Founders Korner by Koridor

Canadian startup world vs. American startup world? Which one is better? Welcome back to the Founders Korner Podcast, today we have a special guest from one of our workshops, Bob Seeman. Learn more about how Canadian government grants such as IRAP could be the downfall of your startup. As Bob is a tech startup mentor expert, he explains what he thinks are the keys to a successful tech company - things such as picking the right co-founder and being able to put yourself and company out there. Sepehr and Bob also discuss the importance of putting yourself in front of the right people - people who are going to be brutually honest with you. This episode gets into the truth about how to become a successful tech startup.

Connect with Bob here: 

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Introduction

2:00 From engineering to tech startups

3:00 The secret to a great startup from the beginning

4:01 How to choose a co-founder

8:50 You HAVE to find the right people that will listen to you

10:00 Canadian vs. American startup world

16:40 Angel vs. Government grants

21:20 The MOST important part of a tech startup

25:00 Timing in your startup is everything

27:40 You have to be a “YES Man”

30:10 Will Canada become a startup world?

34:55 Bob’s one piece of advice

36:00 Legal advice for startups from a lawyer

37:27 Conclusion

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🔗 Links 

Our Agency - https://www.koridor.io/ 

Join Our Newsletter - https://www.koridor.io/founders-korner 

Free SaaS Product Playbook - https://www.koridor.io/saas-product-playbook 

🗣 Follow Us

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/founderskor...

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@founderskorner

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/kori... 

Twitter - https://twitter.com/founderskorner  

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Hosted by Sepehr Shoarinejad 

With a seasoned history of entrepreneurship in various industries, Sepehr brings a wealth of startup experience to help founders build and launch a SaaS business. Through his array of ventures, he has a balanced and realistic understanding of the skills and knowledge required to thrive as a non-technical founder in a technical world. His primary passion to help drive like-minded entrepreneurs to success is the reason behind his Founders Korner podcast, and the workshops he runs across Canada and the US. So whether you're just getting started or you're looking for ways to accelerate your growth, be sure to subscribe to the Founders Korner.

Welcome back to the Founders Korner podcast! Today, our guest is Ted Lau, CEO of Ballistic Arts who shares his startup experience, highlighting the number of pivots his company went through and how he survived. Ted touches on the tough decisions he had to make as a founder and even talks about how you should choose your business partner as someone who has gone through a breakup. Ted has now had his business for over 20 years and still growing and strong, who better to have advice from? Ted answers questions like "How do you know when it's time to pivot?" and, "How do I make a pivot?".

Welcome back! In today's podcast we have Justyna McCaig, the founder of CultureLab Communications and tech marketing expert. After watching this episode, B2B founders will understand to fully connect and market to their customers. Justyna talks about different avenues for sales and marketing such as the product-led approach. Justyna emphasizes the importance of using your resources wisely as a startup and how to understand what specific product will sell. Sepehr and Justyna discuss how founders can use AI carefully to actually benefit your company.

Welcome to the Founders Korner Podcast. In this episode, Cindy Sim gives us the run down of her journey as a female Canadian software entrepreneur. Cindy is the founder of Team CarePal, an application to support caregivers. She discusses everything from finding funding as a Canadian and the struggles to find capital as a woman in the startup space. Cindy shares how she overcame other barriers when it came to building her minimum viable product and not having that technical expertise herself. Nonetheless, Cindy stands here today with here with all her knowledge about the journey she took - from idea, funding, and go-to-market strategy, Cindy shares it all.

Welcome back to the Founders Korner Podcast. Today, we bring you an episode featuring Sangeeta Mulchandani, the renowned author of "Start Right: Bringing Your Ideas to Life." Sangeeta shares her expert insights on the elements that can be the making or breaking of a startup, and how to understand your customers' problems to be a success. Sangeeta touches on how to ensure success even before you start building your product which includes grit - commonly overlooked. Sangeeta and Sepehr discuss how you can plan in all ways to ensure your idea turns into a success, including how to build a product roadmap. Watch the full episode to gain insights from experts when it comes to dealing with entrepreneurs, it might transform your journey.

Connect with Sangeeta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sangeetamulchandani/?originalSubdomain=au

Check out Sangeeta’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Start-Right-winning-business-successful/dp/B09YYZFW4T

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Introduction

01:00 Sangeeta’s story

02:24 Corporate was not for her

02:40 Starting her first business

03:40 Fuck up nights

04:25 What does success mean to you?

05:00 What determines something as a failure?

05:26 Learn how to fail

06:40 Don’t be scared to start a startup

07:00 Top 2 reasons why startups fail

08:50 How much money do you put in your startup?

09:25 Start Right

10:08 Three pillars of success

10:20 Mindset

11:40 Grit

11:54 Clear objectives

13:15 You NEED a product advisory board

14:10 The fear of rejection

15:10 How to truly understand your customers’ problems

16:59 The easiest way to build a roadmap

19:58 Entrepreneurs sell themselves

21:30 How to tell if your startup will be a success

24:50 Passion is the biggest driver

25:41 4 keys to startup success

28:45 Don’t overspend on scaling

31:18 When should you be profitable?

32:50 Types of money for startups

36:14 You don’t need to be #1 in the market

38:30 Sangeeta’s main advice for founders

41:10 Ensure you’re a healthy founder

42:00 Conclusion

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🔗 Links 

Our Agency - https://www.koridor.io/ 

Join Our Newsletter - https://www.koridor.io/founders-korner 

Free SaaS Product Playbook - https://www.koridor.io/saas-product-playbook 

🗣 Follow Us

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/founderskor...

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@founderskorner

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/kori... 

Twitter - https://twitter.com/founderskorner  

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Hosted by Sepehr Shoarinejad 

With a seasoned history of entrepreneurship in various industries, Sepehr brings a wealth of startup experience to help founders build and launch a SaaS business. Through his array of ventures, he has a balanced and realistic understanding of the skills and knowledge required to thrive as a non-technical founder in a technical world. His primary passion to help drive like-minded entrepreneurs to success is the reason behind his Founders Korner podcast, and the workshops he runs across Canada and the US. So whether you're just getting started or you're looking for ways to accelerate your growth, be sure to subscribe to the Founders Korner.

A successful startup always starts with the early stage team. Welcome to back to the Founders Korner, the podcast where we dive into the world of entrepreneurship. In this episode, we are thrilled to have Karl Swanepoel, a seasoned, serial entrepreneur as our guest.

Dejan Gajsek shares the keys to creating an effective dynamic between sales and marketing to ultimately close more deals. Through his experience co-founding Grow + Scale, offering Tailored Competitive Enablement programs for B2B Tech and SaaS companies, Dejan knows the in's, out's and common pitfalls that startups will face. In this episode, we discuss the secret to better leads and how to avoid amateur sales tactics that just don't work. He easily breaks down inbound sales and marketing step by step to ensure your startup's success to effectively garner better leads. Dejan goes on to tell us the best content marketing strategies in this day and age.

We're so lucky that Dejan also shares his knowledge about battle cards for sales to have in their back pocket, and even shares with us a free battle card template

Connect with Dejan

https://www.growandscale.com/

TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Introduction

(01:25) Dejan’s intro

(02:55) Marketing and sales should work together

(04:20) Sales are not closing leads

(04:47) The secret to better leads

(06:24) Communication to close more deals

(07:34) Go to market strategy

(08:14) Battle card approach09:55 What not to do in sales

(10:24) Good sales tactic

(11:41) How to add long-term value

(13:59) How to pre-sell your product

(15:53) Maintain sales relationships

(16:19 Dejan’s approach to content marketing

(18:00) Should your startup use an agency?

(19:39) How to create effective marketing content

(21:53) Find out your brand’s story

(23:02) Marketing with new social platforms

(25:55) Basic content produces conversions

(27:47) Importance of customer success

(29:45) Atomic Habits and Grit

(30:54) Free battle card template from Dejan

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🔗Links

Koridor's Website

Founders Academy

Email Us

🗣 Follow Koridor

Instagram

TikTok

LinkedIn

Twitter

YouTube

📖 Resources

SaaS Product Playbook

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Hosted by Sepehr Shoarinejad

Sepehr is the Founder of Koridor and has a colourful and seasoned history of entrepreneurship in various industries. Through his array of ventures, he has a balanced and realistic understanding of the skills and knowledge required to thrive as a non-technical founder in a technical world. Fortunately for us, his primary passion has always been to help drive like-minded entrepreneurs to success. So whether you're just getting started or you're looking for ways to accelerate your growth, be sure to subscribe to the Founders Korner.

As a startup, how do you hire the right people? In this episode, we have a conversation with Nikki Adamson, CEO of Hustle Hunters, to uncover the ways to attract, support, and retain talent for your startup. Nikki draws upon her extensive experience in the Silicon Valley startup world, the birthplace of many of today's most successful startups, to highlight the importance of assembling the right team for your venture. She emphasizes that the people who make up your team is crucial to the success or failure of your startup, and explains how to avoid the mistakes of traditional recruitment strategies that could lead to downfalls for your team. Instead, we discuss the power and innovation that a team with shared values can bring to your startup. Whether you're an early-stage startup or established business looking to scale, learn more about what to look for when seeking out new talent to drive your success.

Connect with Nikki: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-adamson/

TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Introduction

(1:36) Nikki's intro

(5:50) How to start looking for talent

(7:40) Defining your startup's needs and values

(9:32) Your startup team is a sports team

(10:09) Defining and targeting qualities

(10:30) Unconscious bias

(11:58) How to find a high quality candidate

(15:52) How to attract talent

(17:45) What NOT to do when recruiting talent

(22:36) How to sell your startup and build trust with candidates

(25:57) Questions to ask to determine if a candidate is able to take ownership

(28:48) Hiring for the long-term

(30:10) Role titles and their unimportance

(31:37) The next best hire(33:50) Qualities that make someone successful

(38:53) When to slow down and speed up

(40:45) Conclusion

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🔗 Links

Koridor's Website

Founders Academy

Email Us

🗣 Follow Koridor

Instagram

TikTok

LinkedIn

Twitter

YouTube

📖 Resources

SaaS Product Playbook

----

Hosted by Sepehr Shoarinejad

Sepehr is the Founder of Koridor and has a colourful and seasoned history of entrepreneurship in various industries. Through his array of ventures, he has a balanced and realistic understanding of the skills and knowledge required to thrive as a non-technical founder in a technical world. Fortunately for us, his primary passion has always been to help drive like-minded entrepreneurs to success. So whether you're just getting started or you're looking for ways to accelerate your growth, be sure to subscribe to the Founders Korner.

Welcome to the latest episode of our podcast, where we discuss all things startups. 

In this episode, we feature Marco, an Associate at McCarthy Tetrault and a startup expert lawyer, who shares his insights and experiences about the legal aspects of starting a business.  In this conversation, Sep and Marco highlight the importance of having your legal documents in order when seeking funding. They emphasize the #1 pitfall of operating with ignorance, why you NEED to keep your companies minute book, and why doing it right the first time can lead to raising seed money quicker + avoid potential legal pitfalls down the line.  Moreover, Marco shares his #1 advice for startups: knowing when to incorporate and when to enter into a shareholder agreement with co-founders. 

He offers valuable advice for non-technical vs. technical founders and how to avoid problematic moments in the team when money gets involved.  For early-stage employees, Marco explains the difference between stock options and shares and how they can attract employees to join the startup. He also shares how to protect yourself as an employee in a startup and the difference between preferred and common shares. 

If you're a startup founder or entrepreneur and have legal questions, this episode is a must-listen. Marco can be reached at  [email protected] for any startup-related legal inquiries. 

Don't miss out on this valuable conversation!  

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Contents of this video: 

02:30 - #1 pitfall for new founders  

06:00 - What startups need to watch out for and when is a good time to incorporate or enter into a shareholder agreement with co founders  

10:30 - non technical vs technical founders  

13:20 - How do you avoid problematic moments in the team when money gets involved  18:00 How to attract early stage employees and what are stock options vs shares  

23:10 - How can you protect yourself as an employee in a startup  

29:10 - Difference between preferred and common shares  

Links

Koridor's Website

Founders Academy

Email Us

Resources

SaaS Product Playbook

Let's connect 

Instagram

TikTok

LinkedIn

FREE Monthly Workshop  

Welcome to our latest episode, where we dive into the exciting world of AI and startups. We feature Manuj, the founder of Tetranoodle Tech, a speaker, board advisor, startup mentor, and a lover of travel. He is also a 4x patent holder in AI/ML and a 2x author, with his expertise in AI and machine learning being recognized by him speaking at the UN for AI ethics.

In this conversation, Manuj discusses the impact and importance of AI in startups and how they can integrate it for their benefit. He explains AI in a nutshell and compares algorithms to AI, highlighting the key differences between the two. He also talks about AI and human bias, providing insights into how companies like Amazon use AI and the potential dangers of this technology.Moreover, Manuj shares his prediction for the future of AI and large language models. He breaks down ChatGPT, and how it is revolutionizing the way we interact with technology.

For startups, Manuj explains how they can use AI to benefit them, offering valuable advice and insights for entrepreneurs looking to incorporate AI into their business strategies.If you're interested in AI and want to learn more about how it can be leveraged for startup success, this episode is a must-listen.

Join us as we explore the limitless possibilities of AI and its potential to shape the future of business.

Connect with him through the link below;

https://www.linkedin.com/in/manujaggarwal/

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05:20 - Explain AI in a nutshell

09:25 - Compair Algorithm to AI

12:00 - AI and the human bias

13:32 - Amazon and AI

18:30 - Prediction for the future of AI and large language models

23:45 - Break down chatGPT

26:20 - How can startups use AI to benefit them

Our Host Sep is the Founder of Koridor and has a colourful and seasoned history of entrepreneurship in various industries. Through his array of ventures, he has a balanced and realistic understanding of the skills and knowledge required to thrive as a non-technical founder in a technical world. Fortunately for us, his primary passion has always been to help drive like-minded entrepreneurs to success. 

So whether you're just getting started or you're looking for ways to accelerate your growth, be sure to subscribe to the Founders Korner.  

Links

Koridor's Website

Founders Academy

Email Us

Resources

SaaS Product Playbook

Social

Instagram

TikTok

LinkedIn

FREE Monthly Workshop