Startup Confidential

Let’s get real on seed financing. Judging by the sheer volume of founders complaining about all the hidden costs in third-party distributed retail, it’s clear to me that way too many middle-class people tried to jump on the bandwagon designed from top to bottom for the rich. Poor financial planning remains the number one reason that consumer startups die fast.

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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During this funding lull, we should all step back and absorb the key mistakes that so many amateur founders made in the 2010s and the pandemic. In this episode, I start with the big one: You started looking way too late. Want the rest. Then, listen in! 

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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The most important thing founders can learn from private equity investors is quant-curiosity. It comes in at least two forms. The first is deep curiosity around the financial inner workings of your business. The second? Have a listen to find out…

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

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With two dueling regenerative ag certifications in motion, I feel like it's 1999 all over again. You know, the time when "organic" had multiple certifications and not much clarity for consumers - until the USDA launched a regulated symbol in 2002. In this episode, I explore the long-term potential for regenerative agriculture to essentially become the next "organic" to replace it over time. Hope you enjoy! 

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

Please send feedback on this or other episodes to: [email protected]

LinkedIn has accelerated the distribution of unsolicited and solicited advice on anything. For founders of consumer brands, though, knowing how to seek out and filter advice is critical, especially quasi-advice attached to sloppy critique of your business. In this episode, I teach founders the three basic filtering rules they need to absorb well-intentioned, thoughtful critique and advice (free or paid). I also explain why good, free advice is incredibly rare. Have a listen!

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

Please send feedback on this or other episodes to: [email protected]

Disclaimer: I am an advisor to Once Upon a Farm, which produces smoothies for tiny kids  but do not hold equity in the company

The battle for the freshly blended home smoothie is on. You would think this is something for bagged produce, but it's the latest packaged food competition. Daily Harvest appeared online in 2015 to challenge Dole fruit’s near monopoly on frozen smoothie kits and fruit for the home blender.  Where is all this going? And what can we learn from this new category?

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

Please send feedback on this or other episodes to: [email protected]

As wealth has concentrated in the 1%, there is a lot more private money looking for ways to diversify and generate income. Not in savings accounts or CDs. In your startup. Angel and family office money is more plentiful than ever, but institutional venture capital (backed by Wall Street) has basically pulled up and out of food and other highly unprofitable sectors of consumer packaged goods. Private Equity is largely backing Phase 4 brands far from the launch gates. Why is this? And what does it mean for founders today growing companies? I'll dive into all of it. 

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

Please send feedback on this or other episodes to: [email protected]

Part Two of my conversation with Samyr Lainé,  an expert in the intersection of A-list celebrities and CPG startups and how to make this work for everyone. He is especially keen on A-list celebrity founder-operators and equity-for-endorsement deals.

In this episode, Samyr and I talk about 1) the different ways that celebrities get involved and the pros and cons of each, 2) the increasing business savvy of celebrity founders, and 3) the difference between celebrity founders and celebrity CEOs...

Samyr Lainé is an investor, Olympian, brand builder and operator with a background in sports & entertainment. He is currently Managing Partner and GP of Freedom Trail Capital, former SVP of Operations & Strategy at Westbrook, and former Senior Director of Operations at Roc Nation. Prior to working on celebrity ventures for Will & Jada Pinkett Smith (at Westbrook) and JAY-Z (at Roc Nation), Samyr worked in the sports industry at Major League Soccer and Monumental Sports & Entertainment. He also finished 10th at the London 2012 Summer Olympics in the triple jump representing Haiti after getting degrees from Georgetown Law, The University of Texas & Harvard University.

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

Please send feedback on this or other episodes to: [email protected]

I rarely have investors on the show, but Samyr is doing things differently. He is an expert in the intersection of A-list celebrities and CPG startups and how to make this work for everyone. He is especially keen on A-list celebrity founder-operators and equity-for-endorsement deals. In this episode, learn about Samyr's background, his fund's thesis, approach to brand evaluation, and experiences with handling deals for Will Smith and Jay-Z.

Samyr Lainé is an investor, Olympian, brand builder and operator with a background in sports & entertainment. He is currently Managing Partner and GP of Freedom Trail Capital, former SVP of Operations & Strategy at Westbrook, and former Senior Director of Operations at Roc Nation. Prior to working on celebrity ventures for Will & Jada Pinkett Smith (at Westbrook) and JAY-Z (at Roc Nation), Samyr worked in the sports industry at Major League Soccer and Monumental Sports & Entertainment. He also finished 10th at the London 2012 Summer Olympics in the triple jump representing Haiti after getting degrees from Georgetown Law, The University of Texas & Harvard University.

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

Please send feedback on this or other episodes to: [email protected]

The majority of CPG founders exhibit this archetypal orientation. They got into this because they're innovators. They're category geeks. Some, even snobs. But the real weakness these folks have to accept and address somehow is that they are NOT business people at heart. And yet it is the professional businessperson (and his/her team) who scales innovations. Not product-obsessed amateurs. 

Your Host: Dr. James F. Richardson of Premium Growth Solutions, LLC www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com

Please send feedback on this or other episodes to: [email protected]