Aug 23: AI voice agents fighting dental claims
Good morning. Voice AI is finally good enough to navigate adversarial insurance phone trees.
Independent dental practices make up 70% of the US market, but their margins are bled dry by adversarial insurance claims. Now, founders are buying up traditional billing services and replacing the human labor with AI voice agents that can argue with insurance phone trees to recover revenue.
Build it tonight
Voice agents can now navigate adversarial insurance phone trees. You can build an MVP this weekend to capture a 3% take rate from independent dentists.
vertical AI tooling
AI-automated insurance billing for independent dentists
An AI platform that automates insurance claims and appeals for independent dentists, taking a 2.5% to 3.5% cut of processed revenue.
Why now: AI voice and NLP agents are now capable of navigating complex, adversarial phone trees and API-less systems used by insurance companies.
Discussing: Independent dental practices, which make up 70% of the 150,000 dentists in the US.
“We have AI calling the insurance company to get the status of these claims, AI submitting the claim, AI voice being like hey you did not approve this why not.”
OpportunityBuy a traditional, low-margin billing service business and replace the human labor with AI voice and NLP agents to drastically expand margins.
3 strangers showed us how they made $8M, $10M, & $40M/year · Aug 17, 2026
Sanity check: What would have to be true: insurance companies won't actively block or ban known AI voice signatures from their automated phone systems.
Build it without code
A pure logistics play averaging $5M in revenue by refueling commercial trucks directly in their yards, eliminating costly driver detours to gas stations.
physical-world infra
Mobile commercial fleet refueling
Deliver fuel and diesel exhaust fluid directly to commercial trucking fleets and heavy machinery on-site, generating $5M in average revenue.
Why now: Logistics companies are desperate to optimize turnaround times; on-site refueling cuts out inefficient gas station detours.
Discussing: Long-haul trucking businesses, local logistics fleets, and heavy machinery operators.
“They'll go to these large, long haul trucking businesses... replace fuel and DEF on site... The average revenue is just under 5 million... a million in gross profit.”
OpportunityEliminate costly downtime for commercial fleets by refueling vehicles directly in their yards, operating with zero royalty for the first six months.
The Most Overlooked Way to Get Rich in America - Ep. #326 · Aug 14, 2026
Sanity check: What would have to be true: the labor and downtime savings of on-site delivery outweigh the premium charged over bulk wholesale diesel prices.
Today's Startup Ideas
Specific plays distilled from this week's founder/operator podcasts.
vertical AI tooling
AI-automated insurance billing for independent dentists
An AI platform that automates insurance claims and appeals for independent dentists, taking a 2.5% to 3.5% cut of processed revenue.
Why now: AI voice and NLP agents are now capable of navigating complex, adversarial phone trees and API-less systems used by insurance companies.
physical-world infra
Mobile commercial fleet refueling
Deliver fuel and diesel exhaust fluid directly to commercial trucking fleets and heavy machinery on-site, generating $5M in average revenue.
Why now: Logistics companies are desperate to optimize turnaround times; on-site refueling cuts out inefficient gas station detours.
CPG
Refrigerated afternoon chocolate bars for adults
A refrigerated chocolate bar brand targeting the adult afternoon snack market that hit $40M in annual revenue through reality-TV-style founder content.
Why now: Refrigerated sections are expanding across all grocery categories, creating new premium shelf space for preservative-free products.
physical-world infra
B2B backup generator service
Acquire backup generator service businesses and use AI to speed up complex quoting and field technician training to outcompete slow incumbents.
Why now: Electricity demand, data centers, and electrical contractors are booming, creating a massive need for reliable backup power.
physical-world infra
Mobile restaurant oil filtration
Operate a proprietary truck that filters cooking oil on-site for restaurants, averaging $517k in revenue per territory with multiple upsell streams.
Why now: Restaurants face rising supply costs and strict waste disposal regulations, making on-site filtration a cost-saving necessity.
physical-world infra
Senior accessibility infrastructure installation
Install ramps and stair lifts in homes for aging baby boomers, building a highly profitable business funded largely by insurance payouts.
Why now: 10,000 people turn 65 every day, creating massive demand for aging-in-place infrastructure while senior care facilities face multi-month waitlists.
service productization
Weekly all-or-nothing attendance bonuses
Solve blue-collar no-shows by offering a percentage of weekly production pay that is entirely forfeited if the employee is late even once that week.
Why now: Unreliable labor is the primary bottleneck for home service businesses; strict micro-incentives outperform broad wage increases.
service productization
Mobile commercial trash compaction
Operate mobile trucks equipped with hydraulic cranes to smash open-top dumpsters at industrial facilities, cutting their trash pickup costs in half.
Why now: Industrial facilities face high recurring waste management costs that can be instantly reduced with mobile hydraulic equipment.
hiring playbook
Firearm Sales Reps As GMs
Hire former gun salespeople for blue-collar GM roles because their experience vetting firearm buyers translates directly into strong character judgment for hiring technicians.
Why now: Finding reliable GMs for small home service businesses is notoriously difficult; looking in adjacent high-stakes retail environments yields overlooked talent.
B2B SaaS
TRICARE claims and VA feedback automation
Build back-office software for military-focused health clinics to automate the tedious process of managing service requests and routing mandatory feedback to the VA.
Why now: Healthcare operators are actively looking for backend efficiencies to offset the working capital risks of delayed government insurance payouts.
B2B SaaS
Automated Review Systems For Contractors
Charge HVAC and painting contractors $399 a month to automatically trigger Google review requests via text and email when an invoice is paid.
Why now: Local SEO heavily depends on review volume, and contractors are too busy to manually ask every customer.
service productization
Low-Skill Service Productization
Optimize home service routing for high-volume, low-skill tasks like $80 mosquito sprays rather than $250 bee removals that require specialized technicians and complex scheduling.
Why now: Blue-collar labor shortages make businesses reliant on specialized technicians fragile; low-skill, repeatable services are easier to staff.
B2B Services
Enterprise Service Arbitrage for SMBs
Aggregate SMB demand to buy enterprise-tier distribution in bulk, reselling single-use access at a fraction of the direct-to-vendor retail price.
Why now: Enterprise distribution channels are consolidating into expensive duopolies, pricing out the long tail of SMBs who still need access to their networks.
CPG growth strategy
100-mile radius CPG marketing strategy
Saturate a single drivable metro area with farmer's markets and in-store demos to build a dense proof of concept before expanding nationally.
Why now: Retail buyers require strong velocity data before committing to national rollouts; local density provides this proof cheaply.
B2B SaaS
Freemium AI dictation with enterprise snippets
Commoditize voice dictation with a free tier, then monetize by charging enterprise teams for AI-generated responses grounded in their internal knowledge bases.
Why now: Inference costs are low enough to offer sub-250 millisecond dictation for free, acting as a wedge for enterprise workflow tools.
Movements to Watch
Patterns surfacing across multiple shows. Track these before consensus.
physical-world infra
Unbundling facility management
Startups are attacking commercial property maintenance by isolating high-margin niches like backup generators, oil filtration, and accessibility ramps rather than offering generalist property management.
B2B SaaS
Automating the unsexy back-office
Founders are building highly specific workflow tools for overlooked markets, from automating TRICARE claims for veteran clinics to triggering Google review requests for HVAC contractors.
service productization
De-skilling local services
Operators are intentionally avoiding complex, high-AOV jobs in favor of standardized, low-skill tasks like mosquito spraying and dumpster compaction that can be staffed by entry-level labor.
Founder Signal
How operators are thinking — frameworks, anti-patterns, sharp moves.
Micro-incentives fix blue-collar attendance
Generic year-end bonuses fail to change daily behavior. Offering a percentage of weekly production pay that is entirely forfeited if an employee is late even once immediately solves chronic tardiness.
Hire retail gun salespeople for GM roles
Retail firearm sales require high-stakes character assessment. This creates an untapped talent pool of operators skilled at reading people for blue-collar hiring.
The 100-mile radius marketing strategy
Instead of spreading a small marketing budget nationally, saturate a single drivable metro area to build an undeniable proof of concept for retail buyers.
From the Conversations
The Koerner Office - Business Ideas and Deep Dives with Chris Koerner
Mobile restaurant oil filtration
The Most Overlooked Way to Get Rich in America - Ep. #326
Aug 14, 2026 · 1h 16m · 3 quotes pulled
▶ Listen“They run a hose into the building... filter that oil on site... take that unusable oil and they'll sell it to other people that can use it in different businesses like biofuel.”
“Restaurants face rising supply costs and strict waste disposal regulations, making on-site filtration a cost-saving necessity.”
AI-automated insurance billing for independent dentists
3 strangers showed us how they made $8M, $10M, & $40M/year
Aug 17, 2026 · 1h 0m · 2 quotes pulled
▶ Listen“We have AI calling the insurance company to get the status of these claims, AI submitting the claim, AI voice being like hey you did not approve this why not.”
“AI voice and NLP agents are now capable of navigating complex, adversarial phone trees and API-less systems used by insurance companies.”
B2B backup generator service
Asking 3 young millionaires how they make $1.8M, $5M, & $12M/year
Aug 19, 2026 · 57m · 2 quotes pulled
▶ Listen“For us, AI has been an absolutely central part of our strategy of speeding up every single process in that business. I need to be able to deliver a quote while my guy's there.”
“Electricity demand, data centers, and electrical contractors are booming, creating a massive need for reliable backup power.”
Sources
▶ ListenMy First Million
3 strangers showed us how they made $8M, $10M, & $40M/year140+ real business ideas database: https://clickhubspot.com/pkst Episode 852: Sam Parr ( https://x.com/theSamParr ) and Shaan Puri ( https://x.com/ShaanVP ) ask 3 founders to tell them the juiciest number behind their businesses and get advice live. — Show Notes: (0:00) Intro (1:31) Raav Gupta, Posha (20:03) Nick Saltarelli, Mid-Day Squares (39:48) Shreyas Parab, DayDream Dental — Links: • Posha - https://www.posha.com/ • Mid-Day Squares - https://www.middaysquares.com/ • DayDream Dental - https://www.daydream.dental/ — Check Out Sam's Stuff: • Hampton (joinhampton.com): My community for founders. Average member does $25m/year. Many of the guests are members. Get after it...apply: http://joinhampton.com/mfm — Check Out Shaan's Stuff: • Shaan's weekly email - https://www.shaanpuri.com • Visit https://www.somewhere.com/mfm to hire worldwide talent like Shaan and get $500 off for being an MFM listener. Hire developers, assistants, marketing pros, sales teams and more for 80% less than US equivalents. • Mercury - Shaan uses Mercury across all of his companies. you can too: http://mercury.com/ Mercury is a fintech company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Column, N.A., Members FDIC • I run all my newsletters on Beehiiv and you should too + we're giving away $10k to our favorite newsletter, check it out: beehiiv.com/mfm-challenge My First Million is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by HubSpot Media // Production by Arie Desormeaux // Editing by Ezra Bakker Trupiano /
▶ ListenThe Koerner Office - Business Ideas and Deep Dives with Chris Koerner
The Most Overlooked Way to Get Rich in America - Ep. #326<p>Check out my newsletter at <a href="https://tkopod.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://TKOPOD.com</a> and join my community at <a href="https://tkowners.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://TKOwners.com</a></p><p>━</p><p><br></p><p>I sat down with <strong>Alex Smereczniak</strong>, co-founder of <strong>Franzy</strong>, to break down why <strong>franchising</strong> might be one of the most overlooked ways to build wealth. We went through four interesting franchise models including <strong>freight brokerage, facility management, oil filtration, and mobile fuel delivery</strong>, looking at startup costs, revenue potential, royalties, and how much can potentially be financed. Alex also explains what to look for in a <strong>Franchise Disclosure Document</strong>, the red flags that should make you walk away, and why the right franchise depends heavily on the person running it. We also get into <strong>Chick-fil-A, Subway, Crumbl</strong>, boring franchises quietly making millions, and how people build large franchise portfolios without putting up all the capital themselves.</p><p><br></p><p>Check out <strong>Franzy</strong>: <a href="https://go.franzy.com/chris-koerner" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://go.franzy.com/chris-koerner</a></p><p><br></p><p>Follow <strong>Alex</strong> on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/alexfromfranzy/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/alexfromfranzy/</a></p><p><br>X: <a href="https://x.com/AlexfromFranzy" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://x.com/AlexfromFranzy</a></p><p><br>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-smereczniak-40310329/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-smereczniak-40310329/</a></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>Enjoy!</p><p>---</p><p>Watch this on <strong>YouTube</strong> instead here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@thekoerneroffice?sub_confirmation=1" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">tkopod.co/p-yt</a></p><p><strong>Ask me a question</strong> on or off the show here: <a href="http://tkopod.co/p-ask" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">http://tkopod.co/p-ask</a></p><p>Learn more about <strong>me:</strong> <a href="http://tkopod.co/p-cjk" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">http://tkopod.co/p-cjk</a></p><p>Learn about <strong>my company: </strong><a href="http://tkopod.co/p-cof" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">http://tkopod.co/p-cof</a></p><p>Follow me on <strong>Twitter</strong> here: <a href="http://tkopod.co/p-x" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">http://tkopod.co/p-x</a></p><p><a href="http://tkopod.co/p-x" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"></a>Free weekly <strong>business ideas newsletter:</strong> <a href="http://tkopod.co/p-nl" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">http://tkopod.co/p-nl</a></p><p><strong>Share this podcast:</strong> <a href="http://tkopod.co/p-all" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">http://tkopod.co/p-all</a></p><p><strong>Scrape</strong> small <strong>business data:</strong> <a href="http://tkopod.co/p-os" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">http://tkopod.co/p-os</a></p><p><a href="http://tkopod.co/p-os" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"></a>---</p>
- ▶ Listen
My First Million
Asking 3 young millionaires how they make $1.8M, $5M, & $12M/year30+ blue-collar business ideas: https://clickhubspot.com/refn Episode 853: Sam Parr ( https://x.com/theSamParr ) and Shaan Puri ( https://x.com/ShaanVP ) ask 3 founders to tell them the juiciest number behind their businesses and get advice live. — Show Notes: (0:00) Nick Haschka, OnPoint Generators (17:39) Kevin Moyer, Smash My Trash (36:54) Noam Eisenberg, TMJaw — Links: • OnPoint Generators - https://onpointgen.com/ • Smash My Trash - https://howitworks.smashmytrash.com/ • Your TMJ Pen - https://yourtmj.com/ — Check Out Sam's Stuff: • Hampton (joinhampton.com): My community for founders. Average member does $25m/year. Many of the guests are members. Get after it...apply: http://joinhampton.com/mfm — Check Out Shaan's Stuff: • Shaan's weekly email - https://www.shaanpuri.com • Visit https://www.somewhere.com/mfm to hire worldwide talent like Shaan and get $500 off for being an MFM listener. Hire developers, assistants, marketing pros, sales teams and more for 80% less than US equivalents. • Mercury - Shaan uses Mercury across all of his companies. you can too: http://mercury.com/ Mercury is a fintech company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Column, N.A., Members FDIC • I run all my newsletters on Beehiiv and you should too + we're giving away $10k to our favorite newsletter, check it out: beehiiv.com/mfm-challenge My First Million is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by HubSpot Media // Production by Arie Desormeaux // Editing by Ezra Bakker Trupiano /
▶ ListenAcquiring Minds
From $700k Purgatory to $3m: A Mosquito Joe Update<p>Neil Finneran returns 3 years after buying a business so small it barely paid him a salary — now on pace for $800k.</p><p>Register for the webinars: </p><ul><li><a href="https://bit.ly/4qg4P9k">Learn to Avoid the #1 Reason Acquisitions Fail </a>- TODAY!! - https://bit.ly/4qg4P9k</li><li><a href="https://bit.ly/4wTADDf">Licenses & Regulatory Issues When Buying a Business</a> - Tue, Aug 25 - https://bit.ly/4wTADDf</li></ul><p>Topics in Neil’s interview:</p><ul><li>Neil’s previous appearance on Acquiring Minds</li><li>His background in hedge funds</li><li>Pain of buying small</li><li>Managing labor and no-shows</li><li>Implementing a hybrid-pay model for techs</li><li>The acquisition that tripled his revenue</li><li>Christmas lights services in the off season</li><li>Rising customer acquisition costs</li><li>Barriers to entry in pest control</li><li>Why his outcome diverged from Jesse Sunquist’s</li></ul><p>References and how to contact Neil:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-finneran-1645653/">LinkedIn</a></li><li><a href="https://mosquitojoe.com/locations/massachusetts/andover/">Mosquito Joe of Andover-Peabody</a></li><li>Neil’s first appearance on Acquiring Minds: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKjMbnoVLrM">How to Survive Going from Hedge Funds to SMB Owner</a></li><li>Jesse’s most recent appearance on Acquiring Minds: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LwFYItoVm8">3 Years, $80k In: An Honest Update</a></li><li>Jesse’s first appearance on Acquiring Minds: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnUXL8eoJsA">How to Widen Your Search to Buy a Business</a></li></ul><p>Work with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:</p><ul><li><a href="https://bit.ly/43gVGBX">Pioneer Capital Advisory</a></li></ul><p>Get a complimentary IT audit for acquisition diligence or post-close transition.</p><ul><li>Visit <a href="http://www.inzotechnologies.com/eta?utm_source=acquiringminds&utm_medium=referral">inzotechnologies.com/eta</a>.</li></ul><p>Contact Jenny to learn how Engage can run people operations in your acquisition:</p><ul><li>Jenny Thear: <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></li></ul><p>Connect with Acquiring Minds:</p><ul><li>See past + future interviews on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/AcquiringMinds">YouTube channel</a></li><li>Connect with host <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/willsmithsf/">Will Smith on LinkedIn</a></li><li>Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/whentheresawill">Will on Twitter</a></li></ul><p>Edited by Anton Rohozov and produced by Pam Cameron</p>
- ▶ Listen
Acquiring Minds
3 Years, $80k In: An Honest Update<p>Jesse Sunquist put a GM in charge and stepped back to 5 hours a week — proud of the experience, restless about the outcome.</p><p>Register for the webinar: </p><ul><li><a href="https://bit.ly/4wPHY6R">Learn to Avoid the #1 Reason Acquisitions Fail </a>- Thu, Aug 13 - https://bit.ly/4wPHY6R</li></ul><p>Topics in Jesse’s interview:</p><ul><li>Buying a business for flexibility</li><li>Geographical search in New Jersey</li><li>Lowering his minimum SDE threshold to $300K</li><li>Acquiring 2 Mosquito Joe territories</li><li>His plan to build wealth through franchise roll-ups</li><li>Modest growth followed by shrink</li><li>How other owners handle the off-season</li><li>Taking a W2 with the intent to sell</li><li>Inability to find a buyer</li><li>Hiring a great GM to run it</li></ul><p>References and how to contact Jesse:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-sunquist/">LinkedIn</a></li><li><a href="https://franchise.neighborly.com/mosquito-joe">Mosquito Joe</a></li><li>Jesse’s previous interviews on Acquiring Minds:</li></ul><p>#1<a href="https://acquiringminds.co/articles/jesse-sunquist-full-time-searcher?utm_source=chatgpt.com"> </a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI05YHbbalw">Reflections After 1 Year of Searching Full Time</a></p><p>#2<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-reward-for-widening-search-to-%24300k-sde/id1569715379?i=1000631442171&utm_source=chatgpt.com"> </a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnUXL8eoJsA">A Reward for Widening Search to $300k SDE</a></p><ul><li>Neil Finneran on Acquiring Minds: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKjMbnoVLrM">How to Survive Going from Hedge Funds to SMB Owner</a></li></ul><p>The ecosystem for serious acquisition entrepreneurs—education, capital, community, and post-close support to buy and grow a business:</p><ul><li><a href="https://bit.ly/3JPAYQI">The Acquisition Lab</a></li></ul><p>Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:</p><ul><li><a href="https://bit.ly/3W6QqNx">Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team</a></li></ul><p>Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):</p><ul><li><a href="https://landing.systemsix.com/acquire">Book a call with Tim</a> or <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a> and mention Acquiring Minds</li></ul><p>Connect with Acquiring Minds:</p><ul><li>See past + future interviews on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/AcquiringMinds">YouTube channel</a></li><li>Connect with host <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/willsmithsf/">Will Smith on LinkedIn</a></li><li>Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/whentheresawill">Will on Twitter</a></li></ul><p>Edited by Anton Rohozov and produced by Pam Cameron</p>
- ▶ Listen
Acquiring Minds
Surviving a 2-Month Revenue Freeze in Year 1<p>Chibunna Chimezie's seller left $15k in the account. His post-acquisition liquidity is the only reason he made it. </p><p>Register for the webinar:</p><ul><li><a href="https://bit.ly/4wUCNSY">Learn to Avoid the #1 Reason Acquisitions Fail</a> - Thu, Aug 13 - https://bit.ly/4wUCNSY</li></ul><p>Topics in Chibunna’s interview:</p><ul><li>His family’s immigration story from Nigeria</li><li>Interest in how American healthcare works</li><li>Learning to manage risk in business school [you sure this wasn’t cut?]</li><li>Acquiring a service provider for veterans</li><li>Government shutdown meant no revenue first 2 months</li><li>Post-acquisition liquidity for the win</li><li>Challenges veterans face back home</li><li>Answering the after-hours phone himself</li><li>His journey from banking to behavioral health</li><li>Investment from New Majority Capital</li></ul><p>References and how to contact Chibunna:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/cchimezie/">LinkedIn</a></li><li><a href="https://veteransroom.com/">Veterans Room</a></li><li><a href="https://newmajoritycapital.com/">New Majority Capital</a></li></ul><p>Get complimentary due diligence on your acquisition's insurance & benefits program:</p><ul><li><a href="https://bit.ly/3W6QqNx">Oberle Risk Strategies - Search Fund Team</a></li></ul><p>Get a free review of your books & financial ops from System Six (a $500 value):</p><ul><li><a href="https://landing.systemsix.com/acquire">Book a call with Tim</a> or <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a> and mention Acquiring Minds</li></ul><p>The ecosystem for serious acquisition entrepreneurs—education, capital, community, and post-close support to buy and grow a business:</p><ul><li><a href="https://bit.ly/3JPAYQI">The Acquisition Lab</a></li></ul><p>Connect with Acquiring Minds:</p><ul><li>See past + future interviews on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/AcquiringMinds">YouTube channel</a></li><li>Connect with host <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/willsmithsf/">Will Smith on LinkedIn</a></li><li>Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/whentheresawill">Will on Twitter</a></li></ul><p>Edited by Anton Rohozov and produced by Pam Cameron</p>
- ▶ Listen
The Koerner Office - Business Ideas and Deep Dives with Chris Koerner
The Most Overlooked $10K/Month Business (Start With $0) - Ep. #327<p>Check out my newsletter at <a href="https://tkopod.com/">https://TKOPOD.com</a> and join my community at <a href="https://tkowners.com/">https://TKOwners.com</a></p><p>━</p><p></p><p>I sat down with <strong>Rachel Smith</strong> to break down the simple <strong>community board business</strong> she and her husband built after spotting an opportunity inside a local restaurant. Rachel explains how they give restaurants a free specials board, sell advertising spots to local businesses, and make around <strong>$3,200 in profit per board</strong>. We also get into how they use the boards as a foot in the door to sell higher-ticket services like <strong>websites, reputation management, and AI automation</strong>, helping them grow the business to around <strong>$10K-$15K per month</strong>. Rachel walks through exactly how they find host locations, get referrals, sell the ad spots, and why this can work as a low-cost side hustle.</p><p><br></p><p>You can learn more from Rachel at <strong>Community Cash Playbook</strong> on YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@CommunityCashPlaybook">https://www.youtube.com/@CommunityCashPlaybook</a></p><p><strong>Community Board Playbook:</strong> <a href="https://communityboardplaybook.com/">https://communityboardplaybook.com/</a></p><p><strong>Big Sky Automation Services:</strong> <a href="https://bigskyautomationservices.com/">https://bigskyautomationservices.com/</a></p><p></p><p>Enjoy!</p><p>---</p><p>Watch this on <strong>YouTube</strong> instead here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@thekoerneroffice?sub_confirmation=1">tkopod.co/p-yt</a></p><p><strong>Ask me a question</strong> on or off the show here: <a href="http://tkopod.co/p-ask">http://tkopod.co/p-ask</a></p><p>Learn more about <strong>me:</strong> <a href="http://tkopod.co/p-cjk">http://tkopod.co/p-cjk</a></p><p>Learn about <strong>my company: </strong><a href="http://tkopod.co/p-cof">http://tkopod.co/p-cof</a></p><p>Follow me on <strong>Twitter</strong> here: <a href="http://tkopod.co/p-x">http://tkopod.co/p-x</a></p><p><a href="http://tkopod.co/p-x"></a>Free weekly <strong>business ideas newsletter:</strong> <a href="http://tkopod.co/p-nl">http://tkopod.co/p-nl</a></p><p><strong>Share this podcast:</strong> <a href="http://tkopod.co/p-all">http://tkopod.co/p-all</a></p><p><strong>Scrape</strong> small <strong>business data:</strong> <a href="http://tkopod.co/p-os">http://tkopod.co/p-os</a></p><p><a href="http://tkopod.co/p-os"></a>---</p>
▶ ListenFounders Podcast
The Hidden Power of a $400 Press Release That Generated $10 Million in Revenue<p>Ever wonder how a simple story can turn a small business into a media magnet that generates millions in earned buzz? Mickey Kennedy took PR from a costly, chaotic process to a strategic powerhouse that landed over $150 million in media for 40,000 clients—including startups aspiring to be the next big thing—and even got brands onto Shark Tank. His secret? Crafting compelling narratives that journalists can’t ignore and leveraging organic user endorsements that sweep social platforms.In this episode, Mickey breaks down the art and science of effective PR, revealing how the right story can unlock unprecedented visibility—at a fraction of the typical cost. You'll discover: how a $400 press release can generate over ten million dollars in media ROI, the frameworks to craft newsworthy stories around your product or personal journey, and how to turn customer success stories into credibility gold. We explore the proven story arc structure that appeals to journalists and readers alike, plus the importance of emotional connections that make audiences care—facing down the misconception that PR is only for big brands.Mickey shares real-world examples like a pandemic-driven dining bond initiative that raised tens of millions, a carpet company's industry-shaking exposé on big box stores, and the power of industry surveys to position your brand as an authoritative leader. He discusses the most effective ways to reach journalists today—shifting from email to the wire services that media outlets prioritize—and reveals how curated storytelling, contrarian angles, and strategic positioning open the floodgates of earned media. If you're a founder struggling to get noticed or looking to leverage PR without draining your budget, this episode is your blueprint to transforming brand visibility and credibility.Whether you're in tech, AI, or any niche vying for media attention, Mickey’s insights will help you craft stories that resonate, connect, and convert. Perfect for entrepreneurs ready to turn their narrative into a media magnet, this episode unlocks the strategies behind thousands of earned media placements—and how you can do it too.</p>
▶ ListenHow I Built This with Guy Raz
MadeGood: Salma and Nima Fotovat Lost Their First Business.They Grew Their Next One Into a Snack Giant.What do you do when the family business you've spent decades building... gets bought out from under you? That’s what happened to Nima and Salma Fotovat.Devastated, the family rebuilt a new company from the ground up. This time they set out with a new idea: build an allergen-free, organic snack brand not just for kids, but their parents. Their new brand: MadeGood.Today, the Canadian brand’s parent company does hundreds of millions of dollars in sales. But getting there meant rebuilding from scratch, fixing 200,000 mislabeled snack bars by hand, and turning a family of co-packers into branding experts.What you'll learn:How owning manufacturing can be a competitive edgeHow they grew a national brand with almost no marketing. Why it can be a winning strategy to say "yes" before you know how Introducing new products: the tension between research and emotion The mindset that can help you rebuild after a devastating setbackTimestamps:6:05 - Growing up in Iran during wartime, and emigrating to Canada 11:55 - Their dad’s new business: “Why are North Americans not eating nougat?” 19:25 - Building the family’s first snack bar brand—and losing it overnight34:20 - The next business: going all in on healthier school snacks42:30 - Fixing a 200,000-bar production error with alcohol wipes 48:30 - Landing MadeGood’s first retail store51:10 - The 100-mile radius marketing strategy 56:50 - The lure of new products: from human treats to dog treats See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
▶ ListenThis Week in Startups
Open source is going to win it all: Harvey proves it | E2328<p dir="ltr">This Week In Startups is made possible by:</p> <p dir="ltr">Superhuman<br /> <a href="https://superhuman.com">https://Superhuman.com</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Sentry<br /> <a href="https://sentry.io/twist">https://sentry.io/twist</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Lightfield<br /> <a href="https://lightfield.app">https://lightfield.app</a></p> <p><strong><br /> <br /></strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Today's show:</p> <p dir="ltr">Jason's been saying it for years now (and we've got an All In clip from 2023 to prove it). Open source will win the AI race. This week gives us a major evidence point, as $11B legal AI company Harvey released its own in-house model, trained on an open-weight Kimi K3 base. Harvey made a proprietary specialized solution without having to risk sharing its precious expert-compiled data with the major frontier labs.</p> <p dir="ltr">PLUS we're checking out the FREE AI dictation app Willow with co-founder Allan Guo, and finding out how he plans to compete with giants like Wispr Flow and Apple. AND we've got the Stanford student who built an automated golf cart and gave luminaries like Jensen Huang and Sam Altman rides around campus.</p> <p dir="ltr">Guests</p> <p dir="ltr">Allan Guo on X: <a href= "https://x.com/_allanguo">https://x.com/_allanguo</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Willow: <a href= "https://willowvoice.com/">https://willowvoice.com/</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Ethan Goodhart: <a href= "https://x.com/EthanGoodhart">https://x.com/EthanGoodhart</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Sign up for the Wind TestFlight: <a href= "https://testflight.apple.com/join/zZqmhhwf">https://testflight.apple.com/join/zZqmhhwf</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Relevant Links</p> <p dir="ltr">CNBC: OpenAI "will be a public company in 2027": <a href= "https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/19/open-ai-ipo-timing-2027-friar.html"> https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/19/open-ai-ipo-timing-2027-friar.html</a></p> <p dir="ltr">OpenAI Zero Data Retention Pledge: <a href= "https://openai.com/index/our-commitment-to-zero-data-retention">https://openai.com/index/our-commitment-to-zero-data-retention</a></p> <p dir="ltr">TWIST (June 2026): Jason comments on OpenAI and training data: <a href= "https://youtu.be/o3eow1nTrcI?si=orungk7OmplOuyio&t=742">https://youtu.be/o3eow1nTrcI?si=orungk7OmplOuyio&t=742</a></p> <p dir="ltr">All In podcast (Feb 2023): Jason comments on open source vs. frontier models: <a href= "https://youtu.be/PVgBWV2bvLs?si=j6y7sHS0wx9q09oa&t=5173">https://youtu.be/PVgBWV2bvLs?si=j6y7sHS0wx9q09oa&t=5173</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Harvey: <a href= "https://www.harvey.ai/">https://www.harvey.ai/</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Harvey Tenet Research Preview: <a href= "https://www.harvey.ai/blog/post-training-update-harvey-tenet">https://www.harvey.ai/blog/post-training-update-harvey-tenet</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Fireworks AI: <a href= "https://fireworks.ai/">https://fireworks.ai/</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Wispr Flow: <a href= "https://wisprflow.ai/">https://wisprflow.ai/</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Pipedrive: <a href= "https://www.pipedrive.com/">https://www.pipedrive.com/</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Nvidia Jetson Thor: <a href= "https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/autonomous-machines/embedded-systems/jetson-thor/"> https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/autonomous-machines/embedded-systems/jetson-thor/</a></p> <p dir="ltr">OpenAI shares Wind golf cart clip: <a href= "https://www.tiktok.com/@openai/video/7645336713472134431">https://www.tiktok.com/@openai/video/7645336713472134431</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Starlink Mini: <a href= "https://starlink.com/mini-product-us?srsltid=AfmBOorzM7arxhdzYAdDpH6RGD4LLg9WV_BFnEoLuYieuHuGSCjQTE1Y"> https://starlink.com/mini-product-us?srsltid=AfmBOorzM7arxhdzYAdDpH6RGD4LLg9WV_BFnEoLuYieuHuGSCjQTE1Y</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Toro mowers: <a href= "https://www.toro.com/">https://www.toro.com/</a></p> <p dir="ltr">404 Media: <a href= "https://www.404media.co/">https://www.404media.co/</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Punchbowl News: <a href= "https://punchbowl.news/">https://punchbowl.news/</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Semafor: <a href= "https://www.semafor.com/">https://www.semafor.com/</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Skift: <a href= "https://skift.com/">https://skift.com/</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Newcomer: <a href= "https://www.newcomer.co/">https://www.newcomer.co/</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Deirdre Bosa on YouTube: <a href= "https://www.youtube.com/@deebosa">https://www.youtube.com/@deebosa</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Electrek: Genesis GV90 review: <a href= "https://electrek.co/2026/08/20/genesis-gv90-luxury-coach-doors-images/"> https://electrek.co/2026/08/20/genesis-gv90-luxury-coach-doors-images/</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Toyota Alphard gallery: <a href= "https://global.toyota/en/mobility/toyota-brand/gallery/alphard.html"> https://global.toyota/en/mobility/toyota-brand/gallery/alphard.html</a></p> <p dir="ltr">The Clash "London Calling" video: <a href= "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfK-WX2pa8c">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfK-WX2pa8c</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Timestamps:</p> <p dir="ltr">0:00 What is Jason's Grok Bot up to?</p> <p dir="ltr">5:17 Systems over goals</p> <p dir="ltr">9:43 Superhuman - Superhuman Go is an AI chat that's always there when you need it, already aware of what you're doing, and doesn't ask you to start from zero. Sign up to get the best in AI at https://Superhuman.com</p> <p dir="ltr">13:08 OpenAI will go public soon</p> <p dir="ltr">14:19 Top line ARR matters way less than churn</p> <p dir="ltr">20:43 Sentry - Your team should be focused on shipping features — not chasing down bugs. New users can get $240 in free credits when they go to https://sentry.io/twist and use the code TWIST</p> <p dir="ltr">29:55 Lightfield - Name one person who's ever enjoyed updating a CRM. Exactly. Lightfield's AI agent does it for you — it even prospects and books your meetings. Used by thousands of startups. Free at https://lightfield.app</p> <p dir="ltr">30:52 Harvey launches Tenet</p> <p dir="ltr">34:32 "Open source is going to win it all"</p> <p dir="ltr">35:58 Allan Guo of Willow joins</p> <p dir="ltr">39:18 Managing a single source of truth across a team</p> <p dir="ltr">47:00 Lon and Jason love the Toyota Alphard</p> <p dir="ltr">51:00 Stanford student and AV expert Ethan Goodhart joins</p> <p dir="ltr">1:00:09 How Ethan got Jensen Huang to go for a ride</p> <p dir="ltr">1:00:37 Punk Rock 101</p> <p dir="ltr">1:06:24 Phoebe Gates' secret Harvard class</p> <p dir="ltr"><br /> <br /> Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: <a href= "https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com">https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Check out the TWIST500: <a href= "https://www.twist500.com">https://www.twist500.com</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: <a href= "https://rb.gy/v19fcp">https://rb.gy/v19fcp</a></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Follow Lon:</p> <p dir="ltr">X: <a href= "https://x.com/lons">https://x.com/lons</a></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Follow Jason:</p> <p dir="ltr">X: <a href= "https://twitter.com/Jason">https://twitter.com/Jason</a></p> <p dir="ltr">LinkedIn: <a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis">https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis</a></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Check out all our partner offers: <a href= "https://partners.launch.co/">https://partners.launch.co/</a></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Great TWIST interviews: <a href= "https://youtu.be/pvJa2pzuXWQ">Will Guidara,</a> <a href= "https://youtu.be/9dHN4YFkgv4">Eoghan McCabe</a>, <a href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reddit-ceo-steve-huffman-on-mod-revolt-building-a/id315114957?i=1000617333424"> Steve Huffman</a>, <a href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/airbnb-ceo-brian-chesky-on-early-rejection-customer/id315114957?i=1000611761112"> Brian Chesky</a>, <a href="https://youtu.be/y2UMzSqX94Q">Bob Moesta,</a> <a href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/box-ceo-aaron-levie-breaks-down-box-ai-and-generative/id315114957?i=1000612384545"> Aaron Levie</a>, <a href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/sophia-amoruso-on-branding-raising-a-fund-portfolio/id315114957?i=1000601352978"> Sophia Amoruso</a>, <a href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/reid-hoffman-on-ais-crescendo-moment-regulation-and/id315114957?i=1000612548498"> Reid Hoffman</a>, <a href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/snowflake-ceo-frank-slootman-on-moving-the-needle-win/id315114957?i=1000602560622"> Frank Slootman</a>, <a href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/billy-mcfarland-on-fyre-fest-fraud-failure-hacking/id315114957?i=1000610922577"> Billy McFarland</a></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: <a href= "https://substack.com/@calacanis">https://substack.com/@calacanis</a></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Follow TWiST:</p> <p dir="ltr">Twitter: <a href= "https://twitter.com/TWiStartups">https://twitter.com/TWiStartups</a></p> <p dir="ltr">YouTube: <a href= "https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin">https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Instagram: <a href= "https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups">https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups</a></p> <p dir="ltr">TikTok: <a href= "https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups">https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Substack: <a href= "https://twistartups.substack.com">https://twistartups.substack.com</a></p>
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