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More from @gregisenberg

GREG ISENBERG

@gregisenberg

Nov 26, 2024

$375k/mo business idea for you

software that helps mexican/canadian manufacturers avoid tariffs legally. how product can work:

1. optimize shipping routes
2. automate customs
3. ensure compliance
4. find friendly paths

not a logistics entrepreneur but hear me out might be something here

19k manufacturers export $875B to US but focus on top 500 ($10M+ exports)

simple pricing: $5k/mo + 0.1% of tariff saved avg

customer saves $2.5M/yr = $7.5k/mo revenue per client

math for year 1: 50 customers x $7.5k = $375k MRR

market is massive:

2023 numbers:

7,000+ canadian manufacturers export to US ($400B) 12,000+ mexican manufacturers export to US ($475B) 19,000 potential customers

go build this tomorrow

how to build this $375k MRR business:

month 1-2:

- partner with 2-3 customs brokers (they have relationships)
- build basic route optimization engine
- create compliance doc automation
- launch simple dashboard MVP

month 3-4:

- target top 100 mexican manufacturers
- cold email CEOs + ops leaders
- focus message: "save $2.5M/year on tariffs"
- host webinar with customs broker
- aim for 5 pilot customers at 50% discount

month 5-6:

- use pilot testimonials
- speak at 2-3 manufacturing events
- run linkedin ads to ops leaders
- build case studies
- aim for 15 customers

month 7-12:

- hire 2 sales reps ($150k OTE)
- expand to canada
- add shipping integrations
- automate more compliance
- target: 50 customers

key start super manual
prove value
then automate
sell on fear + savings

here's my framework for finding business opportunities from the news

1. spot regulatory changes/policy threats

- immediate pain point created
- companies forced to adapt
- willing to pay anything
- clear deadline

2. ask these questions:

- who's panicking right now
- what do they desperately need
- how much would they pay
- can you build it fast

3. check if it fits:

- clear customer (mexican manufacturers)
- clear pain (25% tariff = bankruptcy)
- clear solution (routing software)
- clear pricing ($7.5k/mo)
- clear urgency (jan 1 deadline)

4. validate quick:

- call 5 potential customers
- partner with industry players
- paid ads to get sense of CAC and get feedback
- confirm pricing makes sense
- ensure technical feasibility
- create content/audience/community

5. bonus points if:

- regulatory/compliance need
- affects big money companies
- simple to build MVP
- customers desperate

real examples:

- GDPR tools ($1B+ market)
- PPP loan software (massive)
- now: tariff tools

perfect founder opportunities have:
urgency + regulation + desperate customers

Read 4 tweets

GREG ISENBERG

@gregisenberg

Oct 29, 2024

yesterday, i stumbled onto the most underrated market research tool.

tiktok creator insights.

it's a goldmine of consumer behavior data, hiding in plain sight. and it's free to use.

here's why it's powerful:

1. shows you what people are desperately searching for
2. highlights topics with high demand but low supply
3. reveals trending questions in every industry
4. tracks search growth over 14-day periods

the "content gap" tab shows you problems people are actively trying to solve, but can't find good solutions for.

so that's cool for a couple reasons

1. help you create content that has low supply/high demand (better chances of going viral)
2. you can build startups to some of these trends

Example:

i searched "email management" and found:

• "how to clear 10k emails"
• "best way to organize work inbox"
• "email templates for busy people"

thousands searching.
hardly any solutions.

the beauty of this

• it's real-time market research
• it's actual user intent
• it's completely free
• and most founders aren't using it

a bunch of smart founders are mining tiktok insights right now

it isn't perfect, but you never know what you might find

your next startup idea might be hiding in those search trends.

So, ill share how to access it because it’s kinda hidden:

1. Go to TT search
2.Type in “creator search insight”
3. Tap view

im one of those people that think using data like this is your unfair advantage.

if tiktok is the new search engine, then tiktok creator insights is the new google trends.

might as well use it.

this is how i use it

i scroll through suggested/trending tap

i see if anything catches my eye

i look to see search data

sometimes ill look for demographic data

i write notes on what i learn

and i see what are related videos

that sparks ideas for me

free ideas galore.

why do i share this stuff even when i probably shouldn't

because i want you to win

i want you to come up with an ad idea that gets you a 5x roas

i want you to turn those shower thoughts into revenue streams

makes me happy

Read 9 tweets

GREG ISENBERG

@gregisenberg

Oct 16, 2024

Startup ideas thread:

#1 AI-driven email signature A/B tester

1. Create plugin for Gmail, Outlook
2. Use GPT to generate variant signatures, track performance
3. Charge $29/month for "Signature Optimizer Pro"
4. Scale to full email copywriting assistant

#2 Micro-SaaS for Airbnb hosts

1. Create AI tool to optimize listing titles and descriptions
2. Add feature to auto-respond to common guest inquiries
3. Charge $99/month for "SuperHost Autopilot"
4. Expand to pricing optimization, review management

#3 Micro-influencer content arbitrage

1. Build tool to identify trending TikToks in foreign languages
2. Use AI to translate and localize for English-speaking market
3. Charge creators $199/month for "Global Trend Surfing"
4. Expand to cross-platform content arbitrage

Read 14 tweets

GREG ISENBERG

@gregisenberg

Sep 15, 2024

my notes on mr beast's LEAKED 36 page leaked "how to succeed in mr. beast production" document

unfiltered analysis/reactions/full document below:

page 2

i find it fascinating that this "rulebook" for a billion dollar empire is written so casually.

he even calls out there will be grammar issues.

you feel like he is writing to you. Pretty powerful way to begin.

more companies should do this. founder mode?

here we go.

3

one book for everyone is brilliant. But Id love to see what his book for creatives, production, editing etc is

insanely clear goal for everyone. "Make the best videos possible". All companies need this.

he makes a document so simple a child could read it.

Read 38 tweets

GREG ISENBERG

@gregisenberg

Sep 2, 2024

business school should be a year of v0, cursor, replit, claude prompting, design 101, finance 101, how to find startup ideas and 3 years of how to hack distribution.

you can't graduate unless one of your products gets 100 customers and you go viral.

i'm sorry.

pretty crazy to think that business grads come into this world not knowing how to ship something and get it seen by millions

thats business 101 in 2024.

what have you been learning and getting into debt for?

i dropped out of university in 2009.

economy crashed. figured why not. wasn't learning anything in computer science school.

today, things are way different.

i'd drop out

1. play with no-code/ai tools
2. create as many meme pages as possible
3. be a funnel master
4. learn biz

Read 5 tweets

GREG ISENBERG

@gregisenberg

Sep 1, 2024

How to build a startup with v0, cursor, claude and replit in 67 minutes (beginner's guide)

I asked @rileybrown_ai if he could build an app in under 2 hours and he did it.

He has zero engineering background. Blew my mind.

You'll witness:

1. Complex app architecture materializing out of thin air
2. AI turning "make it pretty" into pixel-perfect UI
3. Real-time problem-solving that would make MacGyver jealous

By the end, you'll be ready to:

1. Sweet-talk AI into building your dream app
2. Decipher error messages like a seasoned Stack Overflow pro
3. Stitch together AI features faster than you can say "labor day"

We're living in an era where "I'm not technical" is no longer an excuse. Speak english and you're an engineer.

You can build a startup in 67 minutes now.

The future of startups is here (see next tweet):

*reply if you want to see more live cookies sessions and what you want to see next*