Why Personal Holding Companies are the Hottest Trend
Sep 22, 2023
16:08
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Exploring the concept of personal holding companies and their recent popularity. Discussing trends like work-life balance, self-actualization, and modularization of companies. Exploring trends in entrepreneurship including generative AI, bootstrapped giants, and the growth of marketplaces. Tackling risks of product and talent scarcity, strategy of taking it slow, and expertise in audience building and CEO coaching.
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Quick takeaways
Personal holding companies allow entrepreneurs to optimize their time and energy for activities they enjoy.
The rise of personal holding companies is influenced by trends of lifestyle optimization, modularity in business, and a shift away from venture-backed businesses.
Deep dives
Personal Holding Companies: Portfolio of Active Businesses
A growing trend among entrepreneurs is the rise of personal holding companies, where individuals have portfolios of actively running businesses. This trend is exemplified by entrepreneurs like Hunter Hammonds and Sean Purie, who have built and owned multiple businesses under their personal holding companies. The concept of a personal holding company can be seen as viewing oneself as a product, with a number of businesses as customers. By building personal holding companies, entrepreneurs can optimize their time and energy for activities they enjoy, such as ideation, creative thinking, and coaching founders.
Why the Rise of Personal Holding Companies
Several trends contribute to the emergence of personal holding companies. First, there is a growing emphasis on lifestyle, balance, and health, with more people seeking ways to optimize their lives for personal fulfillment. Second, second-time founders often prefer the early stages of business and may not want to manage or operate a single company for an extended period. Third, businesses have become more modularized, with options like remote workers, offshore workers, and automation tools, enabling faster business setup and delegation. Additionally, there is a shift away from the pressure to build venture-backed businesses, with more attention given to bootstrap giants and cash-flowing businesses. The availability of marketplaces to buy and sell small businesses, decreased costs of failure, and easier access to resources further contribute to the rise of personal holding companies.
Managing Risks and Focusing on Compelling Upside
Building a personal holding company is not suitable for everyone, as there are risks to consider. One major risk is the potential for unfocused efforts and spreading oneself too thin across multiple businesses. This risk can be managed by going slow to go fast, focusing on one business at a time until it reaches product-market fit. The second risk involves not having a compelling enough product or value proposition, which may result in limited upside and attracting underwhelming talent. To mitigate this risk, entrepreneurs building personal holding companies should strive to be a compelling product themselves, offering a built-in audience, expertise in early-stage ideation, and CEO coaching skills to provide value and attract talented individuals.
Episode 45: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) takes a look into what a personal holding company is, why it’s the hottest trend among entrepreneurs, and whether it’s the right move for you. While they may provide you the most freedom to invest and scale businesses that you really enjoy, it takes a certain personality type and understanding of the risk to achieve success.