Show Notes
Max Amini is a very funny guy. He's sold out Madison Square Garden and is one of the most-viewed comedians on social media. But when he started out in stand-up, no agent or manager wanted to sign him, so he built his own touring machine from scratch. In this episode, he tells Dan how he thinks about comedy, and how he built the team that takes him around the world and sells out theaters.
Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:03 Max's childhood and his dad's funny bone
2:45 Choosing UCLA over auditioning in New York
4:19 His first time doing stand-up
6:05 Why comedy is never about the money
7:26 Finding his comedic voice
8:59 Authenticity vs. relatability
12:14 Chasing a record at the Dolby Theatre
13:46 Max's pre-show routine
16:54 The Michael Jordan flu game mindset
17:50 Building Abstraction Media from scratch
22:11 Why you should hire someone better than you
25:38 Risk, fear, and the no-Novocaine root canal
28:16 Where to follow Max
29:30 Blind ranking jobs
34:05 Wrap-up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from How Success Happens
Our Dan Bova spent last summer at Mattel’s design lab, and all he got was a gorgeous art book he wrote: Hot Wheels: The Creative Drive. (And maybe a few cars in his pockets.) Ted Wu, Mattel’s vehicles boss, joins Dan to explain why Hot Wheels all face right, which toy is worth a million bucks, and how he got his own Porsche made into a Hot Wheels. Buy Dan’s book. Buy two, actually. Ted’s orders
Tom Hardin didn’t wake up planning to commit a crime. In this story, the ex–insider trader and future FBI informant walks through the day he was handed insider information, expected to make money fast, and trapped inside what investigators call the ‘fraud triangle.’ He reveals how pressure, opportunity, and rationalization all collided—and why it felt normal in the moment. This is the part of white-collar crime most people never see. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Bruce Campbell’s advice for aspiring indie filmmakers is refreshingly simple. Writing is the cheap part, so quit complaining and get to it. Tired of watching the same five guys land the roles he wanted, the Evil Dead legend wrote one for himself. The result is Ernie & Emma, a sweet, funny film with zero chainsaws that might just make you cry five times.
How did Lucy Guo become the world's youngest self-made female billionaire? The tech founder breaks down her 5:45 AM routine, double Barry's workouts, and the investor pitch strategy that raised a massive Series A. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Got a pressing business problem you'd love to hash out with your peers? Looking to meet and network with other founders? Does spending the afternoon with Gary Vaynerchuk, Megan Thee Stallion, and Robert Irvine sound like a good time? Then sign up for Entrepreneur's latest event, Overcoming Impossible! Live in New York on October 23, this event will help you solve your impossible problem and make new connections along the way. Sign up at https://entm.ag/levelup2026 and use code SUCCESS at checkout to get 30% off.