A Product Market Fit Show | Startup Podcast for Founders

Marty Kausas, founder of Pylon—a B2B customer support platform—shares his incredible journey from living in the office with his co-founders to raising $17M in just 14 days. They started by messaging 120 potential customers daily, leading to customer feedback that shaped their product. Despite initial skepticism from Y Combinator, Marty's determination paid off with rapid funding rounds. He discusses the importance of personal connections, project management over people management, and his innovative approach to fundraising and team dynamics.

In a captivating talk, Martin Basiri, the founder of the $4B unicorn Applyboard and new venture Passage, shares his journey of relentless perseverance. He reveals how 100-hour work weeks and the right mindset can lead to success, even in high-stress situations. Martin emphasizes the importance of hiring exceptional talent and maintaining a lean team for innovation. He reflects on making tough decisions to restart and his commitment to accessible education, driven by a powerful belief in never giving up.

Jon Robin, founder of Dabble, shares his incredible journey of turning a sports betting app into a $150M revenue powerhouse in just four years. He credits extensive market research and a background in affiliate marketing for his success. Jon emphasizes the importance of effective distribution over product quality alone. He also reveals how the COVID-19 pandemic shaped Dabble's evolution into a social betting platform, integrating user engagement with compliance and risk management. His insights on navigating challenges offer valuable lessons for budding entrepreneurs.

Yanni Giannaros, Co-founder of Wyre, a platform that simplified crypto transactions, shares his incredible journey from nearly selling for $1.5B to facing a market crash. He reminisces about betting Bitcoin while building innovative payment solutions. Yanni reflects on the emotional rollercoaster of entrepreneurship, the necessity of resilience, and the unpredictable nature of startup success. His insights on navigating pivots and the tough lessons learned from nearly achieving a massive exit are compelling for any aspiring founder.

Aaron Goldsmid, Head of Product at Deel and former leader at Amazon and Facebook, shares invaluable insights on building world-class products. He emphasizes understanding users to create beloved products and cautions against the customer feedback trap. Goldsmid explains the importance of hiring the right product manager and balancing vision with data in early-stage startups. He also discusses AI's role in enhancing products without replacing human touch, shedding light on what differentiates great products from mediocre ones.

Tate Hackert, co-founder of ZayZoon, began lending money at just 16 and transformed his passion into a $50M+ ARR fintech startup. He shares his journey from commercial fishing to fintech, emphasizing the challenges and strategies of launching earned wage access solutions. Tate discusses the crucial importance of clear product value communication and how he navigated market dynamics to ensure rapid growth. He reflects on past setbacks and emphasizes commitment and adaptability in the brutal startup landscape.

Francois de Kerret, Co-founder of Zeffy, a nonprofit fundraising platform, shares his remarkable journey from raising a $3M seed round to achieving over $10M in annual recurring revenue. He discusses the company's unique tip-based revenue model that allows nonprofits to use Zeffy for free. Francois highlights the importance of building trust, effective marketing strategies like leveraging Google Ads, and the significance of reaching profitability quickly. He also recounts the pivotal moments that led to Zeffy's impressive 30x growth in just three years.

Ian MacKinnon, Co-founder of Later.com, shares his captivating journey from a hackathon project to a $40M ARR powerhouse, ultimately selling for over $100M with just $1.5M in funding. He discusses the challenges of transitioning from free to paid models and the significance of understanding user feedback. Ian emphasizes the power of content marketing and user experience as defining factors in a competitive market. He also provides insights into the emotional rollercoaster of the acquisition process and the strategic decisions that led to their extraordinary success.

David Anderson, founder of Tandym and former Capital One consumer lender, shares insights from his startup journey that raised $16M but ultimately failed. He discusses the importance of starting with low-capital models and maintaining a customer-first approach. Despite reaching $1M ARR, he highlights that success isn’t guaranteed. Quick pivots and early validation of business models are crucial lessons. His experiences emphasize the unpredictable nature of fundraising and the complexities of developing innovative financial products.

Justin Adams, founder of Aiwyn and previous creator of the successful Digitize.ai, shares his gripping journey through the high-stakes world of startups. He discusses overcoming panic attacks while growing his second venture from $250K to $3M ARR in just a year. The conversation delves into the often-ignored mental health struggles that founders face, the weight of responsibility towards employees, and the stark realities of achieving product-market fit in the innovative accounting tech space. Justin emphasizes the balance between ambition and well-being in entrepreneurship.