📊 Reader Poll

A couple of years ago, someone on Reddit who goes by “Imaginary Roll” bought a few old kayaks off Craigslist for $100 each.

Today, they’re running a kayak rental business, doing $30,000/month with only $5,000 in expenses each month! Margins most tech startups would kill for.

No funding rounds and no viral threads necessary.

Just a smart, patient service business, scaled right.

And here’s why this story matters more than you think:

In a world where everyone’s chasing AI startups and SaaS ideas they don’t even understand, someone out there is quietly getting rich renting $100 kayaks to tourists.

Let’s break down exactly why it worked (and how you can steal the framework).

It started small.

No 10-year business plan. No 20-page deck. Just cheap kayaks, a decent location, and the willingness to hustle. In the first few months, it was scrappy: rentals to tourists, one at a time, figuring out pricing and logistics on the fly.

The biggest win? Starting small and scaling smart.

Instead of dropping $50K upfront on fancy new gear, they tested the market first. They learned what people actually wanted (easy access, flexible hours, good service), and only when demand outpaced supply did they upgrade by buying batches of new kayaks when they knew it would pay off.

(Think about that next time you’re tempted to “perfect” your business before launch.)

They also understood something most first-time operators miss: Google Ads are your best friend if you’re service-based.

By setting up simple, targeted Google Search Ads, they captured people already looking for kayak rentals that day.

No “building an audience.” No “content marketing funnel.”

Just paying a few bucks to show up where the buyers already were.

This isn’t theory, it’s how most small local services win online.

Another massive advantage: customer obsession.

When you only have 5–10 customers a day at first, every single one matters.

Fast response times. Friendly check-ins. Problem-solving mindset.

In less than two years, they racked up 850+ five-star reviews without fancy CRM software or loyalty programs. Just by actually caring.

This created an organic flywheel:

Great service → More reviews → Higher SEO rankings → More rentals → Repeat.

If you want to see what that looks like in practice, check out this case study on how reviews drive local service businesses.

Behind the scenes, they kept expenses tight.

• Built their own website with a cheap WordPress template.

• Designed their own signage and logos using Photoshop tutorials.

• Ran basic Google Ads themselves (instead of hiring an agency at 5x markup).

• Tracked every dollar, setting aside taxes and paying cash for expansions.

This wasn’t “growth hacking.” It was business fundamentals.

Save. Reinvest. Avoid unnecessary debt. Know your margins better than your Netflix password.

Most importantly: stay patient.

It took 18–24 months to hit $30K months.

Not 3 months. Not 6.

Every new kayak, every batch of reviews, every Google Ad optimized. It all stacked into a real business, not a flash-in-the-pan hustle.

How You Can Apply This:

Even if you’re not starting a kayak rental business, the principles are universal:

• Start small. Validate first.

• Scale with cash, not blind optimism.

• Obsess over customer service early.

• Use direct-response ads to capture urgent buyers.

• Reinvent your lifestyle after the business works, not before.

You don’t need a “world-changing” startup idea. You need a cashflow engine that prints freedom.

And sometimes?

It starts with a $100 kayak and a little common sense.

Reply if this made you rethink what “starting a business” actually looks like in 2025.

See you Friday,
Lundin
Nobody’s above renting kayaks if the margins are right

📊 Reader Poll

Imagine this:

Instead of flexing a $250,000 supercar that accelerates and depreciates faster than a TikTok trend, you buy 10 acres of lime trees.

Let me hear it:

LAMEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Until you realize those limes could pay you $10,000 a month... for 30+ years.

That’s $120,000 a year.

With 60–80% margins.

On an asset that keeps producing long after you forget how to spell "McLaren."

That’s the setup Connor Showler (@ConnorShowler) broke down last week, and honestly, it might be the most underrated business play nobody’s talking about.

Here’s the math:

10 acres of lime trees → commercial production in 3–5 years

Accelerated production is possible with smart soil techniques (aged clones, bacterial treatments, etc.), bringing you to market in as little as 1.5–2.5 years

Mature orchards yield consistent income for decades

Margins stay ridiculously high because you control the land and the production

Instead of throwing six figures at a depreciating liability, you build a quiet, cashflowing machine.

No Instagram clout and no roaring engines.

Lame, sure, but the consistent checks aren’t a joke.

And here’s the deeper truth most people miss:

Cash flow beats appreciation.

It’s sexy to own an asset that might go up (Crypto, tech stocks, the hot house down the street.), but it’s powerful to own an asset that pays you every month, no matter what the market's doing.

Cash flow = leverage.
Cash flow = breathing room.
Cash flow = real freedom.

That’s why ideas like lime orchards, almond farms, and small business laundromats are the kind of plays that boring millionaires love and everyone else ignores.

And if you’re thinking “Yeah, but limes?” remember:

Nobody got rich because the asset felt cool.

They got rich because it produced consistently.

The beauty of a play like this is that you don’t need it to be your day job.

You don’t need to live on the farm.

You don’t even need to know that much about trees (you can hire managers, just like any other business.)

You just need a 3–5 year patience window, enough upfront capital to set it up right, and the willingness to think beyond what the media tells you is “success.”

That Lambo?

Flash today, broke tomorrow.

That orchard?

Old money tomorrow, freedom forever.

Real Business Application:

Even if you’re not planting limes, you should be thinking about your business like this:

• What asset can you build today that will pay you for the next 10–30 years?

• What systems can you invest in now that reduce your need for constant active work later?

• What patience window are you willing to endure to unlock real leverage?

Play long games. Build boring cash cows.

Buy your time back and not someone else’s applause.

Reply if you’re thinking differently about your next “big investment” after this.

I read every one.

See you Wednesday,
Lundin
No lambo. No regrets

In 2016, Amjad Masad launched Replit with a simple idea: if you can use a computer, you should be able to build software.

No setup. No IDEs. No installs. Just open a browser, start coding.

What started as a passion project is now a platform with over 40 million users. Developers, students, and AI builders, all writing and deploying software in seconds, from anywhere.

But the story behind Replit isn’t just about building a code editor in the cloud. It’s about designing a product so frictionless, so empowering, that it feels inevitable.

And it’s about building a company around five core ideas that most founders ignore.

The first thing Replit got right was its obsession with accessibility.

Most dev tools are made by developers for other developers, and they assume a lot. Local environments, GitHub, command-line stuff.

Amjad flipped that: what if the platform assumed nothing? What if someone who’s never touched a terminal could write and run Python on their school Chromebook?

This is what made Replit explode with students and early learners. But here’s the genius: it didn’t stop there.

As their users grew, Replit grew with them.

What started as a place to run “hello world” turned into a platform where you can build and ship full-stack apps with AI helpers, built-in deployments, and community features layered on top.

Second, Replit’s UX choices weren’t just clean, they were strategic.

They renamed “repls” to “apps.”

It sounds small, but it changed how users perceived the product. “Apps” feel shippable. Tangible. Not just code experiments, but finished tools.

That shift increased user activation across the board.

In one interview, Amjad mentioned they look at clicks in the onboarding flow like a startup looks at CAC.

Each unnecessary click is a conversion loss. So they cut everything that didn’t move a user toward creating something. You don’t need a tutorial if the interface teaches you by being intuitive.

Then came the inflection point: AI.

Replit didn’t just bolt AI onto the side of their product like a feature for the roadmap. They rebuilt the core experience around it.

Ghostwriter, then Replit Agent. Tools that let users build full apps from plain English. This wasn’t about flash. It was about removing the friction of being “not technical.”

If you wanted to build a Discord bot in 2019, you had to know how to code it. In 2024? You prompt Replit Agent, review the code (optional), and deploy.

That’s not a productivity boost. That’s a paradigm shift.

And while we’re at it, let’s talk pricing. Most founders either go fully freemium or hide behind vague enterprise plans.

Replit uses a hybrid model. Subscription tiers plus usage-based pricing for things like compute power. This flexibility doesn’t just help revenue. It helps the platform grow with the user. You can start for free and scale your usage as your app scales. It’s aligned.

But none of this works without the final piece: community.

Replit’s users aren’t just customers. They’re collaborators. The average user isn’t just using the product, they’re sharing apps, remixing code, and joining multiplayer coding sessions.

This gives the platform a kind of social gravity you don’t usually find in dev tools. Kids are building games and getting feedback from people in Brazil, India, and the US, all in real time.

Replit didn’t just build a product. They built a playground.

So what does this mean for you?

It means that maybe your onboarding has one step too many. It means your product language might sound smart to you, but confusing to your customer. It means “AI-powered” isn’t enough unless you use it to make people more powerful.

And it means the community isn’t a marketing channel. It’s your retention engine.

Every part of Replit’s growth, from its clean UX to its pricing to its obsessive focus on user empowerment, is repeatable. Not copy/paste. But model-worthy.

And maybe the most underrated part? They built all of this quietly. No massive hype cycles. No founder ego contests. Just vision, execution, and iteration over time.

Reply if this made you rethink something about your product, or if you're building something that should feel inevitable.

Reply if you’ve ever undercharged and felt it.

Or if you finally raised your rates and never looked back.

See you Monday,
Lundin
Still typing into the console, but with style

When founders say “I just need more sales,” what they really mean is:

“I have no idea where my sales are actually supposed to come from.”

Because if they did, they wouldn’t be complaining. They’d be doing.

So, they try something new. Like cold calling. Or cold emailing. Or sending DMs like “Hey bro 👋 I love what you’re building.”

Which… sure, technically works. If you’re okay with 2% reply rates and slowly dying inside.

But here's the real truth: every business has 1–2 sales channels that actually work. The problem? You won’t find them by copying what someone on Twitter said worked in 2021.

You find them by testing like a scientist and tracking like a lunatic.

One of my friends runs a copywriting studio. He tried cold outreach, SEO, paid ads. Nothing really hit. Then he started building mini case studies on Twitter, showing before/after transformations of email copy he rewrote. No CTA, no thread pitch. Just proof. Within 30 days, he had 6 inbound leads. That became his sales channel.

Another friend sells software to contractors. Cold calling is her best channel, but only because her prospects don’t check email, never use social, and still answer their phones like it’s 1997.

Context matters.

That’s the biggest lesson: your sales channel should match how your customer actually behaves.

If your buyers live on LinkedIn, stop trying to build an SEO moat.
If they’re glued to their inbox, go email-first.
If they need to see what you do, use visual content (proof > pitch).

There’s a reason Intercom’s original growth engine was product-led onboarding and not cold outbound: their best leads came from people already using the product. So they optimized everything for that.

Sales isn't about being louder. It’s about being accurate.

Here’s what I recommend:

Audit where your last 10 paying customers came from. Not what they said, but what actually brought them in. Then double down. If you’re early, test fast and lean. Three channels max. Track everything. Kill what doesn’t convert.

You don’t need more tactics. You need a map.

Reply if you’ve ever found a weird channel that worked way better than it should’ve.

See you Friday,
Lundin
Avoiding Cold Calls Since 2019

Many entrepreneurs find themselves in a paradox: their business shows revenue growth, yet their personal bank accounts don't reflect it.

And it’ll make you go nuts. Even hyper-successful entrepreneurs struggle with their sanity, even when their business is paying them. Don’t believe me? Look at this.

So, now you know that any entrepreneur can struggle, but it gets even worse when you’re watching money move between accounts, and seeing none of it hit your personal account.

It’s stressful, it makes you feel like your work is getting you nowhere, and it’ll eat you alive.

So, why does this happen?

This often stems from the traditional accounting formula:​ Revenue – Expenses = Profit​

This approach often leaves the owner's compensation as an afterthought.​ Enter the Profit First methodology by Mike Michalowicz, which flips the script:​

Revenue – Profit = Expenses​

By allocating profit first, this system makes sure that you are compensated before addressing operational costs.​

This isn’t going to fit perfectly into everyone’s system, but everyone can take ideas from it.

Whether you adopt the entire system, one aspect, or you’re just going to take a bit of advice, take a look at the main principles:

Implementing Profit First:

1. Set Up Multiple Bank Accounts:

• Income Account: All business revenue is deposited here.

• Profit Account: Allocate a fixed percentage (start with 1-5%) of income here.

• Owner's Pay Account: Allocate your salary percentage here.

• Tax Account: Set aside funds for tax obligations.

• Operating Expenses Account: The remainder covers business expenses.​

2. Determine Allocation Percentages: While percentages can vary based on business size and goals, a common starting point is:

• Profit: 5%

• Owner's Pay: 50%

• Tax: 15%

• Operating Expenses: 30%​

These can be adjusted as your business evolves.

4. Regularly Allocate Funds: Twice a month, distribute the funds from the Income Account to the other accounts based on your set percentages.
   

5. Quarterly Profit Distributions: Every quarter, take 25-50% of the Profit Account as a reward for your hard work. The remaining 50% can be reinvested into the business or kept as a buffer.

Why This Works:

The Profit First system leverages behavioral economics, particularly Parkinson's Law, which states that work expands to fill the time available.

Similarly, expenses tend to rise to match income. When you limit the funds available for expenses, your business will become more efficient and intentional with spending.

Then, when you do start to profit (and get paid), everything might start to feel… well… Great

Have you tried the Profit First system or a similar approach? Reply to this email and share your experience.

See you Wednesday,
Lundin
Ensuring founders get paid, one newsletter at a time.

Why "Charging More" Is Still the Best Growth Hack

Everyone wants to scale, but no one wants to raise their prices.

We’d rather install a new CRM, redesign the website, or build a 12-step onboarding sequence than do the one thing that actually works: charge more.

But here’s what most people don’t realize: pricing is not about math but perception.

People don’t pay for hours. They pay for certainty. They pay for status. They pay for not having to think.

Google literally builds features around this with price extensions in ads, because showcasing pricing up front helps people make faster decisions when value is clear.

People pay for momentum, confidence, and not having to figure it out themselves.

A $3,000 consultant might give you a PDF and a phone call.

A $30,000 consultant might give you the same PDF — and completely change your company.

Same advice. Different frame.

Why? Because price sends a signal.

If you charge $1,500 for strategy work, the client thinks, “Cool, let me double-check this with my assistant.”

But if you charge $9,500, the CEO books the call. The company listens. People show up with notebooks.

The perceived value changes the behavior.

I’ve seen this happen in real time. Business after business raising their prices by 3-4x at times, and making more sales at the same time.

With higher-paying clients, people pay faster, need less convincing, and trust you to just run the play.

Same exact offer.

Completely different outcome.

That’s the leverage of higher prices: you’re no longer selling. You’re selecting.

It works in software, too. Have you ever noticed how most $20/month tools have more support requests than $200/month ones? It’s not because the cheaper product sucks, it’s because low-paying users feel entitled to micromanage every pixel.

In contrast, high-paying users don’t want a million meetings. They want results. They bought outcome, not access.

When your price is clear and confident, people trust it more. Google (also) gives brands insight into this with their Manufacturer Center tools. So companies can see how their product pricing shows up across search and optimize for perceived value.

When you’re the more expensive option, something powerful happens inside your customer’s head.

They think of your product as a guarantee, giving your business the leverage (with that price) to:

• Earn the margin to do better work.

• Hire help.

• Think, instead of scramble.

• Take on fewer clients and give them more energy.

• Finally, get your time back.

That’s the part people forget.

Pricing isn’t just about revenue, it’s about control.

Control of your time. Your energy. Your headspace.

And if you’re not sure where to start, here’s the move:

Take one of your offers and raise it by 30%. Do it this weekend. Don’t overthink it. Just adjust the price, and next time someone asks, that’s the number.

See who blinks first.

And if you’re scared? That’s good. Growth always feels like overcharging right before it becomes your new normal.

Final thought:

Price is a positioning tool. It’s a filter. It’s a magnet for serious customers.

And most importantly, it’s a mirror showing you exactly how you see yourself.

If your price feels like it’s shrinking you? Raise it until it doesn’t.

Reply if you’ve ever undercharged and felt it.

Or if you finally raised your rates and never looked back.

See you Monday,
Lundin
Underpriced for years

There are two types of people who want to go fishing.

The first guy reads every book. Watches 17 YouTube videos (the guy in the house). Buys a carbon fiber rod, waterproof boots, polarized sunglasses, and a premium tackle box. He spends three weeks getting ready to fish, but hasn’t touched the water.

The second guy finds a stick, ties a string to it, grabs some bait, and just starts fishing.

Guess who catches more?

We do this in business all the time. We build the website before we sell. We design a logo before we write the copy. We buy the mic before recording the first podcast episode. We tell ourselves it’s about “preparing,” but we’re really just stalling.

According to Harvard Business Review, the illusion of progress is one of the most addictive patterns in business. We trick ourselves into thinking planning is the same as momentum. It’s not. You don’t learn by preparing. You learn by doing.

That second guy, with the janky fishing setup? He’s out there messing up. Losing bait. Getting sunburnt. But he’s getting real feedback. He’s learning every cast. And most importantly, he’s in the game.

This exact thinking is why I started Get Ramen. I didn’t wait until I had a 10-email welcome sequence, custom graphics, or the perfect CTA. I just started writing. And then I adjusted. That’s how progress happens.

Now here’s where this gets even more real:

Most founders are the first guy. Headphones on, researching, solo-building, stuck in prep mode.

People who don’t found companies?

They are the ones learning everything, reading books, talking to smart people, but not actually getting anywhere.

See, the point of the story is, you don’t need to be perfect to get results, and usually, it’s actually the better path.

So don’t be afraid to dive into the next thing head first (if it’s reasonable) and get to work.

This is the best way to build momentum, and momentum loves company.

That’s why I launched the Hey Foster Private Business Community.

It’s a vetted group of builders, solopreneurs, and founders who are actually shipping.

People who ask smart questions, share templates, and don’t overthink.

If you’ve been waiting for a sign to stop stalling and start doing, this is it.

👉 Join the community

Want a recent example of someone doing it the second-guy way? Reach out to the business friend you never hear from. He’s probably drowning in work while staying silent and making steady progress.

And remember, you can always upgrade your rod. But only once you’re on the water.

Reply if this edition hits. Or if you’ve been prepping so long you forgot what you were prepping for.

See you Friday,
Lundin
Fishing with Duct Tape Since Day 1

Ever notice how we talk about innovation while quietly following 200 unspoken rules?

Most of us build businesses like we’re following a silent dress code: “this is how it’s done” is the vibe, even when no one’s said it out loud. But the New York Yankees? They threw that mindset out. Their players don’t follow the league-standard equipment rules. In fact, when it comes to picking bats, they give their hitters complete freedom. Use whatever works. Big barrel, light handle, weird grip; no one cares, as long as you smash the ball.

You’d think that would lead to chaos. It doesn’t. It leads to home runs.

Now imagine what that looks like inside a company. You’re hiring a marketing lead. You hand them a stack of Notion docs, a dusty SOP, and a “we’ve always done it this way” playbook. But what if, like the Yankees, you let them bring their own bat? Their own system? Their weird little growth loops that don’t match the playbook but work?

Most people don’t even realize they’re operating inside invisible lines. They use Notion because everyone does. They ship features because the roadmap says so. They write newsletters like it’s 2017 because that’s what they were taught. And the wild part? That’s often the reason they plateau. The rules aren’t helping. They’re just leftovers from someone else’s playbook.

Here’s something to try this week: look at one part of your business, hiring, marketing, onboarding, product, and ask yourself: “Is this actually the best way? Or just the way I’ve seen?” Then break something small. Use a bat no one expects. That’s where leverage lives.

Want to see this mindset applied to building a newsletter? Here’s how Milk Road built, broke, and rebuilt their referral engine in under a year. Spoiler: they didn’t follow anyone’s rules. That’s why it worked.

And if you’re stuck trying to grow while holding a bat that doesn’t even fit your hands, now’s the time to switch it up:

Reply if this hit (Get it?).

Or if you’ve ever ignored a dumb rule and it worked out.

See you Wednesday,
Lundin
Still switching bats mid-game

Bill Campbell

Most business “coaches” today are just people who read The Lean Startup twice and have a Calendly link.

Bill Campbell? Different story.

He coached Steve Jobs, Larry Page, Eric Schmidt, Jeff Bezos; you know, the small-time guys (kidding, in case you couldn’t tell). He never launched a product, but he helped build over a trillion dollars in enterprise value by coaching the people who did.

They called him “The Trillion Dollar Coach.”

And yeah, he’s worth learning from.

Let’s break down what actually made him legendary (and how you can steal some of it).

He coached humans, not companies

Bill’s core belief: people build companies, not the other way around.

He didn’t obsess over KPIs or funnel conversion rates. He obsessed over how teams communicated, how leaders made decisions, and whether or not execs were listening to each other.

“Your title makes you a manager. Your people make you a leader.”

— Bill Campbell

That’s the heart of it. Great companies are just groups of people who trust each other enough to do hard things.

If you’re building anything: a startup, a team, even a solo biz with contractors, this matters more than your tech stack. He focused on frameworks, not hacks

He played inside the lines while the rest of the Valley chased lifehacks and growth loops.

And from this, those frameworks turned into systems that worked over time:

• Regular 1-on-1s: Not status updates. Real check-ins. How are they doing? What’s blocking them?

• Decision-making rules: Not consensus, but alignment. Once a call is made, everyone supports it.

• Feedback culture: Delivered fast, face-to-face, and with care. No vague Slack messages 3 days later.

This stuff sounds soft until you realize it’s what lets teams at Google scale without imploding.

If you want to start building this ideology into your workflow, read Hey Foster’s guide to onboarding remote teams. It’s how we keep remote teams sane when Slack gets chaotic.

Next up:

Loyalty > Leverage

Here’s the part no one talks about:

Bill went all-in on the people he worked with. He didn’t keep score. He didn’t hedge. He sat in on board meetings for free. He went to weddings. He coached the whole exec team, not just the CEO.

His model was simple: Trust first. Help always. Play the long game.

Like the Navy Seals. They don’t value the best players the most, they value the most trustworthy players the most.

Try this once and you’ll see how rare it is. Most people in business are transactional. Bill wasn’t. That’s why he was in every room that mattered.

So what can you steal from him?

Invest in your people

Whether that’s your first hire, your VA, or your cofounder.

Bill’s entire approach was rooted in one truth: business is personal. If you treat your people like interchangeable resources, they’ll act like it. But if you show up for them (genuinely), they’ll do things that blow your mind.

He did this with Google’s execs, with Steve Jobs, and even with random people at Apple who barely had titles. He cared not because it was a tactic, but because it’s how you build loyalty, retention, and creativity.

For you, that might mean asking your VA how their weekend was. Or giving your new hire space to fail and grow. Or backing your cofounder on a risky call even when you're unsure. Loyalty compounds. Most people miss that.

Build systems that scale with you

You don’t need a Notion dashboard with 42 properties.

You need repeatable, boring, working systems now.

Bill Campbell didn’t love systems for the sake of “efficiency.” He loved them because they gave teams breathing room to do the real work: strategy, feedback, vision. The point of a system is to take the repetitive junk off your plate so your brain can focus on what actually matters.

Start stupidly simple:

• A weekly 1-on-1 template

• An onboarding checklist

• A shared “decision doc” template in Google Docs

Then iterate. As your team grows, your systems mature with you. But if you wait until you’re overwhelmed, you’ll build systems in panic mode.

That’s how companies start to crack.

Hey Foster’s remote onboarding checklist is a great place to start if you’re even thinking about hiring.

Don’t lead from the spreadsheet. Lead from the heart.

Bill wasn’t anti-data. The man understood numbers. But he knew something most leaders forget: people don’t follow Excel sheets. They follow energy.

Leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about creating a space where answers can emerge. Where people feel safe to speak, try, fail, and own their work.

You can’t spreadsheet that. You can’t AI-generate it. It’s built moment by moment, conversation by conversation.

This is the stuff no one tells you on startup Twitter. It’s not about managing resources. It’s about leading relationships. And if you do it right, you create a team that’s resilient, loyal, and 10x more capable than the one you micromanaged with KPIs.

Bottom line: The spreadsheets are important. But the soft stuff?

Surprisingly, that’s what scales.

If you want more, the book “Trillion Dollar Coach” by Eric Schmidt & co is actually worth the read. It’s not a ghostwritten fluff piece. It’s a field manual.

And if you’re doing this all solo right now? Start with one habit. Maybe it’s a weekly reflection or building one system that saves you one hour next week.

That’s how momentum starts.

If you just want to meet other smart, builder-types and get real-time help, join our private founder community. It’s like having a coach in your pocket (without the invoice).

Reply if this made you rethink how you lead.

Or if you just ordered the book. Or if you are the coach and needed this reminder.

See you Monday,
Lundin
Still taking coaching from dead legends

What’s Actually Working in SEO in 2025 (and Why It’s Not Dead)

✅ Short, Specific, High-Value Posts

Gone are the days of 3,000-word “ultimate guides” that say absolutely nothing. In 2025, what wins is content that solves a specific problem quickly.

Think:
“10 Newsletter Intro Lines That Boosted Our CTR”

Not:
“What is Email Marketing?”

People don’t want theory. They want templates, results, real numbers, and bite-sized wins.

This kind of content also ranks well because it gets bookmarked, linked, and re-shared in communities. Copy.ai’s blog is a perfect example. They lean hard into practical, short-form SaaS content that builds relevance over fluff.

Bonus tip: Short doesn’t mean thin. You still need to provide depth, but get to the value fast. Think: 600 words of gold > 2,500 words of cotton candy. Like a clean haircut vs. an unkept mop.

✅ Zero-Click SEO is Real (and You Should Embrace It)

Most searches today are answered before a user clicks a link.
That’s zero-click SEO. And it’s not a bug, it’s the new reality.

If you want to show up in the featured snippet (aka the top box of glory), you need to:

• Answer the question in the first few lines

• Use bullets or tables

• Avoid burying the lead (no long intros or storytime)

Want to rank for “how to start a newsletter”?

Open with the steps. Then add context. Backlinko’s entire playbook is basically built around this.

TL;DR: Treat Google like a distracted boss. Give it what it wants, immediately.

✅ Topical Authority > Random Content

Google’s algorithm now favors subject matter clusters, meaning if you write 20+ interlinked posts on one niche topic, you’re more likely to rank than if you toss out random one-offs.

This is how you win long-term. Pick a content domain (like newsletter monetization or offshore hiring), and go deep, not wide.

Make Google say: “Oh, this person knows their stuff.”

Hey Foster’s blog is a solid example. Everything loops back to offshore hiring, systems, and remote team-building.

Another great model: Ahrefs blog, which stays laser-focused on SEO, with every post feeding into the others.

✅ Be Human (Seriously)

AI-generated sludge is everywhere. Google knows. Readers know. You know.

If your content reads like it was stitched together by a sleep-deprived bot in a content farm, it’s not gonna work anymore.

Use voice. Be a little weird. Tell a story. Add memes.

People don’t want to read like robots. They want content that sounds like it was written by a friend who knows their stuff. Just like this.

Still skeptical? Here’s Google’s own guidance on prioritizing “people-first content.” They’re literally begging us to stop keyword stuffing and write like humans.

Reply if you’re still team SEO.
Or reply “RIP” if you still think it’s dead.
I read every one.

See you Friday,
Lundin
Still using keywords… but like a human

🚀 Everyone talks about scaling like it’s a personality trait.

But here’s the thing: scaling the wrong part of your business is like putting nitrous in a lawnmower.

Sure, it moves faster, but it just puts you straight into a tree in your front yard. (and now your wife is pissed)

So let’s talk about where scaling actually works and where it just makes things messy.

📣 Distribution

You probably don’t need more features. You need more eyeballs.

If you have something people are already using and loving, your next move is to scale the system that gets it in front of more people.

• Paid ads with tight targeting (try Google Call Ads)

• Collabs and shoutouts (esp. with newsletters or niche creators)

• Incentivized referrals (like how we ask you to tell your friends about Get Ramen)

Scaling your distribution multiplies what’s already working.

Scaling your offerings before that? Just adds complexity, especially when you’re rolling with a product that’s already working.

🔁 Scale what customers repeat, not what they request

Look at usage data. Look at reorders. Look at what your customers are naturally doing, and put the gas there.

Someone asks you for a custom thing. You build it.

Cool. Now five more people ask.

Time to scale, right?

Maybe.

Before you scale it, make sure it checks three boxes:

1. It fits cleanly with what you're already doing. (Copywriting + blog posts = cool. Copywriting + design? That’s a no from me.)

2. There’s actual demand. If it’s 5/1000 orders, that’s noise. If it’s 5/10, that’s a signal.

3. You actually want to build it. If you're dreading it, it’ll turn into a mess.

⚙️ Scale the boring stuff (before it breaks)

Automation. Systems. Delegation.

It’s not sexy. But it’s where 90% of scaling problems come from.

Your ops stop being cute when you’re onboarding five clients a week by hand and forgetting who paid you.

Set up the Airtable. Write the SOP. Hire the person.

Use this onboarding checklist if you're bringing on remote help. Or go full nerd and automate with Zapier.

You’re not “too early” for systems, you’re just neglecting them by doing way too much busy work.

Or worse: you’ve got six VAs and no system.

Simple wrap-up:

Don’t scale everything. Scale what’s:

• Already working

• Already wanted

• Already breaking

If it’s already there, then light the match. 🔥

If you made it to the end, reply to this email. I wanna know if it was worth your scroll.

See you Wednesday,
Lundin
Trying to automate my life, one broken Zap at a time

Let’s keep this one simple somewhere.com is charging over $6,300 for something that my team over at Hey Foster can do for just $1,500, and we do a better job!

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• CPA

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• SMB Owner

• Startup Founder

I want to custom source, screen, and hire a high-quality, low-cost global talent executive assistant for you for just $1,500 on time fee.

This will be your full-time employee, you’ll pay them between $800 & $1,600 a month, full time.

Why?

B/c we work with business owners like you daily, and I know that nothing will sell the power of global talent like experiencing it firsthand. We want you to see firsthand how an amazing VA can transform your business.

No special catch!

No “time share pitch”

My hope is that you love Hey Foster, and tell others about us.

If it doesn’t work, thats cool too.

We are betting on ourselves here, and the power the service we can provide for your business.

Respond to this email if you want to take me up on this offer.

Some of the amazing recent talent we have sourced.

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Most of the time a seasonal business isn’t a great option to consider, but todays idea has great margins and has expansion options outside of the current seasonality. I’m talking about a porch decorating company. One seasonal example of this is The Pumpkin Porch out of Medina, OH.

The numbers?

Lets do some deep diving into what I think the numbers are for a business like this. Based on the website lets say the average customer order is $350 to deliver and setup the front porch and 50% of clients have a cleanup upsell at the end of the season. In order to do 100K in revenue this business needs to get 200 homes decorated in about a 2 month time frame, this would result in roughly 70K in top line revenue. Then 100 home owners don’t want to deal with the pumpkins at the end of the season and would like cleanup services, so you charge $250 for clean up resulting in an additional 25K in revenue. Total 2 month seasonal revenue would be 95K. Not bad for two months of work.

Your total costs to run this seasonal offer would be low, since based on a quick search season wholesale pumpkins are not expensive by any means, so I would guess your looking at about 3K-5K in pumpkins. Then the cost of gas to transport yourself and pumpkins to each home. Hopefully you have a supportive spouse who will let you use the garage for storage during the busy season.

Scaling Past Seasonal!

I think there is a strong opportunity to scale your porch decorating seasonal business into a year round opportunity where you get homeowners to pay for each season. Such as a Fall setup, a Winter Christmas theme, a Spring theme and then something fun and beach bound for the summer. You could take your simple seasonal business and scale to 400K a year in top line revenue. This would be a great low time commitment business for anyone with a touch of design skills. I imagine that you could use the same advertising methods we talked about in our Dead Simple Marketing For Your Home Services Business newsletter.

Checkout past newsletter favorites?

• 🦞 Crawling all the way to success, Host a local crawl (Beer, Tacos, Food & More) 😋 

• 🍃 Don't Fall Victim to Working in Your Business, Work on Your Business! 💪 

• 😎 One Simple Rule To Leave An Impression On Customers, Its Silly But Works 🤡 

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It doesn’t have to be hard to get your home service business off the ground, humans like to make things more complex than needed but I promise the below marketing strategy is simple and just requires a few dollars and your time.

The Supplies

To make this happen here is what your going to need:

• Door hangers or business cards

  • These must be professionally done

• A sharpie or black marker

• A car

• Your best walking shoes

Step One

Use an online template to create door hangers for your business, make sure that on this door hanger you leave a place for an instant quote section. This is going to be absolutely vital to the plan. See lots of home services business pass out door hangers that make their way to the trash, however not many leave a quote on the door, this is your magic bullet. You will hopefully get a qualified phone call with a customer that already knows the price they are going to spend.

Step Two

Drive to a higher end subdivision in your area that you would like to target, this subdivision should have at least 100 homes, this is an important step in the process. While passing out the door hangers make sure to write down a quote in sharpie on each door hanger based on the size of the home service job your will be performing on the home. Example being if you offer power washing give a quote to wash the flat surfaces that are street facing.

Gif by cbc on Giphy

Step Three

Now is the time to measure the results, if you pass out 100 flyers and get 10 jobs you know that you will get about a 10% booking rate for your door hangers. My thought is 10 jobs should be about 10K in revenue for your business but if not you can scale from there as you know exactly how many flyers you need to pass out in order to book 10 jobs and you can hire someone to ensure this operation grows. If your not able to hire at this point then you will need to dedicate one day a week to marketing efforts so that you can continue to grow you business till you can hire.

Step Four

At the conclusion of each job make sure to ask for a review and to save the customers information in a database so that you can reach back out next year and offer your service. You have done the hard part of gaining a new customer now its time to stretch that LTV.

The CIA manual on disrupting an activist group has the following eight bullet points on how to run general interference with organizations. If you as a business owner or see an employee doing any of the following it might be time

1. Insist on doing everything through “channels”. Never permit short-cuts to be taken in order to expedite decisions.

2. Make “speeches”. Talk as frequently as possible and at great length. Illustrate your “points” by long anecdotes and accounts of personal experiences. Never hesitate to make a few appropriate “patriotic” comments.

3. When possible refer all matters to committees, for “further study and consideration”. Attempt to make the committees as large as possible — never less than five people.

4. Bring up irrelevant issues as frequently as possible.

5. Haggle over precise wordings of communications, minutes, resolutions.

6. Refer back to matters decided upon at the last meeting and attempt to re-open the questions of the advisability of that decision.

7. Advocate “caution”. Be “reasonable” and urge your fellow-conferees to be “reasonable” and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on.

8. Be worried about the propriety of any decision - raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon.

Trying to weed out bureaucracy in your business can be hard, but IMO its one of the best things you can do in order to create a better more productive environment, but even more so rooting out the above eight behaviors will ensure your teams will have a productive working environment.

I’m currently working on optimizing the marketing funnel for my agency providing outsourced customer service agents for startups, and it got me thinking about how difficult building a marketing machine really is. After a few laps around the subdivision I had an idea that I think might help others here. A simple marketing funnel for the physical creator outlined below and will make a great starting spot for anyone thinking about starting in the space.

Our Sponsor

Wondering why a landing page isn’t converting? Get a landing page roast!

Our creator avatar

For today’s purposes our creator is a craftsman constructing high end furniture with his hands out of his garage. He is just getting started with entrepreneurship and doesn’t have a background in technology, but is willing to learn. Its also important to note that he doesn’t have a social media following however is willing to step outside of his comfort zone.

Getting started

Getting started our craftsman is going to need a few things, a Youtube account, Shopify for running your store, and a newsletter platform like Beehiiv. These three software products will be the core of the sales and marketing engine our creator will be building.

The content machine

To get started our craftsman is going to start putting out video content how how to build the high end furniture that he builds. These don’t have to show every single detail but they are going to be detailed enough that someone with a bit of skills could end up building the same future. In the description of every video our craftsman is going to have a link to his Shopify store where you can find not only the furniture that he build in the video for sale, but also the blueprints to build the same piece of future. The last thing our craftsman will put in the video descriptions is a link to sign up for his newsletter so viewers can learn when he has something new for sale. Our craftsman can now sell a high ticket item and a lower ticket item but to multiple people. This sounds simple but the devil is in the details here and it could take awhile to find the right voice in the content.

The newsletter

After every sale, video, and website site visiter the goal is to get views onto our newsletter so we can make them aware of new blueprints, videos and pieces of furniture for sale. This works to draw people back into the e-commerce store, and the Youtube channel. This helps to get multiple touch points in order to build trust and achieve high sales conversions.

The store

It was said above but the store is not only going to focus on selling the high end, high ticket furniture its also going to sell the blueprints for the pieces that were made in the videos. This allows for a lower ticket sale item and helps to reaches a different audience who most likely wouldn’t be purchasing high end furniture.

The wrap up

With this simple process a creator can build a marketing funnel that should produce trust and sales very quickly. Now this isn’t a get rich quick funnel it will require constant work to product high quality content and products that appeal to your audience. When done correctly though you will have a unstoppable solo business that could have the opportunity to scale.

Our Sponsor

Wondering why a landing page isn’t converting? Get a landing page roast!

Landing page conversions rate optimization can be a black box, even after reading everything online sometimes you still struggle to find the magic that will make your page convert!

Sponsored by, Hey Foster providing outsourced customer service agents

Feedback on landing pages can come in many forms including family, friends, peers however in my experience all of those feedback’s come with a grain of salt. If you want real landing page feedback get a landing page roast.

What is a landing page roast?

Imagine, if you will, a world where your website's landing page is not just a collection of headlines, images, and call-to-action buttons. Instead, envision it as a grand stage, where every element plays a part in a performance aimed at wooing your audience. Now, what happens when the performance falters? The curtains don't part smoothly, the lead actor forgets their lines, and the grand finale is more of a grand fiasco? This, my friends, is where the Landing Page Roast comes into play.

So, why subject your landing page to such scrutiny? Because in the world of online business, complacency is the enemy of conversion. A Landing Page Roast is not just a roast; it's a rite of passage—a baptism by fire that purifies and prepares your digital doorstep for the hordes of potential customers waiting beyond the horizon.

In the end, the Landing Page Roast is more than just an event; it's a spectacle, a learning experience, and a wake-up call all rolled into one. So, embrace the heat, savor the flames, and let the roast begin. After all, in the crucible of critique, only the strongest landing pages emerge victorious!

Feedback on Campfire landing page.

Example of a landing page roast!

The above roast of a supabase.com new landing page by Convert More gives an example of the value you might find in a landing page roast. It will be filled with tips, tricks and thoughts on how you can increase your conversion rate. Most services have some sort of money back clause if your conversions don’t increase.

Where can I get a landing page roast?

Convert More by Hey Foster

• Pricing: $199

• Type of service: A 15-min video review delivered in 48 hours of less that can be booked directly from the website, has a short onboarding form that will take less than 10-min to fill out, with a private video delivered right to your inbox.

Roast My Landing Page

• Pricing: $350

• Type of service: A 15-minute, with personalized, easy-to-implement advice on your landing page. The service is bookable in real-time from the website, and the deliverable is shipped to the client

MakerBox Roasting

• Pricing: $249

• Type of service: A Landing Roasting + Marketing Audit, including a personalized video review, an analysis of your marketing strategy and an action plan.

Roasti

• Pricing: $99

• Type of service: A video with comments, includes 2-minute user-test video and 10 comments.

Sponsored by, Hey Foster providing outsourced customer service agents

In support of getting a landing page roast

The goal of a roast is not to tear down but to build up. Through their incisive comments and cheeky remarks, these jesters of the digital court provide invaluable insights into how your landing page can transform from a tragicomedy into a masterpiece of marketing artistry. They highlight the good, the bad, and the downright ugly, all while keeping the mood light, educational, and entertaining.

Bonus Thought!

Are you a landing page expect or do you have a landing page that is converting at a high rate for your industry? Create your own landing page roast service and capitalize on your own expertise. For even more social trust niche down and pick a subset of the market that you can provide the best conversation optimizations for

It’s been awhile since Get Ramen 🍜 has been in your inbox, but today seems like as good a day as any to send you a some information on how companies of one are building 7 figure business at home!

Join the beehiiv community — the secret behind the success of top newsletters like Milk Road.

Our comprehensive suite offers more than just tools; it's a gateway to growth, monetization, and seamless content creation. 

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What is a productized service?

Imagine stepping into your favorite coffee shop, where the barista knows not just your name but your order too – a grande, double-shot, no-whip mocha with a dash of cinnamon. This isn’t just any coffee; it's your coffee, made the same delightful way, every single time. Now, let’s swap that coffee for a service. Voilà, you’ve got yourself a productized service!

A productized service takes the guesswork out of the equation, packaging your expertise into a neatly tied bow. It’s like offering a set menu of services, where clients can pick A, B, or C, knowing exactly what they’re getting, how much it costs, and how long it will take. No more haggling, no more endless customizations.

Why does this matter to you, the aspiring business wizard? Because in the magical world of entrepreneurship, productized services are your spellbook for scaling. They allow you to replicate your successes with the efficiency of a fast-food chain, but with the personal touch of your local mom-and-pop store. It's time to turn your service into a product and watch your business brew like the perfect cup of coffee.

Some Examples Of Productized Service

• Design Pickle 

  • Productized design services

• Hey Foster

  • Productized customer support for startups, solo ventures, and e-commerce stores looking to get the founder off inbound support.

• Marvel

  • Content Writing as a service!

• Pocket Dev

  • Software developer as a productized service, can you say unlimited!

• Out Reach Pro

  • Lead Generation done for you!

• Robot Social

  • Social media management done for you.

• Podcast Buffs

  • Podcast editing as a service.

• WP Buffs

  • Wordpress site management done 24/7 for you.

Design Joy, How one man is doing 7 figures alone

Imagine diving into a treasure chest filled not with gold, but with designs so sleek they make Apple products look like they're from the 90s. This is the world of DesignJoy, a one-man wonder that's flipping the script on the design industry, all while raking in a cool 7 figures. How, you ask? By mastering the art of productized design services, DesignJoy has transformed what typically involves back-and-forth chaos into a streamlined, subscription-based paradise. It's like Netflix, but instead of binging on shows, you're feasting on top-tier designs.

For the lone wolves and dreamers itching to carve out their empire from the comfort of their living room, DesignJoy is the beacon of hope. It proves you don't need a Silicon Valley address or a team the size of a small country to hit the jackpot. All you need is a killer idea, the guts to productize it, and perhaps a dash of design flair. So, buckle up, future moguls! Let's dive into how DesignJoy's one-man show is teaching us all a lesson in making it big by keeping it beautifully simple. Your blueprint to 7-figure success without the corporate headaches starts here.

Anyone can productized something they excel at!

In the world of [Your Skill], wielding your wand to cast spells of transformation and innovation. Now, you're thinking, "How do I turn this magical prowess into a towering mountain of gold coins?" Fear not, for the alchemy of productizing your service is about to unfold in your very hands!

First, envision your skill as a boundless treasure chest. To unlock its potential, you must carve it into enchanting artifacts—products that solve not just any problem, but the Dragon-sized pains of your chosen knights and damsels in the business realm.

Next, summon your inner Merlin to craft an irresistible spell—a unique selling proposition that makes your offering stand out like a unicorn in a herd of horses. It's not just about what you do; it's about how you make your clients feel like they've just won the business jousting tournament.

Then, build your castle on the digital clouds. Your online presence is your kingdom's gateway, inviting would-be allies and patrons from across the lands. Use the magic of storytelling to connect, enchant, and convert those who seek your unique powers.

As you embark on this quest, remember: every skill, no matter how niche or arcane, has the potential to be your golden goose. So, polish your wand, plot your course, and let's turn that skill into a 7-figure empire that legends are made of. Ready? Let the adventure begin!

Hey Foster is supporting startups, solo founders, and e-comm stores with outsourced customer support!

Lean more how you can get off the support desk and back to growing your business with outsourced customer support from Hey Foster.

Like a unicorn or goldilocks when bootstrapping a business need to find the perfect community to sell to, it shouldn’t be to generic, but it also can’t be to specific and small.

👇 Lets deep dive into finding a tribe that is just right! 👇

🎟️ Audience is too big?

When you start out looking for your tribe if you find that your community is to large start niching down by adding constraints. We can go back to our frequently used example with dogs, this might be to large for us to start with so we are going to bring it down even further to a specific type of dog owner, Italian Grey Hounds. The one thing that we want to think about when we start to niche down our large audience is do these people communicate with each other, and do they have a community already built up that they interact in?

We also want to make sure as we niche down our community that we like the target niche b/c we are going to be spending a significant amount of time with them. “Talking to prospects about their problems is not only necessary sales tactic, but also necessary for good product development.” - Traction.

💸 If you build it, will they pay?

Sometimes this is described as “Product Market Fit”, but if you build a solution to a niche audiences problem will they be willing to pay for it is what we are trying to figure out ahead of building the product here. Some things to look for are…

• Is there an existing product in the niche?

• Are niche members typically low-wage or have low disposable income?

Think about how easy it might be to scale your company to this community, is there multiple problems they have, opening up opportunities for multiple products. You should also look at is there an existing large player in the field that the community has rallied behind, as this could spell problems for your bootstrapped project.

💪 Does this count as a good fit?

You want to find a niche that includes decision makers, this allows you to market directly to the person making the purchasing decision, there is a reason door to door sales people ask “Can I speak to the owner of the home”. You don’t want to get tied up with corporate BS here. Ideally this market will be underserved and the customers will appreciate that your looking to solve their problems. This allows you to continue to grow your tribe.

🚩 Red flags in your community!

As a bootstrapped company picking the wrong community could spell the end of your journey before it ever starts. Look out for a few red flags when looking for your tribe.

• Someone else is selling something similar to my product or service in the community

• The target community isn’t already buying this or its not a problem costing them time or money.

• The community isn’t emotionally charged over the problem.

• Someone else has tried and failed to sell to this community.

Things to weed out in your search here are lazy offers, something like a post for 10/20% off posted directly to the community. This offer didn’t build value or trust so doesn’t count as a red flag in my book.

As I learned from growing a past company if you are going to bootstrap your product expect a long hard road in the B2B space and more so if you will need C-Suite approval or are selling a product that will need company wide by in to use. If you see these problems in your community look for something else.

🎁 Wrap Up

When you find your Goldilocks community it will be just the right fit for your bootstrapped startup. It could feel just like sleeping in the right bed but come with a life changing outcome. Spend time doing the research to find the right community b/c they are the ones that will give you your next business idea.