The Storyteller of My First Million
He ran a startup studio. He sold a social app to Twitch. Then he built a crypto newsletter in months.
Shaan Puri is a serial entrepreneur.
He loves ideas.
He loves telling stories about them.
His path started far from Silicon Valley.
Childhood and Family
Shaan was born in 1988 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
His father’s job moved the family often.
They lived in up to nine countries.
He started school in Texas.
He finished school in China.
He also spent time in Australia, Indonesia, and Denver.
Hometown and Early Travels
The constant moves gave Shaan a global view.
He saw many cultures.
He learned to adapt quickly.
Education
In 2006 Shaan began college at Duke University.
He studied biology.
He added a minor in chemistry.
He graduated in 2010 with a B.S. in Biology.
First Jobs and Early Ventures
After college Shaan took a corporate job.
It paid $120,000 a year.
He quit after about a month.
He then co‑founded Sabi Sushi.
The goal was to be the Chipotle of sushi.
The restaurant failed.
He moved to Australia to work for a biotech firm.
Startup Studio and Bebo
Back in the U.S. Shaan joined Monkey Inferno, a startup studio.
He later became its CEO.
He also founded Bebo, a social and esports platform.
Twitch bought Bebo in 2019.
The deal was reported at up to $25 million.
Shaan worked at Twitch as a senior product director until 2021.
The Milk Road
In early 2022 Shaan co‑founded The Milk Road with Ben Levy.
They wanted a fun daily crypto newsletter.
They wrote in a conversational tone.
They tested ideas in a Google Doc.
They bought the domain for $2,000.
The newsletter ran on Beehiiv.
To get readers Shaan used his My First Million podcast audience.
He also used his Twitter following.
A viral stunt tracked a $1 million crypto wallet.
Paid ads on Facebook and TikTok cost $1.00‑$1.30 per subscriber.
In three weeks the list hit 16,000 subscribers.
In six months it reached 100,000 and a $1 million annual revenue run rate.
In ten months it grew to 250,000 subscribers.
Bitfo bought The Milk Road in December 2022 for an eight‑figure sum.
My First Million Podcast
Shaan co‑hosts My First Million with Sam Parr.
The show shares business ideas and stories.
It reaches a large audience every week.
Setbacks and Learning
Shaan has spoken about his setbacks.
He lost $1 million in the Terra Luna crash.
He lost $25,000 in an FTX wallet delay.
He lost money on a speculative MGM Resorts options trade.
His early sushi restaurant failed.
His company Blab also ended in a post‑mortem.
He faced criticism at Twitch for a tweet about new hires.
Philosophy and Personal Life
A notable quote from Shaan is:
“A million bucks sounds sexy, but it’s not an end goal… ask at what thresholds do things actually change, versus what are the arbitrary numbers that just sound good.”
He reads science‑fiction books like Ender’s Game and Ready Player One.
He travels the world.
He spends time with his wife and daughter.
He focuses on mental fitness.
He uses a “Power Four” framework he calls his Kings.
Current Work (2026)
As of September 2026 Shaan still hosts My First Million.
He runs a stealth e‑commerce company he has built for six years.
He remains an active angel investor.
He invested in Viktor’s Series A round in May 2026.
He writes a weekly newsletter.
He shares audience‑building tips on social media.
Why His Story Matters
Shaan Puri shows that curiosity and storytelling are business skills.
He tests ideas fast.
He tells great stories about them.
Young builders can learn to move quickly and communicate clearly.
Founding and Growth
Founding Story
Shaan Puri co‑founded The Milk Road in February 2022.
He teamed up with his friend Ben Levy.
They wanted a daily crypto newsletter.
Their goal was to make Web3 news easy.
They copied the witty tone of The Hustle.
They first wrote drafts in a Google Doc.
They tested their chemistry before launching.
They bought the domain for $2,000.
They chose Beehiiv to host the newsletter.
First Customers and Product
The first readers came from Shaan’s podcast.
He already hosted My First Million.
He also had a strong Twitter following.
He posted a public tracker for a $1 million crypto wallet.
The stunt went viral.
It pulled curious readers to the sign‑up page.
Paid ads on Facebook and TikTok added more users.
Each ad cost about $1.00 to $1.30 per subscriber.
Within three weeks the list hit 16,000 emails.
Early Struggles
The team had no big newsroom budget.
They relied on a single writer at first.
Content had to be both accurate and fun.
Crypto markets were volatile.
Bad news could scare readers away.
They had to keep tone light yet factual.
Technical glitches on Beehiiv caused occasional delays.
Shaan admitted these hiccups taught him patience.
Key Turning Points
Reaching 100,000 subscribers was a milestone.
At that point the newsletter earned a $1 million annual run‑rate.
The $1 million wallet tracker sparked media coverage.
A viral TikTok clip doubled daily sign‑ups.
The team added a second editor to keep pace.
Shaan decided to sell after ten months.
He preferred the startup rush over long‑term ops.
Growth with Real Numbers
The newsletter grew to 250,000 subscribers in ten months.
Growth came from paid ads and word‑of‑mouth.
Cost per subscriber stayed under $1.30.
Revenue hit a $1 million run‑rate at six months.
Ad revenue and sponsorships covered operating costs.
The audience spanned beginners and seasoned traders.
Engagement rates were higher than most crypto newsletters.
Funding and Sale
The Milk Road did not raise external venture capital.
It was self‑funded through Shaan’s existing income streams.
The business model relied on ad sales and premium sponsorships.
In December 2022 Bitfo bought the newsletter.
The deal was reported as an eight‑figure sum.
The sale gave Shaan cash to fund new projects.
Post‑Sale and Current Work
After the sale Shaan returned to his podcast.
He still co‑hosts My First Million with Sam Parr.
He invests in startups as an angel.
In May 2026 he backed Viktor’s Series A round.
He runs a stealth ecommerce brand built over six years.
He writes a weekly newsletter on business tactics.
He shares tips on audience building and content strategy.
He also teaches storytelling to aspiring founders.
Why the Story Matters
Shaan’s path shows that ideas can grow fast.
Testing a concept for weeks can lead to millions.
Storytelling helped him attract readers and investors.
He proved that a small team can beat larger rivals.
Young builders can learn to launch, iterate, and exit quickly.
All facts are drawn from the provided notes.
Setbacks
Shaan Puri was born in 1988 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
His family moved a lot. He lived in nine countries.
He went to school in Texas, China, Australia, Indonesia and Denver.
He earned a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Chemistry from Duke in 2010.
After college he took a corporate job that paid $120,000 a year.
He quit after about a month.
He then started Sabi Sushi, a fast‑casual sushi concept.
The restaurant failed.
He moved to Australia to work for a biotech firm.
Later he moved to San Francisco and joined Monkey Inferno, a startup studio.
He became CEO of Monkey Inferno.
He later founded Bebo, a social and esports platform.
Bebo was sold to Twitch in 2019 for an eight‑figure sum.
Criticism and Controversies
While at Twitch he posted a tweet about new hires.
He said great employees show their potential in the first two weeks.
Twitch’s COO publicly disagreed with the comment.
The tweet sparked internal criticism.
He also lost money in several crypto events.
He lost $1 million in the Terra Luna crash.
He lost $25,000 in an FTX wallet because of a delayed withdrawal.
He lost money on an options trade involving MGM Resorts.
What Changed Recently
In early 2022 Shaan co‑founded The Milk Road with Ben Levy.
The newsletter used Beehiiv and a witty, conversational tone.
He used his My First Million podcast audience to get early readers.
He also used a public $1 million crypto wallet stunt to attract clicks.
Paid ads on Facebook and TikTok cost $1.00‑$1.30 per subscriber.
The newsletter hit 16,000 subscribers in three weeks.
It reached 100,000 subscribers and $1 million annual revenue in six months.
It grew to 250,000 subscribers in ten months.
In December 2022 Bitfo bought The Milk Road for an eight‑figure sum.
After selling The Milk Road he returned to his favorite work.
He focused on the My First Million podcast.
He also started a stealth ecommerce company that has been in development for six years.
In May 2026 he invested in Viktor’s Series A round.
Where He Is in 2026
As of September 2026 Shaan still co‑hosts My First Million.
He runs multiple business ventures.
His stealth ecommerce project is still under wraps.
He continues to invest as an angel.
He writes a weekly newsletter and shares tips on social media.
He talks about mental fitness, personal growth and teaching others.
Why the story matters
Shaan Puri shows that failure can be a teacher.
He proves that quick testing beats long planning.
He shows that a clear story can sell a product.
He reminds young builders to focus on learning, not just money.
He proves that moving between industries can create new opportunities.
Curiosity wins every time.
The Record
Built: Monkey Inferno (CEO), Bebo (CEO), The Milk Road (co‑founder)
Worked at: Twitch (Senior Product Director)
Podcast: My First Million (co‑host)
Investments: Angel investor, recent Viktor Series A (2026)
Timeline
2006 to Enters Duke University
2010 to Graduates Duke, B.S. Biology, minor Chemistry
2011 to Leaves corporate job after one month
2012 to Launches Sabi Sushi (fails)
2014 to Works in biotech in Australia
2015 to Joins Monkey Inferno in San Francisco
2017 to Becomes CEO of Monkey Inferno
2019 to Sells Bebo to Twitch for eight‑figure sum
2022 to Co‑founds The Milk Road (Feb)
2022 to Milk Road reaches 250 k subscribers (Oct)
2022 to Sells Milk Road to Bitfo (Dec)