If you’ve ever thought, “I have skills but no idea how to get my first paying customer without a product, funding, or a big audience,” this episode is for you.

Professor Gary Palin, angel investor and entrepreneurship educator, delivers the battle-tested “First Customer Cheat Sheet” — a 10-step roadmap refined over 40+ years to go from zero to paid clients fast, often in weeks and sometimes before your product is even finished.

Hundreds of founders have used these exact steps to land $5,000–$20,000 in sales while others are still building. This is the ignition key to real revenue: no fluff, just actionable entrepreneurship tips.

Key steps include:

This concentrated cheat sheet has started many real businesses using this framework to secure their first paying customer.

For the full First Customer Playbook — complete with scripts, templates, cold DMs, call frameworks, landing page copy, and 7-day launch checklist used with $10K+ clients.

Become a Pro Subscriber at profspirit.substack.com.

Get entrepreneurship tips, startup stories, and practical startup advice delivered straight to your inbox.

Let’s get entrepreneurial — the smart way.

🔥 BONUS: Unlock your Janus Entrepreneurial Score and see your personal entrepreneurship tendencies scores by taking the Janus Entrepreneurial Assessment

This entrepreneur podcast delivers startup advice, business growth strategies, and practical lessons for entrepreneurs ready to enhance their revenue model and scale a startup sustainably.

New episodes drop every other Tuesday.

Title: How to Get Your First Paying Customer (No Product Needed)

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Today I’m sharing the nine founder stories that completely rewired how I think about building companies. These aren’t the polished versions — these are the nights they almost shut down, the decisions that saved them, and the one mindset shift that changed everything…”These stories hit me so hard I dropped this episode early.

These 9 real startup stories will hit you in the chest:

Raw founder startup stories for every entrepreneur who’s ever stared at the ceiling at 3 a.m.

If one of these hits you, leave a review and tell us which night felt the most real — so the next founder finds this before it’s too late.

Let’s get entrepreneurial — the smart way.

🔥 BONUS: Unlock your Janus Entrepreneurial Score and see your personal entrepreneurship tendencies scores by taking the Janus Entrepreneurial Assessment

This entrepreneur podcast delivers startup advice, business growth strategies, and practical lessons for entrepreneurs ready to enhance their revenue model and scale a startup sustainably.

New episodes drop every other Tuesday.

Title: 9 Founders: The Nights They Almost Shut Down (Startup Stories)

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Raising money feels amazing — until the wrong investor turns your dream into a nightmare. In this hard-hitting episode. Professor Gary Palin, angel investor & entrepreneurship educator, and Ryan Budden serial entrepreneur & startup consultant, pull back the curtain on the investor red flags that can literally kill your startup.

If you’re fundraising or ever plan to, you can’t afford to miss these warning signs:

This isn’t theory. These are real-world investor red flags that have wrecked companies — and the practical checklist every founder needs before signing a term sheet.

Whether you’re talking to angels, VCs, or family investors, learn how to spot toxic money fast and protect your equity, vision, and sanity.

Perfect for first-time founders and seasoned entrepreneurs who never want to be controlled by the wrong check.

Let’s get entrepreneurial — the smart way.

🔥 BONUS: Unlock your Janus Entrepreneurial Score and see your personal entrepreneurship tendencies scores by taking the Janus Entrepreneurial Assessment

This entrepreneur podcast delivers startup advice, business growth strategies, and practical lessons for entrepreneurs ready to enhance their revenue model and scale a startup sustainably.

New episodes drop every other Tuesday.

Title: Investor Red Flags That Can Kill Your Startup (Run from These)

Other episodes with startup growth and founder insights:

You can book a Virtual Coaching session to assist your entrepreneurial journey.

Join our Let’s Get Entrepreneurial community and let’s embark on this adventure together!

Professor Gary Palin, angel investor & entrepreneurship educator, and Ryan Budden serial entrepreneur & startup consultant, reveal the exact upselling strategies and cross-selling playbooks that can turn your company into a high growth venture.

You’ll discover:

Plus the #1 mistake that kills trust and churns customers forever.

If you’re doing $100K–$5M ARR, this episode is your cheat code to higher profits with zero extra Customer Acquisition Costs.

🔥 BONUS: Unlock your Janus Entrepreneurial Score and see your personal entrepreneurship tendencies scores by taking the Janus Entrepreneurial Assessment

Sell smarter, not harder. Press play — your bank account will thank you.

This entrepreneur podcast delivers startup advice, business growth strategies, and practical lessons for entrepreneurs ready to enhance their revenue model and scale a startup sustainably.

New episodes drop every other Tuesday.

Title: Upselling Strategies and Cross-Selling Techniques to Skyrocket Startup Revenue

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You can book a Virtual Coaching session to assist your entrepreneurial journey.

Join our Let’s Get Entrepreneurial community and let’s embark on this adventure together!

Title: Finding the Right Startup Mentor to Accelerate Growth and Strengthen Your Entrepreneur Mindset

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Join our Let’s Get Entrepreneurial community and let’s embark on this adventure together!

Hosted by Professor Gary Palin, entrepreneurship educator, angel investor, and one of the Top 25 Global Entrepreneurship Education Thought Leaders and Ryan Budden, a serial entrepreneur and startup consultant. This episode blends startup experience with actionable advice for every entrepreneur mindset.

If you’re searching for a entrepreneur podcast that delivers startup mentorship, entrepreneurship tips, and proven strategies to help you launch a startup and lead it with confidence, subscribe to Let’s Get Entrepreneurial. New episodes drop every other Tuesday.

Title: What Startup Founders Should Know About Becoming an Effective CEO

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Join our Let’s Get Entrepreneurial community and let’s embark on this adventure together!

Is first mover advantage a golden ticket … or the fastest way to burn cash and die?
We expose the first mover advantage myth with hard data + the graveyard of pioneers (MySpace, Friendster, Palm Pilot, Webvan) who got crushed by better-executed followers like Facebook, Google, and Apple.

Most startups that scream “we’re first!” become cautionary tales. Discover why being the fast follower is usually 10× smarter, the only 4 real sustainable advantages that actually matter, and the 5-question test to know if YOU should ever try to be first.

If you’re a founder or investor tired of the “first mover” fairy tale, this episode will save you millions.

Key moments included:
• The cold open that debunks the myth in 60 seconds
• What “first mover advantage” actually means
• The 30-year study: First movers get crushed
• The first-mover graveyard: MySpace, Friendster, Palm Pilot
• The rare winners (Amazon, eBay, Netflix) – and why they’re exceptions
• Why fast followers win 90% of the time (Google, Facebook, iPhone examples)
• The only 4 advantages that actually last
• Should YOU try to be first?
• Final verdict + your homework assignment

Hosted by Professor Gary Palin, entrepreneurship educator, angel investor, and one of the Top 25 Global Entrepreneurship Education Thought Leaders and Ryan Budden, a serial entrepreneur and startup consultant. This episode blends startup experience with actionable advice for every entrepreneur mindset.

If you’re searching for a entrepreneur podcast that delivers startup mentorship, entrepreneurship tips, and proven strategies to help you launch a startup and lead it with confidence, subscribe to Let’s Get Entrepreneurial.

🔥 BONUS: Unlock your Janus Entrepreneurial Score and see your personal entrepreneurship tendencies scores by taking the Janus Entrepreneurial Assessment

We publish new episodes biweekly on Tuesdays.

Title: Is First Mover Advantage Really Worth It for Startup Founders?   

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You can book a Virtual Coaching session to assist your entrepreneurial journey.

Join our Let’s Get Entrepreneurial community and let’s embark on this adventure together!

7 deadly financial mistakes that quietly bankrupt startups and the entrepreneurship tips that actually work.

From confusing profit with cash flow to ignoring unit economics, mixing personal funds, tax surprises, and zero contingency, we expose the traps we’ve fallen into. Packed with actionable entrepreneurship tips, practical startup advice, and proven business strategy you can use this week: the frozen credit-card trick, weekly dashboards, “double the cost, triple the time” rule, and the entrepreneur mindset shift that builds real financial discipline.

If you want entrepreneurship tips for founders that prevent cash-flow death spirals, this is your survival guide.

You’ll discover:

• Death by a thousand financial cuts
• Mistake #1: Confusing profit vs cash flow (the #1 killer)
• Mistake #2: Wishful budgeting – “double the cost, triple the time”
• Mistake #3: Mixing personal & business money (piercing the corporate veil explained)
• Mistake #4: Credit-card bootstrapping & the frozen credit-card trick
• Mistake #5: Ignoring unit economics – the company that lost money on every sale
• Mistake #6: Forgetting taxes & who is paid first
• Mistake #7: Zero contingency buffer = disaster waiting
• Weekly financial habits that save companies
• Final takeaway: Financial discipline = awareness, not perfection

Whether you’re scaling a startup or managing an established business, this episode delivers actionable founder tips, leadership lessons, and innovative business ideas to strengthen your foundation and accelerate sustainable success.

Let’s Get Entrepreneurial — Hosted by Professor Gary Palin, angel investor & entrepreneurship educator, and Ryan Budden serial entrepreneur & startup consultant, reveal the exact upselling strategies and cross-selling playbooks that can turn your company into a high growth venture.

Press play — your bank account will thank you.

🔥 BONUS: Unlock your Janus Entrepreneurial Score and see your personal entrepreneurship tendencies scores by taking the Janus Entrepreneurial Assessment

New episodes drop every other Tuesday.

Title: Entrepreneurship Tips for Startups and Existing Ventures to Avoid Common Financial Mistakes

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You can book a Virtual Coaching session to assist your entrepreneurial journey.

Join our Let’s Get Entrepreneurial community and let’s embark on this adventure together!

Feeling overwhelmed by endless decisions? You’re not weak — you’re suffering from decision fatigue founders, the hidden killer of focus, productivity, and growth for founders. In this powerhouse episode of Let’s Get Entrepreneurial, Professor Gary Palin (angel investor & entrepreneurship educator) and Ryan Budden break down:

If you’ve ever ended the day exhausted but feel like you got nothing important done — this episode is your lifeline.

Implement just ONE of Professor Gary Palin’s homework assignments this week and watch your clarity, confidence, and startup growth explode.

Perfect for founders, solo entrepreneurs, startup CEOs, and anyone chasing the entrepreneur mindset without burning out.

Subscribe to Let’s Get Entrepreneurial — hosted by Professor Gary Palin, an entrepreneurship educator, angel investor, and one of the Top 25 Global Entrepreneurship Education Thought Leaders, and Ryan Budden, a serial entrepreneur and tech startup consultant.

🔥 BONUS: Unlock your Janus Entrepreneurial Score and see your personal entrepreneurship tendencies scores by taking the Janus Entrepreneurial Assessment

We publish new episodes biweekly on Tuesdays.

Title: Decision Fatigue Founders: How to Protect Your Energy & Grow Faster

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You can book a Virtual Coaching session to assist your entrepreneurial journey.

Join our Let’s Get Entrepreneurial community and let’s embark on this adventure together!

Go small to win big. In this episode of Let’s Get Entrepreneurial, we reveal how smart founders uncover niche business opportunities that drive sustainable business growth strategies. You’ll learn entrepreneurship tips and founder insights for identifying overlooked markets, developing innovative business ideas, and scaling with purpose.

Discover how cultivating the right entrepreneur mindset helps you spot untapped demand others miss. Gain startup advice and founder tips to refine your positioning, maintain your competitive edge, and scale a startup without losing focus on your unique niche advantage.

Packed with real startup stories, leadership lessons, and proven business growth strategies, this episode equips entrepreneurs with practical tools to build differentiation and lasting success in competitive markets.

Let’s Get Entrepreneurial — hosted by Professor Gary Palin, an entrepreneurship educator, angel investor, and one of the Top 25 Global Entrepreneurship Education Thought Leaders, and Ryan Budden, a serial entrepreneur and tech startup consultant.

As one of the top entrepreneur podcasts for startup founders, Let’s Get Entrepreneurial shares startup resources, startup advice, and entrepreneurship tips that help you grow your business from concept to competitive advantage. Subscribe now for insights that inspire founders to think smaller and achieve bigger.

We publish new episodes biweekly on Tuesdays.

Title: Founder Insights: How to Discover Overlooked Market Goldmines in Niche Opportunities

Other episodes with startup growth and founder insights:

Discover your entrepreneurial tendencies across 7 key scales by taking the Janus Entrepreneurial Assessment

You can book a Virtual Coaching session to assist your entrepreneurial journey.

Join our Let’s Get Entrepreneurial community and let’s embark on this adventure together!