Curiosity Drives Profit

Shaan Puri shares insights about successful entrepreneurs who found opportunities by following their curiosity into unexpected niches, rather than chasing obvious trends. He emphasizes how this approach led to significant business success, even in seemingly unlikely industries.

• "Fish where the fish swim, not where the fishermen stand"

  • Look for opportunities in unexpected places
  • Don't just follow what everyone else is doing

• Success Through Following Curiosity:

  • Jesse Itzler discovered Zico coconut water through running 100-mile races
  • Someone built a $100M+ business selling board games
  • A quilting company founder bought an entire town to create "Disneyland for quilting"

• Unconventional Business Approaches:

  • Content-to-commerce strategy by Chernin Group
    • Saw value in "small" content brands like Barstool
    • Believed content creators could sell products to their audience
  • Investing in unexpected areas like:
    • Women's sports
    • College sports programs
    • Niche content brands

• Key Success Patterns:

  • Independent thinking over following the herd
  • Deep diving into specific niches
  • Finding opportunities in overlooked markets
  • Building businesses around genuine interests
  • Turning seemingly small opportunities into significant ventures

• The Power of Curiosity-Driven Business:

  • Success comes from exploring uncharted territories
  • Value exists in markets others might dismiss
  • Personal interests can lead to unique business insights
  • Being willing to look where others aren't looking