Framework
Zone Of Genius Pruning
Knowing what to stop doing.
How it works
- 1Mode built two devices during the COVID cheap-money window, before the AI chip boom, and sold tens of thousands of units into major retail.
- 2The verdict: hardware is roughly a 1% gross margin business. "You spend a hundred bucks to make a dollar." Add shipping, add tariffs, add cost of capital.
- 3The pivot was not abandonment. It was licensing. Mode now works with carriers and OEMs on a Roku-style model, providing the software layer so partners can launch their own earn-enabled devices.
- 4The data justified keeping the thesis: EarnPhone users showed roughly 3x higher earnings and 3x higher retention than app-only users.
Hear it on the podcast
The Consent EconomyListen to the episodeMore from this episode
The Consent ExchangeConsent is not a checkbox problem. It is a pricing problem.M&A As User AcquisitionDan does not think of acquisitions as acquisitions. He thinks of them as UA.The Laggard ArbitrageEveryone is racing to serve early adopters. Dan buys the other end of the curve.Data Exhaust MonetizationMode Media exists because Dan noticed what he was already sitting on.The Fundraising Business UnitCrowdfunding is not a campaign. It is a department.
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