A look inside how we actually run My First Million

About this video

Sam and Shaan conduct a strategy meeting for My First Million, recorded live, discussing what’s working and what isn’t with their podcast. They prioritize three major initiatives: building a clipper army to create short-form content across social platforms, being more intentional about guest selection (aiming both higher and lower on the spectrum), and improving guest prep through creative visual elements and ritualistic questions. They also explore but deprioritize ideas like newsletters, live events, and community meetups.

Key takeaways

• Sam argues that prioritizing authenticity and personal interest over metrics-driven decisions leads to better podcast energy and guest chemistry; chasing viral moments creates Sunday scaries and lower enjoyment.
• Shaan identifies short-form clips as the biggest untapped opportunity—they previously ran a successful bounty program that generated 20 million impressions in one month but stopped doing it, and should revive this approach aggressively for 90 days across X, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn.
• Guest selection should use a barbell approach: book either mega-popular guests talking about new topics or deeply unknown but insightful people, while deprioritizing ‘middle’ guests; also explicitly pursue topics like parenting, happiness, and life philosophy that differ from their typical business focus.
• Pre-episode guest prep should include creative artifacts (calendar screenshots, desk photos, phone home screens, Chrome plugins) and a ritualistic closing question to unlock personal, idiosyncratic stories that other podcasts aren’t capturing.
• Sam emphasizes the importance of prework and async written input before meetings to surface honest thinking, a practice he learned from Amazon, since most people don’t think well on the spot in front of large groups.

Episode details: published May 15, 2026 · 21K views · 46:42 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. The business ideas, figures and results discussed are the hosts’ and guests’ own claims, shared as brainstorming and entertainment — not verified facts and not investment advice.

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