3 businesses we think are about to blow up

Summary · 4 min read instead of 47 min

The hosts start with Palmer Luckey's answer on what he would build from zero, oxytocin for marriage counseling, and treat oxytocin as a possible health trend that is early and thinly studied. They then describe the Knights of Columbus and similar membership groups that turn a shared identity into insurance revenue. They move to Angel Studios, a values-based studio, and use A24 to argue that a business can start as a reaction to a dominant trend. They close on the economics of movies, where marketing costs rival production costs and even a big hit returns about two and a half times cost.

Minute by minute

1. 2:15

   Luckey would start with oxytocin for divorce. One host plays a clip in which Palmer Luckey, founder of Anduril and Oculus, says he would try to end the tragedy of divorce with oxytocin for marriage counseling. Luckey argues oxytocin is safe, well understood and unregulated, and that bulk powder is sold online. The hosts recall earlier calls on GLP-1s, TRT and sperm freezing.

2. 4:32

   The pitch shows first-principles thinking. The host praises Luckey for having a novel idea and a ready pitch. He says it starts from divorce affecting 50% of people and works toward oxytocin. He admits he knows little about oxytocin and says the packaging is what interests him. He follows biohacking subreddits, where he first heard of GLP-1s, and he follows a forum of oxytocin users who keep daily journals.

3. 6:04

   Oxytocin drives pair bonding, but evidence is thin. The host explains that oxytocin is released when mothers have babies and after sex, and that prairie voles bond for life. He describes a small human study where dosed men sat about 15 centimeters farther from an attractive woman. Both hosts stress the research is small, may be wrong, and that safety and efficacy are unproven.

4. 13:47

   Oxytocin works like a highlighter. The hosts describe oxytocin as a highlighter that amplifies existing feelings instead of creating love. In the studies described, someone abused by a partner would feel more distance, not warmth. They see promise for people who struggle to connect socially. One doctor reportedly saw small teams work better together on small doses.

5. 17:03

   Fringe health ideas become mainstream. One host says he reacts to unfamiliar chemicals with fear but has watched fringe ideas turn normal. He cites peptides such as BPC-157 and a psychedelics company that Eli Lilly bought for about 2.8 billion dollars. He suspects social acceptance of oxytocin could shift too, and says they will check in 12 months to see whether they were right.

6. 21:02

   Knights of Columbus sells insurance to a community. A host explains that a priest founded the group in 1882 as a mutual benefit society. He says it now has two or three million members, about 14,000 chapters and 30 billion dollars in assets, and makes money by selling life insurance. He notes that men aged 30 to 40 are its fastest-growing segment.

7. 23:18

   Identity communities can monetize through financial products. The host says similar groups exist, such as Good Sam for RV owners and USCCA for concealed-carry holders, which he says earns about 400 million dollars a year. Parr likens the model to selling a commodity financial service through a trusted community. The host adds that AARP licenses its name to a health insurer, and that some health-share groups carry tax advantages.

8. 27:54

   Angel Studios built a values-based streaming business. A host says he interviewed the founder of Angel Studios, whose audience of about 3 million members wants content without cursing, drinking or drugs. He says it started as a filter that cut objectionable scenes from movies, and that members vote on titles, with a 70% approval bar. He puts annual recurring revenue at 450 million dollars.

9. 35:01

   Great businesses often react to a dominant trend. A host says a good business idea can be the reaction to an action. Snapchat answered Facebook's permanent photos, and screen-time apps answer constant phone use. He says A24 answered risk-averse studios that favor sequels and four-quadrant films by picking up overlooked independent directors cheaply, and by using guerrilla marketing such as the Kevin James Super Bowl stunt.

10. 40:20

    Movie marketing costs more than production. A host relays that one film cost 14 million dollars to make and 40 million to market, 54 million in all. He adds that shooting often takes only about 30 to 37 days, while writing, funding, editing and marketing take years. He notes video games spend similarly large sums on marketing.

11. 43:22

    Even a big movie hit returns little. The hosts relay a distributor's example: a 250 million dollar box office, with about half kept, gives 125 million against 54 million in costs. That is a return of two-point-something times, which must cover flops. One host says he expected larger returns, as in startup investing, and notes that a book hit costs little to print. The other says billionaires keep wanting to make movies, and that the film tax write-off requires the movie to go into production.

Published Oct 5, 2026.