The Startup Podcast

There’s a fair bit of sentiment in the startup community at the moment purporting that B2B2C is better. Chris believes it is not. Joining Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein on The Startup Podcast to discuss their startup as a case-study is special guest Matt Holme, CEO and Founder of YouPay. YouPay is an ecommerce payment platform that pivoted from B2B to B2C over its lifetime. Together they discuss: 🚀 YouPay's Evolution: Starting as a B2B platform facilitating payment for others' shopping carts, YouPay faced scalability challenges relying on ecommerce stores. 💡 B2C Pivot and Realizations: Adapting to challenges, YouPay pivoted to a B2C model, selling directly to creators and fans, realizing the limitations of the B2B2C approach. 🔄 Overcoming Objections: Exploring objections to B2C, including partner focus, user acquisition hurdles, and potential loss of B2B clients. 📈 Success through Marketing and Product Focus: YouPay thrived post-pivot by strategically using ads, fostering word-of-mouth, and building a strong brand. The shift resulted in substantial growth and increased team motivation. 🔑 Key Takeaways: Emphasizing the significance of end users, acquiring your user base, and maintaining control over the product. This is an interesting episode for everyone intrigued by business models and how to best position your company. Episode Links: Checkout the document that Chris created that sparked this discussion: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11ICK-KmnPJgzfQC1wkxz6Tf-l69pUptmk1QyKH9QB9M/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.1izb56alryed The Pact  Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please: Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early-access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe  Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/       Follow us on YouTube Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following  Key links The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp  for 20% off their incredible offer. Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg   Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show    Learn more about Chris and Yaniv Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/   Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/   Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/ Credits Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by: Editor: Justin McArthur Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang  

The hosts discuss Carta's controversial pivot and the backlash it received, analyze the impact of cryptocurrency ETFs on Bitcoin and Ethereum, explore OpenAI's decision to allow military applications and the ethical implications, challenge Google's attribution of layoffs to AI, and delve into the leadership failures at Google and the potential of autonomous vehicles.

Michael Houck, founder and investor, discusses the benefits of building a personal brand for founders, tactics for growing engagement, the difference between personal and company brand, and overcoming posting anxiety. The podcast also explores the power of warm introductions, leveraging personal branding, and the dangers of the social media algorithm.

It’s one of the first questions people ask when they hear of startups. What makes startups different from usual businesses? Recently Chris found himself in a debate about the differences between traditional businesses and startups.  As a result he created a document and shared it with his followers about the similarities and differences. Fortunately, this week on The Startup Podcast he and Yaniv debate the commonalities, differences and how startups drive disruption. Together they discuss: 📈 Objectives Clash: Traditional businesses gravitate towards steady growth, while startups chase the adrenaline of rapid expansion and scale. 🔄 Activities Diverge: Traditional businesses fine-tune existing products, contrasting with startups that embrace experimentation to discover elusive product-market fit. 🌐 Leadership Philosophies: While traditional businesses thrive on consensus, startups dance to the beat of a founder's visionary rhythm. 🎲 Risk Tolerance Dynamics: Traditional enterprises tread carefully in risk aversion, whereas startups boldly waltz through the uncertainty, seeing it as a playground for innovation. ⚙️ Execution Styles: Traditional businesses methodically execute incremental strategies, in stark contrast to startups prioritizing agility, speed, and continuous learning. 🤝 Engaging Industries: Traditional businesses seek partnerships within the familiar, while startups set sail to disrupt the status quo and redefine industries. 🔍 Focused vs Diversified: Traditional businesses diversify their portfolio, whereas startups concentrate on a niche with unwavering focus. 💰 Compensation Philosophies: Traditional businesses stick to market wages, whereas startups entice talent with the allure of equity and moderate pay. Don’t miss this special episode! Episode Links: Checkout the document that Chris created that sparked this discussion: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EiFWYJpSbDoxdiKWeD_EBk26Q82Ki8NvjASQ2m_-JvY/edit The Pact  Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please: Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early-access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe  Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/       Follow us on YouTube Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following  Key links The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp  for 20% off their incredible offer. Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg   Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show    Learn more about Chris and Yaniv Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/   Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/   Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/ Credits Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by: Editor: Justin McArthur Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang  

The Insiders are back for 2024 and hasn’t it been a big week of controversy in the tech world! Here to break it all down is Emil, Chris and Yaniv. This week they discuss: 🔍 Carta's Privacy Clash: Carta, a software company, faces allegations of privacy breaches, using customer data for a secondary business. The CEO's response sparks criticism, highlighting the conflict between Carta's ventures and customer interests. 🧠 AI and Copyright Dilemma: The trio explores the tension between AI creativity and copyright protection. Using public data for AI training raises fairness concerns. Balancing creativity and protecting creators' styles necessitates novel solutions like attribution, citations, and royalties. AI's rise prompts a reevaluation of intellectual property laws. ₿ Bitcoin's Evolution: Predicting Bitcoin's trajectory, the discussion suggests it will persist as "digital gold" due to its limited supply. Anticipating a Bitcoin ETF, the potential increase in liquidity and accessibility might affect prices. The broader impact on the crypto sphere remains uncertain, requiring blockchain to demonstrate value beyond Bitcoin. 🌐 The Battle Between Technology and Ethics: The insightful conversation underscores the intricacies of emerging tech, ethics, and law. A nuanced perspective is essential to comprehend the profound social impacts of AI. This week’s breaking tech news has wide reaching consequences on the tech landscape, you don’t want to miss out! The Pact  Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please: Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early-access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe  Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/       Follow us on YouTube Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following  Key links The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp  for 20% off their incredible offer. Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg   Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show    Learn more about Chris and Yaniv Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/   Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/   Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/ Credits Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by: Editor: Justin McArthur Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang

Welcome to our first episode of 2024. We’re excited to be back and be sharing such a riveting episode to kick off the year! Today we have the pleasure of welcoming special guest, unicorn founder and CEO of Mercury, Immad Akhund. Mercury offers banking and credit cards for ambitious companies and was founded in 2017. With Chris and Yaniv, Immad shares his insights from scaling after finding product-market fit and how the journey has brought diverse challenges. In particular they discuss: 🚀 Mercury’s Strategic Launch Success: How Mercury’s triumph was fueled by a simple, loveable product and a focus on seamless customer onboarding 💡 CEO's Adaptive Role: Immad discusses navigating his evolving responsibilities as CEO during scaling and adapting to solving the highest-priority issues for effective leadership 🌐 Culture and Quality Hiring: Why developing culture and hiring top-tier talent from the beginning proved pivotal to Mercury’s successful scaling 🔄 Organizational Scalability: How to think about scaling and hiring leaders to manage teams effectively 📈 Deliberate Marketing & Investments: How Mercury deliberately grew through word of mouth, brand campaigns, partnerships and Google ads 🌱 Scaling Success Factors, Growth Mindset and Empowerment Finding the right strategic advisors, hiring and empowering exceptional individuals with clear priorities, swift decision-making and focus on key growth drivers Whether you’re working at a startup or scale up, Immad’s actionable insights will be valuable to employ as your team hits the ground running for 2024. Episode Links: Follow Immad: Twitter: https://twitter.com/immad LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iakhund/ Check out Mercury: Website: https://mercury.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mercury IG: https://www.instagram.com/mercuryfi/?hl=en Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mercuryhq The Pact  Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please: Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early-access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe  Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/       Follow us on YouTube Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following  Key links The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp  for 20% off their incredible offer. Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg   Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show    Learn more about Chris and Yaniv Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/   Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/   Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/ Credits Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by: Editor: Justin McArthur Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang   Disclaimer: Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group and Evolve Bank & Trust, Members FDIC.

In this episode, Nir Zavaro, a startup storytelling expert, joins the show to discuss the importance of storytelling for founders. They explore the 'trailer' and 'toilet' pitches, when to use them, and the significance of getting them right. The episode emphasizes the power of storytelling, crafting a compelling story, and being concise in presentations. They also introduce StugdotApp, a platform to teach impactful presentations and mention Nir's upcoming book 'F*ck the Slides'.

We’re back this week with one of our most popular episodes of 2023, featuring April Dunford. Product positioning will make or break your startup. Go toe-to-toe with multinational trillion-dollar behemoths and the likelihood of success is minute. Restructure your approach to target a different group and you can one-day “dab [your] tears with the money”. Researched ways on how to develop your product position and still feel stuck? Don’t fret! Yaniv and Chris are back this week with a super special guest - April Dunford, author of “Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get it, Buy it, Love it” and podcast host “Positioning with April Dunford”. Sit back and get ready to take some notes as April, Chris and Yaniv break down product positioning for startup. Along the way she shares the concept of positioning baggage, the three styles of product positioning from her book, why product market fit is not a useful thing for startups - just a vibe created by VC, discuss examples of Salesforce and Snowflake and share snippets from Jack Trout’s Positioning the Battle for Your Mind and Peter Thiel’s Zero to One. There is so much to learn from this episode we highly recommend listening to it twice! Episode Links Order April’s book “Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get it, Buy It, Love it”: https://www.amazon.com.au/Obviously-Awesome-Product-Positioning-Customers/dp/1999023005/  Checkout April’s website: https://www.aprildunford.com/ Listen to April’s podcast “Positioning with April Dunford”: https://www.positioning.show/ Follow April on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprildunford/  Follow April on Twitter: @aprildunford The Pact  Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please: Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app Follow us on YouTube Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following  Key links The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp  for 20% off their incredible offer. Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg  Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show  Learn more about Chris and Yaniv Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/  Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/  Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/  Credits Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by: Editor: Justin McArthur Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang  

2023 is winding down. You’re no doubt preparing and strategizing for 2024. You’ve listened to our recent episode on being more efficient in 2024 but now you’re at the pointy end - making the tough decisions on what to focus on. Feeling stuck? Not sure which way to turn? Don’t worry, Chris and Yaniv are here to end your decision paralysis!  In this episode they cover:   🔍 Decoding Decision Challenges: Chris and Yaniv explore the complexities of decision making in the startup world, where poor choices can lead to sluggish progress, compromised solutions, or execution roadblocks. They also cover why startups often grapple with this challenge and how to avoid the pitfalls! 🎯 Guiding Principles for Leadership: The team identifies the root cause of decision-making hurdles – a lack of clear objectives, principles, or data. In this episode, learn how effective leadership provides the necessary guidance and a robust decision-making framework to navigate these challenges. 🌐 Strategic Clarity & Communication: Yaniv and Chris explore the imperative need of clear strategy and communication from leadership. Discover how a well-defined strategy simplifies decision-making, making most choices straightforward for the team. ⬆️ Escalation Challenges: What obstacles hinder effective decision escalation within teams? From unquestioning obedience to a lack of cultural encouragement, learn the critical factors influencing decision escalations - Chris and Yaniv cover it all. 💡 Leadership's Tough Choices: Embrace the key to effective decision-making – leadership's ability to make difficult choices in defining a clear, well-structured strategy. Grasp how avoiding these challenges can lead to persistent problems. This episode is a MUST to level-up your strategy game in 2024. Now’s the perfect time to work on improving your decision-making skills for your startup venture. The Pact  Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please: Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early-access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe  Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/       Follow us on YouTube Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following  Key links The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp  for 20% off their incredible offer. Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg   Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show    Learn more about Chris and Yaniv Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/   Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/   Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/ Credits Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by: Editor: Justin McArthur Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang  

Google caught faking?  Is the economy back? Are US colleges anti-Semitic? There’s been some major developments in the tech ecosystem this week. Don’t worry! Emil, Chris and Yaniv are here to unpack it all including: 🤖 Google's AI Deception: The team delve into Google's Gemini, an AI model that initially wowed with live commentary on videos but later revealed an unexpected twist—AI responses stitched together from still images, raising questions about transparency and progress. ⚖️ Google's Antitrust Battle: The team explores the consequences of Google's antitrust loss related to Play Store policies. They further discuss the ongoing debate about the power of tech giants, their responsibilities, and the potential need for alternative app stores. 💼 Economic Insights: Emil, Chris and Yaniv unpack the complex recovery landscape as the economy bounces back, contrasting the resurgence in the stock market and crypto with the slower recovery in venture investing, highlighting the challenges faced by startups and VC funds. 🎓 Campus Debates on Antisemitism: The trio also discuss university presidents' responses to antisemitism, exploring the delicate balance between open debate and overcorrection. They also highlight the need for truth, debate, and ethics to maintain democratic values on campuses. Don’t miss the latest developments in the tech ecosystem - listen to this episode now! The Pact  Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please: Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early-access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe  Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/       Follow us on YouTube Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following  Key links The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. Go to www.vanta.com/tsp  for 20% off their incredible offer. Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg   Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show    Learn more about Chris and Yaniv Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/   Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/   Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/ Credits Lovingly handcrafted for the global startup community by: Editor: Justin McArthur Associate Producer: Aidan Cousins Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang