It’s sippin’ time, baby!
2 new episodes for you this week.
New episode 1: Jonathan Courtney is back to talk about avoiding burnout and a low-cost startup idea
New episode 2: Brett Goldstein walks me through some SaaS app ideas to streamline manual tasks and matchmaking services
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More episode insights below.
Enjoy.
Jonathan Courtney is back for more. This time to share some struggles and some ideas.
We break down the strategies that keep us going, the challenges of scaling, and some exciting startup opportunities in local markets. We also go deep into why it’s time for Jicecream to hire a CEO for his company.
It turned into an interesting back-and-forth about stress management and knowing when to step back.
If you've ever felt burnt out by your business or wondered how to scale without losing your mind, this episode will give you some fresh perspectives.
And if you’re hunting for your next big idea, we have something for you to sip on, too.
Full episode links: YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts
Here for the takeaways? I have two strategies and one startup idea for you:
1. Strategy: How to deal with burnout
Burnout is every entrepreneur’s kryptonite.
You've probably heard all the usual advice: take breaks, meditate, exercise, reconsider your entire life.
But let's be real. These strategies don’t work as well as they’re sold.
I have a "non-system system" that keeps me productive without burning out:
- Wake up early.
- List three things to do for the day. Do them.
- Stop before I start flying too close to the sun.
But here’s the most important part: I schedule my priorities around my peak hours.
Early in the morning is my most productive time. One hour in the morning is worth eight in the afternoon.
So, if you’re struggling with burnout, here's what I recommend:
- Figure out your golden hours. When are you naturally most productive?
- Write down three crucial tasks each day. Just three.
- Knock them out during your peak time.
- Once they're done, you're free. Could be 6am, could be 5pm.
Whenever the list is done, you are too.
Be ruthless about scaling back when you feel the burn coming. Work 30 minutes instead of two hours. Or take a day off entirely.
The goal is progress, not perfection.
Remember, we're not coal miners. We're pressing buttons on the internet.
Keep the work grounded, keep it fun, and you’ll keep burnout at bay.
2. Strategy: Scaling a business beyond you
Every founder falls into the same trap: becoming the bottleneck in their business.
You might not be there yet, but trust me, it's coming.
Success forces uncomfortable decisions just as much as failure does.
Growing beyond your current capacity is a good problem, but it's still a problem.
So, how do you get out of the way in your own business?
Start planning for it early.
Here’s how you do it:
- Build your scaling strategy from day one. Sketch out an org chart before you need to.
- Document everything. Your processes, your decision-making, even your quirks.
- Create SOPs to make yourself replaceable (in a good way).
- Train your team (even if it's only one person) to solve problems without you. Let them make mistakes—that's how they'll learn.
- Consider hiring a CEO or COO. It might seem far-off now, but plant the seed in your mind.
The goal is to create a business that doesn't need you to survive.
It's not easy, and it won't happen overnight. But imagine having a thriving business (or businesses) that run without your constant attention. That's freedom, baby.
Don’t forget: You’re not a firefighter. Find someone to put out fires for you.
3. Startup Idea: Farmers' Market management company
“Shop local” is becoming a big market for businesses.
Have you been to a farmer’s market lately?
I’ve been to a few, and they’re always packed with people buying a ton of local, community-sourced goods.
Farmers' markets are booming but behind the scenes? They’re usually a mess. That means opportunity.
People love supporting local businesses, but no one wants to take on the challenge of bringing them together.
Here's the idea: You create a company that handles all the headaches of running a farmers' market. Logistics, marketing, vendor management, event planning – the whole shebang.
And here's the play:
Step 1: Become a market regular. Observe. What's working? What's not?
Step 2: Chat up vendors. Learn their pain points. Be the solution they didn't know they needed.
Step 3: Draft a detailed management plan. Make it impossible to ignore.
Step 4: Pitch your services to one or two markets to start.
Step 5: Create content to share on socials. Start a hybrid community.
The best part about this idea? Low startup costs and huge demand.
Farmers markets are popping up everywhere. You just need organizational skills and a good network. Your revenue comes from a percentage of vendor fees or a flat management fee.
You're not reinventing the wheel. You're just making the wheel roll smoother.
Plus, this idea comes with a feel-good factor.
You're creating connections, supporting local producers, and you might even score some free organic veggies out of it.
Lots to like about helping people shop local.
Watch the full episode on YouTube to see JC and I talk more about the mindset you need for entrepreneurial success.
Or if you’d prefer to jump straight to the juicy parts:
02:15 How to deal with Burnout
22:31 Should you hire a CEO?
26:10 Benefits of being a HoldCo entrepreneur
35:46 The most difficult thing about entrepreneurship
39:32 Ideas vs Execution?
42:18 Startup Idea 1: Farmers Market management company
52:29 Startup Idea 2: Event Management as a Service
Brett Goldstein has done it all in the startup world, from Google M&A to founding Launch House to building something new in stealth mode.
In this episode, Brett shares his startup ideas, his experiences as an investor, and the lessons he's learned in the trenches.
We got tactical on:
- Why Brett thinks the next big thing might be hiding in the enterprise workflow space
- The unexpected lessons he learned from Launch House's rise (and fall)
- His hot take on why most founder communities are doing it wrong
- The AI opportunity he thinks everyone's sleeping on
Plus, four concrete startup ideas ready for you to run with.
Whether you're a seasoned founder or just startup-curious, this episode has something for you.
Full episode links: YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts
Here are two ideas and one framework from my conversation with Brett:
1. Startup Idea: Vertical SaaS for matchmakers
Forget swiping right. The future of dating might be moving to modern-day matchmakers.
In 2020, global matchmaking services generated $3.08 billion, and that number keeps going up.
There’s room in the market to build a SaaS platform for matchmakers serving specific communities.
You might associate matchmaking with religious and ethnic groups. Things like arranged marriages.
But this idea extends into interest-based groups: rock climbers, CrossFitters, you name it.
Everyone is looking for love.
Here's the playbook:
- Identify your niche: Pick a community with strong identity ties and a desire for connection.
- Build the toolkit: Create features that streamline connections based on interests.
- Design for community: Make your platform flexible enough to serve various communities.
- Market to the matchmakers: Position your tool as the secret weapon for successful matchmakers.
- Implement tiered pricing: Offer options for individual matchmakers, community matchmakers, and high-end matchmakers.
Don’t think of it as another dating platform. Think of it as Shopify for matchmakers – you're “arming the rebels” in the dating world.
You're creating a tool that helps people play cupid in their communities.
Dive deep, build relationships with matchmakers, and iterate based on their feedback.
This idea could disrupt the dating industry.
Spread the love, and people will pay.
2. Startup Idea: AI-powered data enrichment
Data is the new oil. And like oil, raw data is crude.
The real value is in refined, enriched data.
There's a golden opportunity to leverage AI to provide richer, more accurate company and contact data.
You can disrupt legacy players like ZoomInfo and Clearbit with a next-gen AI-powered data enrichment service.
Here’s how you could do it:
- Choose a specific industry where data accuracy is crucial.
- Build a web scraper to efficiently gather data from across the web.
- Collect up-to-date data sources to set you apart from competitors.
- Use AI to generate comprehensive, up-to-date profiles.
- Design for ease of use to make the platform indispensable to users' workflows.
The key here is to start small.
Start with a laser focus on one vertical or use case. Prove your value there, then expand.
For example, let’s say you focus on sales and marketing. In this space, your AI-powered data enrichment could:
- Provide detailed customer profiles for more targeted outreach
- Identify key decision-makers within companies
- Improve lead data to make nurturing campaigns more effective.
Remember: In B2B SaaS, solving one problem well is better than being mediocre at many things.
If you can provide more accurate insights, you're not just competing in the market – you're creating a new category.
The data boom is just getting started.
3. Framework: Enterprise workflow startup idea formula
Want to get rich fast? Improve enterprise workflows.
Every Fortune 500 company is full of inefficient processes waiting to be optimized.
Big companies will pay top dollar to solve their inefficiencies.
Think about it: Given the scale of these companies, a single workflow solution can turn into millions of dollars in savings or revenue.
Here's one approach you could try:
- Identify a workflow that's costing big companies serious time and money.
- Test if automation or AI could significantly improve that process.
- Estimate the potential time and cost savings.
- Build a minimum viable product that solves the core issue.
- Iterate to create a solution that's 10x better than the current process.
- Sell it and start looking for more workflows you can optimize.
A super simple example:
You notice large companies struggle with expense report processing. You build an AI-powered app that scans receipts, auto-generates reports, and integrates into their accounting software. What once took hours now takes minutes.
You’re not selling the product – you're selling time. And in the enterprise world, time is money.
This is more of a framework than an idea because you can repeat the formula for any enterprise workflow.
It’s not one idea. It’s endless ideas.
Improving one workflow at scale is a startup. Improving multiple workflows at scale is a business empire.
Watch the full episode on YouTube to see Brett share more ideas on dating apps and engineering serendipity.
Or jump straight into the juicy parts:
02:42 Startup Idea 1: Conference event aggregator and social platform
17:07 Startup Idea 2: Vertical SaaS for matchmakers
27:00 Startup Idea 3: Bespoke dating app
36:10 Startup Idea 4: AI-powered data enrichment startup
45:16 Framework: Enterprise workflow startup idea formula
I hope these two episodes get your entrepreneurial energy flowing.
Forward this email to a friend or share on social media to get others thinking.
And if you have a startup idea you want to workshop with me, tune in for my weekly YouTube livestreams.
I give feedback to anyone willing to share their idea on stage. Click here to subscribe on YouTube so you don’t miss out.
