Podcasts about bootstrap

Military spouses often face challenges when seeking jobs. They raise their military families while one parent is frequently deployed for months or years at a time. Military members regularly PCS to a different duty station, making it difficult for a spouse to remain employed. Entrepreneurship is a good way for a military spouse to earn some extra money. Monica Fullerton created Spouse-ly, an online business that spotlights and supports businesses owned by military spouses, transitioning service members and veterans. Meet this successful entrepreneur and learn more about her business, path to a rewarding career and more in the fourth and final episode of Veteran Entrepreneurs, a special four-part podcast series from The American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast. Special Guest: Monica Bassett.

In this Founder Friday episode, we're talking to Elleesha King, founder of Pulsatile Innovations.Founder Friday is about works still in progress. Learning from success stories is important, but learning from founders still in the thick of getting to market is just as useful - and sometimes much more realistic.Elleesha is an experienced ambulance paramedic and registered nurse who saw opportunities for improved patient care using innovative medical devices. Elleesha started Pulsatile Innovations, a startup aimed to develop products that empower rescuers and improve patient outcomes, with a focus on the emergency setting. Her platform technology, Pulse Tile, is set to revolutionise the approach to cardiac arrest and save lives across the world.About Elleesha King:Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/elleesha-king-831b732ab Website: thepulsetile.com---------------------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if you could turn BBQ ribs into a $250K/month Shopify business? That's exactly what Andrew Buehler did  and it started with crowdfunding, cold emails, and serious sales hustle.Jim sits down with Andrew Buehler to unpack one of the most unexpected eCommerce growth stories out there how he launched a premium BBQ brand and scaled it to $250K+ per month without outside investors. Andrew shares his step-by-step process for using crowdfunding to launch, how he activated his network to get early traction, and the exact sales skills that helped him scale. It's scrappy, smart, and full of lessons for any founder.Key Topics Covered:How to successfully launch with crowdfundingWhy activating your personal network is the ultimate unfair advantageWhat actually matters when you're launching on ShopifyCold email and sales tactics that drive real customer acquisitionDesign insights that helped build brand credibility fastWhy resilience is more important than fundingIf you're looking for a launch playbook rooted in hustle - this episode delivers the goods (literally and figuratively).Resources:Urban SmokehouseJim Huffman websiteJim's TwitterGrowthHitThe Growth Marketer's PlaybookAdditional episodes you might enjoy:Startup Ideas by Paul Graham (#45)Nathan Barry: How to Bootstrap a Company to $30M in a Crowded Market (#41)How I Met My Biz Partner and Less Learned Hitting $2M ARR (#44)Ryan Hamilton on his Netflix special, touring with Jerry Seinfeld, & how to write a joke (#10)How We're Validating Startup Ideas (#51) 

In this conversation, Jhovanny Maxi shares his inspiring journey from a newcomer in the real estate industry to a successful entrepreneur and founder of Maxi Properties. He discusses his early experiences, the challenges he faced, and how he transitioned from residential to multifamily and commercial real estate. Jhovanny highlights the importance of perseverance, networking, and learning from failures, as well as providing valuable advice for aspiring real estate investors.   Professional Real Estate Investors - How we can help you: Investor Fuel Mastermind:  Learn more about the Investor Fuel Mastermind, including 100% deal financing, massive discounts from vendors and sponsors you're already using, our world class community of over 150 members, and SO much more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/apply   Investor Machine Marketing Partnership:  Are you looking for consistent, high quality lead generation? Investor Machine is America's #1 lead generation service professional investors. Investor Machine provides true ‘white glove' support to help you build the perfect marketing plan, then we'll execute it for you…talking and working together on an ongoing basis to help you hit YOUR goals! Learn more here: http://www.investormachine.com   Coaching with Mike Hambright:  Interested in 1 on 1 coaching with Mike Hambright? Mike coaches entrepreneurs looking to level up, build coaching or service based businesses (Mike runs multiple 7 and 8 figure a year businesses), building a coaching program and more. Learn more here: https://investorfuel.com/coachingwithmike   Attend a Vacation/Mastermind Retreat with Mike Hambright: Interested in joining a “mini-mastermind” with Mike and his private clients on an upcoming “Retreat”, either at locations like Cabo San Lucas, Napa, Park City ski trip, Yellowstone, or even at Mike's East Texas “Big H Ranch”? Learn more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/retreat   Property Insurance: Join the largest and most investor friendly property insurance provider in 2 minutes. Free to join, and insure all your flips and rentals within minutes! There is NO easier insurance provider on the planet (turn insurance on or off in 1 minute without talking to anyone!), and there's no 15-30% agent mark up through this platform!  Register here: https://myinvestorinsurance.com/   New Real Estate Investors - How we can work together: Investor Fuel Club (Coaching and Deal Partner Community): Looking to kickstart your real estate investing career? Join our one of a kind Coaching Community, Investor Fuel Club, where you'll get trained by some of the best real estate investors in America, and partner with them on deals! You don't need $ for deals…we'll partner with you and hold your hand along the way! Learn More here: http://www.investorfuel.com/club   —--------------------

Until AI replaces the need for humans completely, building a team remains a crucial part of building a startup, and the need for other humans to help get things off the ground often comes before the budget to hire them, so some clever thinking is required. Megan Luttrell - founder of Kairos Recruitment and Aussie Founders Club - joins Scotty this week for a conversation to work out what's smart, and what's not, when it comes to startup recruitment.About Megan Luttrell:Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/meganluttrell Website: https://www.kairosrecruitment.com.au/Aussie Founders Club: https://www.aussiefoundersclub.com/-------------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this remastered episode, I explore a risk most people don't notice: the risk of being too comfortable. Comfort isn't bad. It feels good and gives us a sense of stability, but it can easily lead to laziness and complacency. I discuss how being too comfortable in your career, business, or personal life can prevent growth and leave you unprepared for sudden changes.I share personal stories, including my experience in volunteer work and running my business during challenging times like COVID-19. I talk about how hardship can push you to innovate and grow, why planning for the unexpected is crucial, and simple ways to step out of your comfort zone to stay productive, creative, and moving forward.

docs.search("indie, founder, rails, successful") => Jason Bosco / TypesenseIn this episode, Jeremy and Jess sit down with Jason Bosco, co-founder of Typesense, an open source, typo-tolerant search engine. Jason shares how he and his co-founder committed to simply showing up every day, putting in consistent effort, no matter how small, and how that patience eventually compounded into success.We dive into Jason's journey from VP of Engineering at Dollar Shave Club to building his own company, why Typesense has chosen to stay customer-funded instead of VC-funded, and how open source has been central to their mission of democratizing search. Along the way, Jason offers insights on perseverance, product focus, and the long game of building an indie software company and how it can all good and difficult can take a toll on health. Jason BoscoCEO & Co-Founder at TypesensePreviously VP of Engineering at Dollar Shave Club Previously VP of Technology at Verishophttps://x.com/jasonboscohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbosco/https://www.crunchbase.com/person/jason-boscohttps://github.com/jasonboscoA good way to describe Typesense is that it's an open source alternative to Algolia and an easier-to-use alternative to ElasticSearch. https://github.com/jasonboscoFeatured Videoshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cdH1F6zbIghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ER8FDiCMPCYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QymF4NUmALMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNLA8RCrYwkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4Z3BYwizzwFeatured Linkshttps://typesense.org/abouthttps://typesense.org/blog/To Raise VC, or Not. Choosing The Road Less Travelled.The unreasonable effectiveness of just showing up everydayWe bought HUNDREDS of billboards in San Francisco, for our open source producthttps://gorelay.co/t/pursuing-an-open-source-bootstrapped-long-run-path-towards-serving-the-fortune-1-million-with-typesense-s-co-founder-jason-bosco/915https://livecycle.io/blogs/dev-x-project-jason-bosco/

In this Founder Friday episode, we're talking to Nicole Bouchier, founder of SklChatFounder Friday is about works still in progress. Learning from success stories is important, but learning from founders still in the thick of getting to market is just as useful - and sometimes much more realistic.In this chat, we talk about Nicole's experience of building and exiting her first company and the steps that led her to jumping back on the startup rollercoaster to develop SklChat. She shares a number of great learnings as a second time founder and the things she's doing differently this time around thanks to her previous experience. -----------------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fractional leadership roles are becoming more common in startups and scaleups. We're more familiar with a fractional CFO or CTO - but what about business development?In this discussion with experienced enterprise leader Andrew Sharpe, we look at the ways that larger companies are embracing fractional leadership in the growth arena - be is sales, product, etc, how it applies to the startup world, and what mindset is required both the founder and the fractional leader when approaching this strategy in the startup space.About Andrew Shape:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/a-sharpe/Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sharpepts----------------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vince Mayfield is cofounder and CEO of TalkingParents, a co-parenting app for communication and coordination used by divorced parents raising children. Cofounder Stephen Nixon was a lawyer with family cases who recognized the need for a secure, unalterable communication record to improve co-parenting and family harmony.  He pitched a development company owned by Vince and Louis Erickson to build the first app. They came together to cofound TalkingParents in 2012. Stephen worked with judges, courts, and lawyers to build awareness and get their first customers. The app records and stores all communications between co-parents, including chats, message, phone calls, and calendars. The company started growing and eventually became profitable as word spread, they charged more for the product, and the app improved.  TalkingParents is now a profitable and growing company with well over $10 million in revenue, 65 employees, 100,000 paying customers, and 500,000 people using the app. They are self-funded with no outside funding. Quote from Vince Mayfield, cofounder and CEO of TalkingParents “The company you are when you have 5 million in revenue and maybe 40 people, it's not the same company you are when you've got 20 million in revenue and say 80 people. It's not. You've got to iterate and change.  “And you've got to have the stamina for that. You've got to be willing to put in the effort and do that. Yeah, exactly. There's no shortcuts to this.  “I love it when people tell me, I've got an idea and I'm going to start up and it's going to go viral overnight. And my first thought is bulls--t. It's not going to happen that way. “It's much harder than everybody thinks. You hear about the overnight success, but what you don't see is the 10-year grind that it took to get there. And the sacrifice and delayed gratification that goes along.” Links Vince Mayfield on LinkedIn TalkingParents on LinkedIn TalkingParent website The Practical Founders Podcast Tune into the Practical Founders Podcast for weekly in-depth interviews with founders who have built valuable software companies without big funding. Subscribe to the Practical Founders Podcast using your favorite podcast app or view on our YouTube channel. Get the weekly Practical Founders newsletter and podcast updates at practicalfounders.com.

In this Founder Friday episode, we're talking to Mari Robert, founder of Inflamed. Founder Friday is about works still in progress. Learning from success stories is important, but learning from founders still in the thick of getting to market is just as useful - and sometimes much more realistic.In this chat, we talk about the very personal experience that led Mari to the creation of Inflamed, the challenges of generalising a solution to a problem you've experienced to make it a commercially viable product, and all of Mari's learnings from the Inflamed journey to date. ----------------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Odd Bunch founder Divy Ojha scaled from 87 to 100,000+ customers without VC funding by focusing on problem validation, lean operations and retention techniques.For more on Odd Bunch and show notes click here. Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

This episode takes me back to the early days of Neat Apparel, when Claudio and I were just getting started. For those who don't know, Claudio is my business partner on Neat - our sweat-proof Shopify brand and he has one of the most fascinating backgrounds of anyone I've ever worked with.He graduated from Stanford at 20. Climbed to the top of Wall Street. Then pivoted into entrepreneurship—first with a soccer brand, and now with me in performance apparel. In this conversation, we talked through the moment we decided to go all in on Neat.We broke down the actual negotiations that brought us together, why we decided to buy IP before launching, and how we thought about scaling the brand through content, storytelling, and founder alignment. Looking back, it's wild to see how much of that conversation still shapes how we run Neat today.

Let's discuss River's life. Fasten your seat belts – this will be a bumpy ride. Spoilers! We're discussing River Song's timeline as best we see it. We don't have any spreadsheets, calculus, or alcohol but we do have aspirin, a sense of humor, and special guest Nate from Temple of Geek. We'll cover her birth ...

AI is everywhere. Depending on where you are at on the continuum, it's probably the thing that is either exciting you the most, confusing you the most, or scaring you the most at the moment - maybe a combination of all three.The market is struggling with its own confusion, concerns, and fear around AI, and that makes it critical that founders challenge their own biases and misconceptions in order to effectively position products for customers in this current landscape.Our guest for this episode is Dr Sam Donegan. Sam is the co-founder of Support Sorted and the Vice President of MLAI. You can learn more at:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samueldonegan/MLAI: https://mlai.au/Support Sorted: https://www.supportsorted.com/--------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan. Original sound design by Rob Clarke. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Cash is just a commodity. What truly attracts top entrepreneurs is the connection you build." Ashish Taneja completely flips the traditional investor-founder power dynamic in this eye-opening conversation with host Akshay Datt, revealing why the best founders actually choose their investors, not the other way around. Ashish Taneja is the Founding Partner & CEO of GrowX Ventures, one of India's pioneering deep tech venture capital firms. A Chartered Accountant who transitioned from being the India CEO of Vertex (a major UK BPO firm) to venture investing, Ashish has bootstrapped GrowX from angel investments in 2008 to managing ₹400+ crores across institutional funds. His portfolio includes a spectacular 17x return from spacetech company Pixxel, and notable exits to companies like Reliance and NASDAQ. With 49 investments and 9 successful exits over 15+ years, Ashish has become a leading voice in India's hardware and deep tech ecosystem. Key Insights from the Conversation:

In our first Founder Friday episode, we're talking to Andrew Murphy, founder of Tech Leaders Launchpad.Founder Friday is about works still in progress. Learning from success stories is important, but learning from founders still in the thick of getting to market is just as useful - and sometimes much more realistic.In this chat, we talk about what inspired Andrew to create TLL, his learnings along the way, and the advice he'd give brand new founders based on the experience. --------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Bootstrap is back for 2025, and we're kicking off with a great conversation with Brenton Anderson from Lovable about the learnings and success stories from the recent Lovable Shipped program.We also have a wider discussion about the impact of AI tools like Lovable on validation and commercialisation - it's definitely worth a listen!Also, we now have a website! You can check out thebootstrap.tech for all current and past episodes of the show - watch this space as we take some of our most impactful episodes and turn them in to resources you'll love.Brenton Andersen looks after Community Engagement for startup rocketship Lovable. He started as a Lovable user and now heads up community outreach, including the recent Loveable Shipped program.--------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would you turn down funding after being featured on Shark Tank? Eric Bandholz did. In this episode, he breaks down how Beardbrand became one of the most iconic DTC companies 0 built on freedom, grit, and a wild Reddit strategy.Jim talks with Eric Bandholz, founder of Beardbrand, about the raw, real story of building a DTC cult brand from scratch. Eric shares how he turned a niche grooming obsession into a 7-figure business - without funding, with help from Reddit, and by staying fiercely true to his values. It's a founder story that throws out the rulebook.Key Topics Covered:Why school nearly derailed his founder pathThe power of community-led growthHow Reddit became his early traction channelGetting featured on Shark Tank (and what happened next)Bootstrapping lessons and the real gift of staying leanProduct expansion done rightWhy building a network is your secret growth weaponIf you believe in the power of community, conviction, and scrappy marketing - you'll love this episode.Resources:Ecommerce ConversationsBeardBrandJim Huffman websiteJim's TwitterGrowthHitThe Growth Marketer's PlaybookThe Shopify Growth ShowAdditional episodes you might enjoy:Startup Ideas by Paul Graham (#45)Nathan Barry: How to Bootstrap a Company to $30M in a Crowded Market (#41)How I Met My Biz Partner and Less Learned Hitting $2M ARR (#44)Ryan Hamilton on his Netflix special, touring with Jerry Seinfeld, & how to write a joke (#10)How We're Validating Startup Ideas (#51)

What if you could build a $25M+ business without raising a single dime?Jesse Pujji has done it - multiple times. From bootstrapping his first agency to launching Gateway X and scaling productized services in the DTC world, Jesse has a blueprint for founders who want to build big without giving away equity. In this episode, he shares how you can do the same. In this episode, Jim sits down with Jesse Pujji (Founder of Gateway X, Co-Founder of Ampush) to break down how he's built, scaled, and exited businesses without venture capital. Jesse reveals his “Bootstrap Advantage” framework, why he believes most founders overcomplicate their growth strategy, and the exact levers he focuses on to grow companies from zero to eight figures.This isn't a theory session - it's a behind-the-scenes look at the systems, mindset, and tactics Jesse uses to build bootstrapped giants.Key Topics Covered:The Bootstrap Advantage: Why it's the best path for most foundersHow Jesse validates new business ideas (quickly and cheaply)The difference between “Productized Services” and traditional agenciesGrowth levers bootstrapped founders must focus onThe psychology of staying lean while scaling bigJesse's personal workflow for launching multiple businesses at once If you're a Shopify founder, DTC marketer, or just someone tired of the VC hamster wheel, this episode is your blueprint.Resources:Jesse Pujji Twitter / XBootstrapped GiantsGatewayXJim Huffman websiteJim's TwitterGrowthHitThe Growth Marketer's PlaybookThe Shopify Growth School Additional episodes you might enjoy:Startup Ideas by Paul Graham (#45)Nathan Barry: How to Bootstrap a Company to $30M in a Crowded Market (#41)How I Met My Biz Partner and Less Learned Hitting $2M ARR (#44)Ryan Hamilton on his Netflix special, touring with Jerry Seinfeld, & how to write a joke (#10)How We're Validating Startup Ideas (#51)

What happens when a Venezuelan immigrant, a SodaStream, and a dream collide in Miami? You get Casalu—a bold, rum-based beverage brand that's shaking up the ready-to-drink market with Latin flavor, cultural pride, and entrepreneurial fire. In this episode of BizNinja Entrepreneur Radio, we crack open the story behind the can with founder Gabriel Gonzalez.From crashing parties to raise brand awareness to landing shelf space in major retailers like Whole Foods and Walmart, Gabriel Gonzalez's journey with Casalu is anything but ordinary. He shares how growing up in Venezuela and moving to the U.S. during political unrest shaped his hustle—and how a college startup program opened doors to venture capital, business mentorship, and ultimately, a breakthrough idea: a rum cocktail made for the modern Latino generation.Gabriel reveals how the cultural tide is turning, with Gen Z embracing both ready-to-drink convenience and Latino identity like never before. Casalu is positioned at that sweet intersection, and he's on a mission to make it the next Red Bull—but with way more sabor.This episode is packed with real startup lessons: from turning mockups into momentum, staying lean when temptation to "go big" hits, and building a brand that doesn't just sell—but represents. Gabriel's story is proof that when you chase purpose, the profits will follow. Get ready to be inspired, entertained, and maybe a little thirsty.TakeawaysCulture is a superpower. Gabriel tapped into Latino pride and Gen Z's evolving drinking habits to create a beverage that feels personal and powerful. Bootstrap like a boss. With $5,000, a keg, and a SodaStream, the Casalu team hustled their way to product validation before any investors wrote checks. Don't chase the hype. Gabriel warns against “perverse incentives” in the CPG world—reminding founders to stay grounded, smart, and authentic if they want long-term success.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Gabriel Gonzalez and Casalu01:40 Gabriel's Entrepreneurial Journey05:34 The Birth of Casalu10:26 Product Development and Market Fit15:12 Funding and Growth Milestones18:16 Retail Expansion and Brand Identity22:33 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs25:50 Partnership Dynamics in Business29:32 Personal Milestones and Future Aspirations

In this episode, I give a quick update on why there hasn't been an episode in the last couple of weeks. I was out of town and made the mistake of leaving my pre-recorded episode on the wrong hard drive.Since getting back, it has been nothing but moving chaos. We are preparing to move back to the States, cleaning out the house, selling items at garage sales and flea markets, and temporarily staying with family. I share when I expect things to calm down and when regular uploads will resume.

They didn't just launch a wine brand - they created a whole new category. In this episode, Kendra Kawala shares how Maker Wines went from cold outreach to category leader.Jim talks with Kendra Kawala, co-founder of Maker Wines, about how she turned B2B sales grit into DTC scale. From walking into wine shops cold to managing complex supply chains with 15 wineries, Kendra reveals the realities of launching a new product category — and why going B2B-first gave them an edge most DTC brands miss.TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY'S EPISODEWhy Maker Wines isn't your typical DTC brandThe early grind of B2B-style salesManaging logistics across 15 partner wineriesWhat business school got right  and wrongChoosing the right co-founder for scaleOrder economics and conviction at launchApplying B2B thinking to consumer marketingIf you're launching something new — or want to scale smart — this is the episode you'll come back to twice.Resources:https://www.makerwine.com/Jim Huffman websiteJim's TwitterGrowthHitThe Growth Marketer's PlaybookThe Shopify Growth School Additional episodes you might enjoy:Startup Ideas by Paul Graham (#45)Nathan Barry: How to Bootstrap a Company to $30M in a Crowded Market (#41)How I Met My Biz Partner and Less Learned Hitting $2M ARR (#44)Ryan Hamilton on his Netflix special, touring with Jerry Seinfeld, & how to write a joke (#10)How We're Validating Startup Ideas (#51) 

מאור שלמה לא תכנן להקים חברה שתמכר ל-Wix בעשרות מיליוני דולרים בתוך שישה חודשים. הוא פשוט רצה לבנות מוצר טוב, תוכנה שבונה תוכנה. ככה נולדה Base 44, לבד, בלי גיוס, בלי צוות, בלי מימון. התוצאה: מאות אלפי משתמשים, רווחיות כמעט מיידית, וקצב צמיחה מסחרר שהוביל לאקזיט מהיר. בפרק הזה הוא משתף את אדוה שיסגל בסיפור שמייצג באופן מסויים את התנועה שקיימת בענף - עבודה מהירה של יזם יחיד, ללא VC, ושנתמכת בבינה מלאכותית. מאור מספר על האסטרטגיות שעזרו לו להגיע לשם: בנייה קהילתית אמיתית ועמוקה, עבודה ב־Build in Public, שהפכו את המשתמשים למפיצים הכי חזקים של המוצר. הוא מדבר גם על ההחלטות שקיבל - למה נשאר Bootstrap לאורך הדרך, מה הוא חושב על התחרות, ואיך הוא עשה את זה תוך כדי שהוא מחזיק את כל התפקידים בעצמו: פיתוח, שיווק, תמיכה, מוצר וניהול. לצפייה בפרק בוידאו לחצו כאןSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It started with a nickname. Then became a joke. And somehow… a 6-figure DTC brand. In this episode, Ryan Rock shares how Fatboy was born and how he turned culture, community, and UGC into a real business.Jim sits down with Ryan Rock to tell the unconventional story behind Fatboy - a brand that started as a laugh between friends and ended up hitting six figures. From pop-up marketing to micro-influencer strategy, Ryan breaks down what it really takes to turn momentum into money (without VC money or fancy tactics).Key Topics Covered:How Fatboy started from an inside jokeThe early wins and major milestonesUGC-first growth and creative content playsPop-ups, local events, and offline hustleBuilding clubs and communities around the brandMicro-influencer and word-of-mouth strategyIf you're thinking about launching a DTC brand — or want to grow without paid ads — this episode is packed with scrappy tactics and founder truths.Resources:Fat Boy Surf ClubJim Huffman websiteJim's TwitterGrowthHitThe Growth Marketer's PlaybookThe Shopify Growth School Additional episodes you might enjoy:Startup Ideas by Paul Graham (#45)Nathan Barry: How to Bootstrap a Company to $30M in a Crowded Market (#41)How I Met My Biz Partner and Less Learned Hitting $2M ARR (#44)Ryan Hamilton on his Netflix special, touring with Jerry Seinfeld, & how to write a joke (#10)How We're Validating Startup Ideas (#51) 

In this remastered episode, I talk about how a sense of entitlement can block you from the success you're capable of achieving. Whether it's feeling like you're owed something because of your background, your pain, or your family ties, this mindset can creep in and create mental roadblocks. I share the classic story of the grasshopper and the ants to show how this attitude plays out.You'll also hear why real growth comes when you trade entitlement for gratitude and a giving mindset. I reference ideas from Good to Great and The Go-Giver to show how humility and generosity, not demands, unlock long-term success in both life and business.

What would make someone spend a small fortune on the domain Couch.com? In this episode, Alex Back reveals the real reasons  and how it helped him build and sell a 7-figure business.Jim sits down with Alex Back, founder of Couch.com and Apt2b, to unpack the journey of bootstrapping an eCommerce brand and exiting with impact. From domain strategy to traffic growth and earnouts, this is a masterclass in building smart and selling well. Alex doesn't hold back on what worked, what flopped, and what he'd do differently.Key Topics Covered:Why “couches” was the niche of choiceThe surprising ROI of a premium domainBuilding sustainable traffic through SEOStructuring a strong co-founder relationshipWhat makes the right time to sellSmart growth hacks that moved the needleWhy earnouts might be underratedIf you're building, buying, or selling an eCom brand — this episode is packed with real talk and hard-won insights. Subscribe for more tactical founder convos like this.Resources:Couch.comJim Huffman websiteJim's TwitterGrowthHitThe Growth Marketer's PlaybookThe Shopify Growth ShowAdditional episodes you might enjoy:Startup Ideas by Paul Graham (#45)Nathan Barry: How to Bootstrap a Company to $30M in a Crowded Market (#41)How I Met My Biz Partner and Less Learned Hitting $2M ARR (#44)Ryan Hamilton on his Netflix special, touring with Jerry Seinfeld, & how to write a joke (#10)How We're Validating Startup Ideas (#51)

In this remastered episode, I explore victimhood as one of the biggest mindset traps holding people back. Everyone faces tough breaks or unfair situations, but how you respond is what matters most. I share personal stories, including times I fell into victim thinking and how my wife handled being robbed at gunpoint with calm and strength.This episode is about choosing to break free from a victimhood mentality so you can rebuild your confidence, motivation, and momentum in business and life.

Alex Monahan graduated from Stanford University and founded OddsJam, the Bloomberg Terminal of sports betting. OddsJam was self-funded & acquired by Gambling.com, ticker GDC, for 160 Million Dollars in December. Top 3 Value Bombs 1. Follow your obsession and turn your passion into a thriving company by immersing in the industry and identifying key inefficiencies. 2. Bootstrap for control, stay focused, and make decisions that served the product and its users. 3. Content builds community. Creating YouTube videos about sports betting strategy grew an organic audience and fueled business growth. Check out the website to learn more - OddsJam Sponsors HighLevel - The ultimate all-in-one platform for entrepreneurs, marketers, coaches, and agencies. Learn more at HighLevelFire.com. Franocity - Franocity has helped hundreds of people leave unfulfilling jobs, invest in recession-resilient businesses, and create legacy income for their families through franchising. Get started today by downloading Franocity's Franchise Funding Guide at Franocity.com. Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at Airbnb.com/host.  

Most brands start online. Robert Nelson did the opposite and it changed everything. He used real-world feedback, military discipline, and pop-up precision to launch a thriving DTC brand.In this episode, Robert Nelson of Just Mystic shares the unconventional path his brand took to gain traction - starting offline with brick-and-mortar and pop-up activations before ever building a Shopify store. With a Marine mindset and data-driven instincts, Robert explains why starting on the ground gave him an edge online.Whether you're validating a product or scaling DTC, this episode shows why doing it the “wrong” way might be exactly right.Key Topics Covered:Why starting with a physical location validated the product fasterHow in-person pop-ups revealed customer behavior and pain pointsThe move from offline to Shopify — and what changedMilitary leadership lessons applied to brand-buildingUsing basic retail economics to unlock higher marginsFollow The Shopify Growth Show for more real founder playbooks - from brick-and-mortar rebels to AI-native operators.Resources:Just MysticJim Huffman websiteGrowthHitAdditional episodes you might enjoy:Startup Ideas by Paul Graham (#45)Nathan Barry: How to Bootstrap a Company to $30M in a Crowded Market (#41)How I Met My Biz Partner and Less Learned Hitting $2M ARR (#44)Ryan Hamilton on his Netflix special, touring with Jerry Seinfeld, & how to write a joke (#10)How We're Validating Startup Ideas (#51) 

In this episode, Jess and Jeremy chat with Matt Swanson, CTO of Arrows, author of Boring Rails, and host of the YAGNI podcast. In addition to his blog, Matt shares a lot of his knowledge about product development on Twitter. We talk with Matt about how Arrows builds software, what it means to be a product engineer, the easiest way for devs to get to $10K MRR, working with generative AI tools, and how and why he publishes technical content online. Related LinksMatt's TwitterBoring RailsYAGNI podcastArrows

On this episode of the Ruff Talk VR podcast we have a packed agenda to discuss including our early impressions of both Prison Boss Prohibition and Requisition VR. We also talk some graphical updates to Green Hell VR as well as some updates to Dorp Dead The Cabin (Including a flat screen version!), The Phoenix Gene, and Bootstrap Island. We also talk some upcoming games such as DrakkenRidge, Laser Matrix, Fruit Golf, and Piano Cafe. As well we also discuss some rumors regarding Meta's upcoming HUD glasses rumored to be named "Celeste", and more! Big thank you to all of our Patreon supporters! Become a supporter of the show today at  https://www.patreon.com/rufftalkvrDiscord: https://discord.gg/9JTdCccucSPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/rufftalkvrIf you enjoy the podcast be sure to rate us 5 stars and subscribe! Join our official subreddit at https://www.reddit.com/r/RuffTalkVR/0:00 - Episode start2:00 - Prison Boss Prohibition early impressions21:25 - Requisition VR early impressions45:00 - Green Hell VR Quest 3 Upgrade54:45 - Drop Dead: The Cabin update, flatscreen, and PCVR58:00 - DrakkenRidge1:03:15 - Laser Matrix1:09:00 - Fruit Golf1:11:00 - Piano Cafe1:16:00 - Waltz of the Wizard iOS and Vision Pro1:18:00 - Meta HUD glasses leak1:24:00 - Bootstrap island update1:25:30 - The Phoenix Gene updateSend us a text to the Ruff Talk VR fan mail line!Support the show

On this Fourth of July, I take you back to early 2020 when the COVID crisis was ramping up. While the situation was uncertain, what stood out to me was how quickly American factories retooled, entrepreneurs pivoted, and small businesses stepped up to fill urgent needs.This episode reminds us that America's true superpower is not just military might. It is the manufacturing base, inventors, and entrepreneurs who keep things moving no matter the challenge. Looking back five years later, it is clear how crucial that mindset was in getting through the crisis.

In this episode of ClickFunnels Radio, hosts Chris Cameron and Ben Harris welcome Max Kyllonen, an expert in helping businesses scale by teaching personalized business strategy planning, management approaches, business development, and financial strategies. Max shares his thoughts on various business funding strategies, including establishing credit for small businesses, SBA loans, credit card stacking and VC funding challenges and alternatives. Tune in to gain some valuable insights into an approach to business funding that focuses not only on creating immediate financial resources but also sets the stage for long-term financial health and success! skool.com/thefundingformula summitpathstrategies.com/clickfunnels

We bought a DTC brand. Now we're putting it through the GrowthHit wringer. This is the actual strategy we're using to scale Neat Apparel — and yes, we're sharing everything.In this solo episode, Jim Huffman shares the full behind-the-scenes growth plan for Neat Apparel — a sweat-proof clothing brand recently acquired by GrowthHit. You'll hear the exact tactics he's using to revamp the site, increase AOV, build email flows, and tackle paid ads — all with a bootstrapped budget and a sharp eye on product-market fit.If you want a real-time blueprint for scaling a Shopify brand in a red-ocean category, this is it.Key Topics Covered:Why “shut up and listen” was step one post-acquisitionAOV > ROAS: The case for bundling and upsellsHow they're balancing paid media and scrappy growthTheir ad creative testing process (30+ angles)SEO, seasonality, and what they're betting on long-termFollow The Shopify Growth Show for more build-in-public breakdowns like this. Real playbooks, no fluff.             Resources:The Shopify Growth SchoolNeat WebsiteJim Huffman websiteJim's TwitterGrowthHitThe Growth Marketer's PlaybookAdditional episodes you might enjoy:Startup Ideas by Paul Graham (#45)Nathan Barry: How to Bootstrap a Company to $30M in a Crowded Market (#41)How I Met My Biz Partner and Less Learned Hitting $2M ARR (#44)Ryan Hamilton on his Netflix special, touring with Jerry Seinfeld, & how to write a joke (#10)How We're Validating Startup Ideas (#51)

From the archive: This episode was originally recorded and published in 2022. Our interviews on Entrepreneurs On Fire are meant to be evergreen, and we do our best to confirm that all offers and URL's in these archive episodes are still relevant. David Siteman Garland is the Co-Founder of Nrdly, and Founder of Siteman Garland Consulting. Besides bootstrapping a company that sold over 10 million dollars in online courses (The Rise To The Top) he is known as an expert in new media, online monetization and more. Top 3 Value Bombs 1. Be great in creating products and in marketing. 2. Focus on one strategy. 3. You can scale your software business by having a niche and being lean, mean, and fast instead of being broad and expensive. We've teamed up with DSG to bring you an incredible offer. Check out the templates and awesomeness Nrdly has to offer and get 25 percent off your first payment and a 30-day free trial. (limited time only.) - Nrdly Sponsor Franocity - Franocity has helped hundreds of people leave unfulfilling jobs and invest in recession-resilient businesses through franchising. Visit Franocity.com to book a free consultation and start your franchising journey with expert guidance.

In this new episode, I sit down with Teresa Posada to explore her path from architectural drafting and Home Depot to building multiple million-dollar businesses. Teresa shares how she used seller financing and her 401k to launch her first 18,000 square foot store, eventually expanding to three locations while supporting her husband's welding company to $1M in monthly revenue.We talk about her use of systems thinking, how customer service became her business edge, and how books like The E-Myth, Think and Grow Rich, and Rich Dad Poor Dad shaped her mindset. I introduce the Hedgehog Concept, and we workshop it around her passion for idea creation and meeting customer needs. Teresa also shares about her work with Grant Cardone's 10X program and the Business Book Club, where we originally met.Links from the episode:

On this episode of The Founder's Sandbox, Brenda speaks with David Hirschfeld, owner of 18 year old business Tekyz, that boasts a hyperexceptional development team building high “ticket” products in the B2B space. They speak about ways in which AI is a gamechanger, how Tekyz backs their work for clients with relentless pursuit of quality, and how Tekyz practices ruthless compassion,to protect the company and enable it to grow Having collaborated with over 90 startups, he developed the Launch 1st Method—a systematic approach that minimizes risks and accelerates software company success with reduced reliance on investor funding, after observing that many companies launch a product first and then fail at a later stage – With Tekyz approach of Launch 1st exceptional founders are in love with the problem not the product.   David's expertise bridges cutting-edge AI technologies, workflow optimization, and startup ecosystem dynamics. When not transforming business strategies, he enjoys woodworking, golfing, and drawing leadership insights from his experience raising four successful sons. You can find out more about David and Tekyz at: https://sites.google.com/tekyz.com/david-hirschfeld?usp=sharing https://tekyz.podbean.com/ - Scaling Smarter Episodes. www.scalingsmarter.net - Schedule an interview https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhirschfeld/ https://x.com/tekyzinc https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhirschfeld/ https://www.facebook.com/dmhirschfeld       transcription:  00:04 Welcome  back to the Founders Sandbox.  I am Brenda McCabe, the host here on this monthly podcast, now in its third season. This podcast reaches entrepreneurs, business owners that are scaling. 00:31 professional service providers that provide services to these  entrepreneurs, and corporate board directors who, like me, are building resilient, purpose-driven, and scalable businesses with great corporate governance. My guests to this podcast are business owners themselves, professional service providers, and corporate directors who, like me, want to  use the power of the private company to build a better 01:01 world through storytelling with each of my guests in the sandbox. My goal is to provide a fun sandbox environment where we can equip one founder at a time to build a better world through great corporate governance. So today I'm absolutely delighted to have as my guest, David Hirschfeld. David is the owner and CEO of Techies, 17 or 18 year old business now that boasts 01:29 a hyper exceptional development team that are building high ticket products in the B2B space.  Welcome David to the Founder Sandbox. Hi Brenda and thanks for having me. Great. So I'm delighted that we  actually did a dry run in February.  We've known each other for some time  and AI, we're going to be touching on AI.  And I think that the world of AI 01:58 particularly in software development,  has changed significantly since we last spoke in February. So we're going to be getting into  some, I think, novel concepts for  the listeners of the Founder Sandbox. So I wanted to, you I always talk about how I like to work with  growth stage companies  that  typically are bootstrapped  and 02:26 It's only at a later stage do they seek institutional investment  by building great corporate governance  and reducing the reliance on investor funding  until such a time that they choose the right type of investors that can help them scale. So when I found out what you do at Techies with Launch First  and the type of work you do in B2B businesses, I absolutely wanted to have you here  on the  founder sandbox. 02:56 So let's jump right in, right? I think I'm eager to learn more about how to scale your bespoke development at Techies, right? To scale my own business? Okay. So there's a lot of different aspects to scaling my business and I bootstrapped for the last 18 years. 03:25 I've never taken any investment  with techies.  And I've  done that very specifically because  it gives me a lot of freedom. I don't have  a reporting structure that I have to worry about. That doesn't mean that I can be lazy with my team.  To grow my team, I have a philosophy 03:52 that I only hire people that are smarter than I am.  And the  ones that are in a position to hire, they can only hire people that are smarter than them. And by  really sticking to this philosophy, even though sometimes it makes us grow a little slower than we would like, it means that when we bring in people, those people  contribute immediately and contribute in a way 04:21 that it's our job to get the impediments out of their way and to facilitate them  so that they can contribute and  help us grow the company. So I call it  the ball rolls uphill  here because  my job is to support everybody that is above me, which is everybody. And then the people that I support directly, their job is to support the people that are above them. 04:51 Because if we're hiring correctly, then  people that we bring in can contribute in the area that we're bringing them in way more than the person that's hiring them. Okay. Thank you for that. So before you launched Techies, you had a career in companies like,  I  believe, Computer Associates, right? Texas Experiments and TelaMotorola. 05:19 There was a period of time between your  experience in these large corporations before your launch tech is where you actually had your own startup  and  you sold it in 2000, right? And I believe you also learned perhaps with the second startup about how hard it is to find product market fit. Can you talk to that for my listeners, please? 05:46 I don't know that it's that hard to find product market fit. It depends if that's your focus or not. If your focus is to nail down product market fit, then  it's not that hard to determine whether you can achieve that or not fairly quickly.  You can do that by  selling your product to potential customers.  That sounds strange. Of course, we all want to sell our products, but 06:14 What I'm suggesting is you start selling your product before you have a product, before you have a  full product. And I don't mean an MVP, but a design prototype. You go out to the market and you start to sell it. If you have product market fit and you've identified the early adopter in your market and you know that they have a very high  need from a perception perspective  and there's a big cost to the problem that you're solving. 06:45 then you can offer them a big enough value upfront that they'll buy your product early and you can prove that there's a market for your product and they'll buy it in enough numbers that you  can achieve a measurable  metric, which I kind of call the golden ratio, which is three to one in terms of what is the lifetime value of a customer versus what does it cost to acquire that customer? And you can get to that three to one ratio. 07:13 in a prelaunch sale model before you ever started developing your product as a way of proving product market fit. Or you pivot quickly and cheaply because you're not having to rebuild a product that you've built in the wrong way. Or you  fail fast and cheap. And every entrepreneur's first goal should be to fail fast and cheap. know that sounds backwards, but that should be your goal is that you can fail fast and cheap or if you 07:42 If you fail to fail fast and cheap, that means you've found a path to revenue  and  product market fit. And now you know you have a viable business. making the investment to build the product  is a no brainer.  And you came upon this methodology, right? Yes.  because you did yourself when you had your first company, you did not understand the funding part, right?  Can you talk? 08:12 a bit about your specific example and then how that's informed now 17 years of techies and over 90 projects with startups. Okay. So my first company was Bootstrap. Okay.  And that one was successful and we grew it despite  me, it was me and a partner. And  despite ourselves, we grew it  over eight years. 08:39 where he ended up with 800 customers in 22 countries and sold it to a publicly traded firm out of Toronto. That was in the product food, snack food distribution business because that was what our product was focused on. So I started another company about five years later, not realizing the things that I did the first time. 09:08 that made it  so successful,  which really fit the launch first model to a large degree.  But the second time I built a product that would have been successful had I followed my first model,  but I didn't. So I went the route of building an MVP and getting customers on a free version of it, and then going out and trying to raise money, which is the very classic approach that the SaaS products 09:38 take now.  And the problem is with that approach is that you end up digging a really deep hole  in terms of the investment that you make to build the product with enough functionality that you can convince people it's worth putting an investment in and you're not generating any revenue at the time. And I should have just started selling the product and generating subscription revenue right from the beginning. First of all, I would have been able to  raise money much more easily. 10:08 Secondly, I would have not needed to raise money as much if I'd focused on sales. The problem with a lot of founders is they fall in love with their product. They believe that people will buy it at enough numbers and that investors will see the potential. they're afraid of sales. I've fallen into this trap before too. I've done it both ways. And I can tell you selling early 10:38 and staying focused on the customer and the problem are the way to be successful. So founders who I find are consistently successful, they are focused on the problem, they love the problem. The product is just the natural conclusion to solving the problem, not something to be in love with. They spend their time talking to customers about the problems.  So how does a potential customer find you and work with you? 11:08 Oh, they can find me at Techies or they can find me at LaunchFirst, was spelled launch1st.com. And they can find me on LinkedIn. And then to work with me, it's just give me a call, send me an email, we'll set up a Zoom. I'll start to learn about what you're trying to accomplish and what your requirements are. And I'll typically spend quite a bit of time with any potential clients. 11:39 in  one to usually multiple calls or Zooms, learning and  creating estimates and doing a lot of work in advance with the idea that there'll be a natural conclusion at the end of this that they'll wanna start working with me in a paid fashion. So there's a lot of value that my clients get from me whether they end up contracting me or not.  And how, again, back to,  thank you for that and that. 12:08 how to contact you will be in the show notes. But what types of sectors do you work in?  You know, in your introduction, I talk about high ticket B2B, right?  who are the,  so  what founder that's has some idea today?  What would be  their call to action to find techies? And what would you, is it launch first before you go down? 12:35 No, it's not necessarily. It may be an existing company that  is trying to implement AI or implement workflow automation, or they have a project and they don't have the IT team or capacity to handle it.  We love those types of projects. It might be an existing startup that is struggling with their software development team and they're not 13:04 getting  to the end goal that they're expecting and the product's buggy, it's taking too long,  there's constant delays, they're way over budget  and they  need to get this thing done. And  I call those recovery projects,  they're probably my favorite because people  recognize very quickly  the difference  that we bring. 13:33 and they really, really appreciate us.  As far as what sectors,  business sectors,  healthcare, law enforcement,  prop tech, real estate, finance,  entertainment, I mean, we work in  many, many different sectors over the last 18 years.  So  regardless in  B2B, B2B2C,  not so much e-commerce unless there's some 14:03 complex workflow associated with your particular e-commerce, but there's lots of really good solutions for e-commerce that  don't require developers to be involved.  But  mobile, web, IoT,  definitely everything is AI now. Absolutely. And in fact, when we last spoke,  I'd like to say that you started to drink your own Kool-Aid at Techies. 14:33 you're starting to actually use AI automation for internal functions as well as projects at Techies. So can you walk my listeners through how you're using  AI automation  and what's the latest with agentic AI?  So let's do the first.  Yeah,  okay.  So there are a bunch of questions there. So  let me start with 15:02 that we're building products internally  at Techies to help us with our own workflows.  These products though  are  applicable to almost any development company or any company with a development team.  Some of them are, and some of them are applicable to companies that are, well, so one product  is  putting voice capability in front of project management tool. 15:32 and we use JIRA and JIRA is an incredibly technical tool for project managers and development teams to use to  their projects, requirements, their  track bugs, all of that.  And so your relationship with what I call relationship with project management is very technical one. If you're a client, some clients are willing to  go through the learning curve so that they can enter their own... 15:59 bugs and feature requests and things like that directly into JIRA. Most don't.  They  want to send us emails, which is fine,  and just give us a list of what's going on and the problems that they're finding or the things that they need  for a future version and the planning and the documentation, everything else. This is a real technical thing. We're going to make it a very natural personal relationship by  adding voice in front of all this so that you can 16:29 be sharing your screen with your little voice app and say, just found a problem on the screen.  And  the voice app can see the screen. It knows your project. It knows your requirements. And it can identify problems on the screen that you may not have even noticed.  And it can also prevent you from reporting bugs that have already been reported and tell you when they're planned to be built.  And all of this just with a verbal discussion with the app. 16:58 that basically knows your project.  Kind of like talking to a project manager in real time, but they don't have to write down notes and  they can instantly  look up anything about your project in terms of what's been reported in terms of bugs or feature requests  and update them or create new ones for you or just report them to you and tell you when things are planned to be built and released or. 17:24 where they've already been released and maybe you need to clear your cache so you can see the change, whatever.  Yeah. So it be like an  avatar, but it's trained and it's  specific to Jira  in your case?  In the first version, it's actually being built architected so that we'll be able to add other project management tools to it besides Jira in the future.  to begin with, because we use Jira,  it's going to work directly with Jira to start. 17:54 And this, by the way, you asked about agentic workflows,  right? So we're  building an agentic workflow  in this tool where we have more  different agents  that work together to resolve these issues.  so we have an agent that reads and writes documentation to JIRA.  We have an agent that communicates with  the user and the user might be the programmer 18:23 might be a person in QA, it might be a client for a lot of different things. And we have an analyst agent that when the person talks, the voice agent says to the analyst agent, here's what I understand. Here's the information I just got. Go do your work and come back and get me the answer. And it'll speak to the JIRA agent to get the information. It will also speak directly to us. 18:52 a vector database, which is a database where all the documentation from that project  is ingested into our own  separate AI model so that the context of all the communication is about their project and doesn't go off into other directions.  And then can  get back. So this is an agentic workflow.  The idea of 19:20 agents is like everybody keeps talking about agents. Not everybody is really clear on what that even means. Can you define  that?  an agent is an AI  model  that you can interact with that is focused on  one specific area of expertise.  So if it's a travel agent, the word agent fits very well there, then their expertise would be on everything related to 19:49 travel and booking travel and looking up  options and comparing prices. And  that would be an AI  travel agent.  So that's very different from an AI project management agent, very different from an AI financial analyst agent.  So each agent specializes in its own area of expertise and may draw from specific 20:18 repositories of information that are  specific to that particular agent's area of expertise.  And they actually look from the perspective of that type of person, if it was a person. So,  and so they'll respond in a way that is consistent with how somebody who is a project manager would respond to you when you're talking to them, asking you questions about your requirements, knows what 20:46 information it needs to be able to assess it properly, things like that.  wouldn't be very good about travel because that's  not its area of expertise. Right.  So is it  common to have companies that are creating with their own large language model, right? Or their workflow processes internally to the company to create their own agent AI? 21:14 Or is there a marketplace now where you can say, want this type of agent to get in. This is a very basic question, but  do build it? Right. Or do you buy it? Or is it something in between? It's something in between.  So there are tools that allow you to  basically collect agents out there.  And there's a difference between an agent and a context.  Cause you hear a lot about model context switching and things like, don't know. 21:44 if your audience knows these things.  Or model context protocol. A context is not an agent, but it has some agent capabilities because it's kind of specializing your model in a certain area. But you would use this, but you're not, if it's a true agent, then  it's probably tied to its own vector database. 22:12 that gets trained with specific information. It might be company's information. It might be information, let's say if I'm a security agent, then I'm going to be trained on the entire NIST system as well as all of my security architecture that's currently in place. And that so that it could monitor and 22:41 assess instantly whether there's  security vulnerabilities, which you wouldn't ask Chet GPT to do that. No. Right? Because it couldn't. Because it doesn't know  anything about your organization or environment. And  it  really also doesn't know how to prioritize  what matters and what doesn't at any given moment. Whereas a  security agent, that would be what it does. 23:10 I don't know if I answered that question. Oh, bad thing about building or buying.  there are- Or something in between,  Yeah. So there are tools that you can use to build workflows  and  bring in different agents that already exist. And  you can use something like OpenAI or Claude  and  use it to create an agent and give it some intelligence and- 23:37 give it a specific, in this case, you're giving it a specific context.  You could even  tie a special machine learning database to it  and make it even more agentic in that way.  And then  build these workflows where you're  like, let's say a marketing workflow,  where you're saying you first go out and research all the people who are your  ideal customer profile. 24:07 I was going to say ICP, but I'm trying not to use acronyms because not everybody knows every acronym.  Ideal customer profile.  And then it finds all these people that fit your ideal customer profile. Then it says, well, which of these people  are  in the countries that I do business? And then it illuminates the ones that aren't. then which ones, and it may be using  the same agent or different agents to do this.  Then once it's nailed it down to the very discrete 24:37 set of customers. Now  the next step in the workflow is, okay, now  enrich their data  of these people to find their email and other ways of contacting them as well as other information about them so that I have a really full picture of what kind of activity are they active  socially? they speak? Do they post? What are they speaking about? What are they posting about? What events are they going to? Things like that. 25:07 So that would be the next step and that'd be an agent that's doing all the enriching.  And then after that, the next step would be to call basically call a writing agent to go do, am I writing an email? Am I writing a LinkedIn connection post? Am I doing both?  Set up a drip campaign and start reaching out to these people one at a time  with very customized specific language, right? That  is in your voice. 25:34 It doesn't sound like it's written by a typical AI outreach thing. All right, so these would be  steps in a workflow that you could use with several different tools to build the workflows and then calling these different agents. 25:48 Let's go back to the launched first. What would be a typical engagement with a company? you know, they, um, the founders that have the greatest success in your experiences are the ones that love the problem space and not the product. All right. So walk my listeners through. 26:17 What a typical engagement. it's staff augmentation. it  full out  outsourcing? it tech?  because it's very complex. I can touch so many. can touch high  tech and high ticket B2B products,  sector agnostic. what,  put some legs on this for my listeners, please. Sure, sure. We're not. 26:46 so much a staff augmentation company, although we'll do that if asked to, but that's not  the kind of business that we  look for.  We look for project type work. So a typical engagement for launch first would be  somebody wants to launch a product, they're in the concept phase. We help refine the concept and we build out,  help that we do the design and then we build a high fidelity prototype, which is a design prototype. 27:16 When I demo a design prototype to somebody, they think that they're looking at a finished product,  but  it's not. It doesn't actually do anything. It just looks like it  does everything.  So it's very animated set of mock-ups is another way to look at it.  And it's important because you can build out the big vision of the product this way in a couple of months, whereas 27:46 it takes instead of, you so you're looking at the two year roadmap when we're done of the product. If we were to build an MVP, then you're going to see a very limited view of the product and it's going to cost a lot more to build that MVP than it takes to build this design prototype. Now we're in the process of doing this. We're also nailing down who that early adopter is. And there's a, there's a very, 28:14 metrics driven methodology for doing this.  your launch first. Within launch first, right. Okay. All right. And then  we'll help the client build a marketing funnel and help them start to generate sales.  We're not doing the selling, they're doing the selling. And it's important that founders do the selling because they need to hear what customers are saying about the thing they're demoing, why they want it, why they don't. 28:43 So that  if we need to pivot, which we can do easily and quickly with a design prototype,  then we can  pivot and then go and test the model again, two or three or four times in the space of a couple of months.  And we'll either find a path to revenue or accept the fact that this probably isn't the right product for the right time.  But in the process of doing this, you're learning a lot about the market and about the potential customer. 29:13 I want to be clear about something. Almost every founder that comes to  that I meet with, they love the product, not the problem. They started out with a problem that they realized they had a good solution for and they forgot all about the problem at that point. And so I spend a lot of time with founders  reminding them why the  problem is all that matters  and what that means and how to approach customers, potential customers so that 29:41 you're syncing with their problems, not telling them about this product that you're building because nobody cares about your product. All they care about is what they're struggling with.  And if they believe that you really understand that, then they  care about whether you can solve that problem for them or 30:01 And can  I be  audacious and ask you what a typical engagement duration is like? So this would be for launch first. Yes. If it's a,  and our hope is that they'll  find a path to revenue and start building the product and engage us for the development. Cause that's really our business is building the products.  So, but it's not a requirement.  And,  and our typical engagement with our clients are several years. 30:32 Not all of them, but most of them, would say. Once they start working with us, they just continue to work with us until they decide to bring in their own in-house team  or they fail eventually, which many of our clients do, which is why I  created Launch First. Right. You often talk about your hyper exceptional team at Techies. What is it that's so highly exceptional? Talk to me about your team. Where are they? Yeah. 31:02 And if you go to my website, which is tekyz.com,  you'll see at the very top of it  in the header above the fold, it says hyper exceptional development team. And I don't expect people to believe me  because I write that down or I tell them that I expect them to ask me, well, what does that mean? Do you have evidence? And  that's the question I want to get because I do.  Because when you work in an exceptional manner, 31:31 as a natural consequence of working that way, you produce certain artifacts  that the typical development teams don't produce. And I'm not saying there aren't other exceptional teams, but they're really few and far between. And what makes a team exceptional is a constant need to  improve their ability to deliver  and the level of quality that they deliver as well and the speed at which they develop. It's all of these things. 31:59 So,  and, you know, after 18 years, we've done a lot of improving and a lot of automation internally,  because  that allows our team to work in a really disciplined protocol manner without having to feel like they're under the strict  discipline and protocol of,  you  know, a difficult environment to work in.  And so we  create automation everywhere we can. The voice... 32:27 tool is one of those automations.  The way we  do status reports, it's very clear at the level of detail that we provide every week  to every client in terms of status reports  where we're showing here's what we estimated, here's the actual, here's our percent variance  on how much time we spent and how much it's costing.  We want to always be within 10 % above or below. 32:56 Either  being above or below is not,  know,  the fact that we're ahead of that doesn't necessarily mean that's a good thing, right? So we want to be accurate with our estimates.  And we are typically within 10%. In fact, our largest customer last year, we did a retrospective and we were within six and a half percent of what our estimates were for the whole year.  and that's a,  we're pretty happy with that number. 33:24 I think most teams are looking at many, many times that in terms of variance.  it's not that uncommon for teams to be double or triple what they're or even higher what the actual estimate was. So  when we do invoicing, we invoice for each person at their rate. 33:50 based on their level of expertise, which is all part of our agreement upfront. So the client is very transparent every month for the hours that they work. And we attach the daily time sheets to every invoice. I'm the only company I know of right now that does that. I know there are others. I've seen monthly, but I've never seen daily. Yeah. Yeah. Because for me, if I could ask, well, 34:18 why did this person ask a work that many hours that last month? What did they do? I hate that feeling that I get when somebody asks that question. I know they're only asking because they have to justify it to somebody else or whatever the reason, but I don't like the way it feels because it feels like my integrity is being questioned. I don't get upset at people for asking me that. I just feel like I'm not giving them enough information if they have to ask me that question. So we started about eight years ago. 34:47 providing the daily time sheets because I don't like that question. And we never get questioned on our  invoices ever anymore. I bet you it's informed you  as well in  future  projects,  maybe on  including workflow automation in your own internal processes, right? When you see people's time sheets, right? And you've gone over budget. So it informs you internally. So it's not only for the client. 35:16 I suspect, right? No, it's not. Right. And we use it ourselves to also, because it also helps us looking at our overhead costs because not everything gets built to the client. And so we track all our own times, you know, what we're spending doing what. And we don't get to, it's not like a developer has to spend a lot of time or a QA person or whatever, putting in a lot of detail. We just need a couple of bullets, you know, every day in the time sheet with the, whatever they spend. 35:45 If they spent four hours on one thing and three on another, they'll just break it into two entries just to make it easy.  And that's important for us, or they may be working on two different projects and each project. So when we do the timesheets also every month, we give our clients a breakdown by project. So if we're working on four different projects  for a client  or even one project, but it has four different really 36:15 functional elements that are very clearly different. Like let's say a mobile app and a web app  and a  particular client implementation. Each one of those gets assigned its own project and we break down summaries of the time spent on each of those every month and who spent the time on those, along with the daily time sheets, along with the invoice.  And nobody else does that because it takes a lot of discipline and protocol and you have to have lot of systems in place 36:45 to do that without  literally getting everybody to quit, right? That works for you. And nobody minds doing it because it's easy because of all the systems we put in place to do that.  That's the whole point, right? Right. were  not particularly happy of getting asked that question oftentimes. So eight years ago, you set out to  provide the information on a daily basis, which is incredible.  We started that with blended rates like a lot of companies do. 37:14 And then I didn't like that because at the end of a project when most of it's QA, people would start to get frustrated that they're still getting billed the same blended rate, even though for the more expensive period at the beginning of the project,  I thought, okay, forget this. Well, just bill based on individual.  And then I didn't get those questions anymore, but then I would get questions about individuals on the month. And that's when I started doing the time sheets. 37:43 And like I said, I'm sure there's other companies that do it, but I haven't run into  one or somebody that works with one. So  that's an exceptional thing that we do. But it also allows us to do  really, really good reporting to the client on status on what we've spent our time on, what we're expecting to spend our time on  next week, what we just spent our time on this week, where we are. 38:12 in terms of our plan for the month, things like that.  So let's switch gears, David.  Yeah. Back to  actually the podcast and  some of my guests and listeners  are corporate board directors. So they're sitting on either advisory boards or fiduciary corporate boards.  And with all the hype around AI. 38:39 it's not uncommon for them to be asking, what are we doing, right? For existing companies, right? And  I'd like you to walk my listeners through while it's in the, you know,  in the imaginary realm, what is it? I think any founder today that's actually scaling, right? Has to have some AI element. At least I've even heard you need to have it. 39:08 an AI officer in the company. So what's your take on that? What would you respond to either to your board of advisors, your advisory board, or your board of directors?  So,  and of course, a lot of it depends on the type of company you are. Absolutely. Right. If  you're making  alternative material I-beams, for example,  for skyscraper construction, then 39:37 AI, other than maybe in the design process of these specialized materials,  AI may not be as big a critical factor, although for invoice reconciliation and  distribution and  scheduling and all that, AI could be a huge value to you if you don't have super efficient systems already.  For most everybody else though, if you have not embraced the need to 40:06 leverage AI and everything you're doing,  then you're way behind already.  That doesn't mean you have to be in a race to do this. just, because  I'm  of the belief that  you have to slow down to speed up. But you do need to make it a priority.  And in a lot of different ways. Number one is, 40:36 The most obvious is workflow automation. You should be probably tackling  workflow automation as just a part of your constant improvement program  to become more efficient, whether it's with AI or not.  But AI is particularly good at workflow automation  because it can tackle steps in that workflow that couldn't be tackled without AI.  So the  first thing 41:06 the companies should be doing if they're not doing it is documenting all of their processes,  all of their tribal knowledge into playbooks. So when you have somebody who's an expert in something in your company and they're the person who's the only one that knows how to do it and so we can't live without them, that's a bottleneck for scaling. Because if you bring somebody else in to expand their capacity, they're going to... 41:32 put a big dependency on that person with all the expertise, which is going to cause problems.  So  anybody in a position like that should be documenting all of their  procedures and protocols and especially all the nuances and all the edge cases into playbooks.  And there should be some centralized playbook repository for the company. And this becomes part of your intellectual property and part of your value if you ever 42:02 you're trying to raise money or you're trying to sell your company. So it increases your value. So you do that, then AI,  you start to look at automating those workflows because now they're documented. So now what can be automated in them from just a workflow automation perspective. And then how much can you implement AI in there? Because now AI can learn to make the same kinds of decisions that this person is making. 42:31 And this is like the low hanging fruit that I'm talking about right now. Right. Exactly. Right. Because the bigger stuff is if we implement AI in here, what workflows would we totally  throw away and start from scratch?  Because we can think of way more sophisticated ways of addressing this now that we have intelligence involved in all these steps.  But that's later. 42:57 worry about that once you get your arms around implementing AI,  automated workflows and then- So workflow automation. So playbooks, workflows and AI in your automated workflows. That's sort of the stepped wise process. Excellent. You heard it here  on the founder sandbox. Thank you, David.  And if you're not sure how to do all that, 43:25 ask AI, okay, here's my company. What should I be focusing on if I wanna implement playbooks, workflow automation and AI? And AI will help you figure this all out. Right. That's a jewel here. So what'd you do? Chat GBT, co-pilot, what's your complexity? Where would you go to? All right. Well, it just depends on the flavor of the day. Right now. 43:53 I was using chat GPT primarily for this stuff just because it was a first and I'm very comfortable with the apps. have them everywhere. And Claude's recently come out with a  new version and it's in some ways I'm just finding the output way more organized and smarter. And so I've been using Claude more in the last couple of weeks, but that'll change in another week or two.  Any one of them will do a pretty decent job. 44:21 I'm  not using perplexity because it's built on top of the other ones.  But perplexity is a great tool if you're newer with this because it makes some of the... It's a little bit more accessible for somebody who doesn't know how to use AI.  Gemini is also  really good, but that's  more of a technical... And there's so many things you can do. 44:49 with AI that you wouldn't even think about. And I'll give you an example, more as a brain opening exercise for everybody than anything else. Because this is something I did about seven weeks ago.  I,  chat GPT had just come out a week or two before with their vision capability in the mobile app. And for  those of you who don't know it,  with chat GPT, there's a talk 45:19 button. It's not  the microphone. It's the one that looks like a sound wave  in the mobile app. You tap that, and now you have a voice conversation with chat, which I use this constantly. Even when I'm working with,  I've got some contractors at my house whose English isn't very good, so I ask it to do real-time translation for me. And it does matter the language.  And I start talking, and it translates to their language. And they respond 45:49 in their language and it translates to English and it's doing it perfectly. And so I can have a very natural conversation with anybody just holding my phone up in front of them now.  Right?  But it has this vision capability  where when you go into that voice mode, you tap the camera next to it, and now it's looking out the front of your screen while you're talking to it. And so I'll give you a couple of examples where I've used it  six weeks ago and again, like 46:18 weeks later and I now used it many times like this.  I was in  Lowe's, which is a  store for home improvement.  And  for some project I was on, my wife calls me and says, I need fertilizer for a hibiscus. And I say, well, what do I get? She says, anything that says hibiscus on it, it'll be fine. I said, okay, fine. And if anybody that knows these big box stores, there's like hundreds of bags of fertilizer of different brands. 46:48 And I couldn't find one that said hibiscus. This is a typical thing with my wife. Oh, just look for this. And of course, there isn't that. So I asked Chess GPT, okay, I'm in  Lowe's  and I'm looking for a fertilizer for hibiscus.  What would you suggest? And it said, oh, there's a number of brands that are high acid.  And I said, we'll recommend a brand. Tonal is a really good brand. And I said, okay. So I'm looking and I can't find it. 47:18 So I walked 30 feet back and I'm talking, right? I'm having this, know, people are looking at me like, what the hell is he doing? And I walked 30 feet back because there's many, many shelves, you know, columns of shelves with fertilizer. I walked back and I turned on the vision and I say, okay, there's all the fertilizers. And I'm moving my phone across all these shelves. say, do you see tonal here? And it says, yes, look for the one in the red and white bag. 47:48 And  I see it on the shelf. So I walk straight forward. see a red and white bag. That's not tonal. said, this isn't it. And she, cause it's a woman's voice that I have, she says,  it's two shelves to the left, second from the top.  I walk over there and it's right where she said it was. Crazy. And you're not a beta user. So this is available today. This is available. It's been available for a couple of months. And then 48:18 My daughter-in-law asked me to get something from the pharmacy, from CVS, another  big box pharmacy store, right? And this is something I don't even know if I'm in the right aisle because it's something I've never bought. So I ask it, I say, I'm looking for this brand  and I'm not sure if I'm in the right aisle or not, but I'm going to walk down the aisle and tell me if you see it. As I'm walking down the aisle, holding it straight forward so it can see both sides.  And it says, well, 48:45 Yes, I'm familiar with the brand. You should look for it in a green and white box. then she goes like this. Oh, I see it. It's down there on the right on the bottom shelf. And I turn and I look and it's right by my right foot. 48:58 You heard it here. This is crazy. think it's a bit creepy.  How many times have you been looking for something on a shelf? You know, and you're like, oh, how long, how many hours is this going to take me to spot it?  Good internet connection and all that. So, oh my goodness. It's creepy and it's wonderful. So  same time.  the same time. Yeah. Yeah. For quality of life and even for,  um, yeah.  So 49:25 That's a mind opening thing is all the reason I bring that up. Excellent. Hey, let's go. Let's continue on in the founder sandbox. I'd like to ask each of my guests to  share with me.  I'm all about working with resilient, purpose driven and scalable companies in the growth phase. So what does resilience mean to you? You can either answer, you know, what's the first thing that comes out of your, you cannot use chat, GBT. I'm not fancy. No hands. 49:55 No hands, and I don't have the voice version going because you'd hear it. Podcast we could do it.  And we are real. We're not. Yeah, we are real. We're not. So I think that's, I don't think that's a difficult question to answer. Resilience means opportunity. So no matter what happens, even if it seems terrible, what  opportunity does that create? Excellent. If you ask that. 50:22 keep reframing everything from that perspective,  it creates resilience. Right. Thank you. What about purpose-driven?  Purpose-driven  means having  a clear  long-term path and goal  and  asking yourself if the things you're doing keep you on purpose to that. 50:56 Scalable. What's scalable mean for you? Scalable for me means  eliminating tribal knowledge or not eliminating it, but documenting tribal knowledge.  First of all, figuring out how you generate revenue and then how you expand your ability to generate revenue, which means growing your 51:25 growing your team, growing your capacity  and identifying the bottlenecks and focusing all your energy on the bottlenecks. And usually the bottlenecks have to do  with tribal knowledge or with  lack of workflow automation. Wow, you know, it's easier said than done though, that tribal knowledge, it is resistant, right? Oh yeah,  because it's  career,  what's the word I'm trying to think of? 51:55 It  keeps you in your job forever if you're the only one that knows how to do the thing. Absolutely. That's for another podcast, David. My  final question today is,  did you have fun in the Founder Sandbox? Oh, yes.  I had a lot of fun. Thanks. That's a great question too. Thank you, Brenda. Did you have fun? 52:20 Did you? I had had fun. And particularly in this last part, right? Cause we're talking about some heavy duty, you know, uses of, um, agentic AI, right. And scalable, you know, LTV, CAC and all that. And then we get to hear these real life, you know, kind of creepy, um, uh, uses of, um, on our phones today with, um, with AI, which is, which is quite amazing. But I also know that in your world of techies, 52:50 your team, which is distributed, have a lot of fun events too. So you probably- have one more thing on the whole scalable thing. You have to be compassionately ruthless or ruthlessly compassionate, however you want to say it. Okay. So that the people, every, and the ruthless is anything that's going to get in the way of you growing your company, which benefits everybody in the company. 53:19 it needs to be addressed in a ruthless way. But if you build a culture of ruthlessly compassionate, then all the people that work for you feel that same level of ruthlessness to protect the company and make it grow. And you practice what you preach, I suspect, at Techies. Yes. Yes. It took me a while, but if we accidentally hire the wrong person, either because 53:45 we made a mistake in the process or they faked us out and we recognize they're not smart enough. Literally, that's usually the problem. They're not smart enough to carry their weight. We fire them immediately. We don't try to bring them along because you can't improve somebody's IQ. You can improve any other aspect, but their IQ is their IQ.  And  that will be a bottleneck forever. 54:13 in our team and it'll require other people to carry that person. And it sends the wrong message to the team that I don't value them enough to make sure that we only surround them with people that are going to inspire them and help them grow. Excellent. And I suspect they are not fungible by AI, your employees, not techies. I mean, we've gotten better and better. 54:40 at not making those mistakes over the years. So that doesn't typically happen. takes us, we're much more careful about how we hire.  AI gives us the ability to recruit faster, more broadly,  along with workflow automation. But  what I mean by real, this is the compassionate. Once my team understood this, now they embody that and  they will get rid of somebody if they made a mistake. I don't have to force the issue ever anymore because 55:10 they recognize how much, important it is to protect their teams. So to my listeners, if you liked this episode today with the CEO and founder of Techies, sign up for the monthly release of founders, business owners, corporate directors, and professional service providers who provide their examples of how they're building companies or consulting with companies  to make them more resilient, scalable, and purpose-driven. 55:40 to make profits for good.  Signing off for today. See you next month in the Founder Sandbox. Thank you.  

Rhiannon Payne and Justin Bowen are one of the very few couples working together in the Ruby and Rails ecosystem. Justin is a long-time Rails developer, consultant, and AI and computer vision specialist. Rhiannon runs Sea Foam Media and is the Marketing Director for Ruby Central. Together they are building Active Agents, an AI framework for Rails. We chat about their professional backgrounds (Justin's in software development, Rhiannon's in marketing), how they collaborate as a couple, the birth of Active Agents, and AI in the Ruby/Rails landscape. Oh, and we may have a cameo from a few cats! RhiannonTwitterBlueskyThe Remote Work Era BookJustinTwitterBlueskyActive AgentsWebsiteactiveagent gem on GitHub (latest release: v0.4.0)Documentation (new)Discord Invite Sea Foam MediaWebsiteTwitter

Sameer Narkar is the founder and CEO of Konnect Insights, a global SaaS company based in Mumbai that provides an omnichannel customer experience platform to consumer brands in 100 countries. Sameer created Konnect Insights in 2015 to help customer service teams respond to customers who mention their brands on social media. The product and company have expanded from a slow start working through marketing agencies in India to now distributing through ISV partners in all major global regions. The Konnect Insights product includes social listening, ticketing, reputation monitoring, and social media analytics. They have grown to 140 employees, hundreds of customers, and $7 million ARR--without any outside funding. In this episode, Sameer talks about: Selling through agency and ISV partners to grow efficiently Competing with large, well-funded software companies How he thinks about how AI can help them compete Why he hasn't sold the company or raised outside funding Quote from Sameer Narkar, founder and CEO of Konnect Insights “When you start a software company, you have all odds against you. You don't have enough money. There's no reason why customers would trust you against the established products. There is a 99% chance that you'll fail. “But if you're really passionate about what you're building, then don't look too far ahead. Try to achieve your smaller goals or get from zero to one. So just build something and get some early customers. We figured out a way for agencies to be interested in selling our solution to bring it to market. “Then meet directly with your end customers. It's very easy for tech founders to sit in the office and build a product the way they think. That doesn't work. Many founders think that if they take a half-baked product, they won't get another chance. But that's not the case. You need to build relationships to help you improve and grow..” Links Sameer Narkar on LinkedIn Konnect Insights on LinkedIn Konnect Insights website The Practical Founders Podcast Tune into the Practical Founders Podcast for weekly in-depth interviews with founders who have built valuable software companies without big funding. Subscribe to the Practical Founders Podcast using your favorite podcast app or view on our YouTube channel. Get the weekly Practical Founders newsletter and podcast updates at practicalfounders.com.

I am joined this week by the incredible Ari Krzyzek from Chykalophia Design and Development Studio. Ari is not only a design queen and best-selling author but also a passionate advocate for building women-led businesses. Her journey from a modest upbringing in Bali, Indonesia to becoming a successful entrepreneur in the United States is truly remarkable. Today, we dive deep into Ari's inspiring story of breaking cultural expectations, following her heart across the world, and building a thriving creative design and development studio from scratch. You'll hear about her early life in Bali, learning English from her tour guide father, rejecting a full scholarship to pursue her dreams, and the bold decision to move to the US for love and opportunity.  Ari shares the real challenges of starting a business with just $250, working at Sears while building her company part-time, and navigating the complexities of being married to your business partner. Her story is a testament to the power of resourcefulness, determination, and staying true to your vision even when the path seems impossible. Key Topics: How to start a successful business with only $250 and two laptops Moving to America as an immigrant entrepreneur with no credit history Rejecting a full scholarship to follow your entrepreneurial dreams Working at a corporate job while building your business on the side Running a business with your spouse and navigating money conversations at home Bootstrap business growth strategies and accessing grants for small businesses Transforming your relationship with money from scarcity to abundance mindset Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program and how it changed everything Connect with Ari online: Website: https://www.chykalophia.com/ https://arikrzyzek.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arichykalophia/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ari.krzyzek   Find more from Syama Bunten: Instagram: @syama.co, @gettingrichpod Website: https://syamabunten.com/ Download Syama's Guide to Getting Rich: www.syamabunten.com Big Delta Capital: www.bigdeltacapital.com

Jimmy calls in to Longmont, Colorado to chat with Leslie and Steve Kaczeus of Boot Strap Brewing. The husband-and-wife duo discuss how they got started as brewers, the importance of community, international distribution, and what it takes to keep a brewery alive for so long. Bootstrap was founded by Leslie and Steve Kaczeus in 2012, who left the high-tech industry to follow their dream of creating an adventurous craft brewery dedicated to producing a wide range of high-quality ales and lagers.

In this episode we talk to Zeke Gabrielse, solo founder and owner of Keygen, a licensing and distribution API. We get deep in the weeds of running a solo business (much can be applied to any solo-type career working on the same project), how he handled the worst day(s) of his professional life, and much more! Zeke's LinksZeke on XKeygen on X Keygen website: https://keygen.sh/Jeremy's Notable Blog PostsHow to Build a Webhook System in Rails Using SidekiqThat one time Keygen went down for 5 hours (twice)Keygen is now Fair SourceNo callsIn defense of linearSelf-promotionSteering the ship

We've been having great fun in Programming By Stealth learning how to use Jekyll to create a website using GitHub Pages. This week Bart goes through the challenge he left us with last time — to add a nav bar to our little static website using Bootstrap 5 along with Jekyll and Liquid templates. Bart had a lot of fun with his solution so it was fun to hear him dust off the cobwebs on Bootstrap. Then we turn to learning about Jekyll's `includes` feature, which is reusable snippets similar to how TextExpander snippets let you write something and change it in only one place. The worked examples simplify the code in a way, and we learn how to use `includes` to create advanced image markup. I also enjoyed learning about Liquid comments and how you can create white space between sections of your code for ease of writing and debugging that then never show up in the resultant HTML.

In this episode of The Entrepreneurial You, host Heneka Watkis-Porter is joined by serial entrepreneur, award-winning filmmaker, published author, and tech startup expert Jason Sherman. As the founder and CEO of Bingo AI and Vengo AI, Jason shares how creativity, storytelling, and perseverance are vital for startup success—especially when launching a tech venture without venture capital. Storytelling in Filmmaking and Startups Jason draws parallels between filmmaking and entrepreneurship, pointing out that both require you to build a narrative that resonates with a specific audience. Whether it's a movie or a product, the story behind it matters. He explains that his journey began as a young programmer selling products in school, which laid the groundwork for his ventures today. According to Jason, storytelling helps attract investors and customers alike—especially when it's backed by relatable experiences and data-driven results. Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Bootstrapping Jason and Heneka delve into common mistakes new entrepreneurs make when bootstrapping. A major one, Jason notes, is building too much too soon without proper validation. He urges founders to test concepts first and let market feedback lead the way. While intuition has its place, he believes data should always have the final say. Jason reminds listeners that real success stems from understanding what people truly need—not what we think they need. What You'll Learn in This Episode: • Why storytelling is crucial for both filmmaking and entrepreneurship • The most common mistakes first-time startup founders make • How to validate a product idea before launching • Why chasing tech trends can hurt your startup • The role of AI in boosting innovation and human evolution • Key strategies for building a startup without venture capital • The importance of ethical considerations in AI product development COMMUNITY CONNECTION: Now it's time for our Community Connection segment! Listeners are invited to share their thoughts on today's episode or send in any questions they have for Jason or Heneka. Reviews, feedback, and questions can be shared via email at heneka@henekawatkisporter.com or by WhatsApp at 876-849-2571. Also, don't forget about the upcoming LeadHerShip Cruise, where leaders can network and grow aboard Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas! This four-day event combines empowerment with transformative learning against the stunning backdrop of the Bahamas. Contact heneka@henekawatkisporter.com or WhatsApp 876-849-2571 for more details. CONTACT JASON SHERMAN: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonsherman76/ Website: http://jasonsherman.org/ TRENDING NOW: The global AI market is projected to reach $401 billion by 2028, yet 90% of startups fail within their first two years due to poor planning and lack of resources. Founders who bootstrap successfully retain 3x more equity than those who rely on venture capital funding. Jason's insights into ethical AI innovation and lean startup strategies couldn't be more timely. If you enjoyed this episode of The Entrepreneurial You, subscribe on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, leave a rating, and share it with your friends. Visit henekawatkisporter.com to download a free eBook on how to conduct podcast interviews like a pro! AFFIRM WITH ME: I am an innovative entrepreneur who turns challenges into opportunities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your traffic isn't the problem. Your ads aren't broken. Your positioning is off. And that's why you're stuck.In this solo episode, Jim Huffman shares a live coaching session that breaks down how to actually fix brand positioning — using case studies from Neat Apparel, GrowthHit, and breakout brands like Rocket Money, Warby Parker, and Figma. You'll learn how better positioning unlocks conversion rate gains, improves messaging, and becomes the foundation for scalable growth.This is the episode for Shopify founders ready to get serious about messaging, differentiation, and the real reasons customers buy.Key Topics Covered:Why your brand pitch likely isn't working (and how to fix it)Two frameworks to improve your positioning todaySpeaking to 3 customer types: informed, afflicted, and obliviousCase studies: Spanx, Truvani, Adam Shoes, Rocket Money & moreReal examples from GrowthHit and Neat Apparel's positioning playbookLearn live from Shopify experts. Join our biweekly AI-powered growth sessions - free for founders and marketers - https://shopifygrowthschool.com/ Resources:Shopify Growth SchoolGrowth Marketing OS (Operating System) GrowthHitJim Huffman websiteJim's LinkedinJim's Twitter Additional episodes you might enjoy:Startup Ideas by Paul Graham (#45)Nathan Barry: How to Bootstrap a Company to $30M in a Crowded Market (#41)How I Met My Biz Partner and Less Learned Hitting $2M ARR (#44)Ryan Hamilton on his Netflix special, touring with Jerry Seinfeld, & how to write a joke (#10)How We're Validating Startup Ideas (#51) 

What if the polished ads you spent thousands on were actually hurting your brand?In this episode, we explore how real, imperfect content is outperforming big-budget campaigns — and why most Shopify founders are still getting it wrong.Jim Huffman sits down with William Gasner, co-founder of Stack Influence, to unpack the real power behind UGC (user-generated content) and why it's become a secret weapon for smart eCommerce brands. From influencer seeding to ad fatigue, they get brutally honest about what actually drives conversions in 2025 — and how founders can stop wasting money and start scaling with authenticity.Key Topics CoveredWhy UGC outperforms professional ads in today's marketThe overlooked value of product seeding (and how to do it right)How to build a content machine that fuels both ads and organic growthWhy creative freedom often leads to better results than tight scriptsThe truth about influencers, follower counts, and what really matters Resources:Jim Huffman websiteJim's TwitterGrowthHitThe Growth Marketer's Playbook Additional episodes you might enjoy:Startup Ideas by Paul Graham (#45)Nathan Barry: How to Bootstrap a Company to $30M in a Crowded Market (#41)How I Met My Biz Partner and Less Learned Hitting $2M ARR (#44)Ryan Hamilton on his Netflix special, touring with Jerry Seinfeld, & how to write a joke (#10)How We're Validating Startup Ideas (#51) 

Stew Campbell, Partner at The Chernin Group In Part 2, Stew Campbell returns to share tactical guidance for founders evaluating outside capital. We dive deep into how to run a founder-led investor process, what to watch for in term sheets, and how to build long-term wealth while scaling a founder-led business. Stew breaks down growth equity vs. private equity, investor diligence, and how to choose a partner who accelerates—not limits—your next chapter. This episode is a must-listen for any operator planning a recap, acquisition, or capital raise in the next 1–3 years. Things You'll Learn: How to run a founder-led competitive investor process What to ask when evaluating potential investors and term sheets How to align capital strategy with long-term wealth goals Ways great investors create real value beyond the check ______________________ This episode is sponsored by DealRoom! Turn your chaos into control. Tired of chasing updates across spreadsheets and email threads? Discover how DealRoom helps corporate development teams bring order to M&A.

On this episode of the Ruff Talk VR podcast we are back in our regular studio ready for another week of VR news! We kick off the episode talking more Ghost Town and Surviving Mars: Pioneer, and then we get into the news including The Smurfs Flower Defense getting an official release date. As well, we saw Bootstrap Island drop an official roadmap leading to their full launch. Tunnels with their full launch on Meta Quest. A release date and more info for Merlin's Chess. Song drops from both Beat Saber and Synth Riders. Meta Ray Bans improvements. And much more!Big thank you to all of our Patreon supporters! Become a supporter of the show today at  https://www.patreon.com/rufftalkvrDiscord: https://discord.gg/9JTdCccucSPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/rufftalkvrTabor Radio: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2216985If you enjoy the podcast be sure to rate us 5 stars and subscribe! Join our official subreddit at https://www.reddit.com/r/RuffTalkVR/ Send us a text to the Ruff Talk VR fan mail line!Support the show

Liz Long, co-founder of Nearshore.ai, shares her extensive knowledge on transforming innovative ideas into actual products. Liz discusses the critical steps in product design, manufacturing, and supply chain management, offering invaluable tips for startups and established businesses alike. With a background in launching successful brands and an accelerator, Liz provides a wealth of practical advice, from navigating production phases to leveraging global supply chains. She also explores current trends, the importance of specialized products, and effective inventory management strategies. Whether you are a budding entrepreneur or a seasoned professional, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you thrive in the e-commerce and manufacturing spaces. TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY'S EPISODEStarting a Brand: The Initial StepsDesigning Your Product: Key ConsiderationsFinding the Right Factory and Supply ChainBudgeting and Cost ManagementNavigating Production and Quality ControlChoosing Manufacturing LocationsManaging Inventory and Cash FlowFinal Mile: Shipping and FulfillmentExploring Current Trends in Fashion and Product SpecializationThe Rise of the Drop Model and Its ChallengesLiz's Journey: From Reusable Shopping Bags to Product AcceleratorThe Transition to Nearshore and Its ImpactBalancing Work and Family: Liz's Personal InsightsConclusion and Final ThoughtsResources:Jim Huffman websiteJim's TwitterGrowthHitThe Growth Marketer's Playbook  Additional episodes you might enjoy:Startup Ideas by Paul Graham (#45)Nathan Barry: How to Bootstrap a Company to $30M in a Crowded Market (#41)How I Met My Biz Partner and Less Learned Hitting $2M ARR (#44)Ryan Hamilton on his Netflix special, touring with Jerry Seinfeld, & how to write a joke (#10)How We're Validating Startup Ideas (#51)