Ariel Helwani (@ArielHelwani) joins Shaan Puri (@ShaanVP) and Sam Parr (@theSamParr) to discuss why he decided to leave ESPN to go independent, how he structures his business, how he decided to do MMA, why niches get riches, the power of leaning into controversy, and much more. _____ * Do you love MFM and want to see Sam and Shaan's smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel. * Want more insights like MFM? Check out Shaan's newsletter. _____ Show Notes: (05:30) - Ariel's background (13:05) - Leaving ESPN (20:24) - How Ariel drives revenue at his new operation (28:50) - How Ariel originally decided to do MMA (40:00) - Why Ariel gives away his Substack revenue (48:05) - Audience building techniques (58:50) - Leaning into controversy _____ Links: * BreakingT * Ariel Helwani YouTube channel * Helwani Nose (Substack)

Sam Parr (@theSamParr) and Shaan Puri (@ShaanVP) discuss Sam’s recent trip to a federal prison and what he learned there, whether startup cities are the wave of the future, why more people should test out big purchases, and much more. _____ * Do you love MFM and want to see Sam and Shaan's smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel. * Want more insights like MFM? Check out Shaan's newsletter. _____ Show Notes: (00:20) - Sam shares his experience helping to educate inmates at a prison in Indiana. (08:42) - Shaan shares his experiences also working to educate inmates (25:58) - Prospera and startup cities (37:19) - Why Julian Shapiro is building a ranch in the middle of nowhere (44:55) - Testing out your big dreams (01:03:00) - Teddy Roosevelt and Vladimir Putin _____ Links: * Prospera * Julian Shapiro’s thread on his ranch * The Rise of Teddy Roosevelt * How to Take Over the World - Vladimir Putin

Ramon Van Meer (@RamonVanMeer) joins Shaan Puri (@ShaanVP) to discuss why he prefers to buy businesses rather than build them, his best tools for new business research, how to make sure you’re not buying a lemon, learning to code in a week, and much more. _____ * Do you love MFM and want to see Sam and Shaan's smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel. * Want more insights like MFM? Check out Shaan's newsletter. _____ Show Notes: * (00:56) - How to write a viral tweet thread * (06:40) - Why buying businesses can be better than building them * (14:58) - Ramon’s soap opera gossip website * (28:05) - How to make sure you’re not buying a lemon * (38:15) - How Ramon learned to code in a week * (42:50) - Shaan and Ramon play “would you rather?” * (49:30) - Shaan agrees to a boxing match with Sam _____ Links: * Centurica.com * Helium10 * Alpha Paw

Andrew Wilkinson (@awilkinson), Co-Founder of Tiny, joins Sam Parr (@theSamParr) and Shaan Puri (@ShaanVP) to talk about how he found joy through a four-week dopamine fast, why it can be better to make safer “cruise ship investments” rather than startup investments, how Andrew’s last appearance led him to start a D2C maternal healthy company, and much more. --------- * Do you love MFM and want to see Sam and Shaan's smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel. * Want more insights like MFM? Check out Shaan's newsletter. --------- Show Notes: * 00:20 - Andrew’s monk-like retreat from technology * 01:45 - What triggered his “digital meltdown” * 09:20 - The power of a 4-week dopamine fast * 22:40 - Why Andrew bought Aeropress * 30:45 - “Cruise ship investing” vs “speed boat investing” * 37:30 - The benefits (or lack thereof) of being famous * 39:33 - How coming on MFM led Andrew to be able to start a DTC pregnancy health company * 49:15 - Readwise and the Feynman method for learning * 52:41 - The pitfall of constant optimization * 01:07:35 - When Andrew met Steve Jobs * 01:17:32 - Elon Musk & Jeff Bezos’s Twitter beef --------- Links:  * Tiny * JoelOnSoftware.com * Wanting * Readwise * Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage * Elon Musk & Jeff Bezos Thread

Brian Halligan (@BHalligan), founder & executive chairman (and former CEO) of HubSpot, joins Sam (@TheSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) to discuss what he learned from nearly dying in a snowmobile accident, how he took HubSpot from nothing to $1 billion in ARR, and what he learned about marketing from the Grateful Dead. He also discusses what he does day-to-day, why he has always preferred inbound marketing, how to manage creatives, and much more. --------- * Do you love MFM and want to see Sam and Shaan's smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel. * Want more insights like MFM? Check out Shaan's newsletter. --------- Show Notes: * (1:37) Brian’s snowmobiling accident that nearly killed him * (7:18) How Brian’s life has changed since * (13:07) What Brian actually does day-to-day * (28:39) Why has always Brian preferred inbound marketing * (32:00) Businesses that can be built on top of HubSpot * (33:34) Org chart business opportunities * (36:14) Climate Tech Opportunities * (50:50) How to Manage Creatives * (55:35) What the Grateful Dead can teach us about marketing

Sam Parr (@theSamParr) and Shaan Puri (@ShaanVP) discuss Brumate, the company that scaled to $20M without a single employee, how F*** You Pay Me is helping influencers discover what they’re truly worth, how to do an energy audit, and much more. --------- * Do you love MFM and want to see Sam and Shaan's smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel * Want more insights like MFM? Check out Shaan's newsletter --------- Show Notes: 0:00 - Recapping Rob Dyrdek and when to work to be most productive 10:35 - How to do an “energy audit” 12:50 - Brumate - the company making $20M with 0 employees 17:40 - Companies making businesses selling water bottles 19:45 - How MVMT sold for $100M+ 21:50 - Shaan will start a coconut water brand with you 26:47 - Carpet cleaner businesses - the perfect teenager side hustle 29:35 - The life-changing power of making your first side-hustle dollar 31:40 - Billy of the Week: Shahid Khan 40:55 - F*** You Pay Me - how influencers are getting paid 44:00 - How to make better investor updates 48:00 - Sam’s update on becoming a fitness influencer 54:25 - Why Shaan gets free merch and Sam doesn’t --------- Links: * vcguide.co * F*** You Pay Me * MVMT * Brumate * Cabal

Jack Abraham (@jackabraham), Founder, Managing Partner & CEO at Atomic, sits down with MFM hosts Shaan Puri (@ShaanVP) and Sam Parr (@theSamParr) to talk frameworks for great business ideas, how one hour can have more impact than everything else you’ve done in your career, the Jenga law of time management, and much more. --------- * Do you love MFM and want to see Sam and Shaan's smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube channel * Want to found a company with Jack? Check out Atomic VC Future Founders * Want more insights like MFM? Check out Shaan's newsletter --------- Show Notes: * (1:06) How Shaan originally met Jack * (3:20) The secret to startup studio success * (5:22) Why Jack has banned brainstorming sessions * (23:30) Top lessons learned from the greatest VCs in Silicon Valley * (28:22) The Jenga Law of time management * (33:30) Crazy ideas Jack decided not to pursue * (41:32) Patterns behind great business ideas * (53:56) The value of focusing on one thing vs having your hands in a lot of things * (59:40) Jack’s views on the future of crypto

Rob Dyrdek (@robdyrdek), founder & CEO of venture studio Dyrdek Machine, former professional skateboarder, and star of hit shows like Rob & Big and Ridiculousness, joins Sam (@TheSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) to discuss how he transitioned from acting and athletics to venture capital and how he structures his many business interests. He also talks about how he structures his life to achieve maximum human optimization, why he’s glad he didn’t have TikTok growing up, and much more. Show Notes: * (00:57) Why Ridiculousness is always on MTV * (11:35) How Rob structures his business, money, and time * (16:49) How Rob tracks his time with custom scripts * (26:22) The transition from skater kid to human optimization * (35:40) The value of opening your finances * (44:16) Why Rob is glad he didn’t have TikTok growing up * (58:29) Why Rob is trying to create a “Drake equation” for business Links: * Rob’s Podcast: https://dyrdekmachine.com/build-with-rob

In this episode Sam (@theSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) discuss the latest news on the unfolding Ozy Media story, discuss why Google might not be a dominant tech giant in ten years, and place a bet on whether Shaan can make $10k in a day with a mall Santa scheme. --------- Show notes: * (1:00) How to explain My First Million * (2:53) Why furniture-less design is the new style * (9:46) Shady sh*t of the week: Ozy Media * (19:44) The research power of Newspapers.com  * (30:37) Blue-collar side hustle: Mall Santas * (38:46) Sam and Shaan make a $500 bet * (40:40) Royalty-free music and its AI-generated future * (43:04) Why NerdWallet persisted * (53:13) Why big companies shut down products worth $10s of millions * (58:48) Why Google and Facebook employees are soft

About: Peter Diamandis is the Founder & Executive Chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation, which leads the world in designing and operating large-scale incentive competitions. He is also the Executive Founder and Director of Singularity University, a global learning and innovation community using exponential technologies to tackle the world’s biggest challenges and build a better future for all. As an entrepreneur, Diamandis has started over 20 companies in the areas of longevity, space, venture capital, and education. He is also co-founder of BOLD Capital Partners, a venture fund with $500m investing in exponential technologies. Diamandis earned degrees in Molecular Genetics and Aerospace Engineering from MIT and holds an M.D. from Harvard Medical School. --------- * 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) Peter’s background * (5:07) The science of longevity * (10:26) What are the sub-verticals in longevity? * (14:47) How long can humans live? * (18:49) Will longevity lead to overpopulation? * (23:09) How living to 130 will affect finance * (24:34) Why Peter is investing in Bitcoin * (33:53) The intersection of Bitcoin and longevity * (34:40) Will there be a crypto Xprize? * (35:34) Peter’s space career (including the first XPrize) * (40:12) Why SpaceX’s achievements are so impressive * (42:20) Musk vs. Bezos * (46:53) The importance of mindset * (53:34) How to change your media diet * (56:31) What is the superpower for Musk, Bezos, Larry Page, Richard Branson? --------- Links mentioned in podcast:  * XPrize (https://www.xprize.org/) * Peter’s newsletter (https://www.diamandis.com/subscribe) * Futureloop (https://www.futureloop.com/) * Peter Diamandis website (https://www.diamandis.com/) * Peter’s Bitcoin webinar with Michael Saylor (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFxEM29LyeE) * Peter interviews Elon Musk for the $100m carbon removal Xprize (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN88HPUm6j0)

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

[Updated] In this episode Sam (@theSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) talk about what Shaan has learned over the last week by taking a Bill Gates-inspired week off to dive deep into crypto. They also talk about Wilbur Wright, identifying stories from your work experiences, and who they follow in real estate Twitter. They close it out talking about a Twitter thread with a different take on levels of wealth and then potential solutions to Sam's occasional panic attack. --------- * 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) The backstory of Wilbur Wright * (9:26) First, last, best, worst, weirdest * (12:44) Sell the story * (17:02) Real estate Twitter * (29:17) Opportunities for niche content creators * (33:42) Shaan's think week is crypto week * (37:53) Meet Andre * (40:19) Observations from crypto week * (43:46) #1 - crypto dev tools * (45:23) #2 - NFT research tools * (48:42) Shaan's take on NFTs * (59:09) Levels of wealth thread * (1:07:16) Parallels to Naval and financial freedom * (1:15:39) Panic attacks

In this episode Shaan (@ShaanVP) and Sam (@theSamParr) debate the merits of owning and operating a direct-to-consumer e-commerce business. Shaan breaks down some of the basic ins-and-outs you should look for with ad spends and purchase multipliers. They also discuss the state of economy and whether or not we are in a bubble (or rather, many bubbles), a new NFT project called Loot, the recent raises of Whoop and Allbirds, and Sam's friends Bitcoin gamble. --------- * 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 Everything Bubble: https://blog.ftx.com/blog/the-everything-bubble/ --------- Show notes: * (2:06) Back to school * (2:39) A psychedelic story * (10:23) The story that lead to a breathwork app * (17:40) An event better than SoulCycle * (19:32) The ranch retreat for deeper connections * (26:32) The 2018 Bitcoin gamble * (32:06) The Everything Bubble * (40:35) Loot - 10 words of gibberish * (42:40) Thoughts on Whoop's recent round & Allbirds S-1 * (47:58) Why DTC companies are awesome * (56:31) Shaan's award show