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Shaan Wages War From Bed
Shaan describes two modes of living: the disciplined Huberman-style morning routine and the chaotic mode of fighting fires from bed. He says he feels most alive in the second mode, and Sam asks what triggers it.
- •Shaan contrasts a healthy morning routine with working from bed in his boxers
- •He launches ad campaigns, fights a cease and desist, and diligences a deal before brushing his teeth
- •He says he feels more alive in the chaotic mode
- •Triggers include lower-than-expected numbers or a bad email
Hunt Brothers Pizza: The Gas Station Pizza Empire
Shaan explains how Hunt Brothers Pizza puts tiny pizza shops inside gas stations and convenience stores, with no royalties and a 10 grand equipment buy-in. He runs the math to over $500M a year in revenue and compares it to 5-hour ENERGY's change in form factor.
- •Tiny footprint of 50-100 square feet inside convenience stores, sold by the hunk
- •Owners buy equipment for 10 grand, with no royalty or licensing fees, and buy ingredients from Hunt Brothers
- •About $5K a month per location times 9,000 locations is $45M a month
- •Like 5-hour ENERGY, it created a category of one by changing the footprint
- •Pizza has become a fourth draw for gas stations alongside oil, beer, and cigarettes
Hunt Brothers' Origins and Cult Brands
After a sponsor break, the conversation covers how Hunt Brothers grew out of a wholesale food business and became a B2B2C model. Sam and Shaan then discuss how brands like Raising Cane's become cult favorites over decades, which leads to the "Found Money" nickname.
- •Hunt Brothers pairs a consumer brand with an existing wholesale supply chain
- •Sam says Raising Cane's is fine but has a cult following among young people
- •Shaan says brands that survive for 25 years can suddenly turn trendy
- •Sam gives Shaan the XFL-style nickname "Found Money"
Geoguessr: A Silly Game Making $21M a Year
Sam shares the story of Geoguessr, a Google Maps guessing game that exploded during the pandemic after adding a paywall. They examine its public financials, its pricing, and the Reddit comment predicting that the paywall would be a flop.
- •Revenue was $467K in 2019 and grew to $21M in 2023, with $11M in EBITDA
- •The game moved from ad revenue to a paywall and now has 50 employees and 50 million registered users
- •Shaan notes the pricing: $2.49 for limited play versus $2.89 for unlimited
- •Shaan says Google's Maps API cost increase may explain the paywall and the margins
- •A Reddit post called the paywall the worst idea ever
The Brown Sophomore Flipping Restaurant Reservations
Shaan shares his white-collar side hustle of the week: a Brown sophomore who claims to have made $70K flipping reservations at top New York restaurants. They joke about his username and the wisdom of talking to The New Yorker, then Shaan recounts his own college attempt at the McDonald's Monopoly game.
- •Alex Easler creates accounts and books hot reservations months ahead
- •Reservations resell for $750 to $1,500, for about $70K in a year
- •Both hosts think talking to The New Yorker was a mistake and that the arbitrage may already be dying
- •Shaan describes digging through dumpsters for Monopoly pieces and winning around three grand
Gambling and "The House Always Has an Edge"
Shaan admits to being a degenerate gambler and tells of a Vegas trip with his billionaire mentor. When Michael said the house has an edge, it made Shaan stop gambling in a way no one else's advice had.
- •Shaan has lost a couple thousand on scratchers and says he has never won big
- •Sam has never bought a lottery ticket or scratch-off
- •Casinos physiologically affect Shaan when he walks the floor
- •His mentor's remark that the house has an edge made him put his chips away and stop gambling
Beehiiv's Raise and "The Rent's Still Due"
In a sponsor segment, the hosts discuss Beehiiv's $33M raise and its quick community round. Shaan explains his policy of not celebrating fundraising but likes the CEO's line "Money's in the bank, but the rent's still due."
- •Beehiiv raised $33M and a community round passed $1M in two hours
- •Both hosts passed on investing when the valuation was under 10
- •Shaan says to invest in a fast-shipping founder with a product you use
- •The line "rent's still due" is the reason Shaan will talk about the fundraise
Nick Gray's Tokyo Blind Date Experiment
Sam introduces Nick Gray, a self-described weird friend who tweeted an offer for a blind date in Tokyo in exchange for filming videos. The post drew 400 applicants, and Shaan walks through the Google Doc and the early tweets.
- •Sam describes Nick pulling out a picnic blanket, frisbee, and kite on their first meeting
- •The tweet offered to pay for everything in exchange for filming videos for his socials
- •400 women applied and the original tweet got about 2 million views
- •Shaan admires the inbound approach compared to sending 400 dating-app messages
The Date Plays Out Like a Rom Com on Twitter
The hosts read through Nick's play-by-play tweets, including the airport meeting, the ramen tour, a Tokyo meetup, and a surprise dinner offer. Sam says Netflix and Amazon have reached out, and Shaan takes it as a reminder to do something adventurous.
- •Nick posted polls, updates, and poetic writing without showing her face
- •About 20 followers showed up to a Tokyo meetup
- •A stranger offered to pay for a fancy dinner in exchange for sharing the experience
- •The date was extended and Nick agreed to come on the podcast
- •Shaan says creating a situation to get lucky is the lesson
Scott Galloway's "Keep Your Sails Up"
Shaan highlights a phrase from Scott Galloway's episode: even when things go poorly, take positive actions so you're ready when luck arrives. Sam adds that it carries weight because Galloway was a late bloomer who endured hardship.
- •Galloway said he got down but didn't stay down
- •Small actions like eating right, cleaning his room, and being kind kept his sails up
- •Shaan frames good outcomes as wind you can't control, while the sails are what you control
- •Sam says the advice is more credible coming from someone with scars
- •Shaan links making his bed or running to readiness for luck
"How to Lose Weight in Four Easy Steps"
Shaan and Sam discuss a beloved blog post, later a video and movie, about losing 80 pounds in four steps. They read the heartbreak step, which turns into a love story at the gym.
- •The steps are no beer, portion control, getting your heart broken, and no sugar
- •The writer lost 80 pounds over a year
- •Step three describes making puddles of sweat at the gym
- •The piece ends in a romance with a woman named Melissa
- •Both hosts say it moves them and motivates them
My First Muscle Challenge Announcement
The hosts announce My First Muscle, a fitness race of 100 pushups, 100 squats, and 100 burpees. They explain the rules, time predictions, prizes, and deadline.
- •The challenge is 100 pushups, 100 air squats, and 100 burpees, timed and filmed
- •Sam aims to finish under 20 minutes, while Shaan expects 35 to 40
- •It draws on the Misogi idea from Jesse Itzler
- •Prizes include two cold plunges for the fastest man and woman and Nike Strength equipment for three others
- •The deadline is May 12th and entrants must subscribe to the channel and podcast
Publisher timestamps
- 0:00Shaan gets triggered
- 3:16$540M ARR Pizza Business
- 14:02This silly game is making $22M a year
- 22:11Shaan's white collar side hustle of the week
- 26:48"The house always has an edge"
- 33:08Nick Gray's unconventional dating experiment
- 37:22Real life Rom Com plays out on Twitter
- 45:23Scott Galloway: "I can get down but I won't stay down"
- 50:11How To Lose Weight In 4 Easy Steps
