Nikonomics - The Economics of Small Business 290 - Best of 2025! The Catfish That Launched a Business: The Story of Sam's List with Kimi Green
Mar 26, 2026
Kimi Green, founder and CEO of Sam's List who built a marketplace connecting people to accountants and CFOs, tells the quirky origin story of a random text that launched a startup. She recounts thinking she was being catfished, shifting a side project into full-time leadership, and why SEO, content, authentication, and trust-focused design became the company’s growth playbook.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
How A Random Text Became A Company
- Kimi thought she was being catfished when Sam Parr texted her about Sam's List because they only interacted years earlier via a Google form.
- She verified him by checking a matching email in spam, Instagram DMs screenshot, and finally a FaceTime where Sam panned to his wife and baby, proving it was real.
Set Stark Stakes To Force Commitment
- Sam framed the opportunity bluntly: the project would either be an incredible opportunity or a funny story, which set clear stakes for commitment.
- That framing pushed Kimi to treat the role seriously and avoid being replaceable in a high-inbound founder's ecosystem.
Leaving A W-2 Triggered By A Hampton Box
- Kimi juggled a run club marketplace and a newsletter while working her W-2 when Sam repeatedly FaceTimed asking about Sam's List.
- Her CEO's Hampton box on his desk and calendar stalking confirmed overlap with Sam's network and accelerated her decision to quit.