Startup Stories - Mixergy

By Andrew WarnerSociety & Culture Business Education

Startup Stories - Mixergy episodes

June 20, 2018 #1613 The completely scrappy way to build a two-sided marketplace
Today’s guest caught a Mixergy interview, sent the transcript to a friend, and that’s what informed them how to start the business we’re going to talk about today. That’s the circle of Mixergy.
Mark Hughes is the cofounder of Tutorful, a marketplace where users can find and book tutors.
I want to find out how he he built a notoriously difficult two-sided marketplace.
Mark Hughes is the cofounder of Tutorful, a marketplace where users can find and book tutors.
Sponsored by
HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or an experienced web pro, HostGator has all the tools you need to create a great-looking website or online store. A wide range of options includes cloud-based web hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting and dedicated servers. Founded in 2002, HostGator is the perfect web partner for business owners and individuals seeking hands-on support. Visit www.hostgator.com/mixergy to see what HostGator can do for your website.
Fireside Conference – Fireside Conference is an all-inclusive, immersive, off-the-grid and off-the-record cottage-style weekend featuring the brightest minds in our business, startup, investor and media communities. Apply to be part of the exclusive Mixergy cabin. There are very limited spots available.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
52 min
June 18, 2018 #1612 Rand Fishkin’s Painfully Honest Field Guide to the Startup World
Today I’ve got Rand Fishkin, the co-founder of Moz. He’s also the author of a book that I’ve really been enjoying “Lost and Founder: A Painfully Honest Field Guide to the Startup World.”
Rand is known for giving people really actionable, useful, effective advice on marketing. He’s known for creating software that helps people market online. He’s also known for being the guy who’s talked about depression.
I’m going to ask him about all of it in this interview.
Rand Fishkin is the co-founder of Moz, which offers SEO software, tools, and resources for marketers.
Sponsored by
ActiveCampaign – Improve your marketing & sales processes by upgrading to an automated platform. Start sending follow-up that adapts to your customers’ behavior so you are sending the perfect message at the perfect time. You’ll have happier customers and higher conversions. See why over 150,000 marketers use ActiveCampaign to create intelligent marketing that gets better results.
If you’re with one of their confusing competitors and you want something new, you owe it to your business to check out ActiveCampaign.
Toptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
1 hr 10 min
June 15, 2018 #1611 Opening up about cofounder issues
Today we’re going to talk about something that I’ve never been able to get another founder to talk about. Cofounder issues. We’ve seen it break up so many companies.
We’re going to talk about it in this interview.
Ben Fox is the cofounder of Site5, a hosting company built for designers and developers.
Ben Fox is the cofounder of Site5, a hosting company built for designers and developers.
Sponsored by
Toptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now.
HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or an experienced web pro, HostGator has all the tools you need to create a great-looking website or online store. A wide range of options includes cloud-based web hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting and dedicated servers. Founded in 2002, HostGator is the perfect web partner for business owners and individuals seeking hands-on support. Visit www.hostgator.com/mixergy to see what HostGator can do for your website.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
1 hr 4 min
June 13, 2018 #1610 How to be ballsy to create opportunity (even if you have no experience)
I am not about to build a shoe company; I am not about to do anything like today’s guest has done but I’m still in awe of what he’s been able to do.
He’s created dress shoes that are as comfortable as sneakers and a business that he’s built from scratch.
Justin Schneider is the founder of Wolf and Shepherd, makers of dress shoes as comfortable as sneakers.
Justin Schneider is the founder of Wolf and Shepherd, makers of dress shoes as comfortable as sneakers.
Sponsored by
ActiveCampaign – Improve your marketing & sales processes by upgrading to an automated platform. Start sending follow-up that adapts to your customers’ behavior so you are sending the perfect message at the perfect time. You’ll have happier customers and higher conversions. See why over 150,000 marketers use ActiveCampaign to create intelligent marketing that gets better results.
If you’re with one of their confusing competitors and you want something new, you owe it to your business to check out ActiveCampaign.
Fireside Conference – Fireside Conference is an all-inclusive, immersive, off-the-grid and off-the-record cottage-style weekend featuring the brightest minds in our business, startup, investor and media communities. Apply to be part of the exclusive Mixergy cabin. There are very limited spots available.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
58 min
June 11, 2018 #1609 How Codementor is connecting developers with mentors
I remember when today’s guest posted on Hacker News that he has launched this new thing. It’s called Codementor, instant one-on-one mentoring.
If you’re a developer or someone learning to code, you want a pro to just look over your shoulder and give you feedback. And so, I thought, “This guy’s brilliant, whoever came up with this. No wonder it’s doing so well.”
But it turns out it wasn’t a big business at the time, it was just some dude, some guy who had a lot of entrepreneurial experience who said, “I’m not going to do it the same way anymore. I just want to start this thing easy and build it up.”
Weiting Liu is the founder of Codementor, a community which gives developers live mentorship.
Weiting Liu is the founder of Codementor, a community which gives developers live mentorship.
Sponsored by
Toptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now.
Fireside Conference – Fireside Conference is an all-inclusive, immersive, off-the-grid and off-the-record cottage-style weekend featuring the brightest minds in our business, startup, investor and media communities. Apply to be part of the exclusive Mixergy cabin. There are very limited spots available.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
1 hr 4 min
June 08, 2018 #1608 Using software to improve an antiquated business process
One thing that I haven’t really explored in these interviews is that it’s not just finding a pain but often finding new technology to address the pain. There’s a reason why the pain hadn’t been addressed in the past, and often it’s the technology wasn’t there to make it better.
Today’s guest is an example of that. He is a guy who saw the way that hiring was done and he said, “This is antiquated. It goes back to thousands of years” And he said, “There’s got to be a better way,” and he built it. He built software that enables a sure match to be made between a candidate and the company.
Today’s guest is Barend Raaff. His company is Harver. Harver offers matching technology that allows companies of all sizes to hire better.
Barend Raaff is the founder of Harver, which offers matching technology that allows companies of all sizes to hire better.
Sponsored by
Toptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now.
ActiveCampaign – Improve your marketing & sales processes by upgrading to an automated platform. Start sending follow-up that adapts to your customers’ behavior so you are sending the perfect message at the perfect time. You’ll have happier customers and higher conversions. See why over 150,000 marketers use ActiveCampaign to create intelligent marketing that gets better results.
If you’re with one of their confusing competitors and you want something new, you owe it to your business to check out ActiveCampaign.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
56 min
June 06, 2018 #1607 Two New Zealand founders bootstrap a software for boarding schools
Today’s guests started a business based on an understanding they had about boarding schools. They thought boarding schools had a problem that was big enough for them to solve with software.
They are here to talk about how they did it. Kurt Meyer and Paul Organ are the founders of Boardingware which helps schools run more safely.
Kurt Meyer and Paul Organ are the founders of Boardingware, software which helps schools run more safely.
Sponsored by
Toptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now.
ActiveCampaign – Improve your marketing & sales processes by upgrading to an automated platform. Start sending follow-up that adapts to your customers’ behavior so you are sending the perfect message at the perfect time. You’ll have happier customers and higher conversions. See why over 150,000 marketers use ActiveCampaign to create intelligent marketing that gets better results.
If you’re with one of their confusing competitors and you want something new, you owe it to your business to check out ActiveCampaign.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
53 min
June 04, 2018 #1606 How a property manager looking to save time launched Rentec Direct
Today’s guest is an entrepreneur who owned some property, managed that property by himself, and used Excel to do it all manually.
Then he said, “There’s got to be a better way. I can’t keep dealing with this is, especially if I start buying more properties.”
So he create a better way. He coded up software that enabled him to manage his own properties and now enables many other landlords and property managers to manage their properties. His name is Nathan Miller. He is the founder of Rentec Direct. It’s like QuickBooks for landlords or property managers. We’re going to get into how it does it and how he built up this company.
Nathan Miller is the founder of Rentec Direct. It’s like QuickBooks for landlords or property managers.
Sponsored by
Toptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now.
HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or an experienced web pro, HostGator has all the tools you need to create a great-looking website or online store. A wide range of options includes cloud-based web hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting and dedicated servers. Founded in 2002, HostGator is the perfect web partner for business owners and individuals seeking hands-on support. Visit www.hostgator.com/mixergy to see what HostGator can do for your website.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
53 min
June 01, 2018 #1605 How software is helping smaller e-commerce players grow their businesses
I’ve got to be honest with you that before this interview started, I thought, “I’m about to present my audience with yet another Amazon e-commerce business.”
And then I said, “It’s okay. It’s actually imperative that I interview more entrepreneurs in e-commerce because if more entrepreneurs are building business either by selling things online or selling software to the people who sell things online then we have to cover it right here on Mixergy.
And so to help us understand more about e-commerce and how software is helping smaller e-commerce players grow their businesses, I’ve got Casey Gauss here. Casey is the founder of Viral Launch which helps sellers grow their businesses within the Amazon marketplace.
Casey Gauss is the founder of Viral Launch which helps sellers grow their businesses within the Amazon marketplace.
Sponsored by
Toptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now.
ActiveCampaign – Improve your marketing & sales processes by upgrading to an automated platform. Start sending follow-up that adapts to your customers’ behavior so you are sending the perfect message at the perfect time. You’ll have happier customers and higher conversions. See why over 150,000 marketers use ActiveCampaign to create intelligent marketing that gets better results.
If you’re with one of their confusing competitors and you want something new, you owe it to your business to check out ActiveCampaign.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
1 hr 3 min
May 30, 2018 #1604 How a bot solved the pain of scheduling
Today’s guest started a company with the understanding that it’s hard for people to schedule meetings with each other. So he did what many people did before, which is he created an app.
And like many people before him, the app that he created didn’t do so well. Then he turned it into a bot, and boom, the thing took off! Until it didn’t. That’s when he sold it. This interview is about how he came up with this idea, how he figured out what would work, why it didn’t go huge, and how he sold it at the last minute and made it into a success.
Today’s interview is with Matty Mariansky. He is the founder of Meekan. Meekan is a scheduling application that makes it easy for people to book meetings with each other.
Matty Mariansky is the founder of Meekan, a scheduling application that makes it easy for people to book meetings with each other.
Sponsored by
Toptal – If you’re having trouble finding developers, Toptal is a network of elite pre-vetted software developers. You tell Toptal what you’re looking for, they search their network for the best people, they test the candidates, and then they present you with only the candidates who meet your individual needs. Once you pick someone you can start work with them the next day. They offer a no-risk trial period. Go to Toptal.com. Get the best of the best right now.
HostGator – Ready to take your website to the next level? Whether you’re a first-time blogger or an experienced web pro, HostGator has all the tools you need to create a great-looking website or online store. A wide range of options includes cloud-based web hosting, reseller hosting, VPS hosting and dedicated servers. Founded in 2002, HostGator is the perfect web partner for business owners and individuals seeking hands-on support. Visit www.hostgator.com/mixergy to see what HostGator can do for your website.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
57 min