This week's ITS Classic covers whether your startup idea is any good. We talk through a failed startup Brian ran called Find Your Lobster, present a framework to ensure you choose the startup idea that best matches your skillset, and how to stay away from the dreaded Whisper Idea. Byldd is a venture studio that’s democratizing software entrepreneurship. Tacklebox Accelerator Cohort 28 starts June 2, applications are due May 15th....
Apr 28, 2021•21 min•Season 4Ep. 15
I recently asked a good investor friend of mine what he thought the most underrated but important skill for entrepreneurs in 2021 was. He responded quickly - storytelling. The amount of compelling copy a startup needs to write in 2021 is astounding - from ads to emails to socials to pitch decks - and the base rate has gotten extremely high. A startup can only be as successful as it's messaging, and that all starts with a founder's ability to tell the story of their customer and their product. To...
Apr 21, 2021•18 min•Season 4Ep. 14
We revisit an episode from the early days of the podcast on an operating system for founders. Not everything I say here has stuck, and not everything I do I recommend. But the bones of this podcast are rock solid. Being thoughtful about how you work and what you work on is the key for building a startup in the margins. And, everyone has more margins now. If you're one of the people who isn't going to have to commute again, this is your chance. Build an internal operating system so you maximize y...
Apr 14, 2021•25 min•Season 4Ep. 13
Predicting a startup will fail is like betting every number on the roulette wheel except that green double zero and then puffing out your chest when one of your numbers hits. It's just not impressive to predict that something going up against overwhelming odds won't beat those odds. And yet.... Sometimes people build startups like horses asses. And in that case, they need to be called out. This podcast originally aired the day Quibi launched back in April of 2020 and gave the company 18 months t...
Apr 07, 2021•24 min•Season 4Ep. 12
We're told the curious entrepreneurs are the most successful. But we're also told we need to be experts for our startups to work. How do you balance being curious and learning with being seen as an expert? Today, we explore curiosity through one of the best founders to ever go through Tacklebox, and through another founder just getting started building something in the Space...space. Tacklebox Accelerator (next program June 2) Tacklebox Self-Paced Accelerator (next program whenever you'd like) T...
Mar 31, 2021•12 min•Season 4Ep. 11
You get startup advice constantly. Your ears probably perk up when it comes from an entrepreneur that's been successful. But what should you listen to? What's still relevant? How can you evaluate if the tactics an entrepreneur suggests are right for you? Today we talk through survivorship bias, how to take advice, how to check base rates, and how to decide on the right strategies for your startup. Plus, librarians, salespeople, and adultery. Tacklebox (Cohort starts March 31) Tacklebox Self-Serv...
Mar 24, 2021•14 min•Season 4Ep. 10
Today we'll talk about how to pick what you work on - we need to ensure you're spending your time on things that'll actually matter. We'll do it through the lens of the greatest company ever built. We also wrap up Problems + Opportunities and get some guidance from Peter Drucker. NewCo - Reach out to [email protected] to pitch Tacklebox - New cohort for idea-stage founders starting March 31 The Effective Executive - Drucker (🐐)...
Mar 17, 2021•15 min•Season 4Ep. 9
Last week, we laid out the Problems vs. Opportunities (PVO) framework. This week, we dive deeper into the "vision" part of the framework, helping you identify and follow your North Star. We use This Too Shall Pasta, a gluten free DTC pasta company, to dig deeper into the PVO process. Tacklebox - Cohort 27 applications are open Tacklebox self-serve accelerator program Idea to Startup Book Club!! 🤓 First book: Extreme Ownership...
Mar 10, 2021•14 min•Season 4Ep. 8
Today we're talking about problems vs. opportunities. It's easy for entrepreneurs to spend their time putting out fires - they're often the only ones who will. But it's far more important to block off time to identify and pursue opportunities that'll create asymmetric value. We discuss a framework for identifying, prioritizing, and pursuing opportunities. Also, Steph Curry and how to say "razorblades" with a flawless Australian accent. Tacklebox - Cohort 27 applications are open Tacklebox self-s...
Mar 03, 2021•19 min•Season 4Ep. 7
Three numbers and a story show the path for startups during a uniquely difficult but opportunity filled time. The goal of today's podcast is grounding and motivation. And pizza dough. We talk through opportunities for compound interest, knowledge growth, and the $32 trillion dollars that will change the startup market. Tacklebox Application (Cohort starts March 31) Tacklebox Self-Serve Amazzoni.us - use code "Tacklebox" at checkout for the best craft gin in the world (according to 2018)...
Feb 24, 2021•13 min•Season 4Ep. 6
What do you do when you stumble upon, or get smacked in the face by, a competitor? How do you react? What do you focus on? What do you stop doing? Can you still... exist? We talk through exactly what to do with competitors and discuss the "Gift of Which." The goods: Tacklebox Application (March 31) Tacklebox Self Serve (whenever you'd like) Jojo Rabbit...
Feb 17, 2021•12 min•Season 4Ep. 5
What if you've got a product and no customer? We go through an email from a listener who makes the world's best protein bars but has absolutely no idea who to sell them to. We use storytelling archetypes to find the best possible customer to catalyze the business. The goods: Tacklebox Application (March 31) Tacklebox Self Serve (whenever you'd like) Mindset Whopper Commercial...
Feb 10, 2021•15 min•Season 4Ep. 4
The third in our mini-series where we're starting a startup live on the pod. Today, we take what we learned from customer interviews and synthesize it into tests in real life. Step by step on customer, channel, landing page, and call-to-action. Plus, why atheists don't sell their soul and York Peppermint Patties. The goods: Idea Resume Tacklebox Application (March 31) The Art of Doing Science & Engineering Carrd (Landing Page Builder) The Sasquatch Problem (Are You Passionate Enough) York Pe...
Feb 03, 2021•20 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Episode Two of our miniseries "We're Starting a Startup" details our first seven days after we decided to pursue an idea live. We talk customer interview strategy and stack, get a bunch of lukewarm feedback, and play clips from some of the interviews we ran. We also talk about Baked By Melissa cupcakes an uncomfortable amount. Big thank you to the customers we interviewed, including: Happy Medium SoWell Health And a few other things we mention: The Mom Test Tacklebox (Cohort starts March 31) Tac...
Jan 27, 2021•24 min•Season 4Ep. 2
It was bound to happen. We're starting a startup idea on... Idea to Startup. Someone reached out basically daring us to, and we couldn't say no. Today, we'll run three startup ideas through our Idea Resume framework that evaluates an idea at the earliest stages. Then, we'll pick the one we'll start over the next set of episodes. Idea Resume Framework Follow along on Instagram + Twitter - we'll post the ads, landing pages, etc. Start a Wine Company in 17 Minutes Cohort 26 + Self Serve Business Gu...
Jan 20, 2021•26 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Getting your first 1,000 customers is hard, particularly when you're thinking about it wrong. We talk through how Push for Pizza and Slice took different approaches to growth in the pizza space. * Tacklebox + Self-Serve Product Slice First 1000 Substack Tacklebox + Self-Serve Product...
Jan 13, 2021•20 min•Season 3Ep. 16
We're told we need to be head over heels passionate about our startup for it to succeed. Is that... true? What if we haven't found something we're that passionate about - does that mean we shouldn't start it?How do you find something you're passionate enough about to build a company around? Is Sasquatch Real? The answers to these and more on this week's Idea to Startup Pod. Tacklebox Self Serve (and regular tacklebox accelerator ) Tacklebox Newsletter (get articles and the full content archive)...
Jan 06, 2021•15 min•Season 3Ep. 15
We'll look back on 2021 as the best year to start a startup in the past 50. The world we're returning to will be a lot different from the one we left, and people will start meaningful companies to bridge that gap. Hopefully, one of those people is you. Here are three stories that'll help you position yourself and your startup to succeed in 2021. Show Notes Tacklebox Self Serve Tacklebox Cohort Pixar 22 Rules of Storytelling Madlib “I’m building X to capitalize on the confluence of these three tr...
Dec 30, 2020•20 min•Season 3Ep. 14
That title is even spammier than last week. But it isn’t. Today, we’ll talk about how thinking through how to build a billion dollar business is actually a really useful exercise, too. Today, we’re going to fix Goodreads and drink a bunch of egg nog. Let’s see how that goes. Show Notes: Tacklebox Self Serve (and regular tacklebox accelerator ) Tacklebox Newsletter (get articles and the full content archive)...
Dec 23, 2020•20 min•Season 3Ep. 13
That title sure does sound spammy. But it isn’t. Today, we’ll talk about how thinking through how you’d make $1,000 today is the best way to actually start a startup. This episode is for people who are stuck - people who want to start something but can’t figure out the best way to go about doing it. People who are overwhelmed by what starting a startup might entail. We make it easy for you. Show Notes: Tacklebox Self Serve (and regular tacklebox accelerator ) Tacklebox Newsletter (get articles a...
Dec 16, 2020•17 min•Season 3Ep. 12
Today we take a bunch of questions from ITS listeners. We talk through startup ideas for 2021, founder superpowers, and hutzpah. Show Notes: Tacklebox Self Serve (and regular tacklebox accelerator ) Psychology of Money Upwork + Designhill The Books : Range , The Passion Economy , Essentialism , Boomtown , Three Body Problem , The Lost Man , Atomic Habits...
Dec 09, 2020•22 min•Season 3Ep. 11
This episode focuses on the 4 best emails written on Black Friday, and the framework each used to break through the clutter. Show Notes: Tacklebox Self Serve Lolli Essentialism (read this) Contagious (read this, too)
Dec 02, 2020•21 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Entrepreneurs favorite questions all begin with “how will I know..” The real answer is, you never know anything for sure. This podcast is about the process of entrepreneurship - how to set up and run lightweight tests to get a unique perspective no one else does. Show Notes: Tacklebox Self Serve How Will I Know (🐐 ) How to choose the right customer (pod) Jobs to be Done Theory...
Nov 25, 2020•21 min•Season 3Ep. 9
It’s easy to do everything but the thing that matters. Today we talk about how to identify the thing that matters and how to combat all of our instincts that tell us to push back against real reflection. We go through a few examples, including Ro.co, business school, and writing books, focusing on Motion vs. Action. Show Notes: Tacklebox Self Serve Atomic Habits + Range David Foster Wallace - This Is Water...
Nov 18, 2020•17 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Imposter syndrome kills more startups than not finding a cofounder, competition, or funding ever could. Today, we’re talking about whether you’re good enough to compete in the startup world. Can you really turn this into your livelihood? Can you thrive? What happens if you don’t? Show Notes: Tacklebox Self Serve
Nov 11, 2020•16 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Founders need to be resilient. It’s beaten into our heads over and over. But what resilience is - and how to be resilient - is misunderstood. Today we’ll talk about all the IOUs you consciously and unconsciously write all day, and how they’re sapping you of your best work. We’ll finish with tactics to combat these IOUs. Go get ‘em. Tacklebox Self-Serve Program Atlantic City - Bruce (🐐)...
Nov 04, 2020•16 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Meaningful differentiation is hard to come by. Most startups pay lip service to differentiation and pay the price through higher customer acquisition costs and lower retention rates. A truly differentiated product is necessary for a healthy funnel - acquisition, conversion, retention, referral. Today we talk through questions that’ll help you differentiate your startup with the help of On, an apparel company that leveraged business model innovation to create a truly differentiated product in a c...
Oct 28, 2020•18 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Not all ideas start with the level of insight needed to build a differentiated company. Today, we’ll take a run of the mill idea and show you how to build a differentiated product. Specifically, we’ll launch the Tuesday Wine Company, a D2C wine brand that sells half bottles to people with dogs. LeadPages Site Upwork...
Oct 21, 2020•17 min•Season 3Ep. 4
If you ever find yourself whispering your startup idea at a coffee shop, this podcast is for you. We dig in on what a good startup idea actually looks like and how to find the right idea for you.
Oct 15, 2020•12 min•Season 3Ep. 3
You’ve got startup ideas. You want to pursue them. You want to take them seriously. But what, exactly, does that mean? This episode dives into what it looks like to take your startup idea seriously. How to give it a fair shake and see if it’s worth investing some time into. We use an example of a Jackfruit company that’s out to make Jackfruit the plant-based alternative for people removing meat from their diet everywhere. Leadpages Unbounce Otter.ai...
Oct 08, 2020•18 min•Season 3Ep. 2
