Feel the Boot
Business & Economics Podcasts
Feel the Boot delivers advice and experience to entrepreneurs, helping them create and grow successful businesses. We help founders go from overwhelmed entrepreneur to successful CEO.
Location:
United States
Description:
Feel the Boot delivers advice and experience to entrepreneurs, helping them create and grow successful businesses. We help founders go from overwhelmed entrepreneur to successful CEO.
Twitter:
@feeltheboot
Language:
English
Website:
https://feeltheboot.com/
Episodes
105. How to Make Your Startup Elevator Pitch Effective and Get Venture Capital Investment
4/25/2024
In this episode of 'Feel the Boot,' Lance Cottrell shares essential advice on crafting an effective elevator pitch to capture the interest of potential investors or partners quickly, stressing the importance of brevity, clarity, and engaging storytelling. He emphasizes that the goal of an elevator pitch is to spark interest for further conversation, not immediate commitment. Drawing from his experience and common mistakes observed, Lance provides practical tips on avoiding overly rehearsed or jargon-heavy pitches, suggesting instead to focus on conveying the unique value proposition plainly and compellingly. He highlights the versatility of elevator pitches across various contexts, from investment pitches to hiring and product sales. Throughout, Lance shares examples to illustrate key points, including how to structure a pitch, the significance of opening questions, and the importance of practicing pitches to ensure they are understood and engaging.
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00:00 Introduction to Crafting an Impactful Elevator Pitch
00:59 The Essence and Purpose of an Elevator Pitch
02:12 Applying Elevator Pitches Beyond Investment
02:45 Common Mistakes in Crafting Elevator Pitches
04:15 Effective Strategies for Engaging Elevator Pitches
07:28 Crafting Your Elevator Pitch: A Step-by-Step Guide
10:46 The Importance of Practice and Feedback
Duration:00:12:25
104. Negotiation skills for startup founders
4/10/2024
This podcast is tailored for startup founders looking to enhance their negotiation skills. It emphasizes the importance of negotiation in various aspects of running a business, including dealing with investors, vendors, customers, employees, and co-founders. I know that many founders may lack experience or feel conflict-averse, so here I share practical advice and strategies to turn negotiations from potential conflicts into win-win situations. In the episode I discuss understanding everyoneâs needs and priorities, adopting a collaborative and creative approach, and aiming for equitable outcomes to facilitate ongoing positive relationships.
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Book Suggestions:
Never Split the Difference https://amzn.to/3VTix4S
Negotiate Anything https://amzn.to/4azwQA4
00:00 Negotiation Skills for Startup Founders
01:40 Negotiation Challenges and Strategies
03:26 Diving Deeper into Negotiation Tactics
06:21 Framing Discussions and Preparing for Negotiations
08:13 Adopting a Healthy Negotiation Philosophy
10:00 Creativity in Negotiation: Finding Win-Win Solutions
12:01 Conclusion
Duration:00:12:29
102. Testing Startup Ideas and Assumptions âď¸ John Li of PickFu Interview
2/22/2024
Testing Startup Ideas and Assumptions âď¸ John Li of PickFu Interview
In this interview, John Li, the co-founder of startup PickFu, discusses the innovative concept of his company as a digital focus group for businesses. He walks us through their transition from a physical product to a software solution after observing a growing need for unbiased design feedback. John also shares interesting customer success stories attributing to their product's efficiency. He emphasizes on the importance of regular testing in business and discusses their company's decision to employ a fully remote work model, the challenges faced, the tools used, and the benefaction of current technology to their work. Towards the end, John yields advice for aspiring entrepreneurs on testing and patience in realizing a startup's success.
Read the transcript https://ftb.bz/102B
Watch the Video https://ftb.bz/102V
Follow John on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnli
Find PickFu at https://PickFu.com
PickFu.com discount code FEELTHEBOOT for 50% off your first paid test.
Guest Bio:
John Li is the co-founder of PickFu, a consumer research platform for getting instant feedback from target audiences. Thousands of global brands rely on PickFu to help them make better data-driven decisions about their products and marketing. John is passionate about building systems that help others succeed. He has degrees in computer science from UC Berkeley and the University of Washington. John and his family live in the San Francisco area, where he shuttles his kids around in his dream car (a minivan).
Duration:00:24:47
101. Decoding Startup Sales Strategy Michael Regnier Interview
2/1/2024
In this discussion, Michael Regnier, founder of Sales Design & Delivery, shares vital insights into sales strategy tailored for startup founders, particularly those with a technical background. He explains that a company's sales strategy must encompass every aspect of the go-to-market message, including the target audience and the route to reach them. Smith articulates the importance of defining value propositions, pricing, and delivery models while underlining the necessity of iteration. He emphasizes the need to think from the customer's perspective and pitches the idea of 'if I were you selling'. Smith discusses adopting a sales strategy that proves one's belief in their product, building credibility for the customers. He also covers key points like avoiding paralysis and the significance of designing and delivering the sales process in a controlled manner for effective market feedback.
Mike Regnier has been an executive sales manager for small companies for twenty-five years and has helped many entrepreneurs "crack the code" in unlocking their rapid and sustained growth. As a result of his successful exits, he was encouraged by several Private Equity and VC groups to create Sales Design & Delivery, his sales-scaling consulting firm, in 2012 and has been helping small companies achieve their potential ever since.
Duration:00:44:32
100. Recognizing and Surviving a Startup Heart Attack
1/3/2024
In this milestone episode, host Lance Cottrell dives deep into several critical topics inspired by his recent heart attack. First, he compares a heart attack with a financial crisis in a startup, emphasizing the need for recognizing early warning signs and taking immediate actions. He discusses how to identify critical situations where your venture is at risk and how to handle them effectively while sharing his personal experiences with his own startup. Then, he talks about the need to reassess one's priorities and the importance of aligning personal goals with the way we spend our time. He urges all founders to question their inherited societal goals and reflect on their passions. Lastly, as a public service announcement, he shares early warning signs for heart attacks and strokes, drawing parallels between them and potential dangers facing startups. He ends by stressing the urgency of immediate medical attention and action in such health crises.
Read as an article https://ftb.bz/100B
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US Government Subsidized Health Insurance https://www.healthcare.gov/
Duration:00:21:02
99. The 10x rule Why better is not enough
12/6/2023
The 10x rule đ Why better is not enough
Having a superior solution is not good enough.
The special barriers startups face force you to build at least ten times better products.
Why Your Startup Needs to Be 10x Better
In this episode of 'Feel the Boot', host Lance Cottrell breaks down why startups need to be substantially better than their competition, particularly in the B2B context.
He explains the elements such as the high cost of switching, the immaturity of a startup product, and the typical risk of a startup failing, that force a startup to deliver a solution ten times better than the competitors.
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See the rest of the Founder Insights https://ftb.bz/Insight
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Duration:00:07:25
97. Exposing the top reasons for angel investment pre-screen rejections
10/25/2023
𤯠Exposing the top reasons for fast angel investment rejections
Investors only take a few seconds to decide if a startup is worth a serious look.
These eight factors lead to most of the fast NOs â ď¸
In this episode, I discuss the screening process for companies seeking funding from angels and VC.
Out of over a hundred applicants to my angel group, we only select about 20 for detailed consideration.
We drop the rest after only a few moments' consideration.
A handful of reasons dominate why investors eliminate companies in under a minute.
If you can avoid those traps, you can force investors to take the time to understand your startup.
At worst, you will get feedback to improve your business and your pitch.
At best, you will get the funding you need to grow.
Read this as an article https://ftb.bz/97B
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Check out the whole Fundraising Playlist https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgMU_ie96T-LoIvSK3hHFF0AmySuQjbKe
Watch the video on valuation methodologies https://ftb.bz/66V
Duration:00:18:42
96. Startup Privacy Policies What you need to know about GDPR, CCPA and beyond!
9/25/2023
Startup Privacy Policies 𼡠What you need to know about GDPR, CCPA and beyond!
In this interview, Sabir Ibrahim, an attorney and entrepreneur, provides valuable insights on the implications of privacy and privacy policies for startups.
He emphasizes the importance of privacy laws, particularly highlighting the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and explains that these laws apply to all companies, regardless of their size.
Sabir advises startups to prioritize privacy policies, starting with a comprehensive privacy policy that includes information about data collection, usage, and sharing.
He also recommends engaging an attorney to ensure compliance with relevant regulations.
Sabir highlights the potential risks and consequences of non-compliance with privacy laws, such as regulatory enforcement actions and lawsuits.
He suggests implementing a plan for data privacy as companies grow, including the concept of privacy by design.
The discussion also explores the relevance of privacy issues in specific sectors, such as Medtech, Fintech, and AI applications, mentioning the need to consider industry-specific regulations.
The interview concludes by emphasizing the importance of engaging legal counsel, budgeting for legal expenses related to privacy policy creation and compliance, and treating privacy compliance as an investment rather than a cost.
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00:00 Introduction to Sabir Ibrahim
02:24 Evolution of privacy laws and regulations
04:43 Implications of privacy laws for startups
07:14 FTC enforcement actions on smaller companies
08:08 Importance of starting with a privacy policy
08:58 Key elements of a privacy policy
11:15 Considerations for international users and GDPR
14:22 Key data privacy laws to be aware of: GDPR and CCPA
17:54 Planning operations to ensure compliance
19:28 Privacy by design and value proposition
23:43 Privacy concerns in specific verticals
25:54 My Health, My Data Act and regulatory gaps
32:22 Cost considerations for early-stage startups
37:48 Privacy compliance on a limited budget
38:34 Avoiding conflicts in privacy-related terms
Sabir Ibrahimâs Bio:
During his 15-year career as an attorney and technology entrepreneur, Sabir has advised clients ranging from pre-seed startups to Fortune 50 companies on a variety of issues within the intersection of law and technology. He is a former associate at the law firm of Greenberg Traurig, a former corporate counsel at Amazon, and a former senior counsel at Roku. He also founded and managed an IT managed services provider that served professional services firms in California, Oregon, and Texas.
Sabir received his BSE in Computer Science from the University of Michigan College of Engineering. He received his JD from the University of Michigan Law School, where he was an article editor of the Michigan Telecommunications & Technology Law Review.
Sabir is licensed to practice in California and before the USPTO. He is a Certified Information Privacy Professional.
His website is: https://www.optimedge.legal
You can also find him at:
https://linkedin.com/in/sabir-ibrahim-a9505b1
https://medium.com/@optimedgelegal
https://youtube.com/@optimedgelegal
https://tiktok.com/@optimedgelegal
https://instagram.com/optimedgelegal
Duration:00:45:03
95. Youâre delivering your pitch deck ask wrong What you should say instead
9/7/2023
Youâre delivering your pitch deck ask slide wrong! What you should say instead.
Learn the right and wrong thing to ask for.
How to handle hard questions during your ask.
I was listening to several founders deliver their pitches. Most of them did their âaskâ wrong and seriously damaged their chances of success.
In this episode, look at their mistakes and how they could improve this critical step in their pitches.
You need to understand the whole angel and VC investment process. You pitch to get the next meeting, not for an immediate investment in your startup.
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Duration:00:08:13
94. Escape the Startup Paradox Strategies for Funding Product Development
8/23/2023
Escape the Startup Paradox đŹ MVP Without VC
Canât Build Your Product Without Funding
But Canât Get Funding Without a Product
In the newest episode of Feel the Boot, we're diving headfirst into the world of product development sans angel investment.
I provide strategies for startups to navigate the challenges of raising funding pre-MVP.
Consider the paradox that most startups face: they need money to build their product, but struggle to obtain funding without a product.
I lay out three strategies to overcome this challenge.
The first is to build a cheaper version of the product by using off-the-shelf tools and proving its success.
The second strategy is to validate the business by conducting interviews, surveys, and gathering evidence of customer interest.
The third strategy is to explore alternative funding sources beyond traditional equity investors like: friends and family, grants, partnerships, or bootstrapping.
By following one or more of these strategies, you can find alternative ways to build your minimum viable product (MVP), enabling you to progress towards your business objectives.
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Duration:00:25:23
93. Startup Branding and Positioning Mara Rada Interview
8/2/2023
Branding is far more than just a logo and color scheme.
Learn how to leverage both positioning and branding in your startup buisiness
In today's fiercely competitive business landscape, effective branding and positioning strategies are crucial for startups to stand out from the crowd. However, many founders underestimate the true scope and importance of these concepts. In this interview, we heard valuable insights from branding and positioning expert Mara Rada, shedding light on why these elements are vital for emerging companies. By understanding the multi-faceted nature of branding and the emotional factors that drive purchasing decisions, founders can create stronger connections with their target audience, ultimately leading to long-term growth and success.
In the interview, Mara mentioned a few resources that will help founders learn more about branding and positioning:
- 42Courses.com has many lessons on these and related topics.
- Anything written by George Tannenbaum formerly with Ogilvy, and R/GA https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgetannenbaum/
- Anything written by Manoj Jacob Creative Director at Crayons. Formerly at Ogilvy, DDB Mudra, Soho Square, & Havas https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobwriter/
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Mara Rada is a feral thinker, a brand whisperer, and a category positioner. She helps companies create the beast brands of the future without selling their souls. She has worked with some of the world's most remarkable startups, Fortune 500 corporations, and the worldâs best advertising agencies (Ogilvy). She is also a veteran public speaker and keynote presenter who talks about topics such as brand naming, category design, perceptual positioning, and nin-cliche-istic branding. She is the founder of FERAL, a strategic consultancy that specializes in untamed thinking and identity commercialization. Mara is not a guru and detests the word. Maybe as much as the dreaded âdigital transformationâ. But she sure knows how to transform lemons.
https://LinkedIn.com/in/mararada
https://ThinkFeral.com
Duration:00:35:44
92. The Economics of Angel Investing Angel Investing 101
7/18/2023
How to create an angel investment portfolio for maximum returns.
Learn what drives the returns for your angel investments.
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Angel Investing 101 series: https://ftb.bz/angel
In episode, I delve into the economics of angel investing, emphasizing the need for a significant number of investments to increase the chances of success. Research shows that most angel investments result in losses or minimal returns, but a small percentage can yield substantial profits. To improve the likelihood of hitting those winners, you should make at least 20 angel investments. Diversification across different sectors is also crucial to mitigate risks associated with market fluctuations and sector-specific downturns.
I then discuss the importance of planning an investment budget. Startups typically prefer pre-seed investments of at least $25,000 to avoid numerous small investments on their cap table. For investors with smaller check sizes, you might explore options like crowdfunding or syndicates. Syndicates involve a lead investor selecting an investment, while crowdfunding platforms allow for lower minimum investment requirements, enabling diversification through multiple smaller investments.
Duration:00:15:08
91. Non-monetary Startup Rewards and Recognitions
6/29/2023
Non-monetary Startup Rewards and Recognitions.
Eight employee incentives that work better than cash.
In this episode of "Feel the Boot: The Science of Startups," I, discuss seven highly effective motivators and rewards for employees that founders can use to attract and retain top talent. These motivators include having a strong vision, giving employees equity, providing public recognition, delegation and employee empowerment, giving personal attention, tailoring rewards to the individual, and unique âwowâ rewards. I emphasize the importance of understanding what motivates individual employees, as what works for one may not work for another. I share two examples of "wow rewards" that have had a significant impact on employees, such as handmade plaques and giving solid gold coins to employees who have put in a "gold medal performance."
Access all my content on Running your Startup https://ftb.bz/running
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Duration:00:13:36
90. Thirteen Key Considerations for Evaluating Angel Deals Angel Investing 101
6/1/2023
How to quickly eliminate the losers,
and identify companies worthy of further due diligence.
As an angel investor, you will need to look at many startups.
This guide provides a framework for quickly analyzing deals to see if digging deeper is worth your time.
This is part of a series on Angel Investing https://ftb.bz/Angel
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Make a Quick First Cut
Is the Company Angel Investable?
Competition
Valuation
Problem/Solution Validation
Business Economics
Defensibility
Intellectual Property
Need for Additional Funding
What is There?
Churn
Assumption Validation
Is This Possible?
(bonus) Team
Duration:00:11:16
89. Non-Dilutive Startup Fundraising SBIR Grants for Innovation
4/17/2023
Non-Dilutive Fundraising đ° SBIR Grants for Innovation
Get cash for your startup without giving up ownership.
Government grants can fund your development from idea to MVP and beyond.
Read the transcript: https://ftb.bz/89B
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In this interview, Caroline Arzoo, Director of Partnerships at OmniSync, and I discusses the different options for funding a startup. She emphasizes that federal grants and contracts can be a great alternative to conventional angel and VC investment. However, she notes that the application process can be difficult, with over 80% of people who apply for federal funding on their own getting rejected for non-compliance. To help founders access non-dilutive funding, OmniSync has created an AI-powered platform that simplifies the process of finding and applying for federal funding.
In addition to federal grants and contracts, Caroline also suggests considering crowdfunding and pitch competitions as creative funding avenues.
She highlights the importance of community, transparency, and being open to change in order to navigate the complexities of growing a startup.
We also also touch on the emotional toll of the founder journey and the importance of building a support system.
Caroline Arzoo Bio:
Caroline Arzoo is a passionate advocate of innovation, supporting early-stage founders through her community-building work at OmniSync Inc and as a mentor for Founder Institute. A graduate of UC Santa Barbaraâs Technology Management program, Caroline has supported hundreds of early-stage startups in accessing non-dilutive capital from the federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.
In addition to her work supporting founders, Caroline also works to empower and build innovation ecosystems, partnering with universities, small business development centers, accelerators, and more to support their entrepreneurial initiatives.
Find her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinearzoo/
Check out OmniSyncâs grant application tools at https://www.turbosbir.com/
Duration:00:49:15
88. Talking to friends and family about investing in your startup.
3/22/2023
Your earliest investors are probably unsophisticated.
You must help them understand how startup investing works.
When you are at the idea stage, almost no angel or VC investors will back you, but people who know and care about you might.
Unfortunately, this is usually all new and very confusing to them.
You must ensure they understand what they are doing and paint a realistic picture of the possible outcomes.
This video is for you, the founder. It explains your options for structuring the deal and how to communicate with them about this opportunity.
I created another video to share with your potential investors that tells them what they need to know. https://ftb.bz/friends-and-family-explainer
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Duration:00:13:07
87. Get Angel Investor Dealflow
2/14/2023
đ¸Get Angel Investor Dealflow
You need to look at a lot of startups to find good investments
Learn several ways to uncover quality startups
Our Angel Investing 101 series teaches new Angel Investors how to invest in startups.
This episode focuses on Angel Investor dealflow. You need to source a lot of potential deals to identify those few worthy of investment.
Where to list yourself as an angel investors:
https://LinkedIn.com/
https://signal.nfx.com/
https://www.angellist.com/
https://www.crunchbase.com/hub/angel-investors
Syndicate sites:
https://AngelList.com
https://TheSyndicate.com
Crowd Funding Sites:
https://Wefunder.com
https://Republic.com
https://Seedinvest.com
https://Fundable.com
https://StartEngine.com
https://MicroVentures.com
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Duration:00:13:53
86. BoD vs. Shareholder âď¸ Startup Corporate Governance
2/2/2023
Who decides what between the board and shareholders?
How to handle the BoD and Shareholder meetings as a founder.
Read the blog: https://ftb.bz/86B
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In this episode, I explain the board of directors and shareholders roles and responsibilities.
Some votes require both groups to approve. Others are specific to the BoD or shareholders.
Running shareholder and board meetings as a startup is easier than you think.
Having those meetings is essential, even if you are the only participant!
Duration:00:12:18
85. How venture capital kills startups â ď¸
1/5/2023
VCs destroy more startups than they make unicorns
Learn how to identify and avoid that trap
The reason is the âmarginal dollar problemâ
Understanding that will help you choose whether to accept venture capital investment with open eyes.
Read the blog: https://ftb.bz/85B
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Duration:00:12:08
84. How to start angel investing
12/19/2022
How to Start Angel Investing đ°
What you need to know to start investing in early-stage startup companies
Best practices for new angel investors
This is the second in a series of videos on angel investing.
It explains the best way to begin as a new angel investor, and some critical pitfalls to avoid.
Read the blog: https://ftb.bz/84B
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Hereâs the episode on dangerous investment terms https://youtu.be/LCCXSS2ubn8
Merch! https://ftb.bz/merch
Duration:00:11:16