Getting People To Hate You with Nathan Latka (Author of How To Be a Capitalist Without Any Capital & Creator of The Top Podcast) - Escape Velocity Show #29

My latest guest is controversial. If you google ‘Nathan Latka’, you’ll see headlines that call him inspirational… and others that call him a con-man (or use more colorful language). Most CEOs or software founders would fear that kind of negative press. But not Nathan.  In fact… he encourages it. He wants people to either love him or hate him as long as they aren’t somewhere in between. He wants polarizing opinions because it leads to attention. It’s a bold play, but… it’s paid off. Originally Nathan founded Heyo.com, a social media marketing SaaS that leverages viral giveaways.  After successfully exiting, he then founded GetLatka.com, a SaaS info database.  Now he’s the writer of a book called How To Be a Capitalist Without Any Capital that has sold over 25,000 copies and he is the host of a popular business podcast called The Top with 10 million episode downloads. He’s a master of marketing and has no shortage of opinions on SaaS businesses.  So I sat him down to pick his brain and understand how and why he thinks the way he does, exploring SaaS financing options in the meantime. This is your behind-the-scenes exposé. Check it out. I can’t say I agree with Nathan’s methods… but they are interesting. In our chat, we get talking about: - His airport magazine funnel that converts at 49% - How he convinced top CEOs to get on his podcast from day one - Why it’s cheaper to get people to hate you - How he knew he could sell a book… but could he write one? - Latka’s Million Dollar Roadtrip (his CNBC TV show) - How SaaS financing has been rapidly changing - The 6 types of funding options for founders There is a bit of everything in this episode. From book publishing deals to TV show productions, to SaaS financing options, to funnels… Nathan and I are old friends and I’ve always wanted to ask him these controversial questions… he gave me permission so the gloves came off.  If you’re wondering what his crazy life has to do with your business though, it’s worth listening just to hear his answer to the question: “How would you find the perfect SaaS to invest in?” Get your headphones ready, queue it up right here, and enjoy. -- Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome. + Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell + Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell + Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell