MI334: Confessions of an Entrepreneurial Addict w/ Chris Koerner
发布时间 来源
Episode 设置
播客节目中，我们与克里斯·科纳 (Chris Kerner) 进行了一场引人入胜的对话。他是一位连续创业者，创立了20多家公司，并在多个不同行业成功出售了五家估值达七到八位数的企业。他目前经营着一家名为“Co-Founders”的控股公司，在节目中，他深入探讨了这家公司以及他独到的新创企业启动方法。
科纳的核心商业模式“Co-Founders”专注于发掘和培养创业人才，尤其是大学生。他强调，他不在乎申请者的GPA或专业，只看重他们是否拥有内在的“创业基因”，这体现在他们是否曾通过自身努力“赚到一美元”。除此之外，他还寻求三个关键特质：谦逊（乐于学习）、感恩（珍惜机会）和高能量。对于选中的个人，“Co-Founders”提供三个商业想法供他们选择、一份薪水、一个时间表以及对所选想法的全额资助。作为回报，“Co-Founders”将获得多数股权（51-70%），并提供实战指导，引导创业者完成建立成功企业的每一个步骤。这种模式让科纳能够将他众多的商业想法付诸实践，而无需亲自管理每一个项目，而是利用年轻、可塑性人才的积极性。
科纳自己的创业历程充满了丰富多样的经历。他回忆了为耶稣基督后期圣徒教会（The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints）在匈牙利进行的两年传教之旅，在那里他学会了坚韧和沉浸式体验，在没有持续与家乡联系的情况下开展工作。他早期的“摸爬滚打”包括从沟渠里捡高尔夫球来卖，这使他从小就掌握了基本的商业原则，并受到了一个名叫丹尼的“新泽西州搞钱能手”的影响。这种早期的沉浸式经历巩固了他的商业敏锐度。
“Co-Founders”旗下的现有企业包括：
* **挖矿联盟 (Mining Syndicate)：** 一家销售加密货币挖矿硬件及服务的公司，作为矿工的数据中心。
* **德州零食 (Texas Snacks)：** 一项独特的业务，在线转售Buc-ee's（一家热门的德州连锁加油站）的产品。科纳意识到Buc-ee's没有在线销售，于是利用“首次销售原则”建立了一项成功的业务，并在仔细品牌重塑后最终获得了Buc-ee's的认可。
* **快速树木护理 (Fast Tree Care)：** 一家传统的树木修剪业务，展现了他对多元化行业的兴趣。
* **Volterra：** 一家人工智能软件公司，旨在帮助专业护理机构进行医疗账单处理，目前处于营收前阶段。
* 德克萨斯州韦科市的一个房车公园，突显了他对房地产的持续兴趣。
科纳还分享了他过去引人入胜的轶事，包括在2017年加密货币热潮期间与约翰·迈克菲 (John McAfee) 建立的意外合作关系。他开发了一种算法，可以根据社交媒体上的炒作来预测山寨币的走势，尽管迈克菲以难以接触而闻名，他还是成功达成了一项合作，让迈克菲在推特上宣传该项目以换取利润分成。尽管山寨币市场最终崩盘，但这项尝试展示了科纳在识别市场机遇和利用影响力方面的创新方法。
他的投资理念直截了当：“永不卖出”策略，尤其适用于比特币和长期持有的股票。他认为比特币是黄金的优越替代品，注定会达到显著的估值，并利用“摩擦”（复杂的密码、多因素认证）来阻止市场波动期间的冲动性抛售。他在2008年通过利用首次购房者税收抵免进入房地产领域，最终转向移动房屋公园（mobile home parks），他更倾向于这种以土地租赁而非拥有房产为基础的模式。
除了商业，科纳还分享了个人生活中的胜利。他曾体重达260磅，通过采用生酮饮食彻底改变了健康状况，随后开始跑超级马拉松，完成了14场比赛，其中包括一场139英里的赛事。这一经历让他对耐力和毅力有了深刻的理解。最令人动容的是，他谈到了女儿与肺动脉高压的抗争，这需要进行双肺移植。这一深刻的经历促使克里斯和他的妻子都成为活体肾脏捐献者，这源于他们的感恩之情和回馈社会的愿望，凸显了器官捐献的迫切需求。
克里斯·科纳的故事展现了永不满足的好奇心、战略性的执行力，以及在商业和生活中对学习与奉献的深刻承诺。
The podcast episode features an engaging conversation with Chris Kerner, a serial entrepreneur who has founded over 20 companies and sold five 7-8 figure businesses across diverse industries. He currently runs a holding company called Co-Founders, which he discusses alongside his unique approach to launching new ventures.
Kerner's core business model, Co-Founders, is centered on identifying and nurturing entrepreneurial talent, particularly college students. He emphasizes that he doesn't care about GPA or major, only that candidates possess an inherent "entrepreneurial gene" demonstrated by having "made a dollar" through their own initiative. Beyond this, he seeks three key qualities: humility (willingness to learn), gratitude (for the opportunity), and high energy. For selected individuals, Co-Founders provides three business ideas to choose from, a salary, a timeline, and full funding for the chosen idea. In return, Co-Founders takes a majority equity stake (51-70%) and offers hands-on mentorship, guiding the entrepreneurs through every step of building a successful business. This model allows Kerner to act on his numerous business ideas without directly managing each one, leveraging the drive of young, moldable talent.
Kerner's own entrepreneurial journey is rich with diverse experiences. He recounts his two-year mission trip to Hungary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where he learned resilience and immersion, operating without constant connection to home. His early hustles included selling golf balls from ditches, taught him foundational business principles from an early age, influenced by a "New Jersey hustler" named Danny. This early immersion solidified his business acumen.
Among his current ventures under Co-Founders are:
* **Mining Syndicate:** A company selling crypto mining hardware and services, acting as a data center for miners.
* **Texas Snacks:** A unique business reselling Buc-ee's (a popular Texas-based gas station chain) products online. This venture arose from Kerner realizing Buc-ee's didn't sell online and, leveraging the "first sale doctrine," he built a successful business that eventually gained Buc-ee's blessing after careful rebranding.
* **Fast Tree Care:** A traditional tree-trimming business, illustrating his interest in diverse industries.
* **Volterra:** An AI software company aimed at helping skilled nursing facilities with medical billing, currently in pre-revenue phase.
* An RV park in Waco, Texas, highlighting his continued interest in real estate.
Kerner also shares captivating anecdotes from his past, including a surprising partnership with John McAfee in 2017 during the crypto boom. He developed an algorithm to predict altcoin movements based on social media hype and, despite McAfee's notoriously unreachable nature, secured a partnership where McAfee promoted the venture on Twitter for a share of profits. Although the altcoin market eventually crashed, this venture showcased Kerner's innovative approach to identifying market opportunities and leveraging influence.
His philosophy on investment is straightforward: a "never sell" approach, especially for Bitcoin and long-term stock holdings. He believes Bitcoin is a superior alternative to gold, destined to reach significant valuations, and uses "friction" (complex passwords, multi-factor authentication) to prevent impulsive selling during market volatility. His entry into real estate began in 2008, taking advantage of the first-time homebuyer tax credit, eventually leading him to mobile home parks, a sector he favors for its land-lease model over property ownership.
Beyond business, Kerner shares personal triumphs. Once weighing 260 pounds, he transformed his health by adopting a keto diet and subsequently started running ultra-marathons, completing 14 races, including a 139-mile event. This experience instilled in him a deep understanding of endurance and perseverance. Most poignantly, he discusses his daughter's journey with pulmonary hypertension, which necessitated a double lung transplant. This profound experience led both Chris and his wife to become living kidney donors, driven by gratitude and a desire to pay it forward, highlighting the critical need for organ donation.
Chris Kerner's story is one of relentless curiosity, strategic execution, and a profound commitment to learning and contributing, both in business and in life.
摘要
In this week’s episode, Patrick Donley (@JPatrickDonley) sits down with serial entrepreneur, Chris Koerner to talk about his holding company, Cofounders and the unique way he launches new entrepreneurial ventures. You’ll also hear what it was like for Chris to be a missionary for two years in Hungary, a crazy story about partnering with John McAfee, how he got involved in bitcoin mining, his experience doing ultramarathons, why living organ donoring became extremely important to him, and so much more!
Chris Koerner has started over 20 different companies and currently runs a holding company called Cofounders. He’s started and sold five 7-8 figure businesses in five different industries and loves the game of business.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN
00:00 - Intro.
02:37 - What Chris’ experience was like being a missionary in Hungary.
07:44 - What some of his early hustles as a teenager were.
10:15 - How he got started writing and honing his craft.
10:37 - How Twitter has affected his career.
12:36 - How he has structured his holding company, Cofounders.
14:01 - How he incubates new entrepreneurial ideas.
15:44 - What are the qualities he looks for in people he partners with.
16:01 - How he created a company selling Buc-ee’s products.
27:03 - What Chris thinks about there being an entrepreneurial gene.
28:59 - How he got connected with John McAfee.
34:24 - When he got involved with bitcoin mining.
37:10 - How he developed conviction in Bitcoin and what his price predictions are.
39:10 - How he handles the volatility of Bitcoin.
39:56 - When and how he first got involved with real estate.
45:21 - Why he loves mobile home park investing.
46:59 - What an average day for Chris is like.
48:19 - What is Parkinson’s Law.
50:44 - How he comes up with creative business ideas.
54:16 - Why he got into ultramarathons.
61:07 - How Chris and his wife became living organ donors.
*Disclaimer: Slight timestamp discrepancies may occur due to podcast platform differences.
BOOKS AND RESOURCES
Join the exclusive TIP Mastermind Community to engage in meaningful stock investing discussions with Kyle and the other community members.
For more information check out: National Kidney Registry.
Check out: REI192: Building an Empire w/ Nick Huber | YouTube video.
Check out the books mentioned in the podcast here.
NEW TO THE SHOW?
Follow our official social media accounts: X (Twitter) | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok.
Check out our Millennial Investing Starter Packs.
Browse through all our episodes (complete with transcripts) here.
Try Kyle's favorite tool for picking stock winners and managing our portfolios: TIP Finance.
Enjoy exclusive perks from our favorite Apps and Services.
Stay up-to-date on financial markets and investing strategies through our daily newsletter, We Study Markets.
Learn how to better start, manage, and grow your business with the best business podcasts.
SPONSORS
Support our free podcast by supporting our sponsors:
Fiscal.AI
Connect with Patrick: Twitter
Connect with Chris: Website | Twitter
Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm
Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm
Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm
Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm
Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm
Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm
Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm
Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm
Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm
Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm
Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm
Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm
Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm
Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm
Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm
Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm
Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm
Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm
Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm
Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm
Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm
GPT-4正在为你翻译摘要中......
