From a Chance Meeting at a Barcelona Bookstore: Following Up with Noah Kagan
In this episode of Behind the Curtain: Money Made Simple, Julie sits down with entrepreneur and author Noah Kagan, founder of AppSumo and one of Facebook's earliest employees. The two reconnect after a chance meeting in a Barcelona bookstore—an encounter that perfectly captures the spirit of Noah's bestselling book, Million Dollar Weekend.
Noah shares his philosophy on the power of asking, following up, and taking fast action. From overcoming excuses to finding business ideas in everyday problems, he unpacks lessons from launching 24 ventures and ultimately achieving financial freedom. Julie and Noah also explore personal finance habits, the link between momentum and success, and how practicing action—big or small—can change your life.
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(00:00:00) Introduction and meeting guest Noah Kagan, founder of AppSumo, at a bookstore in Barcelona.
(00:02:55) Noah explains how a simple "ask" led to meeting his business idol.
(00:03:59) The importance of following up and persistence in achieving goals.
(00:05:27) Noah shares his early career path—from Intel to being Facebook's 30th employee.
(00:06:57) The lesson behind starting Million Dollar Weekend with "Excuses."
(00:08:55) Why momentum and practice are key to developing entrepreneurial habits.
(00:11:51) Noah emphasizes learning finance through practice and personal tracking.
(00:13:29) His approach to budgeting, asset allocation, and long-term planning.
(00:15:18) Viewing budgeting as freedom rather than restriction.
(00:15:52) Using financial modeling to reduce anxiety and plan for the future.
(00:18:37) How to test business concepts before scaling them.
(00:20:01) Turning everyday problems into business opportunities.
(00:20:53) The danger of overthinking versus the value of doing.
(00:21:32) Reframing failure as a positive part of the process.
(00:22:35) The role of generosity and mutual benefit in business success.
(00:24:11) Noah's favorite and least favorite words.
(00:25:16) His final financial challenge for listeners: ask for a dollar and increase investments by 1%.
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Links:
Noah Kagan on LinkedIn: https://www.instagram.com/noahkagan
Rockland Trust: https://www.rocklandtrust.com/
Julie Beckham on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-beckham-05589534
