Company case study
Cookie Duck
A clever gaming website created by 14-year-old Isaac that allows students to play games on blocked school computers
Cookie Duck is a gaming website developed by Isaac, who started coding at a young age. It came up on My First Million in the episode "Meet the 14yo entrepreneur who's already launched 2 businesses" (aired October 16, 2024).
At a glance
| Podcast | My First Million |
|---|---|
| Hosted by | Sam Parr and Shaan Puri |
| Episode | Meet the 14yo entrepreneur who's already launched 2 businesses |
| Aired | October 16, 2024 |
| Revenue and traction | At its peak, Cookie Duck generated around $1,500 a day in revenue from ads, with over 4,000 users playing within just 30 minutes of launch during COVID-19. |
| Category | Media |
Figures and claims are as told on the episode, summarized from the transcript. Check the date: they describe the company at the time it aired.
What the episode said
Meet the 14yo entrepreneur who's already launched 2 businesses · aired October 16, 2024 · hosted by Sam Parr and Shaan Puri
Why it works
The website thrived due to the unique niche of providing unblocked games on school devices, filling a gap that became critical when students were given Chromebooks during the pandemic.
Founding story
Isaac began coding at age 10 during free computer time at school. He initially created the site for himself and friends, but as it gained popularity, it quickly spread to thousands of users in various schools.
The playbook
1. Identify a niche market that has unmet needs – in this case, students wanting to play games on school devices. 2. Learn basic coding skills through online resources like YouTube and coding schools to create your site. 3. Develop a simple prototype of your website, focusing on the core functionality that addresses the identified need. 4. Launch your site and promote it through word of mouth, targeting the specific demographic that will benefit from it. 5. Monetize through ad placements while ensuring that your site remains user-friendly and continues to meet users' needs.
Also mentioned
Isaac faced challenges with monetization due to strict school network controls and continually had to create new domains to avoid being blocked. He used Google Analytics to track user engagement and growth.