180: Founder Mode, Seasonal Businesses, Spirit Halloween’s $650m+ Biz and X vs. Brazil
Not Investment Advice · Bilal Zaidi, Jack Butcher, Trung Phan
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Show Notes
The NIA boys discuss Founder Mode, Seasonal Businesses, Spirit Halloween’s $650m+ Biz and X vs. Brazil
Timestamps:
- (00:00:00) - Intro
- (00:03:04) - Founder Mode
- (00:20:13) - Meme of the Week
- (00:22:44) - Seasonal Businesses
- (00:35:28) - Spirit Halloween’s $650m+ Biz
- (00:53:29) - X vs. Brazil
1) Paul Graham's "Founder Mode" essay sparks debate
• Contrasts with "Manager Mode" in large companies
• Emphasizes hands-on approach vs. delegating
• Airbnb's Brian Chesky cited as success story
• Key question: Is it just rebranded micromanagement?
• "It's really about good people versus bad people." - Bilal
2) Seasonal businesses can be WILDLY profitable
Hall of Fame examples:
• Mariah Carey's Christmas royalties ($2-3M/month)
• KFC/Domino's on Super Bowl Sunday
• Fireworks sellers (2 months/year)
• Wedding industry: 60-80% of engagements happen Q4 to Valentine's Day
• Crayola: 50% of their annual $600M revenue happen between July 4 and Labor Day
3) Spirit Halloween: The ultimate seasonal business
• 1,450 locations (as big as Target)
• $600-700M revenue in 2 months
• Uses bankrupt retail spaces
4) Brazil vs. X: The latest in global tech regulation
• Brazilian government blocks X (Twitter)
• $9,000 fine for VPN users (median salary: $8,000)
• Raises questions about free speech and government control
What Is Not Investment Advice?
Every week, Jack Butcher, Bilal Zaidi & Trung Phan discuss what they're finding on the edges of the internet + the latest in business, technology and memes.
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Links Mentioned:
Founder Mode: https://paulgraham.com/foundermode.html
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