We Live to Build

Is Your Business Just a High-Paying Job You Can't Sell? In this interview, M&A expert Cameron Bishop explains the critical difference between a valuable, transferable company and a "lifestyle business" that is almost solely dependent on the owner for its success and has no real exit value.Cameron also shares the craziest story he's ever seen in an acquisition: a former owner who came back and took her old company's file cabinets hostage with chains and padlocks . He breaks down the most common reasons businesses fail to sell, including terrible accounting and customer concentration, and tells the story of a client who walked away from an extra $4 million to take a lower offer for a better lifestyle. Check out the company: https://raincatcher.comBook a 1-on-1 advisory session with me to apply these principles to your business: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory👀 CONNECT WITH SEANSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrotLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotInquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com🕒 CHAPTERS00:00 - Introduction to Selling a Business00:53 - She Took Her Former Company Hostage with Chains & Padlocks04:03 - The #1 Reason Your Business Is Unsellable05:14 - Is Your Business Just a High-Paying Job You Can't Sell?07:24 - Can AI Create a Sellable "Lifestyle Business"?11:44 - The 3-Year Runway You Need Before You Sell16:58 - Post-COVID Motivation: "I'm Just Sick and Tired of Hiring"26:07 - How a Single Vendor Made a "Money Machine" Unsellable29:25 - Final Advice: Selling Your Company Is a Full-Time Job📈 WORK WITH ME▶ Book a Paid Advisory Session: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory▶ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/collaborate▶ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.ai Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stop Selling to the Masses, Sell to Rich People Instead. In this interview, Startups.com Chief Strategy Officer Ed Kang shares his #1 lesson for e-commerce success: stop trying to sell to the "mediocre middle" and instead focus on getting your product into the hands of "rich early adopters". He argues that wealthy people are the best evangelists, and getting one influential person to talk about your product is the fastest way to build a premium brand. Ed also shares the wild story of a founder who created a multi-million dollar business selling an "after-sex cleanup thing" by demoing it with a Twinkie , and explains his "channelpreneur" concept: why you should build an audience first before you ever create a product .Check out the company: https://startups.comBook a 1-on-1 advisory session with me to apply these principles to your business: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory👀 CONNECT WITH SEANSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrotLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotInquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com🕒 CHAPTERS00:00 - The "After-Sex Cleanup" Product That Made Millions04:44 - My Failed Comic Book Venture: A Post-Mortem09:55 - The #1 E-com Strategy: Sell to Rich People, Not the Masses18:50 - The Real Money Is in Supporting E-com Founders24:01 - A Case Study in Failure: The Bumper Sticker Debacle30:08 - How a 20-Year-Old Built a $100M E-commerce Empire34:50 - Why E-commerce Financing is So Risky41:29 - If You Can't Do "Hand-to-Hand Combat" Sales, You'll Fail45:05 - Don't Build a Product, Build a Channel First49:17 - My Advice for 18-Year-Old Founders in a Basement📈 WORK WITH ME▶ Book a Paid Advisory Session: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory▶ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/collaborate▶ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.ai Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Saahil Mehta is the Co-Founder of Resnet World, which helps businesses increase profitability. Your Pitch Deck Is Garbage if You Don't Have a 'Why'. In this interview, angel investor Saahil Mehta shares the story of tearing apart a friend's pitch deck because it was all "what" and "how" but completely missed the founder's "why" . He explains that investors want to see the founder's personal story and the deep purpose that drives them, not just a list of features. Saahil also reveals his unconventional due diligence process, where he takes founders on treks or to escape rooms to get their "mask" to come off and see who they really are outside their comfort zone . Finally, he shares his number one rule for investing: have "no attachment to the investment" and be okay with it going to zero. Check out the company: https://resnetworld.comBook a 1-on-1 advisory session with me to apply these principles to your business: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory👀 CONNECT WITH SEANSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrotLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotInquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com🕒 CHAPTERS00:00 - Why I Started Angel Investing (It Wasn't Just About Money)04:10 - The #1 Red Flag: Uncoachable Founders08:00 - My Due Diligence: I Take Founders Trekking to See Their "Mask" Come Off14:30 - The Question That Throws Every Founder Off Balance19:00 - Are Your Core Values Consistent With Your Actions?22:15 - Your Pitch Deck Is Garbage if You Don't Have a "Why"26:45 - Why a Business "Failure" Can Be a Blessing in Disguise31:00 - My #1 Rule: Be Okay With Your Investment Going to Zero📈 WORK WITH ME▶ Book a Paid Advisory Session: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory▶ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/collaborate▶ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.ai Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeff Sauer is the Co-Founder of MeasureU.com, which helps brands better understand the data which runs their business. The 3-Year Process of Prepping an Agency For a Private Equity Sale. In this interview, agency founder and angel investor Jeff Sauer details the three-year journey of preparing his $7.5M/year marketing agency for an exit . He explains the critical shift from a high-growth, low-profitability mindset (with 2-5% net margins and a "bloated" payroll) to an operations-focused, high-profitability model with 25% net margins, which was necessary to attract a private equity buyer. Jeff also shares his crucial distinction between a "cash business" (that makes you rich in the short term) and a "wealth business" (an asset you build to sell), and why you can't confuse the two . Finally, he explains why founders must evolve from a "hero" on the front lines to a "general on the hill" by investing in systems. Check out the company: https://www.measureu.comBook a 1-on-1 advisory session with me to apply these principles to your business: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory👀 CONNECT WITH SEANSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrotLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotInquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com🕒 CHAPTERS00:00 - Why I Became an Angel Investor03:15 - The Hard Truth of Angel Investing (Most Startups Fail)06:40 - Why Founders Want Your Money, Not Your Advice09:10 - The Story of My $7.5M/Year Marketing Agency12:25 - How We Grew to $7.5M with Only 2% Profit Margins15:30 - The 3-Year Process of Prepping for a Private Equity Sale20:00 - A "Cash" Business vs. a "Wealth" Business24:10 - The 3 Core Functions: Offers, Products, & Systems27:00 - Are You a Hero on the Front Lines or a General on the Hill?📈 WORK WITH ME▶ Book a Paid Advisory Session: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory▶ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/collaborate▶ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.ai Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You Need a CFO Before You've Made a Mess. In this interview, fractional CFO for SaaS Brands, Anthony Nitsos explains why startups should bring in financial expertise early. He warns that waiting until you're bigger means a new CFO will have to "clean up a mess" that has been created, which is always more expensive than setting up your accounting and finance correctly from the beginning. Anthony also shares his joke that CFO can stand for "Chief Flushing Officer," breaks down the fundamental difference between bootstrapped founders (market insiders) and VC-backed founders (product visionaries), and gives his blunt take on the startup lifecycle: "They're either gonna exit or they're gonna die." Check out the company: https://saasgurus.ioBook a 1-on-1 advisory session with me to apply these principles to your business: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory👀 CONNECT WITH SEANSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrotLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotInquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com🕒 CHAPTERS00:00 - From Sci-Fi Fan to Startup CFO03:30 - What is a CFO? (aka The "Chief Flushing Officer")06:15 - You Need a CFO Before You've Made a Mess09:10 - Why Your Company Will Either Exit or Die12:20 - Are You a Bootstrapper or a VC-Backed Founder?18:00 - The Pros and Cons of Using Venture Debt24:00 - The Most Important Thing: Don't Forget Your People📈 WORK WITH ME▶ Book a Paid Advisory Session: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory▶ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/collaborate▶ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.ai Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How We Raised $4.2 Million With No Product. In this interview, Thesys co-founder Rabi Guha explains how he and his co-founder successfully raised a $4.2 million seed round in just three months with only an idea. He reveals the two critical factors for their success: a strong founder-market fit from years of industry experience, and a powerful network that provided the "warm intros" that VCs prioritize. Rabi also shares his advice for aspiring founders on why you should work in a corporate job first to learn how the world works, but remember that "jumping out is going to be the hard part". Finally, he explains the venture capital mindset: VCs would rather have a 10% chance at a billion-dollar company than a 100% chance at a hundred-million-dollar one. Check out the company: https://thesys.devBook a 1-on-1 advisory session with me to apply these principles to your business: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory👀 CONNECT WITH SEANSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrotLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotInquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com🕒 CHAPTERS00:00 - Raising a $4.2M Seed Round in 3 Months (With No Product)04:46 - The 2 Things You Need to Raise Money With an Idea08:39 - The "Hint of Hesitation" VCs Have for India-Based Founders12:51 - The VC Mindset: 10% Chance at a Billion vs. 100% at $100M16:59 - Why VCs Will Never Give You Honest Feedback21:00 - Why Conversational AI Is a Bad User Experience📈 WORK WITH ME▶ Book a Paid Advisory Session: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory▶ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/collaborate▶ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.ai Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Your Company's Data Is Garbage (And It Will Kill Your AI). In this interview, Pipeliner CRM's Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer, John Golden, gives a stark warning to founders: the biggest challenge for companies implementing AI is data integrity. He argues that "most companies' data is not clean. It's garbage," and that even the best AI will fail if it's fed bad data ("garbage in, garbage out"). John also predicts that AI will make "mid-range or low-range kinda salespeople" obsolete, forcing them to upskill or get left behind . Finally, he explains the number one mistake founders make in sales—approaching it in a "chaotic way" and using an Excel sheet instead of building a real process with a proper CRM. Check out the company: https://pipelinercrm.comBook a 1-on-1 advisory session with me to apply these principles to your business: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory👀 CONNECT WITH SEANSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrotLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotInquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com🕒 CHAPTERS00:00 - The #1 Mistake Founders Make in Sales02:45 - If You Use Excel as a CRM, You've Already Failed05:10 - The "Build It and They Shall Come" Fallacy07:30 - AI Is Coming For "Mid-Range" Salespeople11:15 - The Future of Software Is Voice, Not Clicks14:05 - Your Company's Data Is Garbage (And It Will Kill Your AI)18:20 - How to Escape the "Feast or Famine" Cycle21:00 - The Liquidity Trap That Kills Young Businesses📈 WORK WITH ME▶ Book a Paid Advisory Session: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory▶ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/collaborate▶ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.ai Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Your 30-Page Pitch Deck Is Getting Deleted Immediately. In this interview, investor Almaz Edilbaev, Founder of chAngels, a Chicago based Angel Syndicate, gives a brutally honest look at how he evaluates startups. He explains why a 30-page deck or a long email is an instant red flag, and reveals that an experienced investor can decide if your company is worth a deeper look in 30 seconds or less by just skimming the first few slides. Almaz also shares the three main reasons he sees startups fail: bad team dynamics, founders losing motivation after raising too much money, and believing a hot market will last forever. He contrasts this with the three key traits of successful founders: deep industry expertise, previous founding experience, and the ability to manage a growing team. Check out the company: https://www.changels.clubBook a 1-on-1 advisory session with me to apply these principles to your business: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory👀 CONNECT WITH SEANSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrotLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotInquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com🕒 CHAPTERS00:00 - From Investing in Russian "Copycats" to Angel Syndicates02:10 - 3 Reasons Why Startups Fail05:05 - The Difference Between VCs and Angel Syndicates08:40 - The 3 Traits of a Successful Founder12:15 - An Investor's First Impression: The 30-Second Deck Review15:00 - Your 30-Page Pitch Deck Is Getting Deleted17:45 - The #1 Red Flag in a Cold Email20:00 - The "Big Name" Bias in Venture Capital📈 WORK WITH ME▶ Book a Paid Advisory Session: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory▶ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/collaborate▶ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.ai Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You're Building Your Advisory Board All Wrong. In this interview, Breen Sullivan, founder of The Fourth Effect, explains that most early-stage founders don't understand the difference between a governing board and an advisory board, how to compensate advisors, or what they should even be getting from them . She argues that the primary purpose of an advisory board for a pre-seed or seed-stage startup is simple: to help you raise money. Breen also gives her blunt take on why fundraising is "100% not fair" and "totally who you know", and breaks down the difference between the 2% of founders who get money based on the "jockey" and the 98% who have to prove the "horse" by going through the "trough of sorrow." Check out the company: https://thefourtheffect.com Check out the company: https://thefourtheffect.comBook a 1-on-1 advisory session with me to apply these principles to your business: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory👀 CONNECT WITH SEANSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrotLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotInquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com🕒 CHAPTERS00:00 - Fundraising is 100% Unfair (And It's Who You Know)03:15 - The 2% "Jockey" vs. the 98% "Horse"06:00 - Bootstrapping: A "Secret Weapon" for the 98%08:45 - How to Turn Angel Investors into Active Advisors11:30 - Governing Board vs. Advisory Board: What's the Difference?14:20 - The #1 Reason You Need an Advisory Board (It's to Get Money)18:00 - Why a Founder Who Ignores Advisors is a "Fool"21:10 - My Goal: Convince VCs, Not Just Founders24:00 - The Glaring Inequity of the Startup World📈 WORK WITH ME▶ Book a Paid Advisory Session: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory▶ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/collaborate▶ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.ai Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Letting Go of My Failed Startup, My Failed Marriage, and This Podcast. In this final episode, I've decided to end the We Live to Build podcast after four years and 215 other episodes. I feel the show is holding me back, forcing me to stay connected to my past, my failed marriage, and my failed software company. To move on from the anxiety and panic attacks, I have to let it go. I'm also letting go of the startup for good. I still owe my team salaries from two years ago, so I'm flying to Vietnam to face my investor and try to make a deal to finally pay my team and close this chapter of my life for good . Thank you to all the guests and listeners. As painful as it is, it's the right thing to do.Book a 1-on-1 advisory session with me to apply these principles to your business: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory👀 CONNECT WITH SEANSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrotLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotInquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com🕒 CHAPTERS00:00 - After 4 Years, It's Time to Say Goodbye00:45 - This Podcast Is Holding Me Back From My Future01:30 - My Unfinished Business: I Still Owe My Team02:08 - Waking Up Happy & Finally Letting Go02:50 - A Final Thank You to Everyone📈 WORK WITH ME▶ Book a Paid Advisory Session: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory▶ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/collaborate▶ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.ai Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.