119: King of Category Creation: $200M Exit Lessons from Sean Byrnes

Sean Byrnes is a technology entrepreneur with 2 epic exits under his belt. Sean sold Flurry to Yahoo for $200 Million in 2014, and most recently Outlier AI in 2021 at an undisclosed valuation. In this episode, Sean shares his strategy of building "category creator" companies, raising venture capital, and building strong company culture. Sean covers the importance of falling in love with the problem (not the solution), frameworks for iteration & design, how to overcome difficulties of fundraising, and the importance of building relationships with investors early on. In this episode: [00:02:59] Evolution of the Tech startup landscape [00:05:04] Sean's strategy for building "category creation" companies [00:08:51] Choose problem, define solution, iterate. [00:16:23] Investment timing depends on investor perception. [00:20:38] How to Raice Capital in 2023 [00:24:15] How to Ask for (and grow from) Funding Pitch feedback [00:29:00] Cold email VCs with targeted outreach. [00:34:00] Tech pays it forward, unlike Hollywood. [00:37:13] Diversity & Inclusion Challenges in tech [00:38:58] Sean's step by step guide to finding the perfect investor [00:42:24] Fall in love with the problem (not the solution) [00:47:07] Practical book recommendations on startup success. Book Recommendations: Venture Deals by Brad Feld Do More Faster by Brad Feld Startup Boards by Brad Feld Traction Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience More from Sean: Seanbyrnes.com Sean on Linkedin Sean's epic newsletter: Breaking Point Sean’s epic podcast: The Startup Help Desk More from Delaney: Delaney's App - NoTox (TurboTax for Your Longevity) Delaney's Weekly Newsletter Delaney's Twitter