The Startup Ideas Podcast

Join us for an engaging conversation with Cody Schneider, Co-founder of Swell AI, as we explore a wide range of startup ideas and business opportunities. In this episode, we dive into the potential of LinkedIn short-form video agencies, SaaS startup opportunities, and why AI graphic designer can be huge. Cody shares his insights on why building an audience is crucial for any founder's success. Whether you're aiming to launch your first million-dollar business or are curious about cutting-edge entrepreneurial strategies, this episode is packed with actionable advice and inspiration. Don’t miss this essential guide to launching a successful startup!

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

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Cody’s startup: https://www.swellai.com/
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Episode Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
06:17 Startup Idea 1: LinkedIn Short Form Video Agency
16:34 Startup Idea 2: Automation Agency
22:52 Startup Idea 3: AI Graphic Designer
29:32 Startup Idea 4: Newsletter in a Box
36:12 Startup Idea 5: Youtube Thumbnail Builder/Directory
45:34 Startup Idea 6: Content as a Service

50:10 Startup Idea 7: Canva Subtitler

52:59 Startup Idea 8: Airline Deals Aggregator

1:00:05 Startup Idea 9: Quickbooks for specific niche

1:07:47 The Goal of SIP

1:11:50 The Power of the Internet

1:16:26 High level Content Strategy

Today, Greg is joined by Michael Karnjanaprakorn, the founder of Skillshare and Otis. He's now taking time off to think and write about life, money and personal holding companies. In this episode, Greg and Mike talk about the thing Mike is *most* uncomfortable talking about: money.

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LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:
Production Team: https://www.bigoceanpodcasting.com

Michael Karnjanaprakorn: https://twitter.com/mikekarnj

SHOW NOTES:
0:00 - Intro
1:12 - How much money does it take to be wealthy?
17:43 - The business of being a content creator
19:51 - How to choose a niche
31:00 - An argument for Personal Holding Companies
45:38 - Michael Karnjanaprakorn peers into the crystal ball

Join me as I chat with Steph Smith to discusses startup opportunities in the AI era, focusing on both AI-enabled ideas and tech-agnostic concepts that remain valuable despite technological disruption. She presents detailed concepts for personal data dashboards, health data integration platforms, and AI-enhanced dating apps, explaining how these ideas address existing market gaps and could be monetized

**$5,000 GREG’S LETTER GIVEAWAY (sponsored by Beehiiv)**

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2️⃣ Reply to the welcome email with “Entering the $5K giveaway” (one per person)

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Entry window: 19 May 2025 → 26 May 2025 (ET)
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**Full Official Rules:** https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KSkNYH3lryT9GEXTaFkRYAQaYyla0C-YcXP0IDkNw2Y/edit?usp=sharing

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro
03:01 - Startup Idea 1: Open Pages Creator
11:16 - Startup Idea 2: Lead Magnet Creator
14:26 - Startup Idea 3: Integrated Health Dashboard
21:59 - Startup Idea 4: Directory GPTs
24:54 - Startup Idea 5: AI-Powered Dating App

Key Points:

• Open Pages: Creating customizable personal data dashboards that display lifestyle metrics (fitness, habits, hobbies)
• Health Data Integration: A platform that centralizes health information from various sources (CGMs, wearables, medical records) with AI analysis
• Directory GPTs: Converting existing web directories into custom GPTs for personalized recommendations
• AI-Powered Dating: Dating apps that match based on compatibility metrics beyond appearance using AI analysis

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringMarketing — Vibe Marketing for Sale: thevibemarketer.com

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

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Internet Pipes:https://internetpipes.com/
Surfer Diary: http://surferdiary.com/stats

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Join me as I chat with Jonathan Courtney, Co-Founder and CEO of AJ&Smart, as we dive deep into various lead generation strategies. Jonathan shares his strategies and frameworks for building a client pipeline without having a large online following.

00:00 - Intro
03:13 - The Dream 100 Strategy
11:01 - The Canvas Strategy (for reaching out)
18:12 - Go Where Your Audience Lives
27:21 - The Power of Strategic Gifting
36:33 - Content Creation (if you choose to)
40:47 - Key Mindset Shift around Content Creation

1) The Dream 100 Strategy:
• Make a list of 100 people/orgs who already talk to your target audience
• Research their platforms, reach, content
• Focus on building relationships with them
• Can start with just 10-20 names

Example: Web design agency targeting founders? Start with podcast hosts, community leaders

2) The Canvas Strategy (for reaching out):
• Don't just ask for favors
• Focus on providing extreme value first
• Make thoughtful, detailed pitches
• Show you've done your homework
• Be patient and play the long game

3) Go Where Your Audience Lives:
• Join paid communities ($149/mo is nothing if you land 1 client)
• Lurk in Reddit threads
• Answer Quora questions in detail
• Participate in Discord servers
• Be the MOST valuable member

No promotion, just pure value.

4) The Power of Strategic Gifting:
• Doesn't need to be expensive ($5-50 can work)
• Make it personal and meaningful
• Think long-term relationship building
• One mentor landed a huge deal with a $50k guitar gift
• Small gestures = big memories

5) Content Creation (if you choose to):
• Focus on MASSIVE value over production quality
• Create 5+ hour detailed tutorials
• Answer common questions exhaustively
• "Low quality, high effort" is the new formula
• Example: mastering . com's 11-hour tutorials

6) Key Mindset Shift:

Stop obsessing over:
• Social media metrics
• Personal branding
• Complex marketing funnels

Start focusing on:
• High-leverage relationships
• Direct value creation
• Being present where your audience is

7) The ROI is INSANE:
• Single partnerships can generate millions
• One webinar can outperform months of ads
• Relationship-based leads convert better
• More sustainable than viral marketing
• Less stressful than being an "influencer"

Pro Tip: Review your Dream 100 list every quarter. Most businesses forget this and focus on low-leverage tasks instead.

Links Mentioned:

The Dream 100 Google Sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1a7d1GSZoJq_pT2Ptbvc9HsZWPxNsQDhRcUvT6d1V2Jw/edit?gid=0#gid=0

The Canvas Strategy Ep: https://youtu.be/fr5xG_bTV44

Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)

Get access: https://www.gregisenberg.com/30startupideas

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

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AJ&Smart: https://ajsmart.com/

Join me as I chat with Niels Klement, CMO of Perspective, we discuss how agencies are building highly profitable productized services using AI. He explains that the most successful approach involves focusing on a specific industry niche, creating a repeatable funnel template that delivers consistent results, and using AI to automate fulfillment. The discussion covers funnel optimization techniques, the importance of mobile-first design, and how interactive elements like quizzes significantly improve conversion rates.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
01:44 - Overview of productized services and funnel building
03:21 - How to build a niche-focused service
07:59 - Implementation of funnel templates and ads
11:10 - Funnel Strategies in 2025
14:43 - How to make a great VSL
18:54 - Funnel Strategies in 2025 pt2
21:05 - Where to use funnels
23:51 - Demonstration of Perspective funnel building
29:48 - Using funnels to validate startup ideas

Build your next sales funnel: https://try.perspective.co/4i8i3dkviavy

Key Points:

• Agencies are building highly profitable productized services ($10K-100K/month) by focusing on specific niches and using AI and funnel tools like Perspective
• The most successful agencies target industries that aren't tech-savvy and focus on business-critical services like recruiting and lead generation
• High-converting funnels use interactive elements, personalization, and quiz formats to achieve 26-28% conversion rates on cold traffic
• AI can automate much of the service delivery, allowing small teams or solo founders to scale to significant revenue

1) The Productized Service Revolution

Agencies are shifting from service-heavy to product-heavy models using AI + automation.

Some are scaling to $1M/MONTH with 80% profit margins by:
• Targeting specific niches (bakeries, lawyers, etc)
• Delivering business-critical results
• Using ONE killer funnel template

The best part? You can run this with just 1-2 freelancers + AI agents.

2) The Two Most Profitable Service Models

Across thousands of agencies using Perspective, two business models consistently outperform:

A) RECRUITING FUNNELS
Help businesses find talent through automated systems

B) LEAD GENERATION FUNNELS
Deliver qualified prospects to businesses

3) The "One Funnel, Sell Twice" Strategy

The most successful agencies:

• Pick ONE industry (preferably not tech-savvy)
• Create ONE funnel template that delivers results
• Use AI to customize it for each client
• Automate fulfillment with AI agents

Top agencies in Perspective convert at 26-28% on COLD traffic!

4) What Makes High-Converting Funnels Work?

The best performing funnels focus on:

• SPEED: Pages loading less than 1 second convert 2.5X better
• INTERACTIVITY: Quiz elements that create engagement
• PERSONALIZATION: Tailoring content based on responses
• CONSISTENCY: Matching ad messaging to landing page

These elements create a "dopamine hit" similar to social feeds.

5) The VSL (Video Sales Letter) Framework

For creating high-converting video content:

• Focus intensely on the HOOK (first 5 seconds)
• Provide genuine EDUCATION and value
• Show PROOF that builds credibility
• Create a natural progression to the OFFER

6) How To Build Your First Funnel

The process is simpler than you think:

1. Start with a mobile-first approach (95% of paid social traffic is mobile)
2. Use quiz elements to qualify leads
3. Personalize follow-up based on responses
4. A/B test continuously (Perspective makes this easy)

7) The Startup Validation Strategy

1. Build an audience on social
2. Create a funnel to test messaging
3. Send organic traffic to validate
4. Collect quiz data to understand pain points
5. THEN build your product

KEY TAKEAWAY:

The future of services is PRODUCTIZED.

With tools like Perspective + AI, you can build a highly profitable, low-overhead business by:
• Focusing on one niche
• Delivering one critical result
• Using one killer funnel
• Automating with AI

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

BoringAds — ads agency that will build you profitable ad campaigns http://boringads.com/

BoringMarketing — SEO agency and tools to get your organic customers http://boringmarketing.com/

Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.startupempire.co

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

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Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
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Instagram: http...