If you're a first-time founder, you're probably feeling it: Cold outreach gets ignored. Paid ads are expensive and unpredictable. And in an increasingly "fake" online world, trust is harder (and slower) to earn. The result? You burn weeks in meetings, chase intros that never materialize, and pour energy into "partnerships" that look good on paper… then ghost at the finish line.

In this episode, Jayla sits down with Kyle Kane (former Universal Music VP of A&R, TEDx speaker, executive producer, award-winning entrepreneur), now founder of Onspark.com, to break down why partnerships are the #1 growth driver for modern businesses—and how early-stage founders can stop guessing and start building partnerships that actually produce revenue.

Kyle shares lessons from building over $2B in partnership value working with major brands and artists, then explains how he's turning that playbook into OnSpark, an AI-powered partnership engine designed to help founders, creators, and investors find vetted, aligned, high-intent partners.

What You'll Learn:

• The real reason most partnerships fail: misalignment + unclear value exchange

• How Kyle reverse-engineered partnership success into a simple lifecycle:

  • Discover → Verify → Launch → Amplify

• The two hidden deal-killers that often show up right before the finish line:

  • Low self-worth ("What do I even have to offer?")

  • Lack of trust (ghosting, last-minute fear, sabotage)

• How to define a "successful partnership" based on your stage (audience, distribution, clients, investors, etc.)

• The founder investor strategy most people get wrong:

  • Stop treating investor meetings like interviews—you're interviewing them

  • Ask the questions that reveal if they can actually cut a check

  • The value of being (not just looking) buttoned up when talking to investors

• The growth principle trends Kyle sees successful entrepreneurs have:

  • Distribution before product

  • Leverage over effort

  • "Build environments where luck becomes inevitable"

  • Being focused is the #1 force of nature for any entrepreneur

• Kyle's take on AI: essential, but dangerous if it replaces your thinking

Visit OnSpark Today– AI-powered partnership engine

Connect with Kyle on LinkedIn

Dan Martell + Book Buy Back Your Time

About your Host:

About Your Host

Jayla Siciliano is an entrepreneur with 25+ years in consumer brands, product, and marketing. After raising her first angel round against all odds and later appearing on Shark Tank, where she closed a deal with Mark Cuban, she now helps founders become fundable, confident, and ready to attract the right investors. Entrepreneurship changed her life, and she's on a mission to help first-time founders raise their first round of angel funding and change theirs too.

Disclaimer

The information in this podcast is educational and general in nature and does not take into consideration the listener's personal circumstances. Therefore, it is not intended to be a substitute for specific, individualized financial, legal, or tax advice.