1602
Ish
@ishverduzco #1602
building an Internet Empire:
linktr.ee/ishverduzco
1139 Follower 195 Following
“The tragedy in this line of business [being a founder] is that if you're any good, you're only going to learn by trying what you think you should do.
The job is essentially to be in disagreement with what most people say.
That's how you make real big companies — by doing something despite what people think is the right way.”
- Ben Rubin (Meerkat, Houseparty, Towns)
The job is essentially to be in disagreement with what most people say.
That's how you make real big companies — by doing something despite what people think is the right way.”
- Ben Rubin (Meerkat, Houseparty, Towns)
There's a saying that goes...
"It's not what you know but who you know."
which I think is true
but the further I get in my career, I realize the following to be even more true...
"It's not what you know or who you know, but who knows you and what you're capable of"
One interpretation could be how sharing your story, thoughts, and expertise online increases the surface area for luck to happen to you.
"It's not what you know but who you know."
which I think is true
but the further I get in my career, I realize the following to be even more true...
"It's not what you know or who you know, but who knows you and what you're capable of"
One interpretation could be how sharing your story, thoughts, and expertise online increases the surface area for luck to happen to you.
New episode with @benrbn is live.
We talked about his journey as a 3x founder, why he continues to build products that bring people together, and what he's working on with @towns.
If you're a founder, builder, or creator, you'll love this episode.
Tune in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBaOFZJRNyE
We talked about his journey as a 3x founder, why he continues to build products that bring people together, and what he's working on with @towns.
If you're a founder, builder, or creator, you'll love this episode.
Tune in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBaOFZJRNyE
10 takeaways from my convo Ben Rubin.
(Founder of Meerkat, Houseparty, Towns)
@benrbn
full talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBaOFZJRNyE
(Founder of Meerkat, Houseparty, Towns)
@benrbn
full talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBaOFZJRNyE
no tariffs on building your distribution
Your personal brand is your lifelong distribution engine.
Whether you choose to start a newsletter, build a social presence, or host a podcast, the medium is totally up to you.
But you have to start putting yourself out there.
Especially if you’re a builder, creator, or entrepreneur.
One of the biggest problems founders face is user acquisition.
Yeah, you can build an amazing product, but how do you get the word out?
Paid marketing is getting more expensive.
Growth marketers can be tough to hire (especially if you want someone with years of experience in your specific niche).
My recommendation is to keep an active, steadily growing personal online presence.
This way, you can funnel your audience to whatever projects you’re working on at any given time.
This will also deepen the relationship with your online community since they’ll see your progression over time.
[see rest of post in comments]
Whether you choose to start a newsletter, build a social presence, or host a podcast, the medium is totally up to you.
But you have to start putting yourself out there.
Especially if you’re a builder, creator, or entrepreneur.
One of the biggest problems founders face is user acquisition.
Yeah, you can build an amazing product, but how do you get the word out?
Paid marketing is getting more expensive.
Growth marketers can be tough to hire (especially if you want someone with years of experience in your specific niche).
My recommendation is to keep an active, steadily growing personal online presence.
This way, you can funnel your audience to whatever projects you’re working on at any given time.
This will also deepen the relationship with your online community since they’ll see your progression over time.
[see rest of post in comments]
Advice for those just getting started.
My episode with the King of Memes, Jason Levin is live.
Jason is an entrepreneur, viral creator, and comedian.
He runs Memelord Technologies - the go-to meme editor, and quite literally wrote the book on the subject, "Memes Make Millions".
We cover:
- Why Jason quit his full-time job 6 months ago to build a meme empire
- How Jason created a software product as a non-technical person
- How Jason manages running a software business, an agency, and his online presence
- Advice on how people can make their content more fun and engaging
- How founders can use memes to make more money (or acquire users)
- A major growth hack that Jason is using on X right now
& much more
My favorite quote from Jason:
"We're in the age of infinite leverage."
Find "Internet Empires" wherever you get your pods.
Jason is an entrepreneur, viral creator, and comedian.
He runs Memelord Technologies - the go-to meme editor, and quite literally wrote the book on the subject, "Memes Make Millions".
We cover:
- Why Jason quit his full-time job 6 months ago to build a meme empire
- How Jason created a software product as a non-technical person
- How Jason manages running a software business, an agency, and his online presence
- Advice on how people can make their content more fun and engaging
- How founders can use memes to make more money (or acquire users)
- A major growth hack that Jason is using on X right now
& much more
My favorite quote from Jason:
"We're in the age of infinite leverage."
Find "Internet Empires" wherever you get your pods.
sunday morning
vibey coffee shop
20 oz cup of coffee w/ honey
coconut water from Costco
fully charged MacBook pro w/ strong wifi
Swedish House Mafia 2024 live set playing
zero meetings, plans, or interruptions
just content, writing, & creative work
life is good
vibey coffee shop
20 oz cup of coffee w/ honey
coconut water from Costco
fully charged MacBook pro w/ strong wifi
Swedish House Mafia 2024 live set playing
zero meetings, plans, or interruptions
just content, writing, & creative work
life is good
new pod w/ Brett Williams is live.
Brett shares how he built his $1M/year solo agency, the impact of AI on design, and how he maintains a surprisingly healthy work-life balance.
He also breaks down the process of launching a productized agency, how he gets clients, and the significance of building a distribution machine.
It's been awesome following Brett's journey throughout the years.
He pioneered a new way for creative professionals to maximize their earning potential.
Grateful that he shared the entire playbook with me on the pod.
Here's a snippet from the pod.
🫡
Brett shares how he built his $1M/year solo agency, the impact of AI on design, and how he maintains a surprisingly healthy work-life balance.
He also breaks down the process of launching a productized agency, how he gets clients, and the significance of building a distribution machine.
It's been awesome following Brett's journey throughout the years.
He pioneered a new way for creative professionals to maximize their earning potential.
Grateful that he shared the entire playbook with me on the pod.
Here's a snippet from the pod.
🫡
Brett runs a $1M/year one-man design agency.
No contractors. No assistants. No employees.
He shares exactly how he does it, his distribution strategy, and more.
Episode goes live on Monday.
Get it in your inbox: internetempires.com
No contractors. No assistants. No employees.
He shares exactly how he does it, his distribution strategy, and more.
Episode goes live on Monday.
Get it in your inbox: internetempires.com
Isaac French built and sold a micro-resort in Waco, Texas for $7M (w/ no hospitality experience).
Takeaways from my convo w/ him:
“People are desperate to pay you—after you’ve freely given.”
→ Build trust first. Sales follow.
Airbnb banned his account right after launch.
→ He pivoted to direct bookings and built a brand that couldn't be shut down.
$950 spent on an Instagram giveaway → $40K+ in direct bookings
→ Great content and smart partnerships outperform traditional ads.
“Craftsmanship. Do less, but do it better.”
→ His creative mantra for business, content, and life.
Spent $400K before securing a construction loan.
→ Extreme conviction. He bet on the vision — and won.
Email > social.
→ One Instagram Reel brought in 550 email subscribers from 300K views.
Isaac's X growth strategy:
→ 1 thread every 1–2 weeks, 12+ hours writing, 50% of time on the hook.
Audience > Outcome.
→ He sees his niche, high-trust following as more valuable than the $7M resort exit.
Takeaways from my convo w/ him:
“People are desperate to pay you—after you’ve freely given.”
→ Build trust first. Sales follow.
Airbnb banned his account right after launch.
→ He pivoted to direct bookings and built a brand that couldn't be shut down.
$950 spent on an Instagram giveaway → $40K+ in direct bookings
→ Great content and smart partnerships outperform traditional ads.
“Craftsmanship. Do less, but do it better.”
→ His creative mantra for business, content, and life.
Spent $400K before securing a construction loan.
→ Extreme conviction. He bet on the vision — and won.
Email > social.
→ One Instagram Reel brought in 550 email subscribers from 300K views.
Isaac's X growth strategy:
→ 1 thread every 1–2 weeks, 12+ hours writing, 50% of time on the hook.
Audience > Outcome.
→ He sees his niche, high-trust following as more valuable than the $7M resort exit.
New pod with Kevin Espiritu is live.
If you or anyone in your family watches videos on gardening then you've likely seen his content.
Kevin has a successful gardening brand with millions of followers across blog & social, that also sells physical products including seeds, plants, tools, & raised beds.
In this episode, Kevin shares:
🌱 How he became a full-time gardening content creator & entrepreneur
🌱 The evolution of his brand, Epic Gardening
🌱 The most viral piece of content he accidentally created
🌱 His process for ideating & launching new products
🌱 Advice for early content creators
🌱 His distribution strategy
& more.
Full episode on YT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCa9FlxcjLM&t=18s
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4spWRjhqskr4sKQ0w72bfa
Apple Pods: https://podcasts.apple.com/il/podcast/internet-empires-with-ish-verduzco/id1475792875
Enjoy
🫡
If you or anyone in your family watches videos on gardening then you've likely seen his content.
Kevin has a successful gardening brand with millions of followers across blog & social, that also sells physical products including seeds, plants, tools, & raised beds.
In this episode, Kevin shares:
🌱 How he became a full-time gardening content creator & entrepreneur
🌱 The evolution of his brand, Epic Gardening
🌱 The most viral piece of content he accidentally created
🌱 His process for ideating & launching new products
🌱 Advice for early content creators
🌱 His distribution strategy
& more.
Full episode on YT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCa9FlxcjLM&t=18s
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4spWRjhqskr4sKQ0w72bfa
Apple Pods: https://podcasts.apple.com/il/podcast/internet-empires-with-ish-verduzco/id1475792875
Enjoy
🫡
"Great achievers in whatever domain, all the great ones are obsessed with the great ones who came before them and trying to emulate them."
- Ben Wilson, How to take Over the World
- Ben Wilson, How to take Over the World
current pod setup:
Shure MV7 mic, Roost Laptop stand, MacBook Pro 16 inch, Logitech C922x webcam, ring light, AirPods Pro, Banksy replica, fiddle tree, dawgs
-
recorded an ep with Isaac French today.
He built and sold a micro-resort in Texas for $7M
and he goes mega viral on the other app (millions of impressions per post w/ only 70k followers)
more about Isaac here: https://x.com/isaacfrench_
episode coming soon
Shure MV7 mic, Roost Laptop stand, MacBook Pro 16 inch, Logitech C922x webcam, ring light, AirPods Pro, Banksy replica, fiddle tree, dawgs
-
recorded an ep with Isaac French today.
He built and sold a micro-resort in Texas for $7M
and he goes mega viral on the other app (millions of impressions per post w/ only 70k followers)
more about Isaac here: https://x.com/isaacfrench_
episode coming soon
New pod with the one & only Ben Wilson is live.
Ben produces one of my favorite podcasts, How to Take Over the World.
"On How to Take Over the World, I help you find your heroes and learn lessons from their lives so that you can become a great leader yourself."
In this episode, Ben shares:
→ How he became friends with Mr. Beast via the pod
→ His journey to becoming a Podcaster
→ How he makes a living as a Podcaster
→ His creation process & distribution strategy
→ His most controversial podcast episode
→ Lessons from history's most powerful people
→ His daily routine, cultural upbringing, & current obsessions
Check out "Internet Empires" wherever you get your pods for the full episode.
or on YT here: https://www.youtube.com/@InternetEmpiresPod
And I highly recommend checking out Ben's pod too -- I've listened to the Walt Disney episode at least 7 times.
Also really enjoyed his Ghengis Khan trilogy.
Ben produces one of my favorite podcasts, How to Take Over the World.
"On How to Take Over the World, I help you find your heroes and learn lessons from their lives so that you can become a great leader yourself."
In this episode, Ben shares:
→ How he became friends with Mr. Beast via the pod
→ His journey to becoming a Podcaster
→ How he makes a living as a Podcaster
→ His creation process & distribution strategy
→ His most controversial podcast episode
→ Lessons from history's most powerful people
→ His daily routine, cultural upbringing, & current obsessions
Check out "Internet Empires" wherever you get your pods for the full episode.
or on YT here: https://www.youtube.com/@InternetEmpiresPod
And I highly recommend checking out Ben's pod too -- I've listened to the Walt Disney episode at least 7 times.
Also really enjoyed his Ghengis Khan trilogy.
Huge thank you to @jack for being the first guest on Internet Empires.
I’ve really enjoyed following your journey throughout the years.
Grateful for the opportunity to learn from you.
Who should I interview next?
🫡
I’ve really enjoyed following your journey throughout the years.
Grateful for the opportunity to learn from you.
Who should I interview next?
🫡
I’ve been working on a thesis I will prove over the next decade.
My thesis states that building an online presence is one of the highest-leverage uses of your time (especially as AI commoditizes software, creativity, & productivity).
Building your own distribution leads to massive leverage, resulting in opportunities, freedom, and control over how you live your life.
I believe this is especially true for creative individuals, builders, and people obsessed with their niche. (more about this in my bio)
My plan is simple:
1) Treat my online presence (pod, social, newsletter) like a high-growth media startup.
2) Heavily re-invest back into content, resources, & growth along the way.
3) Build everything in public while highlighting others who are playing out my thesis in real time.
One avenue of how I’ll do this is with my podcast.
It’s called “Internet Empires”.
The first episode w/ @jack Butcher is live now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2xk-LizKt8&t=1656s
Enjoy
🫡
My thesis states that building an online presence is one of the highest-leverage uses of your time (especially as AI commoditizes software, creativity, & productivity).
Building your own distribution leads to massive leverage, resulting in opportunities, freedom, and control over how you live your life.
I believe this is especially true for creative individuals, builders, and people obsessed with their niche. (more about this in my bio)
My plan is simple:
1) Treat my online presence (pod, social, newsletter) like a high-growth media startup.
2) Heavily re-invest back into content, resources, & growth along the way.
3) Build everything in public while highlighting others who are playing out my thesis in real time.
One avenue of how I’ll do this is with my podcast.
It’s called “Internet Empires”.
The first episode w/ @jack Butcher is live now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2xk-LizKt8&t=1656s
Enjoy
🫡
how to hire a social media manager in crypto:
- pay them well
- have fun with the JD
- don’t ask them to manage 8 platforms at once
- be hyper specific with what they’ll do
- use social to source (duh)
- ask candidates to show their work
nice job by the Phantom team
- pay them well
- have fun with the JD
- don’t ask them to manage 8 platforms at once
- be hyper specific with what they’ll do
- use social to source (duh)
- ask candidates to show their work
nice job by the Phantom team
Left:
CEO "Our product is going to change the world of work as we know it"
Right:
smm shitposting via the company account
CEO "Our product is going to change the world of work as we know it"
Right:
smm shitposting via the company account
🫡
246823
Haier (she) 🎩
@haier·19:26 30/05/2024
Another top post from @ishverduzco on X covering (quoting):
"1) Highly Shareable Content
2) Community Questions
3) Endless Community Management
4) Off-platform Promo
5) Tapping Into Existing Networks
6) Memes
7) My Framework"
https://x.com/ishverduzco/status/1795877627955392742
"1) Highly Shareable Content
2) Community Questions
3) Endless Community Management
4) Off-platform Promo
5) Tapping Into Existing Networks
6) Memes
7) My Framework"
https://x.com/ishverduzco/status/1795877627955392742
