The Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan

It’s not every day that an entrepreneur creates an entirely new industry category and a nine-figure company at the same time. But that’s exactly what Dharmesh Shah did when he started HubSpot.Before the company launched in 2006, marketing relied solely on outbound tactics such as cold calling, purchasing billboards, and buying email lists. Shah and his co-founder Brian Halligan saw an opportunity to completely change the game. Together, they founded the concept of inbound marketing, which is all about creating value for your audience to draw them into your company.Since then, HubSpot has quickly become the most respected and recognized brand within the marketing world—known not only for being the inventor and category king of inbound marketing, but also for adopting an incredible company culture. In this interview, Shah touches on all these topics and shares his biggest takeaways from serving as the co-founder and CTO of HubSpot.If there’s any other type of content you’d like to see that would be valuable to you during this time, please don’t hesitate to reach out at support@foundr.com.Key Takeaways How Shah and his co-founder Brian Halligan simultaneously came up with the idea for HubSpot and an entirely new category of marketing The biggest challenges of inbound marketing in the early days Why Shah decided not to trademark the term “inbound,” and how this decision helped the inbound marketing movement flourish The history behind HubSpot’s famous 128-slide Culture Code deck Shah’s tips for keeping culture consistent across a decentralized team Why Shah recommends approaching your company culture as a product What Shah and his team do to make sure their customers and employees stay happy How a maniacal obsession with your craft will help you find success

Peter Yared has a wealth of experience as an entrepreneur. Not only has he built and sold six different B2B enterprise companies (making more than $500 million in exits), but he’s also lived through three different recessions and managed to stay afloat through them all.In this conversation with our CEO Nathan Chan, Yared dives deep into the world of software businesses and takes us through his process of coming up with an idea, turning it into a company, and successfully selling it. He also explains the most important lessons from the three previous recessions he’s lived through, as well as what he’s learned during the current pandemic.Whether you’re an engineer who wants to step into the world of entrepreneurship or a business owner who is struggling with the impact of Covid-19, this episode is jam-packed with helpful knowledge!If there’s any other type of content you’d like to see that would be valuable to you during this time, please don’t hesitate to reach out at support@foundr.com.Key Takeaways How Yared initially fell in love with programming Yared’s journey to building and selling six B2B enterprise companies Why software businesses usually end up being bought out An overview of Yared’s most successful exits How Yared decides when to turn an idea into an actual company (and why he prefers to call them “projects”) The importance of being part of trends Why Yared’s last five projects started off self-funded Yared’s best advice for engineers The idea of push vs. pull selling Why Yared doesn’t believe the superior product always wins How to use an engineering perspective to successfully go to market How Yared managed the impact of Covid-19 for his global company Yared’s best advice based on his experience with multiple recessions, and how the current pandemic compares

Ankur Nagpal, startup founder and expert on creating profitable online courses, shares insights on how to convert passions into online courses, the growth of the online course market, creating a full-time income from an online course business, best practices for online course creation, strategies to drive more sales, overcoming limiting self-beliefs, and the future of online education.

Gina Bianchini has always loved working with creators. That’s why she co-founded Ning, an online platform for people and organizations to create custom social networks, with Marc Andreessen in 2005. Even after leaving Ning, she couldn’t stay away from the world of creators for long so she launched Mighty Networks in 2017.Since then, the team at Mighty Networks has been obsessed with serving “creators with a purpose.” The platform powers brands and businesses that bring people together via online courses, paid memberships, events, content, and community.In this podcast episode, Bianchini explains why she’s so passionate about providing more opportunities for creators. She also shares her best recommendations when it comes to creating successful online courses and communities, and how her team at Mighty Networks approaches these goals within their own platform.If there’s any other type of content you’d like to see that would be valuable to you during this time, please don’t hesitate to reach out at support@foundr.com.Key Takeaways Why Bianchini has always loved working with creators A brief history of Bianchini’s first company, Ning, and why she left in 2010 The three pillars that inspired the idea for Mighty Networks Why Bianchini believes in the power of small communities The reason why creators want to get away from Facebook Groups, and why it’s beneficial to encourage this migration The story of why Bianchini launched her own online course, and why it’s the best thing she’s ever done What makes a successful course The most important things to know about community building in 2020

Henrik Werdelin has never been about chasing money, power, or fame. Instead, his focus has always been on creating cool things with people he enjoys being around. That’s exactly how BarkBox, now one of many subsidiaries under BARK, came to be.Despite Werdelin’s non-material approach to BARK, the dog subscription box company has exploded in popularity since its launch in 2012. Today, it boasts hundreds of thousands of subscribers and it is a nine-figure business.In our conversation, Werdelin shares the most important learnings he’s collected as an entrepreneur—from finding the right funding option for your business to maintaining the right headspace during challenging times. Werdelin also gives us a glimpse into BARK’s incredible company culture and how he managed to build a quirky, kind, and smart team of people to pave the path for the organization. As a bonus, we also get a sneak peek into Werdelin’s book, “The Acorn Method” to understand how companies can grow in an ever-changing environment.If there’s any other type of content you’d like to see that would be valuable to you during this time, please don’t hesitate to reach out at support@foundr.com.Key Takeaways Why Werdelin and his co-founders decided to start creating cool stuff for dogs in 2012 The funny story of how Werdelin met one of his co-founders in a heart-shaped bed on a cruise ship What the pet industry was like when BarkBox first entered the market Werdelin’s advice on finding the right funding option for your business How BARK has dealt with the pandemic, and why the pet industry is recession proof The importance of staying in a good headspace during tough times How Werdelin and his co-founders approach leadership and decision-making Why BARK is an inside-out brand, and what that means A sneak peek into Werdelin’s new book, “The Acorn Method” and the advice it shares on how companies can continue growing during uncertain times Werdelin’s best advice for entrepreneurs who are struggling during the pandemic

As we start thinking about re-opening our businesses and offices after Covid-19, many people are wondering what the new “normal” will look like.While co-founder of Basecamp David Heinemeier Hansson doesn’t know for sure what the outcome will be, he certainly has an idea of what the new world of work should look like. As one of the biggest advocates of remote work, Hansson is hopeful that more and more companies will see the benefits of allowing employees to choose how and where they want to work.But his vision for work doesn’t stop there. Hansson is also passionate about creating an environment where employees can protect at least a few hours of their day to accomplish deep work. This means no daily stand ups, no open calendars, and no unnecessary distractions that take away from your ability to get s*** done—an approach that’s imbued in Basecamp’s own culture.If you’re fascinated by the topics of remote work and productivity, you don’t want to miss out on this conversation with Hansson.If there’s any other content you’d like to see that would be valuable to you during this time, please don’t hesitate to reach out at support@foundr.com.Key Takeaways The email from Hansson to Jason Fried that eventually led to the birth of Basecamp Why it’s difficult to tell what the new “normal” for work will be after Covid-19 A look at the most common misconceptions about remote work, and how the pandemic has proven them to be false Why Hansson believes we need to focus less on the number of hours we work and more on the quality of those hours The reason why Basecamp isn’t renewing the lease for its Chicago office Why Hansson doesn’t believe in daily stand ups and open calendars How to maximize deep work Why Basecamp’s approach to work is less about productivity, and more about human health and happiness A sneak peek into Hansson’s upcoming project, HEY Why the phrase ASAP is overused What Hansson’s schedule looks like on most days

Chris DeWolfe excels at creating massive user bases—a skill he has demonstrated with two companies you’ll likely recognize: Myspace and Jam City.After DeWolfe launched the biggest social network of its time in 2003, it was only a matter of months before Myspace completely took off and attracted millions of users around the world. Only two years after the start of his company, DeWolfe sold the platform for $580 million. But he wasn’t done yet.When DeWolfe asked himself ‘what’s next?’ he found himself drawn to the world of gaming. Not only was it easy to scale, but he also believed the current trends pointed toward an explosion in gaming. He wasn’t wrong. Today, Jam City is known for famous mobile games like Cookie Jam and Pop! and Panda, and it’s still going strong to keep up with the growing demand of casual gamers.In this interview, DeWolfe discusses the hyper growth of his companies, how to stay focused when running such a behemoth of a company, and what it takes to build massive user bases.If there’s any other content you’d like to see that would be valuable to you during this time, please don’t hesitate to reach out at support@foundr.com.Key Takeaways How DeWolfe built the largest website in the world and the biggest social network of its time, Myspace The trends in pop culture and technology that led to the launch of Myspace in 2003 A look into the rapid growth and eventual sale of Myspace in 2005 for $580 million How Myspace created a roadmap for companies like Spotify and YouTube The top three lessons DeWolfe learned from his journey with Myspace How DeWolfe figured out his next step into the world of mobile gaming Why Jam City targets an underserved audience for gamers The acquisition of Mindjolt How to be a great storyteller and create amazing games What’s exciting for DeWolfe in the future of the mobile gaming business What it takes to build large user bases Why DeWolfe recommends taking measured risks in the pursuit of innovation A sneak peek into Jam City’s latest upcoming mobile game

By now, the story is legend. When Drew Houston boarded a bus from Boston to New York and discovered that he had—yet again—forgotten to bring his thumb drive, he was frustrated. So frustrated that he sat down and began writing the first lines of code of what would eventually become Dropbox.After over a decade of changing the way files are stored, synced, and shared, Houston is changing the way people work, once again. This time, to solve a problem that likely plagues every single knowledge worker today: our fragmented, overcomplicated workspaces.In this episode, you’ll learn more about Houston’s journey—from ideation to launch—with Dropbox Spaces, as well as the most important lessons he’s collected while building a multibillion-dollar company with over 500 million users.Key Takeaways The relatable experience that inspired Houston to come up with the idea for Dropbox Why Houston doesn’t believe there’s any “magic” involved in building a multibillion-dollar company The importance of decision making and learning continuously on the job How a conversation with a SpaceX engineer sparked the vision behind Dropbox Spaces Houston’s advice on “harvesting” versus “planting” when it comes to your business Why Houston is such a huge believer in intentionally designing your environment—at work and with your personal relationships

Alex Osterwalder is primarily known for developing the Business Model Canvas, a template that helps startups develop and document new or existing business models.In this interview, Osterwalder shares his best insights into the world of business models—ideas that are especially applicable now as entrepreneurs try to launch businesses during Covid-19. He explains why products, technology, and price alone aren’t enough to keep your company competitive. Osterwalder also breaks down the innovative models that Apple, Netflix, and Nintendo have used to become industry leaders (and why even these behemoths aren’t safe from disruption).We also get a sneak peek into Osterwalder’s latest book called “The Invincible Company.” Not only does it contain an entire library of business models for companies of all sizes, but it also provides guidance on how startups can continuously reinvent themselves to stay ahead of the curve.If there’s any other content you’d like to see that would be valuable to you during this time, please don’t hesitate to reach out at support@foundr.com.Key Takeaways How Osterwalder came to study business models in graduate school Insight into Osterwalder’s latest book, “The Invincible Company” Why companies can’t compete on products, technology, and price alone (and why your business model can provide the ultimate competitive edge) The scalability of business models Why companies need to transcend industry boundaries The reason why Osterwalder urges entrepreneurs to test before they build How Apple, Netflix, and Nintendo are prime case studies of innovative business models in action—but why even they’re not safe from disruption Osterwalder’s stance on the “magic bullet” when it comes to business models (hint: there isn’t one)

Adam Hendle’s company, Ballsy, is eye-catching and humorous, which are some of the most defining characteristics of the brand.But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t take his business seriously. On the contrary, Hendle is obsessed with producing the highest quality products and finding creative ways to take his company to the next level. This is exactly how he brought in over $10 million in sales in just two years. And now, during the Covid-19 pandemic, he is still finding opportunities to grow.In this podcast episode, Hendle discusses his unique approach to everything from community engagement to customer acquisition. He also opens up about his most challenging moments in business and explains how he finds opportunities in unexpected times and places (such as during a pandemic). This is a conversation you don’t want to miss!If there’s any other type of content you’d like to see that would be valuable to you during this time, please don’t hesitate to reach out at support@foundr.com.Want some training on ecommerce? Check out our free masterclasses: FREE Masterclass: Start a Profitable Online Store (In 12 Weeks or Less) FREE Masterclass: Discover the “5 Core Drivers” Behind Today’s Fastest-Growing 7-Figure StoresKey Takeaways What’s changed with Ballsy since the last time we talked to Hendle An overview of Ballsy’s growth from a sales, marketing, and team perspective How Covid-19 gave Hendle’s brand an opportunity for growth The approach Hendle took to lean into customer demand for subscriptions and stocking up on products How Ballsy stays engaged with its community in fun and creative ways A deep dive into one of Ballsy’s most unique customer acquisition channels: podcast advertisements Why it’s important to test your assumptions Insight into some of the biggest business obstacles Hendle has had to face Why Hendle has Ballsy’s influencers on a monthly retainer The reason why product quality is paramount to the Ballsy brand