Josh Howarth

On this episode Abadesi talks to Josh Howarth, co-founder of Exploding Topics.In this episode they talk about...His early days as a maker and what he would change if he could do things over again“It’s not the case that you build it and they will come. It took me two months to build and then I was like, now what? I hadn’t thought at all about marketing channels.”Josh talks about one of the projects that he created at the start of his journey to becoming a maker. He worked on a website plugin that he had seen other people implement where you spun a wheel to see what kind of discount code you would get for entering your email.He says that he didn’t realize how difficult getting distribution for the plugin would be and spent a lot of his time after releasing it reaching out to different people trying to get business to sign up. He achieved some revenue from it but it seemed to quickly fizzle out.“You can usually tell pretty quickly whether it will work or not if you’re putting it out there for people to see. I probably should have quit sooner, like after two months instead of six on my previous project.”He realized that he didn’t have any passion for the project and that it would have been better to work on something that he cared deeply about. In hindsight, he also realized that he spent too much time working on it when it was fairly clear that it would always be a slog to try to keep the revenue up.“If the goal is to run your own business, you should go for a space that you’re interested in because someone else who is passionate about it will beat you in the end.”The genesis and evolution of Exploding Topics and the lessons he’s learned through the process“It’s 100 times easier to bootstrap a profitable online business if you ride one of these big market trends. You will grow with the opportunity and the competition won’t be too fierce either. That’s when I started to build a project that would spot these trends, to scratch my own itch.”His experience with his previous project led him to research emerging trends that he could potentially build an online business out of. He did a lot of research and turned his research project into a web app when he realized that the results might be of use to other people as well.“I didn’t intend for it to become a product in itself but I decided I had solved this problem for me, I may as well turn it into a web app and see if other people are interested in it.”He started to post the project on the web with lists of the top trends that he was seeing at the time, which proved to be very interesting to people. One day his site was near the top of Hacker News when his database went down, leading him to scramble to upgrade to a paid solution before losing all the traffic that he was getting.He explains what he learned and what he would have done differently with Exploding Topics if he was starting over again.“You can feel it when you have something that people like and that is taking off. With the with the previous SaaS app it felt like I was pushing like a boulder uphill, but this thing was like snowball, everywhere I posted it people loved it and it just kept growing and growing.”How writing updates kept him accountable as a solo founder and his advice for finding a co-founder you can work well with“Make sure there’s a good co-founder fit, make sure that you know them and they’re going to bring a lot.”Josh says that it was very gratifying to see people use Exploding Topics to create their own sites based on emerging trends. This was what he had hoped to do with his original project with the web plugin.He says that it was important as a solo founder to write updates on Medium for his users. This encouraged him to make sure that he was making progress consistently on the site, because he needed to show his users and readers that he was always working on it. He also heard a lot of useful feedback from users who would use the site and sometimes even from people who were simply following his journey.He ended up taking on a co-founder for Exploding Topics via the sale of his site. He explains what the most important attributes in a co-founder are and why he and his co-founder work well together.“Writing updates and keeping people updated on your progress is fantastic as a sole founder because it keeps you accountable. It also helps to clarify your thoughts and direction. It helps to get support from other people who reach out to offer support, advice and guidance.”We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. 😸

On this episode Abadesi talks to <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/@joshahowarth" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Josh Howarth</a>, co-founder of <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/exploding-topics" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Exploding Topics</a>.In this episode they talk about...<h2>His early days as a maker and what he would change if he could do things over again</h2><blockquote>“It’s not the case that you build it and they will come. It took me two months to build and then I was like, now what? I hadn’t thought at all about marketing channels.”</blockquote>Josh talks about one of the projects that he created at the start of his journey to becoming a maker. He worked on a website plugin that he had seen other people implement where you spun a wheel to see what kind of discount code you would get for entering your email.He says that he didn’t realize how difficult getting distribution for the plugin would be and spent a lot of his time after releasing it reaching out to different people trying to get business to sign up. He achieved some revenue from it but it seemed to quickly fizzle out.<blockquote>“You can usually tell pretty quickly whether it will work or not if you’re putting it out there for people to see. I probably should have quit sooner, like after two months instead of six on my previous project.”</blockquote>He realized that he didn’t have any passion for the project and that it would have been better to work on something that he cared deeply about. In hindsight, he also realized that he spent too much time working on it when it was fairly clear that it would always be a slog to try to keep the revenue up.<blockquote>“If the goal is to run your own business, you should go for a space that you’re interested in because someone else who is passionate about it will beat you in the end.”</blockquote><h2>The genesis and evolution of Exploding Topics and the lessons he’s learned through the process</h2><blockquote>“It’s 100 times easier to bootstrap a profitable online business if you ride one of these big market trends. You will grow with the opportunity and the competition won’t be too fierce either. That’s when I started to build a project that would spot these trends, to scratch my own itch.”</blockquote>His experience with his previous project led him to research emerging trends that he could potentially build an online business out of. He did a lot of research and turned his research project into a web app when he realized that the results might be of use to other people as well.<blockquote>“I didn’t intend for it to become a product in itself but I decided I had solved this problem for me, I may as well turn it into a web app and see if other people are interested in it.”</blockquote>He started to post the project on the web with lists of the top trends that he was seeing at the time, which proved to be very interesting to people. One day his site was near the top of Hacker News when his database went down, leading him to scramble to upgrade to a paid solution before losing all the traffic that he was getting.He explains what he learned and what he would have done differently with Exploding Topics if he was starting over again.<blockquote>“You can feel it when you have something that people like and that is taking off. With the with the previous SaaS app it felt like I was pushing like a boulder uphill, but this thing was like snowball, everywhere I posted it people loved it and it just kept growing and growing.”</blockquote><h2>How writing updates kept him accountable as a solo founder and his advice for finding a co-founder you can work well with</h2><blockquote>“Make sure there’s a good co-founder fit, make sure that you know them and they’re going to bring a lot.”</blockquote>Josh says that it was very gratifying to see people use Exploding Topics to create their own sites based on emerging trends. This was what he had hoped to do with his original project with the web plugin.He says that it was important as a solo founder to write updates on Medium for his users. This encouraged him to make sure that he was making progress consistently on the site, because he needed to show his users and readers that he was always working on it. He also heard a lot of useful feedback from users who would use the site and sometimes even from people who were simply following his journey.He ended up taking on a co-founder for Exploding Topics via the sale of his site. He explains what the most important attributes in a co-founder are and why he and his co-founder work well together.<blockquote>“Writing updates and keeping people updated on your progress is fantastic as a sole founder because it keeps you accountable. It also helps to clarify your thoughts and direction. It helps to get support from other people who reach out to offer support, advice and guidance.”</blockquote>We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/product-hunt-radio/id862714883" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9yc3Muc2ltcGxlY2FzdC5jb20vcG9kY2FzdHMvNjI2MS9yc3M%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4Ak6HpbVkLKGacY3E0GHL8?si=N8xXCfscQPapPSFIF2rP3w" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.breaker.audio/product-hunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Breaker</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes862714883/product-hunt-radio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. 😸

How to bounce back as a maker with Josh Howarth

On this episode Abadesi talks to Matthew Paul, software product designer, researcher, and front-end engineer. He’s a former product designer at InVision, he’s worked on software and design systems at IBM, and has designed prototypes at Apple.In this episode they talk about...The open-source design project he’s working on, and how to make good design more accessible“As a designer you always have to bring the customer back to the conversation, and you have to invite the engineers, product directors, VPs, into your conversations with the customers, and let them hear what the customers have to say.”Matthew points out that type is being used on screens in more and more places these days, including in non-traditional places like in heads-up displays in vehicles and in VR headsets. He says that it’s important to make sure that good type is accessible to everyone, everywhere, and explains how the project he’s working on will enable that.Common design pitfalls to avoid and advice for working with designers“Seriously, don’t be afraid to ask for help. At a decent company, at a decent place, no one’s gonna get dinged for asking for help. You’re going to get dinged, not right away, but you’re going to get dinged if you don’t. You just end up burning out or not doing a good job at any of the things.”He runs through a bunch of different common mistakes that people make when they’re designing a product or working with a design team. He walks through some projects in the past that he’s been a part of that didn’t work out as intended and what the key issues turned out to be on those teams.“Don’t run a design sprint unless you actually know what it is and how to do it and have a plan to make it successful.”He explains the right ratio of designers to software engineers, saying that you want to usually have one designer for every eight software engineers. He also talks about the pitfalls of running a design sprint without really knowing what you’re doing. He also talks about what it means to be “neuro-atypical” and why we need more inclusion of different thinking, learning, and communication styles in the workplace.“They expect them to be a certain person, to fit a certain mold, to have good executive functioning, to have a set of cognitive processes that allow you to work in a linear fashion. The fact is, our brains are not all built that way. That’s neurodiversity.”How he’s working on his personal development and where he learns the most“I try to meet new people. I literally have gotten every single job that I’ve ever had through Twitter, just through them reaching out to me, me reaching out to them, and introductions happening that way.” Matthew explains the evolution in his thinking over time on how best to keep up with the latest trends in design and says that he used to follow all the blogs very closely when he was younger but has moved away from that as he’s grown as a designer.He offers a book recommendation if you’re interested in getting into typography, and says that he learns the most from other people. He tries to travel often to be exposed to new people and talk to them in person about what they’re working on.“I think I just learn the most from meeting new people and hearing what they’re working on — taking a little spark of what they’re working on and seeing if I can include that in my work.”We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Headspin Mobile for their support. 😸Books and Products Recommended in This Episode1Password — Save your passwords and logins with one click.AirPods Pro — New AirPods with active noise cancellation.Detail in Typography by Jost HochuliHeadspace Sleep — Sleep section of the popular meditation app.Magnet — Window manager for Mac.Simplenote — Simple, lighter alternative to Evernote.

On this episode Abadesi talks to <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/@matthewcpaul" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matthew Paul</a>, software product designer, researcher, and front-end engineer. He’s a former product designer at InVision, he’s worked on software and design systems at IBM, and has designed prototypes at Apple.In this episode they talk about...<h2>The open-source design project he’s working on, and how to make good design more accessible</h2><blockquote>“As a designer you always have to bring the customer back to the conversation, and you have to invite the engineers, product directors, VPs, into your conversations with the customers, and let them hear what the customers have to say.”</blockquote>Matthew points out that type is being used on screens in more and more places these days, including in non-traditional places like in heads-up displays in vehicles and in VR headsets. He says that it’s important to make sure that good type is accessible to everyone, everywhere, and explains how the project he’s working on will enable that.<h2>Common design pitfalls to avoid and advice for working with designers</h2><blockquote>“Seriously, don’t be afraid to ask for help. At a decent company, at a decent place, no one’s gonna get dinged for asking for help. You’re going to get dinged, not right away, but you’re going to get dinged if you don’t. You just end up burning out or not doing a good job at any of the things.”</blockquote>He runs through a bunch of different common mistakes that people make when they’re designing a product or working with a design team. He walks through some projects in the past that he’s been a part of that didn’t work out as intended and what the key issues turned out to be on those teams.<blockquote>“Don’t run a design sprint unless you actually know what it is and how to do it and have a plan to make it successful.”</blockquote>He explains the right ratio of designers to software engineers, saying that you want to usually have one designer for every eight software engineers. He also talks about the pitfalls of running a design sprint without really knowing what you’re doing. He also talks about what it means to be “neuro-atypical” and why we need more inclusion of different thinking, learning, and communication styles in the workplace.<blockquote>“They expect them to be a certain person, to fit a certain mold, to have good executive functioning, to have a set of cognitive processes that allow you to work in a linear fashion. The fact is, our brains are not all built that way. That’s neurodiversity.”</blockquote><h2>How he’s working on his personal development and where he learns the most</h2><blockquote>“I try to meet new people. I literally have gotten every single job that I’ve ever had through Twitter, just through them reaching out to me, me reaching out to them, and introductions happening that way.” </blockquote>Matthew explains the evolution in his thinking over time on how best to keep up with the latest trends in design and says that he used to follow all the blogs very closely when he was younger but has moved away from that as he’s grown as a designer.He offers a book recommendation if you’re interested in getting into typography, and says that he learns the most from other people. He tries to travel often to be exposed to new people and talk to them in person about what they’re working on.<blockquote>“I think I just learn the most from meeting new people and hearing what they’re working on — taking a little spark of what they’re working on and seeing if I can include that in my work.”</blockquote>We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/product-hunt-radio/id862714883" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9yc3Muc2ltcGxlY2FzdC5jb20vcG9kY2FzdHMvNjI2MS9yc3M%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4Ak6HpbVkLKGacY3E0GHL8?si=N8xXCfscQPapPSFIF2rP3w" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.breaker.audio/product-hunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Breaker</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes862714883/product-hunt-radio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to <a href="https://headspin.io/producthunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Headspin Mobile</a> for their support. 😸<h3>Books and Products Recommended in This Episode</h3><a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/1password-7-for-mac-and-windows" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">1Password</a> — Save your passwords and logins with one click.<a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/airpods-pro" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">AirPods Pro</a> — New AirPods with active noise cancellation.<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Jost-Hochuli-Typography-english-Reprint/dp/2917855665" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Detail in Typography</a> by Jost Hochuli<a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/the-new-headspace" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Headspace Sleep</a> — Sleep section of the popular meditation app.<a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/magnet-2-0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Magnet</a> — Window manager for Mac.<a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/simplenote" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Simplenote</a> — Simple, lighter alternative to Evernote.

Making good typography more accessible and common design pitfalls to avoid with Matthew Paul

Pieter Levels

Remote

On this episode Abadesi talks to Pieter Levels, founder of Nomad List, a global community of international travellers working around the world, RemoteOK, a job board for remote jobs, and Hoodmaps, a unique neighborhood map app.In this episode they talk about...Bootstrapping versus VC, and why he doesn’t want to build a team around his products“I don’t want to lose my skills. If I stop making stuff and become a manger, I’m going to learn a new skills but I’m not a business guy. I’m a creative person. I get happy from making stuff that works and people use.”Pieter says that he originally thought about creating a venture-backed business, which was going to be a proto-Uber in Amsterdam, before he pivoted to bootstrapping businesses. They discuss the questionable ethics of big venture-backed businesses who have often had to compromise on their values to get really big, really fast. He says that he works with one other person on his products but otherwise works on them all on his own — and he likes it that way. He explains why he doesn’t want to become a manager and instead prefers to keep working on his current products and potential new ones on his own, instead of delegating them to someone else once they’ve become successful.The difference between creating a website and building a community, and how to think about charging for your product“It’s psychologically difficult to charge people money.”He talks about how Nomad List has evolved over time and the features he has added to the site. He explains how it transformed from a website to a community. He breaks down the benefits of a community in expanding the reach of a movement and the intangibles that a community brings with it.He talks about how he got over the psychological barriers to charging money for access to a community, and says that at one time he explained to a member that he was even somewhat embarrassed to be charging, though now he hears from people all the time about the value that it brings to their lives. He also talks about the difficulty of managing and moderating a community.What the future of remote work and the digital nomad lifestyle will look like“You start off as a nomad thinking that you are going to travel the world forever but you go insane if you travel too fast.”Pieter talks about the evolution of the digital nomad lifestyle from its infancy to now, and why it’s being talked about more than ever. He says that it was at one time a somewhat fringe movement and that he never expected it to expand like it has. He says that creating the community around the lifestyle has helped accelerate its acceptance in mainstream culture and has resulted in there being more resources than ever for digital nomads.He says that in time we won’t be calling it nomadism anymore, it will just be something that becomes a normal part of life as remote work gains more and more acceptance. He says that eventually “digital nomadism” will become a term like “netizens” (an early term for people who used the internet) that we don’t use anymore, because it is so pervasive, just like the internet has become.“I flew less than my Dutch friends last year. Travel’s really fun but it’s more about finding a place where you feel better than where you were born and grew up.”We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Headspin Mobile for their support. 😸

On this episode Abadesi talks to <a href="https://levels.io/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pieter Levels,</a> founder of <a href="https://nomadlist.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nomad List</a>, a global community of international travellers working around the world, <a href="https://remoteok.io/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">RemoteOK</a>, a job board for remote jobs, and <a href="https://hoodmaps.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hoodmaps</a>, a unique neighborhood map app.In this episode they talk about...<h2>Bootstrapping versus VC, and why he doesn’t want to build a team around his products</h2><blockquote>“I don’t want to lose my skills. If I stop making stuff and become a manger, I’m going to learn a new skills but I’m not a business guy. I’m a creative person. I get happy from making stuff that works and people use.”</blockquote>Pieter says that he originally thought about creating a venture-backed business, which was going to be a proto-Uber in Amsterdam, before he pivoted to bootstrapping businesses. They discuss the questionable ethics of big venture-backed businesses who have often had to compromise on their values to get really big, really fast. He says that he works with one other person on his products but otherwise works on them all on his own — and he likes it that way. He explains why he doesn’t want to become a manager and instead prefers to keep working on his current products and potential new ones on his own, instead of delegating them to someone else once they’ve become successful.<h2>The difference between creating a website and building a community, and how to think about charging for your product</h2><blockquote>“It’s psychologically difficult to charge people money.”</blockquote>He talks about how Nomad List has evolved over time and the features he has added to the site. He explains how it transformed from a website to a community. He breaks down the benefits of a community in expanding the reach of a movement and the intangibles that a community brings with it.He talks about how he got over the psychological barriers to charging money for access to a community, and says that at one time he explained to a member that he was even somewhat embarrassed to be charging, though now he hears from people all the time about the value that it brings to their lives. He also talks about the difficulty of managing and moderating a community.<h2>What the future of remote work and the digital nomad lifestyle will look like</h2><blockquote>“You start off as a nomad thinking that you are going to travel the world forever but you go insane if you travel too fast.”</blockquote>Pieter talks about the evolution of the digital nomad lifestyle from its infancy to now, and why it’s being talked about more than ever. He says that it was at one time a somewhat fringe movement and that he never expected it to expand like it has. He says that creating the community around the lifestyle has helped accelerate its acceptance in mainstream culture and has resulted in there being more resources than ever for digital nomads.He says that in time we won’t be calling it nomadism anymore, it will just be something that becomes a normal part of life as remote work gains more and more acceptance. He says that eventually “digital nomadism” will become a term like “netizens” (an early term for people who used the internet) that we don’t use anymore, because it is so pervasive, just like the internet has become.<blockquote>“I flew less than my Dutch friends last year. Travel’s really fun but it’s more about finding a place where you feel better than where you were born and grew up.”</blockquote>We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/product-hunt-radio/id862714883" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9yc3Muc2ltcGxlY2FzdC5jb20vcG9kY2FzdHMvNjI2MS9yc3M%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4Ak6HpbVkLKGacY3E0GHL8?si=N8xXCfscQPapPSFIF2rP3w" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.breaker.audio/product-hunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Breaker</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes862714883/product-hunt-radio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to <a href="https://headspin.io/producthunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Headspin Mobile</a> for their support. 😸

The future of remote work and digital nomadism with Pieter Levels

Waseem Daher

On this episode Abadesi talks to Waseem Daher, founder and CEO of Pilot. Pilot is bringing bookkeeping into the modern age. He has started (and sold!) two other companies prior to Pilot.In this episode they talk about...The story of starting Pilot and what Waseem learned from his two previous companies“The end-to-end solution is really what made the business work. We are going to be your bookkeeper, your finance team, rather than sell you software.”The story of Pilot goes back to his first company, where they tried to do their books themselves, but realized how tedious it was and how much could be automated. He explains why he tries to have a more focused approach to company-building now:“I try to have a better sense of what is actually important. We were so worried about all of the stuff that we thought represented an existential threat but in practice literally zero of those things mattered. Of all the things I remember agonizing about, none of them had any actual effect on the business.”He also says that he makes sure to take time to rest and recharge, rather than working all the time:“In the first company we worked all the time, 6 days a week, 12 hours a day. Despite having worked that long, there were Saturdays where I still felt behind so I worked then as well, and every time I did that, it was always a mistake.”When it makes sense to take venture capital versus bootstrap a business“There’s a very pervasive and harmful narrative in Silicon Valley that the VC way is the only way to do it. I actually think the VC way is the unnecessarily difficult or hard way.”Waseem explains how to think about starting a company and talks about the principles to keep in mind when you’re thinking about the risk and reward of different approaches:“If your objective is wealth creation, you should not start a startup, you should go work on Wall Street or something. The easiest way to make $10M is to own 100% of a company that’s worth $10M, not to own 1% of a company that’s worth $1B.”He says that “lifestyle is not a bad word” and that as a founder you don’t need to care about serving a massive market unless you’ve taken venture capital funding.“Venture capital is not right for 99% of businesses. You have to be building something that is targeting a gigantic market to have a company worth billions of dollars doing hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue.”How to think about a potential acquisition“By raising a bunch of institutional capital, you’re prevented from taking exits that are otherwise very good or very profitable.”Waseem shares what he’s learned from two previous exits, one to Oracle and the other to Dropbox. He says that it’s most important to think about how you and your company will mesh with the acquirer and choose the offer that provides the best fit rather than the highest dollar amount. He says that if the fit is good, you will create much more value through the relationship together than the value of the acquisition.“Look at the acquisition as the start of a new relationship, not the end of something.”How Waseem stays productiveHe explains that he keeps most of his apps on his phone in folders rather than on his home screen. This creates friction and ensures that he has to be intentional about what exactly he is doing when he takes out his phone.He also explains exactly how to write emails that get responses from busy people:“Craft something that is really short, that is to the point, and that has a very crisp and clear call-to-action at the end of the email. Ideally the call-to-action is as easy to respond to as possible.”We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Headspin Mobile for their support. 😸

On this episode Abadesi talks to <a href="https://twitter.com/waseem?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Waseem Daher</a>, founder and CEO of <a href="https://pilot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pilot</a>. Pilot is bringing bookkeeping into the modern age. He has started (and sold!) two other companies prior to Pilot.In this episode they talk about...<h2>The story of starting Pilot and what Waseem learned from his two previous companies</h2><blockquote>“The end-to-end solution is really what made the business work. We are going to be your bookkeeper, your finance team, rather than sell you software.”</blockquote>The story of Pilot goes back to his first company, where they tried to do their books themselves, but realized how tedious it was and how much could be automated. He explains why he tries to have a more focused approach to company-building now:<blockquote>“I try to have a better sense of what is actually important. We were so worried about all of the stuff that we thought represented an existential threat but in practice literally zero of those things mattered. Of all the things I remember agonizing about, none of them had any actual effect on the business.”</blockquote>He also says that he makes sure to take time to rest and recharge, rather than working all the time:<blockquote>“In the first company we worked all the time, 6 days a week, 12 hours a day. Despite having worked that long, there were Saturdays where I still felt behind so I worked then as well, and every time I did that, it was always a mistake.”</blockquote><h2>When it makes sense to take venture capital versus bootstrap a business</h2><blockquote>“There’s a very pervasive and harmful narrative in Silicon Valley that the VC way is the only way to do it. I actually think the VC way is the unnecessarily difficult or hard way.”</blockquote>Waseem explains how to think about starting a company and talks about the principles to keep in mind when you’re thinking about the risk and reward of different approaches:<blockquote>“If your objective is wealth creation, you should not start a startup, you should go work on Wall Street or something. The easiest way to make $10M is to own 100% of a company that’s worth $10M, not to own 1% of a company that’s worth $1B.”</blockquote>He says that “lifestyle is not a bad word” and that as a founder you don’t need to care about serving a massive market unless you’ve taken venture capital funding.<blockquote>“Venture capital is not right for 99% of businesses. You have to be building something that is targeting a gigantic market to have a company worth billions of dollars doing hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue.”</blockquote><h2>How to think about a potential acquisition</h2><blockquote>“By raising a bunch of institutional capital, you’re prevented from taking exits that are otherwise very good or very profitable.”</blockquote>Waseem shares what he’s learned from two previous exits, one to Oracle and the other to Dropbox. He says that it’s most important to think about how you and your company will mesh with the acquirer and choose the offer that provides the best fit rather than the highest dollar amount. He says that if the fit is good, you will create much more value through the relationship together than the value of the acquisition.<blockquote>“Look at the acquisition as the start of a new relationship, not the end of something.”</blockquote><h2>How Waseem stays productive</h2>He explains that he keeps most of his apps on his phone in folders rather than on his home screen. This creates friction and ensures that he has to be intentional about what exactly he is doing when he takes out his phone.He also explains exactly how to write emails that get responses from busy people:<blockquote>“Craft something that is really short, that is to the point, and that has a very crisp and clear call-to-action at the end of the email. Ideally the call-to-action is as easy to respond to as possible.”</blockquote>We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/product-hunt-radio/id862714883" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9yc3Muc2ltcGxlY2FzdC5jb20vcG9kY2FzdHMvNjI2MS9yc3M%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4Ak6HpbVkLKGacY3E0GHL8?si=N8xXCfscQPapPSFIF2rP3w" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.breaker.audio/product-hunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Breaker</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes862714883/product-hunt-radio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to <a href="https://headspin.io/producthunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Headspin Mobile</a> for their support. 😸

How to get acquired with Waseem Daher of Pilot

Ethan Eismann

On this episode Abadesi talks to Ethan Eismann, VP of Design at Slack. He has previously worked on flagship products at Google, Uber, and Airbnb, as well as at Adobe back when Flash was still a thing!In this episode they talk about...The consumerization of the enterprise and bringing personality to software“You need somebody who is really able to think of your customers first and who can translate your customers’ perspective into your own unique tone and personality.”Ethan talks about the trend of the “consumerization” of the enterprise, why workers are demanding better software, and how Slack has played a role in the trend. He talks about how they’ve brought some personality to software that is typically utilitarian, to the delight of millions of users. Ethan tells the story of the pivot that Slack made from being a gaming company called Glitch to a communication tool for the enterprise. He also talks about how one of the early employees helped to shape the unique personality that Slack has today.The design philosophy at Slack and how they use hypotheses in designing their products“It’s critically important to have a perspective on what your customers need. They will often tell you where to focus. They have these unsatisfied needs and deep wants and desires. They will tell you the path.”Ethan breaks down the design philosophy at Slack, explaining some of the unique processes that they use to develop software. He says that they iterate rapidly, and are constantly testing new features on their own live data from their internal Slack channels. He says that they encourage their engineering teams to contribute design ideas as well. “We try to keep a history of our prototypes and we document the learning that comes along with each prototype. We have a library of the past experiments that we’ve tried and what we’ve learned.”He explains their process for testing their hypotheses and how they determine what to do based on the results of their experiments. He says that sometimes they find unexpected results which change the direction of their efforts.“When you're thinking about your product, consider that people only have so many cognitive calories to spend at any given moment. If you have a complex product that could be okay, as long as you break it down into simple concepts that people can consume.”Customer-centric design and what it means to communicate energy as well as information“Fundamentally, the companies that have been most successful are the ones that have prioritized their customers. They’re always making time every week to get closer to customers. Having a customer-centric company means that everyone has a perspective because everyone in the company is spending time with them.”Ethan talks about the importance of listening closely to what your customers have to say. He says that at Slack they are constantly co-creating with their users. He breaks down exactly how they do this, including how they uses shared channels to interface with power users around the world who are always sharing feedback and helping them shape the direction of the product. He also breaks down why communication is not only about information, how they are using things like emojis to communicate energy in addition to information, and how this is allowing workers to express their unique voice.“Communication is information as well as energy. Software tools are often great at allowing you to create information but don’t always let you express energy. We try to design in a way that allows individual personalities to shine.”We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Headspin, Safety Wing, and Trulioo for their support. 😸Companies and Products Recommended on This EpisodeOP-Z Synthesizer — An advanced fully portable 16-track sequencer and synthesizer. OXO Spatulas — Designed to serve dishes with comfort, efficiency and style.Slack Shared Channels — Allows Slack teams in different organizations to use Slack to collaborate together as easily and productively as they do internally.

On this episode Abadesi talks to <a href="https://twitter.com/eeismann" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ethan Eismann</a>, VP of Design at Slack. He has previously worked on flagship products at Google, Uber, and Airbnb, as well as at Adobe back when Flash was still a thing!In this episode they talk about...<h2>The consumerization of the enterprise and bringing personality to software</h2><blockquote>“You need somebody who is really able to think of your customers first and who can translate your customers’ perspective into your own unique tone and personality.”</blockquote>Ethan talks about the trend of the “consumerization” of the enterprise, why workers are demanding better software, and how Slack has played a role in the trend. He talks about how they’ve brought some personality to software that is typically utilitarian, to the delight of millions of users. Ethan tells the story of the pivot that Slack made from being a gaming company called Glitch to a communication tool for the enterprise. He also talks about how one of the early employees helped to shape the unique personality that Slack has today.<h2>The design philosophy at Slack and how they use hypotheses in designing their products</h2><blockquote>“It’s critically important to have a perspective on what your customers need. They will often tell you where to focus. They have these unsatisfied needs and deep wants and desires. They will tell you the path.”</blockquote>Ethan breaks down the design philosophy at Slack, explaining some of the unique processes that they use to develop software. He says that they iterate rapidly, and are constantly testing new features on their own live data from their internal Slack channels. He says that they encourage their engineering teams to contribute design ideas as well. <blockquote>“We try to keep a history of our prototypes and we document the learning that comes along with each prototype. We have a library of the past experiments that we’ve tried and what we’ve learned.”</blockquote>He explains their process for testing their hypotheses and how they determine what to do based on the results of their experiments. He says that sometimes they find unexpected results which change the direction of their efforts.<blockquote>“When you're thinking about your product, consider that people only have so many cognitive calories to spend at any given moment. If you have a complex product that could be okay, as long as you break it down into simple concepts that people can consume.”</blockquote><h2>Customer-centric design and what it means to communicate energy as well as information</h2><blockquote>“Fundamentally, the companies that have been most successful are the ones that have prioritized their customers. They’re always making time every week to get closer to customers. Having a customer-centric company means that everyone has a perspective because everyone in the company is spending time with them.”</blockquote>Ethan talks about the importance of listening closely to what your customers have to say. He says that at Slack they are constantly co-creating with their users. He breaks down exactly how they do this, including how they uses shared channels to interface with power users around the world who are always sharing feedback and helping them shape the direction of the product. He also breaks down why communication is not only about information, how they are using things like emojis to communicate energy in addition to information, and how this is allowing workers to express their unique voice.<blockquote>“Communication is information as well as energy. Software tools are often great at allowing you to create information but don’t always let you express energy. We try to design in a way that allows individual personalities to shine.”</blockquote>We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/product-hunt-radio/id862714883" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9yc3Muc2ltcGxlY2FzdC5jb20vcG9kY2FzdHMvNjI2MS9yc3M%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4Ak6HpbVkLKGacY3E0GHL8?si=N8xXCfscQPapPSFIF2rP3w" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.breaker.audio/product-hunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Breaker</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes862714883/product-hunt-radio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to <a href="https://headspin.io/producthunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Headspin</a>, <a href="https://safetywing.com/remote-health" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Safety Wing</a>, and <a href="http://trulioo.com/getembedid" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Trulioo</a> for their support. 😸<h3>Companies and Products Recommended on This Episode</h3><a href="https://teenage.engineering/products/op-z" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">OP-Z Synthesizer</a> — An advanced fully portable 16-track sequencer and synthesizer. <a href="https://www.oxo.com/categories/cooking-and-baking/utensils/spoons-spatulas-turners/3-piece-silicone-spatula-set-679.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">OXO Spatulas</a> — Designed to serve dishes with comfort, efficiency and style.<a href="https://slackhq.com/slack-shared-channels" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Slack Shared Channels</a> — Allows Slack teams in different organizations to use Slack to collaborate together as easily and productively as they do internally.

How to design products that delight your users with Slack’s VP of design Ethan Eismann

Michelle Bacharach

On this episode Abadesi talks to Michelle Bacharach, founder and CEO of FINDMINE, a retail technology company that uses machine learning to scale the currently manual and tedious process of product curation. They are a fast-growing company with clients like Adidas, Perry Ellis, and Callaway.In this episode they talk about...What led Michelle to found FINDMINE, and how they’re changing the buying experience“We’re trying to close the information gap between the customer, who isn’t an expert on what they’re buying, and the brand, who is an expert at what they’re selling. The customer gets better information and spends more money and the brand is happier because they make more revenue and they save time."The inspiration for FINDMINE came from Michelle’s experiences as a shopper. She says that she struggled with buying things that might have looked intriguing at the point of purchase, but realized later that she didn’t have the use for it that she thought she did, or it didn’t work with the rest of her purchases, as with a couch that didn’t match. She says that she started the company to help the people at companies who know the most about products and their potential use cases transfer that information to the buyers of those products. She says that they are using machine learning to hone the marketing campaigns for products and in the process saving time for those selling products and increasing customer satisfaction on the buyer’s side.“Artificial intelligence and automation are very valuable when there’s a bottleneck of human effort, and we scale out creative human effort. The starting point is a human they set the vision for what this fashion brands stands for and how they define style.”Her advice for startups pitching big companies as potential clients“Pitch the companies that you’re trying to land as clients. Maybe one takes a chance on you and if nothing else, you’re going to learn a lot, like what features are important and what the product feedback is.”Michelle explains how, as a relatively young company, they have landed contracts with so many big-name brands. She explains the process that she used to pitch them, and talks about her key pieces of advice for smaller companies pitching bigger ones. She says that it makes sense to aim for clients that have fewer legal requirements for suppliers when you’re just getting started.“People don't necessarily always know they have a problem or the severity of the problem that they have or how to tackle it. You can get analysis paralysis from a customer sometimes. When they realize there's a problem, that's half the battle. They may realize we are the solution, but they don't know how to start using the tools.“How to close enterprise customers“It’s so funny because our whole mission is to help the buyer understand how to be successful with the product that they’re buying and that’s exactly the same thing that we have to do for our customers. They have less information about how to be successful with our FINDMINE technology than we do and we have to close that gap for them. It’s so full circle.”She walks through the process of landing a client from the initial pitch to signing the contract. She says that it’s important to educate your customers on the true value of the product to them when they don’t know exactly what kind of problem they have or how to solve it, let alone with new technologies that they may be unfamiliar with. She talks about the value of case studies and why successfully landing just one client can lead to many more.We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Headspin, Safety Wing, and Trulioo for their support. 😸

On this episode Abadesi talks to <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/@mymeeshell" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Michelle Bacharach</a>, founder and CEO of <a href="https://findmine.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">FINDMINE</a>, a retail technology company that uses machine learning to scale the currently manual and tedious process of product curation. They are a fast-growing company with clients like Adidas, Perry Ellis, and Callaway.In this episode they talk about...<h2>What led Michelle to found FINDMINE, and how they’re changing the buying experience</h2><blockquote>“We’re trying to close the information gap between the customer, who isn’t an expert on what they’re buying, and the brand, who is an expert at what they’re selling. The customer gets better information and spends more money and the brand is happier because they make more revenue and they save time."</blockquote>The inspiration for FINDMINE came from Michelle’s experiences as a shopper. She says that she struggled with buying things that might have looked intriguing at the point of purchase, but realized later that she didn’t have the use for it that she thought she did, or it didn’t work with the rest of her purchases, as with a couch that didn’t match. She says that she started the company to help the people at companies who know the most about products and their potential use cases transfer that information to the buyers of those products. She says that they are using machine learning to hone the marketing campaigns for products and in the process saving time for those selling products and increasing customer satisfaction on the buyer’s side.<blockquote>“Artificial intelligence and automation are very valuable when there’s a bottleneck of human effort, and we scale out creative human effort. The starting point is a human they set the vision for what this fashion brands stands for and how they define style.”</blockquote><h2>Her advice for startups pitching big companies as potential clients</h2><blockquote>“Pitch the companies that you’re trying to land as clients. Maybe one takes a chance on you and if nothing else, you’re going to learn a lot, like what features are important and what the product feedback is.”</blockquote>Michelle explains how, as a relatively young company, they have landed contracts with so many big-name brands. She explains the process that she used to pitch them, and talks about her key pieces of advice for smaller companies pitching bigger ones. She says that it makes sense to aim for clients that have fewer legal requirements for suppliers when you’re just getting started.<blockquote>“People don't necessarily always know they have a problem or the severity of the problem that they have or how to tackle it. You can get analysis paralysis from a customer sometimes. When they realize there's a problem, that's half the battle. They may realize we are the solution, but they don't know how to start using the tools.“</blockquote><h2>How to close enterprise customers</h2><blockquote>“It’s so funny because our whole mission is to help the buyer understand how to be successful with the product that they’re buying and that’s exactly the same thing that we have to do for our customers. They have less information about how to be successful with our FINDMINE technology than we do and we have to close that gap for them. It’s so full circle.”</blockquote>She walks through the process of landing a client from the initial pitch to signing the contract. She says that it’s important to educate your customers on the true value of the product to them when they don’t know exactly what kind of problem they have or how to solve it, let alone with new technologies that they may be unfamiliar with. She talks about the value of case studies and why successfully landing just one client can lead to many more.We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/product-hunt-radio/id862714883" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9yc3Muc2ltcGxlY2FzdC5jb20vcG9kY2FzdHMvNjI2MS9yc3M%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4Ak6HpbVkLKGacY3E0GHL8?si=N8xXCfscQPapPSFIF2rP3w" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.breaker.audio/product-hunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Breaker</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes862714883/product-hunt-radio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to <a href="https://headspin.io/producthunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Headspin</a>, <a href="https://safetywing.com/remote-health" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Safety Wing</a>, and <a href="http://trulioo.com/getembedid" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Trulioo</a> for their support. 😸

How to sell your product to enterprise customers with Michelle Bacharach

Ryan Simonetti

On this episode Abadesi talks to Ryan Simonetti, co-founder and CEO of Convene. They call themselves commercial real estate’s first workplace-as-a-service platform. He co-founded the company in 2009 and have raised $260M in funding to date. He is also an investor in and advisor to tech startups.In this episode they talk about...The story of founding Convene and his advice for finding a co-founder“Partnerships evolve over time. You have to be open-minded enough to go on that journey together.”Ryan grew up in an entrepreneurial household and worked in the finance and real estate industries in New York City where he saw an emerging need in the space. He says that they’ve seen lifestyle becoming a primary concern for people that they view their clients as users rather than as customers. He co-founded the company with his business partner and long-time friend Christopher Kelly, intending to disrupt the commercial real estate industry. He also explains his philosophy for finding a co-founder. “When thinking about choosing a co-founder, you have to know yourself first. You want to make sure that you are aligning yourself someone who is complementary.”How they have created a strong company culture and the importance of gratitude at Convene“We obsess over customer experience but we put that same energy and attention into team member experience.”Ryan explains how they have created a team that can deliver the consistently high standards expected by their members. He says that it starts with the right culture and philosophy, which means hiring the right people. He says that building the right culture begins even before someone is hired. It starts right at the initial interview process, where they eliminate candidates if they don’t meet the high standards that Convene has for culture.He also talks about the culture of gratitude that they have instilled in the workforce and says that their executives pass around handwritten notes about what they appreciate that other team members have done.Ryan’s predictions for the future of work in an increasingly distributed world“I think that there is a whole generation of companies today that are being born that will never sign a lease for their own office and will outsource to companies regardless of how big they ever get. It’s remote-first and experience-first.”He explains the three big trends that he says will define the future of work and explains the implications for his business of the remote-first companies that are being created around the world.“Even though the future of work will be more distributed… no matter what happens, place will continue to be really important in the future of work.”How he is investing in his personal development“Don't be afraid to ask for help and surround yourself with people with more experience than you. Never be afraid to steal wisdom. I like to think of myself in the wisdom theft business — the more I can steal, the smarter I feel.”Ryan says that it is important to him to relax and de-stress, and that this is part of the key to his productivity. He also explains how he makes time to be present with his wife and children consistently. He also says that he was not afraid to “ask dumb questions” when he was a first-time founder starting Convene. He credits surrounding himself with mentors and coaches that he could ask for advice for his success thus far, and suggests that founders do the same.He also talks about some of his favorite products and a great book that he read that helped him as he scaled Convene.We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Headspin,Safety Wing, and Trulioo for their support. 😸Companies, Products, and Books Mentioned in This EpisodeBlinkist — Key insights from 2,000+ non-fiction books.Headspace — Meditation made simple in just 10 minutes a dayPeloton — World-class indoor cycling wherever you are.The Messy Middle by Scott Belsky

On this episode Abadesi talks to <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-simonetti-5873887/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ryan Simonetti</a>, co-founder and CEO of <a href="https://convene.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Convene</a>. They call themselves commercial real estate’s first workplace-as-a-service platform. He co-founded the company in 2009 and have raised $260M in funding to date. He is also an investor in and advisor to tech startups.In this episode they talk about...<h2>The story of founding Convene and his advice for finding a co-founder</h2><blockquote>“Partnerships evolve over time. You have to be open-minded enough to go on that journey together.”</blockquote>Ryan grew up in an entrepreneurial household and worked in the finance and real estate industries in New York City where he saw an emerging need in the space. He says that they’ve seen lifestyle becoming a primary concern for people that they view their clients as users rather than as customers. He co-founded the company with his business partner and long-time friend Christopher Kelly, intending to disrupt the commercial real estate industry. He also explains his philosophy for finding a co-founder. <blockquote>“When thinking about choosing a co-founder, you have to know yourself first. You want to make sure that you are aligning yourself someone who is complementary.”</blockquote><h2>How they have created a strong company culture and the importance of gratitude at Convene</h2><blockquote>“We obsess over customer experience but we put that same energy and attention into team member experience.”</blockquote>Ryan explains how they have created a team that can deliver the consistently high standards expected by their members. He says that it starts with the right culture and philosophy, which means hiring the right people. He says that building the right culture begins even before someone is hired. It starts right at the initial interview process, where they eliminate candidates if they don’t meet the high standards that Convene has for culture.He also talks about the culture of gratitude that they have instilled in the workforce and says that their executives pass around handwritten notes about what they appreciate that other team members have done.<h2>Ryan’s predictions for the future of work in an increasingly distributed world</h2><blockquote>“I think that there is a whole generation of companies today that are being born that will never sign a lease for their own office and will outsource to companies regardless of how big they ever get. It’s remote-first and experience-first.”</blockquote>He explains the three big trends that he says will define the future of work and explains the implications for his business of the remote-first companies that are being created around the world.<blockquote>“Even though the future of work will be more distributed… no matter what happens, place will continue to be really important in the future of work.”</blockquote><h2>How he is investing in his personal development</h2><blockquote>“Don't be afraid to ask for help and surround yourself with people with more experience than you. Never be afraid to steal wisdom. I like to think of myself in the wisdom theft business — the more I can steal, the smarter I feel.”</blockquote>Ryan says that it is important to him to relax and de-stress, and that this is part of the key to his productivity. He also explains how he makes time to be present with his wife and children consistently. He also says that he was not afraid to “ask dumb questions” when he was a first-time founder starting Convene. He credits surrounding himself with mentors and coaches that he could ask for advice for his success thus far, and suggests that founders do the same.He also talks about some of his favorite products and a great book that he read that helped him as he scaled Convene.We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/product-hunt-radio/id862714883" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9yc3Muc2ltcGxlY2FzdC5jb20vcG9kY2FzdHMvNjI2MS9yc3M%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4Ak6HpbVkLKGacY3E0GHL8?si=N8xXCfscQPapPSFIF2rP3w" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.breaker.audio/product-hunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Breaker</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes862714883/product-hunt-radio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to <a href="https://headspin.io/producthunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Headspin</a><a href="https://headspin.io/producthunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">,</a>Safety Wing, and <a href="http://trulioo.com/getembedid" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Trulioo</a> for their support. 😸<h3>Companies, Products, and Books Mentioned in This Episode</h3><a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/blinkist" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Blinkist</a> — Key insights from 2,000+ non-fiction books.<a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/headspace-2-0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Headspace</a> — Meditation made simple in just 10 minutes a day<a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/peloton-cycle" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Peloton</a> — World-class indoor cycling wherever you are.<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Messy-Middle-Finding-Through-Hardest/dp/0735218072" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Messy Middle</a> by Scott Belsky

How to capitalize on the future of work with Ryan Simonetti

Jill Salzman

On this episode Abadesi talks to Jill Salzman, founder of The Founding Moms, a “global collective of offline masterminds and online resources for mom entrepreneurs.” She was formerly the founder of a music management firm and was also the creator of a line of baby jewelry.In this episode they talk about...The story of the creation of The Founding Moms and how it’s helping mom entrepreneurs around the globe“No one wants to say that they’re a mom entrepreneur. They’re an entrepreneur. They don’t like to use the word mom. They don’t want people to know they’re distracted by kids. There are tons of moms who are making things but don’t want to say it because nobody else is.”Jill tells the story of the businesses she founded prior to this one, including her time managing bands and how it was akin to building communities, although in a very different manner than she does today with The Founding Moms. She says that the community and business grew out of an inauspicious beginning after she created an informal meetup in Chicago for moms with businesses.She was surprised at the number of people who showed up and also that there were people from outside her city who were requesting a chapter in their own cities. The Founding Moms has since grown to include countries around the world, with chapters in Singapore, Guatemala, and more.“I posted on Meetup and I said ‘if you’re a woman with a business and a baby, please come have coffee with me and tell me how you’re doing it because I think I’m going to lose my mind.”How she grew the community and her advice for those who are new to community-building“I think we need to eradicate the idea of networking being a dirty word.”Initially, Jill showed up to the meetups without a formal plan or agenda for what should take place. She realized that when she showed up with a piece of paper with handwritten notes, people commented on how organized she was. She then started showing up with a printed piece of paper, and has since created much more structure for the meetups.She says that in her case and for those new to community-building, it’s best to show up and listen and ask a lot of questions of your community members. If you listen to them, they’ll tell you what they need and lead you to the ways that you need to change to grow the community further. She explains why you shouldn’t feel the need to include absolutely everyone in your community and why in fact it’s actually best to set yourself a goal to make sure that the wrong types of people are not feeling a part of the community.She also gives her advice on branding, outreach, and content marketing.“I know in my heart of hearts ten years in there is nothing that trumps meeting up in real life at all.”How she approached the decision to charge for access and subsequently increase prices, as well as how she stays productive“If you learn to lean on the community and become a little more vulnerable than you’re used to, I can’t tell you how exponentially you’re going to grow.”Jill talks about the thought process that went into deciding whether to charge for access to the community and how she came up with the number that she would charge per month. She started at $10 and has since increased it to $35. She says that everything she does is “literally trial and error” and that she simply Googled what other communities were charging. She explains why you shouldn’t be afraid to charge for your community and how to overcome your fear that your members will leave if you do so.She also explains how she manages her schedule, why she uses three (!) virtual assistants and the work they each do, as well as how her team of contractors at The Founding Moms works together.“I have three virtual assistants. I am a huge VA proponent. I think you’re all missing out if you don’t have one because they’re extremely affordable and amazing at getting things done for you.”She also talks about some of the products she’s loving right now.We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Headspin for their support.Companies and Products Mentioned on This EpisodeLoom — Seamless screen, mic, and camera recording for Chrome.Marco Polo — Find your phone by shouting MARCO!Slack — Be less busy. Real-time messaging, archiving and search.

On this episode Abadesi talks to <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/@foundingmom" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jill Salzman</a>, founder of <a href="https://foundingmoms.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Founding Moms</a>, a “global collective of offline masterminds and online resources for mom entrepreneurs.” She was formerly the founder of a music management firm and was also the creator of a line of baby jewelry.In this episode they talk about...<h2>The story of the creation of The Founding Moms and how it’s helping mom entrepreneurs around the globe</h2><blockquote>“No one wants to say that they’re a mom entrepreneur. They’re an entrepreneur. They don’t like to use the word mom. They don’t want people to know they’re distracted by kids. There are tons of moms who are making things but don’t want to say it because nobody else is.”</blockquote>Jill tells the story of the businesses she founded prior to this one, including her time managing bands and how it was akin to building communities, although in a very different manner than she does today with The Founding Moms. She says that the community and business grew out of an inauspicious beginning after she created an informal meetup in Chicago for moms with businesses.She was surprised at the number of people who showed up and also that there were people from outside her city who were requesting a chapter in their own cities. The Founding Moms has since grown to include countries around the world, with chapters in Singapore, Guatemala, and more.<blockquote>“I posted on Meetup and I said ‘if you’re a woman with a business and a baby, please come have coffee with me and tell me how you’re doing it because I think I’m going to lose my mind.”</blockquote><h2>How she grew the community and her advice for those who are new to community-building</h2><blockquote>“I think we need to eradicate the idea of networking being a dirty word.”</blockquote>Initially, Jill showed up to the meetups without a formal plan or agenda for what should take place. She realized that when she showed up with a piece of paper with handwritten notes, people commented on how organized she was. She then started showing up with a printed piece of paper, and has since created much more structure for the meetups.She says that in her case and for those new to community-building, it’s best to show up and listen and ask a lot of questions of your community members. If you listen to them, they’ll tell you what they need and lead you to the ways that you need to change to grow the community further. She explains why you shouldn’t feel the need to include absolutely everyone in your community and why in fact it’s actually best to set yourself a goal to make sure that the wrong types of people are not feeling a part of the community.She also gives her advice on branding, outreach, and content marketing.<blockquote>“I know in my heart of hearts ten years in there is nothing that trumps meeting up in real life at all.”</blockquote><h2>How she approached the decision to charge for access and subsequently increase prices, as well as how she stays productive</h2><blockquote>“If you learn to lean on the community and become a little more vulnerable than you’re used to, I can’t tell you how exponentially you’re going to grow.”</blockquote>Jill talks about the thought process that went into deciding whether to charge for access to the community and how she came up with the number that she would charge per month. She started at $10 and has since increased it to $35. She says that everything she does is “literally trial and error” and that she simply Googled what other communities were charging. She explains why you shouldn’t be afraid to charge for your community and how to overcome your fear that your members will leave if you do so.She also explains how she manages her schedule, why she uses three (!) virtual assistants and the work they each do, as well as how her team of contractors at The Founding Moms works together.<blockquote>“I have three virtual assistants. I am a huge VA proponent. I think you’re all missing out if you don’t have one because they’re extremely affordable and amazing at getting things done for you.”</blockquote>She also talks about some of the products she’s loving right now.We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/product-hunt-radio/id862714883" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9yc3Muc2ltcGxlY2FzdC5jb20vcG9kY2FzdHMvNjI2MS9yc3M%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4Ak6HpbVkLKGacY3E0GHL8?si=N8xXCfscQPapPSFIF2rP3w" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.breaker.audio/product-hunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Breaker</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes862714883/product-hunt-radio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to <a href="http://headspin.io/producthunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Headspin</a> for their support.<h3>Companies and Products Mentioned on This Episode</h3><a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/loom-4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Loom</a> — Seamless screen, mic, and camera recording for Chrome.<a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/marco-polo-2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Marco Polo</a> — Find your phone by shouting MARCO!<a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/slack" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Slack</a> — Be less busy. Real-time messaging, archiving and search.

How to grow and monetize communities with Jill Salzman

Brianne Kimmel

On this episode Abadesi talks to Brianne Kimmel, founder of Work Life, an early stage venture firm in Silicon Valley that invests in tools and services for the modern workplace. She was formerly head of product and GTM strategy at Zendesk.In this episode they talk about...Why she started Work Life and what she learned while fundraising“There are a lot of non-traditional folks who are breaking into venture, many of which are solo GPs.”Brianne started angel investing on the side when she was working at Zendesk. She enjoyed working with and meeting new entrepreneurs so decided to start her own fund to “do what she was doing on evenings and weekends full-time.”She explains the focus of the fund and talks about the fundraising process for it. Initially, she says, she started with a “friends and family'” round before she became comfortable raising from other people. She started pitching to people outside her network and tried to run a “tight process.” She explains her strategy for follow-up and why her personal productivity regime was such a big part of her pitch. She also talks about why she created her own list of questions that were often asked by potential investors and how she continually weaved those back into her pitch deck.“The list of FAQs kept getting smaller because the pitch was getting incrementally better every time I give it.”No-code tools, distributed teams, and the future of work“Only 0.5% of people can code, so for the 99.5% of us code is actually a real barrier.”Brianne is passionate about no-code tools, especially those that can help employees be more productive in the workplace. She talks about the importance of growing “bottom-up” in the enterprise market and talks about some of the companies she’s investing in that are employing that strategy.“Increasingly, startups will compete on culture and culture alone and having great tools and creating a very inclusive work environment is one great way to do that.”She also talks about some of the tools that are enabling remote work and why more and more early-stage teams are going fully distributed. She says that people are traveling more, the world is getting smaller, and people who formerly didn’t have flexibility at work now have the flexibility to work from home or anywhere else in the world.“The question is not, ‘can you find enough work?’ It’s, ‘can you find the right problems that you want to work on?’”How she’s building a community around her fund“People are a little bit tired of networking. They have to be the best version of themselves at all times and come in very confident but you end up leaving with something that doesn’t feel truly authentic.”Brianne started building communities while at Zendesk. She also runs a program called SaaS School in San Francisco. She talks about how she built a community of fellow product managers who met regularly in an informal setting where they could be open, authentic, and vulnerable with each other. She says that she’s doing the same for her fund and explains why it’s important to build a community when investing. Brianne also gives tips for fellow community-builders.She also talks about some of the products she’s loving right now.We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.Companies and Products Mentioned on This EpisodeBunches — The easiest way to start a paid group chat about anything.Canary — A complete security system in a single device.Chroma Stories — Create stunning and engaging stories with easy-to-use tools.Deep Sentinel — A robust, AI-powered home security system.Muze — Messaging and social media platform.

On this episode Abadesi talks to <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/@briannekimmel" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brianne Kimmel</a>, founder of <a href="https://www.worklife.vc/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Work Life</a>, an early stage venture firm in Silicon Valley that invests in tools and services for the modern workplace. She was formerly head of product and GTM strategy at Zendesk.In this episode they talk about...<h2>Why she started Work Life and what she learned while fundraising</h2><blockquote>“There are a lot of non-traditional folks who are breaking into venture, many of which are solo GPs.”</blockquote>Brianne started angel investing on the side when she was working at Zendesk. She enjoyed working with and meeting new entrepreneurs so decided to start her own fund to “do what she was doing on evenings and weekends full-time.”She explains the focus of the fund and talks about the fundraising process for it. Initially, she says, she started with a “friends and family'” round before she became comfortable raising from other people. She started pitching to people outside her network and tried to run a “tight process.” She explains her strategy for follow-up and why her personal productivity regime was such a big part of her pitch. She also talks about why she created her own list of questions that were often asked by potential investors and how she continually weaved those back into her pitch deck.<blockquote>“The list of FAQs kept getting smaller because the pitch was getting incrementally better every time I give it.”</blockquote><h2>No-code tools, distributed teams, and the future of work</h2><blockquote>“Only 0.5% of people can code, so for the 99.5% of us code is actually a real barrier.”</blockquote>Brianne is passionate about no-code tools, especially those that can help employees be more productive in the workplace. She talks about the importance of growing “bottom-up” in the enterprise market and talks about some of the companies she’s investing in that are employing that strategy.<blockquote>“Increasingly, startups will compete on culture and culture alone and having great tools and creating a very inclusive work environment is one great way to do that.”</blockquote>She also talks about some of the tools that are enabling remote work and why more and more early-stage teams are going fully distributed. She says that people are traveling more, the world is getting smaller, and people who formerly didn’t have flexibility at work now have the flexibility to work from home or anywhere else in the world.<blockquote>“The question is not, ‘can you find enough work?’ It’s, ‘can you find the right problems that you want to work on?’”</blockquote><h2>How she’s building a community around her fund</h2><blockquote>“People are a little bit tired of networking. They have to be the best version of themselves at all times and come in very confident but you end up leaving with something that doesn’t feel truly authentic.”</blockquote>Brianne started building communities while at Zendesk. She also runs a program called SaaS School in San Francisco. She talks about how she built a community of fellow product managers who met regularly in an informal setting where they could be open, authentic, and vulnerable with each other. She says that she’s doing the same for her fund and explains why it’s important to build a community when investing. Brianne also gives tips for fellow community-builders.She also talks about some of the products she’s loving right now.We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/product-hunt-radio/id862714883" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9yc3Muc2ltcGxlY2FzdC5jb20vcG9kY2FzdHMvNjI2MS9yc3M%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4Ak6HpbVkLKGacY3E0GHL8?si=N8xXCfscQPapPSFIF2rP3w" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.breaker.audio/product-hunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Breaker</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes862714883/product-hunt-radio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.<h3>Companies and Products Mentioned on This Episode</h3><a href="https://www.bunches.app/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bunches</a> — The easiest way to start a paid group chat about anything.<a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/canary-325" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Canary</a> — A complete security system in a single device.<a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/chroma-stories" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chroma Stories</a> — Create stunning and engaging stories with easy-to-use tools.<a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/deep-sentinel" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Deep Sentinel</a> — A robust, AI-powered home security system.<a href="https://twitter.com/muzechat" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Muze</a> — Messaging and social media platform.

How to launch an operator-led fund with Brianne Kimmel

On this episode Abadesi talks to John Henry, venture partner at Harlem Capital and host of Hustle on VICELAND.In this episode they talk about...How he got into entrepreneurship and how the expectations for today’s entrepreneurs have changed“I think the world of business and entrepreneurship can seem pretty scary these days. There's so much at stake, you got to get it right, you got to raise money, you got to go public.“John got his start as an entrepreneur through trying to help out his family when he was young, starting a dry cleaning service in New York. He says that he didn’t have big aspirations at the time and that he didn’t come to entrepreneurship with visions of a glamorous lifestyle in his future.He says that these days entrepreneurship can seem very daunting and that rather than feeling the weight of the expectations that people have you should instead take the approach of doing something creative and fun and then see if you can sell it to folks.“I have to be honest, if I were starting now versus a decade ago when I started I might feel like the weight of the the expectation might have crushed the seed of enthusiasm that I had to start.”Why he says getting a regular job is riskier than starting a company“There are a lot of macroeconomic changes and not only are older corporations cutting jobs but you also see it in new companies. For me taking a normal job felt riskier because your own income was not in your own hands.”When John started working he realized that it would be better for him to put his time and effort into building a company instead of putting it into working for someone else at a conventional job. He says that although it can take years to get off the ground, it’s nevertheless better to work at something that you own entirely.How he discovered financial literacy and how to be a “multi-dimensional earner”“I’ve discovered this entirely new way of earning that I never would have known about when I was a doorman ten years ago because back then my best understanding of how to earn income was clocking in.”John says that he is investing in assets rather than experiences these days. He says that through doing so he wants to “build something for your family that can’t be taken away.” He explains how he learned about how to effectively invest his money after coming from a disadvantaged background where he didn’t normally have much exposure to those types of concepts.He also talks about how to find a good business idea for aspiring entrepreneurs and how he has diversified his income streams so that he’s not reliant on any one of them. He explains that he is making sure to “circulate” the funds that he earns so that he’s always re-investing and putting them to work instead of just stashing them away in a savings account.“You have to meet the moment. For anyone who is listening who is curious for one reason or another what they can do to earn income, look around at the moment. There are a lot of changes that are specific to right now, to 2020.”The history of VC and how they’re changing the flow of capital to underrepresented founders at Harlem CapitalJohn explains some of the ins-and-outs of venture capital and the history of the space including how it came to be that a “handful of zip codes and a handful of schools determine which companies go public.” He explains what kinds of barriers to entry exist for people who find themselves outside of the networks of privileged people with connections to the large institutions that normally contribute to venture capital funds (yes, venture capitalists have to fundraise too!).He also talks about how he invests in personal development and talks about some of the products he’s loving right now.We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.Companies and Products Mentioned on This EpisodeLED Ring Light — Beautifully lit photos and video calls.Nespresso — The connected espresso machine.Sodastream — Carbonated water, at home.

On this episode Abadesi talks to <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/@johnhenrystyle" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">John Henry</a>, venture partner at <a href="https://harlem.capital/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Harlem Capital</a> and host of <a href="https://video.vice.com/pl/show/hustle" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hustle on VICELAND</a>.In this episode they talk about...<h2>How he got into entrepreneurship and how the expectations for today’s entrepreneurs have changed</h2><blockquote>“I think the world of business and entrepreneurship can seem pretty scary these days. There's so much at stake, you got to get it right, you got to raise money, you got to go public.“</blockquote>John got his start as an entrepreneur through trying to help out his family when he was young, starting a dry cleaning service in New York. He says that he didn’t have big aspirations at the time and that he didn’t come to entrepreneurship with visions of a glamorous lifestyle in his future.He says that these days entrepreneurship can seem very daunting and that rather than feeling the weight of the expectations that people have you should instead take the approach of doing something creative and fun and then see if you can sell it to folks.<blockquote>“I have to be honest, if I were starting now versus a decade ago when I started I might feel like the weight of the the expectation might have crushed the seed of enthusiasm that I had to start.”</blockquote><h2>Why he says getting a regular job is riskier than starting a company</h2><blockquote>“There are a lot of macroeconomic changes and not only are older corporations cutting jobs but you also see it in new companies. For me taking a normal job felt riskier because your own income was not in your own hands.”</blockquote>When John started working he realized that it would be better for him to put his time and effort into building a company instead of putting it into working for someone else at a conventional job. He says that although it can take years to get off the ground, it’s nevertheless better to work at something that you own entirely.<h2>How he discovered financial literacy and how to be a “multi-dimensional earner”</h2><blockquote>“I’ve discovered this entirely new way of earning that I never would have known about when I was a doorman ten years ago because back then my best understanding of how to earn income was clocking in.”</blockquote>John says that he is investing in assets rather than experiences these days. He says that through doing so he wants to “build something for your family that can’t be taken away.” He explains how he learned about how to effectively invest his money after coming from a disadvantaged background where he didn’t normally have much exposure to those types of concepts.He also talks about how to find a good business idea for aspiring entrepreneurs and how he has diversified his income streams so that he’s not reliant on any one of them. He explains that he is making sure to “circulate” the funds that he earns so that he’s always re-investing and putting them to work instead of just stashing them away in a savings account.<blockquote>“You have to meet the moment. For anyone who is listening who is curious for one reason or another what they can do to earn income, look around at the moment. There are a lot of changes that are specific to right now, to 2020.”</blockquote><h2>The history of VC and how they’re changing the flow of capital to underrepresented founders at Harlem Capital</h2>John explains some of the ins-and-outs of venture capital and the history of the space including how it came to be that a “handful of zip codes and a handful of schools determine which companies go public.” He explains what kinds of barriers to entry exist for people who find themselves outside of the networks of privileged people with connections to the large institutions that normally contribute to venture capital funds (yes, venture capitalists have to fundraise too!).He also talks about how he invests in personal development and talks about some of the products he’s loving right now.We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/product-hunt-radio/id862714883" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9yc3Muc2ltcGxlY2FzdC5jb20vcG9kY2FzdHMvNjI2MS9yc3M%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4Ak6HpbVkLKGacY3E0GHL8?si=N8xXCfscQPapPSFIF2rP3w" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.breaker.audio/product-hunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Breaker</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes862714883/product-hunt-radio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.<h3>Companies and Products Mentioned on This Episode</h3><a href="https://www.amazon.com/slp/led-ring-light/k5q47qtnnudv9cq" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LED Ring Light</a> — Beautifully lit photos and video calls.<a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/nespresso-prodigio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nespresso</a> — The connected espresso machine.<a href="http://www.sodastream.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sodastream</a> — Carbonated water, at home.

How to invest in overlooked ideas with Harlem Capital's John Henry

Product Hunt Radio is a a weekly podcast with the people creating and exploring the future. Tune in every week with Ryan Hoover and Abadesi Osunsade as they're joined by founders, investors, journalists, and makers to discuss the latest in tech.

Love to hear some insights from other founders and investors. Learned a lot!

Definitely recommend!

Really interesting to listen too! 👍🏼

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Product Hunt Radio

Chris Sacca

Chris Sacca is one of the most successful angel investors of all time. He's invested in Twitter, Uber, Instagram, and Kickstarter, among many others. Before that he led special projects at Google and worked as a lawyer at Fenwick. He shares what it was like working with Larry &amp; Sergey at Google, working with Ev Williams and Jack Dorsey as one of the first investors in twitter, becoming a guest shark on Shark Tank, interviewing Edward Snowden, and asking President Obama the tough questions while working with him in his two campaigns. edited by Alex Kontis praise to @sacca criticism to @eriktorenberg

Chris Sacca is one of the most successful angel investors of all time. He's invested in Twitter, Uber, Instagram, and Kickstarter, among many others. Before that he led special projects at Google and worked as a lawyer at Fenwick. He shares what it was like working with Larry &amp; Sergey at Google, working with Ev Williams and Jack Dorsey as one of the first investors in twitter, becoming a guest shark on Shark Tank, interviewing Edward Snowden, and asking President Obama the tough questions while working with him in his two campaigns. edited by Alex Kontis praise to @sacca criticism to @eriktorenberg

Episode 48: Chris Sacca

Jason Calacanis

Jason Calacanis is a long time founder and investor, having invested in Uber, Thumbtack, and many more. We talk about Jason’s Launch Incubator, investment strategy, legacy, and much more. As always, Jason tells it straight and does not hold back any punches. Edited by @alexkontis Lavish Praise to @Jason Constructive Criticism to @eriktorenberg

Jason Calacanis is a long time founder and investor, having invested in Uber, Thumbtack, and many more. We talk about Jason’s Launch Incubator, investment strategy, legacy, and much more. As always, Jason tells it straight and does not hold back any punches. Edited by @alexkontis Lavish Praise to @Jason Constructive Criticism to @eriktorenberg

Episode 89: Jason Calacanis

Jason Fried

Jason is the founder and CEO of Basecamp. In this episode we talk about building a company that lasts 40 years, what it’s like to build a remote team, how he thinks of the professional year in terms of seasons, daily rituals, and how he defines success. Edited by @alexkontis Lavish Praise to @Jasonfried Constructive Criticism to @ErikTorenberg

Jason is the founder and CEO of Basecamp. In this episode we talk about building a company that lasts 40 years, what it’s like to build a remote team, how he thinks of the professional year in terms of seasons, daily rituals, and how he defines success. Edited by @alexkontis Lavish Praise to @Jasonfried Constructive Criticism to @ErikTorenberg

Episode 73: Jason Fried

Josh Elman

Josh is one of the most respected product managers in the game, having built products at Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin. Now he has made an name for himself at Greylock as a top vc We talk about his journey working at those companies, what it was like to work with some of the best founders of all time, his transition to investing, advice for people starting a company, and much more. Josh has been a friend and supporter and If you ever get a chance to work with Josh I highly recommend it. One of the best at what he does and he’s one of the good guys.

Josh is one of the most respected product managers in the game, having built products at Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin. Now he has made an name for himself at Greylock as a top vc We talk about his journey working at those companies, what it was like to work with some of the best founders of all time, his transition to investing, advice for people starting a company, and much more. Josh has been a friend and supporter and If you ever get a chance to work with Josh I highly recommend it. One of the best at what he does and he’s one of the good guys.

Episode 87: Josh Elman

Patrick Collison

Patrick Collison, cofounder of Stripe, is one of the most impressive and interesting CEOs in tech today. We delve into Patrick's story - how he came from Ireland, pursued Stripe while on leave from College, and then built and and scaled his company internationally. Patrick shares advice for entrepreneurs, thoughts on education, immigration, and a whole host of other topics. If you enjoyed the Tyler Cowen or Ezra Klein episode, you’ll also enjoy this one. Edited by @alexkontis Lavish Praise to @patrickc Constructive Criticism to @eriktorenberg

Patrick Collison, cofounder of Stripe, is one of the most impressive and interesting CEOs in tech today. We delve into Patrick's story - how he came from Ireland, pursued Stripe while on leave from College, and then built and and scaled his company internationally. Patrick shares advice for entrepreneurs, thoughts on education, immigration, and a whole host of other topics. If you enjoyed the Tyler Cowen or Ezra Klein episode, you’ll also enjoy this one. Edited by @alexkontis Lavish Praise to @patrickc Constructive Criticism to @eriktorenberg

Episode 58: Patrick Collison

Terry Gross has been hosting Fresh Air on NPR for over 40 years. She's done over 13,000 interviews, and is, in many people's opinion, the best interviewer alive. We talk about how Terry got her start, how she met her husband, her experience in therapy, the craft of interviewing, and much more. As a student of the craft, it was an absolute honor to have Terry on the podcast. If you like this epiode, tweet @NPRfreshair and let them know. If you haven’t listened to Fresh Air, I recommend starting with the interviews of Maurice Sendack, Louis CK, Marc Maron, or any other guests that interest you. Edited by Jenna Weiss Berman Lavish Praise (&amp; Money) to @NPRFreshair Constructive Criticism to @erikorenberg

Terry Gross has been hosting Fresh Air on NPR for over 40 years. She's done over 13,000 interviews, and is, in many people's opinion, the best interviewer alive. We talk about how Terry got her start, how she met her husband, her experience in therapy, the craft of interviewing, and much more. As a student of the craft, it was an absolute honor to have Terry on the podcast. If you like this epiode, tweet @NPRfreshair and let them know. If you haven’t listened to Fresh Air, I recommend starting with the interviews of Maurice Sendack, Louis CK, Marc Maron, or any other guests that interest you. Edited by Jenna Weiss Berman Lavish Praise (&amp; Money) to @NPRFreshair Constructive Criticism to @erikorenberg

Episode 65: Terry Gross

Ben Casnocha

Ben is the co-author of The Start-up of You and The Alliance with Reid Hoffman, served for two years as Reid's chief of staff at LinkedIn, and has founded many different companies in Silicon Valley. In this podcast we chat about career strategy, what it means to live in "permanent beta", loneliness in San Francisco, and much more. Ben's blog: http://casnocha.com/blog The Alliance: http://www.amazon.com/The-Alliance-Managing-Talent-Networked/dp/1625275773 Edited by Alex Kontis Any feedback please let me know at @eriktorenberg

Ben is the co-author of The Start-up of You and The Alliance with Reid Hoffman, served for two years as Reid's chief of staff at LinkedIn, and has founded many different companies in Silicon Valley. In this podcast we chat about career strategy, what it means to live in "permanent beta", loneliness in San Francisco, and much more. Ben's blog: <a href="http://casnocha.com/blog" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://casnocha.com/blog</a> The Alliance: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Alliance-Managing-Talent-Networked/dp/1625275773" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/The-Alliance-Managing-Talent-Networked/dp/1625275773</a> Edited by Alex Kontis Any feedback please let me know at @eriktorenberg

Episode 27: Ben Casnocha

Matt Mazzeo

Matt is managing partner at Lower Case Capital with Chris Sacca. We talk about how Matt transitioned from 8 years at CAA to the world of VC, the future of Lowercase and VC in general, advice for breaking into startups/VC, difference between LA and SF, and much more. Matt is one of the best investors in the game and also one of the kindest. Edited by @alexkontis Lavish Praise to @Mazzeo Constructive Criticism to @eriktorenberg

Matt is managing partner at Lower Case Capital with Chris Sacca. We talk about how Matt transitioned from 8 years at CAA to the world of VC, the future of Lowercase and VC in general, advice for breaking into startups/VC, difference between LA and SF, and much more. Matt is one of the best investors in the game and also one of the kindest. Edited by @alexkontis Lavish Praise to @Mazzeo Constructive Criticism to @eriktorenberg

Episode 78: Matt Mazzeo

Eric Bahn

On this episode, Ryan sits down with Eric Bahn from Hustle Fund in San Francisco. Hustle Fund invests in what they call “hilariously-early hustlers.” Prior to co-founding the fund, Eric worked in a number of operating roles, including as a product manager at Intuit, co-founder of a gaming company, founder of a startup to serve MBA students (that was later acquired), product manager at Facebook, co-founder of a media company called The Hustle, and EIR at 500 Startups (phew!). On this episode we take you behind the curtain to break down exactly how venture capital works. We talk about:  Eric's advice on how to break into venture capital if you've never worked in the space before. Some of the common misconceptions about VC, including how much venture capitalists are actually paid (spoiler alert: unless you're at a big fund, it's not as much as you think). Hustle Fund's investing thesis, including their unique data-driven approach to investing in early stage companies.  We also talk about the rise of “no code” and some of the best apps that are letting makers create amazing products without writing code. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to AngelList and FreshBooks for their support. 😸 Quotes from This Episode “Fundamentally our jobs are the most blessed in the world because we just surround ourselves with people who have a worldview, have a product, have an idea, that they wholeheartedly believe in. They’ve taken all the sacrifices to make that happen and you and I may not agree all the time with whether their vision is the correct one to be successful but it only leaves you with optimism.” — Eric “Our thesis is driven by the notion that the single best leading indicator of success for a team — that is discernible at the pre-seed stage, is this characteristic called hustle. Whatever the core metrics that are relevant for your business, the teams that are growing aggressively against those metrics tend to grind out the best results over time.” — Eric “These folks will look amazing on paper — maybe they worked at Facebook or Google or something previously, went to Stanford or MIT, checks all the boxes, and then you watch them work and you realize that person who was successful in the context of a larger company with more resources doesn’t necessarily have the skills that translate to cold-starting a business from scratch in a world of entropy where there’s no rules and no structure.” — Eric Companies and Products Mentioned in This Episode Bubble — Build a fully functional web app without any code. Retool — Build custom internal tools in minutes. Webflow — Build professional dynamic websites without any code. Articles Mentioned In This Episode Mark Suster, Both Sides: Invest in Lines, Not Dots Kate Clark, TechCrunch: This Is How Much VCs Are Paid

On this episode, Ryan sits down with <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/@ericbahn" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eric Bahn</a> from Hustle Fund in San Francisco. Hustle Fund invests in what they call “hilariously-early hustlers.” Prior to co-founding the fund, Eric worked in a number of operating roles, including as a product manager at Intuit, co-founder of a gaming company, founder of a startup to serve MBA students (that was later acquired), product manager at Facebook, co-founder of a media company called The Hustle, and EIR at 500 Startups (phew!). On this episode we take you behind the curtain to break down exactly how venture capital works. We talk about: <ul> <li>Eric's advice on how to break into venture capital if you've never worked in the space before.</li> <li>Some of the common misconceptions about VC, including how much venture capitalists are actually paid (spoiler alert: unless you're at a big fund, it's not as much as you think).</li> <li>Hustle Fund's investing thesis, including their unique data-driven approach to investing in early stage companies.</li> </ul> We also talk about the rise of “no code” and some of the best apps that are letting makers create amazing products without writing code. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/product-hunt-radio/id862714883" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9yc3Muc2ltcGxlY2FzdC5jb20vcG9kY2FzdHMvNjI2MS9yc3M%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4Ak6HpbVkLKGacY3E0GHL8?si=N8xXCfscQPapPSFIF2rP3w" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.breaker.audio/product-hunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Breaker</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes862714883/product-hunt-radio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to <a href="http://angel.co/venture-funds" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">AngelList</a> and <a href="http://www.freshbooks.com/producthunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">FreshBooks</a> for their support. 😸 <h3>Quotes from This Episode</h3> “Fundamentally our jobs are the most blessed in the world because we just surround ourselves with people who have a worldview, have a product, have an idea, that they wholeheartedly believe in. They’ve taken all the sacrifices to make that happen and you and I may not agree all the time with whether their vision is the correct one to be successful but it only leaves you with optimism.” — Eric “Our thesis is driven by the notion that the single best leading indicator of success for a team — that is discernible at the pre-seed stage, is this characteristic called hustle. Whatever the core metrics that are relevant for your business, the teams that are growing aggressively against those metrics tend to grind out the best results over time.” — Eric “These folks will look amazing on paper — maybe they worked at Facebook or Google or something previously, went to Stanford or MIT, checks all the boxes, and then you watch them work and you realize that person who was successful in the context of a larger company with more resources doesn’t necessarily have the skills that translate to cold-starting a business from scratch in a world of entropy where there’s no rules and no structure.” — Eric <h3>Companies and Products Mentioned in This Episode</h3> <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/bubble-3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bubble</a> — Build a fully functional web app without any code. <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/retool-2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Retool</a> — Build custom internal tools in minutes. <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/webflow-cms-2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Webflow</a> — Build professional dynamic websites without any code. <h3>Articles Mentioned In This Episode</h3> Mark Suster, Both Sides: <a href="https://bothsidesofthetable.com/invest-in-lines-not-dots-611f36491d73" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Invest in Lines, Not Dots</a> Kate Clark, TechCrunch: <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2018/09/14/this-is-how-much-vcs-are-paid/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">This Is How Much VCs Are Paid</a>

Venture Capital 101 with Eric Bahn

Brad Feld

Brad is an incredibly successful investor, having founded the Techstars accelerator and Foundry group, and he's also also known as one of the kindest guys in the business. In this episode, we talk about how Brad rejects the term career, his principles of time management, why he doesn’t have kids, mental health and startups, romantic relationships, ego management, and much more. As one listener remarked, this episode is basically a how-to on life. Edited by @alexkontis

Brad is an incredibly successful investor, having founded the Techstars accelerator and Foundry group, and he's also also known as one of the kindest guys in the business. In this episode, we talk about how Brad rejects the term career, his principles of time management, why he doesn’t have kids, mental health and startups, romantic relationships, ego management, and much more. As one listener remarked, this episode is basically a how-to on life. Edited by @alexkontis

Episode 84: Brad Feld

Roy Bahat

Dan Strickland

This week's PHR comes from the beautiful Bloomberg Beta HQ on the Embarcadero with Roy Bahat (Head of Bloomberg Beta) and Dan Strickland (Operations at Bloomberg Beta). Roy shares his secrets to get to inbox 0, keyboards, we discuss invisible apps, and a preview of what’s to come at Product Hunt. - Keyboardio (http://www.keyboard.io/) - Making keyboards better - Nudgemail (http://www.nudgemail.com/) - The easiest way to send yourself reminders - Zapier + Product Hunt (http://www.producthunt.com/posts/zapier-product-hunt) - Create your own Product Hunt notifications - Jarvis (http://www.producthunt.com/posts/jarvis) - A personal assistant for $100/mo - Digit (http://www.producthunt.com/posts/digit) - SMS bot that monitors your bank account &amp; saves you money - RubCam (http://www.producthunt.com/posts/rubcam) - Minimal iOS camera for taking pictures by rubbing the screen - Frontback (http://www.producthunt.com/posts/frontback) - Tell stories with photos - Checkr (http://www.producthunt.com/posts/checkr) - An API to Do Background Checks - SaviOne (http://www.producthunt.com/posts/savione) - A revolutionary delivery robot for the services industry - Jobr (http://www.producthunt.com/posts/jobr) - Tinder for job hunting - Two Margins (http://www.producthunt.com/posts/two-margins) - Annotate financial documents (ex. SEC filings) w/ the crowd

This week's PHR comes from the beautiful Bloomberg Beta HQ on the Embarcadero with Roy Bahat (Head of Bloomberg Beta) and Dan Strickland (Operations at Bloomberg Beta). Roy shares his secrets to get to inbox 0, keyboards, we discuss invisible apps, and a preview of what’s to come at Product Hunt. - Keyboardio (<a href="http://www.keyboard.io/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.keyboard.io/</a>) - Making keyboards better - Nudgemail (<a href="http://www.nudgemail.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.nudgemail.com/</a>) - The easiest way to send yourself reminders - Zapier + Product Hunt (<a href="http://www.producthunt.com/posts/zapier-product-hunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.producthunt.com/posts/zapier-product-hunt</a>) - Create your own Product Hunt notifications - Jarvis (<a href="http://www.producthunt.com/posts/jarvis" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.producthunt.com/posts/jarvis</a>) - A personal assistant for $100/mo - Digit (<a href="http://www.producthunt.com/posts/digit" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.producthunt.com/posts/digit</a>) - SMS bot that monitors your bank account &amp; saves you money - RubCam (<a href="http://www.producthunt.com/posts/rubcam" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.producthunt.com/posts/rubcam</a>) - Minimal iOS camera for taking pictures by rubbing the screen - Frontback (<a href="http://www.producthunt.com/posts/frontback" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.producthunt.com/posts/frontback</a>) - Tell stories with photos - Checkr (<a href="http://www.producthunt.com/posts/checkr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.producthunt.com/posts/checkr</a>) - An API to Do Background Checks - SaviOne (<a href="http://www.producthunt.com/posts/savione" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.producthunt.com/posts/savione</a>) - A revolutionary delivery robot for the services industry - Jobr (<a href="http://www.producthunt.com/posts/jobr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.producthunt.com/posts/jobr</a>) - Tinder for job hunting - Two Margins (<a href="http://www.producthunt.com/posts/two-margins" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.producthunt.com/posts/two-margins</a>) - Annotate financial documents (ex. SEC filings) w/ the crowd

Product Hunt Radio: Episode 23 w/ Roy Bahat & Dan Strickland

Robert Greene

Robert Greene is the author of books such as Mastery, 33 Strategies of War, Art of Seduction, the 48 Laws of Power, and the 50th Law (w/ 50 cent). including mastery, strategies of war, art of seduction, laws of power, one of which is with rapper 50 cent This episode we talk about the ideas in his books (power, mastery, seduction) what in his personal life has inspired the books, but we also talk meditation, writing, not having kids, and bunch more. Edited by Alex Kontis For any feedback, tweet me at @eriktorenberg

Robert Greene is the author of books such as Mastery, 33 Strategies of War, Art of Seduction, the 48 Laws of Power, and the 50th Law (w/ 50 cent). including mastery, strategies of war, art of seduction, laws of power, one of which is with rapper 50 cent This episode we talk about the ideas in his books (power, mastery, seduction) what in his personal life has inspired the books, but we also talk meditation, writing, not having kids, and bunch more. Edited by Alex Kontis For any feedback, tweet me at @eriktorenberg

Episode 32: Robert Greene

Matt Mullenweg

Matt Mullenweg is the Founder of Wordpress. In this episode we talk about daily rituals, how he started Wordpress, how being a successful CEO early on has affected his relationships, how he thinks about hiring, investing, and evaluating people. Edited by Alex Kontis Praise to @photomatt Criticism to @eriktorenberg

Matt Mullenweg is the Founder of Wordpress. In this episode we talk about daily rituals, how he started Wordpress, how being a successful CEO early on has affected his relationships, how he thinks about hiring, investing, and evaluating people. Edited by Alex Kontis Praise to @photomatt Criticism to @eriktorenberg

Episode 44: Matt Mullenweg

Web Smith has a long history working in direct-to-consumer and e-commerce. He managed marketing spend for Rogue, a leading sports goods manufacturer back in 2011 before co-founding Mizzen + Main and later joining Gear Patrol. In 2015 he founded 2PM, a B2B media company for the commerce industry and advises leading executives in the space. Through 2PM Web also invests in early-stage DTC brands and platforms that support the consumer ecosystem. If you've ever thought about starting your own DTC brand or online shop, you'll want to heed Web's advice. In this episode Ryan and Web talk about... The state of direct-to-consumer today  “It’s going to become a battle to discern which companies have sticking power and what a possible exit will look like. Casper’s potential IPO will set a standard for other brands looking to exit. We’re also looking at a lot of companies developing holding companies for these types of brands.”  Web points out that only 12% of transactions are e-commerce today — the remaining 88% comes via physical retail. Trends in the industry and how it has evolved over the years  “The industry’s filling up pretty quickly. It’s a really dense area for people who want to become founders. They’re highly educated, from great schools, and funding is easy to come by in the DTC space for the time being. So they’re coming out of the gates from Wharton or wherever with millions of dollars in the bank and they’re probably going to get to the next milestone because they have the right founders, the right teams, and the right money. That’s the story of tens if not hundreds of consumer brands in the last two years.”  Direct-to-consumer has for several years been a hot area for founders and investors. He talks about some of the trends he's seen in the space, including which growth strategies have been effective and how companies will need to evolve in the coming years as the landscape shifts. They also discuss companies like Casper and Warby Parker getting into brick-and-mortar sales, even as they are the poster children for the disruption of brick-and-mortar. What Web would do if he was creating a direct-to-consumer brand today  “If I was starting a DTC brand today, I would actually start with a media company. I would launch a newsletter or blog a year or two before. It’s worth your while to develop an organic base of people that are interested in the product that they have. I know that sounds counterintuitive but you’re seeing a premium on the brands that have that type of organic acquisition”  He says that paid acquisition is a commonly used strategy by DTC CMOs but that it is quickly becoming cost-prohibitive. He predicts that companies will need to adapt to different models in the future. How to think about defensibility for direct-to-consumer companies  “[Ask yourself] Who are the people defending their purchases? How are they talking about their purchases to their friends and loved ones? How loyal are they? Will they come back to buy the next thing that you sell? That’s an element of defensibility that goes a bit unconsidered.”  Web points out that there are plenty of informal brand ambassadors for companies with strong brands. He says that the word-of-mouth spread of brand affinities is an underrated aspect of defensibility. How direct-to-consumer companies can create a community around their brand  “When Nike released the ad with Colin Kaepernick, Nike knew what it was doing. It was going to polarize the customer base and the folks that were on their side would spend a lot of time and energy defending Nike’s decision and that would amplify the brand for those defenders.”  He says that companies need to think about their consumers in terms of one-to-many relationships instead of the one-to-one model that has been the primary model to date. Web talks about some of the communities that are forming around certain brands and how companies can encourage the creation of those communities. They also discuss some of their favorite e-commerce or direct-to-consumer brands and companies, and Web breaks down why those companies have been successful. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Pilot for their support. 😸 Companies and Products Mentioned In This Episode AdoreMe — The new face of lingerie. Away — Beautiful, direct-to-consumer luggage. Chubbies — Radical shorts for your weekend. Lacroix — Naturally essenced sparkling water. Loop Fitness Tracker — Activity band with heart rate variance and smart guidance. Philz — Ryan's favorite coffee. Recess — Sparkling water infused with hemp extract and adaptogens. ThirdLove — Better bra sizing through a self-measuring iPhone app.

<a href="https://www.producthunt.com/@web" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Web Smith</a> has a long history working in direct-to-consumer and e-commerce. He managed marketing spend for Rogue, a leading sports goods manufacturer back in 2011 before co-founding Mizzen + Main and later joining Gear Patrol. In 2015 he founded <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/2pm-inc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2PM</a>, a B2B media company for the commerce industry and advises leading executives in the space. Through 2PM Web also invests in early-stage DTC brands and platforms that support the consumer ecosystem. If you've ever thought about starting your own DTC brand or online shop, you'll want to heed Web's advice. In this episode Ryan and Web talk about... <h2>The state of direct-to-consumer today</h2> <blockquote> “It’s going to become a battle to discern which companies have sticking power and what a possible exit will look like. Casper’s potential IPO will set a standard for other brands looking to exit. We’re also looking at a lot of companies developing holding companies for these types of brands.” </blockquote> Web points out that only 12% of transactions are e-commerce today — the remaining 88% comes via physical retail. <h2>Trends in the industry and how it has evolved over the years</h2> <blockquote> “The industry’s filling up pretty quickly. It’s a really dense area for people who want to become founders. They’re highly educated, from great schools, and funding is easy to come by in the DTC space for the time being. So they’re coming out of the gates from Wharton or wherever with millions of dollars in the bank and they’re probably going to get to the next milestone because they have the right founders, the right teams, and the right money. That’s the story of tens if not hundreds of consumer brands in the last two years.” </blockquote> Direct-to-consumer has for several years been a hot area for founders and investors. He talks about some of the trends he's seen in the space, including which growth strategies have been effective and how companies will need to evolve in the coming years as the landscape shifts. They also discuss companies like Casper and Warby Parker getting into brick-and-mortar sales, even as they are the poster children for the disruption of brick-and-mortar. <h2>What Web would do if he was creating a direct-to-consumer brand today</h2> <blockquote> “If I was starting a DTC brand today, I would actually start with a media company. I would launch a newsletter or blog a year or two before. It’s worth your while to develop an organic base of people that are interested in the product that they have. I know that sounds counterintuitive but you’re seeing a premium on the brands that have that type of organic acquisition” </blockquote> He says that paid acquisition is a commonly used strategy by DTC CMOs but that it is quickly becoming cost-prohibitive. He predicts that companies will need to adapt to different models in the future. <h2>How to think about defensibility for direct-to-consumer companies</h2> <blockquote> “[Ask yourself] Who are the people defending their purchases? How are they talking about their purchases to their friends and loved ones? How loyal are they? Will they come back to buy the next thing that you sell? That’s an element of defensibility that goes a bit unconsidered.” </blockquote> Web points out that there are plenty of informal brand ambassadors for companies with strong brands. He says that the word-of-mouth spread of brand affinities is an underrated aspect of defensibility. <h2>How direct-to-consumer companies can create a community around their brand</h2> <blockquote> “When Nike released the ad with Colin Kaepernick, Nike knew what it was doing. It was going to polarize the customer base and the folks that were on their side would spend a lot of time and energy defending Nike’s decision and that would amplify the brand for those defenders.” </blockquote> He says that companies need to think about their consumers in terms of one-to-many relationships instead of the one-to-one model that has been the primary model to date. Web talks about some of the communities that are forming around certain brands and how companies can encourage the creation of those communities. They also discuss some of their favorite e-commerce or direct-to-consumer brands and companies, and Web breaks down why those companies have been successful. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/product-hunt-radio/id862714883" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9yc3Muc2ltcGxlY2FzdC5jb20vcG9kY2FzdHMvNjI2MS9yc3M%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4Ak6HpbVkLKGacY3E0GHL8?si=N8xXCfscQPapPSFIF2rP3w" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.breaker.audio/product-hunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Breaker</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes862714883/product-hunt-radio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to <a href="http://www.pilot.com/producthunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pilot</a> for their support. 😸 <h3>Companies and Products Mentioned In This Episode</h3> <a href="https://www.adoreme.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">AdoreMe</a> — The new face of lingerie. <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/away" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Away</a> — Beautiful, direct-to-consumer luggage. <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/chubbies" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chubbies</a> — Radical shorts for your weekend. <a href="https://www.lacroixwater.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lacroix</a> — Naturally essenced sparkling water. <a href="https://www.polar.com/us-en/products/lifestyle/loop" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Loop Fitness Tracker</a> — Activity band with heart rate variance and smart guidance. <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/philz-coffee-app" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Philz</a> — Ryan's favorite coffee. <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/recess-4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Recess</a> — Sparkling water infused with hemp extract and adaptogens. <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/thirdlove" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ThirdLove</a> — Better bra sizing through a self-measuring iPhone app.

The future of direct-to-consumer and e-commerce

Keith Rabois

Keith has been an early executive at startups such as Linkedin, Paypal, Square, and has been an early investor in companies such as Youtube, Airbnb, Palantir, Quora, Yelp, and much more. In this episode we discuss Keith’s story, his thoughts on career strategy, his philosophy on hiring and why its similar to drafting athletes, and much more. This was recorded during the LAUNCH conference earlier this year. Edited by Alex Kontis Feedback to @eriktorenberg Praise to @rabois

Keith has been an early executive at startups such as Linkedin, Paypal, Square, and has been an early investor in companies such as Youtube, Airbnb, Palantir, Quora, Yelp, and much more. In this episode we discuss Keith’s story, his thoughts on career strategy, his philosophy on hiring and why its similar to drafting athletes, and much more. This was recorded during the LAUNCH conference earlier this year. Edited by Alex Kontis Feedback to @eriktorenberg Praise to @rabois

Episode 41: Keith Rabois

Sarah Tavel

Eric Vishria

On this episode I'm visiting Benchmark Capital, one of the world's most renowned venture capital firms, at their offices in the heart of the Tenderloin in San Francisco to chat with two of its general partners, Sarah Tavel and Eric Vishria. Sarah Tavel has a unique background as an investor, then operator, and back to investor.  In the mid-2000s she joined Silicon Valley-based Bessemer where she led an investment in Pinterest and others. She went on to join Pinterest back when they were only a few dozen people before returning to venture three and a half years later. She's now a GP at Benchmark and on the board of Hipcamp and Chainalysis. Eric Vishria started his career as an operator, working at Opsware and HP before founding Rockmelt, a social take on the web browser, back in 2008. Later the company was acquired by Yahoo where Eric joined as a VP before making a leap into venture at Benchmark. Over the past four-plus years he's lead investments in Confluent, Contentful, Amplitude, and others. In this episode we talk about:  What it's like to go from operating to investing and the different skillsets involved in those jobs, and why Benchmark has bucked the trend of venture firms expanding both in headcount and fund size. What Sarah and Eric are looking for in an investment, which spaces they're most excited about (hint: they say that contrary to reports of its death, consumer is very much alive), and why each partner at the firm only does on average one or two investments in a year. The importance of starting a company in Silicon Valley (or not) and why we're seeing more startups build outside the Valley.  We also discuss some of her favorite products, including a couple apps that are enabling new forms of communication on mobile, an “Airbnb for campsites,” and why Sarah has been playing Fortnite for “research purposes.” We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to AngelList and FreshBooks for their support. 😸 Quotes From This Episode “When I meet with a company that's outside the Valley, I would get on a soapbox and talk about how they have to be here if they want to scale and I always kind of thought that from zero to a couple hundred million market cap, you can build that anywhere, but to be that multibillion-dollar company, you have to be here. I still believe that but not as a strongly as I used to and it's because you do see so many examples of companies that are getting started and are getting to some scale outside of the Valley.”  — Sarah “As soon as you think it’s over, it’ll probably come from an unexpected place. It won’t be a direct competitor to Facebook, it won’t be Facebook reborn. That isn’t the way it’s going to happen, it will be something unexpected, orthogonal, that comes out of nowhere but that meets this need for people to connect. I think that it’ll happen — I don’t know where, I don’t know how.” — Eric “It's incredible to see how big many of the other venture firms are getting, and not just from a fund perspective, but from a people perspective. It's almost like they're vertically integrating. They've got seed investing, early stage investing, growth investing, some even have you know, public equity investing, debt, you know, as part of their platform. They've got talent teams and marketing teams and customer development teams and we've just decided to stay very very focused on what we do, which is being a close partner.”  — Sarah “It's really about looking at a lot of stuff, falling in love with an opportunity and an entrepreneur and deeply engaging, whereas operating is mostly figuring out how to get stuff done and very little of figuring out what to do, in a lot of ways venture is like 90% or 95% figuring out what to do and like 5% getting it done.”  — Eric Companies and Products Mentioned in This Episode AutoSleep — Automatically track your sleep from your Apple Watch. Bitmoji — Turns your avatar into stickers and emoji. Breaker — The social podcast app. Chainalysis — Building trust in blockchains. Discord — Find people who share your interests. Hipcamp — Airbnb for campsites. Marco Polo — Keep in touch on the go. Nextdoor — Connect to your neighbors.

On this episode I'm visiting Benchmark Capital, one of the world's most renowned venture capital firms, at their offices in the heart of the Tenderloin in San Francisco to chat with two of its general partners, Sarah Tavel and Eric Vishria. <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/@sarahtavel" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sarah Tavel</a> has a unique background as an investor, then operator, and back to investor. In the mid-2000s she joined Silicon Valley-based Bessemer where she led an investment in Pinterest and others. She went on to join Pinterest back when they were only a few dozen people before returning to venture three and a half years later. She's now a GP at Benchmark and on the board of Hipcamp and Chainalysis. <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/@ericvishria" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eric Vishria</a> started his career as an operator, working at Opsware and HP before founding Rockmelt, a social take on the web browser, back in 2008. Later the company was acquired by Yahoo where Eric joined as a VP before making a leap into venture at Benchmark. Over the past four-plus years he's lead investments in Confluent, Contentful, Amplitude, and others. In this episode we talk about: <ul> <li>What it's like to go from operating to investing and the different skillsets involved in those jobs, and why Benchmark has bucked the trend of venture firms expanding both in headcount and fund size.</li> <li>What Sarah and Eric are looking for in an investment, which spaces they're most excited about (hint: they say that contrary to reports of its death, consumer is very much alive), and why each partner at the firm only does on average one or two investments in a year.</li> <li>The importance of starting a company in Silicon Valley (or not) and why we're seeing more startups build outside the Valley.</li> </ul> We also discuss some of her favorite products, including a couple apps that are enabling new forms of communication on mobile, an “Airbnb for campsites,” and why Sarah has been playing Fortnite for “research purposes.” We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/product-hunt-radio/id862714883" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9yc3Muc2ltcGxlY2FzdC5jb20vcG9kY2FzdHMvNjI2MS9yc3M%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4Ak6HpbVkLKGacY3E0GHL8?si=N8xXCfscQPapPSFIF2rP3w" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.breaker.audio/product-hunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Breaker</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes862714883/product-hunt-radio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to <a href="http://angel.co/venture-funds" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">AngelList</a> and <a href="http://www.freshbooks.com/producthunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">FreshBooks</a> for their support. 😸 <h3>Quotes From This Episode</h3> “When I meet with a company that's outside the Valley, I would get on a soapbox and talk about how they have to be here if they want to scale and I always kind of thought that from zero to a couple hundred million market cap, you can build that anywhere, but to be that multibillion-dollar company, you have to be here. I still believe that but not as a strongly as I used to and it's because you do see so many examples of companies that are getting started and are getting to some scale outside of the Valley.” — Sarah “As soon as you think it’s over, it’ll probably come from an unexpected place. It won’t be a direct competitor to Facebook, it won’t be Facebook reborn. That isn’t the way it’s going to happen, it will be something unexpected, orthogonal, that comes out of nowhere but that meets this need for people to connect. I think that it’ll happen — I don’t know where, I don’t know how.” — Eric “It's incredible to see how big many of the other venture firms are getting, and not just from a fund perspective, but from a people perspective. It's almost like they're vertically integrating. They've got seed investing, early stage investing, growth investing, some even have you know, public equity investing, debt, you know, as part of their platform. They've got talent teams and marketing teams and customer development teams and we've just decided to stay very very focused on what we do, which is being a close partner.” — Sarah “It's really about looking at a lot of stuff, falling in love with an opportunity and an entrepreneur and deeply engaging, whereas operating is mostly figuring out how to get stuff done and very little of figuring out what to do, in a lot of ways venture is like 90% or 95% figuring out what to do and like 5% getting it done.” — Eric <h3>Companies and Products Mentioned in This Episode</h3> <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/autosleep" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">AutoSleep</a> — Automatically track your sleep from your Apple Watch. <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/bitmoji" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bitmoji</a> — Turns your avatar into stickers and emoji. <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/breaker-4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Breaker</a> — The social podcast app. <a href="https://www.chainalysis.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chainalysis</a> — Building trust in blockchains. <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/discord-servers" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Discord</a> — Find people who share your interests. <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/hipcamp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hipcamp</a> — Airbnb for campsites. <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/marco-polo-video-walkie-talkie" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Marco Polo</a> — Keep in touch on the go. <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/nextdoor-for-ios-2-0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nextdoor</a> — Connect to your neighbors.

The future of consumer tech, communities and communication with Sarah Tavel and Eric Vishria of Benchmark

Sara Mauskopf

Anne Halsall

Today I'm visiting San Francisco's Mission district to chat with Winnie co-founders, Sara Mauskopf and Anne Halsall. They have a unique background working at large tech companies like Google, Twitter, Quora, and Postmates, where they worked together before starting Winnie, “the companion app for parents.” As someone who's built and admires community-driven businesses, it was a pleasure to dive into how Winnie is creating community and a platform for parents. As mothers, Sara and Anne exemplify founder/market fit and are uniquely qualified to build a product for parents. In this episode we talk about:  How Anne and Sara found founder/market fit and how their personal experience — Sara and Anne both have two children — informs not only how they built Winnie the product, but also how they built Winnie the company. How Winnie combats fake parenting news, and why it was important for them to take a stance on certain issues and actively moderate out certain topics. The power of communities aligned around a single vertical. We compare custom-built communities to generalized community-building tools like Facebook and Reddit.  Of course, we also talk about some of their favorite products, including a way to continuously share your location with other members of your family, an app to share photos with family members, and another that captures one second every day and over time turns it into a highlight reel for your life. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to our sponsors, GE Ventures, Rally Rd, and AngelList for their support. 😸 Quotes from This Episode “Anne and I were very explicit from the beginning that we wanted to build the most family-friendly startup. We decided that we are not going to work long hours, our employees are not going to work long hours, and they’re not going to work on the weekends. We’re going to give employees flexibility and have them go on vacations. It’s a huge competitive advantage to be family-friendly.” — Sara [On including the option to post anonymously on Winnie] “Sometimes parenting questions are tough — tough, real stuff that you don’t want to put on your Facebook profile, where you can’t help but use your real name. You may not even feel comfortable talking to your mother’s group about some of the problems that you are having. So, we felt really motivated to make it work from the beginning.” — Anne “Having children has helped me a ton in putting the highs and lows of a startup in perspective. It’s just not that serious. It’s helped me build that resilience because the lows aren’t really that low. The stakes just don’t seem that high, and its actually enabled me to persevere through things where other people would have quit.” — Sara “We have other special features tailored to our audience, such as the ability to mask photos. We have these cute little stickers (that are adorable) and there’s a face-detection feature that will put little animals masks over the faces of any children that are in the photos that you’re posting. We make it super-easy and even fun to anonymize that photo.” — Anne Companies and Products Mentioned in This Episode 1 Second Everyday — Turn your favorite moments into meaningful movies. Google Photos — Free storage and automatic organization for all your memories. Life360 — Your new family circle.

Today I'm visiting San Francisco's Mission district to chat with <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/winnie" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Winnie</a> co-founders, <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/@sm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sara Mauskopf</a> and <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/@annekate" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Anne Halsall</a>. They have a unique background working at large tech companies like Google, Twitter, Quora, and Postmates, where they worked together before starting Winnie, “the companion app for parents.” As someone who's built and admires community-driven businesses, it was a pleasure to dive into how Winnie is creating community and a platform for parents. As mothers, Sara and Anne exemplify founder/market fit and are uniquely qualified to build a product for parents. In this episode we talk about: <ul> <li>How Anne and Sara found founder/market fit and how their personal experience — Sara and Anne both have two children — informs not only how they built Winnie the product, but also how they built Winnie the company.</li> <li>How Winnie combats fake parenting news, and why it was important for them to take a stance on certain issues and actively moderate out certain topics.</li> <li>The power of communities aligned around a single vertical. We compare custom-built communities to generalized community-building tools like Facebook and Reddit.</li> </ul> Of course, we also talk about some of their favorite products, including a way to continuously share your location with other members of your family, an app to share photos with family members, and another that captures one second every day and over time turns it into a highlight reel for your life. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/product-hunt-radio/id862714883" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9yc3Muc2ltcGxlY2FzdC5jb20vcG9kY2FzdHMvNjI2MS9yc3M%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4Ak6HpbVkLKGacY3E0GHL8?si=N8xXCfscQPapPSFIF2rP3w" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.breaker.audio/product-hunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Breaker</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes862714883/product-hunt-radio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to our sponsors, <a href="http://www.ge.com/ventures?utm_source=ProductHunt&amp;utm_medium=link&amp;utm_campaign=ProductHuntPodcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">GE Ventures</a>, <a href="http://joinrally.com/producthunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rally Rd</a>, and <a href="http://angel.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">AngelList</a> for their support. 😸 <h3>Quotes from This Episode</h3> “Anne and I were very explicit from the beginning that we wanted to build the most family-friendly startup. We decided that we are not going to work long hours, our employees are not going to work long hours, and they’re not going to work on the weekends. We’re going to give employees flexibility and have them go on vacations. It’s a huge competitive advantage to be family-friendly.” — Sara [On including the option to post anonymously on Winnie] “Sometimes parenting questions are tough — tough, real stuff that you don’t want to put on your Facebook profile, where you can’t help but use your real name. You may not even feel comfortable talking to your mother’s group about some of the problems that you are having. So, we felt really motivated to make it work from the beginning.” — Anne “Having children has helped me a ton in putting the highs and lows of a startup in perspective. It’s just not that serious. It’s helped me build that resilience because the lows aren’t really that low. The stakes just don’t seem that high, and its actually enabled me to persevere through things where other people would have quit.” — Sara “We have other special features tailored to our audience, such as the ability to mask photos. We have these cute little stickers (that are adorable) and there’s a face-detection feature that will put little animals masks over the faces of any children that are in the photos that you’re posting. We make it super-easy and even fun to anonymize that photo.” — Anne <h3>Companies and Products Mentioned in This Episode</h3> <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/1-second-everyday-2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">1 Second Everyday</a> — Turn your favorite moments into meaningful movies. <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/google-photos-2-0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Photos</a> — Free storage and automatic organization for all your memories. <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/life360" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Life360</a> — Your new family circle.

Building Family-Friendly Products and Companies with Sara Mauskopf and Anne Halsall

Cal Newport

Cal Newport is a computer scientist, professor, and author of five books. In this episode we explore his book "Get So Good They Can’t Ignore You" which talks about the importance of mastery, and the follies of blind pursuing your passion. We also talk about his new book. Deep Work, which comes out today, January 5th. His book explores the concept of deliberate practice and shares strategies for how to construct an environment where one can perform deliberate practice consistently. Edited by @AlexKontis Praise to Calnewport.com/blog Constructive Criticism to @eriktorenberg Check out Deep Work below. I highly recommend it. http://www.amazon.com/Deep-Work-Focused-Success-Distracted/dp/1455586692

Cal Newport is a computer scientist, professor, and author of five books. In this episode we explore his book "Get So Good They Can’t Ignore You" which talks about the importance of mastery, and the follies of blind pursuing your passion. We also talk about his new book. Deep Work, which comes out today, January 5th. His book explores the concept of deliberate practice and shares strategies for how to construct an environment where one can perform deliberate practice consistently. Edited by @AlexKontis Praise to <a href="http://Calnewport.com/blog" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Calnewport.com/blog</a> Constructive Criticism to @eriktorenberg Check out Deep Work below. I highly recommend it. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Deep-Work-Focused-Success-Distracted/dp/1455586692" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Deep-Work-Focused-Success-Distracted/dp/1455586692</a>

Episode 52: Cal Newport

Semil Shah

In this episode Semil Shah (Product at Swell, writer, and investor) joins me, Ryan Hoover, to chat about one of my favorite topics, home screen apps. We also talk about Swell, Semil’s approach to investing, and washing vegetables in the shower. Enjoy. Products mentioned: - Swell - http://www.producthunt.co/posts/swell - Stitcher - http://stitcher.com/ - Soundcloud - http://soundcloud.com/ - Sunrise - http://www.producthunt.co/posts/sunrise - Circa - http://www.producthunt.co/posts/circa - Pocket - http://getpocket.com - Medium for iOS - http://www.producthunt.co/posts/medium-for-iOS - Clear - http://realmacsoftware.com/clear - Asana - http://asana.com/ - Last - http://last.co - Slack - http://www.producthunt.co/posts/slack - MessageMe - http://messageme.com - Quibb - http://www.producthunt.co/posts/quibb - Refresh - http://www.producthunt.co/posts/refresh-1-6 - Instacarthttp://instacart.com Subscribe on iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/product-hunt/id862714883

In this episode Semil Shah (Product at Swell, writer, and investor) joins me, Ryan Hoover, to chat about one of my favorite topics, home screen apps. We also talk about Swell, Semil’s approach to investing, and washing vegetables in the shower. Enjoy. Products mentioned: - Swell - <a href="http://www.producthunt.co/posts/swell" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.producthunt.co/posts/swell</a> - Stitcher - <a href="http://stitcher.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://stitcher.com/</a> - Soundcloud - <a href="http://soundcloud.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://soundcloud.com/</a> - Sunrise - <a href="http://www.producthunt.co/posts/sunrise" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.producthunt.co/posts/sunrise</a> - Circa - <a href="http://www.producthunt.co/posts/circa" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.producthunt.co/posts/circa</a> - Pocket - <a href="http://getpocket.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://getpocket.com</a> - Medium for iOS - <a href="http://www.producthunt.co/posts/medium-for-iOS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.producthunt.co/posts/medium-for-iOS</a> - Clear - <a href="http://realmacsoftware.com/clear" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://realmacsoftware.com/clear</a> - Asana - <a href="http://asana.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://asana.com/</a> - Last - <a href="http://last.co" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://last.co</a> - Slack - <a href="http://www.producthunt.co/posts/slack" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.producthunt.co/posts/slack</a> - MessageMe - <a href="http://messageme.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://messageme.com</a> - Quibb - <a href="http://www.producthunt.co/posts/quibb" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.producthunt.co/posts/quibb</a> - Refresh - <a href="http://www.producthunt.co/posts/refresh-1-6" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.producthunt.co/posts/refresh-1-6</a> - Instacarthttp://<a href="http://instacart.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">instacart.com</a> Subscribe on iTunes - <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/product-hunt/id862714883" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/product-hunt/id862714883</a>

Product Hunt Radio: Episode 5 w/ Semil Shah

Bryce Roberts

Bryce Roberts is co-founder and managing director of a different kind of VC firm, Indie.VC. He recently announced v3 of their fund model which is focused on backing revenue-generating companies that are seeking financial independence from the traditional VC rat race. Prior to starting the fund four years ago, Bryce invested in seed stage startups in the mid-2000's out of O'Reilly AlphaTech Ventures (OATV). Portfolio companies include Bitly, Chartbeat, Codecademy, Foursquare, Hipcamp, OpenX, and a bunch of others. He joins me all the way from his home base in Utah. In this episode:  We talk all things venture capital, including how it's changed over the past decade and where it's going in the future. We've previously talked a bit about distributed teams on the startup side, but here we also talk about distributed teams when it comes to investing, including when Bryce moved from the Bay Area to Utah in the middle of a fund. How founders can be more honest with themselves about what they really want, and why so many want to quit chasing venture funding that they don't really want, and which leaves them in an escalating cycle of constantly reaching for the next funding milestone. We talk about which geographies in Bryce is most bullish on for startups, besides the Bay Area. We also get sidetracked talking about Bryce's membership in the “first name club” on Twitter (his username is @bryce) and whether we might be seeing any of the videos he's created on TikTok anytime soon (we won't).  We also talk about some of Bryce's favorite products, including the Apple Watch, a headband that is supposed to help you sleep, and why TikTok is so addictive. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to AngelList and FreshBooks for their support. 😸 Quotes from This Episode “Part of the idea behind Indie.VC was, what kinds of companies, ideas, products and founders could exist in the world and could have their ideas and company cultures embodied in the world through technology? How would it be different or what would it look like if they didn’t have to keep asking investors for permission to exist or if they didn’t have to keep contorting and forcing themselves into the box that looks like it has a stamp on it that says 'fundable?'”  — Bryce “If you look at where funding goes, if you look at the fact that 90% of it still goes to one gender, if you look at the fact that 75 to 80% of it still goes to essentially three cities, that starts to highlight the idea that if that next milestone isn’t necessarily funding, how could you invest differently? If you could support founders who had an aversion to raising venture money because they’ve been burned by it in the past or they wanted to do things that didn’t necessarily fit that mold or people in places or who don’t look like what VCs have traditionally funded, the best way to ensure those ideas exist in them world in the short term at least is to not necessarily rely on that next fundable milestone mindset that that I think is more prevalent in venture maybe than we’d like to admit.” — Bryce Companies and Products Mentioned in This Episode Apple Watch — The most powerful and advanced smartwatch yet. Bevel — A complete shaving system. Domo — A digitally connected business, right on your phone. Dreem — A solution that acts on your brain to enhance sleep. Freshly Picked — Quality mom and baby products. Pluralsight — World's largest tech and creative training library. Qualtrics — Leading research and experience software. TikTok — A creative music video clip maker. Walker and Company — Making health and beauty simple for people of color.

<a href="https://www.producthunt.com/@bryce" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bryce Roberts</a> is co-founder and managing director of a different kind of VC firm, <a href="http://Indie.VC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Indie.VC</a>. He recently announced v3 of their fund model which is focused on backing revenue-generating companies that are seeking financial independence from the traditional VC rat race. Prior to starting the fund four years ago, Bryce invested in seed stage startups in the mid-2000's out of O'Reilly AlphaTech Ventures (OATV). Portfolio companies include Bitly, Chartbeat, Codecademy, Foursquare, Hipcamp, OpenX, and a bunch of others. He joins me all the way from his home base in Utah. In this episode: <ul> <li>We talk all things venture capital, including how it's changed over the past decade and where it's going in the future. We've previously talked a bit about distributed teams on the startup side, but here we also talk about distributed teams when it comes to investing, including when Bryce moved from the Bay Area to Utah in the middle of a fund.</li> <li>How founders can be more honest with themselves about what they really want, and why so many want to quit chasing venture funding that they don't really want, and which leaves them in an escalating cycle of constantly reaching for the next funding milestone.</li> <li>We talk about which geographies in Bryce is most bullish on for startups, besides the Bay Area.</li> <li>We also get sidetracked talking about Bryce's membership in the “first name club” on Twitter (his username is @bryce) and whether we might be seeing any of the videos he's created on TikTok anytime soon (we won't).</li> </ul> We also talk about some of Bryce's favorite products, including the Apple Watch, a headband that is supposed to help you sleep, and why TikTok is so addictive. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/product-hunt-radio/id862714883" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9yc3Muc2ltcGxlY2FzdC5jb20vcG9kY2FzdHMvNjI2MS9yc3M%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/4Ak6HpbVkLKGacY3E0GHL8?si=N8xXCfscQPapPSFIF2rP3w" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.breaker.audio/product-hunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Breaker</a>, <a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes862714883/product-hunt-radio" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Overcast</a>, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to <a href="http://angel.co/venture-funds" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">AngelList</a> and <a href="http://www.freshbooks.com/producthunt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">FreshBooks</a> for their support. 😸 <h3>Quotes from This Episode</h3> “Part of the idea behind <a href="http://Indie.VC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Indie.VC</a> was, what kinds of companies, ideas, products and founders could exist in the world and could have their ideas and company cultures embodied in the world through technology? How would it be different or what would it look like if they didn’t have to keep asking investors for permission to exist or if they didn’t have to keep contorting and forcing themselves into the box that looks like it has a stamp on it that says 'fundable?'” — Bryce “If you look at where funding goes, if you look at the fact that 90% of it still goes to one gender, if you look at the fact that 75 to 80% of it still goes to essentially three cities, that starts to highlight the idea that if that next milestone isn’t necessarily funding, how could you invest differently? If you could support founders who had an aversion to raising venture money because they’ve been burned by it in the past or they wanted to do things that didn’t necessarily fit that mold or people in places or who don’t look like what VCs have traditionally funded, the best way to ensure those ideas exist in them world in the short term at least is to not necessarily rely on that next fundable milestone mindset that that I think is more prevalent in venture maybe than we’d like to admit.” — Bryce <h3>Companies and Products Mentioned in This Episode</h3> <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/apple-watch-series-4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Watch</a> — The most powerful and advanced smartwatch yet. <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/bevel" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bevel</a> — A complete shaving system. <a href="https://www.domo.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Domo</a> — A digitally connected business, right on your phone. <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/dreem" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dreem</a> — A solution that acts on your brain to enhance sleep. <a href="https://freshlypicked.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Freshly Picked</a> — Quality mom and baby products. <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/pluralsight" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pluralsight</a> — World's largest tech and creative training library. <a href="https://www.qualtrics.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Qualtrics</a> — Leading research and experience software. <a href="https://www.producthunt.com/posts/tiktok-28a9de3c-09c9-4676-a71b-6b74af9170ac" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">TikTok</a> — A creative music video clip maker. <a href="https://walkerandcompany.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Walker and Company</a> — Making health and beauty simple for people of color.

Rethinking the traditional VC model with Bryce Roberts of Indie.VC

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