Max Pechersky, co-founder of PromoRepublic. His company focuses on helping marketing freelancers get new ideas and strategies for content marketing. As PromoRepublic continues to grow, the company is stretching its boundaries to provide more products for freelancers.
Famous Five:

Favorite Book? – Intercom on Product Management
What CEO do you follow? —
Favorite online tool? — Wunderlist
Do you get 8 hours of sleep? — Almost never.
If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — It’s ok if someone doesn’t like me.

Time Stamped Show Notes:
01:20 – Nathan introduces Max
02:05 – The co-founder of PromoRepublic
03:00 – He owns thirty percent of the company
03:20 – It’s a software service that helps with content marketing.
03:45 – Solving the frustrations of marketing freelancers
04:10 – The business was founded at the end of 2013
04:45 – First year total revenue – 30000 euro
05:00 – Now he has 10k in recurring revenue
05:50 – Total customers: 600
06:10 – Customer pricing is about $12 per month
07:00 -- $650000 raised
07:30 – It was a grant and a soft loan.
08:00 – Churn monthly is 8%
08:50 – They had to decide which customers to focus on
09:30 – They moved to freelance marketers
09:50 – It’s about $100 in acquisition cost
10:30 – The average person stays for about a year.
11:14 – Additional revenue streams
11:25 – Social media templates
11:40 – Like stock photos for social media posts
12:00 – Max@PromoRepublic.com
13:30 – The Famous Five
3 Key Points:
Channel your product toward a specific market.
When you start to see success, look for additional revenue streams.
Come up with an idea that solves a fundamental problem.

Resources Mentioned:
Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for cheapest price possible.
Freshbooks - The site Nathan uses to manage his invoices and accounts.
Leadpages – The drag and drop tool Nathan uses to quickly create his webinar landing pages which convert at 35%+
Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he's driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5 hour drive) to listen to audio books.
Toptal – Great for business people to start building their app
Wunderlist – Max’s favorite online tool
Intercom on Product Management – Max’s favorite business book
Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives

Brian Wong, who started his company Kiip after getting laid off. As his company has grown and matured, his cofounders have moved on. But Brian is incredible grateful for his company and believes in sticking to your decisions and putting your whole heart and soul into your business. Now Kiip is on track to make $20 million this year, so he must be doing something right.

Famous Five:

• Favorite Book? – Predictably Irrational
• What CEO do you follow? — Evan Spiegel
• Favorite online tool? — Evernote

• Do you get 8 hours of sleep? — No.
• If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Stop taking everything so seriously. Everything is going to work out.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 01:20 – Nathan introduces Brian
• 01:50 – Kiip is embedded into apps, and it rewards you for achievements in those apps
• 02:45 – 50/50 revenue share with brands who provide the rewards
• 03:20 – The economics of partnering with a brand like Gatorade
• • 04:00 – Customers must claim the award for either company to get money
• 05:00 – Why they use email to deliver the awards
• 05:38 – Brian’s journey to where he is now, at age 25
• • 06:00 – He found himself in business development
  • 06:55 – Laid off in 2010
  • 07:00 – He met with a few venture capitalists, and a startup seemed like the right direction
  • 08:00 – He and his two cofounders got started
• 08:30 – They started with $300k
• 09:30 – Total capital now is $32 million
• 09:45 – Last year’s revenue was $11 million
• 10:00 – Margins are increasing as they are becoming more efficient
• • 10:40 – Reducing server costs, marketing costs, and creating different revenue streams
• 11:25 – They have a unique revenue model that brings in “new money”
• 12:35 – Engagement rate is 10%
• 13:10 – Both of Brian’s cofounders have left to do other things
• 13:45 – How Brian feels about his company’s growth
• • 14:15 – “At the end of the day, it’s what your exit is.”
  • 14:50 – He feels thankful for what he has with his company
  • 15:15 – “Make your decision and don’t look back.” You can always dream about what could be better or different, but follow through and stay committed to what you have.
• 16:50 – Goal for 2016 is $20 million
• 17:00 – Hopes to grow the margin more
• 17:15 – Twitter @brian_wong and Snapchat at bwong91
• 19:20 – The Famous Five

3 Key Points:

• When you make a decision, completely commit to that decision.
• It does no good to daydream about what could be better or different. Channel that energy into improving what you have.
• Take advantage of an opportunity when it is put in front of you.

Resources Mentioned:

• Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for cheapest price possible.
• Freshbooks - The site Nathan uses to manage his invoices and accounts.
• Leadpages  – The drag and drop tool Nathan uses to quickly create his webinar landing pages which convert at 35%+
• Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he's driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5 hour drive) to listen to audio books.
• Evernote – Brian’s favorite online tool
• Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives

Deepak Goel, the mastermind behind his new company  KarmaCircles. Deepak says the company is the next-generation LinkedIn. He believes he has found his calling in life as an entrepreneur in the social networking niche.

Famous Five:

• Favorite Book? – Give and Take
• What CEO do you follow? — Jeff Weiner, CEO of LinkedIn
• Favorite online tool? — Mint, Appear.in

• Do you get 8 hours of sleep? — Absolutely.
• If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Don’t stay in a company for more than two years.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 01:05 – Nathan introduces Deepak
• 01:50 – KarmaCircles is an app that connects entrepreneurs with successful business people
• 02:55 – Pilots with business schools and corporate companies
• 03:15 – No money the first year
• 03:30 – What companies are similar to KarmaCircles
• • 04:20 – A LinkedIn of the future
• 05:00 – All free pilots right now
• • 05:45 – Why they are not charging for the app now
• 06:40 – Will the customers pay when they make that shift?
• • 07:10 – If customers like the product, they will stay
• 07:40 – Target annual contract value size
• • 07:55 – 500 users per month for business schools
  • 08:45 – It can be used by any company that does networking
  • 09:00 – Much larger contracts for corporate companies
• 10:10 – Capital from six angel investors
• 10:40 – 6 people on their team
• • 10:50 – They pay $3000/month for six engineers
• 11:40 – Differences between them and the company Clarity
• 12:00 – Social networking is Deepak’s “life calling”
• 13:00 – Karmacircles.com/Deepak
• 15:00 – Giving of yourself for free will circle back to you
• 15:45 – The Famous Five

3 Key Points:

• Find the industry that you were made for.
• If you give to others freely, you will see karma come back around to you.
• Believe in your business and set high expectations.

Resources Mentioned:

• Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for cheapest price possible.
• Freshbooks - The site Nathan uses to manage his invoices and accounts.
• Leadpages  – The drag and drop tool Nathan uses to quickly create his webinar landing pages which convert at 35%+
• Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he's driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5 hour drive) to listen to audio books.
• Mint – Deepak’s favorite online tool
• Appear.in – A video conversation tool that requires no download
• Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives

Massimo Chieruzzi, CEO of AdEspresso. His company, founded in 2013, is now so profitable that he says they don’t need fundraising! Massimo sees only growth for AdEspresso in the future as Facebook ads continue to evolve and improve.

Famous Five:

• Favorite Book? – Predictably Irrational
• What CEO do you follow? — Rand Fishkin
• Favorite online tool? — HubSpot

• Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— No
• If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Don’t start a startup. Get some experience for a corporate business first.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 01:05 – Nathan introduces Massimo
• 01:30 – AdEspresso was first on The Top on Episode 70
• 01:50 – Focus on growing and reducing churn
• 02:25 – Revenue is about $400k/month
• 02:38 – 2015 total revenue was $3M
• 02:50 – Fundraising has reached $1.8 Million
• 03:30 – “We have been profitable this last year, so we don’t need the money.”
• 04:00 – More than 4000 customers
• 04:45 – Learn about AdEspresso at Adespresso.com
• 05:00 – Churn is 7% and is decreasing
• 06:00 – How long their customers stay
• 07:10 – 35 people on their team
• 07:20 – Monthly expenses are around $280k
• 07:45 – They are growing by at least 15% every month
• 08:00 – How the company is sustainable
• 08:30 – Customer acquisition is less than $10
• 08:45 – Paid acquisition is only content promotion
• 09:20 – They were founded in 2013
• 09:30 – What would Massimo sell his company for?
• 10:20 – @MassimoCw on Twitter or massimo@adespresso.com
• 12:10 – The Famous Five

3 Key Points:

• Allow yourself to gain knowledge from different experiences.
• Find ways to lower your acquisition costs.
• Get into an industry that has a long life ahead of it.

Resources Mentioned:

• Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for cheapest price possible.
• Freshbooks - The site Nathan uses to manage his invoices and accounts.
• Leadpages  – The drag and drop tool Nathan uses to quickly create his webinar landing pages which convert at 35%+
• Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he's driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5 hour drive) to listen to audio books.
• HubSpot – Massimo’s favorite online tool
• Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives

Massimo Chieruzzi, CEO of AdEspresso. His company, founded in 2013, is now so profitable that he says they don’t need fundraising! Massimo sees only growth for AdEspresso in the future as Facebook ads continue to evolve and improve.

Famous Five:

• Favorite Book? – Predictably Irrational
• What CEO do you follow? — Rand Fishkin
• Favorite online tool? — HubSpot

• Do you get 8 hours of sleep?— No
• If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Don’t start a startup. Get some experience for a corporate business first.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 01:05 – Nathan introduces Massimo
• 01:30 – AdEspresso was first on The Top on Episode 70
• 01:50 – Focus on growing and reducing churn
• 02:25 – Revenue is about $400k/month
• 02:38 – 2015 total revenue was $3M
• 02:50 – Fundraising has reached $1.8 Million
• 03:30 – “We have been profitable this last year, so we don’t need the money.”
• 04:00 – More than 4000 customers
• 04:45 – Learn about AdEspresso at Adespresso.com
• 05:00 – Churn is 7% and is decreasing
• 06:00 – How long their customers stay
• 07:10 – 35 people on their team
• 07:20 – Monthly expenses are around $280k
• 07:45 – They are growing by at least 15% every month
• 08:00 – How the company is sustainable
• 08:30 – Customer acquisition is less than $10
• 08:45 – Paid acquisition is only content promotion
• 09:20 – They were founded in 2013
• 09:30 – What would Massimo sell his company for?
• 10:20 – @MassimoCw on Twitter or massimo@adespresso.com
• 12:10 – The Famous Five

3 Key Points:

• Allow yourself to gain knowledge from different experiences.
• Find ways to lower your acquisition costs.
• Get into an industry that has a long life ahead of it.

Resources Mentioned:

• Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for cheapest price possible.
• Freshbooks - The site Nathan uses to manage his invoices and accounts.
• Leadpages  – The drag and drop tool Nathan uses to quickly create his webinar landing pages which convert at 35%+
• Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he's driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5 hour drive) to listen to audio books.
• HubSpot – Massimo’s favorite online tool
• Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives

Adam Tishman, cofounder of Helix Sleep. His company gives every customer a custom-made mattress that is even more affordable then retail brands. With several options, customers can come up with hundreds of different combinations to build their perfect, individualized mattress. Learn about Helix Sleep’s goals to continue expanding and to provide the best customer experience.

Famous Five:

• Favorite Book? – Made to Stick
• What CEO do you follow? — Jeff Gross
• Favorite online tool? — Moat.com

• Do you get 8 hours of sleep?—About 7.
• If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Learn about customer lifetime value and customer acquisition. Take risks earlier.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 01:25 – Nathan introduces Adam
• 01:45 – Helix Sleep
• 01:55 – Custom-made mattresses
• 02:20 – The price is always the same for the consumer
• 02:50 – Costs to produce are up to $500 in the mattress industry
• 03:50 – Net margin
• 04:20 – Growth of the business
• 04:35 – Founded a year ago
• 04:45 – Thousands of mattresses already sold
• 05:10 – Acquisition
• 05:40 – Podcasts and radio
• • 06:30 – Really successful in the mattress industry
• 07:05 – A business model that they can scale
• 08:10 – A simple game, with one product
• 08:30 – They use their revenue to fuel growth
• 09:50 – Capital
• • 10:10 – Seed round just under $1M
• 10:45 – Team of 16
• 11:00 – First year revenue was lower than their monthly revenue now
• 11:55 – The technology
• • 12:10 – An algorithm to make the customized mattresses
  • 12:25 – Coding is outsourced
• 13:10 – The process for finding a developer on Toptal
• • 14:25 – Everyone is pre-screened
  • 14:50 – Legally, you still own the code
  • 15:20 – More affordable
• 16:10 – Why they chose Toptal
• 17:00 – Churn is not a focus for this type of business
• 17:40 – Focus on building the brand
• 17:55 – The customer experience
• 18:14 – Hundreds of skews
• 19:35 – Goals for 2016
• 20:35 – helixsleep.com, blog.helixsleep.com, and Adam Tishman on LinkedIn or adam@helixsleep.com
• 23:00 – The Famous Five

3 Key Points:

• Find a way to provide high-quality products at a more affordable price.
• Take risks earlier, and jump up the business ladder.
• Come up with a business model that can be scaled.

Resources Mentioned:

• Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for cheapest price possible.
• Freshbooks - The site Nathan uses to manage his invoices and accounts.
• Leadpages  – The drag and drop tool Nathan uses to quickly create his webinar landing pages which convert at 35%+
• Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he's driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5 hour drive) to listen to audio books.
• Moat.com – Adam’s favorite online tool to see how he compares to his competitors
• Toptal – A platform for finding freelancers
• Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives

Michael Hollauf, cofounder and CEO of MeisterLabs. The company works to provide resources to collaborate across digital platforms. Now they are introducing a new service, MeisterTask, which focuses on better task management and a fun user experience. Hear about how MeisterLabs has hit the ground running and is continuing to introduce new tools to help businesses and entrepreneurs succeed.

Famous Five:

• Favorite Book? – Rich Dad Poor Dad
• What CEO do you follow? — Stewart Butterfield
• Favorite online tool? — Slack

• Do you get 8 hours of sleep?—Yes
• If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Buy a flat in London. Be bold. Do it earlier.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 01:05 – Nathan introduces Michael
• 01:35 – Managing director of MeisterLabs
• 02:20 – MeisterTask
• 03:10 – Trello was their inspiration
• • 03:40 – Better task management
  • 04:00 – Something more fun to use and focused on tasks
• 04:15 – 550000 users
• 05:10 – 60% of the downloads are through the app store
• 05:30 – Some features only available in the premium model
• 06:00 – 5000 paying customers
• 06:50 – Why people upgrade
• • 07:00 – Better integration
• 07:20 – Funding
• 08:00 – MeisterTask revenue for 2015 was $20k
• 08:20 – MindMeister was $2.5 M
• • 08:35 – Monthly recurring was $220k
  • 09:00 – 5 million users
  • 09:15 – 30000 paying customers
  • Collaboration for mind maps
• 10:10 – Cost to acquire a new customer is about $30
• 10:30 – 27% annual churn
• 11:50 – Average customer stays for about 20 months
• • 12:05 – Monthly plan was changed to a longer plan, which increased retention
• 12:30 – How MindMeister is growing
• • 12:40 – about $25k/month on Google Ads
  • 13:00 – best keyword is “mind mapping”
• 13:30 – Competitors
• 14:00 – Goal for the business is to create a suite of products
• 14:50 – MeisterTask valuation
• 16:00 – Michael Hollauf on LinkedIn
• 16:22 – michael@meisterlabs.com
• 28:35 -- The Famous Five

3 Key Points:

• Don’t be afraid to draw from ideas of existing companies.
• Establish your end goal for your business.
• Be bold. Start your business early.

Resources Mentioned:

• Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for cheapest price possible.
• Freshbooks - The site Nathan uses to manage his invoices and accounts.
• Leadpages  – The drag and drop tool Nathan uses to quickly create his webinar landing pages which convert at 35%+
• Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he's driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5 hour drive) to listen to audio books.
• Trello – A similar service to MeisterTask that inspired Michael
• Slack -- Another online tool that inspires Michael and his team
• Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives

Jon Lee, CEO of ProsperWorks. Jon has jumped to many different industries, from gaming to tech to banking. As an entrepreneur with success in multiple companies, he believes in going after your business goals as soon as possible. Listen to his journey through his businesses and how he ended up with ProsperWorks.

Famous Five:

• Favorite Book? – Crossing the Chasm
• What CEO do you follow? — Marc Benioff
• Favorite online tool? — Google Apps

• Do you get 8 hours of sleep? — No.
• If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Start your companies earlier.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 01:05 – Nathan introduces Jon Lee
• 02:10 – “Banking to tech to Yahoo to gaming”
• 02:40 – He saw a need for advertisers when he worked for Yahoo
• 03:10 – Bizarre Advertising
• 03:25 – They automated the business
• 04:10 – How they got revenue
• 04:35 – Started in their apartment in Palo Alto
• 04:50 -- $47-million business in two years
• 05:10 – Applied algorithms to find success
• 05:35 – Bound to confidentiality on the exit value
• 06:00 – Balance between cost and revenue
• 06:40 – How he got into the gaming industry
• 06:45 – Background in mathematics
• 07:00 – DNA games
• 07:15 – They could provide different gaming experiences according to the customer
• 08:00 – Stickiness is measured according to a customer’s engagement
• 08:20 – Lifetime value helped companies build better games and make more money
• 09:10 – They sold when Facebook changed their gaming policies
• 09:50 – They partnered with a larger company
• 10:10 – ChefVille
• 10:40 – A good exit for the investors and the company
• 11:00 – ProsperWorks
• 12:00 – CRM
• 12:10 – Partnering with Google Apps
• 12:30 – Problems with bad data
• 13:00 – Automating the data entry
• 13:30 – They have raised of $10 million
• 14:20 – Founded in 2011
• 14:30 – A SaaS platform
• 14:40 – 40000 customers
• 14:55 -- The Famous Five
• 15:00 – Profitable sales and marketing
• 15:15 – Free two-week trial
• 15:45 – You want a profitable acquisition
• 16:00 – Focus on building great partnerships and relationships
• 16:35 – For every $1 spent, they get a $6 return
• 17:10 – A less mature product needs funding to get customer feedback
• 17:35 – Team of 67
• 17:50 – Diminishing marginal returns
• 18:15 – Invest and get the right type of customer
• 18:30 – Building up the sales team
• 19:15 – Average customer pays $49
• 19:50 – Majority of their contracts are annual
• 20:30 – Focus to build a useful product
• 21:00 – Attracting small and medium-sized businesses
• 21:30 – Revenue churn is negative
• 23:00 – Jon Lee on LinkedIn or Twitter @prosperworks

3 Key Points:

• If you have an entrepreneurial spirit, pursue your ideas immediately.
• Be realistic about what is best for your company.
• Partner with big companies to gain credibility.

Resources Mentioned:

• Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for cheapest price possible.
• Freshbooks - The site Nathan uses to manage his invoices and accounts.
• Leadpages  – The drag and drop tool Nathan uses to quickly create his webinar landing pages which convert at 35%+
• Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he's driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5 hour drive) to listen to audio books.
• Google Apps – The online tool that has partnered with ProsperWorks
• Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives

Kevin Davis, who came up with a creative solution for tech support. After waiting weeks to get his computer back from the Geek Squad, he thought there had to be a quicker, better solution. He created Geekatoo as a platform for people to find tech experts in their own neighborhoods.

Famous Five:

• Favorite Book? – Jason Calacanis’s Podcast
• What CEO do you follow? — Not really, I look at other marketplaces.
• Favorite online tool? — Base

• Do you get 8 hours of sleep?—Yes
• If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Make sure that you get your startup out as soon as possible.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 01:25 – Nathan introduces Kevin
• 01:50 – Musician, tech guy, and geek
• 02:10 – Geekatoo, “like an Uber for tech support”
• 03:00 – They started out aiming for a nationwide company
• 04:10 – A platform
• 04:50 – Founded in 2010
• 04:55 – First-year revenue was literally nothing
• • 05:30 – It took over a year to get the product out
  • 06:20 – He supported himself by living back home
• 07:00 – Now it is much quicker to bootstrap a launch
• 07:45 – They take a percentage for every job that comes through
• 08:00 – Switched to solving larger-level problems
• 08:50 – Three different plans and other services
• 09:30 – Customers are covered for the long term
• 10:00 – Onboarding takes people from one service to a monthly plan
• 10:30 – Total customers is 40000
• 10:50 -- $2.7 M in capital
• 11:10 – 2015 revenue was almost $4 M
• 11:25 – Biggest costs
• • 11:50 – Provider payout and overseas center
  • 12:25 – Ad words
• 13:20 – A focus on positive economics
• 14:15 – Average project value is about $130
• • 14:40 – Acquisition cost is $20 to $30
  • 15:15 – A large volume of customers had $0 acquisition cost
• 16:00 – Reasoning behind the merger with HelloTech
• • 17:35 – “A bigger pie”
  • 18:00 – New partners coming forward
• 18:35 – kevin@hellotech.com or @geekatoo on Twitter
• 21:15 -- The Famous Five

3 Key Points:

• Don’t worry about perfecting your business—get it out there as quickly as possible
• Do what is best to help your business grow.
• Find a simple way to communicate with your customers.

Resources Mentioned:

• Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for cheapest price possible.
• Freshbooks - The site Nathan uses to manage his invoices and accounts.
• Leadpages  – The drag and drop tool Nathan uses to quickly create his webinar landing pages which convert at 35%+
• Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he's driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5 hour drive) to listen to audio books.
• Base – Kevin’s favorite online tool
• Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives

Byron Walker, owner of Survival Frog. Byron is passionate about scaling businesses that will change the world. Hear the breakdown of Survival Frog and what launched this company into huge success.

Famous Five:

• Favorite Book? – Ready Aim Fire!
• What CEO do you follow? — No
• Favorite online tool? — Evernote

• Do you get 8 hours of sleep?—Yes.
• If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Welcome adversity.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 01:10 – Nathan introduces Byron
• 01:40 – Survival Frog
• 02:00 -- $4.7 million last year
• 02:20 – Started in 2009
• 02:30 – Info publishing company
• 03:00 – One product exploded in 2012
• • 03:30 – 500000 purchases
• 03:50 – How they got the first sales
• • 04:00 – Paid traffic
  • 04:10 – Banner ads and paid email
• 04:20 – What is paid email
• • 05:15 – Conversations are around 3 to 5 percent
• 05:20 – Split testing to find the right price
• 05:55 – Upsells make money for them
• 06:15 – Average profit is $5
• 06:30 – Over a million spent on paid marketing
• 07:00 – How to buy email lists
• • 07:15 – List brokers
  • 07:40 – Dedicated Emails, Bryan Litman
  • 07:50 -- James R. Whalen
• 08:30 – Short emails get people to the landing page
• 08:55 – Now they are 100% physical products
• 09:50 – Gross margin is up to 35% this year
• 10:15 – 15 team members
• 10:40 – Products are sourced and bought in bulk
• 11:50 – Buying power with companies
• 12:10 – Forecasting the right amount of inventory
• 12:45 – LinkedIn or survivalfrog.com
• 14:40 – Discovery Channel on Blue Collar Backers
• 16:30 – Hundreds of thousands of units moved
• 17:00 – Profit in 2015 was $500k
• 17:35 – Valuation for the business
• 18:10 – The Famous Five

3 Key Points:

• Adjust your business model to improve your margins.
• Challenges in your life will put you on a better, more rewarding path.
• Continue doing what you are passionate about.

Resources Mentioned:

• Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for cheapest price possible.
• Freshbooks - The site Nathan uses to manage his invoices and accounts.
• Leadpages  – The drag and drop tool Nathan uses to quickly create his webinar landing pages which convert at 35%+
• Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he's driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5 hour drive) to listen to audio books.
• James R. Whalen and Dedicated Emails – Email list brokers
• Evernote – Byron’s favorite online tool
• Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives

Hamza Amir, who is the CEO of Blurbiz. As a marketing guru working for household names like Disney and Coca-Cola, Hamza saw a problem in the industry with mobile videos. He kept hearing the same complaints, but no one was doing anything about it. Hamza came up with the solution when he created Blurbiz.

Famous Five:

• Favorite Book? – Zero to One
• What CEO do you follow? — Mark Suster: msuster on Snapchat
• Favorite online tool? — Scoutapp

• Do you get 8 hours of sleep? — No.
• If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Move to Silicon Valley faster.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 01:05 – Nathan introduces Hamza
• 01:40 – He is not the guy behind the Chewbacca mask
• 02:00 – Blurbiz assists with mobile ad videos
• 03:00 – Up to $5000/month per account
• 03:20 – 20 customers right now
• 03:40 – He used to do influencer marketing work
• • 04:05 – He saw a gap in mobile content
• 04:35 – Blurbiz was the solution to that gap
• 04:40 – Expected to raise $2 M by the end of the month
• 05:05 – They are working out terms with a new investor
• 05:20 – Angel funding
• 07:00 – His advice for entrepreneurs about investing
• 07:20 – Competitors
• 08:00 – “Fundraising is more of an art than a science.”
• 09:05 – How to use the service
• • 09:20 – Create and publish a video from your mobile device
  • 09:50 – Creating a Snapchat through Blurbiz
• 10:50 – Allowing companies to use different platforms
• 12:20 – Funds go to the business first. Anything left over goes to salaries.
• • 13:00 – Salary was $2500 last month
• 13:20 – Twitter: @hamza3amir and Snapchat: hamza3amir
• 16:00 -- The Famous Five

3 Key Points:

• If there is a persistent problem in an industry, come up with a solution.
• Understand the best types of fundraising for your new business.
• Make a business that stems from your expertise.

Resources Mentioned:

• Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for cheapest price possible.
• Freshbooks - The site Nathan uses to manage his invoices and accounts.
• Leadpages  – The drag and drop tool Nathan uses to quickly create his webinar landing pages which convert at 35%+
• Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he's driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5 hour drive) to listen to audio books.
• Scoutapp – Hamza’s favorite online tool

• Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives

Danavir Sarria. After working as a freelance copywriter, Danavir wanted to stop working with clients and start working for himself. He created CopyMonk, a service that teaches people how to increase sales by producing effective copy. At only 22 years old, Danavir is making a place for himself as an expert copywriter.

Famous Five:

• Favorite Book? – Rework
• What CEO do you follow? — Gary Vaynerchuck
• Favorite online tool? — MindMeister

• Do you get 8 hours of sleep?—Yes.
• If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Focus on your efforts, and not on your passion.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 01:25 – Nathan introduces Danavir
• 01:40 – CopyMonk
• 02:15 – Total revenue is $6k in two months
• 02:30 – How he became a copywriting expert
• 03:00 – 1700 people on his email list
• 03:40 – 40 sales over four days
• 04:20 – How to manage his email list
• • 04:45 – Teach people and build a relationship
• 06:00 – How you know if someone is a good copywriter
• • 06:30 – Sales and good engagement
  • 07:00 – Knows copy and marketing
  • 08:00 – Connecting with people who read your content
• 08:15 – Freelance copywriting
• 09:30 – Working with clients makes it hard to see results
• 10:20 – How he improved one business
• 11:30 – Client work vs. working for himself
• 12:25 – Copymonk.com or their Facebook page
• 14:25 – The Famous Five

3 Key Points:

• Focus on your efforts and your expertise.
• If you don’t like working under someone else, start your own business.
• When you write copy, find ways to connect to your audience.

Resources Mentioned:

• Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for cheapest price possible.
• Freshbooks - The site Nathan uses to manage his invoices and accounts.
• Leadpages  – The drag and drop tool Nathan uses to quickly create his webinar landing pages which convert at 35%+
• Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he's driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5 hour drive) to listen to audio books.
• MindMeister – Danavir’s favorite online tool
• Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives

Joe Hyrkin, CEO of Issuu. Joe enjoys working in the publishing industry because it is driven by passion. It is a collective space for people who are moved about something to experience that thing together. Listen as Joe talks about Issuu, which has brought the publishing industry into a modern, digital context.

Famous Five:

• Favorite Book? – The Hard Thing about Hard Things
• What CEO do you follow? — Mark Zuckerberg
• Favorite online tool? — Slack

• Do you get 8 hours of sleep?—Not now.
• If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Put in effort to make an impact. Have a broader learning perspective. Care and effort matter over anything else.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 01:05 – Nathan introduces Joe
• 01:40 –  Issuu is a modern media company
• 02:20 – Tools for publishers
• 02:45 – Access to premium tools brings in revenue
• 03:05 – Revenue from Issuu itself
• 03:40 – Started in Copenhagen
• 03:55 – A more current platform of digital media
• 04:15 – He was not part of the original founding team
• 04:50 – A focus on giving great content to people who are passionate about it
• 05:20 – It grew through word of mouth and digital marketing
• 05:30 – Over 3 million publishers have used Issuu
• 06:20 – Almost 100,000 publishers had paid for the service
• 06:40 – Primarily recurring revenue payment
• 07:30 – 90% of revenue is recurring revenue
• 08:15 – The new subscription plan
• 08:45 – Most pay $35/month
• 09:30 – Publishers come and go
• 10:00 – Customer churn is 2%/month
• 10:30 – Focus is to help the customers
• 10:50 – The new plan helps with collaborative efforts
• 12:00 – Center of the business is in the west coast
• 12:40 – Raised $21 million
• 13:30 – His focus is to create products that have an impact
• 14:40 – Team of 60 people
• 15:20 – Acquisition costs
• • 15:30 – Not much is spent on marketing
  • 15:50 – They are found through search engines and word of mouth
  • 16:10 – “We’re clearly the leader in the space.”
  • 16:40 – About $40/customer
• 17:30 – Customers see the value
• 18:00 – Why publishing?
• • 18:20 – “It’s about what moves people in their lives.”
  • 18:50 – Example of Malala’s birthday celebration
• 19:35 – Getting publishers into podcasting
• 20:00 -- @yankeejoe or jhy@issue.com
• 22:00 – The Famous Five

3 Key Points:

• Get into an industry that you are passionate about.
• Take an ancient product or service and update it for today’s world.
• Focus on doing what’s best for your customers.

Resources Mentioned:

• Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for cheapest price possible.
• Freshbooks - The site Nathan uses to manage his invoices and accounts.
• Leadpages  – The drag and drop tool Nathan uses to quickly create his webinar landing pages which convert at 35%+
• Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he's driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5 hour drive) to listen to audio books.
• Slack – The online tool Joe uses
• Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives

Julie Fredrickson from Stowaway Cosmetics. Have you ever felt like your purse was so heavy it could take someone out with one swing? Every lip gloss, concealer, and eyeliner really adds up! Julie has a found a solution to this problem with Stowaway Cosmetics, which focuses on creating a more mobile product for women on the go. Listen as she tells us how she has transformed the beauty industry with products that actually get used.

Famous Five:

• Favorite Book? – Five Dysfunctions of a Team
• What CEO do you follow? — Gary Vaynerchuck
• Favorite online tool? — Google Apps

• Do you get 8 hours of sleep?—Religiously.
• If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Don’t be a jerk. Being kind costs you nothing.

Time Stamped Show Notes:

• 01:05 – Nathan introduces Julie
• 01:30 – Stowaway Cosmetics is about mobile products that women can use anywhere
• 02:10 – Launched 18 months ago
• 02:25 – Learning to run an effective ecommerce business
• 02:35 -- $1.5 M in capital
• • 02:45 – Equity
  • 03:15 – Valuation is private at an early stage
  • 03:45 – A good valuation is a balance
  • 05:15 – Gary Vaynerchuck
• 05:40 – The beauty industry has been giving out products that people don’t finish
• 06:50 – Brands need to see more repeat purchasing
• 07:25 – Margins for a palette of eyeshadow
• 08:10 – Effective and a better value than their competitors
• 08:30 – Direct consumers
• 08:45 – A normal margin is about 50% through retailers
• 09:20 – Their margin is about 85%
• 09:45 – Monopolies in the makeup industry
• 10:15 – “You should have a choice as a consumer to carry a product that fits your lifestyle.”
• 11:00 – Weighing down your purse with cosmetics
• 11:35 – Launched in Feb 2015
• 12:00 – Fundraising started in early 2014
• 12:15 – Valuation was based on pre-sales
• 13:25 – Influence in the marketplace
• 14:05 – Passed $100k in lipsticks sold
• 14:20 – Their focus changed to repeat purchasing and having a comfortable growing rate
• 15:20 – Now they spend nothing on marketing
• 16:25 – They care more about repeat customers than getting more customers
• 17:30 – On average, women come back to purchase again in 90 days
• • 18:20 – 40% have made at least 3 purchases
  • 19:00 – minimalists vs. maximalists
• 19:30 – Follow at Julie at @stowaway on Twitter and on Anchor
• 21:55 – The Famous Five

3 Key Points:

• Find a problem and do the research to come up with a good solution.
• Look at a particular industry and evaluate where its setbacks are.
• Develop a relationship with your customers.

Resources Mentioned:

• Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for cheapest price possible.
• Freshbooks - The site Nathan uses to manage his invoices and accounts.
• Leadpages  – The drag and drop tool Nathan uses to quickly create his webinar landing pages which convert at 35%+
• Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he's driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5 hour drive) to listen to audio books.
• Google Apps – Julie’s favorite online tool for her business
• Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives

Phil Alexander, founder and CEO of ConceptDrop. His company has a mission to get your projects done while you’re sleeping. You can send your project to ConceptDrop and expect to see the end result within mere hours. Listen as Phil tells us about the incredible growth of his business and what he sees for ConceptDrop in the future.

Famous Five:

Favorite Book? – The Wall Street Journal
What CEO do you follow? — Sundar Pichai
Favorite online tool? — Hubspot
Do you get 8 hours of sleep? — No.
If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — You’re not going to learn everything in business school. Start selling as soon as you can.

Time Stamped Show Notes:
01:05 – Nathan introduces Phil
01:40 – ConceptDrop
02:05 – Servicing over 300 brands
02:25 – A global network of sellers
02:58 – About 30% taken from the sellers
03:25 – They set the prices
03:48 – Upselling to the buyers
04:10 – The average buyer
04:25 – Started in 2012
04:50 – First-year revenue was a couple thousand
05:10 – Funds raised
06:00 – Valuation was between $5 to $7 million
06:20 – Reasons for the valuation come down mostly to growth rate
07:15 – Investors
07:30 – 300 buyers, and under 100 sellers
08:00 – Average seller makes $500 per project, with 4 to 5 projects each month
08:55 – Seeing great growth
09:40 -- $10,000/month to much higher
10:35 – Repurchase rates
11:24 – Total revenue for 2015 was just under $300k
11:55 – Last month, 50 companies used the platform
12:45 – Small, high-quality pool of freelancers
13:10 – A lot of potential in the near future
14:20 – phil@conceptdrop.com, @philalexander1 on Twitter
16:30 -- The Famous Five

3 Key Points:
There is no perfect formula for starting a business.
High-quality service is a great way to make your business stand out.
Assess your business for its potential.

Resources Mentioned:
Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for cheapest price possible.
Freshbooks - The site Nathan uses to manage his invoices and accounts.
Leadpages – The drag and drop tool Nathan uses to quickly create his webinar landing pages which convert at 35%+
Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he's driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5 hour drive) to listen to audio books.
Hubspot – Phil’s favorite online tool for marketing and sales
Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives

Yahya Mokhtarzada, co-founder of Truebill. Truebill is a free online tool designed to keep track of all of your monthly subscriptions and find ways to save you money. With so many products requiring a subscription fee, Truebill keeps your bills more organized and paid on time.

Famous Five:

Favorite Book? – Onward
What CEO do you follow? — Jeff Bezos
Favorite online tool? — Ahrefs
Do you get 8 hours of sleep? — No chance.
If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Take bigger risks.

Time Stamped Show Notes:
01:10 – Nathan introduces Yahya
1:30 – Truebill keeps track of recurring bills and subscriptions
2:00 – Free for users
2:20 – Looking at transactions and making recommendations
2:50 – Business development deals
3:20 – Launched in January 2016
03:40 – Healthy growth each month
04:00 – Up to $50k/month at the end of the year
04:20 – Saving other people money
04:45 –$1.75 million in capital
05:15 – Agreement for future equity
06:20 – User data
06:40 – Deals with businesses for advertising
07:50 – Introducing users to the products of those businesses
09:00 – Total users signed up are 50000
09:25 – Activation metrics
09:50 – Different options to explore for the future
10:30 – “the low-hanging fruit”
11:10 – blog.truebill.com
13:10 -- The Famous Five

3 Key Points:
Consider taking bigger risks when you can afford to do so.
Focus your business model on helping other people.
Start with “the low-hanging fruit” to get your business going.

Resources Mentioned:
Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for cheapest price possible.
Freshbooks - The site Nathan uses to manage his invoices and accounts.
Leadpages – The drag and drop tool Nathan uses to quickly create his webinar landing pages which convert at 35%+
Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he's driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5 hour drive) to listen to audio books.
Ahrefs – Yahya’s favorite online tool for assistance with SEO.
Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives

Raj Bhaskar, CEO and cofounder of Hurdlr. Hurdlr is an online tool that helps freelancers and entrepreneurs track their income and taxes. It helps people save money by calculating deductions within seconds. Nathan and Raj will discuss the beginning of Hurdlr and where they are headed in the future.
Famous Five:

Favorite Book? – The One Thing
What CEO do you follow? — Gary Keller
Favorite online tool? — Google Drive, Freshbooks
Do you get 8 hours of sleep? — No.
If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Don’t be so serious.

Time Stamped Show Notes:
01:03 – Nathan introduces Raj
02:15 – VisualHOMES acquisition price
02:35 – Revenue model
03:10 – Using proceeds from that as an investor and for Hurdlr
03:25 – Hurdlr launched a couple years ago
03:40 – It tracks finances and taxes for freelancers
04:25 – Competitors
04:40 – “Like Mint but for business.”
05:15 – Quick process compared to competitors
05:55 – They integrate with Freshbooks
06:20 – The business model
06:30 – They are currently pre-revenue
06:45 – Monthly or annual fee
07:10 – Other mobile solutions are different
07:40 – They have no desktop product
08:00 – Mobile is fast
08:30 – Founded 2.5 years ago
08:50 – Costs started in 2014
09:10 – Capital has been over $1.5 million
09:50 – 16 fulltime employees
10:25 – Usage metrics
10:45 – Mileage tracking
11:15 – Syncing with credit card
11:30 – Tens of thousands users, with 70% active once a month
12:00 – Pricing plan
12:20 – Simple and “part of the customer experience”
12:40 – “Pricing should bring a smile to your face.”
13:00 – Referrals
13:15 – Tracking savings through deductions
13:40 – The option to continue paying a monthly fee
14:10 – hurdlr.com with real-time chat
16:15 -- The Famous Five

3 Key Points:
Come up with a pricing model that you would feel comfortable paying.
Find a niche that sets you apart.
Use new technology to come up with helpful solutions.

Resources Mentioned:
Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for cheapest price possible.
Freshbooks - The site Nathan uses to manage his invoices and accounts.
Leadpages – The drag and drop tool Nathan uses to quickly create his webinar landing pages which convert at 35%+
Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he's driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5 hour drive) to listen to audio books.
Google Drive and Freshbooks -- Raj’s favorite tools, besides Hurdlr
Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives

Cory Gregory, a fourth-generation coalminer who has made it to the top in the fitness industry. Cory has now developed his personal brand on his website where people can pay $8.99 per month to get his top workout plans and his daily articles and videos on how to get into incredible shape.

Famous Five:

Favorite Book? – Rich Dad Poor Dad
What CEO do you follow? — Bill Phillips
Favorite online tool? — Quickbooks
Do you get 8 hours of sleep? — No.
If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Have a strong strategy early.

Time Stamped Show Notes:
01:03 – Nathan introduces Cory
01:30 – Most money is in selling memberships and books on his internet business
02:00 -- $8.99/month membership
02:15 – Products in 100 countries
02:30 – Cofounder of MusclePharm
02:55 – Now a public company
03:15 – “A lot of Wall Street and a lot of boardrooms just really wasn’t for me.”
03:40 – Now owns 3%
04:00 – Went public in 2010
04:30 -- $40 million raised in capital
05:35 – “I learned a ton…. It changed my life forever.”
05:50 – He left the business about 9 months ago.
06:20 – “That thing’s bleeding cash.”
06:35 – Cory was in the programming and products side
06:50 – Proper management was a downfall
07:20 – “It was a rise to the top.”
07:40 -- $160 million in revenue
08:00 – Marketing was huge
08:40 -- Creating a personal brand
09:00 – “I feel blessed.”
09:20 – First gym started for $5000
09:30 -- The Old School Gym
09:40 -- $100k in memberships
10:00 – Biggest expenses
10:40 – six-figures in profit
11:20 – Revenue is more than $100k
11:40 – MusclePharm started at 30 years old
11:55 – corygfitness.com
12:05 – five 4-week plans every month
12:30 – Articles and videos every day
13:00 – Thousands of people use his monthly plan
13:20 – The reason for his vagueness
14:10 – Total revenue was $34k in his first month for his personal brand
15:20 – “There is nobody on the planet who can say they have done what I’ve done.”
16:20 – corygfitness.com, Snapchat, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram
16:40 – Business and Biceps podcast
19:00 -- The Famous Five

3 Key Points:
Don’t be confined to the environment you were raised in.
Develop your personal brand.
Find ways to make your service stand out.

Resources Mentioned:
Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for cheapest price possible.
Freshbooks - The site Nathan uses to manage his invoices and accounts.
Leadpages – The drag and drop tool Nathan uses to quickly create his webinar landing pages which convert at 35%+
Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he's driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5 hour drive) to listen to audio books.
Quickbooks -- Cory’s favorite invoicing tool
Business and Biceps – Cory’s podcast
Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives

Vincenzo Ruggiero, founder of Prospect.io. Vincenzo has a wife and two children, with one born just days ago. With the chaos of a new baby, Vincenzo has still found a way to support himself and his family and manage a new and growing business.

Famous Five:

Favorite Book? – Getting Real, Rework
What CEO do you follow? — Joel Gascoigne
Favorite online tool? — Freshbooks, Slack, Trello, Appear
Do you get 8 hours of sleep?—No
If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Be humble.

Time Stamped Show Notes:
01:15 – Nathan introduces Vincenzo
01:40 – Prospect.io is a sales software
02:00 – Recurring revenue from monthly plans
02:20 – Launched in January 2016
02:40 – June revenue was $17k
03:15 – Customer pays more the more they use it
04:10 – Average is $45/month
04:30 – How they have driven customers
04:50 – word of mouth
05:50 – Different types of customers
06:20 – Self-funded
06:45 – Team of 3
07:30 – The system in Belgium makes Vincenzo the sole founder
08:00 – Vincenzo started with other web businesses before he started Prospect.io
09:10 – His family (two kids)
09:35 – How he supports himself
09:45 – He lives off of savings and a very low salary
11:10 – The company breaks even
11:30 – Growth each month
11:50 – How they got such fast growth
13:15 – Customer churn is 6% monthly
14:25 – Customer acquisition cost is $50
15:00 – Lifetime value is $570
15:30 -- @VincenzoR on Twitter
17:35 -- The Famous Five
3 Key Points:
Plan out financially how you be able to afford to start a new business.
Don’t let your arrogance get in the way of your success.
A success work life does not have to take away from a success home life.
Resources Mentioned:
Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for cheapest price possible.
Freshbooks - The site Nathan uses to manage his invoices and accounts.
Leadpages – The drag and drop tool Nathan uses to quickly create his webinar landing pages which convert at 35%+
Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he's driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5 hour drive) to listen to audio books.
Slack, Trello, and Appear – Online tools that Vincenzo uses for his business

Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives

Andrew Kemendo, founder of Pair. Andrew was in Guam as an Airforce Intelligence Officer when he came up with an augmented reality idea to try out furniture and materials without having to buy or ship anything. The Airforce needed to build new facilities, and Andrew thought his idea would save a lot of money and headache. Now his company Pair is used by several large manufacturers to help people find the right furniture for their homes.

Famous Five:

Favorite Book? – Crossing the Chasm
What CEO do you follow? — Justin Kan
Favorite online tool? — Slack
Do you get 8 hours of sleep?—Never.
If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Keep learning about paradigm shifting technologies.

Time Stamped Show Notes:
01:13 – Nathan introduces Andrew
01:40 – Pair is a tool to try out home furnishings before you buy them
02:30 – Free for consumers
02:45 – Andrew’s experience in Guam and how he came up with Pair
03:45 – They started working with architects
04:10 – Launched fulltime in 2015
05:00 – Funding over $900k
05:20 – First-year revenue was $10000/month
06:20 – Pilots in big cities
06:30 – Monthy and up-front fees
07:15 – Revenue in 2016
07:50 – 15 manufacturers and over 2000 products
08:30 – Transition for the company
09:10 – Architects to home furnishers
10:20 – Larger adjustable market
10:40 – Projection for $1.5M
11:20 -- 20000 products placed each month by app users
12:15 – CPC and CPM
12:55 – Ability to scale
13:25 – Pair on Twitter and Facebook
13:45 -- @andrewkemendo on Twitter and andrewkdot on Snapchat
15:45 -- The Famous Five
3 Key Points:
Embrace new technology to create a solution to a problem.
Don’t be afraid to change your business model to help your business grow.
Adjust your product to benefit a larger group of consumers.

Resources Mentioned:
Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for cheapest price possible.
Freshbooks - The site Nathan uses to manage his invoices and accounts.
Leadpages – The drag and drop tool Nathan uses to quickly create his webinar landing pages which convert at 35%+
Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he's driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5 hour drive) to listen to audio books.
Slack – The online tool Andrew uses to stay organized at Pair

Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives

Timur Daudpota, cofounder of Blurbiz. His business allows companies to create and edit videos and post them directly to Snapchat. Listen to Timur share his journey as an entrepreneur. He started out with skateboards, and now he’s jumped to Snapchat.

Famous Five:

Favorite Book? – Zero to One
What CEO do you follow? — Elon Musk
Favorite online tool? — Sketch
Do you get 8 hours of sleep?—No
If you could let your 20 year old self know one thing, what would it be? — Read more books.

Time Stamped Show Notes:
01:10 – Nathan introduces Timur
02:00 – Blurbiz is a SaaS platform
03:00 – They found a gap in Snapchat
03:35 – Customers can link their Snapchat account and post videos through Blurbiz
04:20 – Working with publishers
04:40 – They charge $2k to $5k per month
05:00 -- $60k in revenue last month
05:15 – Too early for churn
05:45 – Customer acquisition
06:20 – They pay themselves a $60k salary
06:35 – Fundraising is $425k total
07:15 – Valuation
08:20 – Team size is 8
08:30 – Commission based
09:45 – Based out of Mountain View
10:00 – Started with a skateboarding company
10:40 – Bringing back a classic skateboard design
11:00 – LED skateboard wheels
11:30 – Received prize money for their company
12:00 – Finding a better way to sell
12:20 – They connected their product with social media and sales jumped
13:00 – Equity for Blurbiz
13:45 – Follow Blurbiz on Snapchat
14:00 – 20000 views for every post on Snapchat
16:40 -- The Famous Five
3 Key Points:
Constantly find ways to improve your business.
If you find a gap in a certain company or industry, fill it.
Once an entrepreneur, always an entrepreneur.

Resources Mentioned:
Host Gator – The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for cheapest price possible.
Freshbooks - The site Nathan uses to manage his invoices and accounts.
Leadpages – The drag and drop tool Nathan uses to quickly create his webinar landing pages which convert at 35%+
Audible – Nathan uses Audible when he's driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5 hour drive) to listen to audio books.
Sketch – Timur’s favorite online tool
Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives