Open Residency

Peter Rahal - They Sued Him For Building a Bar That Shouldn't Exist

Peter Rahal broke it down in our conversation. We turned every framework, formula, and strategy from the episode into one free PDF → https://openresidency.com/peter-rahal-playbook?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=peter_rahal_playbook In this episode of Open Residency, we sit down with Peter Rahal, founder of David and the operator who built and sold RXBAR for $600M. 255 days into David, Peter has already raised at a $725M valuation, survived a viral lawsuit, and acquired the most important ingredient innovation in food. We unpack how Peter scaled from zero to $100M run rate at lightning speed, the brand brief behind David, why "obvious but true" ideas kill campaigns, and the "consumer surplus" framework he believes is the real moat in product development. A masterclass in branding, supply chain, and second-time founder discipline. Enjoy! 📬 Get in Touch with Open Residency Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/openresidency/ [https://www.instagram.com/openresidency/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markbrazil/ [https://www.instagram.com/markbrazil/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmastrandrea/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmastrandrea/] Website: https://openresidency.com/ [https://openresidency.com/] Email: info@openresidency.com 🎯 Powered by Ketone-IQ - Visit https://ketone.com/openresidency [https://ketone.com/openresidency] for 30% OFF your subscription order PLUS receive a free gift with your second shipment—fun surprises like a free 6-pack, Ketone-IQ merch, and more. beehiiv - Use code MARK30 for 30% off Link: https://beehiiv.link/209nk8 [https://beehiiv.link/209nk8] 00:00:00 Trailer 00:00:59 The 150 Calorie Lawsuit 00:05:21 Epogee - The Most Important Ingredient Innovation 00:13:12 0 To $100M In Under A Year. The Marketing Behind David 00:29:24 Why Celebrity Doesn't Sell Product Anymore (And Who Does) 00:31:34 As A Second Time Founder, What Advice Can You Give To Founders? 00:39:20 Some Say Your Branding Is Polarizing, How Did You Come Up With It? 00:53:34 Holistically with David, What Was Your Strategy On Retail? 01:04:09 The Story Behind RX Bar And How He Sold For $600M 01:36:40 The Roadmap Ahead For David? 01:46:04 Quickstrike Questions

Michael Brandt - Rogan, Jon Jones & Diary of a CEO: The Playbook They All Believe In (Ketone IQ)

Michael Brandt is giving you The Ketone-IQ Playbook → https://openresidency.com/michael-brandt-playbook?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=michael_brandt_playbook [https://openresidency.com/michael-brandt-playbook?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=michael_brandt_playbook] In this episode, we sit down with Michael Brandt, co-founder and CEO of Ketone-IQ, to talk about how he's building the category around what he calls the fourth macronutrient: ketones. Michael ran a 2:35 marathon, studied engineering at Stanford, and spent years in the early biohacking scene before betting everything on a molecule most people had never heard of. We talk about how Michael structures seven-figure influencer deals, why he leads with vibes over contracts, why whitelisting from a partner's handle beats brand accounts every time, and how a single shoot day gets cut into 16 pieces of mid- and late-funnel creative. This episode is packed with good stuff, so enjoy! Visit https://ketone.com/openresidency [https://ketone.com/openresidency] for 30% OFF your subscription order PLUS receive a free gift with your second shipment—fun surprises like a free 6-pack, Ketone-IQ merch, and more. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 Trailer 00:00:54 Why 50%+ of Budget Goes to Partnerships — Not Meta 00:01:36 What Is a Ketone? The Fifth-Grade Version 00:05:05 How Do You Pick A Partner? The Vibes-First Framework 00:16:55 Whitelisting - What Percent of Your Meta Ads Are Partner Ads? 00:29:02 The Secret Sauce Of The QR code 00:37:43 What Does A Successful Retail Pitch Actually Look Like? 00:44:21 What's The Biggest Thing You Learned In Retail? 00:48:31 When's The Right Time To Go From D2C To Retail? 00:55:06 What Does Product Development Look Like For Ketone IQ? 01:02:46 What Are The Biggest Mistakes Founders Make In Product Development? 01:06:41 How Do You Use Data And Metrics To Inform Your Products? 01:08:55 The Ketone-IQ Principles And How It Defines Their Company Culture 01:24:17 You've Raised $13 Million, What Was The Most Important Lesson? 01:40:11 What's The Biggest Learning Lesson About Leadership At Scale? 01:50:22 You Run A Sub-6 Min Pace For A Marathon. How Has That Bled Into Your Business? 01:56:28 Quickstrike Questions 🎯 POWERED BY beehiiv - Use code MARK30 for 30% off Link: https://beehiiv.link/209nk8 [https://beehiiv.link/209nk8] 📬 GET IN TOUCH WITH OPEN RESIDENCY Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/openresidency/ [https://www.instagram.com/openresidency/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markbrazil/ [https://www.instagram.com/markbrazil/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmastrandrea/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmastrandrea/] Website: https://openresidency.com/ [https://openresidency.com/] Email: info@openresidency.com [info@openresidency.com]

Danny Yeung - How He Hit $100M in Under a Year (And Why You Won't)

📬 Danny Yeung is giving you The $100m Velocity Playbook — https://openresidency.com/danny-yeung-playbook [https://openresidency.com/danny-yeung-playbook?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=danny_yeung_playbook] TIMESTAMPS:00:00:00 Trailer00:00:52 What's Your Marketing Mix With IM8?00:04:16 What Does Your CAC to LTV Look Like?00:05:44 What Does Your Content System Look Like?00:07:41 Platform Risk and Where To Spend Next00:08:37 How Do You Keep Your Customers?00:15:05 Partnership With David Beckham00:22:14 Partnership With Sabalenka00:25:08 New Partners For IM800:29:46 AI Tools For Business00:31:51 Leadership Style00:33:09 The Crazy Groupon Story00:40:14 Getting Your Team To Move Fast00:43:02 How Much Is Luck vs Skill?00:47:20 How Did Prenetics Start?00:58:18 Transitioning Out of Covid Testing01:02:31 $1B to $40M Marketcap — What Did You Learn?01:05:43 How Did You Get To IM8?01:08:22 Quickstrike Questions In this episode, we sit down with Danny Yeung, co-founder and CEO of Prenetics and the person behind IM8, the longevity supplement brand that went from zero to $100M annual run rate in under a year. Danny walks through the marketing engine running $100K+ per day on Meta alone, why he keeps 1,000–1,500 ads live at any given time, and the deal structures behind signing David Beckham, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Aryna Sabalenka. 🎙 GUESTDanny Yeung, Co-Founder & CEO of Prenetics / IM8Website: https://im8health.com/ 📬 GET IN TOUCHInstagram: https://instagram.com/openresidency [https://instagram.com/openresidency]Website: https://openresidency.com/ [https://openresidency.com/] 🎯 Powered by Outer SignalYour next big customer already bought from you: https://outersignal.com [https://outersignal.com/] 🎯 Powered by PoppyGet $25 off: https://getpoppy.ai/openresidency [https://getpoppy.ai/openresidency] (use code "OR") 🎯 Powered by Universal Ads👉 Claim your credit: https://form.typeform.com/to/ckvJ86zT [https://form.typeform.com/to/ckvJ86zT]

David Grutman - How He Built One Of The Most Powerful Hospitality Empires

In this episode of Open Residency, we sit down with David Grutman, the founder of Groot Hospitality and the man behind LIV, Komodo, and Papi Steak, to break down how he built one of the most iconic hospitality empires in the world. David shares the ecosystem thinking that turned a single nightclub into a multi-venue flywheel, why he treats every concept as intellectual property, and the hard lessons that shaped how he operates today. We go deep on the deal structures behind his biggest wins and biggest losses, how he decides between lease deals and management deals, and why your audience will tell you exactly who you are. Even when your ego disagrees. David also opens up his venture portfolio, sharing what made him back Liquid Death, Colossal Biosciences, and Skinny Dipped — and what one failed investment taught him about founders who over-optimize for valuation over growth. He also talks about his new book, Take It Personal, and why caring deeply about the details is exactly why he's still winning. Take It Personal Book: https://zandoprojects.com/books/take-it-personal-hardcover [https://zandoprojects.com/books/take-it-personal-hardcover] TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 Trailer 00:00:46 Kim Kardashian Wrote The Forward Of Your Book, How Do You Look At Relationships? 00:02:00 18 Year Ago, You Opened Up LIV, What Was That Aha Moment That You Could Create A Whole Ecosystem? 00:03:31 On Komodo, You Raised $10 Million Initually, What Was That Biggest Lesson? 00:06:45 Walk Me Through What You Learned About IP With Komodo? 00:10:13 What Type Of EBITDA or Profit Does A Club Or Restaurant Actually Look Like? 00:11:13 What About 1st Gen vs 2nd Gen For Restaurants and Clubs? 00:12:47 Tell Me The Origin Story Of Poppy Steak? 00:14:24 What Is It Like Doing Business With Friends? 00:15:42 When You Open Your Own Venues, What Are Some Of Those Non-Negotiables? 00:20:55 You're In Venture Now. 00:23:15 When You Invest In A Company, How Do You Integrate It To Your Wold? 00:24:56 What Are Those Red Flags When People Are Looking For An Investment From You? 00:30:07 What's The Most Surprsing Company You've Invested In? 00:33:04 What's The Hardest Lesson About Winkers? 00:34:25 How Much Revenue Do You need For A Restaurant or Venue? 00:39:51 Quickstrike Questions 📬 GET IN TOUCH WITH OPEN RESIDENCY Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/openresidency/ [https://www.instagram.com/openresidency/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markbrazil/ [https://www.instagram.com/markbrazil/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmastrandrea/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmastrandrea/] Website: https://openresidency.com/ [https://openresidency.com/] Email: info@openresidency.com [info@openresidency.com]

Dan Martell - The AI Playbook Every Founder Needs in 2026

Dan Martell is giving you the AI Operator Playbook, and it's in the link below. It's the exact system he uses to run 17 companies with a 1-person finance team, including his full 8-tool stack ranked, the Master Prompt Architecture that gives any AI five-year-colleague-level context in one upload, and the Zero Inbox System he has used for 3 years without reading a single email himself. The part most founders never reach: why using AI for content and marketing is the lowest-leverage move you can make, and which lever actually triples profit in 60 days. Download it free: https://openresidency.com/dan-martell-playbook?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=show_notes&utm_campaign=dan_martell_playbook&utm_term=playbook&utm_content=playbook_download_form In this episode of Open Residency, we sit down with Dan Martell, investor, entrepreneur, and one of the most followed voices in AI, to break down what's actually happening at the frontier of artificial intelligence. Dan tier-ranks the top AI tools, explains why most people are using AI completely wrong, and reveals the reverse prompting framework that's changing how he builds companies. We also go deep on the future of work… why AI-first operators are replacing entire departments, how Dan built Martell Ventures to 225M monthly impressions, and what it really means to buy back your time in the age of agents. If you're serious about building in 2026, this one is required listening. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 Trailer 00:00:50 You've Tested 500 AI Tools And Narrowed Down To The Top 8. Let's Start With ChatGPT. 00:02:33 What About Claude? 00:14:47 Do You Recommend People Going Super Wide Or All In On One? 00:17:14 What About Gemini? 00:18:54 What About Grok? 00:25:29 What is Wispr Flow? 00:34:29 What is Apex.host? 00:39:30 How Do You Stay Up To Date With All The AI News And Noise? 00:45:05 What Is Moltbook? 00:54:16 What's The Best Way To Structure Prompts Across Your Company? 01:03:19 How Do You Use AI As A Business Leverage? 01:07:52 Quickstrike Questions 📬 GET IN TOUCH WITH OPEN RESIDENCY Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/openresidency/ [https://www.instagram.com/openresidency/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markbrazil/ [https://www.instagram.com/markbrazil/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmastrandrea/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmastrandrea/] Website: https://openresidency.com/ [https://openresidency.com/] Email: info@openresidency.com [info@openresidency.com] 🎯 Powered by beehiiv Use code MARK30 for 30% off Link: https://beehiiv.link/n8whln [https://beehiiv.link/n8whln] 🎯 Powered by Poppy A visual AI workspace for thinkers who hate linear chat. Get $25 off: getpoppy.ai/OpenResidency [https://getpoppy.ai/OpenResidency] (use code "OR")