Run With It

For the next few weeks, you won't see new episodes because we're taking a short break. We'll be back October 1st. In the meantime, listen back to our catalog of 100 past episodes. 🎙️ Podcast hosting provided by Transistor. Want to start your own podcast? Get 15% off your first year by going to transistor.fm/run

In this episode Chris and Eathan get personal about what's going on in their family lives, their business lives, and their podcast lives.  🎙️ Podcast hosting provided by Transistor. Want to start your own podcast? Get 15% off your first year by going to transistor.fm/run

If you like the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts!Nuggets:Currently there is more aluminum stored in landfills than in the mineral where aluminum is sourced in nature. Not all landfills are created equal. Landfills near industrial areas contain more metals like steel, aluminum, and iron. Jevons Paradox could be leveraged: The paradox occurs when technological progress or government policy increases the efficiency with which a resource is used, but the rate of consumption of that resource rises due to increasing demand.Action Steps:Find ways to intercept potentially valuable materials before they end up in the landfill. "Bank" salvaged material for future useReach out to explore partnerships with existing companies like TerracycleLinks:https://www.algiknit.com/https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/Aaron Nesser is the founder of AlgiKnit, which creates eco-conscious, renewable yarns for the circular economy. Love a part of the show? Did we get something completely wrong? Let us know at update@runwithit.fm. 🎙️ Podcast hosting provided by Transistor. Want to start your own podcast? Get 15% off your first year by going to transistor.fm/run

If you like the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts!Action Steps:Investigate current revenue split for concert venues  Search for the managers/decision-makers of concerts at large venues  Contact them via a cold call, email, or LinkedIn message  Offer to run a trial event which you can help them presell a live stream of their upcoming concert  If enough fans buy in, then produce the first event (keep a production budget of under $10K)  Ask the venue to keep your equipment installed and sign them on as a partner  Find more partners and offer a subscription service to fans  You could offer a number of credits per month that could be used for various concerts  Janne Tamminen is the co-founder of Howl Live, a cutting edge live concert streaming platform built for the music industry. 🎙️ Podcast hosting provided by Transistor. Want to start your own podcast? Get 15% off your first year by going to transistor.fm/run

If you like the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts!Nuggets:Many investors who buy a business trip up over simple operational details (e.g. forgetting to renew a domain name). Michael has seen this happen time and again.Action Steps:Generate your opportunity to break into the space:Start a podcastHost an eventConnect with recruiters who can source talented business managersBuy an existing business with the audience you want to serveIf you’ve connected with a recruiter you can understand their fee structure, add a profit margin and use this information to sell this service to your first Investor clientsYou can begin charging a commission as soon as your make your first connection, probably 5-10%, or you can just get a testimonial and case study from the dealOnce your more established in the space your can start to build out your platform for connecting Business Investors and Talented OperatorsYou might reduce your commission slightly once the business requires less manpower and runs more on automationOne way to build your client base is to buy an existing business that has a similar audience.Links:https://www.domainmagnate.com/https://domainmagnatecapital.com/The Domain Magnate ShowThe White Coat InvestorMichael Bereslavsky is the Founder and CEO of Domain Magnate, a micro private equity firm that acquires and operates online businesses.Love a part of the show? Did we get something completely wrong? Let us know at update@runwithit.fm. 🎙️ Podcast hosting provided by Transistor. Want to start your own podcast? Get 15% off your first year by going to transistor.fm/run

If you like the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts!Nuggets:The next wave in creative domains is often defined by those who master the tech that disrupt what’s already being doneAction Steps:Start by offering AI services that assist writers in tweaking their content (e.g. “overcome writer’s block!”)Then offer a contract to some of the best writers for a publishing contractOptimize not only the writing but also the marketing using AI resourcesEventually transition to offering some content that is entirely AI generated.Links:www.kennygould.comhttps://www.instagram.com/hopculturekenThe Brewing Cloud: A Book of Short Storieshttps://www.hopculture.com/https://openai.com/Opinion | Did a Human or a Computer Write This?https://booksby.ai/https://nextglass.co/Kenny Gould is currently the Creative Director at Next Glass the company that bought his beer-loving culture brand, Hop Culture. He’s currently working on the Untappd Beer Festival at the Padres stadium in San Diego, which will be happening in October 2021.Love a part of the show? Did we get something completely wrong? Let us know at update@runwithit.fm. 🎙️ Podcast hosting provided by Transistor. Want to start your own podcast? Get 15% off your first year by going to transistor.fm/run

If you like the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts!Nuggets:If you are entering an industry with long sales cycles, hiring a salesperson with experience and relationships in the industry can move you forward a lot quicker.You can leverage already approved cloud service agreements to short circuit the enterprise sales processAction Steps:You have a few avenues to pursue and each has its own first steps;Start creating your own pre-recorded training content and posting to YouTubeBecome a consultant (similar to what Zoom already offers)Start engaging with larger companies and be willing to endure a longer sales cycle (5-12 months)Regardless of your starting point, you’ll probably want to ultimately sell services to larger companies and work towards understanding and integrating more deeply with their needs.Once you are integrating with large companies, focus on beating their existing content. It will need to be less boring than competitors but also make sure that it’s boring enough to fit within company standards.Links:TrackStar.ai – Predictive Credit TechnologyA World Without Email: Reimagining Work in an Age of Communication OverloadThe State of Video Conferencing in 2020 [50 Statistics]Zoom Online Event Consulting ServicesRequests for StartupsClint Lotz is the founder of TrackStar.ai which Provides Machine Learning Technology to Lenders that Uncovers Future Borrowing Patterns Within Their Existing Data leading them to untapped revenue opportunities.Love a part of the show? Did we get something completely wrong? Let us know at update@runwithit.fm. 🎙️ Podcast hosting provided by Transistor. Want to start your own podcast? Get 15% off your first year by going to transistor.fm/run

If you like the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts!Nuggets:The total addressable market for this idea is over 16 million individuals in the U.S. alone. Action Steps:Partner with member of the community Research applicable grants Links:https://www.packupgo.com/https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/infographic-disability-impacts-all.htmlhttps://skift.com/2017/11/16/airbnb-buys-accessible-travel-business-accomable-in-its-latest-acquihire/https://www.freedomshowers.com/blog/small-business-funding-for-ada-accessibility-compliance/Lillian Rafson is the founder of Pack Up + Go, a surprise travel agency. Love a part of the show? Did we get something completely wrong? Let us know at update@runwithit.fm. 🎙️ Podcast hosting provided by Transistor. Want to start your own podcast? Get 15% off your first year by going to transistor.fm/run

If you like the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts!Nuggets:Parenting is a secure market! Over 3.5 million births in the US and 140 million worldwide will continue each year.Action Steps:This is a great business idea for an aspiring entrepreneur without an idea but that’s nervous about supporting a growing family.Start with a cohort of expectant parents and partner with a handful of high-profile child development, mindfulness and parenting specialists.Aim for a subscription service that provides one-step-ahead advice on mindfulness and activities to make parenting easier, less stressful and more fun.Consider a custom consulting add-on that matches parents with 1-on-1 professional consults on-demand.Links:https://www.nami.mlThe Wonder Weeks - app that tells you the "stormy" periodsBaby Care Products Market to Touch US$ 109.13Bn by 2026Dan Burcaw is currently Co-Founder & CEO of Nami ML, a service that helps you launch, scale, and optimize your mobile app subscription business. He's been an entrepreneur at the forefront o tech since high school. But today he's bringing us an idea about.Love a part of the show? Did we get something completely wrong? Let us know at update@runwithit.fm. 🎙️ Podcast hosting provided by Transistor. Want to start your own podcast? Get 15% off your first year by going to transistor.fm/run

If you like the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts!Nuggets:Dave's Cardinal Rule: Always Be Adapting (ABA)Action Steps:1. Look at user feedback from poorly reviewed competitors in the app store2. Spend only a few hundred to a few thousand dollars developing a Chrome extension 3. Collect user feedback4. Expand to other channels like LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, and TwitterLinks:Kindlepreneur: Book Marketing for Self-Publishing AuthorsLinkedIn Loses Appeal Against Data Scraping StartupColin Powell's 13 Rules of LeadershipPublisher Rocket: Sell More Books and eBooks on AmazonDave Chesson is the founder of Kindlepreneur, which helps authors reach new levels with their book marketing. He created Kindlepreneur as a free resource with the sole goal of giving writers everything they need to take action, and see results.Love a part of the show? Did we get something completely wrong? Let us know at update@runwithit.fm. 🎙️ Podcast hosting provided by Transistor. Want to start your own podcast? Get 15% off your first year by going to transistor.fm/run

If you like the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts!Nuggets:When you build a business realize that your community of clients may be more valuable than the money they give you. You can always build additional products and services that they need. But without an audience, you have no business.It’s okay to provide different amounts of compensation to co-founders based on their needs at a given time, but it’s also useful to start with an even share of the company.Communications add-ons for LinkedIn is still an underserved niche.Action Steps:Choose to focus on a very simple product first: LinkedIn Inbox integration with Gmail.Create a landing page and collect emails of interested folks.Connect with technical co-founder(s) (or sales and marketing co-founders if you are technical)Start building with a small equal share investment from your co-foundersRealize you are building an audience as you gain users. Focus more on the relationships and building it than monetization and your initial idea.Add features and build relationships with team members at LinkedIn to make sure you  are not stepping on their strategy and to seed the prospect of acquisition by LinkedIn at some point.Grow your users and grow your features through feedback and rapid iteration.Links:lemlist: Your Go-To Cold Email Software & Outreach Automation ToolContact Center Software Market Size Report, 2021-2028Front - Customer Communication Platform | Team EmailTechCrunch Twilio confirms it is buying Segment for $3.2B in an all-stock dealPaul Graham on EarnestnessTerritory FoodsCookUnity: A Chef CollectiveGuillaume is the Co-Founder and CEO of lemlist, a personalized cold email sequencing software. In 3 years, lemlist went from 0 to $8 million ARR and 10k+ customers worldwide, without any funding. His mission is to help 1,000,000 entrepreneurs to build a profitable business by 2025.Love a part of the show? Did we get something completely wrong? Let us know at update@runwithit.fm. 🎙️ Podcast hosting provided by Transistor. Want to start your own podcast? Get 15% off your first year by going to transistor.fm/run

If you like the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts!Nuggets:You can often dominate a local business niche by implementing current marketing and technology (e.g. residential cleaning)People often get excited about new tech (drones, 3D printing, etc…) but their enthusiasm wavers before the breakthrough tech makes a sizable impact on the real world. There’s plenty of opportunity implementing tech from five years ago.Action Steps:Contact Lucid Drones and get pricing for leasing one of their cleaning dronesInvestigate permitting in your local cityPre-sell window cleanings to several property managers (they often sign yearly contracts)Your selling point is that your clients will never have to talk to you again after signing up. You take window cleaning off their plate so they can focus on other things.Links:MaidThisMaidThis FranchiseAurum property management is implementing drone window cleaningTim Byrne Almost Live PodcastDon't Forget, Window Washing Is a Lot Safer Than Driving a TaxiCleandroneHow will drone window cleaning change your business? | INTERCLEANLucid Drone Tech – We build dronesWindow washing drone takes flightNeel Parekh founded MaidThis, which helps short-term rental owners and homeowners meet their cleaning needs quickly, easily and affordably. He also founded MaidThis Franchise, which helps remote owners achieve financial independence via MaidThis.Love a part of the show? Did we get something completely wrong? Let us know at update@runwithit.fm. 🎙️ Podcast hosting provided by Transistor. Want to start your own podcast? Get 15% off your first year by going to transistor.fm/run

If you like the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts!Nuggets:Plant a lot of seeds in the early stages of your business and see what grows. You may be surprised by the results.Action Steps:Sell the vision to large companies (think IBM, Google, Amazon) in order to get a sponsorshipAsk school teachers in your area to send you students that that are selling things to their classmatesRecruit entrepreneurs to mentor students, both for pay and as volunteers to test which works best.Setup opportunities for students to start businesses and learn key lessons, like the nuances of how to fail toward success and how to build a support network of other entrepreneurs.Links:Versus GameVCs Are Pouring Money Into the Wrong Education StartupsThe Thiel FellowshipSmart Face Masks - Way Beyond Air QualityBest Countries for Education | US News Best CountriesJohn Viti is the CEO of VersusGame, a pop-culture gaming app that lets users bet on trending topics. They've granted over 16 million in cash prizes to over 7 million players. VersusGame is a global entertainment pop culture gaming app where users can put money on trending topics about celebrities, pop culture, sports, entertainment, food, and more. This app is the first of its kind to bring power to the masses and allow consumers to capitalize on their knowledge of mainstream culture. Since its launch in 2019, VersusGame has grown significantly, with over $16 Million in cash prizes ($4 Million of that during the “COVID-19 Era”) to more than 7 million players.Love a part of the show? Did we get something completely wrong? Let us know at update@runwithit.fm. 🎙️ Podcast hosting provided by Transistor. Want to start your own podcast? Get 15% off your first year by going to transistor.fm/run

If you like the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts!Nuggets:Startups like Uber and GreenPal succeeded by giving the common person a top-tier experienceAction Steps:Get a job as a concierge in a luxury hotel and note the ingredients essential to a smooth, positive and remarkable check in experienceDiscover ways to automate the most remarkable check in experiences. You could implement an app that senses location, includes pre recorded audio and video content, and tightly coordinates concierge behaviors.Partner with some mid range hotels, get paid as a consultant while testing your idea within their ecosystem. Sell them on the fact that customer satisfaction can dramatically be increased with lower wait times: a 5 minute wait to check-in lowers guest satisfaction by 50%Create a metric like lowering check-in times just 30 seconds and raising customer satisfaction to five starsLinks:GreenPalHow Check-In Wait Times Impact Hotel Guest SatisfactionBryan Clayton is CEO and cofounder of GreenPal an online marketplace that connects homeowners with local lawn care professionals. Love a part of the show? Did we get something completely wrong? Let us know at update@runwithit.fm. 🎙️ Podcast hosting provided by Transistor. Want to start your own podcast? Get 15% off your first year by going to transistor.fm/run

If you like the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts!Nuggets:Aside from the hype, there are many smart people excited about the practical potential of blockchain and NFTsSteveblank.com offers an incredible resource for entrepreneursThere are multi-billion dollar opportunities for companies that help crypto “cross the chasm,” making it more accessible to mainstream audiencesAction Steps:Get your own crypto security and succession plan in orderStay up to date on the latest developments in estate planning and password management as it applies to crypto assetsUse a site like aytm.com to “Ask Your Target Market” about what type of product will serve them best.Consider a relatively lightweight solution to digital estate planning (e.g. set up smart contracts that automatically distribute assets to your family if you don’t log in every six months)There could be various niches within this broader category to build businesses in.Links:http://edgeofnft.com/https://wearecanopy.com/https://steveblank.com/Lost Passwords Lock Millionaires Out of Their Bitcoin FortunesWallet Recovery Serviceshttps://safehaven.io/AYTM Market Research: Online Market ResearchTerritory Foods | Healthy Meal DeliveryJeff Kelley is a serial entrepreneur, investor, creator, and graduate of West point with a Yale MBA. Josh Kriger is a serial entrepreneur from Boston now staying warm in SoCal who has launched and consulted with businesses across a variety of industries.Jeff and Josh co-founded Territory Foods, a national ready-to-eat prepared meal delivery company utilizing a unique network of distributed chefs. They also founded Canopy, a sustainability-focused apparel company that connects fans with what they love through collectible interchangeable patches.Love a part of the show? Did we get something completely wrong? Let us know at update@runwithit.fm. 🎙️ Podcast hosting provided by Transistor. Want to start your own podcast? Get 15% off your first year by going to transistor.fm/run

If you like the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts!Nuggets:Successful businesses are incredibly focused. This often manifests as simplicity.When you’ve got high volume you can negotiate credit card fees down to 1%Action Steps:Contact political candidates and pitch them on the benefits of a more transparent fundraising and spending platformBe simple with your strategy. Create a simple platform to collect donations and a simple ledger of categories politicians must report on.Take 5-10% of the money raised through your platformDon’t make it more complicated than it needs to beLinks:SkinX Funding PlatformNicole Guerrieri Loftus - Founder & CEO - SkinXGiveWell | Charity Reviews and ResearchBlueprint: your home for strategic political givingWinRed PricingPolitical advertising on GoogleHR1 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): For the People Act of 2021Nicole Loftus is a seasoned entrepreneur who has previously made it to #8 on Inc 500’s fastest growing companies. She’s now built SkinX, a tech-enabled ecosystem that is ready to launch and get every American in the game investing in entrepreneurs, innovators and job creators.Love a part of the show? Did we get something completely wrong? Let us know at update@runwithit.fm. 🎙️ Podcast hosting provided by Transistor. Want to start your own podcast? Get 15% off your first year by going to transistor.fm/run

If you like the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts!Nuggets:There’s no need to partner with a developer if you haven’t already built a relationship.Agencies encounter great app ideas all the time but don’t have the bandwidth to pursue them.Hire the most expensive resource you can afford.Shopify is rapidly expanding their API access; now is a great time to build an app there.Action Steps:Search Reddit, Quora, Facebook groups, etc… for pain points from Shopify store ownersSpeak to Shopify agency owners to collect more pain pointsWireframe a solutionFollow Shopify’s free app development to learn to build your solution(If you’re non-technical,) find a cofounder that “you would marry” and pay as much as you can affordLinks:Electric EyeHonest EcommerceGuruHotelCartHookCharge Me LaterChase Clymer is the Co-founder at Electric Eye where he and his team create Shopify-powered sales machines from strategic design, development, and marketing decisions. He is also the host of Honest Ecommerce, a weekly podcast where we provide online store owners with honest, actionable advice to increase their sales and grow their business.Love a part of the show? Did we get something completely wrong? Let us know at update@runwithit.fm. 🎙️ Podcast hosting provided by Transistor. Want to start your own podcast? Get 15% off your first year by going to transistor.fm/run

If you like the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts!Nuggets:If an idea is doomed to fail, it’s best to find that out as soon as possible. You don’t want to get stuck in the uncertain middle groundAction Steps:Research what happened to defunct trip planning apps (WorldMate, Google Trips, Kayak Trip Huddle)Talk with unsatisfied users of TripItCreate programmatic landing pages for “Napa trip itinerary” etc...Links:Topic: The Best SEO Content Optimization ToolAir Travel Forecast: When Will Airlines Recover from Covid-19?US Travel Answer SheetWorldMate's Retreat Leaves Itinerary-Organizing Rivals in DogfightHow I Started A $450K/Month Travel Agency That Curates SurpriseGuruhotel: official hotel websites optimized for ecommerceGuruhotel on Indie HackersNikhil Aitharaju is co-founder of Topic, a software which helps writers research and create search optimized content. Their AI analyzes the top results in Google, extracts key topics to cover, and provides an interactive editor to allow writers to grade their work. Topic is great for those writers looking to get actionable suggestions to drive higher traffic and get real results.Love a part of the show? Did we get something completely wrong? Let us know at update@runwithit.fm. 🎙️ Podcast hosting provided by Transistor. Want to start your own podcast? Get 15% off your first year by going to transistor.fm/run

If you like the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts!Nuggets:The competitor software you create for early adopters may appeal by solving a specific complaint they have about the dominant solution. Later other’s will join just to join the crowd.Action Steps:Investigate why people log in to LinkedIn; prioritize those functions in the new platformConversely, research what are the biggest complaints people have about LinkedInResearch economics of SteemitChoose a niche hungry for connectionExperiment with the incentive structure and pivot as necessaryLinks:clarity.fmQuickMailSteemitJeremy Chatelaine a software developer that quit his job in 2014 and started his own successful SaaS business from scratch. That platform is QuickMail.io, a 7 figure business and a leading platform for cold email automation today.Love a part of the show? Did we get something completely wrong? Let us know at update@runwithit.fm. 🎙️ Podcast hosting provided by Transistor. Want to start your own podcast? Get 15% off your first year by going to transistor.fm/run

If you like the show, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts!Nuggets:You can license an expensive domain name, if you need it for SEO or marketing but don’t have the capital in your business yet.If a client takes advantage of you or your idea gets stolen consider the odds of it happening again before wasting time on reparation or retaliation.Action Steps:Brainstorm incentive structures with a behavioral economistWireframe the app and shop it to JetBlue, Delta, etc…Research economics around credit card companies’ partnership with airlinesSearch for existing flight tracking apps. Offer to buy one for cheap. Add this idea to it.Links:Swag.comAir Travel Forecast: When Will Airlines Recover from Covid-19?thoughtbotGiant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots PodcastChad Pytel on Run With ItSani Abdul-Jabbar on Run With It[Inside the Business] AwardWallet with Alexi VereschagaTrack frequent flyer reward programs and plan your travelThe Man Who Turned Credit-Card Points Into an EmpireJeremy Parker is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and a serial Entrepreneur. He is CEO and co-founder of swag.com. He has also successfully exited a startup called Tipped media.Love a part of the show? Did we get something completely wrong? Let us know at update@runwithit.fm. 🎙️ Podcast hosting provided by Transistor. Want to start your own podcast? Get 15% off your first year by going to transistor.fm/run