Jul 14, 2017 · 22m · top-founders
720: How Wealthy People Put On a Conference
gold bands on the timeline = statements, start to end. Hover to read, click to jump. CC turns on captions
In this episode of The Top, host Nathan Latka interviews serial entrepreneur Steve Olsher to analyze the monetization metrics of Liquor.com and dissect the financial blueprint behind launching profitable live business conferences.
How this conversation actually went
Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. Nathan holds 39.7% of the talking time here. How this is scored →
speaking balance: gold is Nathan, purple is the guest (3 minute bins)
Olsher directly counters Latka's theatrical description of stage selling, calling it out as overly aggressive and inaccurate regarding his own method.
Hardest push from Nathan ▶ 15:50 Latka challenges backend selling tacticsLatka dramatizes the artificial urgency and back-of-the-room rush tactics often used by platform speakers to test Olsher's actual sales model.
Biggest teaching moment ▶ 12:43 Olsher explains stage time buying economicsOlsher lays out the exact pricing and ROI formula for buying speaking slots at $100 per attendee head to monetize products on the backend.
Nathan holds their own ▶ 11:43 Latka deconstructs event pricing strategyLatka demonstrates his deep knowledge of conference mechanics by accurately breaking down how dual pricing and internal customer upselling prevent half-empty rooms.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
| Chapter | Topic | Nathan as informed peer | Guest teaching | Guest disagreement | Nathan pushing back | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liquor.com Metrics, Monetization, and M&A Strategy | 6 | 4 | 3 | 5 | Latka drills Olsher on Liquor.com's financials, questioning the relationship between monthly impressions, gross ad revenue, and net profit. Olsher clarifies the distinction between top-line revenue and bottom-line profit reinvested into the business. | |
| Origins in Live Events and a Personal Meeting Story | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | Latka challenges Olsher on why he would take on the financial risk of live events before diving into ticket sale counts. Olsher shares his event history and explains how speakers are brought on without speaker fees. | |
| Stage Economics, Paid Speaking, and Platform Selling | 6 | 4 | 4 | 6 | Latka breaks down stage-selling economics and acts out a stereotypical high-pressure pitch from the stage. Olsher pushes back on the characterization, clarifying that his approach is value-driven rather than 'snake oil salesy.' | |
| Conference P&L, Venue Overheads, and Backend Monetization | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | Latka digs into the hard costs of the venue ($100k-$150k) and calls out entrepreneurs who claim not to care about profit. Olsher agrees and lays out his backend monetization model to ensure profitability before doors open. | |
| The Famous Five Rapid-Fire Questions | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | Latka runs through the standard rapid-fire questions, pausing briefly to ask about Olsher's sleep habits and cannabis use before stage appearances. | |
| Episode Summary and Next Episode Preview | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | A host monologue summarizing the episode highlights and previewing the next scheduled interview. |