My First Million episode 799, in which Sam Parr and Shaan Puri talk with Starter Story founder Pat Walls about selling his company to HubSpot and about business ideas he has seen lately. Pat says the deal had not yet closed at recording, describes the psychology of waiting for it to be signed, closed and wired, and says that of 12 founders he talks to each week, about six are doing well with iPhone apps, such as one that blocks scrolling until you do push-ups. He explains how Starter Story builds each video around one big idea, why he built his company around asynchronous systems rather than urgency culture, and tells the story of a think week where he concluded that he is his own greatest obstacle. Sponsor named in the description: HubSpot, which was buying the guest's company. PARTIAL COVERAGE: this note draws on the opening, app ideas, video format, systems and think week sections, and may miss parts of the roughly 47 minute video. Revenue figures and deal details are the speakers' own claims and not independently checked. Nothing here is financial, investment or legal advice.
My First Million episode 799, in which Sam Parr and Shaan Puri talk with Starter Story founder Pat Walls about selling his company to HubSpot and about business ideas he has seen lately. Pat says the deal had not yet closed at recording, describes the psychology of waiting for it to be signed, closed and wired, and says that of 12 founders he talks to each week, about six are doing well with iPhone apps, such as one that blocks scrolling until you do push-ups. He explains how Starter Story builds each video around one big idea, why he built his company around asynchronous systems rather than urgency culture, and tells the story of a think week where he concluded that he is his own greatest obstacle. Sponsor named in the description: HubSpot, which was buying the guest's company. PARTIAL COVERAGE: this note draws on the opening, app ideas, video format, systems and think week sections, and may miss parts of the roughly 47 minute video. Revenue figures and deal details are the speakers' own claims and not independently checked. Nothing here is financial, investment or legal advice.
Pat says HubSpot was buying Starter Story and that he could not celebrate until it was signed, closed and wired.
He says about six of the 12 founders he talks to weekly are doing well with iOS apps, such as a push-up blocker app reported at around 30 thousand dollars a month.
The hosts compare successful app makers to the info product sellers Pat once aspired to be.
He says every video has one big idea about why it should exist, such as a ten-step playbook that a Reddit post laid out.
He says he hated urgency culture at his old job and built his company around asynchronous systems.
The show notes frame this as his view that being busy is not a virtue.
He tells of a think week after burning out while splitting time across about 10 side projects, concluding he is his own greatest obstacle.
Pat says HubSpot was buying Starter Story and that he could not celebrate until it was signed, closed and wired.
He says about six of the 12 founders he talks to weekly are doing well with iOS apps, such as a push-up blocker app reported at around 30 thousand dollars a month.
The hosts compare successful app makers to the info product sellers Pat once aspired to be.
He says every video has one big idea about why it should exist, such as a ten-step playbook that a Reddit post laid out.
He says he hated urgency culture at his old job and built his company around asynchronous systems.
Build the whole piece around a single idea.
Design work so urgency and constant messages are not required.
Step away to think when you are burnt out and spread too thin.
“I am my own greatest obstacle”
“every video has like a big idea like why should this video exist”
“I was the guy with like 10 side projects”
Pat Walls says simple iPhone apps, one big idea per video and calm asynchronous systems built Starter Story, and that his own habits were his biggest obstacle.
The show notes frame this as his view that being busy is not a virtue.
He tells of a think week after burning out while splitting time across about 10 side projects, concluding he is his own greatest obstacle.
