Startup Stories - Mixergy
454 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 467 ratingsBusiness tips for startups by proven entrepreneurs
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#2184 An update on Ukraine from Aleksandr Volodarsky
March 17, 2022 15:18I’m kind of sad about this interview because joining me is someone who I’ve watched in the startup community for a long time, who I’ve become friends with. He’s been in Ukraine and I’ve watched him deal with what’s going on there. Aleksandr Volodarsky is the founder of Lemon.io, a developer marketplace. Recently, we’ve been talking in private and he said that he’s up for talking about the situation publicly. I’m really honored to have him on here to learn how he’s handling this crisis. Aleks...
#2183 Web scraping as a business
March 14, 2022 13:00Today’s guest had been hearing about stories of entrepreneurship and finally he took the leap himself. And do you know what happened? He failed. Badly. You’ll hear that story in this interview and how he eventually got to where he is today. Kevin Sahin is the founder of ScrapingBee, a web scraping API that provides tools to build web scrapers at scale. Kevin Sahin is the founder of ScrapingBee, a web scraping API that provides tools to build web scrapers at scale. Sponsored by Sendinblue –...
#2182 GrubHub founder Mike Evans is starting over
March 07, 2022 14:00I first interview Mike Evans 12 years ago when he was hustling to get GrubHub off the ground. It’s mind-boggling how much he got done in those 12 years and I want to find out about all of it: the IPO, the exit, the time off, and the new start. Today, Mike Evans is the founder of Fixer, an on-demand handy-man service. Mike Evans is the founder of Fixer, an on-demand handy-man service. Sponsored by Gusto – Gusto’s people platform helps businesses like yours onboard, pay, insure, and support...
#2181 Start a service business in minutes
February 28, 2022 14:00Today’s guest has been starting businesses since high school. But what’s interesting is that they were all in really different spaces. He ended up taking all that experience and launching his most recent company, Durable. James Clift is the founder of Durable, which makes owning a business easier than having a job. James Clift is the founder of Durable, which makes owning a business easier than having a job. Sponsored by Gusto – Gusto’s people platform helps businesses like yours onboard...
#2180 How this product went from a nice-to-have to an essential
February 21, 2022 14:00Arvind Jain noticed a problem that so many founders running a remote team can relate to. Here’s the scenario: a person on your sales team wants to know what new features are in the product pipeline. They need the answer to close a sale, but the answer is buried in a Slack channel, or a Google Sheet, or somewhere else. Well, Arvind created a product to solve that problem with Glean, which helps employees find the information they need at work. I want to find out how he did it. Arvind Jain is ...
#2180 Turn a product from a nice-to-have to an essential
February 21, 2022 14:00Arvind Jain noticed a problem that so many founders running a remote team can relate to. Here’s the scenario: a person on your sales team wants to know what new features are in the product pipeline. They need the answer to close a sale, but the answer is buried in a Slack channel, or a Google Sheet, or somewhere else. Well, Arvind created a product to solve that problem with Glean, which helps employees find the information they need at work. I want to find out how he did it. Arvind Jain is ...
#2179 Brutally honest Gen Z insights
February 14, 2022 14:00Today’s guest landed clients like Ebay, NFL and Pepsico all within a year of launching. He basically replaced the old school focus group model and turned into something more relevant and more scalable. I want to find out how he did it. Jay Richards is the founder of Imagen Insights, a marketing agency based in London. Jay Richards is the founder of Imagen Insights, a marketing agency based in London. Sponsored by Gusto – Gusto’s people platform helps businesses like yours onboard, pay, in...
#2178 Capsule is going after pharmacy giants
February 07, 2022 14:00Why is picking up a freaking prescription at Walgreens or CVS one of the worst experiences? Today’s guest asked himself that not too long ago. And what did he do? He found a new way. Eric Kinariwala is the founder of Capsule, the pharmacy that delivers prescriptions, the same day, for free—all from your phone. Eric Kinariwala is the founder of Capsule, the pharmacy that delivers prescriptions, the same day, for free—all from your phone. Sponsored by Gusto – Gusto’s people platform helps bu...
#2177 Launching a hardware company quickly
February 03, 2022 14:00I am fascinated by the business that today’s guest created. Eli Harris is the co-founder of R-Zero, which designs hospital-grade disinfection solutions for the day-to-day realities of modern businesses. I want to find out how he got a hardware business up and running so quickly in this space. Eli Harris is the co-founder of R-Zero, which designs hospital-grade disinfection solutions for the day-to-day realities of modern businesses. Sponsored by Gusto – Gusto’s people platform helps busine...
#2176 The story behind Artlist
January 24, 2022 14:00Today I’m talking to Ira Belsky, the founder of Artlist. Ira was a filmmaker and recognized a really painful problem with licensing and sourcing creative materials. I want to find out how he transitioned from filmmaker to bootstrapped entrepreneur. Artlist provides royalty-free music and SFX for video creators. Ira Belsky is the founder of Artlist, Royalty-Free Music and SFX for Video Creators. Sponsored by Gusto – Gusto’s people platform helps businesses like yours onboard, pay, insure,...
#2175 Connecting content creators and brands
January 21, 2022 14:00Keren Sachs is the founder of The Luupe, a marketplace for brands to connect with and hire diverse photographers. I want to find out how she came up with the idea and how she used grit to launch a marketplace with very little tech experience or outside funding. Keren Sachs is the founder of The Luupe, a marketplace for brands to connect with and hire diverse photographers. Sponsored by Gusto – Gusto’s people platform helps businesses like yours onboard, pay, insure, and support your hard...
#2174 Solving the e-commerce problem for alcoholic beverage brands
January 19, 2022 14:00My guest today has found a way to solve a very frustrating problem: buying alcohol online. It’s frustrating for consumers who can order basically anything else with one click and it’s frustrating for creators who have to use old channels to sell their products. Adi Pal is the founder of Barcart, which allows you to sell alcohol directly from your existing website, and leverage our proprietary purchase data to reach targeted shoppers in your product category. I invited him here to find out ho...
#2173 The upside of naivety when you have a big idea
January 17, 2022 14:00When I interviewed the founder of Tradeshift ten years ago, he had a very simple idea: Facebook for businesses. I don’t think even he could have imagined the complex problems he would encounter along the way. Things like global tax compliance, cloud security and enterprise integrations. But he figured it out and today Tradeshift is a unicorn with some very wide moats protecting it. I’ll ask him about all of it in this interview. Christian Lanng is the founder of Tradeshift, a network and pl...
#2172 Bringing tech to hospitality
January 14, 2022 14:00I’ve been feeling the pain that today’s guest is out to solve. Since moving to Austin, my wife and I still haven’t found a place to buy. So we’ve been jumping from Airbnb to Airbnb and we’re going a little crazy. Well, Luca Zambello found a way to make those check-in processes a little smoother and I want to find out how he did it. Luca is the founder of Jurny, hospitality tech company offering SaaS-based management solutions designed to accommodate the evolving needs and expectations of the...
#2171 Using entrepreneurship to protest
January 03, 2022 14:00For years, I thought protesting was a waste of time. To me, the only thing that works is to actually come up with something better. So I’m really excited that today’s guest John Laster, somebody who had been out there protesting and finally said, “You know what? Why are we protesting? Why aren’t we doing something about it?” And he decided he was going to do something about it. John Laster created an app called Blapp, which is a marketplace of black owned local businesses. I invited him here ...
#2170 A conversation with Deron Triff of WaitWhat and TED
December 22, 2021 14:00I want to understand about the business of content creation so invited Deron Triff. Deron is co-producer of the Masters of Scale podcast. And prior to that, he was on the executive team at TED. He is THE person to talk on this subject. Today Deron is co-founder WaitWhat, a New York based media invention company that creates and owns premium content. I’ll ask him about that too. Deron Triff is the co-founder WaitWhat, a New York based media invention company that creates and owns premium con...
#2169 How Netflix founder finds inspiring ideas
December 20, 2021 14:00This is the big question I have for this interview: How do you decide what to do with your life? And I have the perfect guest to guide me through that question. Marc Randolph is the co-founder of Netflix. I want to talk to him about that, and why he’s now in podcasting. Today, Marc is the host of That Will Never Work where he works directly with entrepreneurs who have been told “that will never work,” helping them turn their early or struggling businesses into sustainable companies. Marc Ran...
#2168 Songfinch is reinventing music making
December 17, 2021 14:00Songfinch today: Anyone can have a custom song written for their loved one, client, whoever. Nice business. Growing fast. The future: well, listen to the end. I think you’ll get why this is a much bigger idea. John Williamson is the founder of Songfinch, which creates personalized songs. Sponsored by Gusto – Gusto’s people platform helps businesses like yours onboard, pay, insure, and support your hardworking team. Payroll, benefits, and more. Their customizable onboarding checklists were ...
#2167 AMA with employee one at DoorDash
December 15, 2021 14:00Today Andrew Munday is the founder of Local Kitchens, a micro food hall that lets you mix-and-match your favorite local restaurants in one easy order. He emailed me recently about how he was the first employee at DoorDash and all the things he could talk about from that experience. I’m so excited to have him on to talk about it and also his new company. Andrew Munday is the founder of Local Kitchens, a micro food hall that lets you mix-and-match your favorite local restaurants in one easy or...
#2166 $1M in less than a year
December 13, 2021 14:00My guest today started a business in January 2021 and has already hit $1M in revenue. But that’s not even the most amazing part. What amazes me is that he did it in a space that I would have thought was too mature for that type of growth. So I invited him here to find out how he did it. Laith Masarweh is the founder of Assistantly, which offers virtual team member staffing solutions. Laith Masarweh is the founder of Assistantly, which offers virtual team member staffing solutions. Sponsored...
#2165 Another startup that replaced a spreadsheet
December 10, 2021 14:00Jason Hirshman is the founder of Uncountable, which helps R&D scientists with comprehensive data management system the whole team can work in. That might sound like a complicated solution but in this interview you’ll find out that he got traction quickly just by taking common Silicon Valley data management into other verticals just outside of tech. Jason Hirshman is the founder of Uncountable, which helps R and D scientists move from isolated spreadsheets and projects to a comprehensive data...
#2164 Making product decisions at scale
December 08, 2021 14:00I remember Noah Kagan telling me that he would get on Skype to get feedback from early customers. That idea stuck with me but even then it didn’t seem scalable. Well, today’s guest agrees with that. So he created a platform that can deliver customers insights at scale. I invited him here to find out how he did it. Dan Leahy is the founder of MakerSights, the product decision platform. Dan Leahy is the founder of MakerSights, the product decision platform. Sponsored by Gusto – Gusto’s peo...
#2163 Jesse Pujji 10 years later
December 06, 2021 14:00Today I’m catching up with Jesse Pujji, the founder of Ampush. When we first talked to him in 2011, Ampush was doing $1M a month. I want to find out how big he grew it and what he’s doing now. Jesse Pujji is the founder of Ampush, a growth marketing partner that crafts holistic strategies and executes throughout the funnel. Sponsored by Sendinblue – Sendinblue is the smartest and most intuitive platform for growing businesses. They will guide your business with the right marketing & sales ...
#2162 This unicorn is soundtracking the internet
December 03, 2021 14:00Today’s guest has built a $100M dollars in revenue company but it didn’t happen overnight. I want to find out how he he got here. Oscar Hoglund is the founder of Epidemic Sound, which provides Premium Music for content creators. Oscar Hoglund is the founder of Epidemic Sound, which provides Premium Music for content creators. Sponsored by Gusto – Gusto’s people platform helps businesses like yours onboard, pay, insure, and support your hardworking team. Payroll, benefits, and more. Their c...
#2161 The app that lets anyone sell online
December 01, 2021 14:00Today’s guest noticed a problem that I’ve noticed for years. I want to find out how he was able to make the solution work when so many others have failed. Ruben Flores-Martinez is the founder of Cashdrop, which allows merchants to sell online in minutes. In this interview, we’ll get into the story, the challenges, and the competition. Ruben Flores-Martinez is the founder of Cashdrop, which allows merchants to sell online in minutes. Sponsored by Sendinblue – Sendinblue is the smartest and ...
#2160 Creating content for the fringe
November 29, 2021 14:00It seems like everyone is in the creator economy now. So much so that sometimes I wonder if I’m still in the right space. Well, today’s guest has a different outlook and I want to find out why. Dave Nemetz is the founder of Inverse, which covers the latest news and advancements in science, entertainment, gaming, innovation, and the mind and body. Dave Nemetz is the founder of Inverse, which covers the latest news and advancements in science, entertainment, gaming, innovation, and the mind a...
#2159 How Tom Cruz Makes $300,000/m In Section 8 Rent
November 22, 2021 14:00If you were on my site in 2015 and tried to leave it, a pop up that Tom Cruz created would have sprung up to convince you to join my email list and buy a membership. It worked beautifully, so why did Tom ditch that business for real estate? And can we see his numbers from that business? Tom Cruz is a real estate investor. Sponsored by Sendinblue – Sendinblue is the smartest and most intuitive platform for growing businesses. They will guide your business with the right marketing & sales to...
#2158 Succeeding where others have failed
November 19, 2021 14:00Today’s guest was trying to solve a problem that so many companies have gone after but failed. I want to find out what he did to make it work with his company, Horatio. Jose Herrera is the founder of Horatio, a customer service outsourcing company. If you’re interested in any kind of outsourcing, you’ll want to hear his story. Jose Herrera is the founder of Horatio, a customer service outsourcing company. Sponsored by HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re...
#2157 Creating a product line
November 17, 2021 14:00Today’s guest found a set of customers who had a really specific problem. So he created a company to solve it for them. The idea was so good that it was funded by Andreessen Horowitz. I want to find out how he got here. Ronak Trivedi is the founder of Pietra, where creators can build a product line. Ronak Trivedi is the founder of Pietra, where creators can build a product line. Sponsored by Sendinblue – Sendinblue is the smartest and most intuitive platform for growing businesses. They wi...
#2156 A tech founders approach to home learning
November 12, 2021 14:00I have so much I want to get out of this interview personally. Victoria Ransom is the co-founder of Prisma, a full-time virtual educational program for kids grades 4-8 that fully replaces regular school and is a low lift for parents. I want to find out how she found a way to make education better for both parents and kids. Victoria Ransom is the co-founder of Prisma, a full-time virtual educational program for kids grades 4-8 that fully replaces regular school and is a low lift for parents. ...
#2155 SaaS for podcasting
November 10, 2021 14:00My guest today has created a much more modern solution for podcasters. I wish his company had been around when I started Mixergy over 10 years ago. I invited him here to talk about why he chose to build a SaaS in this space and how he’s grown it to over $1M ARR. Craig Hewitt is the founder of Castos, podcast hosting and analytics. Craig Hewitt is the founder of Castos, podcast hosting and analytics. Sponsored by Sendinblue – Sendinblue is the smartest and most intuitive platform for growin...
#2154 Minimalist Entrepreneur Book Summary with Sahil Lavingia of Gumroad
November 08, 2021 14:00Today I’m talking to Sahil Lavingia about his book, The Minimalist Entrepreneur, How Great Founders Do More with Less. Sahil Lavingia is the author of The Minimalist Entrepreneur, How Great Founders Do More with Less. Sponsored by Sendinblue – Sendinblue is the smartest and most intuitive platform for growing businesses. They will guide your business with the right marketing & sales tools and help you reach the right people and produce the right content. Mixergy listeners who sign up will ...
#2153 Building a startup to sell
November 05, 2021 13:00Today’s guest told our producer he knows he’s not building anything earth-shattering. He’s making safe moves. But here’s the thing: he’s still creating value. I want to find out how he’s doing it. Kenny Schumacher is the founder of Delesign, a flat rate unlimited graphic design service. Kenny Schumacher is the founder of Delesign, a flat rate unlimited graphic design service. Sponsored by Sendinblue – Sendinblue is the smartest and most intuitive platform for growing businesses. They will...
#2152 Product lifecycle management explained
November 03, 2021 13:00I’m talking to Ray Hein today. I want to find out how he bounced back from the failure of his first company. It was a good idea and one that he invested $1M of his own money into. I want to know how that experience didn’t prevent him from launching Propel, his current company. Ray Hein is the founder of Propel, a cloud-based product success platform. Ray Hein is the founder of Propel, a cloud-based product success platform. Sponsored by HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next le...
#2151 Taking on Amazon and Shopify
November 01, 2021 13:00My guest today is Omair Tariq, the founder of Cart.com. He says it’s the world’s first end-to-end e-commerce platform and he’s going up against Amazon and Shopify right out of the gate. I don’t know why he’s taking them on but I appreciate the battle. I invited him here largely because the guy’s got a war chest and a track record of creating amazing e-commerce successes. I want to find out how he’s using it. Omair Tariq is the founder of Cart.com, and end-to-end e-commerce platform. Sponso...
#2150 Don’t trust your “gut” in business decisions
October 29, 2021 13:00Today’s guest had an impressive career at McKinsey before becoming an entrepreneur. In this interview, I want to find out how he used what he learned at that company to build his own company. Jeremy King is the founder of Attest, which provides consumer research, giving you the confidence for every decision with the right insight, at the right time. Jeremy King is the founder of Attest, which provides consumer research, giving you the confidence for every decision with the right insight, at...
#2149 Creating an alternative social network
October 25, 2021 13:00Today’s guest is up against a daunting task. Mark Weinstein is the creator of MeWe, an alternative social network to Facebook. It’s alternative in many ways. They don’t run ads, they don’t censor, the use no algorithms. I’m curious how he’s getting millions of users. Mark Weinstein is the creator of MeWe, an alternative social network. Sponsored by HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or an experienced web pro, HostGator has all the ...
#2148 A special message from me
October 20, 2021 13:00Watch the FULL program tbd About Andrew Warner This is the latest post from Mixergy Raw transcript Mixergy’s audio transcription is done by Speechpad Come back in a few days to get the full transcript of this program. Sponsored by Walker Corporate Law – Scott Edward Walker is the lawyer entrepreneurs turn to when they […] More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
#2147 Making the internet safer for kids
October 19, 2021 13:00Joining me is an entrepreneur who is out to make the internet safer for kids. There are so many brands out there who want to reach a young audience but they have to do it in a safe way. That’s the problem my guest tried to solve and somehow he was able to do it and still make money in the process. I want to find out how. Joshua Wohle is the founder of SuperAwesome, which enables safe, digital engagement with the global under-13/16 audience. Joshua Wohle is the founder of SuperAwesome, which ...
#2146 Entering a huge market with a differentiator
October 15, 2021 13:00Today I have a bootstrapper who entered a crowded market but some how he’s making it work. I want to find out how he did it. Michael Martocci is the founder of SwagUp, an API-first platform to create, automate, and distribute high quality branded swag, across all teams and use cases. Michael Martocci is the founder of SwagUp, an API-first platform to create, automate, and distribute high quality branded swag, across all teams and use cases. Sponsored by HostGator – Ready to take your websi...
#2145 Wil Schroter and I talk about my burnout
October 13, 2021 13:00I almost cancelled today’s interview with Wil Schroter because on the way to the office I was feeling all the weight of burnout. So instead of talking about Startups.com, the company will built, I’m going to talk to him about this. Wil Schroter is the founder of Startups.com, which offers education, community, and tools to help startups launch faster. Sponsored by HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or an experienced web pro, HostGa...
#2144 Bringing technology to the parking industry
October 11, 2021 13:00 - 1.49 KBMy guest today has been in the parking industry for forty years. Instead of just doing the same thing–which was working–he decided to bring innovation and technology to what he calls a “grudge purchase.” I want to find out how he did it. Jerry Skillett is the founder of SPACES, a contactless parking payments platform. Jerry Skillett is the founder of SPACES, a contactless parking payments platform. Sponsored by HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a f...
#2143 The software taking the teeth out of manipulative marketing
October 07, 2021 13:00As someone who loves whiskey, I know that most purchase decisions come down to marketing and how the bottle looks. Well, today’s guest noticed that too–particularly in the wine industry. So she created a solution to demystify taste and help consumers make better choices based on their actual preferences. Katerina Axelsson is the founder of Tastry, a SaaS and insights company using AI and flavor chemistry to predict how consumers will perceive sensory-based products before they hit the marke...
#2142 Solving the customer testimonial problem
October 04, 2021 13:00 - 1.5 KBTestimonials are a thing that a lot of businesses are looking for. The problem is that most of them are boring, unclear, and unconvincing. Today’s guest is trying to fix that. Sam Shepler is the founder of Testimonial Hero, a B2B customer video company with both on-site videography (zero travel fees globally) and 100% remote video testimonial options. Sam Shepler is the founder of Testimonial Hero, a B2B customer video company with both on-site videography (zero travel fees globally) and 100...
#2141 Productizing personalized growth
October 01, 2021 13:00 - 1.49 KBToday’s guest is solving a problem that I totally understand. But it’s not an easy problem to address at scale. I want to find out how he’s doing it. Omer Glass is the founder of GrowthSpace, which creates personalized growth programs for your employees. I invited him here to talk about growth space, how well it’s doing and to tell me over and over again, why he will not reveal publicly what his revenue is, even though he’s doing phenomenally. Omer Glass is the founder of GrowthSpace, whic...
#2140 Buying and selling online businesses
September 29, 2021 13:00Joining me is someone who told me this idea they had about buying, building, and selling multiple underdeveloped content side. At the time, I wasn’t sure it was a good idea because it felt like spreading spreading oneself too thin. Turns out I was wrong. Rohit Gandrakota is the founder of Earn with Authority, which buys and builds online businesses. Rohit Gandrakota is the founder of Earn with Authority, which buys and builds online businesses. Sponsored by SEMrush – If you’re doing con...
#2139 The simplest $6M dollar idea
September 27, 2021 13:00Today’s guest is doing $6M ARR selling freaking air fresheners. Seriously, just a better replacement for those little trees that hang from the rearview mirror. He says selling a fragrance over the internet is the world’s worse elevator pitch but I disagree. I want to find out how he did it. Ryan Baylis is the founder of Drift, a scent based, home goods company. Ryan Baylis is the founder of Drift, a scent based, home goods company. Sponsored by HostGator – Ready to take your website to the...
#2138 Building a global business from a small market
September 24, 2021 13:00Rahul Aggarwal is the founder of Desighill, a creative marketplace for businesses and individuals. He built it and is running it from India even through only a small percentage of their customer base is represented there. I want to find out how he’s doing it. Rahul Aggarwal is the founder of Designhill, a creative marketplace for businesses and individuals. Sponsored by HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or an experienced web pro...
#2137 What I’ve learned from 2,000+ interviews
September 22, 2021 13:00 - 1.49 KBI haven’t talked about this much but I have a new book coming out in October. The book is full of conversation techniques I’ve learned after 14 years and 2,000 interviews. The book is called Stop Asking Questions. I was interviewed by Tom Boyd of the Creators Are Brands podcast about what’s inside. Check out the conversation. Tom Boyd is the host of Creators Are Brands, where he helps creators unlock their creative power, tell better stories and build brands. More interviews -> https://mixe...
#2136 Why there’s still room in the productivity space
September 20, 2021 13:00Alice Default is the co-founder of Double, which connects busy executives with experienced part-time assistants and delegation tools. I want to find out why she went from building software to building a service company. Alice Default is the co-founder of Double, which connects busy executives with experienced part-time assistants and delegation tools. Sponsored by HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or an experienced web pro, HostG...