Buying a $9,500 niche website and giving it to a subscriber

Executive overview

Most people think starting a business means building something new. Buying a small, stable niche site with existing revenue removes that barrier entirely.

Noah Kagan buys a diamond affiliate site for $9,500 and outlines a 90-day plan to double its revenue. The business is then given to a subscriber chosen for hustle and desire for financial freedom.

The unsexy, boring businesses — ones nobody is competing for — are often the most profitable and stable.

Why the diamond site won over the other two

• Most stable revenue: $430/month consistently for six years
• No new content required; evergreen articles still earning
• Highest upside: site untouched, leaving obvious growth levers unused
• Best payback multiple: ~2 years to recoup at current revenue, likely faster
• Seller was also a rapper (potential future producer)

90-day plan to double revenue

• Add affiliate partners beyond the one existing link: Blue Nile, Reeds, Etsy, Levery
• Pin one item per day on Pinterest (previous owner confirmed it converts)
• Publish two blog posts per week tied to those pins
• No email list distraction yet — focus on what already makes money
• Long-term: build email list via SendFox once core revenue is stable

How the new CEO was chosen

• Nearly 400 applicants responded to a public YouTube and social media call
• Winner: Tony York, former wildland firefighter with a chemistry degree
• Selected for hustle (put himself through school without loans), family man, genuine character
• Goal: give him the platform to leave a job he dislikes

Three takeaways for buying or running a small business

1. Running a business is not glamorous — it's blog posts, phone calls, negotiations
2. Boring industries (jewelry, home DIY) are less competed-for and more profitable
3. Only work on a business you care about — chasing uninteresting opportunities leads to failure and relief when they collapse