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Startup Hypeman: The GOAT to Market Show
S15E1: Scaling A Labor-Driven Marketplace with Verblio CEO Steve Pockross
We're back with SEASON 15!
To kick-off, we're talking marketplaces.
Most marketplaces are labor-driven — they use technology to connect people to a particular service in an efficient way.
The operative word here is PEOPLE.
Many marketplace platforms have developed bad reputations for caring only about 1 group of people, the customers, while ignoring and treating poorly the other group, the labor.
Verblio CEO Steve Pockross thinks that's ridiculous, and success should be qualified by creating happiness on both sides.
In our season premiere, he shares how Verblio has built up and scaled the labor side of its content-writing marketplace to accrue a global customer base and multiple Inc 5000 growth awards.
Find Steve online:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spockross/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/spockross
Find Verblio online:
www.verblio.com
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56:32||Season 3, Ep. 12What'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.11. GTM 3-11: Landing Investor Meetings with Supply Change Capital Managing Partner Shayna Harris (Live from Startup Grind Chicago!)
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