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The invisible prison holding you back isn't built with bars but beliefs. Most never realize they forged their own chains.
Enter Jay Yang: while classmates played video games, he cold-emailed CEOs and landed career-making opportunities with Noah Kagan at 16. By 19, he commanded a six-figure business and 200,000 followers without permission slips from gatekeepers.
This conversation cracks open the playbook others pray you never discover. Jay reveals his ingenious TAG method that turns untouchable mentors into allies, the exact 19-slide deck strategy that bypassed years of corporate climbing, and his "sawdust selling" technique that transforms your everyday actions into income streams.
Behind every locked door of opportunity stands no guard but your own hesitation. Learn the four-step framework that propelled a teenager past professionals with decades of experience. This isn't inspiration. It's a tactical blueprint for those brave enough to simply try the handle.
About the Guest
Jay Yang believes you don’t need permission to create your own opportunities.
At 16, he cold-emailed Tyler Denk, CEO of beehiiv, with a list of ideas on how he could help. That email turned into an internship where he built beehiiv 101—a course that has helped hundreds of users unlock the platform’s potential.
At 17, he sent Noah Kagan, founder of AppSumo, a 19-page pitch deck breaking down gaps in his social media and email marketing—and how to fix them. That landed him a role as Head of Content, where he led social media campaigns, including the one that made Million Dollar Weekend a New York Times bestseller.
Today, Jay continues to help entrepreneurs scale their brands, grow their audiences, and market their products more effectively.
In his latest book, You Can Just Do Things: The Power of Permissionless Action, Jay shares the stories and strategies that helped him take bold action, build momentum, and create his own career path from scratch. When he’s not working, he’s likely playing pickup basketball, lifting weights, or spending time with family and friends.
Twitter (X): https://x.com/Jayyanginspires
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayyanginspires/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayyanginspires/
Weekly Newsletter: https://jayyanginspires.beehiiv.com/
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/089-jay-yang-success-without-permission-a-teenagers/id1374599416?i=1000705268669
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/66jrusIkjlJFTuzuucXUgE?si=60598fd48a744310
Download as MP3: https://www.buzzsprout.com/180031/episodes/17055496-089-jay-yang-success-without-permission-a-teenager-s-path-to-six-figures.mp3?download=true
People and other mentions
Tyler Denk – CEO and co-founder of beehiiv; offered Jay Yang an internship after receiving a cold email from him at age 16 - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jayyanginspires_its-my-last-day-as-an-intern-at-beehiiv-activity-7095765393037807616-Qovw/
Noah Kagan – Founder of AppSumo; hired Yang as Head of Content after Yang pitched him with a 19-page deck; The pitch deck Jay used – Noah Kagan - https://noahkagan.com/the-pitch-deck-jay-used-to-land-a-150000-job-with-me/
Million Dollar Weekend by Noah Kagan – NYT bestselling book that Jay helped promote through strategic content campaigns - https://noahkagan.com/mdwbook/
Charlie Munger – Investor and Warren Buffett's business partner; quoted in the book: "I constantly see people who rise in life who are not necessarily the smartest or most talented, but they're learning machines. Every night, they go to bed a little bit wiser than when they woke up." - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Munger
Morgan Housel – Financial writer; Jay quotes his advice on reading: "Memorize the stories, highlight the facts, and skip the fluff" - https://www.benmunoz.com/same-as-ever-by-morgan-housel/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Charlie Hoen – Entrepreneur who developed the TAG Method (Target, Audit, Gift) for outreach and making connections - https://www.charliehoehn.com/2015/12/24/get-a-job-the-tag-billionaires-method/
Timestamp
00:00 - Jay's Journey
05:00 - Beehiiv Cold Email Strategy
07:00 - Two-Week Sprints
10:00 - North Star Vision
13:00 - Breaking Permission Structures
18:00 - Preparation vs. Procrastination
22:00 - Working with Noah Kagan
29:00 - The Learning Machine
31:00 - Ignorance Deb
34:00 - Learning in Public
37:00 - The TAG Method
44:00 - Being an Initiator
49:00 - Content Marketing Strategy
52:00 - Selling Your Sawdust
55:00 - Action Framework