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My First Million

My First Million

864 episodes — Page 13 of 18

Ep 231Ariel Helwani Is Building His Own ESPN. He Already Has 1m+ Followers. He Tells Us How.

Ariel Helwani (@ArielHelwani) joins Shaan Puri (@ShaanVP) and Sam Parr (@theSamParr) to discuss why he decided to leave ESPN to go independent, how he structures his business, how he decided to do MMA, why niches get riches, the power of leaning into controversy, and much more. _____ * Do you love MFM and want to see Sam and Shaan's smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel. * Want more insights like MFM? Check out Shaan's newsletter. _____ Show Notes: (05:30) - Ariel's background (13:05) - Leaving ESPN (20:24) - How Ariel drives revenue at his new operation (28:50) - How Ariel originally decided to do MMA (40:00) - Why Ariel gives away his Substack revenue (48:05) - Audience building techniques (58:50) - Leaning into controversy _____ Links: * BreakingT * Ariel Helwani YouTube channel * Helwani Nose (Substack)

Oct 28, 20211h 6m

Ep 230MFM Goes to Jail - Plus Startup Cities, Prospera, Julian Shapiro Building a Ranch, Testing Out Big Purchases, and More

Sam Parr (@theSamParr) and Shaan Puri (@ShaanVP) discuss Sam’s recent trip to a federal prison and what he learned there, whether startup cities are the wave of the future, why more people should test out big purchases, and much more. _____ * Do you love MFM and want to see Sam and Shaan's smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel. * Want more insights like MFM? Check out Shaan's newsletter. _____ Show Notes: (00:20) - Sam shares his experience helping to educate inmates at a prison in Indiana. (08:42) - Shaan shares his experiences also working to educate inmates (25:58) - Prospera and startup cities (37:19) - Why Julian Shapiro is building a ranch in the middle of nowhere (44:55) - Testing out your big dreams (01:03:00) - Teddy Roosevelt and Vladimir Putin _____ Links: * Prospera * Julian Shapiro’s thread on his ranch * The Rise of Teddy Roosevelt * How to Take Over the World - Vladimir Putin

Oct 26, 20211h 11m

Ep 229From $300k to $35M+ Selling Dog Ramps with Ramon Van Meer, CEO & Founder at Alpha Paw

Ramon Van Meer (@RamonVanMeer) joins Shaan Puri (@ShaanVP) to discuss why he prefers to buy businesses rather than build them, his best tools for new business research, how to make sure you’re not buying a lemon, learning to code in a week, and much more. _____ * Do you love MFM and want to see Sam and Shaan's smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel. * Want more insights like MFM? Check out Shaan's newsletter. _____ Show Notes: * (00:56) - How to write a viral tweet thread * (06:40) - Why buying businesses can be better than building them * (14:58) - Ramon’s soap opera gossip website * (28:05) - How to make sure you’re not buying a lemon * (38:15) - How Ramon learned to code in a week * (42:50) - Shaan and Ramon play “would you rather?” * (49:30) - Shaan agrees to a boxing match with Sam _____ Links: * Centurica.com * Helium10 * Alpha Paw

Oct 21, 202154 min

Ep 228Dopamine Fasts, Cruise Ship Investing, and Elon Musk vs. Jeff Bezos Feuds with Andrew Wilkinson, Co-Founder of Tiny

Andrew Wilkinson (@awilkinson), Co-Founder of Tiny, joins Sam Parr (@theSamParr) and Shaan Puri (@ShaanVP) to talk about how he found joy through a four-week dopamine fast, why it can be better to make safer “cruise ship investments” rather than startup investments, how Andrew’s last appearance led him to start a D2C maternal healthy company, and much more. --------- * Do you love MFM and want to see Sam and Shaan's smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel. * Want more insights like MFM? Check out Shaan's newsletter. --------- Show Notes: * 00:20 - Andrew’s monk-like retreat from technology * 01:45 - What triggered his “digital meltdown” * 09:20 - The power of a 4-week dopamine fast * 22:40 - Why Andrew bought Aeropress * 30:45 - “Cruise ship investing” vs “speed boat investing” * 37:30 - The benefits (or lack thereof) of being famous * 39:33 - How coming on MFM led Andrew to be able to start a DTC pregnancy health company * 49:15 - Readwise and the Feynman method for learning * 52:41 - The pitfall of constant optimization * 01:07:35 - When Andrew met Steve Jobs * 01:17:32 - Elon Musk & Jeff Bezos’s Twitter beef --------- Links: * Tiny * JoelOnSoftware.com * Wanting * Readwise * Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage * Elon Musk & Jeff Bezos Thread

Oct 19, 20211h 27m

Ep 227Near Death Accidents, Hitting $1B ARR, and Selling Like the Grateful Dead with Brian Halligan, Founder & Executive Chairman of HubSpot

Brian Halligan (@BHalligan), founder & executive chairman (and former CEO) of HubSpot, joins Sam (@TheSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) to discuss what he learned from nearly dying in a snowmobile accident, how he took HubSpot from nothing to $1 billion in ARR, and what he learned about marketing from the Grateful Dead. He also discusses what he does day-to-day, why he has always preferred inbound marketing, how to manage creatives, and much more. --------- * Do you love MFM and want to see Sam and Shaan's smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel. * Want more insights like MFM? Check out Shaan's newsletter. --------- Show Notes: * (1:37) Brian’s snowmobiling accident that nearly killed him * (7:18) How Brian’s life has changed since * (13:07) What Brian actually does day-to-day * (28:39) Why has always Brian preferred inbound marketing * (32:00) Businesses that can be built on top of HubSpot * (33:34) Org chart business opportunities * (36:14) Climate Tech Opportunities * (50:50) How to Manage Creatives * (55:35) What the Grateful Dead can teach us about marketing

Oct 14, 20211h 5m

Ep 226How Brumate Made $20M with 0 Employees, Why Carpet Cleaning is the Perfect Teenager Side Hustle, How to Do an Energy Audit, Shahid Khan is the Billy of the Week, and More

Sam Parr (@theSamParr) and Shaan Puri (@ShaanVP) discuss Brumate, the company that scaled to $20M without a single employee, how F*** You Pay Me is helping influencers discover what they’re truly worth, how to do an energy audit, and much more. --------- * Do you love MFM and want to see Sam and Shaan's smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel * Want more insights like MFM? Check out Shaan's newsletter --------- Show Notes: 0:00 - Recapping Rob Dyrdek and when to work to be most productive 10:35 - How to do an “energy audit” 12:50 - Brumate - the company making $20M with 0 employees 17:40 - Companies making businesses selling water bottles 19:45 - How MVMT sold for $100M+ 21:50 - Shaan will start a coconut water brand with you 26:47 - Carpet cleaner businesses - the perfect teenager side hustle 29:35 - The life-changing power of making your first side-hustle dollar 31:40 - Billy of the Week: Shahid Khan 40:55 - F*** You Pay Me - how influencers are getting paid 44:00 - How to make better investor updates 48:00 - Sam’s update on becoming a fitness influencer 54:25 - Why Shaan gets free merch and Sam doesn’t --------- Links: * vcguide.co * F*** You Pay Me * MVMT * Brumate * Cabal

Oct 12, 20211h 4m

Ep 2253 Patterns for Great Business Ideas with Jack Abraham, Founder, Managing Partner & CEO at Atomic

Jack Abraham (@jackabraham), Founder, Managing Partner & CEO at Atomic, sits down with MFM hosts Shaan Puri (@ShaanVP) and Sam Parr (@theSamParr) to talk frameworks for great business ideas, how one hour can have more impact than everything else you’ve done in your career, the Jenga law of time management, and much more. --------- * Do you love MFM and want to see Sam and Shaan's smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel * Want to found a company with Jack? Check out Atomic VC Future Founders * Want more insights like MFM? Check out Shaan's newsletter --------- Show Notes: * (1:06) How Shaan originally met Jack * (3:20) The secret to startup studio success * (5:22) Why Jack has banned brainstorming sessions * (23:30) Top lessons learned from the greatest VCs in Silicon Valley * (28:22) The Jenga Law of time management * (33:30) Crazy ideas Jack decided not to pursue * (41:32) Patterns behind great business ideas * (53:56) The value of focusing on one thing vs having your hands in a lot of things * (59:40) Jack’s views on the future of crypto

Oct 7, 20211h 10m

#224 - How Tracking Every Second of His Life Took Rob Dyrdek from 0 to $405M in Exits

Rob Dyrdek (@robdyrdek), founder & CEO of venture studio Dyrdek Machine, former professional skateboarder, and star of hit shows like Rob & Big and Ridiculousness, joins Sam (@TheSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) to discuss how he transitioned from acting and athletics to venture capital and how he structures his many business interests. He also talks about how he structures his life to achieve maximum human optimization, why he’s glad he didn’t have TikTok growing up, and much more. Show Notes: * (00:57) Why Ridiculousness is always on MTV * (11:35) How Rob structures his business, money, and time * (16:49) How Rob tracks his time with custom scripts * (26:22) The transition from skater kid to human optimization * (35:40) The value of opening your finances * (44:16) Why Rob is glad he didn’t have TikTok growing up * (58:29) Why Rob is trying to create a “Drake equation” for business Links: * Rob’s Podcast: https://dyrdekmachine.com/build-with-rob

Oct 5, 20211h 0m

#223 - Sam & Shaan Bet $500, Ozy Media Scam, Why Google is Dying, and More

In this episode Sam (@theSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) discuss the latest news on the unfolding Ozy Media story, discuss why Google might not be a dominant tech giant in ten years, and place a bet on whether Shaan can make $10k in a day with a mall Santa scheme. --------- Show notes: * (1:00) How to explain My First Million * (2:53) Why furniture-less design is the new style * (9:46) Shady sh*t of the week: Ozy Media * (19:44) The research power of Newspapers.com * (30:37) Blue-collar side hustle: Mall Santas * (38:46) Sam and Shaan make a $500 bet * (40:40) Royalty-free music and its AI-generated future * (43:04) Why NerdWallet persisted * (53:13) Why big companies shut down products worth $10s of millions * (58:48) Why Google and Facebook employees are soft

Oct 1, 20211h 5m

SPECIAL: Peter Diamandis on the Longevity Opportunity, Bitcoin’s Bull Case and Musk vs. Bezos

About: Peter Diamandis is the Founder & Executive Chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation, which leads the world in designing and operating large-scale incentive competitions. He is also the Executive Founder and Director of Singularity University, a global learning and innovation community using exponential technologies to tackle the world’s biggest challenges and build a better future for all. As an entrepreneur, Diamandis has started over 20 companies in the areas of longevity, space, venture capital, and education. He is also co-founder of BOLD Capital Partners, a venture fund with $500m investing in exponential technologies. Diamandis earned degrees in Molecular Genetics and Aerospace Engineering from MIT and holds an M.D. from Harvard Medical School. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (1:02) Peter’s background * (5:07) The science of longevity * (10:26) What are the sub-verticals in longevity? * (14:47) How long can humans live? * (18:49) Will longevity lead to overpopulation? * (23:09) How living to 130 will affect finance * (24:34) Why Peter is investing in Bitcoin * (33:53) The intersection of Bitcoin and longevity * (34:40) Will there be a crypto Xprize? * (35:34) Peter’s space career (including the first XPrize) * (40:12) Why SpaceX’s achievements are so impressive * (42:20) Musk vs. Bezos * (46:53) The importance of mindset * (53:34) How to change your media diet * (56:31) What is the superpower for Musk, Bezos, Larry Page, Richard Branson? --------- Links mentioned in podcast: * XPrize (https://www.xprize.org/) * Peter’s newsletter (https://www.diamandis.com/subscribe) * Futureloop (https://www.futureloop.com/) * Peter Diamandis website (https://www.diamandis.com/) * Peter’s Bitcoin webinar with Michael Saylor (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFxEM29LyeE) * Peter interviews Elon Musk for the $100m carbon removal Xprize (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN88HPUm6j0)

Sep 29, 20211h 7m

#222 - How to Get a Slice of Harvard's Billion Dollar Case Study Industry

In this episode Sam (@theSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) break down Harvard's publishing arm and how you can create something to get a slice of the action. Sam also shares how he would approach Trends if he were to make it again. They also talk about the end of the MFM NFT auction and Shaan recaps a LinkedIn post about the early days of Canva. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. * The Canva story - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/21-questions-from-aussie-startups-highs-lows-lessons-learned-perkins/ --------- Show notes: * (0:59) Shaan is jacked * (2:53) Strength correlations to longevity * (11:02) The MFM NFT * (15:06) Harvard Business Review * (25:35) Getting in on the case study game * (31:37) Other spaces to make this work * (34:58) Maybe don't fake it til you make it * (39:50) On investor due diligence * (45:33) Don't be this guy * (53:42) The long path for Canva's success

Sep 24, 20211h 7m

#221 - How to Make Millions With a Modern Day Infomercial

In this episode Shaan (@ShaanVP) and Sam (@theSamParr) break down a 30-year-old infomercial and they discuss the modern day approach that can make you millions. They also talk about businesses built around trust, professional certifications, and what investors Shaan would call first if he was raising. You'll also meet a serial entrepreneur who is this weeks' Internet Founder of the Week. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (0:57) Meet a future guest * (4:34) Building a business around trust * (9:17) The problem with content businesses * (12:25) Subscription opportunities for content based businesses * (18:30) Trust as a service businesses * (23:01) Someone got a little blue checkmark * (25:16) The health department score is BS * (28:34) Klout reimagined * (32:14) Thoughts on professional certifications * (34:24) Meet Matt Mickiewicz * (42:12) Guthy-Renker - direct marketing masters * (53:07) The modern day infomercial * (59:19) The first five investors Shaan would call

Sep 22, 20211h 7m

SPECIAL: Thomas Edison (Part 3)

This a special release of the 3-part Thomas Edison series from the How to Take Over the World podcast with Ben Wilson. Description - All of my Edison notes that didn't make it into Part 1 & Part 2, including: Edison vs. Tesla Edison vs. Elon Musk Puritanism and Edison How Edison Went Deaf (Maybe) --------- * How to Take Over the World - https://www.httotw.com/ * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas.

Sep 18, 202141 min

SPECIAL: Thomas Edison (Part 2)

This is a special release of the 3-part Thomas Edison series from the How to Take Over the World podcast with Ben Wilson. Description - How did Thomas Edison rise from obscure origins in a frontier town in Michigan to become the most famous man of his age and one of the greatest inventors of all time? In part 2, we cover Edison's life from his invention of the light bulb to his death. --------- * How to Take Over the World - https://www.httotw.com/ * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas.

Sep 18, 202139 min

SPECIAL: Thomas Edison (Part 1)

This is a special release of the 3-part Thomas Edison series from the How to Take Over the World podcast with Ben Wilson. Description - How did Thomas Edison rise from obscure origins in a frontier town in Michigan to become the most famous man of his age and one of the greatest inventors of all time? In part 1, we cover Edison's life from his birth up through his invention of the phonograph. --------- * How to Take Over the World - https://www.httotw.com/ * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas.

Sep 18, 202146 min

ANNOUNCEMENT: A Special Series Drops Tomorrow

We're excited to announce that tomorrow we are releasing a 3-part series from one of Sam's favorite history podcasts, How to Take Over the World. In this episode Sam (@theSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) talk with Ben Wilson (@BenWilsonTweets), the creator of the How to Take Over the World Podcast (@HTTOTW), about his research process and they all share favorite moments from the series. --------- * How to Take Over the World - https://www.httotw.com/ * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas.

Sep 17, 202123 min

#220 - 12 Startups That Can Make You a Millionaire (Sara's List)

In this episode Sam (@theSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) update "Sara's List". This was a list of companies Sam and his wife created 5 years ago when she was looking for a job. What was the criteria? They had to be established startups who had the potential to 5-10x over the next 5 years. She went with Airbnb. If you are looking for a new job, check out these 12. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (1:01) Sara's List 2.0 * (6:59) Flexport * (9:30) Zapier * (13:16) Uniswap * (18:07) Anduril * (21:45) Replit * (27:39) Airtable * (31:01) Figma * (33:38) Rippling * (36:35) OpenStore * (40:23) Faire * (41:33) NexHealth * (43:31) OneTrust

Sep 17, 202147 min

#219 - How to Make Billions with a Niche DTC Clothing Line

In this episode Shaan (@ShaanVP) reveals the creation of the first My First Million NFT. Sam (@theSamParr) and Shaan also talk about Laird Hamilton's Superfood company, whether people should lie more, and they share their reactions to an recent twitter thread. They close out the episode with ideas around other niches Figs could work for, opportunities with crypto conferences, and in creating retreats. --------- * The MFM NFT - https://bit.ly/MFM-NFT * Stripe for Vice - https://twitter.com/mrskylor/status/1437182707675504640 * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (1:53) Laird Hamilton's publicly traded company * (6:04) The battery theory * (10:17) The MFM NFT * (14:08) The Stripe for vice story * (20:00) Should people lie more? * (23:32) Figs for construction * (35:40) Meet George Barber * (37:12) Meow Wolf for immersive experiences * (41:11) Two bit circus * (44:15) The big opportunities with crypto conferences * (47:29) Event & retreat opportunities * (51:36) What success can look like in VC

Sep 15, 202159 min

#218 - Why You Should Take a Think Week Like Bill Gates

[Updated] In this episode Sam (@theSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) talk about what Shaan has learned over the last week by taking a Bill Gates-inspired week off to dive deep into crypto. They also talk about Wilbur Wright, identifying stories from your work experiences, and who they follow in real estate Twitter. They close it out talking about a Twitter thread with a different take on levels of wealth and then potential solutions to Sam's occasional panic attack. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (1:53) The backstory of Wilbur Wright * (9:26) First, last, best, worst, weirdest * (12:44) Sell the story * (17:02) Real estate Twitter * (29:17) Opportunities for niche content creators * (33:42) Shaan's think week is crypto week * (37:53) Meet Andre * (40:19) Observations from crypto week * (43:46) #1 - crypto dev tools * (45:23) #2 - NFT research tools * (48:42) Shaan's take on NFTs * (59:09) Levels of wealth thread * (1:07:16) Parallels to Naval and financial freedom * (1:15:39) Panic attacks

Sep 10, 20211h 24m

#217 - Why Direct-to-Consumer Companies Are Awesome to Own

In this episode Shaan (@ShaanVP) and Sam (@theSamParr) debate the merits of owning and operating a direct-to-consumer e-commerce business. Shaan breaks down some of the basic ins-and-outs you should look for with ad spends and purchase multipliers. They also discuss the state of economy and whether or not we are in a bubble (or rather, many bubbles), a new NFT project called Loot, the recent raises of Whoop and Allbirds, and Sam's friends Bitcoin gamble. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. * The Everything Bubble: https://blog.ftx.com/blog/the-everything-bubble/ --------- Show notes: * (2:06) Back to school * (2:39) A psychedelic story * (10:23) The story that lead to a breathwork app * (17:40) An event better than SoulCycle * (19:32) The ranch retreat for deeper connections * (26:32) The 2018 Bitcoin gamble * (32:06) The Everything Bubble * (40:35) Loot - 10 words of gibberish * (42:40) Thoughts on Whoop's recent round & Allbirds S-1 * (47:58) Why DTC companies are awesome * (56:31) Shaan's award show

Sep 8, 20211h 3m

#216 - Why Today Is the Day to Ask For a Raise

In this episode Shaan (@ShaanVP) shares why you should ask for that raise and Sam (@theSamParr) pokes holes in the $75K happiness study. They also debate whether it is better to own the entirety of a smaller company or a piece of a bigger one. The two also talk about MMA fights and how you can package that appeal, the future of maps, and a fractional vacation home company. Sam also shares the story around Wayne Huizenga, this week's Billy of the Week. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (1:48) Spending time in the Hamptons * (3:11) The Jake Paul fight * (6:59) The local MMA fight * (11:00) Chasing the sensation of feeling alive * (15:06) The $75K happiness study * (19:50) How Shaan got insights on his teams wellbeing * (24:08) The future of maps * (34:10) Billy of the Week: Wayne Huizenga * (44:48) Pacasso for your next vacation home * (49:48) To own all of a small company or a piece of a big one * (59:40) Ask for a raise today

Sep 3, 20211h 4m

#215 - What Venture Capital Will Look Like in the Future

In this episode Shaan (@ShaanVP) and Sam (@theSamParr) predict what venture capital will look like in the future. Shaan breaks down the different ways someone can win as a VC and also explains how SPACs work. The guys also talk about a company providing dummy data, the allure of a recruiting agency, and we learn about Harold Alfond - this week's billy of the week. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (3:30) Sam's book of the week * (9:58) Tonic Fake Data * (17:18) Recruiting as a solopreneur * (21:10) Amazon liquidation * (31:22) Sam's Costco return story * (34:24) Shaan's Halloween costume rule * (37:09) Billy of the week - Harold Alfond * (48:18) Charitable donations * (57:15) The future of venture capital * (63:03) How SPACs work * (70:22) The ways to win as a VC * (74:53) The $200 million dollar graffiti artist

Sep 1, 20211h 16m

SPECIAL: The Tools in the Solo Creator Toolbox

This special episode is a crosspost from the Indie Hackers Podcast with Courtland Allen. Sam and Shaan were interviewed by Courtland a few months ago and they gave a behind-the-scenes look at how they think about building out different income streams as a solo creator. --------- * Follow Indie Hackers: https://www.indiehackers.com/podcasts * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (1:05) On Courtland selling to Stripe * (4:30) What makes My First Million special * (12:05) How a founder can succeed after being acquired * (17:49) Shaan's path to solopreneur * (26:19) How you make money with a rolling fund * (32:52) Ideas around astrology and horoscopes * (41:14) The tools in the solo creator toolbox * (43:14) Who is having the most fun doing what they do * (53:35) What are Sam & Shaan's end game? * (1:01:41) How to have it all

Aug 31, 20211h 12m

#214 with Ramit Sethi - Why You Should Have a Diversified Investment Portfolio

In this episode Sam (@theSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) are joined by Ramit Sethi (@ramit), the founder of I Will Teach You To Be Rich. They start off talking about course businesses and Ramit shares what he's learned running courses for over 15 years. Ramit shares a few ideas for businesses and then the trio talk about different strategies around investing. Shaan shares why his approach is so different from what Ramit recommends, and he breaks down his own asset allocation. At the end Sam & Ramit share their personal money rules. --------- * Follow Ramit on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ramit * Ramit's new podcast: https://iwt.com/podcast * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (1:06) Ramit's new podcast * (5:02) An update on Shaan's Power Writing course * (7:07) Ramit's course business * (11:30) Who is Jay Abraham * (16:43) Should MFM get a new name? * (20:14) How long can Ramit run his empire * (24:11) Ramit on trolls * (27:31) The history of courses * (34:12) Ideas around pets * (37:35) Ideas around cosmetics * (39:54) How Ramit would differentiate a product * (43:47) Ramit's money hacks * (46:00) How Shaan approaches investing * (47:00) A little anecdote about camera issues * (47:58) Back to Shaan's investment approach * (50:47) What game are you playing and what risk can you tolerate? * (53:26) What Shaan's goals are with investing * (57:11) Ramit's 10 money rules * (59:35) Sam's money rules * (1:02:09) Taking out loans on your assets * (1:05:33) How Ramit thinks of risk versus rewards * (1:17:10) Ramit on Sam's engagement ring story * (1:21:04) It's not all about the metrics

Aug 27, 20211h 24m

#213 - How to Build a Community

In this episode Shaan (@ShaanVP) and Sam (@theSamParr) break down community businesses and different ways you can build a community. They also talk about the law of reciprocity, the ad Sam wrote that competitors have stolen, and the importance of user generated content for digital ads. They end the episode talking about how technology will change construction sites and share a few Instagram accounts worth following. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (1:00) The law of reciprocity * (6:51) What is Friends with Benefits * (12:56) Why communities can be great businesses * (14:58) How big can token backed communities be? * (17:33) Soho House went public * (19:45) Should MFM make a social token? * (22:46) Set your data free * (29:36) Communities of communities can be big businesses * (30:54) User generated content & Sam's great ad copy * (36:45) The hot girl side hustle * (46:33) The future of construction sites * (53:41) Remote arcade games * (57:02) Some accounts to spice up your Instagram feed * (1:00:01) The man behind Telegram

Aug 25, 20211h 6m

#212 - Why You Shouldn't Be A Slave to a 40 Hour Work Week

In this episode Sam (@theSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) discuss alternatives to a 40 Hour Workweek. They start off with Tim Ferriss & his ideas around mini retirements followed by the work ethic & career drive of people outside the US. They then dive into Naval Ravikant and his origin story, his thoughts on work, and his vision for the future of work. They end the episode with a few stories about rattlesnakes and bees. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (1:04) The 40 Hour Workweek * (3:56) The Science of Fear * (7:57) What Shaan learned from The Four Hour Workweek * (11:23) Mini retirements * (13:35) What it's like in other countries * (17:35) Living like a lion or cow * (20:04) Shaan on Naval * (27:05) How to get rich without getting lucky * (29:27) The future of work * (36:51) The history of writing * (41:17) Beware of the rattle snack * (48:05) Bert behind Bert's Bees

Aug 23, 202153 min

#211 with Julian Shapiro - The 3 Cheat Codes Startups Use to Print Cash

In this episode Shaan (@ShaanVP) is joined by startup growth expert Julian Shapiro (@julian). Julian shares the 3 growth trends he noticed successful startups were implementing to grow at astonishing rates. The pair also discuss different publishing schedule approaches and how to write an effective Twitter bio. They end the episode talking about what each of them would do if they were to do something different. --------- * Follow Julian on Twitter: https://twitter.com/julian * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (1:03) Julian on Podcasting * (4:45) The 3 cheat codes * (5:44) #1 - Give your customer a no-brainer decision * (6:15) #1A - Give them money (in a sustainable way) * (13:02) #1B - Make it super low friction * (19:48) #2 - Billboarding & naturally encourage sharing * (30:13) #3 - Self-liquidating funnels * (40:58) Why publishing erratically works for some * (45:58) Julian on Twitter bios * (50:44) What Julian would do if he was doing something different * (54:20) What Shaan would do * (57:55) On stand up comedy and what makes a good joke * (1:02:13) What the best storytellers have in common * (1:04:27) Where to find Julian

Aug 20, 20211h 5m

#210 - How Celebrities Have Made Billions off Their Names

In this episode Shaan (@ShaanVP) and Sam (@theSamParr) dive into a few industries and talk about the players behind them. They start off talking about car dealerships and the handful of politicians who make major coin through them. They then transition to celebrities and how some have leveraged their name to make even more money. They finish the episode with a few anecdotes on how some people started to accumulate wealth and a snippet on anti-aging and scientific discovery. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (0:59) Intro * (2:47) The Skip Barber racing school * (6:48) Digitizing the gun range * (10:57) The politicians making money with car dealerships * (23:06) The cool growth hack used by Spoonflower * (28:48) Celebrities making bank of their celebrity * (35:26) George Clooney hooking up his friends with $1M cash * (39:51) A feel good story about Shaan's trainer * (41:58) The Bar & Bat Mitzvah hack to wealth * (44:57) A unique twist on Universal Basic Income - the birth dividend * (47:35) Aubrey de Grey and how scientific breakthroughs work

Aug 18, 20211h 1m

#209 with Gary Vaynerchuk - Why NFTS Are the Future

In this episode Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee) joins Sam (@theSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) to give a master class on NFTs. Gary shares his predictions on the future of NFTs and how they'll be (eventually) used by everyone. He also talks about the growth of VaynerX, his love of garage sales, and the launch of VeeFriends & VeeCon. At the end, he shares the biggest lesson he learned from passing on investing in Uber (twice). --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (0:58) Intro * (5:14) The headcount growth of VaynerX * (11:44) On Shaan's Clubhouse prediction * (13:39) Gary's conviction to the game * (17:44) Shaan's first foray into NFTs * (19:53) Gary's prediction on the future of NFTs * (23:24) Revisiting the purchase of Michael Jordan's house * (28:03) The story of the Spirits of St. Louis * (29:21) The what, not the how, for NFTs * (32:53) VeeFriends and VeeCon * (39:24) On Gary's master plan to buy and grow existing brands * (43:28) How Gary thinks about creating content * (45:52) Putting wins on the board * (47:28) Missing on Uber

Aug 13, 202152 min

#208 with Steph Smith - Why You Need a Chief Automation Officer

In this episode Shaan (@ShaanVP) is joined by Steph Smith (@stephsmithio) for an idea packed episode. They start off talking about opportunities around spending your FSA dollars and on swag packs. They transition to talk about the role of automation at companies and Steph shares how she would go about automating repetitive parts of her role. The end the episode talking about Steph's new course, approaches to building a company, and Fidelity allowing trading accounts for teenagers. --------- * Want Steph's course? You can find it at https://doingtimeright.com * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (1:06) Intro * (2:20) Ideas around spending your FSA dollars * (15:58) Ideas around giving out awesome swag * (21:52) The role of chief automation officer * (27:37) Building a company around automation * (35:03) Giving away free alcohol as marketing * (41:22) How Steph invests her time & money * (43:50) Steph's new course - doingtimeright.com * (47:44) Approaches to building a company * (51:39) Fidelity allowing teenagers on the platform * (56:52) How to find Steph online

Aug 11, 202158 min

#207 - How to Make Millions by Unbundling Etsy

In this episode Sam (@theSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) break down a multi-million dollar opportunity to unbundle Etsy ($24B market cap). Shaan also shares how he would approach it if he were doing it himself. The guys also talk about the multi-billion dollar elevator industry, a training program to become an MMA fighter, and whether tax incentives make Canada an attractive place to run a startup. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (1:10) Intro * (3:30) The elevator industry * (11:08) Unbundling Etsy * (22:43) A crash course to become an MMA fighter * (28:02) Mental Fitness * (39:01) Moving to Canada + SRED credits * (45:53) Reese Witherspoon's massive exit * (51:45) Delta airlines meet Delta variant

Aug 6, 202155 min

#206 with Brianne Kimmel - How Venture Capitalists Make Money

In this episode Sam (@theSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) are joined by solo capitalist Brianne Kimmel (@briannekimmel). They talk about how Bri got started in investing, the pros and cons of her busy schedule, and discuss some of the unicorns she's invested in. They also discuss a cool use of deepfakes, how VCs make money, and whether or not college is worth the price of admission. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (1:00) Intro * (2:25) The Shake Up - a new podcast on the HubSpot Podcast Network * (6:52) GPT-3 and Anthony Bourdain * (11:40) A cool use of deepfakes * (13:31) Meet Brianne Kimmel * (16:14) Bri's crazy schedule * (21:39) How VCs make money * (37:33) Hot spaces Bri sees * (40:54) Is higher education worth it? * (50:31) Winners Bri sees in her portfolio

Aug 4, 20211h 2m

MFM Mini - 5 Hacks to Landing Your Dream Job

Do you like these mini episodes? Tweet your feedback to Shaan (@ShaanVP) & get more short stories like this on his newsletter www.shaanpuri.com. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas.

Aug 1, 202118 min

#205 - How to Stop Your Tech Addiction

In this episode Sam (@theSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) revisit the NCAA rule changes about college athletes making money and Shaan shares his prediction about who the next big sports agent will be. They also talk about buying lotto tickets via an app, the mugshot industry, & how to fight tech and porn addiction. They end the episode with Shaan sharing a Chrome extension idea. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (:53) Intro * (2:24) Buying lottery tickets online * (8:46) Making money around NIL - name, image, likeness * (14:21) The college sports agent * (18:59) The origin story of Scooter Braun * (23:01) Shaan's one regret from college * (24:37) The AngelList scout program * (28:43) The mugshot posting & removal industry * (35:29) An app to fight tech & porn addiction * (39:02) Story sidebar - Earl Nightingale & who's serving who * (42:12) Back to fighting tech addiction * (46:32) An idea for a Chrome extension

Jul 30, 202155 min

#204 - Behind-the-Scenes of Shaan's Power Writing Course

In this episode Shaan (@ShaanVP) breaks down all the numbers behind his Power Writing course (course link --> https://hi.switchy.io/5Cir) and gives Sam (@theSamParr) a walkthrough on how short squeezes work. The two of them later discuss the unbundling of YC, on-demand rental companies, and the future of gas stations. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (:47) Intro * (1:49) Sam's bullish on America * (5:52) A beginner's guide to short squeezes * (8:35) The programming language behind Ethereum smart contracts * (16:09) Meet Greg16676935420 * (19:27) The unbundling of YC * (22:37) A breakdown of Shaan's Power Writing course * (32:55) Swimply and other rent-on-demand companies * (43:17) The future of gas stations

Jul 28, 202155 min

SPECIAL: The Little Known World of FatFIRE

In this episode Sam (@theSamParr) shares what he's learned from one of his favorite subreddits, FatFIRE. FatFIRE is about the pursuit of financial independence/early retirement with an upper-middle class lifestyle. Do you like these special episodes? Tweet your feedback to Sam (@theSamParr) & let him know what you think. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (1:07) Meet FatFIRE * (6:53) What Sam has learned from FatFIRE * (7:15) 1 - The safety withdrawal rate * (8:36) 2 - Asset backed loans * (10:38) 3 - They keep working after they retire * (11:50) 4 - It's easy to spend a lot of money * (13:05) 5 - But you don't have to * (13:50) 6 - You have a number * (15:04) 7 - On wealth advisors * (16:05) 8 - You don't have to start a business * (18:25) 9 - Live your life * (20:23) A redditor on different levels of wealth --------- Links: https://www.reddit.com/r/fatFIRE/ https://fatfireindex.com/

Jul 26, 202128 min

MFM Mini - How Ben & Jerry’s Turned Misfortune Into Fortune

Do you like these mini episodes? Tweet your feedback to Shaan (@ShaanVP) & get more short stories like this on his newsletter www.shaanpuri.com. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas.

Jul 25, 202111 min

#203 - Why Dunder Mifflin Should Be a Real Paper Company & An Inside Look Into MicroAcquire With Andrew Gazdecki

In this two-part episode, Sam (@theSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) start off with ideas on building brands around pop culture, discuss the drama around the private space race, and talk about a few business-in-a-box concepts. In the second part they interview Andrew Gazdecki (@agazdecki) from MicroAcquire. They talk about how Andrew raised $3.5M this week, discuss MicroAcquire's role as a market network, and successful niches to build in. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (:49) Intro * (2:41) Building brands around pop culture * (10:59) The private race into space * (21:48) Bill's lemonade stand * (24:57) Service based businesses-in-a-box * (30:34) Meet Andrew Gazdecki * (34:17) The buy & build MBA - Soldstock.io * (37:19) Market networks * (40:04) Andrew's first company * (47:30) What Andrew did after selling his first company * (59:05) Successful niches to build in

Jul 23, 20211h 7m

#202 - A Breakdown of Trendy New Businesses & Boring 9 Figure Businesses

In this episode Shaan (@ShaanVP) and Sam (@theSamParr) discuss upcoming trends they are seeing along with old school businesses making hundreds of millions of dollars. Sam also talks about how he wants to grow the podcast, and Shaan shares a new writing goal he has. They end the episode talking about businesses that set of their spidey sense and may be scams. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (:55) Intro * (1:56) Sam's YouTube push * (5:11) Shaan's 30 day writing challenge * (15:33) Trendspotting - Stretching gyms * (25:52) Trendspotting - Semi-permanent tattoos * (32:24) The billion dollar class ring business * (45:49) The Pantone color book * (49:43) The trend makers - WGSN.com * (55:04) Scammy businesses - recovering items from TSA checkpoints

Jul 21, 20211h 6m

SPECIAL: The Key Question to Reframe an Argument

In this episode Sam (@theSamParr) highlights the key question he asked to change a Twitter argument for the better. He also breaks down some of the content he's been consuming recently and shares what he liked about each piece. Do you like these special episodes? Tweet your feedback to Sam (@theSamParr) & let him know what you think. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (:52) Ben Mallah on negotiating * (6:10) Michael Franzese on the Mafia * (10:20) How to reframe an argument * (12:35) The ugly side of Steve McQueen * (15:05) Cities giving incentives to move --------- Links: https://bit.ly/ben-mallah-negotiating https://bit.ly/michael-franzese-mfm https://bit.ly/reframingquestion https://bit.ly/remote-workers-incentives-mfm

Jul 19, 202118 min

MFM Mini - The 5 Part Process to Networking Effectively

Do you like these mini episodes? Tweet your feedback to Shaan (@ShaanVP) & get more short stories like this on his newsletter www.shaanpuri.com. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas.

Jul 18, 20219 min

#201 - Why You Should Spend 5x Your Budget on an Engagement Ring

In this episode Sam (@theSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) break down different Micro-SaaS and P2P marketplace companies. They also talk about changes we'll see in advertising, a non-profit that is an alternative to Substack/Wordpress, and IKEA Hacking. They end the episode talking about when it makes sense to have an unlimited budget for something. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (:49) Intro * (2:00) What's going on with iOS privacy settings * (8:59) The future of advertising * (12:32) Ghost.org - Wordpress meets Substack * (17:10) IKEA Hacking * (28:39) The $400 million fitness influencer app * (32:01) Micro-SaaS tools that help you win * (37:25) BabyQuip.com - a P2P rental marketplace for parents on vacation * (41:37) Teachers paying teachers * (48:06) What regrets will you have at 90? * (57:58) The unlimited travel budget

Jul 16, 20211h 1m

#200 - When to Go All In, Teenage Side Hustles, & the Crypto Exchange That Could Have Been

In this episode Shaan (@ShaanVP) and Sam (@theSamParr) share when it makes sense to swing for the fences and go all in on an idea. The guys also talk about performance vs brand advertising, the sick house Shaan is staying in, and end the episode with a segment on teenage side hustles. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (:49) Performance vs. brand advertising * (7:43) The $15 million dollar house * (16:01) The 8 figure crypto media biz * (21:56) The power of the Bitcoin community * (25:56) The crypto exchange that could have been * (31:34) When to go all in on something * (38:04) Making millions without an audience * (45:24) How to up your intensity * (48:49) Teenage side hustles

Jul 14, 20211h 1m

#199 - The Secret to Being Great

In this special episode Sam (@TheSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) talk about recent content they've consumed. They break down Naval's tweetstorm on How to Get Rich Without Getting Lucky and discuss their appreciation for greatness. There is a unique example at the end of the episode. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (1:07) 1. How to Take Over the World (Podcast) * (9:17) 2. The Almanac of Naval Ravikant (book) * (17:59) Sam's friend and their big bet on Bitcoin * (20:32) On greatness * (27:19) 3. Nonviolent Communication (book) * (29:26) 4. The Courage to be Disliked (book) * (30:05) 5. Sam Altman’s Manifest Destiny (article) * (34:23) An example of greatness (NSFW)

Jul 12, 202140 min

MFM Mini - A Guide to Asking Better Questions

Do you like these mini episodes? Tweet your feedback to Shaan (@ShaanVP) & get more short stories like this on his newsletter www.shaanpuri.com. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas.

Jul 11, 202116 min

#198 - How to Build a Unicorn Around the NCAA Reg Changes

Sam (@TheSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) break down opportunities created by the NCAA regulation changes. One of those ideas Sam said was the best he's heard in months. They also talk about Sam's road trip adventure to New York. The guys finish the episode brainstorming ideas ranging from an internal search engine for company documents to Zapier for sounds to referral programs. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (:54) Intro * (1:47) Sam's Nightmare Trip to NYC * (7:19) Opportunities for healthy eating on the go * (11:17) The Roaring 2020's * (13:04) NCAA Athlete Opportunities * (20:29) Inflections * (25:27) Stanwith.me * (32:59) A company document search engine * (39:41) Zapier for sounds * (53:58) Loyalty and referral programs * (1:01:37) The benefits of not using custom software

Jul 9, 20211h 5m

#197 with Dharmesh Shah - Frameworks for Becoming a Billionaire (From a Billionaire's Perspective)

Sam (@TheSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) are joined by HubSpot co-founder and CTO Dharmesh Shah (@Dharmesh). Dharmesh shares his thought process behind buying the Hustle, how he thinks about time & money, and how HubSpot came to be. They close the episode talking about ideas around a better version of LinkedIn and the future of software. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (0:57) Intro * (9:10) The inside scoop on why HubSpot bought The Hustle * (14:00) What it's like to be a billionaire * (18:54) A framework on the relationship between time & money * (24:50) Rich guy questions * (28:24) Dharmesh on the beginnings of HubSpot * (37:10) Idea: A blockchain version of LinkedIn * (45:35) Dharmesh on BitClout * (50:22) Idea: NLP, the future of software * (53:20) Growth Bot & website graders * (59:25) Dharmesh on GPT-3 * (1:02:55) Idea: A community for remote work * (1:04:41) Deal trophies * (1:06:56) A framework to evaluate startup ideas * (1:13:55) Constructive podcast criticism * (1:18:36) Outro

Jul 7, 20211h 23m

Greatest Hits #7 - Revisiting The Idea Episode with Product Genius Scott Belsky

On this episode, Sam (@theSamParr) gives an update on one of Shaan's favorite episodes, his interview with Scott Belsky. Sam revisits what Scott said a little over 18 months ago during episode #32, and shares his thoughts on Scott's ideas today. Grab another salad, this is a good one. #32: We've got a different flavor today for you. We sat down with Scott Belsky (@scottbelsky) join us today and instead of hearing his backstory, we bounced around a bunch of topics. Scott has done it all. He's been a founder (Behance), angel investor (Uber, Pinterest), VC (Benchmark), Tech Executive (CPO of Adobe currently), and Author (The Messy Middle). So sit back, grab a salad (cause we're healthy in 2020) and enjoy this conversation. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (0:27) Sam intro commentary * (5:51) Sam commentary 2 * (9:10) Sam commentary 3 * (17:16) Sam commentary 4 * (23:19) Sam commentary 5 * (27:06) Sam commentary 6 * (28:31) Sam commentary 7 * (32:01) Sam commentary 8 * (36:09) Sam commentary 9 * (36:27) Sam commentary 10 * (51:37) Sam commentary 11 * (53:52) Sam commentary 12 * (55:43) Sam final commentary

Jul 5, 202159 min

MFM Mini - Shaan's 15 Minutes with the CEO of Alibaba

Do you like these mini episodes? Tweet your feedback to Shaan (@ShaanVP) & get more short stories like this on his newsletter www.shaanpuri.com. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas.

Jul 4, 20219 min

#196 with Dan Held - Who Really Created Bitcoin & Other Crypto Startup Ideas

Shaan (@ShaanVP) and Sam (@theSamParr) are joined in this episode by serial Bitcoin entrepreneur Dan Held (@DanHeld). They talk about the Genesis block of Bitcoin, who Satoshi Nakamoto might really be, and the controversy around Tether. They end the episode talking about business ideas in the Crypto space and how to make money in the creator economy. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (:47) Intro to Dan Held * (3:01) How Dan got his first Bitcoin * (4:17) Will the real Satoshi please stand up * (9:31) Dan's Early Bitcoin days * (15:00) Ideas for the Bitcoin & Crypto space * (21:35) A new kind of private wealth manager * (24:43) The controversy around Tether * (31:28) Bitcoin security and multi-signature wallets * (36:31) Growth hacks to build your audience * (40:41) Monetizing in the creator economy * (46:44) Laser eyes and memes

Jul 2, 202155 min