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May 8, 2024 · 44m · startup-ideas

This $20M/year Founder shares his 3 top business ideas with me

Jason Yanowitz · 30m spoken Greg Isenberg · 9m spoken
0:00 / 0:00
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gold bands on the timeline = statements, start to end. Hover to read, click to jump. CC turns on captions

Blockworks founder Jason Yanowitz joins Greg Isenberg to pitch three actionable startup concepts—an AI Chief Operating Officer, luxury men's aesthetics clinics, and a negative CAC media-to-SaaS model—while exploring crypto venture dynamics.

How this conversation actually went

Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. Greg holds 22.9% of the talking time here. How this is scored →

Greg as informed peer 4.8 Guest teaching 3.3 Guest disagreement 1.5 Greg pushing back 2.5
05100:0015:0030:000:38–6:17 · Greg as informed peer 4/10 Episode Kickoff and the Three-Drink Setup Greg guides the conversation smoothly and offers structural commentary on AI agent software frameworks, while Jason pitches his concept for an internal AI Chief of Staff and self-critiques its defensibility.6:18–21:07 · Greg as informed peer 5/10 Idea 2: Luxury Clinics for Men's Hair Transplants and Aesthetics The conversation is highly collaborative as Jason breaks down unit economics for high-end hair transplant clinics and Greg adds relevant anecdotes about LASIK adoption rates among eye surgeons.21:08–33:48 · Greg as informed peer 5/10 Idea 3: The Negative CAC SaaS Playbook via Niche B2B Media Jason educates the audience on the mechanics of negative CAC media funnels using Blockworks revenue milestones, while Greg expands on audience monetization and super-niche targeting.33:48–42:19 · Greg as informed peer 5/10 Crypto Venture Realities and Meme Coins as Growth Funnels Greg challenges the legitimacy of meme coins by pointing out that they demean the crypto industry, prompting Jason to reframe meme coins as low-cost user acquisition funnels for serious downstream products.0:38–6:17 · Guest teaching 3/10 Episode Kickoff and the Three-Drink Setup Greg guides the conversation smoothly and offers structural commentary on AI agent software frameworks, while Jason pitches his concept for an internal AI Chief of Staff and self-critiques its defensibility.6:18–21:07 · Guest teaching 2/10 Idea 2: Luxury Clinics for Men's Hair Transplants and Aesthetics The conversation is highly collaborative as Jason breaks down unit economics for high-end hair transplant clinics and Greg adds relevant anecdotes about LASIK adoption rates among eye surgeons.21:08–33:48 · Guest teaching 4/10 Idea 3: The Negative CAC SaaS Playbook via Niche B2B Media Jason educates the audience on the mechanics of negative CAC media funnels using Blockworks revenue milestones, while Greg expands on audience monetization and super-niche targeting.33:48–42:19 · Guest teaching 4/10 Crypto Venture Realities and Meme Coins as Growth Funnels Greg challenges the legitimacy of meme coins by pointing out that they demean the crypto industry, prompting Jason to reframe meme coins as low-cost user acquisition funnels for serious downstream products.0:38–6:17 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Episode Kickoff and the Three-Drink Setup Greg guides the conversation smoothly and offers structural commentary on AI agent software frameworks, while Jason pitches his concept for an internal AI Chief of Staff and self-critiques its defensibility.6:18–21:07 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Idea 2: Luxury Clinics for Men's Hair Transplants and Aesthetics The conversation is highly collaborative as Jason breaks down unit economics for high-end hair transplant clinics and Greg adds relevant anecdotes about LASIK adoption rates among eye surgeons.21:08–33:48 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Idea 3: The Negative CAC SaaS Playbook via Niche B2B Media Jason educates the audience on the mechanics of negative CAC media funnels using Blockworks revenue milestones, while Greg expands on audience monetization and super-niche targeting.33:48–42:19 · Guest disagreement 3/10 Crypto Venture Realities and Meme Coins as Growth Funnels Greg challenges the legitimacy of meme coins by pointing out that they demean the crypto industry, prompting Jason to reframe meme coins as low-cost user acquisition funnels for serious downstream products.0:38–6:17 · Greg pushing back 2/10 Episode Kickoff and the Three-Drink Setup Greg guides the conversation smoothly and offers structural commentary on AI agent software frameworks, while Jason pitches his concept for an internal AI Chief of Staff and self-critiques its defensibility.6:18–21:07 · Greg pushing back 2/10 Idea 2: Luxury Clinics for Men's Hair Transplants and Aesthetics The conversation is highly collaborative as Jason breaks down unit economics for high-end hair transplant clinics and Greg adds relevant anecdotes about LASIK adoption rates among eye surgeons.21:08–33:48 · Greg pushing back 2/10 Idea 3: The Negative CAC SaaS Playbook via Niche B2B Media Jason educates the audience on the mechanics of negative CAC media funnels using Blockworks revenue milestones, while Greg expands on audience monetization and super-niche targeting.33:48–42:19 · Greg pushing back 4/10 Crypto Venture Realities and Meme Coins as Growth Funnels Greg challenges the legitimacy of meme coins by pointing out that they demean the crypto industry, prompting Jason to reframe meme coins as low-cost user acquisition funnels for serious downstream products.

speaking balance: gold is Greg, purple is the guest (3 minute bins)

0:00 · Greg 17.3% · guest 82.7%0:00 · Greg 17.3% · guest 82.7%3:00 · Greg 11.2% · guest 88.8%3:00 · Greg 11.2% · guest 88.8%6:00 · Greg 26.6% · guest 73.4%6:00 · Greg 26.6% · guest 73.4%9:00 · Greg 20.4% · guest 79.6%9:00 · Greg 20.4% · guest 79.6%12:00 · Greg 17.2% · guest 82.8%12:00 · Greg 17.2% · guest 82.8%15:00 · Greg 22.7% · guest 77.3%15:00 · Greg 22.7% · guest 77.3%18:00 · Greg 69.4% · guest 30.6%18:00 · Greg 69.4% · guest 30.6%21:00 · Greg 6.5% · guest 93.5%21:00 · Greg 6.5% · guest 93.5%24:00 · Greg 18.6% · guest 81.4%24:00 · Greg 18.6% · guest 81.4%27:00 · Greg 27.4% · guest 72.6%27:00 · Greg 27.4% · guest 72.6%30:00 · Greg 20.4% · guest 79.6%30:00 · Greg 20.4% · guest 79.6%33:00 · Greg 13.1% · guest 86.9%33:00 · Greg 13.1% · guest 86.9%36:00 · Greg 26.2% · guest 73.8%36:00 · Greg 26.2% · guest 73.8%39:00 · Greg 23.4% · guest 76.6%39:00 · Greg 23.4% · guest 76.6%42:00 · Greg 24% · guest 76%42:00 · Greg 24% · guest 76%
Sharpest disagreement ▶ 34:13 Crypto is the only investable venture vertical

Jason boldly dismisses all other startup sectors including FinTech, enterprise SaaS, and consumer software to claim crypto is the only viable venture class.

 Hardest push from Greg ▶ 36:45 Meme coins hurt industry credibility

Greg pushes back on crypto optimism by arguing that prevalent meme coin speculation prevents mainstream institutional credibility.

 Biggest teaching moment ▶ 22:10 Deconstructing negative CAC SaaS

Jason walks through how cashflow-positive media assets subsidize enterprise SaaS subscriber acquisition, breaking conventional SaaS unit economics.

 Greg holds their own ▶ 18:29 LASIK surgeon glasses anecdote

Greg demonstrates domain caution and critical thinking by recounting his brother's LASIK conference story where 90 percent of eye surgeons avoided getting the surgery themselves.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
ChapterTopicGreg as informed peerGuest teachingGuest disagreementGreg pushing backWhy
Episode Kickoff and the Three-Drink Setup 4312 Greg guides the conversation smoothly and offers structural commentary on AI agent software frameworks, while Jason pitches his concept for an internal AI Chief of Staff and self-critiques its defensibility.
Idea 2: Luxury Clinics for Men's Hair Transplants and Aesthetics 5212 The conversation is highly collaborative as Jason breaks down unit economics for high-end hair transplant clinics and Greg adds relevant anecdotes about LASIK adoption rates among eye surgeons.
Idea 3: The Negative CAC SaaS Playbook via Niche B2B Media 5412 Jason educates the audience on the mechanics of negative CAC media funnels using Blockworks revenue milestones, while Greg expands on audience monetization and super-niche targeting.
Crypto Venture Realities and Meme Coins as Growth Funnels 5434 Greg challenges the legitimacy of meme coins by pointing out that they demean the crypto industry, prompting Jason to reframe meme coins as low-cost user acquisition funnels for serious downstream products.

Statements from this episode (10)

Opinion
Yanowitz: Notion pages often fail as startup company wikis
“I think a lot of people now with startups do it on notion, but that doesn't really solve it because notions pages, even though I want to love them, they end up oftentimes sucking and there's like, it's really hard to find things.”
Jason Yanowitz May 8, 2024 ▶ 4:09
Prediction Open · timeframe May 2049
Yanowitz: Men's personal care market will grow 20x like women's did
“The women's Personal care market. Went from twenty seven billion in 1997 to five hundred and eleven billion, right? It grew about 20 X in the last 25 years. I think the men's care market is about to do the same thing.”
Jason Yanowitz May 8, 2024 ▶ 7:49
Opinion
Yanowitz: Negative CAC is probably the only way to build successful SaaS today
“This idea of like creating a negative CAC SaaS business is Probably the only way to build a successful SaaS business today in my mind.”
Jason Yanowitz May 8, 2024 ▶ 8:17
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Yanowitz: Health and longevity figures becoming major celebrities is historically unprecedented
“Look at Huberman, Peter Atiyah, like Brian Johnson, like these weird, like health folks are celebrities now. That's never happened in the history of the U.S. Or the world.”
Jason Yanowitz May 8, 2024 ▶ 20:48
Insight
Yanowitz: Building niche B2B media is the best start for first-time founders
“I think for first time founders I am convinced that building a B to B niche media brand is the best way to go make your first buck.”
Jason Yanowitz May 8, 2024 ▶ 21:22
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Jason Yanowitz: Blockworks reached $25.5M in revenue by its fifth year
“First year of business, 250 K of revenue. Second year of business, two million of revenue. Third year of business, three and a half million. Fourth year, 12 and a half million. Fifth year, 25 and a half million. So, and we didn't raise any venture that whole t…”
Jason Yanowitz May 8, 2024 ▶ 25:02
Disclosure
Yanowitz: Blockworks raised $12M at a $135M post-money valuation in 2023
“So then in May or April, 20, 23, about a year ago, we raised twelve million at a one 35 post money valuation.”
Jason Yanowitz May 8, 2024 ▶ 25:42
Opinion
Yanowitz: Crypto is the only real venture-investable vertical today
“I really think crypto is the only real venture investable vertical that is taking place right now.”
Jason Yanowitz May 8, 2024 ▶ 34:47
Assertion Supported
Yanowitz: Degen Layer 3 leads the Ethereum ecosystem in TPS
“And that the Degen chain L three is doing the most transactions per second in the entire Ethereum ecosystem today.”
Jason Yanowitz May 8, 2024 ▶ 39:16
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Yanowitz: Meme-coin-backed startup hits $500k/day revenue in two months
“I talked to a company earlier this week that's doing 500 K a day in revenue. They have 40,000 users. They launched a couple months ago and they built on the back of this like meme coin community.”
Jason Yanowitz May 8, 2024 ▶ 41:52
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