3 Niche Business Ideas We Thought Would Fail… But Actually Crush…
About This Episode
Shaan and Sam examine the growth trajectories of Jenni AI, Hostage Tape, and Flo, focusing on how these niche businesses scaled despite initial skepticism from investors. They discuss specific acquisition tactics like the 'zoom-in pivot' and 'influencing the influencers' while highlighting the importance of picking massive, underserved markets.
Episode Description
Show Notes
- 0:00Intro
- 1:00Jenni AI’s rise from $2k MRR to $300K MRR
- 4:00The zoom-in pivot
- 7:00First 100 customers
- 12:30Fortune favors the bold
- 16:30How to do a TikTok ad right
- 24:00Sam's mea culpa: Hostage Tape update
- 27:30Shaan's $500M L
- 34:00How to pick the right market
- 44:00Jason Kelce > Travis Kelce
- 48:00Tracy Chapman's beacon of authenticity
Links
Check Out Sam's Stuff
Key Takeaways
Utilize the 'Zoom-In Pivot' strategy to transform a struggling broad product into a successful niche one by identifying and building specifically for the most engaged 2% of the user base.
Execute the 'Influence the Influencers' strategy by joining target communities and providing value for months to build trust with administrators before requesting product endorsements or co-signs.
Prioritize market selection and timing as a primary 'rising tide,' recognizing that it is far easier to build a successful company in an underserved, high-demand sector than to compete in a crowded, high-hype market.