Our focus in today’s episode is transparency of founders about their startups. Wil converses with Andrew Warner, an internet, startup entrepreneur and founder of Mixergy.com. On Mixergy, proven entrepreneurs are invited to teach how they built their startups. 

Wil and Andrew define the lines between genuine curiosity and transactional conversations in building relationships, how topics and answers have consequences, and getting people to open up about themselves by sharing a little bit of yours.

Listen to how transparency can affect business relationships.

Episode Resources

• Mixergy.com - “Learn from Proven Entrepreneurs”

What to Listen For

• [00:00:12] Who is Andrew Warner?
• [00:02:02] Why aren't founders more transparent about their startups? 
• [00:02:48] Why do I have to talk about the loser stuff? 
• [00:05:23] A little bit of a personal backstory.
• [00:08:15] Being open to others about your vulnerability. 
• [00:12:24] Everything has always worked until you fail. 
• [00:14:07] Nobody wants to hear how well you are doing.
• [00:15:08] If you do not have the tools of being vulnerable. 
• [00:16:16] People are always craving to be transparent of some things and hide others.  
• [00:19:01] The moment you're vulnerable, you become less defensive.
• [00:20:45] What are some areas you don't feel talking about publicly?
• [00:23:09] When one openly becomes honest and vulnerable, everyone becomes honest and vulnerable.  
• [00:26:48] Be genuinely curious to get people to open up. 
• [00:28:34] Do you need to share a little bit to get some during interviews?
• [00:30:38] Ask a double-barrel question to give some room for sensitivity. 
• [00:32:00] Being vulnerable makes building relationships faster.
• [00:34:52] Transactional relationships won't help build real connections.
• [00:38:33] Actually listen and give leading questions to actually connect. 
• [00:39:44] When people sit with you more and more, they value your time. 
• [00:44:34] Incapability of small talk, possibly a fatal flaw.
• [00:46:49] How to disarm someone so full of himself.  
• [00:52:32] Ask very personal questions to further relationships. 
• [00:57:51] The topics and answers that have consequences.
• [00:59:16] Look for topics that people do not need to defend. 
• [01:01:46] Be prepared for backfires. 
• [01:04:18] Do you wish you can take back what you've overshared? 
• [01:08:30] Tell people if you're uncomfortable sharing something. 
• [01:09:20] We connect with people with their flaws, it makes us human.