I shared 2 extra videos on YouTube this week.
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Today's SIP letter includes a formula for crafting viral tweets and 3 valuable insights around vertical SaaS from two new episodes of The Startup Ideas Podcast.
Let's get sippin'
Episode 1: Crafting viral tweets with Nick Huber
“the current state of the X algorithm is your tweet will literally never be seen by a soul or you go ballistic with 1M-100M impressions and nothing in between.”
I tweeted this a while back and Elon agreed.
Going viral feels a lot like winning the lottery these days — sometimes you get lucky. But not everyone sees it that way.
Nick Huber is a serial entrepreneur and real estate investor with a proven formula for turning tweets into viral engagement machines. Nick's approach is bold, it’s controversial, and it works.
I don't always agree with his takes (sorry, Nick, I still love video games), but I can't argue with his results. His tweets consistently go viral, earning him millions in sales revenue.
Nick joined me for a sip to share his playbook for writing viral tweets.
I’ll break it down in 3 steps (plus a bonus):
Step 1: Start with a “wait, what?" statement
You've got about 1/8 of a second to make someone stop scrolling. If your hook doesn’t make people do a double-take, they’re gone.
People scroll through their feeds asking: “what can you do for me?” They’re hunting for 3 things specifically:
- make me laugh
- make me feel something
- teach me something new
You want to disrupt the scroll with one of these responses. Start with something surprising, funny, or even shocking.
Don’t be afraid to look a little silly. Vulnerability is a pattern interrupter for the brain. It makes people pause and pay attention.
Tips to make your first line stand out:
- Hook with humor, shock value, or curiosity to make it stick.
- Challenge common wisdom. Say something that flips conventional thinking.
- Use specific numbers and details — “I made $10,423 selling pencils” is more unexpected than “I made some money”
People want to be surprised. They want to laugh, learn, and feel things. It’s human nature.
Start with a line that makes them pause mid-scroll. Be specific and make it tangible.
Think, "Would this make me stop scrolling?" If not, add more spice and specificity.
Step 2: Take a strong stance
The tweets that take off spark a reaction. Agreeable tweets don’t go anywhere.
Take a strong stance on a debatable topic. Say the opposite of what most people are saying. Aim for clarity and conviction.
Nick isn’t afraid to ruffle a few feathers, and neither should you.
For example, instead of saying "College is expensive," Nick might tweet: "College is a waste of money for 95% of people. You're better off starting a business or learning a trade."
People are drawn to strong opinions, even if they don’t agree with them.
Tips to spark a reaction:
- Take a clear stance without adding too many “maybes” or “what ifs.”
- Be bold, but not reckless. There's a fine line between provocative and offensive.
- Embrace the tension. Don’t try to please everyone. People love to debate opposing views.
- Commit to your stance. No hedging, no backing down.
The goal is to spark a conversation that gets people talking.
This doesn’t mean be offensive or overtly polarizing. You’re aiming for something that makes people think, "I don't agree with that, but let me see what they have to say."
If you try to over-explain your point, you’ll lose the punch. Let your replies dive deeper into the conversation and context.
A word of caution: this strategy works, but it's not without risks.
You might upset some people or even lose some followers. But if you're authentic and thoughtful in your approach, you'll gain more engaged followers than you lose.
Accept that some people will dislike your content. That’s the price of engagement.
Step 3: Back it up with conviction
This isn't the time for nuance. You're all in. Use bold, convincing language to support your stance.
Strong opinions backed by conviction inspire trust. When you stand firm and provide examples or data to support your stance, you’re telling the reader, “I know what I’m talking about, and here’s why you should care.”
As someone who loves to explore all sides of an issue, I felt some resistance on this one. But when it comes to virality, simplicity reigns supreme.
If you want people to trust your opinion, you have to show them you trust it first.
Tips to back up your stance:
- Cut the caveats — Avoid saying things like "I might be wrong, but..." or "This is just my opinion"
- Use absolute language — “Always,” “never,” and “guaranteed” hit harder than "might" or "could"
- Add personal credibility with phrases like "I've seen" or "In my experience"
- Reinforce your point with context or examples. People respond to specifics (think data, stories, experiences)
- Keep it tight — virality doesn’t come from long-winded explanations
This is where many people go wrong. They make a strong statement, then water it down with too much nuance. Nuance doesn’t work in 280 characters.
You're not writing a balanced take. You're lighting a fire to get people talking.
The internet loves certainty. Stand by your words and you’ll stand out.
Bonus: Prime the algorithm
Nick “primes” the algorithm by consistently posting engaging, value-forward content. He warms up his audience, gets engagement rolling, and then hits them with the ask. This creates a snowball effect for visibility.
Once the ball is rolling, Nick follows up with business-related content or lead magnets. He’s made $250,000 in sales from a single tweet using this strategy.
The key to Nick’s strategy is mixing up his content. He focuses on 3 types non-sales content:
- Entertainment (funny observations or memes)
- Personal stories (your wins and losses)
- Thought-provoking ideas (uncommon takes on common beliefs)
It's a constant process of trying to get attention, trying to add value, trying to make smart people think critically about something, and then you follow up with your money-making ask or lead magnets.
You can’t just throw offers out and expect magic.
The algorithm loves consistency, so give it what it wants: a balance of fun and value.
Build trust and affinity first, then introduce the business angle.
Full episode links:
YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts
Or skip straight to the juicy parts:
01:23 The mindset
02:37 The structure of a viral tweet / Example 1
08:29 Example 2
11:26 Example 3
15:38 Example 4 (video content)
16:46 Example 5
17:22 The importance of priming the algorithm
19:16 Example 6
22:24 Example 7
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Episode 2: The quiet rise of vertical SaaS with Luke Sophinos
You've probably heard all about the next big thing in tech. AI this, blockchain that. But have you heard about vertical SaaS?
Vertical SaaS doesn’t get the hype that consumer apps or most SaaS companies do. Probably because they’re solving problems for industries most people don’t think about.
I was excited to have Luke Sophinos, CEO of CourseKey and author of The Vertical SaaS Bible on the pod. Luke built a multi-million-dollar company by creating software for a very specific industry - trade schools.
Luke’s blueprint for building a vertical SaaS company is all about micro-focus. Pick a niche, find a problem, wedge your way in, and charge based on the value you deliver.
Here are 3 key insights on the hidden opportunity in vertical SaaS:
1) Why vertical SaaS is a boring goldmine
Forget about chasing unicorns. With vertical SaaS, you’re building niche and industry-specific software that runs usually runs quietly behind the scenes.
Industries like healthcare services and machine shops aren’t sexy, but they desperately need updated software. That might sound boring to most people, but these “boring” markets have long-standing recurring revenue.
The boring aspect of vertical SaaS is a goldmine for three reasons:
- Less competition — most founders go for shiny, sexy ideas
- Customers stick around — solve their problems, and they’ll stay forever
- Huge untapped markets — some legacy industries are still using paper for critical processes
You don't need to be an industry expert. Luke didn't know anything about trade schools when he started CourseKey. He saw an opportunity and went for it.
How to spot the opportunity:
- Pick an industry, not an idea. Start with established, overlooked industries like healthcare, education, and construction.
- Spot the inefficient systems. See where they’re still using old, clunky software or manual work.
- Analyze market size. Look for industries with a mix of small, medium, and large businesses. ($100M+ across the industry)
- Talk to bankers. They know where the money's flowing because they pay attention to how businesses manage their cash flow.
Luke used machine shops as an example. Machine shops generate $40 billion annually, but the industry is fragmented into small-to-medium sized business with limited tech solutions. That's the sweet spot.
You can build a solid, profitable company serving "boring" markets where there's no competition. That's how Luke built his multi-million dollar company.
Your vertical SaaS for X might not make it into TechCrunch, but it could quietly make you millions.
2) Wedge your way in
Find a single, specific pain point within your chosen vertical and solve it better than anyone else.
That’s your wedge product - your foot in the door of the market.
9 out of 10 vertical SaaS companies fail because they don’t nail their wedge product. But when you get it right, that wedge will turn into a launchpad.
For CourseKey, Luke’s wedge was the automated attendance tracking. By solving that single pain point, he established CourseKey as a trustworthy solution for trade schools. From there, he scaled up the vertical, offering more solutions.
Wedge products are like Trojan horses: small, targeted, but packing a punch. Once you’re in, you’ve got room to expand.
Here’s how you create a wedge product:
- Focus on one specific problem your target customers deal with daily
- Build a better solution for that one problem first
- Make it simple and easy to adopt
- Get it in front of customers
- Ask for feedback and iterate — turn your better product into the best one
You're not building a mansion. You're building a cozy cottage that solves one problem so well, they can't imagine life without it.
Find your wedge, prove your value, and you’ll be scaling straight upwards in no time.
3) Pricing strategy: Follow the money
Luke only builds products that do (at least) one of four things:
- Increase revenue
- Decrease costs
- Prevent customer churn
- Help with compliance
These are the four things customers will always pay for. Connect one of these pain points to the ROI your product delivers, and you’ll find your price. To do that, start with the problem and work backwards.
Luke always asks: “How much is this problem costing my customer today?”
For example, one of his trade school clients was struggling with student retention. Every lost student cost the school $20,000 in lost tuition.
Luke's team built a tool that flagged low attendance and automatically re-engaged students. By saving even five students, the tool recovers $100,000 in revenue for the school.
Vertical SaaS isn’t a race to the bottom. You’re not competing on price - you’re competing on value. Boring industries have big budgets. Solve a problem they can’t ignore, and they’ll be lining up to pay for it.
Here’s how you can think about pricing your vertical SaaS product:
- Put a dollar figure on the problem
- Calculate the ROI of your solution
- Price against ROI — Luke charges 20%-50% of the ROI his product generates
- Start high but be flexible — Adjust based on market response and customer feedback
Resist the urge to undersell yourself. Break down the money, understand how much you’re helping your customers, and charge accordingly.
When you build a product that’s solving a real, expensive problem, pricing becomes much simpler.
Let the value of your solution set the price.
Full episode links:
YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts
Or jump straight to the juicy parts:
01:39 Why Vertical SaaS?
05:34 How to pick your vertical
10:53 Understand the industry inside-out
18:59 Analyze existing solutions
21:50 Automating the ideation and validation process with AI
34:51 Go-to-market strategy is CRITICAL
40:07 The power of the wedge product
49:22 Pricing framework
I hope these insights get your entrepreneurial juices flowing. Forward this email to a friend or share on social media to get others thinking.
If you have a startup idea to workshop with me, join me for my 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.
Have a creative weekend,
