Shows
Nikonomics - The Economics of Small Business194 - AI SERIES: 17 - Directories Are Back: AI Makes Niche Goldmines Easier Than Ever with Kirill Zubovsky🚨MY NEWSLETTER https://nikolas-newsletter-241a64.beehiiv.com/subscribe 🚨Join me, Nik (https://x.com/CoFoundersNik), as I interview Kirill Zubovsky (https://x.com/kirillzubovsky) on an episode that will totally change how you think about building a business online.We dive deep into why directories are making a huge comeback as "the hottest thing" and how AI is making them easier than ever to build and monetize. Kirill walks us through his incredibly fast, AI-augmented development process at QED.AM, demonstrating how he built a live local services directory for pl...
2025-06-2645 min
Nikonomics - The Economics of Small Business143 - AI SERIES: 2 - How to Leverage AI as Your Ultimate Business Assistant with Kirill Zubovsky🚨MY NEWSLETTER https://nikolas-newsletter-241a64.beehiiv.com/subscribe 🚨Join me, Nik (https://x.com/CoFoundersNik), as I interview Kirill Zubovsky (https://x.com/kirillzubovsky) about his fascinating journey leveraging AI in his various business endeavors.We dive into how he's using AI not just for building new ventures like Scoudsie, which aims to empower non-technical individuals to create projects with AI, but also to supercharge his existing brick-and-mortar co-working space, Brickworks.Kirill sha...
2025-04-0335 min
Crazy WisdomHow do you add uncertainty to your AI prompts? - Kirill ZubovskyKirill Zubovsky Prompt Engineer and CEO of @ SmartyNames.com What is Smartynames.com? Does Godaddy front-run domain names by buying them as soon as you search for them? They are 12 billion $ company What have you learned about Machine Learning from doing this? Did you have to learn a lot to develop on openai’s algorithm? How do you add uncertainty to your AI prompts? Why do people like to hack individual AI systems instead of hacking the big ones? What are the...
2023-03-1347 min
The Great ConversationAugmenting the Machine: AI and the Future of WorkWhat is the future of human and machine?
We all know. We sense it. We are on the edge of something that will reset the economy. Reset how we work and play. Reset our notion of what is true
And the center of it all is the emerging cognitive capability of the machine (Artificial Intelligence - AI). And its ability to leverage the sensors (just like a human) that allows it to see, hear, touch, read and understand.
The media is teaching us how to fear it. This is nothing new. We have...
2023-02-0330 min
Forward Thinking FoundersFI - Kirill Zubovsky (Smashnotes) Youtube For Podcast SnippetsAbout this episode: Kirill Zubovsky is the founder of Smashnotes. Smashnotes is a curated collection of podcast notes.Listen to this episode if you:Are an avid podcast listenerWant more distribution as a podcast hostWant to hear how Smashnotes is different from other similar appsAre curious why he started this companyWant to know how he is getting his early usersWant to hear the big vision for Zelos!More Info:Want to come on the podcast? Follow me and hit me up on Twitter, I'd love to learn about what you're working on.
★ Support th...
2020-05-0217 min
Smash NotesThe best in Smash Notes feed on April 8, 2020Latest from the front lines of Smash Notes feed, your one stop show for new delightful pieces of knowledge, extracted out of your favorite podcasts, and all the podcasts you've never heard of.
Links to each highlighted episode, below.
Ryan Petersen from Flexport - freight shipping around the globe and lessons in startups.
Ashley Mathews (aka Riley Reid) - from a small town girl to a successful business women.
Matthew Walker on Joe Rogan Experience - sleep, drugs and alcohol, and how to get the most of...
2020-04-0909 minSmash NotesWhat's going on with the world today?Hey listeners, another day, another day. Lucky you've got Smash Notes!
This is a quick summary of this Sunday's newsletter, covering:
- Chamath and Jason talk social, political and economical ramification of Covid-19
- Wil from Startups.com on surviving despite dozens of competitors
- How to eat Chipotle the correct way
- Noah from Code Story podcast on doing startups while raising 3 kids in Texas
- Evan Williams on future of publishing
ps. Want your podcast to sound...
2020-03-1908 minSmash NotesHow to make a billion dollars, the Coronavirus panic, Jason Calacanis and Scott Galloway go head to head, family of 4 living out of a van and more.Hola!
This is a short summary of what you would find in the Smash Notes newsletter this week. Please take a look at the full newsletter for all the links and details, and if you are not yet a subscriber to the text version, please sign up here.
Enjoy this episode, send me your feedback (to: feedback@smashnotes.com) and if you have a fever, please see a doctor.
Till next week,
Kirill Zubovsky
p.s. Are you a VC? Do you have a fund...
2020-03-1308 minSmash NotesBest of Last Year, plus My Favorites!Top 3 podcast episodes of 2019 by engagement
============================================
#1 - My Dad Wrote a Porno
Also, the story for how Smash Notes become a porno hit.
#2 - Sleep is your super power with Matt Walker
#3 - Below the line, Remote Work with Hiten Shah
My favorites
============
#1 - Slack CTO Cal Henderson on GeekWire.
#2 - Urgent Care is forked! To get paid, hospitals get creative.
#3 - Christopher Michel / Photographer / Entrepreneur
2020-01-0208 minSmash NotesManagement and Storytelling lessons from Tony Fadell - Tim Ferris Show #403Oh hello there, old friend. Smash Notes podcast is back in business!
Taking notes is a tedious process, and however much I like to give you the best podcast summaries on the internet, I often run out of time. This newest edition of Smash Notes is an attempt to find a middle ground where I can provide the most value you to, while also spend less than a million hours to put it all together.
Stay with me , and I'll find the sweet spot, I promise.
Meanwhile, in today's edition is...
2019-12-2409 minSmash NotesSpecial interview with Mubashar Iqbal, Product Hunt Maker of the Year for 2016 and founder of Pod Hunt, WILL ROBOTS TAKE MY JOB, plus 80 other projects.Mubashar Iqbal is a developer, dad, and a maker who just cannot stop creating products on the internet. He is the guy behind Pod Hunt, Product News, Practical MVP and quite literally, 80 other projects. Some of them sold, some shut down, and some are making him passive income. He's been featured on Lifehacker, The Next Web, Mashable, Fortune and more.
Today Mubs joins us on SmashNotes to talk about his latest project, PodHunt, the life of a serial maker, what it takes to stay focused on his products without losing enthusiasm, his family life and much...
2019-09-2039 minSmash NotesTim Ferris Interview with Charles Koch of Koch IndustriesCharles Koch is a billionaire, political donor, philanthropist, and the CEO of Koch Industries. In this Tim Ferris Interview with Charles Koch, he shares a lot about his personality, his upbringing , entrepreneurship, politics and more. If you liked this episode, please tell Tim Ferris.
2019-09-1207 minSmash NotesPaul Graham talks about Y Combinator (back in 2009)Today, Y Combinator is a runaway success. Having created $100B+ in valuations and almost 100 startups valued at over $100M each, Y Combinator is now a brand, a symbol of success, and a guiding start for the others. Back in 2009 though, it was still a fairly unknown company, doing something weird and different from the typical venture. Listen to Paul Graham, the founder, talks about YC, it's future potential, and ways in which founders could stay mean and lean to crate the next billion-dollar company.
Looking for a new job in tech? Try Triplebyte today ->...
2019-09-1105 minSmash NotesWhat's the $400 problem and why are Americans paying loan sharks instead of buying vegetables?Hustlin’ Tech is a new show from a16z. It feels a bit like blatant promotion for A16Z startups, but if you read between the lines, it's also full of great undiscovered gems. In this brief installment of Smash Notes, Ben Horowitz and Shaka Senghor talk about the state of payday loans and how Earnin is changing it.
If you are not yet a subscriber to Smash Notes mailing list, please subscribe ~> http://smashnotes.com/subscribe
Till tomorrow!
2019-09-1004 minSmash NotesEric Ries on Toxic founder image and Marc Nager on startups in small town ColoradoWhy don't the founders in Silicon Valley ask for help? The answer is "Toxic Founder Image", and the desire, the need to constantly maintain a positive image. Take a read ~> https://smashnotes.com/p/below-the-line-with-james-beshara/e/3-eric-ries-psychological-journey
What is it like to be running a startup from small town America? Marc Nager, the founder of Startup Weekend, says the times are changing for the better. ~> https://smashnotes.com/p/give-first/e/marc-nager-dave-mayer-on-building-rural-startup-communities
This week's an experiment with shorter episodes, more often. Lookout for the next Smash Notes coming tomorrow!
2019-09-1011 minSmash NotesDoes remote work make you happy? Jason Calacanis, Entrepreneurship, apprenticeships, and social norms. - Smash Notes Podcast August 23 2019Thank you for listening to SmashNotes.com - You are awesome!
In this warm summer edition:
The lost art of apprenticeships, and how and why Dan Mall is growing a new breed of designers by teaching them to do everything.
Remote Work Report from Hiten Shah, and advice on how to make your own company more productive.
Jason Calacanis on how to prepare your kids for life from the young age, and how the Elon Musk school is doing it.
Rosie Sherry, the maker behind the Ministry of Testing, and what she did...
2019-08-2416 minSmash NotesThe Portal, The Mob, Advice vs. Encouragement, History of Smash Notes, Photography and what makes the perfect picture - July 31, 2019Thank you for subscribing to Smash Notes. In this week’s episode:
- The story of how a mob forced one entrepreneur on a path of lifetime profitability
- Why Science is in danger and how to fix it
- The story of how Smash Notes was born
- Hiten Shah and Steli Efti advice on giving advice
- Christopher Michel on what it takes to capture the perfect image
If you have not heard Smash Notes guest segment from last we...
2019-07-3122 min
Crazy WisdomKirill Zubovsky: The World of PodcastingKirill Zubovsky is the founder of SmashNotes, a website that curates highlights from millions of podcasts in the form of Q&As. Be it science, business, startups, education, news, or anything in between, they've got you covered. He also hosts his own podcast called Rad Dad. In this episode, Kirill shares the insider knowledge he's collected both as a founder in the growing podcast industry and also as a YCombinator alumnus. From life lessons to startup culture, you will leave this one feeling a little wiser and more well-informed about the way our world operates. T...
2019-07-2947 minSmash NotesStewart Alsop III explores the life in Silicon Valley through a conversation between Peter Thiel and Eric Weinstein - July 26, 2019Today's Smash Notes is brought to you by Stewart Alsop III. He is the host of Crazy Wisdom podcast where he explores creativity, stress and spirituality. Stewart grew up in Silicon Valley but found it too much of a bubble, so he left to explore the world outside. In this episode he explores the past, the present and the future of the Silicon Valley through a conversation between Peter Thiel and Eric Weinstein, as well as a short segment from Stewart's own podcast.
Take a listen, see what you think, and if you'd like please continue the...
2019-07-2619 minSmash NotesMy dad wrote a porno, startups and happiness, teaching kids about consent. - July 19, 2019Thank you for subscribing to Smash Notes weekly.Â
You can find all the segments mentioned in this episode right here - Smash Notes - Top Podcasts for 2019 - Week 29

Â
~ In this episode ~
* Why are people searching for porno and landing on Smash Notes? Turns out, there is a podcast called "My Dad Wrote A Porno" and it is hilarious. You have to listen to this week's episode of the Smash Notes podcast to get the juicy audio bites, but the gist is this - someone's dad wrote a really bad porn script and self-published it. The script is so awful, it's hila...
2019-07-1923 minSmash NotesExistential dread, screen time, drugs and venture capital - July 10, 2019Thank you for subscribing to Smash Notes podcast. This week's episode is one of the best to date.
Here is what's included.
Happiness: Sahil Lavingia is the founder of Gumroad, a company that helps creatives make money from their passion. Sahil has gone from being the second employee at Pinterest, to being featured on Forbes 30 Under 30, to living in a small town in Utah with a failing startup and fading glory in hands. All of that has taught him a thing or two about life, and the universe. Conclusion? Life...
2019-07-1123 minSmash NotesVaccines and Healthcare in America - July 1, 2019In this episode of Smash Notes I am focusing on healthcare, and primarily the cost of care, and how anti-vaccination groups are putting us all in danger. Sounds interesting, come along for the ride!
Urgent Care or a Hospital, where should you go?
Imagine yourself working with a table saw, a sharp circular blade spinning in the middle. You push a piece of wood through, yawn, and the next thing you know the blade is launched deep into your bone. Yayks!
This is the story from a podcast called “An arm and a...
2019-07-0320 minSmash NotesMelinda Gates on the future. Justin Kan on startups and happiness. Sahil Lavingia and Bryce Roberts on living in Utah. - June 17, 2019Thank you for subscribing to Smash Notes weekly, your one stop shop to learn something new. In this update, you will hear about living in the future, being a startup founder, life under Mormon influence, and tips on growing a podcast audience.
🎇 A quick shout out to Below The Line for crossing 10,000 downloads! James Beshara is doing a great job using Smash Notes to promote his podcast, and it shows.
Now, this week's summaries.
What is the world going to look like in 2030?
Melinda Gates helps to answer thi...
2019-06-2020 minSmash NotesMachine learning, Education, Constitution and Startups. - June 10, 2019Thank you for subscribing to Smash Notes weekly. Every update is a little different. If you see something you particularly like, please let me know.
Click to see all the top choices for this week in one place.
What is in this update? In no particular order:
Business: Why would a multi billion dollar business be suing a small coffee shop, and what does it cost to defend yourself from a frivolous lawsuit?
Startups: Working on an idea, are you? What should you validate...
2019-06-1111 minSmash NotesScience, Stress, Long Distance Running, Startups and Small Business. - May 27, 2019Smash Notes update for week 22 of 2019, in no particular order.
Business: Have you heard of a company called One Month? They are a Y Combinator company that sells coding courses, with the aim to go from zero to completion in just one month. Here co-founder Chris answers a question on How do you price a product, subscription vs. one time pay? If you are running an online business or are thinking of doing a code school, he's got a good point.
Science: Bill Nye the Science Guy has a...
2019-05-2818 min
2019-05-2233 minSmash NotesMay 20, 2019 - Can you drink your own pee?Should you drink your own pee? How does pooping work? When is a good time to give up on your startup? What advice to give as a mentor? What does coffee have to do with strong opinions on the internet? All of that, in this episode of Smash Notes.
If you have suggestions on what should go into the next episode, please email feedback@smashnotes.com or find us on twitter @SmashNotes.
2019-05-2015 minSmash NotesMay 13, 2019 - Weekly summary of the best podcasts on the internetThis week's episode of Smash Notes features serious science, health, entrepreneurship and money. Listen and you will find out why sleep is actually extremely important for your body, why Melinda Gates nearly quit Microsoft, how a tiny startup is saving our planet and more.
At the end of the episode you will also get to hear a music piece by Cade Legat. If you are into Dance & EDM, you just might digg it. Take a listen and enjoy!
2019-05-1411 minSmash NotesMay 6, 2019 - Weekly summary of the best podcasts on the internetIn this episode we have the story of Justin Kan drowning in the Pacific Ocean, Chamath Palihapitiya telling his investors that he's not a slave, Lambda School founder Austen Allred sharing his story on going from broke to woke in one simple Kickstarter, the startup boy Naval Ravikant sharing his wisdom on wealth, and more.
2019-05-0608 minSmash NotesWhat is The Smash Notes podcast?SmashNotes.com creates summaries of most interesting podcasts on the web and Smash Notes Podcast covers those summaries in an audio form. Signup for Smash Notes and Smash Notes podcast and never miss the most interesting development in the world of podcasts. News, Tech, Business, Startups, Dating and Fitness, whatever it is, we will find it.
2019-04-3000 min
The Funsize ShowHustle: The Scoutzie Story (feat. Kirill Zubovsky)Kirill Zubovsky started scoutzie.com a few years ago as a destination for mobile designers to showcase their work and as a curated marketplace for design. Over the years Scoutzie changed their model, pivoted, and experimented with several unique business models. Anthony Armendariz’s relationship with Scoutzie helped grow his business to the point of being able to create a business which would become Funsize.
As of 2015, the Scoutzie team decided to shut the product down. We discuss with Kirill about his experiences, and what’s next.
Show Notes
00:00 Introductions
02:47 Scoutzie in the beginning
13:00 Goin...
2015-01-3039 min