Idea Ripper // ArchiveCards: 1555 [Live] | Updated: 2026-10-14
Card #c1345IR // #c1345Synthesis

"How do you sell ads for a newspaper that doesn’t exist? On promises."

— In our words · Source: Cancel Me If You Can (Dave Portnoy)

[Use when]

You need paying customers before you have a finished product.

[Why it matters]

Portnoy pitched Hooters and gambling companies on one thing: his paper would reach men aged twenty-five to thirty-five, their exact customers. A tight audience promise was enough to bring in revenue before the first issue printed.

Filed under situations:When it’s day one and nothing exists yetWhen you need a yes and they’re not there yet

More from Cancel Me If You Can

#c1344"At this point the business model was pretty simple: if I could sell $3,400 worth of ads in the newspaper, I would break even."You're running a new venture on thin cash and the finances feel vague. #c1346"I’d sift through all my competitors’ publications in Boston and call every single one of their advertisers every single week to poach them…You're looking for your first customers and your competitors publish who theirs are. #c1347"Barstool is looking to hire writers. We don’t pay at all, but we make up for it by offering zero benefits."You can't pay yet and need contributors who care about the work itself.

Same situation, different book

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