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A podcast for people working on startup ideas. We have 15-minute tactical episodes and occasional interviews with people who did the early things exceptionally well. We've helped launch hundreds of startups worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and these are the building blocks.
"This is, without a doubt, the best podcast for people trying to build startups out there."
"If you aren't listening to this podcast and you're considering building a business (or you're already building one), what are you doing?"
"Must listen for first-time entrepreneurs - excellent storyteller."
"This is, without a doubt, the best podcast for people trying to build startups out there."
"If you aren't listening to this podcast and you're considering building a business (or you're already building one), what are you doing?"
"Must listen for first-time entrepreneurs - excellent storyteller."
235 Episodes
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Today, we'll talk about the four steps I'd take if I needed to start a startup in 2025. We'll also talk about idiots.We begin by embracing the reality that both founders and customers are irrational. Then, we build out steps and a process to address this. We start with a life audit, increase our Luck Surface Area, tackle the unit economics of working with one customer, and build out a system for accountability. This is a fun episode - one of my favorites in a while. Tacklebox - code "MuchAdoAboutStuffing" for 20% off month oneHow to Engineer LuckA Weekly Prioritization and Audit Framework for EntrepreneursTimestamps00:30 Intro - A Listener Email02:59 A Note on Idiots06:33 Part 1: Actually Make Time For A Startup08:23 The Life Audit Exercise11:33 The Budget Audit Exercise12:23 Smooth Jazz12:54 Part 2: Plan for Luck16:38 Part 3: Focus on One Person20:16 Part 4: A System24:30 The End: Enthusiasm
Today is episode two of testing an idea (AI for Parenting) live on the pod. We use a second round of interviews to go deep on the actual problem we're solving for parents, pull inspiration from an AI tool in the dementia care space, and end up with a Wedge product that'll use voice notes to reduce the pain of handoffs. We also hit on one of my favorite tactics - The Pain Text. Hot Frosty is in there, too, because why not. Tacklebox Customer Interview WorkshopYou And Your Research - Richard Hamming How to Find Your Wedge00:30 Intro01:20 Part 1 Recap06:00 Picking the Problem07:44 Interviews Round Two10:54 The Text Prompt Tactic14:51 What are the Stakes?15:52 Customer Interview Workshops16:20 The Wedge21:01 Problems and Pain22:20 The Stakes, Part Two23:30 What’s Next
Today is day one of testing an idea live on the pod. We talk through how to turn a big, broad idea (AI for Parenting) into something actionable, the three questions every startup must answer, and how to balance curiosity with focus. Also, we talk about both my son and trees swaying to Bruno Mars. Tacklebox Granola 00:30 Intro - Testing a Startup Idea Live03:01 The Three Questions for Any Startup04:40 Where Magic Comes From07:44 Smooth Jazz08:16 Who’s it For + What’ll it Help Them Do?12:32 The Four Potential Problems13:52 Problem Selection
A special Thanksgiving mailbag episode answering your biggest questions (plus a holiday deal for the dedicated listeners who aren't too busy with pumpkin pie). We tackle the one thing you should actually be doing with AI right now, why competition is often the best thing that could happen to your startup, and the single most important habit every founder needs to build. Plus, Derek Jeter makes a surprise appearance to ask about imposter syndrome, and we break down why choosing the right TV show might make you a better entrepreneur. Come for the smooth jazz transitions, stay for the actionable startup advice. #MuchAdoAboutStuffing Tacklebox - "muchadoaboutstuffing"ClaudeHow to Engineer LuckSlow HorsesTimestamps:00:30 Intro - The Mailbag02:08 Question One: How to Actually Use AI Right Now06:00 Electric Vehicle Problem Language08:52 Question Two: Which Tactic?14:09 Question Four: Are All The Good Ideas Taken?19:24 The End - how to help
Today, we'll dig in on three approaches that separate how pros and amateurs build businesses. We'll talk through how pros leverage existing infrastructure, how they use anti-marketing to build trust with strangers, and how they don't leave luck and serendipity to chance - they orchestrate it. We'll do this with help from stories about Frank Sinatra, a comedian in an Uber, and a founder starting a GMAT course for people looking to score 800 (and for those people only). And, Hey Jealousy by the Gin Blossoms, for some reason. XLR8 DevTackleboxHey JealousyPut Your Ass Where Your Heart Wants To BeTimestamps00:30 - Listener Child Therapist Idea Email05:42 - XLR8 Dev06:50 - Live in Reality, and Choose Where You Compete10:45 - Categories12:57 - Anti-Marketing17:11 - Put Your Ass Where Your Heart Is19:45 - Bonus - Value First21:00 - The End
Most founders hope to get lucky. But luck isn't random - it can (and has to be) engineered. Today we'll break down exactly what luck is and how you can reverse engineer it. We'll help you identify Luck Gatekeepers and build your Luck Budget. You'll never think about entrepreneurial luck the same way again.PARTNER: XLR8 DevTacklebox (code Holiday for 50% off month one)Graham WeaverTimestamps:00:30 How to get lucky03:11 Story Time: Getting Press for 3Degrees11:06 XLR8dev.com12:32 The Five Types of Luck15:05 Luck for a Date Planning Service16:25 Luck Gatekeepers17:45 Luck Routines and your Luck Budget
Today we'll dig in on productizing your customer's first step. This is the best path to building a product that generates revenue immediately so that you've got some runway and flexibility to build. We'll walk through a few examples, including a Family Operating System that came in at 3am last Thanksgiving from a listener. Tacklebox (50% off with code Holiday)Timestamps00:30 The Thanksgiving Startup Idea - The Family Operating System05:24 Smooth Jazz, with an Offer06:06 Productize the First Step09:16 Theory + Process11:30 Good Customers and Good Dams13:30 A Writing Startup17:02 The First Step for the Family Operating System
Today, we dive into the Always Work and Never Work Lists to pull out a method that's immeasurably useful for our founders: The 5-Minute List. A system that helps you turn scattered pockets of time into meaningful work - rebranding "Sand" tasks (from the Sand and Stones framework) to "Pebbles." We leverage AI to break intimidating projects down and minimize transition time to remove all friction. XLR8 DevTacklebox WorkshopsThe Midnight LibrarySand and Stones Episode of Idea to StartupDeep WorkClaude - my favorite current AIIdea to Startup Newsletter00:33 Intro - The Always Work and Never Work Lists04:00 XLR8DEV.com05:22 The Five Minute List Part 1: Sand and Stones08:29 Revenge of the Sand - a Founder Story09:25 Pebbles12:02 Your Subconscious13:00 Four Steps to Build Your Five Minute List17:16 The End - Coworking
Today we talk through the three types of problems that deserve a solution. We start off with a few higher level thoughts about problems and startups - specifically around achievement incentives and how some bad early decisions usually can't be salvaged by good decisions later on. Then we talk through Hole Problems, Teleporter Problems, and Status Level Jump Problems. Tacklebox Customer Interview WorkshopGetting God at the Wrong Thing 00:40 The Types of Problems Customers Will Solve01:00 Manhattan in 200705:48 Achievement Incentives06:30 Be Careful What You’re Getting Good At07:37 Nat Eliason - Getting Too Good at the Wrong Thing08:21 Bad Early Decisions James Clear09:53 Tacklebox10:54 Problem Archetype 1: Hole Problems14:23 Baby Quip17:04 Problem Archetype 2: Teleporter Problems19:19 Problem Archetype 3: Status Level Jump
Today, we talk through the Silk Sheet Problem - how to do something new and hard when your life is fairly... comfortable. We help a listener get started on their idea - an AI tutor's assistant - with three shortcuts to set their life up in a way that makes it easier to start a startup than to not. We talk through Just-In-Time Prep, Forcing Functions, and life design. This episode is meant to be a blueprint for you to take action and keep momentum. Tacklebox Customer Interview WorkshopIdea to Startup NewsletterKevin running from the furnace00:34 Intro03:30 The Idea: AI for Tutors07:27 Jazz - Customer Interview Workshop07:57 Just-In-Time Prep11:55 Search for Hooks14:14 The Three Step System15:40 Forcing Function Examples18:13 Reinforcing Markers20:06 The End: Jump in the Ocean
Today, we talk through how to write compelling copy. We go through a few counterintuitive archetypes you can use to dramatically increase the clarity of your messaging, which will allow you to increase your conversion rate and get more people involved earlier in the process. Copywriting is an idea-testing superpower. Tacklebox Workshops00:33 When Copy Becomes Important02:40 Why You’re a Bad Writer05:40 Is This Anything?06:50 Byldd07:55 The Big Misunderstanding10:45 Reverse Architect Copy13:45 The Attention Pie15:48 Cold Emails17:20 Write to One Person
Today, we're going to talk about one of the best things Brian has learned in 40 years of living. We'll talk through why embracing discomfort is crucial for personal growth and happiness, learn how to generate innovative ideas by adopting a "documentary approach" to life, and find out what Taco Bell has to do with prioritizing your day.Tacklebox WorkshopsThe Daniel Tiger SOPTimestamps00:30 Intro - Discomfort Leads to Happiness01:33 Discomfort is Front-Loaded + The Happiness Equation07:43 Observation Number One: The Idea Comes Later09:26 Pivoting Isn’t Linear12:32 Observation Number Two: Fiction is Way Harder Than a Documentary15:37 Observation Number Three: Taco Bell Prioritization17:39 The End: Execute Through Stories
Today, we'll help you think through a deceptively tough question - are you a freelancer or an entrepreneur? Every decision you make needs to nest neatly below this core decision for your business to work, but tons of founders are either trying to do both simultaneously or think they're one when they're really the other.We clarify the difference between freelancer and entrepreneur, help you decide which will make you happier, and get you started on the path for whichever you choose. TackleboxSeth Godin ConversationKurt VonnegutNo Lunging0:30 Why Entrepreneurs are unhappy01:14 Do you want to be a freelancer or entrepreneur?04:12 Seth Godin Conversation04:58 Our definition of a freelancer07:28 Our definition of entrepreneurs09:07 Cuban’s Definition of Entrepreneurship11:24 BYLDD12:25 The Restaurant Startup15:15 Rivers and Dams19:19 No Lunging22:44 Don’t Pretend23:10 How do you want to spend your days?
Today is the last episode in our four-part series helping a doctor test a business idea live on the pod. We follow as they execute their Concierge MVP - teaching productivity skills to fellow physicians. We dive into the process for building a product from scratch (with no code or experience), and talk through how to navigate the fears that'll naturally pop up. Finally, we help the doctor translate the insights they pulled from the CMVP into their next steps on the business. BylddTackleboxIdea to Startup NewsletterThe Perfect CoupleDavid Allen GTD workbookHow to Design and Teach WorkshopsTimestamps:00:30 Intro - Email Team@Gettacklebox.com your concierge MVP ideas02:30 - Recap of Episodes 1-3 in the series05:15 - Part 1: What Do You Need, and What Do You Not Need?06:25 - Remember Scooby Doo09:10 - Byldd10:18 Part 2: Your Product Should Be Tailored, Not New12:45 Part 3: Customer Journey and Tell the Story16:30 Part 4: How Many Customers and Should You Discount?18:00 The Superpower: Optimism20:08 Part 5: How It Went23:25 The End: What’s Next?
In part three of testing a startup idea live on the pod, we dive into the Concierge MVP - a crucial step in validating a startup idea by manually solving your customer's problem. We break down the four key ingredients of a Concierge MVP and follow our doctor friend as he builds one for his productivity idea, highlighting both the process and the fears that come with it.Episode 1 in the series: The IdeaEpisode 2 in the series: Acquiring CustomersTackleboxIdea to Startup NewsletterOne Person Landing PageTimestamps:00:30 Intro - The Last 15%03:41 Episodes 1 + 2 recap07:02 Smooth Jazz07:30 The Concierge MVP08:56 The Four Ingredients of the CMVP10:17 Ingredient One: Pick Your Frank13:01 Ingredient Two: Find, and Convince, More Franks15:30 The Landing Page16:35 Champions and Risk18:19 Ingredient Three: The Wedge
Today is Part 2 of starting a startup live on the pod. We focus on finding and engaging potential customers through Brute Force Customer Acquisition and dig in on value creation using the Delta 4 framework. The entrepreneur we're helping experiences an epiphany about what his doctor customers truly need, challenging his initial assumptions and forcing him to pivot his approach. TackleboxBylddIdea to Startup NewsletterDelta Four 00:30 Intro - Last Week’s Episode04:18 Brute Force Customer Acquisition + The Five Startup Steps09:37 The best brute force acquisition I’ve seen10:49 Doctor Customer Acquisition12:44 Hunting Delta 416:00 The Hunch
Today, we'll start a startup live on the pod. A listener wrote in with an idea in the shifting healthcare space and we pursue it over the next few episodes. We start from square one, digging into what's actually valuable about the idea with the 90% Wrong Principle, using the Four Question framework to pull out assumptions, and finally judging the viability of early customers with the Committed vs. Interested Test. It's a fun start to a series where we'll build a business in real-time. 90% WrongHow to Live an Asymmetric LifeTackleboxIdea to Startup NewsletterIdea to Startup Bot 00:25 Intro - Starting a Startup Idea Live02:02 The Idea - Healthcare is changing05:58 Smooth Jazz06:30 90% Wrong07:52 Scary and Hard09:30 Worst First10:51 The Four Story Questions15:45 The Two hero’s18:38 The End: I Hate Both Customers
Today we'll help you find and choose the right startup idea. We'll use a couple of frameworks to help you evaluate startup ideas you've got and find startup ideas other people miss. We talk through the Hard Startup Myth and The Hassle Premium, two mental models that'll make sure your next idea has legs. We'll also evaluate Tinder for Jobs and learn a lesson from the great Frank Prisinzano. BylddTackleboxFrank's Crispy Egg video + instagramPersonal MBA 00:27 Intro01:35 Are All the Good Ideas Taken?05:15 Byldd06:22 Tinder for Jobs11:30 Execution vs Customer Risk12:30 Specific Knowledge and Leverage13:04 The Hard Idea Myth + Frank Prisinzano17:22 The Hassle Premium
Today, we'll talk through how to identify and pursue the big, consequential ideas - what we'll call Quests. We go through how to identify them, how to wrap our arms around them, and what to do when you (inevitably) feel intimidated. We'll do it with a little help from the 90 Yard Mistake, a ghost kitchen idea, and some chronic pain interviews. Quest (drink). TackleboxIdea to Startup NewsletterIdea to Startup BotChoose Good QuestsTimestamps:00:24 Intro - Becoming a Parent05:21 The Hard Stuff Is Easier07:50 Smooth Jazz08:16 How to Identify a Worthy Quest12:44 The 90 Yard Mistake19:06 How to Get Started - People & Success21:40 How to Not Be Intimidated24:16 Choose Worthy Quests
Hard problems are the only problems worth your time, but they're not always easy to find. Today, we'll talk about how to root them out. We'll dig in on decisions customers avoid and how to use those decisions to anchor early traction. We'll also talk through one of Brian's favorite current businesses - a guy who buys used cars for you. BylddTackleboxIdea to Startup NewsletterIdea to Startup Bot0:27 Intro - Noticing What People Hate05:00 The Car Problem07:52 BYLDD09:15 Solving Hard Problems13:42 Decision Hunting15:30 Chronic Pain18:30 The End - Problem Hunting
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I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the "Idea to Startup" podcast. The insights provided by the host and the featured guests, who are experienced entrepreneurs, were invaluable. The discussions on ideation, validation, and the various stages of turning an idea into a successful startup were not only informative but also inspiring. https://www.whodoyou.com/biz/2206480/deli-paper-pros-ny-us The real-life examples and case studies shared during the podcast provided a practical perspective that is often missing in other resources. One key takeaway for me was the emphasis on market research and understanding the target audience, which is crucial for the success of any startup. Overall, this podcast is a must-listen for anyone aspiring to venture into the entrepreneurial world. http://www.greenvillecityguide.com/queens/local-services/deli-paper-pros
great podcast 👍