My First Million

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 e...

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? Dro...

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. ---------...

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 epi...

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. --------- *...

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. ----...

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. --------- * H...

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...

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 retre...

[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 wea...

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 raise...

In this episode Shaan (@ShaanVP) shares why you should ask for that raise and Sam (@theSamParr) pokes holes in the $75K happiness study. They also debate whether it is better to own the entirety of a smaller company or a piece of a bigger one. The two also talk about MMA fights and how you can package that appeal, the future of maps, and a fractional vacation home company. Sam also shares the stor...

In this episode Shaan (@ShaanVP) and Sam (@theSamParr) predict what venture capital will look like in the future. Shaan breaks down the different ways someone can win as a VC and also explains how SPACs work. The guys also talk about a company providing dummy data, the allure of a recruiting agency, and we learn about Harold Alfond - this week's billy of the week. --------- * Want to be featured i...

This special episode is a crosspost from the Indie Hackers Podcast with Courtland Allen. Sam and Shaan were interviewed by Courtland a few months ago and they gave a behind-the-scenes look at how they think about building out different income streams as a solo creator. --------- * Follow Indie Hackers: https://www.indiehackers.com/podcasts * Want to be featured in a future episode? Drop your quest...

In this episode Sam (@theSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) are joined by Ramit Sethi (@ramit), the founder of I Will Teach You To Be Rich. They start off talking about course businesses and Ramit shares what he's learned running courses for over 15 years. Ramit shares a few ideas for businesses and then the trio talk about different strategies around investing. Shaan shares why his approach is so diff...

In this episode Shaan (@ShaanVP) and Sam (@theSamParr) break down community businesses and different ways you can build a community. They also talk about the law of reciprocity, the ad Sam wrote that competitors have stolen, and the importance of user generated content for digital ads. They end the episode talking about how technology will change construction sites and share a few Instagram accoun...

In this episode Sam (@theSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) discuss alternatives to a 40 Hour Workweek. They start off with Tim Ferriss & his ideas around mini retirements followed by the work ethic & career drive of people outside the US. They then dive into Naval Ravikant and his origin story, his thoughts on work, and his vision for the future of work. They end the episode with a few stories about r...

In this episode Shaan (@ShaanVP) is joined by startup growth expert Julian Shapiro (@julian). Julian shares the 3 growth trends he noticed successful startups were implementing to grow at astonishing rates. The pair also discuss different publishing schedule approaches and how to write an effective Twitter bio. They end the episode talking about what each of them would do if they were to do someth...

In this episode Shaan (@ShaanVP) and Sam (@theSamParr) dive into a few industries and talk about the players behind them. They start off talking about car dealerships and the handful of politicians who make major coin through them. They then transition to celebrities and how some have leveraged their name to make even more money. They finish the episode with a few anecdotes on how some people star...

In this episode Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee) joins Sam (@theSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) to give a master class on NFTs. Gary shares his predictions on the future of NFTs and how they'll be (eventually) used by everyone. He also talks about the growth of VaynerX, his love of garage sales, and the launch of VeeFriends & VeeCon. At the end, he shares the biggest lesson he learned from passing on inve...

In this episode Shaan (@ShaanVP) is joined by Steph Smith (@stephsmithio) for an idea packed episode. They start off talking about opportunities around spending your FSA dollars and on swag packs. They transition to talk about the role of automation at companies and Steph shares how she would go about automating repetitive parts of her role. The end the episode talking about Steph's new course, ap...

In this episode Sam (@theSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) break down a multi-million dollar opportunity to unbundle Etsy ($24B market cap). Shaan also shares how he would approach it if he were doing it himself. The guys also talk about the multi-billion dollar elevator industry, a training program to become an MMA fighter, and whether tax incentives make Canada an attractive place to run a startup....

In this episode Sam (@theSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) are joined by solo capitalist Brianne Kimmel (@briannekimmel). They talk about how Bri got started in investing, the pros and cons of her busy schedule, and discuss some of the unicorns she's invested in. They also discuss a cool use of deepfakes, how VCs make money, and whether or not college is worth the price of admission. --------- * Want...

Do you like these mini episodes? Tweet your feedback to Shaan (@ShaanVP) & get more short stories like this on his newsletter 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...

In this episode Sam (@theSamParr) and Shaan (@ShaanVP) revisit the NCAA rule changes about college athletes making money and Shaan shares his prediction about who the next big sports agent will be. They also talk about buying lotto tickets via an app, the mugshot industry, & how to fight tech and porn addiction. They end the episode with Shaan sharing a Chrome extension idea. --------- * Want to b...