Business idea · Marketplace
E-commerce Restaurant Partnerships
E-commerce Restaurant Partnerships: This business would focus on creating partnerships with restaurants to offer deep discounts to customers, facilitating increased foot traffic and sales for partnering restaurants while providing value to customers. It was pitched on My First Million in the episode "How we scaled to $100M in under a year (ft. IM8 co-founder Danny Yeung)" (aired September 7, 2026).
At a glance
| Podcast | My First Million |
|---|---|
| Hosted by | Sam Parr and Shaan Puri |
| Episode | How we scaled to $100M in under a year (ft. IM8 co-founder Danny Yeung) |
| Aired | September 7, 2026 |
| Category | Marketplace |
| Real companies on the episode | Pre-netics, MGM, IMA, Q-health, Pranetics |
The problem it solves
Many restaurants struggle with attracting customers, particularly in competitive markets. By providing significant discounts through partnerships, restaurants can increase their sales and customer base.
How it makes money
Commission-based model where the business takes a percentage of sales generated through the discount offers.
Skills you need
Sales skills to negotiate partnerships, knowledge of e-commerce platforms, and marketing skills to promote offers.
The market, and why this works now
Shopify's 2024 app-revenue policy allows for commission-based models that can benefit e-commerce restaurant partnerships. A concrete first-revenue move involves promoting discounted meal offers through r/restaurateur, targeting restaurant owners directly. A significant constraint will be the customer acquisition cost (CAC) payback window, which may extend beyond 12 months as initial marketing efforts build awareness and drive traffic to partner restaurants.
Our analysis, written after the episode. Not a quote from the show.
Real companies discussed on this episode
- Pre-netics
A company that provided COVID testing services during the pandemic, including at-home PCR tests.
- MGM
A major entertainment and hospitality company known for its hotels and casinos, particularly in Las Vegas.
- IMA
A supplement company co-founded by David Beckham, offering a unique powder supplement that combines multiple health benefits.
- Q-health
A healthcare company that experienced rapid growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on testing services.
- Pranetics
A life sciences company specializing in DNA testing and COVID-19 testing kits.
Where this idea came from
Podcast: My First Million, hosted by Sam Parr and Shaan Puri
Episode: How we scaled to $100M in under a year (ft. IM8 co-founder Danny Yeung)
Aired:
Summarized from the episode transcript. The show does not say which speaker raised each idea, so we credit the show, not a person.