Episodes
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Today, we'll help you think through a deceptively tough question - are you a freelancer or an entrepreneur? Every decision you make needs to nest neatly below this core decision for your business to work, but tons of founders are either trying to do both simultaneously or think they're one when they're really the other.
TackleboxSeth Godin ConversationKurt VonnegutNo Lunging
We clarify the difference between freelancer and entrepreneur, help you decide which will make you happier, and get you started on the path for whichever you choose.0:30 Why Entrepreneurs are unhappy
01:14 Do you want to be a freelancer or entrepreneur?
04:12 Seth Godin Conversation
04:58 Our definition of a freelancer
07:28 Our definition of entrepreneurs
09:07 Cuban’s Definition of Entrepreneurship
11:24 BYLDD
12:25 The Restaurant Startup
15:15 Rivers and Dams
19:19 No Lunging
22:44 Don’t Pretend
23:10 How do you want to spend your days? -
Today is the last episode in our four-part series helping a doctor test a business idea live on the pod. We follow as they execute their Concierge MVP - teaching productivity skills to fellow physicians. We dive into the process for building a product from scratch (with no code or experience), and talk through how to navigate the fears that'll naturally pop up. Finally, we help the doctor translate the insights they pulled from the CMVP into their next steps on the business.
BylddTackleboxIdea to Startup NewsletterThe Perfect CoupleDavid Allen GTD workbookHow to Design and Teach WorkshopsTimestamps:
00:30 Intro - Email [email protected] your concierge MVP ideas
02:30 - Recap of Episodes 1-3 in the series
05:15 - Part 1: What Do You Need, and What Do You Not Need?
06:25 - Remember Scooby Doo
09:10 - Byldd
10:18 Part 2: Your Product Should Be Tailored, Not New
12:45 Part 3: Customer Journey and Tell the Story
16:30 Part 4: How Many Customers and Should You Discount?
18:00 The Superpower: Optimism
20:08 Part 5: How It Went
23:25 The End: What’s Next? -
Episodes manquant?
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In part three of testing a startup idea live on the pod, we dive into the Concierge MVP - a crucial step in validating a startup idea by manually solving your customer's problem. We break down the four key ingredients of a Concierge MVP and follow our doctor friend as he builds one for his productivity idea, highlighting both the process and the fears that come with it.
Episode 1 in the series: The IdeaEpisode 2 in the series: Acquiring CustomersTackleboxIdea to Startup NewsletterOne Person Landing Page
Timestamps:00:30 Intro - The Last 15%
03:41 Episodes 1 + 2 recap
07:02 Smooth Jazz
07:30 The Concierge MVP
08:56 The Four Ingredients of the CMVP
10:17 Ingredient One: Pick Your Frank
13:01 Ingredient Two: Find, and Convince, More Franks
15:30 The Landing Page
16:35 Champions and Risk
18:19 Ingredient Three: The Wedge -
Today is Part 2 of starting a startup live on the pod. We focus on finding and engaging potential customers through Brute Force Customer Acquisition and dig in on value creation using the Delta 4 framework. The entrepreneur we're helping experiences an epiphany about what his doctor customers truly need, challenging his initial assumptions and forcing him to pivot his approach.
TackleboxBylddIdea to Startup NewsletterDelta Four00:30 Intro - Last Week’s Episode
04:18 Brute Force Customer Acquisition + The Five Startup Steps
09:37 The best brute force acquisition I’ve seen
10:49 Doctor Customer Acquisition
12:44 Hunting Delta 4
16:00 The Hunch -
Today, we'll start a startup live on the pod. A listener wrote in with an idea in the shifting healthcare space and we pursue it over the next few episodes. We start from square one, digging into what's actually valuable about the idea with the 90% Wrong Principle, using the Four Question framework to pull out assumptions, and finally judging the viability of early customers with the Committed vs. Interested Test. It's a fun start to a series where we'll build a business in real-time.
90% WrongHow to Live an Asymmetric LifeTackleboxIdea to Startup NewsletterIdea to Startup Bot00:25 Intro - Starting a Startup Idea Live
02:02 The Idea - Healthcare is changing
05:58 Smooth Jazz
06:30 90% Wrong
07:52 Scary and Hard
09:30 Worst First
10:51 The Four Story Questions
15:45 The Two hero’s
18:38 The End: I Hate Both Customers -
Today we'll help you find and choose the right startup idea. We'll use a couple of frameworks to help you evaluate startup ideas you've got and find startup ideas other people miss. We talk through the Hard Startup Myth and The Hassle Premium, two mental models that'll make sure your next idea has legs. We'll also evaluate Tinder for Jobs and learn a lesson from the great Frank Prisinzano.
BylddTackleboxFrank's Crispy Egg video + instagramPersonal MBA
00:27 Intro
01:35 Are All the Good Ideas Taken?
05:15 Byldd
06:22 Tinder for Jobs
11:30 Execution vs Customer Risk
12:30 Specific Knowledge and Leverage
13:04 The Hard Idea Myth + Frank Prisinzano
17:22 The Hassle Premium -
Today, we'll talk through how to identify and pursue the big, consequential ideas - what we'll call Quests. We go through how to identify them, how to wrap our arms around them, and what to do when you (inevitably) feel intimidated. We'll do it with a little help from the 90 Yard Mistake, a ghost kitchen idea, and some chronic pain interviews. Quest (drink).
TackleboxIdea to Startup NewsletterIdea to Startup BotChoose Good Quests
Timestamps:
00:24 Intro - Becoming a Parent
05:21 The Hard Stuff Is Easier
07:50 Smooth Jazz
08:16 How to Identify a Worthy Quest
12:44 The 90 Yard Mistake
19:06 How to Get Started - People & Success
21:40 How to Not Be Intimidated
24:16 Choose Worthy Quests -
Hard problems are the only problems worth your time, but they're not always easy to find. Today, we'll talk about how to root them out. We'll dig in on decisions customers avoid and how to use those decisions to anchor early traction. We'll also talk through one of Brian's favorite current businesses - a guy who buys used cars for you.
BylddTackleboxIdea to Startup NewsletterIdea to Startup Bot
0:27 Intro - Noticing What People Hate
05:00 The Car Problem
07:52 BYLDD
09:15 Solving Hard Problems
13:42 Decision Hunting
15:30 Chronic Pain
18:30 The End - Problem Hunting -
Today, we'll talk about my favorite item from the Always Work List from a few weeks back - the Daniel Tiger SOP. Entrepreneurship requires you to do uncomfortable stuff constantly. This gets overwhelming and leads to founders sticking with the well-worn, safe path. That leads to startups with no differentiator and no reason to exist.
TackleboxIdea to Startup NewsletterIdea to Startup BotAlways Work and Never Work Lists PodEmail [email protected] with sub “always work never work” to get the listsAn SOP for Testing a Startup IdeaDaniel Tiger SongNate Bargatze Dumb Brain
The Daniel Tiger SOP helps you turn intimidating tasks into manageable ones. It lets you travel a unique road, which leads to a unique product. It's as good a technique as I've found.
Timestamps
00:35 Intro - Always Work and Never Work Lists
02:55 The Most Useful Item from the Always Work List
03:55 What Makes People Happy
06:15 Smooth Jazz
06:45 You’ll Never Sprint Again
08:12 Repetitive SOPs and Uncomfortable SOPs
09:30 The Daniel Tiger SOP
11:13 Email Scam Detector Startup
16:30 The End: Our Brains Are Dumb -
Today, we'll help you build a system for creativity. We'll start by defining creativity as an equation to make it more accessible. Then, we'll develop a system that focuses on the inputs of the creativity equation. We talk through the Commonplace Book, Commencement Speeches, a sports writer and the movie Sahara. Then, we get into the weeds on how to set up and implement your own personal creativity system.
TackleboxWeekly Podcast NewsletterThe Great Talks, Lectures, and Speeches of HistoryNotion + Notion Web ClipperReadwiseZapierOgilvy on Advertising0:30 Intro - Creativity
2:00 What if you’re not creative?
2:53 Creativity is Mushing
3:39 Creativity Equation
5:15 Summer Internship
6:28 Bill Simmons
7:48 In on the joke
9:20 College Commencement Speeches
10:07 Kenyon Commencement Speech - Two Fish
11:20 Smooth Jazz
11:52 The System
14:00 The Logistics
15:22 Intake
17:29 Reflection
18:30 Output
19:30 Ogilvy on Advertising -
Today, we'll talk through a landing page system that'll help you find a great initial customer - one that can anchor your business. We'll talk through the circle framework, as well as the One Person Landing Page and the Emotion / Logistics / Urgency flow. This will help you identify the right customer to focus your product building efforts on.
TackleboxOwl City - FirefliesDaniel PriestleyUnbounceScore00:51 Intro - Landing Pages
03:21 Circles
10:00 Smooth Jazz
10:32 The One Person Landing Page + ELU
17:45 A Chronic Pain Startup’s One Person Landing Page Test
24:56 System + The End -
Today, we talk about how to price your startup. We touch on the four places to find margin, the Taco Bell pricing strategy, and using price to attract customers. We talk through pricing an AI assistant, basketball lessons, honey, and pilates. After this pod, you'll (hopefully) think about pricing your startup completely differently.
TackleboxIdea to Startup NewsletterThe Bear SceneToniesIdea to Startup Bot
00:34 Intro
02:00 Taco Bell Pricing
03:16 Forks and The Freakin’ Super Bowl
05:02 Stubbing Your Toe on Reality
09:00 Smooth Jazz
09:34 Four Places to Find Margin
11:19 Margin Comes After Pain
13:09 Margin Comes From Removing the Worst Part of a Painful Process
14:11 Margin Comes From a Status Level Jump
14:50 Margin from Specificity and Problem Language
16:35 Basketball Lesson Pricing
19:08 Pay Yourself First
22:56 The End - My Son Loves to Dance -
Today, we'll help you figure out how to find and position your startup idea's value. We'll talk through the Need/Gap/Swap framework, go through a few startups doing the value thing well and poorly, and we'll talk about a Magician on the Upper West Side.
TackleboxHow to Make $1,000 TodayIdea to Startup NewsletterIdea to Startup Bot01:25 Intro
02:32 Make as Much Money As You Can In One Week
10:13 Smooth Jazz
10:45 The Magician
14:22 Non-Alcoholic Drinks -
A throwback to the 6th ever episode of Idea to Startup - an episode that’s been listened to thousands of times and has a consumption rate at nearly 100%. Entrepreneurs can do anything, but they can’t do everything. How do you prioritize early on? How do you differentiate? This episode presents a framework that’ll ensure you work on the things that give your startup its best chance at success.
TackleboxIdea to Startup NewsletterFreedomInbox PauseEssentialismDeep WorkGetting Things DoneThe Emyth00:00 Intro
03:03 College Basketball
05:49 Ordinary and Extraordinary
06:21 Prioritization, Willpower, Internal Reports
08:00 Stones and Sand
14:00 Humans Overestimate Wownside and Underestimate Upside
14:36 You Have No Willpower
20:27 Tracking -
Today, we dig into the Always Work and Never Work Lists - a method that'll help entrepreneurs make good decisions through the constant second guessing and self-doubt that a startup brings. We talk through examples from the lists and apply them to a moment Brian had to deal with recently. We get a little help from Goodfellas and Taylor Swift.
TackleboxIdea to Startup NewsletterIdea to Startup BotAnti-Hero - I stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror - (quietly a better version)Goodfellas
00:30 Intro
02:54 Is My Idea Actually Good?
04:13 Goodfellas
05:44 Smooth Jazz
06:11 Should I Stop Doing This Podcast?
08:24 The Process
08:55 The Three Prompts
12:20 The Things That Always + Never Work Lists
17:27 The Plan
18:58 You
19:57 People Over 30 Don’t Sprint -
Today, we'll talk about content. Two of the most asked questions we get are "should I create content?" and "if I should... what the heck should I say?" Creating content feels daunting until you realize the best way to create content is to not create content. We go through how to do that, leaning on a few examples and a content generating framework. We also crown the best burrito in NYC.
TackleboxDos Toros / El GalloBird by Bird00:25 Intro
02:56 Why People Order Hot Habanero Sauce
07:45 Byldd
08:52 How to Start
14:25 Content as a System
14:40 Top of Funnel
15:38 Mid-Funnel
16:20 Brand Building
20:00 The Act of Noticing -
One of my favorite episodes in a while. Today, we talk about how you can stand out in a crowded market by looking at an exceptionally successful exterminator. We'll pull out four lessons that make a framework to create contrast between your business and your competitors. We'll talk through Customer Journey Mapping, the Feature Fold, how to take yourself seriously through pricing and the things other people stink at. And, we'll get a ton of help from the Mouse Man (and no help from Ruby).
TackleboxIdea to Startup NewsletterIdea to Startup BotSugar (but it stinks)00:30 Intro
02:00 We’ve Got Mice
05:15 The Mouse Man’s Funnel
07:50 Smooth Jazz
08:21 One - Build Your Funnel to Match Customer Emotion
11:45 Good Questions For Your Funnel
12:30 Two - Contrast from the Feature Fold
14:30 Saving your Customers a Decision
15:53 Three - Take Yourself Seriously
19:14 Four - The Things Other People Stink At
22:14 The End
22:50 Recap of the Four Lessons -
One of the most listened to episodes in ITS history with an average consumption rate well over 100%. Today, we go through a Weekly Prioritization and Audit Framework for entrepreneurs. We'll hit on three giant shifts you'll likely need to make - ditching a to do list and moving to your calendar, weekly progress reports, and environment design. We get a little help from our friends in Finland along the way.
For more info on the framework, subscribe to the Idea to Startup Insider Newsletter.
Tacklebox ("Build Right" for 50% off month one)Tom Eisenmann Episode
00:30 Intro
01:09 A Weekly Prioritization Framework
04:13 The Race to Five Pivots
05:49 Smooth Jazz
06:13 Finland has the most gold metals per capita
11:01 Prioritization System
13:27 Calendar
19:53 The Weekly Audit
22:53 Your Environment
25:30 An Overview of the System -
Today, we'll run through a Concierge MVP example live on the pod. Brian chooses an idea specifically because someone wrote in and said it was "un-Concierageable," which isn't a word but is the reason this podcast exists.
TackleboxIdea to Startup NewsletterThe LugeTackle the Monkey FirstMiro
We go through the four-part framework that'll help you build a Concierge MVP - The Three Components of Wild Success, Acquiring Customers, The Test, and Feedback Loops. And we get a little help from an alum helping people get grants and our old friend - the Monkey on the Pedestal.00:30 The Concierge MVP
02:05 The Grant Concierge MVP Example
04:56 Pushback
06:30 Smooth Jazz
07:00 David’s Idea
09:23 Concierge MVP Step One: The Three Components of Wild Success
10:43 Monkey and the Pedestal
14:08 Concierge MVP Step Two: Acquiring Customers
18:22 Concierge MVP Step Three: The Test
21:03 Concierge MVP Step Four: The Feedback Loop
22:52 The End - 85% of the Way There -
Today we talk through a system to help you start the business you don't feel ready to start. We do this because that's the only type of business there is. You're never going to feel prepared so you can't let that fear paralyze you.
TackleboxIdea to Startup NewsletterIdea to Startup BotBig FishPut Your Ass Where Your Heart Wants to Be
We talk through the three main gaps that keep founders from starting - the Knowledge Gap, the Network Gap, and the Product Gap - and describe a method that'll help you navigate each. We get a little help from a startup idea Brian's been kicking around, a turtle swimming across the Atlantic Ocean, and the Backstreet Boys.
00:30 The Business You’re Not Quite Ready to Start 01:31 The Three Gaps
03:28 Why Turtles Swim Across the Atlantic Ocean
07:11 Smooth Jazz
07:40 Before You’re Ready
08:16 The Customized Diet Idea
10:20 The Notion Idea Template
12:06 The Knowledge Gap - The Expert Interview
15:51 The Network Gap - The Monthly Newsletter
17:48 The Product Gap - The Marathon Shoe and The Knowledge Spectrum
21:33 The End - Action Reduces Fear - Montre plus