He Sold His Company For $15M, Then Got A Job At McDonald’s

Millionaire working at McDonalds rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">(00:00:00)

• The text discusses the story of Scott, a successful entrepreneur who sold his first company for $15 million and then took a job at McDonald's.
• Scott explained his decision to work at McDonald's in a blog post, stating that he wanted to reconnect with the "real world" and experience a "profitable, well-oiled multi-billion dollar machine."
• After his stint at McDonald's, Scott went on to sell his second company, Meetup.com, for an estimated $200 million.
• Scott recently took a job at an Amazon fulfillment center, again citing a desire to connect with "average people."
• Scott's decision to take blue-collar jobs after achieving significant financial success has inspired others to consider similar experiences, prompting discussions about the importance of stepping outside of one's comfort zone and gaining new perspectives.

Scott Heiferman’s path to $15M rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">(00:11:40)

• Scott Heiferman was born into a large family and was the youngest by 15-20 years. He started his first business at age nine, called "Scott Slave Service," which involved doing tasks for his older siblings.
• Heiferman developed an interest in coding and got his first job out of college at Sony. He convinced Sony to create a website, which he built, but quickly realized it wasn't the right fit for him.
• Heiferman started one of the first internet shows in 1993 called "Advertorial Infotainment," which questioned consumer culture. He also founded a media buying agency called "Traffic" which he sold for $15 million.
• Heiferman's success stemmed from his early interest in computers and the internet, which he pursued in his free time as a teenager.
• After selling his company, Heiferman took a job at McDonald's, where he experienced firsthand the importance of employee appreciation. He wrote a blog post about his experience, which included a photo of his burn from the fry machine.
• Heiferman then had 30 business ideas but narrowed them down to two after the September 11th attacks. He realized he wanted to create a platform for people to connect and build relationships.
• Heiferman was also influenced by the book "Bowling Alone," which discussed the decline of social interaction and its impact on trust.
• Heiferman's experience attending concerts for the band A Luna further solidified his desire to create a platform for people to connect with shared interests.

Building Meetup.com to $156M exit rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">(00:17:32)

• The speaker discusses the story of Scott, the founder of Meetup.com, who sold his company for $156 million.
• Scott initially had two ideas: Meetup.com, a platform to connect people in real life, and Photolog, a photo-sharing service similar to Flickr.
• Scott chose to focus on Meetup.com and made the controversial decision to charge users for the service instead of relying on advertising.
• This decision initially led to a 95% drop in usage, but Scott persevered and Meetup.com became a profitable and sustainable business.
• Meetup.com was eventually acquired by WeWork for an estimated $150-$200 million.
• After WeWork's decline, Meetup.com was carved out and acquired by Kevin Ryan for a significantly lower price.
• Ryan invested in Meetup.com, appointed a new CEO, and turned the company around, making it profitable again.
• The speaker describes Meetup.com as a steady and profitable business, but not a "rocket ship" type of company.
• The speaker expresses admiration for Scott's entrepreneurial journey and his commitment to building a business that benefits humanity.

Rosie the Riveter 3.0 rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">(00:24:20)

• The text discusses the historical campaign "Rosie the Riveter" which was used to encourage women to join the workforce during World War II. The campaign was successful in increasing the number of women working in factories from 2 million to 20 million.
• The text contrasts the "Rosie the Riveter" campaign with the "Back to Normaly" campaign which was used to encourage women to return to traditional domestic roles after the war.
• The text then discusses the current state of manufacturing in America and the decline of the "Rust Belt" which was once a hub for manufacturing.
• The text highlights a new ad campaign by a company called Blue Forge which aims to make manufacturing jobs more appealing to young Americans. The ad campaign uses the "Rosie the Riveter" theme to contrast the satisfaction of working in a factory with the dissatisfaction of working in the gig economy.
• The text mentions that Blue Forge is working with the Navy to recruit workers for submarine construction and that there is a growing movement to revitalize manufacturing in America.
• The text concludes by discussing Elon Musk's five-step problem-solving method and how it relates to the importance of manufacturing and innovation.

Elon's Problem Solving Method rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">(00:34:32)

• Question the Requirements: Before creating a solution, thoroughly examine the requirements. Determine if the task is truly necessary and if so, what the most essential aspects are. This involves understanding the purpose and necessity of each requirement.
• Delete and Simplify: The biggest mistake smart people make is optimizing something that shouldn't exist in the first place. Instead of trying to improve or reduce the cost of a component, process, or role, consider eliminating it entirely. This approach encourages a culture of removing unnecessary elements, similar to how companies often add but rarely remove processes and roles.
• Automate Last: Automation should be the final step in the process, not the first. Attempting to automate too early can lead to inefficiencies and even jeopardize the project. The ideal approach is to first question the requirements, then delete and simplify, and finally automate.
• Benchmark for Removal: A company should aim to remove elements (processes, roles, features) in a way that requires re-adding them at least 10% of the time. This indicates that the removal process is effective and not overly aggressive.
• Embrace Missing Goals: Setting goals that are too easy or too difficult can be detrimental. A company should strive to hit around 70% of its goals, demonstrating a balance between ambition and realism. This fosters a culture of pushing boundaries while acknowledging limitations.