All Episodes

👉🏼 About the Guest:Katelyn Bourgoin (190K+ followers across Twitter and her newsletter!) is a marketer by trade and a 4X founder by choice. Her specialty is helping growth-hungry teams figure out what triggers customers to buy so they can market smarter. She's been called an "influential entrepreneur" by Forbes and named as one of the "top 20 wonder women of SaaS marketing and growth."She's run her own branding agency—reeling in clients like Target and Holiday Inn—built and sold a restaurant consulting business in under 2 years, and founded a VC-backed tech company that Inc. Magazine once called “the next LinkedIn”. Over the years, she's been featured in Forbes, Inc., USA Today, HuffPost, CBC, CTV, Bustle, and more. She writes Why We Buy newsletter covering all trends in marketing.👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a SaaS product called GuestLab, and runs another podcast series called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this one.👉🏼 Sponsor Corner:Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! They’re the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/👉🏼 Description:Listen in as Sharath and Katelyn discuss discovering your ideal customers, overcoming startup failure, customer frameworks, and more! 👉🏼 Timestamps:00:00: Episode Highlight00:56: Shoutout to Acquire.com03:24: Introduction to Katelyn Bourgoin – "The Customer Whisperer"05:10: How Katelyn learned the skill of being authentic on the internet11:38: How to overcome startup failure17:02: Katelyn's journey to learning how customers buy22:52: The biggest mistake founders make in customer discovery29:24: The best framework to find your ideal customers34:31: How to find customers for your business again and again40:50: How to write a newsletter every week46:30: How to differentiate yourself in marketing51:27: Why 2024 needs your personal brand58:03: Why investing in copywriting is the #1 skill you need1:05:46: How to link your business actions to science1:07:31: Outro and closing thoughts👉🏼 Resources:Amanda Natividad: https://undefeatedunderdogs.com/8Have your product acquired: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/👉🏼 Where to find Katelyn:Twitter: https://twitter.com/KateBourLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katebour/Customer Camp - The way to find your customers: https://customercamp.co/Unignorable - Build an unignorable personal brand: https://www.demandcurve.com/unignorableWhy We Buy Newsletter: https://customercamp.co/twitter-sign-ups/Wallet Opening Words - Make tiny copy tweaks that drive BIG sales: https://www.walletopeningwords.com/👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:Rob Hope is a South African-born entrepreneur and the founder of One Page Love, the leading online showcase of beautiful One Page websites, templates, and resources. He also sends a weekly newsletter and interviews good folk building their own thing on the Yo! Podcast (yo.fm)👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a SaaS product called GuestLab, and runs another podcast series called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this one.👉🏼 Sponsor Corner:Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! They’re the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/👉🏼 Description:Listen in as Sharath and Rob discuss consistency, Shiny Toy Syndrome, the perfect landing page, and more! 👉🏼 Timestamps:00:00: Episode Highlight00:42: Shoutout to Acquire.com03:10: Introduction to Rob Hope – founder of One Page Love08:50: How Rob Hope found courage for 10+ years straight24:54: How to be consistent for 10 years35:09: How to stay focused on your own niche47:40: How to chase your own path - and not be distracted by competition55:14: The science behind a perfect landing page1:08:07: How Rob's podcast helps him in in-depth research1:24:25: How did surfing impact Rob's founder journey?1:35:27: Outro and closing thoughts👉🏼 Resources:FullPage.js: https://alvarotrigo.com/fullPage/Garrett McNamara: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garrett_McNamaraShawn: https://twitter.com/swyxHave your product acquired: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/👉🏼 Where to find Rob:Twitter: https://twitter.com/robhopeWebsite: https://robhope.com/Linkedin: https://za.linkedin.com/in/robhopeYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/robhopeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/rob_hope/?hl=enWeekly Newsletter, Love Letter: https://onepagelove.com/letterLanding Page Hot Tips Ebook: https://onepagelove.com/100One Page Love: https://onepagelove.com/👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:James Brackin IV is in the top 1% of podcasters worldwide, hosting "The You Can Too Podcast" where he interviewed Seth Godin, Derek Sivers, Mark Sisson, Evan Carmichael, Bruce Lipton, Case Kenny, Gary Brecka, and so many more. He is also a coach, living by the belief that most people wait too long to demand the best from themselves and subconsciously hold themselves back from stepping into the next level of their lives. James' coaching was created to help you shorten the time period from idea to execution.👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a SaaS product called GuestLab, and runs another podcast series called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this one.👉🏼 Sponsor Corner:Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! They’re the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/👉🏼 Description:Listen in as Sharath and James discuss resilience, rejection, mindset, and a life of abundance. 👉🏼 Timestamps:00:00: Episode Highlight00:25: Shoutout to Acquire.com02:47: Introduction to James Brackin IV – top 1% of podcasters at the age of 2004:39: The story of starting "The You Can Too Podcast" at age 1807:44: What inspired James to start a podcast?9:42: James' favorite role models12:08: How to know if you are ready to be an entrepreneur14:24: James' coaching style for founders16:35: How to start asking yourself insightful questions19:03: How to develop the skill of speaking22:30: James' take on practicing your craft23:40: James' most interesting experience as a coach28:00: How we can experience abundance30:31: The journey to becoming a top 1% podcaster33:50: How to distribute your content to reach 1%39:17: James' dream podcast guest list39:54: How to handle rejection42:48: James' most ambitious goals43:40: Outro and closing thoughts👉🏼 Resources:Steve Barrett: https://twitter.com/Steve_J_BarrettTim Ferriss: https://tim.blog/Noah Kagan: https://undefeatedunderdogs.com/45"Your First Million" author, Arlan Hamilton: https://undefeatedunderdogs.com/43Have your product acquired: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/👉🏼 Where to find James:Twitter: https://twitter.com/JamesbrackinivLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-brackin-iv-506069216/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYCEy_okaPrrihxdWF-94GwInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesbrackiniv/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jamesbrackinivApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-you-can-too-podcast/id1593897435👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:Noah Kagan (1.5M+ followers across Youtube, Instagram, and Twitter) graduated from UC Berkeley and became employee #30 at Facebook, where he invented status updates, developed the Facebook ads platform, and worked on the very first version of Facebook's mobile app. He was also employee #4 at Mint, and since 2010, Noah has been Chief Sumo of Sumo Group, a $70 million company, offering ecommerce and marketing tools that help millions of small businesses grow their audiences and reach more customers. He is also the author of Million Dollar Weekend, the surprisingly simple way to launch a 7-figure business in 48 hours!👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a SaaS product called GuestLab, and runs another podcast series called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this one.👉🏼 Sponsor Corner:Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! They’re the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/👉🏼 Description:Listen in as Sharath and Noah discuss the pathways to becoming millionaires, the various journeys to being an entrepreneur, and how to get access to successful people. 👉🏼 Timestamps:00:00: Episode Highlight00:26: Shoutout to Acquire.com02:56: Introduction to Noah Kagan – founder, author, content creator04:22: Noah's obsession with tacos06:03: Why Noah wrote "Million Dollar Weekend"09:21: How to know if you are ready to be an entrepreneur12:18: How to start your entrepreneur journey15:55: Balancing starting small vs thinking big21:03: How to get access to successful people30:15: 3 lessons from millionaires35:33: An underrated business idea that will make you a millionaire38:51: What to explore if you want to become a millionaire in 10 years46:12: How to convert rejection into success51:50: The definition of happiness for Noah53:44: The ambitious goals Noah is chasing55:37: Conclusion and closing thoughts👉🏼 Resources:Noah's new book, "Million Dollar Weekend": https://noahkagan.com/mdwbook/Have your product acquired: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/👉🏼 Where to find Noah:Twitter: https://twitter.com/noahkaganLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noahkaganYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF2v8v8te3_u4xhIQ8tGy1gInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/noahkagan/Website: https://noahkagan.com/Book - "Million Dollar Weekend": https://noahkagan.com/mdwbook/👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:Arvid Kahl is an entrepreneur, podcaster, and writer. He co-founded and bootstrapped FeedbackPanda, an online teacher productivity SaaS company, with his partner Danielle Simpson. They sold the business for a life-changing amount of money in 2019, two years after founding the company. He is also the author Zero to Sold and Embedded Entrepreneur, the bibles for founders who bootstrap. His course Find the following helps anyone to build an audience on the Internet in a mindful way. He is one of the prominent founders who amplifies build in public movement and constantly finds ways to help other founders. Currently, he is building Podline.fm in public. 👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a SaaS product called GuestLab, and runs another podcast series called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this one.👉🏼 Sponsor Corner:Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! They’re the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/👉🏼 Description:Listen in as Sharath and Arvid discuss the importance of kindness as a superpower, and the impact of relationships on personal growth, as well as professional topics such as being an entrepreneur in the age of AI and the importance of emotional intelligence. 👉🏼 Timestamps:00:00: Episode Highlight00:24: Shoutout to Acquire.com02:52: Introduction to Arvid Kahl – founder, writer, content creator06:48: Life outside of work and the importance of relationships13:10: Thinking about our legacies24:20: How to learn from every experience28:04: Learning from Builder Arvid vs Creator Arvid37:22: Content experiments people should run41:41: The cons of content creation with AI47:18: The future of AI52:42: Is Apple's data protection the future?1:01:41: Shifting back from content creation to building1:06:03: Arvid's new and different approach to building in 20241:12:06: Conclusion and closing thoughts👉🏼 Resources:Pieter Levels: https://twitter.com/levelsioHave your product acquired: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/👉🏼 Where to find Arvid:Twitter: https://twitter.com/arvidkahlLinkedin: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/arvidkahlYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBootstrappedFounderInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arvidkahl/Gumroad: https://bootstrappedfounder.gumroad.com/Book - The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://www.amazon.com/Embedded-Entrepreneur-Build-Audience-Driven-Business/dp/3982195772Book - Zero to Sold: https://www.amazon.com/Zero-Sold-Start-Bootstrapped-Business-ebook/dp/B08BWZS8VNThe Bootstrapped Founder: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:Arlan Hamilton is the founder and managing partner of Backstage Capital, a seed investment fund that backs overachieving, underrepresented startup founders, breaking barriers in VC and championing diversity and inclusivity. She is also a tour manager with world-renowned artists, an author, a podcast host, and one of 2018's Fortune 40 Under 40. With Rachel L. Nelson, she authored the book It's About Damn Time - an empowering guide to finding your voice, working your way into any room you want to be in, and achieving your own dreams. Her second book, Your First Million, came out recently and is available now. 👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a SaaS product called GuestLab, and runs another podcast series called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this one.👉🏼 Sponsor Corner:Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! They’re the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/👉🏼 Description:In this podcast episode, host Sharath interviews Arlan Hamilton, as they discuss her mission to empower underrepresented millionaires and her belief in the power of empowerment and being an underrepresented founder.👉🏼 Timestamps:00:00: Episode Highlight00:40: Shoutout to Acquire.com03:06: Mission to empower underrepresented millionaires08:00: How to reach your first $1M12:37: How to find belief in yourself16:36: Learnings from building Backstage Capital20:11: What makes an underestimated founder an overachiever?23:11: How to pick founders to invest in as a VC26:30: How to pick ideas to invest in27:21: How Arlan's investing philosophy has changed over time27:48: Advice to people going through tough times30:02: Outro👉🏼 Resources:It's About Damn Time book: https://www.amazon.com/Its-About-Damn-Time-Underestimated/dp/0593136411Your First Million book: https://www.amazon.com/Your-First-Million-Business_and-Generational/dp/0316507962Your First Million Event: yourfirstmillion.livePodcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-first-million/id1467515562Lisa Nichols: https://motivatingthemasses.com/home-new/Have your product acquired: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/👉🏼 Where to find Arlan:Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArlanWasHereInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arlanwashere/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arlanhamiltonBackstage Capital: https://backstagecapital.com/crew/Hire Runner: https://www.hirerunner.co/Your First Million Event: yourfirstmillion.livePodcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-first-million/id1467515562Your First Million Book: https://www.amazon.com/Your-First-Million-Business_and-Generational/dp/0316507962It's About Damn Time Book: https://www.amazon.com/Its-About-Damn-Time-Underestimated/dp/0593442709/👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:Jack Appleby is a social media whiz and the founder of Future Social, a newsletter with 60,000+ subscribers. With over a decade of experience in the industry, Jack has worked with multiple well-known companies, such as the NBA, Microsoft, Beats By Dre, Verizon, Spotify, and more. 👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a SaaS product called GuestLab, and runs another podcast series called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this one.👉🏼 Sponsor Corner:Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! They’re the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/👉🏼 Description:In this podcast episode, host Sharath interviews Jack Appleby, a social media expert and creator of the Future Social newsletter. They discuss various topics related to social media, creativity, and personal branding. Jack shares insights on how to keep creativity flowing, the importance of breaking down social media content, and how to avoid burnout in social media jobs.👉🏼 Timestamps:00:00: Episode Highlight00:27: Shoutout to Acquire.com02:54: Introduction to Jack Appleby, the creator of the Future Social newsletter (60K+ subs!)06:00: Keeping creativity juiced up09:00: How to create content from new angles15:53: When to stop scrolling social media19:00: How to prevent social media burnout21:47: Twitter under Jack vs X under Elon28:15: Why LinkedIn is underrated33:20: Why Jack started a newsletter38:43: Building a personal social media brand through curation43:47: Designing and pitching a media campaign47:51: Lessons from failed campaigns50:56: Common pitching mistakes55:20: Writing viral content59:02: From bad ideas to good ideas to great ideas1:02:48: The power of timing on social media1:06:08: The pros and cons of working on something you love1:08:57: How to become a celebrity on social media1:12:34: Rapid Fire 5: Favorite creator to favorite book to favorite NBA player1:16:53: Closing thoughts👉🏼 Resources:Have your product acquired: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/Dabbly Ducks: https://www.instagram.com/dabblyducks/The Personal MBA: https://www.amazon.com/Personal-MBA-Master-Art-Business/dp/1591845572👉🏼 Where to find Jack:Twitter: https://twitter.com/japplebyFuture Social: https://futuresocial.beehiiv.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackappleby👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:Chenell Basilio is not just a name, but a powerhouse of knowledge and strategic thinking that fuels the growth of leading creators. With her incredible ability to reverse engineer the growth strategies of top creators, she uncovers the blueprint of creators who amassed over 50k+ subscribers via her Growth In Reverse newsletter. By investing over 20 hours each week in research, she presents a wealth of insights on strategy, marketing, and growth.Chenell has done deep dives on Kat Norton(Miss Excel), Dan Koe, Justin Welsh, Codie Sanchez, Lenny Rachitsky, Harry Dry, and many more. Growth In Reverse now has more than 27k+ creators and readers! Beyond this, she actively shares her journey on X/LinkedIn platforms authentically. 👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a side project called GuestLab, and runs a newsletter called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this podcast.👉🏼 Sponsor Corner:Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! They’re the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/👉🏼 Description:Tune in as Sharath interviews Chenell, the creator of the Growth in Reverse newsletter. In this conversation, Chenell Basilio discusses her approach to choosing newsletters for deep dives and the criteria she uses. She also shares her insights on growth strategies and the importance of unique and valuable content. The conversation delves into the topic of friction in newsletters and the impact it can have on engagement.👉🏼 Timestamps:00:00: Episode Highlight00:46: Shoutout to Acquire.com03:12: Introduction to Chenell,  the creator of the Growth in Reverse newsletter (28K+ subs!)05:38: The journey from being a 9-5 business analyst to a content creator08:54: The story of creating Growth in Reverse11:18: Choosing newsletter as a medium12:30: Overcoming doubt as a writer14:24: Challenging parts of doing research16:34: Patterns among good newsletter creators19:00: Definition of good content21:14: What changes would Chenell make if she had to start again?22:38: Growth strategies for 50,000+ subscribers23:58: Tips for newsletter creators24:53: Note-taking process and composing notes27:13: Utilizing unused material30:28: All-time favorite scoops and profiles on Growth in Reverse33:51: Insights from the process of reverse-engineering36:12: The most surprising lesson from reverse-engineering40:07: Initial expectations when starting Growth in Reverse41:15: Moments of doubt and pointlessness42:10: Selection criteria for deep-dive profiles in 'Growth in Reverse'43:26: Why Chenell only profiles creators with 50K+ subscribers44:29: 0 to 1 growth strategies for newsletter creators46:36: Building products with intentional points of friction52:02: Measuring newsletter success with metrics53:53: Chenell's plans for 202456:04: Closing thoughts👉🏼 Resources:Have your product acquired: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/Sahil Bloom: https://twitter.com/SahilBloomBilly Oppenheimer: https://billyoppenheimer.com/Ryan Holiday: https://ryanholiday.net/Jack Butcher: https://undefeatedunderdogs.com/1Justin Welsh: https://undefeatedunderdogs.com/16Ali Abdaal: https://aliabdaal.com/Kat Norton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kat-norton-7187aa58👉🏼 Where to find Chenell:Twitter: https://twitter.com/chenellcoYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHxdl9oXfWpxTeuB7G-kTeAGrowth in Reverse newsletter: growthinreverse.comLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chenellcoInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/chenellco/👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:Eric Bahn who proudly identifies as a 'Minivan enthusiast' is the Co-Founder and General Partner at Hustle Fund, a VC fund that invests in "hilariously early" founders at the pre-seed stage. With $130M AUM, they invested in over 500 startups including the biggest names like Webflow, Copy AI, and Voiceflow!Before Hustle Fund, Eric spent his career as a product leader at renowned companies like Instagram and Intuit. He also founded Beat The GMAT(acquired by the Daily Mail in 2012) and co-founded Read Your Story(Acquired by JibJab, 2022) with his sister.Eric has been featured in numerous press outlets like TechCrunch, Time Magazine, and The New York Times. He holds a BA and MA from Stanford University.👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a side project called GuestLab, and runs a newsletter called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this podcast.👉🏼 Sponsor Corner:Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! They’re the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/👉🏼 Description:Tune in as Sharath and Eric discuss the next generation of venture capital, the importance of empathy in founder relationships, and of course, Eric's obsession with minivans. 👉🏼 Timestamps:00:00: Episode Highlight01:40: Shoutout to Acquire.com04:06: Introduction to Eric Bahn, 3x Founder and Creator of Hustle Fund VC06:00: Eric's Obsession with Minivans09:45: The Impact of Family15:02: Hacks to Raising Responsible Kids19:17: Developing a Long-Term Vision22:29: Triggers to Motivate Your Work27:02: What Makes a Founder Trustworthy34:45: How the VC Industry Needs to Improve39:57: Comparison of Being a Start-Up Founder vs. VC Founder43:01: Lessons Learned as a Founder that Help in VC50:37: Choosing Between Being a Founder or VC51:34: Advice for Aspiring VCs54:49: What is a "Hilariously Early" Founder?56:21: Outro and Closing Thoughts👉🏼 Resources:Have your product acquired: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/"The Righteous Gemstones": https://www.hbo.com/the-righteous-gemstones👉🏼 Where to find Eric:Twitter: https://twitter.com/ericbahnHustle Fund: https://www.hustlefund.vc/teamLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericbahn👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:Alex Friedman is currently an Entrepreneur in Residence for Techstars Music. She is also an angel investor and a 3x startup founder who has developed CPG products that have been sold in over 3,000 stores across the nation. She is well-known for building Founder Gigs((part-time gigs for startup founders) using no-code tools and selling it to Hirerunner after 6 months with over 5k MRR!Along with her experience as Program Manager for Techstars Austin and Techstars Impact, she has worked with thousands of startup founders. As a content creator, she has a following of over 150k across various platforms at @heyalexfriedman.👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a side project called GuestLab, and runs a newsletter called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this podcast.👉🏼 Sponsor Corner:Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! They’re the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/👉🏼 Description:Tune in as Sharath and Alex discuss authenticity while building content, building microprojects for acquisition, entering the founder community, and more!👉🏼 Timestamps:00:00: Episode Highlight00:42: Shoutout to Acquire.com03:07: Introduction to Alex Friedman, 3x founder and influencer06:08: Why is there a cowboy hat on Alex's Twitter?09:24: How to be optimistic in writing13:47: Next 3 steps after you've run out of stories15:34: Breaking into founder communities as an introvert26:00: Developing a thick skin as a founder30:32: The journey from microprojects to acquisition38:23: Building better marketplaces41:50: What makes a content piece go viral?49:17: The importance of highlighting the failures of business-building54:10: How dealing with personal losses impacts all aspects of your life1:06:16: Recovering from loss1:10:12: Outro and closing thoughts👉🏼 Resources:Have your product acquired: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/FounderGigs: https://www.foundergigs.com/👉🏼 Where to find Alex:Twitter: https://twitter.com/heyalexfriedmanInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heyalexfriedman/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heyalexfriedmanLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heyalexfriedman/👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:John Andrew Entwistle is the founder and CEO of Wander, a startup revolutionizing short-term rental space! So far John and his team have raised over $27M in funding and are on a mission to deliver high-quality experiences for travelers. John was previously a Thiel Fellow and co-founder of Coder, a venture-backed startup that is making strides in moving the development workstation to the cloud, amplifying security and productivity for software development teams.His passion for start-ups and dedication to transforming industries brought him recognition as one of the "Insider 30 Rising Stars of Real Estate” in 2022 by Business Insider and his innovative work at Code led him to be featured in Forbes "30 under 30" in 2019.👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a side project called GuestLab, and runs a newsletter called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this podcast.👉🏼 Sponsor Corner:Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! They’re the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/👉🏼 Description:Tune in as Sharath and John discuss focussing on your own priorities in life, making difficult decisions, and the journey to a brand new startup in a new industry.👉🏼 Timestamps:00:00: Episode Highlight01:15: Shoutout to Acquire.com03:51: Introduction to John06:35: What is the transition from coding to real estate like?09:45: How did 18-year-old John stay on track to build a company that raised $45M?14:05: The dangers of overwork16:25: How to handle life regrets20:40: The various decision-making frameworks in John's life26:23: Which decision was John 100% sure about?31:49: The best ways to handle failure42:25: How to restart a company from zero47:30: The impact of the Thiel fellowship on John's life51:38: A bet John took that changed people's lives54:22: The biggest decision today that will impact John's life57:09: The difficulties of working in real estate1:01:30: How to convince investors to invest in your startup1:05:55: Lessons learned while creating Wander1:09:15: Handling the heavy lifting of making homes livable1:15:55: The next dream for Wander1:24:08: Outro and closing thoughts👉🏼 Resources:"Courage is Calling: Fortune Favors the Brave" by Ryan Holiday: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/58145670👉🏼 Where to find John:Twitter: https://twitter.com/jaentwistleInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaentwistle/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaentwistle👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:Polina Marinova Pompliano (131K followers!) is the founder of The Profile, a new media company that features long-form profiles of successful people and companies each week. Previously, she spent five years at FORTUNE where she wrote more than 1,300 articles and earned the trust of prominent investors and entrepreneurs. As the author and editor of Term Sheet, FORTUNE’s industry-leading dealmaking newsletter, Polina interviewed the industry’s most influential dealmakers, including Melinda Gates, Steve Case, Chamath Palihapitiya, Alexis Ohanian, and more. She is the author of Hidden Genius, a phenomenal book where she deconstructed and unpacked the habits and mindsets of the world's most successful people so you can navigate how to live and lead a fulfilling life.👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a side project called GuestLab, and runs a newsletter called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this podcast.👉🏼 Sponsor Corner:Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! They’re the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/👉🏼 Description:Tune in as Sharath and Polina discuss growing as a journalist, the importance of being uncomfortable, and creating as an immigrant.👉🏼 Timestamps:00:00: Episode Highlight00:40: Shoutout to Acquire.com04:07: Introduction to Polina05:17: Polina's sideways journey to journalism09:07: Introversion in the world of journalism10:20: Mastering the art of research14:18: Creating an excellent interview out of research rabbit holes17:59: Going from thoughts -> the perfect article20:41: How to choose the best people for profiles22:15: Polina's biggest life challenges26:14: What Polina has in common with her 8-year-old self25:41: Do one thing every day that sucks30:53: The art of asking great questions34:40: Different definitions of success36:52: Imposter syndrome is different for everyone41:41: How humans should push their own boundaries47:58: Being comfortable with being uncomfortable49:28: What makes a human a top performer?50:22: Rapid Fire 5 round👉🏼 Resources:Get Hidden Genius book: https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Genius-secret-thinking-successful/dp/1804090034⁠James Clear: https://twitter.com/JamesClearSara Blakely, the Self-Made Billionaire: https://theprofile.substack.com/p/the-profile-dossier-sara-blakelyFrancis Ngannou, MMA champion: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Ngannou👉🏼 Where to find Polina:Twitter: https://twitter.com/polina_marinovaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/polinampompliano/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/polinamarinova/Substack: https://theprofile.substack.com/👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:Bobby Pinero (CEO at Equals) has been an analyst for the past decade. With 8 years at Intercom, building Finance, Analytics, Biz Ops, and several other functions, he built out functions that took the company from $1M ARR and ~20 employees to ~$200M ARR and ~700 employees. He then launched Equals in the middle of 2021, raising a total of ~$23M from Kristina Shen at Andreessen Horowitz and David Sacks at Craft Ventures. 👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a side project called GuestLab, and runs a newsletter called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this podcast.👉🏼 Sponsor Corner:Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! They’re the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/👉🏼 Description:Tune in as Sharath and Bobby Pinero discuss the beauty of spreadsheets, pricing as a founder, and taking big bets as a founder.👉🏼 Timestamps:00:00: Episode Highlight00:29: Shoutout to Acquire.com02:55: Introduction to Bobby Pinero and Equals - next-gen spreadsheets06:29: The process of leaving corporate to build your own startup11:55: Bobby's journey as a builder from early-stage startups to starting his own business16:50: Maintaining courage as a startup founder20:38: Why building in spreadsheets is Bobby's calling25:27: Big bets vs small bets when building a startup27:00: The founding story of Equals30:28: The impact of raising money on building your product34:31: How to get customer feedback when building a large product vs MVP39:14: How Bobby built in public - in an unusual way42:43: Pricing advice for early-stage startups50:25: Frameworks for pricing and going freemium53:51: Finding a niche in a crowded and competitive market56:34: Finding the sweet spot to build in as a founder59:57: Raising $6.6M for a seed round at Equals - process, networking, deciding the amount1:04:11: Scaling Intercom from $1M to $200M1:09:14: The similarities between Intercom and Equals1:10:54: Lessons from building Intercom that are important at Equals1:15:22: What's next for Equals?1:18:02: How to keep going every single day as a founder1:22:51: Outro and closing thoughts👉🏼 Resources:Equals: https://equals.com/Intercom: https://www.intercom.com/Abbey, Business Operations at Equals: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbey-minondo/"How Freemium Nearly Killed My Business": https://wraptext.equals.com/the-fallacy-of-freemium-in-saas/👉🏼 Where to find Bobby Pinero:Twitter: https://twitter.com/bobbypineroEquals: https://wraptext.equals.com/author/bobby/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bobby_pinero/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbypinero👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:Danny Miranda (The Danny Miranda Podcast, ArtOfInterviewing.com) is a writer and podcaster, with 420+ episodes on his podcast. His interviews include Gary Vaynerchuk, Alex Hormozi, Robert Greene, Seth Godin, Andy Frisella, Chris Williamson, Kamal Ravikant, and more. His friends introduce him as someone who's always looking at the bright side and at the core, he is a communicator who aims to empower people to pursue the highest versions of themselves and raise the consciousness of humanity — one person and one day at a time.👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a side project called GuestLab, and runs a newsletter called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this podcast.👉🏼 Sponsor Corner:Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! They’re the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/👉🏼 Description:Tune in as Sharath and Danny Miranda discuss building your own happiness, handling rejection, and the art and process of making a podcast.👉🏼 Timestamps:00:00: Episode Highlight00:51: Shoutout to Acquire.com03:15: Introduction to Danny Miranda07:10: How Danny started his newsletter on making money10:14: How journalism impacts your happiness14:49: Being happy consistently as a human being16:10: How Danny found his purpose18:11: Danny's mistakes as a young person19:55: Find the support system that helps you be yourself21:40: Danny's experience with depression25:18: Should humans chase the pinnacles of happiness?31:15: How Danny moved from writing to podcasting32:40: How Danny chose his path to podcasting34:03: Danny's podcasting routine36:20: Balancing earning and podcasting41:52: Advice for young podcasters50:49: The biggest lie Danny told himself53:55: Why selling isn't that important1:01:39: Askers vs Givers1:04:32: Why habits are so important to Danny's happiness1:09:32: How a retreat can change your life1:13:00: How to maintain clarity on your goals1:19:00: Danny's learning goals from his own podcast1:21:20: Danny's experience interviewing Gary Vee1:24:36: How to handle rejection1:27:08: Danny's experience interviewing the founder of 75 Hard - the formula for confidence and grit1:29:00: Country music as inspiration1:30:29: The biggest media person in the next 10 years1:31:05: Danny's next ambitious goal1:31:57: Rapid Fire 5: Coolest podcast stories to a central question for every guest1:37:45: Outro and closing thoughts👉🏼 Resources:Your specific link for Acquire.com: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/75 Hard: https://andyfrisella.com/pages/75hard-infoHappiness is Learned by Naval Ravikant: https://www.navalmanack.com/almanack-of-naval-ravikant/happiness-is-learnedFeeling Good by Justin Kan: https://justinkan.com/feed/feeling-good-justins-programAndy Frisella: https://andyfrisella.com/pages/about-andy-frisellaGary Vee: https://garyvaynerchuk.com/Country Music Artist Michael Cosner: https://www.michaelcosner.com/Candice Burt - 200 ultramarathons in 200 days: https://www.candiceburt.com/The Pathless Path by Paul Millerd: https://think-boundless.com/Adam Draper, Boost VC: https://undefeatedunderdogs.com/22👉🏼 Where to find Danny Miranda:Twitter: https://twitter.com/heydannymirandaYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/c/dannymirandaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heydannymirandaLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannymirandaThe Danny Miranda Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-danny-miranda-podcast/id1532160275👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:Neil Patel is a New York Times Bestselling author. The Wall Street Journal calls him a top influencer on the web, Forbes says he is one of the top 10 marketers, and Entrepreneur Magazine says he created one of the 100 most brilliant companies. He was recognized as a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 30 by President Obama and a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 35 by the United Nations.👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a side project called GuestLab, and runs a newsletter called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this podcast.👉🏼 Sponsor Corner:Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! They’re the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/👉🏼 Description:Tune in as Sharath and Neil Patel discuss digital marketing in 2023, AI in marketing, and building a brand!👉🏼 Timestamps:00:00: Episode Highlight00:23: Shoutout to Acquire.com02:51: Introduction to Neil Patel03:45: How Neil started his marketing journey04:46: Early marketing rookie mistakes06:40: Marketing advice for 15-year-old Neil08:10: Best marketing channels in 202308:55: Tactics to hit 4M+ blog hits per month09:55: Learnings from podcasting for Neil12:04: How a Give-First philosophy helps your business14:22: How to leverage personalized marketing in 202315:53: Roles of influencers in marketing18:22: Key trends in digital marketing20:04: How to utilize data in marketing21:12: Neil's Scrappy Marketing Strategy™22:50: How to become a trustworthy brand24:29: Neil's blunt advice for public speaking24:57: The philosophies of Dad-Neil vs Marketing-Neil26:59: Neil's work-life balance routine27:30: Challenges marketing for large companies28:33: Growing your consultancy gig from scratch29:55: Stealing Marketing 10131:11: Using AI in marketing32:45: Outro and closing thoughts👉🏼 Resources:Your specific link for Acquire.com: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/👉🏼 Where to find Neil Patel:Twitter: https://twitter.com/neilpatelYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/neilpatelInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/neilpatel/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilkpatel/Website: https://neilpatel.com/👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:Amanda Goetz is a 2x founder, 3x CMO, brand builder, and content creator on personal and professional growth and brand building, inspiring over 150,000 people every week through her social insights and weekly newsletter, 🧩 Life's A Game.👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a side project called GuestLab, and runs a newsletter called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this podcast.👉🏼 Sponsor Corner:Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! They’re the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/👉🏼 Description:Tune in as Sharath and Amanda discuss conquering fear, living life by your rules, and finding your why.👉🏼 Timestamps:00:00: Episode Highlight00:44: Shoutout to Acquire.com04:07: Introduction to Amanda Goetz05:22: How Amanda became a full-time creator12:31: How to do an "Energy Audit" of your life17:08: How to get the courage to make Big Decisions25:18: Founding story of "House of Wise" - CBD products for women31:41: AI-based marketing vs Human-based marketing38:06: How to market to the majority: brand, content, messaging41:17: Brands with great marketing45:11: Lessons from the Big Three: Being an operator, founder, creator52:34: How Amanda's "Life's a Game" newsletter started59:51: How to get tactical in vague areas1:01:15: How Amanda writes each issue of "Life's a Game"1:03:11: Dealing with fear during growing seasons1:08:07: How to stimulate your own creativity on an empty tank1:11:50: Balancing parenting as a founder and creator1:17:18: How to overcome "Perfect Parent" syndrome1:24:30: Outro and closing thoughts👉🏼 Resources:Your specific link for Acquire.com: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/👉🏼 Where to find Amanda Goetz:Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmandaMGoetzInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/goetzam/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandagoetz/Website: https://www.amandagoetz.com/"Life's a Game" Newsletter: https://amandagoetz.ck.page/signup👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:In 2007, Matthew Kobach became one of the first to ever pursue a PhD predicting how people use social media. This led to an opportunity with a social media analytics firm where he was required to accurately code social media sentiment and spot cultural trends.  While working for the New York Stock Exchange, Matthew used the NYSE’s social media profiles in never-before-seen ways, resulting in millions of followers, multiple speaking opportunities, and recognition from several media outlets (e.g. Mashable, Digiday, Adweek, Cheddar, Vox). Previously, Matthew led marketing efforts at Fast and led the successful social media launch of the cryptocurrency ecosystem Bakkt, resulting in hundreds of thousands of followers and millions of organic impressions. Currently, Matthew leads marketing, branding, and social for Slice, a mobile app that allows you to order pizza from any local pizzeria!👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a side project called GuestLab, and runs a newsletter called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this podcast.👉🏼 Sponsor Corner:Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! They’re the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/👉🏼 Description:Tune in as Sharath and Matthew discuss going viral, social media trends, the future of brands, and more👉🏼 Timestamps:00:00: Episode Highlight00:28: Shoutout to Acquire.com04:07: Introduction to Matthew Kobach05:10: Matthew's life at Slice - building innovative tech to empower America’s independent pizzerias07:18: Social media lessons from 2007 that are still true11:26: Making your brand a real person15:55: The various stages of brand marketing18:14: How to close a deal and make someone buy your product23:05: Why does content go viral?27:40: Idea stealing is ethical29:37: Fuelling your creativity36:16: Where does the "execute quickly" philosophy come from?41:02: Creating your social media portfolio45:22: Advice for marketers building in public50:32: Matthew on being a dad52:04: Work-life balance and mental health for social media marketers57:16: The future of Twitter1:00:19: How does celebrity culture impact Matthew's daily life1:05:05: Matthew's next ambitious goal👉🏼 Resources:Your specific link for Acquire.com: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/Slice: https://slicelife.com/pages/about-us👉🏼 Where to find Matthew Kobach:Twitter: https://twitter.com/mkobachInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mkobach/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-kobach-92a63178/👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:Sarah K Peck (The New York Times, Fast Company, The Huffington Post, Fast Company, 99U, Psychology Today, Life Hacker, Thought Catalog, and more) is an author, startup advisor, and yoga teacher based in New York City. She’s the founder and executive director of Startup Parent, a media company documenting untold stories of what it looks like to be a woman in leadership, life, and work. The Startup Parent Podcast shares long-form stories of parenting, business, entrepreneurship, and growth.👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a side project called GuestLab and runs a newsletter called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this podcast.👉🏼 Sponsor Corner:Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! They’re the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/👉🏼 Description:Tune in as Sharath and Sarah discuss parenting as founders, building a life with your kids, work-life balance, and more!👉🏼 Timestamps:00:00: Episode Highlight1:01: Shoutout to Acquire.com5:19: Introduction to Sarah Peck07:03: How Startup Parent began23:58: How to transition from being an employee to a founder27:44: Preparing your finances for a child32:15: Advice for parent-founders35:40: Work-life balance as a parent44:29: The importance of setting expectations47:24: The need for support systems in parenting50:23: Living your best life with kids54:00: Tips for balancing kids and career58:40: Best communication practices for founders1:05:45: Lessons for growing your work on the internet1:10:24: Parent-founders that inspire Sarah1:15:39: Sarah's next ambitious goal1:18:50: Outro and closing thoughts👉🏼 Resources:Your specific link for Acquire.com: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/👉🏼 Where to find Sarah Peck:Twitter: https://twitter.com/agazdeckiInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/startup_parent/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahkpeckPersonal Website: https://www.sarahkpeck.com/Startup Parent Website: https://startupparent.com/Substack: https://startupparent.substack.com/Podcast: https://www.sarahkpeck.com/podcast/👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:Andrew Gazdecki is a four-time startup founder with three-time exits, former CRO, and founder of Acquire.com. Gazdecki has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine, and Entrepreneur Magazine, as well as prominent industry blogs such as Mashable, TechCrunch, and VentureBeat. 👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a side project called GuestLab and runs a newsletter called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this podcast.👉🏼 Sponsor Corner:Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! They’re the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/👉🏼 Description:Tune in as Sharath and Andrew discuss building resilience as founders, making predictions about the next big thing, creative marketing strategies, and more!👉🏼 Timestamps:00:00: Episode Highlight00:29: Shoutout to Acquire.com3:42: Introduction to Andrew Gazdecki5:40: Andrew's entrepreneurship journey as a four-time startup founder with three-time exits18:23: Mentorship for entrepreneurs and how to get it24:49: How to get out of a slump34:15: Developing strength as a founder44:21: Staying calm in emergencies as a founder54:33: Predicting the next big thing58:05: 2023 - What's the next big explosion?1:01:53: Founders as the love of Andrew's career1:04:20: Livetweeting 101 - how to form a tweeting strategy1:07:40: Getting creative with building businesses1:12:38: BTS - the creative process behind Acquire.com1:21:42: Qualities to look out for when building a team1:28:03: The first 100 Acquire.com deals1:31:16: Startup acquisition patterns - the why and how1:34:29: New features from Acquire.com1:36:03: Reaching Product-Market Fit for Acquire.com1:40:10: Rapid Fire 5: Life-changing founder stories to shoutouts to creators👉🏼 Resources:Your specific link for Acquire.com: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/Nike's Marketing Strategies: https://hbr.org/1992/07/high-performance-marketing-an-interview-with-nikes-phil-knight👉🏼 Where to find Andrew Gazdecki:Twitter: https://twitter.com/agazdeckiWebsite: https://www.andrewgazdecki.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agazdecki👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:Sarah is the Founder and CEO of Growclass, an online growth marketing training company. She is also a copywriting expert, the host of The Growth Effect, and the author of We Need To Talk About This, a popular blog and newsletter for millennial women.Sarah has spent her career working on early-stage technology startups, including Wave and Tilt, and now coaches businesses and individuals to achieve incredible growth.👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community +Brand at Threado, building a side project called GuestLab and runs a newsletter called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this podcast.👉🏼 Description:Tune in as Sharath and Sarah discuss the ins and outs of marketing, copywriting, and creating a community for underrepresented underdogs.Timestamps:00:00: Episode Highlight2:02: Introduction to Sarah Stockdale2:58: How did Sarah start her marketing journey?5:09: What makes Growclass stand out as a marketing course?7:55: How is Growclass making the startup space more diverse?13:27: How to grow a community in its beginning stages15:45: The most needed qualities in marketing superstars19:13: The niches of marketing to attack first22:55: #1 tactical skill every marketer should master24:50: Founder mistakes in copywriting29:54: Writing copy as a marketing hire34:09: The stopping point in editing copy35:57: Community building vs marketing38:30: Inviting and rewarding "givers" in a community44:20: How to scout podcast guests46:24: How to write a great cold email48:00: Sarah's #1 ambition right now49:50: Outro and closing thoughts👉🏼 Resources:Tilt: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilt.comCommunity Decoded: https://communitydecoded.threado.comEmily Lonetto: https://communitydecoded.threado.com/3👉🏼 Where to find Sarah Stockdale:Twitter: https://twitter.com/skstockWebsite: https://sarahstockdale.ca/Linkedin: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/sarahstockdaleGrowclass: https://www.growclass.co/👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:Ana Lorena Fábrega is an edupreneur, writer, and Chief Evangelist at Synthesis. Growing up, she attended ten schools in seven different countries. She then earned her BS in Childhood Education and Special Education from New York University and taught elementary school in New York, Boston, and Panama. Today, Ana Lorena writes online to over 200,000 readers about the promise of alternative education. You can follow her on Twitter at @anafabrega11.Order Ana's book, "The Learning Game"👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community +Brand at Threado, building a side project called GuestLab and runs a newsletter called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this podcast.👉🏼 Description:Tune into this newest episode of the Undefeated Underdogs podcast where Ana and Sharath discuss the origins of education, its future, and Ana's newest book, "The Learning Game."Timestamps:00:00: Episode Highlight2:16: Introduction to Ana Lorena Fabrega3:01: Ana's experience of studying in 10 different schools across 7 countries10:40: Why Ana had to leave the education system to make an impact on education12:49: The history and origins of the modern-day school system20:57: The future of the school system31:29: How Synthesis brings its tutors to life34:28: The journey of going from teacher to edupreneur36:40: Ana's inspirations behind being an edupreneur40:24: Ana's work with David Perell47:31: The creative habits for writing55:41: Why do adults stop learning?1:03:22: Intro to "The Learning Game", Ana's new book1:10:26: How does the book emotionally connect to Ana? 1:13:44: Advice to parents who are unsure of the best education for their children1:19:33: Highlights of "The Learning Game"1:25:58: Post-book release euphoria1:29:10: Advice for Ana from 2019 and her playbook for self-belief1:34:00: Highs and lows of writing a full-fledged book1:39:54: Ana's best support system while writing "The Learning Game"1:42:18: Outro and closing thoughts👉🏼  Resources: Graphic on Learning: https://twitter.com/5harath/status/1673492670209990660?s=20Polina Marinova: https://twitter.com/polina_marinova?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5EauthorDavid Perell: https://perell.com/Seth Godin: https://seths.blog/"Creative Schools" by Ken Robinson: https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Schools-Grassroots-Revolution-Transforming/dp/0143108069Synthesis Math Tutor: synthesis.com/math👉🏼 Where to find Ana Lorena Fabrega:Twitter: https://twitter.com/anafabrega11Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1ICCL5l_5iT8yDzSoYLUzQInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/msfab_learninglab/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ana-lorena-fabrega-32775768/Website: https://afabrega.com/Synthesis: https://go.synthesis.is/ana👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://ycfounderstories.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:Schlaf is a Professional Transition Coach based in New York. He helps high performers in midlife manifest their next calling. He is also the creator of Where the Road Bends, a newsletter and podcast exploring personal evolutions and life transitions. In addition to being a girl dad, this is his life’s work.👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generates $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 20,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community at Threado and runs a newsletter called Sharath's CliffNotes alongside hosting this podcast.👉🏼 Description:Tune in as Sharath and Schlaf discuss how to stay present as a founder, stepping away from social media, and forming writing habits.Timestamps:00:00: Episode Highlight2:14: Introduction to Steve Schlafman3:18: Why Schlaf is taking a break from social media7:28: Achieving success and goals while being online12:21: How social media affects your work as a founder22:13: How to build a life without social media26:33: How to live in the present30:00: The scariness of being present32:15: How being present affects work and business35:23: What success and ambition mean48:30: What was Schlaf's experience like as a founder? What are his future plans?53:05: How and when did Schlaf shift from Tactical Schlaf to Philosophical Schlaf55:25: How did Schlaf start writing and what are his habits?1:02:25: Where do founders struggle - early-stage, scaling, or other?1:07:40: Outro and closing thoughts👉🏼 Where to find Steve Schlafman:Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/schlafInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/schlafLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schlaf/Website: https://www.schlaf.co/Newsletter and Podcast: https://wheretheroadbends.substack.com/👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:Erica shares lessons on content writing & editing leading B2C and B2B companies towards engagement & conversions. She's edited 3M+ words and is an amazing thought leader on Twitter and Linkedin with 70K+ followers. She's currently a Head of Content at @getgrizzle and founder at Power Your Platform.👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generates $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 20,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community at Threado and runs a newsletter called Sharath's CliffNotes alongside hosting this podcast.👉🏼 Description:Tune in as Sharath and Erica discuss the process of writing, editing, creating, and becoming a consistent thought leader.Timestamps:00:00: Episode Highlight1:43: Introduction to Erica Schneider2:49: How did being an English teacher help with being a creator?5:47: Different personas required as a writer vs an editor9:49: How can writers become editors?11:51: Does editing stifle creativity?13:23: Where do writers stumble in editing?15:06: Where do you stop editing?16:07: How to write with authority19:10: Social media writing vs brand writing21:44: Best types of writing types for social media24:10: Best types of writing types for long-form content25:03: How to become a thought leader28:21: Day-to-day as a Head of Content31:05: How does data help as a writer?32:57: Why did Erica start a Twitter following?35:26: How to make it work on social36:40: How to manage idea blasts as a writer39:10: How to manage envy and competition42:35: Balance between consuming and creating content45:38: Day-to-day as a mom48:15: Editing and writing habits50:25: Becoming an authentic person online52:56: Rapid Fire 5: From favorite creator to favorite book1:00:00: Outro and closing thoughts👉🏼  Resources: Amanda Natividad: https://amandanat.com/Best Book for Kids: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/283676.The_Story_of_the_Little_Mole_Who_Went_in_Search_of_WhodunitKaitlyn Arford: https://kaitlynarford.com/Kasey Jones: https://twitter.com/ABetterJones👉🏼 Where to find Erica Schneider:Twitter: https://twitter.com/ericasmynameLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-schneider66/Website: https://www.ericaschneider.me/Power Your Platform: https://poweryourplatform.carrd.co/👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:Jared Kleinert is the Founder/CEO of Offsite, the author of NETWORKING, a TED speaker, a 3-time award-winning author, and USA Today's "Most Connected Millennial". He was also a delegate to President Obama's 2013 Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Malaysia, author of multiple books including the "#1 Entrepreneurship Book of 2015", 2 Billion Under 20: How Millennials are Breaking Down Age Barriers and Changing The World (2015), 3 Billion Under 30 (2017), and "Networking: How To Meet Influential People, Deepen Relationships, and Become A Super-Connector" (2022), and TED@IBM speaker. If you're planning a team retreat, Offsite can save you time, money, and stress. Visit www.offsite.com to learn more!Offsite is on Product Hunt. Check the launch here: https://www.producthunt.com/posts/offsite👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generates $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 20,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community at Threado and runs a newsletter called Sharath's CliffNotes alongside hosting this podcast.👉🏼 Description:Tune in as Sharath and Jared discuss becoming an entrepreneur at a young age, the power of cold emailing, the advantages of being young today, and growing Offsite.Timestamps:00:00: Episode Highlight00:28: Introduction to Jared Kleinert, founder at Offsite and TED Speaker before the age of 202:13: How Jared's journey to becoming an entrepreneur started at 167:30: The influence and background of being a young entrepreneur - the why and the how10:46: How to cold email for success12:30: Cold outreach: annoying or ambitious?16:32: Advice for Gen Z on building their careers18:53: Founding a consulting business at 1823:28: How has working with role models at an early age impacted Jared's life?27:06: How to build peer and mentor networks?29:27: Lessons from community building31:56: Inspiration for writing 3 books before the age of 2533:48: Why young people hold more power than ever37:41: The advantage of being young in 202342:41: Managing comparison as a founder47:13: The story of building Offsite55:47: Difficulties of building Offsite59:41: Transitioning from a service business to a software business1:00:26: Next steps for Offsite1:03:18: Outro and closing thoughts👉🏼  Resources: Offsite: www.offsite.comOffsite Product Hunt Launch: https://www.producthunt.com/posts/offsiteJared's TED Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/jared_kleinert_why_millennials_today_hold_more_power_than_ever_beforeJared's Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jared-Kleinert/author/B00OH47AIA?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true👉🏼 Where to find Jared Kleinert:Twitter: https://twitter.com/jaredkleinertLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredkleinert/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jared.kleinert/👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:Michelle Marceline is a co-founder at Typedream (W20), a no-code site, blog, and form builder, and a previous cofounder at Cotter. She's been featured on Forbes 30U30 2022, Build In Public with KP, and more!👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generates $30k ARR which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 20,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community at Threado and runs a newsletter called Sharath's CliffNotes alongside hosting this podcast.👉🏼 Description:Listen in as Sharath and Michelle discuss founding Typedream (YC W20) with a co-founding team of 5, immigrant hunger, pivoting their startup repeatedly, and growing Typedream from 0 to N.Timestamps:00:00: Episode Highlight2:40: Introduction to Michelle, co-founder at Typedream (YC W20)3:46: Michelle's journey from immigrant to Green Card holder7:50: Typedream's founding story: 5 founders, from fintech to no-code builder15:38: Pivoting a company during Y Combinator: The ups and downs19:30: Starting up again as a team post-acquisition20:55: Typedream's Zero -> One Go-To-Market strategy23:08: Product Hunt's impact on growing Typedream27:28: Typedream's Build in Public Strategy30:02: Michelle's day-to-day as a non-technical founder33:14: The toughest part of being a founder34:54: Lessons learned as Typedream grows from One -> N36:43: Typedream's Creator Community and how it helps the company grow37:23: Does Building in Public help One -> N growth?39:02: Battle-tested Go-To-Market lessons42:42: Typedream's soft pivot into a content creator setup47:01: Outreach to Typedream's ideal creators: the how, why, and impacts49:07: Typedream's craziest creation stories50:35: Typedream's darkest hours52:07: Michelle's role models53:21: The importance of immigrant hunger in building56:50: Closing thoughts for founders58:13: Outro👉🏼  Resources: Shaan Puri: https://www.shaanpuri.com/Sam Parr: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parrsamMy First Million Podcast: https://www.mfmpod.com/👉🏼 Where to find Michelle Marceline:Twitter: https://twitter.com/michwirantonoLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-marcellineInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/michwirantono/Typedream (YC W20): https://typedream.com/👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:Abhishek Kankani is the founder of Dyte (YC W21), building the future of real-time communication. He is on the Forbes 30 Under 30 and has been featured on GQ, Cup Noodles To Career, and Sequoia! Listen to his founder and career journey here.👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generates $30k ARR which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 20,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community at Threado and runs a newsletter called Sharath's CliffNotes alongside hosting this podcast.👉🏼 Description:Listen in as Sharath and Abhishek discuss founding Dyte (YC W21) during the pandemic, communication in a remote world, and building conviction in yourself as a newbie founder.Dyte (YC W21) is building the future of real-time communication. Integrate programmable, and easily customizable live video and voice into your web, mobile, and desktop applications with just a few lines of code.Timestamps:00:00: Episode Highlight2:10: Introduction to Abhishek, founder at Dyte (YC W21)3:14: Dyte's backstory: founding, first customers, cofounders7:46: Creating Dyte: Drive and conviction as first-time founders15:02: Quitting full-time jobs for Dyte - pre-YC!18:50: Dyte's first MVP and finding the very first customer21:54: Dyte's journey: Zero -> YC -> One25:53: How to apply for YC pre-PMF35:08: Learnings from YC41:25: Dyte's mission and pivots from YC44:10: Prioritizing long-term product vision vs immediate customer needs48:15: Different methods of reaching PMF1:00:03: $12M in funding: Goals, targets, methods1:05:43: Ryan Hoover as a board member1:08:10: Handling competition in a crowded market1:12:58: Next steps and a pivot at Dyte1:14:47: Using Dyte as a non-technical builder1:16:37: Closing thoughts for founders1:19:24: Outro👉🏼 Where to find Abhishek Kankani:Twitter: https://twitter.com/KankaniAbhishekLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhishekkankaniInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/abhishekkankani/Dyte (YC W21): https://dyte.io/👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:Adam Draper (Managing Director at Boost VC, Board Member at SkyBound) is a legacy in the venture capital world. One of the first VCs to jump into the world of crypto, he has a front-view seat into the future of tech. He's also the author of "Breakfast With Pops", the guide to venture capital for beginners.👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generates $30k ARR which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 20,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community at Threado and runs a newsletter called Sharath's CliffNotes alongside hosting this podcast.👉🏼 Description:Listen in to hear Sharath and Adam talk about the importance of storytelling in startups, building conviction as a founder, and the importance of trust in the world of finance, startups, and VC. Timestamps:0:00 | Episode highlight01:14 | Intro to Adam Draper - the coolest VC in town7:00 | Boost VC logo - its origin story and meaning11:33 | Adam's book: "Breakfast with Pops" and why we need an intro to venture capital14:30 | Adam's adventures outside of his venture capital legacy21:20 | How Adam's unique venture capital talent helps founders26:35 | Why is storytelling so important in the world of startups and venture capital?28:16 | Non-obvious problems founders face35:05| Founder personality traits Boost VC looks for43:16 | How founders can build conviction in themselves and their work50:09 | Why VC is a service job54:45 | The importance of trust in the startup and VC world57:17 | Common mistakes by early-stage founders1:03:34 | What Adam looks for in a founder pitch1:13:40 | Adam's worst experience in venture capital1:22:08 | Rapid Fire 5: Crazy founder story, biggest miss by Boost VC, favorite investment, and more1:39:13 | Outro👉🏼 Resources:George Shultz, "Trust is the coin of the realm": https://www.hoover.org/research/trust-coin-realmTim Draper: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_DraperBill Draper: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Henry_Draper_IIIMark Andreessen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_AndreessenShamez Kanji (Devonshire Partners):Make School: https://makeschool.org/Chris Dixon: https://cdixon.org/Brian Armstrong: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Armstrong_(businessman)Fred Wilson: https://avc.com/Launcher: https://www.launcherspace.com/Max Haot: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxhaot/MeasureX: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MeasurexBen Horowitz: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_HorowitzRadiant: https://www.radiantnuclear.com/Brayton Williams: https://www.linkedin.com/in/braytonwilliams👉🏼 Where to find Adam Draper:Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdamDraperLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adraperEmail: adam@boost.vcBoost VC: https://www.boost.vc/Book, "Breakfast With Pops": https://www.amazon.com/Breakfast-Pops-Venture-Capital-Handbook/dp/B0C1JHXTQF👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:Dan Westgarth (COO at Deel, ex-Revolut, Expansion Capital) is the COO of Deel, building everything you need to scale a global team. Dan has been building businesses since he was 10 and is now breaking down international borders, allowing companies and workers across the world to come together.👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generates $30k ARR which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 20,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community at Threado and runs a newsletter called Sharath's CliffNotes alongside hosting this podcast.👉🏼 Description:Tune in as Sharath and Dan discuss Dan's fintech career journey, the immigrant hustle, and his main customer-forward learnings.Timestamps:0:00 | Episode highlight00:30 | Intro to Dan Westgarth, COO at Deel1:37 | Schedule of a COO: Priorities, customer support, and more3:16 | How to prioritize a new project5:18 | Dan's first business at age 10: PlayStations, cell phones, and beyond7:28 | The best part about running any business9:35 | Business lessons from 10-year-old Dan12:36 | The immigrant hustle: How Dan got his hunger15:50 | How Deel is changing the world of immigration18:09 | Dan's journey to tech and COO at Deel20:10 | How to take care of your customers so they never leave21:51 | Going from Product Management to COO Learnings from both sides22:40 | What Product Management and Ops have in common24:06 | How networking helped Dan become COO at Deel26:13 | What COOs can learn from General Managers29:05 | Dan's learning frameworks to get info fast31:25 | How to shrug off imposter syndrome33:18 | Exciting updates at Deel: automating HR, reducing admin work36:00 | Advice for people breaking into tech38:30 | Outro👉🏼 Resources:Deel: http://deel.com/LegalPad: https://legalpad.io/👉🏼 Where to find Dan Westgarth:Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanWestgarthLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-westgarth-710650a4/👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:Julie Gurner (seen in WSJ, Forbes, Vox, and more) is a doctor of psychology and executive performance coach with nearly a decade of experience working with some of the nation's top tech and finance executives and teams.👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generates $30k ARR which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 20,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community at Threado and runs a newsletter called Sharath's CliffNotes alongside hosting this podcast.👉🏼 Description:Tune in as Sharath and Dr. Gurner discuss the habits, frameworks, and thought patterns that help founders and startup employees reach their peak performance points!Timestamps:0:00 | Episode highlight1:42 | Intro to Dr. Julie Gurner2:52 | What does peak performance mean?4:05 | What does being an executive performance coach mean?5:43 | Dr. Gurner's recommended frameworks to create urgency in anything you do8:20 | Dr. Gurner's entry into the executive coaching world11:05 | How Dr. Gurner picked her niche in tech and finance14:50 | The struggles of VC founders and why they face difficulties17:48 | Founder struggles: money, thought patterns, and more19:30 | Why founders fear failure21:47 | Why founders hire executive coaches25:50 | The founder-coach relationship28:46 | First habits to be fixed as founders32:39 | Best work time to reach max capacity35:28 | Habits to implement and ones to avoid40:16 | Balancing positive and negative motivation as a founder42:30 | Dr. Gurner's #1 Framework45:30 | How to define and measure peak success47:56 | Questions to ask yourself to know your goals52:00 | Role of AI in coaching55:30 | Maintaining consistent confidence and conviction as a founder59:15 | Setting expectations in Startups1:03:10 | RapidFire 5: From worst founder habit to the best meal and more!1:06:39 | Closing thoughts👉🏼 Resources:Oprah Winfrey's Stanford Business School Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DlrqeWrczsTom House, coach to Tom Brady: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_House👉🏼 Where to find Dr. Julie Gurner:Twitter: https://twitter.com/drgurnerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgurner/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-julie-gurner/Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Julie-GurnerWebsite: https://www.drgurner.com/Ultra Successful Newsletter: https://drgurner.substack.com/👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/

👉🏼 About the Guest:Aprilynne Alter (ex-Wall Street, published in Business Insider, FounderStory, The Tilt) is a content creator and YouTuber with 19K+ Twitter followers and 23K+ Youtube followers. She's an NFT maker and course maker, with courses teaching people how to create and popularize their YouTube channels according to their expertise.👉🏼 About the Host:Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generates $30k ARR which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 20,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community at Threado and runs a newsletter called Sharath's CliffNotes alongside hosting this podcast.👉🏼 Description:Tune in as Sharath and Aprilynne discuss pivoting from Wall Street to creating content, the building in public lifestyle, and the various YouTube tips and tricks that shot Aprilynne into popularity! Timestamps:0:00 | Episode highlight1:28 | Intro to Aprilynne Alter2:45 | How Ali Abdaal inspired Aprilynne to start on YouTube6:45 | The barriers to creating on YouTube: How Aprilynne overcame camera shyness, lack of editing skills, and no equipment10:45 | YouTube 101: Aprilynne's playbook17:00 | Aprilynne's favorite (free!) YouTube resources19:00 | How to become a creator with a full-time job23:30 | The important parts of YouTube: Editing, tools, and more28:06 | How becoming a creator changed Aprilynne's life32:31 | Downsides of ownership as a creator33:40 | Aprilynne's Creator Routine: How to plan, ideate, and record videos36:30 | How to get over creative blocks40:15 | Balancing creation and popularity statistics as a creator42:50 | Youtube 201: Setting prices, monetizing your channel, and more46:55 | How to get over limiting beliefs as a creator50:00 | The truth of YouTube shorts in the algorithm52:39 | Aprilynne's Building in Public secrets and methodology57:49 | The power of community as an indie maker1:01:10 | The unconventional way of growing on YouTube1:03:09 | Why YouTube wins out over other channels to grow a following1:06:40 | How to storyboard a YouTube video to make it super clear1:08:40 | Outro👉🏼 Resources:Ali Abdaal: https://aliabdaal.com/Cathrin Manning: https://cathrinmanning.com/Daniel Vassallo's Small Bets Community: https://dvassallo.gumroad.com/l/small-betsEdius Net - Editing videos: https://www.edius.net/info.html👉🏼 Where to find Aprilynne Alter:Twitter: https://twitter.com/AprilynneAlter/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprilynnealterTiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aprilynnealterNFT Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@NFTsSimplified/videosPersonal Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AprilynneAlterWebsite: https://www.aprilynnealter.com/Why Aprilynne Alter Stopped NFT Content Even Though She Was Making Good Money: https://www.thetilt.com/content-entrepreneur/aprilynne-alter-nft-contentI launched an NFT collection with no experience and made 3 big mistakes. Here's what I should've done instead: https://www.businessinsider.com/launched-nft-no-experience-3-mistakes-not-to-make-2022-3?IR=TAprilynne Alter on Tenderfoot - a startup connecting students with internships: https://www.founderstory.io/aprilynne-alter-tenderfoot/👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harathYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harathWebsite: https://5harath.com/Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/