TKS: The Karnjanaprakorn Show

I had a conversation with Ryan Sneddon, who has built a successful local email newsletter in Annapolis, Maryland. We discussed the playbook for building a local business empire, and we both pitched different business ideas in real estate and YouTube.

Guest

Ryan Sneddon runs Naptown Scoop, a local newsletter serving Annapolis, Maryland. He's built an audience of over 18,000 (nearly half the town's population) and is building a local empire.

Links

In this episode, I share three career failures: not getting into business school, the failure of my first startup, and the ten pivots we went through at Skillshare.

READ

Tarpit ideas seem promising but trap founders in companies that are hard to scale. The first version of Skillshare was trapped. I also share a list of common tarpit ideas. Stay away from these!

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro

02:33 Skillshare

06:02 List of Tarpit Ideas

READ MORE

I compiled a list of my ten most important life decisions. There are many more, but these were the top decisions I made before I turned 40. I also share some thoughts on how to best make those decisions.

LIFE DECISIONS

1. Who should I marry?
2. Should I have children?
3. Where should I live?
4. Which career should I pursue?
5. How should I manage money?
6. What healthy habits should I adopt?
7. What calculated risks should I take?
8. What values and beliefs should I uphold?
9. Which relationships should I nurture and maintain
10. What hobbies and interests should I explore?

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro

00:41 Life Decisions

03:09 Being Right

04:02 The Click

05:47 Reflecting

BLOG POSTS

In this episode, we discuss what happens after you sell your company. Ben sold his company to Zapier in 2021 for an undisclosed amount, but it was enough for Ben to retire from working. We discussed why he sold the company, what he did in the first year, and the wave of emotions he felt after selling the company. We also talked about how he spent the money and what he’s investing in today. I also picked his brain on how he’s building an AI Assistant.

GUEST

Ben Tossell writes an AI Newsletter, Ben’s Bites, and invests in early-stage AI startups. He was previously the founder of Makerpad, a no-code education site, which was acquired by Zapier. He also just launched a new community called Acquired Founders.

LINKS

In this episode, we bring back Safwaan Kay to discuss trends in technology, culture, and business. We cover polyamory, AI wearables, and buying iconic internet brands.

GUEST

We reached a big milestone today. We reached the top 1% of podcasts by publishing our 21st episode. In this episode, I'll share some lessons learned, along with the future direction of the podcast.

PODCAST

The Karnjanaprakorn Show is where I explore unique ideas across life, startups, and technology. As the former founder of Skillshare, I am now following my curiosity and going down intellectual rabbit holes. This show follows that journey, exploring topics like longevity, investing, emerging technologies, living a fulfilling life, and more.

HOST

In this episode, we discuss Personal Holding Companies (PHCs) that center on your personal interests, passions, and lifestyle. Yong-Soo shares his experiences and provides practical advice on how anyone can take a similar path. We also cover trends like AI and the development of healthy habits. The main takeaway from this discussion is that aligning your personal and business interests is very possible.

GUEST

Yong-Soo is a serial entrepreneur bootstrapping his business from $0 to $20m in over 8 years.

LINKS

I chat with Henrik Werdelin (co-founder of Barkbox) about pursuing interests rather than goals for starting companies, based on the idea of open-endedness. We also talk about how Henrik using AI to crystalize his ideas, longevity protocols, and his 8+1 framework for life planning.

GUEST

Henrik Werdelin is an entrepreneur and author best known for co-founding Bark / Barkbox (NYSE Listed $BARK). As well as starting Prehype, a venture building research and development group headquartered in New York.

LINKS

I was curious about buying software-based businesses so I reached out to Justin Duke who started Third South Capital. We talk about his journey from working at Stripe to starting his own company to acquiring five software companies.

GUEST

Let's talk about startup fundraising. Why are startups so hard? What's the game that you play when you raise from a VC? What I would do if I were to start a company today?

CONNECT

I chat with Myles Snider on finding your purpose or ikigai. We also explore his unique approach to cooking instruction that focuses on principles rather than recipes. We also talk about seed oils, ways to detoxify your kitchen, and why you shouldn't use plastic cutting boards. We end the show brainstorming a business idea around creating a healthier American burger joint.

GUEST

I wrote my most viral tweet about the trend of friends moving next door to each other. In the tweet, I explore why I think this idea went viral, why more people aren't doing it, and different models of how you can live near your friends.

CHAPTERS

00:00 - Introduction 02:11 - Impact on Happiness 03:24 - Challenges 06:36 - Different Models 10:06 - My Thoughts 12:09 - Why Don't More People Do This?

CONNECT

Kane Kallway is a content creator who has reached 1B views in less than a year. We thought it would be fun to do a "dual coaching" episode where we talk through challenges of building a personal holding company. I helped him think through monetization and he helped me think through content strategy. This episode is packed with the nitty gritty of what it's like to build a company.

GUEST

Episode #8: In this special edition of the show, we host our very first live episode with Safwaan Kay. We talk about what 20 year olds in SF and what 40 year olds are into right now.

CHAPTERS

00:00 - Introduction

01:23 - AI Friends

11:32 - Longevity Clinics

26:12 - Choosing Where to Live

CONNECT

Episode #7: In this episode, we dive into the life and lessons of 'Hector', a software engineer who accumulated a net worth over $125 million after his company went public in the 2010s. By summarizing a series of Hector's Reddit posts, we distill five key life lessons from his experiences.

CHAPTERS

00:00 - Introduction

00:33 - Background

01:59 - Lesson 1: Luck

03:37 - Lesson 2: Investment

04:56 - Lesson 3: Novelty

06:21 - Lesson 4: Time

07:26 - Lesson 5: Purpose

CONNECT

Episode #6: In this interview, Erik Myers takes us through his journey from experiencing homelessness to building a multi-million dollar sports card collection. He reveals how his past experiences, resilience, and mindset have shaped his success. He shares valuable life lessons and emphasizes the importance of continuous learning, self-belief, and service to others.

CHAPTERS

00:00 - Introduction 04:49 - Early Life and Challenges 09:26 - Struggles and Turning Point 20:42 - Growing the Card Collection 29:42 - Pivotal Moments and Big Moves 33:20 - Power of Self-Belief and Determination 38:08 - Importance of Self-Mastery 48:19 - Joy of Helping Others and Personal Growth 48:34 - Impact of Material Possessions on Character 52:59 - Plan for Future

CONNECT

Episode #5: Every month, I write a newsletter called Tings. It consists of 20 bulleted points on random ideas. In this episode, I decided to provide some commentary behind each point.

Here's the AI-written description: "A new episode of The Karnjanaprakorn Show where the host explores his latest newsletter. He shares thoughts on a variety of topics, and gives some backstory and commentary about why he included certain links and bullet points. Key topics include 'tech optimism', potential of AI-based tutors, new productivity tools, a critical review on a popular health drink ID'd as 'Olipop', book recommendations, and discussions on the concept of manhood. The host also shares his perspective on global progress, his belief in universal basic income and the need to optimize time. The overall conversation balances productivity hacks, health tips, future trends, and philosophical discussions."

CONNECT

Episode #4: We talk about “protocol daddies” like Andrew Huberman, explore the archetype for the right male role model, and how emotional intelligence fits into that.

GUEST

Johnny Bowman is the co-lead the Brooklyn Chapter of All Kings, a men's group focused on supporting formerly incarcerated men.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro

01:53 Physical Health

11:03 Protocol Daddies

25:00 Men’s Groups

41:45 Creating a Life Mission

57:00 Active Listening

LINKS FROM THE SHOW

Episode #3: I asked AI to write this episode’s description. Here it is! “My journey grappling with societal labels and feeling pigeonholed into certain roles due to these labels. I stress the importance of not allowing societal labels to dictate who you are, embracing your creative side, and carving out your own unique path. I use the analogy of the 'Second Mountain' to explain my shift from focusing on self-definition to nurturing my creative expression. I also share my vision for creating a personal holding company focused on creative projects that balance personal expression with societal benefit.”

CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 00:47 Labels and Societal Expectations 02:52 Balancing Creativity and Business 04:56 Repressing Creativity 05:23 First and Second Mountain 06:18 Personal Holding Company 10:14 Lessons Learned

Episode #2: I chat with Ryan Vaughn about midlife transitions, letting go of externally created identities, and the role of psychedelics in self-discovery.

GUEST