What does it really take to build a startup from scratch?

In this episode of the Evolve to Succeed Podcast, host Warren Munson speaks with Josh Williams, co-founder of Town, a new community platform on a mission to help people rediscover and support their local independent businesses. Founded less than a year ago, Town is already building momentum by rewarding shoppers for buying local and connecting communities through tech.

Josh opens up about his journey from a series of side hustles to launching a tech startup with purpose. He talks candidly about the challenges of bootstrapping, managing self-doubt, balancing ambition with reality and why perseverance matters more than ever in the early stages.

This is a must-listen for anyone thinking about launching their own business or curious about what happens behind the scenes during a startup.

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This episode of the Evolve to Succeed Podcast covers…

• How Town is helping revive independent retail

• The inspiration behind the idea (and how Amazon played a role)

• Lessons from a year of building a startup

• Why Josh believes constraint fuels creativity

• The highs and lows of early entrepreneurship

• The importance of co-founders and complementary skills

• Balancing purpose with profit and scalability

• Why AI won't replace human connection

• Overcoming doubt, fear of failure, and burnout

• Josh's advice for anyone thinking of starting their own business

 

Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 – Intro

01:10 – What is Town and why it exists

03:15 – The mission to revive independent business

06:20 – How the idea for Town began

08:55 – Early startup challenges and first customers

11:20 – The highs and lows of year one

13:40 – Lean building and bootstrapping lessons

17:00 – Self-funding vs raising capital

19:40 – Why focus and persistence matter

23:20 – Planning Town's growth and data insights

28:50 – Facing failure and overcoming doubt

31:40 – The importance of co-founders

36:30 – AI and the future of human connection

40:35 – Lessons from the Evolve Accelerator experience

47:20 – Josh's top advice for aspiring founders

50:00 – Closing reflections