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๐๐ผ About the Guest:
Pritika Mehta is the founder of Butternut AI, an AI-based website builder. After having earned her first dollar on the internet when she was 14, Butternut is her third startup, having built Mindbatteries (acquired), and SockSoho (YC S20), which went from 0 to millions in ARR in 18 months. She is also a TEDx speaker, having spoken at Wilmington Women about focus, failure, and the future of work. In addition, she is an advisor to Innovation Mission Punjab ($30M Startup Seed fund), has built Kiddycoders to bring young kids into STEM, and is running a merit scholarship program for underprivileged girls in India. Her other projects include a 10,000+ member community of pet parents over WhatsApp.
๐๐ผ About the Host:
Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is building a SaaS product called GuestLab, and runs another podcast series called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this one.๐๐ผ Sponsor Corner:
Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! Theyโre the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/
๐๐ผ Description:
Listen in as Sharath and Pritika discuss the AI wave, going from D2C to software, being an immigrant founder, and more!
00:00: Episode Highlight00:16: Shoutout to Acquire.com02:42: Introduction to Pritika Mehta - founder at Butternut AI, TEDX speaker, scholarship creator, and more!07:22: The common traits of founders08:45: Going from software to D2C to software13:45: Destroying self-doubt in a new industry15:45: How to validate your product idea17:45: Getting into Y Combinator with a sock company19:15: The impact of Y Combinator21:10: The story of Butternut AI25:07: Pritika's favorite website built on Butternut AI25:40: Behind the scenes at Butternut AI28:00: The future of Butternut AI30:26: The ultimate vision for Butternut AI32:31: Which domains will remain untouched by AI?33:30: Pritika's backups if she wasn't working on Butternut AI38:02: Where is the Indian startup ecosystem heading?41:34: What Pritika looks for in founders she's investing in43:37: Lessons learned from SockSoho45:55: Outro and closing thoughts
๐๐ผ Timestamps:๐๐ผ Resources:
Magic: https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/magic-2PartnerHQ: https://www.partnerhq.com/Link to Acquire.com: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/๐๐ผ Where to find Pritika:
Website: https://pritikamehta.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/pritika_mehtaLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pritikam/Butternut AI: https://butternut.ai/SockSoho: https://socksoho.com/Kiddycoders: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/10/india-coding-children-opportunity/TED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APPRZcGkFIUBBC: https://wspartners.bbc.com/clip/p07sr603TechCrunch: https://techcrunch.com/2020/08/31/fashion-brand-socksoho-is-using-data-science-in-a-bid-to-become-the-uniqlo-of-india/The Hindu: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/are-children-being-introduced-to-coding-too-early-in-life/article62106966.eceWEF Economic Summit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91KzyE6V5So๐๐ผ Where to find Sharath:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/ -
๐๐ผ About the Guest:
Hiten Shah (268K followers on Twitter!) has been building and writing about SaaS businesses for 20+ years. He is currently the CEO and Co-founder at Nira and is the ex-founder at CrazyEgg and KISSmetrics.
๐๐ผ About the Host:
Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is building a SaaS product called GuestLab, and runs another podcast series called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this one.๐๐ผ Sponsor Corner:
Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! Theyโre the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/
๐๐ผ Description:
Listen in as Sharath and Hiten discuss the AI wave, figuring out your niche, launching a podcast, and more!
00:00: Episode Highlight00:43: Shoutout to Acquire.com03:08: Introduction to Hiten Shah - multi-founder for 20 years!04:32: Creating your own podcast and what to keep in mind09:56: Advice to people starting their own podcasts14:17: "Record the show and they will come" - how this can work and how it can go terribly wrong22:00: How to figure out your audience22:46: How to create a startup in a crowded market31:54: Where to create your AI startup in 202434:24: Reality vs deepfakes: when will we be unable to distinguish between the two?48:17: How Hiten's father influenced his life philosophy53:17: How to decide your identity56:10: Outro and closing thoughts
๐๐ผ Timestamps:๐๐ผ Resources:
Airchat: https://www.air.chat/Devin: https://www.cognition-labs.com/introducing-devinLink to Acquire.com: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/๐๐ผ Where to find Hiten:
Website: https://hitenism.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/hnshah?Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hnshahNira: https://nira.com/๐๐ผ Where to find Sharath:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/ -
ใจใใฝใผใใ่ฆ้ใใพใใใ๏ผ
ใใฃใผใใๆดๆฐใใใซใฏใใใใฏใชใใฏใใฆใใ ใใใ
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๐๐ผ About the Guest:
Marie Martens is the co-founder of Tally, the simplest way to create forms. With a background in marketing, she co-founded a travel marketplace, Hotspot, and pivoted to Tally during the pandemic. Between 2020 and 2024, Tally's lean team has bootstrapped Tally to a $1M in ARR!
๐๐ผ About the Host:
Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is building a SaaS product called GuestLab, and runs another podcast series called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this one.๐๐ผ Sponsor Corner:
Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! Theyโre the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/
๐๐ผ Description:
Listen in as Sharath and Marie discuss juggling parenthood and startup life, hockey stick growth, and more!
00:00: Episode Highlight1:10: Shoutout to Acquire.com03:34: Introduction to Marie Martens - the co-founder of Tally.so!05:50: How does being a mom keep Marie motivated?09:22: Why Tally refuses to hire or raise funds20:35: Tally's original mission in 202024:03: Secrets of hockey stick growth30:32: Ways to get over burnout38:04: Why Marie founded Tally in an over-crowded market44:10: How Notion influenced Tally47:30: How no-code tools and AI could have changed Tally's growth52:24: Marie's Plan B in case Tally didn't work out55:10: How building Tally differs from Marie's previous startup56:36: Tally's tactics that led to hockey stick growth59:08: What's next for Tally?1:03:25: Outro and closing thoughts
๐๐ผ Timestamps:๐๐ผ Resources:
Link to Acquire.com: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/๐๐ผ Where to find Marie:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarieMartensLinkedin: https://be.linkedin.com/in/mariemartensTally: https://blog.tally.so/author/marie/๐๐ผ Where to find Sharath:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/ -
๐๐ผ About the Guest:
Peer Richelsen is the co-founder and co-CEO of Cal.com. Peer has also previously served as the head of product at On Deck and as the founder and CEO of Lean Hire, as well as attending Y Combinator as an alumni in the winter of 2019. for Mage App, Inc., where they raised $880K in funding over three years and served over 50k customers across Europe and the USA.
Today Peer and the team launched their newest product of Cal.com called Platform and Atoms. Go support the launch here: https://www.producthunt.com/posts/cal-com-platform
๐๐ผ About the Host:
Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is building a SaaS product called GuestLab, and runs another podcast series called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this one.๐๐ผ Sponsor Corner:
Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! Theyโre the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/
๐๐ผ Description:
Listen in as Sharath and Peer discuss the future of open-source software, intellectual property in an age of AI, sales as a first-time founder, and more!
00:00: Episode Highlight00:54: Shoutout to Acquire.com03:19: Introduction to Peer Richelsen - the founder of Cal.com!06:10: The origins of Cal.com: Going from being an operator to a founder11:06: How to stand out in a crowded market14:40: How to differentiate your product19:15: How to make your product strategy22:43: Why open-source is Cal.com's superpower27:33: The importance of IP in a post-AI world30:00: Where to get product inspiration32:10: Transitioning from being a bootstrapped founder to a VC-backed founder39:45: The ultimate aim of every founder44:31: What would Peer work in, if not scheduling?47:40: How to approach sales as a first-time founder50:52: How to get in front of big clients52:15: Approaching the chicken-egg traction problem in fundraising56:30: How did Y Combinator change Peer as a founder?58:18: Dealing with self-doubt59:50: What drives Peer as a founder?1:06:04: Peer's beef with Supabase1:07:44: Outro and closing thoughts
๐๐ผ Timestamps:๐๐ผ Resources:
Support Cal.com Platform on Product Hunt: https://www.producthunt.com/posts/cal-com-platformSeven Seven Six: https://sevensevensix.com/Founders Podcast's episode on Jay Z: https://www.joincolossus.com/episodes/63997262/senra-jay-z-decodedSupabase: https://supabase.com/๐๐ผ Where to find Peer:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/peer_richLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peer-richelsen-221233138๐๐ผ Where to find Sharath:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/ -
๐๐ผ About the Guest:
Sonia Baschez was the Head of Marketing at Atmos and currently is a a Marketing and PR Advisor at The Council. She is an expert at building and executing marketing strategies for early-stage startups focused on social media, content creation, and email marketing.
She has previously worked on the Hillary for America campaign, where she wrote, designed, and launched email programs for 38 states. She has also worked with startups (Makerpad, Winnie, Holloway), authors (Elisabeth Rosenthal MD, Sam Walker, Alexandra Sacks MD), and influencers (Jeanne Pinder, Marlon Peterson, Luz Claudio, Muhammed Idris) to create their brands/profiles, grow followings, and promote their work.
Most recently, she's launching her own fractional CMO company, Bend Growth Co. Check her out at https://www.bendgrowth.co/!
๐๐ผ About the Host:
Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is building a SaaS product called GuestLab, and runs another podcast series called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this one.๐๐ผ Sponsor Corner:
Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! Theyโre the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/
๐๐ผ Description:
Listen in as Sharath and Sonia discuss the future of personalization, where email marketing is headed, when you should make your first marketing hire, and more!
00:00: Episode Highlight00:47: Shoutout to Acquire.com03:14: Introduction to Sonia Baschez - the fractional CMO!04:35: The day-to-day life of a marketer06:02: Life as the mom of a 2-year-old09:43: How Sonia started her story in marketing21:52: Similarities between startups and political campaigns26:29: When should a founder prioritize marketing?30:24: Downside of fractional employees33:35: What is the future of email marketing?43:39: How to do personalization perfectly.51:12: The marketing part of product-market fit59:10: Working with your spouse: how to maintain professional and personal boundaries1:05:10: Bend Growth Co. - the new-age fractional CMO company!
๐๐ผ Timestamps:๐๐ผ Resources:
Lenny Rachitsky: https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/Obviously Awesome by April Dunford: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/45166937Nathan Baschez: https://undefeatedunderdogs.com/50Have your product acquired: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/๐๐ผ Where to find Sonia:
Bend Growth Co.: https://www.bendgrowth.co/Twitter: https://twitter.com/SoniaBaschez?Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/soniabaschezInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/soniabaschez/๐๐ผ Where to find Sharath:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/ -
๐๐ผ About the Guest:
James Evans (Princeton alumni, ex-Bain) is the co-founder and CEO of CommandBar, a user assistance platform that makes your software product easier to use. In 3.5yrs, CommandBar is a 7-figure ARR SaaS business, with over 20 million end-users across hundreds of customers like Hashicorp, Freshworks, and Hubspot and has grown to a team of 40 people and raised $24 million.
๐๐ผ About the Host:
Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is building a SaaS product called GuestLab, and runs another podcast series called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this one.๐๐ผ Sponsor Corner:
Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! Theyโre the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/
๐๐ผ Description:
Listen in as Sharath and James discuss the No-PM Policy, why popups suck, the secrets of a first-time founder, and more!
00:00: Episode Highlight01:05: Shoutout to Acquire.com03:34: Introduction to James Evans โ Founder of CommandBar and hater of popups!04:58: Why are popups so irritating?08:32: What are ways of grabbing a customer's attention?14:14: How most startups should be capturing customers19:30: CommandBar's newest product...or not26:45: Finding inspiration for your brand29:58: James' No-PM Policy34:04: Making UX better38:49:The hardest parts of building42:48: Applying to Y Combinator46:00: How the best founders design products49:57: Under shared secrets from a first-time founder52:41: What is the secret of sales?55:35: The dangers you'll see in sales57:39: The best type of content strategy for startups1:02:11: Where CommandBar is going next and how AI is revolutionizing the way we work1:07:08: What drives James as a founder?1:10:25: Outro and closing thoughts
๐๐ผ Timestamps:๐๐ผ Resources:
Big Desk Energy: https://www.bigdeskenergy.com/Have your product acquired: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/๐๐ผ Where to find James:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dazzeloid?Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-evans-7086b3126/CommandBar Website: https://www.commandbar.com/๐๐ผ Where to find Sharath:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/ -
๐๐ผ About the Guest:
Dr. Corey Wilks is a licensed clinical psychologist and executive coach who helps top entrepreneurs in the world clarify what matters, overcome limiting beliefs, and build values-aligned lives and businesses. His work focuses on exploring the psychology of how to succeed in life and business. Podcasters like Chris Williamson and Paul Millerd praised Cory for his ability to steer founders in the right direction by unlocking the next level in business and personal growth.
๐๐ผ About the Host:
Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is building a SaaS product called GuestLab, and runs another podcast series called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this one.๐๐ผ Sponsor Corner:
Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! Theyโre the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/
๐๐ผ Description:
Listen in as Sharath and Corey discuss becoming self-aware, finding greatness, breaking limiting beliefs, and more!
00:00: Episode Highlight00:26: Shoutout to Acquire.com02:52: Introduction to Dr. Corey Wilks โ Psychologist & Executive Coach!04:11: Why Corey picked psychology as his field of study09:10: How do you define psychology?14:09: Introverts vs extroverts in psychology18:44: How to think about your personal identity26:35: How to break limiting beliefs as a founder32:48: Mental models for founders39:27: How to find the courage to live your life44:31: How to bring your conviction to 100%52:44: How Corey pushes founders to find greatness56:07: How founders can keep up their focus1:01:32: How to find your own philosophy as a founder1:12:56: Inculcating self-awareness and spending time with your thoughts1:21:11: Outro and closing thoughts
๐๐ผ Timestamps:๐๐ผ Resources:
Have your product acquired: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/๐๐ผ Where to find Corey:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CoreyWilksPsyDWebsite: https://coreywilkspsyd.com/๐๐ผ Where to find Sharath:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/ -
๐๐ผ About the Guest:
Louis Pereira (10K+ followers on X!) lives a dual life. During the day, he works with his family to run a traditional, offline first business in Goa, India. At night, he is a creator on the internet where he builds web apps and publishes the occasional article.
He is currently building AudioPen, a voice-based note-taking app. Since launch, it has been voted Product Hunt's #1 Product of the Day and has 35,000+ users from all over the world.
๐๐ผ About the Host:
Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is building a SaaS product called GuestLab, and runs another podcast series called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this one.๐๐ผ Sponsor Corner:
Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! Theyโre the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/
๐๐ผ Description:
Listen in as Sharath and Louis discuss balancing work and hobbies, rolling the dice on your entrepreneurial endeavor, bootstrapping, and more!
00:00: Episode Highlight00:44: Shoutout to Acquire.com03:11: Introduction to Louis Pereira โ Creator of AudioPen!05:00: The journey of AudioPen07:35: Mindset for handling extreme highs and lows09:52: How composure helps you build products12:59: The various end goals of making a product14:33: Transitioning from building your Product 1 to Product 221:34: Rolling the dice on your entrepreneurial endeavors24:00: How a regular person can build AI products27:10: Step #2 of building a new product28:18: Bootstrapping vs raising money32:00: How building in public makes you a better founder38:54: Going all in for entrepreneurship43:09: Louis' future product ideas45:31: Building something new vs growing current products47:17: Noticing problems and building for yourself49:28: Why writing matters52:43: How Louis is planning on integrating AI into products55:22: Wildest stories from AudioPen users58:55: Outro and closing thoughts
๐๐ผ Timestamps:๐๐ผ Resources:
Have your product acquired: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/๐๐ผ Where to find Louis:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/louispereiraLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louispereira/Website: https://louispereira.xyz/AudioPen: https://audiopen.ai/๐๐ผ Where to find Sharath:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/ -
๐๐ผ About the Guest:
Adam Renklint is the co-founder, CEO, and prev CTO of Pitch (allowing teams to create compelling stories in the blink of an eye). Adam was previously the founder of Wunderlist, and before that, a senior software engineer at Microsoft, where they led a cross-platform team that developed the task suggestion algorithm that powered Microsoft To-Do. Prior to that, they were a full stack developer at 6Wunderkinder.
๐๐ผ About the Host:
Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is building a SaaS product called GuestLab, and runs another podcast series called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this one.๐๐ผ Sponsor Corner:
Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! Theyโre the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/
๐๐ผ Description:
Listen in as Sharath and Adam discuss the AI wave, growing a startup with intention, playing the long game, and more!
00:00: Episode Highlight00:37: Shoutout to Acquire.com03:02: Introduction to Adam Renklint โ CEO at Pitch!05:25: Entering 2024 full of intentionality for a startup10:40: What does success look like for Pitch?13:45: How to downsize your goals17:02: Facing fear when finding a path20:00: Shift from CTO in 2018 to CEO in 202425:15: The philosophy of playing the long game in startups28:27: Setting expectations as a CEO & founder32:58: Creating a company with 8 co-founders41:03: How Pitch started45:34: How much of Pitch comes from Adam's experience at Microsoft?51:12: How does Pitch go from idea > feature > product?1:00:02: Where does the inspiration for Pitch come from?1:04:33: Which products are points of inspiration for Pitch?1:09:49: How to choose your own entrepreneurship path1:16:21: What's next for Pitch1:21:25: Outro and closing thoughts
๐๐ผ Timestamps:๐๐ผ Resources:
Have your product acquired: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/Christian Reber: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianreber/Linear: https://linear.app/๐๐ผ Where to find Adam:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/adamrenklintLinkedin: https://de.linkedin.com/in/adam-renklintPitch: https://pitch.com/about๐๐ผ Where to find Sharath:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/ -
๐๐ผ About the Guest:
Mubashar Iqbal (Maker of the Year on Product Hunt) is a serial maker and the creator of 114+ side projects! He was a Lead Engineer at Founderpath and the ex-CTO of MadGlory Interactive. Legend says Mubs shipped more than 200+ projects in the last decade. He is known for being prolific when it comes to taking an idea to MVP at lightning speed.
๐๐ผ About the Host:
Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is building a SaaS product called GuestLab, and runs another podcast series called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this one.๐๐ผ Sponsor Corner:
Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! Theyโre the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/
๐๐ผ Description:
Listen in as Sharath and Mubashar discuss side projects, tech waves, new pricing models on the market, and more!
00:00: Episode Highlight00:44: Shoutout to Acquire.com03:11: Introduction to Mubashar Iqbal โ maker of 114+ side projects!05:12: How Mubs has shipped 114+ side projects09:33: Navigating the highs and lows of side projects13:24: Handling comparison as an indie maker18:22: Making money with side projects23:10: Decision-making framework for an indie maker26:04: Journey to being a full-time indie maker36:30: Measuring your "startup age"40:30: The planning process for a side project45:57: Should you only work on projects where you have skin in the game?49:31: What are the effects of AI on side projects55:08: Which technology wave is the most interesting so far?58:25: New pricing models on the market1:08:19: Which tech areas are expanding for side projects?1:12:44: Outro and closing thoughts
๐๐ผ Timestamps:๐๐ผ Resources:
Have your product acquired: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/Campfire: https://once.com/campfire๐๐ผ Where to find Mubs:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mubashariqbalLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mubashariqbal/Portfolio: https://iworkedon.com/@mubashariqbal๐๐ผ Where to find Sharath:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/ -
๐๐ผ About the Guest:
Nathan Baschez is the founder of Lex, a modern word processor that enables a radically new way to write. He also cofounded Every, a writer collective focused on business. Previously, he was the first employee at Substack, the Head of Product at Gimlet Media, and co-created the original version of Product Hunt.
๐๐ผ About the Host:
Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a SaaS product called GuestLab, and runs another podcast series called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this one.๐๐ผ Sponsor Corner:
Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! Theyโre the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/
๐๐ผ Description:
Listen in as Sharath and Nathan discuss the present and future of AI, the Apple Vision Pro, being employee #2 at startups, and more!
00:00: Episode Highlight00:29: Shoutout to Acquire.com02:56: Introduction to Nathan Baschez โ a founder revolutionizing AI writing!04:41: Buying the Apple Vision Pro11:57: The experience of writing the first lines of code for ProductHunt16:19: Lessons learned as an early startup employee23:25: Lessons from each persona: founder, developer, writer28:25: How does Lex help people write better?37:30: Downsides of solving your own problems as a founder43:07: Developing self-awareness as a founder47:58: Craziest idea Nathan has ever had49:43: If not Lex, what would Nathan do?57:02: The current reality check with AI in tech1:01:24: The future of AI and writing tools1:04:15: Differentiating Lex from competitors1:14:00: Outro and closing thoughts
๐๐ผ Timestamps:๐๐ผ Resources:
Have your product acquired: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/๐๐ผ Where to find Nathan:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nbashawLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nbashawMedium: https://nbaschez.medium.com/Every: https://every.to/@nbaschezYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@nbaschezSubstack: https://nathan.substack.com/Future: https://future.com/author/nathan-baschez/Lex: https://lex.page/๐๐ผ Where to find Sharath:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/ -
๐๐ผ About the Guest:
Emuye worked as Head of Engineering at Superhuman, where she focused on scaling the engineering team. She joined Superhuman in 2016 to build the mobile team and also managed the customer delight team, becoming an integral member of company leadership.
Previously, she worked at Zite Technologies and is an advisor for many startups. Emuye's first gig was at Apple, where she joined as an iOS developer and worked on Apple TV and made her mark on one of the revolutionary devices we use today.
๐๐ผ About the Host:
Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a SaaS product called GuestLab, and runs another podcast series called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this one.๐๐ผ Sponsor Corner:
Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! Theyโre the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/
๐๐ผ Description:
Listen in as Sharath and Emuye discuss hiring, moving into startups, leaving a legacy, and more!
00:00: Episode Highlight00:55: Shoutout to Acquire.com03:22: Introduction to Emuye Reynolds โ one of the first iOS engineers in the world!04:53: When founders should build an engineering team07:06: Upsides and downsides to joining a startup and what to look for before you join13:09: How should founders decide which shots to take?14:48: Apple's startup-like operations system19:01: The impact of Apple TV and Steve Jobs' involvement23:17: The mindset behind creating products that leave a legacy26:07: Positioning vs product29:34: Joining Superhuman and the appeal of vision33:51: The importance of hiring in startups37:34: Importance of research and process in hiring40:20: Emuye's #1 hiring strategy42:53: What do people miss in interviews?44:42: Advice for transitioning from big corporations to startups46:46: Next steps for Emuye48:09: How to build a product50:17: Decisionmaking in different stages of a startup52:24: Outro and closing thoughts
๐๐ผ Timestamps:๐๐ผ Resources:
Have your product acquired: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/๐๐ผ Where to find Emuye:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/emuyereynolds?lang=enLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emuye/๐๐ผ Where to find Sharath:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/ -
๐๐ผ About the Guest:
Katelyn Bourgoin (190K+ followers across Twitter and her newsletter!) is a marketer by trade and a 4X founder by choice. Her specialty is helping growth-hungry teams figure out what triggers customers to buy so they can market smarter. She's been called an "influential entrepreneur" by Forbes and named as one of the "top 20 wonder women of SaaS marketing and growth."
She's run her own branding agencyโreeling in clients like Target and Holiday Innโbuilt and sold a restaurant consulting business in under 2 years, and founded a VC-backed tech company that Inc. Magazine once called โthe next LinkedInโ. Over the years, she's been featured in Forbes, Inc., USA Today, HuffPost, CBC, CTV, Bustle, and more. She writes Why We Buy newsletter covering all trends in marketing.
๐๐ผ About the Host:
Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a SaaS product called GuestLab, and runs another podcast series called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this one.๐๐ผ Sponsor Corner:
Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! Theyโre the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/
๐๐ผ Description:
Listen in as Sharath and Katelyn discuss discovering your ideal customers, overcoming startup failure, customer frameworks, and more!
00:00: Episode Highlight00:56: Shoutout to Acquire.com03:24: Introduction to Katelyn Bourgoin โ "The Customer Whisperer"05:10: How Katelyn learned the skill of being authentic on the internet11:38: How to overcome startup failure17:02: Katelyn's journey to learning how customers buy22:52: The biggest mistake founders make in customer discovery29:24: The best framework to find your ideal customers34:31: How to find customers for your business again and again40:50: How to write a newsletter every week46:30: How to differentiate yourself in marketing51:27: Why 2024 needs your personal brand58:03: Why investing in copywriting is the #1 skill you need1:05:46: How to link your business actions to science1:07:31: Outro and closing thoughts
๐๐ผ Timestamps:๐๐ผ Resources:
Amanda Natividad: https://undefeatedunderdogs.com/8Have your product acquired: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/๐๐ผ Where to find Katelyn:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KateBourLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katebour/Customer Camp - The way to find your customers: https://customercamp.co/Unignorable - Build an unignorable personal brand: https://www.demandcurve.com/unignorableWhy We Buy Newsletter: https://customercamp.co/twitter-sign-ups/Wallet Opening Words - Make tiny copy tweaks that drive BIG sales: https://www.walletopeningwords.com/๐๐ผ Where to find Sharath:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/ -
๐๐ผ About the Guest:
Rob Hope is a South African-born entrepreneur and the founder of One Page Love, the leading online showcase of beautiful One Page websites, templates, and resources. He also sends a weekly newsletter and interviews good folk building their own thing on the Yo! Podcast (yo.fm)
๐๐ผ About the Host:
Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a SaaS product called GuestLab, and runs another podcast series called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this one.๐๐ผ Sponsor Corner:
Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! Theyโre the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/
๐๐ผ Description:
Listen in as Sharath and Rob discuss consistency, Shiny Toy Syndrome, the perfect landing page, and more!
00:00: Episode Highlight00:42: Shoutout to Acquire.com03:10: Introduction to Rob Hope โ founder of One Page Love08:50: How Rob Hope found courage for 10+ years straight24:54: How to be consistent for 10 years35:09: How to stay focused on your own niche47:40: How to chase your own path - and not be distracted by competition55:14: The science behind a perfect landing page1:08:07: How Rob's podcast helps him in in-depth research1:24:25: How did surfing impact Rob's founder journey?1:35:27: Outro and closing thoughts
๐๐ผ Timestamps:๐๐ผ Resources:
FullPage.js: https://alvarotrigo.com/fullPage/Garrett McNamara: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garrett_McNamaraShawn: https://twitter.com/swyxHave your product acquired: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/๐๐ผ Where to find Rob:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/robhopeWebsite: https://robhope.com/Linkedin: https://za.linkedin.com/in/robhopeYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/robhopeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/rob_hope/?hl=enWeekly Newsletter, Love Letter: https://onepagelove.com/letterLanding Page Hot Tips Ebook: https://onepagelove.com/100One Page Love: https://onepagelove.com/๐๐ผ Where to find Sharath:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/ -
๐๐ผ About the Guest:
James Brackin IV is in the top 1% of podcasters worldwide, hosting "The You Can Too Podcast" where he interviewed Seth Godin, Derek Sivers, Mark Sisson, Evan Carmichael, Bruce Lipton, Case Kenny, Gary Brecka, and so many more. He is also a coach, living by the belief that most people wait too long to demand the best from themselves and subconsciously hold themselves back from stepping into the next level of their lives. James' coaching was created to help you shorten the time period from idea to execution.
๐๐ผ About the Host:
Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a SaaS product called GuestLab, and runs another podcast series called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this one.๐๐ผ Sponsor Corner:
Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! Theyโre the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/
๐๐ผ Description:
Listen in as Sharath and James discuss resilience, rejection, mindset, and a life of abundance.
00:00: Episode Highlight00:25: Shoutout to Acquire.com02:47: Introduction to James Brackin IV โ top 1% of podcasters at the age of 2004:39: The story of starting "The You Can Too Podcast" at age 1807:44: What inspired James to start a podcast?9:42: James' favorite role models12:08: How to know if you are ready to be an entrepreneur14:24: James' coaching style for founders16:35: How to start asking yourself insightful questions19:03: How to develop the skill of speaking22:30: James' take on practicing your craft23:40: James' most interesting experience as a coach28:00: How we can experience abundance30:31: The journey to becoming a top 1% podcaster33:50: How to distribute your content to reach 1%39:17: James' dream podcast guest list39:54: How to handle rejection42:48: James' most ambitious goals43:40: Outro and closing thoughts
๐๐ผ Timestamps:๐๐ผ Resources:
Steve Barrett: https://twitter.com/Steve_J_BarrettTim Ferriss: https://tim.blog/Noah Kagan: https://undefeatedunderdogs.com/45"Your First Million" author, Arlan Hamilton: https://undefeatedunderdogs.com/43Have your product acquired: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/๐๐ผ Where to find James:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JamesbrackinivLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-brackin-iv-506069216/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYCEy_okaPrrihxdWF-94GwInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesbrackiniv/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jamesbrackinivApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-you-can-too-podcast/id1593897435๐๐ผ Where to find Sharath:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/ -
๐๐ผ About the Guest:
Noah Kagan (1.5M+ followers across Youtube, Instagram, and Twitter) graduated from UC Berkeley and became employee #30 at Facebook, where he invented status updates, developed the Facebook ads platform, and worked on the very first version of Facebook's mobile app. He was also employee #4 at Mint, and since 2010, Noah has been Chief Sumo of Sumo Group, a $70 million company, offering ecommerce and marketing tools that help millions of small businesses grow their audiences and reach more customers. He is also the author of Million Dollar Weekend, the surprisingly simple way to launch a 7-figure business in 48 hours!
๐๐ผ About the Host:
Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a SaaS product called GuestLab, and runs another podcast series called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this one.๐๐ผ Sponsor Corner:
Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! Theyโre the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/
๐๐ผ Description:
Listen in as Sharath and Noah discuss the pathways to becoming millionaires, the various journeys to being an entrepreneur, and how to get access to successful people.
00:00: Episode Highlight00:26: Shoutout to Acquire.com02:56: Introduction to Noah Kagan โ founder, author, content creator04:22: Noah's obsession with tacos06:03: Why Noah wrote "Million Dollar Weekend"09:21: How to know if you are ready to be an entrepreneur12:18: How to start your entrepreneur journey15:55: Balancing starting small vs thinking big21:03: How to get access to successful people30:15: 3 lessons from millionaires35:33: An underrated business idea that will make you a millionaire38:51: What to explore if you want to become a millionaire in 10 years46:12: How to convert rejection into success51:50: The definition of happiness for Noah53:44: The ambitious goals Noah is chasing55:37: Conclusion and closing thoughts
๐๐ผ Timestamps:๐๐ผ Resources:
Noah's new book, "Million Dollar Weekend": https://noahkagan.com/mdwbook/Have your product acquired: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/๐๐ผ Where to find Noah:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/noahkaganLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noahkaganYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF2v8v8te3_u4xhIQ8tGy1gInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/noahkagan/Website: https://noahkagan.com/Book - "Million Dollar Weekend": https://noahkagan.com/mdwbook/๐๐ผ Where to find Sharath:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/ -
๐๐ผ About the Guest:
Arvid Kahl is an entrepreneur, podcaster, and writer. He co-founded and bootstrapped FeedbackPanda, an online teacher productivity SaaS company, with his partner Danielle Simpson. They sold the business for a life-changing amount of money in 2019, two years after founding the company. He is also the author Zero to Sold and Embedded Entrepreneur, the bibles for founders who bootstrap. His course Find the following helps anyone to build an audience on the Internet in a mindful way. He is one of the prominent founders who amplifies build in public movement and constantly finds ways to help other founders. Currently, he is building Podline.fm in public.
๐๐ผ About the Host:
Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a SaaS product called GuestLab, and runs another podcast series called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this one.๐๐ผ Sponsor Corner:
Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! Theyโre the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/
๐๐ผ Description:
Listen in as Sharath and Arvid discuss the importance of kindness as a superpower, and the impact of relationships on personal growth, as well as professional topics such as being an entrepreneur in the age of AI and the importance of emotional intelligence.
00:00: Episode Highlight00:24: Shoutout to Acquire.com02:52: Introduction to Arvid Kahl โ founder, writer, content creator06:48: Life outside of work and the importance of relationships13:10: Thinking about our legacies24:20: How to learn from every experience28:04: Learning from Builder Arvid vs Creator Arvid37:22: Content experiments people should run41:41: The cons of content creation with AI47:18: The future of AI52:42: Is Apple's data protection the future?1:01:41: Shifting back from content creation to building1:06:03: Arvid's new and different approach to building in 20241:12:06: Conclusion and closing thoughts
๐๐ผ Timestamps:๐๐ผ Resources:
Pieter Levels: https://twitter.com/levelsioHave your product acquired: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/๐๐ผ Where to find Arvid:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/arvidkahlLinkedin: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/arvidkahlYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBootstrappedFounderInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arvidkahl/Gumroad: https://bootstrappedfounder.gumroad.com/Book - The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://www.amazon.com/Embedded-Entrepreneur-Build-Audience-Driven-Business/dp/3982195772Book - Zero to Sold: https://www.amazon.com/Zero-Sold-Start-Bootstrapped-Business-ebook/dp/B08BWZS8VNThe Bootstrapped Founder: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/๐๐ผ Where to find Sharath:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/ -
๐๐ผ About the Guest:
Arlan Hamilton is the founder and managing partner of Backstage Capital, a seed investment fund that backs overachieving, underrepresented startup founders, breaking barriers in VC and championing diversity and inclusivity. She is also a tour manager with world-renowned artists, an author, a podcast host, and one of 2018's Fortune 40 Under 40. With Rachel L. Nelson, she authored the book It's About Damn Time - an empowering guide to finding your voice, working your way into any room you want to be in, and achieving your own dreams. Her second book, Your First Million, came out recently and is available now.
๐๐ผ About the Host:
Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a SaaS product called GuestLab, and runs another podcast series called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this one.๐๐ผ Sponsor Corner:
Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! Theyโre the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/
๐๐ผ Description:
In this podcast episode, host Sharath interviews Arlan Hamilton, as they discuss her mission to empower underrepresented millionaires and her belief in the power of empowerment and being an underrepresented founder.
๐๐ผ Timestamps:
00:00: Episode Highlight00:40: Shoutout to Acquire.com03:06: Mission to empower underrepresented millionaires08:00: How to reach your first $1M12:37: How to find belief in yourself16:36: Learnings from building Backstage Capital20:11: What makes an underestimated founder an overachiever?23:11: How to pick founders to invest in as a VC26:30: How to pick ideas to invest in27:21: How Arlan's investing philosophy has changed over time27:48: Advice to people going through tough times30:02: Outro๐๐ผ Resources:
It's About Damn Time book: https://www.amazon.com/Its-About-Damn-Time-Underestimated/dp/0593136411Your First Million book: https://www.amazon.com/Your-First-Million-Business_and-Generational/dp/0316507962Your First Million Event: yourfirstmillion.livePodcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-first-million/id1467515562Lisa Nichols: https://motivatingthemasses.com/home-new/Have your product acquired: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/๐๐ผ Where to find Arlan:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArlanWasHereInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arlanwashere/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arlanhamiltonBackstage Capital: https://backstagecapital.com/crew/Hire Runner: https://www.hirerunner.co/Your First Million Event: yourfirstmillion.livePodcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-first-million/id1467515562Your First Million Book: https://www.amazon.com/Your-First-Million-Business_and-Generational/dp/0316507962It's About Damn Time Book: https://www.amazon.com/Its-About-Damn-Time-Underestimated/dp/0593442709/๐๐ผ Where to find Sharath:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/ -
๐๐ผ About the Guest:
Jack Appleby is a social media whiz and the founder of Future Social, a newsletter with 60,000+ subscribers. With over a decade of experience in the industry, Jack has worked with multiple well-known companies, such as the NBA, Microsoft, Beats By Dre, Verizon, Spotify, and more.
๐๐ผ About the Host:
Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a SaaS product called GuestLab, and runs another podcast series called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this one.๐๐ผ Sponsor Corner:
Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! Theyโre the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/
๐๐ผ Description:
In this podcast episode, host Sharath interviews Jack Appleby, a social media expert and creator of the Future Social newsletter. They discuss various topics related to social media, creativity, and personal branding. Jack shares insights on how to keep creativity flowing, the importance of breaking down social media content, and how to avoid burnout in social media jobs.
๐๐ผ Timestamps:
00:00: Episode Highlight00:27: Shoutout to Acquire.com02:54: Introduction to Jack Appleby, the creator of the Future Social newsletter (60K+ subs!)06:00: Keeping creativity juiced up09:00: How to create content from new angles15:53: When to stop scrolling social media19:00: How to prevent social media burnout21:47: Twitter under Jack vs X under Elon28:15: Why LinkedIn is underrated33:20: Why Jack started a newsletter38:43: Building a personal social media brand through curation43:47: Designing and pitching a media campaign47:51: Lessons from failed campaigns50:56: Common pitching mistakes55:20: Writing viral content59:02: From bad ideas to good ideas to great ideas1:02:48: The power of timing on social media1:06:08: The pros and cons of working on something you love1:08:57: How to become a celebrity on social media1:12:34: Rapid Fire 5: Favorite creator to favorite book to favorite NBA player1:16:53: Closing thoughts๐๐ผ Resources:
Have your product acquired: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/Dabbly Ducks: https://www.instagram.com/dabblyducks/The Personal MBA: https://www.amazon.com/Personal-MBA-Master-Art-Business/dp/1591845572๐๐ผ Where to find Jack:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/japplebyFuture Social: https://futuresocial.beehiiv.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackappleby๐๐ผ Where to find Sharath:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/ -
๐๐ผ About the Guest:
Chenell Basilio is not just a name, but a powerhouse of knowledge and strategic thinking that fuels the growth of leading creators. With her incredible ability to reverse engineer the growth strategies of top creators, she uncovers the blueprint of creators who amassed over 50k+ subscribers via her Growth In Reverse newsletter. By investing over 20 hours each week in research, she presents a wealth of insights on strategy, marketing, and growth.
Chenell has done deep dives on Kat Norton(Miss Excel), Dan Koe, Justin Welsh, Codie Sanchez, Lenny Rachitsky, Harry Dry, and many more. Growth In Reverse now has more than 27k+ creators and readers! Beyond this, she actively shares her journey on X/LinkedIn platforms authentically.
๐๐ผ About the Host:
Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a side project called GuestLab, and runs a newsletter called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this podcast.๐๐ผ Sponsor Corner:
Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! Theyโre the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/
๐๐ผ Description:
Tune in as Sharath interviews Chenell, the creator of the Growth in Reverse newsletter. In this conversation, Chenell Basilio discusses her approach to choosing newsletters for deep dives and the criteria she uses. She also shares her insights on growth strategies and the importance of unique and valuable content. The conversation delves into the topic of friction in newsletters and the impact it can have on engagement.
๐๐ผ Timestamps:
00:00: Episode Highlight00:46: Shoutout to Acquire.com03:12: Introduction to Chenell, the creator of the Growth in Reverse newsletter (28K+ subs!)05:38: The journey from being a 9-5 business analyst to a content creator08:54: The story of creating Growth in Reverse11:18: Choosing newsletter as a medium12:30: Overcoming doubt as a writer14:24: Challenging parts of doing research16:34: Patterns among good newsletter creators19:00: Definition of good content21:14: What changes would Chenell make if she had to start again?22:38: Growth strategies for 50,000+ subscribers23:58: Tips for newsletter creators24:53: Note-taking process and composing notes27:13: Utilizing unused material30:28: All-time favorite scoops and profiles on Growth in Reverse33:51: Insights from the process of reverse-engineering36:12: The most surprising lesson from reverse-engineering40:07: Initial expectations when starting Growth in Reverse41:15: Moments of doubt and pointlessness42:10: Selection criteria for deep-dive profiles in 'Growth in Reverse'43:26: Why Chenell only profiles creators with 50K+ subscribers44:29: 0 to 1 growth strategies for newsletter creators46:36: Building products with intentional points of friction52:02: Measuring newsletter success with metrics53:53: Chenell's plans for 202456:04: Closing thoughts๐๐ผ Resources:
Have your product acquired: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/Sahil Bloom: https://twitter.com/SahilBloomBilly Oppenheimer: https://billyoppenheimer.com/Ryan Holiday: https://ryanholiday.net/Jack Butcher: https://undefeatedunderdogs.com/1Justin Welsh: https://undefeatedunderdogs.com/16Ali Abdaal: https://aliabdaal.com/Kat Norton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-norton-7187aa58๐๐ผ Where to find Chenell:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/chenellcoYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHxdl9oXfWpxTeuB7G-kTeAGrowth in Reverse newsletter: growthinreverse.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chenellcoInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/chenellco/๐๐ผ Where to find Sharath:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/ - ใใฃใจ่กจ็คบใใ
