Aug. 28, 2025

🌴241. Results of the 12-Hour Ticket Experiment

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Show Notes

Hey, thanks for tuning in today! Yesterday I shared my crazy little experiment with you—what would happen if I gave myself just 12 hours to see if a brand-new event idea had legs? No venue, no speakers, no fancy marketing—just a vision, a date, a location, and a cap of 50 people.

Here’s what went down:

I put the idea out quietly—via a Substack PS, a couple of LinkedIn + Insta posts, and a waitlist (78 people).
At 8:00 AM tickets opened. By 8:21 AM, we’d hit the threshold of 15. Game on.
By 2:10 PM, 31 tickets had sold. That’s for an event happening 292 days away. People are flying in from New Zealand and Perth for it.
I didn’t send it to my full list. No chasing. Just: idea → test → result.

Why I did this:

👉 To validate the idea properly (likes ≠ commitment, credit cards = commitment).

👉 To share the risk of running an event (why should hosts carry 100%?).

👉 To use real scarcity to create action—only 50 seats, only 12 hours, and no expansion.

I also share behind-the-scenes lessons:

Why I used Luma and Tally instead of freebie tools like Google Forms.
How scarcity, mystery, and bold-action language shaped the vibe.
Why this approach attracts the kind of people I want to work with—those who thrive in ambiguity and act fast.

The result? Con Con 2026 is ON. 🎉

19 tickets remain. And I’m honestly a little scared (in the best way possible).

Big thanks to everyone who jumped in early—you’re the bold action-takers. Tonight I’ll go live to debrief the experiment and share what’s next.

*New* You're invited to join Leanne's free community, Work Fame.

Show notes for every episode at https://podcast.leannehughes.com

P.S. Ready to take things up a level? Here are some ways I can help: