Noah Kagan Presents

Craftsmanship-Based Subscription Box Service

Building on the theme of craftsmanship discussed in the episode, a subscription box service could be created that focuses on high-quality, handcrafted products. Each month, subscribers would receive a curated box featuring items from different artisans, along with stories about their craftsmanship and the materials used. This idea addresses the growing demand for unique, artisanal goods, targeting consumers who appreciate quality and storytelling behind products. Implementation could involve partnering with craftsmen and women from various trades, creating a robust marketing strategy focusing on social media and influencer partnerships, and providing educational content about the craftsmanship process. The subscription model ensures recurring revenue while fostering a community around quality and craftsmanship.

Type: Product Difficulty: Medium Score: 7.6/10

From: Craftsmanship Is Sexy

Craftsmanship and Quality Content Platform

The podcast emphasizes the significance of creating quality products that solve real problems, suggesting the establishment of an online content platform dedicated to craftsmanship and quality in various fields. This platform could serve as a hub for articles, videos, and tutorials that showcase craftsmen and their work, providing resources for aspiring creators. It would address the need for quality content that educates and inspires potential entrepreneurs and craftsmen. The implementation could include collaborations with experts in various trades to develop content, a subscription model for premium content, and community engagement through forums and discussions. This platform would not only serve as a resource but also as a marketplace for quality products, effectively merging content with commerce.

Type: Content Difficulty: Medium Score: 8.2/10

From: Craftsmanship Is Sexy

Craftsmanship-Focused Online Retail Platform

In the episode, Noah Kagan discusses the importance of craftsmanship and quality in business, highlighting the journey of Jack O'Neill, who created a wetsuit empire through innovation and problem-solving. This idea can be implemented by creating an online retail platform that focuses on products created with a high level of craftsmanship, especially in niche markets. The platform could allow artisans and craftspeople to showcase their products, emphasizing the unique stories behind each item. By prioritizing quality over cheap mass production, this platform would cater to conscious consumers looking for authentic, high-quality products. Tactics could include collaborating with artisans to tell their stories through engaging content, utilizing social media marketing strategies to build a community around craftsmanship, and implementing a subscription service for exclusive artisan products or seasonal collections.

Type: Marketplace Difficulty: Medium Score: 7.6/10

From: Craftsmanship Is Sexy

Exit-intent Chatbot for Affiliate Conversions

Mark described an early chatbot (IntelliChat) used as an exit-intent widget that engaged leaving visitors, offered discounts or conversation, and routed users through affiliate links — capturing incremental affiliate revenue. A modern, actionable business: build a chat-based conversion widget (SaaS) that integrates with sites as an exit-intent or on-page assistant and drives users to affiliate offers or client upsells. Implementation: create a lightweight chat widget with customizable scripts and affiliate-link insertion, A/B test conversational prompts (discounts, FAQs, offers) to maximize conversion, and provide publishers a revenue-share or white-label option. Use off-the-shelf LLMs (or rules-based flows) to handle common objections and trigger affiliate flows when intent is detected. This addresses low conversion and abandoned visitor problems for publishers and e-commerce sites by rescuing leaving traffic with targeted offers. Target customers: content publishers, e-commerce stores, affiliates, and SaaS landing pages. Specific tactics from episode: start with a simple scripted chatbot/exit-pop MVP, monetize via affiliate links (or revenue-share for merchants), and scale by adding analytics, personalization, and integrations (CMS, Google Analytics, affiliate networks). Tools to implement: LLM APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic), front-end widget frameworks, affiliate tracking systems, and A/B testing platforms.

Type: SaaS Difficulty: Medium Score: 6.8/10

From: From HOMELESS to Airbnb MILLIONAIRE (w/ Mark Jenney) Pt.1

Peer-to-peer RV Rental Marketplace

This idea is a two-sided marketplace connecting RV owners (supply) with travelers (demand), similar to Airbnb but focused on RVs — Mark launched RVShare with a phased approach: start as a connection layer (Craigslist-style) then add transaction/insurance functionality later. Key implementation steps from the episode: validate demand by facilitating direct connections first; bootstrap supply by scraping or partnering with dealers and sending leads (even free) to seed listings; create trust layers (insurance was called out as a major hurdle) before becoming part of the transaction; iterate toward a marketplace that processes bookings and takes a platform fee. This solves the chicken-and-egg marketplace problem: early demand/supply can be stimulated by manual lead routing and dealer partnerships, and trust issues are addressed by integrating insurance and transaction guarantees before taking fees. Target audience: founders building vertical peer-to-peer marketplaces (recreation gear, specialty vehicles, niche rental markets). Specific tactics mentioned: use manual/MVP work (fake/placeholder listings to make the site look populated while seeding real listings), route initial leads to established dealers for credibility, negotiate commercial insurance partners early, and plan for staged monetization (start free to build liquidity, later convert to listing fees or transaction cut). Tech/tools: marketplace frameworks (Sharetribe, Rails/Node marketplace stacks), partner APIs for insurance and payments, scraping scripts for inventory seeding, and CRM tools to manage manual lead routing during early stages.

Type: Marketplace Difficulty: High Score: 7.6/10

From: From HOMELESS to Airbnb MILLIONAIRE (w/ Mark Jenney) Pt.1

Affiliate-driven Website Builder (Your Affiliate Site)

This idea is a free or freemium website builder product whose primary monetization comes from affiliate/referral partnerships (hosting, SaaS tools, payment processors, etc.). Mark's V1 was essentially a form-driven site builder where he manually created sites for users and required sign-up through his hosting affiliate links — generating large recurring affiliate revenue without charging end-users. A modern implementation: build a lightweight no-code website builder (or a niche vertical site template library) that integrates one-click partner signups. Offer free basic sites; require or incentivize users to connect/purchase hosting, domain, or premium add-ons via your affiliate links or co-marketing deals. Focus on a specific niche (affiliate review sites, local service landing pages, creator storefronts) to improve conversion and SEO. This solves the acquisition and monetization problem for early-stage builders who want to scale user numbers without charging upfront: the incentive is volume and referral revenue. Target audience: solo founders, marketers, and creators who want simple affiliate revenue flows and non-technical entrepreneurs who benefit from templates. Specific tactics Mark mentions and that apply: start with a manual V1 (use forms + human setup) to validate demand, iterate to automate site generation, negotiate affiliate deals (hosting was the core example), and prioritize memorable domains/marketing to drive rapid adoption. Tools to implement today: no-code site builders (Webflow, WordPress + templates), Zapier/Integromat to automate onboarding, affiliate networks (Impact, CJ), Stripe or partner referral tracking, and simple UX that encourages connecting partner accounts during signup.

Type: SaaS Difficulty: Medium Score: 6.8/10

From: From HOMELESS to Airbnb MILLIONAIRE (w/ Mark Jenney) Pt.1

On-Demand Learning Marketplace

The On-Demand Learning Marketplace is a digital platform that facilitates the delivery of short, highly specialized courses or workshops hosted by vetted industry experts. Rather than relying on long-form, infrequent courses, this marketplace emphasizes agility and freshness by enabling experts to offer focused learning sessions—such as three-day deep dives—instead of traditional six-week programs. Entrepreneurs in the digital economy can implement this model by building a platform that connects subject matter experts with professionals seeking up-to-date, niche knowledge without a long-term commitment. Implementation would involve curating a network of qualified creators and setting up a managed system where quality is assured via a vetting process. The platform could start as a free offering or with minimal fees to build user engagement, later monetizing through subscription upgrades, commission fees on transactions, or premium access to exclusive content. Target audiences include professionals looking to upskill quickly and companies wanting on-demand training for their teams. Utilizing existing web frameworks and community-building tools can help launch the MVP swiftly, while strategic marketing via channels like LinkedIn and email networks drives initial traction and brand credibility.

Type: Marketplace Difficulty: Medium Score: 7.6/10

From: Getting Real GROWTH In Your Business (w/ Brian Balfour of Reforge)

AI Contract Analyzer

The AI Contract Analyzer is a SaaS tool that leverages artificial intelligence to help business owners quickly understand and manage their legal documents. The idea is to allow users to upload contracts and have the system automatically extract critical details such as deadlines, renewal dates, and obligations, presenting them in plain, accessible language. By transforming dense legal text into actionable workflows and notifications, the tool solves the common problem of misinterpreting contract terms, reducing the risk of missed obligations or unfavorable terms. To implement this idea, a digital entrepreneur could build an AI-powered platform that integrates OCR and natural language processing to parse and summarize legal documents. Starting with a minimum viable product targeting small business owners and startup founders—who often do not have in-house legal expertise—the platform would aim to reduce time spent on reviewing contracts and lower legal risks. Implementation tactics include partnering with legal experts to refine the summarization accuracy, leveraging existing AI models (such as those behind ChatGPT), and launching a beta version for early feedback. Over time, premium features like automated alerts and integration with workflow tools could be added to drive recurring subscriptions.

Type: SaaS Difficulty: Medium Score: 7.6/10

From: Getting Real GROWTH In Your Business (w/ Brian Balfour of Reforge)

Creator Network Aggregator

This idea involves building a platform or feature that aggregates email newsletters from multiple content creators, and suggests relevant newsletters to new subscribers at the point of sign-up. Essentially, it works as a creator network aggregator where upon joining one newsletter, subscribers are exposed to other curated newsletters that align with their interests. The goal is to leverage existing audience segments and boost overall subscriber growth for all participating creators. For digital entrepreneurs, especially those managing content or email marketing businesses, this concept can be implemented by integrating with popular email service providers like ConvertKit or Mailchimp. The technical integration would involve analyzing subscriber data and matching based on content niches, then displaying curated recommendations. This service can be offered as a value-added feature on one’s site or even as a standalone platform where creators can apply to be part of the network. Key tactics include A/B testing recommendation algorithms and partnering with influencer creators to drive initial traction.

Type: Platform Difficulty: Medium Score: 7.6/10

From: How Tiago Forte made $478,800 with his book

Affiliate Recommendation Hub

This business idea centers on leveraging a curated list of recommended digital products, SaaS tools, courses, and other online services by creating an Affiliate Recommendation Hub. The strategy is simple: compile a high-quality, trustworthy list of digital tools and resources that you already use and believe in, then integrate affiliate links into a dedicated webpage or website section. This not only monetizes recommendations but also builds credibility with an audience that already values your expertise. Digital entrepreneurs can implement this idea by first auditing their current favorites and then expanding the list with additional vetted tools. Implementation tactics include using affiliate programs that are readily available with many SaaS companies, integrating plugins that dynamically update affiliate links, and using analytics to track which recommendations drive the most conversions. The target audience comprises online businesses, solopreneurs, and digital content creators looking for endorsements of products that enhance productivity or business growth. This approach can be rolled out quickly with a simple website update, leveraging existing content and social proof to build trust and drive revenue.

Type: Affiliate Difficulty: Low Score: 8.0/10

From: How Tiago Forte made $478,800 with his book