The Perfect Business Ep 282

In this podcast, the host delves into the concept of the perfect business, drawing inspiration from Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger. He discusses the importance of a business model that is unique, offers high-value products ('expensive sticky air') with low production costs, and has a product that is habit-forming, ensuring long-term customer retention. The host emphasizes the significance of gross margins, advocating for a business approach that prioritizes profitability and sustainability over short-term gains. Additionally, he outlines the key traits of successful management, including risk aversion, long-term thinking, and unimpeachable character, which are crucial for enduring business success. The host's book, "100 million dollar offers," is also mentioned as a resource for listeners.

• Speaker A introduces the podcast theme focused on the perfect business model.
• Speaker B outlines the podcast's aim, which includes strategies for customer acquisition, maximizing profit per customer, and customer retention, as well as sharing personal business failures and lessons.
• Speaker A is excited about the topic, despite being physically unwell, indicating a strong commitment to sharing valuable business insights.

"Unique, expensive, sticky air. Welcome to the game, where we talk." "About how to get more customers, how to make more per customer, and how to keep them longer, and the many failures and lessons we have learned along the way. I hope you enjoy and subscribe."

The quotes set the stage for the podcast, emphasizing the focus on business strategies and learning from past experiences.

• Speaker A expresses admiration for Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, the co-founders of Berkshire Hathaway.
• The success of Berkshire Hathaway is highlighted, with a significant return on investment from an initial stock price of $11-20 to a current value of $377,000 per share.
• Speaker A references attending Berkshire Hathaway University, which consolidates 30 years of shareholder events and wisdom from Buffett and Munger.

"I just recently finished Berkshire Hathaway University, which is basically the consolidated 30 years of shareholder. Warren Buffett and Charlie Bunger, the co founders, co chairmans, et cetera, of Berkshire Hathaway, they do these yearly shareholder events, and these guys are both billionaires now."

The quote underscores the educational value derived from studying the strategies and insights of successful investors like Buffett and Munger.

• Speaker A is passionate about discussing business models and monetization structures.
• The concept of the "perfect business" is introduced, which Speaker A has been contemplating and discussing in private.
• Speaker A has identified five key characteristics of a perfect business model, inspired by insights from Warren Buffett.

"So today, what I want to talk about is the perfect business. And so, believe it or not, this is actually something I talk a lot about."

This quote introduces the central theme of the podcast, which revolves around identifying characteristics of an ideal business model.

• Speaker A uses the phrase "unique, expensive, sticky air" to describe the attributes of a perfect business.
• The phrase encapsulates three main characteristics Speaker A looks for in a business: uniqueness, high selling price relative to cost, and customer retention.
• Warren Buffett's succinct definition of an ideal business is shared: a product that is cheap to produce, sells for a high price, and is habit-forming.

"Unique, expensive sticky air. And I said, there's five, but there's four words here. That's okay, because I'm going to show the last one in a second. But unique, expensive sticky air."

The quote reveals the mnemonic used by Speaker A to remember the key attributes of a perfect business model.

• "Unique" refers to having a competitive advantage or a "big competitive moat."
• A product that "costs a penny" implies a low production cost.
• "Expensive" in this context means the product can be sold at a high markup, "for a dollar."
• "Sticky" implies the product is habit-forming, ensuring repeat purchases and long customer lifetime values.

"Something that costs a penny, sells for a buck and is habit forming. And it was so succinct. It's so great."

This quote from Warren Buffett is used by Speaker A to concisely summarize the ideal characteristics of a profitable and sustainable business model.

• The concept of a USP is critical in business and marketing.
• A USP makes a product or service distinct and desirable in the marketplace.
• It can be based on product characteristics, branding, or market position.
• The example of Geico is used to illustrate a strong USP through aggressive advertising and brand recognition.

"It's unique air, right? It's not air that anyone can sell. It's specific to the. It has a brand behind it that no one could copy."

This quote emphasizes the importance of having a product that stands out due to its uniqueness and brand strength, making it difficult for competitors to replicate.

• Mindshare refers to the public awareness or popularity of a brand.
• Increasing advertising budget can significantly enhance a company's mindshare.
• Geico's growth is attributed to its successful capture of mindshare through increased advertising.

"He talks about that a lot, like Geico. Everyone here probably knows, like, you could save 50% or more by switching to Geico."

The quote highlights the effectiveness of Geico's marketing strategy in achieving a strong market position and becoming top-of-mind for consumers.

• Entrepreneurs should not feel guilty for charging more than the cost of production.
• Prices are determined by market value, not just production costs.
• High gross margins are a key target for businesses, aiming for the maximum difference between cost and selling price.
• Understanding and optimizing gross margins can lead to significantly higher profitability.

"A lot of people, quote, feel bad for charging for things that don't cost them much, which is a terrible mindset to have you charge what the market will give you, right?"

This quote underscores the idea that pricing should be based on what customers are willing to pay rather than the cost of goods, which is a fundamental principle in business.

• The investor referenced seeks extremely high gross margins, around 99%.
• There is a substantial difference in profitability between selling a product at a 90% margin versus a 99% margin.
• Increasing gross margins from 90% to 95% can double a business's profitability.

"He goes for 99%. And for perspective, the difference between selling something for a dollar that cost you $0.10 versus selling something for a dollar that cost you a penny, is not that it's just 9% more profitable... it's actually ten times more profitable."

This quote explains the exponential increase in profitability when gross margins are maximized, highlighting the importance of aiming for the highest possible margins.

• Margin improvements can have a dramatic impact on a business's bottom line.
• Even small percentage increases in gross margins can double profitability.
• The concept of margin improvement is crucial for businesses looking to scale and improve financial performance.

"The gross margin of the product that you have, like every increment when you go from 90% to 95% gross margins in a business, you double the profitability of the business."

The quote illustrates how incremental improvements in gross margins can lead to significant increases in a company's profitability, emphasizing the importance of focusing on margins for growth.

• The speaker promotes their book, "100 million dollar offers," available on Amazon.
• The book is a resource for entrepreneurs and contains insights from the speaker's experience.
• The promotion is presented as a gift to the community and a way to establish a future business relationship with listeners.

"I put over 1000 hours into writing that book and it's my biggest give to our community."

This quote serves as a promotional statement for the speaker's book, positioning it as a valuable contribution to the entrepreneurial community and an investment of their time and expertise.

• The speaker provides practical advice for entrepreneurs to analyze and improve their gross margins.
• The example given demonstrates the math behind improving margins from 90% to 95%.
• The discussion aims to clarify common misunderstandings about pricing and margins in business.

"To get to 95% gross margins, you'd have to sell the same $10 thing for $200."

This quote offers a clear example of how to calculate the selling price needed to achieve a specific gross margin target, illustrating the concept for entrepreneurs to apply in their pricing strategies.

• Margins are crucial for the financial health of a business.
• A small percentage increase in margins can significantly impact profits.
• The speaker emphasizes the importance of aiming for high-profit margins.

"And so that's how important these margins are."

This quote highlights the significance of profit margins and their impact on a business's bottom line.

• Warren Buffett looks for businesses with certain characteristics.
• He wants products that are cost-effective to produce, can sell at a high price, are habit-forming, and unique.
• These components contribute to a sustainable and profitable business model.

"I want something that I could create for a penny, sell for a dollar, that's habit forming. That people keep buying over and over again for the rest of their lives and that no one else can buy because it's unique, right?"

The quote outlines the ideal characteristics of a product or business according to Warren Buffett, focusing on low production costs, high selling price, consumer habit, and uniqueness.

• Berkshire Hathaway operates with a very lean team.
• The company's profit levels are exceptionally high given its small team size.
• The success is attributed to effective delegation and management of acquired businesses.

"Because Berkshire only has, like, 19 employees or something like that, something stupid that they have a gazillion. They did 88 billion in profits last year."

This quote illustrates the efficiency of Berkshire Hathaway's management model, highlighting the small team size and the substantial profits earned.

• Warren Buffett values operators who are risk-averse.
• Risk aversion is critical to ensure long-term success and avoid catastrophic losses.
• The speaker suggests that entrepreneurs should embody these characteristics for their success.

"And so the first of these characteristics is he says, I want somebody who's risk averse, all right? Because he said many times, anything times zero is zero."

The quote conveys the importance Warren Buffett places on having a risk-averse approach in business management to avoid any decision that could result in total loss.

• The wealthiest individuals prioritize risk mitigation over chasing high returns.
• Risk aversion is a common trait among the successful and wealthy.
• The speaker has observed that the mindset of wealthy individuals differs significantly from those with less financial success.

"The richest people in the world, I'm telling you this right now, if you don't have access to people who are worth 100 billion, a billion. I do. And I will tell you how they think, all right? It's all about downside, risk mitigation."

This quote emphasizes the speaker's insights into the mindset of the ultra-wealthy, focusing on the importance they place on minimizing risks rather than pursuing potentially high but risky returns.

• Long-term thinking is favored by successful businesses, especially family-owned ones.
• This approach leads to better quality, investment, and competitive strategy.
• The speaker has personally benefited from adopting a long-term perspective.

"So the reason that they like family owned business specifically, is that families think about generations. They think about passing it down between father and son, parents and kids, right?"

The quote explains why long-term thinking is especially prevalent in family-owned businesses, as they consider the impact of their decisions on future generations.

• Entrepreneurs often think in short time spans, focusing on immediate financial concerns.
• Short-term thinking may limit their financial growth and prevent them from reaching larger goals.
• Higher-level entrepreneurs think in terms of quarters, which is an improvement but still may not be sufficient for significant growth.
• Long-term thinking, such as planning for five years ahead, can lead to more substantial and stable success.
• Setting incremental goals can lead to substantial income increases over time.
• Most people fail to think in long-term horizons, which is why a small percentage achieves top-tier financial success.

"Talk to somebody and all they're thinking about is this week and the next two weeks payroll and what they're going to make this month. And last month, I already know that they don't make a ton."

This quote emphasizes the prevalence of short-term thinking among some entrepreneurs, which correlates with limited financial success.

"But most people still think of these tiny chunks of time and can never get ahead. And they spend month after month after month for 30 years trying to become millionaires rather than just set a goal of like, well, let me just see if I can increase my income by $20,000 in the next year."

Here, the speaker criticizes the common short-term mindset and suggests that setting progressive, long-term goals could lead to becoming a top earner.

• Successful managers are risk-averse and focus on avoiding losses.
• They think in long-term horizons, planning for the future rather than just immediate gains.
• They possess unimpeachable character, valuing honesty and integrity in their business practices.
• Unimpeachable character leads to a strong reputation, which can become a sustainable competitive advantage over time.

"Number one for the management is that they're risk averse. They will take the loss, they will not take the opportunity to avoid the loss. Number two, they think in long term horizons, right? And number three, they have unimpeachable character, which I just really like that as a word, unimpeachable character."

This quote lists the three key characteristics of successful management, emphasizing risk aversion, long-term planning, and integrity.

"And if you listen to war talk about losing money, he said, if you lose money, that will be forgiven. He said, but if you lose me a shred of reputation, I will be ruthless."

The speaker conveys the importance of reputation over financial loss, indicating that a strong reputation is invaluable and must be protected at all costs.

• A perfect business model is unique, expensive, and habit-forming, with a significant profit margin.
• It is managed by someone who avoids short-term risks, focuses on long-term investments, and has a solid reputation.
• The goal is to build something of enduring value and not be swayed by short-term market fluctuations.
• The business should be conducted in a way that ensures all achievements are seen as fairly earned and wisely used.

"The perfect business model. I'll give you a quick recap. It's unique, expensive, sticky year that's managed by somebody who's risk averse, long term thinking and has unimpeachable character."

This quote summarizes the essential elements of an ideal business model, highlighting the importance of unique value, long-term strategy, and managerial integrity.

"So something that you could create for a penny, sell for a buck, that's habit forming that no one else can do. And you do it in such a way that you don't take short term risks. You think long term in terms of how you're going to invest in the business and the legacy and building something of value and not obsessed with short term volatility, but for long term earning."

The speaker outlines the strategy for creating a successful business that maximizes profit while maintaining a focus on long-term growth and legacy, rather than being influenced by short-term market changes.