Former hockey enforcer Dave Burnett took punches for a living, then helped build Achievers.com (sold for $110M), watched his own business go to zero twice, and came back both times. In this episode, we dig into why founders with non-traditional backgrounds often outperform the textbook startup playbook, how to make sure AI models actually know your startup exists, and a time management system built around 1,440 minutes that will change how you think about your day.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Intro

0:32 Dave's path from hockey enforcer to serial entrepreneur

1:36 Building Achievers.com and the $110M exit

3:08 Why non-traditional founders have an edge

3:52 The enforcer mentality and entrepreneurial grit

7:05 Building for the future: swappable AI engines

8:25 AI models are commodities, not loyalties

10:30 AI is table stakes now

10:43 The dumbbell theory: where to build in the age of AI

15:53 AI visibility: does ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini know your startup exists?

19:47 What separates visible companies from invisible ones

21:00 How to use LLMTel to check your AI visibility

23:01 What early-stage founders should do now to show up in AI

25:18 GEO vs. SEO: what's different, what's the same

26:48 Mid-roll break

27:09 The 1,440-minute time management system

31:04 Color-coding your day in 10-minute blocks

32:23 Constraint-based prioritization: always work on the bottleneck

34:36 Embracing uncertainty and getting comfortable with failure

36:23 Building things nobody wants (and how to avoid it)

38:27 Why Dave went so granular on time tracking

40:51 Surviving a traumatic brain injury while running multiple companies

41:51 Notifications are other people's priorities

46:54 It's going to suck, and that's normal

47:59 When to pivot vs. when to double down

50:23 Going to zero twice: Great Recession and COVID

53:03 Business as an infinite game

55:01 Closing thoughts

🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES

Dave Burnett's AI Visibility Tool (LLMTel): https://llmtel.com

Dave's Digital Marketing Agency: https://aokmarketing.com

Dave's Book "From Bricks to Clicks": https://aokmarketing.com/book

Dave on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/davebburnett

📥 FREE FUNDRAISING TOOLKIT

Grab templates and tools I built for the founders I coach: https://feeltheboot.com/raise

🎬 Watch the video version of this episode: https://ftb.bz/128V

📖 Read the full blog post: https://ftb.bz/128B

ABOUT FEEL THE BOOT

Feel the Boot helps early-stage startup founders navigate the fundraising process. Whether you're preparing for your first pre-seed round or struggling to close a seed raise, we cover the strategies, frameworks, and mindset you need to raise capital and build a fundable company. Hosted by Lance Cottrell, angel investor and president of North Bay Angels.

Subscribe and follow Feel the Boot wherever you listen to podcasts for episodes on startup fundraising, pitch decks, investor outreach, financial modeling, and founder strategy.

Most founders think fundraising fails because of "bad luck." Usually, it fails because of simple physics.

Fundraising is a sales funnel. If you have a structural leak at the top, no amount of "slick" pitching will produce a check at the bottom. In this episode, we pop the hood on pre-seed fundraising to look at the four filters your startup must pass before you even think about building a deck.

Stop the "Fundraising Theater" and start building a machine that investors actually want to buy.

Read the full blog post: https://ftb.bz/127B

Watch the video: https://ftb.bz/127V

[FREE TOOL] THE INVESTMENT READINESS SCORECARD

Don't guess if you’re ready. Use the same diagnostic tool I use to screen startups for the North Bay Angels. Identify your gaps and fix them before you waste your one "bite at the apple."

Get the Toolkit & Scorecard: https://www.FeelTheBoot.com/raise

WHAT WE COVER:

Filter 1: The Math (Portfolio Physics): Why a "nice" business isn't always a venture-investable business. We look at the $100M revenue requirement and the "Why Now" delta.

Filter 2: The Evidence (Market Pull): The difference between "that’s a good idea" and "I need this now." We discuss unit economics and why $1 of marketing must generate $2 of net profit.

Filter 3: The Moat (Structural Defensibility): Why being a "first mover" is often a disadvantage and how to build friction that stops well-funded predators from crushing you.

Filter 4: The Machine (Founder-Market Fit): Why investors don't fund science experiments and how to prove you have the unique insight to execute your blueprint.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 The "Fundraising Theater" Trap

1:30 Why 99% of Success is Decided Before the Pitch

3:15 Filter 1: The Harsh Math of Venture Capital

5:45 The "Corpse Audit": Why Timing is Your Delta

8:10 Case Study: The "Empty Box" Pitch at North Bay Angels

11:20 Filter 2: Proving Customer Hunger

14:45 Filter 3: Defensibility & The First-Mover Fallacy

17:30 Filter 4: The Machine & Unique Insights

20:15 Is Your Startup Default Alive or Default Dead?

22:00 Your Next Step: The Readiness Scorecard

ABOUT FEEL THE BOOT

I’m Lance Cottrell. I’m a former astrophysicist and successful tech founder turned startup advisor. I view company building as an engineering problem with solvable mechanics. No fluff. No hype. Just the hard truths you need to reach escape velocity.

Subscribe for more pragmatic startup advice: [Link to your channel]

#PreSeedFundraising #StartupFunding #VentureCapital #AngelInvestors #PitchDeck #Entrepreneurship #FounderTips #FeelTheBoot

If your first interaction with an investor is asking for money, you have already lost.

Cold pitching investors has a success rate of nearly 0%. Warm introductions have a success rate of over 50%.

The gap between those two numbers is where most fundraising rounds die.

Most founders think they are stuck because they don't have a rich uncle or a deep network. The reality is: You just have the wrong process.

In this episode, I break down the Investor Warm-Up Protocol, a 4-step engineering approach to manufacturing warm relationships from cold contacts.

Read the full breakdown on the blog: https://ftb.bz/126B

Watch The Video: https://ftb.bz/126V

🚀 RESOURCES & NEXT STEPS

1. The Deep Dive (Workshop Recording):

This episode is adapted from my full 90-minute workshop, "From Cold Outreach to Capital." It covers the entire system, including target list building, email scripts, and automation tools.

👉 Get the Workshop: https://FounderQuest.com/cold-outreach

2. The Full System (Founder Quest Intensive):

Want to rebuild your entire fundraising stack (Model, Narrative, and Outreach) with hands-on coaching? Join the next cohort of the Founder Quest Intensive.

👉 Apply here: https://FounderQuest.com/intensive

In this episode, we cover:

·       The Radar Ping: How to become "familiar" before you ever send an email.

·       The "Quick Question": The specific type of DM that gets a reply (and what gets ignored).

·       The Update Loop: How to automate trust-building over time.

·       The Trap: Why pitching on the first call kills the deal.

#startup #fundraising #venturecapital #founder #entrepreneurship

🛑 Stop Networking! Build Trust and Community to Fund Your Startup | David Homan

Are you an introverted founder struggling to raise capital? Do you find most networking events to be a waste of time and purely transactional? Super connector, author, and composer David Homan reveals the systematic, high-integrity approach to connection that actually opens doors to investors, partners, and key advisors.

In this powerful episode, David dismantles the myth that extroverts are the best connectors. He explains why your ability to listen deeply and build relationships at the speed of trust is your most valuable asset, turning the loneliness of the founder journey into a strength. You'll learn the crucial difference between building a transactional network and a supportive community.

🔑 Key Lessons You Will Learn:

·       The Introvert's Advantage: Why deep listening and high-quality, intimate connections beat "spray and pray" networking every time.

·       The Non-Ask Strategy: How to talk to investors before you need money to build momentum and let them experience FOMO.

·       Reputation Capital: The true cost of a bad introduction and why you must "honor the chain of connections" to protect your most valuable currency.

·       The Impact Ask: A systematic way to frame your requests to potential partners or investors so they immediately recognize how they can help.

·       Community Security: The high cost of opportunism and the strict rules required to filter out toxic, low-integrity contacts from your inner circle.

🔗 Resources & Links

Find the full transcript and blog post here:

👉 https://ftb.bz/125B

Watch the video:

🎥 https://ftb.bz/125V

Connect with David Homan: https://orchestratedconnecting.com/

🚀 Struggling to Raise Capital?

If you are a founder who needs checks now and hasn't built that network yet, don't worry. Learn the proven, systematic steps for warming up cold connections and securing investment directly:

Cold Outreach Workshop for Founders:

🔥 https://FounderQuest.com/cold-outreach

#DavidHoman #FeelTheBoot #Founder #Startup #VentureCapital #RaisingCapital #Entrepreneurship #SuperConnector #RelationshipBuilding #Introvert #SEO

The 6 Startup Pitches Every Founder Needs

Most founders only create one pitch deck, and it costs them investors.

In this video, I’ll show you the six pitches every startup founder needs to win funding. From your 3-minute competition pitch to your self-guided deck for investors to read on their own, each version has a specific purpose. Skip one, and you risk losing the deal.

You’ll learn:

✅ Why different contexts demand different pitches

✅ The right length and structure for each type of pitch

✅ How to avoid the common mistake of using the wrong deck at the wrong time

✅ How to build a self-guided deck that actually gets read

By the end, you’ll know exactly how to tailor your message whether you’re on stage, in a meeting, or in an investor’s inbox.

📌 Want to go deeper? Join my Pitch Deck Alchemy workshop for a 90-minute masterclass on designing a deck that gets you funded: https://founderquest.com/pitch-deck-alchemy

Read the Blog: https://ftb.bz/124B

Watch the Video: https://ftb.bz/124V

Founder/Market Fit: Your Startup’s Early-Stage Advantage

Stop guessing about “Founder–Market Fit.” In this episode I break down how investors spot it at the pre-seed stage— and what to do if you don’t have it yet.

When founders enter a market they’ve never lived, credibility gaps, weak insight, and scarce access can stall everything from customer discovery to fundraising. I’ll show you:

What “Founder–Market Fit” really means and why VCs look for it before they fund

Clear warning signs you don’t have it (yet)

Practical moves to build or borrow the fit you need

How great FMF accelerates product-market fit, hiring, partnerships, and Series A readiness

Whether you’re raising your first round or refining your pitch, use these ideas to turn experience into a strategic edge.

🔗 RESOURCES & NEXT STEPS

Blog article & full transcript

https://ftb.bz/123B

The Feel the Boot Video

https://ftb.bz/123V

Free founder community — The Crossroads

https://ftb.bz/crossroads

Fundability Quiz — Are you really ready to raise?

https://ftb.bz/fundable

Are you outsourcing your thinking to ChatGPT? That’s a fast track to sabotaging your startup.

In this episode, I share two real conversations I had with founders who said they got their market size numbers from ChatGPT. That is a red flag for any investor. The problem is not that they used AI. The problem is that they didn’t understand what the answer meant or where it came from.

I walk through the right and wrong ways to use tools like ChatGPT in your startup. Whether you’re researching your target market, writing content, or creating your financial projections, you need to know what is solid and what is just noise.

You will learn:

·       When using AI makes sense and when it is a trap

·       How to ask for citations so you can verify the data

·       Why AI-generated financials almost always fall apart

·       What to do instead so you can sound sharp and raise with confidence

This isn’t about avoiding AI. It is about using it well so you can think clearly, move faster, and make better decisions.

📍 Join The Crossroads Founder Community: https://ftb.bz/crossroads

📊 Take the Fundability Quiz: https://ftb.bz/fundable

🎙 Listen to the Podcast: https://ftb.bz/podcast

📝 Read the Blog: https://ftb.bz/122B

Most founders don’t fail because of a bad idea.

They fail because fear, doubt, and hesitation stop them before they ever really start.

In this episode of Feel the Boot, I sit down with internationally recognized mindset coach David Neagle to talk about what keeps talented people stuck, and how to break free.

We explore:

Why so many founders never launch

The mindset shift that drives real change

How to push through fear and uncertainty

The discipline behind every successful entrepreneur

Why authenticity beats confidence when raising capital or building a team

David also shares his powerful personal story, from working a warehouse job to tripling his income in 30 days, and building a multi-million dollar coaching business.

If you’ve been struggling with self-doubt, imposter syndrome, or fear of failure, this conversation will hit home.

🎯 Read the blog version with full highlights and the embedded video: https://ftb.bz/121B

🎥 Prefer video? Watch here: https://ftb.bz/121V

👥 Ready to connect with fellow founders? Join the Crossroads™ community: https://ftb.bz/crossroads

📘 Get David’s free Quantum Leap Blueprint to kickstart your next breakthrough: https://www.lifeisnowinc.com/pg-ftb

Unlocking Startup Growth: Fundraising Strategies and Resilience Tips with Paulo Andrez

What separates the startups that raise capital and scale… from those that stall out?

In this episode of Feel the Boot, I sit down with Paulo Andrez—angel investor, serial founder, and startup turnaround specialist—to talk about the real challenges early-stage founders face.

We dig into:

• Why most founders raise capital too early

• What investors like Paulo actually look for in a startup

• How to recover from failure and pivot the right way

• Why founder resilience is more important than brilliance

• The biggest reasons startups fail—and how to avoid them

If you’re working on a startup and planning to fundraise (or already trying), this episode is a must-listen.

🎧 For the full blog recap: https://ftb.bz/120B

🎥 Watch the full video: https://ftb.bz/120V

💬 Join our founder community, Crossroads, to go deeper with conversations like this: https://ftb.bz/crossroads

You can follow Paulo on LinkedIn at https:// www.linkedin.com/in/pauloandrez or on his website https://www.pauloandrez.com

Pre-Sell Before You Build: Avoid Costly Startup Mistakes — with David Hirschfeld

Most startups fail because they build something no one wants.

In this episode of Feel the Boot, I talk with David Hirschfeld, founder of Tekyz and creator of the Launch First method, about how to flip the script and pre-sell your product before you build it.

We explore how high-fidelity mockups, early customer conversations, and focused problem validation can help founders avoid wasting time, money, and effort on products that miss the mark.

If you’re an early-stage founder, this episode is packed with practical advice to help you test, sell, and refine your idea before writing a single line of code.

👉 What you’ll learn:

✅ Why most startup products fail

✅ How to pre-sell using mockups

✅ When to raise capital—and when NOT to

✅ The difference between building what you want vs. solving real problems

✅ Why narrowing your focus is critical in the early stages

🎯 Thinking about raising capital?

Take my free 5-question quiz to see if you’re fundable:

👉 https://ftb.bz/fundable

🔗 Connect with David Hirschfeld:

🌐 Website: https://tekyz.com/

🐦 Twitter/X: https://x.com/tekyzinc

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhirschfeld/

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dmhirschfeld

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tekyzinc

📝 Want more from this episode?

📖 Read the full blog: https://ftb.bz/119B

🎞️ Watch the video: https://ftb.bz/119V

🎥 Related video: Watch my episode on pre-pivoting your startup: [Insert link here]

📍 Chapters

00:00 Intro — Most founders build too soon

02:09 Why solving the right problem matters

06:37 The Launch First method explained

10:27 High-fidelity mockups that look real

15:17 Validating with real customer conversations

18:07 Pre-selling before you write code

21:42 Founder mindset mistakes to avoid

27:12 Why you shouldn’t raise capital too early

31:07 Real-world examples from David’s work

34:57 Final advice for early-stage founders

👍 Like this episode? Be sure to like, comment, and subscribe for more practical startup advice!

#startups #founderadvice #productvalidation #entrepreneurship #FeelTheBoot #presell #startupfunding #startupmistakes