The Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan

Founder and CEO of ActiveCampaign Jason Vandeboom sits down with Foundr’s Nathan Chan to discuss his journey from launching a small part-time business to running a global SaaS empire.An email marketing, marketing-automation, and sales CRM platform, Jason owes the company’s success to its “customer first” approach and mindful framework.By throwing out the “product-first SaaS playbook” to a more customer-centric model, ActiveCampaign has evolved from an old-school on-premise contact management company to over 90,000 customers in 161 countries.Jason doesn’t believe in a time-box window for creation, and he discusses his belief that you can create innovation over time. He says that when it comes to building a business that is sustainable and long-term, you have to start with the right framework.With many small businesses facing uncertainty due to Covid-19, ActiveCampaign has made it their mission to provide support and security for their customers. Jason discusses how “there’s a former digital transformation that […] has become a necessity.” Above all, business is about trusting your instincts and trying to find a path that is a different shape to others.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 to us via email.Key Takeaways Jason discusses his belief in the importance of staying true to being a small business How ActiveCampaign found its footing as an on-premise contact management businesses Why Jason believes the key to a successful business is customer-first over product-first, and how this can shape creative innovation How ActiveCampaign slowly built its foundations in order to secure 100k paying-active companies and over $100 million in annual recurring revenue Why you should ignore the typical SaaS playbook that insists that in order to obtain growth you will need to upmarket Jason advises that you should always trust your instincts, and allow time for your company to grow. You only need passion, joy, and the strength to find our way through it all.

From working as a server at Longhorn Steakhouse, to multiple successful startups, making millions in his 20s, to publishing a best selling book, Daniel DiPiazza knows the entrepreneur's journey like the back of his hand. Here to discuss his upcoming "Start Your Side Hustle" course with Foundr, Daniel is all too familiar with the challenges and doubts faced by today's hustlers, and is here to teach you ways to overcome them.If you want to start a business but don't know where to begin, a low-risk side hustle by freelancing with your existing skills really is the gateway to entrepreneurship. It's extremely affordable with almost literally zero startup cost. In return, you can expect to make great profits with little to no overheads.Daniel has done this multiple times and has a unique method for helping you identify your skills, find clients, and getting them to pay you for your service.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 to us via email.Key Takeaways Daniel discusses his first viral article: Hacking E-Lance, the infamous "butterball story," and how he dominated a job board website Taking the first step towards starting your own business with "sweat equity" Why service-based businesses are the gateway drug to entrepreneurship Why freelancing teaches you all the business essentials Taking the first step; how not to be afraid, what to focus on, and what the competition means for you The importance of building a skill inventory, defining your skill, and seeing where they align Gaining confidence in becoming an entrepreneur and why you don't have to be the best in the world at what you do The fastest way for you to get paid for your big idea

Ben Horowitz is one of the most widely recognized names in the world of entrepreneurship. Not only is he the co-founder of the famous venture capital fund, Andreessen Horowitz, but he's also a respected author and thinker with some of the most innovative ideas when it comes to the way companies are run.In our conversation with Horowitz, we dive deep into the topic of culture—how to create it, move it, and adhere to it. Horowitz also gives us a glimpse into his book, What You Do Is Who You Are, and shares fascinating stories and case studies from it (such as his learnings from prison gang leader, Shaka Senghor).This isn't a podcast episode you want to miss! Whether you're a fan of Horowitz himself or simply want to learn more about the art of crafting a company culture, you're sure to gain tons of insights in this interview.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 to us via email.Key Takeaways The problem that Andreessen Horowitz set out to solve for technical founders  What compelled Horowitz to publish his book, What You Do Is Who You Are What it takes to move a culture  The importance of cohesion between culture and strategy Why you don’t need to establish your company culture on Day 1 What a prison gang leader taught Horowitz about culture and leadership The creative way that Andreessen Horowitz enforces their value to be respectful to entrepreneurs at the firm Horowitz’s thoughts on the culture of Netflix versus McDonald’s   The elements that go into creating a high-performance culture  Differentiating between high performance versus long hours  Why Horowitz looks for courage in founders  Bonus: Horowitz shares his favorite rap album from 2019

In 2008, Jeff Rosenthal and his co-founders Elliott Bisnow and Brett Leve convinced 19 people they admired to go on a ski trip with them to Park City, Utah. They wanted to spend one-on-one time with this small group of thought leaders to learn from them and glean some knowledge.Little did they know that this was only the beginning of their long and successful entrepreneurial journey. What started off as a small event production company has morphed into a global behemoth that includes everything from nonprofits to funds to a major ski resort that all fall under the Summit brand.While the company is still primarily known for its famous invitation-only events, its biggest impact is its tight-knit community of innovative, creative individuals from around the world.In this podcast episode, Rosenthal talks about Summit’s explosive growth, what it takes to host a truly extraordinary event, and more entrepreneurial gold.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 What inspired Rosenthal and his co-founders to start their event production company Summit in 2008 How Summit expanded into a family of companies, nonprofits, and funds over the last 12 years What makes a spectacular event, according to Rosenthal Why Rosenthal believes “keep it real” is terrible advice when it comes to events, and what he recommends instead The importance of leadership when it comes to event planning The correlation between creativity and capital How Rosenthal manages to lead the multiple entities under Summit The best advice on delegation Rosenthal received from his mentor Why profitability isn’t the only measure of an event’s success What it takes to attract top-notch speakers (and how to set them up for success) The way Rosenthal approaches balancing quality of experience and scaling

When Tiffany Masterson was a stay-at-home mom, she was always looking for ways to make a little extra money. So when the opportunity came around to start selling a brand of bar cleanser as a side hustle, she didn’t think much of it.Little did she know that she would soon develop a passion for skincare, cultivate her own philosophy around what skincare should look like, and launch Drunk Elephant—a brand that was eventually sold to Shiseido in 2019 for a whopping $845 million.In this podcast episode, Masterson takes us through her unexpected journey as an entrepreneur—from having her brother-in-law as her first investor to snagging a partnership with Sephora, to building an incredible company culture.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 Masterson, a stay-at-home mom of four children, started selling bar cleanser as a side hustle Why she developed a fascination with the world of skincare Masterson’s skincare philosophy, and how she started to create her dream product on paper What it was like to have her brother-in-law as her first investor Why Masterson kept the launch of Drunk Elephant in 2013 as minimal as possible How Drunk Elephant caught the eye of Sephora The cost of formulating, producing, and packaging 5,000 units of six products The tough financial conversations Masterson had to have Why Masterson chose to take things day-by-day instead of looking too far into the future The biggest trap Masterson believes most founders fall into How Masterson has kept her turnover rate at less than 2% since 2013 The reason why people get excited about the Drunk Elephant brand Why Masterson doesn’t believe in trying to “outcompete” other brands

Parker Conrad is no stranger to hard times.His first startup, Wikinvest, failed to take off during the seven years he was with the company. He then had a falling out with his co-founder, which caused him to leave and start over. Conrad’s next venture, Zenefits, faced scrutiny while he served as the CEO. And now, his current company Rippling is feeling the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.But Conrad’s strength has always been approaching problems with a realistic and humble attitude. Despite the fact that Rippling’s existing customer base has shrunk since the pandemic hit, the company's top-of-funnel performance hasn’t been impacted. They’re setting up record numbers of demos and doubling down on product investment. Most importantly, Conrad is being strategic about finances and still has three years of runway left.In this podcast episode, Conrad shares his most honest thoughts on the challenges of Covid-19, what he’s been doing to get through this transition, and what he thinks other struggling founders should do.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 Conrad’s most challenging chapter as an entrepreneur of a failing startup, and why he chose to stay for seven years The pain point that inspired the idea for Zenefits How Rippling provides an employee system that goes beyond HR How the pandemic impacted Rippling’s existing customer base Why Conrad is focused on burn, and what he’s doing to maintain runway The importance of acknowledging what’s not working while also looking toward a more promising future Why Conrad hates working from home, and how he got through the difficult transition Conrad’s unpopular advice for struggling founders

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