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46 episodes with developertown
2 episodes with developertown
2 episodes with developertown
3 episodes with developertown
2 episodes with developertown
Michael Kelly, co-founder and CEO of Developertown, joins us for a deep dive into his 15+ year journey building businesses in Indianapolis. From consulting solo at age 13 to managing a portfolio of over 60 companies, Mike shares how he's navigated the highs, lows, and chaotic middle of entrepreneurship. We talk about everything from why equity-for-services is a trap (don't do it), to how venture studios actually work, to what he looks for in early-stage founders when investing through Start Something Ventures. If you're thinking about raising capital or building a portfolio of your own, this one's packed with perspective.
Recorded September 29th 2023 Strap in for a behind the scenes look at the founder/investor relationship. Amid a global pandemic, John Harden (backed by Michael Kelly) launched Saaslio to help managed service providers (MSPs) manage a quickly growing list of SaaS applications. By the end of 2022, the company successfully exited with a sale to Auvik. John recounts his big mistake while pitching the company. Michael reveals both his biggest reservations about the deal as well as the moment he decided that John was a founder he should back. Finally, Michael shares his “Hipster, Hacker, Hustler” philosophy and why curiosity is such an important trait in a founder. Book Recommendations John – The Sales Acceleration Formula by Mark Roberge Michael – The End of the World is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization by Peter Zeihan (Austin seconds this recommendation!) Red Rising by Pierce Brown Relevant Links: Saaslio: https://www.saaslio.com/ Auvik: http://auvik.com/ Auvik acquires Saaslio: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221012005283/en/Auvik-Expands-to-the-Last-Mile-of-the-Network-with-Acquisition-of-Saaslio-and-Boardgent https://www.ibj.com/articles/indianapolis-based-tech-firm-saaslio-acquired-by-canadian-company Connect with John and Michael: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-harden/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldkelly/ https://www.michaeldkelly.com/ https://developertown.com/ Guest Bios John Harden John Harden has spent 15+ years in the IT & MSP industry, starting his career in the MSP NOC, moving into software engineering and operations, and eventually becoming the founder of Saaslio. Auvik acquired Saaslio in 2022, where John joined as a Sr. Product Marketing Manager - SaaS Management. In this role, John serves as a subject matter expert for all things Auvik SaaS Management and has spent many years studying & challenging the problem in the industry. Michael Kelly I help corporate leaders and founders craft a vision for new products by working with them to put together strategies, teams, and funding to help launch, validate, and grow those products and businesses. At DeveloperTown we do both that by partnering with our clients on these opportunities, as well as (occasionally) taking the risk ourselves. Current DeveloperTown companies include: DeveloperTown, DeveloperTown Starts, DeveloperTown Investments, FullStack, DevStrategies / Tenant Tracker, Waterly, Piano In A Flash, Startup Competitors, Monon Property Management, and Start Something Ventures. I'm also an active advisor and/or board member at a number of organizations, including: the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, TechPoint Foundation for Youth, AcreBin, Venue Intelligence, Peerview Data, Peoplocity, and the Indiana National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). Who are the hosts? Austin Crites, CFA: Austin is a past-president and current committee member of CFA Society Indianapolis. Professionally, he is the Chief Investment Officer at Aurora Financial Strategies where he manages US-focused, all-cap, style-agnostic equity strategies as the core of client portfolios. Austin is a 2008 graduate of Marian University in Indianapolis where he is now an adjunct professor in the Byrum School of Business. Matt Henry, CFA: Matt is a Senior Investment Officer at STAR Wealth Management. He is also a Past President and a director of CFA Society Indianapolis. When he's not managing porfolios, Matt teaches Finance 300 at Ball State University. He enjoys air conditioning, wi-fi, and the conveniences of indoor living.
As our lives and businesses change, so often our approach does as well. Savage to Sage was started to explore the topics of self-care, self-awareness and multiplication as business owners. In this episode, I chat with https://www.michaeldkelly.com/ (Mike Kelly) about what it means to remain savage while going through sage evolution both as business owners and individuals. For the first half of this podcast, I interview Mike and then he flips the script and interviews me in the second half. You'll learn what compelled Mike onto a path he could not have foreseen, why I took a break from the podcast and am now returning, and more. I hope you gain some savage direction and sage wisdom from this episode as Savage to Sage resumes! “If I look back and would say what was the hallmark of what got me started on that path, it was just the ability to work hard. To do the job that nobody else wants to do. Have no ego in it. Do it to the best of your ability and you will be recognized for that. And that will attract a certain class of people to you who also want to work hard; who also tend to be less ego-focused and are willing to do whatever it takes to win, to get the job done.” -- Mike Kelly What You'll LearnSelf-care and self-awareness From a broken back to multiple ventures Self-multiplication Evolution of amplifying effectiveness Asking questions rather than giving answers Evolution and Savage to Sage Why the 3 Pillars Defining and practicing self-care Defining and acting on self-awareness Defining and executing self-multiplication Why work-life balance is a fallacy Can compartmentalization be learned? Connect with Mike Kelly Among his many ventures, Mike is the managing partner of https://developertown.com/ (DeveloperTown), co-founder of https://www.fullstackpeo.com/ (FullStack PEO), co-founder of https://www.startsomethingventures.com/ (Start Something Ventures), and founder of https://www.tenanttracker.net/#home (Tenant Tracker). He helps corporate leaders and founders craft a vision for new products and new services by working with them to put together strategies, teams, and funding to help launch, validate, and grow those products and businesses. https://www.michaeldkelly.com/ (michaeldkelly.com) https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldkelly/ (Linkedin) (Mike Kelly) mike.kelly@developertown.com https://developertown.com/ (Developertown.com) Connect with Daniel FullerDaniel is a co-founder and the VP of Business Development for FullStack PEO and host of the podcast Savage to Sage. He is passionate about seeing people, leaders, cultures, and organizations develop. He says, “When I have the honor of being a part of that maturation process, it's even more satisfying. My life and work are given to empowering teachable, humble, and hungry leaders and teams to create and sustain joyful, strategic, and productive environments.” https://www.linkedin.com/in/ACoAAB8PdEMB9zcte69c9MetbC_loXSiNFcezqU/ (Linkedin) daniel.fuller@fullstackpeo.com https://www.savagetosage.com/ (savagetosage.com) Connect with FullStack PEOFullStack PEO is turnkey HR for emerging companies. They provide a wide ranging, comprehensive, scalable solution that removes the human resource, compliance, and payroll headaches from a company's to-do list. Their motto and driving value is “You take care of your company, we'll take care of your people.” https://www.fullstackpeo.com/ (Fullstackpeo.com)
What does it take to make a website or app both beautiful and practical? Explore the role of Product Designer with Lisa Sangiorgio of DeveloperTown. Learn more about Lisa helps companies solve big problems with good design. MORE Learn more about DeveloperTown: https://developertown.com/ Learn more about ClusterTruck: https://www.clustertruck.com/
I was recently a guest on the fun and inspirational Moments To Momentum podcast with Scott Abbott. In his signature style, Scott asked me a series of questions, balancing frivolity with deeper business insights. We talked about how I got started in technology, Oreos and whiskey, and a few other interesting facts about my life. After that, we moved on to more serious topics. One we discussed at length was how to recognize and not trivialize the pain and suffering of others. And once you recognize that pain exists, how you can appropriately adjust your approach to people whether in business, life or parenting. The other was “the day I fell in love with sales”.It was a really fun conversation and I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed being Scott's guest.A Sample of the Questions Scott Asked Me:Who is Mike Kelly? What's your background? How did you get started in technology? What are you doing now?What is DeveloperTown and FullStack?Any celebrity crushes? If you were a teacher, what would you teach?What is your favorite: cookie, snack, beverage and meal? If you had a yacht, what would your yacht be named?Can you share with us one of your most meaningful, defining and noteworthy situations - you know, a specific experience, time, relationship, or event - that has made a significant impact on your life, so far? What happened, why was it so meaningful, what did you learn, how did it benefit you, and what advice or recommendations can you share?About Moments To Momentum with Scott Abbott"Moments to Momentum, with Scott Abbott" is a fun, informative and inspirational podcast - featuring impactful conversations, with successful leaders from a wide-spectrum of demographics and vocations - that share their most meaningful situations, stories and events (i.e. “moments”), that they have experienced. Furthermore, how those big moments produced "momentum," that helps them succeed in their profession, and life. By having leaders share their most significant experiences - along with the lessons and advice learned - listeners gain their own “moments to momentum," as they enjoy and benefit from our guests' personal experiences, insights and recommendations.An important element of the podcast - is identifying and discussing what Scott calls, the "bio-mechanics" to productivity, happiness and success. In other words, using the podcast to understand and appreciate, the components and connection between the biological elements (i.e. the mind, heart, body, soul, psychology and sociology), with the mechanical elements (i.e. the strategy, tactics, systems, structure, tools, science and engineering), that it takes to effectively determine, develop, maintain and optimize consistent productivity, happiness and success: in business, work and life.momentstomomentum.comLinkedInInstagramTwitter
Mike Kelly is an entrepreneur, author, farmer, podcast host, and co-founder of DeveloperTown and FullStack. Mike helps corporate leaders and founders craft a vision for new products by working with them to put together strategies, teams, and funding to help launch, validate, and grow those products and businesses. Mike is also an active advisor and/or board member at a number of organizations, including the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, TechPoint Foundation for Youth, AcreBin, Venue Intelligence, Peerview Data, Peoplocity, and the Indiana National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). In this fun and insightful episode, Mike talks about growing up in a small town in Indiana, how getting his first computer got him started down the technology path, his love of gluten-free cookies and whiskey, starting a farm to teach his kids about meaningful work and a conversation that has been burned into his memory where he learned the importance of not trivializing the suffering and pain that other people feel. Connect with Mike Kelly on LinkedIn Learn More about DeveloperTown Find out more about Mike Sponsors: Talevation Ninety.io Straticos Buy your copy of Level-UP To Professional: Second Edition
Ellie shares DeveloperTown's frontend team goals for pull requests, things to think about while reviewing code, and general code review tips.
Alex Billingsley shares how DeveloperTown uses Storybook to build web apps that are responsive, ready for internationalization and accessible to all users.
MindMeld Ep2 - Webkit Full Third-Party Cookie Blocking by MindMeld by DeveloperTown
For today’s episode, we’re going back to where Matt spoke with Chris Heivly who is currently the VP of Innovation at Techstars. Chris is a serial entrepreneur, speaker, investor, and startup founder. And was one of the original Co-founders of MapQuest, a free Web and mobile mapping service that empowers consumers to engage with and navigate the world around them. This interview is from all the way back in November 2016, and we’re bringing it out of the archives because later this month on October 16th, we’re hosting a VIP event at the Industrious location in Raleigh, North Carolina discussing the topic “Why Tech Thrives in Raleigh-Durham” where Chris will be featured as one of our featured guests. We’ll be livestreaming the event on Facebook, so be sure to check it out! Now let’s get started! ------- Our guest today is Chris Heivly, who just might be the world’s first actual map geek. I say that because he co-founded one of the first online navigation tools, MapQuest. Some of you listeners may be too young to remember MapQuest and the wonderful experience of searching your route on your home computer so you could print your directions and take them with you.. But back in the day, MapQuest was like pure magic. This company was Heivly’s first and it blazed the trail for other navigation-powered apps like Google Maps, Waze, and Uber. MapQuest went public in 1999 and was acquired by AOL for $1.1 Billion dollars in the year 2000. That’s billion with a capital B. That’s a lot of money by any measure, but it was especially enormous when they sold back in the year 2000. Since his successful exit, Chris Heivly has personally directed over $75 million in investment capital on behalf of large companies including Rand McNally, Accenture, and others. He recently closed down the Startup Factory, which was the largest seed investment firm in the Southeast. And this conversation with Chris is just before they made their last investment at The Startup Factory (or TSF as we sometimes refer to it in this interview). But they had already made over 30 investments in high-growth startups and we caught Heivly just after a demo day for a group of their portfolio companies, so it was the perfect time to get his insight. I want to make sure I give a shout out to his book based on his famous TEDx talk, Build The Fort, which you can find on Amazon, Kindle, or Audible. He’s super active on his personal website Heivly.com and on twitter @ChrisHeivly. So give him a shout and tell him I sent you! This episode of Powderkeg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast. In this episode with Chris Heivly you’ll learn: How to perfect your pitch. (7:30) What makes a good elevator pitch. (16:40) How to attract the right people. (30:50) Please enjoy! If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast. Check it out at powderkeg.com/itunes.
Husband-and-wife team Kim and Todd Saxton, both professors at the IU Kelley School of Business at IUPUI, have spent a lot of time inside and outside the classroom serving as mentors to startup founders trying to make their way through the choppy waters of entrepreneurship. So they recently teamed up with Michael Cloran, a local entrepreneur and partner at DeveloperTown, to write a book of advice about what NOT to do when you're starting a company. The book—“The Titanic Effect: Successfully Navigating the Uncertainties that Sink Most Startups”—uses the tragedy of the Titanic as its outline, detailing some of the icebergs (which the authors call "debtbergs") that founders face in their journeys to success or sometimes failure. Host Mason King talked to the Saxtons about the biggest problems that entrepreneurs face and how to tackle them—and they explain how they faced some of those same problems as they crafted their book. You can learn more about one of the key problems startups face—finding a match between a product and customers—in this week's IBJ. This episode of the IBJ Podcast is sponsored by Krieg DeVault.
As a 30-year-old Indiana native, Nathan Altman has built a career on being an artist, maker and adventurer. When you see him in the community he’ll likely blend in with the hard-working people across our state, wearing a t-shirt and jeans—and the occasional layer of saw dust when he’s not in the office. Born and raised in Carmel, Indiana, Nathan grew up like many Indiana boys—playing and watching sports, getting his hands dirty building projects out in the barn, and spending a lot of time exploring the neighborhoods. The Altman family has been in Indiana for generations with deep roots across the state. His parents, Jon and Christine Altman, have been fixtures in the central Indiana community, working in real estate, development, law, and public service. His grandfather and uncle bought and ran the Studebaker plant in South Bend, Indiana--producing the famous “Avanti II” until 1982. With graduates from Indiana University, Purdue University, and the University of Notre Dame, the Altman’s represent a host of Indiana institutions. The family remains close—living and working where Nathan grew up. As he grew older, Nathan found and developed his passions, including robotics, design, and construction--all while fostering a role as a social organizer. Getting heavily involved in the innovative FIRST Robotics program at Carmel High School, Nathan began to really hone his creative and technical skills, while also learning to lead a team. He went on to design and build stage sets for the theatre department, and managed stage production of Cinderella. He was elected his freshman class president and went on to organize senior class charity events before graduation. During this time in his life, he also found time to start his first business. Nathan took his lawn-mowing-money and bought his first mower. Then a bigger one. Then a truck and trailer. Altman Pro Lawn grew into a serious, profitable business before Nathan was old enough to even drive the truck. Nathan went to Purdue University where he earned a degree in building and construction management in less than three years. Then he traveled the world--sometimes serving as crew on yachts sailing the high seas. He returned to help launch several new companies, invest in real estate with his dad and on his own, and to pour himself into the Indiana tech and development community. In 2010, he launched DeveloperTown, creating the first DeveloperTown “office” with his own hands. He helped organize, design and build The Speakeasy—a co-working space now with four locations around Indianapolis. Nathan has made a habit of buying, re-designing, and revitalizing properties all over the state, turning them into new, innovative, and useful spaces. With life, not everything works out the first time. Nathan launched a company called uFlavor, which while ultimately unsuccessful, taught many lessons that he has carried with him every day since. He went on to serve as COO for a successful start-up in San Francisco, Launch Media, as well as having his hands in a number of other entrepreneurial ventures. Nathan's love of creating and building with communities led him to several large-scale Bay Area art projects. Because of his construction expertise, he volunteered with and went on to lead the 2015 Temple build at Burning Man. Burning Man organizes an annual gathering of nearly eighty thousand people who create a temporary city in the Nevada desert to experiment with art, community, friendship, and exploration. The challenging nature of the desert environment and the talented, driven community inspired Nathan to take a full-time role with the organization. In 2016, Nathan managed hundreds of volunteers in the public works division, and in 2017 he led the design and construction of the famous “burning man.” For his work, he was given the nickname “Mary Poppins,” which alluded to his ability to drop in and bring joy, creativity, and order to whatever he touches--leaving it better than he found it.
Episode 26: Mike Kelly, Managing Partner, DeveloperTown As a leader, Mike Kelly (@michael_d_kelly), Managing Partner at DeveloperTown, is constantly reflecting and aiming to grow and improve, both personally and professionally. In this episode, you’ll hear why DeveloperTown, an employee-owned company that helps launch new digital products in the marketplace, created a physical environment conducive to creative thinkers. “People doing creative work need privacy, and they can’t be interrupted every 15 minutes,” Mike says. The solution? Each employee works in a tiny house on wheels, complete with a porch light that can be turned on to serve as a “do not disturb” signal. It’s just one of the ways the leadership team has intentionally woven values like respect into its culture. Over the years, Mike has developed a resilience by figuring out what really matters to him, and pushing through to achieve goals. Listen in as Mike explains how he uses multiple peer groups to help him grow and re-evaluate the way he interacts with his family, friends and employees. If you’re in a new leadership role, this episode is for you.
One of the most valuable experiences that entrepreneurs can learn from is the mistake that cost another entrepreneur their dream. Whether you’re building your first company or your tenth, entrepreneurship is full of uncertainty. And while success is always the goal, there are a thousand valuable lessons in startup failure. On today’s episode of the podcast you’ll hear from three serial entrepreneurs about the biggest mistakes to avoid when building a startup. First, you’ll meet Michael Cloran. This guy started his career on a bumpy road. His first hand in success was making a kid-safe internet venture. From there he started his biggest company, Interactions. While working there he got his first real display of technical debt. Learning from this experience, he founded Developertown to help other startups that don’t have extreme technical skills on staff. Dr .Todd Saxton teaches strategy and entrepreneurship at the IU Kelley School of Business and Kelley Direct, which is one of the best online MBA programs in the world. Dr. Kim Saxton is also a professor at the IU Kelley School of Business. Kim teaches marketing and works as an academic researcher studying how entrepreneurs work, fail and succeed. In addition to their lives in academia, both Todd and Kim are angel investors to several startups. The purpose of their book, The Titanic Effect, is to let founders know what to avoid in order to make a successful venture. The book launches next month, so this episode is a little bit of a preview. Tune into Igniting Startups to hear which mistakes broke good business ideas and how to avoid them yourself. In this episode on how successful startup teams can avoid startup failure with the authors of The Titanic Effect, Michael Cloran, Kim Saxton and Todd Saxton, you will learn: Which startup mistakes to avoid when building your new venture What market research you deserves your focus early on The importance of anticipating problems before they happen How to test the waters in a new market What you can do to build the most “unsinkable” startup in your market Please enjoy this conversation about how successful startup teams can avoid startup failure with the authors of The Titanic Effect, Michael Cloran, Kim Saxton and Todd Saxton! If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast.
In this episode, I sit down with Michael Kelly (https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldkelly/), one of the founders of DeveloperTown (https://www.developertown.com/), a co-founder of FullStack (https://www.fullstackpeo.com/), the founder of Tenant Tracker (http://www.tenanttracker.net/), a co-founder of Startup Competitors (https://startupcompetitors.com/), and he is an active investor/advisor/board member in a number of startups. We dive into why he created Startup Competitors. Mike explains how companies, especially SaaS, should do market research. That is where is company comes in. We dive deeper on what it take for good market research and what lessons Mike has learned from interviewing over 40 startups on his podcast, providing a market research for them, and building Startup Competitors. Special Guest: Michael Kelly.
When you’re busy building an innovative tech company, your time is at a premium. Crucial concerns like developing your product and finding customers usually take center stage, making it easy to put off the more mundane matters of payroll and benefits for your employees. But ignoring these HR issues for too long could seriously hurt your startup when it comes time to scale up. Our two guests today have years of experience dealing with HR processes in startups and fully understand how important they can be. The first is Mike Kelly, a serial entrepreneur, investor and co-founder of DeveloperTown, which helps companies large and small build and launch tech products. Joining him is Dawn Lively, a long-time HR professional and COO of FullStack, a turnkey HR solution designed especially for emerging tech companies. On this episode of the Igniting Startups podcast, Dawn and Mike explain why founders need to think about their HR policies and walk me through the essential processes any fast-growing startup should have in place to compete and grow in their market. We discuss how to keep teams running efficiently with clear-cut management processes, what policies you need to prioritize to hire and retain skilled talent, and which tasks you should try to outsource to HR service providers when you’re able. In this episode with Dawn Lively and Mike Kelly, you’ll learn: Why tech companies need good HR practices to attract and retain talent. --- How to balance your HR policies for the best impact on your team. --- Strategies and advice for building a winning company culture. --- How to handle performance reviews and the ideal way to let an employee go. --- Which team management and HR tasks you should try to outsource. --- The power of team rituals for developing culture. If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast. Check it out at powderkeg.com/itunes.
You know the tough conversations we want to have, yet do not always have? As allies, it is critical we talk candidly to achieve equality together. Duo technology leaders, Sena Hineline and Mike Kelly, share the candid conversation about gender that reinforced and set the tone for their workplace culture. Often leaders are not aware of how their decisions are perceived or the implications for cross-gender relationships. Their story illustrates how feedback is most valuable when given real-time and from a place of positive intent and trust. Because their culture is built on speaking your truth, and one to always be learning, it facilitated honest feedback in the moment, regardless of the power dynamic. Plus, they share their take on how to increase gender diversity in tech. Learn more about DeveloperTown at https://www.facebook.com/developertown, https://twitter.com/developertown, and https://www.linkedin.com/company/developertown/. Follow their other ventures on FullStack, Tenant Tracker, Startup Competitors, Startup Competitors podcast, and the Kelly Farms podcast. And, check out Sena's books at https://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Saga-Book-1-ebook/dp/B0070P98W4 and https://www.amazon.com/Discovery-Hunting-Saga-Book-2-ebook/dp/B00EM28E8W. Follow us @nextpivotpoint on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook and connect with us 1:1 at www.NextPivotPoint.com. We post daily about leadership, equality, and career development on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliekratz/.
A professional employer organization (PEO) is a firm that provides a service under which an employer can outsource employee management tasks, such as employee benefits, payroll and workers' compensation, recruiting, risk/safety management, and training and development. Fullstack PEO was born out of necessity with the technology startups launched with DeveloperTown and has now expanded to assist any technology startup in the state. (Fullstack PEO does cover 2 other states and many other industries). Services with Fullstack PEO may include payroll, administrative and operational HR support, strategic HR consulting, ancillary HR support, compliance, health, dental, vision, supplemental benefits, 401(k) management, and health and wellness programs. Special Guests: Dawn Lively and Michael Kelly.
Do you love the town you live in or do you long to move somewhere else? Have you ever thought about why you feel whatever way you do? I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately. I’ve lived in Bloomington Indiana for most of the last 25 years and the more people I meet, the more stories build the thread of this town in my mind, the deeper connection I have with this place. I’ve always seen Bloomington as an oasis. The college town in beautiful southern Indiana. People of all colors, shapes, and creeds, living in the conservative Midwest. As a teenager in the big flat city of Indianapolis, all I wanted was to get out of the Midwest, wanted to go back to San Diego, surf, get a tan. Instead, after a failed round of the local college, my parents talked me into the college town 50 miles away in the rolling hills of Southern Indiana. I sort of begrudgingly gave in. But it didn’t take long to fall in love with Bloomington then and like any good relationship, it’s gotten better with time. One thing I love about this town is the scattered nods to the big city. Walking through downtown there’s the bars with 100 year old grease on the walls from 100, upstairs pool halls with the same door guy as 30 years ago, Opera & Ballet. There’s a whole two block section of town with a restaurant from every nation you can think of. It’s not hard to get small tastes of the big city in Bloomington. Just enough some might say. Our guest on today’s show added to that list when she opened a new Café and Coffee bar called the Inkwell. The place is located dead in the heart of town. Across from the limestone courthouse building in the center square. The Inkwell is just the right kind of hole in the wall. It’s a long skinny place like you’d see in Brooklyn. Old brick walls show the wear of a hundred years and exposed metal heat vents bringing modern comforts through an aged plaster ceiling. But the interior design is crisp and modern. It’s understated and quiet. The food and the coffee do all of the talking. Tracy Gates had been planning the Inkwell for years. When a staple café closed she saw an opening. when she met Wally Wedrago, a local bicycle barista and coffee master, the stars aligned. It was time to go. We’re glad you joined us!
Have you ever had a good idea? One that was so obvious, so helpful, so ingenious that you couldn’t believe it didn’t already exist? You searched the web and couldn’t find anytime about it, you researched the patent list and it just wasn’t there. You sat in a darkroom late at night thinking “what is my next step?”. Well, if you idea has anything to do with technology, your first call might be to today’s guest Mike Kelly at DeveloperTown. Along with taking tech ideas from infancy to lauch, Mike and the DeveloperTown gang help large corporations turntheir tech ideas into reality. All of this happens in a huge warehouse with hundreds of tiny houses inside. As always, let’s start from the beginning: Here’s an overview: How it all Started Mike went grew up in a family that owned small retail businesses. He worked from the age of 9 in stock rooms. He got a healthy work ethic and sense of how money works from that. In college, Mike started a software consulting company and stuck with it for 10 more years. He would go into different businesses and address a specific issue or project in that business. He was always working on cool stuff and moving place to place but he never really learned how to resolve conflict because he could just leave. How did DeveloperTown Get Started? There were 5 founding partners led by Michael Korn. He brought together 5 people with different superpowers to start helping tech businesses start and grow. Originally, the founders want to help and invest in startups. But cash flow considerations drove them towards working with existing businesses. Now they do both. What are some insights about working with other people? Part of it is just practice. You have to learn to be in tense situations and crucial conversations and come out on the other end having made progress. Mike struggles at first. He could be aggressive and want things done his way. But he was self-reflective enough to realize the issue and committed to working on it. He read books like Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition and How to Win Friends & Influence People. He also starting participating in the martial arts, specifically Aikido. What he’s realized is that team is family and family works through things. That means handling your own issues with integrity and trusting everyone else to do the same. The DeveloperTown office is pretty weird. Why did you set it up this way? The office structure is based on the idea that creative people work best in their own private spaces. So they decided to build tiny houses instead of cubicles inside of a 20,000 square foot warehouse. Each employee has his/her own house and can decorate it however they see fit. The houses are on wheels. When a project begins, everyone who is working on it puts their houses in close proximity to each other. There are community work spaces as well so it’s a mix of both worlds. What have been some scary moments? The first was a time when they’d done over a million dollars worth of work for a company and hadn’t yet been paid. It had to do with purchase orders and delays in payment but Mike and the team of owners was starting to sweat pretty hard about covering payroll. They did finally get paid. The second is something Mike struggles with more consistently. The issue is how to scale the sales side of the business. The owners are passionate and are very comfortable talking about what they do, but hiring people into those positions has been a struggle. Until he can figure out the scalable solution it kind of a constant scary part of the business. What are a couple piece of advice for up and coming tech entrepreneurs? The first is to find people who will tell you the truth. The second is to research the market ten times over before building something. Maybe even build your marketing strategy and implement it prior to the build. Don’t build it until you know they’ll come. Special thanks to Mike Kelly for taking the time to share the DeveloperTown story with us. Learn more about us at: Our Site - www.shineinsurance.com Our Blog - www.shineinsure.com/blog Our Podcast - www.scratchentrepreneur.com Our Course - www.newhomebuyersguide.net
Randy attended Indiana University (I won’t hold it against him) and began the first decade of his career in Chicago. Eventually, he was led back to Indy and began working as a design partner for DeveloperTown. For lack of a better way of saying it, he’s completely obsessed with design. Mentioned in this episode: Origin story DeveloperTown What makes great designers and clients You can download this episode and subscribe on iTunes.
In the world of tech startups, entrepreneurs know that risk comes with the territory. But as your business grows, how do you remain agile like a startup while still insulated from that same risk? How do you innovate safely? DeveloperTown, an Indianapolis-based software consulting firm, is bringing startup energy and approaches to vital problems in enterprise-sized businesses. Going beyond just building a product, they nudge clients to solve a company-specific problem, with all its industry and human context. They've created everything from a football prediction app and counterfeit appliance tracker for manufacturers, to a drone-powered, thermodynamic system that tells farmers exactly what seeds and fertilizers to use where. I invited Mike Kelly, DeveloperTown's Managing Partner, to discuss his vision for the company's present and future in the enterprise ecosystem.
Today's episode is all about the environments we work in and the skills that contribute beyond the code. Jason Vasquez, CTO at Developertown, joins me as a guest. Today's episode is sponsored by Fuse! Build native iOS and Android apps with less code and better collaboration. Head over to spec.fm/fuse to learn more today!
Today's episode is all about the environments we work in and the skills that contribute beyond the code. Jason Vasquez, CTO at Developertown, joins me as a guest. Today's episode is brought to you by Linode. Linode Provides superfast SSD based Linux servers in the cloud starting at $5 a month. Linode is offering Developer Tea listeners $20 worth of credit if you use the code DEVELOPERTEA2017 at checkout. Head over to spec.fm/linode to learn more about what Linode has to offer to Developer Tea listeners .
A talented co-founder can be an incredible asset to an entrepreneur, providing a second set of shoulders to bear the responsibilities of business and a second opinion to test ideas against. The right co-founder can compliment your strengths, compensate for your weaknesses and make every aspect of the company better than you could make it by yourself. But don’t just take my word from it. Instead, listen to business partners, Scott Hill and Andy Medley, co-founders of the marketing tech company, PERQ. In the last episode of the Powderkeg Podcast (that’s episode 42 for those keeping count), I talked with Scott about his strength as a visionary with unique ability to see business opportunities where others can’t. Medley, on the other hand, is a masterful integrator who harnesses Hill’s visionary ideas into detailed and effective business plans. The two have leveraged their individual strengths to build PERQ into an innovative, world-class tech company in Indianapolis, IN. For this interview with Scott and Andy, I’m joined by my own business partner and the CMO of Powderkeg, Kevin Bailey. Together, we probe the PERQ cofounders for insights into their business partner relationship and get some incredible strategies for maximizing the benefits of any business partnership. Our guests share everything from advice on developing your roles as founders to tips for handling leadership disagreements and the inevitable days when you’re both feeling burnt out. I hope this episode teaches you a few invaluable lessons on harnessing the power of your co-founder or business partner relationship. Enjoy the show, and then give a shout to Scott “The Cheetah” Hill and Andy “The Horse” Medley on Twitter (@bizgamer and @andymedley, respectively) to show your appreciation for their advice and expertise! In this episode with Scott Hill and Andy Medley, you’ll learn: -- The ways a co-founder relationship can help each person develop their role -- How Scott and Andy work together as visionary and integrator -- Strategies for co-founders to deal with disagreements, bad days and burnout -- Advice for building and maintaining an outstanding company culture -- The importance of discipline and having a “harness” for your vision -- Why education and guidance are essential elements of continual business growth --- This episode of Powderkeg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast.
At Powderkeg, we believe every entrepreneur has their own personal superpower that makes them great at what they do. Scott Hill’s superpower is being a visionary—that is, being exceptionally capable of seeing opportunities that others can’t and understanding exactly how to prepare so he can seize them when the time is right. I met Hill at a pivotal time in my life, when I was still a college student in Bloomington, IN, and thinking about becoming an entrepreneur. Hill’s company, PERQ, was in print marketing at the time, and I was so inspired by what he was doing with his business that I committed myself to starting my own company shortly afterward. Hill later transitioned PERQ into the still-fledgling marketing tech space, taking the company in a groundbreaking new direction that has more than paid off in the years since. In this episode, Hill and I dive deep into what it truly means to be a visionary in business. We discuss some of the challenging tasks that visionary entrepreneurs are likely to undertake—such as developing an innovative product and pivoting their business to accommodate changing markets—as well as how founders can sharpen their own visionary skills (here’s a hint: it’s about practice more than anything else). We even touch on the special power that sharing stories has for entrepreneurs, which is a topic we’re both very passionate about. I hope this episode provides you with many helpful ideas for developing your own inner visionary. Follow Hill on Twitter @bizgamer for more great insights on being a visionary entrepreneur, and stay tuned to Powderkeg: Igniting Startups for more stories from innovative entrepreneurs, investors and top talent making waves outside Silicon Valley. In this episode with Scott Hill, you’ll learn: -- What it really means to be a visionary -- Tips for developing your skills as a visionary entrepreneur -- How to socialize your ideas and work toward a final product -- Actionable advice for transitioning your company into the tech space -- The power of visualizing the future you want for your business -- Why sharing stories is so important for entrepreneurs --- This episode of Powderkeg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast.
A brief glimpse at Rachael Qualls’ resumé will convince you that she’s a true innovator in the world of venture capital and angel investing. A brief meeting with her at a Powderkeg pitch night in Kansas City, MO, convinced me that I had to invite her on the podcast to share her deep knowledge of fundraising and investing with our community of entrepreneurs. Qualls has a decade of experience building and investing in companies, first among the flourishing tech ecosystem in Nashville, TN, and now in her hometown of Kansas City. She’s seen firsthand how difficult it is for founders to raise money, and she’s passionate about making it easier. Her current company, Venture360, aims to do this through a private equity portfolio management platform that helps entrepreneurs and investors close deals and track investments with fewer hassles. In our interview, Qualls gives in-depth and practical advice on all things fundraising, touching on such topics as researching investors, generating interest, assembling an appealing pitch deck and making a good impression at your first meeting. Qualls is also an expert on innovation, and she provides insight into the latest industry trends—online investing, crowdfunding and ICOs—and how they’re likely to revolutionize investing in the near future. This episode is packed with insider information that should provide valuable context for any founder or investor looking to increase their fundraising IQ. It should also be an enlightening resource for anyone interested in the current state of investing and the exciting places the industry is headed. In this episode with Rachael Qualls, you’ll learn: -- What it takes to scale an innovative tech business -- The biggest obstacles that prevent entrepreneurs from getting funded -- What she’s doing to get more people interested in venture and angel investing -- How the nature of investment is changing in response to tech and government legislation -- Why you should always be raising capital and detailed steps for doing so -- Expert tips for assembling your pitch deck and meeting with investors -- Why ICOs will be huge for the future of digital investing --- This episode of Powderkeg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast.
The U.S. healthcare industry is in the midst of a rapid evolution to accommodate changing government legislation, market pressures and technological opportunities. The environment is ripe for disruption by innovative startups, but health tech founders face a number of unique obstacles on the road to success. In this episode of Powderkeg: Igniting Startups, I sit down with health tech entrepreneurs Susan Bratton and Stryker Warren to learn more about these obstacles and how to surmount them. Bratton is a former Wall Street investment banker of 20 years and founder of Savor Health, a personalized nutrition solution for cancer patients. Warren, on the other hand, is a former founder and CEO of numerous healthcare companies, and he now primarily advises and invests in talented health tech founders like Bratton. Thanks to their combined years of experience in healthcare, Bratton and Warren provide me an insider's guide to overcoming operational and financial constraints and building high-growth health tech companies. In addition to this industry-specific knowledge, they also share insightful tips for assembling a team, conducting market research and planning for growth that can be utilized by founders in all industries. Enjoy the episode, and reach out to us on Twitter @PowderkegCo or in the comments below to let us know how we can continue making the podcast an invaluable resource for founders and startups across the country! In this episode with Susan Bratton and Stryker Warren, you’ll learn: -- Why and how the healthcare industry is evolving -- The importance of team building, perseverance and flexibility for startup success -- Strategies for conducting market research and planning your company’s growth -- Unique operational and financial obstacles faced by healthcare companies -- Why Nashville and New York are great cities to build a company outside Silicon Valley --- This episode of Powderkeg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast.
Following last month’s announcement that Powderkeg has officially become a product company, my team and I have been doing some intensive planning on how to build a world-class customer experience (CX). With this in mind, I sought out Haresh Gangwani of Bolstra and Don Aquilano of Allos Ventures for this episode to get the perspective and advice of two experts in the SaaS Customer Success space. Gangwani and Aquilano have a combined 30 years of customer success experience, Gangwani as a business operator and Aquilano as an advisor and investor. Gangwani previously served in various VP roles at the enterprise software company Aprimo, where he developed such a passion for helping customers get value out of a product that he later launched his own customer success SaaS startup, Bolstra. Meanwhile, Aquilano invested in and sat on the boards of both Aprimo and Bolstra, which helped him form a close working relationship with Gangwani and taught him the incredible value of customer success from a financial and advisory perspective. Our guests provided some truly invaluable insights on why and how to make outstanding customer success practices a secret weapon for your SaaS business. I know I’ll be heeding their advice as we create our new customer experience strategy for Powderkeg. Enjoy the show, and please leave us a comment below to let us know if you liked the episode! You can also reach out to Gangwani and Aquilano on LinkedIn (links below) to thank them for sharing some of their wisdom on the podcast. In this episode with Don Aquilano and Haresh Gangwani, you’ll learn: -- How Gangwani conceived of Bolstra’s customer success platform -- What a true mentor/mentee relationship looks like, and why you need one -- The big difference between customer success and customer support -- Bolstra’s process for driving customer success with their SaaS product -- Why charging for customer success actually makes economic sense -- Why you need to commit to customer success early in the life of your business --- This episode of Powderkeg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast.
Last Thursday evening, in front of an audience of more than 600 tech entrepreneurs, professionals and investors, I had the privilege of making a monumental announcement. My company, Verge—a community of over 10,000 members in 8 cities across the country—is merging with Powderkeg and reinventing itself as a product company that will continue to serve this incredible community in new and exciting ways. Over the coming months, my team and I will be building a software product that will connect our members to Events, Exposure and Education in ways that have never before been possible for us. In this episode of our podcast—which will continue to be a key component of our evolving mission—we’ve decided to share the pitch I delivered last week for the reimagined Powderkeg. I also pulled aside Mike Kelly from our Indianapolis-based partner, DeveloperTown, to provide high-level feedback on our initial product ideas as well as some expert insights you can apply to your own product-building process. As we embark on our new journey at Powderkeg, we’re so thrilled to be taking our whole audience with us and listening to your feedback at every step along the way.
My ongoing search for the best and brightest tech entrepreneurs outside Silicon Valley leads me to a lot of remarkable founders building incredible companies all around the world. But for this episode of Powderkeg: Igniting Startups, I decided I’d look closer to home and consult with a few gifted minds inside my very own office. Robert Harris and Kevin Bailey are my colleagues at Powderkeg and its parent company, Verge, and they’re also two of the smartest and most talented people I know. They both have years of experience scaling tech companies and launching multi-million dollar products, and I’m thrilled to have them serving now as my CTO and CMO, respectively. I can personally testify they’ve both done amazing work over the past few months building a new and exciting product of our own (but that’s a story for another day). Harris, Bailey and I go deep into all things product-related in this episode. From identifying market opportunities to building the first MVP and evolving the product to meet business needs, we touch on many of the important decisions you’ll need to consider throughout your product’s life cycle. As an added bonus, the two also share some exciting and hilarious stories of their past adventures in entrepreneurship and product creation. Enjoy the episode, and don’t forget to thank Harris and Bailey on Twitter @ilaunchtech and @KevinJBailey for sharing some of the wisdom and advice they’ve accumulated over the course of their impressive careers. And you should definitely consider updating your reading list with a few of the outstanding business books they recommend! In this episode with Robert Harris and Kevin Bailey, you’ll learn: -- All about their first experiences with product development -- The power of a guiding ideal, or “north star,” for your business or product -- Why you sometimes have to fundamentally change your business to scale effectively -- The role knowledge and intuition play in leading a business -- Expert advice on validating a product and identifying your target market -- Great products you can use as inspiration and guideposts in your own product development -- Their top three business book recommendations ---- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.com This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powderkeg.co/itunes
We talk a lot about the power of great mentors here on Powderkeg: Igniting Startups, and today I’m thrilled to introduce one of the most influential mentors I’ve had in my life. Tim Kopp is an experienced brand and digital marketer who’s taught me much of what I know as well as coached me throughout my evolving entrepreneurial journey. When I first met Kopp, he was CMO at ExactTarget, the Indianapolis SaaS startup that sold to Salesforce in 2013 for $2.5 billion. Prior to his time there, Kopp spent a decade with the world-renowned marketing teams at Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola, working on the front lines during the digital marketing revolution. He’s now a Partner at the Indianapolis branch of Hyde Park Ventures, where he continues to coach local tech startups and connect them to the access to the capital they need to grow. Kopp has learned many innovative marketing strategies over the years, and we dig into some of his best secrets in this episode. He also shares personal stories to illustrate his points, giving me an inside look into how he handled a marketing crisis at Coca-Cola and how he revamped ExactTarget’s marketing campaigns after taking over as CMO. Kopp is more than willing to share his wealth of knowledge, which extends far beyond what we had time to discuss in this interview. For even more industry-leading marketing advice, check out his blog at CMO to VC, which covers a wide variety of topics from leadership and venture capital to sales and marketing. Then find him on Twitter @tbkopp and let him know what you think about his insights! In this episode with Tim Kopp, you’ll learn: -- Why marketers are first and foremost agents for change -- Advice for finding a career path that suits your unique abilities -- How great mentors can help you discover your next career step -- Why marketers need to identify their company’s messaging and positioning first -- Proven strategies for revamping your company’s marketing efforts -- The true work VCs do above and beyond signing checks ---- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.com This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powderkeg.co/itunes
“Cash is king,” the old saying goes, and every entrepreneur will realize at some point along their journey that their business can’t run smoothly without a good financial model. But the intricacies of bookkeeping and accounting can be a bit daunting without a knowledgeable guide, which is why I found two to help me navigate this thorny issue. My first guest, Tom Gabbert, has 25 years of experience in financial management under his belt. He’s also the founder of mAccounting, an Indianapolis-based firm that provides controllership and CFO services to startups and small businesses that need some help with their finances. Joining him is Santiago Jaramillo, an entrepreneur based in nearby Fishers, IN and the CEO of Emplify, a mobile SaaS platform that helps companies assess employee engagement through surveys and analytics. Gabbert and Jaramillo joined me at the recording studio of one of our partners, Edge Media Studios, for Powderkeg’s first ever livestreamed episode. In this episode, we break down financing from both an accountant’s and an entrepreneur's perspective, exploring the topics of recurring revenue models, top-down vs. bottom-up business perspectives, balancing optimistic and conservative projections and much more. The nuggets of wisdom you’ll find in this episode will set you on the right track to building a money-smart business with potential to scale. And once you’re finished listening, I’d also like to point you to our free proud to offer a free financial cheat sheet, put together by our friends at mAccounting, that you’ll definitely want to look at if you have plans to raise capital anytime soon. In this episode with Tom Gabbert and Santiago Jaramillo, you’ll learn: -- Common mistakes to avoid when building your company’s financial model -- Tips for combating churn under recurring revenue models -- Why you need both top-down and bottom-up perspectives to grow your business -- How to balance optimistic and conservative financial projections -- Financial and legal considerations for companies preparing for acquisition or IPO ---- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.com This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powderkeg.co/itunes
Michael Litt (@michaellitt) is the CEO and co-founder of Vidyard, a leading provider of video hosting software for businesses and the kind of high-growth company you might expect to find in Silicon Valley. Although the company completed the prestigious Bay Area accelerator Y Combinator, it began and continues to operate in Kitchener, Ontario. CEO Michael Litt co-founded Vidyard in 2011, and the company has since raised over $60 million and gained world-class brands like LinkedIn, Lenovo, Sharp, Rockwell Automation, Honeywell and Cengage as customers. Litt credits much of Vidyard’s success to the thriving entrepreneurial communities of Kitchener and nearby Waterloo, as well as the co-op program at his alma mater, the University of Waterloo, that helped him build a company that solved a real business need. Litt and I met last year at the Salesforce user conference, Dreamforce, to record this interview. As we sat in the green room on beanbag chairs, Litt shared some of his most valuable secrets behind Vidyard’s growth. Among them are the foresight he had to take an amazing opportunity over a quick paycheck, his perseverance in the face of investors and customers saying “no,” and of course, the power that video can hold for enterprise businesses. When you’re finished listening to this week’s episode, head over to Vidyard’s website to learn more about the company and its products, and reach out to Litt on Twitter @michaellitt to tell him what you thought of the show. In this episode with Michael Litt, you’ll learn: -- How a co-op education can help you launch a successful business -- The kind of traction you can find by solving real problems in your industry -- Why you should sometimes choose a great opportunity over a large paycheck -- The most important kind of validation a startup can have -- Why you shouldn’t give up when someone says “no” -- How you can use video to pitch customers and investors ---- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.com This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powderkeg.co/itunes
If your business doesn’t have a clear, step-by-step process for turning curious consumers into paying customers, you could be losing revenue in missed opportunities. Fortunately, marketing whiz Russell Brunson provides expert advice in this week’s episode on capturing leads through the use of sales funnels and storytelling. Taking an early interest to marketing, Brunson has become an evangelist for sales funnels and the ability to fuel rapid business growth. His company, ClickFunnels, has helped 43,000 entrepreneurs build effective sales funnels and landing pages that attract more customers for their web-based business. ClickFunnels is on track to earn $70 million this year and is one of the several highly successful startups based in Boise, Idaho, that are putting the city on the tech map nationally. Brunson has authored two books and boasts an expertise in the critical role storytelling plays in marketing and sales. In our interview, he explains his tested and proven method for engaging audiences with the “epiphany bridge” script, recounts how ClickFunnels evolved into the high-selling SaaS product it is today and shares an underutilized sales funnel strategy that could revolutionize the way software companies market their products. After the episode, head over to RussellBrunson.com for more expert sales advice and behind-the-scenes updates on his business. I’ll also be giving away a free copy of his latest book, Expert Secrets, to one lucky listener. To be eligible to win, leave a comment below and let me know what you thought of this episode of Powderkeg: Igniting Startups. In this episode with Russell Brunson, you’ll learn: -- How inspirations early in your life can blossom into businesses later on -- Even big mistakes can be stepping stones to success -- How ClickFunnels evolved from in-house technology to a consumer software product -- The benefits of focusing your effort and attention on a single goal -- How to engage your audience using the “epiphany bridge” script -- Why business books can be incredible tools for generating leads ---- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.com This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powderkeg.co/itunes
Shane Mac, a Silicon Valley transplant from his hometown of Pekin, Illinois, is a master of building authentic relationships based on trust and personal connection. In fact, he’s so good at winning people over with his honest Midwestern brand image, that he’s learned how to raise capital without ever asking for money. I met Mac a few years ago at the Big Omaha conference in Omaha, Nebraska, and he’s consistently blown me away with his ability to grow funded companies ever since. He’s worked on the Gist and Zaarly teams, and he now runs Assist, a free-to-use travel and shopping chatbot for SMS and Facebook Messenger. This interview was recorded early last year, shortly after Mac closed a $5.5 million Series A round for Assist, which he achieved based on the strength of his professional relationships alone. Mac believes relationships are the backbone of any business venture, and he’s a devoted practitioner of what he preaches. In our interview, he shares counterintuitive but proven strategies for creating authentic connections and gaining interest in your business. He believes in closing fundraising rounds by consciously refraining from making a direct ask. He also regales me with a too-crazy-to-be-made-up story of how he closed Assist’s $500,000 seed round in five days—over a holiday break. If you like the wit and wisdom Mac shares in this interview, be sure to check out his podcast, ask., as well as his very unique and enlightening business book, Stop with the BS. Mac is very active on social media, so feel free to reach out to him on Twitter, Instagram and elsewhere @ShaneMac. In this episode with Shane Mac, you’ll learn: Why the best way to raise money is to avoid asking for it (5:16) Step-by-step strategy for attracting investors, including one crazy success story (9:18) How to build authentic business relationships based on trust (20:07) Asking someone to tell their story is the best way to get them interested in you (30:36) Why humility and gratitude are the keys to an outstanding pitch (37:45) Actionable tips for making potential collaborators like you (47:20) ---- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.com This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powderkeg.co/itunes
Heather Hartnett took a nontraditional path to the world of venture capital, and it’s ignited a great passion for enabling social change through technology and business. She now leverages her experience to help founders build better companies through commitments to diversity, personal wellness and positive impact. Hartnett began her career in venture capital but was quickly compelled to move into the philanthropy space, where she spent five years on the board of directors for the David Lynch Foundation. When she returned to venture capital, Hartnett decided to merge philanthropy and business through the lens of impact investing. She co-founded Human Ventures, a New York-based venture studio dedicated to building tech companies that make life easier and more fulfilling. Hartnett believes a company’s impact is determined by the people who run it. In our interview, she explains the benefits of diversity and how to nurture it in the tech industry, as well as how founders can avoid burnout through meditation and care for their emotional health. Ultimately, she illustrates how companies built on solid human foundations can be extraordinary forces for positive change in the world. Take a look at the Human Ventures website to learn more about the studio’s mission and portfolio companies, reach out to Hartnett on Twitter @HeatherHartnett to thank her for sharing her wisdom and enjoy the show! In this episode with Heather Hartnett, you’ll learn: --- How a background in philanthropy can help you in business --- Why the impact of your business is determined by its people --- The obstacles “non-traditional” founders should be prepared to face --- Strategies entrepreneurs and investors can use to nurture diversity in tech --- Why you need to take care of yourself as well as your business --- Tips for diversifying your knowledge base and creating your own luck ---- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.com This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powderkeg.co/itunes
Brand marketer and venture capitalist Dave Knox is an expert in relationships between large companies and startups, as he has extensive experience working in both worlds. Knox began his career at Procter & Gamble, where he consistently pushed the envelope in terms of marketing and digital innovation, eventually spearheading the company’s development of digital business strategies. He left the company in 2010 to co-found The Brandery, a startup accelerator in Cincinnati, OH, leveraging his seven years of corporate experience to advise local founders on their entrepreneurial journeys. In addition to his work with The Brandery, Knox also serves as Managing Director of WPP Ventures and CMO of Rockfish Digital. Knox has an astute understanding of the ways startups and corporations affect each other. In our interview, he explains why startups must strategically compete and cooperate with large companies to improve their capacity for innovation and disruption—which can ultimately lead to acquisition and profitable exits. If this episode leaves you eager for more of Knox’s keen insights into corporate-startup interactions, you’ll want to pick up his new book, Predicting the Turn: The High Stakes Game of Business Between Startups and Blue Chips. Purchase the book through the publisher’s website and enter the coupon code “powderkeg” for an exclusive $10 discount on your order. As bonus, I’ll also be giving away a free copy of the book to one lucky listener who comments on this episode! In this episode with Dave Knox, you’ll learn: -- The key to building your network outside of a major tech hub -- How to avoid falling prey to large companies that can “disrupt the disruptor” -- Corporate venture capital is the new R&D -- The difference between outsiders and disruptors -- The ongoing transition toward fully digital business models -- Why startups need to engage with large companies from the beginning -- Reasons you might want to work with corporate VC organizations ---- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.com This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powderkeg.co/itunes
Clint Smith is the co-founder and CEO of Emma, a SaaS company out of Nashville, TN, that has created a new standard of success for bootstrapping businesses and hosting innovative, engaging conferences. Smith and his co-founder conceived Emma’s email marketing platform in 2002 and took out a bank loan to fund their initial growth. By developing a healthy revenue model and focusing on customer acquisition from the start, they were able to break even on their cash flow only a year and a half later. Fast forward a decade of continued growth, and the Emma team started hosting its annual Marketing United conference, which is open to all marketing professionals in addition to the company’s customers. Nearly 1,000 people attended the 2017 conference last month, allowing the team to establish deeper relationships with their customers and re-energize the larger marketing community. In my interview with Smith, he shares the behind-the-scenes story of how he scaled Emma from an idea to an innovative email marketing company without investor funding. We also chat about how the Emma team is growing Marketing United into a leading conference for marketers between the coasts. In this episode with Clint Smith, you’ll learn: -- Why hosting a conference can benefit your customers and employees -- Mistakes to avoid when hosting your conference -- How he bootstrapped Emma from idea to profitability -- Why a solid revenue model is key for a young business -- The importance of finding an outstanding advisor -- Emma’s strategies for keeping pace with innovation ---- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.com This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powderkeg.co/itunes
The “Millennial Mentor” Gerard Adams is a thought leader for his generation and is rapidly becoming a role model for young entrepreneurs around the world. You probably know Adams as the co-founder of Elite Daily, an online news platform and the “Voice of Generation Y,” which sold to DMG Media for $50 million in January 2015. After leaving the company, Adams did some soul searching and started Fownders, a coworking accelerator in Newark, New Jersey. The Fownders program focuses not only on scaling businesses from idea to profitability, but also on developing each entrepreneur’s emotional intelligence, social skills, and leadership abilities. Adams aspires to be a true mentor to his peers, not just another businessperson selling the entrepreneurial lifestyle on social media. He comes from humble beginnings and has seen his share of highs and lows, which makes him very relatable to young entrepreneurs. In our interview, he explains why he is passionate about giving back to his community and empowering others, shares his best tips for authentically building an audience, and illustrates the power millennials have to shape the future. Adams is an active voice on social media. I highly recommend checking out his Instagram and Twitter profiles @GerardAdams, as well as his outstanding YouTube show, Leaders Create Leaders. My thanks go out to Adams for coming on the show, and I hope you find our interview as inspirational and insightful as I did. In this episode with Gerard Adams, you’ll learn: -- How his big exit inspired him to become a mentor to other entrepreneurs -- Why it’s important for entrepreneurs to give back to their community -- Best practices for building an audience -- The power millennials have to shape the future -- How a huge failure can lead to new opportunities -- What makes the Fownders program so unique ---- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.com This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powderkeg.co/itunes
Alicia Syrett is the founder and CEO of Pantegrion Capital, a seed and early-stage angel investment firm based in New York. You might know her better as a recurring panelist on CNBC’s Power Pitch or MSNBC’s Your Business, where you’ll see her fielding high-stakes pitches and coaching small business owners. Syrett began her career in private equity and has years of experience in financial analysis, recruiting, and early-stage startup investing. She brings her wealth of knowledge to our interview, giving me expert insights into all things fundraising. Syrett explains how to research investors for good fit with your business, what strategies you should use to approach them, and when you should start thinking about raising capital. You’ll also learn a few of her secrets for assessing a person’s character as well as netting high-visibility media exposure. Syrett is very active on Twitter, so follow her @AliciaSyrett and thank her for coming on the show. I also encourage you to read her book, MentHER, a practical business guide written especially for women entrepreneurs. Finally, if you’re a female startup founder and are looking for amazing advisors to serve on your board, you should consider applying to Synett’s Point 25 Initiative in New York City. The application deadline is May 15, so don’t delay! In this episode with Alicia Syrett, you’ll learn: -- An experienced recruiter’s tips for reading people (16:05) -- Her advice for anyone who wants to get into angel investing (29:23) -- The right way to research and approach investors (35:00) -- When to raise money and what kind of financing you should seek (42:28) -- Secrets for getting high-profile media exposure (52:58) -- How to use inexperience as an asset rather than a liability (59:25) ---- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.com This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powderkeg.co/itunes
On the first 25 episodes of Powderkeg: Igniting Startups, we’ve been able to share dozens of best practices and actionable insights through interviews with leading tech entrepreneurs, investors, and thought leaders. We’ve also learned the personal stories of each guest and have witnessed some powerful moments of vulnerability and authenticity. Some of our favorite segments on the show have come from these great spur-of-the-moment stories told by our guests. In this week’s special episode, we revisit six of the most engaging stories that provide crucial advice for founders and entrepreneurs. You’ll learn how to effectively tell your company’s story, start building an audience of followers, nail your pitch to investors, deal with rejection, and reframe your perception of adversity. This episode features the most compelling snippets from six conversations, but we highly encourage you to listen to the full interviews for even more knowledge and practical advice from some of the brightest minds in tech. You can find links to the full interviews in the “Links and Resources” section below, as well as a selection of related Powderkeg episodes that touch on the same topics. We promise you won’t be disappointed. In this episode featuring the Best of Powderkeg, you’ll learn: -- All great entrepreneurs are also great storytellers (KA) -- How to tell your story in a way that will interest others (CH) -- Why you need to build and audience and tips to help you get started (PS) -- Best practices for nailing your pitch to investors (KN) -- The importance of socializing ideas and dealing with rejection (JL) -- Why you should stop worrying and view challenges as opportunities (MY) ---- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.com This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powderkeg.co/itunes
Sean Ellis and Morgan Brown are the world’s leading experts on growth hacking. The two first worked together at Qualaroo, a marketing SaaS solution they grew to millions in recurring revenue before Ellis sold the company in 2016. At the same time they were working on Qualaroo, they were also building a community of innovative marketers on Ellis’ GrowthHackers website. With Brown serving as the interim Head of Growth, the duo built GrowthHackers into a definitive learning platform, software solution, and talent pool for companies that want to supercharge their growth. Ellis and Brown sat down with me to chat all things growth hacking. In our conversation, they explain why marketing is crucial for startups, detail how they built the GrowthHackers community through hard work and commitment, and illustrate the transformational impact successful growth hacking can have on your business. If you’d like to dig deeper into growth hacking tips and strategies, you should check out Ellis and Brown’s upcoming book on the subject, Hacking Growth, which is scheduled to be released on April 25. They’ll also be speaking at the GrowthHackers Conference 2017 on May 24 alongside the Heads of Growth from high-profile companies like Spotify, Pandora, Uber, and more. Finally, I highly recommend GrowthHackers’ GrowthMaster Training Course, which you can enroll in at a special discounted rate by visiting growthhackers.com/training. In this episode with Sean Ellis and Morgan Brown, you’ll learn: --Why marketing makes or breaks startups --How great business partnerships can begin unexpectedly --Tips for making big business decisions --The hard work and dedication required to build a community --Hacking Growth’s playbook for companies looking to scale --How growth hacking principles created a breakthrough for LogMeIn ---- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.com This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powderkeg.co/itunes
Brian Clark is a serial entrepreneur of several seven-figure online businesses, including Rainmaker Digital (which is actually now an eight-figure software company), where he currently serves as CEO. And guess what? He did it all without moving to Silicon Valley OR raising any venture funding. He did it with content marketing! Brian and I recorded this interview at an interesting time, just before he launched his Unemployable podcast, which now reaches more than tens of thousands of subscribers. And you’ll see why after this interview... Brian Clark is a pioneer in the $44 billion content marketing industry. He’s been building businesses with online content marketing since 1998, before anyone used that term. He’s amassed a massive following and you can find him on social @brianclark or even @copyblogger, which is the publication Brian launched in 2006. Copyblogger started as a simple one-man blog at Copyblogger.com. Today they're known as Rainmaker Digital — a digital commerce company with more than 200,000 unique customers — and they've grown using useful content, smart copywriting, and exceptional products and services. Taking an unusual path for a software company, Rainmaker Digital didn’t look for venture capital to fund the development of its new platform. Instead, the company grew to $12 million in annual revenue and more than 200,000 unique customers — without advertising — thanks to the power of content marketing that builds and serves an audience. Since 2010, they’ve grown from a small team to 65 smart, passionate people across the globe. The company is based in Boulder, Colorado, but everyone at Rainmaker Digital is free to live and work wherever they want. As I mentioned, this is an old recording, but I’ve never released it…. I’ve been sitting on it. Waiting for the right moment, until we had a big enough audience to really soak in the value and get the biggest impact of this episode. Since this recording, Brian launched Unemployable, a KILLER podcast with an incredible audience. You can check all of it out at unemployable.com. You’ll want to subscribe after listening to this episode because Brian’s a super-smart tell-it-like-is guy. Totally unconventional and if you’re anything like me... you’re going to love him. In this episode with Brian Clark, you’ll learn: — The unexpected benefits of being “unemployable” — Why you need to build an audience (using content marketing) before doing anything else — How big “level-up” moments can change your career — Tips for building a business with agile development principles — The importance of creating robust processes — Why you can’t let new technology distract you from the fundamentals Please enjoy! ---- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.com This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powderkeg.co/itunes
Knowledge comes with experience, and Jeff Leventhal has 25 years of experience in the tech startup world, including leading five companies from idea to exit and investing in many others. It’s an understatement to say he’s learned a few things on his entrepreneurial journey. Leventhal’s great professional passion has been using technology to facilitate the delivery of professional services. His current iteration on solving this problem is WorkRails, a SaaS solution that helps other software companies sell and deliver their products. He’s also a Partner at BOLDstart Ventures, a “first check” investor for enterprise software founders. Leventhal is great at telling engaging stories, and he transfers much of his wisdom through personal anecdotes. She shares some of his best tales in our interview, providing insights on acting in harmony with your internal wiring, socializing your business ideas and evaluating feedback, and building a team that will impress investors. My thanks go out to Leventhal for letting me pick his brain and giving me with a few good laughs during our conversation. Check out Leventhal's LinkedIn page to learn more about his long and impressive career, and have fun listening to this episode of Powderkeg: Igniting Startups. In this episode with Jeff Leventhal, you’ll learn: -- Why big career decisions often come down to your personal “wiring” -- A cheap, easy way to perform market research -- The six “value creation moments” of a startup -- How to win over VCs with the strength of your team -- High-level tips for socializing your ideas and receiving criticism -- Why New York City is a natural environment for entrepreneurs to flourish Please enjoy! ---- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.com This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powderkeg.co/itunes
Meeting the right people at the right time can catapult your business to the next level. But it’s difficult to make connections that go deeper than a LinkedIn invite, and it's far too easy to play it safe at networking events, which makes forging authentic relationships that much harder. David Olk is the cofounder and CEO of Voray, a company that facilitates small-group networking dinners. A Voray event is hosted by a key influencer in an industry who invites a select group of their close friends and colleagues to help create new connections between them. The intimate, curated nature of Voray events fosters meaningful and long-lasting business relationships between people who share common goals and have actually spoken in person. Olk has become a master connector over the course of his career and genuinely loves to help people build relationships. In our interview, he shares many of his secrets for meaningful networking and effective business building, including the most surefire ways early-stage businesses can find traction and how to work with four different types of people you’ll find in your network. I’m very grateful that Olk agreed to come on the show and teach the community how to create more valuable business relationships—a topic I'm personally passionate about. Enjoy the episode, and follow Olk on Twitter or through his personal blog for more insights into the mind of a networking expert. In this episode with David Olk, you’ll learn: -- How connections can change your career path for the better -- Keys to finding success with an early-stage business -- The importance of checking your ego and emotions -- The four types of people in your network and how to interact with them -- How and why to say “no” sometimes Please enjoy! ---- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.com This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powderkeg.co/itunes
It takes guts, grit, and an uncommon dose of wisdom to lead a business team. Sameer Dholakia has all three qualities, plus two decades of leadership experience in enterprise software. Dholakia is the CEO of SendGrid, one of the world’s premier email delivery services. SendGrid serves 50,000 customers and delivers 1.3 billion emails each day—more than double Twitter’s daily Tweet volume. In addition to its classic transactional email API, SendGrid more recently rolled out an email marketing product that has already been adopted by 5,000 users. Dholakia is an experienced tech executive with a love of history and a passion for building strong teams and big businesses in the enterprise software industry. In our interview, he shares his most effective leadership habits, including the importance of humility, how to foster an outstanding company culture, and strategies for turning around a dire financial situation. I’m so grateful Dholakia took the time to share so much of his knowledge and experience with the Powderkeg community, and I admire his resolve to always keep improving himself and his company. Connect with him on Twitter @spdholakia to share your appreciation, and enjoy the show. In this episode with Sameer Dholakia, you’ll learn: -- How you can begin using email marketing tools for your startup -- Strategies for launching a new product within your existing brand -- The only mistake in business you can’t recover from -- Why you should be a humble leader -- How to dig yourself out of a bad financial situation -- The two biggest challenges SaaS companies face -- How to create an exceptional company culture Please enjoy! ---- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.com This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powderkeg.co/itunes
Erica Duignan Minnihan knows what investors like to see in startups, and she knows the difficulties founders face meeting those expectations. She has more than 10 years of experience in early-stage startup investing, and now she’s out to help both investors and entrepreneurs be better at their jobs. Minnihan is currently the Managing Partner at 1000 Angels, a digital venture investment platform launched by OneVest that helps independent investors around the world assess potential deals and build their personal portfolios. She also runs the CoFoundersLab Virtual Accelerator, a six-week online program that teaches founders all the basics of starting up with fewer constraints than brick-and-mortar accelerators. Minnihan was kind enough to invite me into her New York City apartment and let me pick her brain on all things investing and starting up. In our interview, she lays out the basics of the CoFoundersLab accelerator program, explains how to draw up a roadmap for building your business or product, and shares some of the most important things that investors look for in founders and their startups. My thanks go out to Minnihan for taking some time to educate the community on the important topics of business planning and investing. Connect with her on Twitter @ericaminnihan, or check out the virtual accelerator if you’re interested in jump-starting your business, and enjoy this episode of Powderkeg: Igniting Startups. In this episode with Erica Duignan Minnihan, you’ll learn: — How 1000 Angels is unique from other angel groups — Why you need to have a marketing plan for your product — Why investors like founders with empathy — How to draw a roadmap for building a new business or product — The easiest way to determine if you have product-market fit — Why you need to have a sound financial model for your business — What you should and shouldn’t include in your investor pitch Please enjoy! ---- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.com This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powderkeg.co/itunes
Max Yoder is a lifelong learner and trailblazer who knows that clearly-defined processes empower employees to level-up their quality of work from average to exceptional. Yoder is the cofounder and CEO of Lessonly, a team learning software platform that lets companies capture internal knowledge, best practices, and team policies as searchable and assignable step-by-step lessons. Lessonly currently helps half a million users from hundreds of companies learn the processes they need to excel in their work (Lessonly.com). Yoder shares some of his most valuable insights on team building, team learning, and building a great company culture. Our conversation exposes how feats that look like magic are just processes, why you need to have difficult conversations with your teammates, how to be a great team player, and how to worry less and view challenges as opportunities. But Max and I also end up playing some of his original music, and he teaches me how to play one of his songs on his new album. We recorded this episode of Powderkeg with the help of our partners, Edge Media Studios, based in Indianapolis. And Max and I brought a few musical instruments with us to the studio, so make sure you check out the part where Max teaches me one of his latest songs he wrote. I had a blast recording this episode with Max. He’s a very down-to-earth guy with a great sense of humor who loves helping others succeed, and I’m honored he took the time to chat. Connect with him on Twitter and Instagram (@maxyoder) and on his website, MaxYoder.com. Enjoy this podcast with Max Yoder! You’ll learn: — How to approach things that look like magic and turn them into processes — How to be an effective team player — The 3 best culture tips for small teams — The power of hiring the right teammates — How the right investors will guide your business to success — Why you should stop worrying and view challenges as opportunities Please enjoy! ---- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.com This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powderkeg.co/itunes
Emerson Spartz has hunted down and capitalized on patterns in business since he was 12 years old. Fast-forward 18 years, and Spartz is the CEO of Dose, a digital media company that reaches 200 million Millennials every month with content designed to provide fresh ideas, knowledge and perspectives. Spartz is also one of the world’s leading experts on virality, having extensively studied its patterns and used what he learned to build his media company that was onced composed of more than 30 unique websites. In our interview, Spartz lets me in on his secrets for effectively learning new information, his best strategies for negotiating deals, the power of doing “comfort zone challenges,” and of course, how virality really works. He’s an extremely well-read guy who’s practically bursting at the seams with knowledge, and I’m grateful that he’s more than willing to share some of his insights. Head over to Spartz’s personal website to connect with him and learn more about his journey, and please enjoy the interview to learn about virality and the power of patterns in business. In this episode with Emerson Spartz, you’ll learn: — The secret to making any business project a success — How you can learn to be successful by studying the lives of successful people — Strategies you can use to get better at learning — The two best tactics for becoming a better negotiator — Why doing “comfort zone challenges” will make you a better businessperson — The art and science behind virality Please enjoy! ---- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.co This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powderkeg.co/itunes
“Pivoting” might seem like a dirty word in business, but Jenny Blake has learned to embrace it. Not only that, but she’s built her career around it, becoming a business strategist, keynote speaker, and author who teaches others the positive value of pivoting. Blake is the author of Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One, and the creator of the Pivot Method, which distills all the wisdom she’s gained throughout her career to teach you how to change your business direction without falling on your face. Blake learned the virtues of pivoting by doing it many times throughout her career. After spending two years at a technology startup in Palo Alto, she landed a job at Google as a product trainer for AdWords. She stayed there for five years, training more than 1,000 employees and building her public speaking and career coaching skills, before she pivoted once more and set out to become a solopreneur. She now speaks and holds workshops on the Pivot Method around the world, at companies like Intuit and Pimco, universities like Yale and MIT, and conferences like TEDxCMU and the World Domination Summit. She also runs the Pivot Podcast, which started as a passion project while she was writing Pivot and has grown into a forum for world-renowned authors and businesspeople to share their advice on how to seize opportunities and pivot like pros. Jenny has so many great stories and insights to share in our interview, from the health benefits of practicing yoga to why reading will make you a better person. She also talks about how to get over your fears of public speaking, how meditation will make you a better entrepreneur, and how you can use the Pivot Method to succeed in business and improve your personal life. In this episode with Jenny Blake, you’ll learn: — Why you should be listening to the Pivot Podcast — How realizing that courage is hard will help you succeed — How to use your job as training for entrepreneurship — How to conquer a fear of public speaking — Exercises you can do to calm your nerves and clear your mind — How meditating will make you a better entrepreneur — Why you should be doing yoga — How to be more successful by taking care of your mental and physical health — How to use the Pivot Method to improve your personal life — How to successfully pivot in business and life — How to succeed in your career by embracing pivots — Why reading will make you a better person ---- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.co This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powederkeg.co/itunes
Michael Sacca is a modern renaissance businessman who inspires tens of thousands of entrepreneurs each week with his podcast Rocketship.fm and has climbed the ranks to become the President of a multi-million dollar business that supports companies and creators across 30 countries. He’s leveraged his experience in a wide array of roles—like coder, podcaster, web design consultant, product developer and sales lead—to grow his skillset as an entrepreneur, leading to several successful business ventures and, eventually, a leadership role at someone else’s company. He recently became the President of Crew, a business that matches freelance web designers and coders with companies in need of their services. His ambition, leadership skills and experience as a jack-of-all-trades wowed his superiors and fueled his rise through the ranks after starting there as a partnership manager. Meanwhile, he continues to run Brandisty, a web platform for storing and distributing brand assets, and Rocketship.fm, a podcast for entrepreneurs that reaches tens of thousands of listeners twice a week. Michael has a truly impressive toolbox of talents, but he’s very down-to-earth and honest about the sometimes haphazard nature of his career progression, which has at times been motivated simply by the need to make a buck. In our interview, he also opens up about his teenage years buying and selling Smashing Pumpkins concert tapes online, how he’s managed to change his mindset as he moved from role to role, the stresses and challenges of becoming a leader, and how nobody in business has all the answers all the time. Michael is very active around the internet, and there are lots of different ways you can continue to follow his story. For starters, you can tune into Rocketship.fm to get exclusive insights from his interviews with the brightest minds in tech and entrepreneurship. You can also find him on Twitter @michaelsacca, follow his posts on everything that has to do with freelancing on the Crew blog, or read up on his latest adventures and musings over on Medium. In this episode with Michael Sacca, you’ll learn: — How trading concert tapes online prepared him for entrepreneurship — How to start a business as a web design consultant — Why necessity can be a good motivator for your career — Why you should quit your business if it’s making you miserable — How to decide to end one business venture and embark on another — How to transition from being your own boss to being someone else’s employee — How Crew helps freelancers and project owners work with each other — How to land a leadership position where you work — The stresses that come with leadership roles — How to lead and inspire a distributed team — Why you don’t have to be perfect to be an entrepreneur ---- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.co This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powederkeg.co/itunes
Derek Andersen was a bit of a world traveller growing up, as his family split their time between several countries in Europe and their home in Tampa, Florida. He kept traveling as an adult, jetting all around the globe to build startup communities and connect with entrepreneurs, wherever they were. These communities are part of Startup Grind, an organization that nurtures startup ecosystems through events, media and partnerships with organizations like Google for Entrepreneurs. Andersen founded Startup Grind in 2010 with one location in Silicon Valley. Today, it’s active in nearly 100 countries around the world, including over 200 cities. Over the years, Startup Grind has helped millions of entrepreneurs find mentorship, connect to partners and hires, pursue funding, and reach new users. Although Andersen is now settled in Redwood City, CA, it’s pretty obvious that his influence reaches far beyond the borders of California. In our interview, Derek talked with me about the beginnings of Startup Grind, how he gets the most out of every interaction at a conference, and why VC funding isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be. He’s met a ton of famous business people over the years, and he also opened up about his favorite interviews and the fact that even tech giants are people, too. Startup Grind has a ton of exciting stuff going on these days, including the rollout of their new event-hosting software (discussed in detail in this episode) and their 2017 Global Conference later this month. The conference includes an exhibition of 125 startups, and you can visit StartupGrind.com/startup if you want to apply to showcase your company! Derek is a friendly, welcoming guy who’s happy to help you with your entrepreneurial journey if he can. You can find him on Twitter @derekjandersen, or you can shoot an email to derek@startupgrind.com if you’d like to get in touch. In this episode with Derek Andersen, you’ll learn: — How to work with people at big companies — What’s going on in Silicon Valley right now — How Startup Grind got started — Why the best startups usually begin as side projects — Why big names in tech are people like you and me — How to get the most out of a conference or event — Why he got into the events industry — Why you might NOT want to accept VC funding — All about Startup Grind’s new event-hosting software — What to expect at Startup Grind’s upcoming global conference ---- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.co This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powederkeg.co/itunes
Paul Singh is embracing the changing nature of the venture capital—or VC—game. Formerly a partner at 500 Startups, an international VC seed fund and startup accelerator, Singh noticed that high-growth tech companies were starting to pop up all across the U.S. If he wanted to invest in the very best startups in the country, then waiting for founders to fly out to Silicon Valley and come to him wasn’t the best method anymore. Singh decided he had to go to them. He founded Results Junkies with his wife and started road-tripping across the country in a pickup truck and custom Airstream trailer, hosting events for entrepreneurs, meeting investors and visiting incubators and coworking spaces. Last year, he stopped in 42 cities and met with 20,000 entrepreneurs and 1,200 early stage startups, seeking out the very best talent to invest in. And he’s doing it even bigger this year. I’m so grateful Paul took some time to chat with me about the lessons he learned working in his hometown of Ashburn, Virginia as well as San Francisco, the role he believes venture capitalists should play in improving cities and towns across the nation, and what drives him to keep achieving better things (it’s fear!). He also has insightful advice for anyone looking to build a company or create a startup community outside of the big coastal cities. The good news for entrepreneurs outside of Silicon Valley is that technology really is a great equalizer. Keep an eye on ResultsJunkies.com for more of Paul’s thoughts on starting up outside the Valley and to follow the progress of his traveling VC firm. If you want to get in touch, you can find him on Twitter @paulsingh and on Facebook. In this episode with Paul Singh, you’ll learn: — Why it's so important to be able to sell yourself (and how to do it) — What the most powerful motivating force is for Paul, and how he uses it — His plans for Results Junkies in 2017 — How technology gives you freedom to do what you want — How company building and community building are related — Ways to spread a business idea outside of the Valley Please enjoy this episode with Paul Singh! -- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.co This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powederkeg.co/itunes
Jay Baer is a social media expert, consultant, thought leader, keynote speaker, podcaster, startup investor, and NY Times bestselling author of five books. He’s the most retweeted person in the world among digital marketers, which makes him practically a celebrity in that industry. Baer is best known for founding Convince & Convert, a conversion rate optimization (or CRO) blog turned consulting firm focusing on social media marketing and customer service. He and his team work with some of the best brands in the world, including Adidas, Allstate, Cisco, Oracle, and even the United Nations. Meanwhile, the C&C blog continues to be ranked among the very best content marketing blogs on the web, and their Social Pros podcast has been named one of the best podcasts for entrepreneurs in 2017. Last year, Baer published his fifth book, Hug Your Haters. It’s all about how critical it is to listen to feedback from your customers—especially the ones who hate you. This is the first modern book on customer service, and it’s essential reading for anyone who cares about their business. Jay sat down with me at the Convince & Convert headquarters in Bloomington, IN to talk about his journey as an entrepreneur, the importance of networking, how to tackle customer service in the age of Yelp reviews, and so much more... In this episode with Jay Baer, you’ll learn: — How to handle disgruntled and dishonest customers — Why your business network is your most important asset (and how you can develop a world-class network like Jay) — How to approach customer service in the digital age — The psychology behind customer service — The importance of loving your haters Jay is an Amazing storyteller, so you’re in for a treat. Please enjoy this interview with Jay Baer. -- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.co This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powederkeg.co/itunes
Rodney Williams is the Founder and CEO of LISNR, one of the most disruptive companies in the IoT space and the world of mobile connectivity. You can find Rodney on Twitter (@rodneybwilliams) on twitter and his company at LISNR.com. LISNR was launched in 2012 around the core premise that sound can do more. More specifically, using sound to connect more people and devices in ways that had never existed before. LISNR has grown into the world’s most advanced ultrasonic technology. Their team has created an ultrasonic or inaudible technology; a communication protocol that sends data over audio. They use ultrasonic audio called Smart Tones™ to transmit information. They’ve accomplished functionality that engineers and innovators said was impossible. LISNR is seriously one of the most disruptive companies in the IoT (or internet of things) space. They’ve raised nearly $15M in capital and have won awards such as a Gold Lion @ Cannes for Most Innovative Mobile Technology and CNBC’s Disruptor 50. And he’s done all of this headquartered out of Cincinnati, Ohio. Yes, he’s a fellow midwestern entrepreneur, so we were like kindred spirits from the first second of this interview. Rodney is an innovative strategic thinker who is obsessed with the ways technology will improve our everyday life. He has 4 degrees but most notably two masters, one of which is an M.B.A. from Howard University. And he’s got a cool story, because he spent 4 years at Procter & Gamble as a brand manager and is most noted for being the first marketer there to co-write digital patents. In this interview, you’ll learn: — How Rodney broke free from cubicle nation and started his own company — Some creative and unique approaches to problem solving — And some very insightful perspectives on marketing Plus so, so much more. In my conversation with Rodney, he shares his greatest lessons in marketing, hustle, and building technology that has the potential to disrupt massive industries. You’ll hear about what one tech entrepreneur learned throughout his business education, starting with his childhood startup, his 4 degrees (including two masters), and real-life experience at working at one of the world’s largest companies. Rodney is a fun guy to talk to, which makes him just as fun to listen to. So, please enjoy this interview with Rodney Williams… -- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.co This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powederkeg.co/itunes
Mike Dillard is a serial entrepreneur who is creating a new technology that you’ll be able to put in your house and will supply all of the organic produce that you would want on a monthly basis. In order to bring his idea to life, Dillard teamed up with some entrepreneurial heavy hitters including Peter Diamandis, who is the founder of X Prize and Singularity University. And Dillard’s entrepreneurial path prepared him to make a big impact with this audacious venture. Mike started first business over a decade ago in an unexpected industry — network marketing. That company turned into a multiple-eight-figure business as Mike mastered the art of internet marketing. He was young and did what a lot of young entrepreneurs do after an early success—he blew a bunch of money. That’s what prompted Mike to dive into the world of finance and investing. He started a business in that world, and did $3 million in revenue in first 7 days. He did eight figures in the first year, and served over 50,000 customers in the first 3 years. In this interview, Mike shares some insights and experiences that can help you make an incredible impact in the lives of others. We’ll talk about how he made his first millions in business during his twenties only to lose it all and fall into a depression. Mike’s comeback story is inspiring, but also includes actionable strategies to manage your psychology, leverage your strengths, and seize opportunity. In 2015, Mike launched company with the sole purpose to generate the funds to fuel his innovative ag-tech business that aims to completely disrupt the food and agriculture industry. That company he started in 2015 is SelfMadeMan, which has become the #1 Self-Help podcast on itunes. It has an enormous community that brings mentors into your world who can help you build a life of excellence in business, relationships, health, finance, and legacy. He’s interviewed people like Daymond John, Chris Sacca, and Chase Jarvis. In this interview, Mike shares how he built his platform and how it’s enabled him to bring on business partners like Peter Diamandis, founder of X-prize and Singularity University who has teamed up with Dillard on his new ag-tech company. In this conversation we talk about that new venture, as well as all of the ups and downs that led him to up to this pivotal moment. Follow Mike (@mike_dillard) on twitter and at www.MikeDillard.com. He’s got an amazing community there, so I suggest joining his email list. I’m so grateful for Mike’s transparency and humility in sharing the stories in this interview. And I’m so inspired by his mindset and execution that has helped him excel. -- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.co This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powederkeg.co/itunes
Kara Nortman is the co-founder of Seedling and partner at Upfront Ventures. In this interview she recounts her evolution as a creative child from an adventurous family, to her role as a partner in the largest and most tenured venture capital fund in Los Angeles. Armed with an AB in Politics and an MBA from Stanford, Kara Nortman found herself the only person from business school attending a C++ class when she interned at Microsoft more than a decade ago. Before that, she delved deep into esoteric stuff, sailing across uncharted waters (talk DSL and IP switches) just to make her job as telecoms industry analyst at Morgan Stanley more fulfilling and meaningful. To Kara, so much lies beyond our comfort zones. For her, true entrepreneurs need to “dig past their limitations” to make the impossible possible. But for this to happen, entrepreneurs must have resilience, self-awareness, and passion for what they do. Join Kara as she walks us through her formative years, from family trips that gave her a broader perspective, to her role as a VC evaluating the business viability of startups. Find out what makes a good pitch, and which traits differentiate successful entrepreneurs from those who won’t make the cut. In this episode you’ll learn: — How Kara’s upbringing influenced her evolution as a top-tier entrepreneur. — The important role love of learning and discovery plays in achieving entrepreneurial success. — The importance of finding mentors even at the point where you can mentor budding entrepreneurs and leaders yourself. — Why being passionate also matters in the art of investing. — Which entrepreneurial traits venture capitalists commonly look for. — Why entrepreneurs should also conduct due diligence on the particular investors they are pitching to as much as the other way around. — The factors making Los Angeles a highly attractive venue for innovation, entrepreneurship and business growth. Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.co This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powederkeg.co/itunes
Gabriel Weinberg is the founder and CEO of DuckDuckGo, an Internet search engine that doesn’t track you or your personal data (https://duckduckgo.com/). And in an industry dominated by goliaths like Google and Yahoo, DuckDuckGo does more than 3 billion searches per year. Weinberg is the author of Traction: A Startup Guide to Getting Customers, and it has become the field manual for tech entrepreneurs, growth hackers, and marketers around the world. This framework has been used by founders like Jimmy Wales (Wikipedia), Alexis Ohanian (Reddit), and Paul English (Kayak.com) to build some of the biggest companies and organizations in the world. You can find Gabriel on Twitter at (@yegg), but he’s also a prolific writer on the blogging platform Medium, and fairly active on AngelList with more than a dozen investments he’s made into innovation-driven companies (@yegg). This conversation with Weinberg is a masterclass on getting more customers for your business or idea. Today Gabriel and I talk about: — The best strategies from his book Traction: A Startup Guide to Getting Customers — Why he decided to compete against big companies like Google — How he gained traction as a search engine — And why he’s growing his tech company from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.co This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powederkeg.co/itunes
Luis Garcia is one of the most influential people on Instagram. As of the publication of this podcast, Garcia’s three Instagram accounts alone (@AgentSteven, @MotivationMafia, and @PositiveVibesQuotes) have more than 6 million followers and get more than 30 million impressions a week. Garcia is the founder of Ambition Media (www.ambitionmedia.co), an influencer marketing agency that has built a network of Instagram brands with more than 100+ million followers. Ambition Media has landed clients like Vayner Media founder Gary Vaynerchuk and Shark Tank star Daymond John, and is on track to have its first seven-figure year in 2017. You can follow Luis on Instagram at @LawOfAmbition and join in his entrepreneurial journey. In this episode you’ll learn: — How a 20-year-old kid from a North Philly ghetto went from the warzone in Afghanistan to become one of the most sought after millennial influencers on social media — Step-by-step marketing tips and tricks for Instagram and Periscope — How to build value-generating relationships from scratch — Tried and tested techniques for building, growing and enhancing your brand — Winning principles and best practices on social media — How to find a worthy mentor and leverage your learning experience — Why blindly following someone or something on social media erodes your brand — Why video has become indispensable in articulating your message Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.co This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powederkeg.co/itunes
Jordan Wirsz manages $100 million in real estate investments as CEO of Savant Investment Partners. Jordan is a nationally recognized real estate expert who has been recognized by members of the U.S. Senate, U.S. Congress, Nevada state government, and has been featured on numerous national television networks including CNBC, NBC, and Fox News. But today, we go a little off-script and go deep on business philosophy. You can find Jordan at JordanWirsz.com and @JordanWirz on twitter, so give him a shout and let him know what you liked about this interview. In this episode you’ll learn: 1.) About Jordan’s first business deal (3:40) 2.) About Jordan’s first failed investment (5:12) 3.) How Jordan opened his company, “Extreme Aviation” (6:31) 4.) Attitudes on persevering after failed investments. (8:55) 5.) About Jordan’s mentality of responsibility after going through a large failed investment (11:44) 6.) Jordan’s thoughts of the risks of leading an expensive lifestyle (15:59) 7.) Tips from Jordan for first time entrepreneurs (20:18) 8.) About building business relationships with people through the work that you do (24:59) 9.) Why responding to emails promptly is key to gaining trust from investors (26:30) 10.) How to be more organized and increase productivity (27:30) 11.) Why practice is more important than technology (29:17) 12.) How motivation without knowledge can be hurtful (32:05) 13.) Why quality is greater than quantity in terms of learning (34:22) 14.) Why separating your business time from your leisure time is important (37:17) 15.) The importance of “recharging” every now and again. (40:25) Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.co This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powederkeg.co/itunes
John Somorjai is Executive Vice President of Corporate Development and head of Salesforce Ventures. Salesforce has over 3,000 partners and 150+ enterprise cloud and SaaS companies in their current investment portfolio. They’ve also had 30+ exits and five IPOs (on top of the 150!) You can look up more about Salesforce, its acquisitions, and investments at Salesforce.com. They’re @Salesforce on twitter, but also have various other handles including @SalesforceVC, and @MarketingCloud. But you can find John at @jsomorjai on twitter. He’s extremely smart and definitely worth a follow, so give him a shout. One of the things we didn’t get to discuss in this interview is that Somorjai has his JD from the Boalt Hall School of Law at UC Berkeley. I think that’s interesting context for how he got to where he is at Salesforce and how he might think in evaluating startup companies for potential investment. He was a senior director of corporate development at Oracle for almost 5 years before taking on a VP of Business Development role at Ingenio, a high growth company that was eventually acquired by AT&T. Somorjai then joined forces with Marc Benioff at Salesforce, and since 2005, John has led the evaluation, deal execution and integration for all mergers and acquisitions, and investments at Salesforce. His team has helped bring the company into insane growth areas through acquisitions including Demandware, Exact Target, Radian6, Buddy Media, Heroku, the list goes on and on…. Here’s what we discuss in this episode with John Somorjai EVP at Salesforce and Salesforce Ventures: 1.) How John progressed through his career to eventually lead investments with Salesforce Ventures 2.) How Salesforce investment has helped nurture growth in the ecosystem of enterprise cloud companies. 3.) Lessons from Salesforce’s expansion into European markets, and how the set themselves apart from other Corporate VCs 4.) Why Salesforce embraces corporate philanthropy and the 1/1/1 model 5.) Key strategies Corporate VCs for potential investment and maximizing the opportunities they offer 6.) What makes an attractive investment for a Corporate VC Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.co This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powederkeg.co/itunes
Our guest today is Cooper Harris, who not only has an impressive background, but has an impressive background in two different fields! She started her career in New York, where she landed a part in the soap opera, As The World Turns. But she eventually moved to Los Angeles and stepped into the Hollywood scene. After appearing in several movies and other TV shows, Harris became interested in entrepreneurship and started attending hackathons. Harris won the AT&T Hackathon in Los Angeles, and then went on the first Innovation and Tech Summit during the Sundance film festival, called Collective. UKTI Innovation Award, alongside Will.I.Am from the Black Eyed Peas. And in February of 2015, she started a company named Klickly, an impulse buying platform and SaaS (or software as a service) product. It's built for those of us with very short attention spans. Her technology allows one touch purchases across social streams, and in emails. You can learn more about her company at Klickly.com, spelled KLICKLY and you can reach her @CooperHarris on twitter. Here's what you'll learn in this conversation I recorded at Klickly headquarters in Venice, California with award-winning entrepreneur and actress, Cooper Harris: 1.) The importance of having good story-telling skills as a tech entrepreneur. 2.) How to convince people to meet with you. 3.) Tips for perfecting your pitch. Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.co This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powederkeg.co/itunes
Our guest today is Chris Heivly, who just might be the world’s first actual map geek. I say that because he co-founded one of the first online navigation tools, MapQuest. Some of you listeners may be too young to remember MapQuest and the wonderful experience of searching your route on your home computer so you could print your directions and take them with you.. But back in the day, MapQuest was like PURE MAGIC. This company was Heivly’s first and it blazed the trail for other navigation-powered apps like Google Maps, Waze, and Uber. MapQuest went public in 1999 and was acquired by AOL for $1.1 billion dollars in the year 2000. That’s billion with a capital B, my Powderkeg people. That’s a lot of money by any measure, but it was especially enormous when they sold back in the year 2000. Since his successful exit, Chris Heivly has personally directed over $75 million in investment capital on behalf of large companies including Rand McNally, Accenture, and others. He recently closed down the Startup Factory, which was the largest seed investment firm in the Southeast. And this conversation with Chris is just before they made their last investment at The Startup Factory (or TSF as we sometimes refer to it in this interview). But they had already made over 30 investments in high-growth startups and we caught Heivly just after a demo day for a group of their portfolio companies, so it was the perfect time to get his insight. I want to make sure I give a shout out to his book based on his famous TEDx talk, Build The Fort, which you can find on Amazon, Kindle, or Audible. He’s super active on his personal website Heivly.com (that’s HEIVLY) and on twitter @ChrisHeivly. So give him a shout and tell him I sent you! In this episode you’ll learn: 1.) How to perfect your pitch. 2.) What makes a good elevator pitch. 3.) How to attract the right people. Download show notes and transcripts at powderkeg.co This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powederkeg.co/itunes
This master connector has built a network that includes the likes of Robert Herjavec from Shark Tank, James Altucher creator of the James Altucher Show, Jack Canfield author of Chicken Noodle Soup for the Soul and Lewis Howes from The School of Greatness. In fact, he recently connected with all of them in person at his global conference Thrive. He's an author, investor, speaker, and entrepreneur who has built a mission-driven business and life that has impacted millions. Cole's power comes from his perspective. After 2 accidents 2 months apart, he was left me in a wheel chair. His body was physically broken, his heart emotionally broken, and his bank account…it was “broke” too. Out of desperation and an uncertain future, Hatter pursued entrepreneurship. He has since launched several multimillion dollar businesses and lives what some might consider to be only a "dream" lifestyle. His motto is simple but powerful: "It’s important to know how to make the kind of money you’ve always dreamed of making, but it’s more important to not sacrifice actually living your life while you do it." In this episode with Cole Hatter you’ll learn: 1.) The art of manufactured urgency. 2.) The importance of authenticity. 3.) The importance of work/life balance. 4.) The true meaning of wealth, and the importance of for purpose business. This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Download show notes and transcripts at http://powderkeg.co Sign up for our Powderkeg Insider newsletter with bonus interviews and behind-the-scenes access!
A SaaS innovation and leadership conversation with FinancialForce.com CEO and President, Jeremy Roche (@Jeremy_Roche). With more than 20 years of experience building and leading both public and private technology companies, Jeremy brings a wealth of executive leadership experience. He has led businesses through IPO, de-merger and acquisition (both as acquirer and acquiree). And his work with growing FinancialForce offers insight into how to play the game of business at a rapid pace and growing scale. With $110 million in capital raised in 2015, the company’s growth has exploded, and Roche has led the team to disrupt the space of financial software. Roche also offers a global perspective on building companies. He holds or has held Board positions in technology companies in US, UK, Netherlands, France, Germany, Hungary, Estonia, Singapore, Malaysia and Australia. And FinancialForce now has offices in the UK, Canada, Australia, Spain, and multiple offices in the US. In this episode with Jeremy Roche, you’ll learn: 1.) How Jeremy Roche got into ‘the emerging world of software’ and SaaS 2.) How to balance enthusiasm from a SaaS leadership perspective 3.) The importance and practice of ‘peoplecastiing’ in achieving your goals 4.) How to surround yourself with a strong team of people that are prepared to disagree with you 5.) How Salesforce and FinancialForce came together, and how they have worked together to the benefit of both businesses This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg.
Learn from serial SaaS entrepreneur and investor Kristian Andersen (@KristianIndy). And while I had met a lot of people in school, I had never met anyone like him. Andersen is positive but direct, which I believe is the key to why he is able to accomplish so much in his companies, investments, and community. You can trace the start of his streak of successes back to 2003, when he founded Studio Science, a design and innovation agency where he still serves as CEO. He and his team have helped many B2B SaaS and innovation-driven organizations (including Verge and Powderkeg) find their brand voice, define their positioning, and design their customer journey. Kristian Andersen is also an active angel investor and co-founder of Gravity Ventures, a seed-stage venture fund that invests in tech-focused startups. He's gone on to co-founded a few startups of his own, including; Octiv, Lessonly, Visible.vc and Pathagility. In 2016, he also co-founded High Alpha, a New Venture Studio that conceives, operates and scales enterprise cloud companies. Beyond working on his direct startup investments, Andersen sits on a few non-profit boards, co-founded The Speak Easy & Indy Made, and serve as a mentor at The Iron Yard, RunUpLabs, and the ARK Challenge accelerators. He lives in Indianapolis full time, his wife and six (yes, six!) kids. So dive in with open ears and an open mind, and absorb some wisdom from my good friend and mentor, Kristian Andersen. In this episode you’ll learn: 1.) Why geography is not a factor in the success of your start up. The power of entrepreneurship and how it's transforming communities 2.) Why developing your narrative can mean the difference between success and failure. 3.) What separates the winners from the losers in terms of mindset. 4.) The importance of gratitude. 5.) How to hire A players into your company. This episode of Powderkeg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powder Keg Podcast.
Jim spends a fast hour talking with the Developertown crew about all things mobile. Should you develop native iOS and Android applications? Is it better to standardize on responsive HTML5 solutions? PhoneGap vs. Xamarin? These are just a few of the questions that we discuss, plus, shout-outs to Angie's List Founder Angie Hicks and Angela Lansbury. Also, we talk about the Roomba (spoiler alert ... it's awesome).
Jim spends an hour with Developertown's Michael Kelly and Aaron Lerch talking about Ruby on Rails -- why Jim hates it and why they love it.
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