Business Brainstorm: SAT Prep Cartoons, The Onion For Millennial Moms & More

Shaan's no phone weekend (0s)

• Shaan describes his recent "no phone weekend" experience, where he refrained from using his phone from Friday to Sunday morning. He found it challenging at first, experiencing withdrawal symptoms and instinctively reaching for his phone in habitual moments.
• Despite the initial discomfort, Shaan found the experience beneficial, allowing him to slow down, engage in activities like reading and humming, and experience a more peaceful atmosphere. He also found that being physically distanced from his phone made him more mindful of his internet usage.
• Shaan acknowledges his phone addiction and plans to implement "no phone weekends" more frequently. He also discusses the "no fap November" movement and suggests creating a catchy brand for a "no phone weekend" concept, drawing inspiration from the Jewish tradition of disconnecting from technology on the Sabbath.
• Shaan concludes by discussing the humorous trend of "raw dogging flights," where individuals stare out the airplane window for the entire flight without any distractions. He finds this trend amusing and believes it highlights the absurdity of our constant need for stimulation.

Control your inputs (5m17s)

• Control your inputs: The speaker emphasizes the importance of controlling what you consume, both physically and mentally. This includes being mindful of the food you eat, the information you take in, the people you surround yourself with, and the problems you choose to engage with.
• Limit news consumption: The speaker shares their personal experience of limiting news consumption, particularly social media and traditional news outlets. They believe that excessive news consumption can be mentally draining and often focuses on negativity. They advocate for focusing on self-improvement and positive influences instead.
• Prioritize self-governance: The speaker shares a perspective from their trainer who believes that focusing on self-governance is more important than worrying about external events. They suggest that being a good member of society can be achieved through positive actions in everyday life, rather than solely through political engagement.

Life hack: Play with your kid (10m20s)

• The speaker believes that having children is a wonderful experience and that it fills a void in life. He compares it to the feeling of being "lost" and needing to find meaning, which some people try to achieve through psychedelics.
• He shares a "life hack" for parents: simply play with your kids. He argues that this is the best way to be a parent and that it makes both the parent and the child happier. He encourages parents to embrace their inner child and engage in activities like playing tag, going to the splash pad, and even doing gymnastics with their kids.
• The speaker emphasizes that playing with his kids has made him a more patient and happier person. He believes that this approach to parenting is contagious and that it creates a positive feedback loop where everyone involved has a better time.

Business Idea: Sketchy (15m38s)

• Sketchy is a successful business that provides visual learning materials for medical students preparing for the MCATs and board exams. The company uses cartoons and drawings to make learning more engaging and memorable, catering to a specific niche and offering a unique learning experience.
• The speaker believes that Sketchy's business model is highly effective and scalable. They highlight the company's impressive revenue and funding, as well as the large number of students who have used their platform. The speaker also emphasizes the proven success of the test prep market and the potential for Sketchy to dominate its niche.
• The speaker proposes a similar business idea, but focused on the SATs, APs, or IB exams. They believe that the creators of Clipped, a successful video editing agency with a strong presence on YouTube, would be ideal for this venture due to their expertise in storytelling and animation. The speaker envisions a business that leverages their skills to create engaging and effective learning materials for students preparing for standardized tests.

Business Idea: Niche Fake News You Can Trust (25m15s)

• The Babylon B is a successful example of a niche fake news site that leverages satire and humor to gain a large audience. The speaker highlights the tension between trust and virality in media companies, and how the Babylon B successfully navigates this by focusing on sharability through humor.
• The speaker identifies a potential business opportunity in creating similar niche fake news sites targeting specific demographics. He suggests a far-right version of the Babylon B, capitalizing on the existing market for extreme right-wing content. He also proposes a "Millennial Mom" version of the Onion, focusing on topics and memes relevant to that demographic.
• The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding and targeting specific audience segments. He uses the example of the "Joe Rogan bro" demographic to illustrate how shared interests and tastes can be leveraged to create successful media content. He suggests starting with an Instagram account to test the concept and build an audience before launching a full website.

Business Idea: Tampons that won't kill you (34m41s)

• The speaker discusses a viral TikTok video that highlighted a study revealing the presence of toxic metals, arsenic, and other contaminants in popular tampon brands. This sparked a conversation about the potential for a new, clean tampon brand that prioritizes health and safety.
• The speaker believes this is a viable business opportunity, drawing parallels to the success of brands like Native Deodorant, which capitalized on consumer concerns about natural and healthy alternatives. They argue that the market for tampons is ripe for disruption, as consumers are increasingly aware of the potential health risks associated with conventional products.
• The speaker emphasizes the high-margin, repeat-purchase nature of the tampon market, making it an attractive business venture. They also point out that the women's product market is often underserved, offering a less saturated field for entrepreneurs compared to other popular business ideas.

An unqualified brief history of presidential assassinations (40m28s)

• The speaker, Sean, is discussing presidential assassinations and how many presidents have been shot at. He notes that while most people know about Lincoln and Kennedy, fewer people know about McKinley and Garfield, who were also assassinated. He explains that many of these assassinations were due to infections caused by dirty surgical practices in the late 19th century.
• Sean then reveals that there have been 13 attempts on presidents' lives, which is a significant number considering there have only been 46 presidents. He highlights the story of Andrew Jackson, who was shot at twice with both pistols misfiring. The odds of this happening were estimated to be one in 150,000.
• Sean concludes by discussing the lack of security for presidents in the 19th century and early 20th century. He notes that the Secret Service was not a significant force until after JFK's assassination and that presidents were much more accessible to the public in the past. He finds it shocking how easily people could approach presidents and even shoot them.

The ceaseless action of Teddy Roosevelt (46m9s)

• The story of Teddy Roosevelt being shot while giving a speech is recounted. He was hit in the chest but survived due to a rolled-up speech and his glasses case, both of which absorbed some of the bullet's force. Despite being injured, Roosevelt still delivered a 50-90 minute speech, famously saying, "It takes more than that to kill a bull moose."
• Roosevelt was partially blind in one eye due to a boxing injury sustained while sparring with a professional boxer in the White House. He later switched to Judo and Jiu-Jitsu.
• Roosevelt was born with health issues and was expected to die young. This led him to live a very active life, believing that "ceaseless action outruns depression."
• Roosevelt was a prolific writer, authoring numerous books, including one on zoology. He was also a passionate explorer, leading an expedition down the River of Doubt in Brazil.
• Roosevelt was a terrible businessman, losing money on investments in horses and ranches.
• While Roosevelt is considered a legendary figure, he was not always a present father. After his wife died, he left his newborn daughter for a year and a half to go to North Dakota.
• Despite this, Roosevelt is generally considered a man of high character.

MFM Required Readling List (55m10s)

• The speaker expresses his fascination with history and how he enjoys reading about historical events and figures. He prefers to focus on the philosophies and actions of individuals rather than their personal lives.
• He recommends two books: "Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer" and "Hellbound." The first book details the escape of John Wilkes Booth after assassinating Abraham Lincoln, highlighting Booth's charisma and the conspiracy surrounding the assassination. The second book focuses on the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and the escape of James Earl Ray, who shot King. Both books are described as page-turners with compelling narratives.
• The speaker explains his preference for books about specific events rather than biographies, as events typically have a clear beginning, middle, and end, making them more engaging and concise. He also prefers books about events in America, as he can relate to them more easily.
• The speaker suggests creating a separate YouTube channel dedicated to book reviews and recommendations, where they could share their favorite books and provide commentary on them.