From Idea to Done

Patrick Kirby, founder of Do Good Better Consulting, is here for this episode! Patrick and his team work with small and medium-sized nonprofits to help them reach their fullest potential. Josh and Patrick discuss the power of pauses, asking questions, and having third-party endorsements for your nonprofit or business. Check out Do Good Better Consulting: https://www.dogoodbetterconsulting.com/Learn more about Do Good YOUniversity: https://www.dogoodyouniversity.com/

We welcomed fellow software development CEO, Anthony Molzahn, onto the podcast to discuss product development. The team at Project Phoenix developed an API engine called Devii to help fellow engineers write better code faster. Anthony offers advice for nontechnical founders on how to go about developing a software product and details the journey that his team took while building Devii.Learn more about Project Phoenix and Devii here: https://www.projectphoenix.io/#/Exact Instructions Challenge by Josh Darnit (PBJ Video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDA3_5982h8

This week, we welcomed special guest Jodee Bock on the show. In addition to being a coach and consultant, Jodee is also an entrepreneur. In this episode, Josh and Jodee discuss the benefits of having a trusted tribe full of genuine people that support one another.Learn more about Jodee & Get R.E.A.L. here: https://jodeebock.com/

Kurt McSparron, President and Founder of The Executives' Club of Fargo-Moorhead, joins us for this episode. The Executives' Club began in 2015 to bring together local business owners, entrepreneurs, and key decision-makers and help them make valuable, meaningful connections. Kurt discusses how he grew the network to where it is today and the importance of refining your business ideas and messaging with the help of your allies.Learn more about The Executives' Club of Fargo-Moorhead here: http://the100.online/

Eric Roethel, Co-founder of Sign Badgers, stopped by the podcast to discuss determining your pricing. We talk about Eric's journey into business ownership as well as how his pricing has evolved through the years of printing signage. Josh and Eric dive into the importance of knowing your value, testing pricing,  and the value of customer relationships as well in this episode.Learn more about Sign Badgers here: https://www.signbadgers.com/home

We invited Joe and Emma to chat about Chezy, a production company providing accessible price points for video for small businesses. We discuss how they maximize their project efficiencies as well as cover the power of sharing your brand's story and unique selling proposition through video.Learn more about Chezy here: https://chezy.com/

Things on the internet change every day, is your website or app keeping up with design trends and technology developments? We welcomed Tracey and Kacey, Codelation's resident design experts, on for this episode about UI and UX design. They chat about everything that goes into initial web and app design, explain the difference between low fidelity and high fidelity design, and more.

This week we're focusing on all things business planning with special guest Paul Smith, the Fargo/Southeast Region Center Director for the ND SBDC. Paul shares his expertise on not only the types of business plans but also why it's so important to have one. There's something powerful about putting the details of your idea down on paper! Learn more about the ND SBDC here: https://ndsbdc.org/The Secrets of Business Success Symposium, Thurs. Oct 20th: https://www.fmwfchamber.com/events/details/secrets-of-business-success-symposium-8965

Our special guest this week is Co-founder & CEO Kai from Webblen! Webblen is a platform built to drive engagement in our communities. Kai shares how their platform encourages connection by having users earn tokens in exchange for their commitment to community events, live streams, and more.  Josh and Kai chat about how Webblen made their unique token as well as where Webblen is going next!Learn more about Webblen here: https://www.webblen.io/

Extra, extra! Our guest in this episode is Daniel Stedman, Founder & CEO of Pressto! Pressto helps foster students' love for writing and journalism while helping them improve their critical writing skills and media literacy. Daniel tells us about his startup's origins in Brooklyn while volunteering with local schools' newspapers. We also chat a little about how Daniel went through the YC Startup School experience to fuel the fire of bringing Pressto to life! Learn more about Pressto and what their goals are going into the new year in this episode.Check out Pressto here: https://www.joinpressto.com/

Joshua Riedy, Founder and CEO of Airtonomy is our guest on this episode of From Idea to Done. Airtonomy enables almost anyone to utilize drones, especially those working in the energy and utility industry. Josh shares how Airtonomy came to be as well as the twists and turns faced while growing a business. We also discuss the 2021 GENIUS NY Accelerator Competition and the hard work that Airtonomy put in to win.Learn more about Airtonomy here: https://www.airtonomy.ai/

Laura Caroon, Co-founder and President of Ladyboss Midwest, is our guest on our season premiere. We discuss marketing a startup versus an established business as well as Ladyboss' origins. Laura also delves into how important building relationships is while  marketing a brand-new business.Learn more about Ladyboss Midwest here: https://ladybossmidwest.com/Ladyboss Midwest's Retreat (March 3-5 2022): https://ladybossmidwest.com/retreat/

In the final episode of the season, we take a look back at the year 2020 and its challenges. Josh and Erick talk about things they've learned to appreciate more, what they're looking forward to next year, and going after that dream. Thank you to our Codelation community for helping us get through this year, we couldn't have done it without you.

On this week's episode we chat about Among Us, a game we recently played as a team. Tyler, Suman, and Maddy join Erick in giving their thoughts on the game. We also talk about tips for working remotely.

In honor of Computer Science Education Week, Josh and Erick interview one of our interns, Tyler Persons! He tell us a little bit about himself and how he got into Computer Science. We also compare differences between coursework and the internship.

In this week's episode we discuss fact-checking and similar features on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Josh and Erick discuss if businesses like these should be able to filter what's being posted on their platform. They also talk about the new social media platform called Parler and give their takes on its' future.

The topic of this week's episode focuses on the evolution of shopping, especially around the holidays. Erick and Josh talk about the changes in Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping over the past 15 years. They also touch on the newer concept of Small Business Saturday.

Josh and Erick discuss the recent launch of our client's project, My Ideal Tracker. This is one of the first that has involved every portion of our team to bring to launch. We talk about helping clients past development and our plan to improve for our next all-team project.

This episode focuses on the need to celebrate with others. Erick and Josh talk about changes in the team's lives and the need to celebrate. They share Codelation's plans to help clients celebrate launches and victories, starting with our first ever webinar.

It's time for the battle of the consoles! Josh and Erick discuss Microsoft's new option to rent the Xbox console per month. They talk about SaaS (software as a service) models and the expansion of similar models in non-software industries.

In this episode we tackle the question of is finding a cofounder the right route for your startup? Erick and Josh note the importance of being aligned, having good communication, and having complementary skills with a cofounder. Josh also shares the thoughts you should go over before bringing in a cofounder.

Education truly is in an age of evolution. This week's episode is a reflection on the previous EDUcal episode. Erick tells us about his agenda adventures back in the day and Josh gives insight into life with kids that are in school. They also discuss how Codelation helped EDUcal take its' next steps with a mobile app.Check out EDUcal here: https://educalonline.com/

This week's episode features Tyler Leidholm from Educal. Educal is a classroom collaboration tool that helps connect teachers, students, and parents. Tyler shares the origins and application of Educal in Fargo Public Schools and beyond. For more information about Educal, visit here: https://educalonline.com/

On this week's episode Josh and Erick discuss when you should start searching for your first investor. Josh gives insight on the differences in getting investors at your seed stage, early stage, or growth stage. They chat about options in where to get funding as well.

Paying with equity is the topic of this week's episode. We chat about taking time to consider if paying or receiving equity in a small business is the best option for you. Erick and Josh also discuss their past experiences with getting paid in equity.

This week's discussion focuses on MVPs, or minimum viable products. We go over what it means, questions we ask before building one, and the big question - How much does it cost to build an MVP. Josh also discusses a related term for a product, SLC or simple, lovable, and complete.Referenced Articles:SLC: https://blog.asmartbear.com/slc.htmlPyramid: https://ux.shopify.com/the-thing-thats-missing-from-your-mvp-1e54c954b314

This week's topic revolves around communication and keeping policies flexible and open to adapting. Josh and Erick share recent experiences where COVID exposure was a possibility in their lives and how it affected how they worked. Keeping the team safe and comfortable is a main priority, but it may look different for each team member.

This week's episode is a retrospective on the Team Week we had a few weeks ago. Erick and Josh revisit the goals they set for this weeklong event and discuss if the group hit the mark on them. They both believe there is a huge value in coming together for something like this.

On this week’s episode we take a look at the dating app Hinge. Erick shares how Hinge differs itself from other dating apps that are currently on the market. We also touch on advice relating to creating a clone of an app.

During our Team Week we decided to take the CliftonStrengths assessment together. This episode was recorded prior to us all meeting for the week. Josh and Erick discuss their past experiences with taking this test, their current strength results, and why this test is valuable for a team.

Last week we had some of our remote team come to the office in Fargo to work with us. Josh and Erick recorded this episode of From Idea to Done prior to our team week to discuss goals and plans they wanted us to achieve.

We talk about another good read on this week’s episode, Giftology by John Ruhlin. The book notes that giving an everyday use gift to a person’s inner circle will have a greater impact on your relationship. We also chat about planned randomness in giving, taking time to give personal presents, and team gifting.

On this week’s episode we review No Man’s Land: Where Growing Companies Fail by Doug Tatum. We talk about the four M’s featured in the book; Market, Management, Money, and Model. We also discuss how culture can help teams get through rough or slow patches, driving forward motion.

Our featured guest this week is Tom O'Neil, cofounder of Parallax. Tom shares how and why Parallax came into existence. Josh also asks Tom how the transition was going from a large dev shop to smaller startup. Tom and Erick discuss how to build and maintain the unique company culture based around software engineering. They also chat about keeping connected while teams are working remotely.

Josh and Erick are back to discuss Parallax, a software used by Codelation to help plan out projects and track time. They discuss how it helps the team and how some integrations work with other tools like Harvest and Hubspot. Learn more about Parallax here: https://www.getparallax.com/

In this week's episode Josh and Erick talk about Codelation's recent team integration of Harvest, a time tracking software. They discuss the benefits of not only being able to track billable hours, but also being able to see where gaps need to be filled by hiring extra team members. Learn more about Harvest here: https://www.getharvest.com/

Jake Joraanstad of Bushel is our awesome guest this week. He shares how Bushel came to be and gives pointers on raising funds. Erick and Jake chat about keeping company culture strong as you increase your team. Jake highlights the big question of “Why Fargo?” in terms of serving as a home base for Bushel and other companies. Learn more about Bushel here: https://bushelpowered.com/

This week’s podcast features Michael Zuercher from Prismatic. We discuss his past venture, Zuercher Technologies, and how they took on a merger and eventual exit. Erick asks about how their company culture evolves while the company scales. Jake also shares some advice for new entrepreneurs.Learn more about Prismatic here: https://prismatic.io/

Matt Paulson, entrepreneur and author, is our guest on this week’s episode. Erick and Josh ask about MarketBeat and his book Email Marketing Demystified. Some of the topics covered this episode include platform risk and tips for email list marketing.Learn about MarketBeat here: https://www.marketbeat.com/Get the book Email Marketing Demystified here: myemailmarketingbook.comLearn more about Matt here: https://www.mattpaulson.com/

Josh and Erick talk with a master of SaaS marketing, Sujan Patel! He touches on the topics of understanding what your customers value, growth from word of mouth, and making sure you hire the right people for your team. Learn more about Mail Shake here: https://mailshake.com/ Learn more about Sujan here: https://sujanpatel.com/

Our friend and founder of Tellwell, Max Kringen, is our guest on this week’s episode. Max talks about the importance of brand messaging and making sure your persona online matches what you're doing in real life. Erick also asks about the origins of a certain Tellwell muppet.Learn more about Tellwell here: https://wetellwell.com/

Special guest Nick Horob discusses Harvest Profit, his business that offers business software to grain farmers. How ghost equity works for employees at Harvest Profit, how true stock options work, and deciding which feature requests need to be made are just a few of the topics discussed in this episode. Josh and Erick take a moment in the postshow to share their thoughts about the discussion with Nick. Learn more about Harvest Profit here: https://www.harvestprofit.com/

Steve Young of App Masters is our special guest this week to discuss marketing your app! Josh, Erick, and Steve chat about the importance of focusing on the main feature that will set your idea apart. Having a narrow target audience and being able to have people understand your pitch in a few words are two other important topics covered in this episode. Josh and Erick also chat more in the postshow about what Steve discussed. Learn more about Steve and App Masters here: https://appmasters.com/

Josh and Erick focus this week's episode on the importance of keeping your team connected during crisis situations. They discuss how Codelation has been trying to keep our teams connected while working remote through business update videos, conference calls, etc.

In this week's episode, intern Maddy asks Erick about his thoughts on Nintendo's Animal Crossing New Horizons. Erick shares his daily tasks in the game, his goal to swipe up the tarantulas, and his hatred for Muffy the sheep. Erick also gives the game his own rating!

Marketing intern Maddy Boecker is our guest on this week's episode to discuss Animal Crossing New Horizons for the Nintendo Switch. Erick asks questions about the game and how Maddy would rate it. Next week after Erick has had time to play we'll see how he likes the game as well!

Erick and Josh chat about apps that are extremely helpful for working remotely. Zoom, Loom, and Slack are some favorites that our team has been using. They also discuss some modes of communication from internet's past.

Our special guest this week is Sean Casto from PreApps, a leading app marketing agency. We discuss what it takes to have your young app grow and gain the traction that you're looking for and validating app ideas. Sean also talks about the pros and cons of marketing an app during the COVID-19 pandemic.Learn more about PreApps here: https://www.preapps.com/

On this week's episode of From Idea to Done, Erick and Josh discuss working from home. The Codelation team is partially remote on a regular week, but now the whole team is working from home. The duo shares their favorite apps to keep everyone connected and productive while being away from the office setting.

On this week's episode of From Idea to Done Josh and Erick talk with Jason Swenk, marketing agency consultant extraordinaire. Jason shares his insights in marketing apps, reaching out to your audience, and his past experience with his app that focused on tracking meals through pictures. Learn more about Jason here: https://jasonswenk.com/

Company culture is the topic on this week's From Idea to Done podcast. Erick has devised an extra special event for the company, the Nerdlympics! Erick and Josh discuss the plan for this video game competition that will be taking place at Replay Games in Fargo.Hey Everyone, I’m Josh & I’m ErickE: Today’s idea is company culture. As the unofficial/super official culture person in our office. I have devised a little event. We will get to that a little later. Josh as a business owner can you give me your thoughts on how to improve our company culture?J: I think the main element to company culture is knowing your team and what is important to them, what’s happening in their personal life and wanting to be around each other. E: We have chatted a little about culture before on the show before. I think just trying to care about everyone and being inclusive is the first step that basically no one really does. I have kind of taken the lead in starting some cultural events. I actually looked at our projects and tied a mild culture reward to us finishing a big project on time and on budget. J: And I can really appreciate that you’ve been able to run with those items and celebrate the small wins we have had. It is far too easy to just say… Yup onto the next.E: So with some brief chats with the nerds. I decided to create a little event based on our conversations. I went to our friends at Replay Games. I have rented out their facility, and we are having the Inaugural Nerdlympics. J: For those listening who don’t know what replay games is can you explain their business?E; Basically my friend who worked with me at Toys R Us. Started his own company. He owned basically every console gaming system ever created and a lot of games for each system. They have tons of TVs and comfy chairs. You go there, rent by the hour and can play basically any game ever. J: Awesome, shamefully I’ve never been, but CJ’s a good guy so looking to change that fact about me. So Erick let’s talk about the Nerdlympics. E: One of the options for Replay Games is a party package. You get a 3 hour block of time to yourself. I want to give all the nerds 15 minutes to get their best overall score on various games on various systems. Scoring would be the same point system as in Mario Kart. We will have a big spreadsheet tracking everyone’s single game and overall scores. J: This sounds like I’m doomed to lose unless I can bring the 6th grade version of me and Super Mario 2. I setup a neighborhood competition when i was 12 and the winner took home a years worth of Nintendo Power magazines, what I didn’t tell anyone that it was the prior years used NP magazines. Good thing I won, anyway… Which Mario Kart are we looking at.E: Obviously Mario Kart 8. J: Growl….. So you are building a competition, picking the games, and probably play video games most out of anyone on our staff right now. E: Seems like an amazing idea to me. Can we have the prize be all of the 1989 Nintendo Power magazines? J: How old do you think I am… It was obviously 1993.E: Fair enough. We will have a follow up episode with the results of the Nerdlympics. J: Thank you for listening to this episode. If you know a startup that could use our random advice and thoughts have them subscribe and leave a review on iTunes.