Startup Hypeman: The GOAT to Market Show

What if your startup’s biggest advantage isn’t your code, your speed, or even your traction but your ability to protect what’s yours? In a world where AI can replicate your idea in days, defensibility isn’t a luxury it’s survival. And few people understand that better than Bao Tran. Before founding Transformation VC, an IP-first venture capital firm, Bao built the patent strategy for Invasalign and Shutterfly before they became mega-brands. Now, he's rethinking what early-stage support should look like, using patents, AI, and a few surprising strategies to help founders build real moats. He steps to the mic in this week's episode to talk startup risk in the AI era, how his fund is making investments, and how to protect your ass(ets). Because sometimes, it’s not about being first — it’s about being uncopyable.Find Bao online:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bao-tran-752988209/Bao is also hopping into our member community, GOAT to Market Club, for an Ask Me Anything this week. Got Q's you want to ask Bao personally? Join for free today!This episode is brought to you by our friends at CodeLaunch! CodeLaunch is the only equity-free AND fee-free accelerator + Venturetainment platform giving founders software development, a massive pitch stage, and an opportunity at investment all for FREE. Use our unique link to apply to CodeLaunch today and cut the line for fast-track application review! https://tinyurl.com/7k7rjt6m

Most sales advice today is either outdated or outright cringe. Meanwhile AI has made its way into every corner of life and business, and sales is no exception. Leslie Venetz is a rare (and deadly) combination of being a sales maestro, and on trend with technology. She's been employee #1 at multiple startups, sold into the likes of Kraft and AT&T, grown a TikTok account (@salestipstok) to 42k+ followers, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Most recently she's launched The Sales-Led GTM Agency helping early-stage companies build their sales motions, and authored the upcoming book Profit Generating Pipeline: A Proven Formula to Earn Turst and Drive Revenue. With this experience, Leslie is who I turn to for knowing how the field evolves. She steps to the mic in this week’s episode to talk how AI fits into a sales motion. She also shares highlights from her upcoming book, her take on the "SDRS are dead" narrative, and yes — we dissect a few real, terrible cold emails along the way.Find Leslie online:LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/leslievenetzWebsite: www.salesledgtm.com Leslie is also hopping into our member community, GOAT to Market Club, for an Ask Me Anything this week. Got Q's you want to ask Leslie personally? Join for free today!This episode is brought to you by our friends at CodeLaunch! CodeLaunch is the only equity-free AND fee-free accelerator + Venturetainment platform giving founders software development, a massive pitch stage, and an opportunity at investment all for FREE. Use our unique link to apply to CodeLaunch today and cut the line for fast-track application review! https://tinyurl.com/7k7rjt6m

Did you know some of the most iconic products and ideas in American history came out of the Great Depression? Not in spite of it — but because of it. In a time of scarcity, creativity thrived: Superman was born. Church bingo took off. Farmers started raising bullfrogs. And a banjo-playing dropout turned Scotch tape into a multi-million dollar business. All of this matters today as we face a period of uncertainty not too dissimilar from The Great Depression. One of the leading minds exploring the link between constraint and innovation is Jason Voiovich. Jason is a researcher, entrepreneur, and 3x author, most recently publishing his 2025 title Bullfrogs, Bingo, and the Little House on the Prairie, a book that dives deep into the entrepreneurial breakthroughs of the 1930s. He steps to the mic in this week's episode — his second time on the show! — to talk frugal innovation, what modern founders can learn from history, and how to spot opportunity in unlikely places — especially when resources are tight.Find Jason online:Email: jasonvoiovich@gmail.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonvoiovich/Website: https://www.repeathistory.com/Jason is also hopping into our member community, GOAT to Market Club, for an Ask Me Anything this week. Got Q's you want to ask Jason personally? Join for free today!This episode is brought to you by our friends at CodeLaunch! CodeLaunch is the only equity-free AND fee-free accelerator + Venturetainment platform giving founders software development, a massive pitch stage, and an opportunity at investment all for FREE. Use our unique link to apply to CodeLaunch today and cut the line for fast-track application review! https://tinyurl.com/7k7rjt6m

Did you know experts at Yale determined with up to 80% accuracy who would win a pitch competition purely based on the sound of their voice? It's not all about what you say, it's about how you say it. Your pitch, tone, rhythm, and even your breathing. Even a small shift can compeletely change perception. In fact, your voice might be your most overlooked go-to-market asset. One of the leading minds in the art and science of 'how you say it' is Margaret Izard Oskoui. Margaret is a professional opera singer turned voice coach and founder of Peacock Voices, where she helps leaders, speakers, and founders unlock the full power of their voice. Not just to sound better, but to be heard and understood. She steps to the mic in this week's episode to talk habits, stage presence, and how to make sure your message lands every time you speak. We even cover what makes pop music so popular, how to adjust on the fly, and practical vocal exercise you can do to get your voice ready for your next big pitch or just your next big meeting.Find Margaret online:Email: m.izard@peacockvoices.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-izard-oskoui/Website: https://www.peacockvoices.comMargaret is also hopping into our member community, GOAT to Market Club, for an Ask Me Anything this week. Got Q's you want to ask Margaret personally? Join for free today!This episode is brought to you by our friends at CodeLaunch! CodeLaunch is the only equity-free AND fee-free accelerator + Venturetainment platform giving founders software development, a massive pitch stage, and an opportunity at investment all for FREE. Use our unique link to apply to CodeLaunch today and cut the line for fast-track application review! https://tinyurl.com/7k7rjt6m

Madhav Bhandari helped take StoryLane from $900K to $8M in just 3 years. His approach? Don’t follow the playbook. Break it. We started this episode planning to talk about using your product to sell your product. But partway through, pattern interrupt marketing interrupted the episode itself — and we pivoted the whole conversation. From coffee carts with branded latte art to a mobile demo truck parked outside conferences, Madhav has made a habit of zigging when everyone else zags. Now as StoryLane’s Head of Marketing, he’s turned those creative swings into a repeatable GTM strategy. One that uses the product, surprises the buyer, and creates content your audience has to share. He steps to the mic to talk scaling B2B SaaS, finding breakout channels, and why the goal isn’t just attention — it’s obsession.Find Madhav online:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madhavbhandari/Website: https://madhavb.com/Madhav is also hopping into our member community, GOAT to Market Club, for an Ask Me Anything this week. Got Q's you want to ask Madhav personally? Join for free today!This episode is brought to you by our friends at CodeLaunch! CodeLaunch is the only equity-free AND fee-free accelerator + Venturetainment platform giving founders software development, a massive pitch stage, and an opportunity at investment all for FREE. Use our unique link to apply to CodeLaunch today and cut the line for fast-track application review! https://tinyurl.com/7k7rjt6m

Tired of pitches that fall flat? Ready to become the ONLY choice instead of just another option? This week on the GTM Show we've got a bonus episode — a replay of my appearance on the Expert Connexions Podcast at the 2025 Startup Grind Conference in Silicon Valley. Their host Julie Holton-Smith sat down with me on-site, and in this 10-minute lightning interview I share how to be the ONLY in your industry, how to make your audience feel SEEN instead of sold to, real examples of good pitches, and more.Original interview date 4/29/25.Learn more about the Expert Connexions Podcast and its parent company mConnexions at mconnexions.com.I'm also hopping into our member community, GOAT to Market Club, for an Ask Me Anything this week. Got Q's you want to ask me personally? Join for free today!This episode is brought to you by our friends at CodeLaunch! CodeLaunch is the only equity-free AND fee-free accelerator + Venturetainment platform giving founders software development, a massive pitch stage, and an opportunity at investment all for FREE. Use our unique link to apply to CodeLaunch today and cut the line for fast-track application review! https://tinyurl.com/7k7rjt6m

Alisha Elenz went from cashier to prep cook to Executive Chef by 23. She became a two-time James Beard nominee, won Rising Chef of the Year, and cooked her way to Top Chef Season 21. But climbing the ranks wasn’t the finish line—building her own thing was. Now she runs Whisk the Night Away, a private dining company where she’s rewriting the rules as a chefpreneur. In this week’s episode—recorded live at Startup Grind Chicago—Chef Alisha steps to the mic to share how she built her lane, what it takes to run a food business, and why entrepreneurship might be the best recipe of all.Original recording date: Jan 23, 2025.Find Chef Alisha online:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alishaelenz?igsh=ZWplY2lldWZiNWh2Website: https://www.alishaelenz.com/Chef Alisha is also hopping into our member community, GOAT to Market Club, for an Ask Me Anything this week. Got Q's you want to ask Chef Alisha personally? Join for free today!This episode is brought to you by our friends at CodeLaunch! CodeLaunch is the only equity-free AND fee-free accelerator + Venturetainment platform giving founders software development, a massive pitch stage, and an opportunity at investment all for FREE. Use our unique link to apply to CodeLaunch today and cut the line for fast-track application review! https://tinyurl.com/7k7rjt6m

You've heard of Go To Market. But have you heard of Go To CUSTOMER? GTC is going beyond getting the product in customer's hands and being intentional about the program(s) you build around the product to ensure uptake, produce successful outcomes, lower churn, and create advocates. It's the 'hidden' stuff that hedges against friction being your rate limiting factor. Sid Khaitan is an experienced product marketer (currently with BeeKeeper). He also currently serves as Content Artist at Startup Hypeman where he helps evangelize our clients' message through Brand Manifestos, and helps them evangelize their clients through unique customer story writeups. He's even a DJ. Through everything Sid has done, he's sat shoulder-to-shoulder with the end customer. He steps to the mic in this week's episode to unpack the meaning and methods of GTC.Find Sid online:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sidktan/ Email: skhaita2@gmail.comSid is also hopping into our member community, GOAT to Market Club, for an Ask Me Anything this week. Got Q's you want to ask Sid personally? Join for free today!This episode is brought to you by our friends at CodeLaunch! CodeLaunch is the only equity-free AND fee-free accelerator + Venturetainment platform giving founders software development, a massive pitch stage, and an opportunity at investment all for FREE. Use our unique link to apply to CodeLaunch today and cut the line for fast-track application review! https://tinyurl.com/7k7rjt6m

If you were a PGA golfer you'd seemingly have the perfect career, right? Get paid to play golf, while playing on the best courses possible. From 5 years old, Soo Ahn worked his whole life to make it onto the PGA Tour. His hard work paid off when he got his Tour Card. He had made it into the top 1% of his field. But once he had 'made it', playing golf didn't play out as he had dreamed. So he made a huge pivot.As entrepreneurs, sometimes we have to pivot. That pivot could mean a new audience, a new product, or it could even mean a new company altogether.Soo's pivot took him into the culinary world where he became a chef. He started over with no network and no training but rose the ranks to some of the top kitchens in Chicago and achieved a Michelin Star, becoming a top 1%-er yet again. He's currently the Executive Chef at Adalina where he's won awards for Best Dish, Best Meal, and Best New Restaurant. He was also a contestant on Top Chef Season 21, making it to the final 7 before elimination. He steps to the mic in our season premiere to share his lessons and advice pivoting from sand wedges to sandwiches, par putts to par-boils, and some of the reality behind reality TV competitions.Find Chef Soo online:Instagram: @sookyoahnEmail: sookyoahn@gmail.comwebsite: sookyoahn.comChef Soo is also hopping into our member community, GOAT to Market Club, for an Ask Me Anything this week. Got Q's you want to ask Chef Soo personally? Join for free today!This episode is brought to you by our friends at CodeLaunch! CodeLaunch is the only equity-free AND fee-free accelerator + Venturetainment platform giving founders software development, a massive pitch stage, and an opportunity at investment all for FREE. Use our unique link to apply to CodeLaunch today and cut the line for fast-track application review! https://tinyurl.com/7k7rjt6m