Startup Stories - Mixergy
454 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 467 ratingsBusiness tips for startups by proven entrepreneurs
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Episodes
#2135 Reinventing a business killed by COVID
September 17, 2021 13:00Joining me today is an entrepreneur who had a business that suffered of COVID closures in the restaurant space. So he rebounded with an idea that I think most people expected to fail. I want to find out why he hasn’t. Vitaly Alexandrov is the founder of Food Rocket, super-fast, on-demand grocery delivery. Vitaly Alexandrov is the founder of Food Rocket, super-fast, on-demand grocery delivery. Sponsored by HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-ti...
#2134 Finding a gap to fill in online education
September 15, 2021 13:00Joining me as an entrepreneur who took on the cloud at a time when people were not as enthused about it as I would have expected them to be. And so he looked around and realized that there’s a world of parents who want to teach their kids English but they lack access. So he created an online school that offers immersive English as a second language. Max Azarov is the founder of NovaKid, online English classes for kids. Max Azarov is the founder of NovaKid, online English classes for kids. S...
#2133 The profitable business model you’ve never heard of
September 13, 2021 13:00I can’t believe that today’s founder created a company that’s in my world, in my space, and I didn’t know it existed. It’s a fantastically successful company with a model that just makes sense. How did I not know that it existed and how could so many of these businesses exist? Shawn Rubel is the founder of Vecteezy, a freemium marketplace for photos and textures, vector illustrations, and high-quality video footage. Shawn Rubel is the founder of Vecteezy, premium photos and textures, vector ...
#2132 The startup powering your streaming videos
September 10, 2021 13:00Today’s guest figured out that distributing streaming video is becoming more complicate, not less complicated. So he created a way to make it easier for developers. Jon Dahl is the founder of Mux, an API that enables developers to build unique live and on-demand video experiences. Jon Dahl is the founder of Mux, API for video. More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
#2131 Outsourcing the role of technical co-founder
September 08, 2021 13:00One of the things that new entrepreneurs keep looking for is how to get a technical co-founder. They have an idea but they need somebody to partner with to actually build it. Well, joining me is someone who essentially is a technical co-founder you can hire. Chris Stegner is the founder of Very Big Things. It’s a digital products and services agency. Chris Stegner is the founder of Very Big Things, a digital products and services agency. Sponsored by HostGator – Ready to take your websit...
#2130 The liquor alternative making $10M ARR in 2 years
September 03, 2021 13:00My guest today is someone who came up with a counter-intuitive product that I think a lot of people in my audience can probably really relate to. There comes a point in your life when you’ve got kids, you’re running a business, you’ve got to get up early, and so you don’t want to drink. But, for many people, having a cocktail is a ritual. Well, David Crooch figured out a way to have it both ways. He is the co-founder of Ritual Zero Proof, a true liquor replacement. David Crooch is the co-...
#2129 How to outsource your tax headaches
September 01, 2021 13:00I know so many founders who have had tax compliance issues that drove them crazy. Well, today’s guest has a solution for that. We’ll talk about that and the other insanely companies he’s built. Scott McFarlane is the founder Avalara, tax compliance software. Scott McFarlane is the founder Avalara, tax compliance software. 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 tools you ne...
#2128 How Early (Repeated) Mistakes Gave Birth to a $1MM Creative Solution by Solving His Own Problem
August 30, 2021 13:00Joining me is someone I’ve known for years and watched as he struggled with challenges with his business. But I also saw how committed he was. He’s here to talk about what that was like and how he pulled himself out of the hardest moments. Matt Ackerson is the founder of AutoGrow.co, which which helps agencies, marketers, and brands get quality marketing projects ‘done-for-you’ fast with 12 skillset for 1 price, and all without the headaches of hiring. Matt Ackerson is the founder of AutoGro...
#2127 Turning a physical product into a service
August 27, 2021 13:00Today I’m talking to two co-founders about this unbelievable service they have created. It’s a fascinating model solving a very specific pain point for a very specific group of people. I’ll ask them about it all in this interview. Erik Rico and Oscar Llarena are the founders of Bat Club USA, a subscription service for baseball and softball players. Erik Rico and Oscar Llarena are the founder of Bat Club USA, a subscription service for baseball and softball players. Sponsored by HostGator –...
#2126 Bootstrapping an ambitious idea in crypto
August 25, 2021 13:00Today’s guest is solving such a pain for anyone who has ever tried to make a transaction using cryptocurrency. I would have guessed that he was backed by huge VCs based on the product he’s built but it turns out the whole thing is bootstrapped! I want to find out how he did it. Ivan Soto-Wright is the founder of Moonpay, a payments infrastructure for crypto. Ivan Soto-Wright is the founder of Moonpay, a payments infrastructure for crypto. Sponsored by HostGator – Ready to take your websi...
#2125 How Chess.com scaled a massive community
August 23, 2021 13:00Nobody thought the old game of chess could turn into a real business in a world with internet. Frankly, there was a time when Erik Allebest, Chess.com’s founder, didn’t think it would and even tried turning his attention to a bigger, sexier market. But through constant cranking away, Chess.com became huge business. This is the shocking story of how that happened. Erik Allebest is the founder of Chess.com., the world’s largest chess community. Sponsored by HostGator – Ready to take your web...
#2124 Hint founder on overcoming doubts and doubters
August 20, 2021 14:34Today I’m talking to Kara Goldin, the founder of Hint, a flavored water I see all over San Francisco. I invited her here to talk about how she built up the business and a large part of this interview is based on her freaking amazing book, Undaunted: Overcoming Doubts and Doubters. I actually don’t believe she really had that many doubts and doubters, but I’ll ask her about that in this interview. Kara Goldin is the founder of Hint, fruit-infused flavored water. Sponsored by HostGator – Rea...
#2123 The easiest way to design and build physical products
August 18, 2021 13:00If you’re an entrepreneur who had an idea for a physical product but is overwhelmed by the idea of bringing it to life, you need this interview. John McEleney is the founder of Onshape, a Software-as-a-Service product development platform. John McEleney is the founder of Onshape, a Software-as-a-Service product development platform. 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 too...
#2122 Building the Zillow of startup acquisitions
August 16, 2021 13:00My guest today is someone who comes off humble but I’m here to challenge him on that. I think it’s an act. We’ll find out in this interview. Andrew Gazdecki is the founder of MicroAcquire which lists startups with $500,000 ARR or less. Andrew Gazdecki is the founder of MicroAcquire which lists startups with $500,000 ARR or less. 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 tools y...
#2121 A mindfulness app for the creator economy
August 13, 2021 13:00Today’s guest was not the type of person who was selling candy as a kid because he was so entrepreneurial. But he did really care about health–particularly mental health. So Steve Lee and his brother built a mindfulness app called Aura. In this interview, we’ll talk about how they found a more modern business model and why things got a lot harder after they took significant funding. Steve Lee is the co-founder of Aura Health, a mindfulness app. Sponsored by SEMrush – If you’re doing con...
#2120 Applying SaaS economics outside of software
August 11, 2021 13:00Today’s guest created a car wash company that I am so freaking fascinated by. He took an old business model and was able to incorporate a membership component to it. Well, that business led to an experiment that gave him an entirely new business idea. I want to find out how he did it. Brent Oakley is the founder of Vibenomics, which sells Audio-Out-of-Home advertising. Brent Oakley is the founder of Vibenomics, which sells Audio-Out-of-Home advertising. Sponsored by HostGator – Ready to ...
#2119 The $100M company you don’t know about yet
August 09, 2021 13:00My guest today couldn’t understand why the research industry wasn’t catching up to the technology of, say, the advertising industry. So he decided to do something about it. Patrick Comer is the founder of Luc.id, which helps companies make data-driven decisions inspired by the sentiments of real people. Patrick Comer is the founder of Luc.id, which helps companies make data-driven decisions inspired by the sentiments of real people. Sponsored by Vervoe – If you’re considering hiring, use ...
#2118 $80M ARR by year two??!?
August 06, 2021 13:00Today’s guest is someone who got $250K in credit card debt while trying to build his first business. In this interview, you’ll hear how his stubbornness got him out of that situation and into back-to-back multi-million dollar e-commerce businesses. Today, Jeff Sawyer Lee is the founder of FitTrack, a simple solution to help you gain insight into your health. Jeff Lee is the founder of FitTrack, a simple solution to help you gain insight into your health. Sponsored by HostGator – Ready to t...
#2117 Demystifying a BNPL startup
August 04, 2021 13:00Today’s guest is someone who was new the US but had a great job and was making good money. So imagine how surprised and embarrassed he was when he was turned down for a Costco credit card when shopping with his family. That experience led him to look deeper into the market and see that there was a big opportunity to make credit more available for non-discretionary purchases. Arad Levertov is the founder of Sunbit, a buy now, pay-over-time solution. I invited him here to find out how he did i...
#2116 This startup just replaced the spreadsheet for applicant tracking
August 02, 2021 13:00It’s been said that the best businesses ideas are just replacements for spreadsheets. Well, that’s what today’s guest figured out after the failure of his first business. Raj Sheth is the founder of Recruiterbox, applicant tracking software. I’ll find out how he did it in this interview. Raj Sheth is the founder of Recruiterbox, applicant tracking software. Sponsored by HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or an experienced web pro, ...
#2115 OurCrowd, the Biggest Crowdfunded VC You Don’t Know Yet
July 30, 2021 13:00One of the popular dinner topics here in San Francisco is who invested in what. And it’s one of those things that can easily feel exclusive because you have to spend time to build relationships, you have to have access, you have to have opportunity. And that’s where today’s guest comes in. Jon Medved is the founder of OurCrowd, which enables investments in pre-vetted startups and exclusive venture funds. Jon Medved is the founder of OurCrowd, which enables investments in pre-vetted startups ...
#2114 “I secretly despised my business.”
July 28, 2021 13:00My guest today told his customers he didn’t love the business. They were shocked. Admitting it wasn’t working allowed him to create a new business. Today Chris Brisson is the founder of Salesmsg, simple, scalable, two-way business texting. Chris Brisson is the founder of Salesmsg, simple, scalable, two-way business texting. Sponsored by Overpass – Transform your sales with the only platform for hiring remote sales experts, monitoring and managing your team, tracking outcomes and measuring ...
#2113 Gupshup nearly died. Became $1.4 billion text company
July 26, 2021 13:00Joining me is someone whose business failed so many times that most people would started over with something new. He didn’t. And today the business is worth $1.4 billion. Beerud Sheth is the founder of Gupshup, a smart messaging platform that enables developers to build messaging services and bots that work across all channels. Beerud Sheth is the founder of Gupshup, a smart messaging platform that enables developers to build messaging services and bots that work across all channels. Spon...
#2112 Expanding you potential with psychedelics
July 23, 2021 16:02When Ryan Hoover suggested that I meet today’s guest, I knew it was going to be an interesting person. And when I looked into the company that today’s guest created, I wanted to be a customer as quickly as possible. Dylan Beynon is the founder of Mindbloom, a platform that provides services to affiliated psychiatric medical practices which are independently owned and operated. We’ll talk about what that means in this interview. Dylan Beynon is the founder of Mindbloom, a mental health and ...
#2111 How a craft beer sold for $100M
July 21, 2021 13:00Before talking to today’s guest, I would have guessed that the craft beer market was fully saturated. In this interview, I’ll find out why he thought there was room for one more. Josh Landan is the founder of Saint Archer, a craft brewery that was sold in 2015. I also want to ask him about his new company, a hard seltzer. Josh Landan is the founder of Saint Archer, a craft brewery that was sold in 2015. Today he is the founder Ashland Hard Seltzer. Sponsored by Memberful – Memberful is mem...
#2110 Less Annoying CRM
July 19, 2021 13:00I remember when I first saw the software that today’s guest created. The fricking name got my attention immediately. Tyler King is the founder of Less Annoying CRM, a simple CRM built just for small businesses. The name itself acknowledges and communicates the pain that he’s solving. I want to find out how he did it. Tyler King is the founder of Less Annoying CRM, a simple CRM built just for small businesses. Sponsored by Memberful – Memberful is membership software for independent creato...
#2109 Can LinkedIn automation be done right?
July 16, 2021 13:00Joining me is an entrepreneur who discovered how effective LinkedIn is for building relationships, but also for marketing and growing sales. So he created a tool that will allow you to do that. In this interview, we’ll talk about specific growth hacks and the challenges of the platform. Stefan Smulders is the co-founder of Expandi, a cloud platform that is designed to make automated outreach safe. Stefan Smulders is the co-founder of Expandi, a cloud platform that is designed to make automat...
#2108 How do you scale writing?
July 14, 2021 13:00Joining me is someone who built a business off of writing and then realized, you know, the bigger this business gets, the less happy I am. Nicholas Cole is the co-founder of Digital Press, a thought leadership agency for CEOs, executives, and serial entrepreneurs. In this interview, I’ll ask him why he got rid of his entire team and tripled his profitability. Nicolas Cole is the co-founder of Digital Press, which turns ideas into scalable thought leadership content. Sponsored by HostGator...
#2107 Why is this nuclear engineer helping others self-publish?
July 12, 2021 13:00I’ve got to be honest, I’m not as interested in the software today’s guest created as I am in his story. Dave Chesson started out as a nuclear engineer and arms dealer. He began writing books while out at sea. When he left the military, he turned that experience into a side hustle which turned into a full-blown business. I want to find out how he did it. Dave Chesson is the founder of Kindlepreneur, which teaches people how to Self-Publish a book and sell more copies online. Dave Chesson is ...
#2106 Monetizing other people’s opinions
July 09, 2021 13:00You ever feel like you just know what’s going to happen? You know the future of Bitcoin or you know who’s going to win the game? Well today’s guest found a way for people to actually get paid for their predictions instead of just ranting on Twitter. John Vitti is the founder of VersusGame, the game that lets users predict against friends and win cash. John Vitti is the founder of VersusGame, the game that lets you predict with your friends and win cash. Sponsored by Memberful – Memberfu...
#2105 $4M online school inspired by Elon Musk
July 07, 2021 13:00If you’ve been a long-time listener you might have heard me complain about my education. So much so that a guest at one time told me to stop. But I still think there should be a better way. Another person who feels that way is Elon Musk. He hired someone to create a whole new curriculum for his kids. Well, today’s guest got to see inside that program and he was so blown away by it that he created a company that kids outside of SpaceX can get access to. Chrisman Frank is the founder of Synthes...
#2104 Why am I featuring this life coaching school on Mixergy?
July 05, 2021 13:00I was really reluctant to have today’s guest on Mixergy because at first it seemed outside of our scope. Nick Bolton is the founder of Animas, a school for life coaches. What I discovered after looking deeper into his story is that he encountered many challenges that we all face in our businesses. Nick Bolton is the founder of Animas, a school for life coaches. Sponsored by Memberful – Memberful is membership software for independent creators, publishers, educators, podcasters, and more. ...
#2103 How Loomly replaced the social media spreadsheet
July 02, 2021 13:00Anyone who has tried to manage their own social media marketing calendar knows what a pain in the neck it is. Today’s guest felt that problem personally and set out to solve it. Thibaud Clement is the founder of Loomly, a brand success platform. Thibaud Clement is the founder of Loomly, a brand success platform. Sponsored by Memberful – Memberful is membership software for independent creators, publishers, educators, podcasters, and more. You can create any kind of subscription plan, opt...
#2102 Monetizing your audience
June 30, 2021 13:00Joining me is a former NFL player. He’s here because he realized something that I realized years ago: it is so hard to sell content online to an your audience. Well, instead of patching together different solutions like I’ve done for a decade, he created a solution. Drew Strojny is the founder of Memberful, membership software for independent creators, publishers, educators, podcasters, and more. I invited him here to find out how he built it. Drew Strojjny is the founder of Memberful, membe...
#2101 Surviving booms and busts
June 28, 2021 13:00Today’s guests became minted on the internet in a time before Google. Beyond that he survived several crashes, sold and bought back his company and so much more. It’s a crazy story. We’ll find out how he did it. Jon Waterman is the founder of Ad.net which enables online advertisers to reach new audiences via their private network of top quality publishers and distribution channels. Jon Waterman is the founder of Ad.net which enables online advertisers to reach new audiences via their priva...
#2100 Addressing customer gifting at scale
June 25, 2021 13:00Today’s guest had an idea that I freaking love. It’s one thing to buy a meaningful gift for one person that you know really well, but how do you give gifts to hundreds of people and have that same affect? It seems like a problem that can’t really be solved with technology but Sara Rodell found a way to do exactly that. Sara is the founder of Loop and Tie, customer gifting platform builds long-lasting relationships – at scale. Sara Rodell is the founder of Loop and Tie, customer gifting platf...
#2099 $7M ARR in a crowded market
June 23, 2021 13:00Just when you thought there was no room for yet another recruiting company, in walks today’s guest who built not one but two solutions for the space. And he was able to do that without writing any code in the beginning. We’ll find out how in this interview. George Carollo is the founder Dover, an end-to-end recruiting tool. George Carollo is the founder Dover, an end-to-end recruiting tool. Sponsored by SEMrush – If you’re doing content marketing of any kind, you need to know about SEM...
#2098 He sold his company to WeWork (and bought it back)
June 21, 2021 13:00Joining me is an entrepreneur whose story I had read about. He built his company up to $25M but something happened and revenue went down to zero. The story doesn’t end there. He built the company back up, sold it to WeWork and wait until you hear what happened next. Seth Besmertnik is the founder of Conductor, a search and content intelligence platform that helps marketers create and optimize content to improve visibility online. Seth Besmertnik is the founder of Conductor, a search and co...
#2097 Helping agencies run profitable projects
June 18, 2021 13:00When I talked to today’s guest before we got started, he told me about some of the difficulties that he had starting a business. There was one word he used that described how he did it: ambition. We’ll talk about what that means in this interview. Santi Bibiloni is the founder of COR, the #1 project profitability tool. Santi Bibiloni is the founder of COR, the #1 project profitability tool. Sponsored by Overpass – Transform your sales with the only platform for hiring remote sales experts,...
#2096 Marketing automation explained
June 16, 2021 13:00Joining me is yet another entrepreneur who got into marketing automation software. I’m going to ask him if thinks someone getting into the space today could still have a viable business. Sean Leonard is the founder of JumpDemand, a customer acquisition automation system. Sean Leonard is the founder of JumpDemand, a customer acquisition automation system. Sponsored by HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or an experienced web pro, H...
#2095 Can automated personalization really work?
June 14, 2021 13:00Joining me is someone whose software you’ve probably interacted with. Maybe you were frustrated by it. Maybe you admired it. Maybe it was a combination of both. I’m about to take you behind the scenes of the business behind it. Guillaume Moubeche is the co-founder of lemlist which allows you to personalize cold emails and automate follow-ups. Guillaume Moubeche is the co-founder of lemlist which allows you to personalize cold emails and automate follow-ups. Sponsored by HostGator – Ready t...
#2094 Challenges of category creation
June 11, 2021 13:00Andy Bilinsky is the co-founder of Lensabl, which offers vision benefit plans and online prescriptions. I want to find out how his time at HauteLook inspired him to launch an eyewear brand and leveraged the growth enabled by flash sale sites. But flash sale sites trended down right as Warby Parker came to the market. We’ll hear how he decided to copy his well-funded competitor and pivoted to DTC. Andy Bilinsky is the co-founder of Lensabl, which offers vision benefit plans and online presc...
#2093 A founder’s relationship with debt
June 09, 2021 13:00For years, I’ve used the software that today’s guest created. A lot of companies claim that they are powered by AI. This company is actually using it. Oli Gardner is the founder of Unbounce, which allows you to create landing pages without coding. Oli Gardner is the founder of Unbounce, which allows you to create landing pages without coding. 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 a...
#2092 8 figures making wedding bands for men
June 07, 2021 13:00Today I have two guests who have tried for years to solve problems they ran across but they didn’t know how to sell. Well, after going through the wedding ring shopping experience, they found a pain so obvious that they knew it would sell itself. John Ruggiero and Michelle Luchese are the founders of Manly Bands, unique wedding bands for men. I invited them on to find out how they built it with no outside funding. John Ruggiero and Michelle Luchese are the founders of Manly Bands, unique wed...
#2091 SMS marketing for e-commerce
June 04, 2021 13:00Today’s guest and his co-founder were all rejected from YC with earlier ideas. Eventually they got together and came up with the idea for SMS marketing for Shopify stores. That idea got them into YC and eventually $40m in funding. I want to find out how he did it. Alex Beller is the founder of Postscript, SMS marketing for growing Shopify stores. Alex Beller is the founder of Postscript, SMS marketing for growing Shopify stores. Sponsored by Toptal – Toptal is a global network of top talen...
#2090 Kayak founder sets sights on solving podcast discovery
June 02, 2021 13:00Today’s guest sold his company for $2,000,000,000. But he didn’t stop after the exit. He went on to build several other companies including Lola and Moonbeam. I want to find out how he did it. Joining me is Paul English, the founder of Kayak, the online travel agency and metasearch engine. Paul English is the founder of Kayak, an online travel agency and metasearch engine. Sponsored by SEMrush – If you’re doing content marketing of any kind, you need to know about SEMrush. Explore 40+ SEMr...
#2089 Online coding classes for kids
May 28, 2021 13:00Especially after COVID, people began taking remote learning seriously. Today I invited an entrepreneur who was ahead of this trend. Vivian Shen is the co-founder of Juni Learning, online coding classes for kids. I want to find out about not only the impact of COVID on her business but also the future of online education. Vivian Shen is the co-founder of Juni Learning, online coding classes for kids. Sponsored by HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a fi...
#2088 Hiring a remote sales team
May 26, 2021 13:00I can’t believe that the solution today’s guest came up with didn’t already exist. You can hire a remote developer; you can hire a remote EA; so why couldn’t you hire a remote sales person? Lavie Popack is the founder of Overpass, which allows you to hire and manage a remote sales team. I invited him here to find out how he built it. Lavie Popack is the founder of Overpass, which allows you to hire and manage a remote sales team. Sponsored by Sendinblue – Sendinblue is the smartest and mo...
#2087 Distraction-free productivity
May 24, 2021 13:00For years I’ve been wanting to write a book but I could never sit still long enough to write it. I even tried to hire somebody to sit and write with me. It was too awkward to write together. I tried to hire someone to write for me. I didn’t like their writing. Finally, over COVID, I used something called Focusmate and I freaking wrote the book! Today I invited the founder of Focusmate to find out how he built it. Taylor Jacobson is the founder of Focusmate, virtual coworking that helps you ge...
#2086 A better way to hire
May 21, 2021 13:00Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could know ahead of time if a new hire would do well in their role? Well, today’s guest is trying to solve that problem. Omer Molad is the founder of Vervoe, which predicts job performance using skills assessments that showcase the talent of every candidate. Omer Molad is the founder of Vervoe, which predicts job performance using skills assessments that showcase the talent of every candidate. Sponsored by HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next lev...