July 31, 2024 • 58min
3 Underdog Stories That’ll Get You Inspired This Week
My First Million
Key Takeaways
- The power of persistence in content creation - You may be just "one hit away" from a breakthrough, as demonstrated by Noah Kahn's viral TikTok success story
- Innovative business models can disrupt traditional industries - CarEdge is revolutionizing car buying by combining YouTube content with a car broker service
- Creative content can come from unexpected places - A local Chevrolet dealership's TikTok series has gone viral by using an "Office-style" format
- Gamification can make mundane tasks engaging - Pokemon Sleep has turned sleep tracking into a game, generating over $100 million in revenue
- Post-exit introspection is valuable - After selling his company, Patrick Campbell did a "life 360" review to gain clarity on his goals and values
- Public speaking requires adaptability - Shaan's contrasting experiences giving two talks highlight the importance of reading the room and adjusting accordingly
Introduction
In this episode, Sam Parr and Shaan Puri discuss various stories of people and businesses that were on the verge of success before achieving breakthroughs. They cover topics ranging from viral content creation to innovative business models in traditional industries. The hosts also share personal experiences and insights from recent events and interactions.
Topics Discussed
Noah Kahn's Viral TikTok Success (0:22)
Sam shares the story of Noah Kahn, a singer-songwriter who went from relative obscurity to selling out major venues like Fenway Park and Madison Square Garden in just a few years. The key turning point was a TikTok video of an unfinished song that went viral:
- Noah posted a 22-second clip of a song verse on TikTok
- He almost deleted it when it got no traction after a few hours
- The video exploded overnight, getting 200,000 likes and 100,000 comments
- This led to him finishing the song "Stick Season" which became a massive hit
Sam emphasizes how this story demonstrates that in content creation, you can be "just one hit away" from a major breakthrough. Shaan adds that this principle applies to other creative fields like movies, music, and even game development.
CarEdge's Innovative Car Buying Service (18:32)
Shaan discusses CarEdge, a company that has combined YouTube content with a car broker service to disrupt the traditional car buying process:
- Started by a father-son duo with industry experience
- Built an audience through YouTube videos sharing insider car buying tips
- Launched a service that helps consumers buy cars at fair prices
- Now generating around $10 million in annual revenue
The hosts discuss how this business model leverages content creation to build trust and then monetizes through a valuable service.
Mohawk Chevrolet's Viral TikTok Series (28:00)
Shaan shares the story of a local Chevrolet dealership that has gone viral on TikTok with an "Office-style" series:
- Created by a 23-year-old social media manager
- Uses an improvisational style to create humorous content about the dealership
- Has gained millions of views and engagement from major brands
- Demonstrates how creative content can come from unexpected sources
Pokemon Sleep's Gamification of Sleep Tracking (31:40)
Shaan introduces Pokemon Sleep, a sleep tracking app that has generated over $100 million in revenue:
- Users catch Pokemon based on their sleep quality and duration
- Has over 10 million users, with 40% in Japan
- Demonstrates the power of gamification in making mundane tasks engaging
The hosts discuss how this concept could be applied to other health tracking activities, like step counting, to make them more fun and social.
Nick Gray's "Done" Challenge Concept (35:37)
Sam shares an idea from Nick Gray called "Done" groups:
- A group agrees to do a specific task every day
- Members send only the word "done" in a WhatsApp group when they complete the task
- Creates momentum and accountability through simple communication
The hosts discuss potentially adapting this concept for future challenges with their audience.
Patrick Campbell's Post-Exit Introspection (41:53)
Sam shares insights from Patrick Campbell's talk about his experiences after selling his company for $200-250 million:
- Advised waiting 6-9 months before making any major moves or purchases
- Hired a coach to do a "life 360" review, interviewing people in his life
- Created a scorecard with categories like accomplishments, accepted weaknesses, areas of improvement, and "losses I will no longer live with"
The hosts discuss how this structured approach to introspection can be valuable, especially after major life changes.
Shaan's Contrasting Public Speaking Experiences (48:45)
Shaan shares his experiences giving two talks at a recent event, one that went well and one that didn't:
- The unsuccessful talk:
- Attempted to tell a story with minimal preparation
- Chose a heavy topic (personal failures) that didn't match the event's energy
- Realized too late that the content was bringing down the mood
- The successful talk:
- Focused on shifting the energy in the room first
- Used crowd work and interactive elements to engage the audience
- Demonstrated the principle that "good decisions come from good energy"
Shaan reflects on the importance of reading the room and being adaptable when public speaking.
The Value of Free Advice (37:58)
Sam shares an insight about the nature of valuable advice:
- "The best advice is free by definition"
- Truly great advice is often simple and cannot be monetized effectively
- Non-obvious, hard-won wisdom often comes from highly successful people who are willing to share it freely
This observation challenges the notion that paid advice or courses are always more valuable than free information.
Conclusion
This episode of My First Million showcases various stories of breakthrough success and innovative business models. The hosts emphasize the importance of persistence in content creation, as demonstrated by Noah Kahn's viral TikTok success. They also highlight how traditional industries can be disrupted through creative approaches, as seen with CarEdge's car buying service and Mohawk Chevrolet's TikTok series.
The discussion on Pokemon Sleep's success illustrates the power of gamification in engaging users and generating revenue. The hosts also touch on personal development topics, including Nick Gray's "Done" challenge concept and Patrick Campbell's structured approach to post-exit introspection.
Shaan's contrasting experiences with public speaking serve as a reminder of the importance of adaptability and reading the room when presenting to an audience. Finally, Sam's insight about the value of free advice challenges listeners to reconsider their assumptions about paid versus free information.
Overall, this episode provides a mix of inspirational success stories, innovative business ideas, and personal insights that can be applied across various aspects of entrepreneurship and personal growth.