Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Napkin Math
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| Opportunities in the running space, how to stick to ideas and Dracula's castle | 20 May 2025 | 00:58:05 | |
Charlie is back from Dracula's castle and Sabba is back from running a marathon. They are both arriving inspired. They do some Napkin Math on the economics of the running industry and the opportunities there, and how long it will be before they can pump out daily Dracula movies. Timestamps:
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| Why you aren't working hard enough, big podcast update and a hack for creating luck | 06 May 2025 | 00:58:04 | |
After 7 beautiful episodes, the MRR show is dead. But fear not, Napkin Math is born from its ashes. Sabba and Charlie discuss the performance of the show, dig into where Sabba invests his angel money, do a business breakdown (some actual napkin math) before going on a tirade on founders why founders aren't working hard enough... Timestamps
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| AI image generation opportunities, how to make an entertaining video and are trade shows worth it for VEED? | 29 Apr 2025 | 00:49:46 | |
Sabba is tired after being at a trade show all week for VEED, but was it worth it? Sabba and Charlie discuss the cost and results. But there's nothing better than a pick me up recording with BBQ crisp-eating Charlie Ward, who finally has some MRR for his SaaS app. The chaps talk all things AI, opportunities, SaaS drama and more. Timestamps
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| Making money from tariffs, bullish on the UK and the evolution of "make something people search for" | 18 Apr 2025 | 00:47:42 | |
Sabba went to Sri Lanka and came back with fire in his belly. He's ready to make money from the tariffs and so he discusses with Charlie how he'd do it. This got them thinking about the lack of energy in the US at the moment, and why they're bullish on the UK as a place to build. They wrap up talking about the biggest mega trend to make money with in 2025. Timestamps
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| The $100m ARR future of VEED, 11x drama and do you need an audience? | 09 Apr 2025 | 00:43:55 | |
B2B SaaS drama has got spicy recently, with both 11x and Deel making headlines. Sabba and Charlie give their take on why the companies got in hot water and if it's justified. Sabba also gives his thoughts on the future of VEED as they storm towards their $100m ARR goal and what happens next for the company. Timestamps
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| UK vs US for startups, Charlie's new coworking space and VEED's NYC subway advertising breakdown | 02 Apr 2025 | 00:52:01 | |
This week Sabba and Charlie still struggle to get their audio recorded properly* but the content is top notch. Dubbed the UK's answer to My First Million, the two kick off with debating if the UK is better than the US for building a startup. Sabba questions Charlie's sanity starting a coworking space in London, before explaining how much VEED spent on bright green advertising on the NYC subway.
*(salty Producer James writing this) | |||
| ADHD product opportunity, Third Space for martial arts and Project Europe | 27 Mar 2025 | 00:57:14 | |
Charlie and Sabba are back three weeks later for their weekly podcast, bringing you some banger business ideas. The chaps dive into Exploding Topics and discuss opportunities in ADHD, creating a Third Space style martial arts gym and building a better dentist. They're also bullish on Project Europe. Timestamps:
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| Directories, a d*ck measuring app and a sure-fire $10k MRR idea | 03 Mar 2025 | 00:30:22 | |
Charlie and Sabba are back, fighting through a challenging remote connection, bringing you a cracking set of business ideas. Charlie brings a few interesting product discoveries from Indie Beers in Lisbon and Sabba stumbled across a $5-10k MRR idea while in a Ford Fiesta. Timestamps
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| (Pilot) AI pets, growth for free and why you should start a sauna | 25 Feb 2025 | 00:58:49 | |
Hello and welcome to the pilot episode of The MRR Show, with Charlie Ward and Sabba Keynejad. Charlie is the founder of Ramen Club and Sabba is the co-founder of VEED.io. The duo are coming together for this pilot episode, to share their thoughts on SaaS, tech and startups, from the perspective of two successful founders with Charlie being the heart of the london indie community and Sabba running an 8 figure VC backed SaaS. AI is a prominent feature in this first episode, talking about meetups, fine tuning LLMs and being able to talk to your dog. Timestamps
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| Loveable's insane raise, how to make $1m with eSIMs and breaking down the most effective growth channels | 31 Jul 2025 | 00:56:03 | |
The boys are back talking about Loveable's insane growth and $200m raise, the dangers of founder liquidity, plus more AI chat (of course). Charlie turns Sabba into BusinessGuruGPT prompting him with how he'd grow an eSIM business to $1m in a year. All this, and more, in this week's episode of NAPKIN MATH. Timestamps
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| Make £26k profit with fans, Ahrefs for LLMs and print money with an AI automation consultancy | 22 Jul 2025 | 00:41:24 | |
Sabba and Charlie kick things off with some napkin math on how to make £26k per year in pure profit selling fans, then dive into a the real money maker; an AI automation consultancy. They talk about the rise of the “VEED (or Indie Beers) Mafia,” and discuss JB's Ahrefs-style tool for LLMs.
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| Figma going public, SaaS lessons from 50 Cent and the business of Glastonbury (and will Ramen Club become a nation state?) | 15 Jul 2025 | 00:51:43 | |
After a hiatus that included a weekend at Glastonbury and a failed recording, the boys are back, and they are on fire. They break down the business of the Glastonbury festival and some new startup ideas around it, they talk about the Figma S1 filing and the insane numbers behind the software platform and Charlie talks about the future of Ramen Space potentially becoming a nation state. | |||
| Small bets are a terrible idea and how VEED ranked for "AI Video Generator" (SEO Playbook) | 17 Jun 2025 | 00:43:39 | |
On this episode of Napkin Math, Sabba and Charlie explain why “small bets” are a terrible idea for most founders. They unpack how VEED ranks #1 for “AI video generator” (and other competitive keywords), explore Ben’s idea for a dream analysis app, the surprising business case for astrology, and how AI agents could thrive in markets like Nigeria. Sabba also shares why he believes the global adoption of stablecoins is inevitable. Timestamps:
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| SaaS lessons from Trump & Musk falling out, TikTok shop business opportunities and why you need to reinvent yourself | 10 Jun 2025 | 00:50:25 | |
There’s been a major catfight on the internet this week: Trump vs. Elon. So, Charlie did what any good podcast host would do and distilled the best lessons SaaS founders can take from the drama. The guys also share feedback from listeners, chat about opportunities in TikTok Shop, discuss why companies need to reinvent themselves, and of course, Charlie gets Sabba into trouble. Timestamps
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| The cost of VEED's video AI model, did Slack just kill Charlie's SaaS? and LLM business ideas | 04 Jun 2025 | 00:45:26 | |
Fresh off the launch of VEEDs new AI, Sabba is excited about the company having built their own fully fledged AI model, so breaks down how much it cost to build it. Charlie, meanwhile has had some bad news about his SaaS app, Cosy, potentially being killed off by Slack's new restrictions. The chaps also fire off some "Loveable for X" business ideas, with the main opportunity in gaming.
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| Google's impressive AI launch, Jony Ive's $6b Open AI deal and Sabba's breakfast at the PMs house | 27 May 2025 | 00:49:49 | |
The boys have made it to 10 episodes, somehow. They are still talking about AI, this time after the impressive Google Gemini launch they discuss the possibilities (including getting a new podcast co-host). Sabba talks about the pastries he had at 10 Downing Street and if they think Jony Ive's $6bn Open AI deal is worth it. Timestamps
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| Lego vs. S&P 500, The Claude Code Leak & Why Google Acquiring a Company Is the Best Signal to Build | 07 Apr 2026 | 01:00:02 | |
Sabba and Charlie are back with a packed episode spanning alternative asset classes, the growing wave of security vulnerabilities in vibe-coded software, and a deep dive into what it really means for Anthropic to be "winning enterprise." They also break down the accidental Claude Code source map leak, debate whether angel investing is just an expensive hobby, and uncover a surprisingly massive opportunity hiding in the hay fever market. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro | |||
| $1M Boomer App Ideas, Why OpenAI Killed Sora & How to Hire Insanely Talented People | 31 Mar 2026 | 00:52:08 | |
This week Charlie and Saba dig into $1M app ideas hiding in boomer hobbies, why OpenAI killed Sora and what it says about focus, and how to hire the most talented people. Saba's joining remotely from Sicily 🇮🇹, commitment to the pod is real. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro | |||
| Is Claude the New ChatGPT? Is Peter Thiel a Billionaire? Meta-Manus, $1M Plank Biz, Solo SaaS Rise | 28 Jan 2026 | 00:49:24 | |
We have some news!!! Napkin Math Podcast is now live on YouTube.
Timestamps: 00:00 Intro | |||
| Christmas Special: $100M ARR Frenzy, LLM Wars, Sergey’s Comeback, ChatGPT App Store Opportunity, Prediction Markets, 2025 Awards & 2026 Predictions | 23 Dec 2025 | 01:30:59 | |
Sabba and Charlie are back for a special Christmas episode. A 2-hour deep dive split into two parts. In the first, the chaps dive into the $100M ARR frenzy across AI startups, break down the Claude Opus 4.5 release, and debate the escalating LLM wars between Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic. They also discuss Sergey Brin’s return to Google, the opportunity emerging around the ChatGPT App Store, and why prediction markets are starting to compete with traditional media. In the second, they announce the 2025 awards, sharing their picks for the best product, the best trend, the best distribution startup, and the best comeback story, before closing off with their 2026 predictions. 00:00 Intro – Napkin Math Christmas Special 02:55 $100M ARR Frenzy in AI startups 16:10 LLM Wars (Google vs. ChatGPT vs. Anthropic) 31:09 ChatGPT App Store opportunity | |||
| 5+ Startup Idea Frameworks and Making Britain Rich Again | 17 Nov 2025 | 00:45:32 | |
After a mini hiatus the boys are back with a banger. 5 startup idea frameworks you can use to start the next unicorn or profitable bootstrapped business. Plus, they inadvertently start the Ben Tossell fan club, and talk about making the UK rich again.
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| B2B SaaS lessons from breaking your leg, VEED's new CTO and AI launch | 23 Sep 2025 | 00:41:54 | |
After spending weeks in hospital with a broken leg, Charlie has had plenty of time to think about B2B SaaS lessons for the pod, and he delivers. The chaps also chat about VEED's new CTO hire, their Fabric 1.0 launch and brainstorm existing businesses that could inject AI to get to $100m quickly. Timestamps:
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| Crazy Figma IPO, why VPNs have become VERY popular and is DeepMind the best acquisition of all time? | 15 Aug 2025 | 00:48:48 | |
Today Sabba and Charlie break down the Figma IPO and speculate on which company will be the next Figma. They question whether the chat interface for AI is outdated, and debate if DeepMind might be the greatest acquisition of all time, plus who’s most likely to win the AGI race. They also dig into the UK’s online safety act, why VPNs are booming, and wrap up with a very cheeky “recording blocker” startup idea.
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| How VEED founder uses ChatGPT, Duolingo's $1billion freemium masterstroke and more AI chat | 12 Aug 2025 | 00:40:42 | |
Sabba talks about how he uses ChatGPT, Charlie talks use cases for Claude Code and the duo debate whether the UK is an impossible place to bootstrap. Sabba also share lessons on hiring top talent early, and dissect Duolingo’s $1billion freemium play (with a 15% churn rate) before comparing it to VEED’s freemium vs free trial approach.
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| How to Build AI Products in 2026, The Most Underrated Marketing Channel & The Big Lie About Competition | 24 Mar 2026 | 00:46:31 | |
Sabba and Charlie cover how to build AI products in 2026 with Sabba's MAGIC Framework, why Threads might be the most underrated marketing channel, the big lie about competition, and how AI is giving content creators new ways to extend their work. Timestamps: 00:52 - First hate mail, we're famous now | |||
| How to Get Startup Ideas in 2026, OpenClaw Business Opportunities, Londonmaxxing, and more | 18 Mar 2026 | 01:07:09 | |
Saba and Charlie introduce the BROTH framework for finding validated startup ideas, dive into the Open Claw (AI agents) hype, break down Bending Spoons' private equity playbook, and celebrate the London Maxing movement, plus debate whether Charlie invented vibe coding. Timecodes: 00:00 - Intro | |||
| Cal AI’s Acquisition, Sabba’s 2 SaaS Growth Hacks for 2026, Intercom’s AI Pivot | 12 Mar 2026 | 00:49:47 | |
Saba and Charlie do napkin math on the Cal AI acquisition by MyFitnessPal, share two must-do growth strategies for 2026 (API-first and Social SEO), and break down how Intercom bet the whole company on AI and won. Timecodes: 00:33 – Cal AI Acquisition Breakdown 19:20 – Growth Strategy #1: Go API-First 29:33 – Growth Strategy #2: Social SEO 36:46 – How Intercom Saved Itself with AI 44:27 – The Future of Outcome-Based Pricing 49:28 – Wrap up | |||
| He Built a $1M/Month SaaS After an $8M Exit | Tibo Maker | 04 Mar 2026 | 01:02:27 | |
From an $8M exit to building it all again, Tibo is one of the most unique SaaS builders we’ve met. In this episode, we unpack his regrets after selling, the exact playbook behind his $1M/month portfolio, how he stays viral on X, and what building in the AI era really looks like, all while balancing life as a dad. 00:00 Intro & the $8M exit reality | |||
| Is OpenClaw the First $1B Solo Company? API-First Products, Brand Rituals & Buying a Top-Level Domain | 24 Feb 2026 | 00:47:05 | |
We kick things off with B2B SaaS lessons learned from Valentine's Day (yes, really), then spiral into whether the OpenClaw acquisition just produced the world's first one-person billion dollar company and whether Peter Steinberger is the most underrated engineer alive. From there we get into why most SaaS companies are failing at AI, the rise of API-first and agent-first products, and why the stable SEO blog subscription world of SaaS is quietly dying. We also do a full napkin math breakdown on what it would actually cost to buy your own top-level domain like dot napkin and whether that's a business worth building. Oh, and Nike invented jogging. We get into that too.
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| $70M AI.com Acquisition, Anthropic's Superbowl Shot at OpenAI, $1M Solo Fitness App & Agent Wrapper Boom | 17 Feb 2026 | 00:46:00 | |
This week we’re unpacking the $70M AI.com move, Anthropic taking shots at OpenAI, the rise of agent wrappers, and a quiet $1M solo app no one’s talking about.
00:00 – The $70M AI.com Sale 18:54 – Getting Scammed by Joe Exotic (B2B SaaS Lessons) 24:32 – The Rise of Agent Wrappers | |||
| Is OpenClaw’s Hype Real? Are AI Agents Replacing Jobs? What’s the Anti-AI Thesis? | 10 Feb 2026 | 01:05:49 | |
The Napkin Math duo is back with another episode.
We talk through hype vs reality, what agents can actually do today, and how work is quietly shifting from roles and seats to tasks and systems. We also discuss AI fluency levels, how people are using Claude Code in real marketing workflows, one-person companies, and end with the Anti-AI portfolio. Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:15 OpenClaw & the agent breakout moment 06:52 Hype vs. reality: shiny tools, boring winners 09:45 The Dropbox lesson: abstraction beats raw tech 12:43 AI agents, security & where this breaks 19:07 AI vs SaaS, leverage & outcome-based work 24:58 Are AI agents actually killing jobs? 28:23 Levels of AI fluency (and how people keep jobs) 37:26 Using AI to save your job, not lose it 45:18 Installing skills: marketing, SEO, CRO, execution 47:12 When agents go wrong: prompt hijacking & trust 52:03 The anti-AI portfolio (what AI won’t replace) 57:18 Why live experiences still win | |||
| How Jonny (Founder of Remotion) Got 14M Views on X in a Day | 02 Feb 2026 | 00:56:43 | |
The duo is back with another episode, and this time we’ve got a guest. Jonny Burger, founder of Remotion, joins us after accidentally pulling 14M+ views overnight on X. We chat about vibe coding, prompting motion graphics with Claude, and why building with AI feels different right now. We also get into how Jonny handled the sudden attention, the noise, and acquisition offers that followed.
(0:17) Remotion goes viral (accidentally) (2:25) Prompting motion graphics with Claude (6:54) How Jonny has been building for 5 years (10:33) Claude’s GPT-4 moment + vibe coding (15:25) Why Remotion won’t go full B2C (19:57) AI agents, local tools, and seat-based SaaS breaking (32:14) What 14M views actually did to revenue (40:07) Acquisition interest & choosing freedom (46:43) Real-world Remotion use cases (marathons, automation) (50:36) Europe vs. Silicon Valley + marketing lessons for devs | |||