Clock Speed with Shamus Madan

When Neil Parikh was in medical school, he called his parents to say he was taking a year off to move to NYC. At the time, they were furious, but little did he know that would be one of the best decisions of his life. He partnered with his friend, whom he met at a coworking space, to build a DTC mattress company. Their most recent valuation was at over $1 Billion. This is the story of Casper and the secret behind their viral growth. Follow the host: https://twitter.com/shamusmadan 📩 Join The Dealroom: https://dealroompodcast.com/subscribe Learn more about Casper here: https://casper.com/ (0:00) Introduction and Neil Parikh's early years (2:57) Foundation of Casper and disrupting the mattress industry (11:11) Lessons learned from investor rejections and evolution of Casper's story (18:00) Achieving $1,000,000 in revenue in 30 days and creative marketing strategies (28:53) Overcoming traditional business barriers in the mattress industry and innovating customer service (32:16) Dealing with challenges and problems in business and importance of feedback (38:05) Mistakes made during Casper's scaling process and maintaining focus (40:09) Decision to go public and challenges faced (46:41) Future focus: Consumer applications of healthcare and AI (49:13) Best piece of advice: Relentlessly invest in yourself and words to 18-year-old self (51:53) Wrapping up the episode and future plans

At just 12 years old, Sam Obletz decided to put his studies on the back burner and start a computer integration company with his friend. Today, he has come a long way from building computers and is now on a mission to change advertising forever. This is his multi-billion dollar plan. Follow the host: https://twitter.com/shamusmadan 📩 Join The Dealroom: https://dealroompodcast.com/subscribe Learn more about Claim here: https://claim.co/ (0:00) Introduction to Sam Obletz and his journey into entrepreneurship (3:21) The rise of Sam's computer integration company, Hailstorm PC (6:36) Discussion on the challenges and issues with modern advertising (12:34) Unveiling Claim: Sam's new venture aimed at revolutionizing consumer interactions (18:12) The Ideation of Claim (21:09) Claim's mission to humanize digital consumer interactions (25:54) Strategies and challenges in growing Claim's user base (33:12) How Claim is persuading brands to switch from traditional platforms (37:00) Understanding Claim's business model and growth strategy (41:11) Sam's fundraising experiences and lessons learned (44:49) The art of investor targeting and secrets to successful fundraising (48:47) Sam's advice for budding entrepreneurs and his younger self (50:37) Conclusion

The education system is broken, but Tade Oyerinde is on a mission to save it with his startup Campus. He raised tens of millions from Sam Altman, Dr. Shaquille O'Neal, and many others. This is his multi-billion dollar plan. Follow the host: https://twitter.com/shamusmadan 📩 Join The Dealroom: https://dealroompodcast.com/subscribe Learn more about Campus here: https://campus.edu/ (0:00) Introduction and Tade Oyerinde's early life and education (4:09) Tade's transition from Aerospace Engineering to entrepreneurship (9:21) Launch and growth of Tade's first company, Gleepost (13:10) Tade's decision to drop out of university for Univerlette and its eventual fall (19:14) Shift to mobile apps for universities and inception of CampusWire (30:22) Quick podcast break and request for subscription (30:33) The unique model and mission of CampusWire (40:02) Overcoming setbacks and learning from failures in business (43:22) Failed acquisition attempt and successful acquisition of MTI College (54:13) Techniques to help students visualize their long-term goals and wrapping up the interview

In 2016, Joe Lemay's balance sheet for Rocketbook was -$400k, and no VC would touch him. Bootstrapping was his only option. After four years of sweat and tears, he and his co-founder, Jake, built the company to a +$50M exit. This is the story of Rocketbook. Connect with Joe Lemay here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lemayjoe/ Follow the host: https://twitter.com/shamusmadan 📩 Join The Dealroom: https://dealroompodcast.com/subscribe (0:00) Introduction: Joe Lemay's journey and the conception of Rockabook (4:24) Importance of Crowdfunding and the development of Rocket Book (9:01) Joe's experience at the launch festival and meeting Jason Calacanis (15:51) Innovative marketing strategies and launching a new product: The Rocket Book Core (20:33) Overcoming technical and financial struggles in product development (29:56) Advice to a younger self and strategies to grow sales and revenue (36:54) Decision and process of selling the company to BIC (45:45) The strategic importance of Rocketbook to BIC and building champions within the acquiring company (49:37) Lessons learned from the acquisition and the best piece of advice Joe Lemay has received (51:53) Wrapping up the interview with Joe Lemay

In this episode, Shamus Madan chats with Bobby Brannigan about his entrepreneurial journey, from his father's grocery store to stock trading and textbook business. They discuss Bobby's innovative strategies, business financing, handling lawsuits, and market competition. Bobby shares his personal journey, including a life-changing backpacking trip and the influence of mentorship. The discussion ends with insights into scaling a business and Bobby's decision to sell his venture. Not too long ago, Bobby Brannigan was over $250k in debt, and at the same time, his new company was being sued by four of the biggest textbook publishers in the US. The business was on the verge of bankruptcy. But he climbed out of this hole and built his business to $100 Million in sales. Here's how he did it. Learn more about his new business, Mercato, here: https://www.mercato.com/ 📩 Business Interviews Newsletter (free) https://dealroompodcast.com/subscribe (0:00) Introduction and Bobby Brannigan's journey into entrepreneurship (7:55) Insights from Bobby's early experiences, including working at his father's grocery store and stock trading (11:54) Bobby's start into the textbook business and strategy for success (18:40) Bobby's realization leading to a new business idea and its initial success (22:30) Discussion on market changes, competition, and innovation in Bobby's business (26:45) Financing the business, facing lawsuits, and navigating challenges (34:17) Bobby's personal journey: from a backpacking trip to reassessing the company's direction (36:16) Overcoming age-related challenges and implementing a student-to-student marketing program (40:17) Scaling the business, customer feedback, and decision to sell the business (46:59) Bobby's advice to young entrepreneurs and the importance of finding a mentor (50:23) Wrap up and end of interview

In this episode, Shamus Madan chats with Lucie Basch about her fight against food waste, the creation and scaling of her platform, Too Good To Go. They discuss the economic and environmental impacts, onboarding challenges, international expansion, and the importance of a company's story. Lucie also shares advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. Meet Lucie Basch, one of the visionaries mind behind Too Good To Go. Inspired by her passion for environmental sustainability and the fight against food waste, Lucie co-founded the company with a mission to reduce food waste. In just a matter of years, the company has grown from a small idea to an app with over 85 million users. This is her story. Learn More About Too Good To Go here: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/too-good-to-go-end-food-waste/id1060683933 📩 Business Interviews Newsletter (free) https://dealroompodcast.com/subscribe (0:00) Introduction to Lucie Basch and Too Good To Go (2:22) The journey of fighting food waste and the creation of Too Good To Go (5:15) The economic and environmental impact of food waste (8:24) Building and scaling the Too Good To Go platform (13:29) Challenges and successes in onboarding stores to the platform (15:37) Business model and international expansion of Too Good To Go (19:17) The role of a company's story in product development (22:15) Future goals and challenges for Too Good To Go (24:25) Maintaining company culture during rapid expansion (27:49) Lucie's advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

In this episode, Shamus Madan converses with Noah Kagan about his journey from his early marketing experiences to his time at Facebook and Mint. They discuss 'Test and Invest', a strategy used by AppSumo, and Noah shares advice he'd give to his younger self. Not long after graduating from UC Berkeley, Noah became employee #30 at Facebook, where he invented status updates, developed the Facebook ads platform, and worked on the very first version of Facebook's mobile app. Since 2010, Noah has been Chief Sumo of Sumo Group, a $100 million company offering e-commerce and marketing tools that help millions of small businesses grow their audiences and reach more customers. This is the marketing strategy Noah used to build Mint.com and his businesses to tens of millions in revenue. Pre-order Million Dollar Weekend here: https://amzn.to/48VAnat 📩 Business Interviews Newsletter (free) https://dealroompodcast.com/subscribe (0:00) Introduction and Noah Kagan's early experiences in marketing (5:44) Reflections on entrepreneurship and college experiences (7:26) Noah's decision to work for Intel and side hustles (14:01) Landing a job at Facebook and early experiences (21:57) Mark Zuckerberg's influence on Noah's leadership style (24:35) Dealing with being fired from Facebook and life trajectory (31:05) Mint's initial user acquisition strategy and success (34:35) Discipline and business strategies during good times (36:33) Introduction of 'Test and Invest' - a strategy used by AppSumo (38:54) Noah Kagan's advice to his eighteen-year-old self (39:23) Closing remarks and end of the interview

In this episode, Shamus Madan talks with Ben Van Leeuwen about his journey in the ice cream industry, starting a business with limited capital, and building a positive culture. They discuss hiring strategies, finding capital for growth, overcoming challenges, and the reality of overnight success. It was the summer of 2004. Ben Van Leeuwen was looking for a way to pay for college when he came across an ad in the paper that was looking for a driver for an ice cream truck, paying $500/week. He decided to give it a shot. Little did he know that decision would propel him into starting a multi-million-dollar ice cream empire in New York City (NYC). Here's how he did it. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts - https://apple.co/3MUaiQs Subscribe to the show on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/3scl60H 📩 Business Stories Newsletter (free) - https://dealroompodcast.com/subscribe 🐦 Follow Shamus Madan - https://twitter.com/mbitpodcast (0:00) Introduction: Journey of Ben Van Leeuwen in the ice cream industry (2:02) Ben's decision to drop out of college and his passion for food (5:10) Challenges and strategies of starting a business with limited capital (10:16) Gaining loyal repeat customers and building a positive culture at scale (14:49) Process of hiring the right people and finding capital for business growth (17:28) Overcoming challenges and scary moments in business (21:00) Best advice received and given for budding entrepreneurs (24:47) The reality of overnight success in business

In this episode, Shamus Madan converses with Matt Chan about his entrepreneurial journey. They discuss Matt's transition to entrepreneurship with Alpine Media, his experiences in agency work, and how he ventured into the pool building industry. Matt shares his encounters with personal challenges, including a robbery in Greece, and how he overcame initial failures. The episode concludes with his insights on goal setting, team building, and refining the sales process. Matt Chan is the Founder of Aquasition.io, an agency that generates qualifies leads for pool builders. Just two years ago he had $0 in his savings and did not know what he wanted to do with his life. Now, he is on track to generate well over $500k in revenue in the next year. Here's how he did it. Twitter of Host (Shamus Madan): @mbitpodcast Subscribe to our newsletter: https://dealroompodcast.com/subscribe Learn more about Aquasition here: https://www.aquasition.io/ (0:00) Introduction and Matt Chan's Entrepreneurial Beginnings (5:15) Deep Dive into Matt's Internship Experiences and Interest in Business Development (10:00) Matt's Transition to Entrepreneurship with Alpine Media (15:27) Matt's Journey in Agency Work and Overcoming Challenges (21:37) Transition to Pool Building Industry and Mindset Evolution (25:07) Impact of Personal Challenges: Robbery in Greece (27:19) Current Business Status, Revenue, and Scaling Plans (30:37) Overcoming Initial Failures and Learning from Them (33:20) Goal Setting, Team Building, and Refining Sales Process (37:43) Final Thoughts and Advice for Younger Self (38:33) Wrap up and Thanking the Guest

In this episode, Shamus Madan speaks with Dori Yona about his entrepreneurial journey, from his early ventures to the founding of Ernie. They discuss the challenges of shutting down a company, leading to the creation of Simple Closure, a solution that simplifies this process. Yona shares insights on customer acquisition, growth, and securing venture capital for Simple Closure. Dori Yona is the co-founder and CEO of SimpleClosure, a startup that automates the process of shutting down a company. He is also a former co-founder and COO of Earny, a consumer fintech app that was acquired in 2021. In this episode, I sit down with Dori to learn about his entrepreneurial journey, the challenges and opportunities of the business closure industry, and how he raised $1.5 million in pre-seed funding in less than 24 hours without a pitch deck. Twitter of Host (Shamus Madan): @mbitpodcast Twitter of Guest (Dori Yona): @doriyona Subscribe to our newsletter: https://mbitpodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe Learn more about Simple Closure here: https://simpleclosure.com/ (0:00) Introduction and guest introduction: Dori Yona (3:32) Dori's first experiences with entrepreneurship and early ventures (7:30) Founding of Ernie, a startup company, and its business model (14:30) Raising venture capital for Ernie and the shutdown of HashNAP (20:50) The challenges and complexity of shutting down a company (24:27) The inception of Simple Closure and its role in streamlining the shutdown process (29:00) Customer acquisition, growth, and venture capital funding for Simple Closure (34:49) Final thoughts, where to find more about Simple Closure, and advice for entrepreneurs