Startup Hypeman: The GOAT to Market Show

What's your superpower? Every Founder has one. At the same time, not every founder has the SAME one. Which means just because Sara Blakely or Bill Gates did things one way, doesn't mean you also have to do things that way. When you know your superpower you can better make strategic decisions, acknowledge what should stay on your plate versus what you should delegate, and perhaps most importantly, be aware of your blind spots. Michelle Denogean has spent decades in the "Director's chair" for several startups, working as a VP and CMO. She helped her previous company, Roadster, scale from 15 to 200 employees and exit for nearly $400M. Through all her experiences, she's worked alongside the founder and observed their traits, quirks, and shortcomings. She combined her experience with psychological research to author her book titled Grow Up! Take your startup to the next level. In the book, she explains the 4 superpowers of a successful founder and how to identify yours. She steps to the mic in our season finale for a conversation on finding your cape.Fiind Michelle online:LinkedInFind Mindtrip online:WebsiteThis episode is brought to you by our friends at ActiveCampaign, the GOATs of marketing automation. EVERY kind of business needs a newsletter. After 10 years using Mailchimp, Startup Hypeman is now a proud ActiveCampaign user, and from setup to 'send', every newsletter we've published has been a 10x easier experience since switching. Tons of integrations, automations made simple, and actually supportive customer support (not an annoying chatbot). Get your FREE 2-week trial here!(affiliate link)This episode is also brought to you by our friends at AKAVA, the GOATs of software development. I've seen too many startups get screwed over by offshore or budget dev shops. Those groups are order takers and do the bare minimum, which often means software with gaping holes, or being forced to pay hidden 'release fees' to claim ownership of your code. Then there's Akava, who actually builds strategically for scale from day 1, helps you make product decisions, and gives you full ownership of your code by default. Want to become the GOAT to Market? Partner with the GOATs of software dev. Get GOATed at akava.io.

Planning a fundraise? Then you need to know HOW to get in front of investors.Enjoy this special episode, a replay of my interview with Supply Change Capital Managing Partner Shayna Harris live from a Startup Grind Chicago event.Shayna shares what catches her eye, how funds are structured, the flow of money in a VC system, and why all that matters for founders.Original interview date: June 11, 2024.Find Shayna online:LinkedInFind Supply Change Capital online:WebsiteThis episode is brought to you by our friends at ActiveCampaign, the GOATs of marketing automation. EVERY kind of business needs a newsletter. After 10 years using Mailchimp, Startup Hypeman is now a proud ActiveCampaign user, and from setup to 'send', every newsletter we've published has been a 10x easier experience since switching. Tons of integrations, automations made simple, and actually supportive customer support (not an annoying chatbot). Get your FREE 2-week trial here!(affiliate link)This episode is also brought to you by our friends at AKAVA, the GOATs of software development. I've seen too many startups get screwed over by offshore or budget dev shops. Those groups are order takers and do the bare minimum, which often means software with gaping holes, or being forced to pay hidden 'release fees' to claim ownership of your code. Then there's Akava, who actually builds strategically for scale from day 1, helps you make product decisions, and gives you full ownership of your code by default. Want to become the GOAT to Market? Partner with the GOATs of software dev. Get GOATed at akava.io.

Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and...venture capital? In 2023 the Chicago Cubs spun off a fund by the name of Marquee Ventures. Marquee invests at the intersection of sports, media, commerce, and their enabling infrastructure.Enjoy this special episode, a replay of my interview with Marquee's Cofounder & Managing Partner Erik Hammer live from the Startup Grind Chicago 2nd Annual Health & Sportstech Showcase in March 2024.Erik covers how Marquee assesses deals, what catches their eye, his outlook on the future of sports and media tech, and more.Original interview date: Mar 19, 2024.Find Erik online:LinkedInFind Marquee online:WebsiteThis episode is brought to you by our friends at ActiveCampaign, the GOATs of marketing automation. EVERY kind of business needs a newsletter. After 10 years using Mailchimp, Startup Hypeman is now a proud ActiveCampaign user, and from setup to 'send', every newsletter we've published has been a 10x easier experience since switching. Tons of integrations, automations made simple, and actually supportive customer support (not an annoying chatbot). Get your FREE 2-week trial here!(affiliate link)This episode is also brought to you by our friends at AKAVA, the GOATs of software development. I've seen too many startups get screwed over by offshore or budget dev shops. Those groups are order takers and do the bare minimum, which often means software with gaping holes, or being forced to pay hidden 'release fees' to claim ownership of your code. Then there's Akava, who actually builds strategically for scale from day 1, helps you make product decisions, and gives you full ownership of your code by default. Want to become the GOAT to Market? Partner with the GOATs of software dev. Get GOATed at akava.io.

One of the biggest struggles of an early stage startup is creating content. Or, really I should say creating GOOD content. It's pretty easy to publish a whitepaper that no one cares about, make Linkedin posts that don't get traction, or start a podcast but quit after 5 episodes. Creating content isn't hard, creating content that actually drives leads is hard. Erin Balsa is a content strategy expert who has written for the likes of Hubspot, Monday.com, G2, and more. At Haus of Bold, she focuses on building content strategies for early stage startups so they aren't just writing random SEO-optimized blog posts that don't generate new business. The key, she says, is having a clear point-of-view. She steps to the mic in this week's episode to share what great startups do really well in their content strategy.Find Erin online:LinkedInFind Haus of Bold online:WebsiteErin 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 Erin personally? Join for free today! This episode is brought to you by our friends at ActiveCampaign, the GOATs of marketing automation. EVERY kind of business needs a newsletter. After 10 years using Mailchimp, Startup Hypeman is now a proud ActiveCampaign user, and from setup to 'send', every newsletter we've published has been a 10x easier experience since switching. Tons of integrations, automations made simple, and actually supportive customer support (not an annoying chatbot). Get your FREE 2-week trial here!(affiliate link)This episode is also brought to you by our friends at AKAVA, the GOATs of software development. I've seen too many startups get screwed over by offshore or budget dev shops. Those groups are order takers and do the bare minimum, which often means software with gaping holes, or being forced to pay hidden 'release fees' to claim ownership of your code. Then there's Akava, who actually builds strategically for scale from day 1, helps you make product decisions, and gives you full ownership of your code by default. Want to become the GOAT to Market? Partner with the GOATs of software dev. Get GOATed at akava.io.

Have you ever worked really hard on a piece of content, only for it to get like 5 likes online? It could be a bad distribution strategy or bad timing, but more likely it's because the content doesn't resonate. What if instead of approaching your content like a tech or product company, you approached it like a media company? Tyler Lessard didn't just approach it like a media company, he in fact launched an entire media brand called Sales Feed. 150,000 followers and subscribers later, something's working right. If you've been with this show long enough, you might remember that for about 2 years I was one of SalesFeed's on-air talents, cohosting a youtube series and podcast with Tyler. We also created nearly a half-dozen parody music videos together. Our relationship runs deep, so I had to get him on this podcast. He steps to the mic this week to share how Sales Feed started, taking a different approach to content creation, how they use different channels for different purposes, and how you can think like a media company even if you don't have budget.Find Tyler online:LinkedInFind Sales Feed online:WebsiteTyler 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 Tyler personally? Join for free today! This episode is brought to you by our friends at ActiveCampaign, the GOATs of marketing automation. EVERY kind of business needs a newsletter. After 10 years using Mailchimp, Startup Hypeman is now a proud ActiveCampaign user, and from setup to 'send', every newsletter we've published has been a 10x easier experience since switching. Tons of integrations, automations made simple, and actually supportive customer support (not an annoying chatbot). Get your FREE 2-week trial here!(affiliate link)This episode is also brought to you by our friends at AKAVA, the GOATs of software development. I've seen too many startups get screwed over by offshore or budget dev shops. Those groups are order takers and do the bare minimum, which often means software with gaping holes, or being forced to pay hidden 'release fees' to claim ownership of your code. Then there's Akava, who actually builds strategically for scale from day 1, helps you make product decisions, and gives you full ownership of your code by default. Want to become the GOAT to Market? Partner with the GOATs of software dev. Get GOATed at akava.io.

What if instead of rushing to social media, paid ads, or even a traditional outbound sales motion, you used live events as a customer acquisition strategy?You immediately provide value to your target customer, created a shared experience, and get valuable face time with them.Sales Assembly has bootstrapped to 7-figure annual revenue, growing 300% from 2020 - 2024.The secret to their success? EVENTS. Ahead of all other GTM channels, live events have been the backbone of their customer acquisition.Their CRO Matt Green steps to the mic in this week's episode to share exactly how they concept their events, curate the guest list, build intentional content, and follow up with purpose to flip an audience into a customer base.Matt also gives us the rundown on how he got into sales in the first place, plus shares the story behind his favorite tattoo.He steps to the mic in this week's episode to share how to invest wisely in your brand, position yourself for growth, and the difference between an influencer and influential strategy.Find Matt online:LinkedInFind Sales Assembly online:WebsiteMatt 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 Matt personally? Join for free today! This episode is brought to you by our friends at ActiveCampaign, the GOATs of marketing automation. EVERY kind of business needs a newsletter. After 10 years using Mailchimp, Startup Hypeman is now a proud ActiveCampaign user, and from setup to 'send', every newsletter we've published has been a 10x easier experience since switching. Tons of integrations, automations made simple, and actually supportive customer support (not an annoying chatbot). Get your FREE 2-week trial here!(affiliate link)This episode is also brought to you by our friends at AKAVA, the GOATs of software development. I've seen too many startups get screwed over by offshore or budget dev shops. Those groups are order takers and do the bare minimum, which often means software with gaping holes, or being forced to pay hidden 'release fees' to claim ownership of your code. Then there's Akava, who actually builds strategically for scale from day 1, helps you make product decisions, and gives you full ownership of your code by default. Want to become the GOAT to Market? Partner with the GOATs of software dev. Get GOATed at akava.io.

If you're a CPG or retail brand, you know by default the importance of brand.It's what people buy into as much as the product itself.There's a reason why you choose to pay more for a Nike shirt when you could reasonably buy the same shirt without the logo.Brand is a promise.It's a value system. It's a marker of trust for your community and customers that signals an understanding and expectation of the product experience.In the software world, brand tends to get pushed to the side.It doesn't matter as long as the product is good.But if you want to worry less about competition, have more control over pricing, and get customers to move with you when you make pivots, your best served making brand-led decisions.Sarah Sitz knows exactly what this looks like, having spent time as employee #14 at Foxtrot helping grow the company from Series A to C and launching their private-label brand, and now as Cofounder of brand GTM agency The Squeeze.She steps to the mic in this week's episode to share how to invest wisely in your brand, position yourself for growth, and the difference between an influencer and influential strategy.Find Sarah online:LinkedInFind The Squeeze onlineWebsiteInstagramSarah 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 Sarah personally? Join for free today! This episode is brought to you by our friends at ActiveCampaign, the GOATs of marketing automation. EVERY kind of business needs a newsletter. After 10 years using Mailchimp, Startup Hypeman is now a proud ActiveCampaign user, and from setup to 'send', every newsletter we've published has been a 10x easier experience since switching. Tons of integrations, automations made simple, and actually supportive customer support (not an annoying chatbot). Get your FREE 2-week trial here!(affiliate link)This episode is also brought to you by our friends at AKAVA, the GOATs of software development. I've seen too many startups get screwed over by offshore or budget dev shops. Those groups are order takers and do the bare minimum, which often means software with gaping holes, or being forced to pay hidden 'release fees' to claim ownership of your code. Then there's Akava, who actually builds strategically for scale from day 1, helps you make product decisions, and gives you full ownership of your code by default. Want to become the GOAT to Market? Partner with the GOATs of software dev. Get GOATed at akava.io.

Everyone wants to have a community.Everyone says they have a community.But just having a Slack or WhatsApp group doesn't actually mean you have community.Community is more about the interactions than the medium.And investing in community means playing the long game.Which is why so many brands don't think it's worth the effort.My friend Pablo Gonzalez has cracked the community code with a playbook that accrues short-term high-impact wins while waiting for the long game to play out.Through a process he calls Experiential Content Marketing, his company, Be The Stage, generated a $40M revenue channel from scratch for one of their customers.I've wanted to interview him for a while, and the stars finally aligned.He steps to the mic in this week's episode to share how you should reframe your community approach, how anyone can create community regardless of brand size, the metrics to track, and how losing his brother unexpectedly 9 years ago turned into an epiphany moment.Find Pablo online:LinkedInFind Be The Stage online:WebsitePablo 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 Pablo personally? Join for free today! This episode is brought to you by our friends at ActiveCampaign, the GOATs of marketing automation. EVERY kind of business needs a newsletter. After 10 years using Mailchimp, Startup Hypeman is now a proud ActiveCampaign user, and from setup to 'send', every newsletter we've published has been a 10x easier experience since switching. Tons of integrations, automations made simple, and actually supportive customer support (not an annoying chatbot). Get your FREE 2-week trial here!(affiliate link)This episode is also brought to you by our friends at AKAVA, the GOATs of software development. I've seen too many startups get screwed over by offshore or budget dev shops. Those groups are order takers and do the bare minimum, which often means software with gaping holes, or being forced to pay hidden 'release fees' to claim ownership of your code. Then there's Akava, who actually builds strategically for scale from day 1, helps you make product decisions, and gives you full ownership of your code by default. Want to become the GOAT to Market? Partner with the GOATs of software dev. Get GOATed at akava.io.

What does it take to turn an idea for a boutique 7-11 into a tech-driven consumer market, into a national brand that merged with one of the biggest names in grocery? Enjoy this special episode, a replay of my interview with Foxtrot CEO & Cofounder Mike LaVitola live from the Startup Grind Chicago 4th Annual Great Chicago Food Bash in January 2024. Mike shares overcoming rejection for his crazy idea in the early days, to raising nearly $200M and scaling up nationally. He talks about the importance of optimizing for brand experience, identifying adjacencies in customer behavior, and why data actually isn't everything.Original interview date: January 18, 2024Find Mike online:LinkedInFind Foxtrot online:WebsiteThis episode is brought to you by our friends at ActiveCampaign, the GOATs of marketing automation. EVERY kind of business needs a newsletter. After 10 years using Mailchimp, Startup Hypeman is now a proud ActiveCampaign user, and from setup to 'send', every newsletter we've published has been a 10x easier experience since switching. Tons of integrations, automations made simple, and actually supportive customer support (not an annoying chatbot).Get your FREE 2-week trial here! (affiliate link)This episode is also brought to you by our friends at AKAVA, the GOATs of software development. I've seen too many startups get screwed over by offshore or budget dev shops. Those groups are order takers and do the bare minimum, which often means software with gaping holes, or being forced to pay hidden 'release fees' to claim ownership of your code. Then there's Akava, who actually builds strategically for scale from day 1, helps you make product decisions, and gives you full ownership of your code by default. Want to become the GOAT to Market? Partner with the GOATs of software dev. Get GOATed at akava.io.