The Startup Ideas Podcast

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.  

►►Subscribe 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

Today, Greg is joined by Ben Tossell, the founder of Makerpad, which democratized software development through no-code. In this episode Ben and Greg talk about how writers should be using AI to become more creative, more productive, and more efficient. 

►►Subscribe 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
Ben Tossell: https://twitter.com/bentossell

A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

►► 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/

►► 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
0:54 - Ben's take on no-code
6:00 - Why creatives shouldn't fear AI
9:00 - Ways creatives can use AI
21:08 - How to integrate AI into your writing process
32:52 - Social implications of AI
40:00 - Ben Tossell peers into the crystal ball

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. 

►►Subscribe 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

►► 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/

►► 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

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 David Perell, writer and founder of Write of Passage, where students learn a step-by-step method for publishing quality content and distributing ideas, leading to unexpected opportunities and increased serendipity in their work and life. In this episode, we chat about building Write of Passage, Religion, Walt Disney and more. 

A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

►► 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/

►► 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

►►Subscribe 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 Perell: https://twitter.com/david_perell

SHOW NOTES

00:00 - Intro

00:40 - Why David launched Write of Passage

04:00 - Have a bad 2-year plan but a great 10-year plan

09:33 - Why everyone is a writer
15:07 - The economics behind Write of Passage
21:16 - How to build an audience
25:15 - Community vs. Religion
33:29 - Going to heaven, passive income, and getting laid
41:54 - Vertical leadership, yes or no?
52:13 - How to connect with David

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

►► 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/

►► 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

►►Subscribe 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

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.

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

A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR

►► 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

Are you watching your window of opportunity pass by? Today we share why you need to start now to create success, explore the lessons you will learn the hard way, and unpack how YouTube continues to disrupt industries. Hosts Sahil Bloom and Greg Isenberg are joined by Harley Morenstein, another member of the “Montreal Mafia,” who created the YouTube sensation Epic Meal Time. Together they discuss how the internet has shrunk the window of acceptability, offer advice on why content creators must check their egos, and share how false starts lead to future success.

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

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR

►► This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens https://athleticgreens.com/wih

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

LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:

Harley Morenstein: https://twitter.com/HarleyPlays

Epic Meal Time: https://www.youtube.com/epicmealtime

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

FIND US ON SOCIAL

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

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

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

00:54 Twitter Beef Introductions

04:35 Proposing Tomorrow’s Future

08:08 The Window of Acceptability

10:47 Starting Epic Meal Time

20:30 Monetizing Youtube

26:09 Before the Creator Economy

31:46 The Dark Side of Audiences

36:24 Controlling Your Content

41:18 Choosing Growth Over Clout

44:30 Harley’s Future for Twitch

50:27 Getting “Mom” Approval

53:48 The Future of Reviewing

59:20 The Learning Costs of Success

1:05:20 Thanks for Listening

Are you being honest with yourself? In today’s episode, we get vulnerable while sharing how upbringing impacts entrepreneurship, unpack why mental health is critical for businesses, and share the importance of embracing vulnerability. Host Sahil Bloom is joined by guest Andy Dunn, the co-founder of Bonobos, and the author of Burn Rate. Together they discuss the five buckets of wealth, share why you need to accept when you're wrong, and finally, they place their bets on the future of Direct-to-consumer brands in the bear market.

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

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR

►► 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 2% 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

Andy Dunn: https://twitter.com/dunn

Burn Rate: https://www.burnratebook.com/

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

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 

01:00 Introducing Andy Dunn’s Map of Reality 

05:50 Accepting your “Otherness” 

12:08 Andy’s Entrepreneurship Journey 

16:18 Finding Your True Calling 

20:16 Defining Wealth 

23:26 Happier but Not Happy 

26:19 The Bonobos Story 

33:06 Predicting the Future of D2C

40:38 A Bear Market Creates Focus 

42:45 Burn Rate 

43:43 Embracing Vulnerability 

49:03 Talking About Mental Health 

52:21 High Highs and Low Lows 

56:40 Investing in Mental Health 

1:00:54 A 2-Step Process to Working On Mental Health 

1:03:33 Where to Find Andy Dunn and his new book

1:06:38 Thanks for listening

Are you ready to buy the business that will finance your future? Today we share the secret to generating wealth through acquisitions, explain why you need to invest for the long term, and teach the art of the deal.

Hosts Sahil Bloom and Greg Isenberg are joined by the founders of Enduring Ventures, Xavier Helgesen and Sieva Kozinsky, who are building the modern Berkshire Hathaway. Xavier and Sieva share the origin stories that shaped them into blue-collar entrepreneurs and explain why QSBS creates limitless economic opportunities in America. Finally, Sahil and Greg share what they believe to be the best businesses in the world and ask for your help to break down their unit economics.

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

THIS EPISODE

Sieva Kozinsky: https://twitter.com/SievaKozinsky

Xavier Helgesen: https://twitter.com/xavierhelgesen

Enduring Ventures: https://www.enduring.ventures/

Better World Books: https://www.betterworldbooks.com/

ZOLA Electric: https://zolaelectric.com/

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

00:21 Xavier’s Origin Story

06:01 Xavier’s 2nd Company

07:58 Better World Books & Zola Electric

12:12 Sieva’s Immigrant Origin Story

15:20 What is Enduring Ventures?

23:44 A Search Fund on Steroids

30:20 Patience is Key

33:58 Where Buffet is Right & Wrong

39:24 Great Companies = Great Narratives

43:21 Buying Businesses that Power America

45:40 Financing the Deal

51:40 QSBS Matters

54:25 Xavier’s Advise

59:30 Sieva’s Scaffolding Story

1:03:06 The Best Business’s in the World

1:06:04 Where to Find Xavier & Sieva

How do you lose millions, hire hundreds, raise millions, and sell companies by 30? Today Sahil Bloom and Greg Isenberg unpack why VC & PR can both save you and kill you, share why the greatest entrepreneurs live slowly, divulge the secret to winning every negotiation, and unpack Greg's viral tweet around building startups. Later in the episode, our hosts are joined by Tom McLeod, the 5x serial entrepreneur who helped build over 15 profitable iPhone apps. He is now solving the problem of how to bring museums into the Web3 world. Together they explain how to bring the culture and community of art into the future while simultaneously increasing the adoption of Web3 by all generations.

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

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSOR

►► This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens https://athleticgreens.com/wih

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

LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:

Greg's Guide To Building Startups Tweet: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg/status/1540735241706504192

Tom McLeod: https://twitter.com/tmcleod3

Arkive: https://arkive.net/

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

FIND US ON SOCIAL

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

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

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

00:40 Sahil & Sam’s First Meet-Up

05:02 Why IRL Intellectual Chemistry Matters

08:15 Greg’s Guide to Start-Ups

09:43 VC & PR Are Like Drugs

13:50 Great Entrepreneurs Garden

19:42 The Internet has Leveled the Opportunity Playing Field

24:22 The Listener Wins in Negotiations

27:46 No Rejection = No Progress

29:52 Welcoming Tom McLeod and Compartmentalizing Rejection

38:04 What is Arkive?

46:14 How Does a Museum Look in Web3?

54:33 Abstracting Crypto from the Future of Art

1:01:44 How Arkive Actually Works

1:05:50 Earning vs Buying