium daily version
‱ Eventually build video editor tech

BONUS IDEA: Reinvent Scott's Cheap Flights as a simple email newsletter with flight alerts from specific airports.

Cody's FINAL WISDOM:

"This is the GREATEST time ever to start online businesses. In an hour, you can have a company live with people on the website."

"Don't buy a laundromat during the greatest gold rush of all time."

Notable Quotes:

"I don't think people understand the moment that we're in right now. Like this is the greatest time ever to start online businesses." - Cody

"In an hour, you can have a company live and people on the website... We had it live in an hour. And then I put a tweet out and we drove, I think so far over like 20,000 people have gone to the website and we validated the idea." - Cody

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND CODY ON SOCIAL
Cody’s startup:  https://www.landingcat.com
X/Twitter: https://tinyurl.com/5fjdn8d7
LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/28e89f5r

01 Dec 2021Special: DAOing a Twitter Board Seat00:19:37

Jack Dorsey stepping down has created a pivotal moment in Twitter's history. Where do things go from here? Hosts Greg Isenberg (@gregisenberg) and Sahil Bloom (@sahilbloom) provide their takes on what can make Twitter take off. Part of the plan: they recommend giving the power to the people via a DAO.


Want more community? Learn more here: http://trwih.com


SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS


CAPCHASE

https://www.capchase.com/room

Today’s show is sponsored by Capchase.

Capchase is a new financing option for fast-growing startups. They are offering Where It Happens listeners .25% off their first draw, preferred onboarding, and more. Their main product Capchase Grow lets you tap into your future revenue today, meaning you can reinvest in your business faster. We love what they are offering to business owners.

To learn more go to capchase.com/room


MERCURY

https://mercury.com/partner/rwih

If you’re a founder, Mercury is the banking product you need.

Mercury offers FDIC-insured bank accounts, virtual & physical debit cards, international & domestic wires that are free to send, 3-click payment flows, and more. We personally use Mercury for our business banking with the podcast and Sahil is an investor.

Get started in minutes from anywhere.

09 Nov 2023Pomp's Newsletter Business Building Strategies00:36:47

I'm joined by investor and entrepreneur Anthony "Pomp" Pompliano. Pomp hosts The Pomp Podcast, with over 50 million downloads, and writes a daily letter read by 250,000+ investors.

We talk about Pomp's approach to building resilient media properties, thinking long-term, and his best book recommendations for internet business success.


â–șâ–șSubscribe to my weekly newsletter for insights on community, creators and commerce. You'll also find out when new and exclusive episodes come out from Where It Happens. And it's totally free.

https://latecheckout.substack.com

FIND ME ON SOCIAL
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@gregisenberga


BOOKS POMP MENTIONED

Unreasonable hospitality by John O'Leary

The Successor by Lachlan Murdoch

The 50th Law by Robert Greene and 50 Cent

Zero to One by Peter Thiel

Suleiman Ollian by Anonymous

How to Get Rich by Felix Dennis

Losing My Virginity by Richard Branson

The Rise and Fall of American Growth by Robert J. Gordon

Hidden Genius by Polina Marinova

The Outsiders by Will Thorndike

Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson

Urgency by John P. Kotter

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

Good Profit by Charles Koch

LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE

Production Team: https://podflow.com
Pomp on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APompliano
Pomp on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/anthonypompliano
Pomp's newsletter: https://pomp.substack.com


SHOW NOTES

  1. 0:15 - Anthony's provocative dinners for hidden beliefs
  2. 01:45 - Climate change evidence not as compelling
  3. 02:30 - Scarcity of unique perspectives in newsletters
  4. 03:00 - Click rates over open rates for engagement
  5. 03:45 - Media as repetitive software
  6. 04:15 - Bay Area Times' visual newsletters
  7. 05:15 - Unique Bitcoin perspective in Truth for the Commoner
  8. 06:00 - Bay Area Times' rapid growth
  9. 07:00 - Open rates for brand awareness, click rates for direct response
  10. 08:15 - Agora's focus on ecommerce conversions
  11. 10:15 - Monetization through hedge funds
  12. 11:15 - Joe Rogan's podcast profitability
  13. 14:00 - Bay Area Times' positive industry news
  14. 15:00 - Profitability before monetization for Bay Area Times
  15. 18:15 - Small teams and revenue for entrepreneurs
  16. 20:15 - Small teams for greater profitability
  17. 21:15 - Studying media greats like Rupert Murdoch
  18. 26:15 - Podcasts for expertise sharing
  19. 29:00 - Economic freedom and financial security
  20. 32:00 - Impactful employment business
  21. 33:00 - Small acts making the world better
  22. 34:45 - Pomp's book recommendation  
15 Feb 2022Will Meta Bounce Back? (with Nikita Bier)01:12:44

When Meta lost more than $230 billion almost overnight many people questioned -- is Meta done? On this episode of Where It Happens, former Meta employee Nikita Bier (@nikitabier) joins hosts Sahil Bloom (@sahilbloom) and Greg Isenberg (@gregisenberg) to explore if Meta can recover and how it might happen. They also explore decentralized mobile networks, the future of music, and how Web2 and Web3 can co-exist.


Want more community? Learn more here: http://trwih.com


SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS


Copy: This episode is brought to you by Beam. We can’t get enough of their Dream Powder. We both personally take this before bed a few times a week and wake up refreshed in the morning. Their nano-CBD helps improve your body’s ability to absorb CBD, making their product the perfect supplement before you go to bed. And now Beam is offering $20 off any order of $75 or more with the code ROOM at beamorganics.com/room.


This episode is also brought to you by OpenPhone. OpenPhone is an all-in-one business phone system that can help your startup look more credible—and it works right from your existing smartphone or computer. Each phone number comes with its own inbox for managing calls, texts, and voicemails together—making it easy to keep track of every conversation. Sign up and start using your new business number in minutes. Visit OpenPhone.co/room to save 20% on your first six months.

09 Dec 20243 AI app ideas that are goldmines (and how to grow them)00:41:48

In this episode, I am joined by Dan Shipper, co-Founder and CEO of Every, as we explore a wide range of AI startup ideas and business opportunities

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro
01:12 - Startup Idea 1: Advanced Voice Notes 
08:59 - Startup Idea 2: N of 1: Personalized Data Science Marketplace 
16:12 - Startup Idea 3: Great Books Reimagined
28:28 - Trend to Watch: Voice-First Products 
34:33 - Distribution Strategy for AI Apps

1) Advanced Voice Notes 

Imagine voice notes you can actually talk to!
- Record your thoughts while walking
‱ AI creates smart summaries
‱ Team members can "interview" the recording
‱ Get deeper context without endless follow-up questions

The future of media might be media you can talk to.

2) N of 1: Personalized Data Science Marketplace 

Remember Netflix's $1M algorithm challenge?
Now ANYONE can be a data scientist with GPT-4.
- Post personal/business datasets
‱ Set bounties for predictions
‱ Perfect for health tracking
‱ New way to do personalized science

Market size: Think Kaggle but for everyone.

3) Great Books Reimagined 

Classic literature is valuable but hard to digest.

The opportunity:
‱ AI-powered modern translations
‱ Format classics for specific audiences
‱ Create multimedia versions
‱ Add interactive elements

Two markets:
- Students (massive TAM)
- Business intellectuals (high willingness to pay)

4) The Luxury AI Paradox 

Key insight: As AI makes things cheaper, human-made becomes luxury.

Examples:
‱ Broadway shows
‱ Handmade clothing
‱ Mechanical watches

Opportunity: Look for what AI is making cheap, then create premium human-made alternatives.

5) Voice-First Products 

Huge trend: Kids growing up with voice interfaces (Apple Watch + Siri)

Opportunities:
‱ Voice-first travel booking
‱ Conversational commerce
‱ Voice-native discovery engines

TAM: Could capture 1-5% of existing markets just by being voice-first.

6) Distribution Strategy for AI Apps 

Dan's approach:
‱ Build media presence first
‱ Target like-minded audience
‱ Use early adopters for feedback
‱ Start with YouTube → funnel to email
‱ Product-led growth after initial traction

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND DAN ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://x.com/danshipper
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danshipper/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@EveryInc/videos
Every: https://every.to
Spiral: https://spiral.computer/
Sparkle: https://makeitsparkle.co

14 Apr 2022How to Leverage Nostalgia and Win at Marketing with Danny Trinh01:02:16

Brand storytelling is the future of marketing. In today’s digital society, businesses need to get creative to connect with their audience and truly pull at their heartstrings. Danny Trinh (@dtrinh), Design, New Platforms at Snap and consumer social legend, is our go-to guy when it comes to understanding social behavior. Danny joins us today for a fun conversation that takes us from Mike Posner’s crazy rattlesnake story to degenerate hackers, consumer hype cycles, consumer nostalgia, and the importance of storytelling.


â–șâ–ș Want more community? Learn more here: http://trwih.com


THIS EPISODE

Danny Trinh: https://twitter.com/dtrinh

Sahil Bloom: https://twitter.com/SahilBloom

Greg Isenberg: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg

Production & Marketing Team: https://penname.co/


FIND US ON SOCIAL

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_trwih

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_trwih

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@_trwih

Web: https://trwih.com

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6aB0v6amo3a8hgTCjlTlvh

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-it-happens/id1593424985


SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS


â–șâ–ș This episode is brought to you by Outer. Spring is in the air in both NYC and Miami, and we can’t get enough of our Outer outdoor furniture. Their furniture looks incredible and is durable. Personally, we love the Outdoor Loveseat.


Right now for our audience exclusively they are offering $300 off any product + free shipping until May 1. This is one of the most generous offers of any sponsor we’ve had. Did we mention they have a 2-week free trial? Go to https://www.liveouter.com/room to get the deal.


â–șâ–șThis episode is also brought to you by MarketerHire. MarketerHire provides on-demand access to pre-vetted, top-tier marketers who can freelance as much or as little as needed.


They’ve made it easy to hire great marketers. With pre-vetted talent and expert hand-matching, you can add a proven marketer to your team in less than a week.


Go to marketerhire.com to learn more.

31 Mar 2025Build $1000/day cash-flowing startup on beehiiv (here's how)01:16:59

Build your business with beehiiv: https://www.beehiiv.com/greg-isenberg?utm_campaign=Q22025-greg-isenberg-partnership&utm_medium=influencer&utm_source=podcast&utm_source_platform=podcast&via=greg-isenberg-Q22025&utm_marketing_tactic=awareness&utm_creative_format=podcast&utm_content=greg-isenberg&utm_term=greg-isenberg

Join me as I chat with Tyler Denk, co-founder of Beehiiv, to discuss how to grow a newsletter to 100,000 subscribers. He demonstrates Beehiiv’s platform features including customizable websites, subscriber data collection, automated welcome sequences, and multiple monetization options. Tyler emphasizes there's no "silver bullet" for growth—success comes from combining multiple strategies that each contribute incrementally to building a valuable audience asset.

Get the 5-step guide to 100K subscribers: www.gregisenberg.com/beehiiv-business

Timestamps
‱ 00:00 - Intro
‱ 02:58 - Overview of newsletter growth potential
‱ 04:03 - Website building and email capture features
‱ 15:00 - Subscriber data collection and welcome automations
‱ 25:00 - Cross-promotion and "Boost" network for growth
‱ 38:06 - Lead magnets and referral programs
‱ 55:00 - Customized email collection based on content  
‱ 1:08:35 - Monetization strategies (sponsorships, paid subscriptions)
‱ 1:10:55 - Final thoughts on consistency and getting started

Key Points
‱ Beehiiv’s all-in-one platform includes website building, email capture, subscriber data collection, referral programs, and monetization tools
‱ Multiple growth channels work together: lead magnets, email gating, referral programs, and cross-promotion with other newsletters
‱ Monetization comes through direct sponsorships, Beehiiv’s ad network, and the "Boost" feature where newsletters pay each other for subscriber referrals

1) Website & Email Capture Strategy

Beehiiv gives you a full website builder where you can create:
‱ Custom landing pages
‱ Email capture forms
‱ Pop-ups targeted by traffic source
‱ Different signup flows

The key? Create MULTIPLE entry points that convert 15-20% of visitors to subscribers.

Tyler's Windows 98-themed site stands out because it's INTENTIONALLY different!

2) The Subscribe Flow Magic

This is GENIUS:

After someone subscribes, Tyler shows:
‱ Sponsored newsletter recommendations
‱ A quick survey collecting demographic data
‱ A welcome page with popular content

This data helps him:
‱ Sell premium sponsorships
‱ Create targeted content
‱ Understand his audience (60% founders!)

3) Network Effects & Passive Growth

Tyler gets 200-300 FREE subscribers weekly through Beehiiv’s recommendation network!

How it works:
‱ Other newsletters recommend his in their subscribe flow
‱ He recommends others in his flow

"It's like getting $400-600 of value weekly just for existing on the platform" 

4) The Boost Network (Paid Acquisition)

Tyler spends $2-3K monthly buying subscribers through Beehiiv’s Boost marketplace.

‱ He pays $2.50 per subscriber
‱ Only pays for subscribers who ACTUALLY ENGAGE
‱ Has autopause features to cut off low-quality sources
‱ Manages 155+ acquisition sources in one dashboard

It's like a vending machine: put in $2.50, get $4 back!

5) Lead Magnets That Convert

Tyler shared his seed deck on Twitter (100K views) with a simple signup form.

The magic:
‱ Created a custom landing page in Beehiiv
‱ Set up a different signup flow (no recommendations)
‱ Built an automation to deliver the deck instantly
‱ Added new subscribers to his newsletter

Pro tip: Get sponsors for your lead magnets to fund MORE promotion!

6) The Referral Program (1% of growth)

Tyler built Morning Brew's referral program (led to 1M+ subscribers) and implemented a simpler version:

- 1 referral = Access to Series B deck (digital, zero cost)
‱ 3 referrals = $10 off merch (dropshipped, zero cost)


7) Monetization (The Engine)

Tyler makes $20-30K monthly through:

- Direct sponsorships ($7K per placement)
‱ Boost network referrals ($2-4 per subscriber)
‱ No paid subscription (though many make $100K+/year this way)

Beehiiv’s sponsorship storefront lets advertisers book directly with just a $10 transaction fee!


Notable Quotes:

"Writing weekly and sharing my thoughts online has probably been the highest leverage thing that I've done in my entire career. It's opened so many doors to angel investing, meeting other founders, meeting people who are doing really cool shit." - Tyler


LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND TYLER ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://x.com/denk_tweets
Big Desk Energy: https://www.bigdeskenergy.com

12 May 2022Are We Alone In The Universe? (with Tim Urban)01:14:20

Do advanced civilizations exist? Can psychedelics help us better understand ourselves? What goes on in Elon's mind? Can one episode answer all of these questions? When Tim Urban is the guest that's exactly what happens. Tim is an incredible writer known for his blog, Wait But Why, which has gained the respect of some of the world's brightest minds, including Elon Musk. He joins host Sahil Bloom to help answer many deep questions, including evidence that explains our place in the universe.


SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

â–șâ–ș Riverside is our go-to platform to record studio-quality podcasts or videos. We use it for all of our episodes of Where It Happens. Their secret sauce is the ability to record locally, which means you get uncompressed audio and video that works even if your WiFi isn’t cooperating.

Once you’re done recording, it’s so easy to edit and download all of your files. To get 15% off your plan, use code HAPPENS at https://riverside.fm/?via=wih


â–șâ–ș This episode is brought to you by Fundrise. Fundrise is on a mission to use technology to build a better financial system for the individual. With over $2.4B AUM and 250k active investors, it’s the largest direct-to-investor real estate investor platform in America.

Their platform is so easy to use and they make it so easy to diversify your portfolio. For a limited time if you sign-up, you can get $10 bonus. Just go to www.fundrise.com/room


â–șâ–ș Want more community? Learn more here: http://trwih.com


THIS EPISODE

Tim Urban: https://twitter.com/waitbutwhy

Sahil Bloom: https://twitter.com/SahilBloom

Production & Marketing Team: https://penname.co/


FIND US ON SOCIAL

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_trwih

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_trwih

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@_trwih

Web: https://trwih.com

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6aB0v6amo3a8hgTCjlTlvh

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-it-happens/id1593424985

04 Nov 20247 $1M+ AI startup ideas you can launch tomorrow with $000:50:01

Join us for an engaging conversation with Cody Schneider, Co-Founder and CEO of Swell AI, as we explore a wide range of AI startup ideas and business opportunities

Episode Timestamps: 
00:00 Intro
01:46 Startup Idea 1: AI-Generated UGC Ads 
16:10 Startup Idea 2: AI Infographic Generator 
21:14 Startup Idea 3: AI Journaling App 
30:10 Startup Idea 4: Novel DTC products 
36:39 Startup Idea 5: Creator Business Model 2.0
44:13 Startup Idea 6: AI Receptionist 

1) AI-Generated UGC Ads 
‱ Use AI avatars + scripts to create UGC-style ads at scale
‱ Test 100s of variations quickly and cheaply
‱ Use for paid ads AND organic social content
‱ Huge arbitrage opportunity right now

How to distribute:
‱ Run as Facebook ads to conversion event
‱ Post across multiple burner accounts on TikTok/Reels

2) AI Infographic Generator 
‱ 9,000 searches/month for "AI infographic generator"
‱ Turn blog posts into visually appealing infographics
‱ Save time and money for businesses

Distribution:
‱ SEO - exact match domain already acquired
‱ B2B sales - infographics proven to increase engagement

3) AI Journaling App 
‱ 8,100 searches/month, trending up fast
‱ Voice recording + transcription + AI insights
‱ Daily habit tracking + ability to query past entries

Growth strategy:
‱ Partner with journaling YouTubers (200+ videos, affiliate commissions)
‱ TikTok/Instagram influencer sponsorships

4) Creator Business Model 2.0 
‱ Short-form content → Lead magnet → Email list → Long-form YouTube
‱ Monetize through ads, sponsorships, and newsletter
‱ Scale to multiple channels/niches

Pro tip: Use community to ideate products for your audience

5/ AI Receptionist 
‱ Huge demand, especially for specific industries (dentists, etc.)
‱ Answers FAQs, schedules appointments, integrates with CRMs
‱ Outperforms human receptionists in many cases

Target market: Local businesses struggling to hire front desk staff

6) Novel DTC products 
‱ Create daily-use products with novel formats (e.g., toothpaste cubes)
‱ Focus on "clean living" trends
‱ Design for TikTok virality

Key: Make it a consumable for repeat purchases

7) AI-powered outbound calls 
‱ Use APIs like VAPI for managing calls
‱ Applications: Lead qualification, debt collection, appointment reminders
‱ Massive efficiency gains for businesses

Tip: Don't reinvent the wheel - find existing categories and remix with AI

Remember: Don't try to be too creative. Find validated markets and apply new tech to solve old problems better, faster, cheaper.

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas

Work with me and my team: LCA — world’s best product design firm to build apps, websites and brands people love. https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

Stop Building Websites That Look Good But Don’t Sell: https://www.designscientist.com/design-store?b=https://www.designscientist.com/

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND CODY ON SOCIAL
Cody’s startup: https://www.swellai.com/
X/Twitter: https://tinyurl.com/5fjdn8d7
LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/28e89f5r

10 Jun 2022Building From Scratch with Ryan Hoover01:06:43

Do you trust your gut? In today’s episode, we explore how the world's most disruptive innovations begin with just one small insight, share why successful founders need to embrace their niche, and why the best products & brands always seem obvious in hindsight. Hosts Sahil Bloom and Greg Isenberg are joined by Ryan Hoover, the builder who gave us Product Hunt and now runs Weekend Fund, an early-stage VC committed to “backing your next favorite thing.” Ryan is a serial entrepreneur and deep thinker who offers unprecedented insight into the future of fundraising and how one can generate wealth from hustle alone in this episode.


â–șâ–ș Want more community? Learn more here: http://trwih.com


SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS


â–șâ–ș This episode is brought to you by Fundrise. Fundrise is on a mission to use technology to build a better financial system for the individual. With over $2.4B AUM and 250k active investors, it’s the largest direct-to-investor real estate investor platform in America.


Their platform is so easy to use and they make it so easy to diversify your portfolio. For a limited time if you sign-up, you can get $10 bonus. Just go to www.fundrise.com/room


â–șâ–ș This episode is also brought to you by LMNT (http://DrinkLMNT.com/HAPPENS). LMNT is a delicious electrolyte drink mix with all of the things you need and none of the junk. It contains a science-backed electrolyte ratio: 1000 mg sodium, 200 mg potassium, 60 mg magnesium. LMNT can help prevent and eliminate headaches, muscle cramps, fatigue, sleeplessness, and other common symptoms of electrolyte deficiency. It tastes amazing and is great after a workout or one too many drinks :)


Right now LMNT is offering our listeners a free sample pack with any order. That’s 8 single serving packets FREE with any LMNT order. Get yours at http://drinklmnt.com/HAPPENS. And it’s so good they have a no questions asked refund policy but you won’t need it.


THIS EPISODE

Ryan Hoover: https://twitter.com/rrhoover

Sahil Bloom: https://twitter.com/SahilBloom

Greg Isenberg: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg

Production & Marketing Team: https://penname.co/


FIND US ON SOCIAL

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_trwih

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_trwih

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@_trwih

Web: https://trwih.com

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6aB0v6amo3a8hgTCjlTlvh

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-it-happens/id1593424985

21 Oct 2024The blueprint for building cash flowing online directories00:50:34

Join me as I chat with John Rush, a serial entrepreneur, as we dive deep into how to build and scale directories. John shares his strategies and frameworks to for how to use AI and SEO to build and scale cash flowing directories.

Episode Timestamps: 
00:00 Intro
01:12  Why directories
02:59 How to find directory ideas
08:43 Building your directory
19:47 Promoting your new directory:
23:27  SEO for Directory
29:53 Data/Content for Directory 
34:25 How to monetize Directory 
42:29 What are the multiples for Directory 
45:20 How large can a directory became

1) Why directories are hot right now:
‱ More content online = higher need for curation
‱ People trust well-curated directories
‱ Less SEO competition than other niches

2) How to find directory ideas:
‱ Use Google Keyword Planner
‱ Look for high search volume, low competition keywords
‱ Find available domain names that match or are close to target keywords

3) Building your directory:
‱ Use no-code tools (like Unicorn Platform) for speed
‱ Start simple - focus on listing items, not features
‱ Use AI to generate initial content and structure

4) Promoting your new directory:
‱ Share on relevant Reddit threads (carefully!)
‱ List your directory in other directories
‱ Engage on social media, especially Twitter
‱ Focus on SEO after initial validation

5) SEO strategy for directories:
‱ Start with ~10 high-quality articles
‱ Use tools or AI to generate SEO-optimized content
‱ Focus on internal linking and site structure
‱ Add trending items quickly to capture search traffic

6) Monetization strategies:
‱ B2B sponsorships and featured listings
‱ Affiliate links (especially for high-ticket items)
‱ Sell anonymized data or insights
‱ Charge for premium listings or access
‱ Brand sponsorships for established directories

7) The power of directories for SaaS:
‱ Easier to win SEO traffic than direct SaaS marketing
‱ Use directories to funnel traffic to your main product
‱ Consider buying relevant directories for instant traffic

8) Realistic expectations:
‱ $5K MRR achievable as a side project
‱ Up to $20K MRR with focused effort
‱ Million-dollar potential exists (but rare)

9) Why start with directories:
‱ Lower failure rate than SaaS
‱ Faster dopamine hits (traffic, first sale)
‱ Great way to learn digital product development

Pro Tip: Don't fall in love with one idea. Launch multiple directories, see what sticks after 30 days, then double down on winners!

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas 

Work with me and my team: LCA — world’s best product design firm to build apps, websites and brands people love. https://latecheckout.agency

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers [BoringMarketing.com](http://boringmarketing.com/)

Community Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses http://communityempire.co/

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND JOHN ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://x.com/johnrushx
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrushx/
John’s directory guide: https://johnrush.me/directory-guide/

11 Aug 2022How Building in Space Will Improve Life on Earth with Delian Asparouhov00:59:46

Are you stuck creating on the couch? In today's episode, we explain how one small group can change the world, debate whether these people need to meet in real life, and Delian shares why he feels start-ups must hire based on merit. Hosts Sahil Bloom and Greg Isenberg are joined by guest Delian Asparouhov, principal at the Founders Fund and co-founder of Varda. Delian explains the secret to running a billion-dollar fund while simultaneously launching his first company, shares his take on where the venture world is headed and explains how China is taking control with TikTok.


â–șâ–ș Want more community? Learn more here: http://trwih.com


SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR

â–șâ–ș This episode is brought to you by Wealthfront, a saving and investing app that can help you earn more on your money and build wealth for your future. The Wealthfront Cash Account grows your savings at 1.40% APY, and offers unlimited, fee-free transfers to your external accounts — plus, a ton of other features that help you optimize your cash. So, if your money is earning less anywhere else, now might be a good time to make a move.

Wealthfront is offering Where it Happens listeners a free $50 bonus with a $500 initial deposit to a new Cash Account. Go to wealthfront.com/Happens to claim your $50 and start growing your savings.

Cash account is offered by Wealthfront Brokerage LLC, Member of FINRA/SIPC. Wealthfront Brokerage is not a bank. We convey funds to partner banks who accept and maintain deposits, provide the interest rate, and provide FDIC insurance. Rate is subject to change. Investment management and advisory services--which are not FDIC insured--are provided by Wealthfront Advisers LLC (“Wealthfront Advisers”), an SEC-registered investment adviser.


THIS EPISODE

Delian Asparouhov: https://twitter.com/zebulgar

Sahil Bloom: https://twitter.com/SahilBloom

Greg Isenberg: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg

Production & Marketing Team: https://penname.co/


FIND US ON SOCIAL

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_trwih

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_trwih

Web: https://trwih.com

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6aB0v6amo3a8hgTCjlTlvh

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-it-happens/id1593424985


SHOW NOTES

00:00 Sneak Peek

01:11 Welcoming Delian

02:23 How a Small Group Can Change the World

07:54 Hiring Based on Merit

10:14 Did ESG Create Change?

13:40 TikTok Data Rights

17:36 You Can’t Change the World from Your Couch

21:55 Greg's Unique Perspective On Working Hard and a 10-Year Bet

28:33 What is Varda and its Origin Story?

37:31 Separating Design (+) Manufacturing = Innovation

42:51 How to Become a Leader and Expert in Space

45:34 The Secret to Founding a Start-Up and Running a Fund

50:48 Delian’s Origin Story and His Prediction for the Future

56:04 Thanks for Listening

09 Oct 2024How to build a $400k/mo AI App using ASO, Organic Growth, and Paid Ads00:48:14

Join me as I chat with Romain Torres, Co-Founder of Arcads AI, as we discuss his frameworks and strategies for finding and building profitable AI Apps. Learn his step-by-step formula to building and growth hacking apps. 

Episode Timestamps
0:00 Intro
00:49 Introduction to AI Apps and User Acquisition
10:38 Product-Led Growth
13:30 ASO (Apple Search Optimization)
21:13 Organic Social Growth Hacks
33:51  Paid Ads Strategy
40:30 Creating Ads at Scale with AI Tools

1) Three main strategies to grow mobile apps:
‱ TikTok/Instagram organic growth
‱ Paid ads (FB, TikTok, Google)
‱ Apple Search Optimization (ASO)
‱ Each has its pros and cons.

2) ASO (Apple Search Optimization) 101:
‱ Find keywords with high volume, low competition
‱ Put keywords in app title
‱ Optimize app store page conversion rate
‱ Get reviews & high initial download velocity
‱ Pro tip: Use AppFigures to research keywords & opportunities

3) Organic social growth hack:
‱ Create native-looking content (not ads)
‱ Integrate app naturally into videos
‱ Post consistently across platforms
‱ Leverage micro-influencers for reach
‱ Example: Travel buddy app crushing it with wanderlust reels 

4) Paid ads strategy:
‱ Test THOUSANDS of ad variations
‱ Use AI to scale ad creation (tools like @ArcAdsAI)
‱ Iterate on winning formats
‱ Localize ads for different markets
‱ Key insight: AI makes testing 1000s of ads feasible for small teams

5) Case study: 17yo dev makes $400k/mo with AI calorie tracking app 
‱ Found trend on Reddit/TikTok
‱ Built simple AI-powered app
‱ Leveraged micro-influencers for organic growth
‱ Iterated on viral formats
‱ Lesson: Sometimes "overdone" ideas + AI + great marketing = $$$

6) Monetization hack: Niche down existing app ideas
‱ Examples:
a) Dating apps for specific demographics
b) Bible app for women
c) Plant identifier for specific countries
‱ Smaller audience, but higher conversion rates & less competition

7) AI is leveling the playing field:
‱ Easier to build MVP with ChatGPT
‱ Faster ad creation & testing
‱ Quick localization for global markets
‱ You don't need VC $ to compete with big players anymore!

8) Key takeaway: Success = Product-Market Fit + Execution
‱ Find proven demand (ASO, trends)
‱ Add AI "sizzle" to existing concepts
‱ Execute relentlessly on product & marketing
‱ Test, iterate, scale

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas 

🎯 To build your own portfolio businesses powered by community you might enjoy my membership.

You'll get my full course with all my secrets on building businesses, peer-groups to keep you accountable, business ideas every single month and more!

Spots are limited.

https://www.communityempire.co/

📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free:

https://www.gregisenberg.com/

70,000+ people are already subscribed.

To improve your rankings your business on Google and using AI for SEO, sign up to

http://boringmarketing.com/

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND ROMAIN ON SOCIAL
X/Twitter: https://x.com/rom1trs 
Arcads AI: https://www.arcads.ai/

12 Mar 2025Manus AI replaces your AI tech stack? (Full Demo) 01:03:44

I’m joined by Min Choi to test if Manus AI can replace your AI tech stack. Throughout the episode, we test Manus AI's capabilities by asking it to create a DocuSign clone, research startup ideas, and analyze website SEO.
Timestamps:

‱ 00:00 - Intro
‱ 02:18 - What is Manus AI?
‱ 03:58 - Project 1: DocuSign clone
‱ 16:54 - Project 2: Research Greg’s top startup ideas
‱ 27:09 - Security concerns with Manus AI 
‱ 30:16 - Manus bug and reboot 
‱ 32:06 - Deploying DocuSign Clone
‱ 39:42 - Project 3: SEO Optimization 
‱ 44:14 - Discussion of Manus’s Limitations and Scaling issues
‱ 48:23 - Project 4: Build a Flight Simulator Video Game
‱ 49:48 - AI companies facing scaling issues
‱ 52:05 - Where does Manus excel? 
‱ 53:48 - What Manus was able to accomplish during the episode

Key Points:

‱ Testing Manus AI by asking it to autonomously research, plan, and execute complex tasks
‱ Having Manus create a DocuSign clone, research startup ideas, and analyze website SEO
‱ Manus AI functions as a multi-agent system that can browse websites, write code, and deploy applications with minimal prompting
‱ The tool has limitations including context windows, deployment issues, and daily usage limits

1) What makes Manus AI different?

Unlike ChatGPT or Claude, Manus is a TRUE AGENT system that:
‱ Researches, plans, and executes simultaneously
‱ Controls browsers to gather information autonomously
‱ Creates full applications from simple prompts
‱ Deploys working code with minimal guidance

"It's the closest thing to AGI yet" - Min Choi

2) The DocuSign Clone Experiment 

With just a 4-WORD PROMPT ("create a DocuSign clone"), Manus:
‱ Researched DocuSign's core features
‱ Created a complete project structure
‱ Built login, document upload & e-signature functionality
‱ Generated deployable code

All without templates or boilerplate code!

3) Human-in-the-loop capabilities 

One of the MOST IMPRESSIVE features:
‱ You can interrupt Manus WHILE it's working
‱ Refine requirements mid-process
‱ Add constraints or pivot direction

When they narrowed focus to "just e-signature features," Manus immediately adjusted its plan without starting over.

4) Multi-agent workflow 

Manus feels like having MULTIPLE EMPLOYEES working simultaneously:
‱ A researcher gathering information
‱ A PM creating specifications
‱ A developer writing code
‱ A marketer analyzing opportunities

It's like an entire team in one tool!

5) Beyond coding: Marketing & Growth 

Manus can also:
‱ Analyze websites for SEO improvements
‱ Target specific audiences (like executives)
‱ Create content strategies
‱ Scrape data for market research

It's not just about building - it's about GROWING your business too.

6) Current limitations

Manus isn't perfect (yet):
‱ Context length limitations on complex tasks
‱ Deployment issues with sophisticated apps
‱ Daily usage limits (currently ~10 sessions)
‱ Server load causing errors as popularity grows

It's still beta, but even with limitations, it's REVOLUTIONARY.

7) Security considerations

Since Manus is a Chinese company, there are valid concerns:
‱ Be mindful of what data you share
‱ Don't connect personal accounts or payment systems
‱ Use for learning & experimentation

Min's advice: "Always be careful with the data you share online."

The BIG TAKEAWAY: We're witnessing a fundamental shift in how businesses will be built.

What used to take weeks now takes MINUTES.
What required TEAMS now needs just ONE PERSON with AI.

This is just the beginning of the agent AI revolution.

Notable Quotes:

"I think that we're getting closer and closer to sort of the glimpse into what the AGI is gonna look like." - Min Choi

"It feels like we have like four employees working at the same time... We've got this marketing person. We've got this researcher. We've got this cracked PM slash developer." - Greg Isenberg

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND MIN ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://x.com/minchoi

20 Jan 2025This AI Writing Hack Made Him Millions (Full Breakdown)00:55:15

Nicolas Cole delivers a comprehensive masterclass on writing with AI, demonstrating how to combine human expertise with AI capabilities to create high-quality content. The discussion covers practical frameworks for content creation, including how to structure articles, generate hooks, and test ideas. Cole emphasizes that AI should be viewed as a collaborative tool rather than a replacement for human writers, and success comes from understanding fundamental writing principles first.

Learn how to use AI to create high-quality content: https://www.gregisenberg.com/write-with-ai

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
01:03 - Why Learn to write with AI
05:06 - Choosing a Content Topic
07:38 - Framework for idea development
12:40 - The role of AI in the Idea generation process
16:39 - The Editor-in-Chief approach to writing with AI
18:53 - Creating a Compelling Hook
28:28 - Framework for structuring an article
34:13 - The "10 Magical Ways" framework
45:54 - Collaborating with AI for improving output
49:37 - The Power of Education in the Digital Age

Key Points:
‱ Framework for using AI as a writing tool while maintaining quality
‱ How to effectively prompt AI for content ideation and refinement
‱ The "10 Magical Ways" framework for structuring content
‱ The importance of making strategic decisions before writing begins

1) The biggest mindset shift:
AI isn't replacing writers - it's AUGMENTING them.

Just like Photoshop didn't kill designers, it created 1000x more designers.
Just like Instagram didn't kill photographers, it made everyone a photographer.

2) Key Framework: The Editor-in-Chief Method 

Don't treat AI as a writer - treat it as your junior staff writer.
YOU are the editor making high-level decisions.
AI helps execute your vision.

3) Writing Process Revolution:

- Don't start writing immediately
- Make key decisions BEFORE writing:
- Clear headline promise
- 3 main tangible points
- Format for each section

90% of value comes from these decisions!

4) The "10 Magical Ways" Framework:

Every piece of content can be broken down into:

- Tips
- Steps
- Lessons
- Stats
- Examples
etc.

Pick your format FIRST, then structure accordingly.

5) Pro Tip: Use AI Conversationally

Two approaches:

1. Chunk-by-chunk dialogue
2. Massive single prompt

Most people fail by sitting in the middle.
Start conversational, then compress into mega-prompts.

6) Quality Control Method:

1. Generate multiple versions
2. Apply your taste/judgment
3. Refine best options
4. Test against goals

Remember: AI suggestions need human curation!

7) The Education Leverage Play:

Learning frameworks = AI superpowers

What took experts years to master can now be:

1. Learned quickly
2. Taught to AI
3. Scaled infinitely

This is the real opportunity!

8) Bottom Line:

The future belongs to "orchestrators" - people who:

- Understand frameworks
- Make high-level decisions
- Use AI as a tool
- Maintain quality control

Don't fight the future - leverage it! 

Notable Quotes:
"AI is not a silver bullet. On some level, you do have to have a baseline understanding of how the thing is supposed to work so that you can prompt AI in order to do it." - Nicolas Cole

"90% of the value is not in the writing. It is in the fact that you said what you're going to give [the reader]." - Nicolas Cole


LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND COLE ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://x.com/Nicolascole77
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nicolascole77/featured
Write with AI: https://writewithai.substack.com

18 Jan 2024How To Make $10 MILLION in 2024 | Dickie Bush & Nicolas Cole00:57:26

I'm joined by Dickie Bush, Co-Founder of Premium Ghostwriting Academy and Nicolas Cole, Co-Founder of Ship 30 for 30. We talk about the best ways to make $10M in 2024 if you were starting from scratch: hyper-niche paid newsletters, AI-powered book publishing, and so much more.

23 Feb 20233 Community-Based Products Doing It Right with April MacLean00:49:36

Today Greg is joined by April MacLean, Late Checkout's community designer and fountain of wisdom on all things community. In this episode, Greg and April talk about 3 community-based products that have it figured out.

â–șâ–șSubscribe to Greg's weekly newsletter for insights on community,
creators and commerce.You'll also find out when new and exclusive
episodes come out from Where it Happens. And it's totally free.

https://latecheckout.substack.com

FIND ME ON SOCIAL:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@gregisenberg

LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:
Production Team:
https://www.bigoceanpodcasting.com
April MacLean:
https://www.aprilmaclean.com/
https://twitter.com/mizmaclean


SHOW NOTES
0:00 - Intro
2:00 - Building a product community for nerds: Lomography
10:33 - Building a community-first product: View from My Window
13:14 - Facebook Groups. Yes or No?
31:10 - Community as the product: Common House
42:42 - Communities of practice

14 Jul 2022The Metaverse & How It Will Change the World with Matthew Ball01:09:07

Will the Metaverse replace the internet? Today's guest brings in a diverse background at the intersection of technology, society, and creativity to help us answer this question and sort the signal from the noise. In this episode, we explore the secret to success, examine how the Metaverse will revolutionize the world, and predict just how this new world will look. Host Sahil Bloom is joined by guest Matthew Ball; the CEO of Epyllion, a managing partner at Ball Metaverse Research, and a thought leader on all things Metaverse. Matthew explains why the worlds smartest are building in Meta, shares what he looks at for investments and founders, and divulges secrets from his new book “The Metaverse: And How it Will Revolutionize the World.”


â–șâ–ș Join our email list at http://trwih.com


SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR

Competition for great talent is more brutal than ever. To be able to hire better and faster, you need a trusted source of pre-vetted candidates.


Lemon.io is a place like that. They have a network of engineers from Europe and Latin America, and every candidate has been already tested and interviewed by their team.


So, how is it different from hiring on your own?

‱ You can have an engineer start working on your project within a week instead of months

‱ You don’t waste your time on candidates that are not qualified

‱ You’ll have easy access to global talent without having to go through dozens of job boards

‱ And finally, it’s more affordable than hiring local talent.


Sign up at https://lemon.io/room and get your 15% off for the first 4 weeks of work with a developer.


THIS EPISODE

Matthew Ball: https://twitter.com/ballmatthew

Sahil Bloom: https://twitter.com/SahilBloom

Production & Marketing Team: https://penname.co/


FIND US ONLINE

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_trwih

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_trwih

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@_trwih

Web: https://trwih.com

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6aB0v6amo3a8hgTCjlTlvh

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-it-happens/id1593424985

30 Sep 2024Meet the man who growth hacked his app to 1M downloads00:55:03

Join me as I chat with Chris Josephs, Co-Founder of Autopilot, as we discuss his frameworks and strategies for growth hacking startups. Learn his step-by-step formula to building and converting attention, affinity, and authority into brand loyalty and startup growth. 

Timestamps: 
00:00 Intro
03:20 Chris’s Viral Formula Overview
08:13  Step 1: Build Niche Meme account with Authority 
14:36 Step 2: Find Creative ways to build loyalty and vitality
19:18  Step 3: Getting free press
23:54 UFC Sponsorship Retrospective
28:23 How Chris would build a meme account
40:49 Startup Idea: Twitch for Online Shopping
46:52 SIP success stories 

1) Chris doesn't see himself as a marketer or growth guy. He's a SOCIAL ENGINEER.
‱  His focus? Reverse engineering virality and creating formulas for content that EXPLODE on social media. 

2) The Pelosi Tracker origin story:
‱ Built meme pages with millions of followers
‱ Focused on politician stock trades
‱ Translated virality into a real product (Autopilot app)
Key insight: Memes + Authority = Powerful combo 

3) Chris's framework for building viral meme pages:
a) Create an account with a clear, catchy name
b) Engage as a "reply guy" on relevant topics
c) Do deep, investigative journalism to build credibility
‱ Marry memes with authority to become THE go-to account in your niche. 

4) The UFC sponsorship case study:
‱ Sponsored the event (base layer of credibility)
‱ Sent a fake Nancy Pelosi to the fight
‱ Drove a Cybertruck with "Pelosi 2024" around Vegas
‱  Goal: Maximize surface area for virality and build brand loyalty

5) Chris's viral formula:
‱ Each additional stunt increases chances of going viral:
a) UFC sponsorship alone = 10% chance
b) +Fake Pelosi = 15% chance
c) +Cybertruck stunt = 20% chance
‱  Keep adding elements to boost your odds! 

6) Key to monetizing meme pages:
‱ Don't just post funny content. Mix in authority-building posts to be taken seriously.
‱ High engagement does not mean High monetization
‱ Authority + Engagement = winning formula

7) Startup idea alert: Live shopping streams for Gen Z women 
‱ Imagine: The Twitch of online shopping, where influencers livestream their browsing & purchasing decisions.
‱ Huge potential here. Who's gonna build it? 

8) Growth hack: Build relationships with journalists
‱ Create an email list of reporters in your niche
‱ Regularly send them high-quality, relevant info (no selling!)
‱ Become their go-to source for stories
‱ Free press = Priceless marketing 

9) Remember: Consistency is key in building your brand.
‱ Find your angle (like Autopilot's "Pelosi 2024 - Invest like a politician") and double down on it.
‱ Create moments, build loyalty, make people LOVE your brand. 

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas 

🎯 To build your own portfolio businesses powered by community you might enjoy my membership.

You'll get my full course with all my secrets on building businesses, peer-groups to keep you accountable, business ideas every single month and more!

Spots are limited.

https://www.communityempire.co/

📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free:

https://www.gregisenberg.com/

70,000+ people are already subscribed.

To improve your rankings your business on Google and using AI for SEO, sign up to

http://boringmarketing.com/

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND CHRIS ON SOCIAL
X/Twitter: https://x.com/Chrisjjosephs
Autopilot: https://www.joinautopilot.com/
Pelosi Tracker: https://x.com/PelosiTracker_

11 Oct 2022Keeping it Real with Danny Trinh01:05:54

Are you ready for the next iteration of Where It Happens? Greg Isenberg is now the host of the podcast, which will be focused on catching up with incredible guests at the intersection of community, commerce, and content. Today, Greg is joined by Danny Trinh, a new product designer at Snapchat, who learned to build with Greg through shared suffering and triumphs. Together they share the importance of maintaining a beginner's mindset, offer their lessons learned for the next generation, and explain why the best advice can be to trust your gut.


A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

â–șâ–ș This episode is brought to you by Retool.


Retool is the fast way to build your own custom internal tools for your business. With a complete library of 100+ fully-featured, accessible UI components that you can drag and drop into any interface, Retool’s platform lets you build the custom internal tools your team needs, 10x faster.


Thousands of teams at companies like Amazon, DoorDash, and NBC collaborate around custom-built Retool apps to operate faster and better. Also, teams of up to five can build Retool apps for free. We're huge fans of the product! If you want to learn more, go to https://retool.com/


â–șâ–ș This episode is also brought to you by Athletic Greens.


AG1 by Athletic Greens is incredible and we have been starting every day with it for several years. It’s just one scoop in 8-12 oz. of water each morning, and you're getting 75 high-quality vitamins, whole-food sourced ingredients, probiotics, and adaptogens to help you start your day right. It's one daily habit that supports gut health, supports the immune system, recovery, energy, and focus!


Right now, Athletic Greens is giving you a free 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D and 5 free travel packs with your first purchase. Take ownership of your health today by going to https://athleticgreens.com/wih


â–șâ–șSubscribe to Greg's weekly newsletter for insights on community,
creators and commerce.You'll also find out when new and exclusive
episodes come out from Where it Happens. And it's totally free.

https://latecheckout.substack.com

FIND ME ON SOCIAL:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@gregisenberg

LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:
Production Team: https://www.bigoceanpodcasting.com

Danny Trinh: https://twitter.com/dtrinh



SHOW NOTES

00:00 Sneak Peek

00:47 Greg’s First Trip to Silicon Valley

03:42 The WHY behind TRWIH Podcast

05:21 The Future of Web Invites: Partiful 

10:55 The Eventbrite UX 

12:02 Why Web3 is like Web2 

16:08 Building Web2 in SF circa 2008 

23:18 Missing Vine 

25:08 Lessons to the Next Generation 

29:30 VCs versus Builders 

39:39 100% Unfiltered 

44:37 Driving Tanks 

48:07 Danny Trinh’s State of Web3

56:02 Experimenting in Web3 

1:02:50 Finding Danny Trinh 

1:05:47 Thanks for Listening

14 Oct 20246 startup ideas from the tech Warren Buffett (make $120k/mo)00:53:45

Join me as I chat with Andrew Wilkinson, Co-Founder of Tiny, as we explore innovative startup ideas, and his frameworks for finding and building startups

Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:55 Startup Idea 1: Robot Lawn-mowing Service/Directory
17:54 Startup Idea 2: CPAP alternatives for Sleep Apnea
26:24 Startup Idea 3: Computer Vision for Small Biz 
32:03 Startup Idea 4: Negotiating as a Service 
36:48 Startup Idea 5: Sperm Freezing Made Easy 
42:50 Startup Idea 6: Community Building as a Service 

1) Robot Lawnmower Revolution 
‱ Buy robot mowers, geofence yards
‱ Start a mowing company with ZERO labor
‱ ROI beats solar panels (6-12 month payback)
‱ Opportunity: Review site for mowers (affiliate $$$)

2) Sleep Apnea Gold Rush 
‱ Apple Watch can now diagnose sleep apnea
‱ 80-90% of cases undiagnosed
‱ Opportunities:
a) Buy sleep clinics
b) DTC alternatives to CPAP
c) App using Apple Watch data
d) Financing for CPAP machines
‱ Sleep tech is about to EXPLODE

3) Computer Vision for Small Biz 
‱ Mount an old iPhone in your store
‱ Get heat maps, customer behavior insights
‱ Identify repeat vs. new customers
‱ Enterprise-level tech now accessible to SMBs

4) The Ultimate Negotiator 
‱ Most employees HATE negotiating
‱ Idea: Outsourced negotiation for EVERYTHING
‱ Houses, cars, software, office supplies
‱ Take a % of savings

5) Sperm Freezing Made Easy 
‱ Older fathers = higher risk of complications
‱ Current process is awkward and clinical
‱ Idea: At-home kit, ship back with dry ice
‱ ZERO Google Ads competition (for now)

6) Community Building as a Service 
‱ EO/YPO Forum model: Monthly deep discussions
‱ Build trust, solve problems, forge friendships
‱ Opportunities beyond just business groups
‱ "Secular church" concept

7) Bonus: Undiagnosed Illness Detection 
‱ Smartwatches can detect more than sleep apnea
‱ AFib, hypertension, stress/anxiety
‱ Huge market for early, non-invasive detection
‱ The future of healthcare is on your wrist

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas 

Work with me and my team: LCA — world’s best product design firm to build apps, websites and brands people love. https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Community Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses =http://communityempire.co/

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND ANDREW ON SOCIAL
X/Twitter: https://x.com/awilkinson
Never Enough: https://www.neverenough.com/
Tiny: https://www.tiny.com/

22 Jan 2025Why 2,500 Subscribers Is All You Need For $1M00:51:54

Jonathan "Jicecream" Courtney believes that in 2025, basic marketing still outperforms everything: a simple 90-minute webinar turns 200 attendees into 20 buyers, even with just 2,500 subscribers. The framework is dead simple - 20 minutes on your story, 15 minutes on the solution, 20 minutes showing the transformation, then offering them a choice between DIY or done-for-you. He goes into it in this episode.

Key Points:
‱ Detailed breakdown of successful webinar funnel structures and challenge funnels
‱ Discussion of basic marketing fundamentals that still work in 2025
‱ Exploration of how software companies can use traditional funnel marketing techniques

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
03:17 - Greg’s New Year Reflections
11:19 - JC's transition from CEO to an advisory role
22:07 - How to make deals with influencers
25:10 - Detailed breakdown of webinar funnels
30:28 - The structure of webinar funnels
37:07 - How to use funnels for SaaS products and challenge funnels explained 
47:25 - Product recommendations and wrap-up

1) The Basic Funnel Formula Still Works:
‱ Email list → Webinar → Product sale
‱ Even with just 2,500 subscribers
‱ Live training converts WAY better than direct email
‱ 90-min webinar can turn 200 attendees into 20 buyers

2) Perfect Webinar Structure (by Russell Brunson):
‱ 20min: Your story & struggles
‱ 15min: The "vehicle" (solution you discovered)
‱ 20min: Impact & transformation
‱ Present options: DIY vs accelerated path
‱ Close with clear next steps

3) Challenge Funnels Are Underrated:
‱ Perfect for SaaS & digital products
‱ 30-day format with daily support
‱ Free trial + structured program
‱ Examples:

- Notion + Second Brain challenge
- Fitness apps + weight loss challenge
- Meditation apps + mindfulness challenge

4) The Warm-Up Step is CRUCIAL:
‱ Direct pitching rarely works
‱ Need a middle step to build excitement
‱ Options:

- Webinars
- Challenges
- Info sessions
- Live trainings

5) List Partnerships Done Right:
‱ Never cold pitch for list access
‱ Build relationships first
‱ Consider paid partnerships ($10k can be worth it for 1M+ list)
‱ Focus on value alignment

KEY TAKEAWAY:
Basic funnels still work incredibly well in 2024, but you need:

1. A list (even small)
2. Warming step (webinar/challenge)
3. Clear transformation story
4. Tactful execution

Notable Quotes:
"Most of the real basics work so goddamn well today. Like 2025, we can launch a product using basically just the same webinar. Just email your list, send them to a webinar." - JC

"When a company is doing well, they don't want me involved... They want the strategic advice. They want access to connections." - Greg Isenberg

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND JONATHAN ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jicecream
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-courtney-4510644b/
AJ&Smart: https://ajsmart.com/

01 May 2024Jonathan Courtney Gave Away 3 Crazy Cash-Flowing Business Ideas01:03:04

I’m joined by Jonathan Courtney, Co-Founder and CEO of AJ&Smart, a Digital Product Design agency. We discuss various $1M-$10M business ideas, including an AI-powered brown noise device, a more sophisticated brand of male sex toys, an infoproduct to break phone addiction, and so much more.

🚀  My FREE 5 day email course to learn how to build a business of the future using the ACP funnel:

https://www.communityempire.co/free-course

🎯 To build your own portfolio businesses powered by community you might enjoy my membership.

You'll get my full course with all my secrets on building businesses, peer-groups to keep you accountable, business ideas every single month and more!

Spots are limited.

https://www.communityempire.co/

📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free:

https://www.gregisenberg.com

70,000+ people are already subscribed.

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg

Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND JONATHAN ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jicecream
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-courtney-4510644b/

Episode Timestamps

00:00 First business idea: AI-powered sleep device
24:19 Second business idea: Sophisticated sex toys for men
28:38 Third business idea: Non-spiritual retreats
33:55 Fourth business idea: An infoproduct around digital addiction
47:50 How entrepreneurs can benefit from masterminds

10 Feb 2022Forget Zero-Sum, Be Positive-Sum with Harley Finkelstein01:18:22

Shopify has changed e-commerce forever. And, if you're willing to listen closely enough, you can borrow part of their DNA to accelerate your own entrepreneurial success. On this episode of Where It Happens, Shopify President Harley Finkelstein shares how he created his own luck to become involved with Shopify, how NFTs are changing the future of entrepreneurship, and how media will never be the same.


Want more community? Learn more here: http://trwih.com


SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS


This episode is brought to you by Tegus. Tegus is the fastest way for investors and M&A teams to learn everything they want to know about a company, all from an on-demand digital platform. Tegus is the most extensive source of instantly-available 1:1 conversations between investors and experts, covering companies from the seed stage to the public markets. Just log in for instant access to 25,000+ transcripts. They are offering you a free 2-week trial at tegus.co/room.


This episode is also brought to you by OpenPhone. OpenPhone is an all-in-one business phone system that can help your startup look more credible—and it works right from your existing smartphone or computer. Each phone number comes with its own inbox for managing calls, texts, and voicemails together—making it easy to keep track of every conversation. Sign up and start using your new business number in minutes. Visit OpenPhone.co/room to save 20% on your first six months.

25 Sep 2024How to build a $1M+ vertical SaaS business (step-by-step guide) 00:54:37

Join me as I chat with Luke Sophinos, Founder & CEO of CourseKey, as we discuss the frameworks and strategies for building a successful vertical SaaS business. Learn how to find, validate, and launch SaaS opportunities!

Timestamps: 
00:00 Intro
01:51 Why Vertical SaaS?
05:46  How to pick your vertical
11:05 Understand the industry inside-out
19:11 Analyze existing solutions
22:02 Automating the ideation and validation process with AI
35:04 Go-to-market strategy is CRITICAL
40:19 The power of the wedge product
49:35 Pricing framework

1) Why Vertical SaaS?
‱ Market often overlooked by VCs chasing unicorns
‱ Opportunity to build enduring businesses with strong retention
‱ Still massive potential in 2024, even in "boring" industries

2) How to pick your vertical:
‱ Focus on industry, not idea
‱ Look for:
a) Large market size ($1B+)
b) Fragmented (many SMBs)
c) Mix of small, mid-market, enterprise

3) Understand the industry inside-out:
‱ Map end-to-end operations
‱ Get hands on P&Ls
‱ Follow the money - where are they spending?
‱ Identify areas still using pen & paper

4) Analyze existing solutions:
‱ Look for legacy providers
‱ Identify where they're using horizontal solutions
‱ Find gaps where AI/FinTech could add value

5) The power of the wedge product:
‱ Your "get in the door" offering
‱ Should be:
a) Easy to implement
b) Solves a critical problem
c) Ideally free or low-cost
‱ Example: Roofer com's proposal tool

6) Go-to-market strategy is CRITICAL:
‱ Many industries require relationship-based sales
‱ Product-led growth is ideal (but rare)
‱ Get creative: Industry newsletters, memes, etc.

7) The payments opportunity:
‱ Owning the transaction can 10x your market size
‱ Build before/after transaction, then capture it
‱ Example: Toast in restaurants

8) Pricing framework:
‱ Understand current spend on problem you're solving
‱ Price based on ROI you deliver
‱ Aim for 20-50% of value created

9) Keys to success:
‱ Only build products that:
‱ Increase revenue
‱ Decrease costs
‱ Prevent churn
‱ Maintain compliance

10) Validating ideas:
‱ Don't just Google search
‱ Talk to actual businesses
‱ Offer to buy lunch and shadow operations

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas 

🎯 To build your own portfolio businesses powered by community you might enjoy my membership.

You'll get my full course with all my secrets on building businesses, peer-groups to keep you accountable, business ideas every single month and more!

Spots are limited.

https://www.communityempire.co/

📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free:

https://www.gregisenberg.com/

70,000+ people are already subscribed.

To improve your rankings your business on Google and using AI for SEO, sign up to

http://boringmarketing.com/

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND NICK ON SOCIAL
X/Twitter: https://x.com/lukesophinos
Luke’s Newsletter: https://www.newsletter.lukesophinos.com
Luke’s vSaaS Bible: https://verticalsaasbible.com

17 Dec 2021How to Become a Super Ball with Anthony Scaramucci01:00:46

When things don't go your way, how do you react? On this episode of Where It Happens, former White House Director of Communications Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) joins the show to discuss how to turn bad situations into opportunities, the future of live events, and why he's bullish on crypto and Web3. Also, hosts Sahil Bloom (@sahilbloom) and Greg Isenberg (@gregisenberg) discuss their meme moments and whether it's time to reinvent The World's Fair.


Want more community? Learn more here: http://trwih.com


SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS


FOUR SIGMATIC

https://us.foursigmatic.com/room


We do a lot of drinking on the show, and we need to balance it out with something a little healthier. That’s why we can’t get enough of [Four Sigmatic](https://us.foursigmatic.com/room). Our go tos are their Hot Cacao Mix with Reishi Mushroom and Sweet Vanilla Plant-Based Protein. The Hot Cacao is packed with 500mg of Reishi to help you relax before bed. And the plant-based protein is filled with 18g of protein per serving as well as 7 different functional mushrooms and adaptogens, making it the perfect post-workout recovery drink.

They’re delicious and we can’t recommend them enough for your daily routine. And by the way, they’re a great holiday gift!

As a subscriber to this newsletter, you can receive 15% off your order. Head to https://us.foursigmatic.com/room and enter the code “TheRoom” at checkout.


EIGHT SLEEP

https://www.eightsleep.com/whereithappens

There’s still time to get an incredible gift for yourself or a loved one this holiday season. One of our favorite products of this entire year is the Eight Sleep Pod Pro Cover. We’ve both prioritized good sleep and haven’t found a better product on the market. The Pod Pro by Eight Sleep is the most advanced solution on the market for thermoregulation. It pairs dynamic cooling and heating with biometric tracking. With the Pod Pro Cover, you start sleeping as cool as 55°F or as hot as 110°F. It also splits your bed in half, so you can have a completely different temperature than your partner.

The result: Eight Sleep users fall asleep up to 32% faster, reduce sleep interruptions by 40%, and get overall more restful sleep.

As a subscriber, go to eightsleep.com/whereithappens to get up to $250 off. This deal will only be available for 2 weeks, so give the gift of better sleep today.

20 Jul 2023Multipreneurship 101 and Why It Matters00:48:18

Today Greg is joined by Jesse Pujji, the founder of Gateway X, a venture studio and holding company that builds and launches companies from scratch. In this episode, Greg asks Jesse how unfair advantages are gained and leveraged.

â–șâ–șSubscribe to Greg's weekly newsletter for insights on community,
creators and commerce.You'll also find out when new and exclusive
episodes come out from Where it Happens. And it's totally free.

https://latecheckout.substack.com

FIND ME ON SOCIAL:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@gregisenberg

LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:
Production Team:
https://www.bigoceanpodcasting.com
Jesse Pujji:
https://twitter.com/jspujji
https://www.gateway.xyz/

SHOW NOTES:
0:00 - Intro
5:00 - The truth about agencies
16:14 - Framework for a successful agency
22:09 - Unfair advantages
36:32 - When to quit
40:16 - Advice for multipreneurs

12 Feb 2025The Actual Process Behind a $10.5K/Month Directory Website00:54:24

Get the exact system used to build profitable local directories: https://www.gregisenberg.com/directory

The episode features Frey Chu explaining his methodology for building profitable directory websites, using dog parks as a case study. He demonstrates how to identify opportunities through keyword research, validate ideas through social proof, and implement a basic yet effective directory structure. The discussion emphasizes that even simple directory websites can generate significant passive income through various monetization methods, while also serving as a foundation for larger business opportunities.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
03:40 - Examples of Profitable Directories and their traffic
10:35 - Why Build Directories
12:23 - Finding and validating directory ideas
26:44 - Data collection and enrichment
42:21 - WordPress implementation
46:36 - Monetization strategies

Key Points:
‱ How to identify profitable directory website opportunities using keyword research and competition analysis
‱ Step-by-step process for validating directory ideas using Reddit and social listening
‱ Data collection and enrichment techniques for building comprehensive directories
‱ Simple implementation strategy using WordPress or other CMS platforms
‱ Monetization strategies including AdSense, affiliate marketing, and potential SaaS opportunities

1) First, find your niche:
‱ Use Ahrefs "near me" searches
‱ Look for 30-100K monthly searches
‱ Target keyword difficulty under 20
‱ Avoid seasonal/branded keywords
‱ Find niches with fragmented search intent

2) Validate your idea:
‱ Check competition on Google
‱ Look for basic/outdated directories
‱ Browse Reddit discussions
‱ Confirm real user pain points
‱ Set a "bounty" on weak competitors

3) Data Collection Strategy:
‱ Use Google Maps scraping tools (like Outscraper)
‱ Focus on exact category matches
‱ Collect key data points:

- Name, address, phone
- Reviews & ratings
- Hours & location links
- Street view images

4) Data Enrichment 
‱ Add unique features competitors lack
‱ Include amenity details (shade, benches, etc)
‱ Use AI tools to automate enrichment
‱ Focus on solving specific user problems
‱ Make data actually USEFUL

5) Building The Directory:
‱ Start with simple "static pillar pages"
‱ Target city-specific keywords
‱ Include:

- Table of contents
- Location details
- Embedded maps
- Reviews
- Internal linking structure

6) Monetization Options 
‱ Display ads (most passive)
‱ Affiliate partnerships
‱ Lead generation
‱ Data collection/email lists
‱ Potential SaaS upsell

Notable Quotes

"AdSense has been the closest thing that I've ever experienced to passive income." - Frey Chu
"People are monetizing directories wrong. They're just putting AdSense... The opportunity is actually to build software on top of these directories." - Greg Isenberg

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND FREY ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://x.com/freychu
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@FreyChu
Frey’s Newsletter: https://shipyourdirectory.kit.com

07 Jan 2025How to grow an internet audience in 202500:48:33

Join me as I chat with  Dr. Tyler Lemco, known for co-founding Epic Mealtime (600M+ views), where we discuss strategies for building an internet audience from scratch. The conversation covers practical advice for content creators, including bio optimization, platform selection, and content strategy. We explore the balance between algorithmic success and authentic content creation, while emphasizing the importance of starting small and scaling gradually.

Episode Timestamps:
‱ 00:00 - Intro
‱ 01:54 - Transitioning from Creative for Hire to Solopreneur 
‱ 07:29 - AI as a Thinking Partner
‱ 09:03 - How to position yourself within your niche
‱ 14:22 - Crafting a Compelling Bio
‱ 26:28 - YouTube Growth Strategies
‱ 41:30 - AI Tools for Content Production

Key Points:
‱ Transitioning from being a creative-for-hire to building your own audience
‱ Framework for effective content creation and social media growth
‱ Importance of platform focus and consistency in content creation
‱ Strategy for building audience before community before product

Content Strategy Framework:

1. Pick a platform to focus on
2. Identify what you love doing
3. Study what algorithms favor
4. Find gaps in your niche
5. Commit to consistency

Platform-Specific Insights:
‱ YouTube Shorts: Good for subscriber growth, lower monetization
‱ Long-form content: Best for overall revenue and engagement
‱ Live streams: Excellent for community building, poor for new audience growth

Key Takeaways:
‱ Start fresh when pivoting content direction
‱ Focus on audience building before community development
‱ Test and iterate content strategy
‱ Be willing to experiment publicly
‱ Utilize AI tools like Descript for content production

1) The Creative-for-Hire Trap

‱ Good money but no equity upside
‱ Easy to get stuck helping others win
‱ Key is transitioning to building YOUR OWN assets
‱ Start small, think big

2) Framework for Content That Works:

‱ Pick ONE platform to focus on (seriously)
‱ Do what you genuinely love creating
‱ Study what algorithms reward
‱ Fill gaps in your niche
‱ Commit to consistency

3) The YouTube Revenue Reality:

‱ Shorts: 3M views = $418 (+12k subs)
‱ Long-form: 1.3M views = $13,580
‱ Livestreams: 100k views = $1,926

Strategy: Use shorts for growth, long-form for revenue

4) The ABC Growth Framework:

A) Build an Audience first
B) Convert to Community
C) Create Products/Services

Don't try all at once. Master each phase!

5) Social Bio Formula:

‱ Show Credibility
‱ Create Intrigue
‱ Clear Value Prop

Pro tip: Write for non-followers, not existing ones

6) Starting Fresh vs Legacy Account:

‱ 94 engaged followers is better than 31,000 dead ones
‱ Algorithm favors engagement %
‱ Don't let ego stop you from starting over
‱ Fresh start = clean slate

7) Content Market Fit Truth:

‱ Takes 6-24 months to find
‱ Must experiment publicly
‱ Embrace the uncomfortable
‱ Better to ship than perfect

Bonus: For creators starting out - just START. You figure it out by doing, not planning.

The only difference between launching and not launching is deciding you've launched.

Notable Quotes:
"The goal of every solopreneur should be to not be a solopreneur." - Greg
"The only difference between launching and not launching is deciding that you've launched." - Tyler Lemco

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses [https://www.startupempire.co](https://www.startupempire.co/)

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND TYLER ON SOCIAL

Tyler’s Website: https://www.tlem.co/
X/Twitter: https://x.com/tlemco
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/tlemco

11 Dec 2024Inside the Brain of a 17-Year-Old $1M/Month AI Founder00:49:20

Join me as I chat with Zach Yadegari, Co-Founder of Cal AI, as we discuss his frameworks and strategies for building and scaling viral AI Apps. Learn his step-by-step formula creating viral apps. 

00:00 - Intro
01:40 - Concept Behind Dr. AI and App Feature Overview
05:37 - Designing the User Experience
08:42 - Inspiration and Primitives in App Design
11:10 - User Experience and Simplicity
16:05 - Gamification and User Engagement
17:26 - Shareability and Marketing Potential
20:07 - History Feature and User Retention
21:14 - Symptoms Quiz Design
23:58 - Incorporating Sources and References
24:39 - Chatbot Functionality
25:33 - Marketing Strategy and Influencer Outreach
28:34 - Prompting for AI Responses
33:15 - Go-to-Market Strategy Discussion
37:14 - Identifying Target Influencers
41:04 - Pricing Structure and Revenue Models

1) The Core App Features:

‱ Skin scan for diagnosis
‱ Symptoms quiz
‱ Medical chatbot
‱ History tracking

Key insight: Keep it SIMPLE. Basic features done well better than complex features done poorly.

2) UX Design Strategy:

- Start with basic wireframes
‱ Copy "primitives" from successful apps
‱ Design for influencer marketing
‱ Put app name on key screens
‱ Make results instantly digestible

Pro tip: Design screens thinking about how influencers will showcase them in content.

3) Growth Strategy:

Target audience = concerned parents
Best channels:
‱ Mom influencers
‱ Family content creators
‱ Parenting communities

Look for creators with 250k+ views/video
Budget: $4-5k per 1M views

4)Monetization Structure:

Weekly pricing model works best:
‱ $4-7/week
‱ No free trial initially
‱ A/B test different prices
‱ Optimize for repeat users

Strategy: People will delete/resubscribe when needed

5) Technical Implementation:

- Use ChatGPT API with custom prompts
‱ Bypass medical disclaimers creatively
‱ Build clear diagnosis displays
‱ Include danger levels (1-5)
‱ Add sources for credibility

6) Marketing Angles:

- Target anxious parents
‱ Focus on peace of mind
‱ Show quick diagnosis stories
‱ Emphasize "should I see a doctor?" use case
‱ Leverage influencer storytelling

7) Key Success Factors:

‱ Heavy disclaimers
‱ Accurate diagnostics
‱ Simple UX
‱ Clear value prop
‱ Strong retention hooks

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND ZACH ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://x.com/zach_yadegari

05 Feb 2025I built an AI startup in 65 minutes (using ChatGPT, Leonardo AI, Kling AI, ElevenLabs)01:05:00

Greg's step-by-step guide to building a startup using AI workflows: https://www.gregisenberg.com/ai-startup

In this episode, Omar Choudhry, a serial entrepreneur, shares the exact prompting sequences he uses to combine multiple AI tools to create products people actually want to buy. Watch us build a custom avatar business live. You'll learn the exact process: from crafting the perfect prompts in ChatGPT, to generating images in Leonardo AI, to animating with Kling AI, all the way to automated fulfillment with Printful. This isn't theory - it's a complete blueprint you can copy today.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction and overview
04:22 - Technical, Audience, and Cultural Shifts
10:12 - Explanation of sequential prompting
14:15 - How to create an AI Avatar using ChatGPT and Leonardo AI
26:18 - Startup Idea 1: Custom AI Greeting Cards
36:43 - Teenie Tales MVP showcase
43:10 - How to animate AI Avatar’s using Kling AI 
52:50 - Startup Idea 2: Personalized AI Sticker’s

Key Points:
‱ Detailed walkthrough of creating AI avatars using sequential prompting across multiple AI tools
‱ Exploration of business opportunities in personalized greeting cards and educational materials
‱ Discussion of automated workflows combining ChatGPT, Leonardo AI, and Kling AI
‱ Integration strategies with print-on-demand services like Printful for physical products

1) The Big Shift in Business Models:

Traditional path:
‱ Raising VC $$$
‱ Years to launch
‱ Large teams
‱ Office space needed

New AI-First path:
‱ Build instantly
‱ Low cost
‱ Zero employees
‱ Remote-first

2) The Sequential Prompting Framework 

Omar's genius method:
‱ Use ChatGPT to create prompts
‱ Feed prompts to specialized AI tools
‱ Chain outputs together
‱ Build user-friendly frontend

Example flow:
ChatGPT → Leonardo AI → Kling AI → 11Labs

3) Business Idea #1: AI-First Greeting Cards 

The $400M Moonpig-killer:
‱ Upload photos → Get AI avatars
‱ Generate personalized scenes
‱ Add animation & voice
‱ Print physical cards

Monetization:
‱ $7-10 per card
‱ $10-15 monthly subs
‱ Gift upsells

4) Business Idea #2: Educational AI Stickers 

Target market: Schools & Teachers

The product:
‱ Custom teacher avatars
‱ Personalized student stickers
‱ Achievement celebrations
‱ Classroom decorations

Distribution:
‱ Direct mail to principals
‱ School district partnerships

5) The Technical Stack 

Tools needed:
‱ ChatGPT for prompts
‱ Leonardo AI for images
‱ Remove.bg for backgrounds
‱ Printful API for fulfillment
‱ Zapier/Make for automation

CAC potential: $15/customer

6) Marketing Strategy 

Guerrilla tactics:
‱ Find faculty directories
‱ Create custom samples
‱ Direct mail campaigns
‱ Social media DM outreach
‱ Leverage virality in schools

Pro Tip: Start manual, perfect the process, then automate!

7) BONUS INSIGHT 

The real opportunity isn't just in the tools - it's in the UX layer on top.

Build specific solutions for specific problems.
Create branded experiences.
Make it dead simple to use.

The tools are commodities. The experience is the moat.

Notable Quotes:
"We're building full workflows today using AI avatars. I'm going to have a ton of business ideas that you can start immediately with zero employees." - Omar

"By the end of this episode, you'll be able to assemble an AI SaaS product that can literally print you cash." - Omar

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND OMAR ON SOCIAL

5 Day Sprint - Build with AI: https://www.skool.com/5-day-sprint/about
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omarchoudhry/
X/Twitter: https://x.com/OmarChoudhry
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omarchoudhry/?originalSubdomain=uk

10 Jul 2024I can't believe he gave away these $1M+/year startup ideas00:56:17

Neer Sharma shared 6 startup ideas and the frameworks he would use to grow them: 

1) Baby Fund: a JustGiving for parents to raise money that can only be invested into their kid’s future 

‱ Crowdsource money from family/friends at baby showers
‱ Invest only in index tracker funds
‱ Could help solve the "can't afford kids" problem for millennials.

2) Anti-Spend: The app that gamifies saving money 

‱ Track money you DON'T spend
‱ Show future value of savings
‱ Create dopamine hit from NOT buying
‱ Growth hack: Tap into FIRE and minimalism movements on TikTok

3) Cold Turkey: Gamified app to help people quit vaping 

‱ Real-time counter shows how long you've been "cold turkey"
‱ Mini-games to distract during cravings
‱ Social sharing for accountability
‱ Potential to expand to other addictions.

4) Gold Stars: Gamification app for parents to motivate kids

‱ Think: "Starbucks app, but for kids"
‱ Parents set tasks, kids earn stars
‱ Unlock rewards at milestones (e.g. 100 stars = $10 Amazon item)

5) Long Live Research Inc: Personalized longevity research summaries 

‱ Input your health concerns/family history
‱ Receive summaries of relevant academic papers
‱ Target the "don't die" community (e.g. Bryan Johnson fans)
‱ Easiest to start, potentially most profitable.

6) Ayurvedic Products for the West: Rebrand Indian health products
‱ Create algorithm-breaking packaging and content
‱ Leverage TikTok Shop and influencer marketing
‱ Key: Make it VISUALLY scroll-stopping for maximum algo impact!

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: gregisenberg.com/30startupideas

🚀  My FREE 5 day email course to learn how to build a business of the future using the ACP funnel:
https://www.communityempire.co/free-course

🎯 To build your own portfolio businesses powered by community you might enjoy my membership.

You'll get my full course with all my secrets on building businesses, peer-groups to keep you accountable, business ideas every single month and more!

Spots are limited.

https://www.communityempire.co/

📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free:

https://www.gregisenberg.com

70,000+ people are already subscribed.

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND NEER ON SOCIAL:

X/Twitter: https://x.com/thisisneer

To improve your rankings your business on Google and using AI for SEO, sign up to
http://boringmarketing.com/

Episode Timestamps: 

0:00 Intro

02:07 Startup Idea 1: Baby Fund: JustGiving for Parents

09:54 Startup Idea 2: Anti-Spend: app that gamifies saving money

22:26 Startup Idea 3: Cold Turkey: app to help people quit vaping

32:21 Startup Idea 4: Gold Stars: app for parents to motivate kids

40:22 Startup Idea 5: Personalized longevity research summaries

45:35 Startup Idea 6: Rebrand Indian health products

10 Feb 2025The Step-by-Step Plan to Go From $3M to $10M+00:51:30

In this episode, Ayman Al-Abdullah, former CEO of AppSumo, shares his framework for scaling businesses from seven to nine figures. The conversation focuses on the importance of customer retention, strategic hiring, and proper incentive structures. Ayman shares insights from his experience scaling AppSumo from $3M to $84M in revenue, emphasizing the transition from founder to CEO mindset.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction and background
02:47 - Discussion of the Nine Steps framework
08:13 - Team building and executive compensation
10:35 - The Reality of Startup Valuations
14:36 - The importance of setting a strong foundation
15:59 - Focus on Retention Before Growth
22:26 - Evaluating Opportunities and Thinking Big
29:47 - Examples of Successful Founders that Ayman admires
31:35 - The Importance of Focus in Business
33:26 - Build Skyscrapers, Not Strip-malls 
36:01 - The importance of being the best in the market
37:54 - Where to double down in your business
40:22 - Testing and Investing in Business Strategies
42:05 - Identifying Bottlenecks in Your Business
44:39 - Finding Your Zone of Genius

Key Points:
‱ The "Nine Steps to Nine Figures" framework divides business growth into three phases: startup, scale-up, and grow-up
‱ Focus on retention and customer loyalty before aggressive growth
‱ Use the "Test Then Invest" framework with 80% resources on core business and 20% on experiments
‱ Structure executive compensation with a 50-50 split between top-line and bottom-line metrics

1) The "Nine Steps to Nine Figures" Framework:

Breaks down into 3 phases:
‱ Startup (Product Market Fit)
‱ Scale-up (Company Creation)
‱ Grow-up (Legacy Protection)

Most founders get this wrong from day 1...

2) RETENTION over GROWTH 

"Building a business without focusing on retention is like building a skyscraper on sand"

Every 3% increase in net revenue retention = DOUBLES company valuation

Stop chasing growth before you nail retention!

3) The 80/20 Marketing Rule:

‱ 80% of resources on proven channels
‱ 20% on experimental channels

Real example: AppSumo tested switching from credits to cash payments for referrals → Became 8-figure revenue channel

4) The Shield vs Sword Framework for Decision Making:

Rate every opportunity 1-5 on:
‱ Impact (Sword)
‱ Effort (Shield)

Only pursue 8+/10 total score opportunities
Ignore the rest - they're distractions

5) On Building Your Executive Team:

Two core functions:
‱ Sales (CRO)
‱ Delivery (COO)

Pro tip: Hire first in YOUR zone of genius
Why? You'll know what excellence looks like

6) The Triple, Triple, Double, Double Path to $100M:

Year 1: $3M → $9M
Year 2: $9M → $27M
Year 3: $27M → $54M
Year 4: $54M → $108M

This is how you hit 9-figures in 5 years 

7) REVOLUTIONARY Compensation Framework:

Forget traditional equity!
Instead:
‱ Set total comp package
‱ Let employees choose cash vs equity split
‱ Makes equity REAL by forcing skin in the game

8) CEO Evolution:

"The founder is the hardest working person
The CEO should be the laziest"

Your job: Think 3-5 quarters ahead while your team executes

 Key Takeaway:
Focus on retention first
Build processes before hiring
Think in 5-year blocks
Execute with intention

Notable Quotes:
"Product market fit is when it feels like you're wearing a meat suit in a dog park - you just have more leads than you know what to do with." - Ayman
"Every 3% increase in net revenue retention doubles a company's valuation." - Ayman

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND AYMAN ON SOCIAL

Ayman’s Website: https://aymanalabdullah.com
X/Twitter: https://x.com/aymanalabdul
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aalab003/

23 Jun 2022How To Build A Brand Of The Future01:06:27

Storytelling is the future of the brand building. How are you telling your story? In this episode, we explore what today's successful companies have in common, why brand is everything, and how to create a network from scratch. Hosts Sahil Bloom & Greg Isenberg are joined by guest Nick Saltarelli, an experienced entrepreneur and co-founder at Midday Squares, the brand that gave the world functional chocolate. Nick is unapologetically himself, and today he offers his raw insight into why everyone should be learning from mentors, how success comes to those that follow their hearts, and his hack to expedite the fundraising process.


â–șâ–ș Want more community? Learn more here: http://trwih.com


SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

â–șâ–ș Competition for great talent is more brutal than ever. To be able to hire better and faster, you need a trusted source of pre-vetted candidates. Lemon.io is a place like that. They have a network of engineers from Europe and Latin America, and every candidate has been already tested and interviewed by their team.


So, how is it different from hiring on your own?

‱ You can have an engineer start working on your project within a week instead of months

‱ You don’t waste your time on candidates that are not qualified

‱ You’ll have easy access to global talent without having to go through dozens of job boards

‱ And finally, it’s more affordable than hiring local talent.


Sign up at https://lemon.io/room and get your 15% off for the first 4 weeks of work with a developer.


â–șâ–ș LMNT is a delicious electrolyte drink mix with all of the things you need and none of the junk. It contains a science-backed electrolyte ratio: 1000 mg sodium, 200 mg potassium, 60 mg magnesium. LMNT can help prevent and eliminate headaches, muscle cramps, fatigue, sleeplessness, and other common symptoms of electrolyte deficiency. It tastes amazing and is great after a workout or one too many drinks :)


Right now LMNT is offering our listeners a free sample pack with any order. That’s 8 single serving packets FREE with any LMNT order. Get yours at http://drinklmnt.com/HAPPENS. And it’s so good they have a no questions asked refund policy but you won’t need it.


THIS EPISODE

Nick Saltarelli: https://twitter.com/nicksalto

Sahil Bloom: https://twitter.com/SahilBloom

Greg Isenberg: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg

Production & Marketing Team: https://penname.co/


FIND US ON SOCIAL

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_trwih

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_trwih

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@_trwih

Web: https://trwih.com

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6aB0v6amo3a8hgTCjlTlvh

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-it-happens/id1593424985

26 May 2022$30M by Age 19 — And Where You Should Build Today01:13:40

Are you a founder at heart but afraid to act? Today we explore how to build a scalable venture, the best way to create arbitrage in the market, and why the time is now to start your start-up. Hosts Sahil Bloom and Greg Isenberg are joined by Val Kateyev, an immigrant turned serial entrepreneur who built his first company to $30M, all before his 20th birthday and from his parent's basement. Val offers his personal insight into how technology has expedited the timeline of creating a company, the industries that are ripe for innovation, and how leveraging debt could be the future of start-up funding.


â–șâ–ș Want more community? Learn more here: http://trwih.com


SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

â–șâ–ș Riverside (https://riverside.fm/?via=wih) is our go-to platform to record studio-quality podcasts or videos. We use it for all of our episodes of Where It Happens. Their secret sauce is the ability to record locally, which means you get uncompressed audio and video that works even if your WiFi isn’t cooperating.


Once you’re done recording, it’s so easy to edit and download all of your files. To get 15% off your plan, use code HAPPENS at https://riverside.fm/?via=wih


â–șâ–ș This episode is brought to you by Fundrise. Fundrise is on a mission to use technology to build a better financial system for the individual. With over $2.4B AUM and 250k active investors, it’s the largest direct-to-investor real estate investor platform in America.


Their platform is so easy to use and they make it so easy to diversify your portfolio. For a limited time if you sign-up, you can get $10 bonus. Just go to www.fundrise.com/room


THIS EPISODE

Val Katayev: https://twitter.com/ValKatayev

Sahil Bloom: https://twitter.com/SahilBloom

Greg Isenberg: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg

Production & Marketing Team: https://penname.co/


FIND US ON SOCIAL

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_trwih

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_trwih

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@_trwih

Web: https://trwih.com

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6aB0v6amo3a8hgTCjlTlvh

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-it-happens/id1593424985

14 Dec 2021Special: State of the Union: DAOing the X Games00:31:45

Are they really going to try to buy The X Games? On the last episode of Where It Happens, co-hosts Sahil Bloom (@sahilbloom) and Greg Isenberg (@gregisenberg) shared a plan to buy the X Games. Next thing you know, athletes and investors answered the call and wanted to bring the vision to life. In this special episode of Where It Happens, Sahil explores what’s next in order to turn this crazy idea into a reality. We also bring on a special guest, Sam Schwartzstein (@schwartzsteins) who helped reimagine the XFL to discuss further.


Want more community? Learn more here: http://trwih.com


SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS


FOUR SIGMATIC

https://us.foursigmatic.com/room


We do a lot of drinking on the show, and we need to balance it out with something a little healthier. That’s why we can’t get enough of [Four Sigmatic](https://us.foursigmatic.com/room). Our go tos are their Hot Cacao Mix with Reishi Mushroom and Sweet Vanilla Plant-Based Protein. The Hot Cacao is packed with 500mg of Reishi to help you relax before bed. And the plant-based protein is filled with 18g of protein per serving as well as 7 different functional mushrooms and adaptogens, making it the perfect post-workout recovery drink.

They’re delicious and we can’t recommend them enough for your daily routine. And by the way, they’re a great holiday gift!

As a subscriber to this newsletter, you can receive 15% off your order. Head to https://us.foursigmatic.com/room and enter the code “TheRoom” at checkout.


EIGHT SLEEP

https://www.eightsleep.com/whereithappens

There’s still time to get an incredible gift for yourself or a loved one this holiday season. One of our favorite products of this entire year is the Eight Sleep Pod Pro Cover. We’ve both prioritized good sleep and haven’t found a better product on the market. The Pod Pro by Eight Sleep is the most advanced solution on the market for thermoregulation. It pairs dynamic cooling and heating with biometric tracking. With the Pod Pro Cover, you start sleeping as cool as 55°F or as hot as 110°F. It also splits your bed in half, so you can have a completely different temperature than your partner.

The result: Eight Sleep users fall asleep up to 32% faster, reduce sleep interruptions by 40%, and get overall more restful sleep.

As a subscriber, go to eightsleep.com/whereithappens to get up to $250 off. This deal will only be available for 2 weeks, so give the gift of better sleep today.

17 Jun 20244 profitable startup ideas you can launch tomorrow00:25:14

Join us for a jam session where I break down several innovative startup ideas from the SIP community. I’ll share my insights on why these ideas are either promising or problematic, and reveal the frameworks and strategies I’d use to grow these businesses. In this episode, learn how to capitalize on the micro weddings trend to build multiple service-based businesses. I also discuss my framework for the future of AI-enabled service businesses and how you can leverage it to build a highly profitable enterprise. Additionally, we dive deep into an innovative approach to building a course business and how to position your SaaS business for success. Discover the evaluation techniques and growth strategies that can help you build your next successful startup. Whether you're aiming to launch your first million-dollar business or are interested in entrepreneurial tactics, this episode is packed with actionable advice and inspiration. Don’t miss this essential guide to launching a thriving startup!

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: gregisenberg.com/30startupideas

🚀  My FREE 5 day email course to learn how to build a business of the future using the ACP funnel:
https://www.communityempire.co/free-course

🎯 To build your own portfolio businesses powered by community you might enjoy my membership.

You'll get my full course with all my secrets on building businesses, peer-groups to keep you accountable, business ideas every single month and more!

Spots are limited.

https://www.communityempire.co/

📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free:

https://www.gregisenberg.com

70,000+ people are already subscribed.

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

To scale your revenue faster with conversion-focused creative sign up to https://designscientist.com

Episode Timestamps: 
0:00 Intro
02:53 First business: Lead Generation for Wedding Venues
06:14 Second business: Fractional Wedding Planner
12:55 Framework: AI-enabled Service based businesses
15:22 Third business: Niche Credentialing Business
20:40 Fourth business: UX Analytics SaaS App

13 Nov 2024How to build a $1M+ Consumer SaaS App (step-by-step guide)00:50:08

Join me as I chat with Joseph Choi, Founder of Viral App Founders Community, as we discuss his frameworks and strategies for finding and building profitable Consumer Apps. Learn his step-by-step formula to building and growth hacking apps. 

Episode Timestamps: 
00:00 Intro
04:01 Ecom Marketing Strategies applied to Consumer Apps
11:07 TikTok Shop Affiliate Center  = goldmine for app ideas
22:16 Profitable Niches that are Underserved
33:26 Influencer Marketing 2.0
40:58 Capitalize on internet "cults" & movements

1) TikTok organic = BIGGEST underpriced distribution channel right now
- Cost of creating & distributing content = low
- Potential reach for consumer apps = high
- Time to leverage this opportunity! 

2) E-commerce tactics are invading the app world
- Remember Tabs Chocolate? 0 to $10M/year with mass UGC creators
- Now these tactics are being used for consumer SaaS 
- Higher margins + better exit multiples = Bigger Opportunity

3) Carousels perform better than Short-form video on TikTok?!
- Surprising trend: Photo carousels are CRUSHING IT
- Easier to create + more scalable than talking head vids
- Pro tip: Use Midjourney for quick, eye-catching visuals 

4) TikTok Shop Affiliate Center = goldmine for app ideas
- Find top performers in any niche
- Build apps to help them sell better
- Get free marketing from influencers

Win-win-win situation! 

5) High LTV niches are UNDERSERVED on TikTok
Think: Golfers, poker players, niche sports
Example: Golf swing analysis app

- 10k downloads / month
- $70k revenue / month
- Huge potential for more!

6) Myth: TikTok users are all young
- Reality: Diverse demographics, especially in niche content
- Serve content to underserved niches = Underpriced reach

7) Rethink influencer marketing for TikTok
- Old way: Pay for followers
- New way: Hire creators as ACTORS, not for their audience
- TikTok algorithm favors good content, not follower count 

8) Capitalize on internet "cults" & movements
Examples:
- Looksmaxing (YouMax app)
- Make money online (Crayo app)
1. Find passionate communities without products
2. Build the app they need 
3. Profit 
Bonus tip: Product quality is CRUCIAL
Nail your metrics before scaling marketing efforts!

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas

Work with me and my team: LCA — world’s best product design firm to build apps, websites and brands people love. https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co/

Stop Building Websites That Look Good But Don’t Sell: https://www.designscientist.com/design-store?b=https://www.designscientist.com/

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND JOSEPH ON SOCIAL
Viral App Founders Community: https://whop.com/viral-app-founders/
X/Twitter: https://x.com/JosephKChoi
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/choi-joseph/

17 Mar 2022How to Get Rich Building Boring Businesses with Codie Sanchez01:02:39

Codie Sanchez is no stranger to thinking outside the box. The founder of Contrarian Thinking and Managing Partner at Entourage Effect Capital, she shares her path from traditional finance to founder and investor with more than 100,000 newsletter subscribers. In the last 12 years, she’s bought and sold more than 60 businesses and now runs a portfolio of 26 companies. On this episode of Where It Happens, Codie joins hosts Sahil Bloom (@sahilbloom) and Greg Isenberg (@gregisenberg) to explore arbitrage business opportunities, the SBA loan “hack,” and the massive upside of scaling unsexy businesses.


Want more community? Learn more here: http://trwih.com


THIS EPISODE

Codie Sanchez: https://twitter.com/Codie_Sanchez

Sahil Bloom: https://twitter.com/SahilBloom

Greg Isenberg: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg

Production & Marketing Team: https://penname.co/


FIND US ON SOCIAL

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_trwih

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_trwih

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@_trwih

Web: https://trwih.com

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6aB0v6amo3a8hgTCjlTlvh

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-it-happens/id1593424985


SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR

This episode is brought to you by Beam. We can’t get enough of their Dream Powder. We both personally take this before bed a few times a week and wake up refreshed in the morning. Their nano-CBD helps improve your body’s ability to absorb CBD, making their product the perfect supplement before you go to bed. And now Beam is offering $20 off any order of $75 or more with the code ROOM at beamorganics.com/room.

Enhance your understanding of The Startup Ideas Podcast with My Podcast Data

At My Podcast Data, we strive to provide in-depth, data-driven insights into the world of podcasts. Whether you're an avid listener, a podcast creator, or a researcher, the detailed statistics and analyses we offer can help you better understand the performance and trends of The Startup Ideas Podcast. From episode frequency and shared links to RSS feed health, our goal is to empower you with the knowledge you need to stay informed and make the most of your podcasting experience. Explore more shows and discover the data that drives the podcast industry.
© My Podcast Data