That Will Never Work

Congratulations! Drawing on your personal and professional experience, you’ve created a service that addresses an obvious market need. Now, who’s going to pay for it? Sarah’s solution for onboarding parents and nannies is a good one, and clearly has a lot of potential. But she needs to re-examine her business model to maximize the customer base without pricing out either party. Listen in as Marc negotiates this tricky balance with her.Want to be a guest on "That Will Never Work" and get help with your business issues? Head to https://marcrandolph.com/guest (https://marcrandolph.com/guest), fill out the form, and leave a voice message right there on the site. While there, you can also sign up for Marc’s newsletter – or else connect with him on Twitter (@mbrandolph) or on Instagram (@ThatWillNeverWork). 

Entrepreneurs hawking new products find inspiration in a variety of ways. And you know what? To the outside world, it doesn’t matter that much. A compelling origin story makes for great brand building, but it won’t be the first reason people buy your wares. The product has to fit a consumer need. Today’s guest, Kenton, who started making expandable shoes for barefoot orphans in Kenya, is taking his innovative solution into the marketplace. Now he has to get the product right - and that’s where Marc comes in.Want to be a guest on "That Will Never Work" and get help with your business issues? Head to https://marcrandolph.com/guest (https://marcrandolph.com/guest), fill out the form, and leave a voice message right there on the site. While there, you can also sign up for Marc’s newsletter – or else connect with him on Twitter (@mbrandolph) or on Instagram (@ThatWillNeverWork).

Why would you blow up a successful business model? To make an even better one, of course. That’s the place we find today’s guest, Nunzio. In order to streamline and maximize his service - which provides listings for folks buying and selling businesses - he’s going to ruffle some feathers and dry up some previously wet beaks. Marc coaches him through the uncomfortable steps that will hopefully bring him to a new tier of success. Want to be a guest on "That Will Never Work" and get help with your business issues? Head to https://marcrandolph.com/guest (https://marcrandolph.com/guest), fill out the form, and leave a voice message right there on the site. While there, you can also sign up for Marc’s newsletter – or else connect with him on Twitter (@mbrandolph) or on Instagram (@ThatWillNeverWork).

Every app or service that sets out to change the world needs to start the same way: by changing the life of a single customer. So no matter how bold your vision, you still have to go through the same steps of iterative development. Today’s guest, Dana, wants to transform Global literacy, but Marc brings her down to earth, sharing his tips on how to develop big ideas. Rule number one? Make sure it does what at least one person wants it to do.  Want to be a guest on "That Will Never Work" and get help with your business issues? Head to https://marcrandolph.com/guest (https://marcrandolph.com/guest), fill out the form, and leave a voice message right there on the site. While there, you can also sign up for Marc’s newsletter – or else connect with him on Twitter (@mbrandolph) or on Instagram (@ThatWillNeverWork).

Creating a new product or service involves hundreds of decisions: features, pricing, functionality, etc.  But you can't make any of those decisions without making a bigger decision first: exactly who are you building for.  In today's episode, Marc helps an oncologist-turned-entrepreneur take that critical - but non-intuitive - first step.Want to be a guest on "That Will Never Work" and get help with your business issues? Head to https://marcrandolph.com/guest (https://marcrandolph.com/guest), fill out the form, and leave a voice message right there on the site. While there, you can also sign up for Marc’s newsletter – or else connect with him on Twitter (@mbrandolph) or on Instagram (@ThatWillNeverWork).

Kat has carved out a niche for herself as a personal jewelry shopper for milestone occasions. But her life- (or relationship-) saving service is a bit more complex than it seems, as she is really serving two customers, not just one. Marc has some great suggestions for how she can expand her messaging to turn that dual customer aspect into more business. And by the end of the conversation, she may have just acquired one more new client!Want to be a guest on "That Will Never Work" and get help with your business issues? Head to https://marcrandolph.com/guest (https://marcrandolph.com/guest), fill out the form, and leave a voice message right there on the site. While there, you can also sign up for Marc’s newsletter – or else connect with him on Twitter (@mbrandolph) or on Instagram (@ThatWillNeverWork).

In the highly customized world of business consulting, Juan’s Madrid-based company is already turning a profit. Now, he and his colleagues are looking to expedite the onboarding process by providing a tool for clients to help them determine their efficiency needs. He’s come to Marc for advice on how to develop this emerging tool while still keeping the revenues coming in on the traditional side of the business - a classic entrepreneurial dilemma, and one Marc has more than a little experience with.Want to be a guest on "That Will Never Work" and get help with your business issues? Head to https://marcrandolph.com/guest (https://marcrandolph.com/guest), fill out the form, and leave a voice message right there on the site. While there, you can also sign up for Marc’s newsletter – or else connect with him on Twitter (@mbrandolph) or on Instagram (@ThatWillNeverWork).

Bill, today’s guest, is the living embodiment of entrepreneurial persistence. A youth hockey coach as well as a businessman, he’s used to taking hard knocks around the clock. With his latest venture, which aims to simplify the compliance process for youth sports coaches, he’s going through a lot of trial and error as he works to break into the market. And, as he and Marc discuss, there is no better way to put your business on a winning path.Want to be a guest on "That Will Never Work" and get help with your business issues? Head to https://marcrandolph.com/guest (https://marcrandolph.com/guest), fill out the form, and leave a voice message right there on the site. While there, you can also sign up for Marc’s newsletter – or else connect with him on Twitter (@mbrandolph) or on Instagram (@ThatWillNeverWork).

Don’t let the low-key vibe of today’s guest, Jak, fool you; he’s a successful content creator whose “metaverse studio,” Disrupt, has amassed over 1.2 million subscribers on YouTube. And that’s just the issue we discuss: how should today’s content creators evolve beyond the platforms that have made them successful, and create a direct relationship with their audience? An important conversation for anyone entering the realm of DIY media. Want to be a guest on "That Will Never Work" and get help with your business issues? Head to https://marcrandolph.com/guest (https://marcrandolph.com/guest), fill out the form, and leave a voice message right there on the site. While there, you can also sign up for Marc’s newsletter – or else connect with him on Twitter (@mbrandolph) or on Instagram (@ThatWillNeverWork).

On today’s show, we meet JR. A successful contractor, he is also a quintessential entrepreneur; in the course of running his own business, he’s discovered some industry-specific problems that he believes he can solve. Now, the question is, will his solution have broader, industry-wide appeal, and if so, how to let his fellow builders know? A case study in how to bring good ideas to market.Want to be a guest on "That Will Never Work" and get help with your business issues? Head to https://marcrandolph.com/guest (https://marcrandolph.com/guest), fill out the form, and leave a voice message right there on the site. While there, you can also sign up for Marc’s newsletter – or else connect with him on Twitter (@mbrandolph) or on Instagram (@ThatWillNeverWork).