1. Intro
Shaan shares how a company pivoted from producing vodka and LED screens to manufacturing safety products such as masks and respirators at the start of COVID, winning contracts and becoming a core provider.+
2. Wealth, COVID, and Risks
Rich Neighbor:Shaan shares his encounter with a wealthy neighbor who goes all out during Christmas time, and later discovers that they made their fortune from a gimmicky LED vodka bottle business. The conversation touches on the lifestyle of the wealthy and the potential success of seemingly silly business ideas.+
COVID Pivot:Shaan and Sam discuss how some businesses pivoted to producing safety equipment during COVID, including a local East Bay success story that shifted from producing vodka to producing masks and respirators, winning $100 million plus contracts. They also touch on the quick cash grab some people attempted with producing and selling masks.+
COVID Testing Trucks:Shaan talks about a guy in his Mastermind Group who started a business doing mobile COVID testing trucks that drove up to places and did rapid testing for COVID. The business got an absurd amount of traction very fast.+
Risk and Action:Shaan shares a story about his dad's addiction to meetings and how it hindered a business opportunity. They discuss the importance of taking risks and massive action, and how identifying one's problems is not enough without action.+
Clueless in America:Shaan shares the story of his mother's culture shock upon arriving in America, including not knowing how to use a payphone and never having eaten with utensils before. The story highlights the challenges of immigration and adjusting to a new culture.+
3. Innovative University Classes
Innovative University Classes:Shaan and Sam discuss the idea of innovative university classes that focus on practical skills, such as going viral on TikTok or running a lemonade stand, rather than traditional academic subjects like Shakespeare. They question why more classes aren't taught this way and suggest that practical skills should be emphasized more in higher education.+
Learning Outside School:Shaan and Sam discuss the limitations of traditional education and share their thoughts on alternative ways of learning. They suggest that students should focus on growing an audience and flipping items to learn about entrepreneurship. Sam shares his experience of taking an aerobic walking class in college and questions the practicality of traditional education.Show transcript +
4. Risk and Opportunity
Quitting College:Sam talks about how he left college to pursue Airbnb after hearing about it from a famous runner. He also shares a hack he created to help Airbnb grow.+
Bay Area Job:Sam shares his experience of getting a job in the Bay Area, despite not knowing what it was and having to relocate.+
Airbnb's Missed Opportunity:Sam shares his story of almost working at Airbnb and how he missed out on a potential opportunity. He also talks about the struggles he faced while taking classes for months with limited funds while living in a Dog Patch warehouse in San Francisco.+
Starting with $1000:Sam shares how he moved to San Francisco with only $1000, stayed at the cheapest Airbnb, and co-founded a roommate matching company with his roommate. They posted fake existing bedrooms and charged people money to attend their parties, eventually making money right away.+
Awkward Hearing Aid:Sam shares an embarrassing story about how his hearing impairment made a woman uncomfortable at a loud event. He discusses his leaning and staring habits, and how he forgot to tell the woman he was deaf. Shaan suggests a trick to make someone want to kiss you.+
5. Dating and Startups
Shaan and Sam discuss their dating lives and how it parallels their experiences in the startup world, with a lot of failures before achieving success. They also remind listeners to subscribe to their podcast on YouTube and follow them on Spotify to help them climb up the rankings.+
6. Jupe
Innovative Prefab Housing:Jeff Wilson, the founder of jupe, a startup that sells prefab housing, talks about how they ship their tent-like structures to customers and rent them out for $250 to $500 a night. They have deployed 400 of these units and are expected to do $12 million in revenue this year.+
Profitable Property Ideas:Sam and Shaan discuss the idea of profit sharing with JUP for additional dwelling units on Sam's property, while Shaan praises JUP for their transparency in their vision. Sam shares an update on his successful Airbnb business on his 20-acre property and contemplates adding more units.+
Airbnb Math:Sam and Shaan discuss the financials of Sam's Airbnb property, including gross revenue, expenses, and potential profit. While Shaan is skeptical of the slow real estate appreciation and rental income, Sam finds the rewards of the investment exciting.+
Real Estate Investment:Sam and Shaan discuss Sam's experience investing in a vacation rental property. They touch on the cash on cash return, appreciation, and Sam's plan to build more on his 20 acres of land. They also briefly mention using HubSpot as a CRM platform.+
7. Trash Business Hustles
Trash Business Hustles:Shaan shares two interesting trash businesses, one of which is Smash My Trash, a franchise that uses a giant crane to compact trash and save businesses hundreds of dollars every month. The cost of the service should be less than the savings from less dumpster fills, making it a profitable business with low overhead costs.+
Restaurant Carnage:Shaan and Sam discuss the downside of owning a restaurant franchise, including the carnage that occurs after closing and the challenges of managing blue collar workers. They also compare the reliability of "trash guys" versus baristas and the worst types of waitstaff to work with.+
Trash Business Ideas:Sam and Shaan discuss two trash-related business ideas: a junk removal franchise and a power washing service for trash cans. They consider the potential for profit and challenges of each idea, and plan to ask a friend who owns a successful junk removal business for his insights.+
Trash Can Cleaning Business:Shaan shares a blue-collar side hustle idea for a trash can cleaning business that can earn up to thousands of dollars a day per truck. He suggests using a song as branding, leaving flyers on top of bins, and marketing to germaphobes. Sam initially thinks it's a horrible idea, but Shaan explains the potential and financing options.+
Hustle Stories:Sam and Shaan discuss various work experiences they had growing up and how it helped them in their entrepreneurial journey. They also talk about the importance of having a "hustle story" and how it can be a valuable asset in the future.+
Work and Class:Sam and Shaan discuss their experiences growing up in different classes and how it has shaped their work ethic and perspectives on bringing your whole self to work. They also poke fun at themselves and others for their quirks and faults.+
8. Parcast
Bootstrapped Podcast Startup:Sam shares the story of Max Cutler, who bootstrapped a podcast startup that sold for $50 million to Spotify after only three years. The startup had 16 shows with 100 million downloads after two years and now has a staff of 150, with 75 of them being voice actors.+
True Crime Dominance:Sam discusses the success of a true crime podcast that dominates search results despite having a small social media following. He compares it to Family Guy and emphasizes the power of a volume play. The podcast was acquired for $54 million.+
Quantity Over Quality:Shaan and Sam discuss the importance of quantity over quality when it comes to scaling a business. They use examples like a guy who pumped out 40 true crime audio shows in two years to get 100 million downloads and Sam's blog, The Hustle, which prioritizes pumping out lots of articles. They argue that sometimes quantity is the quality and that people shouldn't be limited by what's considered normal.+