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The Startup Ideas Podcast

The Startup Ideas Podcast

By: Greg Isenberg
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Get your creative juices flowing with The Startup Ideas Podcast. Published twice a week, we bring you free startup ideas to inspire your next venture. Hosted by Greg Isenberg, CEO of Late Checkout and former advisor to Reddit and TikTok. Subscribe so you don't miss out. For more startup ideas, we created a database of 30+ startup ideas you can take at https://gregisenberg.com/30startupideas© The Startup Ideas Podcast Economics Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Making $$$ as a Marketing Engineer

    Making $$$ as a Marketing Engineer
    Aug 31 2026
    In this solo episode I explain a role that I call the marketing engineer. I believe this person becomes one of the most valuable hires in tech in the next 18 to 24 months. I define the job, I show the four eras of marketing that lead to it, and I give the tool stack that makes it work. I use a commercial HVAC software company as a worked example, and I list six systems that a marketing engineer builds. I close with four ways to earn money from this skill and a 30-day plan to learn it. Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro 01:46 – The Evolution of Marketing 04:29 – What is a marketing engineer 07:19 – Build the Growth OS 10:18 – Marketing Engineer Tool stack 13:23 – Live Data Workflow 14:32 – Agent Job Description 16:56 – Example: vertical SaaS for HVAC contractors 18:27 – System 1: Customer Truth 20:20 – System 2 - 4: Founder content, Outbound signal and Creative Testing 23:31 – System 5: AI search visibility and the growth cockpit 24:19 – System 6: Eval Loop 25:06 – Ways to Monetize 29:41 – The 30-day plan 32:24 – Closing Thoughts Key Points I expect the marketing engineer to command salaries from 250K to more than 1 million dollars. I build the growth repo first, because it holds the marketing memory of the whole company. I write a job spec for each agent, in the same way that I write a job description for a person. I measure qualified replies and pipeline, because business results show the true signal. I treat taste and judgment as the moat, because agents become a commodity. I recommend one working system over five half-built ones. The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.com LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/ FIND ME ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/
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    35 mins
  • WebMCP clearly explained (and how to make $$)

    WebMCP clearly explained (and how to make $$)
    Aug 26 2026
    Vinny is back on the pod, and he explains WebMCP. WebMCP puts MCP tools inside the browser UI, so any agent that you bring can read a page and act on it. Vinny demos an espresso gear store where his agent compares two machines, checks the counter width, matches accessories, adds an item to the cart, and applies a coupon. Together we map the agent-native options, from headless APIs to in-app agents, and we place WebMCP in the middle of that map. I close the episode with two cash-flowing business ideas that a semi-technical founder can start today. Timestamps 00:00 – Intro 02:28 – WebMCP Clearly Explained 07:22 – Demo: Conditional Tools And Browser Session Login 09:11 – The Agent-Native Paradigm 12:12 – How Agents Interact with Apps 16:05 – Demo: Accessories, Cart, And Coupons 18:42 – Where WebMCP fits 21:03 – Startup Idea 1: WebMCP Conversion Agency 24:27 – Startup Idea 2: Agent Mystery Shopper 26:11 – Closing Thoughts Key Points WebMCP makes a website agent-readable and agent-actionable through a short, clear list of tools. The browser session carries the login, so tools stay conditional and the setup stays simple. The live store demo compares machines, matches accessories, adds to the cart, and applies a coupon. WebMCP sits between headless APIs and in-app agents, and it keeps the visual UI that most people prefer. Vince says WebMCP launched in February as a joint Microsoft and Google experiment in Chrome. The first markets: complex commerce, SaaS admin consoles, read-only flows in regulated industries, and internal tools. The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.com LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/ The Vibe Marketer - Resources for people into vibe marketing/marketing with AI: https://www.thevibemarketer.com/ FIND ME ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/ FIND VINNY ON SOCIAL: X/Twitter: https://x.com/hot_town Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHP5Hdx0X-sM0uv2bl_OOqg
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    29 mins
  • Screensharing top takes in AI/startups

    Screensharing top takes in AI/startups
    Aug 25 2026
    On this week’s SIP Live we dive deep on the X timeline to give each post a sip or a skip, and we answer questions from the chat. This episode covers AI-native operations, a baby food app that earns a million dollars a month, iMessage agents, human customer support as a brand advantage, small teams, reading habits, and sales advice for builders. Listeners get concrete first steps, business ideas they can copy today, and two clear opinions on each take. Timestamps 00:00 – Intro 00:59 – Where an AI-Native Company Starts 04:48 – The $1M-a-Month Baby Food App 10:31 – An App Store for iMessage Agents 16:32 – Customer Support Is Eating Engineering 23:38 – RIP to the 2-Pizza Team 26:36 – Paul Graham on Reading as an Advantage 33:31 – The Worst Moves for 2026 37:01 – From Designer to Salesperson Key Points Make the company legible first: keep meeting notes and SOPs in files that an LLM can read. Let the team explore AI tools freely, then ask one department, such as admin, to lead. A million-dollar-a-month app leaves room for niche copies that earn 10K to 30K a month. Build loops that turn daily support transcripts into prototypes and measurable goals. Human support works as a marketing advantage, and premium buyers pay for it. Sales stays part of the owner's job, so learn the frameworks and start cold calling. The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.com LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/ The Vibe Marketer - Resources for people into vibe marketing/marketing with AI: https://www.thevibemarketer.com/ FIND ME ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/ FIND JONATHAN ON SOCIAL Unscheduled CEO Podcast: https://www.unscheduledceo.com/ X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jicecream LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-courtney-4510644b/
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    41 mins
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