$0 to $12M within a Year: Hunter’s Strategy

After 15 years of failures, Hunter found success by launching productized services with creator partners.

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Welcome to Money Making Story,

Today, we’re thrilled to share the story of Hunter, who’s on a mission to launch 12 million-dollar businesses in 12 months with Assembly.

  • Top Advice

  • From Burnout to Building Empires

  • How Hunter Hammett is Building 12 Million-Dollar Businesses in 12 Months with Productized Services

  • The Four Businesses Generating Millions

  • 5 Ideal Customer Principles

  • The Strategy Behind His Success

  • Hunter’s Formula: Build Productized Services With Creators

  • From 15 Years of Failure to Rapid Success

  • Scaling Quickly: Hiring, Partnerships, and Processes

  • Hunter’s Work Ethic: Structure, Focus, and Execution

  • Why Productized Services Are Hunter’s Launchpad

  • Lessons from Hunter’s Playbook

  • A Story Worth Reading

Top Advice:

"Scale quickly, leverage partnerships, and let systems drive success."

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In the fast-paced world of startups and digital entrepreneurship, few stories are as compelling as that of Hunter Hammett. Over the last four months, he has launched four million-dollar businesses, all following a similar strategy centered around productized services. His ambitious goal? To build 12 million-dollar businesses in 12 months and transform them into a cash-flowing machine to fund even bigger ventures.

In a recent interview with Starter Story, Hunter shared his journey, business strategies, and the mindset driving his success.

From Burnout to Building Empires

Hunter Hammett has launched four million-dollar businesses in just four months, using a proven playbook for productized services. His goal? To build 12 million-dollar businesses in 12 months, creating a cash-generating machine for future ventures. His rapid success is built on 15 years of experience and countless failures, demonstrating that success is about systems, partnerships, and persistence.

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How Hunter Hammett is Building 12 Million-Dollar Businesses in 12 Months with Productized Services

In the fast-paced world of startups and digital entrepreneurship, few stories are as compelling as that of Hunter Hammett. Over the last four months, he has launched four million-dollar businesses, all following a similar strategy centered around productized services. His ambitious goal? To build 12 million-dollar businesses in 12 months and transform them into a cash-flowing machine to fund even bigger ventures.

In a recent interview with Starter Story, Hunter shared his journey, business strategies, and the mindset driving his success.

The Four Businesses Generating Millions

Hunter's four public-facing businesses, all productized services, are already generating multi-million-dollar revenues:

  1. Hey Friends: A YouTube agency launched with creator Ali Abdaal, offering a $10,000/month package for producing high-quality YouTube videos.

  2. Off Menu: A full-service design agency, projected to reach a $5 million run rate by the end of October.

  3. Viral Cuts: A premium short-form video agency with Sam Parr and Cody Sanchez.

  4. Keyframe: An animation studio built with Dan Koe.

Each business follows a simple model: a predefined, high-value service offered at a clear monthly price, creating a predictable and scalable revenue stream.

5 Ideal Customer Principles

The Strategy Behind His Success

Hunter’s approach to launching these businesses is rooted in a proven formula:

1. Target Crowded Markets

Rather than avoiding competition, Hunter seeks out crowded markets, knowing that a superior product, clear branding, and trusted distribution from creator partners will help him stand out.

2. Product-Audience Fit

Each business is paired with a creator whose audience already has a clear need. For example, Ali Abdaal’s experience teaching YouTube growth made a YouTube agency the perfect fit.

3. Clear Value Propositions

Hunter believes in setting clear expectations with customers. For Hey Friends, the $10,000/month package guarantees six high-quality YouTube videos per month—no “unlimited” gimmicks, just transparent value.

4. Fast Execution, Then Optimization

His motto is “move fast, break everything, and clean up later.” His team of 50, built in just four months, thrives in this rapid, iterative environment.

Hunter’s Formula: Build Productized Services With Creators

Hunter’s success comes from a repeatable framework:

  • Creator-Led Distribution: He partners with influencers whose audiences match the service, giving each business a marketing head start.

  • Clear Service Offerings: Rather than offering “unlimited” services, he defines clear deliverables, such as “6 premium YouTube videos per month” for Hey Friends.

  • Concierge-Level Experience: His teams prioritize premium service to drive customer satisfaction and referrals.

Hunter identifies opportunities by entering crowded markets and out-executing competitors with superior branding, customer experience, and creator-led distribution. He ensures each launch has:

  • Product-Audience Fit: Aligning services with the creator’s audience.

  • A Strong Launch Strategy: Leveraging the creator’s platform for rapid customer acquisition.

  • Operational Excellence: Building systems to maintain quality and scale efficiently.

From 15 Years of Failure to Rapid Success

Hunter’s path wasn’t quick or easy:

  • He built and sold a startup with 3.2 million users but failed to monetize it.

  • He ran a digital agency with major clients like Nike and Samsung but burned out from corporate constraints.

  • After a six-month sabbatical, he partnered with Sahil Bloom to launch Assembly, focusing on productized services.

His experience taught him:

'“The first phase is generating cash flow; the next phase is building scalable products."

Scaling Quickly: Hiring, Partnerships, and Processes

Hunter scaled from 3 to 50 employees in four months, using a two-phase approach:

  • Phase 1: Break Everything: Rapid hiring to meet demand, accepting initial chaos.

  • Phase 2: Clean It Up: Optimizing systems and processes for stability.

His hiring strategies include:

  • Network-Driven Recruitment: Hiring through trusted recommendations for senior roles.

  • Referral Incentives: Encouraging team members to bring in high-quality candidates.

  • Generous Compensation: Being known as a great employer to attract top talent.

Hunter’s Work Ethic: Structure, Focus, and Execution

Hunter’s ability to manage multiple ventures simultaneously comes down to structure and discipline. He follows a simple weekly framework called “DAM”:

  • Monday – Decisions: Analyze data and make key decisions.

  • Tuesday – Actions: Execute on those decisions.

  • Wednesday – Messages: Communicate updates to his team.

  • Thursday – Calls: Focus on networking and sales.

  • Friday – Deep Work: Spend time writing and developing long-term strategy.

Why Productized Services Are Hunter’s Launchpad

Hunter is clear that productized services are just the beginning. The cash flow from these ventures will fuel his next phase: launching scalable SaaS products and other high-growth businesses. He sees this as the natural evolution of his empire.

  • Fast Cash Flow: High margins and predictable revenue.

  • Scalability Through Systems: Easily repeatable processes.

  • A Pathway to Software: Using profits to fund SaaS and scalable tech solutions.

Lessons from Hunter’s Playbook:

  • Start Simple: Focus on services you can deliver better than 80% of the market.

  • Leverage Partnerships: Collaborate with creators for instant distribution.

  • Deliver Premium Value: Overdeliver to drive referrals and customer retention.

  • Nurture Relationships: Build a strong network—Hunter’s success stems from trust, not transactions.

  • Create Content: Build an audience early. His biggest regret is not doing this sooner.

  • Set Long-Term Goals: Don’t just chase quick money; build something sustainable.

Hunter Hammett’s journey proves that rapid success is possible with the right strategy, partnerships, and mindset. His formula for launching million-dollar productized servicescrowded markets, creator distribution, clear offerings, and fast execution—is a blueprint that anyone can follow.

For those ready to follow in his footsteps, Hunter’s advice is clear:

Start with a productized service, overdeliver on value, and build a real business—not just a job.”

Hunter Hammett proves that productized services are a powerful foundation for rapid growth. His success is built on clear offers, strong partnerships, and disciplined execution. And he’s just getting started.

So, what’s stopping you from launching your first productized service?

A Story Worth Reading

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