John Hill – Entrepreneurship, LinkedIn Partnerships, and the WAP Platform (MSU-origin story to no-code marketplaces)
Guest speaker: John Hill, long-time friend of the host, with a rich career spanning academia, journalism, startups, and high-growth platforms.- Emphasis: use of MSU as origin for entrepreneurship initiatives, and the whop platform as an experimental tool for student-led storefronts and entrepreneurship practice.- Structure of talk: John’s background, quick LinkedIn tutorial, deep dive into the block platform (whop), followed by Q&A and class cadence planning for building student storefronts.
Key themes and milestones:
Early life and education- Born in Boston; grew up in a tight-knit, blue-collar neighborhood (Sabbath Hill). Mention of the local area and its character.
Father worked in the automotive industry; family moved to Michigan; attended Michigan State University (MSU) after being drawn to the campus game this weekend. Studied journalism with a history minor; joked that his father thought he was allergic to money.
MSU and career launching points- First internship developer at MSU: created internship and experiential opportunities for students to gain real-world experience.
Example program: internship with Clark Bunning (founder of SharpWeek) in Discovery Studios; interns worked six weeks in the president’s office, six weeks on an original program, leading to a role at Discovery Studios.
Early work included bridging MSU alumni with job opportunities worldwide (Silicon Valley, Wall Street, international work) and creating programs to help Spartans stay in Lansing via network-building.
Co-initiated a program with the Lansing Economic Development Corporation to incentivize MSU students to remain in Lansing through networking opportunities; the effort began in 2002–2006 timeframe (roughly twenty years ago).
Recession response and the rise of online identity- 2009 global recession hit Michigan hard (automotive industry decline); thousands of alumni faced job loss, relocation, and personal hardship.
Rebuilt job-search methodology using online identity and personal branding; emphasized online identity of record (a precursor to modern digital professional profiles).
Built and scaled the largest university LinkedIn group by embedding alumni into LinkedIn groups and networks to support job searches and knowledge sharing.
MSU connection helped catalyze broader national/global adoption of LinkedIn in higher education.
LinkedIn and product/evangelist roles- Became LinkedIn’s external face for universities as the “education evangelist”; later joined as a member of a product team and spokesperson for LinkedIn.
Helped LinkedIn reach millions: built five products and reached about users; MSU genesis of the initiative.
Techstars and global startup ecosystem- Joined Techstars, the world’s largest early-stage tech investor network; over a decade, helped invest in ~$4,000$ companies globally; 460 exits; largest exit was a billion-dollar deal (GoPak) with Amazon; six companies went public.
Built the world’s largest entrepreneurship network (around $43,000$ founders, investors, corporate partners, community leaders), connecting online and offline ecosystems.
Travel and global ecosystem work included advising startup communities in Norway, Cape Town, UAE (Abu Dhabi), and more; emphasized the challenges of building ecosystems in different cultural environments (e.g., Norway’s affinity for not standing out).
whop (wh0p) platform and the 2023–2024 pivot- Left Techstars to join a no/low-code/no-code platform for building marketplaces and communities (whop).
whop goal: enable any student or entrepreneur to build a tech-enabled marketplace quickly (the claim: “from zero to one in about 45 minutes”).
whop platform highlights:
No-code, end-to-end marketplace and community building.
Global user base growth: over users; new users joined in a short period; GMV (gross merchandise value) surpassed in recent years.
The platform processes payments; uses Stripe-like models; claims about cost efficiency (2.7% transaction cost vs. industry norms around 3%).
3,000,000 people on the marketplace; hundreds of thousands of active projects; tens of millions in GMV yearly.
Strategic partnerships and fundraising ecosystem (investors and brands) linked to whop; notable names and connections in the investor and celebrity circles are mentioned as part of the broader ecosystem
Practical entrepreneurship guidance and philosophy- The speaker emphasizes the gravity of entrepreneurship as a difficult, non-normal career path but ultimately rewarding with the right support network.
Recurrent message: fail fast, learn from failures, and leverage a broad network. The idea of a “runway extension” through support networks is highlighted.
Encourages student founders to engage with mentors and experts who can provide both advice and access to capital; the adage cited: “If you want money, ask for advice; if you want advice, ask for money.”
Emphasis on relationships and the power of networks over pure talent or capital alone for job searches and fundraising.
LinkedIn strategies and the importance of professional identity- Tools for students to leverage LinkedIn effectively: build a profile with ~50 meaningful connections to start; the platform search is “narrative-based” and can be navigated via the “People” menu with filters (People, Jobs, Companies, Groups).
The four major affiliations that drive opportunity via LinkedIn (as discussed in the talk):
1) Family or hometown networks (regarding the speaker’s own Sabath Hill connection as an example of a tight, less-accessible network).
2) University affiliation (MSU and other universities as entry points into opportunities).
3) Shared work experience (professional connections and alumni like Christian from Glassdoor, etc.).
4) Other professional pursuits and groups (professional associations, student groups, sports teams, conferences).
The most important channels for job opportunities are later-stage connections: first-level connections yield many opportunities via second/third-level networks; the book referenced is Lee Hoffman’s work on the “Startup Review.”
Practice of information interviews and “advice then money” approach to networking with potential investors or mentors.
Lead generation and investor outreach techniques demonstrated- Three practical ways to create lead lists for investors (lead-list generation):
Lead List 1: Use filters in LinkedIn to find investors by industry (e.g., venture capital, SIC/NAICS categories, though the speaker notes these are imperfect in classification but usable). Example shown: target retail-focused VCs connected to Michigan State alumni.
Lead List 2: Real estate + angel investor search by keyword and location: search phrases like "angel investor" and real estate keywords; narrow to first/second-level connections; filter by location (e.g., Michigan).
Lead List 3: Alumni network page (MSU alumni) to identify venture-connected alumni in your target geography (e.g., Bay Area) with specific skills (retail, etc.). This tool is free and allows viewing where alumni work, live, and their skills; helps to identify potential mentors and deal flow.
Practical scripting for outreach: two-sentence intro that references shared affiliation (e.g., being a Spartan) and a specific ask (e.g., requesting an introduction to a named investor or mentor), leveraging the “advice first, money second” mindset.
Information interview and deal flow concepts- Information interviews as a mechanism to gather advice and build relationships that can lead to future deal flow.
The concept of “deal flow” as ongoing engagement with people who can become investors or partners in the future; this is cultivated through sustained relationships and meaningful conversation.
Practical product/building walk-through on whop- Registration step to start a storefront on whop; the interface allows you to create a product with a unique URL indexable by Google.
Basic storefront setup: product title, one-time price, image placeholder, and the ability to add apps (live streaming, chat, courses, forms, etc.) to expand functionality.
App ecosystem for monetization: examples include live streaming, merch, course modules, radio/podcasting, and various payment integrations (e.g., Stripe-like processing with a lower fee).
The “no code” and rapid-build capability: the speaker demonstrates creating a basic storefront and adding features in real time to show how quickly a business can be launched.
The platform emphasizes global accessibility and the removal of traditional entry barriers (e.g., code requirements) to build a business.
Classroom incentives and real-world relevance- A challenge to the class: aim to build 352 student-led companies in one day as a Guinness World Record-like goal (playful, but signals ambitious, scalable outcomes).
Commitments from the speaker and whop team: they will provide playbooks from successful university programs; they will promote and support student ventures on social channels.
Concrete incentives: the top three student participants (highest revenue, best idea, best storefront) will be flown to Brooklyn, NY for further collaboration with whop’s leadership and partners; bonus signals about ongoing mentorship and exposure.
Ethical, philosophical, and practical implications discussed- Entrepreneurship is framed as a high-risk, high-reward path; the speaker emphasizes that most startups fail and that people should be prepared for that reality.
The creator economy and AI disruption are presented as both opportunity and market shift, with a call to adapt, learn, and build alongside new technologies.
Emphasis on inclusivity and accessibility: lowering barriers to entry, enabling students and non-technical founders to participate in startup activity via no-code tools.
The importance of mentorship, community, and generosity in helping others succeed (network effects and reciprocal support).
Numerical and statistical references emphasized- Personal and platform metrics mentioned include:
LinkedIn reach at peak: users; growth to ~ employees at LinkedIn (contextual comparison to MSU genesis).
Techstars scale: invested in ~$4,000$ companies; exits; largest exit: “a billion dollars” exit to Amazon; six IPOs.
Platform scale for whop: ~ new users (one-day surge noted); total users around ; GMV around ; 3,000,000 users on the marketplace.
University and alumni reach: MSU alumni base ~; claim of 18.5 million US students (addressed as large opportunity pool).
Classroom and program impact: example of 82 students from University of South Carolina launching ventures in a short pilot; $2,600$ revenue generated in a three-month window.
Examples cited for demonstration of success: GoPak exit to Amazon; Drizly acquisition by Uber; notable investors and partners (Peter Thiel, Justin from Twitch, YouTube founder, Kevin O’Leary, James Harden) to illustrate high-profile connections and credibility.
Real-world connections and takeaways- The MSU origin story is presented as a blueprint for how universities can seed entrepreneurship programs, create internships, and develop a pipeline that connects students to global ecosystems (LinkedIn, Techstars, whop).
The talk links personal narrative to scalable frameworks: internships, alumni networks, university partnerships, and platform-based entrepreneurship.
The speaker’s closing message: if you decide to build something, he will help; the emphasis is on community support, persistence, and leveraging relationships to extend runway and opportunities.
Practical next steps for students in class- Build and optimize LinkedIn profiles; aim for ~50 meaningful connections as a starting point.
Learn to navigate LinkedIn with advanced search filters (People, Jobs, Companies, Groups) and to leverage affiliations (university, work experience, groups) to generate opportunities.
Practice information interviews; reach out to alumni and mentors with a clear, brief ask and offer of mutual value.
Engage with whop: register, experiment with storefronts, add apps (live streaming, chat, courses, etc.), and begin building a real business in a matter of hours.
Track progress and prepare case studies to share feedback with whop; the class aims to generate real revenue and actionable storefronts for demonstration purposes.
Key takeaways for exam-style understanding:
Entrepreneurship ecosystems are built through universities, corporate partnerships, accelerators, and scalable marketplaces; MSU’s role in creating internships, partnerships with LinkedIn, and a broad entrepreneurship program demonstrates a successful model for higher education-driven startup ecosystems.
No-code platforms can dramatically shorten the time to launch a business (e.g., 45 minutes from idea to storefront) while enabling scalable experimentation across diverse product categories.
Relationship-driven job search and fundraising strategies outperform traditional cold outreach; leveraging four major affiliations (family/hometown, university, shared work experience, and professional groups) can unlock opportunities through first-, second-, and third-degree connections.
The creator economy and AI disruption create new pathways for students to monetize skills and networks; platforms like whop enable monetization of knowledge, content, and services across borders.
Ethical considerations include the responsibility of mentors to de-risk entrepreneurship for students, acknowledging startup failures, and promoting inclusive access to entrepreneurial opportunities.
Formulas and notation used in the talk (as references):
KPI = Key Performance Indicator; used to measure progress against milestones. Typical interpretation: a measurable value that demonstrates how effectively a company is achieving its key business objectives.
OKR = Objective and Key Result; a framework for setting and tracking goals and their outcomes.
GMV = Gross Merchandise Volume; total value of goods and services sold through a marketplace over a specific period.
Percent and rate visuals referenced (e.g., transaction costs):- Platform example: transaction fee ~ vs. industry norm ~ per transaction.
Population and scale references (for context):- Alumni: ; Global startup ecosystem: early-stage tech companies (worldwide).
Marketplace/users: users; new additions: in a given period; GMV: .
Note: All figures are drawn from the transcript’s own numbers and should be treated asUse-contextual data for study notes; they illustrate scale and impact rather than universal benchmarks. Use these numbers to recall the speaker’s emphasis on growth, scale, and the leverage of networks in entrepreneurship.