I'm feeding my baby while recording this… she's spilling milk, I'm spilling AppSumo updates. Everybody wins. So we've gone from 140 people down to around 40. Revenue has dropped hard. And for the first time in 16 years, staying in business actually feels uncertain. So this episode is about what we're doing now. What's working, what's not, and how we're getting things back on track. I talk about why we're focusing on just 30 great deals instead of hundreds, what AI is actually good for… and where...
Apr 29, 2026•23 min•Ep. 387
We were spending $56K/year on AI tools at AppSumo. A dozen subscriptions, nobody sharing anything. So we killed all of it and put the entire company on one Claude plan. Let's go. This episode I break down exactly how we rolled out AI to every single teammate in 3 weeks, why the tool itself wasn't the secret (the shared platform we built on top was), and the wild stuff that happened when non-technical people started building their own automations. From our deal of the day going from 25 minutes to...
Mar 30, 2026•12 min•Ep. 386
I just turned 44, and we just had our second daughter. Double girl dad. Let's go. This episode is a mix of life lessons, AI experiments, and some questionable investing decisions. I talk about what having a second kid taught me, why self-belief matters way more when revenue is down, and how getting older has made me care less about awards and more about meaning. I also tested OpenClaw, gave it real access to my life, and asked it to tell me what to say on this podcast. It lied. Then it admitted ...
Feb 26, 2026•19 min•Ep. 385
I just had lunch with someone who sold a billion-dollar company. What stuck with me wasn't the money, it was how seriously he took standards. Not just in his work but through his entire life. This month I talk about what standards really mean, why they're just values in action, and how raising them creates clarity instead of chaos. This is about doing better work, even when things feel messy, and coming out stronger on the other side. In this conversation you'll enjoy 3 BIG things: How to set re...
Jan 27, 2026•13 min•Ep. 384
It's New Year's Eve, and I've been taking stock of everything 2025 threw my way and what I want 2026 to look like. There were plenty of ups and downs, but what didn't work has forced me to rethink how I lead. In this episode, I talk honestly about what's changing at AppSumo, what I've learned by getting closer to the work again, and why leadership right now looks very different than it did. In this conversation you'll enjoy 3 BIG things: Setting goals that actually change your behavior Going eas...
Dec 31, 2025•38 min•Ep. 383
Today, I'm giving you part three of the AppSumo saga. Black Friday was rough, targets got missed, and the team felt it. But I zoomed out and the signals actually looked way better than expected. Refunds are dropping, deal quality is rising, customer sentiment is improving, and we're finally stabilizing the business after a horrible year. So in this episode I break down our simple three part plan to see out 2025, and talk about bundles, new partner offerings, the future of software, and how leade...
Dec 01, 2025•26 min•Ep. 382
The past few months at AppSumo have been brutal. People are voting with their wallets and return buyers are down 40%. We lost some of the trust we spent years building and drifted from what made us great. But the fire in my belly is back and I'm going to war for what we do best. I'm turning the battleship back towards curating high-quality tools that people actually love and I'm taking you inside the war room. In this episode, I share what's working, what's not and what I'm learning. If you've e...
Oct 22, 2025•18 min•Ep. 381
My book Million Dollar Weekend is for aspiring entrepreneurs who dream of starting their own business. I break down the process of starting into simple steps that you can do in just one weekend. After a year of paternity leave, I'm back as CEO at AppSumo… and holy moly, it's been challenging. In this episode, I share a behind-the-scenes of stepping back into my company, where we've gone wrong in my absence, and what I'm doing to fix it. From running a "listening tour" across the company, to reth...
Sep 30, 2025•12 min•Ep. 380
My book Million Dollar Weekend is for aspiring entrepreneurs who dream of starting their own business. I break down the process of starting into simple steps that you can do in just one weekend. As summer wraps up and I pack for Austin, I've been reflecting on my time in Europe. One book I stumbled across in Portugal hit the mood perfectly and got me thinking about craftsmanship, curiosity, and what it really takes to build something you're proud of. It's Always Summer on the Inside is the biogr...
Aug 29, 2025•20 min•Ep. 379
My book Million Dollar Weekend is for aspiring entrepreneurs who dream of starting their own business. I break down the process of starting into simple steps that you can do in just one weekend. So this summer was a wild sweaty mess. After a pretty uncomfortable RV trip with my wife and one-year-old across France, I booked one night at a $2,000 luxury resort in Bordeaux, and it blew my mind! I'm not usually a baller-hotel guy (Bonjour Best Western, merci beaucoup), but this place nailed every li...
Jul 31, 2025•19 min•Ep. 378
While watching my 10-month-old daughter sleep on the baby monitor, I found myself feeling something I didn't expect: fear. Not for me, but for her. The world feels messy right now… divided, chaotic, and moving fast. But instead of letting it get me down, I'm focusing on what I can control. This episode is all about how I'm staying hopeful, making small changes, and how each one of us can choose to build a better future, regardless of global conflict, politics or A.I. layoffs. 3 Takeaways: Stayin...
Jun 18, 2025•26 min•Ep. 377
Pat Flynn went from getting laid off in 2008... to building a seven-figure YouTube business, selling out Pokémon conventions, and leading a legacy entrepreneurship brand (Smart Passive Income). In this episode, we talk about reinvention, raising kids, chasing relevance, and how he built Deep Pocket Monster into a viral brand with 3 billion+ views. You'll love this one if you've ever pivoted careers, tried to balance family with ambition, or just want to geek out on business and storytelling. 🎧 ...
May 20, 2025•55 min•Ep. 376
BreezeDoc is the simple way to sign documents digitally. Pay just $9 once, and get it forever (no expensive subscriptions here ). Today I'm riffing on what's been on my mind this April; from using AI to save on my taxes to pulling weeds, both literally and metaphorically, plus some book reviews and me generally musing on what makes a great life.. So If you want to hear more about how I'm using ChatGPT to get ahead financially, why saying "no" has become my superpower, and what Ryanair can teach ...
Apr 23, 2025•18 min•Ep. 375
AppSumo is celebrating its birthday. 15 years old! Hurrah! I started the company with $50 and a dream of never working a real job again. Today, it's a $100m business that's helped thousands of entrepreneurs and creators make millions. My book Million Dollar Weekend is also a year old and was just released in Spanish. It's for aspiring entrepreneurs who dream of starting their own business. I break down the process of starting into simple steps that you can do in just one weekend. Today I'm refle...
Mar 26, 2025•31 min•Ep. 374
BreezeDoc is the simple way to sign documents digitally. Pay just $9 once, and get it forever (no expensive subscriptions here). In this episode, I've got one of my best friends, the entrepreneur blueprint, the serial success master and my favorite podcaster Sam Parr to come back on the show. We talk about ambition, confidence, the reality of building a billion-dollar business and what it's like to hang around with billionaires. Also we discuss his latest projects and how becoming a dad has resh...
Feb 24, 2025•49 min•Ep. 373
My book Million Dollar Weekend is for aspiring entrepreneurs who dream of starting their own business. I break down the process of starting into simple steps that you can do in just one weekend. Sparked by a rare snowy morning in Austin, Texas, I just got done making snow angels and realized it's been a while since I've shared what's on my mind. No threads. No ads. Just raw thoughts, like the early days of blogging. I just got fired by my financial advisor and decided to experiment with some cry...
Jan 23, 2025•23 min•Ep. 372
My book Million Dollar Weekend is for aspiring entrepreneurs who dream of starting their own business. I break down the process of starting into simple steps that you can do in just one weekend. Today I'm reflecting on what an insane year 2024 has been. So much has changed and I wanted to take stock as we head into 2025! In this episode, I'm sharing my 9 key lessons from the year and the exciting plans shaping the year ahead. In this conversation, you'll enjoy 3 BIG things: Why the blame game ge...
Dec 28, 2024•23 min•Ep. 371
We're giving away $100,000 for AppSumo's Black Friday Giveaway . This week, as my baby sleeps and makes cute noises beside me, I'm sharing parenting lessons I've applied to running my business. I'm also sharing a brilliant new business model I recently discovered that can be adapted to countless industries. Also my takeaways from an awesome book you have to read! Whether you're absorbed in family life, plotting your genius business idea, or looking to see a return on your investments, there's so...
Nov 27, 2024•21 min•Ep. 370
My book Million Dollar Weekend is for aspiring entrepreneurs who dream of starting their own business. I break down the process of starting into simple steps that you can do in just one weekend. Something clicked for me during a grueling bike climb - I wanted to quit. And isn't that how it feels for everyone sometimes, in business and life? But it's our ability to push through the right kind of suffering that drives real success. In this week's episode, I dive into my own personal struggles and ...
Oct 29, 2024•14 min•Ep. 369
Check out my book Million Dollar Weekend , which helps you start businesses in just 48 hours. Check it out at milliondollarweekend.com . In this episode, I share what I've been up to during the past few months, including why I haven't released new content since August. I took time off for paternity leave and embraced the joy (and challenges) of being a new dad. This break gave me a chance to reflect on how important it is to take a step back and pause from work and doing the same thing every day...
Sep 27, 2024•17 min•Ep. 368
Check out my book Million Dollar Weekend , which helps you start businesses in just 48 hours. Check it out at milliondollarweekend.com . In this episode, I chat with Ayman Al-Abdullah, My friend and former CEO of AppSumo, who played a pivotal role in scaling the company from $5M to $70M, from 2016 to 2021. Since stepping down as CEO for AppSumo, he's now become a growth strategy coach for many other CEOs. Ayman is of the best out there IMO and I wanted him to come on the show and share his insig...
Aug 21, 2024•31 min•Ep. 367
Check out my Million Dollar Weekend at milliondollarweekend.com. If you need help starting a business, this is the book for you Today we're re-running our awesome episode where I break down the top lessons I learned from working directly under Mark Zuckerberg. It's always fun to go down memory lane and remember my time as #30 at Facebook. The lessons I learned there inspire me to this day and are relevant for anyone who is on their own business journey. In this episode, you'll enjoy 3 BIG things...
Aug 14, 2024•18 min•Ep. 366
What's up, you sexy bastards. It's your boy 'diapers' aka Rabbi Can't Lose aka Noah Kagan. Today we're re-running our awesome episode with John Paul DeJoria! John Paul is so INSPIRATIONAL. This was one of our most popular episodes last year (and also one of the most popular videos on my YouTube channel too), so we thought we'd put him in your ears once again. John Paul went from being homeless to creating two billion dollar companies in completely separate industries, John Paul Mitchell haircare...
Aug 07, 2024•59 min•Ep. 365
People have been loving my latest emails where I share brutally honest advice on a variety of topics. Sign up at noahkagan.com and join 350k other people who get juicy insights every week. In this episode, I chat with Pete Maldonado, co-founder of Chomps, about how they built a half-billion-dollar meat stick empire, ultimately becoming the number three meat snack brand in the U.S. Despite facing significant setbacks, including personal bankruptcy and multiple failed businesses, Pete has propelle...
Jul 31, 2024•53 min•Ep. 364
Check out my book Million Dollar Weekend , which helps you start businesses in just 48 hours. Check it out at milliondollarweekend.com . In today's episode, I caught up with a talented, award-winning author and professor of computer science at Georgetown University, Cal Newport. Cal's books are a manifesto for digital minimalism and focus. In this episode he shares his strategies for maintaining efficiency particularly in large organizations where meetings can often be a substitute for poor time...
Jul 24, 2024•57 min•Ep. 363
FiveTaco is the easiest way to find software for solopreneurs, from productivity tools, to the latest AI tech to help run your business. In this week's episode, I sit down with Bill Perkins, a successful hedge fund manager, film producer, author, and high-stakes poker player. Bill has created significant wealth through energy trading and uses his money wisely. Bill is all about finding values in meaningful experiences over material possessions. He also discusses his philosophy on balancing wealt...
Jul 17, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 362
My book Million Dollar Weekend is for aspiring entrepreneurs who dream of starting their own business. I break down the process of starting into simple steps that you can do in just one weekend. The e-book version is on sale July 8-14, 2024 on Amazon, check it out . In this week's episode, I'm going behind the scenes on Charles Duhigg's marketing strategy and picking apart what he can do better, comparing what he does with other famous authors and my own experience on Million Dollar Weekend. Thi...
Jul 10, 2024•19 min•Ep. 361
BreezeDoc , is a Docusign alternative that we just launched. If you hate paying a monthly subscription just to get documents signed, go to BreezeDoc.com and get a lifetime deal, pay one low price and use it forever. In this week's episode, I'm chatting with our very own David Kelly, who oversees our Originals Team releases at AppSumo. We're going into the belly of the beast to see the guts and glory of developing a product we're incredibly proud of, BreezeDoc . David and I discuss the challenges...
Jul 03, 2024•45 min•Ep. 360
If this episode inspires you to start your own business, check out my book Million Dollar Weekend , which helps you start in just one weekend. Here is your Harvard Business Review hook up with 10% off a subscription for access to business advice articles and their world class case studies. Go to hbr.org/subscriptions and use promo code NOAH for 10% off. In today's episode, you're going to hear about a mad experiment we ran during the Million Dollar Weekend book launch on Tim Ferriss's show. We p...
Jun 26, 2024•23 min•Ep. 359
One of the tools I mention in this episode, BreezeDoc , is a Docusign alternative that we just launched. If you hate paying a monthly subscription just to get documents signed, go to BreezeDoc.com and get a lifetime deal, pay one low price and use it forever. In today's episode, I break down all the essential tools and technology stacks that we use at Appsumo to power a 8 figure a year business. From financial management to email marketing, team collaboration and much more. This is the way we sq...
Jun 19, 2024•17 min•Ep. 358
