https://simplecast.com Startup Stories from the Treehouse Welcome to Startup Stories from the Treehouse, where we bring you the most captivating tales of entrepreneurship. Each episode is a new adventure, featuring entrepreneurs who turned their dreams into reality. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just getting your feet wet, 'Startup Stories from the Treehouse' is your inspiration to build, innovate, and soar. Tune in, and let's start the adventure together! 2024 Wildfire Labs, LLC en Thu, 9 Apr 2026 12:15:00 +0000 Thu, 9 Apr 2026 12:15:11 +0000 https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com Startup Stories from the Treehouse https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/899bf8be-87f2-43f0-b0b1-610302b1c302/19419872-e489-4c27-b2fa-f6ebfc0bd720/3000x3000/startup-stories-podcast-cover.jpg?aid=rss_feed https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com episodic Welcome to Startup Stories from the Treehouse, where we bring you the most captivating tales of entrepreneurship. Each episode is a new adventure, featuring entrepreneurs who turned their dreams into reality. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just getting your feet wet, 'Startup Stories from the Treehouse' is your inspiration to build, innovate, and soar. Tune in, and let's start the adventure together! Todd Gagne false https://feeds.simplecast.com/u3toy69T entrepreneurship, management, marketing, startup Wildfire Labs todd@wildfirelabs.io 10aabafb-6a99-45db-b009-de7aa36e4d8c How a Serial Entrepreneur Built a News Product by Ignoring Everything Big Media Does Kira Shishkin, founder of Informed.now, built a news product designed to be used for just thirty seconds a day—five bullet points, no images, no feeds. On a recent episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, he shared the principles behind this approach. His core lessons: obsess over the problem your customers share, not their demographics. Force a "Day One Hypothesis" and iterate from real feedback rather than waiting for certainty. Use Minimum Viable Information to protect decision-making speed. Make advisors useful by sharing written memos instead of open-ended questions. Trace news and industry information back to primary sources. And narrow your appeal deliberately—filtering out misaligned users upfront saves more than converting them ever will. Unexpected users like farmers and Uber drivers validated the product's real market: anyone who wants to feel informed but hates the news cycle.

Listen to the full episode on Startup Stories from the Treehouse and try the product at informed.now.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 9 Apr 2026 12:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Todd Gagne, Kira Shishkin) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/how-a-serial-entrepreneur-built-a-news-product-by-ignoring-everything-big-media-does-f_sDdg0G Kira Shishkin, founder of Informed.now, built a news product designed to be used for just thirty seconds a day—five bullet points, no images, no feeds. On a recent episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, he shared the principles behind this approach. His core lessons: obsess over the problem your customers share, not their demographics. Force a "Day One Hypothesis" and iterate from real feedback rather than waiting for certainty. Use Minimum Viable Information to protect decision-making speed. Make advisors useful by sharing written memos instead of open-ended questions. Trace news and industry information back to primary sources. And narrow your appeal deliberately—filtering out misaligned users upfront saves more than converting them ever will. Unexpected users like farmers and Uber drivers validated the product's real market: anyone who wants to feel informed but hates the news cycle.

Listen to the full episode on Startup Stories from the Treehouse and try the product at informed.now.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> How a Serial Entrepreneur Built a News Product by Ignoring Everything Big Media Does Todd Gagne, Kira Shishkin 00:51:21 Kira Shishkin, founder of Informed.now, built a news product designed to be used for just thirty seconds a day—five bullet points, no images, no feeds. On a recent episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, he shared the principles behind this approach. His core lessons: obsess over the problem your customers share, not their demographics. Force a "Day One Hypothesis" and iterate from real feedback rather than waiting for certainty. Use Minimum Viable Information to protect decision-making speed. Make advisors useful by sharing written memos instead of open-ended questions. Trace news and industry information back to primary sources. And narrow your appeal deliberately—filtering out misaligned users upfront saves more than converting them ever will. Unexpected users like farmers and Uber drivers validated the product's real market: anyone who wants to feel informed but hates the news cycle. Listen to the full episode on Startup Stories from the Treehouse and try the product at informed.now. Kira Shishkin, founder of Informed.now, built a news product designed to be used for just thirty seconds a day—five bullet points, no images, no feeds. On a recent episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, he shared the principles behind this approach. His core lessons: obsess over the problem your customers share, not their demographics. Force a "Day One Hypothesis" and iterate from real feedback rather than waiting for certainty. Use Minimum Viable Information to protect decision-making speed. Make advisors useful by sharing written memos instead of open-ended questions. Trace news and industry information back to primary sources. And narrow your appeal deliberately—filtering out misaligned users upfront saves more than converting them ever will. Unexpected users like farmers and Uber drivers validated the product's real market: anyone who wants to feel informed but hates the news cycle. Listen to the full episode on Startup Stories from the Treehouse and try the product at informed.now. wildfire labs, founder advice, product-market fit, startups, ai, entrepreneurship, #contextawareai, #aiautomation, #longformfeedback, #founderlearning, #customermotivation, #servicestoproduct false full 59 cc83ad89-eba5-4913-a703-2d9d08b15743 Revenue First, Perfect Later Technical founders often overbuild in isolation, polishing products no one has validated. Adam Link — three-time founder, Coinbase IPO alum, angel investor, and now head of Fireweed Capital — learned that revenue, not perfection, creates opportunity. Ship early. Let it be imperfect. Sales isn’t a dark art; it’s debugging human problems. Identify the pain, confirm it exists, and offer a fix. Remember the “3% rule”: only a small fraction of your market is ready to buy today — focus on them. Beware the “dangerous middle,” where too much runway kills urgency. Revenue pressure drives clarity. Investors don’t just fund products; they fund competent, coachable founders who understand their numbers and have learned from failure. And in the AI era, prototypes beat pitch decks — execution speed is the new advantage. Above all, build from financial stability so you can take smart risks.

CTA: Stop polishing. Ship something this week, talk to ten real users, and let the market shape what you build.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Todd Gagne, Dr Adam Link) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/revenue-first-perfect-later-0NTWxk9p Technical founders often overbuild in isolation, polishing products no one has validated. Adam Link — three-time founder, Coinbase IPO alum, angel investor, and now head of Fireweed Capital — learned that revenue, not perfection, creates opportunity. Ship early. Let it be imperfect. Sales isn’t a dark art; it’s debugging human problems. Identify the pain, confirm it exists, and offer a fix. Remember the “3% rule”: only a small fraction of your market is ready to buy today — focus on them. Beware the “dangerous middle,” where too much runway kills urgency. Revenue pressure drives clarity. Investors don’t just fund products; they fund competent, coachable founders who understand their numbers and have learned from failure. And in the AI era, prototypes beat pitch decks — execution speed is the new advantage. Above all, build from financial stability so you can take smart risks.

CTA: Stop polishing. Ship something this week, talk to ten real users, and let the market shape what you build.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Revenue First, Perfect Later Todd Gagne, Dr Adam Link 00:54:19 Technical founders often overbuild in isolation, polishing products no one has validated. Adam Link — three-time founder, Coinbase IPO alum, angel investor, and now head of Fireweed Capital — learned that revenue, not perfection, creates opportunity. Ship early. Let it be imperfect. Sales isn’t a dark art; it’s debugging human problems. Identify the pain, confirm it exists, and offer a fix. Remember the “3% rule”: only a small fraction of your market is ready to buy today — focus on them. Beware the “dangerous middle,” where too much runway kills urgency. Revenue pressure drives clarity. Investors don’t just fund products; they fund competent, coachable founders who understand their numbers and have learned from failure. And in the AI era, prototypes beat pitch decks — execution speed is the new advantage. Above all, build from financial stability so you can take smart risks. CTA: Stop polishing. Ship something this week, talk to ten real users, and let the market shape what you build. Technical founders often overbuild in isolation, polishing products no one has validated. Adam Link — three-time founder, Coinbase IPO alum, angel investor, and now head of Fireweed Capital — learned that revenue, not perfection, creates opportunity. Ship early. Let it be imperfect. Sales isn’t a dark art; it’s debugging human problems. Identify the pain, confirm it exists, and offer a fix. Remember the “3% rule”: only a small fraction of your market is ready to buy today — focus on them. Beware the “dangerous middle,” where too much runway kills urgency. Revenue pressure drives clarity. Investors don’t just fund products; they fund competent, coachable founders who understand their numbers and have learned from failure. And in the AI era, prototypes beat pitch decks — execution speed is the new advantage. Above all, build from financial stability so you can take smart risks. CTA: Stop polishing. Ship something this week, talk to ten real users, and let the market shape what you build. wildfire labs, founder advice, product-market fit, startups, ai, entrepreneurship, #contextawareai, #aiautomation, #longformfeedback, #founderlearning, #customermotivation, #servicestoproduct false full 57 4e60c012-2f14-4229-94e9-6f2cce0bd2fb The Hidden Superpower Early Founders Overlook: Why Your Message Matters More Than Your Tools Founders often blame cold outreach when it fails, but Justin Rashidi (SeedEx) argues the real problem is the message, not the channel. Outbound still works when it’s specific and distinct: name a clear pain point and ask a simple “want to solve this, yes or no?” instead of over-personalized fluff. A major blocker is the “vocabulary problem”—different roles and company types describe the same issue in different words. The fix is doing 10–15 listening-heavy conversations, then using AI on call transcripts to surface recurring terms, objections, and winning phrasing. With message clarity, channels like LinkedIn conversation ads, selective gifting, Google Ads, and conferences can perform, but outbound must run alongside inbound to target the accounts you want. On AI adoption, most companies overclaim and under-integrate; start with small automations. He also recommends hiring a recruiter earlier, valuing “disagreeable” truth-tellers, and pushing sales first while ops trails by 30–60 days.

If this was useful, like, share, and subscribe.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 12 Mar 2026 12:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Todd Gagne, Justin Rashidi) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/the-hidden-superpower-early-founders-overlook-why-your-message-matters-more-than-your-tools-2UvN4YgM Founders often blame cold outreach when it fails, but Justin Rashidi (SeedEx) argues the real problem is the message, not the channel. Outbound still works when it’s specific and distinct: name a clear pain point and ask a simple “want to solve this, yes or no?” instead of over-personalized fluff. A major blocker is the “vocabulary problem”—different roles and company types describe the same issue in different words. The fix is doing 10–15 listening-heavy conversations, then using AI on call transcripts to surface recurring terms, objections, and winning phrasing. With message clarity, channels like LinkedIn conversation ads, selective gifting, Google Ads, and conferences can perform, but outbound must run alongside inbound to target the accounts you want. On AI adoption, most companies overclaim and under-integrate; start with small automations. He also recommends hiring a recruiter earlier, valuing “disagreeable” truth-tellers, and pushing sales first while ops trails by 30–60 days.

If this was useful, like, share, and subscribe.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> The Hidden Superpower Early Founders Overlook: Why Your Message Matters More Than Your Tools Todd Gagne, Justin Rashidi 00:47:00 Founders often blame cold outreach when it fails, but Justin Rashidi (SeedEx) argues the real problem is the message, not the channel. Outbound still works when it’s specific and distinct: name a clear pain point and ask a simple “want to solve this, yes or no?” instead of over-personalized fluff. A major blocker is the “vocabulary problem”—different roles and company types describe the same issue in different words. The fix is doing 10–15 listening-heavy conversations, then using AI on call transcripts to surface recurring terms, objections, and winning phrasing. With message clarity, channels like LinkedIn conversation ads, selective gifting, Google Ads, and conferences can perform, but outbound must run alongside inbound to target the accounts you want. On AI adoption, most companies overclaim and under-integrate; start with small automations. He also recommends hiring a recruiter earlier, valuing “disagreeable” truth-tellers, and pushing sales first while ops trails by 30–60 days. If this was useful, like, share, and subscribe. Founders often blame cold outreach when it fails, but Justin Rashidi (SeedEx) argues the real problem is the message, not the channel. Outbound still works when it’s specific and distinct: name a clear pain point and ask a simple “want to solve this, yes or no?” instead of over-personalized fluff. A major blocker is the “vocabulary problem”—different roles and company types describe the same issue in different words. The fix is doing 10–15 listening-heavy conversations, then using AI on call transcripts to surface recurring terms, objections, and winning phrasing. With message clarity, channels like LinkedIn conversation ads, selective gifting, Google Ads, and conferences can perform, but outbound must run alongside inbound to target the accounts you want. On AI adoption, most companies overclaim and under-integrate; start with small automations. He also recommends hiring a recruiter earlier, valuing “disagreeable” truth-tellers, and pushing sales first while ops trails by 30–60 days. If this was useful, like, share, and subscribe. wildfire labs, founder advice, product-market fit, startups, ai, entrepreneurship, #contextawareai, #aiautomation, #longformfeedback, #founderlearning, #customermotivation, #servicestoproduct false full 55 40ccd761-9b9b-4342-a702-1b5e1800f97d The Four Pillars of a High-Performance Startup: Lessons from an Operator Who’s Scaled Companies from $4M to $350M Startup veteran Tim Butler, founder of GrowthFire, reveals the four pillars behind successful startups: people, product-market fit, go-to-market strategy, and culture. He urges founders to treat hiring as foundational—use scorecards to define roles, hire for qualities like passion and coachability, and create a culture where learning from failure is safe. Tim stresses the importance of validating demand before building any product—real customer commitments are crucial proof of value. Go-to-market execution, he argues, is more vital than product perfection, especially as AI transforms sales and marketing. Finally, culture isn’t about posters, it’s about behaviors, rewards, and consistent leadership. Tim’s advice: hire A-players, validate ruthlessly, sell to how customers buy rather than how you want to sell, and fiercely protect your company culture.

Want to hear the full conversation and dive deeper? Listen to the episode on Startup Stories from the Treehouse, and learn more at growthfire.com.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 26 Feb 2026 13:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Todd Gagne, Tim Butler) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/the-four-pillars-of-a-high-performance-startup-lessons-from-an-operator-whos-scaled-companies-from-4m-to-350m-gdioien8-xwJOUF7V Startup veteran Tim Butler, founder of GrowthFire, reveals the four pillars behind successful startups: people, product-market fit, go-to-market strategy, and culture. He urges founders to treat hiring as foundational—use scorecards to define roles, hire for qualities like passion and coachability, and create a culture where learning from failure is safe. Tim stresses the importance of validating demand before building any product—real customer commitments are crucial proof of value. Go-to-market execution, he argues, is more vital than product perfection, especially as AI transforms sales and marketing. Finally, culture isn’t about posters, it’s about behaviors, rewards, and consistent leadership. Tim’s advice: hire A-players, validate ruthlessly, sell to how customers buy rather than how you want to sell, and fiercely protect your company culture.

Want to hear the full conversation and dive deeper? Listen to the episode on Startup Stories from the Treehouse, and learn more at growthfire.com.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> The Four Pillars of a High-Performance Startup: Lessons from an Operator Who’s Scaled Companies from $4M to $350M Todd Gagne, Tim Butler 01:03:12 Startup veteran Tim Butler, founder of GrowthFire, reveals the four pillars behind successful startups: people, product-market fit, go-to-market strategy, and culture. He urges founders to treat hiring as foundational—use scorecards to define roles, hire for qualities like passion and coachability, and create a culture where learning from failure is safe. Tim stresses the importance of validating demand before building any product—real customer commitments are crucial proof of value. Go-to-market execution, he argues, is more vital than product perfection, especially as AI transforms sales and marketing. Finally, culture isn’t about posters, it’s about behaviors, rewards, and consistent leadership. Tim’s advice: hire A-players, validate ruthlessly, sell to how customers buy rather than how you want to sell, and fiercely protect your company culture. Want to hear the full conversation and dive deeper? Listen to the episode on Startup Stories from the Treehouse, and learn more at growthfire.com. Startup veteran Tim Butler, founder of GrowthFire, reveals the four pillars behind successful startups: people, product-market fit, go-to-market strategy, and culture. He urges founders to treat hiring as foundational—use scorecards to define roles, hire for qualities like passion and coachability, and create a culture where learning from failure is safe. Tim stresses the importance of validating demand before building any product—real customer commitments are crucial proof of value. Go-to-market execution, he argues, is more vital than product perfection, especially as AI transforms sales and marketing. Finally, culture isn’t about posters, it’s about behaviors, rewards, and consistent leadership. Tim’s advice: hire A-players, validate ruthlessly, sell to how customers buy rather than how you want to sell, and fiercely protect your company culture. Want to hear the full conversation and dive deeper? Listen to the episode on Startup Stories from the Treehouse, and learn more at growthfire.com. wildfire labs, founder advice, product-market fit, startups, ai, entrepreneurship, #contextawareai, #aiautomation, #longformfeedback, #founderlearning, #customermotivation, #servicestoproduct false full 54 5a7b9300-9b19-4a5f-ae7d-647fda998a30 Marketing Foundations: Building for Scale Before You’re Ready Many startups waste marketing budgets due to unclear messaging and a fuzzy Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), not poor execution. Kae Kronthaler-Williams, a veteran marketing executive, advises founders to nail messaging, niche their focus, and build foundational infrastructure before scaling ad spend. Her 90-day plan: clarify messaging through customer interviews, validate ICP with targeted outreach, and set up tracking systems for key metrics. Only after achieving 60-70% deal pattern repeatability should founders expand beyond their initial segment or invest heavily in paid channels. Diverse teams help avoid blind spots and create resonant messaging. To scale responsibly, start small, prioritize alignment across marketing, sales, and customer success, and measure pipeline contribution—not just leads. Audit hiring practices for bias to strengthen your team and marketing outcomes.

Ready to build a repeatable pipeline and avoid wasted spend?
Learn more from Kae at kaewilliams.com or connect on LinkedIn and Substack!

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 12 Feb 2026 13:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Todd Gagne, Kae Kronthaler-Williams) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/marketing-foundations-building-for-scale-before-youre-ready-izvwjlrl-kxSA_0zl Many startups waste marketing budgets due to unclear messaging and a fuzzy Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), not poor execution. Kae Kronthaler-Williams, a veteran marketing executive, advises founders to nail messaging, niche their focus, and build foundational infrastructure before scaling ad spend. Her 90-day plan: clarify messaging through customer interviews, validate ICP with targeted outreach, and set up tracking systems for key metrics. Only after achieving 60-70% deal pattern repeatability should founders expand beyond their initial segment or invest heavily in paid channels. Diverse teams help avoid blind spots and create resonant messaging. To scale responsibly, start small, prioritize alignment across marketing, sales, and customer success, and measure pipeline contribution—not just leads. Audit hiring practices for bias to strengthen your team and marketing outcomes.

Ready to build a repeatable pipeline and avoid wasted spend?
Learn more from Kae at kaewilliams.com or connect on LinkedIn and Substack!

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Marketing Foundations: Building for Scale Before You’re Ready Todd Gagne, Kae Kronthaler-Williams 00:43:27 Many startups waste marketing budgets due to unclear messaging and a fuzzy Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), not poor execution. Kae Kronthaler-Williams, a veteran marketing executive, advises founders to nail messaging, niche their focus, and build foundational infrastructure before scaling ad spend. Her 90-day plan: clarify messaging through customer interviews, validate ICP with targeted outreach, and set up tracking systems for key metrics. Only after achieving 60-70% deal pattern repeatability should founders expand beyond their initial segment or invest heavily in paid channels. Diverse teams help avoid blind spots and create resonant messaging. To scale responsibly, start small, prioritize alignment across marketing, sales, and customer success, and measure pipeline contribution—not just leads. Audit hiring practices for bias to strengthen your team and marketing outcomes. Ready to build a repeatable pipeline and avoid wasted spend? Learn more from Kae at kaewilliams.com or connect on LinkedIn and Substack! Many startups waste marketing budgets due to unclear messaging and a fuzzy Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), not poor execution. Kae Kronthaler-Williams, a veteran marketing executive, advises founders to nail messaging, niche their focus, and build foundational infrastructure before scaling ad spend. Her 90-day plan: clarify messaging through customer interviews, validate ICP with targeted outreach, and set up tracking systems for key metrics. Only after achieving 60-70% deal pattern repeatability should founders expand beyond their initial segment or invest heavily in paid channels. Diverse teams help avoid blind spots and create resonant messaging. To scale responsibly, start small, prioritize alignment across marketing, sales, and customer success, and measure pipeline contribution—not just leads. Audit hiring practices for bias to strengthen your team and marketing outcomes. Ready to build a repeatable pipeline and avoid wasted spend? Learn more from Kae at kaewilliams.com or connect on LinkedIn and Substack! wildfire labs, founder advice, product-market fit, startups, ai, entrepreneurship, #contextawareai, #aiautomation, #longformfeedback, #founderlearning, #customermotivation, #servicestoproduct false full 53 b603fd76-861b-44a5-9e08-c3eb8d3ddc0d Why Your Customer Data Is Lying to You In this episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, Andy Sitison of Share More Stories shares hard-earned lessons from transitioning out of systems integration into building an AI-driven company. His core insight: surveys optimize answers, not understanding. By focusing on why customers behave the way they do—and designing for candor—founders can uncover motivations that drive real differentiation. Andy also brings realism to AI adoption, arguing that 30–40% automation is both powerful and practical, while human judgment remains essential. He explains how “cellular AI” preserves context, why services-to-product transitions take 2–3 years, and how founders outside tech hubs must deliberately stay sharp. The throughline is patience, precision, and deep customer empathy.

 

Today, call one customer and ask why they hired you. Record it. Listen twice. Let their motivation—not your roadmap—guide your next move.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 29 Jan 2026 13:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Andy Sitison, Todd Gagne) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/why-your-customer-data-is-lying-to-you-C_qHRYb3 In this episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, Andy Sitison of Share More Stories shares hard-earned lessons from transitioning out of systems integration into building an AI-driven company. His core insight: surveys optimize answers, not understanding. By focusing on why customers behave the way they do—and designing for candor—founders can uncover motivations that drive real differentiation. Andy also brings realism to AI adoption, arguing that 30–40% automation is both powerful and practical, while human judgment remains essential. He explains how “cellular AI” preserves context, why services-to-product transitions take 2–3 years, and how founders outside tech hubs must deliberately stay sharp. The throughline is patience, precision, and deep customer empathy.

 

Today, call one customer and ask why they hired you. Record it. Listen twice. Let their motivation—not your roadmap—guide your next move.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Why Your Customer Data Is Lying to You Andy Sitison, Todd Gagne 00:44:47 In this episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, Andy Sitison of Share More Stories shares hard-earned lessons from transitioning out of systems integration into building an AI-driven company. His core insight: surveys optimize answers, not understanding. By focusing on why customers behave the way they do—and designing for candor—founders can uncover motivations that drive real differentiation. Andy also brings realism to AI adoption, arguing that 30–40% automation is both powerful and practical, while human judgment remains essential. He explains how “cellular AI” preserves context, why services-to-product transitions take 2–3 years, and how founders outside tech hubs must deliberately stay sharp. The throughline is patience, precision, and deep customer empathy. Today, call one customer and ask why they hired you. Record it. Listen twice. Let their motivation—not your roadmap—guide your next move. In this episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, Andy Sitison of Share More Stories shares hard-earned lessons from transitioning out of systems integration into building an AI-driven company. His core insight: surveys optimize answers, not understanding. By focusing on why customers behave the way they do—and designing for candor—founders can uncover motivations that drive real differentiation. Andy also brings realism to AI adoption, arguing that 30–40% automation is both powerful and practical, while human judgment remains essential. He explains how “cellular AI” preserves context, why services-to-product transitions take 2–3 years, and how founders outside tech hubs must deliberately stay sharp. The throughline is patience, precision, and deep customer empathy. Today, call one customer and ask why they hired you. Record it. Listen twice. Let their motivation—not your roadmap—guide your next move. wildfire labs, founder advice, product-market fit, startups, ai, entrepreneurship, #contextawareai, #aiautomation, #longformfeedback, #founderlearning, #customermotivation, #servicestoproduct false full 52 884e1408-a3a2-4734-9cb3-2fffacf6efa5 Startup Stories - Season 4 Kickoff: What’s Next for the Podcast Since launching their podcast, Mike and the author have published 54 episodes, evolving from uncertain beginnings to delivering sharp, relevant insights for founders. Season three saw a major shift: 90% of guests were inbound, prompting growth in interviewing skills and richer conversations on AI, product management, and capital trends. Consistency in publishing proved crucial, while analytics showed their audience is global, signaling the decline of geographic barriers for founders. However, challenges remain: podcast listenership lags behind their Substack readership, and they need to create more short-form content to meet founders where they are. Season four will focus on real-world AI applications, stories from capital-efficient founders outside major hubs, and rethinking product management for the AI era. The shift toward capital-efficient startups benefits both founders and smart investors.

 

If you’re a founder building something unique—especially outside the usual tech hubs—reach out to share your story with Wildfire Labs!

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 15 Jan 2026 13:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Mike Vetter, Todd Gagne) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/startup-stories-season-4-kickoff-whats-next-for-the-podcast-8cHA0mJV Since launching their podcast, Mike and the author have published 54 episodes, evolving from uncertain beginnings to delivering sharp, relevant insights for founders. Season three saw a major shift: 90% of guests were inbound, prompting growth in interviewing skills and richer conversations on AI, product management, and capital trends. Consistency in publishing proved crucial, while analytics showed their audience is global, signaling the decline of geographic barriers for founders. However, challenges remain: podcast listenership lags behind their Substack readership, and they need to create more short-form content to meet founders where they are. Season four will focus on real-world AI applications, stories from capital-efficient founders outside major hubs, and rethinking product management for the AI era. The shift toward capital-efficient startups benefits both founders and smart investors.

 

If you’re a founder building something unique—especially outside the usual tech hubs—reach out to share your story with Wildfire Labs!

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Startup Stories - Season 4 Kickoff: What’s Next for the Podcast Mike Vetter, Todd Gagne 00:25:30 Since launching their podcast, Mike and the author have published 54 episodes, evolving from uncertain beginnings to delivering sharp, relevant insights for founders. Season three saw a major shift: 90% of guests were inbound, prompting growth in interviewing skills and richer conversations on AI, product management, and capital trends. Consistency in publishing proved crucial, while analytics showed their audience is global, signaling the decline of geographic barriers for founders. However, challenges remain: podcast listenership lags behind their Substack readership, and they need to create more short-form content to meet founders where they are. Season four will focus on real-world AI applications, stories from capital-efficient founders outside major hubs, and rethinking product management for the AI era. The shift toward capital-efficient startups benefits both founders and smart investors. If you’re a founder building something unique—especially outside the usual tech hubs—reach out to share your story with Wildfire Labs! Since launching their podcast, Mike and the author have published 54 episodes, evolving from uncertain beginnings to delivering sharp, relevant insights for founders. Season three saw a major shift: 90% of guests were inbound, prompting growth in interviewing skills and richer conversations on AI, product management, and capital trends. Consistency in publishing proved crucial, while analytics showed their audience is global, signaling the decline of geographic barriers for founders. However, challenges remain: podcast listenership lags behind their Substack readership, and they need to create more short-form content to meet founders where they are. Season four will focus on real-world AI applications, stories from capital-efficient founders outside major hubs, and rethinking product management for the AI era. The shift toward capital-efficient startups benefits both founders and smart investors. If you’re a founder building something unique—especially outside the usual tech hubs—reach out to share your story with Wildfire Labs! wildfire labs, founder advice, product-market fit, startups, ai, entrepreneurship false full 51 5b59de37-1cc5-4755-b76f-0568c6c60005 The Rise of the Domain Expert Founder: Why Industry Insiders Are Winning the Startup Game Thu, 8 Jan 2026 18:50:45 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Wildfire Labs) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/finding-gold-in-your-backyard-ba5E43dS The Rise of the Domain Expert Founder: Why Industry Insiders Are Winning the Startup Game Wildfire Labs 00:54:20 In this end-of-year bookend episode, co-founders Todd Gagne and Mike Vetter of Wildfire Labs recap the key themes and trends they've observed with founders in their program over the past year. They dive deep into the rising necessity of deep domain expertise for founders, sharing compelling examples like AgSense (FinTech for ranching) and The Journeyman (wildland firefighting). The conversation explores the massive impact of AI and agents in collapsing the barriers to entry, making development faster, and driving a 'first-principles' rethink of traditional workflows to eliminate unnecessary steps. Finally, they discuss the psychological drivers of entrepreneurs, contrasting the unsustainable but high-octane "dirty fuel" (e.g., control, seeking fame) with more enduring, "clean fuel," and the importance of community to navigate the stresses of the startup journey, all contributing to the trend of creating more capital-efficient startups. In this end-of-year bookend episode, co-founders Todd Gagne and Mike Vetter of Wildfire Labs recap the key themes and trends they've observed with founders in their program over the past year. They dive deep into the rising necessity of deep domain expertise for founders, sharing compelling examples like AgSense (FinTech for ranching) and The Journeyman (wildland firefighting). The conversation explores the massive impact of AI and agents in collapsing the barriers to entry, making development faster, and driving a 'first-principles' rethink of traditional workflows to eliminate unnecessary steps. Finally, they discuss the psychological drivers of entrepreneurs, contrasting the unsustainable but high-octane "dirty fuel" (e.g., control, seeking fame) with more enduring, "clean fuel," and the importance of community to navigate the stresses of the startup journey, all contributing to the trend of creating more capital-efficient startups. wildfire labs, founder advice, product-market fit, startups, ai, entrepreneurship false full 50 12169f57-a819-47c7-aa5e-9c800faaae52 The 15-Year Bootstrap: How Credibly Built a Fintech Without VC Money (And Why Culture Beats Capital) Ryan Rosett, CEO of Credibly, shares how he built a thriving fintech without relying on venture capital, emphasizing that culture and transparency outlast quick funding. By bootstrapping through crises, leveraging modular microservices, and blending human expertise with AI, Credibly processes millions in loans rapidly and securely. Their hybrid in-office culture fosters innovation and knowledge sharing, while their Midwest roots provide cost and loyalty advantages. Rosett urges founders to prioritize discipline, modular tech, and trust-based culture over rapid fundraising. His journey proves that sustainable growth and resilience come from smart decisions, not just capital.


Want to see how Credibly’s human-first, tech-smart approach can help your business? Learn more about their small business lending solutions at credibly.com.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 18 Dec 2025 13:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Ryan Rosett, Todd Gagne) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/the-15-year-bootstrap-how-credibly-built-a-fintech-without-vc-money-and-why-culture-beats-capital-GtJe_MMh Ryan Rosett, CEO of Credibly, shares how he built a thriving fintech without relying on venture capital, emphasizing that culture and transparency outlast quick funding. By bootstrapping through crises, leveraging modular microservices, and blending human expertise with AI, Credibly processes millions in loans rapidly and securely. Their hybrid in-office culture fosters innovation and knowledge sharing, while their Midwest roots provide cost and loyalty advantages. Rosett urges founders to prioritize discipline, modular tech, and trust-based culture over rapid fundraising. His journey proves that sustainable growth and resilience come from smart decisions, not just capital.


Want to see how Credibly’s human-first, tech-smart approach can help your business? Learn more about their small business lending solutions at credibly.com.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> The 15-Year Bootstrap: How Credibly Built a Fintech Without VC Money (And Why Culture Beats Capital) Ryan Rosett, Todd Gagne 00:49:43 Ryan Rosett, CEO of Credibly, shares how he built a thriving fintech without relying on venture capital, emphasizing that culture and transparency outlast quick funding. By bootstrapping through crises, leveraging modular microservices, and blending human expertise with AI, Credibly processes millions in loans rapidly and securely. Their hybrid in-office culture fosters innovation and knowledge sharing, while their Midwest roots provide cost and loyalty advantages. Rosett urges founders to prioritize discipline, modular tech, and trust-based culture over rapid fundraising. His journey proves that sustainable growth and resilience come from smart decisions, not just capital. Want to see how Credibly’s human-first, tech-smart approach can help your business? Learn more about their small business lending solutions at credibly.com. Ryan Rosett, CEO of Credibly, shares how he built a thriving fintech without relying on venture capital, emphasizing that culture and transparency outlast quick funding. By bootstrapping through crises, leveraging modular microservices, and blending human expertise with AI, Credibly processes millions in loans rapidly and securely. Their hybrid in-office culture fosters innovation and knowledge sharing, while their Midwest roots provide cost and loyalty advantages. Rosett urges founders to prioritize discipline, modular tech, and trust-based culture over rapid fundraising. His journey proves that sustainable growth and resilience come from smart decisions, not just capital. Want to see how Credibly’s human-first, tech-smart approach can help your business? Learn more about their small business lending solutions at credibly.com. #fundraisingtips, #startupfunding, #entrepreneurship, #founders, #venturecapital false full 49 259e60c3-987c-46d1-be15-d0a7ff119136 From Zero to Product-Market Fit: Essential Product Management Lessons for Early-Stage Founders This article distills key lessons for founders in product management, emphasizing the critical role of achieving product-market fit (PMF)—measured by whether at least 40% of users would “fight to keep” your product. Founders must prioritize deep customer engagement, not just feature delivery, and create structures (like recurring customer calls) to maintain user closeness. Success demands both strategic thinking—translating vision into actionable, metric-driven plans—and tactical execution. Leveraging AI can automate repetitive tasks and accelerate prototyping, but founders must validate value and manage costs before scaling. Business acumen—understanding adoption, pricing, and unit economics—is vital, as is building an environment that prioritizes strategic work over reactive busywork. Ultimately, product management is a management job: focus on outcomes, stay close to users, and let disciplined product thinking drive your startup forward.

Ready to level up your product journey? Subscribe to Wildfire Labs Substack for more actionable insights and founder lessons!

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 4 Dec 2025 13:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Shobhit Chugh, Todd Gagne) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/from-zero-to-product-market-fit-essential-product-management-lessons-for-early-stage-founders-6PTTL8ts This article distills key lessons for founders in product management, emphasizing the critical role of achieving product-market fit (PMF)—measured by whether at least 40% of users would “fight to keep” your product. Founders must prioritize deep customer engagement, not just feature delivery, and create structures (like recurring customer calls) to maintain user closeness. Success demands both strategic thinking—translating vision into actionable, metric-driven plans—and tactical execution. Leveraging AI can automate repetitive tasks and accelerate prototyping, but founders must validate value and manage costs before scaling. Business acumen—understanding adoption, pricing, and unit economics—is vital, as is building an environment that prioritizes strategic work over reactive busywork. Ultimately, product management is a management job: focus on outcomes, stay close to users, and let disciplined product thinking drive your startup forward.

Ready to level up your product journey? Subscribe to Wildfire Labs Substack for more actionable insights and founder lessons!

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> From Zero to Product-Market Fit: Essential Product Management Lessons for Early-Stage Founders Shobhit Chugh, Todd Gagne 00:50:52 This article distills key lessons for founders in product management, emphasizing the critical role of achieving product-market fit (PMF)—measured by whether at least 40% of users would “fight to keep” your product. Founders must prioritize deep customer engagement, not just feature delivery, and create structures (like recurring customer calls) to maintain user closeness. Success demands both strategic thinking—translating vision into actionable, metric-driven plans—and tactical execution. Leveraging AI can automate repetitive tasks and accelerate prototyping, but founders must validate value and manage costs before scaling. Business acumen—understanding adoption, pricing, and unit economics—is vital, as is building an environment that prioritizes strategic work over reactive busywork. Ultimately, product management is a management job: focus on outcomes, stay close to users, and let disciplined product thinking drive your startup forward. Ready to level up your product journey? Subscribe to Wildfire Labs Substack for more actionable insights and founder lessons! This article distills key lessons for founders in product management, emphasizing the critical role of achieving product-market fit (PMF)—measured by whether at least 40% of users would “fight to keep” your product. Founders must prioritize deep customer engagement, not just feature delivery, and create structures (like recurring customer calls) to maintain user closeness. Success demands both strategic thinking—translating vision into actionable, metric-driven plans—and tactical execution. Leveraging AI can automate repetitive tasks and accelerate prototyping, but founders must validate value and manage costs before scaling. Business acumen—understanding adoption, pricing, and unit economics—is vital, as is building an environment that prioritizes strategic work over reactive busywork. Ultimately, product management is a management job: focus on outcomes, stay close to users, and let disciplined product thinking drive your startup forward. Ready to level up your product journey? Subscribe to Wildfire Labs Substack for more actionable insights and founder lessons! #fundraisingtips, #startupfunding, #entrepreneurship, #founders, #venturecapital false full 48 a0eeea6c-bf4d-4f10-8472-6c8132db284b Why Most Founders Approach Fundraising Backwards (And How to Fix It) In "The Funding Framework: Secure Startup Funding With Confidence," Vijay Rajendran reveals that most founders approach fundraising backward—blasting pitch decks to countless investors rather than targeting those with a true fit. He advocates treating fundraising like enterprise sales: build relationships before you need capital, prioritize quality over quantity, and manage the process systematically. Rajendran’s four-step framework emphasizes storytelling, preparation, targeted outreach, and disciplined closing. He urges founders to focus on customer traction over chasing VC checks, build teams based on unique role requirements, and recognize AI’s shift in startup moats from technology to data and distribution. The book stresses that success depends on approach, not just connections or presentations.
 

Ready to transform your fundraising strategy? Dive deeper into actionable insights by picking up "The Funding Framework" on Amazon today!

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 20 Nov 2025 13:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Vijay Rajendran, Todd Gagne) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/why-most-founders-approach-fundraising-backwards-and-how-to-fix-it-X8e3T46J In "The Funding Framework: Secure Startup Funding With Confidence," Vijay Rajendran reveals that most founders approach fundraising backward—blasting pitch decks to countless investors rather than targeting those with a true fit. He advocates treating fundraising like enterprise sales: build relationships before you need capital, prioritize quality over quantity, and manage the process systematically. Rajendran’s four-step framework emphasizes storytelling, preparation, targeted outreach, and disciplined closing. He urges founders to focus on customer traction over chasing VC checks, build teams based on unique role requirements, and recognize AI’s shift in startup moats from technology to data and distribution. The book stresses that success depends on approach, not just connections or presentations.
 

Ready to transform your fundraising strategy? Dive deeper into actionable insights by picking up "The Funding Framework" on Amazon today!

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Why Most Founders Approach Fundraising Backwards (And How to Fix It) Vijay Rajendran, Todd Gagne 00:47:43 In "The Funding Framework: Secure Startup Funding With Confidence," Vijay Rajendran reveals that most founders approach fundraising backward—blasting pitch decks to countless investors rather than targeting those with a true fit. He advocates treating fundraising like enterprise sales: build relationships before you need capital, prioritize quality over quantity, and manage the process systematically. Rajendran’s four-step framework emphasizes storytelling, preparation, targeted outreach, and disciplined closing. He urges founders to focus on customer traction over chasing VC checks, build teams based on unique role requirements, and recognize AI’s shift in startup moats from technology to data and distribution. The book stresses that success depends on approach, not just connections or presentations. Ready to transform your fundraising strategy? Dive deeper into actionable insights by picking up "The Funding Framework" on Amazon today! In "The Funding Framework: Secure Startup Funding With Confidence," Vijay Rajendran reveals that most founders approach fundraising backward—blasting pitch decks to countless investors rather than targeting those with a true fit. He advocates treating fundraising like enterprise sales: build relationships before you need capital, prioritize quality over quantity, and manage the process systematically. Rajendran’s four-step framework emphasizes storytelling, preparation, targeted outreach, and disciplined closing. He urges founders to focus on customer traction over chasing VC checks, build teams based on unique role requirements, and recognize AI’s shift in startup moats from technology to data and distribution. The book stresses that success depends on approach, not just connections or presentations. Ready to transform your fundraising strategy? Dive deeper into actionable insights by picking up "The Funding Framework" on Amazon today! #fundraisingtips, #startupfunding, #entrepreneurship, #founders, #venturecapital false full 47 8b4adb1b-2037-487e-8eb9-8f5ab8451dee Why Your Startup's Newsletter Strategy Is Wrong (And How to Fix It) Another week, another newsletter you feel obligated to ship. It’s supposed to help, but it often reads like a status update no one asked for.

In this episode, Todd Gagne sits with Banks Benitez to reframe the founder newsletter as a product, not an email. The core insight: trust is the scarce resource, and your newsletter should solve a specific problem for a narrowly defined reader. They dig into positioning your newsletter in the funnel (often mid-funnel credibility, not top-of-funnel lead gen), why slower cadence beats volume in the AI era, and the idea of “nutrient density” over cheap calories. Todd and Banks walk through practical prompts: who exactly is this for, when do they need it, what decision does it support? They share examples from lists of 25 decision-makers to 100k subscribers, and metrics to watch beyond open rates.

The thread running through it all is patience. Precision, honesty, and craft compound into trust over time.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 6 Nov 2025 13:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Banks Benitez, Todd Gagne) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/why-your-startups-newsletter-strategy-is-wrong-and-how-to-fix-it-_zuPj7XX Another week, another newsletter you feel obligated to ship. It’s supposed to help, but it often reads like a status update no one asked for.

In this episode, Todd Gagne sits with Banks Benitez to reframe the founder newsletter as a product, not an email. The core insight: trust is the scarce resource, and your newsletter should solve a specific problem for a narrowly defined reader. They dig into positioning your newsletter in the funnel (often mid-funnel credibility, not top-of-funnel lead gen), why slower cadence beats volume in the AI era, and the idea of “nutrient density” over cheap calories. Todd and Banks walk through practical prompts: who exactly is this for, when do they need it, what decision does it support? They share examples from lists of 25 decision-makers to 100k subscribers, and metrics to watch beyond open rates.

The thread running through it all is patience. Precision, honesty, and craft compound into trust over time.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Why Your Startup's Newsletter Strategy Is Wrong (And How to Fix It) Banks Benitez, Todd Gagne 00:52:31 Another week, another newsletter you feel obligated to ship. It’s supposed to help, but it often reads like a status update no one asked for. In this episode, Todd Gagne sits with Banks Benitez to reframe the founder newsletter as a product, not an email. The core insight: trust is the scarce resource, and your newsletter should solve a specific problem for a narrowly defined reader. They dig into positioning your newsletter in the funnel (often mid-funnel credibility, not top-of-funnel lead gen), why slower cadence beats volume in the AI era, and the idea of “nutrient density” over cheap calories. Todd and Banks walk through practical prompts: who exactly is this for, when do they need it, what decision does it support? They share examples from lists of 25 decision-makers to 100k subscribers, and metrics to watch beyond open rates. The thread running through it all is patience. Precision, honesty, and craft compound into trust over time. Another week, another newsletter you feel obligated to ship. It’s supposed to help, but it often reads like a status update no one asked for. In this episode, Todd Gagne sits with Banks Benitez to reframe the founder newsletter as a product, not an email. The core insight: trust is the scarce resource, and your newsletter should solve a specific problem for a narrowly defined reader. They dig into positioning your newsletter in the funnel (often mid-funnel credibility, not top-of-funnel lead gen), why slower cadence beats volume in the AI era, and the idea of “nutrient density” over cheap calories. Todd and Banks walk through practical prompts: who exactly is this for, when do they need it, what decision does it support? They share examples from lists of 25 decision-makers to 100k subscribers, and metrics to watch beyond open rates. The thread running through it all is patience. Precision, honesty, and craft compound into trust over time. entrepreneurtips, customersuccess, wildfirelabs, founderstories, entrepreneurmindset, startups, treehousetalks, startuplessons, founder newsletters, startupmarketing, ai and content quality, mid-funnel credibility false full 46 bea60289-19e2-4786-9835-ac0760db33e0 The $10,000 Question: Why Most Startups Build Products Nobody Wants (And How to Prevent It) Founders still build first and validate later—wasting years and capital. The real bottleneck isn’t knowledge; it’s disciplined execution. Treat validation like fitness: consistency beats spurts. Run strict gates before you write code: deep customer interviews, design mockups, then the 50% Rule—if half of interviewees won’t commit to a free beta, stop. Run the beta, then convert over 50% to paid. Track hidden behaviors that predict success: weekly customer conversations, a 48-hour pause before building, and celebrate learning (even rejections). AI makes prototyping cheap and fast—so mis building is now easier than ever. Use speed to learn, not to ship slop. Support founders across multiple attempts, not zombie startups. Measure what matters: customer insights and behavior change, not GitHub commits.

Subscribe and share this episode with a founder who’s itching to code. Then set a 7‑day challenge: 25 customer conversations, one mockup sprint, and a go/no-go decision using the 50% Rule.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Neil Cocker, Todd Gagne) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/the-10-000-question-why-most-startups-build-products-nobody-wants-and-how-to-prevent-it-3alZ6rmx Founders still build first and validate later—wasting years and capital. The real bottleneck isn’t knowledge; it’s disciplined execution. Treat validation like fitness: consistency beats spurts. Run strict gates before you write code: deep customer interviews, design mockups, then the 50% Rule—if half of interviewees won’t commit to a free beta, stop. Run the beta, then convert over 50% to paid. Track hidden behaviors that predict success: weekly customer conversations, a 48-hour pause before building, and celebrate learning (even rejections). AI makes prototyping cheap and fast—so mis building is now easier than ever. Use speed to learn, not to ship slop. Support founders across multiple attempts, not zombie startups. Measure what matters: customer insights and behavior change, not GitHub commits.

Subscribe and share this episode with a founder who’s itching to code. Then set a 7‑day challenge: 25 customer conversations, one mockup sprint, and a go/no-go decision using the 50% Rule.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> The $10,000 Question: Why Most Startups Build Products Nobody Wants (And How to Prevent It) Neil Cocker, Todd Gagne 00:59:45 Founders still build first and validate later—wasting years and capital. The real bottleneck isn’t knowledge; it’s disciplined execution. Treat validation like fitness: consistency beats spurts. Run strict gates before you write code: deep customer interviews, design mockups, then the 50% Rule—if half of interviewees won’t commit to a free beta, stop. Run the beta, then convert over 50% to paid. Track hidden behaviors that predict success: weekly customer conversations, a 48-hour pause before building, and celebrate learning (even rejections). AI makes prototyping cheap and fast—so misbuilding is now easier than ever. Use speed to learn, not to ship slop. Support founders across multiple attempts, not zombie startups. Measure what matters: customer insights and behavior change, not GitHub commits. Subscribe and share this episode with a founder who’s itching to code. Then set a 7‑day challenge: 25 customer conversations, one mockup sprint, and a go/no-go decision using the 50% Rule. Founders still build first and validate later—wasting years and capital. The real bottleneck isn’t knowledge; it’s disciplined execution. Treat validation like fitness: consistency beats spurts. Run strict gates before you write code: deep customer interviews, design mockups, then the 50% Rule—if half of interviewees won’t commit to a free beta, stop. Run the beta, then convert over 50% to paid. Track hidden behaviors that predict success: weekly customer conversations, a 48-hour pause before building, and celebrate learning (even rejections). AI makes prototyping cheap and fast—so misbuilding is now easier than ever. Use speed to learn, not to ship slop. Support founders across multiple attempts, not zombie startups. Measure what matters: customer insights and behavior change, not GitHub commits. Subscribe and share this episode with a founder who’s itching to code. Then set a 7‑day challenge: 25 customer conversations, one mockup sprint, and a go/no-go decision using the 50% Rule. entrepreneurtips, customersuccess, wildfirelabs, founderstories, entrepreneurmindset, startups, treehousetalks, startuplessons, discipline, ai prototyping, startupmarketing false full 45 23b50c57-3317-48a1-ad8f-334368909191 The Cofounder Relationship: Your Startup's Most Important Asset Founders obsess over product-market fit, but the real determinant of a startup's success is the co-founder relationship. While partners focus on operational tasks, they often ignore the crucial psychological dynamics, leading to "emotional debt"—unspoken frustrations that compound and threaten the business during high-stress moments.

You can't solve relationship issues with operational fixes. Success requires building both operational trust (competence) and personal trust (support). Proactively create a "partnership term sheet" to align on expectations for work commitment, conflict resolution, and personal boundaries before conflicts arise.

Your co-founder dynamic sets the company's entire culture. Prioritizing this relationship isn't a distraction; it's the most critical work you can do for your business. The most impactful work isn't in your codebase—it's in your co-founder connection.

For deeper insights and tools to strengthen your partnership, listen to the full podcast episode and check out Matt Jones's book "The Cofounder Effect."

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 9 Oct 2025 12:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Matt Jones, Todd Gagne) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/the-cofounder-relationship-your-startups-most-important-asset-hiXpgQak Founders obsess over product-market fit, but the real determinant of a startup's success is the co-founder relationship. While partners focus on operational tasks, they often ignore the crucial psychological dynamics, leading to "emotional debt"—unspoken frustrations that compound and threaten the business during high-stress moments.

You can't solve relationship issues with operational fixes. Success requires building both operational trust (competence) and personal trust (support). Proactively create a "partnership term sheet" to align on expectations for work commitment, conflict resolution, and personal boundaries before conflicts arise.

Your co-founder dynamic sets the company's entire culture. Prioritizing this relationship isn't a distraction; it's the most critical work you can do for your business. The most impactful work isn't in your codebase—it's in your co-founder connection.

For deeper insights and tools to strengthen your partnership, listen to the full podcast episode and check out Matt Jones's book "The Cofounder Effect."

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> The Cofounder Relationship: Your Startup's Most Important Asset Matt Jones, Todd Gagne 00:50:48 Founders obsess over product-market fit, but the real determinant of a startup's success is the co-founder relationship. While partners focus on operational tasks, they often ignore the crucial psychological dynamics, leading to "emotional debt"—unspoken frustrations that compound and threaten the business during high-stress moments. You can't solve relationship issues with operational fixes. Success requires building both operational trust (competence) and personal trust (support). Proactively create a "partnership term sheet" to align on expectations for work commitment, conflict resolution, and personal boundaries before conflicts arise. Your co-founder dynamic sets the company's entire culture. Prioritizing this relationship isn't a distraction; it's the most critical work you can do for your business. The most impactful work isn't in your codebase—it's in your co-founder connection. For deeper insights and tools to strengthen your partnership, listen to the full podcast episode and check out Matt Jones's book "The Cofounder Effect." Founders obsess over product-market fit, but the real determinant of a startup's success is the co-founder relationship. While partners focus on operational tasks, they often ignore the crucial psychological dynamics, leading to "emotional debt"—unspoken frustrations that compound and threaten the business during high-stress moments. You can't solve relationship issues with operational fixes. Success requires building both operational trust (competence) and personal trust (support). Proactively create a "partnership term sheet" to align on expectations for work commitment, conflict resolution, and personal boundaries before conflicts arise. Your co-founder dynamic sets the company's entire culture. Prioritizing this relationship isn't a distraction; it's the most critical work you can do for your business. The most impactful work isn't in your codebase—it's in your co-founder connection. For deeper insights and tools to strengthen your partnership, listen to the full podcast episode and check out Matt Jones's book "The Cofounder Effect." entrepreneurtips, customersuccess, wildfirelabs, founderstories, entrepreneurmindset, startups, treehousetalks, startuplessons, demandgen, startupmarketing, gotomarket false full 44 16163190-eb59-4081-8edf-335569447df4 The Marketing Playbook Every Early-Stage SaaS Founder Needs (Before It's Too Late) Early-stage SaaS founders win by narrowing focus, starting marketing early, and building trust. Niche down to a specific ICP so your messaging speaks to real pain (e.g., third-shift hiring in manufacturing). Don’t wait for product readiness—begin 1–2 years ahead with thought leadership and top-of-funnel content so buyers know you before launch. Craft a unique perspective: map ICP challenges, use their language, and tie outcomes to problems. Use AI as an accelerant, not a shortcut—configure custom GPTs with your ICP, brand voice, and verify every claim. Invest 10–30% of seed in marketing, and leverage low-cost tactics: show up where your ICP gathers, give value, and win your first 25 customers personally. Balance sales and marketing; brand lifts average reps and shortens cycles. Iterate continuously based on feedback and market shifts. 

Pick one niche, publish one ICP-specific insight this week, and start a 90-day value-first marketing cadence.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 25 Sep 2025 12:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Deanna Shimota, Todd Gagne) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/the-marketing-playbook-every-early-stage-saas-founder-needs-before-its-too-late-P_IXqIgt Early-stage SaaS founders win by narrowing focus, starting marketing early, and building trust. Niche down to a specific ICP so your messaging speaks to real pain (e.g., third-shift hiring in manufacturing). Don’t wait for product readiness—begin 1–2 years ahead with thought leadership and top-of-funnel content so buyers know you before launch. Craft a unique perspective: map ICP challenges, use their language, and tie outcomes to problems. Use AI as an accelerant, not a shortcut—configure custom GPTs with your ICP, brand voice, and verify every claim. Invest 10–30% of seed in marketing, and leverage low-cost tactics: show up where your ICP gathers, give value, and win your first 25 customers personally. Balance sales and marketing; brand lifts average reps and shortens cycles. Iterate continuously based on feedback and market shifts. 

Pick one niche, publish one ICP-specific insight this week, and start a 90-day value-first marketing cadence.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> The Marketing Playbook Every Early-Stage SaaS Founder Needs (Before It's Too Late) Deanna Shimota, Todd Gagne 00:54:28 Early-stage SaaS founders win by narrowing focus, starting marketing early, and building trust. Niche down to a specific ICP so your messaging speaks to real pain (e.g., third-shift hiring in manufacturing). Don’t wait for product readiness—begin 1–2 years ahead with thought leadership and top-of-funnel content so buyers know you before launch. Craft a unique perspective: map ICP challenges, use their language, and tie outcomes to problems. Use AI as an accelerant, not a shortcut—configure custom GPTs with your ICP, brand voice, and verify every claim. Invest 10–30% of seed in marketing, and leverage low-cost tactics: show up where your ICP gathers, give value, and win your first 25 customers personally. Balance sales and marketing; brand lifts average reps and shortens cycles. Iterate continuously based on feedback and market shifts. Pick one niche, publish one ICP-specific insight this week, and start a 90-day value-first marketing cadence. Early-stage SaaS founders win by narrowing focus, starting marketing early, and building trust. Niche down to a specific ICP so your messaging speaks to real pain (e.g., third-shift hiring in manufacturing). Don’t wait for product readiness—begin 1–2 years ahead with thought leadership and top-of-funnel content so buyers know you before launch. Craft a unique perspective: map ICP challenges, use their language, and tie outcomes to problems. Use AI as an accelerant, not a shortcut—configure custom GPTs with your ICP, brand voice, and verify every claim. Invest 10–30% of seed in marketing, and leverage low-cost tactics: show up where your ICP gathers, give value, and win your first 25 customers personally. Balance sales and marketing; brand lifts average reps and shortens cycles. Iterate continuously based on feedback and market shifts. Pick one niche, publish one ICP-specific insight this week, and start a 90-day value-first marketing cadence. entrepreneurtips, customersuccess, wildfirelabs, founderstories, entrepreneurmindset, startups, treehousetalks, startuplessons, demandgen, startupmarketing, gotomarket false full 43 0c6b2790-1e1b-4f70-8038-f9d7f99f1231 AI-Powered Account Management: Finding Gold in Your Backyard Retaining customers is your fastest path to revenue, and AI can supercharge it. Ram Ganesan, CEO of Kaboom.ai, saw that most CRMs optimize for new pipeline, not existing relationships. Kaboom flips that: it maps relationship networks, mines unstructured data (emails, notes, earnings calls), and proactively nudges account managers—“It’s time to meet; this RFP decision is near”—boosting both rookies and stars.

Founder lessons:

Hunt for workflow gaps in mature tools; build for results, not features.

Tie pricing to outcomes to align incentives.

Blend domain expertise with an engineering mindset: treat sales as a sequence of solvable steps.

Focus hard; say no; manage self-inflicted anxiety.

Future: Kaboom aims to be the “account operating system,” spanning CS, delivery, and finance, deployed in customers’ private clouds with model-agnostic LLMs.

Ready to turn expertise into revenue in 6 months? Wildfire Labs’ AI-first studio can help—8–12 week builds, GTM support, and an I-Corps $2,000 grant. Visit wildfirelabs.io or email info@wildfirelabs.io.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 11 Sep 2025 12:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Ram Ganesan, Todd Gagne) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/ai-powered-account-management-finding-gold-in-your-backyard-wk1ACOOf Retaining customers is your fastest path to revenue, and AI can supercharge it. Ram Ganesan, CEO of Kaboom.ai, saw that most CRMs optimize for new pipeline, not existing relationships. Kaboom flips that: it maps relationship networks, mines unstructured data (emails, notes, earnings calls), and proactively nudges account managers—“It’s time to meet; this RFP decision is near”—boosting both rookies and stars.

Founder lessons:

Hunt for workflow gaps in mature tools; build for results, not features.

Tie pricing to outcomes to align incentives.

Blend domain expertise with an engineering mindset: treat sales as a sequence of solvable steps.

Focus hard; say no; manage self-inflicted anxiety.

Future: Kaboom aims to be the “account operating system,” spanning CS, delivery, and finance, deployed in customers’ private clouds with model-agnostic LLMs.

Ready to turn expertise into revenue in 6 months? Wildfire Labs’ AI-first studio can help—8–12 week builds, GTM support, and an I-Corps $2,000 grant. Visit wildfirelabs.io or email info@wildfirelabs.io.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> AI-Powered Account Management: Finding Gold in Your Backyard Ram Ganesan, Todd Gagne 00:49:16 Retaining customers is your fastest path to revenue, and AI can supercharge it. Ram Ganesan, CEO of Kaboom.ai, saw that most CRMs optimize for new pipeline, not existing relationships. Kaboom flips that: it maps relationship networks, mines unstructured data (emails, notes, earnings calls), and proactively nudges account managers—“It’s time to meet; this RFP decision is near”—boosting both rookies and stars. Founder lessons: Hunt for workflow gaps in mature tools; build for results, not features. Tie pricing to outcomes to align incentives. Blend domain expertise with an engineering mindset: treat sales as a sequence of solvable steps. Focus hard; say no; manage self-inflicted anxiety. Future: Kaboom aims to be the “account operating system,” spanning CS, delivery, and finance, deployed in customers’ private clouds with model-agnostic LLMs. Ready to turn expertise into revenue in 6 months? Wildfire Labs’ AI-first studio can help—8–12 week builds, GTM support, and an I-Corps $2,000 grant. Visit wildfirelabs.io or email info@wildfirelabs.io. Retaining customers is your fastest path to revenue, and AI can supercharge it. Ram Ganesan, CEO of Kaboom.ai, saw that most CRMs optimize for new pipeline, not existing relationships. Kaboom flips that: it maps relationship networks, mines unstructured data (emails, notes, earnings calls), and proactively nudges account managers—“It’s time to meet; this RFP decision is near”—boosting both rookies and stars. Founder lessons: Hunt for workflow gaps in mature tools; build for results, not features. Tie pricing to outcomes to align incentives. Blend domain expertise with an engineering mindset: treat sales as a sequence of solvable steps. Focus hard; say no; manage self-inflicted anxiety. Future: Kaboom aims to be the “account operating system,” spanning CS, delivery, and finance, deployed in customers’ private clouds with model-agnostic LLMs. Ready to turn expertise into revenue in 6 months? Wildfire Labs’ AI-first studio can help—8–12 week builds, GTM support, and an I-Corps $2,000 grant. Visit wildfirelabs.io or email info@wildfirelabs.io. entrepreneurtips, customersuccess, wildfirelabs, founderstories, entrepreneurmindset, remotework, startups, cofounderalignment, aiforsales, treehousetalks, startuplessons, accountmanagement false full 42 503b0c2b-8810-4264-accf-3f874f8bd94d The Paradox of AI: Balancing Technology with Human Connection S03E17 William Welser IV’s conversation with Todd Gagne spotlights a human-centered approach to AI and product building. His non-linear path—military, engineering, RAND, and founding LOTIC—centers on helping people. LOTIC flips the data model: it uses spoken stories as rich, owned-by-user data, secured with advanced encryption, and analyzed by the “Wisdom Engine” for personalized insights. Key takeaways for founders: design to enhance lives, not just speed tasks; “show your work” to build transparency and learning; form interdisciplinary teams (behavioral scientists first); practice humility and assume you might be wrong; and address cofounder misalignment early. Welser warns against offloading thinking to AI—friction drives learning. LOTIC’s privacy-first, ethical design shows trust can be a durable business advantage.

Ready to turn your expertise into an AI product that truly serves people? Explore Wildfire Labs’ 6-month studio program at wildfirelabs.io or email info@wildfirelabs.io to get started.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 28 Aug 2025 12:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (William Welser IV, Todd Gagne) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/the-paradox-of-ai-balancing-technology-with-human-connection-s03e17-Tdkyvrvv William Welser IV’s conversation with Todd Gagne spotlights a human-centered approach to AI and product building. His non-linear path—military, engineering, RAND, and founding LOTIC—centers on helping people. LOTIC flips the data model: it uses spoken stories as rich, owned-by-user data, secured with advanced encryption, and analyzed by the “Wisdom Engine” for personalized insights. Key takeaways for founders: design to enhance lives, not just speed tasks; “show your work” to build transparency and learning; form interdisciplinary teams (behavioral scientists first); practice humility and assume you might be wrong; and address cofounder misalignment early. Welser warns against offloading thinking to AI—friction drives learning. LOTIC’s privacy-first, ethical design shows trust can be a durable business advantage.

Ready to turn your expertise into an AI product that truly serves people? Explore Wildfire Labs’ 6-month studio program at wildfirelabs.io or email info@wildfirelabs.io to get started.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> The Paradox of AI: Balancing Technology with Human Connection S03E17 William Welser IV, Todd Gagne 00:54:01 William Welser IV’s conversation with Todd Gagne spotlights a human-centered approach to AI and product building. His non-linear path—military, engineering, RAND, and founding LOTIC—centers on helping people. LOTIC flips the data model: it uses spoken stories as rich, owned-by-user data, secured with advanced encryption, and analyzed by the “Wisdom Engine” for personalized insights. Key takeaways for founders: design to enhance lives, not just speed tasks; “show your work” to build transparency and learning; form interdisciplinary teams (behavioral scientists first); practice humility and assume you might be wrong; and address cofounder misalignment early. Welser warns against offloading thinking to AI—friction drives learning. LOTIC’s privacy-first, ethical design shows trust can be a durable business advantage. Ready to turn your expertise into an AI product that truly serves people? Explore Wildfire Labs’ 6-month studio program at wildfirelabs.io or email info@wildfirelabs.io to get started. William Welser IV’s conversation with Todd Gagne spotlights a human-centered approach to AI and product building. His non-linear path—military, engineering, RAND, and founding LOTIC—centers on helping people. LOTIC flips the data model: it uses spoken stories as rich, owned-by-user data, secured with advanced encryption, and analyzed by the “Wisdom Engine” for personalized insights. Key takeaways for founders: design to enhance lives, not just speed tasks; “show your work” to build transparency and learning; form interdisciplinary teams (behavioral scientists first); practice humility and assume you might be wrong; and address cofounder misalignment early. Welser warns against offloading thinking to AI—friction drives learning. LOTIC’s privacy-first, ethical design shows trust can be a durable business advantage. Ready to turn your expertise into an AI product that truly serves people? Explore Wildfire Labs’ 6-month studio program at wildfirelabs.io or email info@wildfirelabs.io to get started. entrepreneurtips, founderstories, entrepreneurmindset, remotework, startups, cofounderalignment, treehousetalks, humancentereddesign, thestoryeconomy, lotic, techforgood, ethicalai false full 41 3b786cb9-3019-4cc2-bb44-0f660ffac5ae You Need Healthy Soil: The Secret to Building Entrepreneurial Ecosystems S03E16 Most communities aiming to replicate Silicon Valley overlook the essential foundation for entrepreneurial success: healthy ecosystems. In a conversation with Alfredo Mathew, founder of ESO Ventures, we explored the gaps in ecosystem building and solutions to empower entrepreneurs. Alfredo emphasizes that ecosystems must prioritize founders with skin in the game, supported by public, private, and philanthropic partnerships. His "four P model" highlights private capital for scalability, public funds for momentum, and philanthropy to close gaps.

Successful ecosystems start with founder-first support, focusing on experienced professionals with domain expertise. Alfredo challenges the "youth bias," arguing 40-60-year-olds make the best entrepreneurs due to life experience and resilience.

Key takeaways include: building delegable systems, leveraging AI for niche solutions, and showcasing local success stories to attract talent and resources. Ecosystem building requires collaboration, education, and a shift from job creation to asset ownership for sustainable growth.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 14 Aug 2025 13:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Alfredo Mathew, Todd Gagne) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/you-need-healthy-soil-the-secret-to-building-entrepreneurial-ecosystems-s03e16-GNSYoUxs Most communities aiming to replicate Silicon Valley overlook the essential foundation for entrepreneurial success: healthy ecosystems. In a conversation with Alfredo Mathew, founder of ESO Ventures, we explored the gaps in ecosystem building and solutions to empower entrepreneurs. Alfredo emphasizes that ecosystems must prioritize founders with skin in the game, supported by public, private, and philanthropic partnerships. His "four P model" highlights private capital for scalability, public funds for momentum, and philanthropy to close gaps.

Successful ecosystems start with founder-first support, focusing on experienced professionals with domain expertise. Alfredo challenges the "youth bias," arguing 40-60-year-olds make the best entrepreneurs due to life experience and resilience.

Key takeaways include: building delegable systems, leveraging AI for niche solutions, and showcasing local success stories to attract talent and resources. Ecosystem building requires collaboration, education, and a shift from job creation to asset ownership for sustainable growth.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> You Need Healthy Soil: The Secret to Building Entrepreneurial Ecosystems S03E16 Alfredo Mathew, Todd Gagne 00:43:33 Most communities aiming to replicate Silicon Valley overlook the essential foundation for entrepreneurial success: healthy ecosystems. In a conversation with Alfredo Mathew, founder of ESO Ventures, we explored the gaps in ecosystem building and solutions to empower entrepreneurs. Alfredo emphasizes that ecosystems must prioritize founders with skin in the game, supported by public, private, and philanthropic partnerships. His "four P model" highlights private capital for scalability, public funds for momentum, and philanthropy to close gaps. Successful ecosystems start with founder-first support, focusing on experienced professionals with domain expertise. Alfredo challenges the "youth bias," arguing 40-60-year-olds make the best entrepreneurs due to life experience and resilience. Key takeaways include: building delegable systems, leveraging AI for niche solutions, and showcasing local success stories to attract talent and resources. Ecosystem building requires collaboration, education, and a shift from job creation to asset ownership for sustainable growth. Most communities aiming to replicate Silicon Valley overlook the essential foundation for entrepreneurial success: healthy ecosystems. In a conversation with Alfredo Mathew, founder of ESO Ventures, we explored the gaps in ecosystem building and solutions to empower entrepreneurs. Alfredo emphasizes that ecosystems must prioritize founders with skin in the game, supported by public, private, and philanthropic partnerships. His "four P model" highlights private capital for scalability, public funds for momentum, and philanthropy to close gaps. Successful ecosystems start with founder-first support, focusing on experienced professionals with domain expertise. Alfredo challenges the "youth bias," arguing 40-60-year-olds make the best entrepreneurs due to life experience and resilience. Key takeaways include: building delegable systems, leveraging AI for niche solutions, and showcasing local success stories to attract talent and resources. Ecosystem building requires collaboration, education, and a shift from job creation to asset ownership for sustainable growth. entrepreneurtips, founderstories, entrepreneurmindset, remotework, startups, treehousetalks, domain expertise, eso ventures, ai niche solutions, philanthropy false full 40 cd31ffbc-4129-493c-b7cc-8147b262e8e0 The Friction List: A Bootstrapper's Guide to Building Better S03E15 At 18, Chris Brisson’s journey began with a simple desire for new Mustang rims, but it evolved into a lesson in business arbitrage when he resold them for a profit. Years later, facing financial hardship, Chris turned to eBay, sparking his entrepreneurial mindset. He learned by solving problems hands-on, embracing continuous improvement and documenting everything. Chris’s companies—like Salesmsg—focus on real, two-way conversations, not just blasting messages. He champions a “friction list” where team members log inefficiencies, and he prioritizes automation and AI to create compound leverage. Chris’s approach is rooted in Kaizen: small, weekly improvements. His bootstrapped, remote company values autonomy, transparency, and constant learning. The key takeaways: treat problems as learning opportunities, systematically reduce friction, leverage AI for true efficiency, and maintain flexibility by raising capital only when necessary. Chris’s story is a blueprint for scrappy, scalable, founder-led growth.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 31 Jul 2025 13:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Todd Gagne, Chris Brisson) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/the-friction-list-a-bootstrappers-guide-to-building-better-s03e15-uqzE8pvt At 18, Chris Brisson’s journey began with a simple desire for new Mustang rims, but it evolved into a lesson in business arbitrage when he resold them for a profit. Years later, facing financial hardship, Chris turned to eBay, sparking his entrepreneurial mindset. He learned by solving problems hands-on, embracing continuous improvement and documenting everything. Chris’s companies—like Salesmsg—focus on real, two-way conversations, not just blasting messages. He champions a “friction list” where team members log inefficiencies, and he prioritizes automation and AI to create compound leverage. Chris’s approach is rooted in Kaizen: small, weekly improvements. His bootstrapped, remote company values autonomy, transparency, and constant learning. The key takeaways: treat problems as learning opportunities, systematically reduce friction, leverage AI for true efficiency, and maintain flexibility by raising capital only when necessary. Chris’s story is a blueprint for scrappy, scalable, founder-led growth.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> The Friction List: A Bootstrapper's Guide to Building Better S03E15 Todd Gagne, Chris Brisson 01:00:31 At 18, Chris Brisson’s journey began with a simple desire for new Mustang rims, but it evolved into a lesson in business arbitrage when he resold them for a profit. Years later, facing financial hardship, Chris turned to eBay, sparking his entrepreneurial mindset. He learned by solving problems hands-on, embracing continuous improvement and documenting everything. Chris’s companies—like Salesmsg—focus on real, two-way conversations, not just blasting messages. He champions a “friction list” where team members log inefficiencies, and he prioritizes automation and AI to create compound leverage. Chris’s approach is rooted in Kaizen: small, weekly improvements. His bootstrapped, remote company values autonomy, transparency, and constant learning. The key takeaways: treat problems as learning opportunities, systematically reduce friction, leverage AI for true efficiency, and maintain flexibility by raising capital only when necessary. Chris’s story is a blueprint for scrappy, scalable, founder-led growth. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. At 18, Chris Brisson’s journey began with a simple desire for new Mustang rims, but it evolved into a lesson in business arbitrage when he resold them for a profit. Years later, facing financial hardship, Chris turned to eBay, sparking his entrepreneurial mindset. He learned by solving problems hands-on, embracing continuous improvement and documenting everything. Chris’s companies—like Salesmsg—focus on real, two-way conversations, not just blasting messages. He champions a “friction list” where team members log inefficiencies, and he prioritizes automation and AI to create compound leverage. Chris’s approach is rooted in Kaizen: small, weekly improvements. His bootstrapped, remote company values autonomy, transparency, and constant learning. The key takeaways: treat problems as learning opportunities, systematically reduce friction, leverage AI for true efficiency, and maintain flexibility by raising capital only when necessary. Chris’s story is a blueprint for scrappy, scalable, founder-led growth. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. entrepreneurtips, founderstories, entrepreneurmindset, remotework, aiforbusiness, buildwithai, kaizen, startups, treehousetalks, productivityhacks false full 39 a37837af-3b30-4a10-87ab-26d879b4ae77 AI for Startups: How a 5-Person Team Competes Industry Giants S03E14 In a recent Startup Stories from the Treehouse episode, John Long, co-founder of Thynk AI, shared his entrepreneurial journey, emphasizing reinvention, AI-powered efficiency, and building scalable systems. He transitioned from real estate to tech after the 2008 crisis, showcasing how setbacks can become opportunities. Thynk AI originated as an internal tool, evolving into a business by solving real challenges. John highlighted AI's transformative potential, enabling small teams to compete with larger organizations by automating repetitive tasks and focusing on innovation. Key advice includes adopting an AI-first mindset, starting small with automation, and rethinking workflows from the ground up. Founders can use AI to boost efficiency, scale smarter, and deliver impactful results with lean resources.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 17 Jul 2025 13:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Todd Gagne, John Long) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/ai-for-startups-how-a-5-person-team-competes-industry-giants-s03e14-zxgEx3_q In a recent Startup Stories from the Treehouse episode, John Long, co-founder of Thynk AI, shared his entrepreneurial journey, emphasizing reinvention, AI-powered efficiency, and building scalable systems. He transitioned from real estate to tech after the 2008 crisis, showcasing how setbacks can become opportunities. Thynk AI originated as an internal tool, evolving into a business by solving real challenges. John highlighted AI's transformative potential, enabling small teams to compete with larger organizations by automating repetitive tasks and focusing on innovation. Key advice includes adopting an AI-first mindset, starting small with automation, and rethinking workflows from the ground up. Founders can use AI to boost efficiency, scale smarter, and deliver impactful results with lean resources.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> AI for Startups: How a 5-Person Team Competes Industry Giants S03E14 Todd Gagne, John Long 00:53:23 In a recent Startup Stories from the Treehouse episode, John Long, co-founder of Thynk AI, shared his entrepreneurial journey, emphasizing reinvention, AI-powered efficiency, and building scalable systems. He transitioned from real estate to tech after the 2008 crisis, showcasing how setbacks can become opportunities. Thynk AI originated as an internal tool, evolving into a business by solving real challenges. John highlighted AI's transformative potential, enabling small teams to compete with larger organizations by automating repetitive tasks and focusing on innovation. Key advice includes adopting an AI-first mindset, starting small with automation, and rethinking workflows from the ground up. Founders can use AI to boost efficiency, scale smarter, and deliver impactful results with lean resources. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. In a recent Startup Stories from the Treehouse episode, John Long, co-founder of Thynk AI, shared his entrepreneurial journey, emphasizing reinvention, AI-powered efficiency, and building scalable systems. He transitioned from real estate to tech after the 2008 crisis, showcasing how setbacks can become opportunities. Thynk AI originated as an internal tool, evolving into a business by solving real challenges. John highlighted AI's transformative potential, enabling small teams to compete with larger organizations by automating repetitive tasks and focusing on innovation. Key advice includes adopting an AI-first mindset, starting small with automation, and rethinking workflows from the ground up. Founders can use AI to boost efficiency, scale smarter, and deliver impactful results with lean resources. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. entrepreneurtips, founderstories, entrepreneurmindset, aiforbusiness, buildwithai, startups, treehousetalks, foundertips, aistartups, efficiencymatters, airevolution false full 38 56086857-8c7e-4028-a8c4-140e16327470 Startup Stories from the Treehouse: Mastering Finance for Early-Stage Founders S03E13 Startup founders often overlook the importance of financial discipline, leaving their businesses vulnerable. In this episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, host Todd Gagne chats with finance expert Anastasia Ristovska to uncover the financial blind spots holding startups back. From knowing when to switch to accrual accounting to choosing the right tools, mastering key metrics, and preparing for investors, this episode is packed with actionable advice to help you build a solid financial foundation. Learn how to stop driving blind and use finance as a strategic tool to scale with confidence. Whether you're just starting out or gearing up for growth, this conversation will help you unlock the numbers driving your business success.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 3 Jul 2025 13:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Todd Gagne, Anastasia Ristovska) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/startup-stories-from-the-treehouse-mastering-finance-for-early-stage-founders-s03e13-ZCiVZEVB Startup founders often overlook the importance of financial discipline, leaving their businesses vulnerable. In this episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, host Todd Gagne chats with finance expert Anastasia Ristovska to uncover the financial blind spots holding startups back. From knowing when to switch to accrual accounting to choosing the right tools, mastering key metrics, and preparing for investors, this episode is packed with actionable advice to help you build a solid financial foundation. Learn how to stop driving blind and use finance as a strategic tool to scale with confidence. Whether you're just starting out or gearing up for growth, this conversation will help you unlock the numbers driving your business success.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Startup Stories from the Treehouse: Mastering Finance for Early-Stage Founders S03E13 Todd Gagne, Anastasia Ristovska 00:45:53 Startup founders often overlook the importance of financial discipline, leaving their businesses vulnerable. In this episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, host Todd Gagne chats with finance expert Anastasia Ristovska to uncover the financial blind spots holding startups back. From knowing when to switch to accrual accounting to choosing the right tools, mastering key metrics, and preparing for investors, this episode is packed with actionable advice to help you build a solid financial foundation. Learn how to stop driving blind and use finance as a strategic tool to scale with confidence. Whether you're just starting out or gearing up for growth, this conversation will help you unlock the numbers driving your business success. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. Startup founders often overlook the importance of financial discipline, leaving their businesses vulnerable. In this episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, host Todd Gagne chats with finance expert Anastasia Ristovska to uncover the financial blind spots holding startups back. From knowing when to switch to accrual accounting to choosing the right tools, mastering key metrics, and preparing for investors, this episode is packed with actionable advice to help you build a solid financial foundation. Learn how to stop driving blind and use finance as a strategic tool to scale with confidence. Whether you're just starting out or gearing up for growth, this conversation will help you unlock the numbers driving your business success. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. entrepreneurtips, scalesmart, financial literacy, founderstories, entrepreneurmindset, startups, early-stage startup, treehousetalks, foundertips, financialdiscipline, startupadvice false full 37 2da7bb6c-3200-4d09-b8ed-8ff6d2869e79 The Startup Playbook: Lessons in Focus, Trust, and Experimentation S03E12 Building a startup is a thrilling high-wire act—one misstep, and you’re out. In this episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, hosts Todd Gagne and Wilhelm Laubach deliver a masterclass for early-stage founders navigating the toughest challenges: finding product-market fit, managing scarce resources, and standing out in a crowded market. Learn how to get laser-focused on solving one problem for one audience, run marketing like a series of science experiments, and build trust before you sell. Discover why clarity in messaging, winning the short game, and using AI wisely are non-negotiable for growth. With lessons from improv and affordable branding hacks, this episode is packed with actionable insights—perfect for founders ready to move fast, adapt, and win.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 19 Jun 2025 13:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Todd Gagne, Wilhelm Laubach) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/the-startup-playbook-lessons-in-focus-trust-and-experimentation-s03e12-AGN0F_5H Building a startup is a thrilling high-wire act—one misstep, and you’re out. In this episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, hosts Todd Gagne and Wilhelm Laubach deliver a masterclass for early-stage founders navigating the toughest challenges: finding product-market fit, managing scarce resources, and standing out in a crowded market. Learn how to get laser-focused on solving one problem for one audience, run marketing like a series of science experiments, and build trust before you sell. Discover why clarity in messaging, winning the short game, and using AI wisely are non-negotiable for growth. With lessons from improv and affordable branding hacks, this episode is packed with actionable insights—perfect for founders ready to move fast, adapt, and win.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> The Startup Playbook: Lessons in Focus, Trust, and Experimentation S03E12 Todd Gagne, Wilhelm Laubach 00:52:43 Building a startup is a thrilling high-wire act—one misstep, and you’re out. In this episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, hosts Todd Gagne and Wilhelm Laubach deliver a masterclass for early-stage founders navigating the toughest challenges: finding product-market fit, managing scarce resources, and standing out in a crowded market. Learn how to get laser-focused on solving one problem for one audience, run marketing like a series of science experiments, and build trust before you sell. Discover why clarity in messaging, winning the short game, and using AI wisely are non-negotiable for growth. With lessons from improv and affordable branding hacks, this episode is packed with actionable insights—perfect for founders ready to move fast, adapt, and win. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. Building a startup is a thrilling high-wire act—one misstep, and you’re out. In this episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, hosts Todd Gagne and Wilhelm Laubach deliver a masterclass for early-stage founders navigating the toughest challenges: finding product-market fit, managing scarce resources, and standing out in a crowded market. Learn how to get laser-focused on solving one problem for one audience, run marketing like a series of science experiments, and build trust before you sell. Discover why clarity in messaging, winning the short game, and using AI wisely are non-negotiable for growth. With lessons from improv and affordable branding hacks, this episode is packed with actionable insights—perfect for founders ready to move fast, adapt, and win. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. entrepreneurtips, financial literacy, founderstories, startups, early-stage startup, treehousetalks, startupadvice, productmarketfit false full 36 0624c8c0-871b-4173-82fb-451dec5966f9 Financial Wisdom for Founders: From Survival to Scale S03E11 In this episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, we sit down with veteran financial advisor Cary Prejean, who brings over 35 years of experience helping entrepreneurs navigate the complexities of startup finance. Cary shares actionable insights on mastering financial literacy, defining success, and building sustainable businesses. Learn why knowing your numbers is essential, how to avoid common financial pitfalls, and the importance of maintaining a "margin of safety." Cary also discusses navigating funding, creating scalable systems, and adopting an ownership mindset to lead effectively. Whether you're an early-stage founder or scaling your startup, this episode equips you with tools to align your financial strategy with your vision for long-term success.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 5 Jun 2025 13:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Todd Gagne, Cary Prejean) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/financial-wisdom-for-founders-from-survival-to-scale-s03e11-y6GqKMXT In this episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, we sit down with veteran financial advisor Cary Prejean, who brings over 35 years of experience helping entrepreneurs navigate the complexities of startup finance. Cary shares actionable insights on mastering financial literacy, defining success, and building sustainable businesses. Learn why knowing your numbers is essential, how to avoid common financial pitfalls, and the importance of maintaining a "margin of safety." Cary also discusses navigating funding, creating scalable systems, and adopting an ownership mindset to lead effectively. Whether you're an early-stage founder or scaling your startup, this episode equips you with tools to align your financial strategy with your vision for long-term success.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Financial Wisdom for Founders: From Survival to Scale S03E11 Todd Gagne, Cary Prejean 00:57:40 In this episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, we sit down with veteran financial advisor Cary Prejean, who brings over 35 years of experience helping entrepreneurs navigate the complexities of startup finance. Cary shares actionable insights on mastering financial literacy, defining success, and building sustainable businesses. Learn why knowing your numbers is essential, how to avoid common financial pitfalls, and the importance of maintaining a "margin of safety." Cary also discusses navigating funding, creating scalable systems, and adopting an ownership mindset to lead effectively. Whether you're an early-stage founder or scaling your startup, this episode equips you with tools to align your financial strategy with your vision for long-term success. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. In this episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, we sit down with veteran financial advisor Cary Prejean, who brings over 35 years of experience helping entrepreneurs navigate the complexities of startup finance. Cary shares actionable insights on mastering financial literacy, defining success, and building sustainable businesses. Learn why knowing your numbers is essential, how to avoid common financial pitfalls, and the importance of maintaining a "margin of safety." Cary also discusses navigating funding, creating scalable systems, and adopting an ownership mindset to lead effectively. Whether you're an early-stage founder or scaling your startup, this episode equips you with tools to align your financial strategy with your vision for long-term success. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. financial literacy, founderstories, entrepreneurialmindset, startups, early-stage startup, business kpis, treehousetalks, sustainable scaling false full 35 3a97f148-c492-4036-9735-dbf6d877afcb Startup Success Secrets From Wildland Firefighters S03E10 Tyler and Brennan turned their wildland firefighting experience into a successful tech platform that solves critical industry inefficiencies. Despite limited technical backgrounds, they created The Journeyman—a professional connection and business management platform for the wildland firefighting sector.

Their success stemmed from deeply understanding industry pain points from personal experience, including missed contracts and outdated paper processes. Though not technical experts, they learned enough about no-code solutions to prototype their ideas and partnered with technical support when needed.

Their approach included offering free services initially to build their network, authentic marketing using industry terminology, and self-validating their product by using it for their own EMS business. They managed work-life balance through strategic sacrifices and role division based on strengths.

Key lessons include starting with specific problems before tackling larger industry issues, joining founder communities for accountability, and recognizing that building a startup takes longer and costs more than expected.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 22 May 2025 13:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Todd Gagne, Brennan, Tyler) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/startup-success-secrets-from-wildland-firefighters-s03e10-z42lrrzG Tyler and Brennan turned their wildland firefighting experience into a successful tech platform that solves critical industry inefficiencies. Despite limited technical backgrounds, they created The Journeyman—a professional connection and business management platform for the wildland firefighting sector.

Their success stemmed from deeply understanding industry pain points from personal experience, including missed contracts and outdated paper processes. Though not technical experts, they learned enough about no-code solutions to prototype their ideas and partnered with technical support when needed.

Their approach included offering free services initially to build their network, authentic marketing using industry terminology, and self-validating their product by using it for their own EMS business. They managed work-life balance through strategic sacrifices and role division based on strengths.

Key lessons include starting with specific problems before tackling larger industry issues, joining founder communities for accountability, and recognizing that building a startup takes longer and costs more than expected.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Startup Success Secrets From Wildland Firefighters S03E10 Todd Gagne, Brennan, Tyler 00:53:07 Tyler and Brennan turned their wildland firefighting experience into a successful tech platform that solves critical industry inefficiencies. Despite limited technical backgrounds, they created The Journeyman—a professional connection and business management platform for the wildland firefighting sector. Their success stemmed from deeply understanding industry pain points from personal experience, including missed contracts and outdated paper processes. Though not technical experts, they learned enough about no-code solutions to prototype their ideas and partnered with technical support when needed. Their approach included offering free services initially to build their network, authentic marketing using industry terminology, and self-validating their product by using it for their own EMS business. They managed work-life balance through strategic sacrifices and role division based on strengths. Key lessons include starting with specific problems before tackling larger industry issues, joining founder communities for accountability, and recognizing that building a startup takes longer and costs more than expected. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. Tyler and Brennan turned their wildland firefighting experience into a successful tech platform that solves critical industry inefficiencies. Despite limited technical backgrounds, they created The Journeyman—a professional connection and business management platform for the wildland firefighting sector. Their success stemmed from deeply understanding industry pain points from personal experience, including missed contracts and outdated paper processes. Though not technical experts, they learned enough about no-code solutions to prototype their ideas and partnered with technical support when needed. Their approach included offering free services initially to build their network, authentic marketing using industry terminology, and self-validating their product by using it for their own EMS business. They managed work-life balance through strategic sacrifices and role division based on strengths. Key lessons include starting with specific problems before tackling larger industry issues, joining founder communities for accountability, and recognizing that building a startup takes longer and costs more than expected. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. founderstories, entrepreneurialmindset, startups, early-stage startup, founderjourney, treehousetalks, #industrydisruption, #nichemarketplace, startupadvice, #firefighterfounders false full 34 93f1deb7-80eb-4a98-b1ce-c9cbcee563a5 The Essential Integrator Every Founder Needs (But Few Acknowledge) S03E09 Visionaries Need Operators: Finding Your Luke Nehring

This article explores the critical partnership between visionary founders and operational integrators. Luke Nehring represents the often-overlooked but essential "operator" archetype who brings structure and processes to startups, complementing founders who excel at ideation but struggle with scaling.

Five key lessons emerge:

1. Founders are rarely natural managers - Most are visionaries or technicians who need to find complementary partners skilled in operational management.

2. Prioritization is crucial - When everything seems important, nothing is. Founders must identify their #1 problem before progress can occur.

3. Define roles before filling them - Conduct a "critical functions audit" to see where the founder is overextended, then create clear roles with accountability.

4. Invert the org chart - Effective leaders serve their teams by giving both authority and responsibility, enabling true ownership.

5. Purpose prevents burnout - Sustainable success requires alignment between work and personal values, preventing the hollow victory of company success at the cost of personal fulfillment.

The article concludes with a reminder that founders should define themselves beyond their companies through values, faith, family, and personal growth.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 8 May 2025 13:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Todd Gagne, Luke Nehring) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/the-essential-integrator-every-founder-needs-but-few-acknowledge-s03e09-pmy_9_oM Visionaries Need Operators: Finding Your Luke Nehring

This article explores the critical partnership between visionary founders and operational integrators. Luke Nehring represents the often-overlooked but essential "operator" archetype who brings structure and processes to startups, complementing founders who excel at ideation but struggle with scaling.

Five key lessons emerge:

1. Founders are rarely natural managers - Most are visionaries or technicians who need to find complementary partners skilled in operational management.

2. Prioritization is crucial - When everything seems important, nothing is. Founders must identify their #1 problem before progress can occur.

3. Define roles before filling them - Conduct a "critical functions audit" to see where the founder is overextended, then create clear roles with accountability.

4. Invert the org chart - Effective leaders serve their teams by giving both authority and responsibility, enabling true ownership.

5. Purpose prevents burnout - Sustainable success requires alignment between work and personal values, preventing the hollow victory of company success at the cost of personal fulfillment.

The article concludes with a reminder that founders should define themselves beyond their companies through values, faith, family, and personal growth.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> The Essential Integrator Every Founder Needs (But Few Acknowledge) S03E09 Todd Gagne, Luke Nehring 00:38:29 Visionaries Need Operators: Finding Your Luke Nehring This article explores the critical partnership between visionary founders and operational integrators. Luke Nehring represents the often-overlooked but essential "operator" archetype who brings structure and processes to startups, complementing founders who excel at ideation but struggle with scaling. Five key lessons emerge: 1. Founders are rarely natural managers - Most are visionaries or technicians who need to find complementary partners skilled in operational management. 2. Prioritization is crucial - When everything seems important, nothing is. Founders must identify their #1 problem before progress can occur. 3. Define roles before filling them - Conduct a "critical functions audit" to see where the founder is overextended, then create clear roles with accountability. 4. Invert the org chart - Effective leaders serve their teams by giving both authority and responsibility, enabling true ownership. 5. Purpose prevents burnout - Sustainable success requires alignment between work and personal values, preventing the hollow victory of company success at the cost of personal fulfillment. The article concludes with a reminder that founders should define themselves beyond their companies through values, faith, family, and personal growth. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. Visionaries Need Operators: Finding Your Luke Nehring This article explores the critical partnership between visionary founders and operational integrators. Luke Nehring represents the often-overlooked but essential "operator" archetype who brings structure and processes to startups, complementing founders who excel at ideation but struggle with scaling. Five key lessons emerge: 1. Founders are rarely natural managers - Most are visionaries or technicians who need to find complementary partners skilled in operational management. 2. Prioritization is crucial - When everything seems important, nothing is. Founders must identify their #1 problem before progress can occur. 3. Define roles before filling them - Conduct a "critical functions audit" to see where the founder is overextended, then create clear roles with accountability. 4. Invert the org chart - Effective leaders serve their teams by giving both authority and responsibility, enabling true ownership. 5. Purpose prevents burnout - Sustainable success requires alignment between work and personal values, preventing the hollow victory of company success at the cost of personal fulfillment. The article concludes with a reminder that founders should define themselves beyond their companies through values, faith, family, and personal growth. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. founderstories, entrepreneurialmindset, startups, early-stage startup, founderjourney, treehousetalks, #founderbalance, startupadvice, #integratorpartner false full 33 cb3a8390-90a0-4a3a-8d4a-450a3ca0d7ba Turning Setbacks into Success: Founder Brigit Torborg’s Strategic Pivot S03E08 Brigit Torborg’s journey, featured on the Startup Stories from the Treehouse podcast, highlights the unpredictable reality of building a startup. As the founder of Fomeno—a fashion-tech platform for secondhand clothing—Brigit faced challenges like lacking technical expertise, poor unit economics, and limited product-market fit. Rather than ignore these problems, she confronted them head-on, communicating transparently with her team and stakeholders. When Fomeno wasn’t viable, Brigit pivoted, launching Host Happy Hour, a community-driven event series. Her story underscores the value of honest self-assessment, strategic pivots, mentorship, and learning from setbacks. Brigit’s experience is a powerful reminder: face reality early, communicate openly, and treat every challenge as a growth opportunity.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 24 Apr 2025 16:06:14 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Todd Gagne, Brigit Torborg) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/turning-setbacks-into-success-founder-brigit-torborgs-strategic-pivot-s03e08-QfksK774 Brigit Torborg’s journey, featured on the Startup Stories from the Treehouse podcast, highlights the unpredictable reality of building a startup. As the founder of Fomeno—a fashion-tech platform for secondhand clothing—Brigit faced challenges like lacking technical expertise, poor unit economics, and limited product-market fit. Rather than ignore these problems, she confronted them head-on, communicating transparently with her team and stakeholders. When Fomeno wasn’t viable, Brigit pivoted, launching Host Happy Hour, a community-driven event series. Her story underscores the value of honest self-assessment, strategic pivots, mentorship, and learning from setbacks. Brigit’s experience is a powerful reminder: face reality early, communicate openly, and treat every challenge as a growth opportunity.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Turning Setbacks into Success: Founder Brigit Torborg’s Strategic Pivot S03E08 Todd Gagne, Brigit Torborg 00:57:55 Brigit Torborg’s journey, featured on the Startup Stories from the Treehouse podcast, highlights the unpredictable reality of building a startup. As the founder of Fomeno—a fashion-tech platform for secondhand clothing—Brigit faced challenges like lacking technical expertise, poor unit economics, and limited product-market fit. Rather than ignore these problems, she confronted them head-on, communicating transparently with her team and stakeholders. When Fomeno wasn’t viable, Brigit pivoted, launching Host Happy Hour, a community-driven event series. Her story underscores the value of honest self-assessment, strategic pivots, mentorship, and learning from setbacks. Brigit’s experience is a powerful reminder: face reality early, communicate openly, and treat every challenge as a growth opportunity. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. Brigit Torborg’s journey, featured on the Startup Stories from the Treehouse podcast, highlights the unpredictable reality of building a startup. As the founder of Fomeno—a fashion-tech platform for secondhand clothing—Brigit faced challenges like lacking technical expertise, poor unit economics, and limited product-market fit. Rather than ignore these problems, she confronted them head-on, communicating transparently with her team and stakeholders. When Fomeno wasn’t viable, Brigit pivoted, launching Host Happy Hour, a community-driven event series. Her story underscores the value of honest self-assessment, strategic pivots, mentorship, and learning from setbacks. Brigit’s experience is a powerful reminder: face reality early, communicate openly, and treat every challenge as a growth opportunity. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. founderstories, entrepreneurialmindset, startups, early-stage startup, fashion-tech, founderjourney, treehousetalks, startupadvice, community-driven business false full 32 3c8f387f-52fc-47a8-95c9-b3adfb5483ac From founder/CEO to Executive to VC: 6 Critical Lessons Every Founder Needs to Know S03E07 In this episode, we dive into invaluable insights from Dan Hoffer, a seasoned entrepreneur who's worn multiple hats as founder, advisor, and venture capitalist. Dan shares his journey from management consulting to founding Couchsurfing.com and eventually advising dozens of startups. We explore the critical patterns he's observed in successful founders, including the common pitfall of hiring a VP Sales too early and the importance of maintaining direct customer conversations. Dan reveals his framework for evaluating early-stage opportunities, emphasizing founder qualities like tenacity and adaptability. He challenges conventional fundraising wisdom, advocating for raising capital aligned with value inflection points rather than standard runway metrics. 

Finally, we discuss how AI is reshaping entrepreneurship, creating opportunities for founders with deep domain expertise and proprietary data. Whether you're launching your first startup or scaling your third, Dan's practical advice will help you navigate the entrepreneurial journey with greater confidence.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 3 Apr 2025 13:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Todd Gagne, Daniel Hoffer) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/from-founder-ceo-to-executive-to-vc-6-critical-lessons-every-founder-needs-to-know-s03e07-W7v0nw6X In this episode, we dive into invaluable insights from Dan Hoffer, a seasoned entrepreneur who's worn multiple hats as founder, advisor, and venture capitalist. Dan shares his journey from management consulting to founding Couchsurfing.com and eventually advising dozens of startups. We explore the critical patterns he's observed in successful founders, including the common pitfall of hiring a VP Sales too early and the importance of maintaining direct customer conversations. Dan reveals his framework for evaluating early-stage opportunities, emphasizing founder qualities like tenacity and adaptability. He challenges conventional fundraising wisdom, advocating for raising capital aligned with value inflection points rather than standard runway metrics. 

Finally, we discuss how AI is reshaping entrepreneurship, creating opportunities for founders with deep domain expertise and proprietary data. Whether you're launching your first startup or scaling your third, Dan's practical advice will help you navigate the entrepreneurial journey with greater confidence.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> From founder/CEO to Executive to VC: 6 Critical Lessons Every Founder Needs to Know S03E07 Todd Gagne, Daniel Hoffer 00:50:49 In this episode, we dive into invaluable insights from Dan Hoffer, a seasoned entrepreneur who's worn multiple hats as founder, advisor, and venture capitalist. Dan shares his journey from management consulting to founding Couchsurfing.com and eventually advising dozens of startups. We explore the critical patterns he's observed in successful founders, including the common pitfall of hiring a VP Sales too early and the importance of maintaining direct customer conversations. Dan reveals his framework for evaluating early-stage opportunities, emphasizing founder qualities like tenacity and adaptability. He challenges conventional fundraising wisdom, advocating for raising capital aligned with value inflection points rather than standard runway metrics. Finally, we discuss how AI is reshaping entrepreneurship, creating opportunities for founders with deep domain expertise and proprietary data. Whether you're launching your first startup or scaling your third, Dan's practical advice will help you navigate the entrepreneurial journey with greater confidence. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. In this episode, we dive into invaluable insights from Dan Hoffer, a seasoned entrepreneur who's worn multiple hats as founder, advisor, and venture capitalist. Dan shares his journey from management consulting to founding Couchsurfing.com and eventually advising dozens of startups. We explore the critical patterns he's observed in successful founders, including the common pitfall of hiring a VP Sales too early and the importance of maintaining direct customer conversations. Dan reveals his framework for evaluating early-stage opportunities, emphasizing founder qualities like tenacity and adaptability. He challenges conventional fundraising wisdom, advocating for raising capital aligned with value inflection points rather than standard runway metrics. Finally, we discuss how AI is reshaping entrepreneurship, creating opportunities for founders with deep domain expertise and proprietary data. Whether you're launching your first startup or scaling your third, Dan's practical advice will help you navigate the entrepreneurial journey with greater confidence. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. founderstories, entrepreneurialmindset, startups, businesspodcast, founderjourney, treehousetalks, neurodivergententrepreneurs, fundingtips, startupadvice, aistrategy, vcinsights false full 31 409b924c-a9b6-446f-9a8f-ac930970dbdc Unlock Your Startup's Potential: How AI Can Enhance Your Ingenuity, Not Replace It S03E06 AI isn’t about replacing human effort—it’s about amplifying it. In this episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, Jonathan Mast, founder of White Beard Strategies, shares actionable strategies for entrepreneurs to leverage AI tools effectively. From using AI for content creation and market research to generating audience-focused insights, Jonathan highlights how AI enhances creativity while maintaining authenticity. He explains a four-step framework for writing effective prompts and emphasizes the importance of experimentation, iteration, and value-driven content. Jonathan’s personal journey shows how AI can even turn challenges like ADD into strengths.

AI is a tool to refine your business, not replace its core.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 20 Mar 2025 13:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Todd Gagne, Jonathan Mast) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/unlock-your-startups-potential-how-ai-can-enhance-your-ingenuity-not-replace-it-s03e06-C4nkYsCn AI isn’t about replacing human effort—it’s about amplifying it. In this episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, Jonathan Mast, founder of White Beard Strategies, shares actionable strategies for entrepreneurs to leverage AI tools effectively. From using AI for content creation and market research to generating audience-focused insights, Jonathan highlights how AI enhances creativity while maintaining authenticity. He explains a four-step framework for writing effective prompts and emphasizes the importance of experimentation, iteration, and value-driven content. Jonathan’s personal journey shows how AI can even turn challenges like ADD into strengths.

AI is a tool to refine your business, not replace its core.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Unlock Your Startup's Potential: How AI Can Enhance Your Ingenuity, Not Replace It S03E06 Todd Gagne, Jonathan Mast 00:51:41 AI isn’t about replacing human effort—it’s about amplifying it. In this episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, Jonathan Mast, founder of White Beard Strategies, shares actionable strategies for entrepreneurs to leverage AI tools effectively. From using AI for content creation and market research to generating audience-focused insights, Jonathan highlights how AI enhances creativity while maintaining authenticity. He explains a four-step framework for writing effective prompts and emphasizes the importance of experimentation, iteration, and value-driven content. Jonathan’s personal journey shows how AI can even turn challenges like ADD into strengths. AI is a tool to refine your business, not replace its core. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. AI isn’t about replacing human effort—it’s about amplifying it. In this episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, Jonathan Mast, founder of White Beard Strategies, shares actionable strategies for entrepreneurs to leverage AI tools effectively. From using AI for content creation and market research to generating audience-focused insights, Jonathan highlights how AI enhances creativity while maintaining authenticity. He explains a four-step framework for writing effective prompts and emphasizes the importance of experimentation, iteration, and value-driven content. Jonathan’s personal journey shows how AI can even turn challenges like ADD into strengths. AI is a tool to refine your business, not replace its core. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. founderstories, foundermindset, startups, aiproductivity, businesspodcast, treehousetalks, aicontentcreation, neurodivergententrepreneurs, aiamplification, customerfirst, valuedrivencontent false full 30 b26457fc-c505-4deb-9261-5383e85ffa48 Breaking the Startup Myths: Hard Truths from Kyle York on Building, Scaling, and Exiting Successfully S03E05 Startup Stories from the Treehouse takes you behind the glossy headlines of startup success. In this episode, host Todd sits down with Kyle York, founder of York IE and former Dyn CRO, to unpack the raw truths of entrepreneurship. Kyle challenges conventional startup wisdom, from the myth of stealth mode to the obsession with unicorn valuations. He shares insights on why market-first approaches trump product-first thinking, how vertical SaaS reshapes entrepreneurship, and why a $50M exit can be more valuable than a billion-dollar valuation. Whether you're a founder navigating your startup journey or an aspiring entrepreneur, this conversation offers candid perspectives on building sustainable businesses in today's evolving tech landscape. Get ready for unfiltered insights you won't hear on typical startup podcasts.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 6 Mar 2025 14:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Todd Gagne, Kyle York) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/breaking-the-startup-myths-hard-truths-from-kyle-york-on-building-scaling-and-exiting-successfully-s03e05-4xfWer5A Startup Stories from the Treehouse takes you behind the glossy headlines of startup success. In this episode, host Todd sits down with Kyle York, founder of York IE and former Dyn CRO, to unpack the raw truths of entrepreneurship. Kyle challenges conventional startup wisdom, from the myth of stealth mode to the obsession with unicorn valuations. He shares insights on why market-first approaches trump product-first thinking, how vertical SaaS reshapes entrepreneurship, and why a $50M exit can be more valuable than a billion-dollar valuation. Whether you're a founder navigating your startup journey or an aspiring entrepreneur, this conversation offers candid perspectives on building sustainable businesses in today's evolving tech landscape. Get ready for unfiltered insights you won't hear on typical startup podcasts.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Breaking the Startup Myths: Hard Truths from Kyle York on Building, Scaling, and Exiting Successfully S03E05 Todd Gagne, Kyle York 00:27:15 Startup Stories from the Treehouse takes you behind the glossy headlines of startup success. In this episode, host Todd sits down with Kyle York, founder of York IE and former Dyn CRO, to unpack the raw truths of entrepreneurship. Kyle challenges conventional startup wisdom, from the myth of stealth mode to the obsession with unicorn valuations. He shares insights on why market-first approaches trump product-first thinking, how vertical SaaS reshapes entrepreneurship, and why a $50M exit can be more valuable than a billion-dollar valuation. Whether you're a founder navigating your startup journey or an aspiring entrepreneur, this conversation offers candid perspectives on building sustainable businesses in today's evolving tech landscape. Get ready for unfiltered insights you won't hear on typical startup podcasts. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. Startup Stories from the Treehouse takes you behind the glossy headlines of startup success. In this episode, host Todd sits down with Kyle York, founder of York IE and former Dyn CRO, to unpack the raw truths of entrepreneurship. Kyle challenges conventional startup wisdom, from the myth of stealth mode to the obsession with unicorn valuations. He shares insights on why market-first approaches trump product-first thinking, how vertical SaaS reshapes entrepreneurship, and why a $50M exit can be more valuable than a billion-dollar valuation. Whether you're a founder navigating your startup journey or an aspiring entrepreneur, this conversation offers candid perspectives on building sustainable businesses in today's evolving tech landscape. Get ready for unfiltered insights you won't hear on typical startup podcasts. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. founderstories, oracle acquisition, entrepreneurial journey, startups, businesspodcast, treehousetalks, startup ecosystem, expertfounderseries, silicon valley, tech innovation, angelnetworks false full 29 b79d7163-275d-46c5-8303-78e45a14d027 The Unfolding Map: Navigating Product Development in the AI Era S03E04 Join us for an insightful conversation with Brian Tarble, VP of Products at Avid Exchange and former product leader at SAP and Concur. From his extensive experience across Oracle, SAP, and high-growth companies, Tarble unpacks the complexities of modern product development. He shares candid insights on navigating the messy reality behind seemingly simple frameworks, the power of problem validation, and why startups might have an edge over legacy companies in today's data landscape. Whether you're a founder building your first product or a seasoned product leader, this episode offers practical wisdom on balancing customer needs, leveraging AI effectively, and scaling internationally. Learn why the most successful products emerge from unexpected niches and how to turn industry expertise into market advantage.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 20 Feb 2025 14:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Todd Gagne, Brian Tarble) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/the-unfolding-map-navigating-product-development-in-the-ai-era-s03e04-fNY9PWNC Join us for an insightful conversation with Brian Tarble, VP of Products at Avid Exchange and former product leader at SAP and Concur. From his extensive experience across Oracle, SAP, and high-growth companies, Tarble unpacks the complexities of modern product development. He shares candid insights on navigating the messy reality behind seemingly simple frameworks, the power of problem validation, and why startups might have an edge over legacy companies in today's data landscape. Whether you're a founder building your first product or a seasoned product leader, this episode offers practical wisdom on balancing customer needs, leveraging AI effectively, and scaling internationally. Learn why the most successful products emerge from unexpected niches and how to turn industry expertise into market advantage.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> The Unfolding Map: Navigating Product Development in the AI Era S03E04 Todd Gagne, Brian Tarble 00:41:51 Join us for an insightful conversation with Brian Tarble, VP of Products at Avid Exchange and former product leader at SAP and Concur. From his extensive experience across Oracle, SAP, and high-growth companies, Tarble unpacks the complexities of modern product development. He shares candid insights on navigating the messy reality behind seemingly simple frameworks, the power of problem validation, and why startups might have an edge over legacy companies in today's data landscape. Whether you're a founder building your first product or a seasoned product leader, this episode offers practical wisdom on balancing customer needs, leveraging AI effectively, and scaling internationally. Learn why the most successful products emerge from unexpected niches and how to turn industry expertise into market advantage. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. Join us for an insightful conversation with Brian Tarble, VP of Products at Avid Exchange and former product leader at SAP and Concur. From his extensive experience across Oracle, SAP, and high-growth companies, Tarble unpacks the complexities of modern product development. He shares candid insights on navigating the messy reality behind seemingly simple frameworks, the power of problem validation, and why startups might have an edge over legacy companies in today's data landscape. Whether you're a founder building your first product or a seasoned product leader, this episode offers practical wisdom on balancing customer needs, leveraging AI effectively, and scaling internationally. Learn why the most successful products emerge from unexpected niches and how to turn industry expertise into market advantage. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. founderstories, entrepreneurial journey, ai implementation, startups, businesspodcast, treehousetalks, expertfounderseries, product iteration, silicon valley, avid exchange false full 28 d63041d7-32af-47a6-aa9c-9b0d6bc0bbd2 Why Most Startups Shouldn't Seek Angel Investment: A Candid Look with Andrew Kazlow of PitchFact S03E03 Should You Raise Angel Investment? A Contrarian View

In this eye-opening episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, Andrew Kazlow, CEO of PitchFact, challenges conventional wisdom about angel investing. Drawing from his extensive experience with angel networks and startups, Andrew boldly claims that most entrepreneurs shouldn't raise capital from angels.

Through the lens of his 'Angel Ops' framework, Andrew breaks down the hidden mechanics of angel networks, revealing why many founders waste months pursuing the wrong funding strategy. He shares practical insights on due diligence red flags, relationship building, and valuation pitfalls that could make or break your fundraising efforts.

Whether considering angel investment or exploring funding options, this episode offers a refreshingly honest perspective on when to pursue angel capital—and when to focus on building instead.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 6 Feb 2025 14:20:18 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Todd Gagne, Andrew Kazlow) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/why-most-startups-shouldnt-seek-angel-investment-a-candid-look-with-andrew-kazlow-of-pitchfact-s03e03-xqZGxaVx Should You Raise Angel Investment? A Contrarian View

In this eye-opening episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, Andrew Kazlow, CEO of PitchFact, challenges conventional wisdom about angel investing. Drawing from his extensive experience with angel networks and startups, Andrew boldly claims that most entrepreneurs shouldn't raise capital from angels.

Through the lens of his 'Angel Ops' framework, Andrew breaks down the hidden mechanics of angel networks, revealing why many founders waste months pursuing the wrong funding strategy. He shares practical insights on due diligence red flags, relationship building, and valuation pitfalls that could make or break your fundraising efforts.

Whether considering angel investment or exploring funding options, this episode offers a refreshingly honest perspective on when to pursue angel capital—and when to focus on building instead.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Why Most Startups Shouldn't Seek Angel Investment: A Candid Look with Andrew Kazlow of PitchFact S03E03 Todd Gagne, Andrew Kazlow 00:55:17 Should You Raise Angel Investment? A Contrarian View In this eye-opening episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, Andrew Kazlow, CEO of PitchFact, challenges conventional wisdom about angel investing. Drawing from his extensive experience with angel networks and startups, Andrew boldly claims that most entrepreneurs shouldn't raise capital from angels. Through the lens of his 'Angel Ops' framework, Andrew breaks down the hidden mechanics of angel networks, revealing why many founders waste months pursuing the wrong funding strategy. He shares practical insights on due diligence red flags, relationship building, and valuation pitfalls that could make or break your fundraising efforts. Whether considering angel investment or exploring funding options, this episode offers a refreshingly honest perspective on when to pursue angel capital—and when to focus on building instead. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. Should You Raise Angel Investment? A Contrarian View In this eye-opening episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, Andrew Kazlow, CEO of PitchFact, challenges conventional wisdom about angel investing. Drawing from his extensive experience with angel networks and startups, Andrew boldly claims that most entrepreneurs shouldn't raise capital from angels. Through the lens of his 'Angel Ops' framework, Andrew breaks down the hidden mechanics of angel networks, revealing why many founders waste months pursuing the wrong funding strategy. He shares practical insights on due diligence red flags, relationship building, and valuation pitfalls that could make or break your fundraising efforts. Whether considering angel investment or exploring funding options, this episode offers a refreshingly honest perspective on when to pursue angel capital—and when to focus on building instead. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. founderstories, angelinvesting, entrepreneurial journey, startups, seedfunding, businesspodcast, duediligence, treehousetalks, expertfounderseries, capitalraising, venturebuilding, angelnetworks false full 27 96893cfe-d15b-49ad-ab79-9e8661601e9a The Hard-Easy Way: A Veteran Founder's Guide to Startup Validation S03E02 In this episode, we dive deep into the startup world with David Hirschfeld, a seasoned entrepreneur who's worked with over 80 startups since 2007. David shares his counterintuitive yet powerful approach to launching successful products: sell before you build. Learn why most startups fail due to a lack of product-market fit and how shifting from visionary beliefs to a clinical, evidence-based mindset can save time, money, and effort. Discover the science behind niche discovery, the importance of urgency vs. cost in solving problems, and how modern prototyping tools enable rapid validation. Whether you're an aspiring founder or a seasoned entrepreneur, this episode provides actionable insights to build smarter and avoid the costly mistakes that doom most startups.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 23 Jan 2025 14:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Todd Gagne, David Hirschfeld) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/the-hard-easy-way-a-veteran-founders-guide-to-startup-validation-s03e02-OnazMcwp In this episode, we dive deep into the startup world with David Hirschfeld, a seasoned entrepreneur who's worked with over 80 startups since 2007. David shares his counterintuitive yet powerful approach to launching successful products: sell before you build. Learn why most startups fail due to a lack of product-market fit and how shifting from visionary beliefs to a clinical, evidence-based mindset can save time, money, and effort. Discover the science behind niche discovery, the importance of urgency vs. cost in solving problems, and how modern prototyping tools enable rapid validation. Whether you're an aspiring founder or a seasoned entrepreneur, this episode provides actionable insights to build smarter and avoid the costly mistakes that doom most startups.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> The Hard-Easy Way: A Veteran Founder's Guide to Startup Validation S03E02 Todd Gagne, David Hirschfeld 00:48:44 In this episode, we dive deep into the startup world with David Hirschfeld, a seasoned entrepreneur who's worked with over 80 startups since 2007. David shares his counterintuitive yet powerful approach to launching successful products: sell before you build. Learn why most startups fail due to a lack of product-market fit and how shifting from visionary beliefs to a clinical, evidence-based mindset can save time, money, and effort. Discover the science behind niche discovery, the importance of urgency vs. cost in solving problems, and how modern prototyping tools enable rapid validation. Whether you're an aspiring founder or a seasoned entrepreneur, this episode provides actionable insights to build smarter and avoid the costly mistakes that doom most startups. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. In this episode, we dive deep into the startup world with David Hirschfeld, a seasoned entrepreneur who's worked with over 80 startups since 2007. David shares his counterintuitive yet powerful approach to launching successful products: sell before you build. Learn why most startups fail due to a lack of product-market fit and how shifting from visionary beliefs to a clinical, evidence-based mindset can save time, money, and effort. Discover the science behind niche discovery, the importance of urgency vs. cost in solving problems, and how modern prototyping tools enable rapid validation. Whether you're an aspiring founder or a seasoned entrepreneur, this episode provides actionable insights to build smarter and avoid the costly mistakes that doom most startups. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. marketdemand, founderstories, entrepreneurial journey, startups, businesspodcast, treehousetalks, execution, networking, minimal viable effort, expertfounderseries, listennow, industryexperts, foundercommunity false full 26 ae2dd12d-3e4a-4c93-b494-afda7b738cbb The Domain Expert Revolution: Why Industry Veterans Are Building Tomorrow's Startups S03E01 Domain Expertise: The New Tech Superpower" challenges the traditional startup narrative. Join hosts Todd Gagne and Mike Vetter as they explore why 2025's most successful founders aren't CS graduates—they're industry veterans turning real-world expertise into breakthrough solutions.

Through candid conversations with founders and industry leaders, discover how nurses are revolutionizing healthcare scheduling, teachers are transforming education technology, and construction managers are redefining project management—all without coding backgrounds.

Learn how three critical shifts—specialized AI, reduced costs, and democratized distribution—have made 2025 the inflection point for domain expert founders. Each episode unpacks practical strategies, real-world case studies, and actionable insights for turning industry expertise into successful ventures.

New episodes drop every Tuesday. Your expertise is your advantage—tune in to learn why.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 9 Jan 2025 13:17:18 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Todd Gagne, Mike Vetter) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/from-bombers-and-missiles-to-property-maintenance-building-a-startup-is-a-marathon-not-a-sprint-s02e12-lc4bxaqu-i-vwkpsg-07uv8drp-szrgbbqt-wBM25UIU Domain Expertise: The New Tech Superpower" challenges the traditional startup narrative. Join hosts Todd Gagne and Mike Vetter as they explore why 2025's most successful founders aren't CS graduates—they're industry veterans turning real-world expertise into breakthrough solutions.

Through candid conversations with founders and industry leaders, discover how nurses are revolutionizing healthcare scheduling, teachers are transforming education technology, and construction managers are redefining project management—all without coding backgrounds.

Learn how three critical shifts—specialized AI, reduced costs, and democratized distribution—have made 2025 the inflection point for domain expert founders. Each episode unpacks practical strategies, real-world case studies, and actionable insights for turning industry expertise into successful ventures.

New episodes drop every Tuesday. Your expertise is your advantage—tune in to learn why.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> The Domain Expert Revolution: Why Industry Veterans Are Building Tomorrow's Startups S03E01 Todd Gagne, Mike Vetter 00:55:04 Domain Expertise: The New Tech Superpower" challenges the traditional startup narrative. Join hosts Todd Gagne and Mike Vetter as they explore why 2025's most successful founders aren't CS graduates—they're industry veterans turning real-world expertise into breakthrough solutions. Through candid conversations with founders and industry leaders, discover how nurses are revolutionizing healthcare scheduling, teachers are transforming education technology, and construction managers are redefining project management—all without coding backgrounds. Learn how three critical shifts—specialized AI, reduced costs, and democratized distribution—have made 2025 the inflection point for domain expert founders. Each episode unpacks practical strategies, real-world case studies, and actionable insights for turning industry expertise into successful ventures. New episodes drop every Tuesday. Your expertise is your advantage—tune in to learn why. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. Domain Expertise: The New Tech Superpower" challenges the traditional startup narrative. Join hosts Todd Gagne and Mike Vetter as they explore why 2025's most successful founders aren't CS graduates—they're industry veterans turning real-world expertise into breakthrough solutions. Through candid conversations with founders and industry leaders, discover how nurses are revolutionizing healthcare scheduling, teachers are transforming education technology, and construction managers are redefining project management—all without coding backgrounds. Learn how three critical shifts—specialized AI, reduced costs, and democratized distribution—have made 2025 the inflection point for domain expert founders. Each episode unpacks practical strategies, real-world case studies, and actionable insights for turning industry expertise into successful ventures. New episodes drop every Tuesday. Your expertise is your advantage—tune in to learn why. Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. founderstories, entrepreneurial journey, aitools, startups, businesspodcast, treehousetalks, execution, networking, minimal viable effort, expertfounderseries, listennow, tuesdaypodcast, industryexperts, ai2025, foundercommunity false full 25 cc083670-e08d-45a6-a599-68e78aabbd3a The No Strategy Strategy: How to grow SaaS sales Fast with Paul Lemberg S02E15 From sticky revenue to customer psychology - this episode unpacks 'The No Strategy Strategy' with business expert Paul Lemberg. Dive into why traditional upselling might hurt your SaaS growth, and discover how understanding deep customer desires can transform your retention rates.

Paul explains why most founders confuse churn analysis and shares counterintuitive approaches to building lasting customer relationships. Learn why your battle plan needs constant evolution and how to turn customer feedback into actionable growth strategies.

Perfect for SaaS founders tired of conventional wisdom and seeking fresh perspectives on sustainable growth. Get ready for straight-talking insights on:

• The psychology behind customer retention

• Transforming upsells into value-adds

• Data-driven decision-making that works

🎯 Warning: This episode might challenge everything you think you know about SaaS growth!

Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 7 Nov 2024 13:16:49 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Todd Gagne, Paul Lemberg) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/from-bombers-and-missiles-to-property-maintenance-building-a-startup-is-a-marathon-not-a-sprint-s02e12-lc4bxaqu-i-vwkpsg-07uv8drp-ELZtpzBN From sticky revenue to customer psychology - this episode unpacks 'The No Strategy Strategy' with business expert Paul Lemberg. Dive into why traditional upselling might hurt your SaaS growth, and discover how understanding deep customer desires can transform your retention rates.

Paul explains why most founders confuse churn analysis and shares counterintuitive approaches to building lasting customer relationships. Learn why your battle plan needs constant evolution and how to turn customer feedback into actionable growth strategies.

Perfect for SaaS founders tired of conventional wisdom and seeking fresh perspectives on sustainable growth. Get ready for straight-talking insights on:

• The psychology behind customer retention

• Transforming upsells into value-adds

• Data-driven decision-making that works

🎯 Warning: This episode might challenge everything you think you know about SaaS growth!

Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> The No Strategy Strategy: How to grow SaaS sales Fast with Paul Lemberg S02E15 Todd Gagne, Paul Lemberg 00:56:16 From sticky revenue to customer psychology - this episode unpacks 'The No Strategy Strategy' with business expert Paul Lemberg. Dive into why traditional upselling might hurt your SaaS growth, and discover how understanding deep customer desires can transform your retention rates. Paul explains why most founders confuse churn analysis and shares counterintuitive approaches to building lasting customer relationships. Learn why your battle plan needs constant evolution and how to turn customer feedback into actionable growth strategies. Perfect for SaaS founders tired of conventional wisdom and seeking fresh perspectives on sustainable growth. Get ready for straight-talking insights on: • The psychology behind customer retention • Transforming upsells into value-adds • Data-driven decision-making that works 🎯 Warning: This episode might challenge everything you think you know about SaaS growth! Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. From sticky revenue to customer psychology - this episode unpacks 'The No Strategy Strategy' with business expert Paul Lemberg. Dive into why traditional upselling might hurt your SaaS growth, and discover how understanding deep customer desires can transform your retention rates. Paul explains why most founders confuse churn analysis and shares counterintuitive approaches to building lasting customer relationships. Learn why your battle plan needs constant evolution and how to turn customer feedback into actionable growth strategies. Perfect for SaaS founders tired of conventional wisdom and seeking fresh perspectives on sustainable growth. Get ready for straight-talking insights on: • The psychology behind customer retention • Transforming upsells into value-adds • Data-driven decision-making that works 🎯 Warning: This episode might challenge everything you think you know about SaaS growth! Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. revenueoptimization, entrepreneurial journey, learning machine, startups, businesspodcast, customercentric, core values, execution, networking, minimal viable effort, churnrate, customer focus false full 24 374c8be3-666e-4319-aa0c-9d58f4674a82 Scaling Your Startup: Lessons from Concur and Accolade Founder Raj Singh S02E14 Join us as we dive into the wisdom of Raj Singh, co-founder of Concur and CEO of Accolade, on scaling startups into billion-dollar companies. With a track record of two major successes, Singh shares his four-pillar framework for sustainable growth: vision, culture, execution, and people development. Learn how to focus on customer problems, build a culture of ownership, drive accountability through clear objectives, and foster a team of curious, growth-minded individuals. Singh offers practical advice on articulating authentic values, making culture central to hiring, maintaining a flat structure, and encouraging constant learning. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur or a seasoned founder, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help transform your startup into a thriving enterprise. Don't miss this masterclass in startup scaling!

Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 24 Oct 2024 13:15:59 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Todd Gagne, Rajeev Singh) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/from-bombers-and-missiles-to-property-maintenance-building-a-startup-is-a-marathon-not-a-sprint-s02e12-lc4bxaqu-i-vwkpsg-5Pj9UzQ_ Join us as we dive into the wisdom of Raj Singh, co-founder of Concur and CEO of Accolade, on scaling startups into billion-dollar companies. With a track record of two major successes, Singh shares his four-pillar framework for sustainable growth: vision, culture, execution, and people development. Learn how to focus on customer problems, build a culture of ownership, drive accountability through clear objectives, and foster a team of curious, growth-minded individuals. Singh offers practical advice on articulating authentic values, making culture central to hiring, maintaining a flat structure, and encouraging constant learning. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur or a seasoned founder, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help transform your startup into a thriving enterprise. Don't miss this masterclass in startup scaling!

Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Scaling Your Startup: Lessons from Concur and Accolade Founder Raj Singh S02E14 Todd Gagne, Rajeev Singh 00:58:55 Join us as we dive into the wisdom of Raj Singh, co-founder of Concur and CEO of Accolade, on scaling startups into billion-dollar companies. With a track record of two major successes, Singh shares his four-pillar framework for sustainable growth: vision, culture, execution, and people development. Learn how to focus on customer problems, build a culture of ownership, drive accountability through clear objectives, and foster a team of curious, growth-minded individuals. Singh offers practical advice on articulating authentic values, making culture central to hiring, maintaining a flat structure, and encouraging constant learning. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur or a seasoned founder, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help transform your startup into a thriving enterprise. Don't miss this masterclass in startup scaling! Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. Join us as we dive into the wisdom of Raj Singh, co-founder of Concur and CEO of Accolade, on scaling startups into billion-dollar companies. With a track record of two major successes, Singh shares his four-pillar framework for sustainable growth: vision, culture, execution, and people development. Learn how to focus on customer problems, build a culture of ownership, drive accountability through clear objectives, and foster a team of curious, growth-minded individuals. Singh offers practical advice on articulating authentic values, making culture central to hiring, maintaining a flat structure, and encouraging constant learning. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur or a seasoned founder, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help transform your startup into a thriving enterprise. Don't miss this masterclass in startup scaling! Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. entrepreneurial journey, learning machine, startups, billion-dollar companies, employee empowerment, core values, execution, minimum viable effort, networking, minimal viable effort, customer focus false full 24 33a261b2-a2b6-4149-90a7-1ef3986a73a0 5 Startup Secrets from Blas Moros: Turning Curiosity into Actionable Insights S02E13 In this captivating episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, we dive deep into the entrepreneurial journey of Blas Moros. From building a massive 600+ book knowledge base to launching two innovative startups, Blas shares his unique approach to learning, networking, and execution. As your host, I was inspired by Blas's "no black box" mentality and his commitment to turning intellectual curiosity into tangible results. We explore five key takeaways that can benefit any aspiring entrepreneur, including becoming a learning machine, building a powerful network, and embracing the "minimum viable effort" approach. Blas's story is a testament to the power of continuous learning and bold experimentation in the startup world. Whether you're a seasoned founder or just starting out, this episode is packed with actionable insights to fuel your entrepreneurial journey.

Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 19 Sep 2024 13:15:07 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Todd Gagne, Blas Moros) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/from-bombers-and-missiles-to-property-maintenance-building-a-startup-is-a-marathon-not-a-sprint-s02e12-lc4bxaqu-2ic9Vujr In this captivating episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, we dive deep into the entrepreneurial journey of Blas Moros. From building a massive 600+ book knowledge base to launching two innovative startups, Blas shares his unique approach to learning, networking, and execution. As your host, I was inspired by Blas's "no black box" mentality and his commitment to turning intellectual curiosity into tangible results. We explore five key takeaways that can benefit any aspiring entrepreneur, including becoming a learning machine, building a powerful network, and embracing the "minimum viable effort" approach. Blas's story is a testament to the power of continuous learning and bold experimentation in the startup world. Whether you're a seasoned founder or just starting out, this episode is packed with actionable insights to fuel your entrepreneurial journey.

Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> 5 Startup Secrets from Blas Moros: Turning Curiosity into Actionable Insights S02E13 Todd Gagne, Blas Moros 00:59:34 In this captivating episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, we dive deep into the entrepreneurial journey of Blas Moros. From building a massive 600+ book knowledge base to launching two innovative startups, Blas shares his unique approach to learning, networking, and execution. As your host, I was inspired by Blas's "no black box" mentality and his commitment to turning intellectual curiosity into tangible results. We explore five key takeaways that can benefit any aspiring entrepreneur, including becoming a learning machine, building a powerful network, and embracing the "minimum viable effort" approach. Blas's story is a testament to the power of continuous learning and bold experimentation in the startup world. Whether you're a seasoned founder or just starting out, this episode is packed with actionable insights to fuel your entrepreneurial journey. Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. In this captivating episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, we dive deep into the entrepreneurial journey of Blas Moros. From building a massive 600+ book knowledge base to launching two innovative startups, Blas shares his unique approach to learning, networking, and execution. As your host, I was inspired by Blas's "no black box" mentality and his commitment to turning intellectual curiosity into tangible results. We explore five key takeaways that can benefit any aspiring entrepreneur, including becoming a learning machine, building a powerful network, and embracing the "minimum viable effort" approach. Blas's story is a testament to the power of continuous learning and bold experimentation in the startup world. Whether you're a seasoned founder or just starting out, this episode is packed with actionable insights to fuel your entrepreneurial journey. Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. entrepreneurial journey, learning machine, startups, execution, minimum viable effort, networking, minimal viable effort false full 24 8dd415ea-b0f9-42ff-8487-ddaccf3c3b3d From Bombers and Missiles to Property Maintenance : Building a Startup is a Marathon, Not a Sprint S02E12 In this insightful episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, Aaron Seaholm, VP of Customer Success and Operations at Property Meld, shares his journey from military contractor to startup leader. Aaron reveals key strategies for startup success, including prioritizing people, embracing ambiguity, mastering customer success, and driving growth through segmentation and expansion. He emphasizes the importance of continuous learning, data-driven decision-making, and cultivating trust within teams. Aaron's experiences offer valuable lessons for entrepreneurs navigating the challenges of building and scaling a startup in today's fast-paced business environment.

Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 5 Sep 2024 13:15:09 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Aaron Seaholm, Todd Gagne) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/from-bombers-and-missiles-to-property-maintenance-building-a-startup-is-a-marathon-not-a-sprint-s02e12-OywCtMLK In this insightful episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, Aaron Seaholm, VP of Customer Success and Operations at Property Meld, shares his journey from military contractor to startup leader. Aaron reveals key strategies for startup success, including prioritizing people, embracing ambiguity, mastering customer success, and driving growth through segmentation and expansion. He emphasizes the importance of continuous learning, data-driven decision-making, and cultivating trust within teams. Aaron's experiences offer valuable lessons for entrepreneurs navigating the challenges of building and scaling a startup in today's fast-paced business environment.

Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> From Bombers and Missiles to Property Maintenance : Building a Startup is a Marathon, Not a Sprint S02E12 Aaron Seaholm, Todd Gagne 01:05:45 In this insightful episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, Aaron Seaholm, VP of Customer Success and Operations at Property Meld, shares his journey from military contractor to startup leader. Aaron reveals key strategies for startup success, including prioritizing people, embracing ambiguity, mastering customer success, and driving growth through segmentation and expansion. He emphasizes the importance of continuous learning, data-driven decision-making, and cultivating trust within teams. Aaron's experiences offer valuable lessons for entrepreneurs navigating the challenges of building and scaling a startup in today's fast-paced business environment. Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. In this insightful episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, Aaron Seaholm, VP of Customer Success and Operations at Property Meld, shares his journey from military contractor to startup leader. Aaron reveals key strategies for startup success, including prioritizing people, embracing ambiguity, mastering customer success, and driving growth through segmentation and expansion. He emphasizes the importance of continuous learning, data-driven decision-making, and cultivating trust within teams. Aaron's experiences offer valuable lessons for entrepreneurs navigating the challenges of building and scaling a startup in today's fast-paced business environment. Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. entrepreneurial journey, startups, business scaling, ambiguityinstartups, people priority, segmentation strategy, data driven decisions false full 24 7c36a700-8dbd-465b-9d07-623ad0bc7e15 Top 5 Takeaways from Wildfire Labs Over the Last 24 Months S02E11 In this episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, Todd Gagne and Mike Vetter of Wildfire Labs share their insights from two years of running their software acceleration program. They discuss how their entrepreneur-first approach has guided their work, emphasizing the importance of deep customer understanding and strategic AI integration. The hosts explore the evolution of the VC model for niche markets and highlight the power of community in startup success. Drawing from real-world experiences, they offer practical advice on navigating challenges like fundraising, product development, and scaling. Whether you're a first-time founder or a seasoned entrepreneur, this episode provides valuable lessons and strategies to help bring your startup ideas to market. Tune in for an honest, experience-driven discussion on the realities of startup life.

Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 22 Aug 2024 06:00:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Todd Gagne, Mike Vetter) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/integrating-ai-into-your-product-strategy-key-takeaways-for-startup-founders-s02e09-dnbabeot-waeso5mb-hsJhYpkk In this episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, Todd Gagne and Mike Vetter of Wildfire Labs share their insights from two years of running their software acceleration program. They discuss how their entrepreneur-first approach has guided their work, emphasizing the importance of deep customer understanding and strategic AI integration. The hosts explore the evolution of the VC model for niche markets and highlight the power of community in startup success. Drawing from real-world experiences, they offer practical advice on navigating challenges like fundraising, product development, and scaling. Whether you're a first-time founder or a seasoned entrepreneur, this episode provides valuable lessons and strategies to help bring your startup ideas to market. Tune in for an honest, experience-driven discussion on the realities of startup life.

Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Top 5 Takeaways from Wildfire Labs Over the Last 24 Months S02E11 Todd Gagne, Mike Vetter 01:04:25 In this episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, Todd Gagne and Mike Vetter of Wildfire Labs share their insights from two years of running their software acceleration program. They discuss how their entrepreneur-first approach has guided their work, emphasizing the importance of deep customer understanding and strategic AI integration. The hosts explore the evolution of the VC model for niche markets and highlight the power of community in startup success. Drawing from real-world experiences, they offer practical advice on navigating challenges like fundraising, product development, and scaling. Whether you're a first-time founder or a seasoned entrepreneur, this episode provides valuable lessons and strategies to help bring your startup ideas to market. Tune in for an honest, experience-driven discussion on the realities of startup life. Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. In this episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, Todd Gagne and Mike Vetter of Wildfire Labs share their insights from two years of running their software acceleration program. They discuss how their entrepreneur-first approach has guided their work, emphasizing the importance of deep customer understanding and strategic AI integration. The hosts explore the evolution of the VC model for niche markets and highlight the power of community in startup success. Drawing from real-world experiences, they offer practical advice on navigating challenges like fundraising, product development, and scaling. Whether you're a first-time founder or a seasoned entrepreneur, this episode provides valuable lessons and strategies to help bring your startup ideas to market. Tune in for an honest, experience-driven discussion on the realities of startup life. Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. founder advice, scaling startups, business scaling, startupacceleration, entrepreneurship, product development, vcmodelevolution, startup funding, software startups false full 23 456d0eb5-98c8-4273-b730-6bdb47797500 From Startup Chaos to Scalable Success: Key Lessons from Seasoned Founder, Tom Conlon S02E10 Startup Stories from the Treehouse" brings you raw, unfiltered tales from the entrepreneurial frontlines. In this episode, we dive deep with Tom Conlon, founder of North Street Creative, as he unpacks 14 years of startup wisdom. Tom dishes out golden nuggets on niche domination, the art of delegation, and why financial literacy is your secret weapon. Learn how to build a dream team, implement a killer operating system, and why joining an entrepreneurial community might just save your sanity. Whether you're a wide-eyed newbie or a battle-scarred founder, Tom's insights will challenge your thinking and fuel your startup journey. From embracing specialization to seeking mentorship, this episode is packed with actionable advice that'll have you rethinking your business strategy. Tune in and let's climb the entrepreneurial tree together!

Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 8 Aug 2024 13:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Todd Gagne, Tom Conlon) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/integrating-ai-into-your-product-strategy-key-takeaways-for-startup-founders-s02e09-dnbabeot-n_PAzr68 Startup Stories from the Treehouse" brings you raw, unfiltered tales from the entrepreneurial frontlines. In this episode, we dive deep with Tom Conlon, founder of North Street Creative, as he unpacks 14 years of startup wisdom. Tom dishes out golden nuggets on niche domination, the art of delegation, and why financial literacy is your secret weapon. Learn how to build a dream team, implement a killer operating system, and why joining an entrepreneurial community might just save your sanity. Whether you're a wide-eyed newbie or a battle-scarred founder, Tom's insights will challenge your thinking and fuel your startup journey. From embracing specialization to seeking mentorship, this episode is packed with actionable advice that'll have you rethinking your business strategy. Tune in and let's climb the entrepreneurial tree together!

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]]> From Startup Chaos to Scalable Success: Key Lessons from Seasoned Founder, Tom Conlon S02E10 Todd Gagne, Tom Conlon 00:59:13 Startup Stories from the Treehouse" brings you raw, unfiltered tales from the entrepreneurial frontlines. In this episode, we dive deep with Tom Conlon, founder of North Street Creative, as he unpacks 14 years of startup wisdom. Tom dishes out golden nuggets on niche domination, the art of delegation, and why financial literacy is your secret weapon. Learn how to build a dream team, implement a killer operating system, and why joining an entrepreneurial community might just save your sanity. Whether you're a wide-eyed newbie or a battle-scarred founder, Tom's insights will challenge your thinking and fuel your startup journey. From embracing specialization to seeking mentorship, this episode is packed with actionable advice that'll have you rethinking your business strategy. Tune in and let's climb the entrepreneurial tree together! Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. Startup Stories from the Treehouse" brings you raw, unfiltered tales from the entrepreneurial frontlines. In this episode, we dive deep with Tom Conlon, founder of North Street Creative, as he unpacks 14 years of startup wisdom. Tom dishes out golden nuggets on niche domination, the art of delegation, and why financial literacy is your secret weapon. Learn how to build a dream team, implement a killer operating system, and why joining an entrepreneurial community might just save your sanity. Whether you're a wide-eyed newbie or a battle-scarred founder, Tom's insights will challenge your thinking and fuel your startup journey. From embracing specialization to seeking mentorship, this episode is packed with actionable advice that'll have you rethinking your business strategy. Tune in and let's climb the entrepreneurial tree together! Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. founder advice, business scaling, entrepreneurship, product development, financialvisibility, startup funding, software startups, niche marketing, tech innovation false full 23 5e49d1ed-db4d-4564-856b-193db6145421 Integrating AI into Your Product Strategy: Key Takeaways for Startup Founders S02E09 Integrating AI into Your Product Strategy: Key Takeaways for Startup Founders is a webinar we recorded for aspiring founders turn their ideas into revenue-generating startups in just 6 months. Hosted by experienced entrepreneurs Todd Gagne and Chris Grebisz.  From developing a clear product strategy to leveraging AI for global expansion, the podcast offers actionable insights and expert advice. Whether you're wrestling with funding challenges, pondering the right tech stack, or looking to scale your operations, this podcast episode provides the guidance you need.  

Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.tartup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 25 Jul 2024 13:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Chris Grebisz, Todd Gagne, Mike Vetter) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/integrating-ai-into-your-product-strategy-key-takeaways-for-startup-founders-s02e09-313L_R4N Integrating AI into Your Product Strategy: Key Takeaways for Startup Founders is a webinar we recorded for aspiring founders turn their ideas into revenue-generating startups in just 6 months. Hosted by experienced entrepreneurs Todd Gagne and Chris Grebisz.  From developing a clear product strategy to leveraging AI for global expansion, the podcast offers actionable insights and expert advice. Whether you're wrestling with funding challenges, pondering the right tech stack, or looking to scale your operations, this podcast episode provides the guidance you need.  

Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.tartup.

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]]> Integrating AI into Your Product Strategy: Key Takeaways for Startup Founders S02E09 Chris Grebisz, Todd Gagne, Mike Vetter 00:59:55 Integrating AI into Your Product Strategy: Key Takeaways for Startup Founders is a webinar we recorded for aspiring founders turn their ideas into revenue-generating startups in just 6 months. Hosted by experienced entrepreneurs Todd Gagne and Chris Grebisz. From developing a clear product strategy to leveraging AI for global expansion, the podcast offers actionable insights and expert advice. Whether you're wrestling with funding challenges, pondering the right tech stack, or looking to scale your operations, this podcast episode provides the guidance you need. Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. Integrating AI into Your Product Strategy: Key Takeaways for Startup Founders is a webinar we recorded for aspiring founders turn their ideas into revenue-generating startups in just 6 months. Hosted by experienced entrepreneurs Todd Gagne and Chris Grebisz. From developing a clear product strategy to leveraging AI for global expansion, the podcast offers actionable insights and expert advice. Whether you're wrestling with funding challenges, pondering the right tech stack, or looking to scale your operations, this podcast episode provides the guidance you need. Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup. founder advice, business scaling, entrepreneurship, product development, ai integration, startup funding, software startups, tech innovation false full 22 98ee7817-7489-4da6-bd0e-7553206006b1 Unlocking AI's Potential: 5 Actionable Steps for Startup Success S02E08 In this episode of The Treehouse podcast, host Todd Gagne sits down with Andy Jorgensen to explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) for startups. They discuss innovative AI use cases across various industries, the importance of prompt engineering skills, and fostering creativity in AI utilization. The conversation also touches on building trust and transparency in AI applications and staying ahead of the latest trends and developments. Listeners will gain valuable insights and actionable steps to harness AI for driving innovation and growth in their startups. If you're a software founder looking to turn your idea into a successful startup, Wildfire Labs offers a proven 6-month program with expert mentors and development resources to help you build and scale your company.

To learn more about AI, get your own ticket to the 2024 AI Edge Summit!

Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack to get podcast summaries and more insight on how to build a tech startup.

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]]> Thu, 20 Jun 2024 13:17:03 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Andy Jorgensen, Todd Gagne) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/unlocking-ais-potential-5-actionable-steps-for-startup-success-s02e08-zsKM7kVb In this episode of The Treehouse podcast, host Todd Gagne sits down with Andy Jorgensen to explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) for startups. They discuss innovative AI use cases across various industries, the importance of prompt engineering skills, and fostering creativity in AI utilization. The conversation also touches on building trust and transparency in AI applications and staying ahead of the latest trends and developments. Listeners will gain valuable insights and actionable steps to harness AI for driving innovation and growth in their startups. If you're a software founder looking to turn your idea into a successful startup, Wildfire Labs offers a proven 6-month program with expert mentors and development resources to help you build and scale your company.

To learn more about AI, get your own ticket to the 2024 AI Edge Summit!

Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack to get podcast summaries and more insight on how to build a tech startup.

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]]> Unlocking AI's Potential: 5 Actionable Steps for Startup Success S02E08 Andy Jorgensen, Todd Gagne 00:52:49 In this episode of The Treehouse podcast, host Todd Gagne sits down with Andy Jorgensen to explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) for startups. They discuss innovative AI use cases across various industries, the importance of prompt engineering skills, and fostering creativity in AI utilization. The conversation also touches on building trust and transparency in AI applications and staying ahead of the latest trends and developments. Listeners will gain valuable insights and actionable steps to harness AI for driving innovation and growth in their startups. If you're a software founder looking to turn your idea into a successful startup, Wildfire Labs offers a proven 6-month program with expert mentors and development resources to help you build and scale your company. To learn more about AI, get your own ticket to the 2024 AI Edge Summit! Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack to get podcast summaries and more insight on how to build a tech startup. In this episode of The Treehouse podcast, host Todd Gagne sits down with Andy Jorgensen to explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) for startups. They discuss innovative AI use cases across various industries, the importance of prompt engineering skills, and fostering creativity in AI utilization. The conversation also touches on building trust and transparency in AI applications and staying ahead of the latest trends and developments. Listeners will gain valuable insights and actionable steps to harness AI for driving innovation and growth in their startups. If you're a software founder looking to turn your idea into a successful startup, Wildfire Labs offers a proven 6-month program with expert mentors and development resources to help you build and scale your company. To learn more about AI, get your own ticket to the 2024 AI Edge Summit! Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack to get podcast summaries and more insight on how to build a tech startup. wildfire labs, b2b software, funding, pitch deck, 6-month program, software founders, innovation, startup advisors, startup, artificial intelligence (ai), idea to revenue, startup process false full 21 dc907064-9e3b-4a90-85c0-3ab04e2a6d0f From Idea to Reality: Lessons from Kommu's Journey on Building a Successful Startup S0207 This week on Startup Stories from the Treehouse, we chat with Bo Abrams, co-founder and CEO of Kommu—a trust-based home-sharing and travel network. Bo’s entrepreneurial journey began with a personal challenge: balancing travel costs while renting. His experiences led to the creation of Kommu, which allows users to share homes with trusted connections. Despite early setbacks in his academic pursuits, Bo's perseverance and innovative thinking turned a problem into a thriving business. Tune in to hear Bo’s insights on identifying real problems, iterating solutions, and taking decisive action. This episode is a must-listen for aspiring entrepreneurs seeking inspiration and practical advice from someone who turned an idea into a successful startup.

 

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]]> Thu, 23 May 2024 13:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Bo Abrams, Todd Gagne) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/from-idea-to-reality-lessons-from-kommus-journey-on-building-a-successful-startup-i8z9WMsD This week on Startup Stories from the Treehouse, we chat with Bo Abrams, co-founder and CEO of Kommu—a trust-based home-sharing and travel network. Bo’s entrepreneurial journey began with a personal challenge: balancing travel costs while renting. His experiences led to the creation of Kommu, which allows users to share homes with trusted connections. Despite early setbacks in his academic pursuits, Bo's perseverance and innovative thinking turned a problem into a thriving business. Tune in to hear Bo’s insights on identifying real problems, iterating solutions, and taking decisive action. This episode is a must-listen for aspiring entrepreneurs seeking inspiration and practical advice from someone who turned an idea into a successful startup.

 

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]]> From Idea to Reality: Lessons from Kommu's Journey on Building a Successful Startup S0207 Bo Abrams, Todd Gagne 00:53:53 This week on Startup Stories from the Treehouse, we chat with Bo Abrams, co-founder and CEO of Kommu—a trust-based home-sharing and travel network. Bo’s entrepreneurial journey began with a personal challenge: balancing travel costs while renting. His experiences led to the creation of Kommu, which allows users to share homes with trusted connections. Despite early setbacks in his academic pursuits, Bo's perseverance and innovative thinking turned a problem into a thriving business. Tune in to hear Bo’s insights on identifying real problems, iterating solutions, and taking decisive action. This episode is a must-listen for aspiring entrepreneurs seeking inspiration and practical advice from someone who turned an idea into a successful startup. Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack to get podcast summaries and more insight on how to build a tech startup. This week on Startup Stories from the Treehouse, we chat with Bo Abrams, co-founder and CEO of Kommu—a trust-based home-sharing and travel network. Bo’s entrepreneurial journey began with a personal challenge: balancing travel costs while renting. His experiences led to the creation of Kommu, which allows users to share homes with trusted connections. Despite early setbacks in his academic pursuits, Bo's perseverance and innovative thinking turned a problem into a thriving business. Tune in to hear Bo’s insights on identifying real problems, iterating solutions, and taking decisive action. This episode is a must-listen for aspiring entrepreneurs seeking inspiration and practical advice from someone who turned an idea into a successful startup. Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack to get podcast summaries and more insight on how to build a tech startup. ucla anderson, startup journey, airbnb alternative, entrepreneurship, iteration, trust-based platform, renter challenges, problem-solving, travel network, los angeles tech scene false full 20 7326576a-d200-4743-9ebf-1466ea6f7172 Navigating the Startup Journey: Insights from a Two-Time Founder Michael Zuercher - S2E6 Embark on a journey of entrepreneurial wisdom with seasoned founder Michael Zuercher in this week's podcast episode. From launching his first startup as a 19-year-old to leading a company with hundreds of employees, Michael shares invaluable insights and lessons learned along the way.

Discover the power of embracing the learning curve, as Michael dives into his early days of entrepreneurship and the importance of continuous growth. Explore the evolution of communication in a growing company, from organic interactions to intentional strategies for remote teams.

Learn the art of ruthless prioritization and focusing on what truly matters to drive progress and success. With actionable takeaways for founders, this episode offers practical advice on cultivating a learning mindset, prioritizing effectively, and fostering clear communication.

Join us as we unravel the journey of a startup founder and glean wisdom from Michael's experiences. Tune in to the full episode for a deep dive into the world of entrepreneurship.

Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack to get podcast summaries and more insight on how to build a tech startup.

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]]> Thu, 2 May 2024 13:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Michael Zuercher, Todd Gagne) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/navigating-the-startup-journey-insights-from-a-two-time-founder-michael-zuercher-s2e6-dABd8_r_ Embark on a journey of entrepreneurial wisdom with seasoned founder Michael Zuercher in this week's podcast episode. From launching his first startup as a 19-year-old to leading a company with hundreds of employees, Michael shares invaluable insights and lessons learned along the way.

Discover the power of embracing the learning curve, as Michael dives into his early days of entrepreneurship and the importance of continuous growth. Explore the evolution of communication in a growing company, from organic interactions to intentional strategies for remote teams.

Learn the art of ruthless prioritization and focusing on what truly matters to drive progress and success. With actionable takeaways for founders, this episode offers practical advice on cultivating a learning mindset, prioritizing effectively, and fostering clear communication.

Join us as we unravel the journey of a startup founder and glean wisdom from Michael's experiences. Tune in to the full episode for a deep dive into the world of entrepreneurship.

Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack to get podcast summaries and more insight on how to build a tech startup.

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]]> Navigating the Startup Journey: Insights from a Two-Time Founder Michael Zuercher - S2E6 Michael Zuercher, Todd Gagne 00:57:56 Embark on a journey of entrepreneurial wisdom with seasoned founder Michael Zuercher in this week's podcast episode. From launching his first startup as a 19-year-old to leading a company with hundreds of employees, Michael shares invaluable insights and lessons learned along the way. Discover the power of embracing the learning curve, as Michael dives into his early days of entrepreneurship and the importance of continuous growth. Explore the evolution of communication in a growing company, from organic interactions to intentional strategies for remote teams. Learn the art of ruthless prioritization and focusing on what truly matters to drive progress and success. With actionable takeaways for founders, this episode offers practical advice on cultivating a learning mindset, prioritizing effectively, and fostering clear communication. Join us as we unravel the journey of a startup founder and glean wisdom from Michael's experiences. Tune in to the full episode for a deep dive into the world of entrepreneurship. Embark on a journey of entrepreneurial wisdom with seasoned founder Michael Zuercher in this week's podcast episode. From launching his first startup as a 19-year-old to leading a company with hundreds of employees, Michael shares invaluable insights and lessons learned along the way. Discover the power of embracing the learning curve, as Michael dives into his early days of entrepreneurship and the importance of continuous growth. Explore the evolution of communication in a growing company, from organic interactions to intentional strategies for remote teams. Learn the art of ruthless prioritization and focusing on what truly matters to drive progress and success. With actionable takeaways for founders, this episode offers practical advice on cultivating a learning mindset, prioritizing effectively, and fostering clear communication. Join us as we unravel the journey of a startup founder and glean wisdom from Michael's experiences. Tune in to the full episode for a deep dive into the world of entrepreneurship. founder, startups, journey, entrepreneurship, leadership, podcast, learning curve false full 19 d9c0fa42-25b7-4120-b6c3-5b463e382364 Their Fingerprints are Everywhere - Matt Eberhart's Journey as a Cybersecurity CEO S02E05 During Todd’s conversation with Matt Eberhart - CEO at Query.ai - the theme of fingerprints kept coming up. But it wasn’t the fingerprints of criminals he was gathering, it was something else.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Matt Eberhart began his career as a cybersecurity analyst for a large Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP). From there Matt went from technical work to team leadership to sales/marketing leadership, then eventually into leadership roles in a number of startups. That led Matt to the CEO role at Query.ai, a federated search company that is growing rapidly.

 

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]]> Thu, 11 Apr 2024 13:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Matt Eberhart, Todd Gagne) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/their-fingerprints-are-everywhere-matt-eberharts-journey-as-a-cybersecurity-ceo-s02e05-76KJA0Qa During Todd’s conversation with Matt Eberhart - CEO at Query.ai - the theme of fingerprints kept coming up. But it wasn’t the fingerprints of criminals he was gathering, it was something else.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Matt Eberhart began his career as a cybersecurity analyst for a large Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP). From there Matt went from technical work to team leadership to sales/marketing leadership, then eventually into leadership roles in a number of startups. That led Matt to the CEO role at Query.ai, a federated search company that is growing rapidly.

 

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Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Their Fingerprints are Everywhere - Matt Eberhart's Journey as a Cybersecurity CEO S02E05 Matt Eberhart, Todd Gagne 00:50:31 During Todd’s conversation with Matt Eberhart - CEO at Query.ai - the theme of fingerprints kept coming up. But it wasn’t the fingerprints of criminals he was gathering, it was something else. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Matt Eberhart began his career as a cybersecurity analyst for a large Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP). From there Matt went from technical work to team leadership to sales/marketing leadership, then eventually into leadership roles in a number of startups. That led Matt to the CEO role at Query.ai, a federated search company that is growing rapidly. During Todd’s conversation with Matt Eberhart - CEO at Query.ai - the theme of fingerprints kept coming up. But it wasn’t the fingerprints of criminals he was gathering, it was something else. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Matt Eberhart began his career as a cybersecurity analyst for a large Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP). From there Matt went from technical work to team leadership to sales/marketing leadership, then eventually into leadership roles in a number of startups. That led Matt to the CEO role at Query.ai, a federated search company that is growing rapidly. software startup, startups, entrepreneurship, cyber security false full 18 17907951-b7f7-4e9f-aa36-e7eb03f86e6d Digital Destiny: Logan Hughes' Odyssey from Conventional to Digital Mastery - S2E4 During my podcast conversation with Logan Hughes, his journey unfolded as a compelling narrative of transition, determination, and insight into the essence of entrepreneurship in the digital age.

Key Takeaways:

  • Build your personal brand, early and often. Be authentic
  • Find your why. People want to use products from people they believe have a compelling story.
  • Entrepreneurs should find some sort of work-life balance.

Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs substack to get podcast summaries and more insight on how to build a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 28 Mar 2024 13:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Logan Hughes, Todd Gagne) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/digital-destiny-logan-hughes-odyssey-from-conventional-to-digital-mastery-s2e4-yUjXTxW5 During my podcast conversation with Logan Hughes, his journey unfolded as a compelling narrative of transition, determination, and insight into the essence of entrepreneurship in the digital age.

Key Takeaways:

  • Build your personal brand, early and often. Be authentic
  • Find your why. People want to use products from people they believe have a compelling story.
  • Entrepreneurs should find some sort of work-life balance.

Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs substack to get podcast summaries and more insight on how to build a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Digital Destiny: Logan Hughes' Odyssey from Conventional to Digital Mastery - S2E4 Logan Hughes, Todd Gagne 00:48:37 During my podcast conversation with Logan Hughes, his journey unfolded as a compelling narrative of transition, determination, and insight into the essence of entrepreneurship in the digital age. Key Takeaways: * Build your personal brand, early and often. Be authentic * Find your why. People want to use products from people they believe have a compelling story. * Entrepreneurs should find some sort of work-life balance. Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs substack to get podcast summaries and more insight on how to build a tech startup. During my podcast conversation with Logan Hughes, his journey unfolded as a compelling narrative of transition, determination, and insight into the essence of entrepreneurship in the digital age. Key Takeaways: * Build your personal brand, early and often. Be authentic * Find your why. People want to use products from people they believe have a compelling story. * Entrepreneurs should find some sort of work-life balance. Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs substack to get podcast summaries and more insight on how to build a tech startup. personal branding, path to startups, digital marketing false full 17 6be71032-7274-4f68-abe1-c13f67fc630e Launch Codes: Decoding Go-To-Market Success S2E3 In our latest episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse podcast, I had the honor of speaking with Jim Malpede, a Go-To-Market expert in the software sales space with an impressive track record at companies like Taleo and SAP Concur. Jim talked about his professional journey, sharing insights that are gold for anyone at the helm of a startup. His experiences laid bare the foundational elements of sales strategy, market assessment, and the nuanced art of leadership in the startup ecosystem.

Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs substack to get podcast summaries and more insight on how to build a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 14 Mar 2024 13:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Jim Malpede, Todd Gagne) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/launch-codes-decoding-go-to-market-success-s2e3-_ugRuM4G In our latest episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse podcast, I had the honor of speaking with Jim Malpede, a Go-To-Market expert in the software sales space with an impressive track record at companies like Taleo and SAP Concur. Jim talked about his professional journey, sharing insights that are gold for anyone at the helm of a startup. His experiences laid bare the foundational elements of sales strategy, market assessment, and the nuanced art of leadership in the startup ecosystem.

Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs substack to get podcast summaries and more insight on how to build a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Launch Codes: Decoding Go-To-Market Success S2E3 Jim Malpede, Todd Gagne 00:52:47 In our latest episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse podcast, I had the honor of speaking with Jim Malpede, a Go-To-Market expert in the software sales space with an impressive track record at companies like Taleo and SAP Concur. Jim talked about his professional journey, sharing insights that are gold for anyone at the helm of a startup. His experiences laid bare the foundational elements of sales strategy, market assessment, and the nuanced art of leadership in the startup ecosystem. In our latest episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse podcast, I had the honor of speaking with Jim Malpede, a Go-To-Market expert in the software sales space with an impressive track record at companies like Taleo and SAP Concur. Jim talked about his professional journey, sharing insights that are gold for anyone at the helm of a startup. His experiences laid bare the foundational elements of sales strategy, market assessment, and the nuanced art of leadership in the startup ecosystem. false full 16 e14c5de2-20f2-4051-aa24-0fb0a0394698 Startup Wisdom for the Ambitious, Not Just the Patient - S2E2 In this highly anticipated episode, Badlands Capital CEO Blaine Crissman offered some wisdom, reminding us of the often neglected factors shaping startup success. In this podcast you'll get the following key takaways:

1. Growth Is Nothing Without Time

2. Don't Mess Up the Equity Pie

3. Where in the Investor's Fund are You?

These snippets from Blaine's interview offer a taste of the real-world wisdom packed into the full podcast. He's a testament to the fact that startup success isn't just about having a great idea – it's about timing, structuring deals thoughtfully, and understanding the financial mechanics underpinning your investors' decisions.

If you're hungry for knowledge that can prevent costly missteps in your own startup journey, be sure to subscribe to "Startup Stories from the Treehouse" for more insights like these.

Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs substack to get podcast summaries and more insight on how to build a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Thu, 29 Feb 2024 14:15:00 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Blaine Crissman, Todd Gagne) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/startup-wisdom-for-the-ambitious-s2e2-VckpgOOz In this highly anticipated episode, Badlands Capital CEO Blaine Crissman offered some wisdom, reminding us of the often neglected factors shaping startup success. In this podcast you'll get the following key takaways:

1. Growth Is Nothing Without Time

2. Don't Mess Up the Equity Pie

3. Where in the Investor's Fund are You?

These snippets from Blaine's interview offer a taste of the real-world wisdom packed into the full podcast. He's a testament to the fact that startup success isn't just about having a great idea – it's about timing, structuring deals thoughtfully, and understanding the financial mechanics underpinning your investors' decisions.

If you're hungry for knowledge that can prevent costly missteps in your own startup journey, be sure to subscribe to "Startup Stories from the Treehouse" for more insights like these.

Ready for more? Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs substack to get podcast summaries and more insight on how to build a tech startup.

Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

]]> Startup Wisdom for the Ambitious, Not Just the Patient - S2E2 Blaine Crissman, Todd Gagne 00:49:58 In this highly anticipated episode, Badlands Capital CEO Blaine Crissman offered some wisdom, reminding us of the often neglected factors shaping startup success. In this podcast you'll get the following key takaways: 1. Growth Is Nothing Without Time 2. Don't Mess Up the Equity Pie 3. Where in the Investor's Fund are You? These snippets from Blaine's interview offer a taste of the real-world wisdom packed into the full podcast. He's a testament to the fact that startup success isn't just about having a great idea – it's about timing, structuring deals thoughtfully, and understanding the financial mechanics underpinning your investors' decisions. If you're hungry for knowledge that can prevent costly missteps in your own startup journey, be sure to subscribe to "Startup Stories from the Treehouse" for more insights like these. In this highly anticipated episode, Badlands Capital CEO Blaine Crissman offered some wisdom, reminding us of the often neglected factors shaping startup success. In this podcast you'll get the following key takaways: 1. Growth Is Nothing Without Time 2. Don't Mess Up the Equity Pie 3. Where in the Investor's Fund are You? These snippets from Blaine's interview offer a taste of the real-world wisdom packed into the full podcast. He's a testament to the fact that startup success isn't just about having a great idea – it's about timing, structuring deals thoughtfully, and understanding the financial mechanics underpinning your investors' decisions. If you're hungry for knowledge that can prevent costly missteps in your own startup journey, be sure to subscribe to "Startup Stories from the Treehouse" for more insights like these. fund raising, startup capital false full 15 9301193a-4ef6-4a93-a9f1-77d3f70a42c5 Through the Freeze: Navigating the Financial Winter - S2E1 In the first episode from Season 2 you'll hear from VC, angel investors and startup CEO's about how to raise and manage capital in today's difficult environment. You'll hear investor and startup CEO perspectives on the outlook in the next few years and how you can best position your startup to thrive in this environment.

Panelists:

  • Blaine Crissman (Linkedin) - Managing Partner - Badlands Capital
  • Jim Quinn (Linkedin)- Fund Manager - Black Hills Angel Fund
  • Ray Hespen (Linkedin) - CEO - Property Meld
  • Brigit Blote (Linkedin) - CEO - Fomeno

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]]> Fri, 16 Feb 2024 21:23:03 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Blaine Crissman, Ray Hespen, Brigit Blote, Todd Gagne) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/through-the-freeze-navigating-the-financial-winter-s2e1-pLm3UBFC In the first episode from Season 2 you'll hear from VC, angel investors and startup CEO's about how to raise and manage capital in today's difficult environment. You'll hear investor and startup CEO perspectives on the outlook in the next few years and how you can best position your startup to thrive in this environment.

Panelists:

  • Blaine Crissman (Linkedin) - Managing Partner - Badlands Capital
  • Jim Quinn (Linkedin)- Fund Manager - Black Hills Angel Fund
  • Ray Hespen (Linkedin) - CEO - Property Meld
  • Brigit Blote (Linkedin) - CEO - Fomeno

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]]> Through the Freeze: Navigating the Financial Winter - S2E1 Blaine Crissman, Ray Hespen, Brigit Blote, Todd Gagne 00:58:54 In the first episode from Season 2 you'll hear from VC, angel investors and startup CEO's about how to raise and manage capital in today's difficult environment. You'll hear investor and startup CEO perspectives on the outlook in the next few years and how you can best position your startup to thrive in this environment. Panelists: *Blaine Crissman (Linkedin) - Managing Partner - Badlands Capital *Jim Quinn (Linkedin)- Fund Manager - Black Hills Angel Fund *Ray Hespen (Linkedin) - CEO - Property Meld *Brigit Blote (Linkedin) - CEO - Fomeno In the first episode from Season 2 you'll hear from VC, angel investors and startup CEO's about how to raise and manage capital in today's difficult environment. You'll hear investor and startup CEO perspectives on the outlook in the next few years and how you can best position your startup to thrive in this environment. Panelists: *Blaine Crissman (Linkedin) - Managing Partner - Badlands Capital *Jim Quinn (Linkedin)- Fund Manager - Black Hills Angel Fund *Ray Hespen (Linkedin) - CEO - Property Meld *Brigit Blote (Linkedin) - CEO - Fomeno angel investing, pitch deck, capital, series a, saas false full 14 f8e0019c-bb88-4d30-8e31-26f9e8068199 Top 10 Takaways from Season 1 with Todd & Mike - S1E13 Mike & Todd share their top 10 takeaways from season 1 of Wildfire Tales from entrepreneurs and investors on the show in 2023. The episode begins with a story of a startup founder interviewing over 200 co-founders and why, and ends with why Flearning is key to survive and thrive your startup. Don't miss this final episode of season 1, and learn what we have planned for season 2! 

Ready to launch a startup? Download our investor-reviewed pitch deck template: https://wildfirelabs.io/download-pitch-deck

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]]> Wed, 17 Jan 2024 21:17:29 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Mike Vetter, Todd Gagne) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/top-10-takaways-from-season-1-with-todd-mike-s1e13-Rax1mOQi Mike & Todd share their top 10 takeaways from season 1 of Wildfire Tales from entrepreneurs and investors on the show in 2023. The episode begins with a story of a startup founder interviewing over 200 co-founders and why, and ends with why Flearning is key to survive and thrive your startup. Don't miss this final episode of season 1, and learn what we have planned for season 2! 

Ready to launch a startup? Download our investor-reviewed pitch deck template: https://wildfirelabs.io/download-pitch-deck

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]]> Top 10 Takaways from Season 1 with Todd & Mike - S1E13 Mike Vetter, Todd Gagne 00:50:01 Mike & Todd share their top 10 takeaways from season 1 of Wildfire Tales from entrepreneurs and investors on the show in 2023. The episode begins with a story of a startup founder interviewing over 200 co-founders and why, and ends with why Flearning is key to survive and thrive your startup. Don't miss this final episode of season 1, and learn what we have planned for season 2! Mike & Todd share their top 10 takeaways from season 1 of Wildfire Tales from entrepreneurs and investors on the show in 2023. The episode begins with a story of a startup founder interviewing over 200 co-founders and why, and ends with why Flearning is key to survive and thrive your startup. Don't miss this final episode of season 1, and learn what we have planned for season 2! startups, ceo, entrepreneurship, innovation, tech false full 13 c26b4226-315a-49f4-96d9-411b31db6a32 A Costa Rica Trip Turns Into Reinventing Thrifting - Brigit Blote - S1E12 In this exciting episode you'll learn how Brigit went on a lifechanging trip to Costa Rica and stumbled upon a need for sustainable clothing. She turned that discovery into a startup rethinks thrifting and 2nd hand clothes. In this podcast she shares key lessons along the way and how they got to thousands of active users.

Ready to launch a startup? Download the Wildfire Tales pitch deck template: https://wildfirelabs.io/download-pitch-deck

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]]> Wed, 29 Nov 2023 04:24:20 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Todd Gagne) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/a-costa-rica-trip-turns-into-reinventing-thrifting-brigit-blote-s1e12-cbxf_ISu In this exciting episode you'll learn how Brigit went on a lifechanging trip to Costa Rica and stumbled upon a need for sustainable clothing. She turned that discovery into a startup rethinks thrifting and 2nd hand clothes. In this podcast she shares key lessons along the way and how they got to thousands of active users.

Ready to launch a startup? Download the Wildfire Tales pitch deck template: https://wildfirelabs.io/download-pitch-deck

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]]> A Costa Rica Trip Turns Into Reinventing Thrifting - Brigit Blote - S1E12 Todd Gagne 01:00:53 In this exciting episode you'll learn how Brigit went on a lifechanging trip to Costa Rica and stumbled upon a need for sustainable clothing. She turned that discovery into a startup rethinks thrifting and 2nd hand clothes. In this podcast she shares key lessons along the way and how they got to thousands of active users. In this exciting episode you'll learn how Brigit went on a lifechanging trip to Costa Rica and stumbled upon a need for sustainable clothing. She turned that discovery into a startup rethinks thrifting and 2nd hand clothes. In this podcast she shares key lessons along the way and how they got to thousands of active users. sustainability, covid, capital, startup false full 12 35f0b36f-e344-40cc-9f8b-4729614f7231 Wildfire Entrepreneur Panel @ Innovation Expo 2023 - S1E11 Wildfire Tales goes live at Innovation Expo 2023 with our entrepreneur panel. Hear from Wildfire co-founder Mike Vetter and 4 Wildfire startups:

  • Mycroft Liu - Vivatlantis
  • Cathy Jordan - HIYA Cleaners
  • Jared Teifenthaler - Signed Up Sports
  • Tyler Olson - Journeyman

Join in for our session at this year's event!

Ready to launch a startup? Download the Wildfire Tales pitch deck template: https://wildfirelabs.io/download-pitch-deck

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]]> Tue, 14 Nov 2023 22:45:18 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Todd Gagne, Mike Vetter) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/wildfire-entrepreneur-panel-innovation-expo-2023-s1e11-FT5ft4nf Wildfire Tales goes live at Innovation Expo 2023 with our entrepreneur panel. Hear from Wildfire co-founder Mike Vetter and 4 Wildfire startups:

  • Mycroft Liu - Vivatlantis
  • Cathy Jordan - HIYA Cleaners
  • Jared Teifenthaler - Signed Up Sports
  • Tyler Olson - Journeyman

Join in for our session at this year's event!

Ready to launch a startup? Download the Wildfire Tales pitch deck template: https://wildfirelabs.io/download-pitch-deck

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]]> Wildfire Entrepreneur Panel @ Innovation Expo 2023 - S1E11 Todd Gagne, Mike Vetter 00:33:02 Wildfire Tales goes live at Innovation Expo 2023 with our entrepreneur panel. Join in for our session at this year's event. Hear from Wildfire co-founder Mike Vetter and 4 Wildfire startups: Mycroft Liu - Vivatlantis Cathy Jordan - HIYA Cleaners Jared Teifenthaler - Signed Up Sports Tyler Olson - Journeyman Wildfire Tales goes live at Innovation Expo 2023 with our entrepreneur panel. Join in for our session at this year's event. Hear from Wildfire co-founder Mike Vetter and 4 Wildfire startups: Mycroft Liu - Vivatlantis Cathy Jordan - HIYA Cleaners Jared Teifenthaler - Signed Up Sports Tyler Olson - Journeyman startups, pitching, innovation expo false full 11 18e71f38-1a9b-4f9a-8756-e213cd806311 The Story of Bushel - Building an app that 100,000+ farmers use - (S1E10) Jake Joraanstad started out building a services business that consistently lost money. From those difficult beginnings Jake and his team learned about the power of finding a niche and creating value in the industry in their backyard - agriculture. Today Bushel serves more than 100,000 farmers across the nation, and is one of the leading ag tech providers.

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]]> Tue, 24 Oct 2023 13:22:35 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Wildfire Labs) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/the-story-of-bushel-building-an-app-that-100-000-farmers-use-s1e10-WAg0U4NF Jake Joraanstad started out building a services business that consistently lost money. From those difficult beginnings Jake and his team learned about the power of finding a niche and creating value in the industry in their backyard - agriculture. Today Bushel serves more than 100,000 farmers across the nation, and is one of the leading ag tech providers.

Want to launch a startup? Download the Wildfire Tales pitch deck template: https://wildfirelabs.io/download-pitch-deck

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]]> The Story of Bushel - Building an app that 100,000+ farmers use - (S1E10) Wildfire Labs 00:53:32 Jake Joraanstad started out building a services business that consistently lost money. From those difficult beginnings Jake and his team learned about the power of finding a niche and creating value in the industry in their backyard - agriculture. Today Bushel serves more than 100,000 farmers across the nation, and is one of the leading ag tech providers. Jake Joraanstad started out building a services business that consistently lost money. From those difficult beginnings Jake and his team learned about the power of finding a niche and creating value in the industry in their backyard - agriculture. Today Bushel serves more than 100,000 farmers across the nation, and is one of the leading ag tech providers. venture capital, wildfire labs, ag tech, startup false full 10 8426b094-758c-4aff-92d1-a8d2a37e1ff6 How to Build a $25 Million Fintech Company - Matt Paulson - S1E9 Matt Paulson shares his experience building MarketBeat from the ground up to a $25 million business, his VC fund, and his experiences building entrepreneurial ecosystems. MarketBeat has only 13 employees, which is incredible considering his revenue rate and growth. Matt also shares what his VC fund is looking for and his effort building an entrepreneurial ecosystem in Sioux Falls, SD. 

Want to launch a startup? Download the Wildfire Tales pitch deck template: https://wildfirelabs.io/download-pitch-deck

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]]> Tue, 26 Sep 2023 13:20:32 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Wildfire Labs) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/how-to-build-a-25-million-company-matt-paulson-s1e9-sP_sp57Y Matt Paulson shares his experience building MarketBeat from the ground up to a $25 million business, his VC fund, and his experiences building entrepreneurial ecosystems. MarketBeat has only 13 employees, which is incredible considering his revenue rate and growth. Matt also shares what his VC fund is looking for and his effort building an entrepreneurial ecosystem in Sioux Falls, SD. 

Want to launch a startup? Download the Wildfire Tales pitch deck template: https://wildfirelabs.io/download-pitch-deck

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]]> How to Build a $25 Million Fintech Company - Matt Paulson - S1E9 Wildfire Labs 01:07:49 Matt Paulson shares his experience building MarketBeat from the ground up to a $25 million business, his VC fund, and his experiences building entrepreneurial ecosystems. Matt Paulson shares his experience building MarketBeat from the ground up to a $25 million business, his VC fund, and his experiences building entrepreneurial ecosystems. venture capital, vc, matt paulson, ecosystems, sioux falls, fintech false full 9 4bce33aa-459f-4791-a3e4-2f9a5d06b7cf Crop Duster to Successful Real Estate & Tech Investor - Eric Martz (S1E8) Eric grew up on a rural North Dakota farm starting his career as a crop duster. From there he spent time spent managing restaurants and then got into real estate investing and managing assisted living centers. Eric now invests in tech companies and helps new startups get prepared for capital at Wildfire Labs. In this episode you'll learn key lessons learned and how important people are to success. Eric also covers how being mentored and mentoring have played a huge role in his life, and how making tough decisions to balance work and home life has helped him grow.

Get instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts

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]]> Tue, 12 Sep 2023 13:32:20 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Wildfire Labs) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/crop-duster-to-successful-real-estate-tech-investor-dad-EY2MHlyz Eric grew up on a rural North Dakota farm starting his career as a crop duster. From there he spent time spent managing restaurants and then got into real estate investing and managing assisted living centers. Eric now invests in tech companies and helps new startups get prepared for capital at Wildfire Labs. In this episode you'll learn key lessons learned and how important people are to success. Eric also covers how being mentored and mentoring have played a huge role in his life, and how making tough decisions to balance work and home life has helped him grow.

Get instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts

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]]> Crop Duster to Successful Real Estate & Tech Investor - Eric Martz (S1E8) Wildfire Labs 00:36:03 Eric grew up on a rural North Dakota farm starting his career as a crop duster, time spent building assisted care centers, and now tech investing and prioritizing family. Eric grew up on a rural North Dakota farm starting his career as a crop duster, time spent building assisted care centers, and now tech investing and prioritizing family. north dakota, mentoring, crop dusting, work life balance, tech investing false full 8 a51a8efd-bbd1-42e3-8c8f-af65100f3995 Episode 7: Eric Broughton Get instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts

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]]> Wed, 23 Aug 2023 13:52:36 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Wildfire Labs) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/episode-7-eric-broughton-vgHulDLd Get instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts

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]]> Episode 7: Eric Broughton Wildfire Labs 01:03:28 In this episode of Wildfire Tales, Eric shares his experiences selling multiple companies including an exit to Expedia.com. Eric has a unique set of experience of using consulting gigs to find problems that he ultimately turned into a successful products. Eric also shares his experience working with private equity and investment banking during his years pre and post exit. In this episode of Wildfire Tales, Eric shares his experiences selling multiple companies including an exit to Expedia.com. Eric has a unique set of experience of using consulting gigs to find problems that he ultimately turned into a successful products. Eric also shares his experience working with private equity and investment banking during his years pre and post exit. private equity, wildfire labs, expedia, startup, exit false full 7 e8bf9c58-b7a8-44e0-95d0-5bc09cc7c8d1 Episode 6: Ray Hespen Get instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts

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]]> Wed, 12 Jul 2023 01:25:12 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Wildfire Labs) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/episode-6-ray-hespen-00KY5qxR Get instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts

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]]> Episode 6: Ray Hespen Wildfire Labs 00:47:40 In our latest episode of Wildfire Tales, Property Meld Co-Founder and CEO Ray Hespen talks about his journey from working in a cement materials plant to running a company that has raised $22 million and is a leader in their space. Ray also shares lessons he's learned on how to scale a company from just a few customers and a couple people to a team of 50 that is prepared to more than double in size. Ray also shares how mentoring has helped him grow as a leader and allowed him to scale with the organization. If you'd like to build a company that can scale up this episode is for you. In our latest episode of Wildfire Tales, Property Meld Co-Founder and CEO Ray Hespen talks about his journey from working in a cement materials plant to running a company that has raised $22 million and is a leader in their space. Ray also shares lessons he's learned on how to scale a company from just a few customers and a couple people to a team of 50 that is prepared to more than double in size. Ray also shares how mentoring has helped him grow as a leader and allowed him to scale with the organization. If you'd like to build a company that can scale up this episode is for you. false full 6 107332e1-9d21-4f25-b4ed-54d0c2f05290 Episode 5: Bill Trevillyan Get instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts

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]]> Mon, 5 Jun 2023 13:19:57 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Wildfire Labs) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/episode-5-bill-trevillyan-b4xB7f53 Get instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts

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]]> Episode 5: Bill Trevillyan Wildfire Labs 00:51:02 In this episode of Wildfire Tales, Bill takes us through his experiences from growing up in Rapid City to moving to China, and his current work in Silicon Valley. Bill also walks through his journey of entrepreneurship including competing in business plan competitions and his massive quest to find a co-founder including interviewing over 300 candidates. Our episode concludes with Bill's perspective on the future of AI, a field his current startup plays. In this episode of Wildfire Tales, Bill takes us through his experiences from growing up in Rapid City to moving to China, and his current work in Silicon Valley. Bill also walks through his journey of entrepreneurship including competing in business plan competitions and his massive quest to find a co-founder including interviewing over 300 candidates. Our episode concludes with Bill's perspective on the future of AI, a field his current startup plays. wildfire labs, focus on the customer, generative ai, ai, honesty, silicon valley, startup false full 5 71a369ed-b108-4af2-977b-498ee4595d06 Episode 4: Jared Tiefenthaler Get instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts

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]]> Tue, 11 Apr 2023 20:39:04 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Wildfire Labs) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/episode-4-jared-tiefenthaler-rQFNmOKN Get instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts

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]]> Episode 4: Jared Tiefenthaler Wildfire Labs 00:42:05 In this episode of Wildfire Tales, Jared shares his journey from college football to creating multiple technology startups. This includes creating a unique sports training app with his dad who is a former professional baseball player. Jared also shares his experience building Signed Up Sports in the Wildfire Labs accelerator. In this episode of Wildfire Tales, Jared shares his journey from college football to creating multiple technology startups. This includes creating a unique sports training app with his dad who is a former professional baseball player. Jared also shares his experience building Signed Up Sports in the Wildfire Labs accelerator. startups, tech, accelerator false full 4 bb909cf8-a6d0-419a-9895-7524fd79948e Episode 3: Deb Clark from Eval.com Get instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts

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]]> Tue, 14 Mar 2023 19:45:55 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Wildfire Labs) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/episode-3-deb-clark-from-evalcom-xBdoodFK Get instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts

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]]> Episode 3: Deb Clark from Eval.com Wildfire Labs 00:49:11 Deb Clark is building one of the fastest growing property evaluation companies in the nation, and she's doing it with technology. Deb started with nothing, and was even homeless and living on the streets for a time. She went from that to bar-tending to learning the financial services business. Today Eval.com is growing rapidly, and Deb shares the triumphs and challenges of that growth. She also gives us candid leadership insight on key lessons that have helped her continue her rapid growth. Deb Clark is building one of the fastest growing property evaluation companies in the nation, and she's doing it with technology. Deb started with nothing, and was even homeless and living on the streets for a time. She went from that to bar-tending to learning the financial services business. Today Eval.com is growing rapidly, and Deb shares the triumphs and challenges of that growth. She also gives us candid leadership insight on key lessons that have helped her continue her rapid growth. strategy, scale, homelessness, fintech, mentorship false full 3 1c9897ac-4a28-4dc0-b619-df7a8cf1fea5 Episode 2: David Hanna from Paystubz.com Get instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts

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]]> Tue, 14 Mar 2023 19:45:39 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Wildfire Labs) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/episode-2-david-hanna-from-paystubzcom-PHC8KqWP Get instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts

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]]> Episode 2: David Hanna from Paystubz.com Wildfire Labs 00:33:59 In this episode, Todd interviews David Hanna, a fintech entrepreneuer about how he started, built, and sold Paystubz, an online payroll service. David shares his story of growing up in rural South Dakota, starting his first business selling candy bars as a kid, and what life was like growing up as a young entrepreneur. David shares how he built and sold one of the most innovative payroll services companies in the region, and dives into lessons learned and how important culture was to building a successful company. In this episode, Todd interviews David Hanna, a fintech entrepreneuer about how he started, built, and sold Paystubz, an online payroll service. David shares his story of growing up in rural South Dakota, starting his first business selling candy bars as a kid, and what life was like growing up as a young entrepreneur. David shares how he built and sold one of the most innovative payroll services companies in the region, and dives into lessons learned and how important culture was to building a successful company. growth, startups, culture, fintech false full 2 9337170e-797f-4541-b5ea-f2e792cf70bc Episode 1: Origin Story Get instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts

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]]> Mon, 13 Mar 2023 21:22:43 +0000 todd@wildfirelabs.io (Mike Vetter, Todd Gagne) https://wildfire-tales.simplecast.com/episodes/1-origin-story-rgxdKckw Get instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts

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]]> Episode 1: Origin Story Mike Vetter, Todd Gagne 00:28:31 In the first episode of Wildfire Tales, Mike and Todd walk through their entrepreneurial journey that led them to start Wildfire Labs, a pre-seed accelerator for software companies. Both of them share some jarring war stories of the challenges of starting a tech company in an isolated environment, and why it's important to build technology with the right tools. In the first episode of Wildfire Tales, Mike and Todd walk through their entrepreneurial journey that led them to start Wildfire Labs, a pre-seed accelerator for software companies. Both of them share some jarring war stories of the challenges of starting a tech company in an isolated environment, and why it's important to build technology with the right tools. strategy, growth, startups, failure, accelerator false full 1