Around 46% of all podcasts don’t make it past three episodes, according to data from Riverside and Listen Notes, and most student-led initiatives struggle to scale beyond their initial idea! Turning something small into something sustainable is where most people stop.
So, if you’re a student with an idea, how do you actually follow through on it and grow it into something real?
That’s what we’re exploring in today’s newsletter!
Meet Nik Kalra, a 16-year-old from Milton, Massachusetts, who turned his hobbies into two impactful projects. He's the host of The Trading Card Playbook, a podcast exploring sports cards, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship, and the founder of Heat Squad (Helping the Elderly Advance in Technology), a student-led nonprofit where 18 volunteers provide free one-on-one tech support to seniors across 14 centers in the Boston area.
What started with spotting a deal at a card store and helping his grandmother navigate YouTube has grown into two thriving platforms, proof that you don't need a perfect plan to make a real difference.
In this inspiring conversation, Nik shares:
How he became inspired: a simple moment spotting a $30 pack of cards that he discovered was actually worth $75 sparked his interest in market dynamics and led to The Trading Card Playbook
How he achieved differentiation: instead of focusing on hype, his podcast explores financial literacy, strategy, and decision-making within the sports card industry
How he went to market: he independently launched and distributed his podcast across major platforms, while also creating short-form content to expand reach
How he built a second venture: what started as helping his grandmother with technology turned into The HEAT Squad, now supporting 14 senior centers with 18 volunteers
How he scaled impact without revenue: by using a chapter-based model, he’s able to expand while keeping services completely free and accessible
The challenges he faced: from building credibility as a 16-year-old founder to coordinating volunteers and senior centers
Why confidence is built, not given: he went from being introverted to pitching guests at events and leading a growing organization
Nik’s advice: you don’t need a perfect idea, you just need to start before you’re ready
Watch the interview below:
Links and resources mentioned:
The Trading Card Playbook
The HEAT Squad: https://www.theheatsquad.org/
RSS: https://rss.com/
Zoom: https://www.zoom.com/
Capcut: https://www.capcut.com/
Volunteer Match: https://www.idealist.org/en