

The Shopify Growth Show
Jim Huffman
What would you do if you were starting today? To help, here are half-baked startup ideas, growth marketing tactics, and stories from founders and creators - including my own journey as a bootstrapped business owner. All of the content is centered around helping founders, creators, and investors starting today.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 28, 2022 • 55min
A Real-Estate Startup That's Changing How You Buy Homes w/ Jordan Allen & Nick McLain of Doorsey(#69)
Jim is joined by Jordan Allen & Nick McLain of Doorsey, an app that is re-imagining the home buying process. Nick and Jordan share tips on how to enter an established space with a brand new idea and talk about what it takes to succeed.TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY’S EPISODE· Pain points for first time home buyers· How to launch a new approach in an established industry· Idea validation tips· How to create a V1· When to fundraise· Get investors to follow your journey· Components of a good partnership· Upcoming trends Resources: · Doorsey· Jim Huffman website· Jim's Twitter· GrowthHit· The Growth Marketer's Playbook Additional episodes you might enjoy:Startup Ideas by Paul Graham (#45)Nathan Barry: How to Bootstrap a Company to $30M in a Crowded Market (#41)How I Met My Biz Partner and Less Learned Hitting $2M ARR (#44)Ryan Hamilton on his Netflix special, touring with Jerry Seinfeld, & how to write a joke (#10)How We're Validating Startup Ideas (#51)

Mar 24, 2022 • 38min
My Interview on the Tropical MBA Podcast (Crossover Episode #68)
This week Jim goes on the Tropical MBA podcast to chat with host Dan Andrews about the pros and cons of running a successful agency, and how Jim has recently been encouraging and enabling his team to create new products via the internal ‘startup studio incubator’.TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY’S EPISODETrials and tribulations of agency lifeTips for startup incubatorsResources:Tropical MBAJim Huffman websiteJim's TwitterGrowthHitThe Growth Marketer's PlaybookAdditional episodes you might enjoy:Startup Ideas by Paul Graham (#45)Nathan Barry: How to Bootstrap a Company to $30M in a Crowded Market (#41)How I Met My Biz Partner and Less Learned Hitting $2M ARR (#44)Ryan Hamilton on his Netflix special, touring with Jerry Seinfeld, & how to write a joke (#10)How We're Validating Startup Ideas (#51)

Mar 21, 2022 • 1h 9min
Our Startup Studio is Live, $3M Challenge Update & An NYC VC (MetaProp) Shares Their Secrets (#67)
TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY’S EPISODE· Updated on the $3m challenge· Naming Conventions· Frameworks for VC opportunities· Tips for entering the VC space Resources:MetaProp VC Jim Huffman websiteJim's TwitterGrowthHitThe Growth Marketer's Playbook Additional episodes you might enjoy:Startup Ideas by Paul Graham (#45)Nathan Barry: How to Bootstrap a Company to $30M in a Crowded Market (#41)How I Met My Biz Partner and Less Learned Hitting $2M ARR (#44)Ryan Hamilton on his Netflix special, touring with Jerry Seinfeld, & how to write a joke (#10)How We're Validating Startup Ideas (#51)

Mar 14, 2022 • 51min
How a Nike Alumni Took His Shoe Brand from Idea to $4M+ (#66)
JIm is joined once again by Brian Lockard the Co-founder of Bala shoes. Brian and Jim talk about fundraising strategies, how to research a products for a successful launch, and check in on Bala which had 7 figures in sales in its first 12 days.TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY’S EPISODE· Launching with $1m sales without any ad spend· The value of product insight and understanding your customers· The challenge with Kickstarter campaigns· How to manage growth so it doesn’t become a liability· The problem with the “technology” approach in consumer goods· Pitch Tips· Fundraising Approaches Resources:Bala ShoesBrian Lockard: Making $1.5M in 7 Days Launching His Shoe Brand (#26) Jim Huffman websiteJim's TwitterGrowthHitThe Growth Marketer's Playbook Additional episodes you might enjoy:Startup Ideas by Paul Graham (#45)Nathan Barry: How to Bootstrap a Company to $30M in a Crowded Market (#41)How I Met My Biz Partner and Less Learned Hitting $2M ARR (#44)Ryan Hamilton on his Netflix special, touring with Jerry Seinfeld, & how to write a joke (#10)How We're Validating Startup Ideas (#51)

Mar 7, 2022 • 47min
How to Build an Audience from 0 to 87,000+ with Blake Emal (#65)
On this episode, Jim is joined by Blake Emal. Blake tells us how he was able to go from dropping out of college to becoming a CMO in the matter of a few years. He deep dives deep on skillsets and strategies you need to grow an audience and how to leverage that to succeed in growth marketing.TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY’S EPISODE· The value of working for an agency· Trying to prepare for jobs that don’t exist yet· “T” shaped skillsets· The importance of changing your title often· Formatting copy for the internet· Strategy for content creation: Tips and Tricks and core principals· The value of transparency and open sourceResources:Blake Emal TwitterJim Huffman websiteJim's TwitterGrowthHitThe Growth Marketer's PlaybookAdditional episodes you might enjoy:Startup Ideas by Paul Graham (#45)Nathan Barry: How to Bootstrap a Company to $30M in a Crowded Market (#41)How I Met My Biz Partner and Less Learned Hitting $2M ARR (#44)Ryan Hamilton on his Netflix special, touring with Jerry Seinfeld, & how to write a joke (#10)How We're Validating Startup Ideas (#51)

Feb 28, 2022 • 51min
A Celebrity Chef Goes from the TODAY Show to 7-Figure Founder (#64)
Jim is joined by founder and incredibly skilled chef Joel Gamoran. Jim and Joel talk about finding a new path and making your own opportunities in business and tips and tricks for developing an on-screen presence. TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY’S EPISODE· Food as a way-of-life· Creating your own opportunities · The importance of getting reps· Tips to make the most of your 15 minutes of fame· How chance encounters can be life-changing · What do good support systems look like· Cooking secrets Resources:· Homemade· Jim Huffman website· Jim's Twitter· GrowthHit· The Growth Marketer's Playbook Additional episodes you might enjoy:Startup Ideas by Paul Graham (#45)Nathan Barry: How to Bootstrap a Company to $30M in a Crowded Market (#41)How I Met My Biz Partner and Less Learned Hitting $2M ARR (#44)Ryan Hamilton on his Netflix special, touring with Jerry Seinfeld, & how to write a joke (#10)How We're Validating Startup Ideas (#51)

Feb 21, 2022 • 29min
We Share Our Feb 2022 Financials and Consulting Tips with Michael Zipursky (#63)
TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY’S EPISODE· $3M Challenge Update· Product development surprises· How to grow without resources· New AI ideas in the design space· Consulting and agency tips· What content should you focus on· How do you approach different types of clients· Value vs. Volume· How to price services Resources:· Consulting Success· Jim Huffman website· Jim's Twitter· GrowthHit· The Growth Marketer's PlaybookAdditional episodes you might enjoy:Startup Ideas by Paul Graham (#45)Nathan Barry: How to Bootstrap a Company to $30M in a Crowded Market (#41)How I Met My Biz Partner and Less Learned Hitting $2M ARR (#44)Ryan Hamilton on his Netflix special, touring with Jerry Seinfeld, & how to write a joke (#10)How We're Validating Startup Ideas (#51)

Feb 14, 2022 • 25min
How To Be Successful By Sam Altman #IconicReads (#62)
Jim and Yonathan debut a new segment where they break down iconic think-pieces written over the years. On this first edition they give their thoughts and takeaways from Sam Altman's iconic 2019 blog post "How to be Successful." TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY’S EPISODE· Compounding yourself· The importance of original thinking· Don’t be afraid to fail: You only need to score once to win· Getting rich by owning things· Why you might not always need to be a “force of nature”Resources:· Sam Altman Blog Post· Jim Huffman website· Jim's Twitter· GrowthHit· The Growth Marketer's Playbook Additional episodes you might enjoy:Startup Ideas by Paul Graham (#45)Nathan Barry: How to Bootstrap a Company to $30M in a Crowded Market (#41)How I Met My Biz Partner and Less Learned Hitting $2M ARR (#44)Ryan Hamilton on his Netflix special, touring with Jerry Seinfeld, & how to write a joke (#10)How We're Validating Startup Ideas (#51)

Feb 7, 2022 • 58min
Lessons From Starting 10 Startups with Craig Swanson (#61)
Jim is joined by Craig Swanson, who has started more than 10 companies that continue to operate to this day. From co-founding CreativeLive to selling an e-product business for 8 figures, Craig has been incredibly successful in the e-product space and gives tips on how to increase growth in the digital marketplace and shares success (and failure) stories from his own life.TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY’S EPISODE Criteria for building an e-product business How to make failure a business strategy Separating family finances to afford business risk What to do when business strategy doesn’t align with personal work Learning from the customers and user generated content When can you raise prices and still entice new customers Half-baked ideas for a growth agency Resources: Craig Swanson WebsiteJim Huffman websiteJim's TwitterGrowthHitThe Growth Marketer's Playbook Additional episodes you might enjoy:Startup Ideas by Paul Graham (#45)Nathan Barry: How to Bootstrap a Company to $30M in a Crowded Market (#41)How I Met My Biz Partner and Less Learned Hitting $2M ARR (#44)Ryan Hamilton on his Netflix special, touring with Jerry Seinfeld, & how to write a joke (#10)How We're Validating Startup Ideas (#51)

Jan 31, 2022 • 51min
Personal Finance as a Founder (# 60)
Jim is joined by ClickMinded co-founder Tommy Griffith and they dive into a subject that is often overlooked: personal finance strategies for founders. Both Jim and Tommy have lived and learned how difficult it can be to balance the different financial approaches you apply to business finances and personal finances and they share mistakes they've made and tips and tricks they've learned along the way.TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY’S EPISODE· How to approach personal finance as a business owner· Betting on yourself vs. Betting on a stable market· The benefits and downsides to a high-risk tolerance· Is it better to own your own business or work around and get stock options· Angel investing: funds or single businesses?Additional episodes you might enjoy:Startup Ideas by Paul Graham (#45)Nathan Barry: How to Bootstrap a Company to $30M in a Crowded Market (#41)How I Met My Biz Partner and Less Learned Hitting $2M ARR (#44)Ryan Hamilton on his Netflix special, touring with Jerry Seinfeld, & how to write a joke (#10)How We're Validating Startup Ideas (#51)Resources:· Clickminded· The Psychology of Money· I Will Teach You to Be Rich· Jim Huffman website· Jim's Twitter· GrowthHit· The Growth Marketer's Playbook