My First Million

In this episode Sam (@theSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) break down Harvard's publishing arm and how you can create something to get a slice of the action. Sam also shares how he would approach Trends if he were to make it again. They also talk about the end of the MFM NFT auction and Shaan recaps a LinkedIn post about the early days of Canva. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. * The Canva story - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/21-questions-from-aussie-startups-highs-lows-lessons-learned-perkins/ --------- Show notes: * (0:59) Shaan is jacked * (2:53) Strength correlations to longevity * (11:02) The MFM NFT * (15:06) Harvard Business Review * (25:35) Getting in on the case study game * (31:37) Other spaces to make this work * (34:58) Maybe don't fake it til you make it * (39:50) On investor due diligence * (45:33) Don't be this guy * (53:42) The long path for Canva's success

24 Sep 20211h 7min

In this episode Shaan (@ShaanVP) and Sam (@theSamParr) break down a 30-year-old infomercial and they discuss the modern day approach that can make you millions. They also talk about businesses built around trust, professional certifications, and what investors Shaan would call first if he was raising. You'll also meet a serial entrepreneur who is this weeks' Internet Founder of the Week. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (0:57) Meet a future guest * (4:34) Building a business around trust * (9:17) The problem with content businesses * (12:25) Subscription opportunities for content based businesses * (18:30) Trust as a service businesses * (23:01) Someone got a little blue checkmark * (25:16) The health department score is BS * (28:34) Klout reimagined * (32:14) Thoughts on professional certifications * (34:24) Meet Matt Mickiewicz * (42:12) Guthy-Renker - direct marketing masters * (53:07) The modern day infomercial * (59:19) The first five investors Shaan would call

22 Sep 20211h 7min

This a special release of the 3-part Thomas Edison series from the How to Take Over the World podcast with Ben Wilson. Description - All of my Edison notes that didn't make it into Part 1 & Part 2, including: Edison vs. Tesla Edison vs. Elon Musk Puritanism and Edison How Edison Went Deaf (Maybe) --------- * How to Take Over the World - https://www.httotw.com/ * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas.

18 Sep 202141min

This is a special release of the 3-part Thomas Edison series from the How to Take Over the World podcast with Ben Wilson. Description - How did Thomas Edison rise from obscure origins in a frontier town in Michigan to become the most famous man of his age and one of the greatest inventors of all time? In part 2, we cover Edison's life from his invention of the light bulb to his death. --------- * How to Take Over the World - https://www.httotw.com/ * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas.

18 Sep 202139min

This is a special release of the 3-part Thomas Edison series from the How to Take Over the World podcast with Ben Wilson. Description - How did Thomas Edison rise from obscure origins in a frontier town in Michigan to become the most famous man of his age and one of the greatest inventors of all time? In part 1, we cover Edison's life from his birth up through his invention of the phonograph. --------- * How to Take Over the World - https://www.httotw.com/ * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas.

18 Sep 202146min

We're excited to announce that tomorrow we are releasing a 3-part series from one of Sam's favorite history podcasts, How to Take Over the World. In this episode Sam (@theSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) talk with Ben Wilson (@BenWilsonTweets), the creator of the How to Take Over the World Podcast (@HTTOTW), about his research process and they all share favorite moments from the series. --------- * How to Take Over the World - https://www.httotw.com/ * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas.

17 Sep 202123min

In this episode Sam (@theSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) update "Sara's List". This was a list of companies Sam and his wife created 5 years ago when she was looking for a job. What was the criteria? They had to be established startups who had the potential to 5-10x over the next 5 years. She went with Airbnb. If you are looking for a new job, check out these 12. --------- * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (1:01) Sara's List 2.0 * (6:59) Flexport * (9:30) Zapier * (13:16) Uniswap * (18:07) Anduril * (21:45) Replit * (27:39) Airtable * (31:01) Figma * (33:38) Rippling * (36:35) OpenStore * (40:23) Faire * (41:33) NexHealth * (43:31) OneTrust

17 Sep 202147min

In this episode Shaan (@ShaanVP) reveals the creation of the first My First Million NFT. Sam (@theSamParr) and Shaan also talk about Laird Hamilton's Superfood company, whether people should lie more, and they share their reactions to an recent twitter thread. They close out the episode with ideas around other niches Figs could work for, opportunities with crypto conferences, and in creating retreats. --------- * The MFM NFT - https://bit.ly/MFM-NFT * Stripe for Vice - https://twitter.com/mrskylor/status/1437182707675504640 * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your question/comment/criticism/love here: https://www.mfmpod.com/p/hotline/ * Support the pod by spreading the word, become a referrer here: https://refer.fm/million * Have you joined our private Facebook group yet? Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourfirstmillion and join thousands of other entrepreneurs and founders scheming up ideas. --------- Show notes: * (1:53) Laird Hamilton's publicly traded company * (6:04) The battery theory * (10:17) The MFM NFT * (14:08) The Stripe for vice story * (20:00) Should people lie more? * (23:32) Figs for construction * (35:40) Meet George Barber * (37:12) Meow Wolf for immersive experiences * (41:11) Two bit circus * (44:15) The big opportunities with crypto conferences * (47:29) Event & retreat opportunities * (51:36) What success can look like in VC

15 Sep 202159min