180: Founder Mode, Seasonal Businesses, Spirit Halloween’s $650m+ Biz and X vs. Brazil

The NIA boys discuss Founder Mode, Seasonal Businesses, Spirit Halloween’s $650m+ Biz and X vs. BrazilTimestamps:(00:00:00) - Intro(00:03:04) - Founder Mode(00:20:13) - Meme of the Week(00:22:44) - Seasonal Businesses(00:35:28) - Spirit Halloween’s $650m+ Biz(00:53:29) - X vs. Brazil1) Paul Graham's "Founder Mode" essay sparks debate • Contrasts with "Manager Mode" in large companies• Emphasizes hands-on approach vs. delegating• Airbnb's Brian Chesky cited as success story• Key question: Is it just rebranded micromanagement?• "It's really about good people versus bad people." - Bilal2) Seasonal businesses can be WILDLY profitable Hall of Fame examples:• Mariah Carey's Christmas royalties ($2-3M/month)• KFC/Domino's on Super Bowl Sunday• Fireworks sellers (2 months/year)• Wedding industry: 60-80% of engagements happen Q4 to Valentine's Day• Crayola: 50% of their annual $600M revenue happen between July 4 and Labor Day3) Spirit Halloween: The ultimate seasonal business• 1,450 locations (as big as Target)• $600-700M revenue in 2 months• Uses bankrupt retail spaces4) Brazil vs. X: The latest in global tech regulation • Brazilian government blocks X (Twitter)• $9,000 fine for VPN users (median salary: $8,000)• Raises questions about free speech and government controlWhat Is Not Investment Advice?Every week, Jack Butcher, Bilal Zaidi & Trung Phan discuss what they're finding on the edges of the internet + the latest in business, technology and memes.Watch + Subscribe on Youtube:https://youtu.be/rQQIyawql4sListen into our group chat on Telegram:https://t.me/notinvestmentadviceLet us know what you think on Twitter:@bzaidi@trungtphan@jackbutcher@niapodcastFollow NIA on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notadvicepod/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089813414522TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@niapodcast Links Mentioned: Founder Mode: https://paulgraham.com/foundermode.html Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.