Creator Lab - interviews with entrepreneurs and startup founders

Who Is Emily? "Most Important Entrepreneur of The Decade" - Inc Magazine Emily is a true branding expert. She's helped to build brands like Allbirds, Casper & Boxed from the ground up & paved a new path for entrepreneurs building in the direct-to-consumer (D2C) space. Win A Free Book We're giving away 5 free copies of Emily's new book: Obsessed: Building a Brand People Love From Day One Sign up here for details: https://bit.ly/2Xxh58X What You’ll Learn The approach Emily and her team use to create brands that people love from day one. Real-world examples from brands like: Apple, Nike, Warby Parker, TOMS, Allbirds, SoulCycle, Everlane, Thinx, and more. You’ll learn: 3 pillars of brand strategy: mindset, key problem, brand idea what you can learn about brand storytelling from stand up comedy getting to the consumer need & “the why test” knowing when you’ve got to the “core brand idea” the difference between functional vs emotional brand storytelling the best way to get customer feedback how consumer expectations are being redefined why brand consistency is no longer the only approach to take in 2020 how subtle language can make a huge difference in the tone of your brand communication Time Stamps: 00:00 intro 1:24 who is emily? 2:00 equity vs agency fee 3:09 branding book 4:15 what is the importance of brand? 5:05 defining brand 9:08 3 parts to brand strategy 14:40 customer interviews 20:33 beyond functional benefits 22:51 casper + core brand idea 25:30 airbnb + the why test 29:50 evaluating brand idea 30:30 boxed + comparing to competition 32:30 allbirds examples 37:40 nike + laddering up value 38:10 apple + green text 41:35 soulcycle brand juxtaposition 42:50 breaking the rule of consistency 44:30 thinx 47:40 non-profits + cause 50:50 toms shoe 53:10 warby parker 53:37 bombas 54:55 everlane 59:40 cancel culture + consumer expectations

Full show notes: https://www.creatorlab.fm/hassan-yassine-gaia-interview/ Landing In Mexico City There’s an energy that radiates through Mexico City that is unique to this part of the world. Colorful buildings paint the streets next to food carts full of locals trading stories from their day. Innovative design, delicious food & a rich culture is at the heart of this mega-city. “Emerging Mexico” as I would learn, is alive and well. I could see why The New York Times named it the #1 place to visit in 2016. But when I first visited in 2015 to hang out with my old friend Hassan, I knew little about what was bubbling under the surface. That was the halfway point of our now 10yr friendship, meeting as young, ambitious employees in Google’s EMEA headquarters in Dublin. Bonding over Arsenal games, Fifa marathons & long chats in Slattery’s Pub, we talked about one day building companies that we would be proud of. And Hassan has stayed true to that vision ever since. Finding Opportunities In Emerging Markets Hassan co-founded GAIA, one of Mexico’s leading startups that is disrupting the furniture business. They’ve re-imagined what a vertically integrated player could look like: from designing & producing their own products, bringing technology to create new retail experiences & even having their own GAIA trucks to control the delivery experience for their customers – they’ve been a shining light of what the future of retail should look like. In just over 5 years, they’ve grown to 18 stores, 350+ employees & built a multi-million dollar e-commerce business that has a healthy mix of online to offline revenue. Hassan forged his own path. Leaving his safe job at Google in Europe, to move to Brazil to learn about startups in the region, before planting his own seed in Mexico. It’s his ability to get up and run towards the action that I was most fascinated to dig into. In an age of endless debate around luck vs skill – Hassan shows what it looks like to take control of the decisions you have agency over. But what I love most about this convo, is that we talk through some of the challenges that many of us face when trying to go down the entrepreneurial route. Where do you start? What should you focus on? When is it safe to leave your job? What skills do you need to build & who are the people you need to look out for to turn your idea into a reality? Five Things To Listen Out For: (1) Emerging Markets – why he thinks there’s so much opportunity in emerging markets like Mexico (2) Knowing When To Leave – how he thought through leaving his safe job, to move twice & settle into countries where he didn’t speak the language (3) Preparing For Entrepreneurship – the skills you can develop in a job to become a better entrepreneur (4) The evolution of the CMO role – how marketing is changing (5) Growth Debt – and how to avoid making mistakes when growing so quickly Subscribe and watch on: YouTube.com/creatorlabfm Full show notes: https://www.creatorlab.fm/hassan-yassine-gaia-interview/ Links: https://www.gaiadesign.com.mx/   https://twitter.com/ompaloempa Connect with Bilal on social: Instagram @bzaidi212 @creatorlabfm Twitter @bzaidi @creatorlabfm Thank you to our sponsors, who help make this show possible: SquareFoot, where growing companies find their place, check out SquareFoot.com/creatorlab to find your next office space

Rahul Vohra, founder of Superhuman, discusses building a long-lasting company, unique approaches like turning away paying customers, and the importance of measuring product-market fit. They also delve into time-saving features, translating customer insights into product roadmap, and the benefits of moving to Silicon Valley.

Hiten Shah has built multiple SaaS companies including Crazy Egg, KISSmetrics & FYI. In this conversation, we discuss the future of remote work and lessons learned from building, investing and advising 120+ companies. 63% of US companies now have remote workers and 96% of remote workers would recommend working remotely to a friend. But what does “remote work” actually mean? Many people think of digital nomads galavanting around tropical islands while fitting in some Wifi work time. Or freelancers working out of trendy coffee shops… But as Hiten and I discuss, most of us are already participating in some form of “remote work”. Whether that’s a remote meeting we have with external partners, flexible work schedules or simply, “working from home” – this is an important macro trend that is going to impact all of us as the nature of work continues to evolve. Five Things To Listen Out For: What remote work really means – Hiten’s team did a deep dive to uncover what remote work means in practice Understanding intent through keyword research – how Hiten used keyword research to understand the specifics around what people are really looking for Facts vs Feelings – mental frameworks to separate facts and feelings to make decisions Dealing with loss – the lesson Hiten’s dad shared when his mother passed away at a young age and how that has helped shape him today Why words matter – the difference between “self-funding” and “bootstrapping” You can check out the full analysis Hiten and his team published here. Hiten on Twitter @hnshah. Subscribe and watch on: YouTube.com/creatorlabfm Full show notes: https://www.creatorlab.fm/hiten-shah-future-of-remote-work/ Connect with Bilal on social: Instagram @bzaidi212 @creatorlabfm Twitter @bzaidi @creatorlabfm Thank you to our sponsors, who help make this show possible: SquareFoot, where growing companies find their place, check out SquareFoot.com/creatorlab to find your next office space

I met Christophe when I first moved to New York. I was drawn in by his infectious energy, French charm and distinct sense of humor. He had started multiple companies and our friendship grew over chats about life in America & the world of entrepreneurship. One evening after an epic meandering night out, we landed in Koreatown to chow down on plates of bibimbap & bulgogi. It was a few days before his life was about to change with the birth of his daughter and I asked Christophe about any regrets he had from the past…he started to share this story: “This one time, I had a call from the CFO of Groupon and they had made an $80mil offer on our company, Totsy! It would have been a 10X return for our investors and it was going to be a life-changing moment for me”… The table went silent as we crept towards the edge of our seats… “But then my board blocked the deal, we had to say no! A short while after, we got crushed by Zulily and had to sell for much less. I made nothing from the sale.” It was the sort of honest conversation you could only have with real friends. And yet, it was a familiar outcome that 90% of founders face when starting a company. The type of story that hasn’t been perfectly crafted by a PR machine or used as the tee-up to the inevitable “but look at me now!” It was just plain, honest, truth. In this episode, we revisit that story in more detail to share the stark reality of entrepreneurship – the high highs and the low lows, what it takes to bounce back and move on to a new adventure. We also get into how his world has changed since having a baby daughter, why he thinks being a parent can make you a better entrepreneur and what his new company, UpFlex, is focused on. I hope you enjoy the honesty that Christophe shares in this revealing conversation – if so, shoot me a note, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Five Things To Listen Out For: Ups and Downs of entrepreneurship – the true reality for many entrepreneurs who start companies $80mil acquisition offer – what really happened when he had to reject this offer and what you can learn from his experience Being a parent and a founder – how to find your own balance and why Christophe says it makes him a better entrepreneur Leaving Your Company – when and why you might ever leave the company you started Upflex – his new company and why there’s a need for “Workplace-as-a-Service” Subscribe and watch on YouTube.com/creatorlabfm Full show notes: https://www.creatorlab.fm/christophe-garnier-totsy-spark-labs-upflex/ Social: Instagram: @bzaidi212 @creatorlabfm Everywhere else: @bzaidi @creatorlabfm Thank you to our sponsors who help make this show possible: SquareFoot, where growing companies find their place, check out SquareFoot.com/creatorlab to find your next office space

Full video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/KCjMwDpDm7g Steve Schlafman is a Partner at Primary Venture Partners. He’s been an investor in the NYC startup ecosystem for the last decade. Prior to his roles in VC, he was the Director of New Ventures at The Kraft Group, owners of the New England Patriots. He’s worked at startups like Turntable FM & began his career at Microsoft. Steve has worked on investments in companies like TheSkimm, Bowery Farming, Breather, Giphy, Percolate & SmartThings (sold to Samsung). He also works with founders & CEOs as a qualified leadership coach. In this revealing conversation, we discuss how he thinks about personal + professional growth, building healthy habits, navigating your career, the fear of death, dealing with anxiety, overcoming “functional addiction”, sobriety & why the best performers – people like Eric Schmidt & Lebron James, all work with coaches. Five Things To Listen Out For: Cornerstone Habits – habits that create a domino effect in other areas of your life What Lebron James & Eric Schmidt have in common -we discuss why you might feel resistant to the word “coach”, what a coaching practice looks like & examples of common discussions you might have Being A “Functional Addict” – dealing with addiction & why Steve has been sober for many years Dealing With Anxiety + The Fear Of Death – how Steve has consciously worked on his anxiety and coming to terms with death 360 reviews – why Steve recommends doing this after a recent experience, dealing with constructive criticism & how you can do this too Subscribe to watch the episode on YouTube here. Steve:   https://www.schlaf.me/ https://www.primary.vc/ https://twitter.com/schlaf Bilal: @creatorlabfm @bzaidi212 (Instagram) & @bzaidi everywhere else Full show notes:  https://www.creatorlab.fm/steve-schlafman-primary-venture-partners/ Thank you to our sponsors who help make this show possible: SquareFoot, where growing companies find their place, check out SquareFoot.com/creatorlab to find your next office space

Oz Pearlman is an Emmy award-winning mentalist & magician. He captivated millions across the world as the runner up & finalist on America’s Got Talent.  In this episode, listen carefully as Oz baffles the senses by performing mentalist tricks live on air. From reading Bilal’s mind, to elaborate tricks that you have to see with your own eyes to believe (youtube.com/creatorlabfm) & an epic conversation discussing human psychology, non-verbal communication & turning your side-hustle into a lucrative business – there’s so much to take away from this revealing conversation. Five Things To Listen Out For: Tricks – 3 mind-blowing tricks performed live Side Hustle – Turning a side hustle into a lucrative business – from hustling in restaurants as a kid, to captivating millions on TV Social Dynamics – from cat string theory to time constraints & appearing to be a scarce resource Remembering People’s Names – how Oz approaches this in his work & what you can take from it Psychology – behind success + happiness Subscribe to watch the episode on YouTube here. Social: @OzTheMentalist @creatorlabfm @bzaidi212 (Instagram) & @bzaidi everywhere else Full show notes:  https://www.creatorlab.fm/oz-pearlman-mentalist-magician-interview/ Thank you to our sponsors who help make this show possible: SquareFoot, where growing companies find their place, check out SquareFoot.com/creatorlab to find your next office space

Nigel Eccles is best known for being the co-founder of FanDuel, a company that pioneered the daily fantasy sports market in the US. You may have seen their high impact commercials on TV, heard of them becoming one of the few unicorn $1bil startups to come out of Europe or their eventual sale to Paddypower/Betfair for $465mil. You may have even seen him featured in the infamous John Oliver “This Week Tonight” episode covering the industry he helped to create! It’s safe to say – there are not many people on the planet that have the experience that Nigel has – after starting & selling multiple companies – he’s been around the block & back as a serial entrepreneur. At Fanduel his experience includes raising $400mil+ in venture capital, competing with their closest rival, Draft Kings who raised over $1bil+, to investing hundreds of millions of dollars in customer acquisition on channels like TV, radio & paid digital. In this revealing conversation, he opened up to share his perspective on: how to come up with business ideas in the first place raising venture capital vs bootstrapping how to accelerate paid customer acquisition & measure your marketing effectively building a high growth team the highs & lows of selling a company & lessons learned why founders & early employees might not always make a return from a sale because of preferred vs common stock creating a new market vs capturing an existing one why “going viral” isn’t a good strategy for paid products what to do if you’re a non-technical founder the process of taking an initial idea & evaluating its business potential applying the same logic to his new company, Flick, going after the podcast market Subscribe to watch the episode on YouTube here. Thank you to our sponsor who helps make this show possible -SquareFoot, where growing companies find their place, check out SquareFoot.com/creatorlab to find your next office space

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/muxEUNAaLTE How many times have you heard bitcoin, crypto, blockchain and thought to yourself – “what the hell are they talking about?”  Well, you’re not the only one. This is a topic that has a lot of value but too often you’ll find so-called “experts” using complicated jargon to make things sound more complicated than it is. In this conversation with Ali Hassan, an ex-Goldman Sachs banker & venture capitalist, turned entrepreneur – we try our best to simplify and discuss what bitcoin and blockchain is in simple terms and explore the practical applications of this technology. Going beyond definitions – we discuss real use cases, why the value of bitcoin fluctuates so much, if bitcoin is a direct alternative to the traditional money supply system, comparing it to other assets like gold, and how his team has developed one of the leading passive index funds for investing in cryptocurrency Here are five things to listen out for: What is Bitcoin? And what is Blockchain in simple terms? – Ali describes in easy to understand language and with examples, what bitcoin is and why it’s a valuable asset & technology   Comparing Bitcoin to Gold – what makes an asset like gold valuable and why that idea can be applied to an asset like bitcoin.   Real World Applications – where can bitcoin and blockchain be useful in the real? From the idea of a bitcoin being a store of value, to ethereum helping to automate processes through smart contracts, to helping the unbanked people of the world – we discuss where blockchain could provide real utility in the long run   Comparing Ethereum to the Apple app store – we discuss in simple terms what ethereum is and why it’s allowing people to build on top of their ecosystem, similar to how Apple did with their app store   Creating An Index Fund For Crypto – why Ali and his team left their traditional finance roles at companies like Goldman Sachs & VC firms to create a leading passive crypto index fund, Crescent Crypto. Subscribe to Creator Lab videos on YouTube here. Thank you to our sponsor who helps make this show possible, SquareFoot, where growing companies find their place, check out SquareFoot.com/creatorlab to find your next office space

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/SGPMfHxFmgo Fabrice Grinda has been called the most prolific angel investor in the world, even being ranked #1 in Forbes based on investment volume + number of exits. He’s exited hundreds of millions of dollars from 500+ investments in companies like Alibaba, Viagogo, Tencent, Airbnb, Betterment, Uber, Fanduel & Palantir. Before setting up his “startup studio” & investment fund, he started and sold multiple companies including OLX, the leading “Craigslist” marketplace of countries like India, Brazil & Pakistan. But things weren’t always so rosy. Fabrice shares stories of living on $2/day, living in his office because he couldn’t afford an apartment & missing payroll 27 times! We also discuss the future of marketplaces, how he’d think of business ideas if starting today, the science of happiness, minimalism, and why we’re still at the very beginning of the tech revolution. Here are five things to listen out for: Reasons to be optimistic – why we’re the luckiest people in the world to be alive at this time and why we’re only at 1% of the tech revolution Minimalism – from living on a 20-acre estate in Bedford, New York, to “island shopping” and then selling all his possessions – Fabrice has lived both extremes and shares his perspective on a healthy balance The Science of Happiness – factors that make people happy and hacks to maximize your own “mean level of happiness” The Future of Marketplaces – 3 trends in marketplace businesses and a framework for thinking about business ideas How Venture Capital Works – the typical startup fundraising cycle, from initial investment to venture capital at series A, B, C etc. CONNECT ON SOCIAL: https://www.instagram.com/creatorlabfm https://www.instagram.com/bzaidi212 Full show notes: https://www.creatorlab.fm/fabrice-grinda-fj-labs-interview/ Thank you to our sponsors who help make this show possible: SquareFoot, where growing companies find their place, check out SquareFoot.com/creatorlab to find your next office space Instasleep Mint Melts, the drug-free sleep aid that melts in your mouth. Use the code “creator8” to get 20% off your order on Amazon.