Matt Kelly | The Midnight Pod Extremely Honest Q&A - Ep 106
Oct 19, 2025
In a rapid-fire Q&A, intriguing insights emerge on building brands and the realities of startup life. Matt discusses the balance between profitability and growth for big exits, and shares the importance of revenue before hiring full-time employees. He emphasizes starting with strong margins and offers candid thoughts on shiny object syndrome due to ADHD. The conversation touches on the significance of direct-response marketing and the challenges of dating while hustling in the founder trenches. Expect candid advice and valuable tips for aspiring entrepreneurs!
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Start With Founder Content, Then Scale Ads
- Focus on founder content on TikTok and Twitter, with Reels as a supplement.
- Be first-order profitable organically, then scale aggressively with paid acquisition.
Exit Requires Growth And Profitability
- For a big exit, you need growth and profitability; ideally both plus size.
- You can be unprofitable if very big and fast-growing, but not small and stagnant.
Personal Pay Cut In Early Years
- Matt didn't take any money from Spacegoods for the first 18 months to two years while relying on savings and podcast income.
- He advises founders to only pay themselves when the business can comfortably afford it or have other income buffers.