In partnership with

GM. This is Needs to Exist (aka NTE), delivering you a podcast idea that uncovers the real roots of success—and proves that podcasting can be as lucrative as any startup, especially when built around a unique angle anyone can run with.

Sign up now for NTE Pro and get access to 2,658 startup ideas (and growing).

We partnered with Apollo, the all in one AI Sales platform for you to get 50% off now so make sure to Sign Up Here

Check out all the past newsletters here

Here’s what we’ve got for you today.

• Daily Idea - Parents Behind Greatness Podcast

• Podcasts as Businesses

Podcast Idea: How Legends Are Really Made

Inspired by this tweet

The One Liner

Success secrets—straight from the people who raised legends.

The 140 character tweet (or X) version

Ever wonder how top performers became top performers? This podcast interviews their parents to find out what really shaped them.

The Longer Story Version

The Problem

We all love a good success story. But most of them start at chapter 12.

You hear about the founder who sold their company for $100M. The athlete who made it to the Olympics. The artist who blew up on Spotify.

But no one talks about the quiet mornings, the awkward teenage years, the kitchen-table pep talks, or the parents who laid the foundation before any of the glory.

That’s a miss.

Because if you're a parent, a mentor, or just someone trying to raise greatness—this is the stuff you need to hear.

The Solution

What if you could get a backstage pass to the playbook of parenting greatness?

Here’s the podcast:

Each episode, we interview the parents of world-class performers. The ones who raised VCs, CEOs, athletes, and artists—not the people themselves, but the ones behind them.

We’ll ask:

• How did they handle failure?

• What rules did they live by?

• Did they push, or chill?

• How did they actually support the dream?

The conversations are raw, real, and full of surprising gems.

How We’d Build It

Here’s the MVP:

• Booking guests: Use PeopleDataLabs or Clay to find who’s crushing it—and then track down their parents via LinkedIn + whitepages combo (yes, we’re going old school).

• Research: Use Rewind AI or Liner.ai to surface every obscure interview clip, blog post, or tweet the family has ever posted.

• Recording stack: Riverside.fm + Descript for remote interviews and editing.

• Distribution: Transcripts → newsletters via Beehiiv → reels via OpusClip.

• Community loop: Add a "Parents of Ambitious Kids" Substack comment thread or Circle community for shared insights and debate.

Bonus: Add a “Playbook Edition” email where each episode is summarized into tactical takeaways for modern-day parents.

Why It Needs to Exist

Everyone talks about success. No one talks about what grows it.

This flips the camera. It’s not about glorifying hustle culture or tech bros—it’s about the environment that shaped them.

It’s for parents who want to raise winners. For teachers. For coaches. For anyone who’s trying to pass something down.

And if you are successful? Maybe it’ll help you pick up the phone and say thanks.

Start learning AI in 2025

Everyone talks about AI, but no one has the time to learn it. So, we found the easiest way to learn AI in as little time as possible: The Rundown AI.

It's a free AI newsletter that keeps you up-to-date on the latest AI news, and teaches you how to apply it in just 5 minutes a day.

Plus, complete the quiz after signing up and they’ll recommend the best AI tools, guides, and courses – tailored to your needs.

Sign up to start learning.

Needs To Exist Pro

$99/year to steal ideas that could change your life

💡 2,658 and Growing Proven Startup Ideas
From side hustles to $100M+ plays—ready for you to take and run.

⚡ Insanely Fast Search
Sort by category, theme, or goal. No filler. Just bangers.

🧠 Brains You Can Borrow
We read the newsletters, scan the research, stalk the founders—so you don’t have to.

🛠️ Blueprints, Not Just Ideas
Validation steps, first hires, monetization models, MVP tips. It’s not theory. It’s “do this next.”

🎁 And yeah... we’re adding new ones every single day.

→ If you’re serious about building, this is your unfair advantage.
→ If you’re not, scroll past—but don’t say we didn’t tell you.

Become a Pro. Steal our ideas. Make them yours.

Podcasts Are Just Startups in Disguise

Everyone's chasing the next big SaaS.
But some of the best startup opportunities today?
They’re hiding in plain sight… wearing headphones.

Let’s talk podcasts—not as hobbies, but as businesses.

Podcasts = Tiny Startups

Think about it. A podcast has:

• A niche product (the content)

• A distribution channel (Spotify, YouTube, RSS)

• Monetization levers (ads, subscriptions, merch, affiliate, events)

• Founder-market fit (aka you caring about the topic)

• Network effects (guests bring audience → grow → attract better guests)

It’s a startup with near-zero capex. All upside, no dev team.

And unlike building a SaaS tool or app, you can launch a podcast this weekend.

So How Do You Come Up With a Podcast That Prints?

Here’s how to think about it:

1. Steal from What Already Works

Look at successful podcasts—then change the lens.

• “How I Built This” → “How They Raised That” (parents of founders)

• “Smartless” (celeb convos) → “Smartmore” (deep dives with obscure geniuses)

• “Diary of a CEO” → “Diary of a Failure” (founders who flopped)

Tool: Use Podscribe or Rephonic to analyze shows by topic, guest, and audience size.

2. Make the Guest the Distribution

This one’s killer:
Pick a format where every guest wants to share the episode.
You win by proxy.

Examples:

• “First 10 Customers” → founders love telling this

• “The Investor Pitch” → let founders do their actual pitch, Shark Tank style

• “The Email That Changed Everything” → guests read & explain a pivotal email

Tool: Clay + Apollo = infinite guest leads.

3. Design for Money From Day 1

Podcasting is only "unmonetizable" if you go broad and boring.

Here’s what works:

• Niche = $$
  e.g. podcast for Shopify store owners → sell sponsorship to ecomm SaaS

• Affiliate Content
  Talk about tools, books, services → use Geniuslink to geo-optimize affiliate links

• Build Once, Sell Twice
  Record → repurpose into a course, book, paid newsletter

Pro move: Turn transcripts into blog content w/ Castmagic.io

4. Podcasts Are Trojan Horses

A podcast isn’t just audio. It’s a:

• Biz dev engine

• Backdoor into high-value convos

• Excuse to email anyone

• Reason to show up weekly

And sometimes… it turns into something bigger (book deal, SaaS, community, etc.)

Bottom Line:

If you think podcasting is just talking into a mic, you’re missing the real game.

It’s a startup. Low risk. High upside.
You build distribution, brand, leverage—and maybe even luck.

🧠 Try this: Pick a niche you care about. Ask:

• Who would I pay to talk to every week?

• What’s the weird angle no one’s tried?

• How can I get my first 10 guests this month?

You’re not just starting a podcast.
You’re starting a media company in disguise.

One More Meme