Noah Kagan, CEO of AppSumo and successful YouTuber, discusses his recent book, Million Dollar Weekend. He shares insights on testing marketing strategies, dealing with agent feedback, and the art of a compelling proposal. Noah reflects on the balance between business and personal branding, emphasizing authenticity in content creation. He talks about the transformative nature of rejection in writing, the importance of beta readers, and the role of strategic marketing in book publishing. Get inspired by his candid approach to creativity and entrepreneurship!
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Initial Book Proposal Rejection
Noah Kagan, before writing "Million Dollar Weekend," initially proposed a different book called "The Challenge."
This proposal, focused on overcoming fear and rejection, was deemed "trash" by James Clear's agent, Lisa DeMona.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Validate Your Book Idea
Validate your book idea before writing a proposal by sharing concepts on social media.
Observe audience reactions to identify resonating ideas to refine your book's focus.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Unexpected Bidding War
Noah Kagan didn't take his initial book proposal seriously, aiming for a $100,000 advance.
Surprisingly, this casual approach sparked a bidding war, resulting in a near million-dollar offer from Penguin.
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In 'The Challenge', Debra Armitage is offered a job by kindly Eleanor McAllister at a remote cattle station after Debra saves her granddaughter from drowning. The story unfolds as Debra navigates her new role and the challenges that come with it. The book is a romance novel with elements of Westerns and enemies-to-lovers themes.
Never Eat Alone
And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time
Keith Ferrazzi
In 'Never Eat Alone,' Keith Ferrazzi shares his insights on networking and relationship-building, emphasizing the importance of genuine connections and mutual success. The book outlines specific steps and an inner mindset for connecting with others, highlighting principles such as generosity, constant communication, and reciprocity without keeping score. Ferrazzi draws from his own experiences and those of highly connected individuals to provide practical advice on handling rejection, attending events, and maintaining long-lasting connections in both personal and professional settings.
Never Split the Difference
Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It
Tahl Raz
Chris Voss
VOSS/RAZ
This book, written by former FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss and co-author Tahl Raz, provides a masterclass in influencing others through negotiation. It distills the Voss method, revealing skills such as establishing rapport, creating trust with tactical empathy, and transforming conflict into collaboration. The book is filled with real-life examples from Voss's career, illustrating how these techniques can be applied in both professional and personal life to achieve goals and defuse potential crises.
Million Dollar Weekend
Noah Kagan
In 'Million Dollar Weekend,' Noah Kagan provides a step-by-step guide on how to turn ideas into profitable businesses within a short timeframe. The book focuses on overcoming fear, creating value for customers, and validating ideas quickly. Kagan shares his personal experiences and real-world examples to illustrate how to start and grow a business efficiently. The book advocates for action over excessive planning, encouraging readers to test their ideas with minimal investment and scale based on real feedback. It also addresses the psychological aspects of starting a business and offers practical advice on automation, marketing, and achieving financial freedom.
Atomic Habits
James Clear
Atomic Habits by James Clear provides a practical and scientifically-backed guide to forming good habits and breaking bad ones. The book introduces the Four Laws of Behavior Change: make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, and make it satisfying. It also emphasizes the importance of small, incremental changes (atomic habits) that compound over time to produce significant results. Clear discusses techniques such as habit stacking, optimizing the environment to support desired habits, and focusing on continuous improvement rather than goal fixation. The book is filled with actionable strategies, real-life examples, and stories from various fields, making it a valuable resource for anyone seeking to improve their habits and achieve personal growth[2][4][5].
Noah Kagan is the CEO of AppSumo, an 8 figure company that is the #1 software deals site. He also runs a YouTube channel where he shares his tips for finding financial freedom with more than 930,000 subscribers.
Before AppSumo, he was the 30th employee at Facebook reporting directly to Mark Zuckerberg and the 4th employee at mint.com.
Noah has built this reputation for being a relentless tinkerer. He's constantly running small experiments. A couple weeks ago, Noah's new book, Million Dollar Weekend, officially became available for sale. And since that time, he's been everywhere. The Tim Ferriss Show, School of Greatness, Deep Dive with Ali Abdaal. In this episode, you'll learn about his experience making the book itself.
Creator Science 
