Idea to Startup
203 episodes - English - Latest episode: 20 days ago - ★★★★★ - 134 ratingsA podcast for people working on startup ideas. We have 15-minute tactical episodes and occasional interviews with people who did the early things exceptionally well. We've helped launch hundreds of startups worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and these are the building blocks.
"This is, without a doubt, the best podcast for people trying to build startups out there."
"If you aren't listening to this podcast and you're considering building a business (or you're already building one), what are you doing?"
"Must listen for first-time entrepreneurs - excellent storyteller."
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Episodes
Episode 100 🔥: How to Design Your Life to Support Building a Startup on the Side
April 06, 2022 11:38 - 18 minutes - 17.3 MBThe 100th episode of Idea to Startup dives into the most important thing our entrepreneurs with jobs have done to make progress - purposefully designing their lives so that inertia pulls them towards growth, not inaction. We go through how you can design your life to make progress on your startup the norm with a little help from Brian's grandfather, Poppy. Tacklebox
How to Stand Out: Differentiate your Startup with Categories
March 30, 2022 10:00 - 12 minutes - 11.7 MBThe best entrepreneurs choose what they compete against. They stack the deck so their product is overwhelmingly better than the alternative. The key to this is choosing the category your customer sees you in. Choose the category and you'll be able to dictate your competitors and ensure you have a good chance to win. Today we'll talk about choosing categories with a little help from e-bikes, protein bars, and a mattress. Tacklebox RSVP for Entrepreneurs with Jobs Getting Coffee in NYC on A...
How to Guarantee Word of Mouth Growth for Your Startup
March 23, 2022 10:00 - 17 minutes - 15.6 MBYour startup will only grow if you design for and facilitate word of mouth. The big mistake people make is thinking their business will generate that WoM growth - the key is making sure the conversation is already happening before you build a product. We'll talk through strategies for this today, with a little help from a wine investing platform and a product to help a two year old sleep. Byldd Tacklebox
The Three Pillars of an Idea That Can Grow Huge
March 16, 2022 10:00 - 17 minutes - 15.8 MBToday we'll talk about finding ideas that are primed to grow fast and grow big. As we dug in, we realized this was a great approach for any sized business. There are three pillars for this type of idea, and we'll go through each with a little help from Coke and Pepsi and my grade school friend, Aaron. Pepsi Challenge Generation Defining Stats The Innovator's Dilemma Competing Against Luck
Start a Startup in Ten Days using Four Questions: Kitchen Organizer Edition
March 09, 2022 11:00 - 23 minutes - 21.6 MBToday we'll talk through how to test out and build a startup idea in ~10 days by answering four questions. We'll use an idea that's oddly popped up a bunch lately: Kitchen Organizer. We do this with a little help from a story about a poker player and my good friend, Penne Vodka Pete. Tacklebox Membership Wix
Perfect is the Enemy of the Good: Startup Product Edition
March 02, 2022 11:00 - 19 minutes - 17.8 MBSimple products win. You probably already knew this, but creating a simple product is harder than it should be. The reason is that a simple product has nothing to do with the product itself. Today we'll talk about Customer Deltas - the most important piece of the puzzle for a simple product that you can build fast and is primed for growth. Tacklebox The Psychology of Money
How to Conquer Irrational Fear as a Startup Founder
February 23, 2022 11:00 - 20 minutes - 19.2 MBToday we'll talk about the irrational fears that keep entrepreneurs from doing the things they need to do to be successful. We've got stories about Barney Greengrass, a six year old pedaling on a Peloton with his hands, and a tourist ending up with the perfect order. And, a system to ensure you don't get caught making irrational decisions that hamstring your startup. Byldd Tacklebox Membership ITS habit pods: How to Not Waste Your Life You Need a Bouncer Do The Thing
The Most Interesting Startups are Boring (and how to make sure yours is, too)
February 16, 2022 11:00 - 20 minutes - 19.1 MBBuilding a great startup usually isn't rocket science - it often comes down to just trying more things than anyone else does. The hard part about this is the repetition and the mindset - building a system will push you through. Today we talk about that system with a little help from a prolific writer and a startup idea about sabbaticals. Tacklebox Membership Say hi: [email protected]
How to Build a Startup in a Crowded Market
February 09, 2022 11:00 - 16 minutes - 15.5 MBEntrepreneurs are told all the time to avoid crowded markets. There's too much competition, there's too much venture funding, you'll get squashed like a bug. I'm not so sure. There's a lot to like about crowded markets - this episode talks through how to carve out your own space and benefit from all the great things crowded markets have to offer. Tacklebox A podcast on Slice
A Formula for Creating Moments Your Customers Will Share
February 02, 2022 11:00 - 13 minutes - 12.5 MBCreating moments your customers will share is how your startup will grow early on. This episode will teach you how to orchestrate and plan those moments before you've built a product. Your business will rely on these moments for growth, so we need to figure them out early. Featuring bagels, noodles, and a dog training app. Tacklebox Membership (Pod Listeners Page + Discount) Xi'an Famous Foods H&H Bagels
Don't Bail On Your Startup Idea Right When It's Getting Interesting
January 26, 2022 11:00 - 17 minutes - 16.3 MBThere's an epidemic of talented entrepreneurs bailing on their startup ideas right before those ideas are about to get interesting. We talk about why and how to avoid it, with a little help from Splash Mountain and a Tacklebox alum. Tacklebox
Startup Practice
January 19, 2022 13:36 - 16 minutes - 15 MBPeople are too precious with ideas. The idea you've got is probably wrong, but the only way you'll get to the right one is working on the wrong one - not waiting for the right one to magically appear. But how do you do that? This episode is about startup practice - how to find and test ideas on the side that'll eventually lead to the one that'll hopefully change your life. Tacklebox The Rescue How to Get Startup Ideas
Storytelling 101 for Entrepreneurs
January 12, 2022 11:00 - 15 minutes - 14.4 MBA storytelling primer for entrepreneurs. Marketing is storytelling, and in this pod we lay out a three step framework for telling exceptional stories that convert customers. This is idiot-proofing - you don't need to be a great marketer or writer or storyteller. You can build effective messaging campaigns if you understand and execute this process. Tacklebox Membership UpDate
BONUS STORY: The Monster and The Girl
January 07, 2022 16:13 - 6 minutes - 5.92 MBA bonus short episode for a snowy Friday. A story that might light a bit of a fire under your ass for 2022. Great to listen to over lunch. And don't worry, we'll get back to our tactical episodes next Wednesday 💪🐐😈. Tacklebox Membership
The Secret Pod
January 05, 2022 11:00 - 15 minutes - 14.3 MBStartups work best when they're anchored around a secret. A great secret has three characteristics, and Brian goes through those, as well as examples of a few secrets that can anchor a business, in this week's pod. Tacklebox Membership Pod Promo Our Brain Typically Overlooks This Brilliant Problem Solving Strategy
Sell the Position (Brian's favorite episode of the year)
December 29, 2021 11:00 - 11 minutes - 10.7 MBThe last episode of 2021 is Brian's favorite - sell the position. It's rare that a piece of advice truly changes your life. This advice did. Tacklebox Membership (40% off for life with code "BuildIn2022")
How to Not Waste Your Life (most listened to episode of the year)
December 22, 2021 11:00 - 17 minutes - 16.1 MBHow to Not Waste Your Life. This was the most listened to episode of 2022, so we're running it back with a special intro. It's the lesson we all need to hear going into the New Year 💪. Tacklebox Membership (40% off w/ code "BuildIn2022") Spirited Away
How to Find Problems Worth Solving (and a request for a startup)
December 15, 2021 12:56 - 17 minutes - 15.6 MBWe lay out a framework for finding and evaluating problems and dig into a problem worth solving: single-use plastic from takeout food orders. If you're working on this - reach out. Tacklebox Membership Number Munchers
You need a bouncer
December 08, 2021 11:00 - 14 minutes - 12.9 MBWe're all lugging around metaphorical backpacks. These backpacks are filled with tasks, shoulds, and IOUs. The problem isn't that they exist, it's how easily other people are able to lob things in and how hard it is for us to get them out. This episode talks about how to create a bouncer - to ensure that the only things taking up your consciousness are things you've chosen, things that will help you move towards your goals. Tacklebox Membership Text Expander
How to get counterintuitive startup ideas
December 01, 2021 11:00 - 17 minutes - 16.4 MBIf lots of people think your startup idea makes no sense, it's got a much higher likelihood of succeeding. Counterintuitive ideas will buy you time to build, test, and flesh out your product before competitors catch on. Today, we talk through how to come up with and grow counterintuitive ideas while looking at a bonkers business Brian can't get enough of. Tacklebox Membership (Cyber Monday Code "BuildThings" Core Walking List of Mental Models
Three Things Entrepreneurs Should Do Over Thanksgiving Break
November 24, 2021 11:00 - 13 minutes - 11.9 MBToday we talk through three things entrepreneurs can do over Thanksgiving break - and the next six weeks - to differentiate themselves in 2022. Stories about the fireplace delusion, rainfall in Bermuda, and how to tell sexual partners you've got chlamydia will help us out. The Fireplace Delusion Rain in Bermuda Tacklebox Method
How to create your own MBA in entrepreneurship
November 17, 2021 12:59 - 15 minutes - 13.8 MBIf you were building an MBA in entrepreneurship from scratch, how would you do it? We built out a framework to design your own program - and just about any other program you'd like - on today's pod. Tacklebox Method
Story 3: How to sell wood for $10 when everyone else sells it for $5
November 10, 2021 11:00 - 10 minutes - 10 MBToday we'll talk about a guy in the Adirondacks who sells wood for $10 when everyone else around him sells it for $5. He sells 10x more wood than all his competitors and it's all due to being able to answer one question really well. We'll dig into that question and how you can leverage it to build your business on this week's Idea to Startup. Tacklebox Method Elephant water skiing on the Hudson River The Effective Executive
Story 2: How to motivate people
November 03, 2021 10:00 - 10 minutes - 9.9 MBThe apartment I live in was on the market for a year without a bid, then sold in a bidding war for well above ask in a week. What the heck happened? Today's episode breaks down why people took action (and a framework to create it). Tacklebox Method Sell The Position (🐐 episode)
Three Stories To Get You Unstuck - Story 1: Sell The Position
October 27, 2021 10:00 - 9 minutes - 8.47 MBPeople keep telling us they're stuck. The next three pods are stories that'll get your juices flowing. It'll be impossible to be stuck after them. Today's is about Selling The Position - it's probably the most helpful single concept we've ever discussed on the pod. Seth Godin - The Wrong Bus Tacklebox Method
How to Quit Your Job and Pursue Your Startup Idea
October 20, 2021 10:00 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MBLots of people come into our orbit because they'd like to get their startup to a point where they can quit their full-time job and transition over. Here's what you need to do before you quit - and what'll happen to you and your idea once you do. If you're looking for a kick in the ass, this might be it. Tacklebox Method The Artists Way
How to Motivate Customers (and People) feat. Airstreams
October 13, 2021 10:00 - 17 minutes - 15.6 MBWe leverage Yu-kai Chou's Octalysis Framework to think through motivating customers. We test it out using a startup idea that's come across Brian's desk recently: a network of Airstream trailers, dropped on people's property, that digital nomads can subscribe to. How would we motivate these people to take action? What can we test? The framework leads the way as we kickstart the business. Tacklebox Method Yu-Kai Chou (Twitter) Yu-Kai Chou (Blog) Actionable Gamification
MAILBAG PART 2: Testing a pasta startup, how niche is too niche, and a structure for dealing with founder stress
October 06, 2021 12:00 - 18 minutes - 16.5 MBIn part two of our Mailbag series, Brian answers listener questions on how to run lean, inexpensive, fast tests on an idea that seemingly has big up front costs (we launch tests for the pasta startup), how niche is too niche, and a framework to deal with stress as a founder. As always, thank you for the questions, and if you'd like to submit a question, email it to [email protected] Notes: Tacklebox Method The roles available at Oar include: VP, Engineering: https://jobs.jobvite...
MAILBAG: Listener questions on a startup ethos, great marketing, a travel company for couples, and nootropics (sorta)
September 29, 2021 10:00 - 19 minutes - 17.6 MBBrian answers emails from listeners on a startup ethos, examples of great marketing - leveraging behavioral economics to remove friction and The Rent Is Too Damn High guy, nootropics (sort of), and the best inputs for the best outputs. We also start a travel company for couples. Tacklebox Method All the books I mentioned Podcasts How I Built This The Dave Chang Show No Stupid Questions Indie Hackers
A Treading Water Startup (feat. Scorpions and Frogs)
September 22, 2021 10:00 - 16 minutes - 15.3 MBLots of entrepreneurs spend their time trying to figure out if their startup idea is "good." They wonder if they can raise funding and build a team. But so much of our idea evaluation ignores the most fundamental building block of a startup - the magic moment that will spur organic growth. There is no funding or team or business without that initial magic, so maybe the best route is to reverse engineer a business from that moment? On today's episode, we talk through a startup where people g...
Hidden Lottery Tickets
September 15, 2021 10:00 - 14 minutes - 13.6 MBAre you finding your startup's hidden lottery tickets? What are the opportunities hiding in plain sight that will drastically amplify your output? We talk through Bumble, vertical farms, poker, and derivatives trading, and set up prompts for you to identify hidden lottery tickets that'll catalyze your startup. The Tacklebox Method Found a ska version of I Want It That Way - looking for something better
Vertical Farms, Robert Frost, and Growth
September 08, 2021 10:00 - 15 minutes - 14.2 MBWe are BACK. We talk through how to approach a startup idea in a space you aren't in expert in, how to build momentum and make decisions fast, and the problem mindset. We also talk through how everyone was wrong about Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken and what that means for Brian's vertical farm startup. The Tacklebox Method - link to discount for ITS listeners Founder Venn Diagram - free, in Foundations -> Founder Venn Diagram The Growth Mindset Tom Eisenmann interview - Why Startup...
INTERVIEW: Jeff Sheldon, Founder @ Ugmonk
June 30, 2021 10:00 - 39 minutes - 36.3 MBJeff Sheldon is the founder of Ugmonk, a company I have an enormous amount of admiration for. It's a thoughtful, purposeful, highly effective business that creates and curates beautifully designed products. Jeff has run and grown the business slowly and sustainably (without funding), building an incredibly engaged customer base. This strong customer affinity allows him to launch products through crowdfunding campaigns without a massive marketing budget. We talk through how he built Ugmonk, ...
How to Not Waste Your Life
June 23, 2021 12:32 - 14 minutes - 13.6 MBThe past 15 months kicked our butts. We all picked up some terrible habits, and we get a pass for it. But now it's time to dig ourselves out of the hole. This episode goes through three questions that'll help you refocus, tactics to find your North Star, and a framework to reset your inputs. There's never been a better time to build a startup, and if you haven't got an idea or are deciding between a few - this is the place to start. Spirited Away Tacklebox
Inertia - The Only Thing That Matters
June 09, 2021 10:00 - 18 minutes - 17.1 MBInertia is the tendency to not change. Everyone is on a path driven by inertia, which leads just about everyone to always repeat the same things. Which is a problem if you're starting a startup, since you need people to do something different (buy your thing). In this episode we talk through inertia and how to build startups that leverage it vs. fight it, with cameos from Javier the Hot Air Balloon Guy, Erin Andrews, and Donald Trump. SPONSOR: Bluprint + their Indiegogo campaign - the onl...
INTERVIEW: Tom Eisenmann (HBS) on Why Startups Fail
May 12, 2021 10:00 - 48 minutes - 44 MBToday we've got Tom Eisenmann on the pod. He's an entrepreneurship teacher at HBS and the author of the white-hot startup book "Why Startups Fail." We had a blast talking through all the mistakes startups make and the best ways to avoid them. We also talk through how to validate when you've got big up front costs, when domain experts are important (and when they're not), and how to start the gig-economy version of the private chef. Why Startups Fail Tacklebox Cohort 28 (Apply) Validate Y...
How to Choose the Right Customer (ITS Classic)
May 05, 2021 10:00 - 20 minutes - 19 MBThere’s one decision that early stage founders make that can drastically tip the tables in their favor. This is a tactical episode, helping you push through the critical question of what customer segment to target first. We delve into a framework to help you identify and evaluate customer segments as your startup evolves. Tacklebox Cohort 28 starts June 2 - apply by May 15 Tacklebox Self-Serve no cohort, grow at your own pace
Is Your Startup Idea Good? (ITS Classic)
April 28, 2021 10:00 - 21 minutes - 19.6 MBThis week's ITS Classic covers whether your startup idea is any good. We talk through a failed startup Brian ran called Find Your Lobster, present a framework to ensure you choose the startup idea that best matches your skillset, and how to stay away from the dreaded Whisper Idea. Byldd is a venture studio that’s democratizing software entrepreneurship. Tacklebox Accelerator Cohort 28 starts June 2, applications are due May 15th.
How To Be A Great Storyteller (ITS Classic)
April 21, 2021 10:00 - 17 minutes - 16.4 MBI recently asked a good investor friend of mine what he thought the most underrated but important skill for entrepreneurs in 2021 was. He responded quickly - storytelling. The amount of compelling copy a startup needs to write in 2021 is astounding - from ads to emails to socials to pitch decks - and the base rate has gotten extremely high. A startup can only be as successful as it's messaging, and that all starts with a founder's ability to tell the story of their customer and their product...
How to Prioritize and Build a Personal Operating System (ITS classic)
April 14, 2021 10:00 - 24 minutes - 22.9 MBWe revisit an episode from the early days of the podcast on an operating system for founders. Not everything I say here has stuck, and not everything I do I recommend. But the bones of this podcast are rock solid. Being thoughtful about how you work and what you work on is the key for building a startup in the margins. And, everyone has more margins now. If you're one of the people who isn't going to have to commute again, this is your chance. Build an internal operating system so you maximi...
How to lose 1.8 billion dollars in 10 days
April 07, 2021 10:00 - 23 minutes - 21.9 MBPredicting a startup will fail is like betting every number on the roulette wheel except that green double zero and then puffing out your chest when one of your numbers hits. It's just not impressive to predict that something going up against overwhelming odds won't beat those odds. And yet.... Sometimes people build startups like horses asses. And in that case, they need to be called out. This podcast originally aired the day Quibi launched back in April of 2020 and gave the company 18 mo...
Curiosity and Space
March 31, 2021 10:00 - 12 minutes - 11 MBWe're told the curious entrepreneurs are the most successful. But we're also told we need to be experts for our startups to work. How do you balance being curious and learning with being seen as an expert? Today, we explore curiosity through one of the best founders to ever go through Tacklebox, and through another founder just getting started building something in the Space...space. Tacklebox Accelerator (next program June 2) Tacklebox Self-Paced Accelerator (next program whenever you'd...
Survivorship Bias, Base Rates, and Librarians
March 24, 2021 10:00 - 14 minutes - 13.2 MBYou get startup advice constantly. Your ears probably perk up when it comes from an entrepreneur that's been successful. But what should you listen to? What's still relevant? How can you evaluate if the tactics an entrepreneur suggests are right for you? Today we talk through survivorship bias, how to take advice, how to check base rates, and how to decide on the right strategies for your startup. Plus, librarians, salespeople, and adultery. Tacklebox (Cohort starts March 31) Tacklebox ...
Let It Go
March 17, 2021 10:00 - 15 minutes - 14 MBToday we'll talk about how to pick what you work on - we need to ensure you're spending your time on things that'll actually matter. We'll do it through the lens of the greatest company ever built. We also wrap up Problems + Opportunities and get some guidance from Peter Drucker. NewCo - Reach out to [email protected] to pitch Tacklebox - New cohort for idea-stage founders starting March 31 The Effective Executive - Drucker (🐐)
This Too Shall Pasta (Vision + Part II of Problems vs. Opportunities)
March 10, 2021 11:00 - 14 minutes - 13 MBLast week, we laid out the Problems vs. Opportunities (PVO) framework. This week, we dive deeper into the "vision" part of the framework, helping you identify and follow your North Star. We use This Too Shall Pasta, a gluten free DTC pasta company, to dig deeper into the PVO process. Tacklebox - Cohort 27 applications are open Tacklebox self-serve accelerator program Idea to Startup Book Club!! 🤓 First book: Extreme Ownership
Problems and Opportunities
March 03, 2021 11:00 - 18 minutes - 17.4 MBToday we're talking about problems vs. opportunities. It's easy for entrepreneurs to spend their time putting out fires - they're often the only ones who will. But it's far more important to block off time to identify and pursue opportunities that'll create asymmetric value. We discuss a framework for identifying, prioritizing, and pursuing opportunities. Also, Steph Curry and how to say "razorblades" with a flawless Australian accent. Tacklebox - Cohort 27 applications are open Tacklebo...
The Case For Now
February 24, 2021 11:00 - 13 minutes - 12.2 MBThree numbers and a story show the path for startups during a uniquely difficult but opportunity filled time. The goal of today's podcast is grounding and motivation. And pizza dough. We talk through opportunities for compound interest, knowledge growth, and the $32 trillion dollars that will change the startup market. Tacklebox Application (Cohort starts March 31) Tacklebox Self-Serve Amazzoni.us- use code "Tacklebox" at checkout for the best craft gin in the world (according to 2018) ...
What To Do About Competition (The Gift of "Which")
February 17, 2021 11:00 - 12 minutes - 11.1 MBWhat do you do when you stumble upon, or get smacked in the face by, a competitor? How do you react? What do you focus on? What do you stop doing? Can you still... exist? We talk through exactly what to do with competitors and discuss the "Gift of Which." The goods: Tacklebox Application (March 31) Tacklebox Self Serve (whenever you'd like) Jojo Rabbit
How to Sell A Protein Bar in Seven(ish) Minutes
February 10, 2021 11:00 - 15 minutes - 14.2 MBWhat if you've got a product and no customer? We go through an email from a listener who makes the world's best protein bars but has absolutely no idea who to sell them to. We use storytelling archetypes to find the best possible customer to catalyze the business. The goods: Tacklebox Application (March 31) Tacklebox Self Serve (whenever you'd like) Mindset Whopper Commercial
Mini Series Ep 3: A Bunch of Tests and an Epiphany
February 03, 2021 11:00 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MBThe third in our mini-series where we're starting a startup live on the pod. Today, we take what we learned from customer interviews and synthesize it into tests in real life. Step by step on customer, channel, landing page, and call-to-action. Plus, why atheists don't sell their soul and York Peppermint Patties. The goods: Idea Resume Tacklebox Application (March 31) The Art of Doing Science & Engineering Carrd (Landing Page Builder) The Sasquatch Problem (Are You Passionate Enoug...