I’ve got a special solo episode for you today with a big announcement as well: I’m thrilled to tell you that I’m going all-in on building a startup in the real estate sector.  In this episode, I'll share the questions I used when interviewing my co-founder and I'll cover the top 5 practical items you must be aligned on with your co-founder(s). (00:00) Introduction (01:11) The importance of choosing the right co-founder(s) (02:23) How to assess a potential co-founder (06:23) The top 5 practical considerations you must align on. Further reading: https://www.ycombinator.com/blog/10-questions-to-discuss-with-a-potential-co-founder https://review.firstround.com/the-founder-dating-playbook-heres-the-process-i-used-to-find-my-co-founder Get in touch with Mosheh: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/moshehp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/MoshehP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@pmfpod.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.pmfpod.com⁠⁠

In this special episode of the Product Market Fit Podcast, host Moshe Poltorak interviews Hillel Fuld, a leading voice in the Israeli tech community. Despite the current situation in Israel, Hillel shares his insights on the tech ecosystem, content marketing for startups, and common mistakes made by early-stage founders. The conversation highlights the importance of content as the foundation for effective marketing and provides valuable resources to support relief efforts in Israel. Don't miss this episode filled with expert advice and actionable tips for startup growth.  Hillel also unravels the intricacies of data-driven growth strategies and emphasizes the value of understanding customer behaviors for successful entrepreneurship. As we tread into the world of content creation, Hillel shares his expert advice on utilizing content and podcasting as powerful marketing tools for businesses of all sizes. From discerning key success to building a brand, this conversation is overflowing with practical advice for founders and operators eager to supercharge their startup growth. Tune in for an insightful and engaging discussion with Hillel Fuld! [00:02:30] The Israeli tech ecosystem. [00:03:03] Graduating from "Startup Nation". [00:06:30] Addressing communication challenges in Israel. [00:09:43] Valuations and long-term commitments. [00:11:24] Vanity metrics and product-market fit. [00:14:54] Leveraging podcasting for content creation. [00:17:00] Focus on the problem. Guest contact: https://www.hillelfuld.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilzfuld/?originalSubdomain=il Sponsor: This podcast is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠grwth.co⁠⁠⁠. Grwth offers fractional CMOs, paired with best-in-class digital marketing execution to support early-stage startup success. With a focus on seed and series A companies, Grwth has helped a number of SaaS, digital health, and e-commerce startups build their go-to-market function and scale up. To learn more and book a free consultation, go to ⁠⁠⁠grwth.co⁠⁠⁠. Get in touch with Mosheh: ⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/moshehp⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/MoshehP⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@pmfpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠www.pmfpod.com

What happens when artificial intelligence becomes the new normal for e-commerce? We reveal how AI is shaping the future of the retail world with Ben Parr, journalist, investor, and co-founder of Octane AI. Ben lends his expertise in AI and e-commerce, and shares his insights from the recent TED AI event in San Francisco, providing a fascinating look into the developments in the field. We touch upon Octane AI's revolutionary tools that are taking e-commerce to the next level, and Ben even gives us some tips and tricks on securing PR for startups. This episode isn't just about AI and commerce; it's an exploration of trust and acceptance of technology by consumers. We discuss how we can bridge the trust gap when it comes to AI products, and how AI is influencing not just the retail space but also the student and workplace experience. We venture into scenarios where AI outperforms humans, and even offer some guidance on distinguishing between the two. With Ben, we dive into the idea of autonomous agents and super intelligence, and the potential implications of these concepts for society and medical technologies, offering a glimpse into a future guided by AI. Finally, our conversation wouldn't be complete without insights about press and PR for startups. Ben shares his experiences, emphasizing the importance of building relationships with journalists and crafting stories that resonate. He talks about the advantages of offering exclusives and shares his unique approach to effective business travel. We wrap up with Ben's philosophy on building a profitable, sustainable, growing business and his personal core values that guide his decisions. Join us for this illuminating discussion and step into the future of AI and e-commerce with us. (00:01) - The Future of AI and E-Commerce (11:52) - Product Market Fit and AI Impact (16:33) - AI in E-Commerce and Building Trust (21:10) - The Future of AI and Society (33:03) - Startup PR and Press Advice (41:18) - Startup World and Core Values Change Guest Contact Info: Say Hello Linkedin Newsletter: https://www.benparr.com Grow and Optimize Your Ecommerce Business: https://www.octaneai.com/ Sponsor: This podcast is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠grwth.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Grwth offers fractional CMOs, paired with best-in-class digital marketing execution to support early-stage startup success. With a focus on seed and series A companies, Grwth has helped a number of SaaS, digital health, and e-commerce startups build their go-to-market function and scale up. To learn more and book a free consultation, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠grwth.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Get in touch with Mosheh: ⁠linkedin.com/in/moshehp/⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/Moshehp⁠⁠⁠ hello@pmfpod.com ⁠⁠https://www.pmfpod.com/⁠

Ready to revolutionize the way you view business and entrepreneurship? Join us in our enlightening chat with Howard Bornstein, the president of CharterUp. Howard's transition from investor to operator provides a distinctive vantage point and he generously shares his unique insights with us. He dissects his three-question framework for evaluating startups, explains his rule of 30, and unveils how CharterUp, a transportation logistics platform, differentiates itself from household names like Uber and Lyft. A highlight of our conversation with Howard is his emphasis on product-market fit. He explains what it looks like from an investor's perspective, and how entrepreneurs can recognize early signs of it. His example of how CharterUp found success through customer referrals underlines the power of a potent product-market fit. But that's not all, he also unravels the importance of identifying opportunities for disruption in industries lacking innovation and national players. Finally, we probe into the untapped potential of electric transportation and autonomous vehicles. Howard also shares his predictions about the future of the transportation industry. His experiences and perspectives provide an invaluable guide for those navigating the intricate world of startups and fundraising. As we cruise through this enlightening chat, Howard's wisdom will leave you with more than just a new perspective, but a roadmap to success. This episode is a must for anyone eager to understand the terrain of entrepreneurship, fundraising strategies, and market trends. Tune in! Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (02:00) Message about 10/7 and the attack on Israel (04:59) What is CharterUP? (07:21) Howard's background (09:11) How do you define product-market fit? (10:38) 3 questions every founder needs to be able to answer (14:43) Stories from the early days (16:52) Identifying your ICP (ideal customer profile) (22:06) Howard's "Rule of 30" thesis (25:28) How narrow should your ICP be? (33:53) B2B vs. B2C (37:00) Investors vs. founders (41:15) Tips for fundraising (44:40) Predictions about disruption in transportation and energy (48:06) Lightning round (52:52) Final words Guest contact: https://www.charterup.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/howardbornstein/ Sponsor: This podcast is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠grwth.co⁠⁠⁠. Grwth offers fractional CMOs, paired with best-in-class digital marketing execution to support early-stage startup success. With a focus on seed and series A companies, Grwth has helped a number of SaaS, digital health, and e-commerce startups build their go-to-market function and scale up. To learn more and book a free consultation, go to ⁠⁠⁠grwth.co⁠⁠⁠. Get in touch with Mosheh: ⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/moshehp⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/MoshehP⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@pmfpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠www.pmfpod.com

Join us as we navigate the thrilling journey of startup growth with Roland Siebelink, founder and CEO of Midstage Institute. In this insightful conversation, Roland and I dissect the stages of a tech startup and how founders can successfully transition from startup to scale-up. With the wealth of knowledge Roland accumulated from being instrumental in the growth of three unicorn companies, he generously shares invaluable insights on the importance of offering value to customers, fostering an abundance mindset, and building a robust team to reach your product-market-fit goal. We further explore the challenges and rewards of transitioning a startup from early to mid-stage. The discussion illuminates the significant differences between growth and mid-stage, and the pivotal role of identifying product-market-fit by understanding the problem, the solution, and who is willing to pay for it. We talk about the need for delegation, the importance of establishing a strong culture and guidelines, and developing a strategy to exploit opportunities effectively. The episode doesn't shy away from the dangers of premature scaling, stressing the significance of recognizing the right time to scale. Listen in as we tackle execution rhythms and discipline, shedding light on how founders can use these to ensure their teams are working cohesively and efficiently. We also discuss the potential pitfalls of raising capital, the benefits of bootstrapping, and the value of mentorship. From the potential of having a virtual coffee with Mahatma Gandhi to examining the impact of advice from different cultures, this episode offers a treasure trove of wisdom for every founder out there. Tune in! Chapters: (00:00) Navigating the Startup Growth Journey Founders learn practical tips to reach product market fit, offering value to customers, building a strong team, and adopting an abundance mindset. (04:56) Early to Midstage Startup Transition Startup tech transition from early to mid-stage, product market fit, delegation, culture, strategy, and exploiting opportunities discussed. (12:59) Dangers of Premature Scaling and Successful Execution Discuss dangers of premature scaling, product market fit, execution rhythms and execution discipline. (17:52) SaaS Challenges and Execution Rhythms Founder coaching, few resources, company-wide OKRs, execution discipline, and founder responsibility are discussed for tech startups transitioning to mid-stage. (24:27) Success in Startup Scaling Self-improvement, coachable CEO, visionary/executing co-founder, established relationship, and making the call are key traits for successful mid-stage CEOs. (39:10) Management, Leadership, and Startups Mentorship, bootstrapping, cultural advice, offering value, and virtual coffee with Mahatma Gandhi are discussed. Guest contact: midstage.org/thrive https://www.linkedin.com/in/rolandsiebelink/ Sponsor: This podcast is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠grwth.co⁠⁠⁠. Grwth offers fractional CMOs, paired with best-in-class digital marketing execution to support early-stage startup success. With a focus on seed and series A companies, Grwth has helped a number of SaaS, digital health, and e-commerce startups build their go-to-market function and scale up. To learn more and book a free consultation, go to ⁠⁠⁠grwth.co⁠⁠⁠. Get in touch with Mosheh: ⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/moshehp⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/MoshehP⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@pmfpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠www.pmfpod.com

Welcome to episode 50 of the Product Market Fit podcast, a show about startups, technology, and growth, for early-stage founders and operators. My guest today is Jenny He, Co-Founder and CEO of Ergeon. The company raised a whopping $53M to finance its mission of transforming the residential construction industry. Fun fact, her co-founder Odysseas Tsatalos co-founded UpWork and Intacct.   This interview lines up very well with last week’s episode with the founder of smart-AC, as we dive further into how to build and sell software for industries that are slow to adopt new technologies. Jenny also has a diametrically opposed opinion of remote work to Josh’s take as she has built this company remote-first with team members distributed across 49 countries.  She also shared inside baseball on organic growth, testing with payments, and attribution, so grab a notebook and steal these ideas!   Hey, can you believe we’re at 50 episodes already?! This has been such an amazing journey so far and I want to thank each and every one of you for listening and supporting me. I am truly grateful and can’t wait to bring you the next 50 amazing interviews with founders and changemakers.  As I round this milestone, I’m thinking of ways to improve the pod, so if you’ve got any feedback on what you like, what you don’t like, or suggestions I’d love to hear them! Contact info below 👇 Chapters: (02:35) What is Ergeon? (04:23) Raising $50M+ (06:32) Encouraging organic growth (10:10) Multi-channel attribution (12:51) Tracking dark social (15:10) Other side of the marketplace (18:21) National Rollout (23:06) Building tech for adoption (25:53) Pricing (28:35) Experiments (33:41) What's coming up for Ergeon? (36:08) Global team and remote work (39:08) Lightning round Guest Contact Info: ⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn Sponsor: This podcast is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠grwth.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Grwth offers fractional CMOs, paired with best-in-class digital marketing execution to support early-stage startup success. With a focus on seed and series A companies, Grwth has helped a number of SaaS, digital health, and e-commerce startups build their go-to-market function and scale up. To learn more and book a free consultation, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠grwth.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Get in touch with Mosheh: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/moshehp⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/MoshehP⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@pmfpod.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.pmfpod.com #homeimprovement #contractor #construction #technology #innovation #marketplace #pricing #remote #distributedteams #leadership #authenticity #mentoring #tips #payments #customerexperience #productroadmap #futurevision #organicmarketing #customeracquisition #marketing #product #startups #founders

My guest today is Josh Teekell, Founder and CEO of SmartAC. The company recently raised a $22M Series B and is set on transforming the HVAC and plumbing industries.  I particularly enjoyed learning how Josh figured out their B2B2C business model, which is super relevant to any founder building a complex product where the end-user isn’t necessarily the one who is going to pay for it.  We also talked about hardware, pivots, IoT or the Internet of things and advisory boards. And stick around to the end for Josh’s hot-take on remote work.  Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (02:21) About the company and product (04:30) Pivoting to a successful business model (13:31) The art of securing big deals: a founder's guide (20:19) Lessons learned about activation and retention (28:58) From crowdsourcing to series B: the funding journey (32:13) Advisory boards: navigating their role in startup success (34:30) In-person vs. remote work: embracing the in-office startup culture (37:12) AI-powered growth for SmartAC (38:57) Lightning round Guest Contact Info: ⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠ josh@smartac.com⁠⁠ Link to support Israel: giveisrael.org Sponsor: This podcast is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠grwth.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Grwth offers fractional CMOs, paired with best-in-class digital marketing execution to support early-stage startup success. With a focus on seed and series A companies, Grwth has helped a number of SaaS, digital health, and e-commerce startups build their go-to-market function and scale up. To learn more and book a free consultation, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠grwth.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Get in touch with Mosheh: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/moshehp⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/MoshehP⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@pmfpod.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.pmfpod.com⁠ Topic keywords: IoT, hardware, software, product market fit, fundraising, startups

Praying for peace for all. ✌️ ** Dear friends, it’s Mosheh here. In light of the devastation taking place in Israel, I couldn’t bring myself to release an episode as usual. Instead, please allow me to share a few thoughts from the heart.  We’ll be back next week with more fantastic interviews and hopefully better news.  ** I’m generally not very political and apologize in advance for going “out of my lane here,” but some things transcend business and force a change in the day-to-day. I’ll probably get blow-back for doing this and perhaps some of you will unsubscribe, but I feel compelled to use this platform to raise awareness about these horrifying attacks, and perhaps more importantly, share a hopeful vision that we can strive toward.  ** As you likely know, this past Saturday, Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel from Gaza and massacred over 1,000 innocent civilians in the most heinous manner.  Girls and woman were raped. Babies murdered and mutilated. Hundreds of young adults at a music festival mowed down in a field. Hamas death squads going house-to-house in Israeli villages, burning homes, killing entire families, and taking captives to God knows what end.  It’s difficult to comprehend the brutality and barbarism of these acts. It’s painful to listen to. The images are gut-wrenching to see. But we can’t ignore it. We can’t look away. It is our responsibility to bear witness.  Remember the famous words of Edmund Burke, “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” ** Yes, I am Jewish, but let me make this clear: this isn't a Jewish issue. This is a human issue. It's a battle for progress over savagery. A battle for good over evil. A battle for light over darkness. We must rise above the boundaries of religion and nationality to understand that this is about the fundamental values that unite us as a species.  ** If you’ve been following the pod, you know that I’m a techno-optimist. I believe that human progress comes from innovation. Throughout history, technological advances have mostly benefited humanity and raised living standards across the globe.  To that end, it saddens me when drone technology is used in the aid of terrorists; or when social media, a tool meant to connect people, is weaponized to spread misinformation, disinformation; or to terrorize people with the worst kind of snuff films.  Yet, I’m optimistic. I remain a firm believer in the power of technology to make the world a better place.  We've seen tech startups time and again demonstrate how innovation can overcome adversity. They illuminate the path towards what's possible when we channel our energies into creating, rather than destroying. It’s up to you, the founders, the innovators, the builders.  ** Since these attacks, Israel has declared war on Hamas and has been targeting them with bombardment and military operations in Gaza. I fear that this is just the beginning of a protracted multi-front war that will result in countless more deaths and carnage on all sides.  You don’t have to succumb to moral relativism to mourn the loss of any human life. I pray for peace for all.  ** You know, there’s a hasidic saying that a little light dispels a lot of darkness.  In this dark moment, I'm asking all of you, my fellow founders and tech enthusiasts, to be that light.  We may not have all the answers, but we can contribute to a world that's more compassionate, more understanding, and more connected. Together, we can promote a culture of empathy, and through our technology, create bridges where there were once walls. ** We'll be back next week with our regular content. Until then, stay positive, stay hopeful, and keep building.

Chapters: (00:00) Intro (02:27) What is Aro and who is it for? (05:30) Defining product-market fit and early-stage signals (06:54) Choosing the hybrid path: navigating between hardware and software (11:05) Navigating pricing strategies: balancing hardware and subscription models (12:55) Growth channels for Aro: Leveraging Social Media and Podcasts (14:32) Product development optimized for behavior change (16:39) User Behavior Insights: the power of unplugging (23:11) Exploring future growth strategies: expanding product Lines and strategic partnerships (26:22) The challenges of international hardware expansion (28:55) Aro's diverse funding strategies (30:53) Measuring customer satisfaction and product market fit (34:25) Insights from a serial founder: lessons learned from founding two startups (40:15) Lightning round Guest contact: www.goaro.com Connect with Heath on LinkedIn Sponsor:  This podcast is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠grwth.co⁠⁠⁠. Grwth offers fractional CMOs, paired with best-in-class digital marketing execution to support early-stage startup success. With a focus on seed and series A companies, Grwth has helped a number of SaaS, digital health, and e-commerce startups build their go-to-market function and scale up.  To learn more and book a free consultation, go to ⁠⁠⁠grwth.co⁠⁠⁠. Get in touch with Mosheh: ⁠⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/moshehp⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/MoshehP⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@pmfpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠www.pmfpod.com

Chapters: (00:00) Intro (02:27) Krava's story (03:11) The technology behind the K1 (05:39) Krava vision (06:07) Market entry strategy (from a business perspective) (08:30) Prefab housing, is it better? (10:36) Needed automation for the prefab (13:35) Customization vs Modular design (14:54) The green economy (17:16) Product market fit (18:37) Market validation (19:13) Founding story (20:29) ADUs regulations (23:19) Assessing product market fit (25:03) Customer acquisition strategy (29:03) Challenges ADUs face (30:09) Competition & Collaboration (31:21) Second time as a founder (36:13) Lighting round Guest Contact Info: Krava.com linkedin.com/in/ritwikpavan/ Sponsor:  This podcast is brought to you by ⁠⁠grwth.co⁠⁠. Grwth offers fractional CMOs, paired with best-in-class digital marketing execution to support early-stage startup success. With a focus on seed and series A companies, Grwth has helped a number of SaaS, digital health, and e-commerce startups build their go-to-market function and scale up.  To learn more and book a free consultation, go to ⁠⁠grwth.co⁠⁠. Get in touch with Mosheh: ⁠⁠linkedin.com/in/moshehp⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/MoshehP⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@pmfpod.com⁠⁠⁠ www.pmfpod.com