The guy who gets paid $80K/yr to do nothing

Shaan described a Japanese man who created a paid service where clients rent his presence for errands or company, with minimal conversation and no physical/sexual element. Shaan framed it as surprising proof that "doing nothing" can still be valuable to some customers.

Shaan connected the “Do Nothing Man” to what he called a loneliness epidemic in Japan, citing terms for extreme social withdrawal and people dying unnoticed due to isolation. He positioned the service partly as a response to, or commentary on, widespread loneliness.

Sam said he’s started treating friendship more like a committed relationship by having explicit conversations about reliance, reciprocity, and “doing life together,” especially with men who may not otherwise discuss this directly. He noted that people initially find it weird, but then often find it meaningful.

Shaan shared a story from an angel investment where his friend Suli intentionally made deal terms one-sided in Shaan’s favor to prioritize a long-term relationship over a single transaction. Shaan said adopting a “20-year” mindset changed how he approached collaborations and how others responded to him.

Shaan argued that many breakout businesses come from “weird” behaviors that seem sketchy or nonsensical at first, and that the right move is to investigate the underlying phenomenon instead of dismissing it. He suggested “companionship-as-a-service” could become big for similar reasons.