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SummaryIn this conversation, Tanja Lau shares her journey as a solopreneur and parent, discussing the pivotal moments that led her to leave corporate life and start her own business, Product Academy. She reflects on the challenges of balancing entrepreneurship with parenting, the importance of defining personal success, and the systems she has created to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Tanja emphasizes the significance of understanding one's values, creating a supportive environment, and being proactive in decision-making to foster both personal and professional growth.TakeawaysIt's always the right time to launch a business if you feel called to do so.A crisis moment can lead to radical change in life and career.Defining what success looks like for you is crucial.Creating a job that fits your lifestyle may be necessary.Maximizing for joy rather than just financial gain can lead to fulfillment.Understanding your freedom number helps in making informed business decisions.Solopreneurship allows for more personal freedom and flexibility.Planning for serendipity can lead to unexpected opportunities.Having a personal board of advisors can provide valuable insights.Being proactive in decision-making generates momentum in both business and parenting.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Tanya's Fainting Incident02:56 Motivation to Become a Solopreneur06:01 Defining Success on Your Own Terms11:48 The Rewards and Challenges of Being a Solopreneur19:04 Setting Clear Goals and Boundaries29:53 Defining Success on Your Own Terms34:57 Balancing Work and Personal Life37:13 Managing Energy and Productivity50:39 Planning for Serendipity and Questioning Assumptions01:01:15 Free Founders Podcast Outro with Music - Video Version.mp4
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Summary
In this conversation, Jeremy Jenson, founder of Encore Search, shares insights into the headhunting industry, discussing its potential as a business opportunity, the importance of building trust with clients, and the personal costs associated with running a successful business. He emphasizes the need for transparency, the value of storytelling in recruitment, and the significance of focusing on quality of life over financial gain. Jeremy also provides actionable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, encouraging them to start their ventures and learn from their experiences.
Takeaways
Headhunting can create significant value for clients and candidates.
Building trust and rapport is essential in recruitment.
The headhunting industry has high margins, making it a lucrative business.
Starting a business is easier when you have fewer financial obligations.
Hiring a vice president can improve quality of life for entrepreneurs.
Using storytelling can enhance recruitment efforts.
Identifying market gaps can lead to new business opportunities.
Investing in personal development is crucial for entrepreneurs.
Selling to affluent clients can lead to better business outcomes.
Learning from experiences is key to entrepreneurial success.
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In this conversation, Maja Voje discusses the intricacies of Go-To-Market (GTM) strategies, emphasizing that GTM is not just about launching a product but involves understanding the market, testing willingness to pay, and focusing on differentiation. She shares insights on bootstrapping, the importance of sales strategies, and the need for iterative development. Maja also highlights the significance of focus in entrepreneurship and offers practical advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, encouraging them to take action and validate their ideas quickly.
Takeaways
GTM starts before the product launch. Understanding your target market is crucial. Testing willingness to pay should be prioritized. Differentiation is key to success in a niche. Sales strategies can significantly impact revenue. Focus on a specific target market to avoid spreading too thin. Iterative development is essential for finding product-market fit. Time management is critical for productivity. Action is more important than endless learning. Love your customers and understand their needs. -
Summary
In this conversation, Simon Klobas shares his entrepreneurial journey, emphasizing the importance of real-world experience, pro-social skills, and the value of bootstrapping. He discusses the significance of preparing for investment, prioritizing product development, and building relationships in less conventional sectors. Simon also highlights the opportunities in the Saudi market and the unique model of his digital asset holding company, Brick Road, which focuses on solving specific problems for clients. He concludes with advice for aspiring entrepreneurs on the importance of networking and being adaptable.
Takeaways
Real-world experience is crucial for entrepreneurship.
Pro-social skills help in dealing with diverse clients.
Bootstrapping requires a clear understanding of ROI.
Preparing a pitch deck helps clarify business goals.
Prioritize product development based on impact.
Networking is essential for finding opportunities.
Cultural adaptation can lead to better business relationships.
Identifying client problems is key to successful solutions.
The Saudi market offers unique opportunities for entrepreneurs.
Asking questions can lead to valuable insights.
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Natalie Furness, CEO and founder of RevOps Automated, discusses the decision to scale a business and the pros and cons of going solo versus building a team. She emphasizes the importance of building a business that distributes wealth and allows people to work the way they want. Natalie shares her experience of hiring the first team members and the challenges of covering costs as a founder. She also highlights the significance of focusing on go-to-market and sales to fill capacity and achieve growth. Natalie Furness, CEO of RevOps Automated, discusses the crossroads she is facing in scaling her business and whether to sell or keep it as a cash cow. She explores the options of scaling to sell, merging, or acquiring by another company, and the potential financial gains. She also considers keeping the business as a cash cow to fund the development of her next business. Natalie emphasizes the importance of planning for the future, understanding financial management, and seeking advice from fractional CFOs and legal experts. She also shares insights on go-to-market strategies and the need to focus on both customer experience and internal operations.
Takeaways
Consider building a business that distributes wealth and allows people to work the way they want. Focus on go-to-market and sales to fill capacity and achieve growth. Hiring the right team members can help scale the business and deliver more value to customers. Think about the long-term goals and endgame of the business when making decisions. Creating valuable assets like white papers and resources can establish credibility and open doors for opportunities. When at a crossroads of scaling a business, founders should consider the options of scaling to sell, merging, or acquiring by another company. Keeping a business as a cash cow can provide funding for the development of the next business. Planning for the future and understanding financial management are crucial for making informed decisions. Seeking advice from fractional CFOs and legal experts can help navigate the complexities of selling a business. Go-to-market strategies should focus on both customer experience and internal operations, ensuring revenue generation and operational efficiency. -
Alice Egan, the founder of SaaS Savvy, shares her journey from a linguistics background to becoming an entrepreneur in the tech industry. She discusses how her love for languages and understanding people's stories led her to a career in pre-sales. Alice emphasizes the importance of asking questions and being transparent about not knowing certain technical concepts. She saw a gap in the market for teaching non-technical professionals about technology and started creating resources and courses to fill that gap. Alice's experience in pre-sales and product marketing gave her the confidence to start SaaS Savvy and help others speak the language of tech. Alice Egan, founder of SaaS Savvy, shares her journey of starting an online course business to teach sales, pre-sales, and success professionals about software and cloud computing. She emphasizes the importance of having technical knowledge in these roles and how it can boost confidence and build relationships with customers. Alice started by creating an internal tech academy at Zendesk and then decided to build her own business. She took the time to study and become an expert in computer science and cloud computing before launching her course. She used a beta program to test the content and gather feedback, which helped her refine and focus the course. Alice also highlights the importance of personalized outreach and building a community with her customers.
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Cecilia Razak, a serial entrepreneur, shares her experience of resilience and entrepreneurial thinking. She discusses the challenges she faced when her startup, SpotWalk, was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a significant drop in revenue and the need to let go of 100 team members. Cecilia emphasizes the importance of adapting to change and making strategic pivots to stay afloat. She also highlights the value of having a support system and understanding the holistic system of a business. Cecilia encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to start small, iterate, and seek help when needed. Cecilia shares her journey of transitioning from a career in marketing to starting her own tech company, Slides With Friends. She emphasizes the importance of doing work that aligns with her values and brings value to the world. With the support of her husband, who is a successful entrepreneur, she gained the confidence to pursue her own business. Slides With Friends was born out of a need for better team communication and connection, especially in remote work settings. Cecilia highlights the importance of creating a culture and team alignment with the mission of the company. She also discusses the success of their content marketing strategy and the value of enjoying the day-to-day work as an entrepreneur.
Takeaways
Adapting to unexpected challenges and making strategic pivots is crucial for the survival of a business.
Having a support system, whether it's co-founders, employees, or external resources, can greatly contribute to the success of an entrepreneur.
Understanding the holistic system of a business, including the market, customers, and financial aspects, is essential for making informed decisions.
Starting small, iterating, and being open to change are key principles for entrepreneurial success. It's important to do work that aligns with your values and brings value to the world.
Having a supportive partner or mentor can provide inspiration and guidance in pursuing entrepreneurship.
Identify a real need in the market and build a product or service that addresses that need.
Creating a strong team culture and aligning team members with the company's mission is crucial for success.
Content marketing can be a powerful tool for attracting customers, but it requires time and patience to see results.
Enjoying the day-to-day work and finding fulfillment in the journey is a key aspect of success as an entrepreneur.
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Welcome back to Free Founders, where we share actionable lessons from successful, under-the-radar solopreneurs & small business owners. This is for aspiring entrepreneurs who want proven strategies to go from zero → 1st sale → scale (& unlock financial freedom & freedom of time in the process).My guest today is Călin BaleaHe's…More than 10 years experience in UX/UI design Was a Toptal freelancer, who only accepts the top 3% of freelancersNow runs Contrast Studio, a design studio he’s scaled to $20k/month in a yearThere are a lot of design agencies. Building one that stands out & creates a great lifestyle is tough. Calin has managed to do it, which is why I wanted to hear his story…Expect to learn…How to transition from freelance to launching an agencyHow to define success as your business grows
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Welcome back to Free Founders, where we share actionable lessons from successful, under-the-radar solopreneurs & small business owners.
This is for aspiring entrepreneurs who want proven strategies to go from zero → 1st sale → scale (& unlock financial freedom & freedom of time in the process).
My guest today is Tamir Bashkin
Tamir has:
A decade of entrepreneurial experience - & still in the game
Runs Adelante, Zendesk implementation agency, making $300k/year
And Thank You GPT, $30k/ARR
Working on cyber security product we’ll hear about..
Expect to learn…
Why Tamir sees SaaS as a huge opp for aspiring entrepreneurs
Why finding “freedom” is more complicated than it looks
How to start your own Micro SaaS
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Welcome back to Free Founders, where we share actionable lessons from the world's best solopreneurs & small business owners. This is for aspiring entrepreneurs who want proven strategies to go from zero → 1st sale → scale (& unlock financial freedom & freedom of time in the process).My guest today is Emily Claire Hughes.Emily...- Started out as a singer off Broadway, New York, then moved to Germany as a cruise ship singer - Went all in on copywriting after that- Now runs Emily Claire & Co, where she helps female-focused companies communicate their superpowers through better copy & influencer marketing Emily THINKS everyone interested in starting a business MUST start a newsletter. Expect to learn…1. Why it’s ESSENTIAL to build your own newsletter before you even think about starting a business2. How to build a wildly profitable newsletter3. The power of an unconventional value proposition Let’s jump in.
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Welcome back to Free Founders, where we share actionable lessons from the world's best solopreneurs & small business owners.
This is for aspiring entrepreneurs who want proven strategies to go from zero → 1st sale → scale (& unlock financial freedom & freedom of time in the process).
My guest today is Alex Latham
Co-founder & Chief Marketing Officer of Chip
Considered the brain behind the biggest crowdfunding raise ever `9maybe behind Brewdog)
Won a LOAD of fintech marketing awards
Also, has the honour of being my cousin
Alex & Simon have really built Chip (https://getchip.uk) differently through a clear idea of their audience, very smart, very deliberate way of cultivating that audience & a relentless focus on building a great product for that audience.
Expect to learn…
The power of crowdfunding done right
How to build a true loyal audience
What all these Forbes & British Banking awards have done to his ego ;)
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Expect to learn…
The power of doggedly following your vision How André helped build an entire tech ecosystem in Portugal The power of starting your own conference for your entrepreneurial career Why Andre wants to Make Europe Great Again (MEGA)Welcome back to Free Founders, where we share actionable lessons from under the radar, successful solopreneurs & small business owners.
This is for aspiring entrepreneurs who want proven strategies to go from zero → 1st sale → scale (& unlock financial freedom & freedom of time in the process).
My guest today is Andre Marquet.
He has…
Co-founded Beta-i CEO of Productized, an innovation firm focused on early-stage startups in digital tech products for corporations A HUGE part of the Lisbon (& PT) startup ecosystem from the early daysWant to attend the Productized Conference? Get a 20% discount with the code PRODMBA20 at checkout: https://ti.to/productized/conf2024/discount/PRODMBA20
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Expect to learn…
Why a career change is the only step to take for some people
How to mitigate risk for any major career change
Welcome back to Free Founders, where we share actionable lessons from the world's best solopreneurs & small business owners.
This is for aspiring entrepreneurs who want proven strategies to go from zero → 1st sale → scale (& unlock financial freedom & freedom of time in the process).
My guest today is Rob Brightwell
Rob has
Spent his career in product. Head of Product for the last 4 years
Very early in entrepreneurial career.. In April, launched a business from zero to first 4 sales within 4-5 days
Made a huge pivot in his career this year
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My guest today is Thibaut SouyrisThibaut is- A solopreneur & founder of SalesLabs, a sales training company, running profitably since 2018- Also strikes me as a really “successful” founder: Running a profitable business, but also enjoying the journey.Thibaut will - I hope - radically change how you think about sales.Expect to learn…- The myths about sales preventing you getting to six figures- How to get your first sale- How to build a scalable productised sales funnelI’ve hired Thibaut. I’ve had Thibaut over for dinner. Thibaut is my go-to guy when it comes to understanding simple, effective strategies for selling. I think he should be yours too. -Welcome back to Free Founders, where we share actionable lessons from the world's best solopreneurs & small business owners. This is for aspiring entrepreneurs who want proven strategies to go from zero → 1st sale → scale.
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My guest today is Gleb Gordeev
He’s…
Worked in product for companies like Amazon, Share Now, Delivery Hero
Founder of Kodebusters, a unique app builder company, & consults on the side
He is also living life differently… In 2023, packing up his life in Berlin to move to Bali, Indonesia.
Expect to learn…
Why “filling the void” is so important as an entrepreneur
How Gleb defines success for himself as a solopreneur
Tips & tactics for launching a successful app builder company in a busy, highly competitive market
Welcome back to Free Founders, where we share actionable lessons from the world's best solopreneurs & small business owners.This is for aspiring entrepreneurs who want proven strategies to go from zero → 1st sale → scale (& unlock financial freedom & freedom of time in the process).
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Expect to learn…
The secret to launch / run a successful podcast without a big brand
How to leverage an audience to drive a paid product offer
The pros/cons of podcasting as a platform
Welcome back to Free Founders, where we share actionable lessons from the world's best solopreneurs & small business owners.
This is for aspiring entrepreneurs who want proven strategies to go from zero → 1st sale → scale (& unlock financial freedom & freedom of time in the process).
My guest today is Jason Knight
Jason is...
Host of One Knight in Product, one of the leading product podcasts
Consults in fractional leadership roles
A bit of a super connector in the product & tech world
He’s also changed direction in a BIG way with his career over the last 5 years.
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Welcome back to Free Founders, where we share actionable lessons from the world's best solopreneurs & small business owners.
This is for aspiring entrepreneurs who want proven strategies to go from zero → 1st sale → scale (& unlock financial freedom & freedom of time in the process).
My guest today is Daniel.
He’s
Run Creative Product Managers, a community of 77k, since 2008
Founder & CEO of both WhistleOn & Ouvidor Digital
Built businesses in both Brazil & Europe
Expect to learn…
The opportunities & challenges of launching in a developing country How to think about choosing where to live How to think about growing your business & hiring with intention -
Welcome back to Free Founders, where we share actionable lessons from the world's best solopreneurs & small business owners.
This is for aspiring entrepreneurs who want proven strategies to go from zero → 1st sale → scale (& unlock financial freedom & freedom of time in the process).
My guest today is Behrad Mirafshar.
He’s…
Launched 30+ app businesses through his company Bonanza studio, a product & design studio
2x startup founder, inc. Grover, now a unicorn
3x successfully bootstrapped companies
He’s got some unconventional, but powerful insights into what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur
Expect to learn…
The mentality required to successfully launch a business
His journey from opening his own cafe to freelancing to Bonanza Studios
Tactics on launching 10x faster than you think you can
Let’s jump in..
Behrad is one of those people just full of energy… a true entrepreneur.. A deep thinker. It was a real joy recording this episode.
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My guest today is Joao Moita, founder of Product Weekend, a company organising in-person weekend events for Product Managers to connect & learn together.He’s…Within just 2 years… went from first job as a product manager at a startup to a PM consulting agency to quitting to quit & go full-time on his new businessBootstrapped Product Weekend by himself to now running events across Europe (& soon the US)Helps curate the Productized conference in LisbonHe is also A Trained Aerospace EngineerHis company also, in my view, goes against convention (who would have thought product managers would want to give up their weekend & travel in-person in a remote world?!)Expect to learn…- How swimming against a trend can uncover great business opportunities - Why you don’t need a decade of product experience to start your own business- Key learnings building a business from zero to profitability with zero investmentI was looking forward to this one, as have connected with Joao a few times before & found his story very inspiring.
FOLLOW JOÃO ON LINKEDIN:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joaomoita/
CHECK OUT PRODUCT WEEKEND:
https://www.theproductweekend.com/
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My guest today is Antonia Landi. Antonia has:
Almost doubled her salary within 12 months through building her personal brand
Spoken at product conferences around the world
One of the leading names in product ops
Full-time coach & consultant in that area
Antonia has not followed a conventional career path - thank god - and some really unique advice & insights to fast-track your path to whatever career you want to create for yourself.
Expect to learn…
How to build a personal brand from scratch
How to use conferences to build network & credibility
Why owning a new “category” of product can help you build your own business quickly
The power of differentiating your consultancy offer
What it is actually like as a product consultant
Here’s what I love about her…
Antonia did my first ever Prod MBA bootcamp back in 2020 as a Product Owner. I’ve since seen her star rise - breaking convention every step of the way
Fascinating to see how she’s really gone all in on this new area - product ops - and how that’s helped her succeed moving towards starting her own business
FOLLOW ANTONIA ON LINKEDIN:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/landiantonia/
