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there's a ton of opportunity right now and um some of the biggest opportunities are are in the kind of the most boring spaces

💨 tl;dr

2024 was a transformative year for Greg, marked by personal milestones like having a baby and professional growth through a podcast rebrand. He saw a 38% net worth increase from a liquidity event, focused on reducing distractions, and emphasized the importance of tech investments and personal branding. His diverse portfolio and successful AI-driven marketing strategies contributed to significant audience engagement and business scaling.

💡 Key Ideas

• 2024 was a year of personal and professional growth for Greg, highlighted by having a baby and rebranding his podcast.
• He achieved a significant financial milestone due to a liquidity event from an investment, with a 38% increase in net worth.
• Greg emphasizes the importance of focus, using 'do not disturb' mode and pen and paper to reduce distractions.
• Investing in technology and building a strong personal brand are key strategies for business growth and profitability.
• Growth metrics include a rise in podcast downloads and newsletter subscribers, showcasing effective audience engagement.
• His investment portfolio is diverse, with a focus on stable companies and the belief in the potential of cloud technology.
• Boring Marketing and Boring Ads are scaling successfully, leveraging AI-driven strategies for revenue growth.
• Plans to simplify operations, incubate new products using AI, and partner with entrepreneurs to enhance business value.
• Productivity improvements involve optimizing tools and making strategic decisions based on personal excitement and integrity assessments.
• Opportunities in podcasting and community engagement are abundant, with plans to share more startup insights and growth tactics.

🎓 Lessons Learnt

• Value Consistency in Fitness: Regular weightlifting can enhance both mental clarity and physical growth; a personal trainer helps maintain this commitment.

• Focus on Value in Content Creation: Providing actionable ideas in your content fosters engagement and builds a strong community.

• Prioritize Important Work: Avoid distractions from quick messages to focus on tasks that drive better outcomes.

• Optimize Sleep for Performance: Good sleep is essential for productivity and overall well-being.

• Niche Down in Business: Specializing in a specific area can lead to better opportunities and efficiencies.

• Invest in SEO for Longevity: A strong SEO strategy can yield long-term benefits and visibility.

• Leverage AI in Marketing: AI tools can significantly enhance marketing effectiveness and revenue scaling.

• Simplify Your Business Structure: Streamlining initiatives can improve efficiency and reduce management burdens.

• Engagement is Key: Actively appreciating audience interaction can enhance content creation and foster community.

• Experiment and Iterate: Continuously testing ideas and adapting based on feedback leads to successful ventures.

🌚 Conclusion

Key takeaways include the importance of consistency in fitness, prioritizing valuable content, optimizing sleep, and leveraging AI for marketing. Simplifying business structures and actively engaging with the audience are crucial for success. Experimentation and niche specialization can lead to better opportunities and growth.

In-Depth

All Key Ideas

Greg's Reflections on 2024

• Greg reflects on his big wins and losses in 2024, including personal and professional growth.
• He shares the significant life event of having a baby, which has changed his perspective on life.
• He discusses the positive impact of consistently working out and gaining muscle weight on his mental clarity.
• Greg mentions the successful growth of his podcast, which he rebranded and focused on providing valuable content for listeners.
• He reveals that he achieved a significant financial net worth milestone, attributed to a liquidity event from a company he invested in.
• Greg acknowledges feelings of not working on the most important tasks throughout the year.

Insights from Greg

• Greg discusses getting easily distracted by messages and emails, leading to lost focus and time.
• He emphasizes spending more time in 'do not disturb' mode and using pen and paper for better focus.
• He mentions a private membership called Startup Empire for aspiring entrepreneurs seeking support and resources.
• Greg reflects on putting too much trust in teammates without adequate checks and balances, leading to costly mistakes.
• He notes that 2024 was less profitable than 2023, citing reinvestment in technology as a reason but acknowledges the need for improved profitability.

Business Insights

• Sleep optimization is important for daily performance, and he’s still working on improving it.
• He feels he could be building businesses faster despite having advantages.
• Investing in technology and building software around businesses is a key growth strategy.
• The primary focus should be on finding long-term business partners.
• His personal brand significantly boosts sales and revenue, potentially by millions.
• Growing on social media is challenging but easier now for smaller accounts due to platform changes.
• Creating valuable content and engaging with the community is essential for growth, rather than using tactics like astroturfing.
• Building media around businesses is having the biggest impact on his business success.
• He emphasizes that a 40-hour work week can still be highly productive.
• There’s a misconception in his industry that GPT rappers aren’t real businesses.

Growth Metrics and Strategies

• Sitting at 146,000 subscribers shows insane growth trajectory; importance of knowing your audience.
• Focusing on titles and thumbnails significantly impacts growth; reaching out to experts for guidance is beneficial.
• Grew from 361,000 to 420,000 followers on X, with a focus on impactful tweets; business niche is effective on X.
• LinkedIn growth from 82,000 to 149,000 followers achieved with minimal effort by cross-posting X tweets.
• Podcast downloads increased from 360,000 to 575,000; still working on improving audio content and reviews.
• Newsletter growth from 72,000 to 120,000 subscribers; implemented a successful content flywheel strategy.

Investment Insights and Portfolio Overview

• The newsletter exceeds 200,000 subscribers, which is considered conservative and totally possible.
• Greg invested in boringmarketing.com, a business focused on SEO using technology and AI to help outrank competition.
• His net worth has increased by 38% year-over-year, marking his biggest year ever.
• The breakdown of his net worth is 75% in stocks, 16% in private equity, 7% in real estate, and 2% in crypto.
• He holds 10% of his net worth in Berkshire Hathaway for its stability amidst high-risk tech investments.
• His portfolio includes significant investments in the S&P 500 index (SPY), Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and cloud computing ETF (WCLD).
• He believes cloud companies are well-positioned to become AI companies, which validated his investment thesis in WCLD.
• He trimmed some of his Google holdings due to concerns over their search dominance but still sees potential in Google Cloud.
• He invested in Bill Ackman's fund (Ping Square) as a bet on his investment strategy, likening him to a mini Warren Buffett.
• He predicts a potential comeback for small-cap stocks, as reflected in his 5% investment in the Russell 2000 (IWM).

Investment and Business Strategies

• operates similar to Berkshire and constellation software; they own vertical SAS businesses with a significant performance increase over 20 years.
• Mark Leonard, founder of Constellation, is likened to a Canadian Rick Rubin and is recognized for his capital management.
• portfolio includes 3% cash, 8% fixed income, 2% in crypto (mostly Bitcoin), and private equity in funds and real estate.
• rebalancing portfolio every few months; sold Bitcoin at high prices, maintaining a disciplined investment approach.
• Lay Checkout Agency (LCA) had a successful year, focusing on designing AI products for major brands like Shopify and Nike.
• specialized in community-based products and AI interfaces, establishing strong niches in 2024.
• plans to partner with big AI companies, trading cash and equity for services, to build a portfolio of fast-growing businesses.
• rebranded Lay Checkout Agency to LCA, though uncertain if it was a good decision.

Boring Company Updates

• Greg is unsure if the rebranding to 'LCA' was necessary, as people still refer to them as 'late checkout.'
• Boring Marketing has scaled to millions in revenue, leveraging AI-assisted SEO and more agents.
• In 2025, they plan to unbundle products, allowing users to implement tools independently.
• Boring Ads is performing exceptionally well, using AI for creative ad strategies, and may surpass Boring Marketing.
• They have a strong word-of-mouth presence, leading to numerous booked meetings.
• Boring Marketing and Boring Ads are now under a new holding company called Boring Holdings.
• 'You Probably Need a Robot' newsletter was shut down and integrated into an existing business called Startup Empire, which offers resources for entrepreneurs.

Business Strategies and Innovations

• The integration of the 'you probably need a robot' email into the startup Empire community to simplify operations and provide more value to members.
• The design subscription service, design scientist.com, generated around 1.3 million in revenue but is being evolved into something new.
• Analyzing whether to stay in a business model based on scalability and personal interest in managing clients.
• The focus on optimizing and scaling businesses to increase Enterprise Value while reducing service-driven operations.
• Plans to partner with and acquire interesting entrepreneurs to build new businesses in the future.
• Incubating new products using AI and agents, experimenting to find successful concepts.

Productivity and Business Insights

• Focus on building a few high-value companies instead of many small ones, emphasizing simplification and excitement in business ventures.
• Introduction of yerba mate as a more sustainable source of energy compared to coffee, improving sleep and productivity.
• Transition from Notion to Apple Notes for increased productivity through simplification of tools.
• Use of a to-do list app called Things for better organization and productivity.
• The 'Friday afternoon test' suggests making big decisions when feeling tired and ready for the weekend to assess true excitement about them.
• The 'day Zero Integrity test' reveals a person's future behavior based on how they handle small tasks with unclear instructions.

Opportunities and Growth in Podcasting

• There's a ton of opportunity right now, especially in boring spaces.
• It's an exciting time to be building, with potential lasting until at least 2025 or 2026.
• This year has been the most fun in Greg's career, engaging with listeners and growing the podcast.
• He plans to provide more startup ideas and growth tactics without gatekeeping.
• He expresses gratitude for audience support and feedback throughout the year.

All Lessons Learnt

Key Insights on Personal Development

• Value of Consistency in Fitness: Starting to lift weights consistently has led to amazing mental clarity and physical growth. Getting a personal trainer helped maintain commitment.
• Importance of Focusing on Value in Content Creation: Shifting the podcast's focus to provide actionable ideas resulted in increased engagement and success. Sharing valuable insights can create a strong community.
• Awareness of Prioritizing Important Work: Recognizing that quick responses to messages may distract from working on more important tasks. It's crucial to prioritize effectively to achieve better outcomes.

Focus and Productivity Tips

• Do not disturb mode is essential for focus
• Use simple tools for better focus
• Implement checks and balances in remote teams
• It's okay to have less profitability

Business Improvement Strategies

• Optimize Sleep
• Go Harder in Business
• Invest in Technology
• Focus on Long-term Partnerships
• Create Great Content
• Media is Impactful
• Stay Focused
• 40 Hour Work Week Can Be Effective
• Don't Underestimate Idea Theft

Content Strategy Tips

• Know Your Audience: Understanding who your audience is and catering content to them can lead to significant growth.
• Focus on Titles and Thumbnails: Investing time in creating effective titles and thumbnails can greatly enhance content visibility and engagement.
• Leverage Expertise: Reaching out to experts for guidance on content strategy can provide valuable insights and improve your approach.
• Utilize Social Media Effectively: Cross-posting content on different platforms, like copying Twitter posts to LinkedIn, can help gain followers without much effort.
• Create a Content Flywheel: Building a system where content on one platform promotes another (like using X to drive traffic to the podcast or newsletter) can lead to exponential growth.
• Experiment with Lead Magnets: Offering downloadable guides or freebies can attract more subscribers and enhance engagement with your audience.

Investment Strategies

• Invest in SEO for long-term success
• Diversify your investments
• Consider boring investments for stability
• Cloud companies are well-positioned for AI growth
• Monitor market trends and adjust holdings accordingly
• Small-cap stocks may rebound

Business Lessons

• Niche down in business.
• Stay disciplined with portfolio rebalancing.
• Equity for services can be beneficial.
• Rebranding decisions should be carefully considered.

Marketing Insights

• Rebranding can be a challenge. It's fun to rebrand, but it raises questions about whether it was necessary and whether the new name resonates with people.
• AI is a game changer for marketing. Using AI-assisted SEO and tools can significantly scale revenue and improve results for businesses.
• Unbundling products can meet diverse needs. Offering tools separately allows clients with their own teams to implement solutions on their own, which can enhance customer satisfaction.
• Word of mouth is powerful. Positive experiences lead to referrals and a strong lead generation without the need for extensive marketing efforts.
• Iterate and adapt your services. Shutting down a less effective newsletter and integrating it into an existing business shows the importance of adapting offerings to better serve your audience.

Business Improvement Strategies

• Simplify and Consolidate Efforts: Instead of dividing initiatives, bring similar projects together for efficiency. This can enhance value for the community and reduce management burdens.
• Evaluate Business Scalability: Ask yourself if you want to manage a significantly larger business. If not, reconsider the business model or focus on what you truly want to build.
• Embrace Cash Flow Management: Maintain a focus on cash flow and team satisfaction, as these are key indicators of a successful business operation.
• Prioritize AI and Innovation: Shift towards more AI-driven solutions and partnerships to increase enterprise value and reduce service-driven aspects.
• Experiment and Iterate: Test various ideas and products, learn from them, and evolve those that show potential into successful ventures.

Business Improvement Tips

• Simplify your business structure: Instead of managing many small businesses, focus on a few that can be scaled up significantly. This promotes efficiency and excitement.
• Choose productivity tools wisely: Use simpler tools that meet your needs, like Apple Notes instead of more complicated options. This can enhance your productivity by simplifying your thinking process.
• Test decision-making on a Friday afternoon: Make big decisions when you're tired and ready for the weekend. If it still feels right then, it's likely a good decision.
• Implement the Day Zero Integrity test: Give new hires a small task with unclear instructions to gauge their behavior. Their response can reveal a lot about their future work ethic.

Key Insights for Success

• Take advantage of current opportunities - There's a ton of opportunity right now, especially in boring spaces; act quickly while the iron's hot, as this trend may last until 2026.
• Engagement is key - Appreciating your audience’s interaction (likes, comments, subscriptions) can enhance your content creation experience and foster community.
• Value sharing over gatekeeping - Focus on giving free value and sharing startup ideas and growth tactics instead of keeping knowledge to yourself; it builds trust and connection.