The Edward Show

E574: The five silent killers of startups that founders never admit. This is an expansion of the viral short video I previously made on this. When startups die, it’s not with a bang but with a whimper. These are the five most common reasons why startups fail. 1․ The Expert's Curse ◦ Being an industry expert becomes the biggest liability. ◦ You solve yesterday's problems. ◦ You know too much to see new patterns. 2․ The 90-Day Death Clock ◦ Days 1-30, vision leads. ◦ Days 31-60, you need validation. ◦ Day 90+, still no validation? You're already dead. ◦ You don't die when money runs out, you died three months ago. 3․ Reality Distortion Debt ◦ Every assumption equals debt. ◦ Every we know better equals interest. ◦ Every delayed user test equals compound interest. ◦ Most startups are bankrupt before they're broke. 4․ The Competence Trap ◦ More competence = more procrastination. ◦ Building becomes an escape from selling. ◦ You're perfecting code instead of getting feedback. ◦ This is death by beautiful products that nobody wants. 5․ Time Perception Disorder ◦ Soon = never. ◦ Perfect timing = fear. ◦ The market is not ready = we're not ready. ◦ While you wait, the market moves on. The hard truth. Startups don't fail when you run out of money. They fail when you choose: ◦ Comfort over truth ◦ Planning over testing ◦ Knowing over learning Compact Keywords - Backlinks don’t matter - Get tons of purchase-intent traffic - Max out your TAM: https://compactkeywords.com/ 00:00 Introduction and Episode Setup 00:39 Silent Killer #1: The Expert's Curse 02:31 Silent Killer #2: The 90-Day Death Clock 05:37 Silent Killer #3: Reality Distortion Debt 06:34 Silent Killer #4: The Competence Trap 07:23 Silent Killer #5: Time Perception Disorder 08:05 Conclusion and Podcast Information The Edward Show. Your daily digital marketing podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #startups #ycombinator #foundermode #venturecapital

E573: Joshua Ryan Schaver (@bagelfinagles on Instagram) shares how he’s made $600,000+ so far from Instagram and TikTok with an in-depth breakdown of his funnel. He’s using primarily social video and tripwire offers to scale his urban farming-based business. He shares the copy he uses, the hooks, his content strategy, his call-to-actions, his tripwire PDFs, what he gives for free and what he charges for, how his funnel evolved over the past 3 years, how much each of his revenue streams gives him, his margins… - he is an open book and shares it all. He gives you his exact funnel so you can go and implement it for your business. Crazy value in this episode. Check out Joshua Ryan Schaver on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bagelfinagles Compact Keywords - Backlinks don’t matter - Get tons of purchase-intent traffic: https://compactkeywords.com/ 00:00 Introduction and Guest Overview 01:06 Josh's Business Journey Begins 02:36 First Time Going Viral 08:56 Revenue Streams and Business Growth 14:30 Marketing Strategies and Social Media Insights 21:08 High Conversion Rates and Funnel Development 41:14 Analyzing Social Media Metrics 42:10 Starting a Seed Company 42:38 Business Background and Growth 43:40 Current Marketing Funnels 51:28 Effective Social Media Strategies 01:00:18 Learning from Comments and Feedback 01:05:28 Future Marketing and Automation Plans 01:20:23 Reflecting on Marketing Failures 01:23:25 Conclusion and Final Thoughts The Edward Show. Your daily digital marketing podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #instagrammarketing #tiktokmarketing #ecommercetips #socialmediamarketing

Discover the captivating story behind Substack’s rise, from its innovative beginnings to its effective customer acquisition strategies during the pandemic. The founders focused on building trust and fostering strong relationships with writers, prioritizing quality content over social media metrics. Learn about their go-to-market strategy and the unique features that set Substack apart while paving the way for its growth and future opportunities.

Explore the misconceptions around SEO as it evolves in 2025. Discover why user intent is more crucial than high-volume keywords. Learn how focusing on bottom-of-funnel keywords can enhance your strategy. There's a deep dive into the power of user-generated content and its role in search optimization. The importance of content quality over mere quantity is emphasized, alongside insights on how recent changes affect platforms like HubSpot.

HubSpot is grappling with a staggering 80% decline in blog traffic since March 2024, a trend that began earlier in 2023. The rise of AI chatbots and user-generated content is siphoning their audience away. Focusing on top-of-funnel content has proven detrimental, signaling a need for a shift in strategy. Insights into lost keywords reveal why traditional SEO approaches are failing. Experts discuss when to target different keyword types and outline essential SEO strategies for the future.

E569: How to increase sales and revenue and everything good by selling the benefits and not the features. You’re naturally in the weeds with whatever you’re doing. You know your niche inside and out. You think your differentiating factors are the coolest things ever. But the truth is your prospects only care about the benefits your features bring. These are many examples of improving copywriting by emphasizing the benefits first, then the features. This will increase your revenue by improving your copywriting and sales skills. You’re going to enjoy this. Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/Entrepreneur/comments/xutk0t/the_extraordinary_power_of_selling_the_benefits/ Get qualified traffic for free with my SEO Program: https://compactkeywords.com/ 00:00 Copywriting Boosts Sales 00:38 Selling Benefits vs. Features 01:36 Real-World Examples 01:51 Personal Reflections and Applications 03:44 Combining Features and Benefits 05:55 Meaning in Branding 08:01 Practical Applications and Community Insights 12:49 Final Thoughts The Edward Show. Your daily digital marketing podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #copywriting #advertisingtips #salestips #digitalmarketing

Discover the key to skyrocketing your Instagram presence with manual posting. Automation tools could suppress your reach, so stick to the app. Learn about a jaw-dropping strategy: posting 100 times a day! This approach earned one brand a whopping 9.2 billion impressions monthly. The podcast also highlights the success story of Instant Bollywood, emphasizing creativity and content sharing. Plus, find out how MrBeast reacted to this insane growth tactic! Unlock your potential today!

Explore the intriguing world of CTR manipulation and parasite SEO as experts dive into how clicks can be strategically manipulated to enhance visibility on high-authority platforms. Discover the risks and common missteps involved in these black hat tactics. Learn effective strategies for leveraging parasite SEO while contemplating the moral implications of such approaches. Plus, get insights on the balance between short-term gains and building a solid foundation for long-term SEO success.

In this engaging conversation, Mike and Kass Lazerow, serial entrepreneurs behind Golf.com and Buddy Media, share their fascinating journey from pitching early Facebook to mastering social media marketing. They discuss innovative strategies that revolutionized brand engagements and the powerful lessons from their successful exit to Salesforce for $745 million. The duo also touches on the importance of mentorship, overcoming entrepreneurial distractions, and their transition into content creation, offering valuable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Discover the dark side of SEO with a deep dive into negative SEO practices. The discussion reveals unethical techniques used to sabotage competitors' rankings, including a groundbreaking experiment that showcases the effectiveness of these tactics. Caution is emphasized, as the risks of engaging in such practices can lead to significant ethical dilemmas. The podcast wraps up with insightful conclusions on the implications of negative SEO for the industry.