The Startup Ideas Podcast - podcast cover

The Startup Ideas Podcast

Greg Isenbergwww.gregisenberg.com
Get your creative juices flowing with The Startup Ideas Podcast. Published twice a week, we bring you free startup ideas to inspire your next venture. Hosted by Greg Isenberg, CEO of Late Checkout and former advisor to Reddit and TikTok. Subscribe so you don't miss out. For more startup ideas, we created a database of 30+ startup ideas you can take at https://gregisenberg.com/30startupideas
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Episodes

How To Monetize On YouTube With Harley Morenstein

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 ch...

Sep 15, 20221 hr 6 minEp. 49

Investing in Mental Health & Embracing Vulnerability with Andy Dunn

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-c...

Sep 08, 20221 hr 10 minEp. 48

Building a Mini Berkshire Hathaway

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 creat...

Sep 01, 20221 hr 9 minEp. 47

Winning at Startups and the Future of Culture

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 ...

Aug 25, 20221 hr 12 minEp. 46

Investor Psychology & Trading on the Future With Raoul Pal

Do you have what it takes to grow your investments from good to great? Today we share why Web3 will be the best investment in your lifetime, explain how India is the future of the internet, and explore the depth of knowledge needed to trade successfully. Hosts Sahil Bloom and Greg Isenberg are joined by guest Raoul Pal, a former Goldman Sachs investment banker turned entrepreneur, who founded Real Vision and Exponential Age Asset Management. Raoul divulges the secret to becoming a special invest...

Aug 18, 20221 hr 7 minEp. 45

How Building in Space Will Improve Life on Earth with Delian Asparouhov

Are you stuck creating on the couch? In today's episode, we explain how one small group can change the world, debate whether these people need to meet in real life, and Delian shares why he feels start-ups must hire based on merit. Hosts Sahil Bloom and Greg Isenberg are joined by guest Delian Asparouhov, principal at the Founders Fund and co-founder of Varda. Delian explains the secret to running a billion-dollar fund while simultaneously launching his first company, shares his take on where th...

Aug 11, 20221 hrEp. 44

Creativity Unlocks with Tom Green

Is your content holding you back? In today's episode, we explain why authenticity is critical to the future of content creation, share how to overcome burnout, and divulge the secret to being the G.O.A.T at everything you do! Sahil Bloom and Greg Isenberg are joined by guest Tom Green, host of the first real podcast and a world-class comedian. Tom explains how to take your audience on a journey, shares the future of podcasting, and offers insight from his personal experience for the next generat...

Aug 04, 202259 minEp. 43

How To Pick Startup Winners With Jason Calacanis

Are you ready to start angel investing? In today's episode, we share the secret to creating long-term wealth, explain how to become a “sophisticated” investor, and discuss the downsides of crypto. Hosts Sahil Bloom and Greg Isenberg are joined by guest Jason Calacanis, the creator behind the All-In Podcast, a serial angel investor, and a leading entrepreneurial author. Jason explains the entrance costs to investing, shares why people need to validate their research, and then everyone places thei...

Jul 28, 20221 hr 16 minEp. 42

Betting Big on Web3 with Li Jin

Crypto is still the future, are you in or out? Today we discuss why the crypto market needed a reset, explain how to hack back your creativity, and divulge the secret to picking investments in a down market. Hosts Greg Isenberg and Sahil Bloom are joined by guest Li Jin, the mastermind behind the “passion economy,” the co-founder of Variant, and a fundraising savant, who was able to raise her first fund during the onset of the pandemic. Li shares the lesson investors (hopefully) learned from the...

Jul 21, 20221 hr 9 minEp. 41

The Metaverse & How It Will Change the World with Matthew Ball

Will the Metaverse replace the internet? Today's guest brings in a diverse background at the intersection of technology, society, and creativity to help us answer this question and sort the signal from the noise. In this episode, we explore the secret to success, examine how the Metaverse will revolutionize the world, and predict just how this new world will look. Host Sahil Bloom is joined by guest Matthew Ball; the CEO of Epyllion, a managing partner at Ball Metaverse Research, and a thought l...

Jul 14, 20221 hr 9 minEp. 40

Bootstrapping Through a Bear Market with Noah Kagan

Are you trying to grow your side project from hobby to profession? In today’s episode we examine how building has changed in 2022, share why so many entrepreneurs fall into the same trap, and divulge the secret to scaling a profitable business without VC funding. Hosts Sahil Bloom and Greg Isenberg are joined by guest Noah Kagan, CEO and founder of AppSumo, who was able to build his company with negative Net Working Capital. Noah shares the critical mistakes that led him to succeed, offers insig...

Jul 07, 20221 hrEp. 39

How To Create Your Own Luck With Julien Smith

Are you or your business stuck between a rock and a hard place? In today’s episode, we explore why suffering actually makes you stronger, divulge the secret to getting your business started, and share how you can make your own luck. Hosts Sahil Bloom and Greg Isenberg are joined by guest Julien Smith , a NYT bestselling author turned founder ( Practice.do | Breather ), who raised more than $250M for his first venture. Julien shares his personal underdog story, how entrepreneurship is never as pe...

Jun 30, 20221 hr 4 minEp. 38

How To Build A Brand Of The Future

Storytelling is the future of the brand building. How are you telling your story? In this episode, we explore what today's successful companies have in common, why brand is everything, and how to create a network from scratch. Hosts Sahil Bloom & Greg Isenberg are joined by guest Nick Saltarelli, an experienced entrepreneur and co-founder at Midday Squares, the brand that gave the world functional chocolate. Nick is unapologetically himself, and today he offers his raw insight into why every...

Jun 23, 20221 hr 6 minEp. 37

Predicting the Future of Web3

Web 3.0 is the future, ready or not; are you? In today’s episode, we explain how Twitter increases earning & job potential, the ways Web 3 is revolutionizing the fitness and insurance industries, and why young people need to follow their interests and then double down. Hosts Sahil Bloom and Greg Isenberg are joined by guest Gaby Goldberg, who has become a pioneer in crypto, an expert in Web 3, and one of the earliest investors in The Chernin Group (TCG), all by the age of 23. Today Gaby shar...

Jun 17, 20221 hr 7 minEp. 36

Building From Scratch with Ryan Hoover

Do you trust your gut? In today’s episode, we explore how the world's most disruptive innovations begin with just one small insight, share why successful founders need to embrace their niche, and why the best products & brands always seem obvious in hindsight. Hosts Sahil Bloom and Greg Isenberg are joined by Ryan Hoover, the builder who gave us Product Hunt and now runs Weekend Fund, an early-stage VC committed to “backing your next favorite thing.” Ryan is a serial entrepreneur and deep th...

Jun 10, 20221 hr 7 minEp. 35

How to Invent and Invest In the Future with Josh Wolfe

The best way to predict the future is to help invent it. That's exactly what today's guest is doing as the founder and managing director of Lux Capital, where he invests in emerging science and technology ventures at the outermost edges of what is possible. Josh Wolfe (@wolfejosh), renowned Forbes journalist and visionary thinker, joins us on the show to share why we should question everything, how modern stressors differ from those our ancestors faced, the 3 important "M's" in life, and some fu...

Jun 02, 20221 hr 8 minEp. 34

$30M by Age 19 — And Where You Should Build Today

Are you a founder at heart but afraid to act? Today we explore how to build a scalable venture, the best way to create arbitrage in the market, and why the time is now to start your start-up. Hosts Sahil Bloom and Greg Isenberg are joined by Val Kateyev, an immigrant turned serial entrepreneur who built his first company to $30M, all before his 20th birthday and from his parent's basement. Val offers his personal insight into how technology has expedited the timeline of creating a company, the i...

May 26, 20221 hr 14 minEp. 33

Why You Need A Digital Detox with Andrew Wilkinson

Does dopamine have you hooked on tech? If you find yourself unable to put down the phone, it may be time for a detox. Entrepreneur and investor Andrew Wilkinson walks us through his personal addiction and how getting off the grid for a technological rehab helped him bring back his inner fire. Andrew is a father, original thinker, and co-founder of Tiny, a not so tiny company that buys internet businesses. He joins hosts Sahil Bloom and Greg Isenberg to explore creative boredom, original thinking...

May 19, 20221 hr 7 minEp. 32

Are We Alone In The Universe? (with Tim Urban)

Do advanced civilizations exist? Can psychedelics help us better understand ourselves? What goes on in Elon's mind? Can one episode answer all of these questions? When Tim Urban is the guest that's exactly what happens. Tim is an incredible writer known for his blog, Wait But Why, which has gained the respect of some of the world's brightest minds, including Elon Musk. He joins host Sahil Bloom to help answer many deep questions, including evidence that explains our place in the universe. SPECIA...

May 12, 20221 hr 14 minEp. 31

Why You Should Start a Business For Older Adults

There’s a giant opportunity in helping older adults live a more vibrant, empowering life throughout their later years. Today we’re joined by John Zapolski, the founder and CEO of Alive Ventures, to better understand that opportunity. John is dedicated to building products and services that cater to older adults, and has developed a co-design system that allows them to be part of the process. On this episode we cover the future of smart wallets, Bing’s search engine, Greg’s security deposit busin...

May 05, 20221 hr 18 minEp. 30

Elon's Twitter Takeover and The Future of Social Media with Sriram Krishnan

What does the future of Twitter look like as it transitions to a private company? Sriram Krishnan joined us on the pod to explore that question. Sriram is a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz and host of "The Good Time Show.” With a focus on investing in crypto and web3, he brings a unique perspective to help us understand the shifting social media landscape. In this episode, we also cover the crashing stock market, Aku World’s $33 million mistake, and receive valuable advice from our guest ...

May 03, 20221 hr 17 minEp. 29

How To Invest Like An Optimist With Morgan Housel

Morgan Housel ( @morganhouse l) sits down with host Sahil Bloom for a deep dive on money and success. Morgan shares the powerful story of how he went from a 20-year-old with an 8th-grade education to a distinguished writer and partner at The Collaborative Fund. We also cover humility, independence, and insecurity. Three assets that have helped drive Morgan's success, as well as financial caution and the importance of over-preparedness. ►► Want more community? Learn more here: http://trwih.com TH...

Apr 28, 20221 hr 6 minEp. 28

From Community Manager to C-Suite | Jiho, Axie Infinity

Today's guest shows the power of community by sharing a personal story of how Discord changed the trajectory of his life. Jiho (@Jihoz_Axie), the Co-Founder of Axie Infinity, tells the story of how he went from community manager to C-Level Executive at Axie Infinity. As the co-founder of one of the most successful play-to-earn games to date, Jiho has tons of knowledge about NFTs and video games. He joins us on the pod to discuss the player-owned economy, the new GDP, and the value of crypto mone...

Apr 21, 202255 minEp. 27

How to Leverage Nostalgia and Win at Marketing with Danny Trinh

Brand storytelling is the future of marketing. In today’s digital society, businesses need to get creative to connect with their audience and truly pull at their heartstrings. Danny Trinh (@dtrinh), Design, New Platforms at Snap and consumer social legend, is our go-to guy when it comes to understanding social behavior. Danny joins us today for a fun conversation that takes us from Mike Posner’s crazy rattlesnake story to degenerate hackers, consumer hype cycles, consumer nostalgia, and the impo...

Apr 14, 20221 hr 2 minEp. 26

Common Traits of Legends with Ndamukong Suh

In this episode we dive deep on the Terra LUNA Ponzi debate, then bring in guest Ndamukong Suh to pick his brain on lessons from his multifaceted career. Ndamukong began his career as a Nebraska football player and has gone on to play in the NFL, where he is one of the highest-paid defensive players in NFL history. He is also an investor, engineer, developer, entrepreneur, and father. Known for his aggressive style of play, Ndamukong explains his relationships with his competitors and how his pe...

Apr 07, 202258 minEp. 25

The Future of Gaming With Ryan Wyatt

What does the future of gaming look like on the blockchain? We’re joined by a leader in the space Ryan Wyatt (@Fwiz). He’s the former global head of gaming partnerships at Google and head of gaming at YouTube, where he also led their virtual and augmented reality business. Wyatt now serves as the CEO of Polygon Studios. In this episode of Where It Happens, Ryan discusses his path from high school gamer to successful businessman, the future of blockchain gaming, and the power behind play-to-earn....

Mar 31, 20221 hr 18 minEp. 24

How to Engineer Serendipity (with Matt Mullenweg)

Can a billion-dollar business be built remotely? You don't need to guess if it can happen. For more than 15 years -- long before coronavirus forced work from home for just about everyone -- Matt Mullenweg (@photomatt) was trailblazing the remote work movement as the founding developer at WordPress. Today, the platform powers approximately 30 percent of the entire internet, and its businesses employ more than 1100 people across 60 countries. In this episode of Where It Happens, Matt discusses the...

Mar 24, 202259 minEp. 23

How to Get Rich Building Boring Businesses with Codie Sanchez

Codie Sanchez is no stranger to thinking outside the box. The founder of Contrarian Thinking and Managing Partner at Entourage Effect Capital, she shares her path from traditional finance to founder and investor with more than 100,000 newsletter subscribers. In the last 12 years, she’s bought and sold more than 60 businesses and now runs a portfolio of 26 companies. On this episode of Where It Happens, Codie joins hosts Sahil Bloom (@sahilbloom) and Greg Isenberg (@gregisenberg) to explore arbit...

Mar 17, 20221 hr 3 minEp. 22

Bootstrapping An Eight-Figure Business with Michael Martocci

What does it take to build a successful bootstrapped business? Michael Martocci (@MichaelMartocci) is the right person to ask. The Founder and CEO of SwagUp grew his bootstrapped brand to more than 8-figures in revenue in just 3 years. On this episode of Where It Happens, Michael shares how to overcome the zero-to-one hurdles, finance secrets, and why he believes bootstrapping is the right way to build your startup before seeking venture capital. Want more community? Learn more here: http://trwi...

Mar 11, 202258 minEp. 21

Anything Is Possible with David Friedberg

David Friedberg (@friedberg), founder and CEO of The Production Board (TPB), is working to reimagine global systems in order to solve some of the biggest sustainability problems we face today. He joins hosts Sahil Bloom (@sahilbloom) and Greg Isenberg (@gregisenberg) to explain why the best path forward is using the latest science and technology innovations to meet the trends of human desire and consumption. An extreme optimist, Dave shares his positive outlook on scientific iteration, the chang...

Mar 03, 20221 hr 8 minEp. 20
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