Sep 29, 2021 · 1h 5m · my-first-million
How to Get a Slice of Harvard's Billion Dollar Case Study Industry | My First Million #222
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In this episode of My First Million, Sam Parr and Shaan Puri break down Harvard Business School's billion-dollar case study monopoly and outline how to build high-ticket research businesses, while also discussing longevity science, startup fraud, and Melanie Perkins' journey building Canva.
How this conversation actually went
Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. The hosts hold 99.9% of the talking time here. How this is scored →
speaking balance: gold is the hosts, purple is the guest (3 minute bins)
Shaan forcefully rejects the common DM pitch of people wanting to chat about ideas without building anything, setting a strict rule requiring real traction before giving time.
Hardest push from the hosts ▶ 49:20 Sam questions why anyone would work for a convicted abuserSam pushes back against the rationalizations tech employees make to work for a disgraced founder, refusing the idea that potential equity upside justifies working for a toxic individual.
Biggest teaching moment ▶ 17:26 Sam reveals Harvard publishing out-earns MBA tuitionSam educates Shaan with exact 2019 financial figures demonstrating that HBS publishing generates 280 million dollars, almost double what MBA tuition brings in.
The host holds their own ▶ 28:18 Sam outlines specific 3-part blueprint for enterprise B2B researchSam demonstrates deep operator expertise by detailing how to package monthly DTC case studies, executive panels, and proprietary power rankings to charge enterprise clients 20k to 50k dollars annually.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
| Chapter | Topic | The hosts as informed peer | Guest teaching | Guest disagreement | The hosts pushing back | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening Banter: Sleeveless Hoodies and Instagram Shenanigans | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | The show opens with lighthearted teasing about Shaan's sleeveless hoodie and an Instagram joke involving a toy Range Rover. The tone is entirely friendly banter with zero conflict. | |
| The Science of Longevity, Blue Zones, and Stress | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | Sam shares longevity research regarding grip/quad strength and Blue Zones, while Shaan discusses Laura Deming, Aubrey de Grey, and stress management. Both exchange health facts in a collaborative, peer-to-peer discussion. | |
| Auctioning Five Minutes of Fame: The MFM NFT Experiment | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | Shaan recounts the results of their '5 Minutes of Fame' NFT auction which sold for around 33k to 35k dollars. Sam does quick math and they discuss the mechanics and profile of the winning bidder. | |
| Unpacking Harvard's Billion-Dollar Case Study Monopoly | 8 | 4 | 1 | 2 | Sam delivers a detailed financial breakdown of Harvard Business School's 925M dollar revenue model, highlighting that publishing case studies brings in more revenue than MBA tuition. Shaan adds historical context and his previous business idea to disrupt case studies. | |
| Blueprint for Building a High-Ticket Research Business | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 | Sam shares tactical lessons from scaling and selling Trends, admitting his pricing mistakes and laying out a blueprint for a 20k to 50k dollar annual research service. Shaan agrees and extends the framework to the crypto industry. | |
| Startup Scandals: Silicon Valley's Fraud Problem and Due Diligence | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | Shaan details tech startup scandals including Theranos, Nikola, Headspin, and Gurbaksh Chahal, while openly admitting that angel investors conduct almost zero formal due diligence. Sam pushes on why people continue working for disgraced founders who make money. | |
| The Canva Story: Melanie Perkins' Relentless Ten-Year Journey | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | Shaan walks through Melanie Perkins' LinkedIn post detailing Canva's 10-year journey from Fusion Books, highlighting the relentless grit required before raising seed capital. Sam reacts with admiration for her persistence. |