In this episode, we discuss the story of an entrepreneur and podcaster who built a huge business in only 3 months after spotting a growing trend on TikTok. We dive into how she created a niche to stand out from the crowd, and we share some business ideas and ways to come up with your own ideas.Topics include: the fantasy/romance novel market and the Fourth Wing craze, OnlyFans for authors, and unbundling Patreon.LinksMae:InstagramThreadsTony:InstagramThreadsFantasy FangirlsPodcastInstagramSteph HockersmithInstagram
03:17 - What makes a good generative AI startup idea? We discuss one recent AI startup failure, and one recent case where AI has been able to do something humans haven't done in 60 years. Then, we share some other ideas where AI can be used to improve our lives and one framework for finding good AI startup ideas. We also discuss how to identify features that are likely to help your product grow vs. features that will distract from your core use case.39:03 - Mae shares the story behind one of the most impressive and viral trends in consumer products: the Stanley Tumbler. Learn how a 100-year-old company reinvented itself and increased revenue from $70 million to $750 million over 3 years.LinksMae:InstagramThreadsTony:InstagramThreadsKatie Beach:Instagram
Mae begins with a discussion of Labster, an Augmented Reality startup helping high school and college students run experiments in virtual labs.Learn all about the Apple Vision Pro, what it can do and how much it will cost when it launches on February 2, 2024.Prophetic wants to help make you more productive and creative by allowing you to control your dreams. Can they bring this sci-fi concept to reality?Clicks Technology can turn your iPhone into...a Blackberry?LinksMaehttps://www.instagram.com/maemosa/Threads: maemosaTonyhttps://www.instagram.com/tonydotcoms/Threads: tonydotcomsLabsterhttps://www.labster.com/Apple Vision Prohttps://www.apple.com/apple-vision-pro/Prophetichttps://propheticai.co/Clicks Technologyhttps://www.clicks.tech/Emily Calandrellihttps://www.instagram.com/thespacegal/
We got brand new podcast cover art for 2024 thanks to a designer on the freelance marketplace Fiverr. Learn all about Fiverr's beginnings and the booming freelance industry in today's episode.Next, Mae takes us through some of the hottest trends that began in 2023 and are looking to intensify in 2024.LinksMaehttps://www.instagram.com/maemosa/Threads: maemosaTonyhttps://www.instagram.com/tonydotcoms/Threads: tonydotcomsFiverr:https://www.fiverr.comJessica Hische:https://www.instagram.com/jessicahische/
This is our Season 1 Finale! We'll be back with new episodes in early January. Happy Holidays!Mae got scammed trying to buy a Christmas gift. She tells the story and teaches us some new terms and scams to watch out for.Forward Health has raised over $657 Million to scale healthcare, and they're doing some really interesting stuff. We discuss their products and services, business model, and vision for the future of healthcare.Tony & Mae reflect on the first season of Dot Coms & Hot Moms.LinksMaehttps://www.instagram.com/maemosa/Threads: maemosaTonyhttps://www.instagram.com/tonydotcoms/Threads: tonydotcomsRosie Okumurahttps://www.instagram.com/irlrosie/Forward Healthhttps://goforward.com/
Apple has agreed to support the Rich Communication Services messaging protocol beginning in late 2024. We discuss what this means for text messaging between Apple and Android devices, including those tiny pixelated videos and the blue vs. green bubbles.The Board at OpenAI fired Sam Altman. Then things got even weirder. We discuss everything we know so far and just how wacky this whole situation is.Mae shares an innovation in the field of athletics where AT&T is working to make football more inclusive in a project with the football team at Gallaudet University.LinksMaehttps://www.instagram.com/maemosa/Threads: maemosaTonyhttps://www.instagram.com/tonydotcoms/Threads: tonydotcomsJessica Kellgren-Fozzardhttps://instagram.com/jessicaoutofthecloset
(01:24) The rise and fall of Adam Neumann and WeWork, from a $47 Billion valuation in 2019 to declaring bankruptcy on November 6, 2023(35:15) Mae pitches Tony on a new business idea(47:28) Hot Mom of the WeekLinksMaehttps://www.instagram.com/maemosa/Threads: maemosaTonyhttps://www.instagram.com/tonydotcoms/Threads: tonydotcomsEmily Leyhttps://www.instagram.com/emilyley/WeWorkhttps://www.wework.com/Flowhttps://www.flow.life/
This is a very special episode and one that is different from any of our previous shows. We begin with a personal story about Tony's twin brother, Aaron, who died suddenly while serving in the U.S. Army in November 2018. This leads into a discussion about the #1 killer of Americans and all humans, and why more needs to be done on this front. Finally, we conclude with the stories of three veteran founded startups.Please consider sharing this episode along with the legacy and memory of Aaron Mastrorio so that his story can help inspire others around the world.Links:Maehttps://www.instagram.com/maemosa/Threads: maemosaTonyhttps://www.instagram.com/tonydotcoms/Threads: tonydotcomsPigeonlyhttps://pigeonly.com/Combat Flip Flopshttps://www.combatflipflops.com/Goodworldhttps://goodworldnow.com/Melanie Wickersheimhttps://www.instagram.com/openheartmel/American Heart Associationhttps://www.heart.org/
Tony and Mae discuss the founding story of Barstool Sports, including the initial idea and how it got started. They also detail some of the marketing hacks Barstool used to drive growth, the content, and some of the controversy surrounding the media empire.Plus, learn about a $12 Billion industry hiding in plain sight.(3:38) WaterTok. Yes, it's a real thing. Find out the scoop on the hydration container market.(6:19) Learn all about the Air Up Water Bottle and whether it can trick your brain into staying hydrated.(19:00) The story of Barstool Sports(42:27) Penn Entertainment acquisition and how Dave Portnoy bought back Barstool for $1(47:13) Hot Mom of the WeekLinks:Tonya Spanglohttps://www.instagram.com/takingmylifebackat42/Maehttps://www.instagram.com/maemosa/Threads: maemosaTonyhttps://www.instagram.com/tonydotcoms/Threads: tonydotcomsAir Up Water Bottlehttps://us.air-up.com/Barstool Sportshttps://barstoolsports.com/
In this episode, Mae interviews Tony about his experience getting funded by Y Combinator and being a YC Founder. You'll learn what Y Combinator does, some of the most famous YC companies, and advice for how to get in. You'll also hear Tony's favorite and least favorite parts of the experience, and the most famous person he met while living in San Francisco.(2:45) What is Y Combinator?(8:55) YC Application Process(12:55) How to get into Y Combinator(27:52) What happens in Y Combinator?(1:04:58) Hot Mom of the WeekLinks:Bryiana Dyrdekhttps://www.instagram.com/bryianadyrdek/Maehttps://www.instagram.com/maemosa/Threads: maemosaTonyhttps://www.instagram.com/tonydotcoms/Threads: tonydotcomsY Combinatorhttps://www.ycombinator.com/Hacker Newshttps://news.ycombinator.com/
(3:16) How Twitter got its start. The founding story of Twitter, key features, use cases and controversies over the years.(16:40) The 'Elon Musk Era' of Twitter. The ordeal surrounding Elon's acquisition of Twitter and all the craziness that's happened since.(23:15) The rise of Threads. The origin of the platform, key features and differences vs. Twitter, use cases and(40:56) Elon Musk vs. Mark Zuckerberg. The 'cage match' that never happened and the trending reputations of these two billionaires since Musk acquired Twitter.(56:26) Hot Mom of the WeekLinks:Kayla Sullivanhttps://www.instagram.com/kaylamariesully/Maehttps://www.instagram.com/maemosa/Threads: maemosaTonyhttps://www.instagram.com/tonydotcoms/Threads: tonydotcoms
(5:16) The Innovator's Dilemma(8:40) The rise and fall of Blackberry/Research In Motion(23:22) The rise and fall of America Online (AOL)(34:23) The rise and fall of Blockbuster(49:43) How to capitalize when you accidentally become an internet meme(1:06:05) Hot Mom of the WeekLinks:Ashley Iaconetti Haibonhttps://www.instagram.com/ashley_iaconetti/Maehttps://www.instagram.com/maemosa/Tonyhttps://www.instagram.com/tonydotcoms/The Innovator's Dilemmahttps://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Dilemma-Technologies-Management-Innovation-ebook/dp/B012BLTM6I
Subscribe to our YouTube channel(2:10) The business of axe throwing and other types of adult entertainment (not that kind).(20:15) From air mattresses in a spare bedroom to a public company worth Billions of dollars and a household name, learn about the startup story of Airbnb.(58:38) Hot Mom of the WeekLinks:Tina Pikhttps://www.instagram.com/hangrybynature/Airbnbhttps://www.airbnb.com/Maehttps://www.instagram.com/maemosa/Tonyhttps://www.instagram.com/tonydotcoms/
Subscribe to our YouTube channel(2:10) The Startup Story of Instagram. Learn about how Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger took Instagram from a tiny location check-in app to a Billion dollar acquisition.(26:11) The Party and Events Industry. From weddings to birthday parties and everything in between, Mae breaks down the industry and today's hot trends.(46:04) Hot Mom of the WeekLinks:Jane Williamson/THE Utah Momhttps://www.instagram.com/jane/Maehttps://www.instagram.com/maemosa/Tonyhttps://www.instagram.com/tonydotcoms/
Subscribe to our YouTube channel(2:06) The Business of Ghost Kitchens(10:12) MrBeast's Ghost Kitchen Lawsuit(15:49) The Startup Story of Twitch(57:59) Hot Mom of the WeekLinks:Alissa Nguyenhttps://www.instagram.com/gaming_foodie/Maehttps://www.instagram.com/maemosa/Tonyhttps://www.instagram.com/tonydotcoms/MrBeasthttps://www.youtube.com/@mrbeastVirtual Dining Conceptshttps://joinvdc.com/Y Combinatorhttps://www.ycombinator.com/Founders at Workhttps://www.amazon.com/Founders-Work-Stories-Startups-Early/dp/1430210788Twitchhttps://www.twitch.tv/
Subscribe to our YouTube channelThis week’s episode is a little different from usual. We have a busy week of travel, so we recruited the assistance of ChatGPT to decide our segments, do our research and basically tell us what to say. Hope you enjoy it! And if you don’t, blame artificial intelligence.Links:Esther Crawfordhttps://www.instagram.com/esthercrawford/Maehttps://www.instagram.com/maemosa/Tonyhttps://www.instagram.com/tonydotcoms/ChatGPThttps://chat.openai.com/
Subscribe to Dot Coms & Hot Moms on YouTube(00:56) Business is booming around helping people get a good night's sleep and competition is heating up.(04:55) From wearables to consumables and smart bedding to apps, there's something for everyone when it comes to sleeping better.(17:21) A study from UC Irvine showed a 226% increase in cognitive memory for those exposed to fragrances while sleeping.(24:21) Hot Mom of the WeekLinks:Angela Rosehttps://angelarosehome.com/https://www.instagram.com/angelarosehome/Maehttps://www.instagram.com/maemosa/Tonyhttps://www.instagram.com/tonydotcoms/Sleep Market:https://www.medtechpulse.com/article/insight/how-startups-aim-to-bring-back-healthy-sleepwww.forbes.com/sites/nicoleroberts/2022/03/20/despite-65-billion-a-year-sleep-aid-market-americans-remain-sleep-deprived/amp/Eight Sleep:https://www.eightsleep.com/OURA Ring:https://ouraring.com/Pokemon Sleep:https://www.pokemon.com/us/app/pokemon-sleep/Fragrance and Memory Study:https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/08/230801131700.htm
Subscribe to Dot Coms & Hot Moms on YouTube(1:31) YouTube is rolling out a new feature that allows its 2.7 Billion users to hum to search for songs.(5:32) An overview of the business of podcasting, including market size, growth trends, popular podcasts and more.(26:57) Soundsuit helps businesses use music to improve customer experience and increase sales.(36:50) Hot Mom of the WeekLinks:Connor Pricehttps://www.instagram.com/connorprice/Carissa Alvaradohttps://www.instagram.com/carissaalvarado/Maehttps://www.instagram.com/maemosa/Tonyhttps://www.instagram.com/tonydotcoms/Podcasting Businesshttps://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2023/05/31/2679550/0/en/Podcasting-Market-Worth-USD-132-45-Billion-By-2032-at-a-21-15-CAGR-Market-Research-Future-MRFR.htmlhttps://www.theverge.com/2022/5/10/23065056/podcasting-industry-iab-report-audacy-earnings-patreon-pulitzerhttps://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/podcasting-markethttps://www.axios.com/2023/02/09/podcasts-lose-edge-spotifySoundsuithttps://soundsuit.fm/
Subscribe to Dot Coms & Hot Moms on YouTube(00:35) Do men just exaggerate their illnesses or is there something deeper going on with the so-called man flu?(04:15) The business of personality assessments is booming and Mae is here for it.(28:33) Find out where things stand after two years of Name, Image and Likeness and which college athletes are making it rain.(44:33) Hot Mom of the WeekLinks:Maehttps://www.instagram.com/maemosa/Tonyhttps://www.instagram.com/tonydotcoms/Threads or Twitter: @tonydotcomsAshton Whitmoyer-Oberhttps://www.instagram.com/enneagramashton/Man Fluhttps://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/man-flu-really-thing-2018010413033Personality Assessmentshttps://leaders.com/articles/business/personality-tests/https://www.themyersbriggs.com/en-US/https://www.predictiveindex.com/https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/252137/home.aspxhttps://www.enneagraminstitute.com/Name, Image and Likenesshttps://tax.thomsonreuters.com/news/name-image-likeness-revisited-where-we-are-now/https://iconsource.com/https://www.mogl.online/https://www.nilnetwork.com/nil-digital-marketplaces/https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/athletics/2023/06/07/two-years-nil-fueling-chaos-college-athleticshttps://www.outkick.com/10-most-valuable-nil-athletes-bryce-young-livvy-dunne-bronny-james/Olivia Dunnehttps://www.instagram.com/livvydunne/Arch Manninghttps://www.instagram.com/archmanning/Bronny Jameshttps://www.instagram.com/bronny/
Subscribe to Dot Coms & Hot Moms on YouTube(00:25) From ad campaigns to Timehop, nostalgia is an incredibly powerful tool for businesses past, present and future.(11:20) Can startups turn back time and help humans live forever?(22:10) There’s a new development in the works for male contraceptives that could ‘snip’ the vasectomy in the bud.(34:20) Hot Mom of the WeekLinks:Maehttps://www.instagram.com/maemosa/Tonyhttps://www.instagram.com/tonydotcoms/Threads or Twitter: @tonydotcomsJonathan Wegenerhttps://twitter.com/jwegenerTimehophttps://www.timehop.com/Retro Bioscienceshttps://retro.bio/Altos Labshttps://altoslabs.com/Calico Labshttps://www.calicolabs.com/Chrissy Allenhttps://www.instagram.com/csapunch/