IN THIS WEEK’S NEWSLETTER:

• 🐟 I Found the Startup Secret in a Fish Shack...

• 🔑 7 Keys to Launch Your New Business

• 🌊 Catching the AI Wave!

• 🎉 This 1 Thing Will Change the Way MILLIONS Live

• 🤖 AI Driven Growth For Startups

Estimated Read Time: 7 minutes 13 seconds

Listen to this newsletter👇

🔥 TODAY’S CLUBHOUSE

Don’t miss today’s clubhouse at 2pm - AI in 2025 for Startups [OpenMic]

Come on stage and learn how startups can effectively leverage AI in 2025, featuring real-time insights, tools, and strategies shared by founders and experts navigating the evolving AI landscape.

🐟 I FOUND THE STARTUP SECRET IN A FISH SHACK…

When I was 16, we lived two doors down from a fish and chip shop.

We couldn’t afford the fish—just the chips.

On special occasions, we’d splurge and get the fish too.

And let me tell you—it was the best fish and chips you’d ever taste.

One day, I asked the owner his secret.

His answer was simple: clean oil. 

He changed the oil more frequently than his competitors, which made for a lighter, crispier batter.

But that wasn’t his only secret.

He’d also place his shops near schools to attract the lunch crowd.

Every business has that unique thing that makes it special.

I sometimes call it an “equation”.

He had figured out what made his shop successful.

But his true genius.

It wasn’t just about frying fish—it was about building a repeatable model (AKA Start. Grow. Sell. Repeat.)

You see, he explained “I am not in the fish and chips business, I am in the in the business of starting, scaling and then selling the fish and chip shop.”

His real product?

The business itself.

While others focused on building a lifestyle cash flow, he focused on the velocity of money.

Let’s break that down:

Option 1:

• He invests $300K to open a shop.

• It earns him $80K per year— very respectable and great return.

• After 5 years he can sell his shop for 600K, earning him 300K plus 400K in income or a total of 700K.

Option 2:

• Instead, he launches the first shop and in year two sells it for $600K, pocketing $300K profit plus his 80K of income.

• He then opens 2 new shops and then repeats the process one more time opening 4 shops and then selling them all in year 5.

And here’s the kicker—by selling, he paid capital gains tax (around 25%) instead of regular income tax (40–50%).

That’s a huge post-tax advantage.

This model works in Canada, the U.S., and most developed economies.

The fact is capital gains is taxed at a lower rate. So lets go in deep and look at a 5 year period:

That is 4X the Start, Scale, Keep vs. Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat.

Are you getting the idea here?

Now, let me add one more point.

Bad things can happen.

Halibut prices can surge.

Recessions hit.

Consumers cut back—maybe they just order fries. I've seen it firsthand.

I’ve held onto companies too long, only to watch valuations collapse after economic downturns.

In this newsletter, we talk about the TTSI – Time to Sell Index.

And let me tell you—it’s flashing red.

We didn’t sell our eCommerce company when valuations peaked, and now the industry has dropped over 50% in the past three years.

It is a very bad market to sell.

Having a third party data point you can track like Startup Club’s TTSI can help you make the right choices.

When everything is going great and you're making money, your instinct is to hold.

But that’s actually when you should consider exiting.

In my book Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat., I talk about launching your next business while running your current one—but only if it’s in coast mode.

Focus matters.

When you are ready launch that next company and prepare the first for sale…especially if the market is hot.

More than 50% of your valuation can be timing the market.

That has been proven over and over again in history through hundreds of years of economic cycles.

In fact, bored ape NFT’s had declined by 88% since there peak in 2022.

Yeah bad things do happen.

When the TTSI flips to seller’s market take it for what it is…but it is based on empirical data which we have looked at for over 25 years.

In the end, it’s not just about building a great business.

It’s about knowing when to move on.

— Colin C. Campbell

Disclaimer: Startup Club and its AI resources are for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Consult a qualified lawyer for legal matters.

🔑 7 KEYS TO LAUNCH YOUR NEW BUSINESS (FROM START. SCALE. EXIT. REPEAT)

The Art of the Start

1. Solve a Real Problem: Start by solving a problem for yourself, then scale that solution for others.

2. Fall in Love with Your Idea: Your passion will keep you going when the tough times hit (and trust me, they will).

3. Choose a Scalable Idea: Pick something that can grow fast and wide without you doing all the work.

4. Defend Your Idea: Be ready to protect your concept - intellectual property, branding, and a strong market position matter.

5. Partner with Opposites: Hire or partner with people who have complementary skills and different personality profiles - if you’re ops-minded, find a killer salesperson to balance you out.

6. Set Up a SMART Stage Gate: Create Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals (e.g. “Land 10 distributors by Sept 1, 2025”) - If you miss the mark, pivot or kill it.

7. Establish KPIs Early: Define your Key Performance Indicators from day one so you always know if you’re winning or just spinning.

Bonus Tip:

Join an Incubator or Find a Mentor: Entrepreneurs with mentors are 3X more likely to succeed - SCORE (in the U.S.) offers free mentorship programs, and local incubators can be a game-changer.

EXTRA Bonus:

Stock Up on the Right Books: Start with Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat. Axiom Top Book of 2025 for Entrepreneurship. The ultimate guide for launching, growing, and selling a business.

🌊 CATCHING THE NEXT WAVE…

In the chapter Catching the Big Wave from Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat., Colin C. Campbell emphasizes the critical role timing plays in entrepreneurial success.

Learning to spot the right wave can mean the difference between riding momentum or wiping out early.

Listen to a deep dive conversation above to learn more 👇

🛳️ LIVE AT SEA - HOW MILLIONS WILL CHANGE THE WAY THEY LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY

For thousands of years, humans have preferred to live in caves.

Places that are safe, warm, and familiar. A place called home.

Then came low Earth orbit satellite internet.

And suddenly, your “cave” doesn’t need to be tethered to a fiber optic cable, four walls – or even land.

Recently, a new company called Crescent Seas has announced plans to launch five new ships designed specifically for people who want to live and work full-time at sea.

According to them, Crescent Seas “redefines world travel by offering exclusive private residences aboard elegantly appointed ships.” 

Translation: luxury cruise life meets WeWork, with a splash of adventure and luxury. They have confirmed that they will also provide facilities for creators. 

Get ready to “Podcast”!

Like WeWork though, they have confirmed additional fees will be applied to access these facilities. 

Their first project? Converting the Regent Seven Seas Navigator into a floating condo with 204 apartments.

I sailed that ship a couple of years ago around Spain, Italy, and France.

My wife and I booked a 500-square-foot suite and joked about how amazing it would be to live on board full time.

Turns out — it’s not a joke anymore.

Crescent Seas plans to invest $50 million to transform the Navigator into a full-time residential ship.

Think less “cruise ship” and more “luxury condo with a view that changes daily.”

When asked about how it would be different from a traditional cruise ship, “One of the objectives of the redesign is to have the ship be more luxurious and residential friendly.

Many of the units will be updated and converted into units that provide more basic amenities for long-term residential use.

Plus, the common area on the ship will be redesigned to enhance the recreational areas.”

My wife and I have started mapping out what it could look like to live and work from the sea.

For the longest time, spotty internet was the dealbreaker.

But now?

Most major cruise ships have Starlink.

We’ve already booked four cruises over the next 12 months.

We have just launched a new Facebook Group called Live at Sea.

If you’re curious, dreaming, or already halfway packed, come join the conversation.

It turns out your “cave” doesn’t have to be stationary anymore.

Startup founders want to change the world.

We’re not just sailing into the sunset, we are navigating towards our new ventures and finding ways we can make a difference on this planet. 

🚨 To read the full article → Here

🚀 AI-DRIVEN GROWTH FOR STARTUPS!

In today’s rapidly evolving startup landscape, artificial intelligence isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a competitive advantage.

We sat down with David Hirschfeld, founder of Tekyz, and a seasoned AI strategist, to explore how AI can be the ultimate force multiplier for founders ready to scale.

From enhancing lead generation and automating workflows to improving team training and decision-making, the episode unpacked real-world strategies that go far beyond theory.

“What got you your first 10 customers won’t get you your next 1,000—scaling requires a new playbook, & AI helps you write it.” — David Hirschfeld

I shared how AI is integrated into his own entrepreneurial playbook—whether it’s generating private placement memorandums, crafting value statements through custom GPTs, or diagnosing business bottlenecks.

David expanded on the need for founders to identify root-level pain points before building, using AI tools to validate product-market fit early.

His Launch First methodology aims to reduce failure rates by ensuring founders find and focus on their most urgent, high-cost problems—those that real customers are willing to pay to solve.

Scaling isn’t a one-size-fits-all process.

And that’s where AI shines: as a strategic partner capable of uncovering hidden inefficiencies, customizing playbooks, and freeing up founders to think bigger.

Tools like Notebook LM, custom GPTs, and even visual AI can help automate everything from onboarding to content repurposing—giving startups the agility and intelligence to scale with precision.

Whether you’re building a team, securing funding, or simply trying to free up your own time, integrating AI into your processes isn’t optional anymore—it’s essential.

If you’re a founder, catch the full conversation on YouTube

📅 THIS MONTH’S CLUBHOUSE SCHEDULE!

Friday May 9th 2pm - ‘Startup Different’ with Chris & David Sinkinson

Chris and David Sinkinson, authors of Startup Different, share key insights from their book on building a multi-million dollar business by challenging traditional startup advice and embracing a new, data-driven approach to growth.

Friday May 16th 2pm - Data & AI to Propel your Business

We’re discussing how data and artificial intelligence can be strategically applied to drive business growth, streamline operations, and enhance decision-making for startups and entrepreneurs with Alejandro Martinez of Propelling Tech.

Friday May 30 2pm - ‘Big Money in Franchising’ with Alicia Miller

We’re joined by Alicia Miller, author of Big Money in Franchising Scaling Your Enterprise in the Era of Private Equity, as she breaks down how entrepreneurs can scale their franchise businesses and attract private equity in today’s competitive market.

🚀 IS IT TIME TO SELL?

Time to Sell Index:

Buyers Still Hold the Power → 6.9 out of 100.

2025 is still favoring buyers, making it a tough environment for sellers. That said, there are early signs of a rebound.

As the IPO market slowly gains momentum, the outlook for startups could begin to brighten.

🔥 CHECK ME OUT ON TIKTOK!

@startupclubhq

Your idea won’t come to life in silence🤫 It won’t grow in the shadows of your comfort zone... Inspiration without action is just a daydrea... See more

🚀 SUPPORTING STARTUP.CLUB

Thank you for reading along for another issue of the StartUp Club newsletter! I hope you genuinely look forward to opening the StartUp.Club newsletter every month. You can further support StartUp.Club by:

1. Sharing it with a friend or fellow entrepreneur!

2. Responding to this email and letting me know what you think. We love feedback around here! What do you want to see more of? What are you not interested in?

3. Picking up your copy of Start. Scale. Exit. Repeat.

And if you made it this far, thank you for reading.

I hope you enjoyed this edition of the StartUp.Club Newsletter.

— Colin C. Campbell