Stole an Idea, Built It in 12 Hours, Sold for $15K in 8 Days (Exact Playbook)

Stole an Idea, Built It in 12 Hours, Sold for $15K in 8 Days (Exact Playbook)

Author: Greg Isenberg July 26, 2025 Duration: 37:34
Join me as I chat with Josh Pigford, who took an idea from Idea Browser, built a tool called NameSnag for finding expired domains, and sold it for $15,000 within eight days. The conversation explores Josh's rapid development process, including how he leveraged AI tools like Claude for naming and coding, created branding, and used Twitter to build momentum and find customers. Josh emphasizes the importance of shipping quickly rather than aiming for perfection. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 01:26 - NameSnag Backstory 04:44 - Explanation of domain acquisition strategy 13:29 - Branding NameSnag 19:12 - Building Hype through Building in Public 29:28 - Biggest Takeaways from Josh's story 30:58 - What Josh would have done differently 33:17 - Q&A about selling side projects Key Points: • Josh saw a viral tweet about an AI tool for finding expired domains and decided to build it • He publicly committed to building the project on Twitter, which created accountability • He named the product "NameSnag" and secured both .com and .ai domains • Josh documented his entire build process on Twitter, generating interest and early customers • He sold the project for $15,000 just 8 days after starting it The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.com LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/ Boringmarketing - Vibe Marketing for Companies: boringmarketing.com The Vibe Marketer - Join the Community and Learn: thevibemarketer.com Startup Empire - a membership for builders who want to build cash-flowing businesses https://www.skool.com/startupempire/about FIND ME ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/ FIND JOSH ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://x.com/Shpigford Personal Website: https://joshpigford.com

Greg Isenberg, the CEO of Late Checkout who has previously advised platforms like Reddit and TikTok, hosts a twice-weekly conversation designed to spark entrepreneurial thinking. The Startup Ideas Podcast is less about dry business theory and more about opening a window into the process of identifying opportunities. Each episode serves as a catalyst, presenting listeners with actionable concepts and the reasoning behind them. You'll hear Greg dissect market gaps, consumer behaviors, and emerging trends, translating them into tangible ideas for potential ventures. The aim is to build a consistent habit of creative exploration, pushing beyond the initial "what if" to consider the "how" and "why." This podcast functions as a regular dose of inspiration for anyone feeling stuck in a rut or simply curious about the mechanics of building something new. It’s a resource for aspiring founders, side-hustlers, and innovators who appreciate seeing the blueprint before the ground is broken. Tuning in means joining a forward-thinking dialogue where the next big idea might just click into place.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Startup Ideas Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Hermes Agent App Clearly Explained (and how to use it) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:48
In this episode, I sit down with Alex Finn for a full, screen-shared walkthrough of Hermes Desktop, the new desktop home for the Hermes AI agent. I open with a clear challenge: by the end, sell me on installing Hermes De…
Codex Sites Clearly Explained (and how to use it) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:41
In this solo episode I walk through Codex Sites end to end, building a real internal tool live so you can copy the exact workflow. I open by comparing Codex Sites with one-prompt tools like Replit and Lovable, then const…
The Next $100B Market: Selling To AI Agents [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:00
In this solo episode, I break down the shift from a human-first internet to an agent-first one, where AI agents become the customers that discover, evaluate, pay, and recommend. I map the agent buying journey and the new…
Google's Biggest AI Announcements (I Was There) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:42
Live from Google I/O, I sit down with Logan Kilpatrick from the Google DeepMind team to unpack everything Google just announced and what it means for founders, developers, and anyone trying to build with AI right now. We…
9 Huge Startup Opportunities in the AI Boom [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:23
I sit down with my friend Jonathan Courtney, a.k.a. Jicecream, to dig into the 9 biggest startup opportunities I see right now across B2C, AI, mobile, and IRL. We each pick ideas, trade reactions, and pressure-test them…
Andrew Wilkinson: AI Agents run my business and life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:02
If you want more workflows and tactics to build a business with AI, check out this free workshop: https://www.ideabrowser.com/workshop I sit down with Andrew Wilkinson and we go deep on how he's restructured his work, hi…
The $1M+ Solo AI Agent Business (Full Course) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:55
Nick agreed to personally set up your Orgo in a 15 min call: https://startup-ideas-pod.link/orgo_ai I sit down with Nick from Orgo to break down exactly how to run a one-person AI agent business that can realistically cl…
7 tiny AI agent ideas I built with Genspark Claw [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:52
Get started building your tiny AI Agent business with Genspark Claw: https://www.genspark.ai/?utm_source=po&utm_campaign=GregIsenberg In this solo episode, I share seven tiny, cash-flowing startup ideas you can build wit…
My AI Design Workflow That Doesn't Ship Slop [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:01
I sit down with Meng To for his second appearance on the pod to dig into design md, Google's newly open-sourced format for capturing the soul of a design and porting it across every medium and tool. Meng walks me through…
Hire a team of AI Agents [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:27
I'm joined again by Imran Muthuvappa to walk through how to build your own AI Chief of Staff using a tool called Nebula. Imran shows me how to spin up specialized agents that handle the work a real chief of staff would d…