How to Launch a Million-Dollar Business this Weekend w/Noah Kagan

[ZackerySprague]

Loved the interview you made with Michael Hudner and the one you did where you flew with the guy on the jet. Made me focus a lot more on my stretching

Appreciate your work!

Don't forget the one with JPD.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

How did you discover this forum?

He joined in 2015. If I recall correctly, Noah and I had lunch together while he was visiting Phoenix (and I still lived there) many moons ago.

BTW, a lot of these questions being asked here he covers in his book.

 

[Trismigistus]

Lookin forward to this book, will definitely check it out. Thank you!

 

[noahkagan]

How did you discover this forum?

Long time MJ fan and have known about this forum for 10 years.

 

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[noahkagan]

Love your videos Noah and congrats on the new book!

My question is, what was the biggest "shocker" moment for you when it comes to someone's revenue or income relative to their business? (Larry Janesky's $700M basement repair company was insane to hear about). I'm sure you've met a ton of lesser-known and blue collar CEOs outside of the videos who are absolutely crushing it!

1- There's MANY ways of getting rich
2- Compete in less competitive areas
3- Find a growing market early before others do
4- Someones revenue or whatever $100m number they put in titles is likely a lie and more important is profit.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

4- Someones revenue or whatever $100m number they put in titles is likely a lie and more important is profit.

The revenue razor...

 

[Stacia.Henry]

Hola FLF amigos

I’m Noah Kagan, the Chief Sumo (aka, CEO) at AppSumo ($80M+/year in revenue) the #1 software deals site online.

I also run a YouTube Channel with 1M+ subscribers helping inspire underdogs on their business journey.

Before AppSumo, I was employee #30 at Facebook (invented status updates, developed the Facebook ads platform and worked on the first version of Facebook's mobile app) & fired by Mark Zuckerberg.

Made my first million dollars at age 29 before I ever started a successful business by sleeping on friend’s couches and putting all my money into savings or the stock market.

My new book Million Dollar Weekend is dropping Jan 30/2024 sharing everything I’ve learned from starting eight $1M+ businesses (most in a single weekend).

Happy to answer any questions on entrepreneurship, launching a biz, marketing or running a company

Ps. Episode on Tim Ferriss just dropped if anyone wants to check it out!

Thank You for sharing I will definitely be checking out the YouTube and the book as I am just starting my journey and i'm trying to build my knowledge.

 

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[okmail]

 

[bc0510]

Dear Noah,

First of all thanks and welcome back to the forum. I am already a very small partner at AppSumo and trying to grow my product.

I would love to buy your book and would also love to know your experience on how you solved your business hurdles and challenges during this journey. If it is already part of your book, then I am going to read it.

Thanks again.

 

[Fox]

@noahkagan I remember a while back you had some content up about your personal/business monthly expenses.

I remember thinking it was a pretty high number - like a lot of trainers and coaches and extra costs etc.

Im curious if you are still running things that way and also what you got the most value out of / what was not worth it?

 

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[Epynok]

He joined in 2015. If I recall correctly, Noah and I had lunch together while he was visiting Phoenix (and I still lived there) many moons ago.

BTW, a lot of these questions being asked here he covers in his book.

Damn, thanks for the info!

 

[MTF]

How much of your success would you attribute to your high-energy extroverted and sociable nature?

 

[DonyaSze]

Bounce - thanks so much ME and you STARTED the internet. Thank you Front Page!!

The first idea is the best one.

I know, I know but but but. That's literally why ALL of my 8 figure companies were started quickly and they are also simply explainable.

And all the ones that took LONG to build and complicated to explain didn't.

The reason - you can find out in 48 hours or less if it's something people want.

Okay now for the how - DONT DO SAAS. Do the service with free or basic tools - validate the problem and build the SaaS later.

Most people sift through ideas or say they have too many or too little as avoidance of doing the "hard" work of talking to customers or validating which through practice I personally find is the fun and easy work that will lead you on a great path.

What is 1 thing you can actively do today?

I thank myself that I started 14 years ago and stuck with it. What will you thank yourself for by the end of this year....

This knowledge is precious!!!

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

How much of your success would you attribute to your high-energy extroverted and sociable nature?

+1, what advice do you have for someone who has zero desire to create a personal brand and zero desire to be famous, and just wants to do meaningful work?

It seems culture continually rewards the wacky extroverts and extremists... for example, I find the stuff that some of today's role models put forth by culture are incredibly harmful and destructive, with legions of young ppl blindly following.

 

[biophase]

+1, what advice do you have for someone who has zero desire to create a personal brand and zero desire to be famous, and just wants to do meaningful work?

It seems culture continually rewards the wacky extroverts and extremists... for example, I find the stuff that some of today's role models put forth by culture are incredibly harmful and destructive, with legions of young ppl blindly following.

I just listened to something about this on the My First Million Podcast. Basically these companies were tired of finding shitty or irresponsible influencers to market their stuff so they made their own influencers using AI.

So their take was to create a personal brand off of an 100% AI person. There are many influencers out there that are not real people that have millions of followers and it is just an account being run by a marketing company.

So I guess what you could do is make a personal brand account off of an AI person that is 100% made up. Then you completely run this person’s social media in the background.

 

[Mihalsky]

Hi Noah,

I have a question connected with my branch: roofing and interior finishing.
According to you, what are the 3 traits of excellent contractor in these sectors? What you value the most and what will attract you to the contractor?

 

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[MakeItHappen]

Hi Noah,

how would you go about scaling a video course business that is in a niche where building an audience doesn't really work.

What would be your favorite paid traffic sources / methods?

 

[noahkagan]

Thank You for sharing I will definitely be checking out the YouTube and the book as I am just starting my journey and i'm trying to build my knowledge.

Yay Stacia. It starts today. People never get to million or "fastlane" cause they don't start with $1. You got it

 

[Robertson]

Hola FLF amigos

I’m Noah Kagan, the Chief Sumo (aka, CEO) at AppSumo ($80M+/year in revenue) the #1 software deals site online.

I also run a YouTube Channel with 1M+ subscribers helping inspire underdogs on their business journey.

Before AppSumo, I was employee #30 at Facebook (invented status updates, developed the Facebook ads platform and worked on the first version of Facebook's mobile app) & fired by Mark Zuckerberg.

Made my first million dollars at age 29 before I ever started a successful business by sleeping on friend’s couches and putting all my money into savings or the stock market.

My new book Million Dollar Weekend is dropping Jan 30/2024 sharing everything I’ve learned from starting eight $1M+ businesses (most in a single weekend).

Happy to answer any questions on entrepreneurship, launching a biz, marketing or running a company

Ps. Episode on Tim Ferriss just dropped if anyone wants to check it out!

Hey Noah,

I just want to say thank you for putting out your content. It's got me through some rough times, and provided me with priceless knowledge.

I really admire what you've achieved in life and as a young adult you are one of many role models.

 

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[noahkagan]

Hi Noah,

how would you go about scaling a video course business that is in a niche where building an audience doesn't really work.

What would be your favorite paid traffic sources / methods?

Hey amigo

1- How did you get your first customers? Do more of that
2- I don't focus on scaling businesses - especially courses as your best marketing is successful customers. Who are some of the people you've helped?
3- Who in this forum or in your network can you help with today for that business? Today!

Btw - people tend to think I'm talking small ball but these are the same exact process we use to run AppSumo at $80m a year business.

 

[noahkagan]

Hey Noah,

I just want to say thank you for putting out your content. It's got me through some rough times, and provided me with priceless knowledge.

I really admire what you've achieved in life and as a young adult you are one of many role models.

Thanks Robertson.

Definitely have had my share of ups and downs over the years. Sending you hugs.

Courage is being afraid and doing it anyways.

 

[noahkagan]

Hi Noah,

I have a question connected with my branch: roofing and interior finishing.
According to you, what are the 3 traits of excellent contractor in these sectors? What you value the most and what will attract you to the contractor?

No clue.

I hire nearly 99% of my house people through referrals. I'd think how to do more of that.

 

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[noahkagan]

How much of your success would you attribute to your high-energy extroverted and sociable nature?

Some but not all.

The skill of asking is universal, attainable and underutilized by most people.

Do think it is easy to say we are introverts but sometimes that's an avoidance of what are we afraid of doing which will lead us in the right direction.

I too - like to be alone at home or don't really want to go events. Sometimes I will and many times I don't.

You can be successful without being loud. There's millions of people with $$$ you don't know about.

 

[noahkagan]

+1, what advice do you have for someone who has zero desire to create a personal brand and zero desire to be famous, and just wants to do meaningful work?

It seems culture continually rewards the wacky extroverts and extremists... for example, I find the stuff that some of today's role models put forth by culture are incredibly harmful and destructive, with legions of young ppl blindly following.

Culture rewards people who solve problems that people want to get paid for.

The guy I got on his private jet, no one has ever heard of before.

A personal brand I've done for 24 years and love doing. There's TONS of directors / products / writers behind the scenes living amazing lives we have no idea about.

We only SEE the loud ones but the most successful tend to be quiet.

That's why I hate and block most online business gurus. They aren't running a business I admire and focus on extreme advice vs the basics: find something people really want to pay for, start today, ask people in your network, leverage your experience in your side-hustles, try again and again and then stick with it for a long period of time.

It's like being healthy. Everyone KNOWS eat well and exercise but the appeal of fads / bone broth / new tricks appeal to the masses.

Same goes with business

The beauty of business is that it does not discriminate. You can be anyone, anywhere with any physical abilities and STILL succeed.

 

[Andy Black]

Who in this forum or in your network can you help with today for that business? Today!

I don't focus on scaling businesses - your best marketing is successful customers.

solve problems that people want to get paid for

find something people really want to pay for, start today, ask people in your network, leverage your experience in your side-hustles, try again and again and then stick with it for a long period of time.

Love it.

My favourite business quote:

"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest to you."
(Mother Theresa)


Help people. Get paid. Help more people.

Get started, today.

 

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[noahkagan]

Dear Noah,

First of all thanks and welcome back to the forum. I am already a very small partner at AppSumo and trying to grow my product.

I would love to buy your book and would also love to know your experience on how you solved your business hurdles and challenges during this journey. If it is already part of your book, then I am going to read it.

Thanks again.

Congrats on success with AppSumo. The laws of time compound on businesses who stick with it!

Hope the book helps you on your journey!

Was reminiscing on all my struggles, ups and downs and ultimately how I'm more at peace now than ever before.

It's possible and you deserve it

 

[noahkagan]

@noahkagan I remember a while back you had some content up about your personal/business monthly expenses.

I remember thinking it was a pretty high number - like a lot of trainers and coaches and extra costs etc.

Im curious if you are still running things that way and also what you got the most value out of / what was not worth it?

It's likely higher. Latest numbers here:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzoMCWDgZ84


Coaches - personally at least $200k+ / yearly just for myself not including what we spend on rest of the team.

 

[eliquid]

No questions for @noahkagan, but just wanted to say hi.

Bought my first product from AppSumo Nov of 2011 and also was one of the first people to buy some "jerky" from you on LinkedIn when you wanted to validate the product.

I think we both also know Jeff Shaw....

Small world.

 

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[Bearcorp]

Hi Noah, thanks for taking the time to chat with us here! Pre Ordered your book on audible, stoked to have a listen.

I just watched the CNBC interview, curious where you get your investment advice from regarding asset allocation? Do you watch particular people/shows etc, advice from your network, a bit of everything?

 

[Black_Dragon43]

My new book Million Dollar Weekend is dropping Jan 30/2024 sharing everything I’ve learned from starting eight $1M+ businesses (most in a single weekend).

Happy to answer any questions on entrepreneurship, launching a biz, marketing or running a company

Hey Noah, pleasure to be acquainted with you, and thanks for taking the time to come on the fastlane and chat to people here.

You yourself seem to be quite active in the startup scene and AppSummo itself is (or was) quite a novel idea at the time. Much of your thinking is aligned with the lean startup philosophy — I say this as someone who purchased one of your courses long ago as part of the market research I was doing on products addressed to entrepreneurs at the time.

However, I feel that this kind of thinking often encourages beginners to pursue far-fetched ideas which require large capitalization or have a high chance for failure, or a low chance of making money consistently. Hence why most people who start businesses quit and don’t end up successful.

I’m not a big fan of this problem solving approach. Many problems aren’t worth solving economically speaking. Or they’re not possible, for whatever reason, for you specifically to solve.

There’s a handful of us on this forum who have made great money in basically “boring”, “crowded” market spaces. There’s a guy (talking about @Johnny boy ) in lawncare for example. I’m in the digital agency space. And so on.

And while I know these businesses are unlikely to produce billionaires, I see it as a safer path to wealth. You don’t need to innovate so much as you need to be better than the competition at doing what you do. My philosophy is literarily find a business that makes money, learn how they do what they do, copy what works, then look to improve things. No need to solve problems. No need to reinvent the wheel. Just join the party so to speak.

What’s your opinion on this — basically becoming better in a red/pink ocean, rather than seeking to open a blue ocean? I feel most (successful) pioneers suffer from surviorship bias. Would be curious to hear your thoughts!