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Top 10 Startup Savant Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Startup Savant episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Startup Savant for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Startup Savant episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
01/25/23 • 47 min
#45: David Utley, M.D. is the founder and CEO of Pivot, a digital health company helping users eliminate their tobacco use. Pivot has raised over $40 million, and David has over 100 published US patents. David is a seasoned entrepreneur and had previously been a founder at BARRX, which raised $70+ million in VC funding before being acquired in 2012. He has also served on the board of numerous startups and continues to engineer new solutions towards improving health outcomes.
In this episode we dive into:
- Establishing partnerships with employers and large companies
- Why you may want to consider hiring an experienced CEO
- The power of innovating a neglected space
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Transcripts, episode summaries, and more can be found at https://startupsavant.com/podcast!
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08/03/22 • 60 min
Andrew Hoag is the CEO and founder of Teampay, a startup working to simplify businesses’ financial processes. Andrew began his career working for the National Science Foundation Internet, and he later went on to work at NASA. Following his time at NASA, Andrew started numerous ventures. Today, he serves as an angel investor for startups and has raised over $21 Million for Teampay.
Teampay links:
https://www.teampay.co/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/team-labs-inc./
Episode Notes
How Andrew’s own experience and observations led him to create Teampay [1:16]
Getting energized to create [3:45]
What does Teampay do? [5:01]
Acquiring your first customers, using your network, and finding an ideal market [6:20]
Constantly changing your messaging and harnessing the power of second and third degree connections to find customers [8:50]
“If you aren’t explicit about the culture, the culture will form itself” [12:28]
Navigating remote work and building company culture across teams [17:42]
All employees want autonomy, purpose, and mastery [18:44]
Why Andrew choose to pursue venture capital to fund his company [23:10]
If you are looking to raise funding, show that you have paying customers and can build a successful business [28:52]
Focus on building a sustainable business and the things within your control [30:42]
Integrating with other platforms and the importance of user experience and design [34:41]
Getting over the resistance employees have to change and using new tools [37:52]
When customers express needs make sure they are quickly addressed [39:55]
Andrew’s advice for navigating through an uncertain economy [46:11]
Survival is important for ridding out difficult economic times [48:38]
Committing fulltime to your startup is important, and this process must be verified before going all in [53:44]
Get more exciting entrepreneur content and podcast exclusives on StartupSavant.com.
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07/27/22 • 57 min
Troy Bannister is the CEO and founder of Particle Health, a startup working to revolutionize data sharing across the healthcare industry. Troy’s experience with patient care began while working as an EMT. He considered pursuing a career in medicine but ultimately went on to work in the healthcare VC space. Troy’s experience within the healthcare industry showed him the difficulties associated with trying to transfer patient data from one healthcare system to another, and he ultimately decided to create Particle Health in order to innovate the digital healthcare space.
Episode Notes
From working as an EMT to finding a niche within the virtual health industry [1:10]
The problem: Why can’t we easily get medical records from one doctor to another? [3:34]
Developing an API that connects hospital systems and allows data to be easily shared [6:06]
How Troy quit his job without a plan [7:18]
Learning how to jump into the unknown [9:28]
Working to understand industry laws and researching how to address this problem [10:17]
Zooming into a target market and niching down to focus on one target audience [12:36]
Taking a year to fill up your calendar and validate your product [15:27]
Building credibility and crafting a winning pitch to receive funding [18:13]
Troy’s advice — you need an enormous vision and a realistic plan [21:49]
Transitioning to a remote work environment [23:22]
How to approach your company during periods of burnout [29:02]
Hiring the right people is essential for creating a great company culture [30:33]
The growing pains of scaling and learning to build a working structure [33:02]
Using OKRs and KPIs to create quantifiable goals [36:12]
Many decisions depends on your current mindset, and you need to find out how to achieve the best mindset for making those decisions [39:42]
Starting a company was the only thing that was exciting to Troy and allowed him to take the plunge into entrepreneurship [43:35]
Troy’s prediction for the future of the healthcare industry [46:15]
Scaling to be a healthy business rather than trying to grow at all costs [48:27]
As the economy changes and buying cash becomes more expensive, evaluations decrease and become more dependent on revenue [49:27]
Entrepreneurship is hard and does not have an off switch [51:55]
Troy’s advice for founders — expect things to take at least five times as long as you initially thought [53:32]
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What is an Anti-CRM? with Reuben Swartz of Mimiran
Startup Savant
06/22/22 • 66 min
Reuben Swartz is the founder and CEO of Mimiran, a CRM (customer relationship manager) specifically designed for solo consultants. Reuben worked as a consultant himself and wanted a tool for managing clients. Although these tools were abundant for large enterprises, he could not find a tool that met his needs and was made for a one-man team. So, Reuben built the tool himself and created Mimiran.
Episode Notes
Reuben’s story creating his own business [1:00]
“There's a right tool for the right situation” so you don’t need to compete with the multimillion dollar companies [3:31]
The power of being authentic rather than mimicking other successful companies in the industry. Focus on helping others rather than selling [5:40]
What is a CRM? [8:48]
Reuben’s anti-CRM is a tool entrepreneurs can use to easily track and manage sales and marketing information [12:10]
Situate yourself in the market so that you can dominate a particular niche [18:45]
If there isn’t a tool out there that does it all, create it yourself [22:40]
Narrowing your target audience and listening to their needs will help you create the best solution for the group you serve [32:35]
Build a feedback loop with your customers to drive changes and establish priorities [35:12]
Attempting to balance a new startup while starting a family [36:16]
Pick an easy problem to solve [41:18]
The decision to work as a one-man team [43:01]
Mimiran is a lifestyle business. Reuben’s family is his number one priority and his business is number two. [46:38]
How is Mimiran funded? You don’t need to be a unicorn business to find success and be happy [46:48]
The danger of prioritizing money and prestige rather than finding joy in the work you do [48:43]
Stop selling and focus on connecting and solving problems with others [51:34]
Talk to the people who are most likely to buy what you are selling. Don’t try to attract everybody [58:02]
Potentially creating a CRM customized for individual niches [1:00:25]
Reubens advice for entrepreneurs “find a niche and become the go-to person in that niche” [1:05:02]
Get more exciting entrepreneur content and podcast exclusives on StartupSavant.com.
Watch Startup Savant founder interviews on YouTube!
Sabrina Noorani of ClearForMe on Changing Your Mindset
Startup Savant
02/09/22 • 49 min
Sabrina Noorani is the founder and CEO of ClearForMe, a SaaS (software as a service) company that helps customers learn about the ingredients that are in their cosmetic products. Before starting ClearForMe, Noorani worked as the only female derivatives trader at NYSE, and she leveraged her expertise working with data to create her company that now partners with big-name beauty brands like Ulta and Credo Beauty.
During our interview, Sabrina shares some advice for other entrepreneurs looking to turn their ideas into an impact.
Learn more about ClearForMe at https://clearforme.com/
Time Stamps:
Who is Sabrina Noorani, and why did she start her data-driven company ClearForMe? [0:24]
The problem with ingredient transparency in the beauty industry [1:21]
How did you validate your idea to the wider market? [5:40]
Finding ClearForMe’s first paying customer at Credo Beauty [7:49]
A mindset shift: prioritizing a goal in order to make tangible progress [9:30]
What is API, and how does ClearForMe use API? [12:22]
Where did the ingredient data come from that makes up ClearForMe’s database? [14:52]
How do you categorize a mix of ingredients like “fragrance?’ [17:20]
Data trends are useful to track and can play a role in business decisions [20:05]
ClearForMe is different because they provide the facts, and everyone should have access to information they need to make informed decisions [24:34]
How to influence company culture as a founder [26:26]
Cultivating a flat structure? [28:40]
Jumping from the finance industry into the unknown void [32:00]
Sabrina’s key to success as an entrepreneur: building confidence [34:50]
Using an accelerator program to jumpstart your idea and the importance of pitching your startup to others [35:55]
Growing ClearForMe and entering new industries [39:40]
An achievement of ClearForMe in 2021 and a goal for 2022 [41:06]
Sabrina’s advice for other entrepreneurs — define what you want to do. Set specific goals so that you can live in the gain not the gap. [44:48]
Get more exciting entrepreneur content and podcast exclusives on StartupSavant.com.
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Introducing Startup Savants
Startup Savant
02/01/22 • 9 min
Get more exciting entrepreneur content and podcast exclusives on StartupSavant.com.
Watch Startup Savant founder interviews on YouTube and follow us on social:
Or, for small business resources, tools, and guides visit HowtoStartanLLC.com.
02/16/22 • 72 min
Lizia Santos is the founder and CEO of CityCatt, a platform that helps travelers discover authentic experiences through the help of local guides (known as catts). Lizia previously worked as a journalist and used her research skills, along with her family’s experience in the hospitality industry, to create Citycatt and build a world-wide community of influencers that are ready to help travelers explore.
Become a Catt or book a trip on https://www.citycatt.com/
Time Stamps
Who is Lizia Santos, and why did she start her travel-focused company Citycatts? [1:00]
Finding authentic, unique, and family-friendly things to do while traveling is a problem [4:10]
What are catts? Building a community of local guides for travelers [7:27]
Validating a business model and learning to pivot in order to overcome early challenges [11:37]
Focus on solving the problem, and be open to exploring various solutions [15:00]
Finding experts, and building a good team that can cover your bases [16:23]
Seeking help, discovering available resources for startups, and joining the WIN Lab (a startup accelerator at Babson College) [20:05]
Measuring success using KPIs that matter while avoiding vanity metrics [23:52]
How to scale a company and Citycatt’s future [27:30]
Pivoting and adjusting a business focused on travel during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic [32:50]
Building company culture and adding a personal touch while scaling [36:22]
What is it like working with family members? [39:40]
Mentoring other early-stage founders and finding resources for startups. We all have strengths to contribute, and mindset is everything [42:01]
Find a mentor who had been down your path yet is still relevant to your experience [46:03]
The magic formula for creating work-life balance — well ... it probably doesn’t exists [48:42]
The Key to creating a successful startup according to Lizia? Stop spending so much time planning, and start tackling problems. [52:59]
Building community for your team is both an important and elaborate task [56:00]
Lizia’s ‘first citycatt’ may have been a family member [1:02:45]
Just for fun — Lizia’s difficult travel story: Lost in an Ohio corn field, stuck in a New York snow storm, and a crash course on Midwestern geography [1:04:10]
Lizia’s advice for other entrepreneurs: Focus on your pain point and build your team; do not get tunnel vision focusing on one solution. Be flexible and obsess over the problem you are trying to solve. [1:05:55]
How to help Citycatt — Plan a trip with Citycatt’s platform! Or, consider becoming a catt, hiring a catt, or refering a catt. [1:10:25]
Get more exciting entrepreneur content and podcast exclusives on StartupSavant.com.
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Combatting Stress Culture with Sol Broady of Leilo
Startup Savant
02/23/22 • 88 min
Sol walks us through the R&D process of creating his beverage and how he forged partnerships to grow and expand his relaxation brand, Leilo.
Sol Broady is the founder and CEO of Leilo, a non-alcoholic relaxation beverage. Sol created his company while obtaining his undergraduate degree at Columbia University and leveraged the university community to build his team and launch his relaxation brand.
Leilo Links:
https://www.leilo.com/
https://www.instagram.com/drinkleilo/
https://twitter.com/drinkleilo
Time Stamps:
Who is Sol Broady, and how did he get the idea for his relaxation beverage Leilo? [0:51]
What is kava? [2:20]
How Red Bull defined the energy drink market and what this means for a relaxation drink [8:10]
Bitter taste and difficult to produce — the hurdles of developing a kava beverage [13:01]
Getting students to test a not-always-tasty prototype and the initial steps of R&D [15:10]
Building intrinsic motivation and believing in your vision [20:38]
From horchata to a sleek 12-ounce can — how to invest in your idea and Sol’s approach to establishing yourself in an industry while on a budget. [28:00]
Learning to run with an idea and throwing out the notion that there’s a checklist of needed skills to succeed [32:55]
Mindset is the key to success, and for an entrepreneur, every single day counts [40:18]
Scaling strategies and pivoting business plans during the start of COVID-19 [45:55]
Creating honest marketing and truthful branding that draws in customers and is backed by a solid product [52:12]
Focus on your target market and get your product to those who will want it [54:50]
Don’t over promise and underdeliver — let your product do the talking [57:00]
Red Bull’s origin and building a brand, not just a beverage [1:00:10]
Scaling a brand, entering new locations, and Leilo’s future growth [1:03:12]
Forging partnerships with athletes and sports organizations [1:06:50]
Competing with few competitors — the advantage of entering the market first and the benefits of becoming the first relaxation partner [1:10:45]
Entering new markets and expanding throughout the US [1:14:40]
Sol’s advice for entrepreneurs: Be comfortable with not being perfect, and use entrepreneurship to solve the problems around you [1:18:34]
Entrepreneurship is incredibly rewarding and can be both hard and isolating. Don’t rush into things, and don’t forget to focus on your larger mission. [1:24:28]
Get more exciting entrepreneur content and podcast exclusives on StartupSavant.com.
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03/16/22 • 70 min
Jamie walks us through the importance of sustainability for businesses, the process of creating brand authority, building a dynamic team based on shared values, and balancing the needs of various stakeholders.
Jamie McCroskery is the founder and CEO of Bluebird Climate, a company striving to improve corporate sustainability efforts while quantifying a product’s environmental impact. Prior to launching Bluebird Climate, Jamie worked as a Product Manager at Glossier and Dropbox. Jamie credits his corporate experience with teaching him how to develop a product and assemble an all-star team.
Who is Jamie McCroskery, and why did he start his startup Bluebird Climate? [0:30]
Glass vs Plastic? The best way to be sustainable varies and often depends on a company’s specific needs as well as their own supply chain [3:08]
What is Bluebird Climate, and how do you help businesses improve sustainability? [4:02]
The two most important metrics for sustainability — carbon emissions and circularity (waste) [7:16]
Can already-established brands find ways to improve sustainability with their traditional pipeline and business model? [9:50]
Sway, which aims to create a plastic replacement out of seaweed is an example of a company using Bluebird Climate to tell sustainable stories. [10:00]
Focus on the easy wins — don’t reinvent the wheel [12:32]
Why is storytelling focused on sustainability a successful tool for driving conversion? [14:30]
Customers care about sustainability and want brands to focus on reducing carbon waste [17:59]
What is a public benefit corporation (B corp), and why structure your company this way? [18:40]
What is the Bluebird certification, and how do you cultivate brand authority? [22:55]
How do you balance marketing to various stakeholders like customers, retailers, vendors, and brands? [27:01]
Supply chains can be a convoluted mess [31:30]
How to recruit a team of experts using personal networks [33:50]
Entering a space with passion and motivation is essential for finding a great team [38:20]
Funding decisions should take into account your time and trajectory — investors may take a cut, but this allow you to more quickly determine if you’ll make it [39:28]
How a corporate background helped Jamie better lead his company [43:22]
Creating a client base, simple marketing, and growing your brand [46:00]
Day-to-day challenges are hard. Be sure to create a well-defined mission in order to hire the best team and tackle problems that will appear [51:05]
What does future growth look like for Bluebird Climate [55:40]?
Less can be more when starting out [1:00:05]
Jamie’s advice: Put your idea out there to get feedback, have a vision for your company’s values and goals, and determine what resources you will need to be successful [1:01:07]
If you are curious about improving your own business’s sustainability, reachout to Jamie at [email protected] or check out Bluebird Climate’s website bluebirdclimate.com.
Jamie’s Recommended Books
- “Traction: How Any Startup Can Achieve Explosive Customer Growth” by Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares
- “The Mom Test” by Rob Fitzpatrick and Robfitz Ltd
- “The Founder’s Dilemma” by Noam Wasserman
- “The Hard Thing About Hard Things” by Ben Horowitz
Get more exciting entrepreneur content and podcast exclusives on StartupSavant.com.
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04/12/23 • 48 min
#56: Mir Hwang is the CEO and Co-Founder of GigFinesse, a platform that connects music artists with venues to the benefit of both parties. Mir is an NYU alumni who utilized their extensive entrepreneurial support system to build the startup into what it is today.
In this episode we dive into:
- Going from app to desktop due to consumer demand
- The choice to move from New York to Austin during the pandemic
- Leaving medical school to pursue entrepreneurship
GigFinesse Links:
- https://www.gigfinesse.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/gigfinesse/
- https://www.instagram.com/gigfinesse/
Startup Savant Links:
- https://startupsavant.com/podcast
- https://www.instagram.com/startupsavantpodcast/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/startup-savant/
- https://www.tiktok.com/@startupsavantpodcast
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FAQ
How many episodes does Startup Savant have?
Startup Savant currently has 86 episodes available.
What topics does Startup Savant cover?
The podcast is about Venture Capital, Marketing, Founder, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, Investing, Startups, Podcasts, Small Business, Technology, Education, Business and Interviews.
What is the most popular episode on Startup Savant?
The episode title 'The Power of Self-Belief with Curtis Matsko of Portland Leather Goods' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Startup Savant?
The average episode length on Startup Savant is 53 minutes.
How often are episodes of Startup Savant released?
Episodes of Startup Savant are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of Startup Savant?
The first episode of Startup Savant was released on Feb 1, 2022.
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