Before we begin, I just posted a podcast with Noah Kagan on how to find million dollar startup ideas in 2024. Watch it on YouTube (it was recorded in their cool Miami studio) or listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Enjoy!
I've started and sold 3 venture-backed companies before the age of 30. I've been advisor to Reddit and TikTok.
Here are the 14 questions I get asked the most:
1. How do I go from zero to 10,000 followers on social?
The fastest way to get 10,000 followers is through replies. You literally don't need to post content of your own. Here's the playbook:
- You make sure your bio is optimized
- You set tweet (or IG etc) notifications for people in your space
- You comment thoughtfully on their posts quickly
- You gain a few followers daily
- You do this consistently
This is the sure way to getting a base of followers in a niche.
You can't lose.
2. Where do you see content going in 2024?
Content has been over produced over the last few years and it’s about to go more raw. Especially video. The trend with short form video has been every second amplified with sound effects and zoom ins. Price dings and GIFs. I think you’ll see more creators go raw and see lots of luck there. Examples include Sam Sulek or the handwritten photos you're starting to see on Instagram.
Content is moving behind the scenes.
Truth is social used to be like that. Everything old is new again.
3. How do you make the most amount of impact on the internet?
- Pick a worthwhile topic. Nicher the better
- Write clearly. More clear than anyone else
- Write regularly. Every single day
- Collaborate with other writers like you. Help them
- Open your Twitter DMs. Look for gold
4. What was biggest lesson learned from selling your company to WeWork and being at WeWork at the height of craziness?
When I joined WeWork, something stood out. People referred to "adam" in an almost god-like way. They were referring to Adam Neumann.
It was fascinating to see on a dime how thousands of people went from worshipping Adam to despising him. He went from god to enemy overnight.
Employees thought their stock options were worth millions and ended up being pretty worthless. That's why.
Teaches you a lot about human nature.
5. How would you make $1m or $10m in 2024 if you had to and only had $25k to do it?
Firstly, good things take time. Figma (now worth $20b) took 7 years to reach $1m in revenue. Things move slowly until they move fast.
But if I had to make $1M, I'd follow the ACP funnel (audience, community, product) to build an asset light, profitable business targeting a niche I probably found on GummySearch.
So, I'd pick a unique category, something where I'm not competing with anyone. I'd build a social account (partner with creators to pump it with the $25k), convert into a free Whatsapp or Skool community to get their emails and build them a product. The product probably would start be a lightweight software product or paid community.
6. What is the best community platform?
Someone asked me this in my paid membership Community Empire.
I always say the same thing:
There is no perfect community platform. Depends on the needs.
First start with building a growing internet audiences, and then pick a home that you think they'll enjoy.
No two communities are the same so they needs change.
7. How do you learn new skills?
A framework for learning any new skill I use:
- Limit scope (focus)
- Write learnings every day (memory)
- Learn with others (accountability)
- Teach newcomers (practice)
8. What's your best advice for how to win on the internet?
Have a bias for action
Ignore noise
Be obsessed
Accept pain, don’t suffer (pain is inevitable, suffering is optional)
Find cheerleaders.
People above you, people below you, people on your level
Don’t follow growth hacks. If someone is telling you about them, it’s too late
Don’t trust public revenue numbers on Twitter, LinkedIn etc. They are probably false
Your brand should be so good people want to wear it on t-shirts. I call it the t-shirt test
Underspend on material possessions, overspend on people, experiences, that move you faster
9. Should I build in public?
Move in silence or move loudly, nothing in between
10. Number one way to get people to buy your product?
Besides building an internet audience, If you want someone to want something, tell them they can’t have it or build virality into the product.
11. What was the last epiphany you had?
I had a realization about the type of experiences you have in life:
A toll gets you to somewhere you want to go to. A tax sucks you dry.
Be okay with tolls in your life, they make you better. Taxes on the other hand are a part of life and of course should be paid, but you don't want to live a life with only taxes, no tolls. You want mostly tolls, some taxes.
12. What's your spicy take of the day?
Reading books is so back right now Stood the test of time with so many new media coming out for hundreds of years. As people want places away from their phones (digital detox) book sales will increase
13. You seem calm, how do you do it?
I've got a simple framework. I'll share it with you.
Overthinking —> Write
Uninspired —> Read
Scared —> Take one risk
Stuck —> Walk
Tired —> Sleep
Confused —> Ask
Frustrated —> Move
Burned out —> Day off
Impatient —>Review progress
Unmotivated —> Remember your “why”
You might want to save this.
14. What's 1 marketing channel people are sleeping on?
I don't think many people realize that SEO is being completely rewritten right now with AI. I've used BoringMarketing.com to generate thousands of organic customers thanks to their AI suite on building content.
They have a free course if you want to learn how to do it yourself.
And no SEO isn't dead. 4B+ people actively use Google as of 2024.
That's a wrap for the deep dive of the week.
Forward this to a friend who might enjoy. It's free to forward.
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P.S: if you want to ask me questions, I answer a private Q&A every few weeks on the Community Empire membership. People love it. Are you signed up? We had 50 people join in the last 2 weeks mostly through word-of-mouth.
Cancel anytime if you dont find mega value.
Next up, bookmarks I saved this week worth reading
- Do you respond to texts slowly or quickly? I'm going to start responding to texts more slowly. Here's what it says about you. View tweet
- I'd never heard of the term "cold creators" but I love it. Don't be cold, be warm in 2024. View tweet
- The pitch-deck for ElevenLabs seed round was leaked (AI startup worth $1b+). An interesting read. View deck
- Someone will build a multi-million WhatsApp/iMessage business with no site or web storefront, likely AI-enabled. Think a service you text for advice.I call these invisible companies. View tweet
- “Every human-to-human interface replaced with a human-to-machine interface reduces the relative importance of social status versus technical competence.” — Balaji
That’s a wrap!
I hope you enjoyed this week’s post. Tag me on X if you did with the link to the post. I read every mention.
And if you're anything like me you love business ideas. Don't forget to listen to the podcast I did with Noah Kagan on how to find million dollar startup ideas in 2024.
Apple Podcasts Spotify or YouTube
Lots of people have been enjoying my YouTube lately. Subscribe if you haven't here.
Thank you for reading. Hope you found it valuable. Forward to a friend if you did.
I'll keep writing if you keep reading.
Until next week.
Be well,
