#192 - Making Billions with Greeting Cards, How the FBI Took Dow…
About This Episode
Sam and Shaan explore the massive, often hidden profits in industries like e-cards and subscription boxes for new mothers, specifically breaking down the success of Birthday Alarm and Bump Boxes. They also discuss sophisticated wealth management strategies used by billionaires to avoid taxes, the FBI's use of a fake secure messaging app to trap criminals, and the future of open-source social data.
Episode Description
Show Notes
- * (1:23) Recap of episode
- * (2:54) Making billions with greeting cards
- * (5:46) Segue: how the podcast changed Shaan's brain
- * (8:51) Back to greeting cards
- * (9:56) Making millions for decades at birthdayalarm.com
- * (15:54) Givingli & Hooked
- * (18:39) Thoughts on the Pro Republic article
- * (25:28) The subscription for expecting mothers
- * (34:20) Outpacing the S&P with the anti-Galloway Index
- * (37:33) The secret FBI crackdown on criminals
- * (40:51) The growth of privacy focused apps
- * (43:20) Recapping the genius of Mike Maples
- * (48:35) Technology at Chick-fil-a
- * (54:53) McKinsey for tech consulting
- * (56:55) Consensys
- * (59:27) The Gordon Bombay of crypto
- * (1:04:19) The hypothetical invisible medium that permeates the universe
Key Takeaways
Apply the GEM framework (Growth, Engagement, Monetization) to evaluate startups; having two of these 'legs' makes the third much easier to figure out.
Utilize the 'Export Framework' by identifying proprietary internal technology from industry leaders, like Chick-fil-A's demand-prediction sensors, and productizing it for the broader market.
Build a 'mom acquisition machine' by using a high-engagement subscription box to establish trust, then cross-selling high-margin items like medical equipment and insurance leads.
Business Ideas Mentioned
Retail Throughput Optimization SaaS
AI & Automation
Pure-Play Engineering Strategy Consulting
Agency
Social Persona Investment Baskets
SaaS