Founders vs Tech

In this episode, we'll explore how non-technical founders can harness the power of data to make informed decisions that drive business success. From setting up analytics tools to interpreting key metrics, we'll equip you with practical insights for data-driven decision-making.Intro:Welcome the audience to the episode.Highlight the importance of data in today's business landscape.Provide a brief overview of the episode's agenda.Topic 1: Funnels 101What is a funnel?Customer Journey Visualization: A sales funnel maps the path from customer awareness to purchase, aiding founders in understanding and optimizing the sales process.Data-Driven Optimization: Funnels enable founders to pinpoint drop-offs, empowering them to refine marketing efforts, improve engagement, and boost conversions, fostering business growth.Topic 2: Interpreting Key MetricsExplain the importance of key performance metrics in understanding user behavior.Dive into specific metrics such as:Bounce rate and its implicationsConversion rate optimization (CRO)User demographics and segmentationOffer practical tips on how to interpret these metrics and what insights they can provide.Ad/Promotion Block[Insert your generic ad and promotional content here, promoting your app development/design services to potential clients.]Topic 3: A/B Testing for OptimizationIntroduce the concept of A/B testing as a powerful optimization technique.Explain how A/B tests work and their role in refining websites and apps.Share examples of successful A/B testing strategies and their impact on user engagement and conversions.Outro:Recap the key takeaways from the episode:The importance of analytics tools for data collection.Interpreting critical metrics to make informed decisions.Leveraging A/B testing for continuous improvement.Express gratitude for the listeners' time and attention.Invite the audience to join you for the next episode, where you'll continue to empower non-technical founders in the world of technology.

In this episode, we will explore the essential principles and best practices for creating a user-friendly website that engages visitors and drives conversions. Whether you're a non-technical founder or an entrepreneur looking to improve your website, this episode will provide valuable insights.Intro:Welcome the audience to the episode.Briefly introduce the importance of a user-friendly website.Mention the episode's agenda and key takeaways.Topic 1: Simplicity, Consistency, and ScanabilityClarity and simplicityConsistency in design elementsVisual hierarchy and readabilityTopic 2: Call to Action (CTA) in Website DesignUnderstand the significance of Call to Action elements in web design.Explore effective strategies for designing compelling CTAs.Highlight the impact of CTAs on user engagement and conversion rates.Provide examples of successful CTAs from notable websites.Discuss A/B testing and other techniques to optimize CTAs for better results.Ad/Promotion Block[Insert your generic ad and promotional content here, promoting your app development and design services to potential clients.]Outro:Recap the key points discussed in the episode:Thank the audience for listening and encourage them to apply these best practices to their websites.Mention upcoming episodes and invite listeners to tune in next week for more valuable insights.

Hey there, it's John Rake, and I'm back with a new podcast episode. In this one, I get real about my life-changing experience of becoming a father while running a business.I'll take you through the ups and downs, from sleepless nights to crucial meetings. It's all about finding that balance. I'll share my personal tips and heartwarming stories, so you'll see that it's possible to make it all work.Join me on this inspiring journey as I explore the challenges and joys of being a dad and an entrepreneur. It's all about resilience, adaptability, and the love that drives us.

After running someone else’s business for a few years, Brad launched Ellison Painting in April of 2022.In the first 7 months of business they sold over $1.2 million in painting services, took first place in an entrepreneur reality show competition, and has grown to over 30 painters in the field. Ellison Painting is poised to be the fastest growing independent painting company in the U.S. over the next 3-5 years.After automating much of their administrative, scheduling, estimating, and invoicing activities to not only reduce the need for additional employees but also to provide a truly unmatched customer experience, tech has allowed Brad to grow from $0 to over $1,000,000 in business in the first 6 months of operation, with just Brad and one other employee.Guest LinksInstagramFacebookGorillaBot Labs LinksGot an App Idea? Hire us!Follow us on InstagramFollow us on LinkedInEbook: The Founder's Guide to Hiring a Great DeveloperEbook: Validate Your Perfect App Idea

True Love Pet Care is not a tech business, but tech is still necessary to run it.This isn't what Kelly went into business to do, so it feels like tech is moving faster than she keep up. She is dealing with this by focusing on learning one new tech item at a time.Currently Kelly is working on “modernizing” the shop by implementing software for online booking, pet records and so much more.Guest Links:FacebookInstagram GorillaBot Labs Links:Got an App Idea? Hire us!Follow us on InstagramFollow us on LinkedInEbook: The Founder's Guide to Hiring a Great DeveloperEbook: Validate Your Perfect App Idea

Sam Mars is currently working on his first app solutions for Pubfluence. He plans to have a regular app and a web app. Sam feels that he needs a minimum of two apps for Pubfluence to scale, but because of what the business is setting out to become, it may even need to be three or four apps. It's difficult to move forward without knowing for sure - especially when Sam knows that making the wrong move here could sink the company in its very early stages. What is a reasonable plan for getting started?GorillaBot Labs Links:Got an App Idea? Hire us!Follow us on InstagramFollow us on LinkedInEbook: The Founder's Guide to Hiring a Great DeveloperEbook: Validate Your Perfect App Idea

We depend on technology for websites, apps, and CRM, but too often we get caught up in perfecting the details within those elements. Is this too much of a distraction from the work that really needs to be done? We remember that sometimes worse is good enough, but could launching something subpar be more damaging? Business owners often find themselves directly responsible for things like websites, landing pages, newsletters, and automated emails, even though it's obviously not their strong suit. How do we find the line between what is "good enough" in the tech aspect of business, and what is doing too much?Guest Linkshttps://www.facebook.com/lilyofthelighthttps://www.instagram.com/lilyofthelightGorillaBot Labs Links:Got an App Idea? Hire us!Follow us on InstagramFollow us on LinkedInEbook: The Founder's Guide to Hiring a Great DeveloperEbook: Validate Your Perfect App Idea

Stephanie Taylor of Styled By Stephanie knows that her business needs a tech stack upgrade, but where should she start? Join us for another guest episode as we discuss this common growth-stage challenge.Guest Linkshttps://www.facebook.com/YourStylistStyledbyStephanieLLChttps://amzn.to/3o73zJmGorillaBot Labs Links:Got an App Idea? Hire us!Follow us on InstagramFollow us on LinkedInEbook: The Founder's Guide to Hiring a Great DeveloperEbook: Validate Your Perfect App Idea

How can we use our tech stack to keep up with what’s trending? Join us as we discuss with Brittney Hays of South Sound Staffing.South Sound Staffing is shifting away from heavy posting on platforms like Facebook and moving toward TikTok in order to stay on trend with staffing usage. Join us as we take a look at what they use currently and how they can streamline the process to improve their business and the customer experience with the shift in technology.Guest LinksTikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@southsoundemploymentIG  https://www.instagram.com/southsoundemployment/GorillaBot Labs LinksGot an App Idea? Hire us!Follow us on InstagramFollow us on LinkedInEbook: The Founder's Guide to Hiring a Great DeveloperEbook: Validate Your Perfect App Idea

Hiring consultants is a great option when it's time to bring in more help... but how can you vet or qualify a consultant if you don't understand what their process and finished product should look like? Spoiler alert – you can't.Highlights:Know How to do the Job Yourself First. Can you really "hire" someone that you can't vet? Learning keeps knowledge in house and grows your experience. How else can you actually prove the consultants are providing value? Use your KPIs for people you pay. You can’t know everything about everything, but you can set up Key Performance Indicators for any project. Compare them between your initial test-run and results generated by your consultant.ROI is your tool to validate the investment. If you don't know what kind of Return on Investment to expect, do some research to familiarize, and then have a conversation with your consultant to make sure that expectations align. Without this, you won’t be able to see compelling results and could falsely assume that they did a bad job. Links:Got an App Idea? Hire us!Follow us on InstagramFollow us on LinkedInEbook: The Founder's Guide to Hiring a Great DeveloperEbook: Validate Your Perfect App Idea

Developing an app is unbelievably challenging. This thing is your baby and nothing hurts more than honest feedback that your baby is plain ugly!Don't be like most entrepreneurs who avoid tough feedback. You need to know what's broken and that means having a thick skin. Listen to today's episode to find out why you the best customers will hurt your feelings.Highlights:Be Careful Who You Interview. Lots of people will interview anyone convenient in their life. Your mom, a friend from school, or a coworker, etc. Even if these people have experience and match your target customer they are far too biased to ever give good feedback.Strangers Are Far More Honest. You must find strangers because they will actually hurt your feelings with REAL feedback.You Need Honest Feedback. That brutal, honest feedback from strangers is valuable and a true insight into your market. Just be prepared with a thick skin. They don't hold any punches.Links: Got an App Idea? Hire us!Follow us on InstagramFollow us on LinkedInEbook: The Founder's Guide to Hiring a Great DeveloperEbook: Validate Your Perfect App Idea

Trying to keep up with tech jargon can feel like taking on another full-time job. Your eyes are crossing when you open that email and read things like "blockchain", "plugin", and "API". We get it. And we are here for you. Tune in as we cover various tech terms to help you better understand what you are getting into when working with developers.Highlights:Learning the Language. It's important to learn various tech terms so that you know what you are getting into when working with developers.Tech Terms To Know. Familiarize with these ten terms to begin building your tech knowledge base.APIBlockchainCDNMachine LearningPluginResponsive DesignSaaSUI/UXDatabaseEnvironmentDeveloper Continue Building. Tune in to future episodes where we continue this series with more terms to help give you leverage in negotiating, leverage in coming up with pricing structures/quotes/proposals, and to help you understand what you need vs. what you don't need.Links: Got an App Idea? Hire us!Follow us on InstagramFollow us on LinkedInEbook: The Founder's Guide to Hiring a Great DeveloperEbook: Validate Your Perfect App Idea

Feeling lost when it comes to your search for a developer? Where do you even start? What questions do you need to be asking? And what is this actually going to cost? Tune in for answers to all that and more.Highlights: Finding Developers.  Tap local businesses networks and connections for referrals, find a developer to help you interview and vet candidates, look at agencies and freelancers online and start gathering quotes. Offshore is fine, but harder to vet, communicate, and execute. Don’t go offshore just to go cheap.Vetting and Interviews. How will they help you validate various functionality? What is their development process? How do they involve you with the development process? Will you get to inject feedback every week, or will they just deploy it when done? What does the launch and handoff process look like? How will you handle future updates and maintenance? Check out: https://gorillabotlabs.com/hirePicking Your Rockstar. Reflect after each interview, take notes, and do a quick gut check. Use a consistent grading scale, and break ties with your initial gut feeling.Links: Got an App Idea? Hire us!Follow us on InstagramFollow us on LinkedInEbook: The Founder's Guide to Hiring a Great DeveloperEbook: Validate Your Perfect App Idea

Calculate how much your app will cost. Learn the perfect price range for your new app idea and how you should be paying your developers.Highlights:Ways You Can For Your App. There are a few common ways to pay for your app development such as equity, milestones billing, weekly/biweekly iterations, total lump sum, or 50/50 splits.You Can Estimate The Cost. First start with a basic idea you have right now. Next, imagine what the app the does in 5 years. Now, I want you to really compare the two. What has to be in your MVP v1.0? Trim it down to the absolute bare essentials so you can launch faster.Red Flags That Will Cost You More. Avoid tech-jargon you don't understand. You're more likely to add bloated features and requirements into your software when try to use buzzwords you don't understand."Links:Got an App Idea? Hire us!Follow us on InstagramFollow us on LinkedInEbook: The Founder's Guide to Hiring a Great DeveloperEbook: Validate Your Perfect App Idea

The only thing worse than your app going offline is realizing you know nothing about it and can't even find the code. Don't be that founder. Own your code.LinksGot an App Idea? Hire us!Follow us on InstagramFollow us on LinkedInEbook: The Founder's Guide to Hiring a Great DeveloperEbook: Validate Your Perfect App Idea

Developing your app idea and launching it into the market is a challenging. In today’s episode we’ll cover what actually matters when building your app so you don’t get stuck halfway.HighlightsThe customer always comes first. You can only solve a problem when a customer has a problem. You can only make a dollar when a customer’s problem is solved. The customer always comes first.Tweaking features is fun. Many founders get caught in a cycle of endless launching and tweaking product features. You need features, but only the right ones. Learn what your customer actually uses, not what you think they want. LinksGot an App Idea? Hire us!Follow us on InstagramFollow us on LinkedInEbook: The Founder's Guide to Hiring a Great DeveloperEbook: Validate Your Perfect App Idea

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the first ever episode of the Founders vs Tech podcast. It's a pleasure to finally release this puppy!Today we're talking all about the minimum viable product (MVP) and how they should embarrass you a bit. Artsy people, designers, and perfectionists beware! You're not going to like this, but you absolutely need the lesson.The term MVP is so overloaded, overused, and just downright misused in today's startup culture. An MVP is not your v1.0. It's also not your perfect dream vision with all your features crammed in.You need to be ruthless about your MVP. What do you actually need to make money? What is the absolutely bare minimum you can build so that someone trades you their hard earned dollars.The truth is that most founder's spend way too long on their MVPs, wasting months (years even) and thousands of dollars on crap they never needed in the first place.If you're even remotely worried about the time and financial investment going into your app, you need this episode!Psst. Hey! - You don’t need a developer to validate your app idea. In my free ebook “Validate Your App Idea (Without Hiring A Developer)”, I breakdown a simple, step-by-step framework so you can validate your perfect app idea and prove it works.To learn how to validate your app idea, go to gorillabotlabs.com/validateLove this episode?Share it with a friendLeave a 5 star reviewFollow us on socialInstagramLinkedInhttps://www.gorillabotlabs.com/1

Welcome to “Founders versus Tech”, the weekly podcast for busy entrepreneurs and founders who know they need technology but just struggle to figure it out. I am your host John Rake, and every Thursday I release a brand new episode bringing you the best advice for launching mobile apps, estimating costs, spotting red flags, hiring great developers, and so much more so you can focus on “scaling” your business - not “dealing” with your tech.Speaking of tech … it’s ridiculously frustrating, yet critical to achieving your business goals. So if you consider yourself “tech-challenged”, join me. I’ll be distilling over a decade of my professional experience every single week so that you can get the nuts and bolts, jargon-free tech advice YOU NEED completely free anywhere that you can find podcasts. For more “Founders versus Tech” business tips, and what not to do with your technology, follow me on Instagram or LinkedIn @foundersvstech. Now, get back to your business, it ain’t gonna run itself!