Noah Kagan Presents

A listener sent me a message saying I'd lost my spark. That I didn't sound inspired anymore. Honestly... it made me stop and think. In this episode, I unpack why he was partly right. My calling isn't software deals anymore. It's building businesses, solving problems, and showing up for the people who count on me. I also share one AI workflow that's completely changed how I lead AppSumo, why we overreacted to the AI boom, and what happens when you stop chasing every shiny new thing and get back to your core. If you've ever wondered whether you've outgrown your work, this one's for you. In this conversation, you'll enjoy 3 BIG things: • Why your calling can evolve without losing your purpose • How to course-correct when you realize you've drifted too far from your core • Why honest feedback (even from AI) can make you a better leader Enjoy these 3 things plus many nuggets along the way. I have also been sharing emails on my brutally honest advice on a variety of topics. People have been loving it. Sign up at noahkagan.com and join 350k other people who get juicy insights every month. Links & resources mentioned: • Claude (Noah's AI assistant) : https://claude.ai • AppSumo : https://appsumo.com • TidyCal : https://tidycal.com • SendFox : https://sendfox.com • Meeting Coach : (Noah's internal AI meeting feedback tool) (coming soon) • Million Dollar Weekend : https://milliondollarweekend.com • Follow Noah on X : https://twitter.com/noahkagan P.S. Here's Claudes feedback on this very episode as it was happening in realtime: The strongest thing in this episode is the thing you didn't plan to talk about. Marcin's note ("you don't sound inspired, you don't want to run AppSumo, you're in the best season of your life") is the whole episode, and your answer to it is genuinely good. The problem is you never say it cleanly. The cleanest version is buried in the middle: software deals isn't your calling, but business is your calling and the company is your responsibility, and the spark didn't die, it matured into follow-through. That's the episode. Right now it's a needle in 20 minutes of riffing instead of the spine the whole thing hangs on. You bury your two best business lessons. The refund/Plus-customer admission is the most useful leadership moment in the episode and you glide past it: "I made decisions on the best info I had, but I didn't check back on the outcomes and improve them, and we course-corrected too slow." That's a clean, repeatable lesson any operator can steal. Same with the over-adjustment arc (we thought SaaS was dying and vibe coding would kill us, so we over-corrected, and now we're walking it back to the core). Both are stronger than the abstract "discoverability / velocity / treat best customers better" framing, which stays high-level. Lead with the admissions, not the framework. The Claude feedback loop is your most shareable practical drop and you undersell it with the $9.99 joke. Transcript-into-Claude-for-feedback, the Eamon skill, Meeting Coach running live during meetings, the reframe that a CEO sets the scorecards instead of solving the problems in the room. That's the segment people will text you about. Give it room. What's working: the vulnerability lands, the floor-sleeping callback is great, and "it's okay to quit stuff and it's okay to continue stuff, the point is recognizing the behavior and whether it's aligned" is your most quotable line. "Calm is cool" and "building up" are good repeatable phrases. What's hurting it: it meanders and has three or four false endings ("yeah that's it," "damn that was the good stuff"). The BYOLM/BYOK bit at the end feels tacked on, half a thought you ran out of runway for. And the "I won't share company secrets" then sharing them is a touch coy. Either share or don't. One structural fix for next time: you open with the listener critique by accident. Open with it on purpose. The episode is "someone told me I lost my spark, here's my honest answer." Frame it that way in the first 60 seconds and the whole thing tightens.

While watching my 10-month-old daughter sleep on the baby monitor, I found myself feeling something I didn't expect: fear. Not for me, but for her. The world feels messy right now… divided, chaotic, and moving fast. But instead of letting it get me down, I'm focusing on what I can control. This episode is all about how I'm staying hopeful, making small changes, and how each one of us can choose to build a better future, regardless of global conflict, politics or A.I. layoffs. 3 Takeaways: Staying curious is one of the most powerful ways to move forward Making even a rough plan brings clarity when life feels directionless Filtering the noise protects your peace Like this episode? Hit the follow button and leave a review

BreezeDoc is the simple way to sign documents digitally. Pay just $9 once, and get it forever (no expensive subscriptions here). Today I'm riffing on what's been on my mind this April; from using AI to save on my taxes to pulling weeds, both literally and metaphorically, plus some book reviews and me generally musing on what makes a great life.. So If you want to hear more about how I'm using ChatGPT to get ahead financially, why saying "no" has become my superpower, and what Ryanair can teach you about sticking to your business model, this ones for you!. You're gonna learn What a good gardener has in common with a good entrepreneur How AI can save you time and money right now before everyone else catches up. Why you need to find your line for saying no to 80% of everything. Enjoy these things and a bunch more ear nuggets along the way. Did you check out last week's monster episode, about all I've learned 15 Years Of AppSumo. It was an absolute banger. That episode 374 wherever you get your podcasts. Spotify & iTunes

BreezeDoc is the simple way to sign documents digitally. Pay just $9 once, and get it forever (no expensive subscriptions here). In this episode, I've got one of my best friends, the entrepreneur blueprint, the serial success master and my favorite podcaster Sam Parr to come back on the show. We talk about ambition, confidence, the reality of building a billion-dollar business and what it's like to hang around with billionaires. Also we discuss his latest projects and how becoming a dad has reshaped his perspective on success. In this conversation, you'll enjoy 3 BIG things: Why the most successful people in the room aren't always the smartest, What are the best and worse things about billionaires. How to set up a business in 24 hours and make 1 million dollars without a website. Enjoy these 3 things plus many nuggets along the way. If you dug this episode, you can go back and check out one of our many other episodes with Sam on how content creators become successful. You can find that in episode 292 of this feed. Check him out on Instagram & Twitter @thesamparr and be sure to check out all what he's doing in all of these many internet places. Try Rosedale - website for self improvement. Join Hampton - website high wealth networking and business growth. Copy That - website for helping writers create better copy. Sams List - website for finding quality accountants. My First Million - Podcast. MoneyWise - Podcast. I have also been sharing emails on my brutally honest advice on a variety of topics. People have been loving it. Sign up at noahkagan.com and join 350k other people who get juicy insights every week.

My book Million Dollar Weekend is for aspiring entrepreneurs who dream of starting their own business. I break down the process of starting into simple steps that you can do in just one weekend. Today I'm reflecting on what an insane year 2024 has been. So much has changed and I wanted to take stock as we head into 2025! In this episode, I'm sharing my 9 key lessons from the year and the exciting plans shaping the year ahead. In this conversation, you'll enjoy 3 BIG things: Why the blame game gets you nowhere in life. What it means to reduce the amount of tabs you have open in your life. How building strong, meaningful relationships is still your super power. Enjoy these 3 things plus many nuggets along the way. How was your 2024? What's your goals for 2025? Hit me up on noahkagan.com I have also been sharing emails on my brutally honest advice on a variety of topics. People have been loving it. Sign up at noahkagan.com and join 350k other people who get juicy insights every month.

My book Million Dollar Weekend is for aspiring entrepreneurs who dream of starting their own business. I break down the process of starting into simple steps that you can do in just one weekend. Something clicked for me during a grueling bike climb - I wanted to quit. And isn't that how it feels for everyone sometimes, in business and life? But it's our ability to push through the right kind of suffering that drives real success. In this week's episode, I dive into my own personal struggles and professional setbacks, sharing how pushing through those tough moments fueled growth at AppSumo and helped me reach my biggest goals. In this episode, you'll enjoy 3 BIG things: How embracing suffering can lead to long-term rewards? Why voluntary suffering can prepare us for unexpected hardships? How to align pain with our purpose? All these plus a bunch more ear nuggets along the way.

Check out my book Million Dollar Weekend, which helps you start businesses in just 48 hours. Check it out at milliondollarweekend.com. In this episode, I chat with Ayman Al-Abdullah, My friend and former CEO of AppSumo, who played a pivotal role in scaling the company from $5M to $70M, from 2016 to 2021. Since stepping down as CEO for AppSumo, he's now become a growth strategy coach for many other CEOs. Ayman is of the best out there IMO and I wanted him to come on the show and share his insights into what it takes to grow a business from seven to nine figures, obviously drawing from his rich experience building a robust and sustainably growing company AppSumo. In this conversation, you'll enjoy 3 BIG things: Why figuring out your ideal customer, even as a coach, is essential Why people get stuck in a product creation loop rather than company creation. The dangers of shiny object syndrome and why Ayman is the double down king. All these plus a bunch more ear nuggets along the way. You can find Ayman @aymanalabdul on Instagram or X And if you fall into the 7+ figure camp and need help scaling to 9 figures, Ayman is your guy, you can find him at aymanalabdullah.com

What's up, you sexy bastards. It's your boy 'diapers' aka Rabbi Can't Lose aka Noah Kagan. Today we're re-running our awesome episode with John Paul DeJoria! John Paul is so INSPIRATIONAL. This was one of our most popular episodes last year (and also one of the most popular videos on my YouTube channel too), so we thought we'd put him in your ears once again. John Paul went from being homeless to creating two billion dollar companies in completely separate industries, John Paul Mitchell haircare, and Patrón tequila. In this episode, you'll enjoy 3 BIG things: Why creating the best products is essential for growing your company. Why forgiveness is important if you want to move forward in life. What being rich really means. All these plus a bunch more ear nuggets along the way. Go check out John Paul DeJoria and his foundation: https://www.peacelovehappinessfoundation.org/ If you dig this episode and want to hear another wise, successful entrepreneur story, go back and check out the conversation we did with Kevin Kelly, the founder of Wired magazine, that's episode 298 in this feed.