7) Is This Startup Worth My Life? | Dan Martell
05/30/16 • 31 min
This interview was originally published on October 23, 2014, as HTE 019: Is This Startup Worth My Life? | Dan Martell
During this conversation, I ask Dan Martell what the criteria is for knowing whether or not your idea needs VC funding — his response leaves me speechless, but clarifies the murky waters.
As a Canadian entrepreneur, Dan has taken two businesses from idea to exit and he shares with us what he has learned.
— Today’s guest has been an entrepreneur most of his life – having started at 18 – and failing twice – before finally figuring it out.
Now he is an award-winning Canadian entrepreneur and founder of Clarity, a venture-backed startup that makes it easy to connect with top business minds over the phone.
He previously co-founded Flowtown, a San Francisco-based social marketing product which raised funding, grew to over 50,000 small business customers and was eventually acquired in 2011.
A year later he was named Canada’s top angel investor having completed over 33 investments in companies like Udemy, Intercom, and Unbounce.
Now, let’s hack...
Dan Martell.
What you will learn in this episode:- How and why people overvalue funding for their startups
- Finding your magic zone to make the world a better place
- Specifically, when your company is ready for venture funding
- Making people and relationships your number one asset
This interview was originally published on October 23, 2014, as HTE 019: Is This Startup Worth My Life? | Dan Martell
During this conversation, I ask Dan Martell what the criteria is for knowing whether or not your idea needs VC funding — his response leaves me speechless, but clarifies the murky waters.
As a Canadian entrepreneur, Dan has taken two businesses from idea to exit and he shares with us what he has learned.
— Today’s guest has been an entrepreneur most of his life – having started at 18 – and failing twice – before finally figuring it out.
Now he is an award-winning Canadian entrepreneur and founder of Clarity, a venture-backed startup that makes it easy to connect with top business minds over the phone.
He previously co-founded Flowtown, a San Francisco-based social marketing product which raised funding, grew to over 50,000 small business customers and was eventually acquired in 2011.
A year later he was named Canada’s top angel investor having completed over 33 investments in companies like Udemy, Intercom, and Unbounce.
Now, let’s hack...
Dan Martell.
What you will learn in this episode:- How and why people overvalue funding for their startups
- Finding your magic zone to make the world a better place
- Specifically, when your company is ready for venture funding
- Making people and relationships your number one asset
Previous Episode
6) How to Develop Partnerships | Brian Clark
This interview was originally published on February 11, 2015, as HTE 059: Partnerships and the Creativity of Limitations | Brian Clark
This conversation revolved around three essential elements of entrepreneurship: creativity, partnerships, and becoming the CEO of your company (even if you are a one person company).
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When I originally sat down to outline the idea for Hack The Entrepreneur, I immediately wrote out a short list of people that I wanted to interview. I used this list as one of my metrics for success and I am happy to say that today’s guest is number two on that list.
To me, the idea that one person could start a blog, not sell anything for 18 months, and turn that blog into an 8-figure media company is endlessly fascinating.
He is a former lawyer, serial entrepreneur, writer, and creator.
In January of 2006, my guest started a one-man blog called Copyblogger. Copyblogger is now an 8-figure per year media company called Copyblogger Media, of which he is the founder and CEO.
He has ranked among the top in the world for social media and content marketing. He's been featured in countless books about business and media, and he has graced many stages. N
ow, let’s hack...
Brian Clark.
What you will learn in this episode:- Brian’s unique vision of productivity and why it works
- How to be wrong and adapting in real time
- How focusing on your one important task each day can enable you to get more done
- Allowing your mindset to accept the fact that you can do anything
- How Copyblogger Media was created in a mere three hours
Next Episode
8) Getting Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable | Benji Rogers
This interview was originally published on August 10, 2015, as HTE 112: Getting Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable
Between the conversation about the merging of art and commerce, and Benji’s mindset of learning to become comfortable being uncomfortable.
This conversation dives into the essential required for gaining the perseverance necessary to push through the hard times.
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My guest today is the President and Founder of PledgeMusic, a direct-to-fan company that offers musicians a unique way to engage with their fans during the music-making process.
He is an independent musician who received the A&R Worldwide Digital Executive of the Year award in 2014 and appeared in the 2013 Billboard 40 Under 40 Power Players list. My guest's recent engagements include keynote addresses and panels at events such as Canadian Music Week and GRAMMY Camp. He also gained a position on the Board of Directors for the Future Of Music Coalition this year. Now, Let's hack... Benji Rogers.
My guest's recent engagements include keynote addresses and panels at events such as Canadian Music Week and GRAMMY Camp. He also gained a position on the Board of Directors for the Future Of Music Coalition this year. Now, Let's hack... Benji Rogers.
Now, Let's hack... Benji Rogers.
Benji Rogers.
In this 36-minute episode Benji Rogers and I discuss:
- How Benji had stayed incredibly restless
- The true power of having advisors
- Learning to become comfortable with being uncomfortable
- Being an entrepreneur is about entering a space of uncertainty
- Let your team push you to better places, ideas, and outcomes
- Pledge Music
- Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
- Benji on Twitter
- Jon on Twitter
- Exclusive Sponsor:
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