John Andrew Entwistle - How to make the right decisions in the most crucial times!
Nov 22, 2023
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Explore John Andrew Entwistle's entrepreneurial journey from software to real estate, his success with Wander startup revolutionizing short-term rentals, and the significance of courage, mentorship, and regret-free decision-making. Dive into his insights on founders fund investment, embracing startup dreams, and redefining vacation rentals with luxury experiences.
Distinguishing reversible vs. non-reversible decisions enhances accuracy in decision-making.
Initiating endeavors requires positive attitude, thorough planning, and adaptability to fuel growth.
Seeking mentorship from seasoned individuals and supportive networks aids in navigating entrepreneurial challenges.
Deep dives
Importance of Decision-Making Accuracy
It is crucial to track decision-making accuracy, distinguishing between reversible and non-reversible decisions. Reversible choices require a quick data-driven approach, while non-reversible ones demand precision due to their lasting impact. By retroactively evaluating decisions and maintaining an accuracy score, individuals can enhance their decision-making skills.
Significance of Starting with Positive Momentum
Initiating endeavors from zero can be daunting, requiring a positive attitude and proactive momentum. Thorough planning, swift actions, and consistent progress-checking are key to maintaining motivation and driving growth. Embracing challenges and adapting swiftly, even after setbacks, fuels forward progress and sustains entrepreneurial endeavors.
Seeking Encouragement from Mentorship and Support Systems
Drawing inspiration from seasoned mentors and supportive networks like the Teal Fellowship can provide invaluable guidance and encouragement. Such affiliations offer a sense of belonging, invaluable insights, and connections with like-minded individuals facing similar challenges. Leaning on mentorship and diverse perspectives can cultivate resilience and aid in navigating the complexities of entrepreneurship.
Navigating Business Growth with Strategic Decision-Making Processes
Transitioning from ideation to managing growth involves a shift towards metric-driven decision-making processes. Aligning goals, financial projections, and performance metrics enables effective scaling strategies. By focusing on meticulous planning, goal-setting, and team alignment around key performance indicators, founders can steer their companies towards sustainable growth and success.
The Vision of Wander: Creating Consistent Quality in Vacation Rentals
Wander aims to revolutionize the vacation rental industry by focusing on creating a consistent and quality experience across a diverse portfolio of locations. The founder's vision is to build a strong brand that offers users a reliable and premium travel experience. By infusing elements of hotel standards into vacation rentals, Wander seeks to provide users with an unforgettable adventure filled with joy and happiness.
Scaling and Innovating in the Travel Industry
Wander's growth strategy involves scaling its current successful model while exploring innovative features such as home sharing, curated marketplaces, and AI concierge services. The company plans to expand internationally and introduce longer-term stay options. This ambitious approach aims to transform the travel experience by simplifying processes and delivering exceptional customer service, setting Wander apart from traditional travel methods.
John Andrew Entwistle is the founder and CEO of Wander, a startup revolutionizing short-term rental space! So far John and his team have raised over $27M in funding and are on a mission to deliver high-quality experiences for travelers. John was previously a Thiel Fellow and co-founder of Coder, a venture-backed startup that is making strides in moving the development workstation to the cloud, amplifying security and productivity for software development teams.
His passion for start-ups and dedication to transforming industries brought him recognition as one of the "Insider 30 Rising Stars of Real Estateโ in 2022 by Business Insider and his innovative work at Code led him to be featured in Forbes "30 under 30" in 2019.
๐๐ผ About the Host:
Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 22,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community + Brand at Threado, building a side project called GuestLab, and runs a newsletter called YC Founder Stories alongside hosting this podcast.
๐๐ผ Sponsor Corner:
Shoutout to Acquire.com for being the first sponsor of The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! Theyโre the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/
๐๐ผ Description:
Tune in as Sharath and John discuss focussing on your own priorities in life, making difficult decisions, and the journey to a brand new startup in a new industry.
๐๐ผ Timestamps:
00:00: Episode Highlight
01:15: Shoutout to Acquire.com
03:51: Introduction to John
06:35: What is the transition from coding to real estate like?
09:45: How did 18-year-old John stay on track to build a company that raised $45M?
14:05: The dangers of overwork
16:25: How to handle life regrets
20:40: The various decision-making frameworks in John's life
26:23: Which decision was John 100% sure about?
31:49: The best ways to handle failure
42:25: How to restart a company from zero
47:30: The impact of the Thiel fellowship on John's life
51:38: A bet John took that changed people's lives
54:22: The biggest decision today that will impact John's life
57:09: The difficulties of working in real estate
1:01:30: How to convince investors to invest in your startup
1:05:55: Lessons learned while creating Wander
1:09:15: Handling the heavy lifting of making homes livable
1:15:55: The next dream for Wander
1:24:08: Outro and closing thoughts
๐๐ผ Resources:
"Courage is Calling: Fortune Favors the Brave" by Ryan Holiday: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/58145670
