# Pat Flynn

> Pat Flynn is an entrepreneur, author, and podcaster best known for founding Smart Passive Income (SPI), a platform where he openly documents the strategies - and the income numbers behind them - that power his online businesses. Laid off from his architecture job in 2008, he turned an e-book about the LEED exam into a career-defining pivot, eventually building a media company with 60 million+ podcast downloads, multiple Wall Street Journal and Amazon bestselling books, a Kickstarter-funded tripod product, and a Pokémon card YouTube channel that became its own standalone business. His signature move: publishing every dollar earned and spent, monthly, in public.

- **Role:** Founder at Smart Passive Income
- **Organizations:** Smart Passive Income (SPI), SPI Media LLC, SwitchPod, Deep Pocket Monster, FlynnCon, Card Party
- **From:** New London, Connecticut, USA
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Architecture, University of California, Berkeley
- **Known for:** Founded Smart Passive Income, one of the most influential online business platforms, 60+ million podcast downloads across 939+ episodes of the SPI Podcast, Will It Fly? debuted as a Wall Street Journal Bestseller

## Career timeline

- **2005** — Graduated UC Berkeley with architecture degree; joined architectural firm in Southern California
- **2008-06** — Laid off from architecture job during the financial crisis
- **2008-08** — Published LEED exam prep e-book, founding Green Exam Academy; made $7,900+ in first month
- **2008-10** — Launched SmartPassiveIncome.com to document online business strategies transparently
- **2010** — Launched the Smart Passive Income Podcast
- **2013** — SPI monthly income regularly exceeding $100,000; became one of top affiliate marketers online
- **2013** — Published memoir 'Let Go' - Amazon Bestseller
- **2016** — Launched AskPat podcast for listener Q&A
- **2019-01** — SwitchPod Kickstarter raised $415,000+ (funded within 12 hours)
- **2019-11** — Published 'Will It Fly?' - Wall Street Journal Bestseller
- **2019** — Published 'Superfans' - Amazon Bestseller
- **2020** — Launched Deep Pocket Monster YouTube channel around Pokemon card collecting
- **2021** — Organized Card Party - major live event for Pokemon card collectors
- **2022** — Published 'Lean Learning' with Simon & Schuster
- **2024** — SPI Podcast surpassed 900 episodes and 60 million downloads
- **2026-04** — SPI Podcast Episode #926 published; platform remains active and growing

## Achievements

- Founded Smart Passive Income, one of the most influential online business platforms
- 60+ million podcast downloads across 939+ episodes of the SPI Podcast
- Will It Fly? debuted as a Wall Street Journal Bestseller
- Superfans and Let Go became Amazon Bestsellers
- SwitchPod Kickstarter raised $415,000+ (funded in 12 hours)
- Featured in Forbes, Inc. Magazine, New York Times, Business Insider, Fast Company, Entrepreneur Magazine
- Pioneered radical transparency in online business with public monthly income reports
- Deep Pocket Monster became a major standalone YouTube channel and live-event business
- Founded FlynnCon, a conference for entrepreneurs and creators
- Built SPI Pro, a paid community for online entrepreneurs

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — SPI Podcast Episode #926 published: 'Take This Test to Beat the Trust Recession and Win Big'
- **2026-04** — Episode #925: Personal branding lessons with Cliff Ravenscraft
- **2026-03** — SPI Podcast continues semiweekly publishing schedule at 939+ total episodes
- **2025** — Deep Pocket Monster and Card Party remain active ventures with growing audience
- **2024** — SPI Podcast surpassed 60 million total downloads milestone

## Links

- Website: https://patflynn.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patflynn
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/PatFlynn
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PatFlynn
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patflynn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patflynn
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@patflynn

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/pat-flynn
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-28