{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Startup Ideas Podcast","title":"How he validated Kettle and Fire with just $50 (Now a $100M Company)","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1533,"description":"Join me as I chat with Justin Mares, Founder of Kettle and Fire, as he explains his methodical approach to validating Kettle and Fire before fully launching it in 2014-2015. He created a basic landing page with a PayPal checkout to test if people would pay $29.99 for bone broth, achieving a 30% conversion rate despite having no actual product. The conversation highlights how modern AI tools have dramatically lowered barriers to entry for entrepreneurs testing new business ideas\nTimestamps:\n• 00:00 - Intro\n• 01:05 - The Scale of Kettle and Fire\n• 01:20 - The Initial Idea and Inspiration\n• 02:16 - Validating Market Demand\n• 04:03 - Addressing Skepticism on Market Research\n• 06:00 - Testing Pricing and Demand\n• 08:48 - Bing Ads and Early Revenue\n• 12:22 - Leveraging AI for Business Today\n• 13:42 - Finding Passion-Driven Problems\n• 15:28 - Identifying Trends and Tools\n• 20:15 - ChatGPT 4o for Initial Product Design\nKey Points\n• Justin shares how he validated and launched Kettle and Fire, now a nine-figure bone broth business\n• He used a minimal landing page, Fiverr logo, and Bing ads to test market demand before creating the product\n• The validation process focused on identifying if enough people wanted the product and if they would pay enough\n1) The \"Day Zero\" validation strategy that worked:\nJustin wanted bone broth for his own health but couldn't find it online. Before creating anything, he asked two critical questions:\n• How many people actually want this?\n• Will they pay enough to make it a viable business?\nSmart validation = less risk.\n2) Finding your TRUE market size:\nJustin didn't rely on gut feeling. He went where his potential customers hung out:\n• Paleo forums\n• CrossFit communities\n• Reddit threads\n• Mark's Daily Apple\nHe found FANATIC engagement around bone broth recipes, sourcing, and benefits\n3) The Google Trends hack \nJustin checked macro trends to confirm his micro observations.\nHe wasn't looking to build a 9-figure business at 24 - just wanted to...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/FKoXr5OLiZdOYfReDgptI8VuMi2SbzeIX0KekbZtrjo/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS81NWZj/ZDMxZTIzNGQ1MTAx/NDk3OGFlNTQ2OGQ3/MGZiYi5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}