The Startup Ideas Podcast

Jonathan Courtney, a specialist in audience growth, shares his insights on building an engaging audience for 2025. He presents the ACP framework, emphasizing the importance of identifying your audience before product development. Courtney discusses the four-step playbook: understanding who you're creating for, finding your unique content format, building effective systems, and setting a primary goal. He also highlights the 'reply guy' strategy on social platforms as a simple way to start engaging. Building an audience is depicted as a vital insurance policy for future business opportunities.

Ross Mike, a specialist in translating complex tech concepts for everyday audiences, dives into MCPs and their game-changing role in AI development. He explains how MCPs standardize the way large language models connect with external tools, making AI assistants more powerful. The podcast explores the evolution of LLMs from mere text prediction to robust tool integration. Ross highlights the MCP ecosystem and discusses opportunities for builders, emphasizing that these protocols are essential for anyone looking to innovate in the AI space.

Min Choi, an early user of Manus AI, explores the revolutionary potential of this tool for startups. He demonstrates Manus AI's ability to autonomously create a DocuSign clone, research innovative startup ideas, and optimize website SEO. The discussion touches on its multi-agent system functionality, which combines research, planning, and execution with minimal prompts. Min also addresses the tool's limitations, including security concerns and scaling issues, while showcasing how it could reshape business development.

Join Cody Schneider, CEO and Founder of Swell A, as he dives into riveting startup trends. Discover the 'buy it for life' movement and how to create a profitable directory website focused on durability. Explore the potential of AI-powered landing page builders for marketers, and learn about the booming TikTok template market. Schneider emphasizes the ease of launching online businesses with modern AI tools and urges entrepreneurs to adapt their strategies in today's digital landscape.

Dive into the world of AI product design as the host experiments with Polymet AI, creating a YouTube analytics tool inspired by viral trends. Polymet's clean interface and voice input shine, but it requires multiple prompts for the best results. The comparison with V0 reveals each tool's unique strengths and challenges. Functional designs emerge, but varying user experiences offer insight into the importance of prompt quality. Discover how combining different AI tools might just be the recipe for success in design!

Discover how unassuming manual processes, like export buttons, can unveil lucrative AI SaaS opportunities. The framework emphasizes identifying repetitive pain points and transforming them into automated solutions. By bridging data silos and connecting tools, startups can focus on niche problems with measurable ROI. Learn the importance of starting small and scaling naturally, while exploring everyday tasks that are ripe for innovation. This insightful discussion unlocks the potential of AI in streamlining workflows to create impactful business solutions.

David Park, founder of Jenny AI, shares his journey of scaling his AI startup to $10 million in annual revenue. He reveals how starting with organic short-form content and leveraging fresh social media accounts can outperform established profiles. Park discusses the importance of collaborating with influencers of all sizes and experimenting with viral content formats. He provides insights on negotiating partnerships and emphasizes customer retention strategies as crucial for sustainable growth in the competitive AI landscape.

Jake Knapp, former Google innovator behind the Design Sprint, teams up with Jonathan Courtney, CEO of AJ & Smart, to dive into building AI-focused products. They discuss the Foundation Sprint framework to transform vague ideas into market-ready concepts, using the ‘Hit Me’ app as a case study. The duo highlights the importance of first principles thinking, competitive differentiation, and navigating digital addiction. A witty brainstorming on target audiences adds humor, while insights on leveraging AI for product development drive the conversation.

Discover the showdown between two AI research giants: ChatGPT and Perplexity. Hear about their unique approaches to generating startup ideas aimed at hitting specific revenue targets. Perplexity shines with its speed and concise answers, while ChatGPT impresses with in-depth analysis, albeit at a slower pace. The practical demonstrations reveal how these tools can aid in business planning and market research, making it a must-listen for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Join Cody Schneider, Co-founder and CEO of Swell AI, as he dives into innovative AI startup ideas. He discusses a subscription model for generating Lightroom presets, highlighting potential high profits. Cody also explores the strategy of digital real estate through domain portfolios for generating leads. The fascinating concept of merging a dog park with a bar for dog owners reveals new business prospects. Additionally, he addresses leveraging AI for e-commerce newsletters, focusing on customer engagement and personalized content.