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In The Media

From a Multi Million Dollar Closet to Millions of Views

by Larry Chiang on June 10, 2025

Unedited by Larry Chiang
For the longest time, my podcast was a mega failure.
Three years. 200+ episodes. Embarrassing download numbers. I kept telling myself “just one more episode” because I had nothing to lose.
Somewhere around episode 150, recording in my closet, I had this moment: I’m never gonna be the next Tim Ferriss. I can’t interview like him. I’m not that smooth.
So I figured out I’d just focus on giving out 100% sauce. Tactics that actually work. Ideas that fire up founders. Zero fluff.
It worked.
I went from 10k subs to 300k subs in 18 months. Today “The Startup Ideas Podcast” gets millions of listens a month.
And most importantly, I’m always getting DMs from founders where they “stole” and idea from the show, or learned something that put them on a completely new life trajectory. How cool is that?!
The closet forced me to focus on the only thing that mattered: whether I was saying something worth hearing.
And because I’m not a content creator (ive got businesses to run!), i didnt prepare much. Just shared what I was learning in real-time.
The constraints made the content better.
I told myself I’ll only be able to get out of the closet when I deserve it. When I see comments on yt flowing in. Not just high school friends or fam members.
I eventually upgraded to a home office, but those 200+ episodes in the closet taught me everything. You don’t need perfect conditions. 
I just wanted to take a minute to thank you for sticking with me.
You could have spent your time elsewhere.
But you spent it with me.
I’ll give you more sauce than you know what to do with.
Teach you everything I’m learning in real-time.
Free.
Thank you.

 
 
GREG ISENBERG
⁦‪@gregisenberg‬⁩
My podcast studio is in a closet. I’m not proud of it

The greatest productivity hack:

Force yourself to start. Eventually, you’ll have your dream tools

Just start pic.x.com/z88vXQj4NL

 
11/2/22, 10:52 AM
 
 


Sent from my iPhone

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