Leveling Up with Eric Siu

Why Clubhouse Will Fail In today's episode, Eric continues his series on Clubhouse by explaining some of the major obstacles facing its success. He talks about how he became addicted to it, built up a following, and spent a significant amount of time on it, before dropping his usage by 90%. Hear about the problems with Clubhouse's execution, monetization, and follower retention, as competitors like Twitter and Facebook launch their own versions.   TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:19] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:23] How Eric started using Clubhouse in December 2020. [00:54] Clubhouse’s success among course-creators and coaches. [01:26] How Eric ended up spending 30 to 40 hours a week on Clubhouse. [02:12] Why Eric’s usage of Clubhouse dropped to 4 hours a week. [02:41] The emergence and threat of copies by competitors like Twitter and Facebook. [03:08] Copying may not kill you: Snap Chat / Snap is still successful despite being copied. [03:33] The problem with Clubhouse’s android app. [03:52] The threat of Clubhouse being ‘out-executed’ by its competitors.  [04:29] How people are not spending as much time on Clubhouse as they did in the past. [04:32] The question of monetization. [05:49] Despite its problems Eric hopes that Clubhouse succeeds. [06:02] Let Eric know your thoughts in the comments, subscribe, and like.   Resources From The Interview:   Clubhouse    Leave Some Feedback:     What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed     Connect with Eric Siu:      Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter    

In today’s episode, Eric shares the SEO strategy that he has found to be significantly more valuable than link-building: relationships. Find out how he came to believe that content and links were the two most important things for SEO and the lengths he went to to get links before he realized that relationships were far more beneficial. Tuning in today, you’ll also learn how you can build relationships and establish networks that will get you links but also have a much bigger payoff in the long term. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:13] An introduction to today’s topic. [00:19] A breakdown of Eric’s businesses and how he came to believe that the two most important things for SEO are great content and links.  [01:00] Creating linkable assets, guest posts, directory links, and other things Eric did in the past to get links. [01:44] How social media and email provide touch points for building relationships.  [02:03] Eric shares examples of the time-consuming nature of relationship building. [04:08] Why you should focus on relationships rather than links.  [04:28] By fostering relationships, you're no longer just asking for links; you’re building a network and forming partnerships and collaborations. [04:50] Some examples of how relationships have created networking opportunities for Eric. [05:38] If you focus on long-term relationships, you get so much more than a short-term link. [06:55] Why you should continue to create linkable assets, but prioritize the relationships over the links.   Leave Some Feedback:     What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed     Connect with Eric Siu:      Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter    

In today’s episode, Eric shares his thoughts on Apple’s new Apple Podcasts Subscriptions and analytics feature called Podcast Connect. He explains how one of its features enables podcasters to add different channels for SEO, email, and paid media, among other things, to group or curate episodes. Eric compares this to the membership platform of Supercast and breaks down the pros and cons of each. To find out whether or not Eric will be making use of Apple’s new features and why, tune in today! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:13] An introduction to Apple’s new Apple Podcasts Subscriptions and analytics feature Podcast Connect. [01:09] How Apple has enhanced their podcast analytics: Stepping things up because they have been losing ground to Spotify. [01:29] New feature: You can add different channels for SEO, email, paid media, to group or curate episodes. [01:45] Eric compares Apple Connect to Supercast and breaks down the pros and cons of each: Apple doesn’t provide much data, Supercast takes a percentage of revenue but gives you more control.  [03:04] Some of the features offered by Apple Podcasts Subscriptions: Exclusive content, ad-free listening, and access to additional content. [03:57] Why it may make sense to launch a transcription on both. [04:57] The earning potential from Apple Podcasts Subscriptions. [05:40] How much the Market School Podcast makes per month on subscriptions.  [06:02] A recap: It has analytics from Apple, a Podcast Next section, and the ability to add subscriptions.    Resources From The Interview:   Apple Podcasts Podcast Connect Spotify Chartable Supercast   Leave Some Feedback:     What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed     Connect with Eric Siu:      Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter    

Startup Secrets with Activision Co-Founder Howard MarksWelcome back to another episode of Leveling Up hosted on Clubhouse! Today’s guest is Howard Marks, the legend behind Activision and Acclaim who has recently been pioneering crowdfunded investing with his company StartEngine. We also open up the floor to a bunch of different people in the Clubhouse chat who ask brilliant questions all centered around building a successful startup, from how to land funding to defending yourself from the competition. Tune in today!TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [02:12] The story of acquiring Activision, moving to LA, and the innovations that followed. [12:53] Alisa Jacobs from Queens Gaming Collective introduces herself and her company. [14:48] Further details of Howard’s process of acquiring Activision. [17:10] Trouble Activision was in and Howard’s process of reinvigorating it. [21:36] Feeling things out, thinking in decades, and utilizing lawyers and bankruptcy. [23:48] What drives Howard and why he started StartEngine, and how it has evolved. [38:53] How StartEngine is innovating in the landscape of raising capital using crowdfunding. [44:02] The three core pillars of a successful crowdfund. [45:25] A brief description of how to utilize Clubhouse to connect with new friends. [48:29] Qualities Howard looks for in founders that make him want to fund them. [51:47] Howard’s belief in having an impossible mission and how he arrived at it. [53:59] The mission, values, stated goal, strategy hierarchy. [57:44] What industries Howard is most fascinated with. [59:12] Whether StartEngine invests in Latin American companies. [1:01:45] How to defend yourself against bigger competitors in your industry. [1:03:20] When to start raising capital and what investors look for in early-stage companies. [1:07:52] The importance of aligned KPIs and OKRs with your investors [1:10:25] How the conversation around equity crowdfunding has changed. [1:14:39] Hear how servicing companies would get funding from StartEngine. [1:17:04] Howard’s perspectives on startup opportunities in the cloud gaming sphere. [1:20:47] Creating a minimum viable product and balancing school with entrepreneurship. [1:23:45] Advice on getting the gaming and tech community to adopt your technology. [1:25:50] What is preventing StartEngine from funding thousands of companies per month. [1:27:52] The lack of purpose in pitches by passionate people on Clubhouse. [1:32:50] When to know whether to take on more funding if it is available. [1:36:11] Howard’s favorite game of all time.  Resources From The Interview:  Howard Marks StartEngine Activision MechWarrior 2 Blizzard Alisa Jacobs Queens Gaming Collective Jin Yu  Vezt Inc. Angels and Entrepreneurs Brandon Beck  Leave Some Feedback:   What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed   Connect with Eric Siu:    Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter   

How I Sold $65,000 of Books Using Clubhouse While Clubhouse might not as big a thing that some have been professing it to be, that does not mean that it has no use to you and your business. In today's episode, Eric explains how he used the Clubhouse app to spark $65,000 worth of book sales and the smart methods he used to up-sell certain customers. Tuning in you will hear about NFTs, what it takes to build Clubhouse credibility, and more! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:11] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:29] The rooms that Eric hosted on Clubhouse to boost his sales of Leveling Up. [01:31] Time that Eric spent building relationships on Clubhouse in early 2021.  [02:15] How Eric redirected conversations on Clubhouse to the bulk orders page on his website. [03:50] The possibility of selling NFTs on Clubhouse and the money that is currently being made. [04:44] Concerns about the future of Clubhouse and why it might not beat out its competitors. [05:04] We'll see you tomorrow!  Resources From The Interview:     Leveling Up   Giselle Ugarte Leveling Up Bulk Order    Time Magazine      Leave Some Feedback:     What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed     Connect with Eric Siu:      Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter    

What Is The Creator Economy? Today’s episode is all about the creator economy and what this means for you. Listening in, you’ll hear about the recent success of platforms such as Cameo, Substack, and Clubhouse and how more and more money is going to the creators themselves. We talk about how being a creator and being an entrepreneur are increasingly becoming the same thing and discuss our fundamental desires to create, the many existing channels through which we can create, and how, by making a small investment of time every day, you can become a successful creator. Be sure to tune in today! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:16] An introduction to the creator economy. [00:23] The recent success of platforms such as Cameo, Substack, and Clubhouse. [01:03] How more and more money is going towards the creators themselves.  [01:20] How the creator is becoming an entrepreneur, and the entrepreneur a creator. [02:20] What “creator economy” actually means. [02:55] How the system is reversing: Now you build up an audience and then you build up the business. [03:08] The growing trust in individuals and the growing distrust in large conglomerates and government.  [04:00] The four forms of leverage: code, capital, labor, and media [04:45] The fundamental human desire to create things. [04:50] The things we want to achieve through creating. [05:14] The many opportunities currently available for those who want to be creators. [05:35] The creation versus consumption ratio. [06:06] The time investment required to become a successful creator. [06:25] Like and subscribe for more! Resources From The Interview:   Cameo Substack Clubhouse Garry Tan on LinkedIn  NBA Top Shot   Leave Some Feedback:     What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed     Connect with Eric Siu:      Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter    

Why Clubhouse Is NOT The Next Big Thing Despite us investing a significant amount of time on Clubhouse this year, there are good reasons to believe that the new platform will not, in fact, be the next big thing. The chief reasons for this come down to the amount of hours that are necessary to gain any sort of traction, and the competitors that are rising up to challenge Clubhouse in the drop-in audio game. Tune in to hear all about why you can still use Clubhouse, but should avoid going all-in on it. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:15] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:22] The amount of time Eric has spent on Clubhouse early in 2021. [00:46] Drops in engagement with the platform and the spike in Clubhouse's competitors. [01:27] The difficulty of establishing a user base and how this counts against Clubhouse. [02:29] How copying occurs across these social and business platforms. [02:37] The drop-in audio revolution; no going back from here! [03:28] Healthier usage hours and managing the way to interact sustainably with the app.  [04:21] The ratio of time to value on Clubhouse; difficulty in weighing the immediate benefits. [05:29] Don't forget to subscribe! Resources From The Interview:   Clubhouse Mark Cuban Fireside Slack  Leveling Up  Shaan Puri     Leave Some Feedback:     What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed     Connect with Eric Siu:      Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter    

How to Use AI to Generate Copy for Ads, Social and More with Paul Yacoubian Welcome to the first episode of Leveling Up which is being hosted on Clubhouse! Today’s guest is Paul Yacoubian, Co-Founder, and CEO of Copy.ai. Generating quality content is a huge part of any marketing endeavor, which is why it can be so time-consuming. This problem is slowly fading away though thanks to Copy.ai, which leverages OpenAI’s GPT-3 language-generating library to generate all your content for you! Our conversation with Paul is all about the applications for Copy.ai, his philosophy of building in public, and what libraries like GPT-3 mean for the future of education and business. Paul talks about some of the use cases of Copy.ai, highlighting how it can help users run different copywriting tests very quickly and is a great way of building an audience organically for smaller businesses who can’t afford paid ads yet. Paul also does a great job of explaining the evolution of OpenAI’s GPT libraries and just how high-quality the language generating tools they offer are becoming. We then tackle the subject of building in public, and Paul weighs in on his method of doing this as well as the benefits it offers for building an audience and attracting investor capital. In the last part of the episode, we open up the floor to some of the other participants in the Clubhouse group, and talk about how GPT-3 heralds a future where kids will be building successful companies and retiring before they finish high school! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:41] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:56] An intro into Copy.ai and the copywriting services it offers by leveraging GPT-3. [02:40] How Copy.ai helps users generate new post or advert copy variations for them to test.  [04:44] An explanation of GPT-3, a language generation AI tool that powers Copy.ai. [08:44] The argument for building in public; how Paul has followed Elon Musk’s example. [14:22] Metrics Paul shares in his monthly reports and the role this plays toward building in public. [15:45] Growth rates and MRR for Copy.ai.  [16:35] Paul’s thoughts on the sustainability of a business leveraging an open-source AI. [18:45] Social media channels Paul is showing up on to build his organic reach.  [19:30] Free trials Open.ai offers and how they make money via month-to-month and subscription packages. [22:17] Business trends like the creator and passion economy that Paul is excited about.  [17:05] Why Paul’s favorite business book is Rich Dad Poor Dad. [18:38] A business tool of Paul’s which is a recent favorite. [24:08] The easiest way to find Paul online and learn more about Copy.ai. [24:25] Eric Wu talks about how he is using GPT-3 on this episode’s Clubhouse group. [28:51] The percentage of articles we read on the internet that are AI-generated. [29:21] How the best content creators are using GPT-3. [31:08] A few examples of creative copy written by Copy.ai. [33:06] The next leap of AI-generated content and how Copy.ai will leverage that. [34:29] What AI-generated content means for the school syllabus and the future of business. [39:29] How kids will retire before finishing high school and where they should go to learn business.   Resources From The Interview:   Paul Yacoubian on LinkedIn Paul Yacoubian on Twitter Copy.ai OpenAI Elon Musk Eight Sleep Slack Eric Wu Chris Lu   Must-read book: Rich Dad Poor Dad     Leave Some Feedback:     What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed     Connect with Eric Siu:      Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter    

How to 10x Your Performance with Better Sleep with Eight Sleep CEO Matteo Franceschetti There are three pillars of health: Nutrition, exercise, and sleep. Arguably, sleep is the most foundational of the three because eating well and moving your body can only be effective when you are well-rested. Leading the sleep-tech charge is Eight Sleep, a company specializing in smart mattresses. CEO Matteo Franceschetti joins us to shed light on the business and the importance of sleep more generally. We hear about Matteo’s background in cleantech and the pride he takes in running companies that aim to improve the world. Eight Sleep has a dual vision: To compress sleep so that customers get better sleep in fewer hours and to save lives through heart-rate monitoring and embedded sensors. We gain insights into some of the company’s product offerings and the specific ways they help clients. Matteo also shares his sleep and health routine and offers details about his thermal shock, fasting, and keto practices. We also touch on what life in Miami has been like so far and how Matteo and his wife, Eight Sleep’s other founder, Alexandra, work together. Tune in to hear it all! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:21] Before we jump into today’s interview, please rate, review, and subscribe to the Leveling Up Podcast! [00:22] Get to know today’s guest, Matteo Franceschetti. [00:48] The impetus for founding Eight Sleep; leveraging technology to get better sleep. [01:20] Details about the cleantech businesses Matteo had before starting Eight Sleep. [02:02] What has driven Matteo to use tech to make the world a better place. [02:44] Insights into Eight Sleep’s two-pronged vision.  [03:16] Eight Sleep’s core product line and how they help people. [04:00] Sleep is the foundational pillar to health and longevity, more than nutrition and exercise. [04:30] The numerous adverse effects of poor sleep. [05:20] Matteo’s bedtime routine and some of the tools he uses to aid his sleep. [06:39] How Matteo’s restless leg syndrome has nearly disappeared. [07:20] Some of Eight Sleep’s numbers, including funds raised and products sold. [08:35] Matteo’s take on life in Miami and what he enjoys about living in his new hometown. [10:10] Some of Matteo’s nutrition and fitness habits that contribute to his healthy lifestyle. [11:23] What is working well for Eight Sleep’s customer acquisition.  [12:32] Resource recommendations to learn more about sleep.  [13:10] Some of the tools Matteo has incorporated into his life over the past year. [14:05] How Matteo and his wife, Alexandra, navigate working together. [16:00] A few of Matteo’s must-read books.  [16:23] The most compelling thing Matteo has read in recent time.  [17:08] Where to go to find Matteo online.   Resources From The Interview:   Matteo Franceschetti Matteo Franceschetti on Twitter Eight Sleep Elon Musk   Why We Sleep   Levels Peter Attia Tonal Peloton Normatec Alexandra Zatarain Must read books: The Almanack of Naval Ravikant, The Daily Stoic, Shoe Dog   Leave Some Feedback:     What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed     Connect with Eric Siu:      Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter    

Today, we're going to talk about what's actually more important than Link Building. We learn that two of the most important things are Content and Links. But when you look at big and successful websites, they did not beg for links, the just created REALLY GOOD content, and went beyond just links. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:27] - Two Important Things [01:16] - Social Media As a Seed To Build A Relationship [01:40] - Eric's Experience On Clubhouse Connecting With Other People [03:19] - Foster The Relationship You’re Building [03:39] - Link is on the bottom of the list [05:09] - Should you focus on the smaller things? [05:42] - Think about the long term goals [06:27] - Relationships over links [06:37] - Outro   Leave Some Feedback: What should I talk about next? Who should I interview? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments below. Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please leave a short review here Subscribe to Leveling Up on iTunes Get the non-iTunes RSS Feed   Connect with Eric Siu: Growth Everywhere Single Grain Eric Siu on Twitter