We Live to Build

Why did David Windley disrupt the recruiting industry by moving from commissions to an hourly model? In this interview, he reveals how he scaled his firm to $50 million in revenue before selling it. He explains why the traditional 33% commission model is broken for clients and how he implemented a professional services approach instead. David unpacks the terrifying reality of a 75% revenue drop during COVID and how furloughing staff saved the company. He also shares why he spun out a software startup (Hoot Recruit) to build AI agents for sourcing, the truth about whether AI will replace human recruiters, and his #1 rule for leadership: character over competence.Check out the company: https://iqrecruit.com👀 CONNECT WITH SEANSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrotLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotInquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com🕒 CHAPTERS00:00 - The $50M Exit & The Hardest Part 00:41 - Surviving a 75% Revenue Drop During COVID 03:11 - Rebuilding to $50M Revenue Post-Pandemic 05:54 - Why I Sold the Business (The "Accidental Entrepreneur") 06:06 - Hourly vs. Commission: Disrupting the Recruiting Model 09:35 - Why the Industry Hates the Hourly Model 12:42 - How to Generate $50M on Hourly Rates 14:00 - Spinning Out "Hoot Recruit" Software  16:35 - Using AI Agents for Candidate Sourcing 19:26 - Will AI Replace Recruiters? (Human in the Loop) 25:30 - AI Bias and Why Humans Are Still Needed 27:26 - The #1 Leadership Rule: Character vs. Competence 29:08 - Why Culture Matters More Than Policies📈 WORK WITH ME▶️ Startup Fundraising: https://welivetobuild.com/fundraising▶️ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/collaborate▶️ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.ai🎧 LISTEN TO THE AUDIO VERSIONSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68lykxIMOyofZNiWSF4vFxiTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-live-to-build/id1531994765

Don't miss out on this game-changing Cursor technique designed specifically for AI entrepreneurs. While most use Cursor AI just for coding, there's a revolutionary way to manage your entire business, documents, emails, projects, and sales, directly within its interface, treating everything like code in a GitHub repository. In this demo, Seva Ustinov unveils this powerful workflow. Forget scattered AI tools; see how centralizing your company's context (strategy docs, meeting transcripts, competitor analysis) allows AI agents like Claude inside Cursor to automate huge portions of your non-coding work. Learn how this technique saves hours, increases accuracy, and could be the key to building a leaner, faster AI-driven business. Check out the company: https://ellyanalytics.com👀 CONNECT WITH SEANSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrotLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotInquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com🕒 CHAPTERS00:00 - The Cursor Technique AI Entrepreneurs NEED to Know 01:27 - Why This Beats ChatGPT for Business Management 01:55 - LIVE DEMO: Managing Business Docs in Cursor AI 04:05 - Applying the Technique to Internal Company Ops 06:03 - Maintaining Context: Cursor vs. Chat Threads 07:14 - You're Still Responsible for the AI Output 08:31 - Building Your "Canonical" Knowledge Base in Cursor 11:35 - Using the Cursor Technique for Product Roadmapping 18:30 - How This Technique Enables Leaner Teams 19:10 - Managing Client Projects with the Cursor Technique 22:15 - Seva's AI Product: Automating Performance Marketing 31:58 - Why This Cursor Technique IS The Future of Work 38:05 - Demo: AI Marketing Agent Based on Cursor Context 46:03 - Automating Knowledge Extraction with This Technique📈 WORK WITH ME▶ AI Startup Fundraising: https://welivetobuild.com/fundraising▶ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/collaborate▶ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.ai🎧 LISTEN TO THE AUDIO VERSIONSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68lykxIMOyofZNiWSF4vFxiTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-live-to-build/id1531994765

Which is harder: being a founder or being an investor? Mike Lazerow has done both, building and selling companies for nearly $1 billion and now running a $400M VC fund and a PE firm. His answer might surprise you. In this interview, Mike unpacks the "existential dread" of entrepreneurship versus the challenges of deploying capital. He shares why he's most excited about AI transforming "boring" businesses , the reality of feeling lost and purposeless after a massive exit, and the single most important lesson he's learned: your network is your net worth. Check out the company: https://velvetseavc.com👀 CONNECT WITH SEANSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrotLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotInquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com🕒 CHAPTERS00:00 - Founder vs. Investor: Which is Harder? 01:19 - Why I Still Prefer Being an Entrepreneur 02:04 - Scratching Both Itches: VC vs. PE 05:49 - The Best Part of Being an Investor 07:23 - Why AI Will Revolutionize "Boring" Businesses 12:03 - The Post-Exit Depression No One Talks About 14:30 - Feeling Lost After Selling for $1 Billion 16:01 - Why We're the Luckiest People in the World 19:57 - Why I Keep My Anonymity 23:36 - Money Buys Security, Health & Freedom 27:30 - Why Idle Brains Go Dark 31:41 - Your Network IS Your Net Worth 38:45 - Giving GaryVee His First Office Space 40:40 - The #1 Rule in Life & Business📈 WORK WITH ME▶ Startup Fundraising: https://welivetobuild.com/fundraising▶ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/ai-product-testing▶ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.ai🎧 LISTEN TO THE AUDIO VERSIONSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68lykxIMOyofZNiWSF4vFxiTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-live-to-build/id1531994765

Jeff Archibald is one of the lucky few who was able to sell his agency, and now he advises other agency owners. In this interview, he reveals what he would do differently if he had to start his agency all over again. We break down the critical mistakes most founders make, starting with the failure to set revenue goals and reverse-engineer a plan to meet them. Jeff explains why being too risk-averse and not reinvesting a portion of revenue into promotion hindered his agency's growth. He also shares the powerful 3-tier proposal method he adopted that transformed his pricing strategy by removing the fear of overpricing , and explains why you must proactively plan for your company's future instead of just reactively hiring when you get busy. This is a masterclass in building a sellable agency the right way. Check out the company: https://www.jeffarchibald.caBook a 1-on-1 advisory session with me to apply these principles to your business: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory👀 CONNECT WITH SEANSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrotLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotInquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com🕒 CHAPTERS00:00 - Thing #1: Reverse-Engineer Your Revenue Goals02:28 - Why "Making Money" Isn't Enough to Survive08:17 - Thing #2: Reinvest in Promotion From Day One10:06 - Thing #3: Build Strategic Partnerships Intentionally15:10 - Thing #4: Master The 3-Tier Pricing Proposal21:40 - The Psychology of Price Anchoring24:01 - Thing #5: Proactively Plan For Growth (Stop Reactive Hiring)28:18 - The Hard Truth About Your Identity After an Exit29:53 - Recovering From Founder Burnout📈 WORK WITH ME▶ Book a Paid Advisory Session: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory▶ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/collaborate▶ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.ai

Everyone is talking about an "AI-First" content strategy, but it's the wrong mentality, and it's killing your founder authority. In a world drowning in noise, you don't need to be everywhere; you need to be "undeniable where it counts." This interview with Ethan Monkhouse, founder of Naviro, breaks down the new rules for building authority as a founder. We explore why quality content is a hundredfold more important than quantity and how to use AI as a co-pilot for the heavy lifting, not as a replacement for human creativity. You'll learn the fatal flaw in most AI content tools and the framework for a content funnel that attracts your ideal customers without turning you into just another "supplier." Check out the company: https://naviro.aiBook a 1-on-1 advisory session with me to apply these principles to your business: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory👀 CONNECT WITH SEANSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrotLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotInquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com🕒 CHAPTERS00:00 - Be Undeniable Where It Counts01:36 - Quality vs. Quantity in the Age of AI02:01 - Why The "AI-First" Mentality is Wrong02:30 - AI is The Co-Pilot, Not The Pilot04:09 - The Big Flaw in AI Content Tools05:48 - Building Your Content Funnel Framework08:36 - Why Your Content Must Be Evergreen12:24 - The #1 Mistake That Gets You Marked as a "Supplier"14:19 - Content Attracts, The Funnel Sells22:51 - Your LinkedIn Profile is a Landing Page, Not a Resume24:22 - The Most Important Lesson of My Life📈 WORK WITH ME▶ Book a Paid Advisory Session: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory▶ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/collaborate▶ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.ai

For many ambitious founders, bootstrapping is a slow death. After building a profitable, high seven-figure SaaS company for 10 years, Sameer Narkar realized his self-funded model was no longer enough to win. In this interview, Sameer explains why the AI revolution is forcing successful bootstrapped companies into raising funds to move faster. He breaks down his decision to seek investment after a decade of profitability, why he believes thinking about an exit is a distraction from building a great product, and how he plans to use the new capital to "buy growth" by investing in experienced sales teams and partnerships rather than burning cash on ads. Check out the company: https://konnectinsights.comBook a 1-on-1 advisory session with me to apply these principles to your business: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory👀 CONNECT WITH SEANSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrotLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotInquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com🕒 CHAPTERS00:00 - Why I'm Abandoning My 8-Figure Bootstrap Business00:35 - The AI Arms Race Demands Speed 02:42 - Fundraising With No Plan to Exit? 04:28 - Is a "Lifestyle Business" a Bad Thing?08:20 - How $15M Changes a Profitable Company09:50 - The "Spend $110 for every $100 Earned" Growth Model 12:01 - Why We Invest in Partnerships, Not Google Ads15:20 - Why We're Hiring Expensive, Experienced Sales Vets 18:10 - Our Content Strategy: Case Studies & Industry Reports 23:05 - The Hardest Part of The Bootstrapping Journey 27:57 - The Most Important Lesson After 10 Years as a Founder 📈 WORK WITH ME▶ Book a Paid Advisory Session: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory▶ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/collaborate▶ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.ai

Are you making the #1 mistake in AI pricing? Many founders are using their old SaaS pricing model, but for AI, that’s a huge error. As pricing expert Dan Balcauski explains, it’s like showing customers your “underpants”, and it’s killing your sales. In this guide to AI pricing, Dan breaks down why the game has changed. Unlike traditional SaaS, AI products have significant variable costs and unpredictable customer value, creating a new set of challenges for founders. We explore the psychology of value-based pricing, how to choose the right pricing metric, and the strategies companies like Google and OpenAI are using to price their AI tools. Check out the company: https://www.producttranquility.comBook a 1-on-1 advisory session with me to apply these principles to your business: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory👀 CONNECT WITH SEANSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrotLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotInquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com🕒 CHAPTERS00:00 - Why Your SaaS Pricing Model is Obsolete02:05 - The Value vs. Cost Dilemma of AI03:20 - Foundation Models vs. AI Applications07:15 - Why AI Product Prices Are So Inconsistent11:15 - The Power of Long-Tail Distributions in Pricing17:05 - The Problem with Capped "Unlimited" Plans19:10 - Why AI Companies Are Hardware Constrained24:30 - The 2 Axes of a Smart AI Pricing Strategy28:00 - The #1 AI Pricing Mistake: Showing Your "Underpants"31:30 - The Psychology of Value-Based Pricing📈 WORK WITH ME▶ Book a Paid Advisory Session: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory▶ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/collaborate▶ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.ai

How do you get a 70% reply rate on LinkedIn DMs? In this episode, I sit down with Gabe Lullo, CEO of the 8-figure sales development agency Alleyoop, who shares his exact method for filling his sales pipeline every single day. Gabe unpacks the hard truths about modern sales, explaining why most LinkedIn outreach is just noise and how hyper-personalized voice notes can get you a 7x higher response rate. He also breaks down his "calls and content" strategy, why prospecting for one hour daily is more effective than batching it once a week , and the critical difference between being a founder and being a CEO. Check out the company: https://alleyoop.ioBook a 1-on-1 advisory session with me to apply these principles to your business: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory👀 CONNECT WITH SEANSubscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@seanweisbrotLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrotInquiries: welivetobuild@gmail.com🕒 CHAPTERS00:00 - The #1 Rule for a Full Sales Pipeline 01:10 - Why Daily Prospecting Beats Weekly Batching 06:15 - Founder vs. CEO: Why You're Not Who You Think You Are 09:30 - My Secret to a 70% Reply Rate on LinkedIn DMs 11:00 - Why LinkedIn Voice Notes Get 7x More Replies 15:00 - The "Doctor" Method of Selling 23:30 - "Calls & Content": The LinkedIn Growth Strategy 25:15 - How to "Build in Public" When You Have Zero Customers29:10 - A 3-Step Plan for LinkedIn Prospecting31:25 - The One Thing I Wish I Started 13 Years Ago 📈 WORK WITH ME▶ Book a Paid Advisory Session: https://calendly.com/wltb/advisory▶ Sponsor the Channel: https://www.welivetobuild.com/collaborate▶ My AI/Automation Agency: https://optimai.ai