Community Reveals Business Opportunities

Sam and Shaan discuss finding business opportunities by identifying emerging trends through niche online communities, particularly those that are initially mocked or dismissed by mainstream media but later become widely adopted.

Key Points:

• Find Niche Communities:

  • Search Reddit, Twitter, or forums for specific hobbies/interests
  • Look for dedicated groups of "freaks" deeply passionate about specific topics
  • Study communities that are living differently from mainstream society

• Examples of Trends That Started in Niche Communities:

  • Intermittent Fasting
    • Initially mocked when Microsoft executives did it
    • Now widely accepted and practiced
  • Wearing Masks (pre-COVID)
    • VCs were ridiculed for wearing masks to conferences
    • Became standard practice globally
  • Meditation
    • Started as a niche practice
    • Became "the new yoga"

• Current Emerging Trends to Watch:

  • Stem cell treatments
  • Blood platelet spinning
  • Gene editing
  • Advanced medical scanning (Mayo Clinic style)

• Investment Strategy:

  • Don't dismiss unusual behaviors or lifestyles
  • Lean into understanding why people are adopting these practices
  • Getting in early provides investment advantage
  • Look for patterns of what Silicon Valley adopts before mainstream

The key insight is to identify and study communities practicing unusual behaviors before they become mainstream, as these often indicate future widespread trends and business opportunities.