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The product development process needs far more than just an exciting idea and money. Your idea is just the beginning. You also need a team to get it out of the dream phase, and a plan to keep it on track. Not to mention, a marketing strategy that clearly defines the problem to your audience—and why your product is the solution.

Today on the Igniting Startups podcast, you’ll learn how to take a product from concept to market. Joining us are two veterans in the field of new product development. First up, we have Mike Reynolds, founder and CEO of digital product agency Innovatemap. In just five years, Innovatemap has helped more than 125 startups, scale-ups, and tech-enabled large businesses launch, manage, and market beautiful digital products. In fact, six clients have already reached an exit.

Joining Mike is Christian Beck, executive partner at Innovatemap. There, he has built a successful career working with tech companies and startups to build out design teams. Beck also helps startups strategize the right approach to get them through the product development life cycle.

Between these two, you’ll get a master class in understanding the product development process. We will cover how to find out if your idea has any legs, what a product agency can do to help that idea develop, and the different roles design, management, and marketing play in developing a product.

In this episode on the product development process, you will learn:

-- What a results-driven product development process is … and isn’t.

-- How to go through product design and development with success.

-- The advantages of using a digital product development agency.

-- How to decide if going through a new product development process is worth it.

-- The importance of feedback throughout the product development cycle.

-- Why the idea needs to be drawn out to some degree before beginning.

If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast. Check it out at powderkeg.com/itunes.

Corporate innovation marks an enormous opportunity for tech companies today. Large organizations are embracing innovation and disruption to stay competitive in their industries, sometimes partnering with startups that can provide efficient solutions. But these partnerships can be tricky to manage, as startups and corporations tend to work at different speeds and often have goals that aren’t clearly aligned.

Fortunately, our guest on this episode is one of those rare tech professionals who understands innovation from the perspective of both startups and enterprises. Chris Gray is a director of the Electrification Digital Accelerator at Cummins, a global corporation based in Columbus, Indiana. There, he works to innovate the technology and processes of a 58,000-person company. He’s also led innovation on the startup side, founding and running an EdTech startup for seven years before joining Cummins.

Thanks to his dual perspective, Chris knows what it takes for large companies and startups to work harmoniously toward corporate innovation. He helps us break down the nitty-gritty of corporate innovation in this episode, explaining how corporations and startups can find each other, and how they can work together in a mutually beneficial way. He also shares insights on the problems each side can encounter in an innovation partnership—and how to recover from them.

In this episode on corporate innovation with Chris Gray of Cummins, you’ll learn:

-- The importance of creating a vision for both startups and large corporations.

-- Why startups should “plant seeds” with a variety of potential corporate partners.

-- Tips to avoid wasting time on a partnership that goes nowhere.

-- The best way to approach a pilot from both a startup and corporate perspective.

-- How the most successful corporations foster cultures of innovation and disruption.

-- Why commitments to diversity and inclusion are especially important for large organizations.

If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast. Check it out at powderkeg.com/itunes.

Thought leadership marketing goes far beyond solidifying your industry expertise and authority. What’s more important (and more difficult) is establishing trust and influence. This is what creates an entry point for your customers. It’s often not a quick process, but when done right, it builds a steadily filling funnel of warm leads.

On today’s episode of the Igniting Startups podcast, we’ll look at how to establish yourself—or another influencer at your company—as a thought leader in your industry. We have two experts on the subject to help you out. First is Chris Lucas, vice president of national PR agency BLASTmedia, who has a built his career on helping SaaS companies find their voice.

Also joining us is Nick Tippmann, vice president of marketing at Midwest startup Greenlight Guru. Through smart use of thought leadership marketing, Nick positioned one of his company’s founders as a leading influencer in the medical device industry—and subsequently spurred impressive growth.

Together, these two experts provide great complementary perspectives on thought leadership marketing. We’ll cover how your company can find it’s marketing foundation, and then build thought leadership by identifying niches, filling them with the right messaging, and delivering those messages over the right channels.

In this episode on thought leadership marketing with Nick Tippmann and Chris Lucas, you’ll learn:

-- The role of a thought leader in your marketing strategy.

-- How to find a need in the market you can build a foundation around.

-- How to figure out your message, and the best communication channels to use.

-- What it takes to achieve thought leadership that drives conversions.

-- How to set your business apart from the competition in an audience-friendly way.

-- Where to find information that tells you how best to communicate with your audience.

If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast. Check it out at powderkeg.com/itunes.

A well-defined company culture serves several purposes. First, it lays out the values that drive the company’s success. Second, it helps employees understand how to create that success. Third, it tells the world what makes the company unique. That last point is the focus of this episode of the Igniting Startup podcast. We explore how to promote company culture as a unique part of your overall marketing strategy.

We’ve brought on two experts to help us dive into the subject today. Max Yoder, CEO, and Kyle Lacy, vice president of marketing, are two of the bright minds behind Lessonly, an Indianapolis startup that creates web-based learning software for organizations of all sizes. By hard-wiring company values like “do better work” and “share before you’re ready” into their product and marketing, Lessonly sells its customers a philosophy as well as a training solution. Max and Kyle have successfully transformed Lessonly’s culture into a movement that has culminated in Max’s new book, Do Better Work, releasing next month.

Max, Kyle, and I talk in-depth on how to promote company culture and the marketing strategies that have gotten Lessonly to where it is today. We discuss how to build an extraordinary culture in the first place, and how to intentionally and intelligently market that culture to customers. You’ll also get a taste of what to expect in Max’s upcoming book and a preview of the talk that Kyle will deliver as one of the presenters at our MarTech Madness Pitch Night on February 28.

In this episode on how to promote company culture with Lessonly executives Max Yoder and Kyle Lacy, you’ll learn:

--- The importance of building your marketing around your company’s why.

--- How marketing your culture can differentiate your company from competitors.

--- Why your product should provide more than just ROI for customers.

--- When writing a book might be a good marketing strategy for your company.

--- How to build a culture that encourages trust, honesty and creativity.

--- The story behind Lessonly’s Ollie Llama mascot and Golden Llama award.

If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast. Check it out at powderkeg.com/itunes.

Branding. It’s one of the most important elements of any company, but it’s also something startup owners might not know how to go about creating. Fortunately, our guest on this episode of the Igniting Startups podcast is a leading expert on all things related to brand (including employer branding). She breaks branding down to its simplest components for time-strapped founders.

Tiffany Sauder is the founder and president of Element Three, a full-service marketing agency in Indianapolis. In just 13 years, Tiffany has grown the company into the largest marketing agency in all of Indiana and an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing company for five years running. And beginning today, Element Three has partnered with Powderkeg to help tech companies between the coasts build their brands and attract the customers and talent they need to grow.

Tiffany joins us for something of a beginner’s guide to startup branding, focusing in part on a less-talked-about subject of employer branding. Over the course of our conversation, we talk about how to start building both external-facing and internal-facing branding for your company, how to scale that branding and instill your values into every level of management, and why you might want to find a mascot for your company. We also preview our upcoming MarTech Madness Pitch Night on February 28, which Tiffany will emcee as the evening’s host. (Get your ticket here!)

In this episode on employer branding with Element Three President Tiffany Sauder, you’ll learn:

--- How to start building a unique brand for your startup.

--- The minimal brand identity that every company should have.

--- Why employer branding is a necessity for any fast-growing organization.

--- Proven strategies for creating and scaling an effective employer brand.

--- How a strong support system can push you to realize your full potential.

--- What’s next for Tiffany and Element Three as the company grows.

If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast. Check it out at powderkeg.com/itunes.

Imagine you’ve founded a business and led it to profitability. Your growth plan is working, your company culture is strong, and there’s a clear path to sustained prosperity. But you discover another business owner whose vision complements yours. Then you meet, and slowly the idea of joining forces becomes a real possibility. Do you stay the course, or explore a deal?

That scenario mirrors the one Tom Gabbert, founder and managing director of mAccounting, and Jessica Mah, founder and CEO of inDinero, found themselves in. Each had developed a healthy respect for what the other was building, yet it took time navigate if it made sense to bring their companies. For starters, one was a software company, the other a services company. One was headquartered in the Midwest, the other on the West Coast.

But for Jessica and Tom, the potential synergies (not to mention culture fit) made it worth navigating such obstacles. On today’s episode, they discuss how their visions intersected, and what excited each of them about their companies joining forces.

In this episode with Jessica Mah and Tom Gabbert, you’ll learn:

--- How Jessica Mah first pitched inDinero to investors, and how her vision evolved after.

--- How technology and outsourcing have rapidly changed the accounting industry.

--- What impressed Tom Gabbert so much about Jessica Mah and inDinero.

--- Why inDinero, a software company, felt it made sense to acquire a services company.

--- Why you should focus on your vision, not what you think investors will like.

--- The synergies of mAccounting and inDinero, and how culture fit impacts a merger.

--- How outsourced financial services help companies stay exit- and transaction-ready.

If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast. Check it out at powderkeg.com/itunes.

It wasn’t long ago that world-changing technology could only be built in a few places, by a few people, at prohibitively high costs. But that time has passed. High-speed internet and cloud computing have opened opportunities for people everywhere to build disruptive technologies at reasonable cost. The inspiring story of global tech entrepreneur Kamran Elahian shows not only how world-changing technology can be built by anyone from anywhere, but how also going from failure to success can be a joyous experience at every step.

Elahian is a serial entrepreneur, philanthropist, venture capitalist, and self-described “innovation catalyst” who’s co-founded and scaled 10 companies leading to 6 exits, 3 unicorns, and $8 billion in market value. Building on his long career in Silicon Valley, Elahian now serves as chair of Global Innovation Catalyst, where he’s helped 38 governments around the world create innovation ecosystems so their countries can grow and thrive in the 21st century and beyond.

As part of our Innovation Series collaboration with Kenzie Academy, Kamran Elahian flew out from San Francisco to join us for a candid chat about his entrepreneurial career. He also shares how he went from failure to success when he easily could have slid into a victim’s mindset.

In this episode, Kamran details his journey from growing up in Iran to becoming a prolific Silicon Valley entrepreneur. He also defines his concept of “iTechpreneurship,” and explains what it means to be an innovation catalyst and “entrepreneur without borders.”

In this episode with serial entrepreneur and innovation catalyst Kamran Elahian, you’ll learn:

--- Why creating chaos and disruption is the best way to avoid chaos and disruption.

--- How high-speed internet has changed the face of global tech innovation.

--- How failure can teach you about your personal strengths and weaknesses.

--- The importance of not “playing the victim” in life and business.

What Kamran is doing today to advance tech entrepreneurship around the world.

If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast. Check it out at powderkeg.com/itunes.

With 2019 well underway, our third and final Pitch Night in-between-isode should be helpful for founders busy planning their startup’s goals and milestones for the year. The subject is social impact and the positive business results it can deliver, from sales to talent acquisition, when done correctly.

Corporate social responsibility has become a major concern in the world today. Customers want to patron companies that give back to their communities. In fact, a study from Deloitte found that 87 percent of consumers use social impact metrics when deciding which product to buy. Corporations, large businesses,and even startups can bolster their public images and win customers by sharing the wealth with nonprofits and other charitable organizations.

This is exactly what Selfless.ly and its CEO, Josh Driver, want to help companies do. Selfless.ly’s online platform removes the logistical roadblocks that often hinder an organization’s social impact efforts, such as managing volunteer time off and matching employee donations. Made for companies of all sizes, all industries, and at all stages, Selfless.ly helps businesses master social impact and do good more easily and efficiently.

Josh presented this pitch last October at our “Diversity, Inclusion, and the Future of Tech Pitch Night,” which was hosted by fellow entrepreneur Kelli Jones and featured a special panel of diversity experts in addition to our startup advisors. Josh’s pitch demonstrates why companies should be proactive about corporate social responsibility and explains how robust social impact initiatives can ultimately boost their revenue.

In this episode with Josh Driver of Selfless.ly, you’ll learn:

--- Why corporate social responsibility is good for a company’s bottom line.

--- What Selfless.ly is doing to help organizations grow their social impact.

--- How nonprofits and charities can benefit from Selfless.ly’s referral program.

If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast. Check it out at powderkeg.com/itunes.

We’re back with another special Pitch Night episode! This time, we’re exploring what successful tech disruption looks like in an industry not typically known for innovation or adoption of new technology: food and beverage, or F&B. Specifically, can technology show us how to pour a beer better?

There’s far more at stake than maximizing the taste of your favorite brew. The average draft beer system delivers a surprisingly inefficient pour. About 30 percent of every keg is wasted on average, adding up to nearly $2 billion in wasted beer each year. Josh Springer, founder and CEO of Bottoms Up Beer, invented brand new technology to fix this problem.

As the name implies, Bottoms Up’s innovative draft beer dispenser fill glasses from the bottom, through a special magnetically-sealed hole in the base. The result? Beers can be “poured” faster and hands-free, waste is cut to about two percent, and businesses increase their venue by 30 percent.

Josh presented this unique (and funny) pitch on how to pour a beer that maximizes profit at a recent Powderkeg event cohosted with Cintrifuse. We’ve once again included the follow-up Q&A with the evening’s advisors in this episode of the podcast. On top of providing a few laughs, it should illustrate the huge potential for tech disruption in the food and beverage space and other traditionally non-tech industries.

In this episode with Josh Springer of Bottoms Up Beer, you’ll learn:

--- What’s wrong with the way every restaurant and bar serves beer.

--- How Bottoms Up increases its customers’ revenues by 30 percent or higher.

--- The unique opportunity for advertisers built into every Bottoms Up glass.

If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast. Check it out at powderkeg.com/itunes.

With the year coming to a close and the holiday season in full swing, we at Powderkeg wanted to give you something special in this episode of the Igniting Startups podcast. For any listeners who’ve never had the pleasure of attending one of our pitch nights, we thought it would be fun to give you a sense of what it’s like to be there in person. And we picked a very timely pitch to share: how disrupting computer science education can help fill the tech talent shortage, especially the demand for software engineers.

You’re probably familiar with the massive tech talent shortage that’s currently making it tough for companies to hire and retain skilled tech workers. Our recent EdTech + Talent Pitch Night touched on this issue, featuring one founder whose company helps universities scale their computer science education. Or put more bluntly, he helps schools graduate more software engineers in less time—all while improving their grades.

That founder is Prahasith Veluvolu (“Prah” to his friends), CEO of Mimir. His edtech startup doesn’t stop at helping colleges such as UCLA and Michigan State improve their computer science education programs, either. It also connects their graduates with high-growth companies looking for software engineers and developers.

In addition to Prah’s pitch, you’ll hear insightful questions and feedback from four tech professionals who served as our panel of advisors. Not only will you get to experience the energy and excitement that characterizes every Powderkeg Pitch Night, but you’ll also come away with a better understanding of how startups like Mimir can help you hire your own skilled tech talent.

In this episode with Prahasith Veluvolu of Mimir, you’ll learn:

--- What Mimir is doing to facilitate better tech education.

--- How Mimir helps companies find the skilled tech talent they need.

--- Insights from our panel of experienced tech professionals.

If you like this episode, please subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. You can also follow us on Soundcloud or Stitcher. We have an incredible lineup of interviews we’ll be releasing every Tuesday here on the Powderkeg Podcast. Check it out at powderkeg.com/itunes.