Napkin Math

Stolen Code, ChatGPT Images & Building the Next Silicon Valley in London

Charlie & Sabba — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0100

A founder's stolen app, AI image gold rushes, and why London might just be the next Silicon Valley — all on the back of a napkin.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:41 - The stolen app story
08:54 - Lessons from the App Store
11:36 - Vibe shuffles & business opportunities
20:00 - Vibe coding education
24:36 - ChatGPT image model
28:31 - AI designer niches
37:36 - Cursor's $60B acquisition
40:57 - London Maxing movement

How to Make a Million from Wellness Apps & Building on Rising Tides

Charlie & Sabba — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0100

Saba and Charlie break down the $6.8 trillion wellness industry — period tracking, peptides, air quality, and sleep tech — then pivot to how the best founders (Dario Amodei, Brian Armstrong, Reed Hastings, Elon Musk) spotted emerging markets before anyone else. They close with a hot take on Anthropic's rumoured vibe coding platform and what it means for Lovable and Replit.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
01:06 - Wellness sector breakdown — the $6.8T opportunity
04:01 - Period tracking, peptides, air quality & sleep apps
25:30 - Building on Rising Tides — why bet on fast-growing markets
27:20 - Founders who got in early: Dario, Brian Armstrong, Reed Hastings, Elon
36:55 - AI agents, humanoid robots & the infrastructure plays
44:11 - Anthropic's vibe coding platform & impact on Lovable/Replit
49:00 - Anthropic's brand strategy

Lego's Near-Death & Anthropic's Insane Growth: Lessons in Focus, Culture & Strategy

Charlie & Sabba — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0100

How Lego nearly went bankrupt by losing sight of its core product and what it teaches us about culture, focus, and CEO decisions. Plus, a breakdown of Anthropic's jaw-dropping $30B run rate and what's fuelling it.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro
02:04 - Lego deep dive - origin, near-bankruptcy & recovery lessons
19:15 - The "wrong CEO" trap & staying focused as you scale
34:49 - Anthropic culture - Dario's 40–50% time investment
37:22 - Anthropic's growth: $3B → $9B → $30B in one year
41:17 - Why the "focus on coding" strategy is winning
49:36 - OpenAI acquires TBPN - what's the real play?

Lego vs. S&P 500, The Claude Code Leak & Why Google Acquiring a Company Is the Best Signal to Build

Charlie & Sabba — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0100

Sabba and Charlie are back with a packed episode spanning alternative asset classes, the growing wave of security vulnerabilities in vibe-coded software, and a deep dive into what it really means for Anthropic to be "winning enterprise." They also break down the accidental Claude Code source map leak, debate whether angel investing is just an expensive hobby, and uncover a surprisingly massive opportunity hiding in the hay fever market.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro
00:39 - Alternative Investing: Lego, collectibles & vintage tech vs. S&P 500
17:10 - Cybersecurity: npm supply chain attacks & vibe coding security risks
31:10 - The Claude Code source map leak
37:58 - Anthropic vs. OpenAI: What "winning enterprise" really means
40:19 - Ideas vs. Execution & the reality of angel investing
49:43 - The hay fever market & the Breezometer opportunity

$1M Boomer App Ideas, Why OpenAI Killed Sora & How to Hire Insanely Talented People

Charlie & Sabba — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +0100

This week Charlie and Saba dig into $1M app ideas hiding in boomer hobbies, why OpenAI killed Sora and what it says about focus, and how to hire the most talented people. Saba's joining remotely from Sicily 🇮🇹, commitment to the pod is real.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro
01:02 - $1M Boomer App Ideas
18:48 - OpenAI Shuts Down Sora
24:39 - The Importance of Focus
34:25 - How to Hire Talented People
45:38 - Open Floor Meetup Recap
52:11 - Moats in an AI World

How to Build AI Products in 2026, The Most Underrated Marketing Channel & The Big Lie About Competition

Charlie & Sabba — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Sabba and Charlie cover how to build AI products in 2026 with Sabba's MAGIC Framework, why Threads might be the most underrated marketing channel, the big lie about competition, and how AI is giving content creators new ways to extend their work.

Timestamps:

00:52 - First hate mail, we're famous now
02:01 - Why Sabba tore up the entire Q2 roadmap
06:32 - The MAGIC Framework, building AI products in 2026
25:47 - Creativity Maxing, the Channel Surfer viral story
28:28 - Threads is bigger than X (and massively underrated)
32:52 - The Big Lie About Competition
40:28 - AI & Content Creators, giving your IP away to grow

How to Get Startup Ideas in 2026, OpenClaw Business Opportunities, Londonmaxxing, and more

Charlie & Sabba — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Saba and Charlie introduce the BROTH framework for finding validated startup ideas, dive into the Open Claw (AI agents) hype, break down Bending Spoons' private equity playbook, and celebrate the London Maxing movement, plus debate whether Charlie invented vibe coding.

Timecodes:

00:00 - Intro
00:38 - The BROTH Framework, how to find pre-validated startup ideas
25:06 - Competitive positioning strategies (more for more, less for less, etc.)
32:15 - Story: founder who sold their company and is now looking for a job
34:59 - Open Claw meetup, is AI agents a new product category?
42:17 - Bending Spoons acquires Eventbrite, breakdown of their PE playbook
47:18 - Meetup's dark patterns (and live app investigation)
55:50 - Podcast milestone + like & subscribe
57:13 - London Maxing movement & the UK AI fund
59:14 - Did Charlie invent vibe coding?
65:45 - Should they buy lawyers.ai? Live negotiation
66:51 - Sign-off

Cal AI’s Acquisition, Sabba’s 2 SaaS Growth Hacks for 2026, Intercom’s AI Pivot

Charlie & Sabba — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Saba and Charlie do napkin math on the Cal AI acquisition by MyFitnessPal, share two must-do growth strategies for 2026 (API-first and Social SEO), and break down how Intercom bet the whole company on AI and won.

Timecodes:
00:00 – Intro

00:33 – Cal AI Acquisition Breakdown

19:20 – Growth Strategy #1: Go API-First

29:33 – Growth Strategy #2: Social SEO

36:46 – How Intercom Saved Itself with AI

44:27 – The Future of Outcome-Based Pricing

49:28 – Wrap up

He Built a $1M/Month SaaS After an $8M Exit | Tibo Maker

Charlie & Sabba — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +0000

From an $8M exit to building it all again, Tibo is one of the most unique SaaS builders we’ve met. In this episode, we unpack his regrets after selling, the exact playbook behind his $1M/month portfolio, how he stays viral on X, and what building in the AI era really looks like, all while balancing life as a dad.

00:00 Intro & the $8M exit reality
02:07 $1M/month portfolio breakdown
06:15 Building in public & authenticity in the AI age
16:32 Running 5 companies at once
23:03 Finding product market fit & growth tactics
29:39 How Tibo ships so fast (stack & vibe coding)
39:13 Hacking the X algorithm
45:41 The future of AI video
54:22 Does your company have an AI-native product?
60:30 What do you do with $1M/month?

Is OpenClaw the First $1B Solo Company? API-First Products, Brand Rituals & Buying a Top-Level Domain

Charlie & Sabba — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 06:00:00 +0000

We kick things off with B2B SaaS lessons learned from Valentine's Day (yes, really), then spiral into whether the OpenClaw acquisition just produced the world's first one-person billion dollar company and whether Peter Steinberger is the most underrated engineer alive.

From there we get into why most SaaS companies are failing at AI, the rise of API-first and agent-first products, and why the stable SEO blog subscription world of SaaS is quietly dying.

We also do a full napkin math breakdown on what it would actually cost to buy your own top-level domain like dot napkin and whether that's a business worth building. Oh, and Nike invented jogging. We get into that too.

Timestamps
00:00 Intro
00:35 B2B SaaS lessons from Valentine's Day
03:32 How brands invent rituals (Nike, HubSpot, Michelin)
10:46 OpenClaw — was this the first $1B solo company?
18:05 API-first & agent-first products
24:34 Most SaaS companies are failing at AI
29:12 How to stay sane in the AI gold rush
32:21 Napkin Math breakdown: buying a top-level domain
43:34 TLD ideas for the agent era

$70M AI.com Acquisition, Anthropic's Superbowl Shot at OpenAI, $1M Solo Fitness App & Agent Wrapper Boom

Charlie & Sabba — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 06:00:00 +0000

This week we’re unpacking the $70M AI.com move, Anthropic taking shots at OpenAI, the rise of agent wrappers, and a quiet $1M solo app no one’s talking about.

Timestamps:

00:00 – The $70M AI.com Sale
03:10 – The $15M Super Bowl Bet: Does the Math Work?
10:10 – Charlie's Recent Domain Purchase & Do Dot Coms Matter?

18:54 – Getting Scammed by Joe Exotic (B2B SaaS Lessons)

24:32 – The Rise of Agent Wrappers
26:23 – Are AI Agents Killing Jobs?
32:14 – Codex vs Claude Code
38:55 – Anthropic’s OpenAI Attack Ad
42:10 – The $1M Solo Fitness App (Happy Scale Breakdown)

Is OpenClaw’s Hype Real? Are AI Agents Replacing Jobs? What’s the Anti-AI Thesis?

Charlie & Sabba — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 06:00:00 +0000

The Napkin Math duo is back with another episode.

We spend most of this one trying to make sense of AI agents, OpenClaw - the new kid on the block, and why this wave feels messier but more real than the last few.

We talk through hype vs reality, what agents can actually do today, and how work is quietly shifting from roles and seats to tasks and systems. We also discuss AI fluency levels, how people are using Claude Code in real marketing workflows, one-person companies, and end with the Anti-AI portfolio.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro

01:15 OpenClaw & the agent breakout moment

06:52 Hype vs. reality: shiny tools, boring winners

09:45 The Dropbox lesson: abstraction beats raw tech

12:43 AI agents, security & where this breaks

19:07 AI vs SaaS, leverage & outcome-based work

24:58 Are AI agents actually killing jobs?

28:23 Levels of AI fluency (and how people keep jobs)

37:26 Using AI to save your job, not lose it

45:18 Installing skills: marketing, SEO, CRO, execution

47:12 When agents go wrong: prompt hijacking & trust

52:03 The anti-AI portfolio (what AI won’t replace)

57:18 Why live experiences still win

How Jonny (Founder of Remotion) Got 14M Views on X in a Day

Charlie & Sabba — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 14:20:16 +0000

The duo is back with another episode, and this time we’ve got a guest. Jonny Burger, founder of Remotion, joins us after accidentally pulling 14M+ views overnight on X. We chat about vibe coding, prompting motion graphics with Claude, and why building with AI feels different right now. We also get into how Jonny handled the sudden attention, the noise, and acquisition offers that followed.

Timestamps:

(0:17) Remotion goes viral (accidentally)

(2:25) Prompting motion graphics with Claude

(6:54) How Jonny has been building for 5 years

(10:33) Claude’s GPT-4 moment + vibe coding

(15:25) Why Remotion won’t go full B2C

(19:57) AI agents, local tools, and seat-based SaaS breaking

(32:14) What 14M views actually did to revenue

(40:07) Acquisition interest & choosing freedom

(46:43) Real-world Remotion use cases (marathons, automation)

(50:36) Europe vs. Silicon Valley + marketing lessons for devs

Is Claude the New ChatGPT? Is Peter Thiel a Billionaire? Meta-Manus, $1M Plank Biz, Solo SaaS Rise

Charlie & Sabba — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 13:41:14 +0000

We have some news!!!

Napkin Math Podcast is now live on YouTube.

The episode starts with a life update (Sabba’s new baby) and somehow turns childbirth into actual B2B SaaS lessons. From there, it spirals into whether Peter Thiel is really a billionaire, why Claude feels like another GPT-4 moment, and how vibe coding is accelerating the rise of one-person companies.

It then breaks down Meta’s Manus acquisition, a bootstrapped $1M planks business hiding in plain sight, X’s push into blogs, and finishes with Elon’s ever-expanding list of beefs.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
00:27 Sabba’s B2B SaaS lessons from childbirth
08:00 Is Peter Thiel a billionaire?
09:57 Claude’s GPT 4 moment
10:49 Vibe Coding Frenzy
14:45 Ralph Wiggum AI agent
19:01 AI vs seat-based SaaS
23:22 Boom of one-person companies
26:11 Meta acquiring Manus
31:07 $1M Secret Planks Business
39:48 Home-reno & logistics startup ideas
43:27 X blogs push, Grok, and Elon’s beefs

Christmas Special: $100M ARR Frenzy, LLM Wars, Sergey’s Comeback, ChatGPT App Store Opportunity, Prediction Markets, 2025 Awards & 2026 Predictions

Charlie & Sabba — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 14:33:41 +0000

Sabba and Charlie are back for a special Christmas episode. A 2-hour deep dive split into two parts.

In the first, the chaps dive into the $100M ARR frenzy across AI startups, break down the Claude Opus 4.5 release, and debate the escalating LLM wars between Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic. They also discuss Sergey Brin’s return to Google, the opportunity emerging around the ChatGPT App Store, and why prediction markets are starting to compete with traditional media.

In the second, they announce the 2025 awards, sharing their picks for the best product, the best trend, the best distribution startup, and the best comeback story, before closing off with their 2026 predictions.

00:00 Intro – Napkin Math Christmas Special
00:53 Why founders can hate Christmas
01:45 Sabba's baby announcement (and life update)

02:55 $100M ARR Frenzy in AI startups
07:56 Google AI Studio & Unfair Advantage
09:47 Are these AI startups actually profitable?
11:37 When will we see $1B ARR companies?
12:21 Replit’s long-term advantage & Opus 4.5

16:10 LLM Wars (Google vs. ChatGPT vs. Anthropic)
17:33 Google’s vertical AI advantage explained
19:47 Sergey Brin’s return to Google
21:19 Is AI a winner-take-all market?

31:09 ChatGPT App Store opportunity
39:58 What's the hype of Prediction Markets
42:47 Startup opportunities around prediction markets
50:25 2025 Napkin Math Awards (Best product, trend, distribution & comeback)
01:02:27 Why Google now leads AI
01:04:12 Bear case for Google
01:06:29 Comparing Google’s position to Nvidia’s rise
01:08:40 Honorable mention (AI Video’s breakout year)
01:09:30 Why models outpaced products in AI video
01:11:40 What to watch heading into 2026

5+ Startup Idea Frameworks and Making Britain Rich Again

Charlie & Sabba — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 08:30:57 +0000

After a mini hiatus the boys are back with a banger. 5 startup idea frameworks you can use to start the next unicorn or profitable bootstrapped business. Plus, they inadvertently start the Ben Tossell fan club, and talk about making the UK rich again.

00:00 Napkin Math - Startup Idea Frameworks
01:43 Startup idea framework 1 - copy your competitors
06:23 Framework 2 - build an indirect competitor
09:02 Framework 3 - build for a growing trend
16:18 Framework 4 - build for new regulations
19:54 Framework 4 - build an Open Source competitor
26:48 Are any frameworks better for bootstrappers?
30:20 Do you need in-market experience before building in that market?
31:45 Characteristics of successful founders
33:43 The end of Claude Code?
35:42 The Ben Tossell fan club
39:23 Make Britain Rich Again - Forest City

B2B SaaS lessons from breaking your leg, VEED's new CTO and AI launch

Charlie & Sabba — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 07:00:00 +0100

After spending weeks in hospital with a broken leg, Charlie has had plenty of time to think about B2B SaaS lessons for the pod, and he delivers. The chaps also chat about VEED's new CTO hire, their Fabric 1.0 launch and brainstorm existing businesses that could inject AI to get to $100m quickly.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
02:07 B2B SaaS lessons from breaking your leg
19:50 Why VEED hired a new CTO
25:15 VEED Fabric Launch
32:03 Existing companies that could inject AI
35:29 Shift to usage based billing
39:48 Why courses are hated

Links:

Crazy Figma IPO, why VPNs have become VERY popular and is DeepMind the best acquisition of all time?

Charlie & Sabba — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 07:00:00 +0100

Today Sabba and Charlie break down the Figma IPO and speculate on which company will be the next Figma. They question whether the chat interface for AI is outdated, and debate if DeepMind might be the greatest acquisition of all time, plus who’s most likely to win the AGI race. They also dig into the UK’s online safety act, why VPNs are booming, and wrap up with a very cheeky “recording blocker” startup idea.

00:00 Intro
01:21 Figma IPO
10:32 Who will be the next Figma
17:25 "Tea app", Uber for X, Tinder for X etc...
27:25 Is the chat interface for AI archaic?
31:08 Is DeepMind the best acquisition of all time?
34:29 Who will win AGI?
37:01 UK's online safety act and the business of VPNs
45:50 Recording blocker free startup idea

How VEED founder uses ChatGPT, Duolingo's $1billion freemium masterstroke and more AI chat

Charlie & Sabba — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 07:00:00 +0100

Sabba talks about how he uses ChatGPT, Charlie talks use cases for Claude Code and the duo debate whether the UK is an impossible place to bootstrap. Sabba also share lessons on hiring top talent early, and dissect Duolingo’s $1billion freemium play (with a 15% churn rate) before comparing it to VEED’s freemium vs free trial approach.

00:00 Intro
00:28 How a VC-backed founder uses ChatGPT
06:52 Use cases of Claude Code
13:25 Napkin Math AI Animation
16:14 Is the UK impossible to bootstrap?
20:34 Hiring great talent early on
25:31 Duolingo's $1billion freemium approach with 15% churn
36:04 VEEDs approach to freemium vs free trial

Loveable's insane raise, how to make $1m with eSIMs and breaking down the most effective growth channels

Charlie & Sabba — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 07:00:00 +0100

The boys are back talking about Loveable's insane growth and $200m raise, the dangers of founder liquidity, plus more AI chat (of course). Charlie turns Sabba into BusinessGuruGPT prompting him with how he'd grow an eSIM business to $1m in a year. All this, and more, in this week's episode of NAPKIN MATH.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro
00:30 Loveable raises $200m
05:58 Jason Lemkin's Replit disaster
09:38 Takeaways from Loveable's raise and the future of AI companies
15:53 Generative content opportunities
18:19 Making £1m from e-sims
30:17 Founder liquidity
40:14 Focusing on a single growth channel
45:25 Are AI influencers important in the future of marketing
48:34 Should we be worried about the AI backlash?
53:30 The seasonality of SaaS

Make £26k profit with fans, Ahrefs for LLMs and print money with an AI automation consultancy

Charlie & Sabba — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 07:00:00 +0100

Sabba and Charlie kick things off with some napkin math on how to make £26k per year in pure profit selling fans, then dive into a the real money maker; an AI automation consultancy. They talk about the rise of the “VEED (or Indie Beers) Mafia,” and discuss JB's Ahrefs-style tool for LLMs.

00:00 Intro
00:20 Portable fan Napkin Math
09:22 Startup idea: AI automation consultancy
15:28 AI for marketing
17:40 The VEED Mafia (Indie Beers Mafia)
19:41 Ahrefs for LLMs
25:16 Why in person events are so important
28:20 The new Perplexity browser
36:05 Why Charlie is pausing his SaaS

Figma going public, SaaS lessons from 50 Cent and the business of Glastonbury (and will Ramen Club become a nation state?)

Charlie & Sabba — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 07:00:00 +0100

After a hiatus that included a weekend at Glastonbury and a failed recording, the boys are back, and they are on fire. They break down the business of the Glastonbury festival and some new startup ideas around it, they talk about the Figma S1 filing and the insane numbers behind the software platform and Charlie talks about the future of Ramen Space potentially becoming a nation state.

Small bets are a terrible idea and how VEED ranked for "AI Video Generator" (SEO Playbook)

Charlie & Sabba — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 07:00:00 +0100

On this episode of Napkin Math, Sabba and Charlie explain why “small bets” are a terrible idea for most founders. They unpack how VEED ranks #1 for “AI video generator” (and other competitive keywords), explore Ben’s idea for a dream analysis app, the surprising business case for astrology, and how AI agents could thrive in markets like Nigeria. Sabba also shares why he believes the global adoption of stablecoins is inevitable.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
00:51 Small bets vs single focus
11:03 How VEED ranks number one for highly competitive keywords
18:32 Ben's dream analysis app
23:48 The business of astrology
29:25 AI agent app in developing markets (Nigeria)
37:17 The adoption of stable coins globally is inevitable - Sabba
41:26 Quick fire round

SaaS lessons from Trump & Musk falling out, TikTok shop business opportunities and why you need to reinvent yourself

Charlie & Sabba — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 07:00:00 +0100

There’s been a major catfight on the internet this week: Trump vs. Elon. So, Charlie did what any good podcast host would do and distilled the best lessons SaaS founders can take from the drama. The guys also share feedback from listeners, chat about opportunities in TikTok Shop, discuss why companies need to reinvent themselves, and of course, Charlie gets Sabba into trouble.

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro
00:32 - B2B lessons from Trump x Musk fallout
03:41 - Napkin Math guest feedback
12:51 - When did VEED get product market fit
15:15 - VEED's 24 hour hackathon
18:24 - Why companies need to reinvent themselves
25:28 - The future of AI for VEED and 11 Labs
31:55 - Business opportunities in TikTok Shop
43:07 - Will ChatGPT be the operating system for AI?
45:56 - Evolution of seat based billing

The cost of VEED's video AI model, did Slack just kill Charlie's SaaS? and LLM business ideas

Charlie & Sabba — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 07:00:00 +0100

Fresh off the launch of VEEDs new AI, Sabba is excited about the company having built their own fully fledged AI model, so breaks down how much it cost to build it. Charlie, meanwhile has had some bad news about his SaaS app, Cosy, potentially being killed off by Slack's new restrictions. The chaps also fire off some "Loveable for X" business ideas, with the main opportunity in gaming.

00:00 Intro
00:30 VEED AI video launch
06:17 How much does it cost to build VEEDs AI video engine
13:05 Platform risk for Charlie's app, Cosy
21:44 Is Apple's 30% cut a good thing?
28:38 Lovable for X business ideas
40:58 VEEDs hackathon

Google's impressive AI launch, Jony Ive's $6b Open AI deal and Sabba's breakfast at the PMs house

Charlie & Sabba — Tue, 27 May 2025 07:00:00 +0100

The boys have made it to 10 episodes, somehow. They are still talking about AI, this time after the impressive Google Gemini launch they discuss the possibilities (including getting a new podcast co-host). Sabba talks about the pastries he had at 10 Downing Street and if they think Jony Ive's $6bn Open AI deal is worth it.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro
00:39 Google's new AI launch
09:12 Future challenges of AI video
16:29 AI powered podcasts
24:02 Claude 4 release
27:43 Jony Ive x Sam Altman
37:48 Sabba's Downing Street breakfast
43:17 Charlie talks AI agents with Monzo ex-CTO

Opportunities in the running space, how to stick to ideas and Dracula's castle

Charlie & Sabba — Tue, 20 May 2025 07:00:00 +0100

Charlie is back from Dracula's castle and Sabba is back from running a marathon. They are both arriving inspired. They do some Napkin Math on the economics of the running industry and the opportunities there, and how long it will be before they can pump out daily Dracula movies.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
04:00 Marathon running breakdown and opportunties
12:35 Runna acquisition Napkin Math
25:18 Building interesting things vs networking
28:31 How to stick to ideas
40:08 How long before we can make feature length AI films
54:32 Ramen Club launch party

Why you aren't working hard enough, big podcast update and a hack for creating luck

Charlie & Sabba — Tue, 06 May 2025 07:00:00 +0100

After 7 beautiful episodes, the MRR show is dead. But fear not, Napkin Math is born from its ashes. Sabba and Charlie discuss the performance of the show, dig into where Sabba invests his angel money, do a business breakdown (some actual napkin math) before going on a tirade on founders why founders aren't working hard enough...

Timestamps

00:00 Intro
00:23 New podcast name
05:27 Podcast growth numbers
16:22 Listener Labs napkin math
23:49 Sabba's angel investing strategy
28:03 Sabba's lunch hack
36:23 How hard do founders need to work?
46:50 Long term vs short term revenue

AI image generation opportunities, how to make an entertaining video and are trade shows worth it for VEED?

Charlie & Sabba — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 12:30:00 +0100

Sabba is tired after being at a trade show all week for VEED, but was it worth it? Sabba and Charlie discuss the cost and results. But there's nothing better than a pick me up recording with BBQ crisp-eating Charlie Ward, who finally has some MRR for his SaaS app. The chaps talk all things AI, opportunities, SaaS drama and more.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro
01:20 How much does a SaaS trade show cost?
05:56 What makes an entertaining video according to VEED
09:32 Rippling vs Deel drama update
11:29 AI image generation opportunities
16:24 Sabba gets upset
19:30 Cool opportunities in the AI image generation space
22:13 AI products to help user research
28:35 Other AI ideas
32:08 Will we get AI fatigue?
33:01 Scam call curiosity
35:34 Loveable 2.0 release
43:41 Charlie has some MRR
46:33 Matthew McConaughey's audiobook

Making money from tariffs, bullish on the UK and the evolution of "make something people search for"

Charlie & Sabba — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 07:00:00 +0100

Sabba went to Sri Lanka and came back with fire in his belly. He's ready to make money from the tariffs and so he discusses with Charlie how he'd do it. This got them thinking about the lack of energy in the US at the moment, and why they're bullish on the UK as a place to build. They wrap up talking about the biggest mega trend to make money with in 2025.

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro
00:27 What Sabba learned about business in Sri Lanka
03:10 VEED's billboard ad cost and results
07:38 Tariffs chat
11:33 Making money from the tariffs
15:25 Europe vs USA vs UK
20:34 The evolution of "make something people search for"
23:27 Sabba's mega trend - AI wrappers
32:17 The future of AI products
37:50 Charlie's coworking space update
44:49 Charlie's vending machine business

The $100m ARR future of VEED, 11x drama and do you need an audience?

Charlie & Sabba — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 07:00:00 +0100

B2B SaaS drama has got spicy recently, with both 11x and Deel making headlines. Sabba and Charlie give their take on why the companies got in hot water and if it's justified. Sabba also gives his thoughts on the future of VEED as they storm towards their $100m ARR goal and what happens next for the company.

Timestamps

00:00 MRR Show 005
01:06 Harry Dry's marketing course
08:02 The 11x drama
14:16 Deel drama
17:50 Do you need an audience?
24:55 Loom exit
31:55 The future of VEED
35:01 Studio Ghibli virality
39:47 The future of AI image generation

UK vs US for startups, Charlie's new coworking space and VEED's NYC subway advertising breakdown

Charlie & Sabba — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 09:08:21 +0100

This week Sabba and Charlie still struggle to get their audio recorded properly* but the content is top notch. Dubbed the UK's answer to My First Million, the two kick off with debating if the UK is better than the US for building a startup. Sabba questions Charlie's sanity starting a coworking space in London, before explaining how much VEED spent on bright green advertising on the NYC subway.

00:00 Intro
00:04 Charlie almost gets robbed by a creative director
03:25 Is the UK a good place to build a startup?
16:09 What to do when you're successful but unhappy
24:45 Charlie's new coworking space
38:34 One thing vs multiple projects
44:33 Breakdown of VEED's NYC subway ad

*(salty Producer James writing this)

ADHD product opportunity, Third Space for martial arts and Project Europe

Charlie & Sabba — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 08:47:19 +0000

Charlie and Sabba are back three weeks later for their weekly podcast, bringing you some banger business ideas. The chaps dive into Exploding Topics and discuss opportunities in ADHD, creating a Third Space style martial arts gym and building a better dentist. They're also bullish on Project Europe.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
02:39 VC fund for consumer brands
05:23 Charlie's consumer trend idea
22:45 Innovating in the health space
24:48 High end martial arts gym
33:38 AI Agents
43:18 Model Context Protocol
49:24 Project Europe

Directories, a d*ck measuring app and a sure-fire $10k MRR idea

Charlie & Sabba — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 14:00:00 +0000

Charlie and Sabba are back, fighting through a challenging remote connection, bringing you a cracking set of business ideas. Charlie brings a few interesting product discoveries from Indie Beers in Lisbon and Sabba stumbled across a $5-10k MRR idea while in a Ford Fiesta.

Timestamps

00:00 The MRR Show ep 2
01:28 D*ck measuring app
03:52 Funeral directory business
08:16 Feedback on episode 1
13:48 Car error code business idea
23:02 How to find new business ideas

(Pilot) AI pets, growth for free and why you should start a sauna

Charlie & Sabba — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 05:16:07 +0000

Hello and welcome to the pilot episode of The MRR Show, with Charlie Ward and Sabba Keynejad. Charlie is the founder of Ramen Club and Sabba is the co-founder of VEED.io. The duo are coming together for this pilot episode, to share their thoughts on SaaS, tech and startups, from the perspective of two successful founders with Charlie being the heart of the london indie community and Sabba running an 8 figure VC backed SaaS. AI is a prominent feature in this first episode, talking about meetups, fine tuning LLMs and being able to talk to your dog.

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro
01:35 - AI Events
04:30 - is Meetup full of grifters?
08:18 - Who is going to be the next billion $ company?
11:18 - Competing against AI
16:56 - How to capitilise on the AI tool trend
24:19 - Character.ai
30:37 - Fine tuning LLMs
35:44 - Loveable for X
37:46 - Build something people search for
41:12 - Micro tool strategy
46:46 - Should you have a free plan
50:34 - Peach.ai
52:12 - Sabba's local sauna