A Better Lemonade Stand #275

Insights, trends & tools to build a better online business.

Author

Richard Lazazzera
January 04, 2024

Happy New Year! 🙌

Thanks for joining me for another year of insights, trends, tools, and opportunities.

Growing up as an avid reader of Popular Mechanics for Kids in the 90s, I've always envisioned a more thrilling future than the current one.

Created in Leonardo.ai

But I think 2024 might just be when some of those long-awaited, futuristic promises start to materialize.

2023 was an eye-opener, showcasing generative AI's potential in text, image, voice, and music generation.

Impressive, but it felt like a teaser of what's possible.

As someone who's not shy to place a bet, I'm wagering that 2024 will be a pivotal year for AI – its capabilities, integrations, and practical utility.

Keep an eye on CES (Consumer Electronics Show) next week. It's going to be a showcase of the new, the innovative, and, yes, some outright bizarre tech concepts and new products for the market. And everything will have AI in it.

Keep reading to learn what’s new with me, and why I won’t shut up about generative AI video.

🤝 In Partnership With Unbound

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A special thanks to Unbound for sponsoring A Better Lemonade Stand. 🙏🏼

👇🏼 Updates

I rebooted this newsletter in mid-2023 after a 1-year sabbatical filled with hobbies and home renovations.

The relaunch marked a strategic shift away from physical ecommerce, on a path to exploring emerging digital business models and the use of AI, no-code, and automation tools to help build better businesses.

2023 was a year of discovery, experimenting with diverse content and themes to understand and align with your interests and needs.

For 2024, here's what's on the horizon:

  • 📚 In-Depth Insights: Returning to my roots with extensive deep dives.

  • 💬 Bite-Sized Updates: Stay informed through my website newsfeed, Facebook Group, and Instagram.

  • 🤝 Creative Collaborations: Bringing fresh perspectives and innovative frameworks through partnerships with fellow creators.

  • 🔧 Practical Tools: More resources, tools, and templates to help you grow and scale your online business.

  • 🌐 Exclusive Community: A cozy community for inquisitive minds and courageous creators.

I'm excited about what I know will be a monumental year of meaningful work, collaborations, and new opportunities with other passionate creatives and dynamic teams.

💡 Insights

Tim Ferriss on Reputation and Credibility: Creators, take note. @tferriss, a titan in content creation, shares vital insights with @david_perell, including his perspective on the immense value of reputation and credibility in today's content landscape.

Tim dubs credibility as "the new gold." As creation becomes more accessible, quality and integrity emerge as rare commodities.

His advice? Avoid short-term compromises for long-term success.

5 A.I. SaaS Ideas for 2024: Simon Høiberg, a veteran in building SaaS with no-code tools, brings 5 A.I. SaaS ideas to the table for 2024. His unique blend of no-code experience and innovative thinking offers a fresh take on potential ventures.

7-Figure SaaS With No-Code: Chad Sakonchick's journey with Better Legal is a testament to no-code's power. Starting with no-code tools in the legal tech arena, he later shifted to custom code but reverted to no-code for efficiency and cost-effectiveness. This strategic move led to a 58% increase in MRR and over $2.5 million in revenue.

Mastering the Long Game with Jay Clouse: Jay Clouse, earning $50k/month as a full-time creator, shares his strategy for building a resilient, diversified online business. His advice: avoid distractions, focus on three revenue streams, and commit to consistent, hard work.

🤑 Opportunities

In my pre-holiday newsletter, I highlighted AI video and animation as a game-changer for 2024.

While static image generation has been largely perfected, video and animation are catching up.

Currently, AI text-to-video primarily produces brief clips. However, significant advancements are expected by the end of 2024.

Expect user-friendly, democratized video production for common needs like ads, trailers, short videos, and explainer videos.

Still hesitant about AI video's potential?

According to Rowan Cheung from The Rundown, Midjourney CEO David Holz shared an ambitious vision for the company's future during a Discord office hours session.

He believes Midjourney could achieve a 'holodeck'-like capability – creating real-time open worlds – by 2024. This concept, inspired by the iconic Star Trek holographic simulation technology, hints at groundbreaking advancements in AI-driven video and animation.

Editors Note: Holy ****!

It’s hard to imagine a better opportunity right now for… anyone. The cost of these platforms and learning them is negligible. Most are even free or at least have a free tier.

By familiarizing yourself with these four pioneering AI video generator apps, you're not just getting a head start—you're setting yourself up to be a leader in a field that's poised to redefine how we create and consume video content:

📱 Apps

Each week, I explore and curate a selection of fresh, exciting apps designed to empower entrepreneurs like you. This week's finds are all about enhancing productivity, creativity, and engagement in unique ways.

Here's the latest lineup of tools that can help you build a better business:

Xtiles: Xtiles is an all-in-one workspace combining note-taking, planning, and project management. It's great for organizing various content and tasks, with real-time collaboration for both individual and team projects. Simplifies workflows by replacing multiple apps. Xtiles

Record Once: Record Once is a user-friendly platform for creating professional video tutorials. It uses AI to record web interactions and edit seamlessly, making it easy to update videos in line with product changes. Perfect for entrepreneurs needing quick, high-quality instructional content. Record Once

Creatify: Creatify is an AI-driven tool for creating marketing videos effortlessly. Just input a product link or visuals for instant ad generation. It offers script and video previews with customization options, ideal for testing various ad variations with minimal effort. Creatify

Jellypod: Jellypod turns email newsletters into personalized podcasts. It's perfect for entrepreneurs who want to consume content efficiently, offering audio summaries of newsletters with customizable features like voice and playback speed. Jellypod

Convert Your Newsletters into a Podcast | Jellypod

jellypod.ai

Alright, that’s all for this week.

Now, I'm curious about what you're up to. Hit reply – share your current projects, hurdles, or a cool new tool you've stumbled upon.

Until next week,

Richard 👊🏼

This communication is not intended as business counsel. It serves as a weekly briefing on entrepreneurship and my initiatives, designed for informational and entertainment purposes. Revenue may be generated through sponsorships, affiliate links, and digital product sales.