Tropical MBA: Entrepreneurship & Founder Lifestyle

Dan Andrews; Ian Schoen
  • 4.9 (467)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

With 10M+ downloads and thousands of listener meetups worldwide, the TMBA Podcast is the hub for 7 & 8-figure founders who’ve built life-changing businesses while attaining personal freedom. New episodes every Thursday morning.

  1. 7H AGO

    #848 The $10K Projects You Never Do (AI Just Changed That)

    Dan talks with Taylor Pearson about a new wave of “agentic AI” tools like Claude Code — and how founders are using them to tackle projects that used to take days or weeks. From analyzing financials to running workflows and speeding up big internal projects, these tools can act more like a business collaborator than a chatbot. They also walk through how to take the first step if you want to start experimenting. Find Taylor Get started with Claude Code Hang out exclusively with 7+ figure founders in DC BLACK Bento - Email marketing for bootstrapped founders CHAPTERS (00:00:00) AI “Superpowers” for Founders (00:00:43) A New Wave of AI Tools (00:00:57) Sponsor: Bento (00:02:32) The First Time Taylor Tried Claude Code (00:04:21) The $10K Projects Sitting on Your To-Do List (00:05:13) Real Ways Founders Are Using AI Agents (00:05:32) AI as the Operating System for Your Business (00:13:07) The Breakthrough: AI That Reads and Writes Your Files (00:20:44) The New AI Arbitrage (00:25:16) What AI Is Weirdly Good (and Bad) At (00:27:36) Why It’s an Exciting Time to Be a Founder Again CONNECT: Dan@tropicalmba.com Ian@tropicalmba.com Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Lucy Bella. PLAYLIST: Can Your Business Beat the S&P 500? How to Build a 6-Figure Digital Business with Claude Code 4 Ways to Start a Business From Scratch in 2026

    34 min

  2. FEB 26

    #847 From Semi-Retired to 1.3 Million Views on YouTube ft. Richard “RJ” Jalichandra

    A semi-retired 6-time CEO accidentally went viral on YouTube, and turned it into a real business case study. Dynamite Circle member and DC BLACK facilitator, Richard “RJ” Jalichandra, joins us this week to talk about how a small channel can still transform your company. Plus, the hidden struggles of 7+ figure founders, defining your “enough number,” and why a little retirement planning today can actually improve your decisions right now. LINKS RJ’s YouTube Channel Meet RJ and other lifestyle founders doing YouTube Hang out exclusively with 7+ figure founders in DC BLACK Bento will beat your current email bill — up to 70% off or $300 in credits CHAPTERS (00:04:18) How RJ Got Into YouTube (00:07:04) The Algorithm vs What You Want to Create (00:10:44) How to Build an Audience in 2026 (00:16:19) RJ’s Creative Process for YouTube (00:19:16) Economic Opportunities for Mid-Cap Channels (00:23:17) The #1 Struggle of 7-8 Fig Founders (00:30:16) Scale for Wealth or Optimize For Lifestyle? (00:33:10) The Importance of Retirement Planning CONNECT: Dan@tropicalmba.com Ian@tropicalmba.com Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Lucy Bella. PLAYLIST: Can Your Business Beat the S&P 500? How to Build a 6-Figure Digital Business with Claude Code 4 Ways to Start a Business From Scratch in 2026

    44 min

  3. FEB 19

    #846 Can Your Business Beat the S&P 500?

    Dan and Ian hop on the mic to talk about spending money to make more money in your business, getting financial assistance with AI, how to decide where you should live and work in 2026, and agentic AI use cases. Meet lifestyle founders in Mexico this May Hang out exclusively with 7+ figure founders in DC BLACK Bento will beat your current email bill — up to 70% off or $300 in credits Live Well on Less Than You Think by Fred Brock “The End of the Office” by Andrew Yang “How to replace your bookkeeper with AI” by Dan Norris CHAPTERS (00:00:00) What Founders Are Talking About in Mexico This May (00:03:45) How to Spend Money to Make Money in Your Business (00:08:12) Using AI to Help You With Financials (00:19:16) How to Decide Where to Live and Work Remotely in 2026 (00:30:42) What’s New With Agentic AI CONNECT: Dan@tropicalmba.com Ian@tropicalmba.com Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Lucy Bella. PLAYLIST: How to Build a 6-Figure Digital Business with Claude Code 4 Ways to Start a Business From Scratch in 2026 Financial Traps & Profit Truths

    43 min

  4. FEB 12

    #845 How to Build a 6-Figure Digital Business with Claude Code

    How long would it take to revamp your entire business? For Elliott Zelinskas: three weeks. Using Claude Code, he rebuilt his 4-year website, generated 100+ SEO pages, automated YouTube creation and publishing, and replaced parts of his tech stack. All without a dev team. Is agentic AI the next evolution of entrepreneurship? LINKS Follow Elliott on X Follow Elliott on Instagram Meet Elliott and other lifestyle founders inside Dynamite Circle Hang out exclusively with 7+ figure founders in DC BLACK Bento will beat your current email bill — up to 70% off or $300 in credits Million Dollar Weekend by Noah Kagan Live Well on Less Than You Think by Fred Brock CHAPTERS (00:00:00) Intro (00:02:39) Meet Elliott & His Business (00:07:05) How Elliott Started Using Claude Code (00:11:16) Upsides and Downsides of Agentic AI (00:15:13) Simple But Powerful Use Cases for Agentic AI (00:22:07) Six Tips for Non-Tech Founders (00:33:18) Security, Risk, and How to Decide What to Build (00:46:42) Digital Nomading and Personal Finance CONNECT: Dan@tropicalmba.com Ian@tropicalmba.com Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Lucy Bella. PLAYLIST: Bad Hiring Advice That Can Actually Work: 9 Tactics for Lifestyle Founders 4 Ways to Start a Business From Scratch in 2026 “Scaling on Steroids” with AI Automation ft. Juan Montero

    54 min

  5. FEB 5

    #844 4 Ways to Start a Business From Scratch in 2026

    Dan and Ian respond to a listener's email about strategies for going from a 9-5 to full-blown entrepreneurship, and why mindset is far more important long-term than ideas if you want to start a business. LINKS Bento will beat your current email bill — up to 70% off or $300 in credits Million Dollar Weekend by Noah Kagan Dynamite Jobs Meet lifestyle founders inside Dynamite Circle Hang out exclusively with 7+ figure founders in DC BLACK CHAPTERS (00:00:00) Intro and Listener Email (00:05:58) Path 1: “Hold Your Nose and Jump” (00:11:43) Path 2: The Coast Side Hustle (00:14:16) Path 3: Intrapreneurship/Apprenticeship (00:18:14) Path 4: Job Hopping (00:30:05) Product-Market Fit, Passion, and More (00:38:58) Overrated and Underrated Entrepreneurship Tips CONNECT: Dan@tropicalmba.com Ian@tropicalmba.com Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Lucy Bella. PLAYLIST: Bad Hiring Advice That Can Actually Work: 9 Tactics for Lifestyle Founders What We Learned From Running a 7-Figure Remote Business in 2025 The 9-5 is Dead, This is the Socially Acceptable Lottery Ticket

    44 min

  6. JAN 29

    #843 Bad Hiring Advice That Can Actually Work: 9 Tactics for Lifestyle Founders

    Dan and Ian share 9 pieces of hiring advice that are typically considered “bad,” but can actually work pretty well for smaller bootstrapped teams - and especially lifestyle businesses. LINKS Bento will beat your current email bill — up to 70% off or $300 in credits “Who” by Geoff Smart and Randy Street Remote First Recruiting: Land your next hire in 21 days or less Meet lifestyle founders inside Dynamite Circle Hang out exclusively with 7+ figure founders in DC BLACK CHAPTERS (00:03:42) Tip 1: Just Hire a Recruiter (00:07:11) Tip 2: Work With Friends and Family (00:10:34) Tip 3: Use AI For Onboarding (00:12:02) Tip 4: Go Easy on the W2s (00:14:52) Tip 5: You Don’t Need a Mission-Based Culture (00:20:16) Tip 6: If You Hire the Wrong Person, Let Them Go (00:22:54) Tip 7: It Doesn’t Have to Be More Than the Math (00:25:45) Tip 8: Not Hiring Can Work Out Great (00:30:30) Tip 9: Polarize Your Managing Style CONNECT: Dan@tropicalmba.com Ian@tropicalmba.com Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Lucy Bella. PLAYLIST: What We Learned From Running a 7-Figure Remote Business in 2025 The 9-5 is Dead, This is the Socially Acceptable Lottery Ticket “The World Is Ending.” These 5 Businesses Are Still Making Millions

    35 min

  7. JAN 22

    #842 What We Learned From Running a 7-Figure Remote Business in 2025

    Dan and Ian take a candid look back at 2025, share highlights and lowlights from the year, and give a sneak peek into what’s next for Dynamite Circle. LINKS Bento will beat your current email bill — up to 70% off or $300 in credits Ramit Sethi’s Money for Couples Remote First Recruiting: Land your next hire in 21 days or less Meet lifestyle founders inside Dynamite Circle Hang out exclusively with 7+ figure founders in DC BLACK CHAPTERS (00:01:56) Personal Finance: The First Step to Entrepreneurship (00:09:02) Why You Need an Annual Theme (00:13:03) Business Updates (00:19:45) Professional Empowerment for Your Team Leaders (00:25:53) Consistency in Delivering a Great Product (00:30:31) What We’ve Learned from Hosting Executive Coaching (00:34:36) Under the Hood at Dynamite Circle (00:41:02) Highlights and Lowlights of 2025 (00:49:03) Our Themes for 2026 CONNECT: Dan@tropicalmba.com Ian@tropicalmba.com Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Lucy Bella. PLAYLIST: How to Actually Build Systems in Your Small Business ft. Layla Pomper The 9-5 is Dead, This is the Socially Acceptable Lottery Ticket Your 2026 Business Plan in 36 Minutes [FREE Resource]

    53 min

  8. JAN 15

    #841 The 9-5 is Dead, This is the Socially Acceptable Lottery Ticket

    Are we actively watching the rise of the degenerate economy? What does it mean for our entrepreneurial behaviors? What does it mean for our portfolios? Does gambling your way to wealth make sense? And what types of trends will emerge and strengthen in 2026? Smart things look stupid for a while until they look smart. Dan and Jeff share their thoughts on the recent viral X article “The Prison of Financial Mediocrity” and their views on the “socially acceptable” risk of entrepreneurship as an escape from the 9-5. LINKS Bento will beat your current email bill — up to 70% off or $300 in credits “The Prison of Financial Mediocrity” Full Article The End of Jobs by Taylor Pearson (Dynamite Circle member!) The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel Same As Ever by Morgan Housel The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi et al Meet lifestyle founders inside Dynamite Circle Hang out exclusively with 7+ figure founders in DC BLACK CHAPTERS (00:00:52) The Traditional Path is Closed (00:06:00) The Era of Long Degeneracy & Success Via Risk (00:10:49) Opportunity When the Game is Rigged Against You (00:20:27) The Socially Acceptable Lottery Ticket (00:25:47) Financial Nihilism and Betting on Change CONNECT: Dan@tropicalmba.com Ian@tropicalmba.com Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Lucy Bella. PLAYLIST: How to Actually Build Systems in Your Small Business ft. Layla Pomper “The World Is Ending.” These 5 Businesses Are Still Making Millions Why $120K From Your Biz Beats $150K at a Job

    38 min
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4.9
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467 Ratings

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With 10M+ downloads and thousands of listener meetups worldwide, the TMBA Podcast is the hub for 7 & 8-figure founders who’ve built life-changing businesses while attaining personal freedom. New episodes every Thursday morning.

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