How to use your "useless” hobby to make money
Executive Summary
My First Million episode 858, where Sam Parr and Shaan Puri discuss how people turn strange hobbies into businesses. In the opening, Shaan describes a New York perfume tour run by Asia Grant of Scent Social Club, compares it to Nick Gray's Museum Hack tours, and argues that enthusiasm can be a moat and that it is better to be the only one than the best. The description also lists segments on mafia tours, Dolly Parton and LeBron James. Sponsor: the description promotes Hampton and Somewhere and links a HubSpot business ideas database. PARTIAL COVERAGE: this note is based on the opening perfume tour and Museum Hack discussion and the description, and does not cover the mafia tours, Dolly Parton or LeBron James segments of the roughly 57 minute episode. All figures and claims are the speakers' own and are not independently checked.
Key Takeaways
Becoming the only
He says you do not want to be the best, you want to be the only, by whittling away the generic parts of what you do.
The perfume tour
He describes Asia Grant, a former consultant obsessed with perfume, who leads tours of New York perfume stores.
How the tour works
He says she sends a form in advance, then picks three stores and three perfumes or clones per store matched to each guest.
Three kinds of customers
He says private tours cost about 500 dollars, and she also runs group tours and corporate work.
Museum Hack
He says Nick Gray's museum tours grew to about 3 million dollars in revenue over three or four years by charging about 200 dollars.
A small twist
He says showing five pieces of art you would love to steal was the twist that made the tour different.
Enthusiasm is contagious
He says he does not care about perfume but caught the guide's enthusiasm, and sees it as a moat.
The Conversation Breakdown
Becoming the only
⏱ Untimed topicHe says you do not want to be the best, you want to be the only, by whittling away the generic parts of what you do.
The perfume tour
⏱ Untimed topicHe describes Asia Grant, a former consultant obsessed with perfume, who leads tours of New York perfume stores.
How the tour works
⏱ Untimed topicHe says she sends a form in advance, then picks three stores and three perfumes or clones per store matched to each guest.
Three kinds of customers
⏱ Untimed topicHe says private tours cost about 500 dollars, and she also runs group tours and corporate work.
Museum Hack
⏱ Untimed topicHe says Nick Gray's museum tours grew to about 3 million dollars in revenue over three or four years by charging about 200 dollars.
A small twist
⏱ Untimed topicHe says showing five pieces of art you would love to steal was the twist that made the tour different.
Enthusiasm is contagious
⏱ Untimed topicHe says he does not care about perfume but caught the guide's enthusiasm, and sees it as a moat.
Core Frameworks & Ideas
Be the only - Shaan's rule
Refine your offer until it is the thing only you do well.
Enthusiasm as a moat - his view
Let genuine passion make an ordinary experience hard to copy.
Small twist, big difference - Museum Hack
Add one distinctive angle to a commoditised experience and charge for it.
Actionable Next Steps
- ✓List the generic parts of your offer and cut one this week.
- ✓Write one twist that would make a free or standard version of your offer feel special.
- ✓Pick a passion you have and sketch a paid tour or experience around it.
- ✓Treat the revenue and price figures as the speakers' own and verify them before repeating them.
Notable Quotes
“enthusiasm can be a moat in a business”
“you don't want to be the best, you want to be the only”
“I'm going to show you five pieces of art that I would love to steal today.”
The One Thing to Remember
Shaan Puri says enthusiasm can be a moat, using a perfume tour and Museum Hack as examples of turning a niche passion into a paid experience.