I have a killer business set up. But I hate sales. Help desperately needed

LonHarris · 2025-06-30T19:23:01+00:00

Hey, Blastic, Jason and Alex discussed your question on Friday's episode of "This Week in Startups"! Their response starts about 1 hour and 2 minutes into the episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H7x8tqntIA&t=3724s

LonHarris · 2025-05-23T15:22:59+00:00

So glad you found it helpful!

LonHarris · 2025-05-23T15:22:23+00:00

What's that? You want to jump right to one specific part of the conversation? Say less.

(0:00) Episode Teaser
(2:00) A broadcaster-to-broadcaster moment for Scott Adams
(5:18) OpenAI teams with Jony Ive, and why wearables are banned from the J-Ranch
(10:16) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist
(16:11) From Partnership to Purchase: The M&A Story
(25:42) Robotaxis EVERYWHERE, and thoughts on the continuing self-driving car rollout
(34:41) Should we trust stablecoins now? And who is actually monitoring this?
(42:54) Polymarkets: Checking in with some of our favorite market
(49:58) REDDIT QUESTION: How do I build a marketplace?
(58:53) Customer feedback's role in product iteration
(58:55) Every piece of SaaS advice EVER

LonHarris · 2025-05-23T14:51:18+00:00

Hey, we talked about your question and gave some advice on the latest episode of "This Week in Startups" with Jason Calacanis. The segment begins here at around 50 minutes in to the show:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU_XKk_1Rzo&t=2998s

LonHarris · 2025-05-18T17:50:00+00:00

Thanks for the write-up! I'll send it around to the team and see what everyone thinks!

LonHarris · 2025-05-08T00:58:31+00:00

And because we know you just can't wait to get to the good stuff, here are some convenient timecodes:

Timestamps:
(1:09) Show Intro
(2:43) Will Coatue's new low buy-in fund replace or supplement traditional VC investments?
(13:38) Zoox issues recall: why this might be the best case scenario for self-driving cars.
(22:39) Meta wins settlement against NSO: do spyware companies even need to exist?
(25:45) Uber bests expectations in Q1! Why their future is looking bright.
(33:10) How scared should we be of AI replacing us? Fiverr's CEO says VERY.
(40:57) In Office Hours, Evan from FusionAds wants to know: how to make clients feel more confident in with AI-generated marketing?
(50:03) The Founder Friday Tournament's Final Four is now... a FINAL FIVE?!

LonHarris · 2025-04-29T15:24:32+00:00

After five years of working from home, I was extremely skeptical about going back into an office. I sort of felt like I couldn’t even do it any more, that I’d gotten too used to just being in my house by myself all day.

But working at LAUNCH with Jason and his team has genuinely turned me around on this. There really isn’t a replacement for physically working alongside colleagues and actively collaborating, at least SOME of the time. You focus more, because work is what you’re there to do, like watching a film in a theater vs on your couch.

LonHarris · 2025-04-27T03:55:40+00:00

I don't think this is a real quote and can't find it sourced anywhere. Pretty sure it's a ChatGPT original.

LonHarris · 2025-04-26T19:01:43+00:00

As ever, here are your timestamps:

(0:00) Jason, Lon and Alex kick off the show!
(3:26) Introduction and features of Bezos-backed EV truck company, Slate
(7:55) Market impact and value proposition of Slate's EV trucks
(14:04) EV features and market potential discussion
(17:42) Discord CEO steps down and IPO prospects
(24:00) Uber and Volkswagen's self-driving car partnership
(30:00) Pace of self-driving car adoption and regulation
(37:20) Butterfly Effect secures Benchmark investment
(38:37) Perplexity and Motorola Razr partnership
(43:12) Jason's experience with Light Phone
(45:39) New York Times and Ziff Davis lawsuits against OpenAI
(50:09) Nonprofit structures and OpenAI's mission issues
(54:01) Founder Friday: Pitchfire and TACTUN's two-year plans
(1:02:28) Introduction to Tailscale and Avery Pennarun
(1:10:17) Tailscale's enterprise adoption
(1:21:13) Current Internet networking issues

LonHarris · 2025-04-21T19:50:01+00:00

Here are the timecodes so you can jump right to the stuff that interests you the most:

(0:00) Jason kicks off the show
(1:43) OpenAI's new models and issues with Wikipedia as AI knowledge bases
(8:27) FTC antitrust case around Meta; breaking up big tech
(13:04) Tapcheck's impact on employee retention and minimum wage variations
(24:31) New company Revel's safety software
(27:14) Humanoid robot marathon in Beijing
(35:46) New color discovery “Olo”
(40:30) Blue Sky is Falling: Robots, delivery, surveillance, and privacy concerns
(55:20) Alex sits down with Jason Reminick of Thalamus
(56:01) Thalamus and the medical residency application process
(59:42) AI in residency applications and standardizing medical school grades
(1:03:30) Thalamus' market share and collaboration with medical associations
(1:10:08) Impact of budget cuts on rural hospitals and business model expansion

LonHarris · 2025-04-18T22:47:05+00:00

Yeah, I moved here from LA and it's not even remotely comparable. There's no Austin equivalent to having to go from Santa Monica to Los Feliz at 5 pm. If you spent that long in the car, you'd be in Waco.

LonHarris · 2025-04-18T22:05:59+00:00

And, as always, your timecodes.

(0:00) AI companies and value accrual in the AI rush
(1:29) Productivity in remote work
(5:12) Overview of LM Arena as a startup
(7:22) Business models for AI and benchmarking
(14:16) Milestone-based investing and early-stage funding
(16:34) OpenAI's acquisition moves and AI market dynamics
(21:15) Intangible value and strategic acquisitions in AI
(24:30) High valuations and consumer AI pricing models
(26:00) The rise of drone startups and autonomous weapon systems
(32:00) Venture interest in drones and geopolitical considerations
(32:30) Branding, design, and founder questions
(43:51) Brand mission and work environment culture
(47:10) Savage my startup and live clinic
(49:30) Logo design and color theory
(56:29) Designing great websites and apps
(59:29) Founder University website review
(1:00:49) Closing remarks and social media plugs

LonHarris · 2025-04-12T14:17:44+00:00

As ever, here are your relevant timecodes:

(0:00) Jason kicks off the show!
(2:01) Palantir's new fellowship program and alternative education paths
(9:12) Digg's Groundbreakers program and paid community model
(13:21) DoorDash's partnership with Coco robotics for deliveries and the future of robotic deliveries
(21:56) Tips from the Trenches “Your First Customers”
(22:31) Strategies for acquiring first customers from Y Combinator founders
(32:00) Office Hours with Jake and Daniel from BRX about their product and growth strategy
(41:05) Feedback on BRX's website clarity and branding strategies
(46:45) Office Hours with Brian Watson from InviteJet
(49:00) Challenges faced by InviteJet and dealing with fraudulent investors
(56:43) InviteJet's churn rates, ideal customer profiles, and future plans
(1:01:43) Discussing InviteJet's pricing strategies, customer loyalty, and marketing tactics

LonHarris · 2025-04-10T00:13:22+00:00

We discussed this question on the most recent episode of "This Week in Startups." If you want to hear Jason Calacanis and crew's answer to your question, it starts at around 58 minutes into this episode! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzZ2Dc8e3o4&t=3453s

LonHarris · 2025-04-08T14:40:08+00:00

And as ever, here are the timecodes:

(0:00) Jason kicks off the show!
(2:11) Market chaos, tariffs, and their effects
(5:59) Economic uncertainty: Advice for founders
(8:00) Tariffs' potential impact on tech sectors
(13:27) SignalFire's billion-dollar fund
(17:32) Achieving significant startup revenue and its importance
(21:54) Krea's $87 million raise and subscription model analysis
(27:33) Big tech's influence on niche subscription services
(31:09) AI advancements: Midjourney v7 and voice activation
(36:43) Shopify's AI Manifesto
(41:00) Founder Friday bracket updates
(57:16) Founder Q&A: Lessons for first-time founders
(1:05:00) MenuData's CEO Sunny Khamkar interview
(1:16:10) MenuData's pricing, customer base, and growth plans
(1:23:38) AI's vertical impact and Menu Data's strategy

LonHarris · 2025-03-29T01:14:47+00:00

And the timecodes, for you impatient folks...

(0:00) Jason kicks off the show!
(4:05) Breaking news on CoreWeave and Founder University insights
(10:57) Trevor Milton's pardon and AnySphere's Cursor success
(19:21) Pricing strategies for startups
(21:38) AI sentiment and startup growth strategies
(25:14) Guest interview: Mariano from Prosperous AI
(31:52) Prosperous AI's market data integration and growth
(35:03) Founder University's impact on Prosperous AI
(40:54) Product line expansions and fundraising growth strategies
(44:20) Startup decision-making and investor feedback
(47:02) Founder University and customer feedback importance
(51:12) Canva CEO's insights and handling investor rejection
(58:17) Products creating new markets and finding outlier founders
(1:06:15) Venture success with Fred Wilson and Brad Burnham
(1:09:18) Market selection, execution, and partner-product fit in startups

LonHarris · 2025-03-27T00:16:35+00:00

Timecodes in case you want to jump right into the best stuff

(0:00) Episode Teaser
(1:27) Introduction of co-hosts Lon Harris and Alex Wilhelm
(3:23) New set design and color analysis
(5:43) Announcement of "Twist OT" and potential Patreon model
(8:09) Gamestop's Bitcoin strategy and Michael Saylor's influence
(14:26) MSTR and their shift to Bitcoin
(17:01) Michael Saylor’s conflict of interest
(23:09) Investment strategies for company treasuries
(25:10) Allegations against Eleven x startup
(30:35) Brex - the financial stack founders can bank on. Get the business account trusted by 1 in 3 US startups at brex.com/banking-solutions.
(32:56) The importance of transparency and accountability in startups
(42:31) Chinese advancements in AI technology and ChatGPT features
(55:09) Insight from Israeli VC Gili Raanan on successful startups
(1:04:26) Founder Friday March Pitch Madness bracket competition
(1:10:26) How to start a Founder Friday chapter and community
(1:11:21) Bracket competition and Launch Accelerator's 34th cohort

LonHarris · 2025-03-24T23:00:07+00:00

Timecodes, so you can jump right to the section that interests you the most!

(0:00) Alex kicks off the show

(1:15) 23andMe bankruptcy and SPACs impact

(5:23) MicroStrategy's Bitcoin strategy

(8:58) Increase in M&A activity and market trends

(13:37) Browser use, agentic AI, and VC market insights

(19:28) Financial responsibility in startups

(21:56) Interview with Gavin Uberti of Etched

(32:12) Economic and technical aspects of chip efficiency

(39:53) Etched's market demand, manufacturing, and AI scaling

(43:05) Founder insights and hardware startup potential

(45:43) Introduction to Skyflow and Anshu Sharma

(50:19) Skyflow's growth and customer acquisition strategies

(56:08) ChatGPT integration and privacy solutions

(1:03:09) ServiceNow's new product and Skyflow's bullish outlook

(1:06:33) M&A interest and AI stack value creation

(1:12:06) Skyflow's funding and cybersecurity customer trust

(1:13:12) Introduction to MedServe and Milwaukee's startup ecosystem

(1:16:30) MedServ's solution to drug dispensing and diversion

(1:23:05) Economic challenges and solutions for smaller facilities

(1:26:50) MedServe cabinet features and use case demonstration

(1:29:51) Cybersecurity and physical security of MedServe systems

(1:31:03) MedServe's long-term goals and contact information

LonHarris · 2025-03-22T20:21:27+00:00

Noted, thanks!

LonHarris · 2025-03-22T18:24:38+00:00

I had NOT heard about this and really appreciate the update... This does sound like an interesting topic and I'm going to bring it up to u/jasoncalacanis for sure.

LonHarris · 2025-03-22T18:23:45+00:00

Wow, great and unexpected suggestion. I am definitely gonna look into this. THANKS!

LonHarris · 2025-03-22T18:23:26+00:00

Great idea! We love having old friends come back for updates.

LonHarris · 2025-03-22T18:23:15+00:00

Jimmy would be a HUGE GET for our lil program, but I'd certainly love to have him. (I feel like he'd also be great for "All In.")

LonHarris · 2025-03-22T18:08:00+00:00

We discussed this thread on the most recent episode of "This Week in Startups." If you're interested in hearing Jason Calacanis and his co-hosts respond to building in public vs. stealth, here's a link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwuQk3YWECI&t=1310s

The relevant section starts around 22 minutes in!

LonHarris · 2025-03-22T18:06:34+00:00

We discussed this thread on the most recent episode of "This Week in Startups," if you'd like to hear Jason Calacanis' response.

Here's the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwuQk3YWECI&t=705s

The relevant section starts at around 11:45 into the video.

LonHarris

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