On today’s episode, Eitan Koter sits down with Dave Behar, founder and CEO of ION.

Dave has spent years building brands, launching companies, and helping others grow. He was part of the original Hotmail team, helped take it to millions of users, and worked with big names like Adidas, Powerbar, and the Pac-12. Now at ION, he’s helping companies get their content out through hyper-local and digital distribution.

In this conversation, Dave explains why having a strong brand is still at the core of growth, even with all the new tech tools. It’s not just about getting attention but about building trust and giving customers a reason to stick around.

They talk about how short-form content can turn quick attention into real action, why it’s smart to give your customers choices instead of just one offer, and how founders should build room to adjust as they go.

Dave also shares stories from the early Hotmail days, how sports partnerships helped grow their user base, and why having fun in business matters more than people think.