Podcasts about product market fit

 EPISODE DESCRIPTION In this episode, I sit down with Denis from Humea , a product and research company that has catalyzed over $1 billion in ARR for their clients. We go deep on what it actually takes to achieve product market fit, and why most founders are looking in completely the wrong direction. Denis brings a rare dual background in physics and psychology, and he uses it to reveal how human behavior , not technology , is the real driver behind whether a product succeeds or dies. We talk about why Web3 is uniquely challenging because money arrives before product market fit, the hidden psychology of why founders resist pivoting, how Doordash generated over $300 million in additional revenue through better user understanding, what blockchain banks must do to win trust, and why simplifying your message for non-technical decision makers might be the most valuable thing you do this year. Whether you are building in DeFi, fintech, AI, or SaaS, the principles Denis shares here are universal and immediately actionable. DISCLAIMERNothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend. Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/ CONNECT Humea Website: https://humea.com/Humea LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/humeaWeb3 with Sam Kamani: https://www.web3pod.xyz/ KEY POINTS WITH TIMESTAMPS • [00:00] Humea has catalyzed over $1 billion ARR for clients across fintech, banking, and infrastructure• [02:49] Denis explains his dual background in physics and psychology and how it shapes his approach to product research• [05:57] The difference between output and outcome , and why measuring the wrong thing gives you false positive data• [08:54] Why working with an agency should always start with a friendly conversation to find genuine alignment before any contract• [14:13] In Web3, money comes before product market fit , the complete opposite of the Web2 world• [17:42] The IKEA effect and sunk cost fallacy explain why founders get emotionally attached and resist pivoting• [23:08] Why mid-stage startups throw money at ads instead of fixing the underlying product and customer understanding• [28:24] Doordash case study , course correcting the user journey generated over $300 million in additional annual revenue• [31:45] Blockchain banking case study , turning a deeply negative NPS into a positive one through empathy-driven research• [33:20] The four things users want from banking: returns, versatility, problem solving for their segment, and trust• [34:04] Trust in crypto products is not about gaining confidence , it is about removing doubt• [38:19] Why human-crafted content creates energy and connection that AI-generated content currently cannot replicate• [43:58] Even in cutting-edge Web3, all major deals are still done human to human the old-fashioned way• [45:24] Most B2B decision makers are not technical , your communication strategy needs to reach non-technical buyers• [47:30] Polygon CDK dashboard case study , a brilliant engineer could not explain the interface to a colleague in another department

A product can solve a real problem and still fail to make it through enterprise procurement.Greg Lawton, CEO at Nodes & Links, joins Andreas Munk Holm to explain why technical founders selling into large, risk-sensitive organisations need more than product-market fit. Greg argues that they also need company commercial fit: the processes, security, compliance and operational maturity required for a customer to actually buy from them. Drawing on his experience selling into defence and building Nodes & Links, Greg explains why complex enterprise sales is often about clearing milestones long before revenue starts to scale. That means understanding how decisions are really made across users, management, budget holders, IT, security and procurement. The conversation also explores why procurement friction can become a competitive moat, how to hire for relationship-led sales, why legitimacy matters more than lead volume and how Nodes & Links built auditable AI for environments where hallucinations are unacceptable.HighlightsWhy product-market fit is not enough for complex enterprise salesWhat company commercial fit means in practiceWhy procurement milestones can matter more than early revenueHow multiple stakeholders shape the enterprise buying processWhy procurement barriers can reduce competitionWhat Greg looks for in enterprise sales hiresWhy legitimacy matters more than a huge top of funnelHow Nodes & Links approaches AI where outputs need to be provably reliable-------We're pleased to be partnering with Luxembourg Venture Days on October 14–15 at Luxexpo The Box. Explore the agenda and register here: venture-days.lu-------Timestamps(00:00) Intro(02:45) Why product-market fit is only the first hurdle(05:00) Why enterprise sales is a milestone game, not a revenue game(06:20) What Nodes & Links does and why its AI must be auditable(09:40) Selling AI where hallucinations are unacceptable(12:10) How enterprise procurement really works(16:00) Why barriers to entry become barriers to competition(17:30) What selling to the Navy taught Greg about complex sales(20:10) Hiring for relationship-led enterprise sales(23:45) Why legitimacy matters more than lead volume(28:15) How the AI boom changed the sales conversation(32:50) Why pilot contracts can mean very little(34:35) What 744 years of project time saved looks like(36:35) Why complex enterprise software is still difficult to build in-house

Most founders start with a solution and go looking for a problem. Jevon Le Roux says it should be the other way around.In this episode of The Quest for Success, hosts Dylan and Jam Pathirana talk with Jevon about his journey from professional surfer to business leader and startup founder. After building Nike's Hurley brand in South Africa and leading major retail and e-commerce businesses, Jevon Le Roux is the founder of Keeyu, an Ecommerce automation and AI Ecommerce Operations company. You can find Jevon and Keeyu at https://keeyu.com.Jevon shares how early failures shaped his approach to business, what he learned from making tough leadership decisions, and how a warehouse sale during COVID revealed a costly problem with online orders. He also explains why Keeyu's first product was more of a "vitamin" than a "painkiller," how customer feedback led the team to rethink its product, and what it takes to keep going through fundraising rejection and startup uncertainty.In this conversation: - Why Jevon sees success as constant evolution, not money or status - Lessons from professional surfing that carried over into business - What it takes to move from selling a product to building a company - How listening and collaboration can help leaders earn trust - The difference between a "vitamin" and a "painkiller" product - Why founders should find a real problem before building a solution - How Jevon and his co-founders divide responsibilities and handle challenges - What resilience, customer discovery, and fundraising look like in practiceWhether you're building a startup, leading a team, or considering a career change, Jevon's story offers an honest look at the setbacks, decisions, and persistence behind business growth.Chapters00:00 Intro and meeting Jevon Le Roux03:03 Jevon's definition of success04:17 Growing up competitive and discovering surfing07:41 Family support and values for the next generation08:35 Funding a surfing career through hustle and self-promotion11:03 From professional surfing to building a business12:15 Retail sales vs. B2B SaaS go-to-market13:11 Learning to run a business while building Hurley15:05 Learning from failure and making reversible decisions16:13 Leading Gloria Jeans through a difficult turnaround17:11 Making SurfStitch profitable and learning e-commerce18:55 Leadership mistakes and earning trust21:13 Jevon's 90-day plan for listening before making changes22:41 The COVID warehouse sale that revealed a hidden problem26:12 Turning that problem into the idea for Keeyu28:25 Validating the problem before building a solution29:55 Why Keeyu's first product was a “vitamin,” not a “painkiller”33:29 How Keeyu helps retailers prevent order problems36:14 Why distribution and go-to-market matter38:12 Winning early customers and learning from product feedback40:36 Building a strong co-founder relationship42:02 Dividing roles across the founding team43:10 Raising $7 million and navigating fundraising46:29 What early-stage investors are really backing48:51 Returning to startup life after corporate leadership50:24 Product lessons and Keeyu's evolving direction52:24 AI, changing roles, and the future of work54:02 Keeyu's global growth plans55:25 The values Jevon hopes to pass on to his son57:05 Advice for corporate leaders considering a startup59:23 Jevon's long-term definition of success#QuestForSuccess #JevonLeRoux #Keeyu #Entrepreneurship #StartupJourney #AI #Leadership #Resilience #ProductMarketFit #Fundraising #SuccessMindset #BusinessPodcast #Inspiration #FounderStory #EcommerceFollow us on all your favourite platforms:Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheQuestforSuccessPodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Quest-For-Success-Podcast/61560418629272/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thequestforsuccesspod/Twitter: https://x.com/quest4success_LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-quest-for-successTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thequestforsuccesspodWebsite: www.thequestforsuccesspodcast.com Please share this around to anyone you think will get value from it : )

AI isn't just changing how we use software, it's changing who software is built for.In this episode of Lessons in Product Management, John Fontenot sits down with Kimberly Logan, Head of Product at the Walrus Foundation and former Google leader, to explore the evolution of product leadership and what happens as AI agents increasingly become users of software themselves.Kim shares lessons from her transition from technical program management into product leadership, including the shift from focusing on execution and the “how” to owning the “what” and “why.” They also discuss product-market fit, building better customer feedback loops, prioritizing under resource constraints, and how AI can make strong product managers even more effective.Then the conversation turns toward the emerging infrastructure of an agentic world: persistent AI memory, data ownership, portability between AI systems, verifiability, and the trust problems that arise when agents begin operating across organizational boundaries.What does product management look like when intelligence becomes cheap, but trust becomes increasingly valuable? That's the question at the center of this conversation.Outline:00:00 — Introduction & Kimberly Logan's background 01:29 — From Technical Program Manager to Product Leader 05:15 — Making the transition into Product Management 07:10 — Skills aspiring PMs should develop 09:40 — AI as a force multiplier for Product Managers 10:35 — Is AI a tool or a fundamental technological shift? 12:31 — What happens when AI agents become the users?13:58 — What is Walrus?15:26 — Why your data becomes more valuable in the AI era 17:40 — Portable, programmable & verifiable data18:44 — Solving AI platform risk with portable memory 20:47 — Verifiable AI memory21:50 — Where AI memory is being used today24:44 — Finding real Product-Market Fit 26:18 — How do you prioritize with limited resources? 28:32 — Ruthless prioritization & product trade-offs 30:16 — Where AI goes next 31:45 — The cross-company trust problem for AI agents

La secret sauce pour créer une licorne ?

10 ans pour réussir dans l'entrepreneuriat ?Rodolphe Ardant est le cofondateur de Spendesk : plateforme européenne de gestion des dépenses et des achats en entreprise.En 10 ans, il a construit une licorne européenne, rentable, et 100% européenne.Mais derrière une licorne, il n'y a pas de recette magique.Il y a un marché, du timing, des personnes, énormément d'exécution… et beaucoup de décisions difficiles.

(0:00) Luca Ferrari joins the Besties! (1:56) Crashing an AI startup, the $40,000 restart & buying product market fit (4:59) The in-house tech stack, shrinking the teams & the 10 out of 10 standard (9:55) Debt as an accelerant, what happens if rates rise & who else is bidding (14:58) Inside the deal desk: what gets acquired, why they don't build & the founder question (20:22) Building a tech giant out of Milan, Europe's talent pool & the outsider advantage   Thanks to our partners for making this possible! IREN is a vertically integrated AI Cloud platform, delivering data centers, compute and software for AI training and inference. https://iren.com/ Oracle connects the data, applications, and infrastructure that turn AI into business outcomes—with the flexibility, choice, and control to optimize as AI evolves. http://oracle.com/ai EY helps tech innovators scale from startup to exit to megacap. You build the future. We'll handle the rest. http://www.ey.com Meta believes the future is for everyone. We're focused on giving every person the tools to reach their full potential and making sure the benefits of technology are distributed to all. http://www.meta.com Keel Infrastructure owns the power, land, and connectivity that HPC and AI run on - backed by secured energy assets and established grid interconnections across North America. https://keelinfra.com/ Airwallex - Agentic Global Business Accounts. Open local accounts in 70+ countries to accept payments, earn yield, pay globally, and manage spend. http://airwallex.com PayPal has been revolutionizing commerce globally for more than 25 years. Creating innovative experiences that make moving money, selling, and shopping simple, personalized, and secure, PayPal empowers consumers and businesses in approximately 200 markets to join and thrive in the global economy. For more information, visit https://www.paypal.com Google for Startups connects founders with the right people, products, and best practices to help startups build faster and go further. https://startup.google.com/ Explore ideas, industries, and technologies worth understanding with Chamath every week on Learn with Me: https://research.socialcapital.com/allin   Follow the besties:  https://x.com/chamath https://x.com/Jason https://x.com/DavidSacks https://x.com/friedberg   Follow on X: https://x.com/theallinpod   Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theallinpod   Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@allin   Follow on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/allinpod   Intro Music Credit: https://rb.gy/tppkzl https://x.com/yung_spielburg   #allin #tech #news  

DEMAIN, je reçois ⁠Rodolphe Ardant⁠ - cofondateur de ⁠Spendesk⁠ : plateforme européenne de gestion des dépenses et des achats en entreprise.En 10 ans, il a construit une licorne européenne, rentable, et 100% européenne.Mais derrière une licorne, il n'y a pas de recette magique.Il y a un marché, du timing, des personnes, énormément d'exécution… et beaucoup de décisions difficiles.

Entscheidungen dauern in deinem Unternehmen spürbar länger als noch vor zwei Jahren.Informationen gehen zwischen den Abteilungen verloren, und Themen, die früher nebenbei gelöst wurden, landen wieder auf deinem Tisch.Der naheliegende Schluss ist, dass die falschen Leute an den falschen Stellen sitzen.Meistens liegt es aber nicht an den Leuten, sondern daran, in welcher Wachstumsphase euer Unternehmen gerade steckt.Warum jedes Unternehmen vier Phasen durchläuft und warum dieselbe Maßnahme in der einen richtig und in der anderen schädlich ist – darüber spreche ich in dieser Folge.Show Notes:>> Club der Intrapreneure: skool.com/mentorwerk>> No Zero Days – Buch von Tim: nozerodays.de/buch>> Mentornotes Newsletter: mentorwerk.de/newsletter>> Tim Schmaddebeck bei YouTube: youtube.com/@schmaddebeck>> Tim Schmaddebeck bei LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timschmaddebeck>> Tims Buchempfehlungen: mentorwerk.de/buecherStichworte zur Folge:Unternehmenswachstum, Wachstumsphasen, Unternehmen skalieren, Unternehmen führen, Führung im Mittelstand, technischer Mittelstand, Geschäftsführer Mittelstand, Geschäftsführer werden, Geschäftsführung, Werkleiter, Bereichsleiter, technische Führungskraft, strategische Führung, unternehmerisch denken, Unternehmer im Unternehmen, Intrapreneur, Engpass, Theory of Constraints, Prioritäten setzen, Organisationsentwicklung, Prozessorganisation, Bürokratie abbauen, Kennzahlen, KPI, Wertschöpfungskette, Cashflow, Product Market Fit, Business Development, Produktportfolio, Podcast für Ingenieure

Erin Rollenhagen learned the most expensive lesson in product development the hard way: she spent years building software without ever talking to a single end user—and people took early retirement to avoid using it. That failure launched a 20-year career spanning 200+ tech launches across healthcare, finance, and regulated industries, and her book *Love At First Launch*. In this conversation, Erin and Jeff cover what an MVP actually needs (the "good boots" analogy), the peak-end psychological effect applied to software, finding emotional peaks in B2B workflows, critical mistakes when turning internal tools into commercial SaaS, and the one question almost no founder is asking—but should be.Key Takeaways[4:30] Erin's government project failure—building for two years without meeting a single user[6:10] Client requests are signals, not specifications—"the big blue button" analogy[9:18] Don't replace high-touch experiences with chatbots[11:55] Chatbot satisfaction data: 88% for simple queries, 31% for complex13:21] Security and multi-tenancy: the first things to fix going from internal to commercial[16:00] "Just don't click that button" doesn't work with paying customers[20:48] The 15-steps trap: founders see the roadmap, users only see today[23:58] "Good Boots": the MVP analogy every founder needs[27:14] The peak-end effect applied to software design[30:25] Finding emotional peaks in B2B products through user interviews[32:45] Transitioning from builder to visionary: recruit people to your cause[34:00] Erin experiences her own founder insecurity launching her own product[38:30] Revisit old features, don't just chase new ones[39:25] Don't match competitors feature-for-feature[40:05] Differentiate on experience, not feature count[41:52] The one question founders aren't asking: "How will your users find you?"[insert timestamps]Tweetable Quotes"The stated order for what they want is a signal for the need or the problem they're trying to solve, but it's not necessarily the ultimate answer." — Erin Rollenhagen [8:19]"If their claim to fame is being high touch, we don't want to put tech in there and take them from high touch to low touch." — Erin Rollenhagen [9:52]"Simple queries have an 88% user satisfaction rate. Complex ones have 31%. That's a very clear dividing line." — Erin Rollenhagen [12:04] "You can't train your way out of problems when it's an external audience." — Erin Rollenhagen [18:20] "Your vision is so big—15 steps down the road. But the audience hasn't seen your grand vision. They're just judging it on what they see today." — Erin Rollenhagen [21:35]"Your army needs good boots. In software, that's login, billing, security—the basic stuff that has to be there." — Erin Rollenhagen [24:00] "Nail the emotional peak, nail the end of the experience, people will be happy." — Erin Rollenhagen [30:05] "When it's our own stuff, I don't know where the bar is. I can't see it. The bar is invisible." — Erin Rollenhagen [36:10] "How are your users going to find you? That's the one question almost no founder is asking." — Erin Rollenhagen [41:52]SaaS Leadership Lessons1. Talk to users before the product is ready.Proximity to users is the single biggest determinant of whether what you build gets used. No interview, no insight. 2. Treat client requests as signals, not specifications.Dig behind what they ask for to find what they actually need. The request describes a solution in terms the client understands—your job is to keep peeling. 3. Build "good boots" before anything exciting.Login, billing, security, and core infrastructure are unsexy but non-negotiable. The constraint they create forces focus on the 2-3 features that matter. 4. Don't let external validation inflate your scope.Cramming features before a big debut is almost always insecurity, not necessity. Ship what you have.5. Make iteration on existing features part of your roadmap.Revisiting what you shipped last quarter with real feedback is just as important as building the next thing. 6. Differentiate on experience, not feature count.Feature parity is easy to copy. A seamless, low-friction experience isn't. Reduce steps, remove configuration, make the path effortless. Guest Resourceserin@peoplefriendlytech.comhttps://peoplefriendlytech.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-rollenhagen-b4b7317/https://www.instagram.com/peoplefriendlytech/https://www.youtube.com/@peoplefriendlytechEpisode SponsorThe Futureproof Series - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfkXKUPZ5xuOqMPR7_gzGybncTtavyR1NThe Captain's KeysSmall Fish, Big Pond – https://smallfishbigpond.com/ Use the promo code ‘SaaSFuel'Champion Leadership Group – https://championleadership.com/https://jeffmains.com/books/SaaS Fuel ResourcesWebsite - https://championleadership.com/Jeff Mains on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffkmains/Twitter - https://twitter.com/jeffkmainsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/thesaasguy/Instagram - https://instagram.com/jeffkmains

Product-market fit isn't a yes or no question, and treating it like one is what trips up most founders and sales leaders. That's the core idea Collin Stewart, co-founder and CEO of Predictable Revenue and host of the Predictable Revenue Podcast, brought to this episode, and it reshaped how I think about why some go-to-market motions take off and others stall no matter how hard the team works.Product-Market Fit Isn't Binary, It Has StrengthMost founders treat product-market fit as something you either have or don't, which makes the conversation almost impossible, because any founder with paying customers can point to that as proof they already have it.Instead, Collin described product-market fit as existing on a scale, from barely there to overwhelming, which means two companies can both have "a product in market" while one sells at a fraction of the speed of the other.That distinction matters because it shifts the question from a debate over whether fit exists to a real conversation about how strong that fit is and what would make it stronger.The Uber Eats Story That Proved the PointCollin shared that his old cold email agency normally booked around ten meetings a month for a client using the same process and the same team.When a former client joined Uber to launch what's now Uber Eats and asked Collin's team to run the exact same playbook, that single campaign of a thousand outreach emails booked 327 meetings in one month.The rep running the campaign hadn't changed and the process hadn't changed, so Collin concluded product-market fit acts as a multiplier on go-to-market effort, and Uber's fit was roughly 33 times stronger than anything else his team had worked on.Strengthening Fit Starts With Customer Development InterviewsThe fastest way to raise the strength of your product-market fit is to run structured customer development interviews with your pipeline, your existing customers, and people in adjacent markets.The key question to ask is what problem you'd solve for them if you could solve anything, then follow it with two scoring questions: how satisfied are they with how they currently solve it, and how important is solving it to them.The sweet spot is a problem that scores high on importance and low on satisfaction, because a painful, unsolved, high-stakes problem is what founders should build around, not a nice-to-have improvement.Why Working Harder Without Direction BackfiresCollin compared weak product-market fit to riding a tricycle with the brakes clamped down, where grinding out more calls and more outreach just burns energy without covering more ground.He said the instinct to just work harder is the wrong move, because a founder who pauses to fix the product and the direction first will out-pace a founder who never stops to check if they're racing toward the right finish line.For sales leaders specifically, Collin's advice is to track whether a consistent process with consistent inputs is producing results that are out of line with a rep's past performance, because that gap is the signal that the product, not the person, needs the fix.How to Build a Case When the Founder Isn't ConvincedIf a founder isn't open to hearing that product-market fit is weak, a sales leader should still go run customer development interviews across five or six verticals on their own. Because that data builds the case no argument alone can win.He stressed that every customer development call should end with booking the next call while you're still on the phone, since the entire feedback loop breaks down without that habit and waiting to follow up later multiplies the work.Collin kept a sticky note on his monitor that read "don't forget to book the meeting" for years, because that one small discipline is what turns a single interview into a repeatable feedback loop with a prospect.What to Do About Outbound When Fit Is Still WeakThe first move when fit is weak is to keep sending customer development interview requests instead of sales pitches, because the goal at that stage is learning, not closing.He walks prospects through a loop that moves from a discovery interview, to feedback on a paper prototype, to feedback on an MVP, to the question of what it would take for them to pay, and finally what it would take for them to refer three friends.Collin was direct that this only works if you book the next touchpoint before the call ends, because without that step you lose the momentum and have to restart the relationship cold every time.Leadership Advice, Books, and QuotesCollin Stewart recommends The Terrifying Art of Finding Customers, his book on connecting customer development to sales. Which he describes as part how-to guide and part honest account of the mistakes he made building his own companies.ResourcesConnect with Collin Stewart on LinkedIn.Learn more about Predictable Revenue, the company Collin co-founded and leads as CEO.Check out Predictable.ai, Collin's newer tool for running plays like customer development and social listening; it's in beta, and interested listeners can email Collin at his first name at predictablerevenue.com for details.Subscribe to Collin's newsletter at foundersed.co for more on the book and his other projects.Grab a copy of The Terrifying Art of Finding Customers.Sponsorship OffersThis episode is brought to you in part by Hubspot.With HubSpot sales hubs, your data tools and teams join a single platform to close deals and turn prospects into pipelines. Try it for yourself at hubspot.com/sales.This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn.Are you tired of prospective clients not responding to your emails? Sign up for a free 60-day trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator at linkedin.com/tse.This episode is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Foundation.Improve your connection on LinkedIn and land three or five appointments with our LinkedIn prospecting course. Go to the salesevangelist.com/linkedin.CreditsAs one of our podcast listeners, we value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey. We'd love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or Spotify. Audio provided by Free SFX, Soundstripe, and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and produced by Brightseed and Hill.

In diesem Deep Dive spricht Markus mit Stefan Lederer, CEO und Co-Founder von bitmovin. Stefan erzählt vom zweiten Durchlauf des Bitmovin AI-Incubators, in dem 15 von 500 Bewerbern in zwei Monaten sieben marktreife Produkte gebaut haben, davon, warum Europa in der Product-Market-Fit-Phase noch zu schwach ist, und wie Y Combinator bitmovins Weg von der Uni-Ausgründung zum globalen Player geprägt hat.Production: Hanna MoserMusik (Intro/Outro): www.sebastianegger.com

Should you sell your business, or build it to own forever? Ankur Nagpal sold Teachable for $250 million and Carry for $76 million. I bootstrapped Kit and turned down a $200 million acquisition offer from Spotify. We took very different paths as founders.I sat down with Ankur to break down why we made those choices and how they've played out. We get into the key considerations for selling a company vs. building it to own forever, why raising venture capital can quietly trap founders into a specific kind of business, and the hiring and go-to-market tactics Ankur used to build two companies from scratch.Ankur also shares how founders can use the QSBS tax break to keep millions more from an exit.If you've ever thought about selling your business, or you're trying to decide whether to bootstrap or raise venture capital, this is the episode to listen to before you make that call.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction01:37 Teachable's Story03:39 Why Ankur Sold Teachable04:47 Nathan's Approach to Building07:16 Building to Sell vs. Building to Keep08:34 Carry's Story09:30 Understanding QSBS Tax Benefits16:06 Being Bought vs. Having to Sell16:40 Why Raise Capital for Carry?18:25 Bootstrapping vs. VC22:54 Lessons for Second-Time Founders26:10 Ankur's Next Chapter: USVC28:36 Recruiting Great Talent32:24 Our Contrarian Beliefs34:50 Go-to-Market Strategies39:18 Ankur's AI Content Strategy46:25 Staying Focused48:58 Content Workflows59:16 Product Market Fit Evolution01:02:08 Closing ThoughtsIf you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe, share it with your friends, and leave a review. I read every single one.Learn more about the podcast: https://nathanbarry.com/showFollow Nathan:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathanbarryLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanbarryX: https://twitter.com/nathanbarryYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thenathanbarryshowWebsite: https://nathanbarry.comKit: https://kit.comFollow Ankur:X: https://twitter.com/ankurnagpalLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ankurnagpalInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ankurnaFeatured in this episode:Teachable: https://teachable.comCarry: https://carry.comHighlights:03:00 The Perfect Exit?10:40 QSBS Tax Benefits For Founders18:30 Bootstrapped vs. VC: Which is Higher Status?23:20 Product Market Fit for Second-Time Founders32:20 Our Contrarian Beliefs

In this episode of the Crazy Wisdom Podcast, host Stewart Alsop sits down with Daniel Segundo to discuss why today's social networks have evolved into entertainment networks and how Daniel is building Bien, a social app focused on depth over breadth. Daniel shares his journey from trading commodities to creating a platform designed to keep users genuinely connected to their inner circle, inspired by insights gained while meditating in caves in India. The conversation covers everything from the problems with the "like button" and algorithmic feeds to Daniel's contrarian approach of removing public-facing engagement metrics and using voice notes as the primary interaction method. They also explore the challenges of building consumer social products, the impact of AI on development, and Daniel's philosophy drawn from Eastern mysticism and his study of Ramana Maharshi. To learn more about Bien, visit bien.social or follow Daniel on Twitter at @DanielPSegundo.Timestamps00:00 Daniel introduces Bien as a real social network, contrasting entertainment networks disguised as social platforms05:00 Building with AI tools allowed bootstrapping the app before hiring a five-person team for professional development10:00 Social networks evolved into entertainment networks optimized for engagement and advertising rather than genuine connection15:00 The advertising model incentivizes dopamine delivery and algorithmic content over posts from actual friends20:00 Removing the like button and public comments forces deeper interaction through private voice notes instead25:00 Social graphs become stale over time because unfriending feels awkward, so people curate for weakest relationships30:00 Matrix and Nostr protocols enable interoperable messaging, suggesting a Cambrian explosion of new social apps35:00 Depth matters more than metrics—success means users actually feel closer to their inner circle40:00 Voice notes combined with photo sharing mimics natural storytelling behavior when friends gather in person45:00 Meditation in Ramana Maharshi's caves in India inspired reflections on silence, self-inquiry, and building products mindfullyKey Insights1. Daniel Segundo was inspired to create Bien after recognizing that existing social networks excel at breadth but fail at depth of connections. While meditating in caves in South India, he went through his phone contacts and realized only about 5 percent of his 1,700 contacts were people he actually wanted to stay close to, with the remaining 95 percent being noise. He saw that tools like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp have solved the problem of maintaining surface-level relationships across broad networks of people, but there was no good tool for maintaining deep connections with your inner circle beyond basic messaging apps like iMessage or WhatsApp, which still suffer from having too many contacts with access.2. The fundamental problem with current social networks is that they have become entertainment networks rather than true social networks, driven by the advertising business model. Instagram only shows content from your actual friends about 7 percent of the time, with the rest being algorithmically suggested content designed to maximize engagement and ad revenue. The like button, while useful for maintaining broad social graphs and understanding your status in larger groups, reduces complex human relationships to superficial interactions. This creates what Segundo calls a circus-like experience where you are constantly bombarded with entertaining content rather than meaningful updates from people you care about, and the advertising model incentivizes this transformation because the product is ultimately about delivering dopamine to keep people scrolling.3. Bien removes traditional social media features like public likes and comments, replacing them with private voice note responses capped at 60 seconds. The theory is that hearing three voice notes from close friends provides more genuine connection than receiving 300 likes on a post. This design choice stems from recognizing that while the like button serves a useful function for breadth-first social networks where people want quick validation from large peer groups, it is completely inadequate for depth-first relationships. By forcing more intimate and effortful interaction through voice, Bien attempts to upgrade the quality of connection rather than the quantity, building off existing habits like sending voice notes to close friends rather than trying to create entirely new behaviors.4. The traditional follower-following model creates stale social graphs because people are uncomfortable unfriending or unfollowing others as relationships naturally evolve over time. Instead of this model, Bien uses a system where each user maintains a private list of people they want to stay close to, and if two people have each other on their lists, they see each other's content. This eliminates the social awkwardness of unfriending someone while allowing social graphs to naturally evolve. The current model forces people to curate their sharing based on the weakest relationship in their network because they do not want to offend distant connections or go through the work of managing close friends lists, which results in less authentic sharing overall.5. Segundo is building Bien on a paid subscription model rather than an advertising model to align incentives directly with users. He believes no one can build a compelling social network on the advertising model anymore because it creates conflicting incentives where the company must serve both advertisers and users, ultimately degrading the product into what he calls slop. The straightforward deal with customers is that if the product cannot provide value equivalent to the price of a cup of coffee per month through premium features, then there is no justification for the business to exist. This allows Bien to focus solely on whether users feel closer to their inner circle after using the product rather than optimizing for maximum scrolling time.6. Segundo bootstrapped the initial development of Bien using AI coding tools like Replit before hiring a team of five people to develop it professionally. He notes that with current AI tooling, if you can think clearly and understand the problems you are trying to solve, you can build solutions much more cheaply than even five or ten years ago. He eventually hired a designer and iOS and web developers to do things properly with a do it right or do not do it at all mindset. The app is currently iOS-only, built in Swift for a premium experience, with plans to potentially build a React Native version for Android if there are stronger signs of product market fit.7. Segundo's background in trading commodities and futures, along with his deep interest in Eastern philosophy and self-inquiry practices, significantly influences his approach to building Bien. He spent time studying Ramana Maharshi and practicing meditation in caves at Tiruvannamalai in South India, which he says has a profound impact not just on spiritual practice but on thinking about product development and participating in markets. His experience with a major trading drawdown in 2025 after running up a small account 25 times led him to this period of reflection that ultimately resulted in the conception of Bien, demonstrating how his various interests in trading, philosophy, and technology intersect in his approach to building a depth-first social network.

¿Y si la solución que construiste es una motosierra para un problema que solo necesitaba unas tijeras? En este primer episodio de Fírmame el After, Moris y Dano Medina analizan a fondo el episodio de Muralia: una plataforma que conecta muralistas con clientes que quieren murales. Platican sobre si el negocio ya encontró su Product Market Fit, por qué 25 proyectos transaccionados no son evidencia suficiente de un negocio escalable, cuál sería el segmento de cliente ganador (¿desarrolladoras inmobiliarias, cadenas comerciales, gobiernos?), y el error clásico de enamorarse de la solución en lugar de la problemática. Con preguntas y comentarios de la audiencia en vivo, exploran caminos alternativos para Muralla: convertirse en agencia creativa, quedarse solo con la línea de back office para artistas, o abrirse a otras disciplinas de arte más allá de los murales.Prueba café el Capitalhttps://cafeelcapital.com/s/08a4840:00 – Bienvenida al primer programa de "Fírmame el After"1:20 – Cómo funciona el formato: comentar el episodio de la semana anterior2:10 – Primeras impresiones sobre Muralla, la plataforma de murales3:25 – Por qué los murales se volvieron parte de la cultura urbana7:13 – Preguntas en vivo de la audiencia7:29 – El escepticismo inicial: ¿un "Uber de los muralistas"?9:03 – El valor de la red: más de 1,000 muralistas en la plataforma9:39 – La segunda línea de negocio: el back office administrativo para artistas10:17 – Por qué la apuesta en etapas tempranas es en el emprendedor, no solo en el negocio10:50 – La tracción actual: más de 25 proyectos transaccionados11:22 – El reto de la complejidad: un mural no es un producto estandarizado14:12 – El verdadero cuello de botella: la demanda, no la oferta15:38 – ¿Cuál debería ser la participación de Moris como inversionista?17:10 – Por qué la transaccionalidad digital es la clave del éxito del negocio18:52 – ¿Muralla ya encontró su Product Market Fit?20:08 – La analogía de las paletas de hielo: por qué 25 ventas no hacen un negocio21:43 – La pregunta clave: ¿cuál es el segmento de cliente ganador?23:05 – Hipótesis en vivo: ¿las desarrolladoras inmobiliarias son el cliente ideal?24:20 – La hipótesis del negocio comercial: cadenas como Starbucks26:16 – Ideas de la audiencia: escuelas, salones de fiesta, gobierno27:04 – La idea de un proyecto de embellecimiento municipal completo29:34 – Dos hipótesis por validar: tamaño del mercado y transaccionalidad digital31:19 – Los murales dinámicos: el segmento de publicidad y anuncios33:30 – El comentario del chat: "el valor no es la tecnología, es el intermediario"37:04 – Qué pasa después de firmar un cheque: el proceso de due diligence39:08 – El lado frágil del negocio, según Dano40:43 – Posibles caminos: ¿de plataforma a agencia creativa de murales?42:55 – Otro camino: quedarse solo con el back office para artistas43:43 – ¿Abrir la plataforma a todo tipo de arte o quedarse solo con murales?49:15 – Enamorarse del problema, no de la solución50:56 – La trampa del costo hundido en los emprendedores53:24 – ¿El problema de Muralla es en realidad muy simple?55:29 – La analogía de la motosierra y las tijeras59:42 – El ejemplo del estacionamiento complicado: ¿motosierra o tijeras?1:03:05 – La clave: demanda recurrente busca eficiencia, demanda ocasional busca simplicidad1:04:34 – La confianza en el muralista: el reto que nadie había mencionado1:07:10 – Cierre: qué viene en el próximo episodio de Fírmame el Cheque (jueves 10 de septiembre)

Welcome to The Unconventional Path: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Stories and Ideas! In this episode, hosts Bela Musits and Mike Wasserman sit down with software tech entrepreneur Menil Vukovic, live from Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.Building a business across geographical boundaries can feel like an impossible task. In this deep-dive interview, Menil shares his personal history running three tech companies—including his first product venture, Tinpu (a matchmaking social engine for recreational sports), and his current custom software development firm, Pier Shadow.Whether you are a software engineer dreaming of your first launch, a business owner struggling with communication in a remote or hybrid workforce, or an executive planning to expand into international markets, this episode delivers actionable advice on the realities of cross-border commerce.Key Topics Discussed in This EpisodeThe Reality of Failure and Product-Market Fit: Menil openly discusses how his first startup "crashed and burned." Learn why having a great idea or getting the legal paperwork registered first isn't enough if you don't truly understand your target country's mindset.How to Find B2B Clients via Referrals: Discover why 70% to 80% of Pier Shadow's business funnel relies heavily on organic referrals, ex-clients, partnerships, and former colleagues rather than traditional advertising.Cracking the Global Market Strategy: Moving into Europe, Asia, or the US? Bela, Mike, and Menil break down why you need to find a local liaison, grasp employment law differences, navigate currency fluctuations, and avoid expensive legal penalties.The "Fast Follower" Strategy: Bela reflects on his early career at General Electric (GE) and the strategic power of being a close second rather than a first-mover pioneer, allowing competitors to test out market risks first.Managing Hybrid and Remote Work Environments: Get an inside look at how Pier Shadow utilizes corporate communication stacks like Gmail, Slack, and Google Meet while intentionally fighting off productivity-killing "company spam." Menil shares his unique philosophy on practicing strict self-discipline, writing concise asynchronous notes, and knowing when to completely archive inactive communication channels.SEO Search TermsCross-Border Commerce, Software Engineering Startups, Global Market Strategy, Custom Software Development, Product Market Fit, Business Referrals, Fast Follower Strategy, Remote Team Management, Tech Entrepreneurship Podcast, Hybrid Workforce Productivity, International Business Development, Asynchronous Communication, Corporate Slack Tips, Tech Nerds in Business, Startup Failure Lessons.If you enjoyed learning about the intersection of technology, corporate culture, and international business, please support the show! Hit that Subscribe button on YouTube or your favorite podcast app to move us up the rankings so other creators can discover our archive.

What if the reason you survive your own mistakes has nothing to do with how smart you are, and everything to do with your product?Ashley Morris spent years in finance before he bought the sandwich shop he was obsessed with in college. Today he's the CEO of Capriotti's and Wing Zone. He'll tell you the real asset he bought was product-market fit so undeniable it gave him room to make every mistake in the book.In this conversation, we get into why product-market fit forgives the mistakes that sink everyone else, why owning your data means nothing until you know what to do with it, and what actually transfers when you scale into a second brand.If you're grinding against the current and can't figure out why, this one shows you where to look first.That's Ashley Morris. To learn more about Capriotti's Sandwich Shop, visit capriottis.com._________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

CJ sits down with Rebecca Schwartz of Tabs, Fred Havemeyer of Fleet AI, and Rahul Rekhi of Rogo for a live conversation about what it actually takes to build an AI-native company. —SPONSORS:RightRev is a revenue recognition platform built for the AI economy, helping finance support usage-based pricing, credits, hybrid contracts, seats plus consumption, and whatever commercial model comes next. It gives product teams the freedom to keep innovating without outdated revenue systems slowing them down. Learn how RightRev can help at https://rightrev.com/cjPulley is an equity management platform that lets you issue options, model dilution, and complete 409As without your cap table turning into a spreadsheet disaster. Founders raising, hiring, and scaling use Pulley to keep equity clean and stay focused on building. Learn more or request a demo at https://pulley.com/mostlymetricsRillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to replace NetSuite and close faster. With revenue recognition, close management, multi-entity support, and native Stripe and Salesforce integrations, Rillet helps scaling companies run their finance stack in one place. Hundreds of teams, including Windsurf and Mercor, use Rillet to make the zero-day close real. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cjMaximor is an autonomous finance platform that runs order-to-cash, procure-to-pay, the close, cash management, and reporting on self-learning agents instead of a dozen disconnected tools. One PE-backed customer posts 98% of transactions directly to its ERP, with the remaining 2% routed to a human for review. You pay for outcomes, not seats. See it at https://www.maximor.ai/Brex is an intelligent finance platform with AI-powered workflows that enforce expense policies at the point of sale, match receipts automatically, and reduce month-end close from weeks to hours. Thousands of companies, including Anthropic, Coinbase, and DoorDash, already run on Brex. Stop asking A-level finance talent to do B-level admin work. Learn more at https://www.brex.com/metricsAnrok is the sales tax platform that watches your exposure everywhere, automates compliance, and flags risk before it turns into a surprise back-tax letter from a state you've never set foot in. Companies like Anthropic, Notion, and Vanta already trust Anrok to stay ahead of rules that move faster than any spreadsheet can. Talk to a sales tax expert for a personalized exposure estimate at https://www.anrok.com/rtnEY has been part of Silicon Valley since it was just a valley, helping the most successful names in tech go from startup to exit to megacap. With teams across strategy, tax, audit, and transactions, EY helps you get your financials right early, long before your investors start asking for it. You build the next big thing, and EY will help you build it right. Learn more at https://www.ey.com/techstartups—LINKS: Mostly Talent: https://mostlymetrics.typeform.com/to/cLTxtAsNhttps://www.tabs.com/https://fleetai.com/https://www.rogo.com/CJ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Preview and Intro1:16 Welcome to Run the Numbers3:17 Meet the Panel: Rebecca, Fred, Rahul9:52 How Rogo Found PMF13:47 How Tabs Found PMF14:51 Growth Rates: Headcount and Revenue16:23 The Real Hiring Constraint17:21 What "Forward Deployed" Actually Means18:53 What's Blocking AI Adoption Now20:19 How Sales Hiring Has Changed24:34 How Go-to-Market Has Changed25:28 Pricing Models: Then vs. Now28:18 Tabs' Pricing Evolution29:20 What the Finance Team Looks Like31:00 How Far You Can Push Outsourced Accounting32:43 Managing AI Gross Margins35:07 The North Star Metric for AI Companies37:02 Token Spend vs. Per-Seat Pricing39:34 Asking Better Questions: What Counts as ARR41:38 Biggest Bug in Cash to Collections43:05 Closing Advice for Founders

Send us Fan MailHave you ever wondered why some businesses seem to scale effortlessly while others hit a wall, even after investing more money into marketing?In this episode of Imperfect Marketing, Kendra Corman welcomes growth strategist Kathie Feng to discuss one of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make: trying to scale before they've truly validated their product, audience, and pricing.Kathie shares her Winning Triangle framework, a simple but powerful way to evaluate whether your business is actually ready for growth. Drawing from her experience implementing Fortune 500 growth strategies for small and medium-sized businesses, she explains why product-market fit is only one piece of the puzzle and how pricing and customer feedback often determine whether a business thrives or stalls.The conversation also dives into the realities of paid advertising. If you've ever felt frustrated after spending money on Meta ads that didn't produce results, you'll appreciate Kathie's practical approach to diagnosing what's really happening inside your marketing funnel. From creative strategy and audience targeting to A/B testing and conversion optimization, she shares actionable insights that help business owners make smarter marketing decisions based on data instead of assumptions.In this episode, you'll learn:✔️ Why businesses plateau even after increasing their marketing budget✔️ The three elements of the Winning Triangle and why they matter✔️ How to tell whether your product, audience, or pricing is holding your business back✔️ Common mistakes entrepreneurs make with Meta advertising✔️ How A/B testing helps improve marketing performance✔️ Why customer feedback should guide your marketing strategy✔️ The balance between creativity and data in successful marketingAbout Kathie FengKathie Feng is the Founder and Growth Architect of Signal Growth, where she helps entrepreneurs and small to mid-sized businesses build scalable growth using AI-powered systems and proven Fortune 500 frameworks. Connect with Kathie:Website: https://signalgrowth.webflow.io/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathiefeng/If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another entrepreneur who is ready to grow their business with greater confidence and clarity.Connect with Kendra Corman for more practical marketing strategies and conversations with industry experts who believe progress beats perfection every time. Looking to leverage AI? Want better results? Want to think about what you want to leverage?Check and see how I am using it for FREE on YouTube. From "Holy cow, it can do that?" to "Wait, how does this work again?" – I've got all your AI curiosities covered. It's the perfect after-podcast snack for your tech-hungry brain. Watch here

This week on The Business of Open Source, I talk with Julien Verlaguet, the CEO of Skiplabs. Julien is a programming language guy, and we talked about what it means to maintain an open source programming language. We talked about what it means to monetize a a programming language… or, as Julien says, you do not. So why does maintaining SKIP pay off for the team at Skiplabs? And how exactly do they make money? Skiplabs builds products using SKIP, and they focus on building products that can and do take full advantage of the programming language. But ultimately, do customers care that the products are built by the language maintainers? Probably not. “If your open source project can't be directly monetized with a SaaS,” Julien said. “You have to get a bit more creative.” Indeed, how do you get creative? I have to agree with Julien, that it really depends on what you're working on. When you think about how to monetize, it's important to think about what exactly your customers want. He talked about the importance of doing interviews with your target market. In fact, he recommends doing two or three interviews with people in your target market, and in the first interview you don't even talk about your product ideas, but rather listen to them talk about their problems and how they solve them or would like to solve them. ###By the way, did you know that one of the services I offer is interviewing your customers? Julien talks about how people can overstate how good your product is during interviews… this is true, and having an outside person do the interviews is one of the ways around this. If you'd like someone to interview people in your target market, including users and customers, and to help you use that information to get to product-market fit faster, reach out. 

Patrick Beal left tech to buy an HVAC business with 90% seller financing, no SBA. He's on track to hit $3.5m this year. Register for the webinar: Working Capital: One of ETA's Most Expensive Mistakes - TODAY!! - https://bit.ly/4f8pSGYTopics in Patrick interview:Entrepreneurship in his familyZoom fatigue from remote workSearching in Northeast OhioFinding a business through his networkMeeting with the seller for almost a yearStructuring 10% down, 90% seller noteUnderestimating working capital needsKeeping his W-2 until the business grewQuadrupling revenue in 2 yearsWorking on getting his HVAC licenseReferences and how to contact Patrick:LinkedInTemperature Control MaintenanceLinh Tran on Acquiring Minds: The Dream Outcome: From $300k to $5m EBITDASteve Carroll on Acquiring Minds: ETA Unicorn:  $1 Billion in Revenue in 5 YearsDownload the New CEO's Guide to Human Resources from Aspen HR:From this page or contact jenny@aspenhr.comWork with an SBA loan team focused exclusively on helping entrepreneurs buy businesses:Pioneer Capital AdvisoryGet a complimentary IT audit for acquisition diligence or post-close transition.Visit inzotechnologies.com/eta.Connect with Acquiring Minds:See past + future interviews on the YouTube channelConnect with host Will Smith on LinkedInFollow Will on TwitterEdited by Anton Rohozov and produced by Pam Cameron

274 | Jakob und Alex nehmen sich Geschäftsideen und besprechen, wie sie von Idee zum ersten Euro kommen.Mach das 1-minütige Quiz und finde eine Geschäftsidee, die zu dir passt: digitaleoptimisten.de/quiz.Kapitel(00:52) Intro(06:45) Die Idee hinter diesem Format(08:12) Entnahme Radar: (xx:xx) Flughöhe(xx:xx) Erster Kunde als Agentur / Freelancer - PersönlichSo erreichst du uns:Sprachnachricht senden: https://www.speakpipe.com/digitaleoptimistenEmail schreiben: alexander@digitaleoptimisten.deLearningsErster Euro durch persönliche AnspracheDer erste Euro entstand, weil Jakob sich persönlich vor Ort vorstellte und ein klares Paket aus Instagram-Ads, Social Media-Management und Google-Reviews anbot. Im Deal wurde zusätzlich gratis Essen als Bonus verhandelt. Das Beispiel zeigt, dass direkte, persönliche Ansprache oft der schnellste Weg zum ersten Kunden ist.Vertrauenssignale früh setzenFür Finanzsoftware ist Vertrauen der zentrale Erfolgsfaktor; bloße Erklärungen reichen oft nicht. Signale wie Logo, TÜV-Siegel, DIN-Norm und Stiftung Warentest erhöhen das Vertrauen; Partnerschaften mit etablierten Instituts können helfen. Unternehmen sollten solche Vertrauenssignale früh prüfen oder integrieren, um den Go-to-Market zu erleichtern.Erste Kunden mit Beta-HeuristikEs wird eine Beta-Phase mit 100 Nutzern empfohlen, die das Produkt kostenlos testen. Dazu gehört ein klares Angebot und aktives Feedback-Sammeln. Dieses Muster dient als Heuristik, um Product-Market-Fit zu validieren, bevor größere Marketingausgaben erfolgen.Menschliche Komponente zählt im VerkaufDie Diskussion betont, dass Nicht AI-Features, sondern menschliche Faktoren wie Zuverlässigkeit, Kommunikation und Persönlichkeit den Verkauf antreiben. Ein persönlicher Pitch, z.B. ein kurzes Video in der Insta-DM, erhöht die Reaktionschance. Damit lassen sich schneller Vertrauen aufbauen und erste Kunden gewinnen.Keywordserster kunde gewinnenerster euro verdienengo-to-market strategiewie gewinne ich den ersten kunden als selbstständigerwie vermögen steueroptimiert auszahlen lassenwie starte ich beta-nutzer akquise für finanzsoftwarewie finde ich die richtigen Kanäle für B2B-Software-Rolloutwie baue ich vertrauen bei finanzsoftware aufleadgenerierungsocial adscontent marketingchange managementTÜV-Siegel

In this episode of Strap On Your Boots, I reflect on one of the biggest lessons I've learned after building multiple software companies: creating a great product is no longer the hardest part of entrepreneurship. As software becomes easier to build with AI and modern development tools, the real challenge has shifted to earning attention, finding the right customers, and standing out in an increasingly crowded market. I also share why I pivoted from chasing thousands of SaaS subscribers to pursuing enterprise clients, and how changing the customer completely changed the business.

Melissa Mash built Dagne Dover from a business school focus group and $40,000 in pre-sales into a brand now carried in more than 250 retail locations—without ever taking venture capital. By ditching Meta and Google in favor of events, sponsorships, and high-touch retail relationships, nearly half the brand's growth now comes from word of mouth alone. For more on Dagne Dover and show notes click here Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Can a backpack made from ocean-bound plastic become a global accessories brand? In this episode, Kathrin Melchior of Got Bag shares how thoughtful product development, customer insights, and sustainable innovation transformed a crowdfunding idea into one of the most recognizable bag brands on the street. From designing inside a fast-moving global retailer to helping scale a purpose-driven startup, Katrine explains why great products come from constant testing—not just great taste. She also reveals how one surprising customer insight led Got Bag from backpacks into handbags, and why understanding who actually buys your product is often the biggest breakthrough.Key Takeaways:Design with data — Customer feedback beats assumptions every time.Stay open to surprises — Your real customer may not be who you expected.Purpose needs a great product — Sustainability succeeds when design and function come first.

SummaryIn this episode, Josh Nielsen, founder and CEO of ZenCastr, shares the journey of building a remote podcast recording platform, lessons learned from early challenges, and insights into scaling a tech business during COVID-19. Discover how innovation, timing, and customer feedback shaped ZenCaster's evolution and its role in empowering podcasters.TakeawaysBuilding a remote recording platform for podcastersLessons learned from early product challengesThe impact of browser technology on product developmentStrategies for scaling a tech business during COVID-19Innovations in audio and video integrationMonetization strategies for small and large podcastsThe importance of customer feedback and product-market fitHiring and leadership lessons from a founderFundraising decisions during rapid growthChapters00:00 Introduction and Background00:30 Origin of ZenCastr04:05 Realizing the Potential in Podcasting06:23 Lessons Learned from Building ZenCastr09:19 Monetization and Growth11:38 Expanding ZenCaster's Services12:14 Monetization Options for Small Podcasters13:44 Building a Podcast Network for Everyone15:13 Using Growth Algorithms to Grow Podcasts20:48 Expansion into Show Growth and Cross-Promotion23:21 Growing Pains and Hiring a Co-Founder25:46 Lessons Learned and the Importance of Co-Founders29:23 Transitioning from Developer to Business Leader30:32 Transitioning from Solo Operation to Leading a Company35:24 Fundraising and Making Decisions38:14 Scaling the Business and the Need for Funding41:35 Tech Stack and Building the Platform48:29 Hiring and Building the Team51:08 Transitioning from Programming to Leadership54:08 Staying Engaged with Programming55:04 How to Connect with JoshLearn more: https://zencastr.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshnielsen/Credits:Hosted by Ryan RoghaarProduced by Ryan RoghaarTheme music: "Perfect Day" by OPM  The Eggs Podcast Spotify playlist:bit.ly/eggstunesThe Plugs:The Show: eggsthepodcast.com@eggsthepodcast on X and InstagramMike "DJ Ontic": Shows and info: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠djontic.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@djontic on twitterRyan Roghaar:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rogha.ar⁠⁠

Aishwarya Iyer built Brightland into an eight-figure California olive oil brand by saying no to major retailers, outside investors, and every shortcut that came her way. She breaks down the brand's scrappy early days, the organic press strategy that landed her in Bon Appétit, and why she said no to Whole Foods—twice. For more on Brightland and show notes click here Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Send us Fan MailUri Levine, co-founder of Waze and one of the entrepreneurs behind two billion-dollar exits, joins The Alchemist's Library Podcast to share his startup playbook for founders, product-market fit, business strategy, AI, venture capital, and decision-making. In this conversation, Uri breaks down why great startups start with a painful customer problem, how to validate demand, when to pivot, and why failing fast is a competitive advantage.Ryan and Uri also discuss how AI changes entrepreneurship, why unique data and customer trust matter more than “AI company” branding, and what founders misunderstand about raising money from venture capital. Uri explains how to build a strong team, find mentors, make hard decisions, and stay grounded through the lonely roller coaster of building a company.If you're an entrepreneur, startup founder, creator, investor, or anyone trying to build something that matters, this episode is a practical masterclass in value creation, leadership, and simplicity. Subscribe for more conversations with world-class founders, investors, and thinkers.#UriLevine #StartupPlaybook #EntrepreneurshipBuy the book here!TIMESTAMPS:00:00 – How Uri Levine Built Two Billion-Dollar Exits02:20 – Why Failure Is Required for Startup Success03:43 – How to Find a Problem Worth Solving06:53 – Turning Personal Pain Into a Startup Idea13:47 – Product-Market Fit and Customer Retention17:43 – How AI Changes the Startup Game20:58 – Why Unique Data Creates Startup Defensibility25:22 – Fall in Love With the Problem35:17 – How Founders Can Find Real Mentors44:28 – Should Entrepreneurs Chase Money or Happiness49:50 – How to Build and Fire a Startup Team57:32 – Venture Capital vs Bootstrapping a Startup01:03:34 – How Successful CEOs Make Hard Decisions01:07:25 – Why Simple Products Win Massive MarketsConnect with Us!https://www.instagram.com/alchemists.library/https://twitter.com/RyanJAyala

Sponsored by Auth0 for Startups → 1-year free https://auth0.com/startups/vip Auth0 is an adaptable authentication and authorization platform that helps you secure your apps and AI agents. It delivers convenience, privacy, and security so you can focus on building a great UX. FOUNDER PROFILE: Hugo Santos, Founder of Namespace https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugomgsantos/ - Namespace, founded by Hugo Santos (ex-Google), began by building an internal application platform to solve infrastructure pain points, eventually pivoting to offer a high-performance, low-friction infrastructure product for other companies. - The company's early growth relied heavily on leveraging Hugo's professional network to build trust and secure initial customers, emphasizing the importance of relationships and reputation in infrastructure adoption. - Achieving product-market fit was marked by customer loyalty—even during a major outage, Namespace did not lose a single customer, highlighting the strength of their customer relationships and support. - Hugo shared key fundraising lessons: raising their seed round was easier due to strong networks and a clear vision, but Series A required a more structured, process-driven approach to control the narrative and manage investor perceptions. - Namespace has raised $23 million in Seed and Series A funding, led by NEA with participation from Susa Ventures and other investors.

In this episode of the Predictable Revenue Podcast, Gidi Cohen, CEO of BonFy.AI, sits down with Collin and shares insights on product-market fit, the evolution of data security in the age of AI, and strategies for startup growth in a rapidly changing market. Highlights include:  Validating the idea (02:59), Understanding the Market Needs (04:43), Identifying Competitor Weaknesses (08:05), Finding the Right Buyer Persona (13:27), and more... Stay updated with our podcast and the latest insights on Outbound Sales and Go-to-Market Strategies!

Jack Altman joins Speedrun to discuss product-market fit, customer feedback, hiring, fundraising, and the realities of building an enduring company. Drawing on his experience building Lattice from startup to multi-billion-dollar company, Altman explains how founders should think about customer requests, when to pivot, and why some of the hardest decisions come from balancing conviction with market feedback. He shares lessons from the early days of Lattice, including finding product-market fit, building a sales motion, hiring the first employees, and navigating the tradeoffs that emerge as companies scale. The conversation also covers fundraising, co-founder relationships, startup momentum, and what Altman looks for today as an investor at Alt Capital.   Resources: Follow Jack Altman on X: https://x.com/jaltma Stay Updated:Find a16z on YouTube: YouTubeFind a16z on XFind a16z on LinkedInListen to the a16z Show on SpotifyListen to the a16z Show on Apple PodcastsFollow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hyla Nayeri co-founded 437, a bootstrapped activewear brand, into an eight-figure business— and she did it by simplifying ruthlessly, betting on organic social and influencer marketing, and protecting a culture that includes a four-day workweek. For more on 437 and show notes click here Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Dan Rochon and Collin Stewart discuss the origins of the CPI community, his approach to teaching sales and business growth, and his journey in writing and promoting his new book "Teach to Sell".    Learn about building predictable income, the importance of systems, and how to leverage AI in business.   Highlights include:  The Idea Behind the CPI Community (10:19), Mission to Help a Million People (14:26), The Value of Instructions and Systems (18:42), and more... Stay updated with our podcast and the latest insights on Outbound Sales and Go-to-Market Strategies!

והפעם – פרק עם מתן כהן (קורס תכנות רכ״ב, שירות בבסמ״ח ובמצפ״ן) ועופר חופשי, מייסדי Doti, שנמכרה ל־Salesforce בעסקה של כ־100 מיליון דולר

When Jing Gao launched Fly By Jing, she wasn''t just selling chili crisp—she was challenging a century-old story about the value of Chinese food. Starting from an underground supper club and a scrappy Kickstarter, she built a brand now found in Target, Walmart, and Whole Foods that has inspired a generation of Asian food founders. For more on Fly By Jin and show notes click here Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.

Most founders think they have a sales problem. According to Lou Shipley, they usually have a customer understanding problem.Lou is a 3x CEO, Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School, former CEO of Black Duck Software, and co-author of Unlikely Entrepreneurs.During his time at Black Duck, Lou repositioned the company from open-source compliance to open-source security, quadrupled revenue, and helped lead the company to a $565 million acquisition by Synopsys.In this conversation, we discuss: Why founders should not hand off sales too early  The real purpose of your first 100 customer conversations  How to know if you're solving a painful enough problem  Why competitive markets can be better than new markets  The go-to-market framework that helped scale Black Duck  How to identify product-market fit before building too much  What causes churn and how to spot it before it happens  Why most founders misunderstand scaling a sales team  The reality of AI and what founders should pay attention to  Lessons from six startups, multiple exits, and decades of leadership This is a practical conversation about sales, positioning, product-market fit, scaling teams, and building companies that customers actually want.00:00 Introduction to Lou Shipley and Black Duck Software02:00 The Black Duck acquisition story and repositioning strategy04:30 Why founders should own sales longer than they think09:10 Learning from customers before chasing revenue12:00 Why competitive markets are often better opportunities15:00 The myth of the young founder and why experience matters18:40 Understanding customer pain deeply enough to build a company21:20 Signs you're building a solution nobody truly needs22:45 Building software for yourself vs guessing what customers want25:00 How Lou repositioned Black Duck around security27:30 Managing vs leading as your company scales31:00 Escaping the weeds and thinking like an investor33:10 The sales framework behind Black Duck's growth39:00 Churn, product-market fit, and customer retention43:30 AI, software startups, and what founders should watch51:30 What Lou learned after running multiple companies57:20 The one message every founder needs to hearUnlikely Entrepreneurs: Wins, Losses, and Crucial Lessons on Building Great Companies: https://a.co/d/0fPfhi1D

What happens when every payment, wallet, and onchain interaction becomes searchable by governments, companies, adversaries, and AI? Josh Swihart, founder and CEO of Zcash Open Development Lab, joins David to explain why Zcash is having a major privacy comeback, how ZODL and the Zashi wallet helped unlock real shielded adoption, why the shielded pool may be the most important ZEC metric, and what it will take for private money to become too big to kill. ---

What if you attracted 50 buyers in two months - for a product you almost didn't list? That's not a marketing strategy. That's exactly what happened when 21-year-old Ovi Shekh posted Wisdomic AI on Acquire.com and watched his inbox fill up faster than he expected. Ovi is a CS student from Dhaka, Bangladesh. He's already exited two businesses before most people his age have submitted a single job application. His first exit came almost by accident - a COVID-era grocery delivery startup, quietly acquired after the buyer tracked him down on Instagram. His second was Wisdomic AI. An AI-powered academic research tool he'd spent eight months building. Ten thousand signups. Nineteen hundred active users. Fifty-plus universities. And a product he genuinely didn't want to let go of. But he listed it anyway. Just to see. Fifty-two inquiries later, he had a signed LOI with his chosen buyer. And then a better offer showed up. More money. Different vision. And Ovi walked away from it. Because here's the thing most first-time sellers never think to use as a dealbreaker - vision alignment. Not the highest number. Not the cleanest terms. Whether the buyer actually believes in what you built and will carry it forward the right way. That was the filter. That was the whole decision. The buyer Ovi chose went on to raise $700,000 using the asset Ovi sold him. Let that sit for a second. In this episode, Jaryd sits down with Ovi to unpack how a 21-year-old from Bangladesh navigated two exits, turned down a better offer on purpose, and figured out the rules of the acquisition game earlier than almost anyone around him. How he valued an eight-month-old SaaS with no ARR and a niche user base that didn't behave like typical consumers. Why he applied to Y Combinator eight times, got rejected every single time, and what that finally told him about where his leverage actually lived. And the one thing he says nobody tells you when you're building - that you don't get rich owning a startup. Only selling one. Most founders fall in love with their product and never let go. Ovi fell in love with his, listed it just to see what would happen, and walked away with a lesson worth more than the exit itself.

Most founders do not fail because they lack intelligence, ambition, or effort. They fail because cash disappears before the market is ready. The dangerous part is that most companies cannot see the timing problem while it is happening. Leadership keeps hiring, scaling, building, and pushing harder while customer behavior, market readiness, or adoption psychology still lag behind the vision. By the time reality becomes financially visible, the runway is already shrinking. At the same time, AI is accelerating operational disruption underneath nearly every industry. Work that once justified departments, research cycles, and executive structures is collapsing into tools that now execute in minutes. That is forcing founders to rethink not only labor and execution, but where human value actually exists inside the business. This conversation explores why product-market timing matters more than intelligence, how founder identity quietly becomes operational risk, why convenience destroys incumbents faster than expected, and how companies unknowingly defend processes the market no longer rewards. Kevin Surace shares what he learned building breakthrough technologies before markets were ready — and why many leadership teams still misunderstand the economic shift already happening underneath their companies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode features Sahir Azam, Partner at Index Ventures and former Chief Product Officer at MongoDB, where he helped scale Atlas into a multi-billion-dollar platform. This conversation breaks down what actually separates top enterprise sellers, from intellectual curiosity to resource orchestration, and why those traits alone aren't enough without leadership building the right operating model around them. Sahir also explains how sales leaders create scale through enablement, accountability, and structured engagement, not just hiring more talent. For leaders trying to build repeatability in complex sales, this is a clear look at what it takes. Sahir Azam is a Partner at Index Ventures investing in AI infrastructure, and former Chief Product Officer at MongoDB where he led the Atlas transformation into a multi-billion-dollar platform. He brings a rare operator's perspective on building go-to-market discipline, scaling sales culture, and navigating the product-distribution balance that separates winners from founders who fail. Connect with Sahir: Index Ventures LinkedIn Get the Force Management framework for navigating product-go-to-market fit and building the sales discipline that separates scaling companies from those that fail: The Predictable Revenue Framework: Guide for Leaders Hosted by five-time CRO John McMahon and Force Management Co-Founder John Kaplan, the Revenue Builders podcast goes behind the scenes with the sales leaders who have been there, done that, and seen the results. This show is brought to you by Force Management. We help companies improve sales performance, executing their growth strategy at the point of sale. Connect with Us: LinkedInYouTubeForce Management

Episode SummaryIn this special 200th episode of Million Dollar Flip Flops, Rodric flips the script and brings on one of the most inspiring young entrepreneurs from the Send a Student Leader Abroad (SASLA) program—Madison Timson.Madison, a seventh-grade student and rising entrepreneur, shares her journey of building a crochet business from scratch during the program. What makes her story even more powerful is how she started at the bottom of the leaderboard and, through persistence and learning, worked her way up to finish second overall.She opens up about the challenges she faced, the turning point that changed everything, and the real-world business lessons she learned along the way—from understanding customers to managing inventory and building relationships.This is a heartfelt, inspiring conversation about resilience, growth, and the power of believing in yourself—even when you're starting from behind.In This Episode, You'll LearnWhy persistence matters more than where you startHow understanding your customers can completely change your businessThe importance of product-market fit—even at a young ageWhy managing inventory is a key part of business successHow building relationships can open unexpected opportunitiesWhat young entrepreneurs can teach seasoned business ownersWhy you're never truly “starting over” in businessHow small wins can turn into big momentumHighlights & Timestamps[00:00] Meet Madison TimsonMadison introduces herself, her grade level, and her crochet business built during the SASLA program.[01:00] Why this episode mattersRodric shares why this 200th episode is special and highlights the mission behind Send a Student Leader Abroad.[02:00] The vision behind SASLAA deeper look into how the program combines entrepreneurship with global perspective and leadership development.[05:00] Madison's entrepreneurial journey beginsMadison shares what she created—crochet items like bookmarks and ornaments—and how she got started.[06:00] From last place to second placeRodric reflects on Madison's journey from the bottom of the leaderboard to finishing strong.[07:00] The turning point: understanding customersMadison reveals the key shift—learning what customers wanted and how to deliver it consistently.[08:00] Product-market fit and inventory lessonsHow Madison figured out what to make, how to make it, and how to keep products in stock.[09:00] The power of relationshipsMadison shares why learning to talk to people and maintain connections was one of her biggest takeaways.[09:30] Real-world success: selling locallyMadison talks about continuing her business and selling her products in a local bookstore.[10:00] Question for the next guestMadison asks: Who or what inspired you to start your own business?[10:30] Advice to her younger selfMadison shares what she would tell her 10-year-old self about starting a business—keep going, even when it's hard.[11:00] How to support MadisonRodric shares how listeners can connect with and support her business.Notable Quotes“The huge difference was figuring out what my customers wanted.” – Madison Timson“You have to figure out how to keep it in stock so they can buy it when they want it.” – Madison Timson“Learning how to talk to people and maintain connections can take you places.” – Madison Timson“It may be hard at the start, but keep trying—you'll figure it out.” – Madison TimsonConnect with Madison Timson

Is your paycheck giving you security… or stopping you from chasing your real purpose?In this episode of Mama's House To Penthouse, Prinston Hicks and Country Cowboy have a real conversation about entrepreneurship, leaving corporate America, building confidence, making decisions, and going all in on your vision.They break down:How to know when it's time to leave your jobWhy most people stay stuck in comfortBuilding confidence through actionDecision-making in entrepreneurshipCreating recurring revenueLead generation and sales systemsProduct market fit and scalingAI tools and business automationThis episode is packed with practical business advice, entrepreneur mindset shifts, and honest conversations about building freedom through business.If you're trying to start a business, grow a side hustle, scale your company, or escape the 9 to 5 grind, this episode is for you.Follow Mama's House To Penthouse for weekly episodes on entrepreneurship, sales, marketing, business systems, mindset, and personal growth.⏱️ CHAPTERS00:00 Intro – Mama's House To Penthouse00:27 Special Guest Introduction01:55 Logistics, Amazon & Business Systems02:44 The “Fat Face” Story

Shiv Rao is the CEO and Co-Founder of Abridge, a leader in generative AI for healthcare. The company reached a $5.3 billion valuation following a $300 million funding round with investors including Jensen Huang, Henry Kravis, USV, Bessemer Venture Partners and Elad Gill. A practicing cardiologist, Shiv has scaled the company to 450 employees and partnered with major health systems like Emory and Yale.  AGENDA: 04:00 — You just have to survive long enough to not die 06:00 — Did USV liking music make them billions of dollars? 13:58 — The three variants of an AI native company 15:00 — How do you know if foundation models are going to kill or help you? 22:15 — Why OpenAI and Anthropic doing consultancies is such an obvious move 41:00 — Biggest lesson from Jensen Huang at Nvidia 41:00 — What Founder Mode truly means 52:00 — What the founder of Duolingo taught me about sacrifice 56:37 — If I started a company again, Elad Gill would be the one investor I go to    

What you'll learn in this episode: Why being “60% right and 40% wrong” can still destroy a business The biggest mistake founders make during customer development Why product-market fit exists on a spectrum—not as a yes/no answer The customer development funnel that creates referrals naturally How to know when your product is ready to scale The danger of building based on your own assumptions instead of customer pain Why entrepreneurs struggle to balance confidence with humility The exact questions to ask customers before investing in growth How Uber Eats generated 33x stronger sales results than average clients Why slowing down can actually help you grow faster About Collin Stewart Founder, CEO, podcast host & failed musician How can he help you? Bootstrapped PR to millions in revenue Built a revenue team to 11 Grew 3 companies from $0–$1M as the only sales hire Hosts a podcast with 120+ episodes Nailed product-market fit but whiffed on building it (and learned a tonne from it) Connect with Collin Stewart: Predictable Revenue Founder's Edition The Terrifying Art Collin Stewart LinkedIn Predictable Revenue Podcast

Warum halten so viele noch an ihrem Konzernjob fest, obwohl sie spüren, dass Sicherheit eine Illusion ist? Stephanie Sgura steht für das, worüber andere nur auf LinkedIn posten: Systemwechsel – mit echtem Mut und klarem Nein zum Status-Bla-Bla. Wer bereit ist, eigene Narrative zu zerlegen, knackt Wachstum, das mehr liefert als neue Stellentitel. Warum du Product-Market-Fit zuerst in echten Kundengesprächen suchst – und kein noch so feingeschliffenes Workbook je ersetzt, was der Markt wirklich kauft. Preis-Angst? Wie falsche Glaubenssätze dich systematisch sabotieren – und warum billiger nie Wert stiftet, sondern dich garantiert in den Burn-out verkauft. Keine Lust auf Mitarbeiter-Chaos? Wie Solopreneurship dir radikale Klarheit und unternehmerische Freiheit verschafft – ohne auf Umsatz zu verzichten. Ehrliches Unternehmertum verlangt brutal einfache Prinzipien. Nicht das nächste "Manifestieren! Mehr Content! Noch ein Statussymbol!"-Bullshit-Bingo. Wer Orientierung sucht und Substanz verträgt, bleibt dran – am Blog findest du die nächste Schippe Praxis: https://theangryteddy.com Mehr zu Stephanie findest du unter: https://www.solopreneurslife.com/ ________________________________ Du möchtest einen Überblick über den Einstieg ins Business Podcasting. Hol dir meinen 37-seitigen Podcast Guide. Jetzt herunterladen:

"If your product sucks, you're never going to succeed. A lot of people are trying to solve product problems with marketing spend." Chase Clymer runs Electric Eye, a Shopify agency deep in CRO, redesigns, and migrations. He also hits about one industry event a month, which means he's got a real read on how merchants and partners actually feel right now. Not the Twitter version. The hallway version. We got into the real state of ecom in 2026: Facebook CPMs nearly doubling since the pandemic, why most brands under $5M shouldn't be split testing at all, how agencies are using AI tools like Claude and Nano Banana to skip hours of busywork, and Chase's bold prediction that Shopify is about to overhaul its partner program after a failed enterprise bet. SPONSORS Swym - Wishlists, Back in Stock alerts, & more getswym.com/kurt Cleverific - Smart order editing for Shopify cleverific.com Zipify - Build high-converting sales funnels zipify.com/KURT LINKS Electric Eye: https://electriceye.io/ Honest Ecommerce podcast: https://honestecommerce.com/ Fathom (sales call recording): https://fathom.video/ Nano Banana / Gemini image generation: https://gemini.google/overview/image-generation/ Figma Make: https://www.figma.com/ WORK WITH KURT Apply for Shopify Help ethercycle.com/apply See Our Results ethercycle.com/work Free Newsletter kurtelster.com The Unofficial Shopify Podcast is hosted by Kurt Elster and explores the stories behind successful Shopify stores. Get actionable insights, practical strategies, and proven tactics from entrepreneurs who've built thriving ecommerce businesses.

In this episode of Strap on Your Boots, I break down the reality behind the AI app-building boom and why so many founders are still struggling to get traction. While tools like Claude, Cursor, and modern cloud platforms have made it faster than ever to build apps, the real challenge hasn't gone away — it's shifted. I share my experience building apps over the past 30 years, how development has evolved, and why “vibe coding” isn't a business model. We dive into the real bottleneck most people ignore: marketing, distribution, and user acquisition. If you're building an app in today's AI-driven world, this episode will change how you think about what actually matters.

She had 18 million followers, a product idea born from panic attacks, and zero paid ad spend on launch day. Within 24 hours, Hugz was sold out. Lexi Hensler built Give Hugz — a line of weighted stuffed animals designed to trigger deep pressure stimulation — by turning her own battle with anxiety into a brand now tripling sales year over year. But before Hugz existed, there was Lexi Llama: a merch line that launched a Christmas sweater one week before Christmas, promised worldwide delivery without knowing what international shipping cost, and ended with all four co-founders hand-signing apology cards at 2am. Every mistake became a blueprint.   In this episode, Lexi breaks down exactly how she built a brand that now stands on its own — where customers show up having never heard of Lexi Hensler:  Why she capped the Hugz launch at 3 SKUs — and how starting with 8 nearly sank her first brand The Goldilocks weight (4 pounds) and why glass beads won over rice and flaxseed (hint: mold, maggots, and microwaving) How vulnerability in content converts better than follower count — and what she told other creators who couldn't figure out why their merch wasn't selling Why all four co-founders took zero salary for years, and what that looked like day to day How she navigates the line between sharing and oversharing — including the engagement decision she almost posted and didn't Why their scrappy two-person phone shoots often outperform the ones with a full professional crew                                       Hugz donates 10% of every purchase to mental health charities — and Lexi has personally visited every partner organization they've worked with. This is the story of getting it wrong first, and building something that outlasts you because of it.           Start Your Free Shopify Trial: https://utm.io/yt_podcast_trial  SUBSCRIBE to our Youtube channel for more video episodes: https://utm.io/uhw53 For more on Hugz: https://www.shopify.com/blog/hugz-creator-led-mental-health-brand?utm_campaign=shopifymasters&utm_medium=youtube&utm_source=podcast Subscribe and watch Shopify Masters on YouTube!Sign up for your FREE Shopify Trial here.