My First Million – "He turned a broke team into a billion dollars"

Podcast: My First Million
Hosts: Sam Parr & Shaan Puri
Date: September 26, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode is dedicated to a "Billy of the Week"—a segment where the hosts profile remarkable entrepreneurs. Sam and Shaan deep-dive into the story of Jesse Cole and the Savannah Bananas, a minor league baseball team transformed into a billion-dollar business phenomenon. The episode unpacks how unconventional thinking, showmanship, and relentless experimentation turned a failing sports franchise into an entertainment juggernaut beloved on social media and beyond.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why the Savannah Bananas?

• Shaan and Sam are awed by Jesse Cole’s impact, suggesting he deserves a "Nobel Prize for business" (00:51).
• The Savannah Bananas are now one of the most in-demand live events in America, with a 3 million person ticket waiting list and reportedly $70-100 million in annual revenue.
• Their TikTok and social engagement surpass all MLB teams combined (02:19).

2. Jesse Cole’s Origin Story

• Jesse started as a college summer league player, then became a general manager for the Gastonia Grizzlies—an obscure team with just $268 in the bank and 200 fans per game (03:19).
• He innovated by drawing inspiration from Disney, P.T. Barnum, WWE, and even the Grateful Dead. Tactics included fan-engaging stunts like "dig to China night" (05:39), grandma beauty pageants, and hijacking current baseball news stories for PR.
• Jesse spent nearly a decade in what he coined his “struggle season,” experimenting in obscurity until breakthroughs started happening (06:11).

3. Turning Point: Creating the Savannah Bananas

• After marrying Emily (met through baseball networking), Jesse and his wife took a chance on a historic but empty stadium in Savannah, Georgia (08:41).
• The couple went all-in—selling their house and moving into a garage to keep the fledgling team alive (12:49).
• They launched a public naming contest; "Savannah Bananas" was suggested by a 62-year-old nurse, instantly sparking branding gold with ideas like the “Nanas” (dancing grandmas) and “Man Nanas” (male cheerleaders) (13:38).

4. Fan-First Business Innovations

• Jesse refused to cut corners on branding, even investing $12,000 in the logo despite living off $40/week (14:12).
• Obsessed with customer experience, Jesse instituted policies like flat $25 tickets (with the team paying sales tax), "all you can eat" concessions, and a commitment to transparency and fan-first policies (15:32).
• The company is actually named Fan First Entertainment.

5. Relentless Experimentation

• Jesse’s “idea muscle”: Since 2016, he writes down 10 new ideas daily, acknowledging that most are bad, but the habit is essential for innovation (16:26).
• The team actively studies the fan experience—using security footage to track when attendees leave and reverse engineering pain points, much like Mr. Beast does with YouTube video retention (19:27).
• They reinvented baseball with “Banana Ball”: unique rules like fans catching foul balls for outs, no bunting allowed, strict two-hour time limits, and more (18:39).

6. Philosophy of Insane & Unreasonable Hospitality

• Sam and Shaan connect Jesse’s approach with Steve Jobs’ “insanely great” product mantra and restaurateur Will Guidara’s “unreasonable hospitality” (31:39).
• Takeaways: True innovation requires being “insanely” or “unreasonably” dedicated to customer delight, beyond what is logical or comfortable for most organizations.

7. Building a Culture of “Down-ness”

• Shaan explains he only hires people who are “down”—willing to try crazy, unproven ideas, even if they sound unserious (24:22).
• Innovation often dies internally, not because of overt opposition, but because fragile ideas aren’t even shared out of fear of negativity or bureaucracy.

8. Where Are They Now?

• The Bananas are potentially worth $500M–$1B, own 100% of the company, are doing millions in ticket and merch sales, and executing a world tour of major stadiums for sell-out crowds (34:49).
• The business model is likened to the Harlem Globetrotters or Monster Jam—AI-proof, evergreen live entertainment with family appeal (38:38).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Shaan (00:27):
  “This is the most inspiring business that I saw when I was looking in the world of sports ... This guy deserves a billion dollars, and I want to be like him.”

• Sam (12:49):
  “They sell their house. They move into a garage ... They sleep on a twin air mattress. ... We had to sleep in socks.”

• Jesse Cole, via Sam (16:26):
  “I started an idea book in 2016. Ten ideas a day, a lot of bad ideas, 70, 80% terrible. But you got to work your idea muscle.”

• Sam (24:22):
  “I want a yes man. And that’s what this guy kind of did ... I can bring a fragile new idea ... and they know how to raise that baby.”

• Shaan (28:37):
  “Our friend George Mack has this great phrase: ‘They only remember you’re weird.’ And I love that. ... If you just do the expected norms ... You get zero credit for that.”

• Sam (31:39):
  “The unreasonable part is the hard part. … It’s easy to say these crazy ideas. It’s actually hard to be wacky enough to, like, follow through on all of them.”

• Shaan (42:48):
  “This is also stuff that’s like super AI proof, right? Like live out of home entertainment. It’s only going to go, like, up.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Introduction & Inspiration — 00:00–01:41
• Savannah Bananas' Current Metrics — 01:45–02:19
• Origin Story & Jesse’s Early Methods — 02:19–08:41
• Going All In: The Struggle Season — 12:49–14:12
• Fan-First Innovations — 15:32–16:26
• Banana Ball & Rule Innovations — 18:39–19:27
• Showmanship, Iteration & Brand Culture — 19:27–24:22
• Habits of Highly Innovative Entrepreneurs — 16:26–19:27
• Philosophy Discussion (Will Guidara, Mr. Beast, Steve Jobs) — 23:04–32:00
• Business Model & Valuation — 34:49–36:09
• Bananas vs Monster Jam, Globetrotters — 38:38–42:48

Takeaways & Actionable Insights

• Obsession with Experience:
  The Savannah Bananas’ success stems from an obsession with making every detail of the customer journey remarkable—even if it costs more, seems “insane,” or flies in the face of conventional wisdom.
• Relentless Experimentation:
  Writing down 10 ideas per day, tracking tiny details of customer experience, and always challenging the status quo can lead to unique business advantages.
• Weird Wins:
  Memorable customer experiences come from doing things nobody expects—be weird, be unreasonable, and let those be brand signatures.
• All-In Commitment:
  The willingness to go “all in” (selling your house, sleeping in a garage) during tough times is what separates the entrepreneurs who survive long enough to win.
• Building the Right Team:
  Surround yourself with “down” people—collaborators who say yes to wild, unproven ideas and understand the fragile state of innovation in its infancy.

Conclusion & Call To Action

• The Savannah Bananas exemplify how showmanship, relentless innovation, and unreasonable hospitality can transform a dying team into a billion-dollar phenomenon.
• The hosts invite listeners to brainstorm and implement “insane” or “weird” marketing ideas in their own businesses, emulating the Bananas’ approach (44:49).
• They encourage connections to Jesse Cole and community engagement on Spotify (45:15–47:57).

Final Words

This episode is both an inspiring founder story and a blueprint for creating truly remarkable customer experiences. Whether you’re a sports fan or an entrepreneur, you’ll come away believing that “insanely great” businesses are built by those willing to be weird, tenacious, and unreasonably dedicated to delighting their audiences.