Startup Confidential
Dr. James F. Richardson
Who is it For? Founders of CPG start-ups. What is It? Zero B.S. perspective on running your start-up well, understanding the biases of industry stakeholders and getting the industry to work for you, not the other way around. When? Every month. Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com If you want to take my founder's Quiz to see if you are ready for exponential growth, please visit : www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com/founder_resources and sign up for my e-mail list to download it. Transcripts and an entire episode library are on my podcast site. https://www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com/podcast
Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 1, 2020 • 21min
Ep. 19 Learning the Right Lessons from the Covid-19 Emergency
This national health emergency has thrown most 2020 plans into the trash. As everyone revises their moves, it's important to understand the lessons for near-term business decisions and the lessons for the long-term. If you want to dig in more, I have a free webinar about the surge in CPG caused by social distancing orders. It may be helpful to you and your team. https://bit.ly/2ycPlN9Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com Please send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com
Mar 15, 2020 • 14min
Ep. 18 - Working w/Agencies - Identity and Branding
Look at my glorious brand! Save it for the bedroom, please. In CPG, you are scaling a product line. It may have a name. It may have a look. But let's not confuse how important branding is in the ramp up of a strong business. It is VERY easy to overthink these elements and agencies will charge to the maximum extent of founder ego if you let them. Time to get real. So, you must be in the right place. Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com Please send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com
Mar 1, 2020 • 13min
Ep. 17 - Professionalizing Yourself
Most CPG founders are NOT from the industry they operate in. Many are younger folks. If either is true, professionalizing yourself is a critical practice. If you're young AND new to CPG, your burden is the highest...but you can do this. You have to take it very seriously. Professionalization is not about being polite. It's about something more difficult. Listen in to my social science take on why this is so critical in the CPG sector.Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com Please send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com
Feb 15, 2020 • 7min
Ep. 16 - The Serial F(l)ounder
Back to my series on founder archetypes. This time, I riff on the problems faced by serial entrepreneurs in CPG and how their biggest strength poses a risk you will never encounter. Tune in to hear why MOST serial entrepreneurs in CPG do not succeed more than once. Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com Please send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com
Feb 1, 2020 • 14min
Ep. 15 - Designing to Command a Premium
1/3 of my new book - Ramping Your Brand - focuses on superb product design that will command a premium. I can't tell you how many folks hit a wall at $5M or $10M largely because their 'thing' was surfing trial by mostly disappointed, underwhelmed consumers. Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com Please send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com
Jan 15, 2020 • 11min
Ep. 14 Working with Agencies - Communications
It's critical to understand what kind of communications talent can most help an early stage premium brand. And it is not the typical agency employee or veteran...not at all. I explain why in this episode.Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com Please send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com
Jan 1, 2020 • 9min
Ep. 13 - Founder Archetypes...the Creative Founder
The majority of CPG founders exhibit this archetypal orientation. They got into this because they're innovators. They're category geeks. Some, even snobs. But the real weakness these folks have to accept and address somehow is that they are NOT business people at heart. And yet it is the professional businessperson (and his/her team) who scales innovations. Not product-obsessed amateurs. Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com Please send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com
Dec 15, 2019 • 11min
Ep. 12 - Founder Archetypes - The Finance Founder
Founders are not snowflakes after all. They tend to come in a finite array of archetypes. In this series, I begin by discussing the Finance Founder. His/Her orientation to money and ROI over-determines every decision they make. For good and for bad. If you recognize yourself in this episode, I hope it helps trigger some self-awareness and growth. You need it. :) Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com Please send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com
Dec 1, 2019 • 13min
Ep. 11 - Working with Agencies: the Creative Brief
This is a professional practice of large companies that badly needs adoption among early stage brands. Poor, inconsistent, or absent, communication about the goals of communications work is a consistent reason why marketing fails and then gets cut prematurely. Don't make this mistake. Smart founders know enough to write a good brief, because it's an analytical exercise, not a creative one!Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com Please send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com
Nov 1, 2019 • 12min
Ep. 10 - 7 Reasons You Need a Strategic Plan
Strategic planning is what I do. I live it and breathe it. Most founders don't enjoy it. And this podcast starts off by explaining why this is. Yet, the folks who ride the Ramp to glory almost all engaged in disciplined planning. Not rigid. Just smart. Startups are nimble and with this comes the risk of chasing your tail, spinning your wheels or, even more dangerous, over-reacting without any benchmarks or principles.Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com Please send feedback on this or other episodes to: admin@premiumgrowthsolutions.com
