From early-stage VC NextView Ventures, Traction is a show about all the creative, clever, unusual, and downright brilliant ways entrepreneurs scrap their way to early results. These are stories you don't often hear despite being crucial to every startup. Founders, startup execs, media members, and…
In a very special episode of Traction, we sit down as a team and discuss the new mission of the firm and talk through B2C and B2B examples of the Everyday Economy. We learn what commonalities exist among founders who are redesigning that economy, and the NextView partners share their perspectives on the next big wave of internet innovation. Plus, we share some news about the future of the show. Subscribe to get all NextView content at nextviewvc.com/blog Follow the NextView team on Twitter: David: twitter.com/davidbeisel Rob: twitter.com/robgo Lee: twitter.com/leehower Ginny: twitter.com/ginnymineo Listen to Jay's podcast about questioning conventional thinking at unthinkable.fm Thanks for listening to Traction!
On the podcast today, NextView cofounder Rob Go sits down with Andy Rachleff, VC veteran and the president, CEO, and executive chairman of Wealthfront. They talk about how Andy came up with the term product-market fit, how he applied his own lessons (and updated them) in building Wealthfront, and the mental models founders can use to unlock their real unfair advantage in a tactics-obsessed world: how you think. Follow Andy on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arachleff Follow Rob on Twitter: http://twitter.com/robgo Subscribe to the newsletter, The Next View, to get 1 new link and 1 strong opinion on tech each week: http://nextviewvc.com/blog
Today, Samantha Howe of Grove Collaborative shares her in-depth knowledge of a massive trend in marketing: working with influencers. You'll hear how to get started, approach influencer in your space, and measure impact. Jay and Samantha also rant against some of the less effective but common tactics permeating this approach to marketing. Follow Samantha on Twitter: https://twitter.com/howesocial Follow Jay on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jayacunzo Check out the latest from NextView's refreshed brand, including the introduction to the Everyday Economy: http://nextview.vc/eetraction Here is NextView's pitch to founders: http://nextview.vc/pitchdecktraction Lastly, subscribe to get all of NextView's content at http://nextviewvc.com/blog
On the show today, Fareed Mosavat shares his experiences on growth teams for Slack, Instacart, and RunKeeper. We learn from his approach but also extract valuable lessons about where growth jobs actually fit into your overall organization. Follow Fareed on Twitter: https://twitter.com/far33d Follow Jay on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jayacunzo Subscribe to get all of NextView's content at http://nextviewvc.com/blog (including the Hitchhiker's Guides to Boston: http://bostontechguide.com/ and NYC: http://startupguide.nyc/ Listen to Jay's other podcast, Unthinkable: http://unthinkable.fm or iTunes http://bit.ly/unthinkablefm
Today's episode features a fast-rising company led by Shan-Lyn Ma. Her startup, Zola, is changing the way people purchase gifts for brides and grooms. Anyone who has ever experienced the insanity of wedding season -- whether attending as a guest or planning your own -- knows just how stressful the whole experience can be. Shan-Lyn and her team are using some unique insights and past experiences to rethink it, and boy, is it working right now. We talk about tough early beginnings, clever market validation tests, and what Shan-Lyn believes about the future of startups and venture capital. Visit zola.com to learn more about the company, and follow Shan-Lyn on Twitter: twitter.com/shanlynm Subscribe to get all of NextView's content at nextviewvc.com/blog
Wayne Chang and Jeff Seibert are the cofounders of Crashlytics, which Twitter acquired in 2013. Today, as angel investors, they see dozens of entrepreneurs every quarter, and they've joined the show today to help us answer some tough questions: How should you structure communication with your cofounder? How do you work through difficult decisions, especially if nobody on the founding team is a domain expert? What would the pair do differently next time around? And what are they exploring as their next venture? Follow Wayne and Jeff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/wayne and https://twitter.com/jeffseibert Follow Rob and Jay on Twitter: https://twitter.com/robgo and https://twitter.com/jayacunzo Subscribe to the NextView blog for future episodes and more resources for seed-stage startups: http://nextviewvc.com/blog Thanks for listening!
Sean Ellis and Morgan Brown are entrepreneurs, growth experts, and co-authors of the book Hacking Growth. Today, we talk about this notion of growth hacking and debunk some myths, then walk through a smart process you can use to start running a growth engine strategically, instead of seeking false silver bullets. Their book, Hacking Growth, on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hacking-Growth-Fastest-Growing-Companies-Breakout/dp/045149721X Follow Sean and Morgan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SeanEllis and https://twitter.com/morganb Subscribe to the NextView blog for future episodes and more resources for seed-stage startups: nextviewvc.com/blog Thanks for listening!
Christina Sass is co-founder and COO of Andela, a company that locates, trains, and staffs world-class engineers in Africa for hire by tech companies in the US and elsewhere. They've sparked a movement, cracked the code on finding great coders, and have attracted investors like Mark Zuckerberg. Visit andela.com to learn more, or follow Christina at twitter.com/sasschristina Subscribe to the NextView blog for future episodes and more resources for seed-stage startups: nextviewvc.com/blog Thanks for listening!
Will Ahmed is the CEO and co-founder of WHOOP, a fitness tech startup working with high-performance athletes. Their users include LeBron James, Michael Phelps, pro teams like the Boston Red Sox, and thanks to a deal with the NFL Players' Association, every pro football player across the nation. Visit whoop.com to learn more, or follow Will twitter.com/wahmmys Subscribe to the NextView blog for future episodes and more resources for seed-stage startups: nextviewvc.com/blog Thanks for listening!
Ellen Chisa is VP of product at Lola, a travel company combining the human element of travel agents with smart technology. While some entrepreneurs build their products in markets that feel wide open for the taking, travel is one of those industries with tons of noise and competition. So how does one gain a foothold? How do you break through, build something BIG and DIFFERENTIATED? All that, and much more, in this episode. Gotham Voices (NYC) newsletter: http://nextviewventures.com/blog/gotham-voices/ Subscribe to the NextView blog for future episodes and more resources for seed-stage startups: http://nextviewvc.com/blog Visit http://lolatravel.com to learn more about the company and their product Follow Ellen on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ellenchisa Thanks for listening!
Adam Marchick, CEO of VoiceLabs, sees the disruptive force on the horizon that is voice technology. Whether it's voice-based apps or voice inputs and outputs, all of us in tech should be watching this trend, and Adam is at the forefront of it. Adam has led a remarkable career, spanning six different startups and seven-plus years as an investor. Today, NextView business school intern Jenny Jao from HBS discusses the major lessons he's learned and why his trajectory was, in his words, "like catching a tiger by the tail." Subscribe to the NextView blog for future episodes and more resources for seed-stage startups: nextviewvc.com/blog Visit voicelabs.co to learn more about the company and their product Follow Adam on Twitter: https://twitter.com/adammStanford Thanks for listening!
Chad Laurans is the CEO of SimpliSafe, a large and growing tech company located in the Boston area. Years ago, in the span of 30 days, three of Chad's friends were robbed. The companies that should serve them well in those moments were anything but helpful, comforting, and simple to work with. That led to Chad's thriving business today. Today, we discuss how Chad built an Internet of Things-like product before that phrase existed, before the hype helps your marketing or fundraising, and before anyone was thinking about the connected home. Subscribe to the NextView blog for future episodes and more resources for seed-stage startups: http://nextviewvc.com/blog Visit http://simplisafe.com to learn more about the company and their product Follow Jay on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jayacunzo Listen to Jay's show about creativity in business: http://unthinkable.fm Thanks for listening!
Dan Reich is the CEO and co-founder of Troops, a company bringing artificial intelligence to your sales team's workflow, right in Slack. (Disclosure: NextView is an investor in Troops.) Today, we discuss Dan's smart process hiring his early technical talent -- both leadership and front-line developers. Subscribe to the NextView blog for future episodes and more resources for seed-stage startups: http://nextviewvc.com/blog Follow Dan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanReich Follow Troops on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Troops Visit http://troops.ai to learn more about the company and their product Follow Jay on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jayacunzo Listen to Jay's show about creativity in business: http://unthinkable.fm
Kristen Craft is VP of business development and marketing at Ovia Health. For this episode, Jay sat down with Kristen while she was head of biz dev at video platform company Wistia. They talk about what business development roles actually do for their companies, and when and why a founder would hire someone to lead up the function. This is a deep, nuanced exploration of a job role that doesn't often fit as neatly into departmental categories as engineering, product, sales, or marketing. And Kristen is one of the best in the biz to discuss it. Follow Kristen: http://twitter.com/thecrafty Follow Jay: http://twitter.com/jayacunzo Subscribe to the NextView Ventures blog: http://nextviewvc.com/blog
Mike Russell is the CEO and co-founder of Paintzen, a NextView-backed company based in New York. Over the last couple years, they've experienced strong growth for their marketplace business, and today, we dive deep into the weeds of how Mike and team grew the business. More specifically, we learn about the approach and tactics used to grow the supply side of the Paintzen marketplace. Mike is a candid guy who was willing to share a ton of truth behind his business, as well as some very personal stories about a diagnosis that affected his life, an early customer and partner with a famous name, and more. Visit http://paintzen.com to learn more
This episode features two concerned and proactive members of New York's tech-startup community laying bare the facts and solutions to the problem of diversity in the local tech workforce. On the show today, Tim talks to Alex Qin, Skillshare engineer and founder of Code Cooperative. Follow Alex - http://twitter.com/alexqin Follow Tim - http://twitter.com/jayacunzo Follow NextView - http://twitter.com/nextviewvc Be sure to rate and review Traction on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening!
This episode features two veteran marketers going deep into the ins and outs of building an initial marketing team from scratch. On the show today, Jay talks to Mike Volpe, CMO of Cybereason and former CMO of HubSpot. Follow Mike - http://twitter.com/mvolpe Follow Jay - http://twitter.com/jayacunzo Follow NextView - http://twitter.com/nextviewvc Check out Jay's other marketing show - http://unthinkable.fm Be sure to rate and review Traction on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening!
When you hear "brand marketing," what do you think about? Maybe big brands, big budgets, or even big wastes of money and time as a startup, right? But what if brand marketing could help you get actual results, whether that's user acquisition or raising a Series A? In this episode, we talk to the VP of Brand Marketing at ecommerce company Wayfair, Nancy Go. She shares how brand marketing is really sales at scale, and helps us understand how to think about this approach to distribution and communication for young companies. Visit wayfair.com to shop their store. Follow Jay at twitter.com/jayacunzo or go behind-the-scenes of his creative process every day at snapchat.com/add/jayacunzo Subscribe to all NextView content at nextviewvc.com/blog
In this episode, we mix things up. Jenny Jao of Harvard Business School digs into the making of Traction with host Jay Acunzo. How does it fit into the overall strategy behind NextView Ventures? How should other entrepreneurs produce winning podcasts or content in general? What caused Traction to find early, well, traction...appearing high on the lists of Forbes, TechStars, and elsewhere, all after just a few episodes? All that and much more in this meta-episode about making these very episodes.
What does the evolution from founder to CEO look like? And how does an entrepreneur balance working IN the business early to tinkering ON the business as it grows? How early does that mentality need to start? Today, we talk to the co-founder and CEO of thredUP, one of the largest and fastest-growing companies in the NextView portfolio (and in general). The company's co-founder and CEO, James Reinhart, talks about the biggest decisions he had to make in starting the company, moving from an insight pulled from his life to a larger, highly scalable business. Follow James at http://twitter.com/jamesreinhart Visit http://thredup.com to shop their second-hand clothing store. Follow Jay at http://twitter.com/jayacunzo or go behind-the-scenes of his creative process every day at http://snapchat.com/add/jayacunzo Subscribe to all NextView content at http://nextviewvc.com/blog
Today, we talk to startup legend and self-made millionaire, Matt Ruby, founder of Vooza -- thought leader, disruptor, and the next Steve Jobs. Alright, alright, so none of that is true -- but we DO talk to a guy named Matt Ruby who parodies the startup world through his video production company, Vooza. Not only are they hilarious, but they partner with some REAL startups to create hilarious videos too. Follow Matt on Twitter: https://twitter.com/voozahq Watch Vooza's videos at http://vooza.com Say hi to Jay on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jayacunzo Go behind-the-scenes on Snapchat: http://snapchat.com/add/jayacunzo
In this episode, Danielle Morrill, the CEO and co-founder of Mattermark, shares her company's origin story, including how they created an addicting, ubiquitous newsletter read by VCs and entrepreneurs everywhere. You'll also hear... 1) Why a TV show inspired Danielle to launch a media company, not software startup, and why she was disillusioned with Silicon Valley. 2) The domino effect of thinking and operating with that desire in mind, and how this led to the SaaS startup success that is Mattermark today. 3) Why Danielle would outright argue with almost every VC she called to sell early on in the company's history. Follow Danielle - @DanielleMorrill and subscribe to the Mattermark Daily newsletter - mattermark.com/app/newsletter Follow Jay - @jayacunzo - and let him know what you think of the show. ORIGINAL BROADCAST DATE: September 2015
NextView's NYC podcast rolls on with NYC-based principal and host Tim Devane. Today, Shai Goldman, one of the most active community builders in NYC Tech, on his background, the evolution of the local startup scene ... and who he'd draft to an all-startup pickup basketball game. Follow Tim and Shai @tdevane and @shaig
Rob's recent Shape of Traction blog post explores a big problem in gaining initial traction. You can find the post below, as well as David Beisel's Part 2. In this episode, Jay Acunzo talks with Rob about how to make heads or tails of this "traction" stuff. SHAPE OF TRACTION, Part 1: robgo.org/2016/09/07/the-shape-of-traction/ Part 2: HOW MUCH TRACTION DO I NEED TO RAISE VC? genuinevc.com/2016/09/26/shape-t…e-round-financing/ Follow Rob and Jay - twitter.com/robgo and twitter.com/jayacunzo
In this episode of Gotham Alpha, AngelList's Eli Bronner joins NextView principal Tim Devane to discuss NYC Tech's growth and energy, why he chose to start a company in New York, how TechStars started in town, and what founders should know about building early teams through AngelList. Gotham Alpha is the NYC-focused podcast from NextView. You can find it within the same feed as the firm's flagship pod, Traction. Follow Eli at twitter.com/elikbronner Follow Tim at twitter.com/tdevane Follow NextView at twitter.com/nextviewvc
In Part 2 of our series of episodes with Reboot, Jay plays skeptic to Dan Putt's insistence that you should actively work on communication and the "softer stuff" at your startup. Don't miss Dan's response. Then, the guys talk about the biggest reason startups fail (based on a study of 10,000 founders) and how you can avoid that same fate. Once again, Dan Putt, Chief Product Officer of Reboot, joins NextView's VP of platform Jay Acunzo for this series. Check out the Reboot podcast: reboot.io/podcast Subscribe to the NextView blog: nextviewvc.com/blog Follow the guys on Twitter: twitter.com/danputt twitter.com/jayacunzo
What happens when you and your co-founder experience conflict or strife but don't address it up front? When something festers and is ready to boil over, how do you bring it back down to a good place? This is Part 1 in a series of Traction episodes about the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur. Specifically, we'll tackle issues of communication, leadership, and mental well-being. Dan Putt of Reboot joins NextView's VP of platform Jay Acunzo for this series. Check out the Reboot podcast: reboot.io/podcast Subscribe to the NextView blog: nextviewvc.com/blog Follow the guys on Twitter @danputt or @jayacunzo
NextView's Rob Go talks with Yoav Shapira, a longtime tech leader in the Boston startup community. Yoav was first employee at CarGurus, a founding executive of HubSpot, CTO at Happier, CTO at Jana, and more. Today, he shares the evolution of what it means to lead a startup from the technical side.
In the second episode of our NYC Tech-focused series, NextView principal Tim Devane and VP of platform Jay Acunzo talk about the tech companies most likely to ascend to the status of "pillar" tech company. They also explore why many we consider pillars may not be, and what makes such a company in the first place. At the end, the name of our NYC tech podcast is revealed. Say hi on Twitter: @tdevane and @jayacunzo. Subscribe at nextviewvc.com/blog
Startups are exciting for any number of reasons, not least of which are all the fresh new ideas for products and various approaches to doing the work. But we forget that building successful startups is not actually about coming up with ideas. Instead, it's about finding problems, figuring out whether they truly matter (and to how many people), and working hard to solve them. So what happens when you're obsessed with solving a problem? What does that do to your work, your team, your product, your success? Nadia Boujarwah, co-founder of Dia&Co, shares her story to answer those questions and more. Plus, 3 special announcements about the future of the show. SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE CONTENT FROM NEXTVIEW: bit.ly/nvsubscribe GO BEHIND-THE-SCENES: Follow Jay on Snapchat: snapchat.com/add/jayacunzo
Go inside the thinking behind a $16B startup -- worth more than Twitter, Pinterest or Dropbox as of this recording. Today's guest, Jesse Middleton, is a co-founder of WeWork Labs, the company's global startup incubator, and currently the head of WeWork X, which includes Labs and also the new WeWork investing and M&A activities. Jesse was also among the first to join the co-founders of WeWork when it started. Jesse shares insights on everything from mission and hiring to community development to the scrappy and clever tactics they used early on at WeWork. We also peer ahead to the future of what WeWork could be doing globally. Follow Jesse at twitter.com/srcasm and visit wework.com to learn more. Follow Jay at twitter.com/jayacunzo and check out his new weekly show for creatives and makers, Unthinkable, at Unthinkable.fm, soundcloud.com/unthinkablepod, or on iTunes at bit.ly/unthinkablefm Lastly, you can subscribe to the NextView weekly newsletter about startup traction at bit.ly/nvsubscribe
In the first episode of our NYC Tech-focused miniseries, NextView principal Tim Devane and VP of platform Jay Acunzo talk about the biggest problem and opportunity facing NYC Tech -- namely, successful and liquid entrepreneurs fleeing tech for other industries. Follow @tdevane and @jayacunzo on Twitter and help us give this miniseries a name - tweet #NextViewNYC Subscribe at nextviewvc.com/blog
Oli Gardner is the co-founder of Unbounce, a platform that helps you build, test, and optimize landing pages to convert customers. Today, he spends most of his time writing and speaking and is arguably the best source on the planet for learning about how startups can create landing pages that convert, whether you're drumming up pre-launch demand or trying to keep growing meaningful revenue. Oli also shares FIVE specific elements that all well-optimized landing pages contain, and he shares some hilarious stories and examples from his life and career -- including why he almost legally changed his name to help build Unbounce. Follow Oli at twitter.com/oligardner and visit unbounce.com to learn more. Follow Jay at twitter.com/jayacunzo and check out his new weekly show for creatives and makers, Unthinkable, at Unthinkable.fm, soundcloud.com/unthinkablepod, or on iTunes at bit.ly/unthinkablefm Lastly, you can subscribe to the NextView weekly newsletter about startup traction at bit.ly/nvsubscribe
Last time, we heard from a CEO about how startups can sell to big brands and enterprises. This time, Angus Davis, the founder and CEO of Upserve (fka Swipely) shares stories and tactics around selling to Main Street businesses. As a startup that sells to later adopters of technology or very small businesses, how do you think about product, marketing, and sales? Angus also shares some lessons learned from an impressive entrepreneurial career that spans Netscape, TellMe (which he co-founded and sold to MSFT), and Swipely/Upserve. We also go inside his management meetings, which are impressive and amazingly collaborative. Follow Angus at twitter.com/angusdav and visit upserve.com to learn more. Follow Jay at twitter.com/jayacunzo and check out his new weekly show for creatives and makers in business, Unthinkable, at Unthinkable.fm, soundcloud.com/unthinkablepod, or on iTunes at bit.ly/unthinkablefm
The prospect of selling a new product from an "unproven" business into a large corporation can seem daunting. But startups launch all the time as enterprise-focused entities. Still, that doesn't make the situation any easier, so in this episode, Joe Coleman, cofounder and CEO of Contently, gets way into the weeds of selling into the enterprise. We also hear some valuable lessons around marketplace businesses and what it's like to be educating the market at the same time you're selling into it. Follow Joe at twitter.com/joedcoleman and visit contently.com to learn more. And let me know what you think of the show — tweet me (Jay Acunzo) @jayacunzo. You can also subscribe to receive every episode plus weekly insights and resources about gaining startup traction: bit.ly/nvsubscribe
Oh what's in a name? Your startup's name and branding become objects that represent your passion, pride, and determination. But startups change their names more often than their founders or teams might like, despite all the love for their current incarnation. So ... why? What causes that? What influences should you listen to as a founder? And how the heck do you DO it? That's what we'll explore today. Follow twitter.com/LizWessel and visit wayup.com to learn more. For WayUp's hilarious announcement video after their rebrand, check out this video:www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGK5-lVLwjU And let me know what you think of the show -- tweet me (Jay Acunzo) twitter.com/jayacunzo. You can also subscribe to receive every episode plus weekly insights and resources about gaining startup traction: goo.gl/4eP9Ch
NextView's Rob Go, Tim Devane, and Jay Acunzo break down the key findings, themes, and stories from the firm's new report, The State of NYC Seed. Find the full report and SlideShare here: http://nextviewventures.com/blog/state-of-nyc-seed/ Twitter handles from the show: @RobGo, @TDevane, @JayAcunzo Topics discussed: The general climate in early-stage startups and VCs in New York City The tech landscape across four key sectors: consumer goods and services, food logistics and on-demand, media and publishing, and fintech The effects of legacy industries and companies to NYC tech, as well as those of recent fast-risers like Warby Parker, Buzzfeed, Vice, Vox, and more. The talent surplus and where the next wave of top-tier founders will originate And much more...
When looking back at the seed stage of their companies, lots of guests on Traction will cite the same regret: "I wish I started content marketing sooner." Today, we talk to the man who coined the term, Joe Pulizzi, founder of the Content Marketing Institute, an education and training organization serving thousands of customers and millions of readers a year. Joe's latest book, Content Inc, details how smart entrepreneurs are starting to grow an audience through content first, then unpack a product second. In this episode, you'll also learn... 1. The 6 steps startups can use to grow an audience with content. 2. Why you should consider growing an audience (and, specifically, a subscriber list) before building any product -- even when thinking venture-backed and venture-scale 3. The history of CMI, one of INC's fastest-growing companies (including the pivot Joe had to make that was so obvious, he missed it at first) 4. The biggest mistakes marketers and founders make when doing content marketing. Follow @JoePulizzi on Twitter and visit contentmarketinginstitute.com to learn more. And let me know what you think of the show -- tweet me (Jay Acunzo) @jayacunzo. You can also subscribe to receive every episode plus weekly insights and resources about gaining startup traction: goo.gl/4eP9Ch
There's no denying the sheer creative power of the internet, but too often, it turns into a race to the bottom -- more clicks (and therefore more clickbait), more pageviews, more impressions, more ads. When Tony Haile first became CEO of Chartbeat, the analytics startup based in New York City, he faced this massive problem of an internet teeming with clickbait headlines and short-term thinking. He also faced challenges like competing directly with Google Analytics (and the annoyingly competitive price point of "free"). It was his first experience in analytics, too, and he wound up selling his product to a user base (writers and others in editorial) that historically strayed away from data. Easy, right? This episodes also includes… The tradeoffs Tony made to compete with a goliath like Google Tips for media and other content-driven platforms (including blogs) for rethinking its key metric from clicks and pageviews to something else -- and the tech breakthrough that helped Chartbeat create it What the future holds for an internet that's becoming increasingly divided between gaming systems and refreshing creativity Follow Tony @arctictony and visit chartbeat.com to learn more. And let me know what you think of the show — tweet me (Jay Acunzo) @jayacunzo. You can also subscribe to receive every episode plus weekly insights and resources about gaining startup traction: bit.ly/nvsubscribe
Justin Robinson, co-founder of mobile startup and liquor delivery app Drizly, talks about some of the ridiculously non-scalable things they had to do just to get their business off the ground in the right way. In addition, he'll share some tactics and stories around being a location-based startup and all the challenges that come with trying to gain traction anew in each market. This episodes includes... 1) The huge (if stereotypical) mistake Justin and his co-founder Nick made when they started, and how that ironically helped them 2) Why they spent six months working for a liquor retailer and the comical but powerful things that led to 3) How expanding from your home city to other locations differs 4) How to gain credibility in an industry populated by traditionally-minded partners Follow Justin @glassrobinson and visit drizly.com to learn more. And let me know what you think of the show -- tweet me (Jay Acunzo) @jayacunzo. You can also subscribe to receive every episode plus weekly insights and resources about gaining startup traction: goo.gl/ybmG2V
Hilary Mason, founder at Fast Forward Labs and Data Scientist in Residence at Accel Partners, debunks some of the myths around startups being "data-driven." In addition, she tackles some complex but critical topics and translates them for the rest of us. This episodes includes... 1) A clear definition of what data science actually is (and should be) 2) Hard truth about how much a startup should actually value its data 3) The evolution of the field of data science, who should use it, and where it's going and why Follow Hilary @hmason and visit fastforwardlabs.com to learn more. And let me know what you think of the show -- tweet me (Jay Acunzo) @jayacunzo. You can also subscribe to receive every episode plus weekly insights and resources about gaining startup traction: goo.gl/4eP9Ch
Ben Einstein, Founder/Partner of BOLT, an early-stage VC investing in hardware startups, shares the stories of several connected devices and hardware companies and their tricks and challenges. We compare and contrast software to hardware in this episode, examining three core aspects of building any company: 1) Building early products (customer dev, prototypes, etc.) 2) Acquiring initial customers (including one "magic" number Ben proposes for a hardware startup to reach) 3) Raising seed capital. (In a fun rant, Ben addresses his fellow investors and tells them how they need to change their approaches to hardware startups and their founders.) Follow Ben @beneinstein and visit bolt.io to learn more. And let me know what you think of the show -- tweet me (Jay Acunzo) @jayacunzo You can also subscribe to receive all NextView projects focused on helping startups gain initial traction, as well as episodes of the show. Click here: goo.gl/4eP9Ch
Sandi MacPherson, Founder of Quibb, a private community of tech tastemakers sharing professional content and discussions, tells the story of creating an application-only social network. She also shares her vision for an important project helping address the lack of women in tech: the 50/50 Pledge. In this episode, you'll hear... 1) The mission behind the great 50/50 Pledge (visit 5050pledge.com to learn more) 2) How an application-only model for a social network affects your model and early traction (and why it's CRUCIAL that Quibb use this model). 3) How Sandi has been able to build a social network where thoughtful, meaningful, and human conversations actually happen in the comments. (Are we sure this is the internet?) Follow Sandi @sandimac and apply to join Quibb at quibb.com. And let me know what you think of the show -- tweet me (Jay Acunzo) @jayacunzo. You can also subscribe to receive all NextView projects focused on helping startups gain initial traction, as well as episodes of the show. Click here: goo.gl/4eP9Ch
In this episode, Gabriel Weinberg, CEO of Duck Duck Go and author of Traction, the book (no connection to this show), shares the story of building a search engine to compete with Google, battle privacy concerns, and gain initial traction with an atypical product. You'll also hear... 1) The framework behind the popular book, Traction: How to get traction and seek explosive growth for your startup ... with an actual plan and purpose. The framework is called "Bullseye." 2) Common pitfalls to avoid when testing various channels and moving through this traction framework, including what timeframe and dollar amount to focus on while testing. Follow Gabriel @yegg and learn more about the second edition of the book, Traction at tractionbook.com And let me know what you think of the show -- tweet me (Jay Acunzo) @jayacunzo. *NEW: Check out the NextView platform of resources for startup traction. Visit nextviewventures.com/platform or subscribe
Exciting times ahead! Just a quick preview. Send us feedback anytime by tweeting me @jayacunzo
Danielle Morrill, CEO of Mattermark -- In this episode, Danielle shares her company's origin story, including how they created an addicting, ubiquitous newsletter read by VCs and entrepreneurs everywhere. You'll also hear... 1) Why a TV show inspired Danielle to launch a media company, not software startup, and why she was disillusioned with Silicon Valley. 2) The domino effect of thinking and operating that way at first and how this led to the SaaS startup success that is Mattermark today. 3) Why Danielle would outright argue with almost every VC she called to sell early on in the company's history. Follow Danielle @DanielleMorrill and subscribe to the Mattermark Daily newsletter at mattermark.com/app/newsletter Let me know what you think of the show -- tweet me (Jay Acunzo) @jayacunzo
NYC's Vin Vacanti of Yipit -- In this episode of Traction, we tell the story of Vin Vacanti, co-founder/CEO of Yipit (daily deals aggregator) and YipitData (analyzes web data for institutional investors). This episode features a really great story with some very tangible lessons and tactics that Vin willingly shares, including... 1) Why Vin and his co-founder taught themselves to code long before it was common -- and well before any tools existed to shortcut your learning the ropes. As a result, Vin has a great framework for deciding if this is a viable path for your product. 2) Exactly how Vin launched Yipit.com and built his list to the initial 10K and 50K users. 3) Why Vin decided to pivot the business (read: launch a second startup) and what he learned going from B2C to B2B. Listeners should also check out Vin's blog, ViniciusVacanti.com. BONUS: Subscribe to nextviewvc.com/blog by September 10, 2015, for a special mini-episode with Vin's framework for non-technical founders to decide whether they need a technical co-founder, featuring a special guest! Let me know what you think of the show -- tweet me (Jay Acunzo) @Jay_zo
Scott Belsky -- co-founder/CEO of Behance. Brand. Mission. Emotion. These are things that, perhaps surprisingly to some, are still not widely preached, taught, accepted, or built around by investors and tech entrepreneurs alike. But in this episode, Scott Belsky talks about their critical importance and exactly how he built the popular creative portfolio platform, Behance. And, really, this is a story about how he sparked a bigger, medium-agnostic movement across the globe among creatives ... all on the backs of those things that some in tech too easily brush aside. Scott's thought leadership is popular and widely followed, and you'll want to hear some of the things he did to bootstrap Behance and gain initial traction, not least of which was creating and selling a paper notebook as his very first product. From his description of the resulting digital movement, it doesn't seem possible that a notebook is where they could have started. Credit goes to the power of a passionate mission combined with an entrepreneur hellbent on gaining traction. LINKS FROM THE EPISODE Scott's Company: Behance.net Scott's Twitter: @ScottBelsky DESIGNER CONTRIBUTORS (IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE) Dan DiGangi (@dandigangi, http://dandigangi.com/) Tyler Littwin (@tblittwin, https://dribbble.com/TBLittwin) Kyle Mitchell (@jaggedlines, http://jaggedlines.com) Renessa Ciampa (http://ciampacreative.com/) Bobby Kane (@bobbyjkane, http://www.bobbyjkane.com/) Ariel Simon (@arielsimonsays, http://arielsimon.com/) >>> Let me know what you think of the show -- tweet me (Jay Acunzo) @Jay_zo
DraftKings' Jason Robins -- In this episode, NextView partner Rob Go talks to the CEO of the newest unicorn -- Jason Robins of DraftKings. Jason is generous with his storytelling and tactical tips for fundraising when VCs aren't receptive, partnering with larger players in your industry (as DraftKings was able to do with brands like Disney/ESPN, the MLB, the NHL, etc.), and building a company that's capable of being truly analytical -- not just driven by data but obsessed with it. So ... how does a unicorn gain traction anyway? STARTUP LESSONS YOU'LL LEARN: - A clever question to ask VCs to ensure you get a firm answer. - Tactics for fundraising when being met with some resistance. - How young startups can partner with massive brands. - Why and how you should build a data-obsessed team. - Marketing and user acquisition advice for those in hot, competitive markets. STORIES YOU'LL HEAR: - The early struggles Jason experienced while raising fundraising (and the way they overcame this pushback). - The surprising companies that breed highly analytical minds and user acquisition geniuses. - The hiring process at DraftKings and other data-obsessed companies. LINKS MENTIONED: - Jason's company: DraftKings.com - Jason's Twitter: @JasonDRobins Let me know what you think of the show -- tweet me (Jay Acunzo) @Jay_zo
Kathryn Minshew, co-founder and CEO of career platform The Muse, shares tactical details from her scrappy founding story. Today, The Muse generates over 4 million monthly views and offers job postings from and visual windows into hundreds companies, ranging from Uber and Facebook to HBO and Adidas. STARTUP LESSONS YOU'LL LEARN: - Tactics to build audience for a startup - What the very FIRST step to building an audience of millions should be - Clever uses of channels blogging, email, social, and more GREAT STORIES YOU'LL HEAR: - Kathryn's fight for early traffic through some very non-scalable means - How the first promotion discussion of her career led to an uncomfortable moment and, in a positive twist, some national press for The Muse LINKS MENTIONED: - Kathryn's company: TheMuse.com - Kathryn's Twitter: @kmin - Snow Fall (New York Times): http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2012/snow-fall/ COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS FROM: - Casey Henry, Growth Expert & Marketing Analyst, Wistia - @caseyhen - Andy Crestodina, Author & Co-founder, Orbit Media - @Crestodina - Giuliano Iacobelli, CEO, Stamplay (500 Startups) - @Giuliano84 Get all episodes of Traction, plus exclusive resources and advice for seed-stage startups at ViewFromSeed.com or follow @NextViewVC. Let me know what you think of the show -- tweet me (Jay Acunzo) @Jay_zo
Bootstrappin' CEO Patrick Campbell, cofounder of SaaS startup Price Intelligently, shares his story of leaving Google, bootstrapping a startup, beating cancer, and more. STARTUP LESSONS YOU'LL LEARN What tradeoffs a bootstrapped startup's CEO must make How to price a software product correctly to maximize revenue and avoid leaving money on the table early on A definition of content marketing that actually makes sense Tactics to build an audience using limited resources and content, which you can then use to validate your product idea, get feedback, and convert GREAT STORIES YOU'LL HEAR Patrick and team validated the market and built their initial business around one educational ebook written for their customers The lunacy of Patrick and host Jay Acunzo leaving Google and staying in Boston tech (crazy at that time) The moving story of Patrick beating cancer and the surprising way that changed him as a founder LINKS MENTIONED: Patrick's company: Price Intelligently Their free product for SaaS companies: ProfitWell Jay's blog: Sorry For Marketing The Content Marketing Wheel: Process overview [ Get all episodes plus other useful content for startups: Subscribe at ViewFromSeed.com and follow @NextViewVC ] Let me know what you think of the show -- tweet me (Jay Acunzo) @Jay_zo
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