Building Leverage

Joshua LaRosa

Conversations with builders, thinkers, and creators shaping what’s next.

Episodes

  1. 6 May

    From $10M Exit to 1M Followers: The System Sabrina Used

    Sabrina Romanov sold her AI startup for $10M+ and grew to 1M+ followers in a year, while filming content just 1 day a week.In this episode, Sabrina breaks down the exact systems behind her growth: automation, cross-posting, community building, and why she thinks of herself as a teacher first (not a creator). We also talk about building Bloatato, the power of newsletters, and the serious risks around deepfakes and AI regulation.If you enjoy this conversation, subscribe and leave a comment: what’s one AI tool you use every day?In this conversation, we cover:- The truth about building a startup (and why it was “hard and terrible”)- What selling a company actually feels like (unreal, and a relief)- How Sabrina built a content engine by minimizing filming and maximizing learning- The repurposing and cross-posting workflow that multiplies output with no extra effort- Building Bloatato and using community as distribution, feedback, and growth- Why she prioritizes a newsletter as “owned” audience- The hook, the first 10 seconds, and what actually makes short-form go viral- AI’s societal impact: deepfakes, copyright, regulation, and why “it’s too late” if we don’t act- Local and private AI models, smaller domain models, and her favorite toolsCHAPTERS00:00 Introduction and Background03:04 Entrepreneurial Journey and Early Influences06:06 Startup Challenges and Lessons Learned09:04 Transition to Content Creation12:08 Content Creation Strategies and Automation14:59 Building Bloatato and Community Engagement17:57 Advice for Aspiring Creators and Entrepreneurs21:03 Future Plans for Bloatato and AI Innovations24:00 Empowering Women in Tech27:08 Teaching AI to the Next Generation30:58 Daily Workflow and Priorities31:25 Revenue Transparency and Market Positioning32:44 The Power of a Newsletter35:15 Short Form Content Strategies36:20 Networking and Unexpected Connections38:10 Speaking at Major Events41:01 Future Goals for Bloatato43:01 Marketing Strategies and Challenges45:32 The Future of AI and Societal Impact51:38 Creating Local AI Models53:02 Favorite AI Tools and Tech Stack55:28 Personal Hobbies and Interests58:10 Advice for Young EntrepreneursSabrina RomanovTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sabrina_ramonovInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sabrina_ramonov/YouTube:  @sabrina_ramonov  X / Twitter: https://x.com/Sabrina_RamonovNewsletter: https://www.sabrina.dev/Bloatato: https://www.blotato.com/Joshua LaRosaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshualarosa.ai/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joshualarosa.aiX / Twitter: https://x.com/joshualarosa_ai#AI #Entrepreneurship #ContentCreation

  2. 15 Apr

    Dan Martell's #1 AI Guy Reveals the Claude Code System That Does EVERYTHING

    Cooper went from building a jewelry brand to becoming Employee #1 at Dan Martell's AI Venture Studio, where he evaluated 3,000+ AI startups and helped scale the portfolio to 14 companies doing $7-8M in revenue. In this episode, Cooper breaks down everything: how he built a full AI content system with Claude Code in 3 days, grew from 1,400 to 37,500 Instagram followers in 28 days with AI writing ALL his content, and why the #1 trait of winning founders is speed. We also go hands-on — he screen shares his exact Claude Code setup, walks through his favorite skills, and shows how anyone can get started today. If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe and drop a comment: what's the one AI tool you use every single day? In this conversation, we cover: How a jewelry entrepreneur became Dan Martell's most trusted AI evaluator The #1 lesson from reviewing 3,000+ AI startups (validate before you build) Why the best founders sell before the product even exists Claude Code explained like you're 5 years old ("the most capable yet stupid intern") Live walkthrough: how to install Claude Code in under 60 seconds The AI content system that posts, writes scripts, builds landing pages, and generates newsletters automatically His top Claude Code skills: Last 30 Days, Humanizer, Nano Banana, and more Why 130 Claude Code skills run his entire operation The $0 to $1M AI business playbook (find a sharp problem, charge $500/month) Why AI's branding problem is keeping 90% of people from using it The calculator analogy: why ignoring AI AND blindly relying on it are both wrong How fitness and being an Ironman athlete fuel entrepreneurial performance His plan to hit 100K followers by May and build 10-15 AI micro-products CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 02:15 From Jewelry Brand to Dan Martell's AI Venture Studio 06:30 The #1 Trait of Founders Who Win 09:45 Claude Code Explained Simply 12:00 Live Setup: Installing Claude Code in 60 Seconds 15:30 Top Claude Code Skills Breakdown 20:00 The AI Content System That Grew 37K Followers in 28 Days 28:00 Building an App With Claude Code in a Weekend 31:00 Top 5 AI Tools 34:00 ChatGPT vs Claude: Which One Wins? 37:00 The $0 to $1M AI Business Blueprint 42:00 Will AI Replace Jobs? The Calculator Analogy 46:00 Elon Musk, Universal Income, and AI's Future 49:00 Ironman, ADHD, and the Key to Multi-Domain Success 53:00 Best Advice and Rapid Fire 57:00 Final Thoughts and What's Next Cooper Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cooper.simson Community & Course: https://whop.com/actionable-ai/standard-3b/ Joshua LaRosa Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshualarosa.ai TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@josh_larosa Substack: https://substack.com/@buildingleveragepod #AI #ClaudeCode #Entrepreneurship #DanMartell #AITools #ContentCreation #StartupAdvice

  3. 2 Apr

    Billion-Dollar Companies PAY This 19-Year-Old to Explain AI (From His Phone)

    In this episode, Maverick Maltin reveals the exact strategies he used to build 800,000+ followers in 8 months making beginner friendly AI content. From crafting 3-second hooks to landing 5-figure brand deals with OpenAI, Replit, and Canva — all from his iPhone. He also breaks down a step-by-step blueprint for building a faceless AI account that can generate $10K+/month. Try PoppyAI the Content Creator Tool Maverick uses: https://joshualarosa1--cleverprogrammer.thrivecart.com/poppy-ai-checkout 🔗 Connect with Maverick:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mavgptTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@maverickgptResource Hub: https://mavgpt.ai 🔑 Timestamps:0:00 How a 19-Year-Old Built the Fastest Growing AI Account in the World 1:04 The Gap in AI Content That Nobody Saw 3:16 Why Your Friends Will Hate You Before They Support You 4:55 150,000 Followers From One Video (Full Breakdown) 8:02 His Exact Process for Stealing Viral Ideas 10:17 Why You Should Never Try to Reinvent the Wheel 12:27 The Reposting Strategy Nobody Talks About 14:48 The 34 Million View Video That Changed Everything 16:14 How to Craft a 3-Second Hook That Stops the Scroll 18:19 Top 3 Tips for Insane Video Retention 21:13 From $1,200 to Five-Figure Brand Deals With OpenAI 25:27 Turning Down Big Money and Why He Gives Everything Away Free 29:14 Inside the OpenAI TikTok Takeover 33:08 Why Personal Brand Matters More Than Followers 36:52 How to Build a Faceless AI Account That Makes $10K/Month 40:26 Top 5 AI Tools and the Most Overrated One 41:56 Why Claude Is the Most Underrated AI Tool Right Now 44:03 Why Every Content Creator Needs Poppy AI 47:04 Is Building Your Brand Around ChatGPT a Risk? 51:08 Overrated or Underrated: Every Major AI Tool Ranked 51:51 TikTok vs Instagram: Which Is Better for Growth Right Now? 53:30 Why Long-Form Content Scares Him (And Why He Needs to Do It) 56:42 The Perfectionist Process Behind a 30-Second Video 58:15 How He Films, Batches, and Schedules Content 1:00:26 Brand Deal Negotiation: Why He Never Budges on His Rate 1:03:06 Starting From Zero: What He'd Post in the First 7 Days 1:05:02 How Important Is Networking When You're Young? 1:06:42 Growing Up Traveling 50 Countries Before Age 17 1:08:55 The One Culture That Shaped His Values the Most 1:11:48 What a Nomad Childhood Gave Him and What It Took Away 1:14:57 The 60-Second Message He'd Leave the World 🔗 Connect with Building Leverage:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshualarosa.aiTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@josh_larosaNewsletter: https://substack.com/@buildingleveragepod 📩 Subscribe for new episodes every week.

  4. 2 Apr

    Poppy AI Founder: How I Built A $50 MILLION Company & The ONE obsession you must have

    What does it really take to build a $50 million company from nothing? In this episode, I sit down with Naz Dumanskyy, the co-founder of Poppy AI, a tool that’s transforming how creators work and think. Naz’s story is anything but ordinary. From immigrating to America with nothing, to failing in school, to risking everything for a startup no one believed in, Naz reveals the raw truth behind his journey. He shares how embracing neurodiversity became his superpower, why he ignored conventional advice, and the brutal sacrifices it took to go from $0 to $6 million a year—without a safety net.In this conversation, we dive deep into: The real risks and emotional toll of building a startup from scratchHow Naz turned ADHD and visual thinking into a product moatThe power of customer obsession (and why most founders get it wrong)The pitfalls of chasing VC funding—and what to do insteadBuilding a team culture that thrives under pressureThe unscalable things that actually scale a businessThe future of AI, creators, and the one-person businessNaz doesn’t hold back. He shares the moments of doubt, the failures, and t-the lessons that changed everything. Whether you’re a founder, creator, or just someone who dreams of more, this is the conversation you need to hear.0:00 - Intro1:00 - Key takeaway from the conversation2:10 - Nas’s immigrant story & early challenges4:22 - Moving to America and family struggles8:06 - The moment he risked everything11:11 - Interest in computer science and engineering15:10 - Building Poppy AI from a sketch22:30 - Why neurodiversity is a superpower29:00 - Customer obsession vs. VC advice36:45 - The $6M/year milestone44:20 - Team culture & doing the unscalable52:00 - The future of AI for creators58:31 - Naz’s advice for foundersSubscribe for more conversations that go beyond the headlines.Connect with Naz:Poppy AI: https://getpoppy.aiNaz on X: https://x.com/NazDumanskyyNaz Instagram:   / nazdumanskyy  Follow BUILDING LEVERAGE:Instagram:   / buildingleveragepod  TikTok:   / josh_larosa

  • 4 Episodes

About

Conversations with builders, thinkers, and creators shaping what’s next.

Information

  • Creator
    Joshua LaRosa
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Joshua LaRosa
  • Show Website
    Building Leverage

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