Perfect Pitch by Kickstart

Trying to manage your personal and professional life is a delicate balancing act. And part of being an entrepreneur means sacrificing your personal time for success. Is there a way to achieve that ideal balance? We’re talking with someone who strives for intentional living and believes that the perfect balance is found by embracing imbalance. Join us in today’s conversation with investor Curt Roberts of Kickstart (a VC firm for startups in Utah, Colorado, and the Mountain West) for a special episode of Perfect Pitch. In this episode, we’ll talk about: Why Curt believes balance is never achievable, and how you can choose your imbalance to discover a “healthy tension” between priorities The art of saying “no” and Curt’s experience with his depression diagnosis How to determine a hierarchy of priorities The practice of compartmentalizing our time, rather than striving for balance

So often leaders worry about eliminating weakness. But is that practice outdated? There might be research to suggest otherwise. Join us in today’s conversation with Liz Ellis, COO and Chief Heart Officer of Angel Studios, and investor Dalton Wright of Kickstart (a VC firm for startups in Utah, Colorado, and the Mountain West) as we bring you both sides of a Perfect Pitch. In this episode, we’ll talk about: Startups can’t compete with “Google-level” salaries. So, how can you attract great talent? The importance of separating management and individual contributor career growth tracks Living by default, instead of by design: the key to avoiding burnout How to play to your employee’s strengths by delivering feedback in ways that work for them

Unicorn. If you’re an entrepreneur you’ve probably heard that term before. It’s a coveted title for companies valued at over $1B and it’s safe to say every founder dreams of hitting that status. But can that level of success actually work against you? Join us in today’s conversation with Dave Hersh, CEO of Mobilize and investor Gavin Christensen of Kickstart (a VC firm for startups in Utah, Colorado, and the Mountain West) to bring you both sides of a Perfect Pitch. In this episode, we’ll talk about: Why it’s dangerous for startups to get stuck in the “wannabe-unicorn” mindset Why founders should focus on being the “best” within their small-scale growth, rather than attempting to tackle an entire market What it means when Gavin claims that “dragons eat unicorns” Early warning signs that a company is beginning to lose focus

We’re digging into the value and potential pitfalls of strategic partnerships...and we’re not talking about choosing your pickleball partner carefully. In the scrappy, DIY world of startups, sometimes the need for leveraged power from an already established brand might seem like a cop-out, but sometimes it's exactly what the doctor ordered and brings things to the next level. To show us what it looks like when a startup lands a strategic partnership with one of the most well-known brand leaders in the market, we’re bringing back Jeremy Hanks of Dsco and investor Dalton Wright of Kickstart (a VC firm for startups in Utah, Colorado, and the Mountain West) to bring you both sides of a Perfect Pitch. In this episode, we’ll talk about: Jeremy’s experience of Nordstrom approaching Dsco for a strategic partnership What leverage do founders have when negotiating favorable strategic deals? Details on Jeremy’s experience with Dsco’s sale & what’s next on the horizon Why Jeremy claims entrepreneurship’s “finish line” isn’t actually an exited company

So many founders sacrifice to be able to get their startups off the ground, but not many of them move to Thailand to be able to make it happen. Today we’re talking with Josh Nielsen, Founder & CEO of Zencastr, a successful podcasting platform, and investor Gavin Christensen of Kickstart (a VC firm for startups in Utah, Colorado, and the Mountain West) to bring you both sides of a Perfect Pitch. In this episode, we talk about: Josh’s scrappy journey of bootstrapping his startup in Thailand How to know if you’re ready for fundraising Finding product-market fit under intense time pressure Why investors value founders that are innovating in a space in which they are experts

You did it. You got your first round of funding and you’re on your way...and then the landscape changes. Now, the outcome you promised to investors might not be possible. So what do you do to maintain their confidence in you? Join us in today’s conversation with Grant Gordon, Co-Founder and CEO of Artemis Health, and investor Dalton Wright of Kickstart (a VC firm for startups in Utah, Colorado, and the Mountain West) as we bring you both sides of a Perfect Pitch. In this episode, we’ll talk about: Intellectual integrity; finding and testing product-market fit; how to adjust your strategy when the market changes; and why you should schedule “meeting-free” zones.

The first year of a startup’s life is crucial–and life or death decisions seem to be made on a daily basis. Whether it be fundraising, hiring, or simply getting people to care, you have a lot to juggle and today, we’re talking with a founder who can speak to it all. Join us in today’s conversation with Chris Hicken, founder and CEO of ‘nuffsaid and investor Gavin Christensen of Kickstart (a VC firm for startups in Utah, Colorado, and the Mountain West) as we bring you both sides of a Perfect Pitch. In this episode, we’ll talk about: Why Chris moved his startup from Silicon Valley to Silicon Slopes A startup’s biggest risk in “year one” How to get people to care about your startup and the biggest mistake founders make when fundraising How artistic skills can benefit your abilities as an entrepreneur

To be a successful entrepreneur, you have to be adaptable. Sometimes so adaptable, that you’re completely rewriting the story of your company. To give insight on how you can remain motivated through it all, we’re talking with Rachel Hofstetter, CMO at Chatbooks, and investor Gavin Christensen of Kickstart (a VC firm for startups in Utah, Colorado, and the Mountain West) as we bring you both sides of a Perfect Pitch. In this episode, we’ll talk about: Adapting to new opportunities during career transitions Why quality over quantity is more important in a professional network The importance of storytelling in a startup How Rachel’s challenge of “The Year of Hustle” boosted her career

While all startups hope to be unique enough to stand out from the crowd, there are often multiple startups within the same category. What if your company doesn’t fit into a standard category? What if your mission is so unique you have to trailblaze your own path in the startup world? To get a better idea of how one niche company successfully did this and grew from seed money into a Series A–all within 20 months–join us in our conversation with Claravine’s CEO and founder, Verl Allen, and investor Gavin Christensen of Kickstart (a VC firm for startups in Utah, Colorado, and the Mountain West) as we bring you both sides of a Perfect Pitch. In this episode, we’ll talk about: An investor’s perspective on companies with a unique category fit Verl’s advice to founders whose startup is trailblazing a new niche in the market Why self-awareness is critical to being a founder How leaning into and growing with pain helped Verl grow as a leader

So here's an unexpected scenario. You've got your startup started up and you're busy and focused on building the best team and raising capital when you're blindsided by a legal battle with one of the world's most powerful companies. This doesn't happen all the time, but it does happen more than you might think. And today, we'll learn from someone who's faced it all: a major lawsuit, loss, and even bankruptcy–and what it took to bounce back even stronger. Join us as we talk to Neal Harmon, CEO and co-founder of Angel Studios, and investor Dalton Wright of Kickstart (a VC firm for startups in Utah, Colorado, and the Mountain West) as they bring us both sides of a Perfect Pitch. In this episode we’ll talk about: Angel Studio’s legal battle with Disney How Neal pulled the company out of bankruptcy What Angel Studios and a Dr. Seuss character have in common (hint: it has to do with sticking it out!) Why investors prioritize a focus on a startup’s team and its leadership