Dude I was at of dinner and somebody said something as a joke.
And I.
Put up my finger to my lips and I said I need to write this down because it was an incredible idea.
The guy goes you put his you put your finger on his.
Lips.
And then my own lips back and forth.
And um I was like say no more I need to don't I don't want to lose this idea let me write.
This.
Down.
So today you're going to talk to talk us through a bunch of research.
Products that you use a bunch of a bunch of pipes you call them right yeah internet pipes I called it research.
Tools you said that was dumb well it just sounds boring it's more accurate but it's boring I call them gold mines.
Which is basically.
Some people just come back and show you a little piece of gold maybe a jewelry.
Steph shows you where the mine is so you can just keep going back to the mind for more and more gold.
Over time because I think people wonder.
Uh you know if they see your tweets or read your blog post hear you on on our podcast they're like.
Where does she come up with this stuff how dides she find this stuff so today.
You're going to tell us exactly that yeah yeah exactly I think you know the internet is such a special thing.
And we often rely on something like Twitter to serveice the information of the day but I feel like these tools are.
Like like you said the gold mine there's so much information that tells you exactly what people want.
Or um Aggregates a bunch of opportunities for you so Steph tell me about this patent one.
Because there's actually a handful of like really good examples with this one okay that I can that I know of so.
There's two parts there's patent filings and patent expiries.
So patent filings I think um there's probably some databases that do this but the newsletter that I like to read is.
Called patent drop and they'll basically break down every newsletter three or so patents from.
Again big Tech firms like Fang.
Um but also companies like Nike.
Um by the way I think Nike is the company with the most design patents sort it's up there um.
In any case there's patent filing so you can track what these big companies are betting on what they think is interesting.
That they want to you know retain some IP around and then there's also expiries.
Um which is interesting I think uh we covered the company hyns before and how they basically leveraged a patent expiry.
Um to build their company or at least their first products um so there's a website called patents expiring today.com.
Which.
Aggregates these and obviously it takes quite a bit of sifting because there's a lot of things like okay I don't care.
That some shinard is um expiring.
But um I think the combination of those two.
Uh definitely.
Can can result in some business ideas.
Have you guys heard of bluechew.
You guys know what bluechew is blue chew.
Yeah so about three or I don't think they target you in ads but they target us for sure.
Yeah basically.
About.
Six weeks ago I went to these guys' office.
And I met the two Founders and one of the founders is a doctor and the other one was a Commodities Trader.
And basically.
They worked together and they were like what can we start and they saw that the Viagra patent was going to expire.
In 2017.
And so they like were just plotting and plotting and plotting and HS gets a lot of credit for doing this but.
Bluee I think is actually more interesting so what blueo does is I think they also own.
Med.com.
So it's basically a a tella Health business where you call in and you say what your issue is their main thing.
Is uh their pill I I guess I don't know if call it blueo the name of the pill but it's a.
For erectile.
Dysfunction which I didn't realize it it it's like the customer base for that is like.
150 or 200 million people in the world and then it's projected by 20.
2030.
To be like four or 500 million so it's a massive amount of people who have erectile dysfunction disorder.
Um.
And they bootstrap this company and they didn't I don't know how big they are but I'm pretty sure they're between1 and.
$200 million a year in sales and they entirely bootstrap the company starting 2017.
And it was because of that patent that expired.
And they built this business.
Because of that.
Yeah that's it's an incredible example another kind of one chart business all you had to do is just show here's the.
Business plan.
This is the expiry date of Viagra.
We're gonna make the you know the DDC generic version.
And uh yeah they just do it through Instagram ads whatnot they own I think it's meds.com so meds.com I think is.
The tah Health side.
Um and then they have bluechew which is like their product I think it's like seala Viagra.
And one other that are all.
Uh expired now yeah I went to their office and we were playing poker and they had like a sample like instead.
Of having like breath mitts it was like a sample of like you could just reach it and take one and I.
Was.
Like.
I was like my wife had a baby like two weeks ago I don't think I need this but like what happens.
Here's a room also a padded room you could just go stand in to see the effects and nobody will look at.
You then come back when when you're done yeah I was like I don't know if I'm going to if this is.
Going to like be in use anytime soon in my house but uh.
But they I was like looking at some of their numbers particularly on similar web and they had like two million people.
A month coming to their website and I was like doing back of the ma back the envelope math I was like.
I'm pretty sure this is a massive massive company hims gets a ton of credit because they're publicly traded and they're started.
In San Francisco and they had all this press I think this company is probably almost as big and I'm pretty sure.
The two guys own most all of it they haven't taken any financing and so anyway this patent thing is is pretty.
Wild yeah and I haven't gone through the stuff happening in 2024.
But another quick call out is the public domain stuff right so every year new things go into the public domain we're.
Hitting.
January soon and so that's another thing uh to call out for.
Folks.
Well I think like a few years ago wasn't it like Winnie the Pooh or something like that like like was it.
Winnie the Pooh like a bunch of these like yeah and then Ryan Reynolds uh took advantage of that he did what.
Was it in partnership.
With one of the phone companies and he did Winnie The Scrooge.
Uh as a commercial.
That's pretty wild that's pretty funny um by the way another one of these trends that you called out a few years.
Ago which I thought was so stupid at the time and I've since spent probably $500 on this crap.
Is.
You did.
My wife loves this stuff it it was like minis it was um for some reason oh like mini cooking sets and.
Stuff have you seen this Sean like basically.
It's mostly women I think Young stupid though I agree but it's so I've SP when she was pregnant I would buy.
Her I bought her this like I bought like a bulk case of it and then every week I would give her.
Like a present wait describe what is it so it's it sounds so dumb the the one that she liked was called.
Mini Brands I think and it's like any famous brand that you know of like Coca-Cola.
Kit Kat.
Like any type of snack but also like different products uh like a shoe box they make just miniature versions and you.
Open up this small ball it's like a it's like a baseball size thing and you open it up and inside there's.
Like a variety of like eight different mini things and people just love I guess looking at them I I don't even.
Understand what the appeal is but.
Children.
It's weird.
Steph seems like someone who's into like this mini by the way this is uh zuru so this is that same guy.
Nick Mo that we talked about on the podcast.
The to the toy Mogul uh by the way he said he wants to come on so we should uh we should.
Hit him up and get him on but they're it looks like they're the makers of this this is it called mini.
Brands.
Yeah mini Brands it's and it's really expensive they're expensive are they edible or are these fake like no no it's just.
Like a it it looks like imagine a Kit Kat bar but just like the size of a penny that's all it.
Is it's just small it's just mini and excellent.
I have had this theory for a long time that anything mini just works um like I remember in science class there.
Was like a mini Beaker.
And everybody used to fight over it and I was like what that holds less.
And nobody wanted to hear me I was like no but that holds less stuff.
And uh but everybody wanted to have the tiny thing and I was like what's going on on here.
Um there is something to this like either overly large like kind of like the Love Sack like either like an overly.
Large thing or a completely tiny thing is just like one way to make a product more there's a YouTube channel called.
Jenny's mini cooking show that's the one I remember from years ago where I was like people will just watch.
This person.
Cook cook these quote meals.
For.
Hamsters.
And they'll do the whole thing they'll have like a tiny little knife and cut the pizza and the cake and serve.
It on the tiny plate.
People love this stuff.
Yeah and I can't I make fun of these people but one time I ordered a uh a birthday cake that was.
It was a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup that was actually the size of a birthday cake.
So.
I I just like bigger things but I understand.
Which sounds awesome right like you're not you're GNA buy that like right now I should make like the Cyber truck mini.
Basically is like the thing I should do I should make like the really tiny cyber truck that can just park in.
Your garage and that's it.
Yeah it's weird weird man it's weird.
We're.
Freaks.
I can't find this client info.
Have you heard of HubSpot.
HubSpot is a CRM platform so it shares its data across every application every team can stay aligned no out of sync.
Spreadsheets or dueling databases.
Hop spot grow.
Better.
What do you guys want to do next.
Let's the sports one what's the sports dat so there's this website.
Um that Aggregates a bunch of reports on Sports which obviously.
Uh people love Americans love sports.
Um so they have like a state of pickle ball report.
Uh state of the industry report these cost money um so what is the state of pickle ball should we go into.
That.
The burning question in all of our minds what is the state of pickall right now um but what I did find.
Was this article that basically aggregated some data from this and it don't open it because I want I want you guys.
To guess what the fastest growing sports are the 25 fastest growing Sports according to uh um This.
Sfia.
Research which is the Sports and Fitness industry Association.
What do you guys think were the top.
Fastest growing sports.
In America I already opened it and I could tell you I wouldn't have guessed one of them I already opened it.
As well so the game is over.
Uh but I would have said pickle ball and and I would have said that game paddle isn't there like another game.
That's just like pickle ball but it's for people that are they want to be like no pickle Ball's old this is.
The new new like there's there two of them uh that's what I would have guessed it does seem like pickle ball.
Is number one but number two I would have never guessed Alpine touring I don't even know what that really is I.
Think it's just like off off country.
Skiing.
Um and then I have never heard of what is winter fat.
Biking.
It's awesome is what it is it's like.
So sounds like something I need to.
Research.
These fat tire bikes are are really popular right now so it's basically a bike with a just a really fat tire.
Is what it is and they they are they're sick looking you see them ride by and is this sport you.
Know.
Yeah it's just mountain bike riding but the tire is particularly.
Fat.
That's all it is you know we what do we say we like big and small things it's just a normal bicycle.
With a fat tire that can like imagine a bicycle that could drive on a beach got it but I guess I.
Guess it's a sport.
Um number four off course golf.
Interesting I don't even know what that is I when I Googled it it I think it's just those machines.
But I guess they've turned that into a competitive sport.
Or and then number seven is trail running I could definitely see that that is the I I've I get so many.
Videos on my Instagram of trail running dude I was at a dinner and somebody said something as a joke.
Put up my finger to my lips and I said sh I need to write this down because it was an incredible.
Idea.
The guy goes you put his you put your finger on his lips.
This down he said something he goes.
Yeah I do the um the Suburban.
Triathlon.
And I go what and he goes.
Yeah Suburban.
Travon.
Um you you walk you walk a half mile.
You to this bar you drink two beers.
And then you go play nine holes of golf and I was like what he's like yeah it's the subur I forgot.
He said Suburban Iron Man or the Suburban Triathlon.
And I was like this has legs and I I really think that if somebody.
Created some kind of um thing for you know out of shape middle-aged.
Guys to do.
They'll do it and I think if you make it if you brand it almost like as the uh the non-fit person.
And it's got to have like some version of eating and drinking being one of the legs.
You know a a couple holes of golf as as one of the other legs and then you can really pick whatever.
You want as the third.
But dude that's the ne next tough mutter I think that could be a massive a massive Trend that people start doing.
Because it's kind of fun it's ironic and it's.
It might be pickle ball as the third one actually that that's probably the right bet but um.
This is this is definitely something that I I think would appeal to people what do you guys think.
Yeah yeah and that's beautiful.
Branding.
We're working backwards from the brand we really don't even know actually what goes underneath it's just the idea.
Of theb triathlon.
That I that deserves you putting your finger on his lips and then just.
Just kissing him just give him a little kiss like I love you that's beautiful.
It's like you bike to the grocery store you chug a beer.
Then you like I don't know run an errand and that's the Suburban triath line and you got to do it on.
Saturday mornings Steph what's what's another one got to give a shout out to pachy McCormick he aggregated this this and he.
Aggregated this from a site called Tech novel G which is one of these sites where I'm just like.
I can't believe someone created this um I think his name is Bill Christensen or something like that um who basically.
Took.
All of the sci-fi novels.
That have been written or most of them thousands.
And he put them on a site called technology.
And what pachy did is he took this kind of very outdated HTML.
Site that's hard to navigate and he put it into this database if you guys click.
The link you'll see it and you'll see that there's this first page that is just just a Sci-Fi stats.
So it basically takes all the ideas so not just the books but the ideas Within These.
Uh sci-fi novels.
And says.
Does it exist today.
Were these ideas in bits or atoms.
And then it also breaks down things like for certain authors.
Let's say they had like in some cases like azima have had I think like 99 ideas.
How many of those ideas.
Actually came to be so you can kind of get a sense of like.
How.
Uh how grounded let's do some certain authors examples so I'm on the idea Bank row.
194.
It says uh in 1911.
The author Hugo.
Gernsback.
Predicted telemotor coasters and these were powered skates for personal transport.
Wheelies.
Basically.
Yeah or like that one viral video that went the video that went viral of people walking but with these like power.
Skates that we're making them go way faster.
Yeah exactly so there's like they basically break down thousands of ideas in this database and then they say.
If it was created and you can see in yeah the Sci-Fi idea Bank tab in column.
Uh J you can see what year it was first made.
And then um you can see things like Google right or credit cards when they first appeared.
In these sci-fi novels so for example the credit card was first referenced in 1888.
But credit cards like visa and MasterCard weren't actually created until the 1950s.
Or live news in 1889.
And then you know it took until the 1980s for 24-Hour live Ms to actually be a thing and it's kind of.
Interesting because now you look at all these things like credit cards or live news and you think of course right like.
Of course that exists that doesn't sound like sci-fi.
But then you can extrapolate that and probably deduce that many of the things that sound like sci-fi today or even 50.
Years ago.
Likely will follow that same fashion and so.
I like going through this database because there are still many things that still fit in that category of not yet created.
But Dred up.
Yeah so we can create electric rollerblades that just revolutionize the way we get hit by cars.
Right.
Uh what are examples of things that that you're interested in on this yeah so I mean some of these are certainly.
At the point where they're becoming real but for example in 1897.
Uh someone Dred up a non-alcoholic beverage similar to Wine in 1897.
As well um electric bicycles which are now a reality but I think becoming.
Way way way cheaper and way more important.
Um vat grown meat in 1984.
Um which is another thing coming online but I think what's equally interesting is to consider some of the major Tech trends.
Like AI like some of the stuff happening happening in biotech.
Some of the stuff happening in space.
All of those Trends kind of intersecting.
And you you can ask the question whether some of the things that you see that again sound way more sci-fi than.
Something like an electric bicycle.
May actually.
Be a reality so I think like an example of a company that maybe fits this bill is vaa right they're manufacturing.
Drugs in space which I think almost certainly a decade ago would have sounded crazy what's v doing they're manufacturing drugs in.
Space.
Why.
Great question.
Yeah.
Question I think we all have in our mind.
What's wrong with doing it in like.
Massachusetts.
Imagine Sam in the pitch meeting.
They're like okay hear me out drugs in space what about.
So my understanding is that.
The way that some of these drugs are manufactured.
The physics when you're on Earth due to gravity and some of the other forces that don't exist in space results in.
You not being able to create certain chemical structures.
And that impacts the way that drugs can be basically ingested or uh administered.
And so there's.
That I guess immediate function of being able to create almost like.
Drugs that exist today but in different structures but then there's the obvious future opportunity.
Where you're then creating completely new compounds that could not be manufactured.
On Earth did those guys raise a lot of funding.
I believe so.
That's wild.
What a that yeah that's beyond what I.
That's beyond my my IQ that's just pretty amazing.
There's like a list of ideas that were definitely started on like an iasa trip and this is one of them yeah.
Uh well whenever I see these lists I just think of like have you I'm not like I'm not into like Wizards.
And game games of thrones and all that stuff you know what do I say I said I play sports I don't.
I don't rate Harry Potter.
But uh I do like appreciate the fact that one woman just sat down and created this whole.
This whole world to the point where there's like like we talk about quidd we like that's just like a part of.
Like a relatively small part of this whole universe this lady just thought up and it is actually kind of been crazy.
Crazy to actually see some of these predictions.
It it's in a weird way it's inspiring to think that an imagination can do this and I do actually feel pretty.
Psyched up looking through this and being like damn I'm thinking way way small and not into the future enough so I.
I understand that I think it's actually pretty cool.
I just spotted in row.
300.
543.
In 2003 smart wallpaper so Sam maybe that's coming your way.
Next pod.
Yeah so I'll look less pale uh all right you want to do another one next gold mine so I love this.
One our world in data.
Um so people have maybe heard of this website it's a website that tries to aggregate.
Data.
That um is a reflection of of what's really happening in the world so it includes things like.
Data on poverty it includes really Niche things like I found I went through the website and there was a graph that.
Related to the day of the year with Peak cherry tree blossoms.
In Kyoto right so like when when the um cherry blossoms Peak the most like so random but they're collecting data on.
And.
I checked this website a few years ago and I want to say there was.
Maybe.
200 graphs on here and if you go to their our worldend data.org.
Charts.
Page I want to say there's thousands.
Of different.
Data points now.
Um and so I wanted to call out a few that I thought were interesting but I guess what do you guys.
Think isn't this crazy.
That there's so much data being collected.
I just clicked on one it's adjusted net savings per capita from 1970.
To 2020.
And you could see like how much per capita.
A variety of countries are saving.
It's pretty wild Congo and Portugal not saving a lot of money Germany and France.
Really great Savers.
So like it's just like literally thousands of like different charts you know Sean talks about these like one chart.
Businesses.
I can't think of anything for this chart but there's like many of these charts where you can see something and just.
Spot interesting things one of them is this uh population of the world distribution so basically this is a chart.
That is looking at.
How many of all the people in the world how many are young right now meaning under 15.
How many are working age 15 to 65.
And how many are elderly 65 plus and the shocking thing about this chart this is a one chart this is a.
One chart business right here which is.
The elderly curve goes from today right like kind of like the 2020 early 2020s.
Where it's under 1 billion it's by far the lowest you know.
Uh the smallest line to it's going to cross over the young population and be at.
You know by the end of where this has it projected 2.5 billion.
And so that's the biggest grower the working.
The working age one kind of flattens out the young one kind of goes down and the elderly one has this huge.
Spike.
And so if you're building anything that's in the elder care that you're going to own for let's say 10 20 years.
Um you have this immense Tailwind behind you which is just that the population of people.
Who fit you know the customer base is going to grow.
Dramatically we're going to go from under one billion people to over 2 and a half billion people.
Um that are in that market and so that's a it's you know a case to say say you know if you.
Go there let's say let's say it's like real estate like if you owned.
You know uh senior living facilities or something like that you would be able to.
Just benefit from the fact that oh occupancy is going to go up over time in this in this way now of.
Course technology may may may completely upend things and Ai and all that but it is a very.
It you could see these like huge trends that are going to be very hard to reverse.
Uh it's hard to imagine a scenario that we we change the direction of these lines it would take like a whole.
Societal shift population level shift to change where these lines are going.
Did you guys see the video of uh it was Kim Jong-un the uh the North Korean leader he was delivering this.
Speech this week where he was like pleading and begging.
Uh his his people to start having sex and having babies because the population is just dwindling.
And he's literally crying like you see tears coming down his face crying.
And the rest of the audience is crying and he's begging them please have babies it's really it was really fascinating.
And turn.
Though.
Yeah thought crying in front of some man crying in front of you begging you to have have children St me just.
Light some candles and put on some uh some R Kelly and it'll get it done.
Uh yeah I mean it it was crazy I I guess I guess I didn't realize it's funny I'm looking at this.
Chart and seeing his video I didn't realize how big of a problem it is but there's so many here which ones.
Stick out to you Steph so I just linked another one that I think again is this like one chart.
Business this one's hard to get involved with but I think it's it it's the lithium production if you pull that up.
I just linked it in.
The document and you can see.
That lithium production which obviously is the core ingredient in many of our batteries.
Is concentrated.
In just a few countries.
A lot of it's in China a lot of it's in a few countries in South America that's another example of just.
As you're browsing through a bunch of these these charts I think that one jumps out but the one I wanted to.
Dive into in depth is air pollution.
So if you click.
The the the stat.
Uh in here in our document that says air pollution is one of the world's leading risk factors for death.
Which maybe is obvious to some people but to me when I think about it's like what are what are the key.
Causes of death what am I afraid of air pollution is not at the top of that list.
However.
I also stumbled upon Patrick Collison's pollution page he's got a bunch of cool pages on his website he's got a page.
Just a bunch of questions.
Uh one of them's on pollution and he says.
That the World Bank.
Indicates that 3.7.
Billion people so about half the world's population.
Are exposed to this metric.
Um of PM 2.5 that that has to do with like the size of particles.
Uh in the air.
They're exposed to around five times the the unit of measure that he correlates with a bunch of things which include.
Uh lower GDP it includes.
Uh stock market returns being lower uh people making worse decisions like chess players uh making mistakes.
Politicians using Les less complex speech so those are just you know some fun facts.
But I think what's what's really important is obviously the the health side of things and there's another stat um that I'll.
Just quickly share which is uh from a newsletter called Charter which says that India's capital.
Um this was recently breached the 450.
Mark on the air quality index over four times the healthy level.
Um and basically.
They're in this hazardous Zone which is akin to smoking 25 to 30 cigarettes.
A day.
And obviously that is an outlier.
But I wanted to call this out because I think air quality is something that um is.
Is a problem in a lot of places clearly.
Um some more than others but it's something that I think people are going to be caring about a lot more and.
Maybe one one product that came out in the last year or so that's indicative of that that a lot of people.
Made fun of.
Um was the Dyson mask.
Headphones.
So I I'll stop there what what what were those yeah I never saw those.
They are headphones that have a.
Uh basically.
A mask a air purifier attached to them wow and they're expensive they're $1,000.
I think right they are $700.
From what I can see.
And what this came out and people just made fun of them well if you if you Google Images.
It's like a white guy in like the New York subway wearing it you know what I mean.
Like it's a little off on because you're talking about India.
And uh a few other countries.
Not.
Maybe the New York subway so it's kind of like a it's kind of like a misleading ad they have but that's.
Pretty fascinating is this are these taking off no I think they're in that zone of a lot of people making fun.
Of them however.
The reason I'm calling this out is because I think there is this understanding that you know it's just in New Delhi.
It's not you know anywhere close to home um but I think have you guys ever.
Use like a an air quality index.
Um measure in your home or like a CO2.
Monitor.
Yeah I have multiple times and I bought like these air purifier things that also measure the air quality.
In my house and I have them and it's like shocking whenever.
It'll like it basically turns red and it's like oh God there's something going on you know what we need to air.
This place out or or whatever yeah yeah so I mean air quality changes over time and I don't know I've been.
Noticing more even in San Francisco a few days where people are like oh I'm I'm a mask could work not because.
Of covid but because like oh gosh like I have you checked the air quality.
And a lot of people aren't doing this still today but I think that'll change and I think if you use some.
Of these like the CO2 monitor for example.
You literally like if you go to bed with your door closed and you wake up and you check that thing it.
Is wild.
Um how high it is and you know all you need to do is open a window or you know circulate the.
Air in your home but I think as the stuff um I guess is people are more educated on it I think.
Some of these devices like the air quality uh monitors are going to.
Take off and you can see some of this data in Jungle Scout as well of just like the kinds of products.
That people are buying.
Do you see uh what did you see anything in Jungle Scout that stood out any product that okay so there's one.
Product which is uh has to do with.
Uh.
An AC furnace and an air filter.
Um but guess how much this thing sells every single month.
What is it it's an AC furnace air filter.
And an air quality monitor.
And so what does that mean literally like the filter I put on the vents of my like like I've got like.
Eight vents around my home and I put these like filters there is that what you referring to like those like the.
Cloth almost filters.
You it's a filter you would put on your on your um.
Furnace.
Got it okay all right so what I'm looking at here is.
Yeah like the kind of Standard air vent.
Uh filters that you have to swap out every whatever six months or so but also it's a smart one so it.
Has like a monitor associated with it like that has an app this thing cost 250 bucks.
Uh yeah I have no idea but I you know sounds like it might be a little high so tell us what.
What's the what does jungle Scout tell us for the I'm seeing four entries in Jungle Scout and um they are 17.
Million 12 million 8 million and 8 million so what is that all total that's like.
Over40.
Million.
Per month.
This is this is what jungle Scout is saying so you know take it with a grain of salt I'm not sure.
How they measure but um they tend to be pretty accurate and so.
That's an example of I think as people again like try to understand the air quality around them I think there's a.
There's a growing business here that is fascinating I want to point out another thing so this um.
This chart that you have of like causes of death so the top.
Uh let's see risk.
Factors.
I think I might have chosen the United States here but in the United States I believe the top ones are smoking.
Number one high blood pressure.
High blood sugar and obesity.
So I have a crazy story to tell you so I can't say his name because he he asked me not to.
Or he said he prefers to stay under the radar but.
I have a friend.
Who is an investor.
And he's a very different kind of investor so.
What you see on Twitter often is.
People who are investors they like to be loud about what they do they'll just kind of spray and pray they're they're.
Doing a lot of Deals they love to be angels in 50 things putting 20K checks my friend is very different.
He says that and every year there's.
One thing that matters maybe two.
And he his old job is to just find the one or two things that matter.
And so I've known him for you know maybe 10 years now and at one time it was like he's like Bitcoin.
It's Bitcoin right now and I was like Bitcoin really like the you sure this is like you know let's say I.
Don't know 2013 2014 2015 somewhere there he's like it's Bitcoin and then.
Uh he was the one who was like only fans I'm all in on only fans and I was like only fans.
What what is that this is before any before any of the revenue numbers had come out about only fans he's like.
I think and I was at twitch at the time and he's like only fans is bigger than twitch it's going to.
Be bigger than twitch and I was like no dude twitch is like one of the biggest internet sites on Earth.
And he's like ye trust me it's gonna be bigger and he and he's like called it basically each year he doesn't.
Necessarily always get to invest but he's trying to identify.
What is the thing did he get in on those yeah so like for a couple of these yeah he he's got.
The ones I've mentioned so far he did so then.
He uh text me the other day and he goes.
Uh GP.
Greater than GPT.
Uh so this is like I talked to him maybe I don't know nine months or a year ago and he was.
Like yeah I think this soic stuff is.
The thing for the year and I was like really like isn't it AI.
He's like no I think this I I think glp is bigger than GPT.
Um and I was like what do you mean he's like I'm trying to figure out the right way to invest in.
This uh because they're all like basically OIC and the makers of these are all all public stock so he's like I.
Could buy that but the upside is not exactly there so I'm trying to figure out what's the move and he told.
Me he's like there was one company I invested in several years ago that might actually be a beneficial beneficiary of it.
So yesterday sends me an article.
Kmot this uh Carmo this uh this pharmaceutical company got bought for $3 billion.
Yesterday.
And that they are a maker of glp drugs he was an early investor in it he invested in it like seven.
Years ago or something.
And I was like dude how did you get in on this he's like well you know at the time it all.
Wasn't clear I can't say that I I you know definitely didn't know about that but it was uh these guys were.
Drug makers that were attacking obesity drugs in a different way.
And you know just looking at the charts about what kills everybody you know like the Obesity is a massive massive problem.
There's not that that many interesting bets of who's attacking obesity in a different way these guys were one of them and.
I like their team and whatnot so I invested early on.
And I was like geez man like just to have like A3 billion doll exit out of nowhere.
Kind of am amazing what do you think his return on that.
Uh I don't want to say but you know he got in fairly early and uh.
Three billion is a big number so I think he did extremely well on that one but I will what I will.
Say is that he kind of looks at these like Mega Trends and uh this is kind of what you're you're showing.
Here Steph is that if you understand how big the wave is.
Then the opport then it then it kind of simplifies life you can ignore all small waves.
If you know what the mega you know the big Title Wave are and you just figure out okay what's the best.
Way to Surf this and even if you don't figure out the best way even the fourth best way to Surf a.
Mega trend is going to going to work in your favor.
And I've heard this now from from a few investors.
But also um Mark Zuckerberg said this a while back like I remember when we were.
We were working on some app that was like a messaging app like text messaging app.
And this was maybe 2015 or something and it seemed like text messaging was the big thing and Zuck came out and.
He goes there's only a few Mega Trends mobile was the last one.
And then the new one is video he goes video is a mega Trend.
Everything is moving to video people are going to communicate through video they're watching more and more video short video long video.
Mediumsized video scripted videos ugc videos it's all going to video.
And I had never heard anyone say this I this word megat trend and when Zuck said that I started to pay.
Attention.
And we actually ended up pivoting our company into video streaming live video we were like oh we'll go for live video.
And uh that's the company that got bought by when we got acquired by twitch is because we were just partially in.
The right space like live video streaming there was weren't that many people working on it in an interesting way but live.
Video kept growing kept growing kept growing at this like really fast rate and so it was smart to get out of.
The text game and get on the the right Mega Trend yeah you know something I'll mention about the air quality stuff.
That's related to what you said there Sean is I feel like one missing Gap with air quality.
Uh readings and devices and all that is it's not obvious.
As in I feel like most people would be surprised to be like oh my gosh I inhale all this stuff and.
It has these ad adverse effects and it's you know it ranks here on you know the the likelihood of of death.
But it's not obvious it's not in your face like let's say like the gp1s.
People see themselves every day and they're constantly trying to improve their image and how other people interpret them um so I.
Think maybe one thing that if if someone was going to go figure this out.
You guys have talked about um the air the water filters.
People go into your home and did they say like did you know like you're drinking like this much of of like.
Basically like rocks and other sediment and lead in your your water can you believe it and they show you and so.
I feel like there's an element of that.
Where as it's going to take a while for people to really care about the air quality stuff but there may be.
Some Middle Ground where some company is able to effectively.
Give people that aha yeah I would put it differently I don't think it's going to take a while I think it's.
Going to take a marketer for people to care.
It's just going to take a marketer and a product design that puts it in your face and that educates you about.
This and kind of scares you about it but then says don't worry there's a solution.
And that's how a lot of things get done is you know a great marketer or product designer figures out the way.
To put it in your face did you guys remember what Rob deck said so Rob deck came on and he didn't.
Spend too much time talking about this but he said he bought.
A good chunk of a company that is doing water filters for.
Showers.
And I've got a bunch of friends that are like Health freaks so Justin Mayers is is one of them where he's.
A health freak and he's a great entrepreneur.
And he was like man I installed this really expensive.
Basically Berkeley filter which is that big metal it's like those metal.
Jugs that you see in people's homes and he's like I wanted to install one for my whole home.
Because I wanted my shower water to also be completely filtered and I went through this whole ordeal to do this and.
Then Rob jerck invested in this company that is basically making a shower head that is a filter so it's ideally simplifying.
That entire process he talked about that on this podcast but he didn't spend too much time talking about it and I.
Went and researched a bit of it I think that is going to be a a a pretty big company and I.
Think there's going to be a whole.
I I imagine it's going to be like a uh like a boxed mattress Trend.
Where no one has them and then suddenly many people have them and there's tons and tons of competition because I don't.
Think that's quite that hard of a company to to to create.
Uh I don't know what the mode is entirely but I imagine there's going to be a whole bunch of people in.
That space and so I'm I'm pretty much on board with with what he said and I I think you have an.
Interesting Insight with the uh particular with the AC vents that's another product that literally everyone has in their home you have.
To replace it two or three times a year and it's a really really easy Instagram ad to make.
All right let's move let's go to the next one what else you got all right next one in here is Gadget.
Flow so this is just an interesting site.
Uh that Aggregates gadgets.
Um friending.
Gadgets.
Uh I want to call it two things here the first is if you look at the most popular gadgets.
You might say well what's the opportunity here right like I'm not not going to create a drone like DJI I'm not.
Going to create the next arvr.
Device Apple's doing that meta's doing that like there's no opportunity.
I just wanted to call out that every time there's a new device.
That ends up penetrating.
Uh a lot of people's homes or wallets.
Uh there's almost always an opportunity for accessories.
Um so a good example that we covered years ago Sam on Trends was uh airpods.
And you have got a crazy stat on that you've got a crazy airpod stat it this was forever ago I wonder.
What it is now but back then it was like early on in the airpod journey and it was like airpods if.
It was a standalone company would be in the Fortune 50 or something like that I was like whoa whoa I think.
Your stat was like airpods.
Make more Revenue than like Spotify.
Snapchat and Airbnb combined I think Twitter was.
It was yeah and that was again that was in 20 I want to say 2019 or 2020.
Um and so now there's some crazy stats with airpods which is just like 70% of all us teens have airpods.
Like that is like true penetration.
Um and so early on in that Trend it's like okay there's like cases.
There's um trying to remember like keychains really simple stuff but I think what.
Uh is worth.
Just understanding or or what you can take away from this gadget flow website is like okay what are.
The newest.
Um devices.
That are not going to have the scale of like hundreds or thousands of people using them but millions or hundreds of.
Millions.
What are the adjacent.
Accessories or products that I can create so how do you how do you use Gadget flow so Gadget flow is not.
As much of like you know a searchable database like something like jungle Scout but um it's more so just what I.
Would do if I came to this page is first I would look at the drop down of most popular right so.
That's where you're going to see some of those big devices.
And then the other takeaway.
Some of the uh drop- down categories I think so the one that caught my eye was pet accessories.
Um so remember Gadget flow is like all tech devices.
And so if you go to pet accessories.
Um there's a bunch of different things I guess you both.
Uh have owned dogs I've never owned a owned a dog but uh I wonder if you're familiar with any of these.
Devices and in particular there was one that I noticed.
Um have you guys heard of.
Um fluent pet no what's that no what is it it is this uh really.
Interesting trend of these buttons.
Uh fluent pet is particular.
Brand um that I think is going pretty viral because of one account.
Uh this dog called I am bunny.
This this account has I think a million followers on Instagram.
And it's it's basically these buttons where you can I don't know how like how well this works for all dogs you.
Can kind of teach them to communicate.
With you.
Uh by pushing these buttons to indicate what they want and I've seen these and it's and and it is actually really.
Cool so the way it looks is it looks like a uh so it looks like a imagine like a like a.
Twister pad and each color has a button on it and the one button means bathroom one button means food one button.
Means other thing and you could train your dog to click a button to do what to tell you what they want.
It it's actually really cool.
Yeah it's pretty awesome.
Uh I've seen these and I I we trained our dog how to do that where like he like I I could.
Tell what he wanted based off of a handful of activities that we would teach him how to do this is actually.
Really cool.
My dog is way too dumb for this but uh this is awesome uh.
By the way yesterday I took my dog out to I took my kids to gymnastics and we brought the dog and.
So all these kids love to come pet the dog and this kid comes up probably like I don't know seven years.
Old something he goes oh your dog's so cute and I was like thank you I was like you want a pet.
He's like yeah he goes what's her name.
And I go yeah her name's busley.
He goes.
A why didn't you give her a better name.
And I was like.
Okay maybe I and I was like I didn't know how to respond I was like man I just got owned by.
This little.
Kid.
What are you supposed to say to that why didn't you give her a better name like.
Rosalina.
Yeah it's like oh my God what I was I was it's like I got a jab in the nose John did.
You name the dog I did name.
Gu.
What was the answer I just thought it was a very Regal sounding.
Name.
I think your definition of Regal and everyone else's definition is a little bit different like like a butler I don't know.
Like oh busley.
Um Steph are you just what are you doing all day are you just clicking through all these I mean you probably.
Have aund.
Or 50 different links here are you just clicking through this stuff all day many Tabs are open right now uh I.
Want to say.
35.
And are you gonna go through those or you just a hoarder there's an order there's like the jungle Scout tabs grouped.
Together the like similar web tabs grouped together um I don't know I mean I think.
I will spend time every so often just like going through these websites and like scouring for ideas but I think there.
Are a few newsletters and things that I pay attention to that kind of surface ideas that I then if I find.
Them interesting will go and check them you know in similar web or jungle Scout or whatever.
And I know you're at a16z.
Now and I I presume you're happy.
But inevitably one day you're going to and you're going to start a company.
I that you have it in you I I think you're going to do that.
What do you think it will be which.
Category.
Because you you've seen all this data you look at all this data what what's going to interest you whenever you do.
It well I don't want to share the ideas that I actually want to pursue soon because.
Which category um.
You could say.
Games.
Um or I like the idea of.
You know people we've talked about before someone if you guys remember Neil Agarwal.
Neil.
Fun.
Um yeah great great website you know part of me we talk about these big Ideas like Ai and biotech and it's.
All very interesting and you know someone please go become the air quality.
Uh marketer that we all need but part of me just wants to create things that I wish I saw on the.
Internet or I wish existed on the internet that Aggregates some of the these ideas or gets people to learn things in.
Ways that they never thought of before.
Um and so I kind of just want to be.
This is too.
Too silly of a term for but like an artist like an internet artist if that makes sense are you and you.
Work at an investor now is this something that you'd raise money for or you'd want to do all all on your.
Own.
I' do it on my own you wouldn't raise money I don't think it's the kind of it's not a VC.
Internet artist.
Who's gonna they're gonna be like do they have those in Massachusetts.
All right well I'm just curious.
Peter levels is like the internet like the the Banksy of Internet art right now right like he's he's kind of one.
Of those guys yeah exactly.
And I think you will do that I'm I'm eager to see when you when you finally do do it I think.
You're going to do really well in it well they have her trapped because I saw her do something yesterday that made.
Me just shake my head she tweeted out.
Who's got the best company swag in the world and she posted a photo of.
A backpack.
And like a koozie.
And like a water bottle that all said a16 Z on and no doubt they were beautiful products.
It's great to get free stuff.
But that's how they get you stff I was like no they're wrapping their tentacles around you you know what's the the.
Two most addictive things of the world heroin and a monthly salary well third is free Swag yeah they don't even you.
Don't even have golden handcuffs you have a black umbrella that's what they did for you my the internet artist that I.
Want to follow that I admire does not.
Fall into the traps of company swag.
They reject company swag they reject company swag when I saw you post that I was like oh no she's she's in.
Too deep it's like an Inception.
We need to wake her up she's so far she's in level three of inception and uh we got to snap her.
Out of this God well I mean I am human I am convinced by free stuff it looks like they got you.
With a book bag an umbrella and a.
Poncho.
That's.
What.
So for all the people who have previously tried to coach me that's all you need just send me a backpack and.
A poncho.
Well I I'm eager to see you start a company where do you want to go from here Sean.
Uh yeah I think oh let's wrap it up but Steph where can people get more of like.
This type of stuff specifically so like you have this very unique method tier Madness.
That you you know you know these nooks and crannies you're like those people where you go to a city.
And you're like I really wish I just knew kind of like.
What to what tour traps to avoid what good places to go what's the best place to eat oh she knows this.
Hole in the wall where you can enter through the through the Chef's kitchen and blah blah blah you're like that for.
The internet so um how can people get more of that yeah so like you said it's my seventh time on my.
First million which is kind of crazy and ever since the first few where I'd come with these docs and you guys.
Would be very nice and and hype up the dock and say oh my gosh so crazy there's so much ino in.
Here I constantly get people reaching out asking for those docs and you know an aggregation of all the websites that I.
Visit and how to use them and how to internet sleuth um or I like the term to use the internet pipes.
Um so I'm putting together something I don't know what to call it maybe you guys can help me with it that.
Aggregates these internet pipes and shows people how to use them um so I think the only thing I've done is aggregate.
Them and then buy the domain internet.
Pipes.
Uh but I think uh By the time this episode goes live I'll probably have some sort of like pre-sale.
Up on that page if people are what are you gonna charge for it okay if you guys have a minute I.
Want I want your opinion because I think I'm gonna do something wrong here don't just don't use the CW you can't.
Say course you have to call something else like a re I don't know you got to use chat GPT but something.
Involving the word research.
There was this one guy that used to really he had a lot of knowledge he read a lot of books he.
Had a Lamborghini in his garage and he too had a course so maybe you could take his blueprint he had a.
Good one.
I mean so.
I don't know what I'm gonna call it I don't like the idea of it being a course because I don't I.
Want it to just be like a resource that people go to and it's not like a not like a teachable course.
Or something like that but what do I charge for something like that I when I did my book I did this.
Like tiered pricing scheme where it started at $10.
And then it went up for every like 30 or 50 sales.
But.
I have no.
I feel like I'm going to end up charging too little what was that called it's called doing content right so doing.
Content right Sean tell me what you would have done in this situation so Steph worked at my company.
Yeah and she was talented at she was talented she worked at my company while she was doing this.
And I remember Steph someone came to me and they're like do you care that Steph is doing this and launching this.
Content.
Book and I was like no why why should should I care would you have cared Sean and I think Seth you.
Made I don't know you could say what you made but you made great money you maybe made more than that than.
We were PID yeah you did did you make more doing the book than I paid you um maybe in the first.
Year.
And Sean.
What would you have said if your employee was doing this would you have been Pro or anti.
Uh yeah I would have been Pro I it's fine like I have no problem with that I would have had a.
Conversation just to be like cool where are we going with this like what's the where does this live in your life.
Is this like fun project is this what you actually want to go do then maybe I can help you go do.
That in a more like I just kind of want to know where that lives.
Um and I just you know obviously you know for you Steph was like a star performer so you know stars.
Get like more.
Rope to go do things if you're like if you are doing a mediocre job and then you got this side hustle.
That's the final straw for me right like I that then you're not putting your energy kind of towards actually getting a.
Good outcome but Steph was crushing it so you know she I don't think we were pretty encouraging of people to do.
Stuff unless they were screwing up I don't know if we ever lost an employee because of their side thing but I.
Think.
Like that was pre- Twitter getting popular like it is I think in the future.
I maybe wouldn't have encouraged it is that it's kind of effed up but I don't know if I would have encouraged.
It but I did encourage it back then well that's what I mean by I want to know where it lives in.
Your life meaning.
If this is kind of what you really want to do.
Then let's just be honest about it like let's just have the honest conversation we could figure out like what's the right.
Pathway forward.
And if you're like I just want to make a little bit of extra money we could talk about like hey if.
You just.
Did XYZ here.
You can make that here you know you don't have to start a separate business right if that's if that's the motivation.
If you're just like oh yeah I just use this for Serendipity and networking and I just kind of like to put.
Stuff out there on nights and weekends like this is my hobby like that's what I told people when when I was.
Doing things I was I'd say you know business is my hobby so like you know for you when you log off.
Work.
You might go to CrossFit or you might go play go for what like what I do is.
I read I write I make things that's what I like to do on the internet and so you know this is.
Just me doing that hobby you know you you do Taekwondo or whatever you do and uh I think there's just some.
People that are like that you gotta you got to let them spread their wing I mean I think also to your.
Point Sean it depends is this like an ongoing thing forever you're going to be writing you know doing a course every.
Quarter and it's going to take up all your time I.
Intentionally with this project partially because I didn't want it to last forever but partially also because it's just my psychology to.
Like get something done and out there was like I think I compressed it until like a six week.
Thing and I was like this is all this is the only time I'm going to allocate to this um and I.
Feel like for this this new project that I'm launching too it's kind of the same thing where it's like I don't.
Want to be like doing a course forever and people checking in with me and have this I just have this like.
Little burst of like creativity I need to get something out there to exist and then that's it.
Yeah yeah um your question was what would you what what should you charge for it.
I don't think this is going to make a ton of money because the who's the type of person that wants.
To.
Who's the type of person that wants to buy this is somebody like you so there's not that many people that are.
Like you that are like hey I just have some disposable income that I'm going to use so that I can have.
Better internet.
Random research.
Tools and and like ability to lurk and just find interesting things on the internet.
Um I think those are awesome people but there's not it's not like Mass market right so you either got to charge.
A bunch or you go the way and you charge very little.
But you use you get the value in a in a separate way like for you what I would be doing is.
I would use this as a Honeypot.
To attract.
A b like the type of person that's going to pay even $99 whatever to $100 a year to have access to.
This database.
Is like somebody that you would want to go hang out with for three hours most likely right and so I would.
Just use it as like the value isn't going to come from the the direct monetization of this asset but from the.
Little Community you bu build and then the interesting either Investments you get out of it or.
You know introductions or opportunities or the company you started someone from this that's I think where you're going to get way.
More value than just trying to charge a premium for this for yeah but it'll pay for her monthly expenses.
This you're doing content right plus a new thing you'll make.
25,000.
A month I think we'll see yeah but like your your needs are covered right so like you know one way one.
Thing I think about a lot is like.
Um you know more of the same keeps me I am so you know if I keep doing things that kind of.
Keep me in the same level of the game I'll never have the bandwidth to do whatever it's going to take to.
Get me to the next level of the game and so like for example I I had a course that I was.
Teaching maybe.
Five to 10 days a year not much and it was making over a million dollars a year so that's an amazing.
Like effort to payoff.
Thing.
And then I stopped and I was like why cuz for me making an extra $1 million a year is not going.
To get me to the next level of the game I'm trying to p play at so I was like if I'm.
Trying to get to the point where let's just say let's just make up a goal say I was trying to make.
I want to get to where I'm making $20 million year okay let's say let's say that was the goal.
Then I need to like have enough like room on room on my plate just empty space.
That will like force me to go create the thing that gets me to the next level.
Um or I might give things away for free in fact if it's going to like.
Create the Serendipity that's it's going to take to like open up new opportunities that are bigger and so that's just something.
To think about is like how do.
You.
Do you care about uh you know maybe the next level of Financial Freedom of of you know sort of wealth that.
Will give you more Runway.
More ability to like use money to do sh the you want like the internet art type of thing.
Um and if you do maybe you could use this as a tool to like get the right people around you and.
Do something else I don't know it's just more totally I mean one of the biggest learnings from the book was some.
People are like oh you're totally undercharging.
But it's like how do you deliver a product at a price point that people are like like so happy with that.
They go and share it and talk about it and and also like yeah want to work with you and like actually.
Digest the information.
Instead of and requires no customer service yeah exactly where it's just like it runs itself it markets itself that's what ended.
Up happening with the book and so I am leaning more in that direction but then I also I was expecting you.
Guys to be like no no no like charge more like you always undercharge but I guess I guess maybe I should.
Keep it.
Tim Ferris said something that changed my thinking on this Tim Ferris said he goes I have strategy which was Ultra free.
Or Ultra Premium he goes I was going to give away 99%.
Of what I do for literally for free because I'm trying to reach the broadest number of people possible and I want.
To over be be overd delivering I treat it like it's a paid product but I deliver it for free to the.
Masses.
Because then on the one day and he he he gives the example he did a um this was back when he.
Was doing four-hour work week and whatnot so he's doing uh you know his blogging for free podcast for free.
And then he said hey I'm doing a two-day.
Kind of like in-person Workshop.
Seminary thing that's that open the kimono thing or open the kimono yeah exactly.
And I think he did two3 million in sales in like 30 minutes right because people were like I will pay $10,000.
He was like it's it's expensive.
I don't expect everybody to be able to afford this or want to I'm not even gonna promise anything.
But if you're a f what I do like I'm gonna do this open the kimono thing it's two days and I.
Think he made two $2 to4.
On that day and he's like if I had been trying to like kind of charge along away like let me do.
This little ebook for for $9 then let me do this like monthly subscription for maybe I can get $20 a month.
He's like I would have had a a smaller audience and less money and so and same thing with his podcast ads.
He's like I would rather have no ad in the thing or charge an Ultra Premium to a premium brand because.
There's always room he he said there's always a market for luxury right there's always a market for the for the absolute.
Best so I wanted to make the absolute best product and then charge the absolute you know best price I could for.
That and that was like his his strategy.
When it came to that I think Alex Heros does a similar thing so hormos is like look I could be trying.
To make a little bit of money here a little bit of money there do a course do a do a seminar.
Do whatever.
Um but he's like no no no I'm gonna be really in your face that this stuff is normally what people charge.
For I'm giving it to you for free builds a bunch of Goodwill builds a big audience.
And then when he's ready to charge he'll make all the money back and more when he finally does charge for the.
Thing in his case it's you know a combination of acquisitions.com where he's like I'm gonna buy equity in your business at.
This like super super sweetheart deal for him.
Because he's built up so much Goodwill and like reputation amongst you know his potential like you know acquisition targets.
Um or if he ends up doing ever like a course or a seminar or a live inperson thing he'll be able.
To charge $25,000.
Per person to get in and he'll make $10 million.
On one day because he's kind of built it that way so I think there's something to learn from these people that.
Play the real long game totally I don't think I could charge 25k for anything but we'll see we'll see if I.
Ever get there but um well you do you you get paid more than that that's true that's true.
So I mean you you definitely do.
Um and you definitely can.
I think that.
You will eventually for sure someone by the way I read the comments.
Um and I read one from something one of the episodes I was on ages ago and someone wrote something like wow.
Steph has a really int intense case of imposter syndrome and I was like oh.
True.
Um anyway I guess uh if people want to find by the way I'll tell you this now you do I remember.
When I was negotiating your salary when you first joined.
And you asked for a number I don't remember if I did this for you it we in particular women would typically.
Do this they would say a number and I would say a number back.
Or I would just say a number to them and they would just accept it and I'm be like hey um.
You should negotiate with me.
Um women in particular were horrible at pushing back on their salary.
For what they should ask for and you know my company was small we in aggregate probably hired 75 people but I.
Noticed a small trend of women in particular did not push back nearly as hard as the men there were many men.
That they would push back and it was laughable what they I'm like there's not a chance I'm going to give you.
This but I guess I'll meet you somewhere in the middle to like adjust this but like this is crazy I offered.
I was thinking you were $150,000.
Year person you're asking for 700,000.
That's just ridiculous but I remember with you Steph you were way.
We gave you a lot of bumps I think over the how long you worked with us but you you started way.
Too low.
Um and I would encourage you to maybe not for this product but to definitely Elevate what you should be demanding for.
Pay I I think you're doing all right now a16z.
But that I've I've noticed that with you in particular amongst very very very smart and qualified young women yeah it took.
Me around what is it so 21 to 20.
Eight when I 28 or 29 when I joined a16z.
So it took me like seven years or so to actually learn to negotiate.
I agree.
Can I tell you a a embarrassing version of impostor syndrome that I have which is it's not impostor syndrome but it.
Is what I call Michael Scott syndrome.
Where sometimes I felt this for like 10 years I always hire people that are like super smart that's great upfront.
But the downside is sometimes you just feel like Michael Scott you're like oh I'm the idiot in the office.
And uh I'm telling these people I'm actually in their way.
And these people are like they're kind of looking at me like.
The way that Jim Halpert looks at you know Michael Scott and I'm like oh no it's happening.
That's that the Michael Scott thing is happening have you ever felt that yes I felt that way all the time and.
Then I realized that's actually.
I felt that way for a long time and then I realized oh wait no that just means I'm good at hiring.
Uh so like I should just get out of the way Scott would do he turn.
A compliment for himself.
No I felt that way too I remember hiring people that were a older than me and B smarter and I'm like.
What the are these people did I really just convince this person did I just trick this person into coming and joining.
Anything I'm doing I feel horrible about.
One woman that's so good at what she does um in our e-commerce business she's so fast like literally so fast and.
Hyperproductive like she gets the like she gets like three people's stuff done in in the same amount of a day.
And uh she's the one who Michael Scots me all the time I'm like.
I'll be telling her something in the meeting I'll be like yeah let's follow up next week on that and she's like.
I already sent it out and I'm like while I was talking but I was giving you such a good anecdote and.
Metaphor.
And uh oh you just like finished it oh okay I guess uh I guess I could have shut up five minutes.
Ago huh and I realized actually this is a great thing just like you said Sam it's not that I'm great at.
Hiring I said now this is actually the bar.
I only want to hire people that make me feel like I'm Michael I'm the Michael Scott of the office that's actually.
How it should feel when you're doing it right it should feel that means you're good at hiring now you just got.
To get the hell out the way you did the hard part and you're funny that's the other thing.
Yeah I don't know about that.
Um I'm just gonna quickly shout out if people want to go find it internet pipes.com I guess we'll figure out the.
Price it'll be live when this goes live all right that's the Pod Steph thank you for doing.