WHEW. 36 Episodes. A marathon. From Partners to Funding, from Customer Needs to Design, to Standing Out. As we look back on almost two years of production we say, Holy crap, man, good thing we got 'er done before ChatGPT stole our idea. And now that we've laid down these tracks, and bared our souls to the world, we're looking for a slow burn as these episodes - our body of work - steadily rise to rest among the exalted creative works in the startup genre.

If you enjoyed this first series, tell the world. Btw, you can listen and relisten to any of our episodes ad free (we think) wherever you listen to your podcasts - and not only on Amazon Music, but on Apple, Spotify, Google, Podcruncher, etc, etc...

A big shout out to all who worked tirelessly on the production of this series.  

And much gratitude to you, our treasured listeners, wherever you may be in the world and wherever you are on your entrepreneurial journey. We're sending you good vibes.

Be well and prosper. 

Conversations on Startups is brought to you by Douglas Ross, author of the book, Spark Click Go: How to Bring Your Creative Business Idea to Life, and Glenn Suart, of Today’s Great Idea, a radio series featuring over 300 origin stories of businesses, brands and inventions that have changed the culture.

Got a topic you’d like us to tackle in a future conversation or a comment on a prior episode? If so, reach out to one of us. Glenn's email is: [email protected], and Doug's is: [email protected]

We hope you’re having fun listening but mostly that you take action on your business idea. 

For more inspiration visit our websites: todaysgreatidea.com and sparkclickgo.com

If you are enjoying the podcast and want to help spread the word, feel free to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, invite your friends, and remember to subscribe – it’s the best way to support the show.

Doug’s book can be picked up on Amazon via: tinyurl.com/mw97b8ws

Transcripts and additional info such as the names of our voice over artists can be found via:

conversationsonstartups.com

Thanks to our editor Wojtek Buczarski for being a pro, and to all of our contributors, but mostly to you, our listener. 

Another episode of Conversations on Startups will drop soon or is available to binge now. 

Thanks for joining us.

See ya next time!

Here it is. The attention economy is alive and well and that's why we wanted to chew on some ideas around how to stand out in a world of plenty. Ideas that go beyond the obvious methods - ok, we forget some of the more obvious methods like being excellent on some dimension that customers value, or will come to value. Our bad. Instead of hitting the perfectly pitched baseballs, we decided to go for original and imaginative ideas. Some of those might cue you to a good idea. You never know.  So, good for us.  

Oh, and oops, almost forgot, this is the last episode in this first series. If you want more, go directly to episode 1 or to your favorite topics and hit the big PLAY button. Do not pass GO.  

As we wrap up this series, a big shout of thanks to our listeners wherever you are in the world. We've enjoyed meeting you here on your entrepreneurial journey and we hope this series helped your progress on that journey.

All the best with your ventures.  

Be well and prosper.  

Doug and Glenn

Conversations on Startups is brought to you by Douglas Ross, author of the book, Spark Click Go: How to Bring Your Creative Business Idea to Life, and Glenn Suart, of Today’s Great Idea, a radio series featuring over 300 origin stories of businesses, brands and inventions that have changed the culture.

Got a topic you’d like us to tackle in a future conversation or a comment on a prior episode? If so, reach out to one of us. Glenn's email is: [email protected], and Doug's is: [email protected]

We hope you’re having fun listening but mostly that you take action on your business idea. 

For more inspiration visit our websites: todaysgreatidea.com and sparkclickgo.com

If you are enjoying the podcast and want to help spread the word, feel free to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, invite your friends, and remember to subscribe – it’s the best way to support the show.

Doug’s book can be picked up on Amazon via: tinyurl.com/mw97b8ws

Transcripts and additional info such as the names of our voice over artists can be found via:

conversationsonstartups.com

Thanks to our editor Wojtek Buczarski for being a pro, and to all of our contributors, but mostly to you, our listener. 

Another episode of Conversations on Startups will drop soon or is available to binge now. 

Thanks for joining us.

See ya next time!

Out of crisis, comes opportunity. Sometimes. But better to avoid a crisis altogether if possible, and also better to have a plan (or even a first step of a plan) if you do face a crisis, as many entrepreneurs will. Prepare and predict. Do a pre-mortem. Mitigate risks. Activate your plan and if that fails, be nimble. Whatever you do, do the right thing to keep your customers, employees and those in the blast zone safe. Get that right and you may just save the business and live to fight another day. It's boot camp time so jump on over to the obstacle course with Doug and Glenn for another episode of Conversations on Startups.

Conversations on Startups is brought to you by Douglas Ross, author of the book, Spark Click Go: How to Bring Your Creative Business Idea to Life, and Glenn Suart, of Today’s Great Idea, a radio series featuring over 300 origin stories of businesses, brands and inventions that have changed the culture.

Got a topic you’d like us to tackle in a future conversation or a comment on a prior episode? If so, reach out to one of us. Glenn's email is: [email protected], and Doug's is: [email protected]

We hope you’re having fun listening but mostly that you take action on your business idea. 

For more inspiration visit our websites: todaysgreatidea.com and sparkclickgo.com

If you are enjoying the podcast and want to help spread the word, feel free to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, invite your friends, and remember to subscribe – it’s the best way to support the show.

Doug’s book can be picked up on Amazon via: tinyurl.com/mw97b8ws

Transcripts and additional info such as the names of our voice over artists can be found via:

conversationsonstartups.com

Thanks to our editor Wojtek Buczarski for being a pro, and to all of our contributors, but mostly to you, our listener. 

Another episode of Conversations on Startups will drop soon or is available to binge now. 

Thanks for joining us.

See ya next time!

How do you know if your business is the right idea for the market, for the times, for you?  

That's a critical judgement to make since you will be spending so much time on whatever business idea you decide to pursue, you might as well make it worth your while.

Listen in as  Doug and Glenn kick the can around on this essential choice. Let's call it, The Entrepreneur's Dilemma.  

They've given this some thought and worked hard so they're sure to deliver what you need, when and where you need it. How great is that?

Conversations on Startups is brought to you by Douglas Ross, author of the book, Spark Click Go: How to Bring Your Creative Business Idea to Life, and Glenn Suart, of Today’s Great Idea, a radio series featuring over 300 origin stories of businesses, brands and inventions that have changed the culture.

Got a topic you’d like us to tackle in a future conversation or a comment on a prior episode? If so, reach out to one of us. Glenn's email is: [email protected], and Doug's is: [email protected]

We hope you’re having fun listening but mostly that you take action on your business idea. 

For more inspiration visit our websites: todaysgreatidea.com and sparkclickgo.com

If you are enjoying the podcast and want to help spread the word, feel free to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, invite your friends, and remember to subscribe – it’s the best way to support the show.

Doug’s book can be picked up on Amazon via: tinyurl.com/mw97b8ws

Transcripts and additional info such as the names of our voice over artists can be found via:

conversationsonstartups.com

Thanks to our editor Wojtek Buczarski for being a pro, and to all of our contributors, but mostly to you, our listener. 

Another episode of Conversations on Startups will drop soon or is available to binge now. 

Thanks for joining us.

See ya next time!

Location, location, location. It’s not just true for real estate, it's also true for Monopoly. And, it's a critical choice entrepreneur's like you will need to make.

In this episode you'll meet an enterprising fellow named Elliot who managed to parlay what seemed like a non-starter of a location into paying off his mortgage with a groovy 3 day business venture, man. And it was completely legal - we think.

Faced with choosing a location? Here's a recipe. Take an array of factors into account then weigh the benefits and the costs - in that order, then make your choice. Easy, peasy. Get on main street. Think about the supply of talent and where you can attract funding. Or why not locate the BRAINS (design / R&D) in one place and the BODY in another (manufacturing & distribution)?

Doug and Glenn settle into a nice spot for this conversation so, come on over and join the fun - this spot's got a great view and plenty of room.

Conversations on Startups is brought to you by Douglas Ross, author of the book, Spark Click Go: How to Bring Your Creative Business Idea to Life, and Glenn Suart, of Today’s Great Idea, a radio series featuring over 300 origin stories of businesses, brands and inventions that have changed the culture.

Got a topic you’d like us to tackle in a future conversation or a comment on a prior episode? If so, reach out to one of us. Glenn's email is: [email protected], and Doug's is: [email protected]

We hope you’re having fun listening but mostly that you take action on your business idea. 

For more inspiration visit our websites: todaysgreatidea.com and sparkclickgo.com

If you are enjoying the podcast and want to help spread the word, feel free to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, invite your friends, and remember to subscribe – it’s the best way to support the show.

Doug’s book can be picked up on Amazon via: tinyurl.com/mw97b8ws

Transcripts and additional info such as the names of our voice over artists can be found via:

conversationsonstartups.com

Thanks to our editor Wojtek Buczarski for being a pro, and to all of our contributors, but mostly to you, our listener. 

Another episode of Conversations on Startups will drop soon or is available to binge now. 

Thanks for joining us.

See ya next time!

What’s the best kind of learning? If your answer was The kind that’s fun, then you'll want to join Doug and Glenn as they talk about notable, and since they're movies and streamers, somewhat fun shows that have taken on the Startup genre, putting entrepreneurs in the hero seat. Movies like Tesla – no, not about the car, about the man - the inventor of A/C current. The Founder featuring the character of Roy Kroc. The Social Network. The Steve Jobs movie. Startup, the streaming series with Martin Freeman. The 2022 biopic, Elvis and even Michael J. Fox’s The Secret of My Success.

Some of the lessons / fun(!) from these movies:  

It's not enough to have the idea, you have to rally people to your cause and execute. (Tesla)

It’s important to know which business you’re in. (McDonalds)

Make sure you know with whom you’re getting into bed with before you do so. (Startup)  

Trust but verify. (Elvis)

You have to collaborate – fill in the skill gaps – to succeed. (Tesla, again)

So, grab your popcorn and [soda] pop and join us! Afterall, you've had a hard day. So sit back, listen and enjoy as Doug and Glenn play Roger & Ebert in this unusual episode of Conversations on Startups.  

Conversations on Startups is brought to you by Douglas Ross, author of the book, Spark Click Go: How to Bring Your Creative Business Idea to Life, and Glenn Suart, of Today’s Great Idea, a radio series featuring over 300 origin stories of businesses, brands and inventions that have changed the culture.

Got a topic you’d like us to tackle in a future conversation or a comment on a prior episode? If so, reach out to one of us. Glenn's email is: [email protected], and Doug's is: [email protected]

We hope you’re having fun listening but mostly that you take action on your business idea. 

For more inspiration visit our websites: todaysgreatidea.com and sparkclickgo.com

If you are enjoying the podcast and want to help spread the word, feel free to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, invite your friends, and remember to subscribe – it’s the best way to support the show.

Doug’s book can be picked up on Amazon via: tinyurl.com/mw97b8ws

Transcripts and additional info such as the names of our voice over artists can be found via:

conversationsonstartups.com

Thanks to our editor Wojtek Buczarski for being a pro, and to all of our contributors, but mostly to you, our listener. 

Another episode of Conversations on Startups will drop soon or is available to binge now. 

Thanks for joining us.

See ya next time!

Think about this with your first customer. Does your first customer have the gravitas – the gravitational pull – to attract other customers to your business like the one George, whom you'll meet in this episode, got his velvet hooks into for his first customer? Seems like an apt metaphor for what you’re looking for. Something that grabs customers and brings them into your business from the get go, helps them get whatever job done that they need doing, and yet is soft enough to do no harm. So, come aboard with Doug and Glenn and enjoy the ride into space with them on this episode of Conversations on Startups.

Conversations on Startups is brought to you by Douglas Ross, author of the book, Spark Click Go: How to Bring Your Creative Business Idea to Life, and Glenn Suart, of Today’s Great Idea, a radio series featuring over 300 origin stories of businesses, brands and inventions that have changed the culture.

Got a topic you’d like us to tackle in a future conversation or a comment on a prior episode? If so, reach out to one of us. Glenn's email is: [email protected], and Doug's is: [email protected]

We hope you’re having fun listening but mostly that you take action on your business idea. 

For more inspiration visit our websites: todaysgreatidea.com and sparkclickgo.com

If you are enjoying the podcast and want to help spread the word, feel free to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, invite your friends, and remember to subscribe – it’s the best way to support the show.

Doug’s book can be picked up on Amazon via: tinyurl.com/mw97b8ws

Transcripts and additional info such as the names of our voice over artists can be found via:

conversationsonstartups.com

Thanks to our editor Wojtek Buczarski for being a pro, and to all of our contributors, but mostly to you, our listener. 

Another episode of Conversations on Startups will drop soon or is available to binge now. 

Thanks for joining us.

See ya next time!

Doug and Glenn get a bit wonky in this one, so skip this episode if you don’t like math, especially division. As the saying goes, “never play poker with someone who says they don’t like math.” Do they say that? Doesn’t matter. What matters is what the customer says matters, and how they measure those things that matter, matters. Like the value of a beer. So, pull up a chair, get your headphones on and join us for math class. Trust us, it’ll be better than a class from a mad inventor who scalded, burned and made himself bleed to prove the value of his soothing balm to gasping crowds of would-be customers.

Conversations on Startups is brought to you by Douglas Ross, author of the book, Spark Click Go: How to Bring Your Creative Business Idea to Life, and Glenn Suart, of Today’s Great Idea, a radio series featuring over 300 origin stories of businesses, brands and inventions that have changed the culture.

Got a topic you’d like us to tackle in a future conversation or a comment on a prior episode? If so, reach out to one of us. Glenn's email is: [email protected], and Doug's is: [email protected]

We hope you’re having fun listening but mostly that you take action on your business idea. 

For more inspiration visit our websites: todaysgreatidea.com and sparkclickgo.com

If you are enjoying the podcast and want to help spread the word, feel free to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, invite your friends, and remember to subscribe – it’s the best way to support the show.

Doug’s book can be picked up on Amazon via: tinyurl.com/mw97b8ws

Transcripts and additional info such as the names of our voice over artists can be found via:

conversationsonstartups.com

Thanks to our editor Wojtek Buczarski for being a pro, and to all of our contributors, but mostly to you, our listener. 

Another episode of Conversations on Startups will drop soon or is available to binge now. 

Thanks for joining us.

See ya next time!

See that? That’s an invisible bubble hanging over your target customer’s head – the cartoon kind of bubble that says what he or she’s really thinking about when you are trying to figure out his or her needs. And if you listen well and keep asking why (?) you might just find out what those needs are. And, if the customer you thought would love your business idea doesn’t - maybe he or she is the wrong customer – so keep looking. You never know who might be willing to pay you for packaging air. 

Conversations on Startups is brought to you by Douglas Ross, author of the book, Spark Click Go: How to Bring Your Creative Business Idea to Life, and Glenn Suart, of Today’s Great Idea, a radio series featuring over 300 origin stories of businesses, brands and inventions that have changed the culture.

Got a topic you’d like us to tackle in a future conversation or a comment on a prior episode? If so, reach out to one of us. Glenn's email is: [email protected], and Doug's is: [email protected]

We hope you’re having fun listening but mostly that you take action on your business idea. 

For more inspiration visit our websites: todaysgreatidea.com and sparkclickgo.com

If you are enjoying the podcast and want to help spread the word, feel free to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, invite your friends, and remember to subscribe – it’s the best way to support the show.

Doug’s book can be picked up on Amazon via: tinyurl.com/mw97b8ws

Transcripts and additional info such as the names of our voice over artists can be found via:

conversationsonstartups.com

Thanks to our editor Wojtek Buczarski for being a pro, and to all of our contributors, but mostly to you, our listener. 

Another episode of Conversations on Startups will drop soon or is available to binge now. 

Thanks for joining us.

See ya next time!

Sometimes letting go of what you think is valuable to the market is the best decision you can make. It can free you up to look at the world the way a customer looks at it. Doug and Glenn double down on gettin' real clear about the problem you are trying to solve, and then attacking it with some sort of simple process. As you’ll hear in this episode, getting the perspective right and combining data with human judgement has made the difference between a No Go and a Hey, Let's Go for folks who’ve made a dent in our culture in the past. So, what are you waiting for? Why not hit that GIANT play button right NOW.

Conversations on Startups is brought to you by Douglas Ross, author of the book, Spark Click Go: How to Bring Your Creative Business Idea to Life, and Glenn Suart, of Today’s Great Idea, a radio series featuring over 300 origin stories of businesses, brands and inventions that have changed the culture.

Got a topic you’d like us to tackle in a future conversation or a comment on a prior episode? If so, reach out to one of us. Glenn's email is: [email protected], and Doug's is: [email protected]

We hope you’re having fun listening but mostly that you take action on your business idea. 

For more inspiration visit our websites: todaysgreatidea.com and sparkclickgo.com

If you are enjoying the podcast and want to help spread the word, feel free to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, invite your friends, and remember to subscribe – it’s the best way to support the show.

Doug’s book can be picked up on Amazon via: tinyurl.com/mw97b8ws

Transcripts and additional info such as the names of our voice over artists can be found via:

conversationsonstartups.com

Thanks to our editor Wojtek Buczarski for being a pro, and to all of our contributors, but mostly to you, our listener. 

Another episode of Conversations on Startups will drop soon or is available to binge now. 

Thanks for joining us.

See ya next time!