The Pumpkin That Made $4,000,000

Most side hustles start on the weekend.
But I’m a poker player.

My weekends are work.
My Mondays are slow.
Maybe yours are too.

I’m @ArtParmann, and this is Rounders to Founders. I dig up weird, profitable ideas and show you how people are turning odd passions into real money.

Let’s get seasonal in this one.

One farmer spent four years obsessed with a single question:
“Can you grow a pumpkin shaped like Frankenstein’s head?”

Not “how do I save the planet,” not “how do I get rich quick.”
Just… “what if Frankenstein had a produce section?”

That farmer was Tony Dighera, founder of Cinagro Farms.
He spent half a decade experimenting with custom molds, adjusting soil nutrients, and praying to the pumpkin gods for symmetry.

Most people quit after a few failed crops.
Tony doubled down and literally engineered spooky vegetables.

Then one glorious fall, it worked.

The Pumpkinstein was born. A perfectly-molded Frankenstein pumpkin that broke the internet and every farmer’s brain in a 50-mile radius.

He sold 90,000 pumpkins at about $11 each.
That’s over $4 million in revenue…from gourds.

Let that sink in.
The man became a Halloween legend because he gave a vegetable a face.

This isn’t farming.
It’s storytelling you can eat.

Tony didn’t sell produce. He sold photo ops.
A Frankenstein pumpkin is basically the pumpkin patch version of a selfie museum. It’s designed for Instagram, not pie.

The genius is in the emotional trifecta:

It’s Willy Wonka energy meets Home Depot’s garden section.

You don’t need a farm or a PhD in soil chemistry. Just steal the model.

1. Partner with Local Farmers:
Find a grower who already sells at farmers markets.
Offer to handle molds, branding, and marketing. Let them do the dirt work.

2. Design Seasonal Molds:
Use 3D printing or simple silicone molds to make new shapes. Skulls, hearts, Santa heads, even a baby Yoda squash (Disney lawyers, look away).

3. Pre-Sell the Harvest:
Build hype early. Take deposits in summer. Deliver in October.
Tony sold out before the first leaf hit the ground.

4. Sell Local:
Limited pickup dates, local delivery. Scarcity sells.

5. Milk the Media:
Every local reporter lives for a “weird crop in town” story.
Invite them to film harvest day. Smile next to your mutant vegetables.

Tony turned dirt into virality.
You can too. And unlike him, you already know the formula.
Pumpkin + Personality = Profit.

People spend hours scrolling Pinterest for pumpkin stencils that don’t fit, don’t print right, and don’t look like their kid’s favorite character.

Enter the AI Pumpkin Stencil Generator.

Imagine typing:

Seconds later, you get a downloadable stencil that you can print, trace, and carve. And voila!

That’s it! You’ve just automated and personalized Halloween happiness.

There’s already proof of demand.
Sites like ZombiePumpkins.com have been selling templates for years. The problem is they’re limited to a few thousand designs. AI makes it infinite (and personal).

Rebrand the same tech for Christmas cookie stencils, Easter egg designs, or wedding decor templates.

You’re not building a one-time site. You’re building a seasonal content engine.

You’ve seen Spirit Halloween take over abandoned stores every October.
But why does the building sit empty in December?

Imagine this:
The same pop-up, but filled with Christmas trees, decorations, ugly sweaters, hot cocoa bars, and holiday events.

Call it Spirit Christmas.

Bundle it all under one cozy brand: “Everything Christmas. One Stop.”

Every town has vacant storefronts. Every town has Christmas shoppers.
You just have to connect them for 90 days.

This one’s old school but still undefeated.

That house on your street that looks like a Christmas miracle?
Someone got paid for that.

Most homeowners will happily spend $500–$800 to avoid ladders, cold hands, and electrocution.

Ten houses a week for one month = $16K.

This isn’t just a holiday gig. It’s a recurring neighborhood brand you can grow every season.

Each of these ideas has one thing in common:
They take something ordinary and make it unforgettable.

A pumpkin becomes a monster.
A stencil becomes an AI toy.
A strip mall becomes Santa’s village.
A ladder becomes a money printer.

Start weird. Stay profitable.

Who’s building the next Pumpkinstein?

Reply and tell me.
Or just forward this to your favorite hustler.

Your favorite creative degenerate,
– Art Parmann

PS: Just reply to this email if you’ve started something cool yourself. Would love to hear about it.