Podcasts about customer discovery

In this episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan are joined by Steve Fitz, a seasoned Chief Revenue Officer, to discuss the intricacies of selling enterprise software. Steve shares his insights on the importance of customer discovery, executive alignment, and relationship building. He also emphasizes the value of a long-term perspective and the 'grind' mindset in sales. The conversation dives deep into strategies for navigating complex sales cycles, handling procurement, and giving effective feedback to sales reps. This episode offers a wealth of knowledge for both new and experienced B2B sales professionals.ADDITIONAL RESOURCESLearn more about Steve Fitz and his company through the links below.https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-fitz-1487a4/Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox: https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0Check out John McMahon's book, The Qualified Sales Leader: https://www.amazon.com/Qualified-Sales-Leader-Proven-Lessons/dp/0578895064/HERE ARE SOME KEY SECTIONS TO CHECK OUT[00:01:49] Challenges in Selling Enterprise Software[00:02:48] The Importance of Discovery in Sales[00:04:00] Executive Alignment and Its Impact[00:05:06] Measuring Sales Success: Activities vs. Accomplishments[00:06:00] Building Trust and Credibility with Customers[00:06:54] The Art of Effective Listening in Sales[00:09:08] Qualifying Opportunities and the Courage to Say No[00:10:18] Navigating Customer Relationships and Building Partnerships[00:12:42] The Role of Patience and Timing in Sales[00:15:47] Overcoming Seller Deficit Disorder[00:19:03] The Power of Discovery and Active Listening[00:28:37] Transforming Customer Relationships into Partnerships[00:35:40] Understanding Customer Buy-In[00:36:10] Balancing Big Deals and Forecasts[00:36:58] Executive Alignment and Team Collaboration[00:38:50] The Importance of Long-Term Thinking[00:44:24] Instilling the Right Mindset in Sales Reps[00:45:41] The Value of Embracing the Grind[00:51:47] Feedback and Continuous Improvement[01:03:04] Navigating Procurement ChallengesHIGHLIGHT QUOTES[00:02:15] "You have to do your homework, you've got to know the customer better than they do."[00:02:51] "Discovery in the art of discovery has been lost in the last couple of years."[00:04:46] "If you do great discovery, the customer realizes, hey, you're a different type of salesperson."[00:11:35] "You've got to slow down to go fast."[00:21:18] "Ask the customer how they do what they currently do today and where they see challenges."[00:34:03] "The best relationship is you guys take each other to a place that you couldn't get to on your own."[00:45:26] "The grind is life. The grind is the job. The grind is everything."

In this episode, Jeremy Whittington shares his journey of building a startup without relying on traditional venture capital. Instead, he leveraged alternative funding paths, including government grants and accelerators. We dive deep into the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, the I-Corps program, and how startups can secure non-dilutive funding to kickstart their business. If you're an entrepreneur looking for funding beyond VC, this episode is for you!Key Takeaways:

Substack Week: Why Product Management is Broken and How to Fix It With Anton Zaides In this SPECIAL Substack Week episode, we dive deep into the current state of product management with Anton Zaides, a seasoned software engineer and leader. Anton shares his perspectives on why product management is fundamentally broken and offers practical solutions for organizations looking to improve their product development processes. The Journey to Engineering Leadership "I started to search for content from other engineering managers and focused on practical insights." Anton's journey spans 15 years in software engineering, from game development to DevOps and scaling startups. His transition to leadership revealed a gap in practical leadership content, which inspired him to start sharing his own experiences. Drawing from his four years as an engineering leader in a startup, Anton noticed patterns in product management that needed addressing, leading to his viral article on the topic. The Broken State of Product Management "My team was working on a feature, that got canceled the day after it was released." Product management faces several critical challenges in today's technology landscape. Anton identifies key issues including the development of unused features, increasing software complexity, and misaligned incentives that discourage innovation. Through his conversations with industry professionals, he discovered these problems were widespread, with teams frequently building features that get canceled or go unused. Despite following Agile methodologies, many organizations fail to properly evaluate feature impact, leading to wasted resources and frustrated teams. Product Managers vs. Program Managers "The PM spent only 5% of his time on talking to customers." One of the core issues Anton identifies is the transformation of product managers into glorified program managers. In many organizations, product managers spend most of their time managing JIRA tickets and dependencies rather than engaging with customers and driving innovation. The pressure to deliver on predetermined roadmaps, often dictated by executive teams, leaves little room for challenging assumptions or testing ideas with minimal scope. This shift away from customer interaction and strategic thinking has reduced the product manager's role to primarily managing internal processes. Fostering Better Product Management "PM's should be like a founder for the product business." To improve product management, Anton advocates for several key changes: Offloading program management responsibilities to the team Trusting product managers to make strategic decisions Requiring specific industry knowledge and experience Encouraging face-to-face customer interactions Moving product managers closer to commercial roles Involving engineers in customer conversations Organizational Structure and Communication "The more links you have in the communication chain, the worse the information gets communicated." Anton proposes a shift towards a more functional organizational structure where Product and Engineering work together more closely. He emphasizes the importance of direct communication between technical teams and customers, warning against over-reliance on data alone. The solution involves bringing everyone closer to the business side and creating stronger networks between organizations and engineers. Practical Implementation Tips "Get engineers to visit customers." Key recommendations for improving product management include: Involving engineers in customer and sales conversations Giving engineers visibility through release messaging and communications Establishing strong collaboration between engineering leaders and product managers Ensuring product managers have deep domain expertise Creating opportunities for direct customer interaction Treating product managers as business owners rather than project managers Recommended Resources for Further Study Anton's Article that we review in this interview: “Product Management is broken, a change is coming”  John Cutle's article on Product Manager's Responsibilities  Anton's Article on how to work effectively with your Product Managers A book recommendation: Empowered by Marty Cagan An episode of Lenny's podcast with Brian Chesky [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Eric Ly is the CEO of KarmaCheck, where he's tackling a problem he first noticed years ago as a co-founder of LinkedIn: People don't always tell the truth about themselves. To address this, KarmaCheck — launched in 2019 — automates key aspects of the background check process. By reducing complexity, employers can speed up hiring, while job applicants experience less friction along the way. “This is one of the first touch points with the employer: experiencing pain and frustration having to go through this process,” said Eric. “For us to show up with something new and different and better was frankly a breath of fresh air for the employers, the customers that we work with.” In this episode, we discuss: Jumping into a highly regulated industry with no prior domain expertise Why customer discovery should focus on patterns, not one-off insights The benefits of selling new features before they exist How to balance customer requests without losing focus We also talk about stepping out of LinkedIn's shadow, resisting the temptation to build for a single customer, and knowing when to say “no” to feature requests. RUNTIME 40:20 EPISODE BREAKDOWN (1:37) “Several years ago, I became really interested in this whole concept around trust and trust online.” — How Eric first recognized the problem that led to KarmaCheck. (3:22) Entering a highly regulated industry without prior experience — where Eric found the confidence to take the leap. (5:30) A look back at KarmaCheck's first hires — who they brought in early and why. (6:47) How KarmaCheck convinced early customers to take a chance on an unproven solution. (10:36) “Where employers don't even meet the people that they interview in person, there's an opportunity for the wrong things to happen.”  (12:21) “We identified a pain point in corporate America that people often experience frustration with.”  (14:34) How Eric used early customer feedback to shape KarmaCheck's product strategy. (16:11) The role of proof-of-concept programs in building customer trust. (21:16) “Make sure that whatever you commit to in your product is going to be applicable for more than one customer.”  (24:47) When customer feedback leads you down the wrong path — how to recognize it and recover. (27:46) Why it's important to keep track of rejected product ideas.  (29:49) The lessons from LinkedIn that Eric chose not to apply at KarmaCheck. (32:54) Advice for founders who want to step out of a shadow and build something completely new. (35:54) How to find a mentor when you don't have a built-in network — Eric's tips for making meaningful connections. (38:24) The one question Eric would ask a CEO if he were interviewing for a job at an early-stage startup. LINKS KarmaCheck Eric Ly KarmaCheck Raises $45 Million Series B to Modernize Background Checks and Credentialing (Press release. 6/27/2024) SUBSCRIBE LinkedIn Substack Instagram Thanks for listening! – Walter.

Today is episode two of testing an idea (AI for Parenting) live on the pod. We use a second round of interviews to go deep on the actual problem we're solving for parents, pull inspiration from an AI tool in the dementia care space, and end up with a Wedge product that'll use voice notes to reduce the pain of handoffs. We also hit on one of my favorite tactics - The Pain Text. Hot Frosty is in there, too, because why not.  Tacklebox Customer Interview WorkshopYou And Your Research - Richard Hamming How to Find Your Wedge00:30 Intro01:20 Part 1 Recap06:00 Picking the Problem07:44 Interviews Round Two10:54 The Text Prompt Tactic14:51 What are the Stakes?15:52 Customer Interview Workshops16:20 The Wedge21:01 Problems and Pain22:20 The Stakes, Part Two23:30 What's Next

There are a few things harder when building startups than getting your first few customers. When you're on a standstill, getting momentum is incredibly hard. Going from zero to one takes an incredible amount of effort—you have absolutely no credibility, no proof points. So to help you out I went through 24 ways of getting your first customers using 24 different examples from this show. Why you should listen:Figure out how to land your first few customers. You are guaranteed to find at least one example that works for you.Keywordscustomer acquisition, startup strategies, community building, persistence, experimentation, free servicesTimestamps(00:00:00) Intro(00:01:35) Stay22 - Pay your Customers(00:02:25) Reddit - Creating your Community(00:02:58) Rappi - Seeding Supply(00:04:04) Wattpad - Seeding Demand(00:05:05) Cameo - Finding Someone With an Audience(00:05:43) Noibu - Showcasing the Value of the Platform(00:06:41) Bridgit - Showing up in Person(00:07:24) Rewind - Attaching to an Ecosystem(00:08:36) Clio - Adding Friction to the Funnel(00:09:06) Wealthsimple - Lunch & Learn(00:09:29) Athennian - Classic Customer Discovery(00:10:00) Carbon Robotics - Presales from Customer Discovery(00:10:34) StackAdapt - Creating Custom Software(00:11:21) ApplyBoard - Identifying Power Users(00:12:27) Forma AI - Sheer Force of Will(00:15:01) Blockthrough - Starting with an Obvious Problem(00:16:25) GoBolt - Finding Problems Close to You(00:17:08) Shopify - Building a Waitlist & Showcasing the Product(00:17:43) Fullscript - Cold Emailing(00:18:30) Spellbook - Running Experiments Exceptionally Quickly(00:19:27) Legion - Finding a Design Partner(00:20:18) Knak - Consulting(00:20:54) Dabble - Building Distrobution(00:21:55) Zeffy - Making the Product FreeSend me a message to let me know what you think!

In this episode of The CTO Podcast, Dr. Aadeel Akhtar CEO and founder of PSYONIC, discusses the evolution of bionic hands and the advancements in robotics and AI that have made them possible. He shares his personal journey and motivation for creating prosthetics that can change lives, as well as the entrepreneurial challenges faced in bringing this technology to market. The conversation explores the design considerations of bionic hands, the integration of AI, and the future of prosthetics. In this conversation, Aadeel discusses the journey of developing innovative bionic hands through customer discovery, design constraints, and a unique funding approach. He emphasizes the importance of durability and functionality in prosthetics, the role of human users in robotics, and the challenges of navigating crowdfunding and institutional investment. The conversation also touches on the competitive landscape in prosthetic technology and the growth dynamics of his company.Time Stamps00:00 Introduction PSYONIC and bionic hands02:53 The Evolution of Robotics and Human-like Design05:46 The Journey of Creating the Ability Hand09:07 Advancements in Robotics and AI Integration12:00 Personal Story and Motivation Behind PSYONIC15:08 The Future of Bionic Limbs and Technology17:51 Entrepreneurial Challenges in Bionic Technology31:26 Customer Discovery and Design Constraints34:46 Innovative Approaches to Bionic Hands37:52 The Role of Human Users in Robotics40:40 Funding Journey and Shark Tank Experience52:06 Navigating Crowdfunding and Institutional Investment56:15 Competitive Landscape in Prosthetic Technology59:00 Company Structure and Growth DynamicsWe have 200+ CTOs in peer groups: Quick Testimonials VideoContact Etienne: Website / YouTube / LinkedIn / X / Instagram / The CTO Podcast WebsiteContact Dr. Aadeel Akhtar: Website /LinkedIn Get full access to The CTO Podcast at www.ctopod.com/subscribe

Today we talk through the three types of problems that deserve a solution. We start off with a few higher level thoughts about problems and startups - specifically around achievement incentives and how some bad early decisions usually can't be salvaged by good decisions later on. Then we talk through Hole Problems, Teleporter Problems, and Status Level Jump Problems. Tacklebox Customer Interview WorkshopGetting God at the Wrong Thing 00:40 The Types of Problems Customers Will Solve01:00 Manhattan in 200705:48 Achievement Incentives06:30 Be Careful What You're Getting Good At07:37 Nat Eliason - Getting Too Good at the Wrong Thing08:21 Bad Early Decisions James Clear09:53 Tacklebox10:54 Problem Archetype 1: Hole Problems14:23 Baby Quip17:04 Problem Archetype 2: Teleporter Problems19:19 Problem Archetype 3: Status Level Jump

This episode is packed with insights from Nick McEvily, who takes us on a journey from his studies in human-centered design to founding and leading multiple startups.

What if better data visibility could prevent common construction project failures? Join us in a fascinating conversation with Michael Pink, CEO of SmartPM, as he reveals how his innovative technology is revolutionizing the construction industry. Michael shares his journey from a consultant to a transformative tech leader, highlighting how SmartPM leverages existing project data to provide real-time performance metrics. From executives to site workers, discover how teams can manage projects more effectively, ensuring they stay on time, on budget, and out of legal trouble. Listen as Michael recounts his experiences in the field, the patterns of project failures he observed, and the invaluable lessons learned during the customer discovery process.   Transitioning from consulting to entrepreneurship is no easy feat; it requires significant mental and lifestyle adjustments. Michael opens up about the challenges he faced moving from a stable career to the high-stakes world of business ownership, emphasizing the heightened work ethic and focus necessary for success. Balancing a new business while starting a family, Michael's story illustrates the pressures of ensuring financial stability and the unwavering commitment it demands. This episode offers valuable insights for consultants contemplating a similar leap, suggesting how leveraging existing skills can provide a sustainable foundation while pursuing larger ambitions. Tune in to understand the values, beliefs, and intentions behind leaving a lasting legacy in business. Timestamps 00:00:00 - Introduction and Welcome to Business Legacy Podcast 00:00:35 - Introduction of Michael Pink, CEO of SmartPM 00:01:15 - Michael Pink's Background and the Origin of SmartPM 00:03:00 - Leveraging Existing Project Data for Real-Time Performance Metrics 00:05:45 - Transitioning from Construction Consultant to Innovator 00:07:30 - Identifying Patterns in Project Failures 00:09:00 - Importance of Data Visibility in Project Management 00:11:00 - Challenges During the Customer Discovery Process 00:14:44 - Mental and Lifestyle Adjustments from Consulting to Entrepreneurship 00:16:30 - Balancing Business Growth with Family Responsibilities 00:18:15 - Leveraging Existing Skills for Sustainable Business Foundation 00:20:00 - Empowering Teams with SmartPM Technology 00:22:30 - Real-Time Performance Metrics for Different Team Levels 00:24:00 - The Impact of COVID-19 on the Construction Industry 00:26:30 - Shifting Focus from Owners to Contractors 00:28:00 - Improving Scheduling and Project Controls in Construction 00:30:00 - Overcoming Over-Optimism Bias in Construction Projects 00:32:00 - Michael's Journey from Consulting to Building SmartPM 00:34:00 - Balancing Entrepreneurship with Family Life 00:36:00 - Building a Business Legacy in the Construction Industry 00:38:00 - Final Thoughts and Reflections on the Journey 00:39:30 - Where to Find More Information About SmartPM 00:40:00 - Closing Remarks and End of the Episode Visit the website https://smartpm.com/ to find out more about SmartPM's work. Legacy Podcast: For more information about the Legacy Podcast and its co-hosts, visit businesslegacypodcast.com. For more information: Visit businesslegacypodcast.com to access the shownotes and additional resources on the episode.  

Nell'episodio di oggi, avremo il piacere di fare una chiacchierata con Francesco Scalambrino, fondatore di Jet HR.Discuteremo del suo percorso, dal ruolo di Product Director alla fondazione della sua startup, ripercorrendo le origini e l'evoluzione di JetHR.Francesco ci spiegherà come e perché JetHR opera senza Product Manager, affidandosi esclusivamente a Product Designer.Entreremo nel dettaglio del funzionamento e dei principi che guidano l'azienda, con un focus particolare sulla velocità come valore fondamentale, sulla gestione di dipendenti e collaboratori, sull'importanza della cultura aziendale e sulle pratiche che la sostengono. Analizzeremo il processo di User Research, Customer Discovery, il coinvolgimento dei clienti, le metriche utilizzate per valutare il successo dell'azienda e le sfide legate alle operazioni e al supporto clienti.E come di consueto, chiederemo a Francesco di condividere un consiglio prezioso per chi desidera avviare la propria impresa.Ti ricordo che la Product Heroes Conference 2024 è alle porte e i biglietti stanno per esaurirsi. Se non l'hai ancora fatto, puoi acquistare il tuo qui

Today is Part 2 of starting a startup live on the pod. We focus on finding and engaging potential customers through Brute Force Customer Acquisition and dig in on value creation using the Delta 4 framework. The entrepreneur we're helping experiences an epiphany about what his doctor customers truly need, challenging his initial assumptions and forcing him to pivot his approach. TackleboxBylddIdea to Startup NewsletterDelta Four 00:30 Intro - Last Week's Episode04:18 Brute Force Customer Acquisition + The Five Startup Steps09:37 The best brute force acquisition I've seen10:49 Doctor Customer Acquisition12:44 Hunting Delta 416:00 The Hunch

Guest: Ben Soltoff, Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) and the Ecosystem-Builder in Residence at the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship [@EshipMIT]On LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-soltoff/On Twitter | https://twitter.com/bensoltoffHosts: Alejandro Juárez CrawfordOn ITSPmagazine  

00:00 Introduction and Background02:12 Early Exposure to Entrepreneurship and Sports03:14 The Importance of Customer Discovery and Market Research08:04 Working at the Boston Globe and Building a Strong Organizational Culture11:21 Starting FitFly Global and Learning in the Startup World14:18 Teaching and Building at General Assembly16:10 Leading with the Head and the Heart in Entrepreneurship25:17 The Qualities of Successful Founders36:01 Balancing Stability and Agility in Organizations40:35 Building Cultures that Support Health and Well-being44:31 Improving Failure Rates in Startups46:26 Think Like a Brand, Act Like a Startup

Listen in on one of my private group coaching calls!Proven strategies to get customers from your content: https://fortheinterested.com/subscribe/?utm_source=YTPromoIn this recording from a recent Jam Session group coaching call, I give my Skill Session members advice on how to turn a customer discovery call into an actual paid client, whether it's worth creating an audio version of your newsletter, and how to write effective website copy if you're a consultant.

Welcome to another episode of The Compassionate Capitalist Show #podcast, where we dive deep into the best practices for creating wealth as a business owner, and using that to discern investing in the companies with the best odds of achieving success to exit.   Today, Host Karen Rands digs into the mechanics of marketing funnels and strategic forecasting with her guest, Taylor Frame from Focus Funnels. Karen and Taylor explore the essential journey a customer undertakes from discovery to purchase and beyond. They also touch upon the importance of adapting strategies to meet the differing needs of digital and brick-and-mortar businesses. Karen and Taylor expand the conversation to talk about the Capital Funnel and how the customer engagement and conversion process in your typical sales funnel is similar to the capital funnel for attracting and converting investors -- It is Karen's Kugarand Theory of Private Capital.  Key TakeAways:  1. **Understanding Sales Funnels:**defines what a marketing funnel is and the significance of different stages: discovery, education, and conversion.  2. **The Importance of Strategic Targeting:** covers how businesses can effectively use digital targeting to curate audiences and engage them at various stages of the marketing funnel. 3. **Digital Crumbs and Customer Behavior:**how digital interactions like purchases and searches can lead to targeted advertising, touching on privacy concerns and the effectiveness of these methods. 4. **Raising Capital with Emotional Intelligence:** insights on raising capital, emphasizing understanding the emotional and financial motivations of potential investors as well as the process and preparation needed when engaging in financial conversations. Taylor Frame began his career in digital marketing working with e-commerce giants Crew and Rei, leveraging Adobe tools to boost online sales. Recognizing the untapped potential in providing similar technologies to smaller e-commerce brands who couldn't afford such advanced tools, Taylor transitioned to Yext. Here, they expanded their skill set into local marketing while continuing to focus on e-commerce strategies like pay-per-click ads and marketing funnels. Inspired by these experiences, Taylor founded Focus Funnels, a company dedicated to delivering effective digital marketing and funnel strategies tailored for emerging e-commerce entities. With a solid background in navigating both large-scale and boutique e-commerce landscapes, Taylor Frame stands out as a dynamic force in digital marketing, committed to empowering businesses with the tools they need to succeed online. Learn more about Taylor Frame and his work at Focus Funnels by visiting http://focusfunnels.com. This episode is packed with insights on nurturing customer leads, optimizing marketing strategies, and the crucial role of understanding customer motivations.  This is also a critical aspect of building the capital funnel - understanding investor motivations.   Whether you're looking to refine your digital marketing tactics or seeking guidance on capital raising, this episode provides invaluable advice backed by Taylor's extensive experience and deep understanding of e-commerce growth strategies. Listen as Karen and Taylor unravel the intricacies of targeting the right customers (or investors) and creating effective funnels for business growth and profitability. Karen Rands is the dynamic host of "The Compassionate Capitalist Show," a podcast dedicated to teaching her audience how to create wealth by building successful, profitable, scalable, exitable businesses, or investing in those businesses as a wealth creation asset class that is superior to real estate and stock market, but often maligned and misunderstood. Karen is the leader of the Compassionate Capitalist Movement and Lead instructor for her Compassionate Capitalist Wealth Maximizing System with it recently released digital on demand course:  Intro to Angel & Crowdfund Investing.  Check it out at http://dothedeal.org    Karen is a sought after advisor for entrepreneurs seeking to raise capital, and realize time is as valuable as money to get started right or stop doing what isn't working.  Investors and Angel groups hire Karen's firm to assist in due diligence and syndication.  More info at http://kugarand.com Please like and share this podcast if you find it of value.  TIME STAMP OF CONTENT 00:00 Essential advice for direct-to-consumer business growth. 03:14 100 brands find success sans venture capital. 07:23 Creating marketing funnels requires expertise and adaptability. 11:12 Discovering brand, educating self, identifying desired dress. 15:06 Identify, target, and persuade customers effectively. 19:14 Tracking digital activities to move potential buyers. 21:03 Addressing concerns in the middle of funnel. 25:20 Entrepreneurs underestimate potential reach for raising capital. 28:52 Identifying numbers in sales process, don't give up. 32:38 ROI measures ad spending's return through sales. 34:51 Forecasting sales and revenue for entrepreneurial startups. 39:06 Experience with clients, diverse marketing strategies. 42:50 Personal data used for targeted advertising, surveillance. 46:09 Encouraging clicks and collaboration in digital marketing. 47:08 Grateful for your help, Karen. Pleasure! #marketing_funnel #customer_journey #lifetime_value #digital_targeting #acquisition_funnels #marketing_channels, #e-commerce #growth_strategies, #digital_marketing #sales_funnels #KPI #raising_capital #Capital_funnel 

Struggling to find the right product-market fit? Customer Discovery is the key to understanding your ideal customers and building a successful business. In this episode of 'Coffee with Closers, Shelby Stephens shares his extensive entrepreneurial journey, emphasizing the importance of resilience and the art of customer discovery. Shelby insights and practical tips will help you master customer discovery and avoid costly mistakes. Learn how to identify customer needs, validate your product ideas, and ensure your business is on the right track. Learn more about Shelby Stephens Website: https://www.growthmatch.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelbystephens/ Are you building something new? What are your biggest challenges? Share your thoughts in the comments! Watch Our FREE Masterclass ▶️10x Your Sales Pipeline in 90 Days: https://ww2.oneims.com/growth-acceler... ▶️Eliminate Dry Pipeline in 90 Days: https://ww2.oneims.com/dry-pipeline ▶️From Production Line to Profitable Exit: https://ww2.oneims.com/production2profit ►Follow OneIMS online: Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/OneIMS/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/oneims/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oneims/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/oneims?lang=en

This week on Eggs, we follow Jeff Amarine's journey from a military family to entrepreneurship, highlighting the development of resilience, the balance of discipline and creativity, and the absence of a single 'way' in entrepreneurship. We also delve into the importance of taking qualified risks, the value of integrating complementary skills, and the application of scientific methods in validating business assumptions. This episode covers a wide range of topics related to entrepreneurship, startup consulting, and the importance of taking action. Jeff emphasizes the need for action, the role of community in entrepreneurship, and the importance of finding the right balance between passion and practicality in business endeavors.Guest:Jeff AmerineFollow Jeff on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffamerine/Check out Startup Junkie: https://startupjunkie.org/jeff-amerine/ ----Credits:Hosted by Michael Smith and Ryan RoghaarProduced by Ryan RoghaarTheme music: "Perfect Day" by OPM The Carton:https://medium.com/the-carton-by-eggsFeature with Zack Chmeis of Straight Method up now! https://medium.com/the-carton-by-eggs/zack-chmeis-35dae817ac28 The Eggs Podcast Spotify playlist:bit.ly/eggstunes The Plugs:The Showeggscast.com@eggshow on twitter and instagramOn iTunes: itun.es/i6dX3pCOn Stitcher: bit.ly/eggs_on_stitcherAlso available on Google Play Music! Mike "DJ Ontic" shows and infodjontic.com@djontic on twitter Ryan Roghaarhttp://rogha.ar

Get Out of the Building: How to Gathering Customer Discovery Data with Vanessa Ceia   In this episode, we explore the critical shift needed for corporate explorers to succeed—moving from an inside-out to an outside-in mindset. Highlighting Corporate Explorer Field Book chapters, we discuss how customer discovery interviews can overcome inherent corporate biases. Sponsored by Wazoku, our guest Vanessa Ceia, an innovation expert, explains the importance of different interview stages—ideation, incubation, and scaling—and how qualitative research like focus groups and interviews are essential throughout the innovation process. Gain insights into preparing, conducting, and analysing interviews to gather customer-driven data and foster effective, sustainable innovation ecosystems.   00:00 Overcoming Corporate Mindset Obstacles 01:01 Introducing the Corporate Explorer Series Sponsor 01:37 Meet the Expert: Vanessa Ceia 02:05 Deep Dive into Customer-Driven Innovation 03:22 Exploring the Innovation Funnel: Ideation to Scaling 11:40 Incorporating Stakeholder Feedback for Success 14:35 Mastering the Interview Process for Innovation 19:53 Concluding Thoughts and Sponsor Acknowledgment   Aidan McCullen, Vanessa Ceia, customer discovery, corporate explorer, bias, assumptions, customer interviews, innovation, sustainability, value growth, qualitative research, innovation maturity, ideation, incubation, scaling, problem validation, MVP, customer segmentation

In this episode, we interview Olya Caliujnaia, the CEO and co-founder at Sanlo.io, on a mission to help game businesses thrive revenues. Olya shares her entrepreneurial journey, from growing up in a family of resilient entrepreneurs, to eventually founding her own company in the gaming industry. Before Sanlo, Olya managed product and growth at Playfish, EA, Getty Images, SigFig, Wells Fargo and worked with early-stage companies as an entrepreneur-in-residence at XYZ Venture Capital. Olya shares her process, trial and error of finding the right co-founder, the early stages of customer discovery, and the importance of building a committed and complementary co-founder team. Olya also talks about the products Sanlo offers, including web shops and capital financing for gaming companies, and emphasizes the importance of financial health and sustainable monetization, as vital components of a game business. More on Sanlo.io: https://www.sanlo.io/ 01:33 CEO Olya Caliujnaia's Journey: From Product Leader to Gaming Entrepreneur 02:12 The Entrepreneurial Path: Olya's Journey to Founding Sanlo.io 09:41 The Co-Founder Search: Lessons Learned and Finding the Right Match 12:40 Customer Discovery and Product Development Insights, Pivoting to PMF 18:01 Building a Team and Overcoming Challenges in the Gaming Startup World 24:36 SanloToday: Products, Vision, and the Future 29:08 Closing Thoughts and Future Directions

Today on the show we have Ryan Singer, the founder of Felt Presence and former head of strategy at Basecamp.In this episode, Ryan shares his experience in evolving the Shape Up framework to better fit diverse team structures and needs. We then discussed his insights on navigating customer engagement through the concepts of active vs. passive looking.We wrapped up by discussing how these strategies are applied in real-world scenarios to enhance customer discovery and engagement processes.Mentioned ResourcesShape Up Felt PresenceBasecampHotjarShaping in Real LifeHow to Web ConferenceBob MoestaDemand Side Sales 101Four Fits For $100MGPT-4Churn FM is brought to you by Vitally, the all-in-one Customer Success Platform and Chargebee, SaaS for effective revenue growth management.

It's been two months of running Podscan at full speed.Have I spent 6 figures of money yet? Well, you'll see in this week's update :)This episode is sponsored by Acquire.comThe blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podscan-2-months-and-1k-mrr-in/The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/317-podscan-2-months-and-1k-mrr-inCheck out Podscan to get alerts when you're mentioned on podcasts: https://podscan.fmSend me a voicemail on Podline: https://podline.fm/arvidYou'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.comPodcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcastNewsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletterMy book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/My course Find Your Following: https://findyourfollowing.comHere are a few tools I use. Using my affiliate links will support my work at no additional cost to you.- Notion (which I use to organize, write, coordinate, and archive my podcast + newsletter): https://affiliate.notion.so/465mv1536drx- Riverside.fm (that's what I recorded this episode with): https://riverside.fm/?via=arvid- TweetHunter (for speedy scheduling and writing Tweets): http://tweethunter.io/?via=arvid- HypeFury (for massive Twitter analytics and scheduling): https://hypefury.com/?via=arvid60- AudioPen (for taking voice notes and getting amazing summaries): https://audiopen.ai/?aff=PXErZ- Descript (for word-based video editing, subtitles, and clips): https://www.descript.com/?lmref=3cf39Q- ConvertKit (for email lists, newsletters, even finding sponsors): https://convertkit.com?lmref=bN9CZw

E807 - Customer Discovery - Como Realmente Conquistar Clientes E Vender Muito by Gerson Ribeiro

Summary On this episode of Startup Junkies, hosts Caleb Talley, Jeff Amerine, and Harrison Kitson sit down with Randy Williamson, Senior SBA and Commercial Lender with Arkansas Federal Credit Union. AFCU is the largest credit union in Arkansas, boasting twenty-one branches with expansion plans already in the works. As a member-owned, tax exempt institute, it offers a full range of services that differ from traditional banks, and after sixty-eight years in service, Arkansas Federal Credit Union is approaching a 2.4 billion dollar footprint. AFCU aims to empower entrepreneurs through financial knowledge, putting them in the position to make educated business decisions.   Throughout the conversation, Randy dives into the important considerations and best practices for startups and small businesses seeking financing from lenders. He also shares insights on crafting a solid business plan, understanding industry benchmarks, seeking external guidance, and building relationships with lenders. Additionally, Randy emphasizes the importance of realistic financial projections, scalable pricing strategies, and retaining earnings for growth and resilience. The discussion highlights the value of candid feedback, market validation, and positioning your business idea for fundability, providing a roadmap for entrepreneurs navigating the lending process and increasing their chances of securing capital to fuel their ventures.   Show Notes (0:50) Introducing Randy Williamson (2:29) Credit Unions vs. Banks (5:02) Advice for Startups to Become Bankable (9:15) The Importance of Customer Discovery (13:50) Running a Sensitivity Analysis (17:18) Having a Good Relationship with Your Banker (21:27) Accommodating to Digital Banking Trends (26:26) The Do and Don'ts of a Business Plan (31:56) Other Funding Alternatives (39:40) Closing Question    Links Caleb Talley Jeff Amerine Harrison Kitson Randy Williamson Arkansas Federal Credit Union

KP lays bare the reasons why founders and external parties are the secret sauce to successful customer discovery. We're shaking off the corporate cobwebs and challenging the status quo, revealing why those accustomed to the comfort of established products may stumble when stepping into the unknown territory of new ventures.Strap in for an episode that goes beyond mere platitudes, as we introduce a thought-provoking concept: 'massive detachment.' It's a creative crusade against the all-too-human tendency to cling to the familiar, exemplified through workshops where founders objectively critique one another's ideas, breaking down barriers to innovation. KP brings to life the transformative tales of industry giants like IBM, highlighting the crucial pivot points that redefine success. Want more discussions like this? You can connect with KP Reddy and other innovators in the AEC and CRE Industry in the Shadow Partners Community....go to shadowpartners.co⁠⁠ to learn more today!

Engineers are not usually known as creative types. This is a strange notion for me as I think engineers are some of the most creative people. We might not be creating art (although some engineers are artists), but we are being creative in solving a set of problems.  The problem is it doesn't show to the outside world.  But there are ways to do so, and Melanie Flores, my guest for this week found out that she can do it through Solution Engineering. It's not just about solving a problem creatively. It's about telling stories and asking questions where creativity can shine while being in an Engineering field.  show notes: https://wethesalesengineers.com/show306

Challenges of launching a brand in 2024, the shift from agencies to in-house marketing, and the importance of customer retention alongside acquisition. In this episode, Jordan West and Morgan Logsdon, experienced marketer, discuss the challenges and benefits of bringing marketing functions in-house, exploring non-traditional distribution channels for product exposure, and the potential of launching a brand in 2024. They delve into customer acquisition and retention strategies, scaling approaches, the value of first-party attribution, and the complexities of attribution models. Listen and learn in this episode!Key takeaways from this episode:The significance of balancing customer acquisition and retention to fuel successful retention marketing.The importance of first-party attribution for understanding the full customer journey and making strategic decisions based on owned data.The potential challenges with customer acquisition and retention in the DTC world.Establishing a true brand identity, understanding the unique problem the product solves, and focusing on serving a specific community.Recommended Tools/App:Triple Whale: https://www.triplewhale.com/ AppSumo: https://appsumo.com/ Recommended Sites:Uline: https://www.uline.com/ Corkcicle: https://corkcicle.com/ Today's Guest: Morgan Logsdon, Founder of Sixth House Marketing began her career in the startup world, taking on various roles as the company brought outsourced agencies in house. This led to valuable experience in direct-to-consumer marketing and product development. After working with other startups in growth and life cycle marketing, Morgan founded her own business, Sixth House Marketing. The company focuses on helping growth stage and pre-launch businesses go to market and scale, with a strong emphasis on branding.Connect and learn more about Morgan and Sixth House:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morganmjenkins/ Website: https://www.sixthhousemarketing.com/ This episode's sponsor is OneClickUpsell- increases your Shopify revenue 10–20% by offering your customers highly-targeted upsells and cross-sells on every purchase. OneClickUpsell is the original upsell app for Shopify, and it's highly-profitable upsell funnels have already made half-a-billion dollars (that's BILLION with a “B”!) in additional revenue for their users! Don't miss out on another dollar in free upsells. Learn more here: OneClickUpsell Get 5 Offers for 2 Products (10 in total) along with 10 highly engaging tried and true creatives, 30 captivating headlines, descriptions, and ad texts sent to you for only $99. Go to https://www.upgrowthcommerce.com/offer and order now - this offer is only available for a limited time. We love our podcast community and listeners that we have decided to offer a free e-commerce Growth Plan for your brand! To learn more, click here: upgrowthcommerce.com/grow

Idea-stage investors are still excited about AI, but the savvier ones are looking for social proof and tangible takeaways from the customer discovery process. Before they commit, these investors are seeking evidence that the idea/team they're considering won't melt like snow in the rain the next time a major player improves their model. With that in mind, I interviewed Rodrigo Liang, co-founder and CEO of SambaNova Systems, for Episode 2. Launched in 2017, SambaNova raised more than a billion dollars in its first three years to create a full-stack LLM platform. Our conversation covered a lot of ground, including his thoughts on product-led growth strategy for AI startups and the importance of aligning the needs of customers with the technology you're developing. Here's a breakdown: SambaNova's founding, market dynamics, and early product development (1:22) AI in enterprise environments, developing an ideal customer profile (4:23) how to ID different customer classes (6:47) developing a cohesive marketing strategy from Day 1 (10:09) keeping product development aligned with the needs of your customer (14:11) the pitfalls (and payoffs) of creating a feature for a single customer (17:13) customer transparency: can you/should you share your product roadmap? (20:28) overcoming AI adoption challenges and controlling costs (24:24) understand your customer's journey to deliver value quickly (28:21) "we really are focused on getting those quick proofs of success” (30:09) Rodrigo's advice for early-stage AI startup employees (35:45) early-stage fundraising should be about milestones, not runway (38:17) Fund/Build/Scale is sponsored by Mayfield. If you have a fundable idea for an AI-first startup at the cognitive plumbing layer, email aistart@mayfield.com. The podcast is also sponsored by Securiti, pioneer of the Data Command Center. Follow Fund/Build/Scale on Substack and LinkedIn.  

Asia Orangio (@AsiaOrangio), CEO of Demand Maven, joins me as we dive into the world of customer discovery and (go-to) market strategies. We'll discuss real-life examples, like a Gantt chart tool maker who grew their business through customer feedback. This episode is a practical guide on balancing passion with profit and tackling early-stage marketing and growth challenges.And if you kinda suck at surveys, this one is for you.In our conversation, Asia and I unravel the importance of customer interviews and debunk the myth that customers aren't willing to share their thoughts. We also explore key decisions in scaling a business, from expanding your audience to smart hiring choices. Whether you're just starting or already on your entrepreneurial journey, this episode offers valuable insights into maintaining a consistent customer base and steering your business's marketing strategy.Asia on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AsiaOrangioAsia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asiaorangio/00:00:00 Early Stage Marketing and Growth Challenges00:12:37 Overcoming Inhibition to Conduct Customer Interviews00:18:21 Considering Go-to Market and Freemium Strategies00:30:17 Navigating Audience Expansion and Maintaining Consistency00:36:24 Hiring and Building a Team00:46:19 First Hire Selection and Fractional HiresThis episode is sponsored by Acquire.comThe blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/asia-orangio-crafting-a-growth-blueprint-for-emerging-startups/ The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/286-asia-orangio-crafting-a-growth-blueprint-for-emerging-startups The video: https://youtu.be/tQaf64794lwYou'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.comPodcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcastNewsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletterMy book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/My course Find Your Following: https://findyourfollowing.comHere are a few tools I use. Using my affiliate links will support my work at no additional cost to you.- Notion (which I use to organize, write, coordinate, and archive my podcast + newsletter): https://affiliate.notion.so/465mv1536drx- Riverside.fm (that's what I recorded this episode with): https://riverside.fm/?via=arvid- TweetHunter (for speedy scheduling and writing Tweets): http://tweethunter.io/?via=arvid- HypeFury (for massive Twitter analytics and scheduling): https://hypefury.com/?via=arvid60- AudioPen (for taking voice notes and getting amazing summaries): https://audiopen.ai/?aff=PXErZ- Descript (for word-based video editing, subtitles, and clips): https://www.descript.com/?lmref=3cf39Q- ConvertKit (for email lists, newsletters, even finding sponsors): https://convertkit.com?lmref=bN9CZw (00:00) - Early Stage Marketing and Growth Challenges (12:37) - Overcoming Inhibition to Conduct Customer Interviews (18:21) - Considering Go-to Market and Freemium Strategies (30:17) - Navigating Audience Expansion and Maintaining Consistency (36:24) - Hiring and Building a Team (46:19) - First Hire Selection and Fractional Hires

Get 50 Free Lessons From 50 Top Entrepreneurs From Season 1: https://www.ehandbook.com/subscribeEach week, we interview real experts about topics you need to know about.Today we have Tim Chong, Founder and CEO at Yonder.We're covering HHow To Find The Ideal People For Customer Discovery.Our Website: https://www.ehandbook.comTim Chong: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-chong/Yonder: https://www.yondercard.com/

On this latest episode, Shawn Olds, Co-Founder and CEO of boodleAI, discusses the role of AI in understanding and finding customers. He explores the challenges of the digital era and the importance of anticipating customer needs. Shawn offers insights on various topics, from the enduring appeal of classic games to smart pricing, showing how data can drive business success.Key Takeaways:(03:00) Addressing AI misconceptions through daily use examples. (08:16) How people find creative AI uses, showing that users really define how a platform gets utilized. (11:00) The importance of making contacts on business trips.(15:40) How young people often overwork but later find a healthier balance.(28:25) A new, complete business AI platform is in the testing stages.(31:52) Early buyer interest helps when selling new products or services.Resources Mentioned:Shawn Olds -https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnnolds/boodleAI | LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/boodleai/boodleAI Website -https://boodle.ai/This episode is brought to you by Content Allies.Content Allies helps B2B tech companies launch revenue-generating podcasts and build relationships that drive revenue through podcast networking. We schedule interviews with your ideal prospects and strategic partners so that you can build relationships and grow your business. You show up and have conversations, we handle everything else. Learn more at ContentAllies.com. #B2B #BusinessLeaders #Leadership

On this episode of Shadow Shorts, Raheel Ishtiaq, Director of Product Management for AIA Contract Documents, and Shadow Partners, Senior Advisor and Head of Marketing, Jeff Echols will talk about the ins and outs of customer discovery and how to take a product to market that your customers actually value. Want more access to KP? KP is also spending more time in the Shadow Partners Community. He's posting his thoughts and responding to questions. If you want more access to KP, the Shadow Partners Community is where to get it. Join here-> ⁠https://shadowpartners.co/strategic-partner-network

Ross Finman is the CEO of Augmodo, a company utilizing AI and AR to revolutionize grocery store experiences and economics starting with the personal shoppers who fulfill online grocery purchases.Previously Ross spent 4 ½ years at Niantic. There he founded the AR mapping and Visual Positioning System (VPS) effort before becoming the AR Strategy Lead and then the general manager for the AR Headset group.He joined Niantic through the acquisition of his first startup, Escher Reality, which became the foundation for Niantic's AR Platform, now called Lightship.He started Escher Reality as he was finishing his Ph.D. in Robotics from MIT, after previously completing his undergrad in computer engineering from Carnegie Mellon.In this conversation, the second of two parts, Ross digs into his current startup, Augmodo.We discuss:- the problem they are solving,- the importance and approach to customer discovery,- how AR and AI work together to form a solution,- why now is the right timing and this the right opportunity, and- some recent progress and announcements.Ross goes on to share additional lessons learned and advice for deep tech startup founders.You can find all of the show notes at thearshow.com. Please consider contributing to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/theARshow.Links From The Episode- Article: [Innovating Category Management – Groceryshop 2023](https://retailwire.com/blog/innovating-category-management-groceryshop-2023/) by Georges Mirza for RetailWire- Article: [Pokémon GO creator Niantic buys Escher Reality AR startup](https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/01/niantic-buy-escher-reality-ar-startup/) by Lucas Matney for TechCrunch…and related [Niantic blog post](https://nianticlabs.com/news/escherreality).- Article: [BMW introduces Smartglasses for Motorcycling](https://mixed-news.com/en/bmw-connectedride-smartglasses-announced/) Benjamin Danneberg for Mixed News- Video: [Star Wars: Jedi Challenges Review - Lenovo Mirage AR Mobile Headset](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-hsJ0xeaT4) by TWiT Tech Podcast Network- Patent: [Augmented Reality Hat](https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2022219603A1/en) by Ross Finman, Michael Miller, and Maryam Sabour- YouTube Channel: [Perun](https://www.youtube.com/@PerunAU)—an Australian covering the military industrial complex and national military investment strategy.- [Episode Transcript - Part 1](https://otter.ai/u/5KVmmaOHVjMliriCJLzbsA1Tj8E)- [Episode Transcript - Part 2](https://otter.ai/u/m50rbDodqw1gwz1NHJgMytTr9vw)Please consider contributing to my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/theARshow.

Weak customer discovery is the number one reason why most idea-stage startups fail. It usually leads to founders wasting months solving fake problems.In my case, bad customer discovery cost me even more-- I ditched a startup idea that other founders built into several companies worth $10B+.

Here's a step-by-step account of how to do proper customer discovery. From how to source potential customers, conduct proper interviews and test your early product -- Ron has done it all. He shares each step with lots of details, so you can easily copy (i.e., steal) his ideas.Rushing through customer discovery is the most common mistake founders make. Check out this episode to learn how to do it right. 

Today is a special epsiode for me personally as I first met Charlie back in 2019 at my live podcast in Dublin city when he was in the very first days of his entrepreneurial journey. To now see him build a world-leading company is a beautifil milestone in both Charlie's journey and the journey of this podcast. This is a business chat but it's filled with honesty, warmth and deeper exploration of why we become founders. We navigate his journey, from college days to launching a company that's reshaping the research industry. The conversation illuminates how Bounce Insights empowers brands with a consumer research platform that facilitates quick and effective decision-making. Charlie and I unpack the complexities of human sources of feedback and emphasize the significance of a complimentary skill set in business. This episode takes a close look at the business-building process, shedding light on the evolution of the research industry and Charlie's disruptive approach. Charlie shares the challenges faced in convincing consumers to participate in surveys and how the industry responded with more efficient, cost-effective solutions. We delve into the power of customer discovery and psychology in understanding consumer needs and behaviors. We conclude our conversation discussing the 'Entrepreneur Dream', its influence on young entrepreneurs, and the pursuit of happiness. Charlie and I also reflect on his experience with a failed business deal, underlining the importance of pursuing potential rather than happiness. In the end, we learn that the joy of entrepreneurship lies in the relationships we build, the support from family and friends, and the feeling of accomplishment when we reach our goals. Tune in for a candid chat filled with invaluable insights and lessons from a modern entrepreneur's journey. --- Join my free weekly email newsletter here: https://bit.ly/40TgDkq  --- Visit My Partners for Season 15 - Location Partner: Iconic Offices - Claim your exclusive pod offer: https://bit.ly/iconicEE23  - Wealth Summit -  Use code fox150 to get special priced ticket: https://bit.ly/3r2yvfJ

95% of idea-stage startups fail because they don't solve an important enough problem in the first place. The most important part of customer discovery is to make sure you are solving real problems. But almost all founders do customer discovery wrong the first few times. Check out this episode to learn which mistakes you should avoid at all costs.

Zamir Shukho is a seasoned founder and venture capitalist with a wealth of experience in the startup ecosystem, having established 42 accelerators and worked with over 1500 companies... HIGHLIGHTS (00:00:28) Investing in Strong Teams and Tangible Progress (00:02:54) Uncovering Customer Problems and Emotions Effectively (00:05:40) Seed stage Venture Fund specializing in B2B SaaS startups (00:08:18) Navigating Conflict and Geopolitical Challenges as a Founder/VC

To grow your business, there are some things you need to nail with your marketing - you must connect with your ideal clients, understand their unique needs and wants, and deliver personalised solutions that drive meaningful results. However, achieving this level of insight and efficiency can be an intricate process, often requiring substantial time and resources. However there are ways to get information and insights using Artificial Intelligence. In this episode of Influence by Design, we discuss AI-powered customer discovery with Jason Van Orden. He is a consultant, trainer, and strategist helping thought leaders reach a larger audience and create new income streams. Usings AI's numerous advantages, Jason leverages its power to enhance customer discovery, gaining deep insights into the thoughts and desires of ideal clients. This enables him to effectively address the challenges they encounter. With the aid of AI, Jason successfully bridges the divide between where customers currently stand and where they aspire to be. The wealth of information provided by AI can be a valuable resource for crafting messages and offers that deeply resonate with the people you aim to assist. This episode explores the potential of AI in your marketing efforts and offers strategies you can use for effective AI-powered customer discovery. For full show notes and links - https://samanthariley.global/podcast/516

Doing customer discovery is a critical skill that founders need to develop in the early stages of their AI startup's journey. In this episode, the host Prateek Joshi talks about 9 steps to do customer discovery for AI products. --------Where to find Prateek Joshi: Newsletter: https://prateekjoshi.substack.com Website: https://prateekj.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prateek-joshi-91047b19 Twitter: https://twitter.com/prateekvjoshi 

Jake Marmulstein is the founder of Groundbreaker, a revolutionary software for real estate investors. Jake's interest in real estate investment began with a job at a REIT where he underwrote distressed hotels and found himself doing a lot of tedious data entry work. This led him to create Groundbreaker, which streamlines the real estate investment process by allowing investors to share deals on a web format, download necessary information, and sign documents and fund investments with just a click of a button. Groundbreaker has revolutionized the real estate industry, making it faster, more efficient, and less time-consuming.

Mar Hershenson has done it all. She's been a VP of product development and a co-founder of three successful startups.With 14 patents under her belt and a passion for teaching, Mar has joined us today to share her insights on:What it takes to succeed in the startup world, Experience as a managing partner at Pear VC to Her early bet on DoorDash, Thoughts on the role of academia in the startup ecosystem and much more.  You won't want to miss a word of this conversation.Hey, open your startup the right way, request early access to Meridian's international account, or start by signing up for our newsletter.Follow us on Linkedin / Twitter / Instagram / Podcast.

Mercedes grew up in a household where inventions, product ideas, and web development were discussed at the dinner table. That unique environment created a curious-minded person who started her professional career on Wall-street but later became a startup founder and investor. Today she is part of Lightspeed venture partners. We discussed her interest in fintech, crypto, NFTs, LatAm investing, and much more. Show notes: Mercedes Bent's article on Crypto Utility. https://medium.com/lightspeed-venture-partners/the-future-of-crypto-native-consumer-products-part-3-utility-229e605bc3daHey, apply to be a fellow, open your startup, sign up for our newsletter, or request early access to Meridian. Follow us on Linkedin / Twitter / Instagram / Podcast.

Yuri Danilchenko is Latitud's tech-co founder, and I have introduced him many times before.  Personally, what I find very compelling about his story is that we can see clearly how his personal experience helped shape who he is and how he works. He was born naturally curious about technology and is a great translator between product x business, and tech. He grew up in Russia during some history-defining moments and moved to the US, where he got his masters in Artificial Intelligence. He worked at several startups and, later, in Brazil, he co-founded Vamos. In this episode, we discussed: The tech job market. How to attract and keep talent. Where the technology is heading, and how this will impact our lives and work. Hey, apply to be a fellow, open your startup or sign up for our newsletter.Follow us on Linkedin / Twitter / Instagram / Podcast.

It takes an effort of titans to elevate the startup ecosystem in Latam. At Latitud, we know it's not possible to do it alone; that's why we partnered with Jeeves to help provide access to financial tools to help founders in the most critical stages of their startups.In today's episode, we will have an honest conversation with four great talents: Dileep from Jeeves, Antonia from ALLVP, Gabriel from a16z, and Jonathan from Investo. We will focus on demystifying fundraising for Latin American startups. There is a lot of good information here, and I am sure it will be helpful for everyone, especially considering the outlook for 2023. Hey, apply to be a fellow, open your startup or sign up for our newsletter.Follow us on Linkedin / Twitter / Instagram / Podcast.

Harness is an emerging leader in the CICD (continuous development) space. Last valued at $3.7B in a 2022 fundraise, this is Jyoti Bansal's second enterprise software unicorn. His first startup Appdynamics was acquired by Cisco the night before their IPO in 2017. In this episode, Harness CEO Jyoti Bansal and Unusual founder John Vrionis take us back 15 years to when Appdynamics first got started. They walk us through their learnings around customer discovery and the journey from having a unique product insight to finding product market fit. With stories from the early days of Harness, we cover: (1:45) How Jyoti arrived at his original insight for Harness (3:27) John and Jyoti on the Unusual Method — a rigorous playbook that they co-teach at Unusual Ventures to help founders find product-market fit (6:33) Why cold outreach - and not friendly conversations - is the best way to validate early assumptions (12:11) How Jyoti looked for early adopters outside Silicon Valley during the customer discovery phase (14:08) Why doing your own cold outreach as a founder is an irreplaceable activity (19:40) How to articulate the business value of your solution so prospects have a reason to buy (23:28) Iterating on your messaging and ICP If you are not seeing similar patterns around the pain (24:42) How Jyoti constructs messaging and defines the “minimum sellable product” (29:15) The surprises Jyoti encountered during customer discovery for Harness (31:55) Why and how exactly founders should focus on efficiency during an economic downturn Sandhya Hegde is a General Partner at Unusual Ventures, leading investments in modern SaaS companies with a focus on AI. Previously an early executive at Amplitude, Sandhya is a product-led growth (PLG) coach and mentor. She can be reached at sandhya@unusual.vc and Twitter - https://twitter.com/sandhya LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandhyahegde/ Unusual Ventures is a seed-stage venture capital firm designed from the ground up to give a distinct advantage to founders building the next generation of software companies. Unusual has invested in category-defining companies like Webflow, Arctic Wolf Networks, Carta, Robinhood and Harness. Learn more about us at https://www.unusual.vc/. Further reading from the Startup Field Guide: Customer Discovery: https://www.field-guide.unusual.vc/field-guide-enterprise/outreach-playbook Early customer outreach: https://www.field-guide.unusual.vc/field-guide-enterprise/outreach-playbook What are design partners?: https://www.field-guide.unusual.vc/field-guide-enterprise/what-are-design-partners

In this episode of the Sales Engineering Podcast, we explore the different purposes of demos and discovery calls. We consider the different challenges inherent in them and the strategies we can employ to get around these challenges. Specifically, we focus on business discovery and technical discovery. https://wethesalesengineers.com/show251

If you're interested in learning more about how to improve your discovery skills, then this episode is for you. In this episode, we walk you through the discovery process (Larson and I do a little roleplay to show you), mistakes most sales engineers and AEs make during discovery, questions to ask to better uncover your buyers' needs and priorities, how to know whether they are qualified to purchase your product, and a little bit of how equity works for startups. Larson Stair is the CEO and co-founder of Gondola, formerly known as Demoflow, a sales enablement solution that helps to codify the sales process – whether it's discovery calls, product demonstrations with AEs and SEs, or better ways to be working together on those two parts of the sales cycle. Before starting his own company, Larson spent 10 years in the sales environment, having held multiple roles within SaaS as an SDR, SE, AE, and SC. He is deeply passionate about entrepreneurship, software start-ups, and full-cycle SaaS sales. https://wethesalesengineers.com/show236

Kevin Weil is President of Product and Business @ Planet and Operator in Residence @ Scribble Ventures. In the past, Kevin has been Head of Product at Twitter, Instagram, and Novi (the digital currency effort within Facebook). During his seven years at Twitter, he helped the company scale from 40 to 4000 people and from $0 to $2B in revenue. He then moved to Instagram in 2016 to lead the product and data teams and led through an inflection point as Instagram grew from 400M to over 1B users, including launching Instagram Stories. Kevin then co-founded Diem (formerly known as Libra) and Novi and built both for three years before moving to Planet in 2021. If that was not enough, Kevin is also on the board of Strava, the Nature Conservancy, and the Black Product Managers Network. In Today's Episode with Kevin Weil We Discuss: 1.) Lessons From Leading Product for Instagram and Twitter: What does Kevin believe makes Instagram so inherently good at product? How did leading product for Instagram change the way Kevin thinks and operates? What are 1-2 of Kevin's biggest lessons from working with Kevin Systrom, Instagram's Founder? What are the biggest takeaways for Kevin from leading product at Twitter? 2.) Launching Products, Customer Discovery and Product Sessions: What were Kevin's biggest learnings from launching Instagram stories? How did Kevin's conviction impact the product building and success of Instagram stories? How does Kevin advise founders on the best way to approach customer discovery? What are the best questions to ask to reveal the truth? How does Kevin approach product testing today? Why does Kevin not like softly softly testing new products? 3.) Kevin Weil: Leadership 101 What are some of the biggest leadership mistakes that Kevin made in his time at Twitter? How does Kevin approach decision-making frameworks? How does one balance the speed vs the quality of the decision? What makes a great product strategy? Where do so many go wrong in their product strategy? How do the best leaders communicate with their team? How does this change over time? What is Kevin's preferred medium and style of communication with his teams? 4.) Kevin Weil: The Athlete, Father and Husband: Kevin is an ultra-marathon runner, what does his training routine look like? What 1-2 changes has Kevin made that have had the biggest impact on performance? How does Kevin manage, investing, advising, training and being a father and husband?  

Sam Taylor is the VP of Sales and Customer Success @ Loom, an essential tool for hybrid and remote teams allowing you to record quick videos of your screen and cam. At Loom Sam leads Revenue Org including: Direct Sales, Customer Success, Self-Serve Revenue Growth/Assist, Sales Development, Global Customer Support, Revenue Ops + Strategy and Sales Enablement. Prior to Loom, Sam spent over 4 years at Salesforce, following their acquisition of Quip, where he was the first sales leader. Before Salesforce and Quip, Sam spent over 3 years at Dropbox as a mid-market sales leader. In Today's Episode We Discuss: 1.) Entry into the World of Sales: How did Sam land his first big role in sales at Salesforce? How did the sales orgs differ when comparing Salesforce to Dropbox? What are 1-2 of Sam's biggest lessons from his time at Salesforce and Dropbox that shapes how he thinks today? 2.) Sales People Should Be Customer Therapists: What is the right way to approach customer discovery? How can sales reps get potential customers on a call in the first place? What are the right questions to ask? What engenders the most honesty? What are the wrong questions to ask? What are common mistakes? How do the best sales reps then feed that back to customer success and product? 3.) The When and The Who: When should founders consider hiring their first sales hire? Should this hire be a sales leader or a sales rep? What are the nuances? What are the characteristics of the best first sales hires? What are the first sales hires really on the hook for? Why does Sam disagree with the word "playbook" and instead suggest "frameworks"? 4.) How To Hire The Best: The Process What are Sam's lessons on what it takes to hire the very best sales reps? What are the right questions to ask in the interview process? What tangible case studies or tests are done to measure quality? Who is brought into the hiring process and at what stage?