Startup Stories - Mixergy

By Andrew WarnerSociety & Culture Business Education

Startup Stories - Mixergy episodes

January 08, 2018 #1543 A food delivery lifestyle business pivots to solve a bigger problem for grocery stores
About six years ago I interviewed the entrepreneur you’re about to meet. He started a snack delivery service called Madtown Munchies and he built it up from one guy with a bicycle to a $380k business.
We stayed in touch after that interview but recently I’ve been wondering what happened to him and his business. I invited him here to catch up.
Jeremy Neren is now the founder of GrocerKey which allows you to shop your favorite grocery store online. GrocerKey was a pivot from Madtown Munchies and I want to find out how he transformed his business.
Jeremy Neren is the founder of GrocerKey, which creates e-commerce software for grocery stores to sell products online at their in-store prices.
Sponsored by
HostGator is your one-stop shop for all things web hosting. From design and marketing services to easy-to-use website builders, they are with you every step of the way. Thanks to their 24/7 – 365 days a year live support – which you can get via chat, phone and email – any and all questions you have can be answered in no time at all.
HostGator offers unlimited disk space and bandwidth, an easy to use control panel, one click WordPress installs and more.
If you need anything designed–a new web page, a new landing page, a new logo, DesignCrowd will do it for you. They ask you what you’re looking for, who you are, what your company is like. They will give you lots of options, you pick the one you like, pay for it, and they guarantee results. It’s that simple. Find out how DesignCrowd is different than the other companies and go to designcrowd.com/mixergy.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
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1 hr 11 min
January 05, 2018 #1542 The business behind hosting companies
Today’s guest is an entrepreneur who had a hosting company. They had a challenge with hosting videos on their site and they thought, “Let’s create a product that solves it.”
And they did. And then it failed. But then they kept talking to their customers and understanding the real pain, understanding the bigger issue.
They now have a video hosting and monetization platform that is doing phenomenally well. I invited the founder, PJ Taei, to talk about how he launched Uscreen.tv. He’s made it into a business that just keeps growing revenue and I want to learn how this process works of understanding customers.
He told our producer he’s so freaking obsessed with talking to customers he spent two years doing it. I want to know how he gets them on the phone, how you can understand what your customers are going through and I want to know how we can build better businesses that actually address people’s needs, their deep, deep needs.
PJ Taei is the founder of Uscreen, a video hosting and monetization platform.
Sponsored by
HostGator is your one-stop shop for all things web hosting. From design and marketing services to easy-to-use website builders, they are with you every step of the way. Thanks to their 24/7 – 365 days a year live support – which you can get via chat, phone and email – any and all questions you have can be answered in no time at all.
HostGator offers unlimited disk space and bandwidth, an easy to use control panel, one click WordPress installs and more.
Pipedrive is a sales management tool for small teams with big ambitions. It visualizes one’s sales pipeline and helps to make sure important activities and conversations won’t get dropped. Salespeople really like it because it’s easy to use and intuitive. Managers like it because they don’t need to nag their team to use their CRM. It also sports built-in forecasting, integrations with other software such as Google Apps, MailChimp and Zapier and a powerful API.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
1 hr 3 min
January 03, 2018 #1541 How is Hack Reactor still standing when other coding schools are in the dead pool?
Since the interview I did with Hack Reactor, they have been on a roll buying companies.
Well, today we’re going to meet one of the founders of a company they bought.
Harsh Patel is the founder of MakersSquare, a network of coding schools which is now part of Hack Reactor.
Something interesting happened in the world of coding schools that I want to talk about in this interview. The industry was quickly profitable and allowed a couple of companies to grow really big. But then people started losing money. Some of the businesses closed.
I want to find out how Hack Reactor fared through that period.
Harsh Patel is the founder of MakersSquare, a network of coding schools which is now part of Hack Reactor.
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.
The Baby Bathwater Institute – Baby Bathwater shatters the mold of traditional networking and provides a platform for experience, inspiration, and growth that is unique to each person or team that gets involved. Not all entrepreneurs are “cutthroat winners.” Some want to connect with other genuine, helpful, fun folks in a way where everyone wins. Join an expansive, talented, and diverse group that can actually help you reach measurable growth.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
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1 hr 19 min
January 01, 2018 #1540 Building a company for legacy instead of exit
Personally I think the importance on how fast a company can exit is the wrong way to think about business. More valuable than the exit is the legacy you leave behind and the impact your company has on the world.
That’s why I’m so proud to have today’s guest on. He started back in the days of CD ROMs. That’s when his business started and he’s still running it. He had a few challenges along the way which we’ll talk about.
Pete Jordan is the founder of Knowledge Matters, a cloud-based provider of educational simulation for business.
Pete Jordan is the founder of Knowledge Matters, a cloud-based provider of educational simulation for business.
Sponsored by
Bot Academy – Bot Academy will help you reach people using the chat apps that they love. Not sure what a chat bot is? I created one you can try to see what it’s like. Bot Academy will show you how to create a similar campaign for your business. Just go to botacademy.com/mixergy, to try one of our bots and be invited to our webinar where I demo how to create a chat bot in less than an hour.
Athletic Greens – Athletic Greens sees health and wellness as a long-term investment. They know that in order to perform at your best and live a fulfilling life, you need the right nutrition. That’s why Athletic Greens produces the most complete health supplement with 75 Ingredients covering 11 areas of health—everything you need to power through your day and achieve your goals.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
1 hr 1 min
December 29, 2017 #1539 Solving the problem of community organization
Today’s guest is a San Francisco entrepreneur who discovered a problem that maybe you have.
I know when I go to conferences, sometimes they want to do add me to a Slack group for everyone at the conference. It’s fun for the first day, and then it becomes a distraction from the other stuff I do in Slack. It doesn’t really work for me. Other times, they create their own app and I forget to go check their app or it’s not written very well.
They’re trying to connect with the people at the event, send updates, last-minute issues or changes, and also allow attendees to get to know each other. Slack doesn’t really work for that. Facebook doesn’t really work for that. There hasn’t really been a product that works. Today’s guest said, “How about if we create something better?” And she did.
Sharon Savariego is the founder of Mobilize, a software that allows communities to get organized. It allows you to reach your community members via email, if that’s how they prefer, text if that’s how they prefer. The whole idea is to make it easy for community managers to grow their communities and community members to participate without a big distraction to their day.
Sharon Savariego is the founder of Mobilize, a software that allows communities to get organized.
Sponsored by
HostGator is your one-stop shop for all things web hosting. From design and marketing services to easy-to-use website builders, they are with you every step of the way. Thanks to their 24/7 – 365 days a year live support – which you can get via chat, phone and email – any and all questions you have can be answered in no time at all.
HostGator offers unlimited disk space and bandwidth, an easy to use control panel, one click WordPress installs and more.
If you need anything designed–a new web page, a new landing page, a new logo, DesignCrowd will do it for you. They ask you what you’re looking for, who you are, what your company is like. They will give you lots of options, you pick the one you like, pay for it, and they guarantee results. It’s that simple. Find out how DesignCrowd is different than the other companies and go to designcrowd.com/mixergy.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
48 min
December 27, 2017 #1538 How to systemize idea validation
If you want to launch a new product but you want to figure out if it will even work before you launch it, today’s guest has found a way to help.
Thor Ernstsson is the founder of Alpha which helps teams make better decisions based on users, products, and new markets.
Here’s what that means, before you invest time in coding, before you invest time in marketing an idea, Alpha helps you understand what people will really think of your idea.
Thor Ernstsson is the founder of Alpha which helps teams make better decisions based on users, products, and new markets.
Sponsored by
Acuity Scheduling – Acuity Scheduling helps businesses offer and manage their appointments online. With this tool, you’ll be able to automate your client bookings, cancellations, reminders & even payments without sacrificing you soul. Plus, automated reminders and follow-ups eliminate your no-shows, and incentivize repeat bookings. Get an exclusive 45-day trial at AcuityScheduling.com/mixergy
HostGator is your one-stop shop for all things web hosting. From design and marketing services to easy-to-use website builders, they are with you every step of the way. Thanks to their 24/7 – 365 days a year live support – which you can get via chat, phone and email – any and all questions you have can be answered in no time at all.
HostGator offers unlimited disk space and bandwidth, an easy to use control panel, one click WordPress installs and more.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
53 min
December 22, 2017 #1537 Case Study: How to get customer insights
When I heard that the founders of LessAccounting sold their company I was completely surprised. They sold to another accounting software company that I’d never even heard of.
Well, today I have founder of that company. Uday Koorella is the founder of Qount, which provides accounting software, bookkeeping, payroll and tax services.
We’re going to get into detail about how they got so many paying customers and I want to understand why they just acquired a company in a similar space.
Uday Koorella is the founder of Qount, which provides accounting software, bookkeeping, payroll and tax services.
Sponsored by
Athletic Greens – Athletic Greens sees health and wellness as a long-term investment. They know that in order to perform at your best and live a fulfilling life, you need the right nutrition. That’s why Athletic Greens produces the most complete health supplement with 75 Ingredients covering 11 areas of health—everything you need to power through your day and achieve your goals.
Bot Academy – Bot Academy will help you reach people using the chat apps that they love. Not sure what a chat bot is? I created one you can try to see what it’s like. Bot Academy will show you how to create a similar campaign for your business. Just go to botacademy.com/mixergy, to try one of our bots and be invited to our webinar where I demo how to create a chat bot in less than an hour.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
1 hr 3 min
December 20, 2017 #1536 How a digital agency found its niche in crowdfunding
One thing I’ve noticed is that when there’s a shift in the world of technology, new players come in and really grow fast. One shift I’ve seen in online sales is crowdfunding.
People aren’t creating products, putting them in stores and hoping that the products sell. They are getting customers first and then creating the products.
During this shift, one entrepreneur went from a standard digital agency to focusing on crowdfunding. He’s here to talk about it.
Roy Morejon created Enventys Partners, which combines product development with crowdfunding on platforms like Kickstarter to raise money and awareness
Roy Morejon created Enventys Partners, which combines product development with crowdfunding on platforms like Kickstarter to raise money and awareness
Sponsored by
Formstack – Formstack is a versatile online form solution that streamlines processes for capturing and managing information. Easily create and use online forms to automate repetitive business processes and gain rich insights. With Formstack, embed forms directly onto your site and social media profiles to capture leads, as well as use online forms to collect payments, gather feedback, and streamline internal workflows.
Pipedrive is a sales management tool for small teams with big ambitions. It visualizes one’s sales pipeline and helps to make sure important activities and conversations won’t get dropped. Salespeople really like it because it’s easy to use and intuitive. Managers like it because they don’t need to nag their team to use their CRM. It also sports built-in forecasting, integrations with other software such as Google Apps, MailChimp and Zapier and a powerful API.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
1 hr 10 min
December 18, 2017 #1535 Podcasting for your business
I’m about to interview someone who emailed me years ago and said, “Hey, Andrew. I’m having audio problems with my podcast. And how do I make sure that the recording comes out right?” And we went back and forth a couple of times.
Well, I didn’t know what he did with his podcast until my team sent me a note and said, “Hey, look. We’re considering having Toby on for an interview. And here’s what he’s done.”
It’s a really interesting approach to podcasting. He does a podcast as a way of connecting with real estate agents and brokers.
Toby Salgado is the host of a podcast is called “Super Agents Live.” Some of the people he interviews end up becoming customers of his business, Real Estate Radio Experts, which helps agents and brokers buy TV and radio ads.
Toby Salgado is the host of a podcast is called “Super Agents Live” and founder of Real Estate Radio Experts, which helps agents and brokers buy TV and radio ads.
Sponsored by
HostGator is your one-stop shop for all things web hosting. From design and marketing services to easy-to-use website builders, they are with you every step of the way. Thanks to their 24/7 – 365 days a year live support – which you can get via chat, phone and email – any and all questions you have can be answered in no time at all.
HostGator offers unlimited disk space and bandwidth, an easy to use control panel, one click WordPress installs and more.
Pipedrive is a sales management tool for small teams with big ambitions. It visualizes one’s sales pipeline and helps to make sure important activities and conversations won’t get dropped. Salespeople really like it because it’s easy to use and intuitive. Managers like it because they don’t need to nag their team to use their CRM. It also sports built-in forecasting, integrations with other software such as Google Apps, MailChimp and Zapier and a powerful API.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
0 min
December 15, 2017 #1534 How to turn your consultancy into a SaaS
You know from these interviews that founders who address a deep pain for their customers are the ones who create the most dependable successes.
Today’s guest was doing consulting work when he and his team uncovered an issue that his clients had. Well, that issue lead him to create a software company that addressed the need. Wait until you see how big the company has become.
Charles Manning is the founder of Kochava, a leading mobile attribution analytics platform. It helps app creators understand how people are using their apps.
Charles Manning is the founder of Kochava, a leading mobile attribution analytics platform.
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 is your one-stop shop for all things web hosting. From design and marketing services to easy-to-use website builders, they are with you every step of the way. Thanks to their 24/7 – 365 days a year live support – which you can get via chat, phone and email – any and all questions you have can be answered in no time at all.
HostGator offers unlimited disk space and bandwidth, an easy to use control panel, one click WordPress installs and more.
More interviews -> https://mixergy.com/moreint
Rate this interview -> https://mixergy.com/rateint
1 hr 10 min