My First Million

Shaan (@ShaanVP) and Sam (@TheSamParr) talk with seed VC Mike Maples (@m2jr). Mike is a co-founding Partner at Floodgate. He has been on the Forbes Midas List eight times in the last decade due to notable investments like Twitter, Twitch, Lyft, and Okta. In this episode he talks about the four big trends he is excited about, the types of companies he likes to invest in, and why a startup isn’t a company. He shares a few of the mental models he uses at Floodgate to evaluate startups and shares the thoughts behind some of his unique turns of phrase. --------- * 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: * (1:02) – Debrief of the episode * (6:37) - Intro to Mike Maples * (9:02) - How Mike thinks about the next big thing * (11:00) – The 4 inflections Mike is excited about * (13:51) – Cloud Offices * (19:33) – A brief history of centralization & decentralization * (22:48) – Examples of software defined companies * (26:14) – A practical way to prepare for the future * (30:23) – How Mike thinks about investing in startups * (33:07) – Startup investing mental models * (37:39) – Mike’s take on "1 to n" businesses * (42:36) – Mike on Balaji * (47:11) – Mike on media companies  * (49:49) – Force a choice, not a comparison * (54:46) – Mike’s information diet * (57:40) – Contact info & future topics

We're trying a new format. Sam (@theSamParr) adds his commentary throughout the episode this week. Let him know on Twitter what you think of the change. Brian Scudamore (@BrianScudamore) is North America’s Junk Man. He turned a $700 pickup truck into one of the world's most successful franchises. Hear how he got started, got on Oprah, stumbled and almost killed his business, and the philosophies he uses to run his multimillion dollar junk empire! --------- * 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: * (3:41) Intro by Shaan to original episode * (5:22) How Brian got his story out there * (8:42) The origin story of 1-800-Got-Junk * (19:28) How Brian got the 1-800-Got-Junk number * (24:18) The vision board and getting on Oprah * (34:07) How Brian tore everything down to rebuild even better * (38:56) What Brian focuses on when hiring * (47:07) Why business went down $40M and how Brian responded * (51:58) Q1: What does Brian see as their breakthrough moment? * (53:14) Q2: How does Brian get liquidity & think about money? * (56:44) Q3: What would Brian do if he was 21 again? * (57:58) Getting in touch with Brian Sam's commentary: * (1:02) Sam's intro commentary * (4:42) Sam commentary 2 * (10:41) Sam commentary 3 * (12:46) Sam commentary 4 * (14:45) Sam commentary 5 * (15:23) Sam commentary 6 * (20:45) Sam commentary 7 * (31:16) Sam commentary 8 * (39:46) Sam commentary 9 * (41:33) Sam commentary 10 * (54:44) Sam commentary 11 * (59:33) Sam final commentary

Shaan (@ShaanVP) used to be super shy. Now he is known for his confidence. Talking on stage in front of thousands or starting new business takes confidence. In this 10 minute mini episode he talks about what the turning point was for him, and his unusual hack for building confidence. Like Shaan’s stories? Subscribe to his newsletter to get 1-2 stories like this a week at www.shaanpuri.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.

WeWork isn’t the only game in coworking. In this episode, Shaan (@ShaanVP) and Sam (@theSamParr) break down the multi-billion dollar coworking industry and identify what you need to succeed. Shaan shares an awesome story about Steve Jobs and the guys talk about the future of sports recovery and where money is to be made with athletic endorsements. --------- * 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: * (1:24) - Episode Intro * (3:18) - Opportunities in coworking * (11:56) - The MFM co-working space? * (15:27) - The mystique of Adam Neumann * (19:34) - The duality of extreme confidence * (30:40) - You can't say no to Steve Jobs * (36:39) - Shaan's dream exercise for new hires * (38:47) - The Nike of sports recovery * (47:29) - Cryotherapy in a barrel * (51:13) - Saunas and sensory deprivation * (52:57) - Leveraging opportunities around pro athletes * (58:07) - Outro

Sam (@theSamParr) & Shaan (@ShaanVP) discuss second-hand e-commerce, door-to-door sales, and business poised to bounce back after COVID in this episode. They start off the episode recapping the live shows in Miami and Austin which leads them into personal travel and other slingshot business set to rebound after a COVID slump. The guys transition to the Mayweather Paul fight, the infamous Charizard necklace, and to some exciting things happening in the NFT space. They close it out with Shaan sharing ideas on litigation finance, second-hand e-commerce, and a fantastic story on door-to-door sales. --------- * 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: * (1:16) - Episode Overview * (2:31) - Intro * (5:44) - Recap of Live Shows * (6:55) - Personal travel is crazy right now * (10:10) - Sam & Shaan on slingshot startups * (20:26) - How sports are innovating * (23:09) - Floyd Mayweather vs. Logan Paul * (25:27) - The Charizard Necklace * (27:18) - LaMelo Ball’s NFT collection * (33:55) - What is Ether.Cards * (41:52) - Peter Thiel and litigation finance * (50:22) - Second-hand e-commerce * (1:00:42) - Mega-segment on door-to-door sales * (1:20:11) - Outro

Sam (@theSamParr) & Shaan (@ShaanVP) do a little Q&A in this episode. They talk about their financial goals, their romantic relationships, and what they would do if they were 21 again. They finish off the episode talking about the podcast growth, live events, and brainstorm a few ideas around community and sports you can do as you get older. --------- * 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: * (1:19) - Intro * (4:00) - The Twitter bio paradox * (6:15) - Intro to Q&A * (6:30) - Q1 - What's it like to be rich? * (11:51) - Q2 - What do you read/research outside business? * (14:03) - Q3 - How did success influence your romantic relationships? * (20:34) - Q4 - What pandemic behavior do you want to keep? * (22:00) - Q5 - If you were 21 again, what would you be doing? * (25:44) - Q6 - What's your best purchase over $2K & best under $100? * (27:52) - Podcast growth update * (29:55) - On growth plateaus * (32:47) - Live event update * (34:53) - Community around the "neighborhood 7/11" * (44:25) - The new golf * (53:53) - Outro

Sam (@theSamParr) gets real in this episode. He talks about his struggles with alcohol and the reasons why he is now sober. He shares 8 lessons he learned from his experiences. He ends the episode by answering questions he received on Twitter. --------- * 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: * (0:00) - Intro * (3:56) - How it started - Sam's background with alcohol * (11:24) - The first turning point [oasis] * (13:36) - Asking for help [university clinic] * (14:49) - Going to California * (17:41) - The second turning point [Joe Garvin] * (20:07) - Getting help [SF Clinic] * (23:13) - Coping while sober [eating sugar] * (24:39) - What Sam has learned * (25:46) - Lesson 1 - The inner game * (27:26) - Lesson 2 - Being open * (29:33) - Lesson 3 - Booze messes up your body * (31:16) - Lesson 4 - Sober Sam = Attractive Sam * (33:04) - Lesson 5 - Having fun while sober * (35:14) - Lesson 6 - Intense realism * (36:57) - Lesson 7 - Control your emotions, control your reality * (37:17) - Lesson 8 - Saving $$$ * (37:58) - Q&A

Jack Smith (@_jacksmith) is the most clever entrepreneur I know. He’s cofounded multiple startups: Vungle, Coin, Shyp. With Vungle recently selling for $750M, we talk about his early businesses as a kid, selling prank itching powder on the playground - all the way to his infamous “LinkedIn Hack” that got him his first $120k investment check. --------- * 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: * (1:05) Episode Intro by Sam * (4:10) Who is Jack Smith? * (9:30) How Jack hustled as a 12-year-old * (13:55) Jack on productivity and procrastination * (21:26) How Jack raised for Vungle * (31:13) How Shaan got his in at Monkey Inferno * (35:16) The early iterations of Vungle * (41:37) How Jack leveraged his beginner's mindset * (45:19) Jack on VC norms & selling his stock * (49:44) What Jack would do if he was 20 again

Shaan (@ShaanVP) talks about a powerful reframing technique that can be used to make any "2-star" experience a "5-star" experience. Shaan tells a story of how this technique was used perfectly. The truth is we can all choose the experience we want and manifest it. --------- * 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. ---------

There are entrepreneurs quietly generating six figures working part-time in the vending machine business. Others have been able to scale to multi-million and even multi-billion-dollar figures in the industry. Shaan (@ShaanVP) and Sam (@TheSamParr) break down the vending machine industry with tons of numbers and exactly how some are pulling it off. The guys transition from a "boring" business to high-tech ones as they break down how Vimeo went from a College Humor project to competing with YouTube and earning an $8b valuation. They also talk about a trendy new pod that generated 500k downloads on its first day and they brainstorm on a fun concept: ghost kitchens for gifts. --------- * 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: * (5:55) How Vimeo became an $8b company * (14:26) The next big social app? * (25:45) The millions to be made in vending machines * (41:35) Ghost kitchens for gifts * (53:00) Post-podcast free talk

Trung Phan (@TrungTPhan) -- lead writer for The Hustle -- interviewed hedge fund legend Stanley Druckenmiller on May 11. Widely regarded as one of the greatest investors ever, Druckenmiller famously made $1 billion in a single trade shorting the British Pound in 1992.  Sam (@theSamParr) has a brief intro chat with Trung before transitioning into the 40-minute Druckenmiller Q&A, which covers: 1) the parallels between now and the Dot-com bubble; 2) the appeal of Bitcoin; 3) the first Big Tech firm likely to reach a $5T valuation; 4) what makes a great investor; and 5) Druckenmiller’s investment in fintech startup Toggle AI (which set up the interview).  --------- * 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: * (8:25) Lessons from the Dot-com Bubble  * (17:40) What’s the first Big Tech company likely to reach a $5T valuation?  * (19:25) What’s the biggest risk to the equity markets?  * (21:55) What are the long-term effects of the Wall Street Bets saga?  * (24:20) How he uses Toggle AI in his investing process * (26:50) What makes a great investor?  * (35:20) What is the appeal of Bitcoin?  * (42:20) His thoughts on Dogecoin  * (44:20) Advice for 20-year olds

Shaan (@ShaanVP) and Sam (@TheSamParr) talk with billionaire Marc Lore. Marc is an entrepreneur who started The Pitt, Diapers.com, and Jet.com. Collectively he has sold his companies for over $4B. Marc talks about his plans for his new NBA team, the Minnesota Timberwolves, which he bought alongside Alex Rodriguez. He talks about how he plans to run the team like he has always ran his companies. He talks about the importance of hiring the right people (and how to do it) and being well-capitalized. For the second half of the podcast, we jump straight into a brainstorm. Marc talks about the interesting companies he's investing in as well as the ones he would like to exist. He even breaks down how he would go about creating a $100m e-commerce related company within the next 3 years --------- * 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: * (6:00) How Marc came to own the Timberwolves * (15:28) How Marc Lore hires people * (28:30) These are the companies Marc is investing now * (37:40) How Marc decides which companies to start and how he goes about it * (44:47) Where Marc thinks the future of e-commerce is going * (55:17) How Marc would build a company to sell for $100m * (1:00:27) Shaan and Sam debrief

Sam (@theSamParr) and Andrew (@awilkinson) break down billionaire Jorge Paulo Lemann. Lemann has built his fortune by acquiring consumer businesses and running them profitably by slashing costs. He famously sells all corporate jets when he acquires a company. The guys then get into a brainstorm on Andrew's new media company, how to create healthier babies, and "health managers". --------- * 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: * (4:05) Billie of the Week: Jorge Paulo Lemann * (37:25) How Andrew is building a local media business empire * (45:50) How to create a better baby * (51:25) What is a "health manager"? * (59:02) How much money is enough?

Canva is awesome, so why hasn't anyone pulled off Canva for video? Shaan (@ShaanVP) and Sam (@TheSamParr) dive into the opportunities in this space and how a huge company can be built by making it easier to create videos. The guys then talk mobility. This is a huge market opportunity with companies like GOWOD and The Ready State making millions helping people improve their mobility. Next, the guys brainstorm on creating a better Linkedin and a few companies doing it. --------- * 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: * (11:42) Canva for video explained * (24:25) Why we need super joints * (39:37) The local Linkedin? * (45:08) How to build a better Linkedin * (1:00:03) Even when you're late, you're early

Shaan (@shaanvp) talks about dealing with a crisis. He lost half a million in one day -- here's his mindset and how he dealt with it. --------- * 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. ---------

Shaan (@ShaanVP) and Sam (@TheSamParr) go in on the courses industry. They break down the different types of course business categories, how to build them, and how to grow them. Shaan also talks about a Twitter fight he got into that got him blocked. The guys finish the episode by brainstorming on ideas ranging from "a bar-in-a-box" to selling ice to capitalizing on real estate vacancies. --------- * 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: * (5:48) Why Shaan got into a Twitter argument * (18:21) Is On Deck the most over-hyped course company? * (23:35) The guide to course businesses * (45:30) How IPaaS (Irish Pub as a Service) is making millions * (53:32) Making money selling ice? * (58:41) Profiting from vacant office spaces

Shaan (@ShaanVP) interviews Ramon Van Meer (@ramonvanmeer) on his journey to selling his blog. Ramon has never seen a soap opera. Yet somehow, he built the most popular soap opera blog on the planet - and was raking in millions per year! Today's conversation is about how he got the idea and flipped a $49 WordPress theme into a multi-million dollar payday. --------- * 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: * (7:32) Who is Ramon van Meer? * (10:50) Why Ramon decided to focus on soap operas * (16:25) Ramon's mindset while building his business * (21:31) How Ramon built a 350k mailing list with quizzes * (30:00) How Ramon comes up with ideas for businesses * (35:30) The moments Ramon thought he would fail * (39:55) Why did Ramon decide to sell?

Shaan (@ShaanVP) and Sam (@TheSamParr) talk about an astrology app that has been creating controversy throughout Silicon Valley -- Sanctuary. VCs have come out against the app as pseudoscience, but the guys question their logic. These kinds of apps go into the bucket of "me-businesses" or businesses that tell the user about themselves. So from there, the guys brainstorm on ideas within this framework. The second half of the episode is focused on "personal monopolies" -- the concept of creating a big personal brand and monetizing it. We talk about a few people who have done it successfully and how you can too. --------- * 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: * (5:42) The controversy behind an astrology app * (20:18) Brainstorming "make-it-about-me" businesses * (28:40) Shaan and Sam's "one-night stand" businesses * (38:11) Why you shouldn't overthink your idea * (45:21) Personal monopolies: Michael Buffer, Judge Judy, and Ryan Seacrest * (54:57) Sam's Tim Ferriss story

Virtual horse racing? That's right Shaan (@ShaanVP) and Sam (@TheSamParr) break down a virtual horse racing company doing millions. The company is so hot right now, Sam even tried investing but wasn't able to. They also talk about a company delivering testosterone right to your doorstep. We've talked about this business before, and Shaan even said it was one of the best ideas we've had on the pod. We also cover BeeRoll (Shaan thinks this can become a 9-figure company), Polymarket, and a bunch of growth tactics at the very end. --------- * 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: * (3:04) The company delivering testosterone to your door * (13:58) Making millions from virtual horses? * (28:38) How BeeRoll is turning regular people into micro-influencers * (43:18) How to bet on anything * (52:23) Updates on the podcast

Shaan (@ShaanVP) and Sam (@TheSamParr) are joined by Furqan Rydhan (@FurqanR). Furqan was Shaan's CTO at Bebo and previously co-founded AppLovin -- a $20B+ company that recently went public. Shaan and Furqan host a weekly "Cool Sh!t Hour" between themselves to discuss the coolest innovations Furqan's seeing. We basically took that and made it into a podcast. Furqan talks about mind-control hardware, vertical farming, and a lot of interesting crypto projects. He also talks about what it was like starting a multibillion-dollar company and his mindset around making decisions on what projects to work on. --------- * 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: * (5:33) Background on Furqan and his new venture (f.inc) * (7:48) How AppLovin became a $20B+ company * (24:20) The hardware Furqan is bullish on * (35:33) DeFi and borrowing against crypto * (48:38) The opportunities in vertical farming * (59:59) The power of proximity and serendipitous opportunities * (1:13:40) What are DAOs?