Idea to Startup
Brian Scordato | Tacklebox
A podcast for people working on startup ideas. We have 15-minute tactical episodes and occasional interviews with people who did the early things exceptionally well. We've helped launch hundreds of startups worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and these are the building blocks.
"This is, without a doubt, the best podcast for people trying to build startups out there."
"If you aren't listening to this podcast and you're considering building a business (or you're already building one), what are you doing?"
"Must listen for first-time entrepreneurs - excellent storyteller."
"This is, without a doubt, the best podcast for people trying to build startups out there."
"If you aren't listening to this podcast and you're considering building a business (or you're already building one), what are you doing?"
"Must listen for first-time entrepreneurs - excellent storyteller."
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 5, 2022 • 21min
20(ish) Min Skills: How to Write Direct, Persuasive Copy (feat. The Four Keys to Writing)
Today we'll talk about the biggest gap in most entrepreneurs skillsets - writing compelling copy. We'll go through the Four Keys to Writing which idiot-proof writing compelling copy that'll convert customers from landing pages, ads, and cold emails. Implement this stuff and you'll give your startup a much better chance at success. TackleboxHow to Write Copy course signup (50% off)
Sep 28, 2022 • 22min
How to Start a Community-Based Startup - or Tack a Community Onto Your Existing Business (feat. Monks and Lonely Dads)
Today we'll talk about community. What a good community looks like, the mistakes people make around communities, and how to test an idea for a community fast. We'll test out a community for lonely dads, dive into an example about a freelancer community, and check in on a couple of Monks walking through Central Park at night. TackleboxFreelance FoundersDavid Spinks on Community
Sep 21, 2022 • 25min
20(ish)-Minute Skills: The Concierge MVP
Today's episode discusses the Concierge MVP, an indispensable tactic early stage entrepreneurs can use to get the feedback of a full product without the money and time required to build one. We go through the 4-step method that'll get you data from customers you can use to raise funding, hire, or recognize the opportunity actually isn't worth your time. TackleboxMore Concierge MVP Examples
Sep 14, 2022 • 20min
How to Spot Promising Startup Ideas (feat. The Hard Startup Myth and The Hassle Premium)
Today we'll help you find and choose the right startup idea. We'll use a couple of frameworks to help you evaluate startup ideas you've got and find startup ideas other people miss. We talk through the Hard Startup Myth and The Hassle Premium, two mental models that'll make sure your next idea has legs. We'll also evaluate Tinder for Jobs and learn a lesson from the great Frank Prisinzano. BylddTackleboxFrank's Crispy Egg video + instagramPersonal MBA
Sep 7, 2022 • 40min
How to Raise Money from Angel Investors with Angela Lee (37 Angels, Columbia Business School) ((And we start a $100mm taco company the last 15 minutes))
Awesome chat with Angela Lee (37 Angels, Columbia Business School) about angel investing. We talk through what angels are looking for, who should try to raise from them, what'll happen if they do, and what the other options are.Then, we spend the last 15 minutes starting a $100mm Taco company. Angela walks through the process goals and financial milestones she'd want to hit in a fascinating startup exercise. Angela Lee37 AngelsShould you Bootstrap or Raise VC?Tacklebox
6 snips
Aug 31, 2022 • 19min
How to Get the World to Work For You (feat. pickleball and the greatest marketing campaign of all time)
If you understand how the world works, you can let it do some serious heavy lifting for your business. If you ignore how it works, your business is as good as dead. Today we talk through three universal truths - forces that you can put behind your business to dramatically accelerate it. We'll use three examples - the best marketing campaign Brian's ever seen, the most magical product, and the mind-blowing growth of pickleball. Maria Maria 🎶Tacklebox 🎣
Aug 24, 2022 • 18min
Three Ways to Build Trust (feat. parking valets and a cure for baldness)
We spend a bunch of time on business fundamentals. These are important, obviously, but they're only relevant if you can build enough trust with customers to convince them to give you a chance in the first place.Today we'll talk about why people hand their keys over to random strangers on the street in New York City, how a person selling cures for baldness converts 80% of the people he speaks with, and how you can build a strategy to cultivate trust with your customers, too. Tacklebox
Aug 17, 2022 • 28min
A 20(ish) Minute Startup: Airbnb Referrals
Today, we'll start a business in 20(ish) minutes. We'll talk through the idea, figure out assumptions, run a test, and make a decision. We leverage a three step process to figure out if the idea is worth our time: Whisper Ideas vs. Rooftop Ideas, Rivers and Dams, and a Hypothesis Test. Tacklebox
Aug 10, 2022 • 16min
What Kind of Company Do You Want to Build? (feat a 3-part framework to help you figure it out and Shaggy)
I meet far too many unhappy entrepreneurs. The whole point of this thing is to build a business that makes you happy. It needs to work, but it also can't make you miserable. Lots of entrepreneurs set themselves on a bad path from day one by ignoring critical early decisions. We talk through them today. And if you're not happy building what you're building, it's not too late. Tacklebox
Aug 3, 2022 • 21min
A Podcast Figuring Out Your Value (featuring an aperol spritz startup and a magician)
Today we'll help you sink your teeth into value. We'll help you understand what people will actually pay for, talk through a framework to ensure you're creating enough value to anchor a business, and look at examples of a few startups doing this well and poorly. There's also a magician. Make $1,000 TodayTacklebox
