Founder Files

WATCH FULL EPISODE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGTELJq07eM

The info product industry is changing fast — and AI is rewriting the rules of how people learn, execute, and get results.

In this episode, Ed breaks down the evolution of the info product industry — and why AI is forcing a complete rethink of how education actually works:

🔥 Why traditional courses are being replaced by AI-driven systems, not more content

🔥 How AI can replace human support with real-time, step-by-step guidance

🔥 What a true AI education platform looks like — beyond videos and PDFs

🔥 How gamification, timers, and flow states increase completion and results

🔥 Why the future isn’t “watch and learn” — it’s “do and execute”

If you’re building courses, selling knowledge, or thinking about launching an info product in 2026, this clip will change how you think about education, leverage, and AI-powered learning.

Why the Old Info Product Model Is Dying — And What’s Replacing It

WATCH FULL EPISODE: https://youtu.be/AGTELJq07eM

The info product industry is changing fast — and AI is rewriting the rules of how people learn, execute, and get results.

In this episode, Ed breaks down the evolution of the info product industry — and why AI is forcing a complete rethink of how education actually works:

🔥 Why traditional courses are being replaced by AI-driven systems, not more content

🔥 How AI can replace human support with real-time, step-by-step guidance

🔥 What a true AI education platform looks like — beyond videos and PDFs

🔥 How gamification, timers, and flow states increase completion and results

🔥 Why the future isn’t “watch and learn” — it’s “do and execute”

If you’re building courses, selling knowledge, or thinking about launching an info product in 2026, this clip will change how you think about education, leverage, and AI-powered learning.

He built a seven-figure agency with one employee.

Today’s guest is Sam Dunning, founder of Breaking B2B — a lean, high-margin SEO agency doing ~$120K MRR helping SaaS companies dominate Google and AI-driven search.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

🔥 How Sam helped Adam Robinson scale RB2B to $6.3 M ARR through smart, bottom-of-funnel SEO.

🔥 The step-by-step playbook for ranking inside ChatGPT and AI Overviews before anyone else.

🔥 How to run a lean, high-margin agency without burning out.

If you want your business to show up everywhere buyers search — from Google to GPT — and turn SEO into a predictable growth engine, this episode is for you.

Chapters:

00:00 - Evolution of SEO and AI Search

03:22 - From retail to SEO

05:26 - Why B2B SaaS became the focus

06:42 - Reaching $120K MRR with one staff

08:49 - Using contractors vs full-time hires

11:48 - Standing out in a boring industry

14:23 - What actually drives leads (LinkedIn, YouTube, SEO)

15:43 - Working for Adam Robinson

18:14 - Is one marketing channel enough?

19:55 - Bottom-of-funnel SEO explained

21:31 - How RB2B scaled to $6.3M ARR with SEO

22:08 - The money keyword matrix

23:58 - Ranking for competitor & alternative keywords

26:00 - Going up the SEO funnel

28:08 - Shifting to AI search: what's changing

34:12 - Future of AI search and SEO

35:23 - Google vs. ChatGPT

38:50 - How brands win in Google and AI visibility

42:23 - How to track AI search visibility

47:12 - Controlling the narrative with listicles

48:52 - Beating bigger competitors with SEO

51:32 - AI content vs human-written content

54:13 - What actually matters in on-page SEO

58:08 - Backlink strategies that still work

01:02:20 - Podcast guesting for SEO & brand growth

01:03:45 - Final thoughts on SEO, AI, and growth

He built a YouTube channel to $500k in monthly revenue, without chasing millions of views.And then shut it down and walked away.

Today’s guest is Ed Lawrence, founder of one of the most respected YouTube education platforms for founders and creators.

In this episode, Ed breaks down:

🔥 Why most creators obsess over views — and why Ed believes that’s the fastest way to burn out.

🔥 How he rebuilt his channel to attract the right audience, rather than just chasing numbers

🔥 How Ed is replacing traditional courses with AI-powered education software that actually drives action.

🔥 And why building a better product — not a better funnel — is the real growth lever in 2026.

If you want to use YouTube to build a real business — without becoming a slave to the algorithm — this episode will change how you think about content, growth, and leverage.

Chapters:

00:00 – Intro to building a $5M/year YouTube channel

01:55 – Ed Lawrence and Barron Cruz's background

06:28 – How Ed's business evolved over time

11:48 – Fewer views, more money: the real YouTube math

15:08 – $500k months explained: 10x less views, 4.5x more money

18:03 – Accidentally discovering email monetization

22:11 – The dark side of high-ticket coaching

23:41 – Why Ed shut down a business most wouldn’t

27:02 – Why AI is a multiplier, not a shortcut

31:24 – The future of education (AI + systems, not courses)

38:22 – Product over funnels (the real growth lever)

44:08 – Why Ed would never build a mass-market channel again

49:12 – Burnout, obsession, and creator mental health

01:00:05 – Why Ed avoids managing people

01:20:16 – When success stops being motivating

01:35:58 – Why walking away was the right decision

01:49:40 – Final thoughts on money, freedom, and fulfillment

Most eCom founders dream of getting into retail.

Very few understand how the game actually works.

Today’s guest is Connor McPherson, founder of Icon Outreach — the team that has opened 30,000+ retail doors for 42+ brands, securing launches with Walmart, Target, Costco, Kroger, Tesco, Woolworths, Coles, and more.

Connor helps modern DTC brands turn retail from a risky guessing game into a repeatable growth channel. In this episode, he breaks down what retailers actually look for, why most brands fail on shelf, and how to build a retail strategy that works long term.

What You’ll Learn:

🔥 How to know if your brand is actually ready for retail (and which retailers to target)

🔥 The real economics of retail — margins, trade spend, payment terms, and cash flow risk

🔥 Why most DTC brands fail on shelf — and how to avoid costly launch mistakes

🔥 How buyers think, what they care about, and how to pitch them properly

🔥 What it really takes to get on shelf and stay there

🔥 How to use retail to build brand, distribution, and long-term enterprise value

If you want to turn your DTC brand into a real retail powerhouse — not just land a flashy launch — this episode is for you.

Chapters:

00:00 – Why most eCom brands fail at retail

01:55 – Is your brand actually right for retail?

03:08 – Choosing the right retailers (Walmart vs niche)

03:58 – Pricing, pack formats & unit economics

04:54 – Cash flow realities & funding large POs

05:44 – Which product categories win in retail

07:16 – Why retail packaging makes or breaks brands

08:58 – Retail margins & payment terms explained

12:54 – How retailers judge performance (resets & cutoffs)

14:49 – One retailer vs mass rollout strategy

15:27 – How brands actually get into major retailers

17:40 – Realistic timelines from outreach to shelf

18:59 – What retail buyers care about most today

22:38 – What happens in buyer meetings & pitch calls

24:52 – Negotiating terms with big retailers

27:52 – What happens after you get the “yes”

30:51 – How brands expand doors & shelf space

33:55 – Driving traffic to retail stores

38:14 – How retail increases brand value & exit potential

He’s building a $50M-a-year newsletter empire. And doing it all with a team of just 20.

Today’s guest is Matt Paulson, founder of MarketBeat — a financial publishing powerhouse reaching tens of millions of investors every month across email, SMS, YouTube, and one of the largest finance websites in the U.S.

In this episode, we cover:

🔥 How Matt built MarketBeat from scratch without funding or a safety net

🔥 The traffic and acquisition strategy that fuels tens of millions of monthly visitors

🔥 How a lean, 20-person team runs a $50M/year business

🔥 The ecosystem behind email, SMS, paid traffic, and browser notifications

🔥 Matt’s vision for growth over the next 30 years — and why slow, steady wins

If you want to learn how one operator built a media machine that prints eight figures with just 20 employees, this episode is for you.

Chapters:

00:00 – Intro: How Matt Paulson built a $50M/year email business

01:55 – Growing up without money and learning to hustle early

04:40 – Early online businesses and the path to MarketBeat

06:55 – The mistake of relying on Google for traffic

07:36 – Why email became the core asset

09:47 – Scaling beyond one list: email, SMS, and diversification

11:18 – Expanding into YouTube and cross-channel growth

15:13 – Tracking LTV, CAC, and paid growth decisions

17:53 – Spending $1M+/month on paid media

19:20 – How MarketBeat monetizes at scale

26:06 – Running a $50M company with just 20 people

29:51 – The biggest risks: channel dependence and deliverability

33:54 – Why chasing trends kills businesses

35:34 – Matt’s long-term vision and calm company mindset

36:47 – Work-life balance and designing the life you want

46:50 – Final thoughts & where to follow Matt

He built podcasts for Sam Parr, Pepsi, Morgan Stanley, and Adobe — and pulled in over 15 million downloads doing it.

Today’s guest is Harry Morton, founder of Lower Street and one of the most trusted minds in podcast strategy today. If you want to launch or scale a podcast in 2025, this episode breaks down exactly what works — and what most brands get wrong.

In this episode, we unpack:

🔥 The strategy Lower Street uses to build top tier podcasts for global brands like Booking.com, Adobe, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise

🔥 Why most founder interview shows fail and how to stand out

🔥 Why YouTube is becoming the new discovery engine for podcasts

If you want to build a podcast people actually subscribe to — this one’s for you.

Chapters:

00:00 – Intro: The marketing mind behind a $100M podcast empire

04:00 – Launching podcasts for global brands

07:10 – What makes a podcast valuable for businesses

09:40 – Working with Sam Parr, My First Million & Hampton

16:10 – Should your business even start a podcast?

19:05 – Why most brand podcasts fail

23:30 – The formula for a podcast that actually converts

30:20 – The rise of video podcasts (and who should do them)

35:38 – YouTube strategy vs Apple & Spotify discoverability

41:50 – Lower Street’s process for building top-tier shows

45:20 – What great podcasts actually cost

48:34 – What metrics really matter in podcasting

51:35 – How brands should drive action from listeners

54:20 – Real podcast growth levers that still work

58:32 – How B2B podcasts actually monetize

01:02:12 – How to book great guests consistently

01:06:12 – Final thoughts and where to find Harry

He’s closed millions in deals and coached some of the internet’s top closers.

Today’s guest is David Jacob — the sales coach behind multiple 7-figure teams and a former top biller for your favourite online guru.

David has mastered the psychology behind why people actually buy — and what most salespeople get wrong.

Forget scripts, fake tonality tricks, and manipulative tactics. This is pure, psychology-first selling.

In this episode, we dive into:

💡 The real reason logic-based closing fails (and what to do instead)

💡 How to become outcome-independent and sell without sounding desperate

💡 The psychology-first framework that beats scripts, gimmicks, and copy-paste sales advice every time

If you’ve ever wanted to sell without sounding like a salesperson — this episode will change how you think, talk, and close forever.

Chapters:

00:00 – Intro: Meet David Jacob, the sales coach

03:42 – What most people misunderstand about sales

06:15 – The problem with logic-based closing

09:05 – Sales is about emotional leadership, not manipulation

11:30 – Outcome independence: why desperation kills deals

14:15 – Why you shouldn’t follow scripts word-for-word

17:10 – Selling without sounding like a salesperson

21:30 – The power of psychology-first frameworks in sales

25:50 – How David trains closers to lead with presence

29:45 – Building trust without relying on gimmicks

32:18 – Why most roleplays don’t actually improve performance

35:00 – Tactical vs. strategic sales coaching

38:45 – Why following “closing influencers” can be dangerous

41:30 – The real reason closers burn out

48:40 – His approach to client acquisition and referrals

51:30 – How to create retention-first sales relationships

54:10 – Rewiring identity: what makes top closers elite

58:10 – Closing advice after 29 years in the game

Most entrepreneurs dream of making millions.

After building multiple online businesses and generating $60M, Tom did exactly that — and still felt lost. “Making it” didn’t feel like success at all.

In this episode, we dive deep into what happens after the money.

Tom opens up about the pressure of success, the burnout that nearly broke him, and the health scare that forced him to rebuild from the ground up — this time with clarity, balance, and purpose.

What You’ll Learn:

✅ How Tom made over $60M across multiple online businesses

✅ The mindset shifts that come after financial freedom

✅ How he’s rebuilding a life built on longevity, creativity, and meaning

✅ The real definition of success once you’ve already “made it”

Chapters:

00:00 – Intro — Tom Wang’s $60M journey and turning point

04:05 – Failing with Amazon and the one product that turned it around

06:40 – Building SDARA Skincare and hitting $1M/month

08:50 – Why Tom left the business and sold his shares

11:20 – Feeling lost after success — “I had no purpose anymore”

13:55 – Burnout, depression, and reflecting on his identity

16:20 – The mistake of tying your worth to revenue

18:10 – Why chasing 8 figures doesn’t solve deeper problems

21:45 – Refocusing on health, relationships, and long-term impact

24:10 – How he defines freedom today vs. when he started

30:15 – Advice for founders chasing money instead of meaning

35:25 – What Tom would tell his younger self about building a business

41:30 – Spiritual growth, letting go, and finding internal peace

46:10 – Tom’s current vision and how it’s evolved over time

48:20 – Final thoughts on redefining success and fulfillment

51:30 – Outro — Where to follow Tom and what’s next