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  1. My First Million
  2. 4 dumb ideas that made people rich
4 dumb ideas that made people rich

4 dumb ideas that made people rich

My First Million · Jan 23, 2026

"Dumb" ideas like foam hats, naming stars, and fireplace videos can make millions. Discover the genius behind simple, viral businesses.

The 'Feedback is a Gift' Mantra Transforms Corporate Culture From Defensive to Receptive

A host shares a story of a coach who taught that giving feedback is a 'gift' because it requires the giver to care and risk conflict. Adopting this mindset helps teams 'receive' criticism instead of just 'taking' it, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

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4 dumb ideas that made people rich

My First Million·a month ago

Fast-Follow Merchandising Turns Live Sporting Moments into Immediate E-commerce Sales

Companies can now use fast dropshipping infrastructure to create and sell merchandise based on moments that happen in a game, launching a store within an hour. This rapid response model capitalizes on peak fan excitement before it fades.

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4 dumb ideas that made people rich

My First Million·a month ago

The International Star Registry Proves Intangible Products Can Generate Millions by Selling Emotion

The International Star Registry sells the 'service' of naming a star, which has no actual scientific or legal standing. It's a pure marketing product that succeeds by tapping into sentimentality and creating a veneer of officialdom, like storing its records in a Swiss vault.

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4 dumb ideas that made people rich

My First Million·a month ago

Copywriter Joe Sugarman's 'Value Framing' Technique Turns Mundane Features into Premium Selling Points

Legendary copywriter Joe Sugarman marketed a cheap Casio watch by rebranding its standard aluminum as 'space grade aluminum' because NASA used it. This technique of reframing mundane facts creates perceived value from ordinary components.

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4 dumb ideas that made people rich

My First Million·a month ago

Niche, Meme-Driven Sports Merchandise Can Outsell Generic Team Gear

Foam Party Hats' 'cheese grater' hat for Bears fans went viral after a player wore it, driving $500k in sales in a week. This shows how timely, clever, fan-specific merch can create massive, sudden demand that traditional, 'vanilla' products miss.

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4 dumb ideas that made people rich

My First Million·a month ago

Niche 'Ambient Channels' on YouTube Are a Growing Content Goldmine

Beyond simple white noise, YouTube has a thriving ecosystem of 'ambient channels' that combine a specific aesthetic (e.g., 'Old Money Brazil,' '1980s Finance') with genre music (e.g., lo-fi, bossa nova). These highly specific, mood-based channels are attracting large audiences.

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4 dumb ideas that made people rich

My First Million·a month ago

High Achievers Succeed by Not 'Getting Bored of Greatness' With Their Processes

Reflecting on legendary shoe salesman Larry Jolton's repetitive success, the host coins the phrase 'don't get bored of greatness.' Many talented people fail because they abandon proven, boring processes for new challenges. True mastery comes from consistent execution of what works.

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4 dumb ideas that made people rich

My First Million·a month ago

E-commerce Giant Rakuten Forces All Employees to Clean the Office Weekly to Build Discipline

Japanese multi-billion dollar company Rakuten has a unique cultural rule: every Tuesday, all employees worldwide stop working for an hour to clean. This practice is designed to instill discipline and the idea that focusing on small, foundational details leads to excellence in larger tasks.

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4 dumb ideas that made people rich

My First Million·a month ago

Billionaire John Catsimatidis Proves a 'Gunslinger' Mindset Can Trump Niche Expertise

John Catsimatidis became a billionaire by successfully building businesses in three completely different, high-difficulty industries: grocery stores, charter aviation, and oil refining. His story shows that a generative, risk-taking entrepreneurial drive can be more valuable than deep domain knowledge.

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4 dumb ideas that made people rich

My First Million·a month ago

BirthdayAlarm.com's Founder Found His Million-Dollar Idea in a Failing Product's Customer Feedback

Michael Birch's original idea for an auto-updating address book was failing. By handling customer service himself, he noticed users loved one minor feature: birthday reminders. This insight led him to pivot and create the highly successful BirthdayAlarm.com.

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4 dumb ideas that made people rich

My First Million·a month ago

Legendary Salesman Larry Jolton Proves a 'Championship Mindset' Creates Excellence in Any Field

A 1983 news clip profiles Larry Jolton, America's #1 shoe salesman. His success stemmed from an obsessive process: serving multiple customers at once, home delivery, and relentless energy. It's a powerful example of applying an elite, competitive mindset to a seemingly ordinary job.

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4 dumb ideas that made people rich

My First Million·a month ago

A Single 10-Hour Fireplace Video on YouTube Created a Millionaire

A YouTube channel named '10 hour fireplace' consists of just one video: a 10-hour loop of a crackling fire. This single piece of ambient content has amassed over 150 million views, likely generating over a million dollars for its creator. It's a masterclass in low-effort, high-reward content.

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4 dumb ideas that made people rich

My First Million·a month ago