Jesse Pujji on Bootstrapping a +$1B Business + Selling To The Ultra Rich

Unique insight + unfair advantage (0s)

• A business idea was developed after repeated requests for help with marketing analysis from private equity friends. (1m44s)
• The business, Ox Insights, consults for private equity firms, specializing in marketing due diligence and value creation. (2m33s)
• Ox Insights mirrors the business model of Accordian, a successful company that provides financial consulting services to private equity firms. (2m50s)

How Jesse bootstrapped Ampush using GLG (3m5s)

• By using GLG, a network of experts, valuable market research was conducted by connecting with digital ad experts and lead generation specialists. (9m31s)
• Through GLG, a $5,000 research report was sold multiple times, generating $150,000 in funding, which was essentially seed funding for their business. (11m6s)
• Ox, a consulting firm, positions itself as a more affordable alternative to traditional firms like McKinsey, charging $50,000 per week for a team compared to $200,000, while emphasizing their expertise in online marketing. (12m41s)

Digital marketing in masterclass in 3 minutes (14m0s)

• Businesses can be evaluated for acquisition by analyzing their digital marketing performance, particularly in areas like Facebook and Google Ads. (14m23s)
• This evaluation involves a two-pronged approach: a top-down analysis using benchmarks and data sources to determine expected metrics like click-through rates and conversion rates, and a bottom-up analysis examining the account structure, event match quality, and creative testing frequency to identify areas for improvement. (14m34s)
• A significant opportunity exists when a business exhibits success despite having subpar digital marketing practices, as optimizing these practices can lead to substantial growth. (15m40s)

How to sell to the ultra rich (20m30s)

• Individuals with significant wealth are often willing to pay high prices for information that can provide them with a competitive advantage in their investments. (22m58s)
• One strategy for identifying the needs of affluent individuals is to build relationships with them through shared interests or areas of expertise. (26m33s)
• When selling to a wealthy clientele, focusing on a niche market and limiting the availability of products or services can increase their perceived value and drive up prices. (25m30s)

Red Ventures' Playbook (27m38s)

• Red Ventures started in 2000 as a direct marketing company, primarily focusing on selling subscriptions for companies like DirectTV. (28m27s)
• Around 2005, Red Ventures capitalized on the rise of Google AdWords and SEO, becoming a leader in online marketing and lead generation. (29m11s)
• By 2015, Red Ventures shifted its focus to acquiring SEO content businesses, such as Reviews.com and Bankrate, using their expertise to significantly increase profitability. (31m46s)

The Four Big Levers (32m40s)

• There are four main levers used to improve businesses: traffic acquisition, on-site optimization, pricing, and lean staffing. (34m47s)
• Traffic acquisition involves improving both paid and organic traffic to increase the number of visitors to a website. (34m47s)
• On-site optimization focuses on making the website appealing and easy to navigate to encourage visitors to click on advertisements and make purchases. (35m24s)

Calling Zuck's cell (41m0s)

• A suggestion is made that instead of pursuing venture capital, individuals should consider acquiring and scaling businesses within their respective industries, potentially leveraging AI for process optimization. (41m0s)
• In 2005, an opportunity to purchase the domain name "hsfacebook.com" for $20,000 was declined. (42m38s)
• During a phone call, Mark Zuckerberg outlined Facebook's strategy, which included expanding from high schools to workplaces and other demographics. (43m54s)

Noah Kagan's $100M mistake at facebook (46m30s)

• Noah Kagan, an early employee at Facebook, was fired three months before his stock options would have vested. (47m8s)
• Had Kagan remained at Facebook for three more months, his stock options would be worth an estimated $100 million today. (47m19s)
• Kagan was fired for publicly discussing unreleased Facebook products while intoxicated at a party. (47m21s)

What's the thing you can't not do? (58m45s)

• A coach suggested an exercise of identifying the one thing you can't not do, which involves writing down a few sentences and revisiting them weekly to see if they resonate with personal growth. (58m59s)
• The speaker realized that their passion lies in helping others reach their full potential and achieve greater levels of success. (59m24s)
• Shifting the focus from business metrics to the growth and development of individuals brings more creativity, happiness, and flow to the speaker's work. (1h0m24s)

Nelly performs at Jesse's birthday party (1h1m0s)

• Nelly, originally from St. Louis, was a prominent rapper during the speaker's high school and college years. (1h1m46s)
• The speaker was able to have Nelly perform at his 40th birthday party after assisting Nelly's team with two e-commerce businesses. (1h3m46s)
• To accommodate Nelly's schedule, the speaker spent $60,000 to fly Nelly round trip on a private G4 plane from Napa to St. Louis, and then from St. Louis to Las Vegas. (1h5m30s)