Day 33 Transcript
NOTE: Today’s transcript is followed by an AI prompt that can be used with your AI provider of choice. Just copy and paste it into ChatGPT or Perplexity and it will help you answer today’s questions for your specific side hustle… the way a human teaching assistant would help you in an Ivy League university. If you’re eager for more on today’s topic, I’ve included a Secret Dessert Course at the very end — a bonus section that isn’t directly covered in today’s video but has a lot of value practical, hands-on value. That dessert also comes with its own AI prompt.
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Part 1: Hijack Culture
Today I’m going to teach you how to be funny. It’s simple. Go back in time… to when you were a kid…. and experience severe trauma. It’s that simple. And totally worth it.
Welcome to bonus week– week 5– Day 31 of starting your side hustle! We finished our month-long journey last week, and this week is all about all the lessons I wish we’d had time for. Today’s focus is how to engineer memes—the art of weaponizing cultural narratives.
Our real life example in business is another oldie-but-goodie like Starbucks: Marc Randolph, co-founder of Netflix. In the early days, Netflix wasn’t competing with Blockbuster on convenience or price. They intentionally engineered a new cultural meme: “No late fees.” If you didn’t live through it, it’s hard to understand. But that simple, sticky idea spread like wildfire. It got people talking about the pain of renting movies– something that should be joyful. It made a hero of Netflix. It framed the battle against an outdated industry. They turned a single meme into a movement.
Ok. Time to build your meme. The two questions that’ll get you there:
1. What existing social script could your hustle “hijack” to accelerate adoption? A social script is a pre-existing cultural narrative or behavior pattern—like “revenge bedtime procrastination” or “quiet quitting”—that your hustle can piggyback on to feel instantly familiar.
2. How could you design shareable artifacts that spread your core philosophy? Shareable artifacts are bite-sized, viral-ready content (memes, templates, challenges) that encode your message into formats people can’t resist stealing?
Let’s break down why these questions matter:
A lot of creators waste time hoping to create trends when the real power move is hijacking existing ones. I don’t mean copying. I mean hijacking. Be cringy if you have to but just plug your hustle into a cultural script that’s already trending. It’s actually fun to try to find the memes your audience is already addicted to. It’s fun to rewire them to serve your hustle. It’s actually fun to be cringy.
Shareable anything helps growth. I think of Canva. They flooded the internet with free, stealable templates branded with their logo. Every time someone uses a “Canva-fied” Instagram carousel, they’re spreading Canva’s DNA. They’re spreading the idea that “Design isn’t just for pros.” Your artifacts should be so useful, so funny, so relatable that sharing them becomes a social flex. And it's ok for them to be cringy at first. There’s something wonderfully authentic about cringy content. If it's worth doing, it’s worth doing cringy.
Ok. Take a moment and try to answer the Day 33 questions for your hustle without AI and before you listen to the next section-- the 28-Day Ivy League MBA. I personally think it's useful to try to answer questions without AI first, but if you'd rather do that: The AI teaching assistant prompt will drop with today's case study... in a couple of hours. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out Lunch Break Millionaire Day Zero... or go over to superserious.com where I’m posting daily transcripts. The AI prompts are there too. That's it. Hustle smarter.
Part 2: 💼 Build Viral Growth Loops: Today's Ivy League MBA Skill
Day 33, Part 2 of Lunch Break Millionaire– where we turn whatever you're eating for lunch into an Ivy League MBA degree. My suggestion for lunch– any kind of Korean food– because they’ll come with a bunch of shared plates– kimchi, pickled radishes, pickled cucumbers, seasoned sprouts. Because today’s MBA lesson is about viral growth loops—how to build systems that turn every share, meme, or inside joke into a compounding buzz engine for your hustle.
A ton of jargon here. A “viral growth loop”-- is a self-reinforcing system where every new user or piece of content brings in more users, creating exponential growth. Think of it as a flywheel: the more people share your meme or artifact, the more new people discover you, and the more likely they are to share, too. The other jargon– which I didn’t mention– “Memetic measurement”-- is about tracking which ideas, formats, or artifacts actually spread—using data– because you can use that measurement to double down on what works.
Ok. Let’s learn by doing. Start by mapping your loop: What’s the trigger that gets someone to share your little piece of genius? What do they get out of it—status, laughs, a sense of belonging? How does that share bring new people into your world, and what’s the incentive for those newcomers to keep the loop going? Maybe it’s a meme template, a challenge, or a tool that’s only valuable when it’s used and shared by a group. The MBA mindset here designs your campaign so every artifact has a built-in call to action—“tag a friend,” “remix this,” “use this template and share your version”—and it tracks the journey from first share to new user, to new share.
Now, layer in measurement. Don’t just count likes or retweets—track the spread. Use unique hashtags, trackable links, or referral codes to measure how far your meme travels and how many new users or signups it generates. Analyze which artifacts or scripts drive the most engagement, and run experiments to test new formats. Over time, you’ll build a playbook of what works for your audience and your brand.
Let’s tie this back to today’s questions. When you ask, “What social script could your product hijack?” you’re identifying the entry point for your viral loop. When you ask, “How could you design shareable artifacts?” you’re building the fuel for that loop. Viral growth isn’t just about luck—it’s about engineering and optimizing the system so every campaign gets smarter and more effective.
Take a sec and sketch your own viral growth loop. What’s the trigger, the artifact, the sharing action, and the payoff? How will you measure success—new followers, signups, shares? Pick one metric to track and set up a simple dashboard (even a spreadsheet works). The more you treat memetic engineering as a system, the more you’ll turn culture into your growth engine.
Keep telling yourself, the best hustlers don’t just go viral by accident—they build growth loops that make every meme, joke, or artifact a multiplier for their business. When you measure and optimize your memetic strategy, you’re building a brand that spreads itself. That’s how you hustle smarter.
Part 3: Joke for Growth: The 28-Day Case Study
I’ll keep it short today. Given that I’m building something that let you move out from Zuck’s basement, I’m in the middle of designing the “After you move out” meme using this gem:
I’m a little torn on the hook. Because I do think there are clear villains in this story: the billionaire owners of the dominant social media platforms. But I also don’t want my message to be exclusively negative. It’s not about what Zuck or Elon are doing to you. It’s more about what you can do for you. That’s the meat and potatoes. And making fun of billionaires is just gravy.
The takeaway here: Don’t fight culture—hack it. Turn your audience’s inside jokes into your own little marketing army.
Prompt #1 - Hijack Culture
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Prompt #1 - Hijack Culture ○
Today, you’ll learn how to harness the power of memes, trends, and inside jokes to make your hustle contagious-spreading your message faster and further than traditional marketing ever could. You’ll be guided by the writings and frameworks of Ivy League faculty whose research is foundational in cultural virality, social contagion, and narrative strategy:
- **Professor Jonah Berger, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania:** Expert on why ideas and products go viral, author of “Contagious.”
- **Professor Americus Reed II, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania:** Specialist in brand identity and cultural resonance.
- **Professor Sheena Iyengar, Columbia Business School:** Authority on choice architecture and how people connect with stories and symbols.
**What Today’s Coaching Will Help You With:**
You’ll identify the cultural moments, memes, or in-jokes your audience already loves, learn to remix them in a way that’s true to your brand, and design simple “growth loops” that encourage sharing-so your business can punch above its weight and win attention without a huge ad budget.
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### Step 1: Reflection Questions
Please answer these questions in a few sentences each:
1. **What memes, trends, or cultural moments are your audience already engaging with-and why do they resonate?**
- Think about what makes your people laugh, nod, or share. What’s inside their group chat?
2. **How could you remix or reframe these memes to make your brand the punchline, the hero, or the solution?**
- Consider how you can add your unique twist or message to what’s already spreading.
3. **What’s one “growth loop” you could build-something that encourages your audience to tag friends, share, or create their own spin?**
- Think about challenges, templates, or incentives that make sharing fun and easy.
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### Step 2: MBA Skill – Viral Growth Loop Design
Today’s MBA lesson is about “memetic engineering” and building growth loops:
- **Memetic Engineering:** Identify the memes and symbols your audience already loves. Remix them so they carry your message, not just someone else’s joke.
- **Growth Loops:** Design content or features that get better (or more fun) the more people share or remix them. A good loop is simple, rewarding, and repeatable.
- **Cultural Fit:** Make sure your meme or trend feels authentic to your brand. Forced memes flop-real resonance wins.
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### Step 3: Coaching & Viral Blueprint
After you reply, I will use the writings of Professors Berger, Reed, and Iyengar to:
- Help you pinpoint the cultural signals and memes that will resonate most with your audience.
- Guide you in remixing trends so they fit your brand and message, not just chasing what’s popular.
- Suggest viral growth loop ideas you can test this week-challenges, UGC prompts, or shareable templates.
- Offer examples of brands and creators who used memetic engineering to grow fast and build community.
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**How to use this prompt:**
- Respond with your answers to the reflection questions and your first meme or growth loop idea.
- I’ll help you refine your approach, ensure cultural fit, and suggest next steps for launching your viral campaign.
Secret Dessert Course
Back in week 2 (Day 8), we did a bunch of work on our brand identity. Dig up what you did because the AI prompt below can use it to create a safety net for keeping your memes 100% on-brand. It’ll help you do a gut-check about every potential meme or pop culture reference before you hit post, making sure it matches your brand’s personality, values, and sense of humor.
The last thing you want is to unintentionally or accidentally cross a line with your audience. Doing it intentionally is fine. Doing it thoughtfully and planfully is excellent.
So just copy and paste the following prompt into your favorite AI assistant to enjoy Day 33’s dessert.
Prompt #2 - Filter Your Memes
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Prompt #2 - Filter Your Memes ○
**Today’s Focus:**
Turn viral moments into brand-building opportunities while avoiding cringe-worthy misfires. You’ll be coached by Ivy League faculty with expertise in digital culture, brand psychology, and ethical virality:
- **Professor Adam Grant, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania:** Authority on reciprocity, authenticity, and building trust through aligned messaging.
- **Professor Americus Reed II, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania:** Leading expert on brand identity and values-driven storytelling.
- **Professor Jonah Berger, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania:** Renowned for decoding why ideas catch on and how to leverage cultural trends responsibly.
**What Today’s Coaching Will Help You With:**
You’ll learn to evaluate memes and pop culture references through a strategic lens-ensuring they amplify your brand’s voice rather than dilute it-while avoiding misinterpretation or backlash.
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### Step 1: Reflection Questions
**Answer these to define your meme guardrails:**
1. What 3 adjectives define your brand’s voice (e.g., irreverent, nurturing, rebellious)?
2. What’s one meme/cultural reference that *almost* worked for your brand but felt off-and why?
3. What cultural trend or platform-specific humor does your audience engage with most?
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### Step 2: Brand Voice Meme Filter Framework
After you reply, I will use the writings of Professors Grant, Reed, and Berger to:
1. **Analyze Your Meme Against Brand Voice**
- Use a checklist:
- Does this meme reflect our brand’s core adjectives?
- Could this be misinterpreted by 10% of our audience?
- Does it add value beyond just “being relevant”?
2. **Values Alignment Stress Test**
- Map the meme to your brand’s ethical boundaries using Reed’s **Identity-Trigger Matrix**
3. **Virality Forecast**
- Apply Berger’s **STEPPS Framework** (Social Currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical Value, Stories) to predict if the meme will spark connection or controversy.
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**How to use this prompt:**
- Respond with your answers to the questions above.
- Your Ivy League panel will return a tailored filter + risk assessment for your meme/cultural reference.
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**Example Next Step:**
“Reject memes scoring >3 on Values Risk. For approved ideas, add a caption that ties the humor back to your brand’s mission (e.g., *‘When you’re chasing trends instead of purpose…’*).”