Open Startup Metrics
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Peter Levels pioneered the "Open Startup" movement, sharing all business metrics publicly while building multiple successful online businesses.
Core Business Model
- Created multiple successful online platforms
- Nomad List ($531k/year)
- Remote working Slack community ($10/member, 6000+ members)
- Rebase (Portugal relocation service)
- Transparent revenue sharing across ~8-10 different sites
- Currently tracking towards $3M annual revenue (shown via Twitter meter)
Open Startup Framework
- Publicly shares all key metrics:
- Daily revenue
- Daily signups
- Total customers
- Page views and traffic sources
- Website uptime
- Environmental impact (CO2 removed)
- Github commits
- Meetups organized
- Live streaming events
Business Strategy
- Identifies emerging trends quickly
- Creates simple, viral, profitable solutions
- Example: Rebase
- Spotted Portugal's tax incentives for remote workers
- Built streamlined relocation service
- Pricing tiers:
- $150 - Initial consultation
- $650 - Portuguese residency setup
- $150/year - Tax filing service
- Quickly reached capacity (300 calls/month vs 50 planned)
Brand Building
- Uses creative marketing techniques
- Twitter location shows revenue progress meter
- Easter eggs throughout websites
- Focuses on transparency to build trust
- Known for being ahead of remote work trends
- Described as an "artist who happens to make money"
Sam Parr
Host of MFM and fitness influencer
Sam Parr is a serial entrepreneur and business media pioneer.
In 2016, he founded The Hustle, a business news media company that started in his kitchen with just $12 and grew to eight figures in revenue.
Sam led the charge in making newsletters popular when few believed in their potential.
After four successful years, he sold The Hustle to HubSpot, a publicly traded company. Now operating as HubSpot Media, The Hustle reaches 3 million readers daily, employs a team of nearly 100, and has been the launchpad for dozens of its staff to found their own media companies and newsletters.
Sam remains the host of the popular business podcast, My First Million, and continues to start and sell companies. He also co-founded Hampton, a highly vetted community for entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs, and teaches people to write better through his platform, Copy That.