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Why Most Founders Fail — And How to Avoid the Same Mistakes

In this episode, we break down why the vast majority of founders and small businesses fail—and more importantly, how to avoid becoming another statistic.

John Coyle (VP of Marketing at Royo Bread), Nick Shackelford (Partner at Brez) and Bart (Co-Founder of Dad Gang) answer real questions submitted by listeners and share hard-earned lessons from building, scaling, and surviving multiple businesses across e-commerce, agencies, SaaS, and brand building .

This is not surface-level motivation. It’s a deep, honest conversation about choosing the right business, building leverage, avoiding burnout, selecting co-founders, and understanding what actually fuels long-term success.

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Topics Covered in This Episode

How do you choose the right business to start?

We break down why most people fail before they even begin—often by choosing ideas without skills, leverage, or real-world exposure. The group explains why working for the right company or starting a “boring” business can be the smartest move early on.

Why most founders burn out (even after they “win”)

Burnout doesn’t always come from losing—it often comes after success. The hosts share personal burnout stories, including moments where they physically couldn’t bring themselves to work, even after major financial wins.

The real role of passion vs. skill

Passion alone isn’t enough. This episode explains how to pair what you care about with what you’re actually good at—and how ignoring that balance leads to frustration and failure.

Solo founder vs. co-founder: what actually works

We dive deep into:

• When you should start solo

• When a co-founder becomes necessary

• Why complementary skills matter more than equal skills

• How poor alignment destroys otherwise great businesses

How to find the right co-founder

From moral alignment and trust to lane separation and incentives, this episode outlines what healthy partnerships actually look like—and why most people rush into the wrong ones.

Why you shouldn’t try to learn everything at once

Trying to master fulfillment and sales and marketing at the same time is one of the fastest paths to failure. The conversation breaks down how to simplify early and build leverage instead.

Founder motivation & infinite fuel sources

One of the most powerful parts of the episode: the idea that burnout happens when you’re running on the wrong fuel. Learn how to identify what truly motivates you—and how to design your work around it.

Female founders in male-dominated industries

We tackle a tough but important question: are female founders losing deals because of gender bias? And if so, how can that be turned into a strategic advantage rather than a disadvantage?

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Who This Episode Is For

• First-time founders trying to choose the right business

• Agency owners stuck at six figures and feeling maxed out

• Solo founders debating whether to bring on a partner

• Entrepreneurs dealing with burnout, loss of motivation, or stagnation

• Anyone trying to build a business that supports life—not consumes it

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🎧 Why You Should Watch the Full Episode

This conversation is raw, unscripted, and grounded in real operator experience—not theory. If you’re serious about building something that lasts, this episode will help you:

• Avoid common early-stage traps

• Make better long-term decisions

• Understand yourself as a founder

• Build businesses that align with your values and energy