Startup Therapy

Latest Episodes:

Where There's Smoke - There's Fire Aug 08, 2022

Show notes

In today’s Startup Therapy Podcast, Wil and Ryan discuss why managers and founders need to pay more attention to small details. Sometimes companies have employees who suddenly start performing poorly. What could be the reason? Whenever there are small problems, there must be a root cause of why it’s happening, so it’s up to the founders to identify what’s causing it.

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Resources:

Startup Therapy Podcast
https://www.startups.com/begin
Join our Network of Top Founders
Check in with us on LinkedIn | Wil Schroter | Ryan Rutan

What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
03:13 Sometimes there is a bigger problem behind any small issue
04:27 When things look off, it’s because it’s off
07:29 People don’t make excuses when they’re on their game
10:11 Pay attention to the details
18:36 Everyone is not going to be a top performer
19:19 The organization will slowly regress to its slowest mover
23:25 Ask the question, “what do you want to get done?”
25:28 Opening the conversation with “how can I help?”

What Would I Tell My Former Founder Self? Aug 01, 2022

Show notes

In today’s Startup Therapy Podcast, Wil and Ryan discuss some of the advice that they would tell their younger founder selves. If you could go back in time, what would you tell your past self? Now that you’re wiser and more experienced, there are many things that you wished you would’ve done differently, but those mistakes and lessons that you had along the way is what also made you become the person you are today.

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Resources:

Startup Therapy Podcast
https://www.startups.com/begin
Join our Network of Top Founders
Check in with us on LinkedIn | Wil Schroter | Ryan Rutan

What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
01:39 Don’t feel rushed and have more patience
05:07 You can do a lot of transformative things in just a few years
07:02 It’s okay to fail
07:58 Cultivating relationships
10:14 Find people who wants you to become a better person
12:00 The “give & get” in relationships
14:10 How relationships ends is how you get remembered
15:56 Just be kind to yourself
16:54 You have the ability to say no
20:14 Learn how to zoom in and out in life
22:22 It’s okay to let go of toxic relationships
24:52 Will your younger self follow this advice?
29:19 The big moments will be a series of big moments
31:29 Success is not final, failure is not fail, it’s the courage to continue that counts
34:37 Focus more on acting like the person you want to be vs. the person others want you to be
38:53 Getting older gives us all the more perspective to offer to others
42:34 Do it your own way
46:26 The most valuable part of the process is learning
49:53 Be in the room
54:09 You don’t have to figure out everything on your own

We Need a Culture of Accountability Jul 18, 2022

Show notes

In today’s Startup Therapy Podcast, Wil and Ryan discuss the importance of accountability in a company. A founder should be able to know how to instill accountability in their employees. The two main components to get accountability are ownership and consequences - having these things can make a huge difference in a company’s overall success.

Sign up for the Startups Newsletter

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Resources:

Startup Therapy Podcast
https://www.startups.com/begin
Join our Network of Top Founders
Check in with us on LinkedIn | Wil Schroter | Ryan Rutan

What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
00:09 Nobody else wants to be accountable
02:01 Founders always have the higher stakes
04:36 The challenge founders face is to get everyone accountable
06:53 Consequences affect accountability
09:31 Not being accountable does not mean safety
11:25 What happens to a company with no accountability
14:45 Two components to get accountability
18:18 Owning the outcome
19:46 Effects of reward and recognition
23:28 Visibility in a company
26:15 Changing up plans where everyone can adjust
28:55 When founders don’t understand the importance of their accountability
31:05 Excuses are the most powerful solvent that dissolves accountability

Am I a Good Manager? Jul 11, 2022

Show notes

In today’s Startup Therapy Podcast, Wil and Ryan discuss what makes a good manager. What does it take to become a good manager? Is it a manager that consistently hits the targets and can keep up with the demands of the business? It is someone who showcases good leadership skills and the right mindset? The truth is, one becomes a good manager when they can push the entire team to transform themselves and become exponentially better at what they do.

Sign up for the Startups Newsletter

https://www.startups.com/newsletter

Resources:

Startup Therapy Podcast
https://www.startups.com/begin
Join our Network of Top Founders
Check in with us on LinkedIn | Wil Schroter | Ryan Rutan

What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
00:41 Most of us hadn’t led a team of managers
03:14 Are you a babysitter
07:03 This is what a good manager does
12:39 Growth versus stability
16:14 Managers should push teammates to transform themselves
19:34 Patience and tolerance
23:33 We want somebody that can make the team 10X better
29:10 How are you making the team exponentially better?

Sacrificing our Health for our Startup is NOT OK Jun 27, 2022

Show notes

In today’s Startup Therapy Podcast, Wil and Ryan discuss why health is an important asset for founders. Sacrifices are often necessary for every business - less time with family, skipping meals, not taking breaks, constantly working overtime and not getting paid enough, etc. In the early stage of the business, these types of sacrifices are ‘deemed’ essential and expected. Years later, stress and anxiety will eat you up and you’ll probably be dealing with a failing body. Yes, sacrifices are necessary but not in exchange for your health.

Sign up for the Startups Newsletter

https://www.startups.com/newsletter

Resources:

Startup Therapy Podcast
https://www.startups.com/begin
Join our Network of Top Founders
Check in with us on LinkedIn | Wil Schroter | Ryan Rutan

What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
00:16 When do we stop destroying ourselves for our Startup?
07:52 Wearing yourself out without measurable return
16:40 When we feel like we have to make these sacrifices
22:45 Top performers take their health seriously

What if Our Startup Founder Anxiety Never Quits Jun 20, 2022

Show notes

In today’s Startup Therapy Podcast, Wil and Ryan talk about the never ending anxiety we all have. One of the things that makes every founder feel on the edge most of the time is getting anxious over everything, this sense of urgency to get one thing done after another right away. What we don’t realize is instead of rushing through things, sometimes it can be beneficial to our mental health if we just let things take its course. And if we shift our focus on solving the problem and not get anxious about it.

Sign up for the Startups Newsletter

https://www.startups.com/newsletter

Resources:

Startup Therapy Podcast
https://www.startups.com/begin
Join our Network of Top Founders
Check in with us on LinkedIn | Wil Schroter | Ryan Rutan

What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
00:20 When does anxiety go away?
07:25 It started with a lot of anxiety, created more, and then just stayed
19:19 Fleeting moments without feeling anxious
24:54 Instead of saying, “I feel anxious about this problem…”
29:52 Sometimes, you don’t need to take action

This is Fun and All, But When Do I Get Rich?? Jun 13, 2022

Show notes

In today’s Startup Therapy Podcast, Wil and Ryan talk about when founders actually get paid? In the Startups community, many founders expect immediate returns and instant success. This is because a lot of founders have shown potential and managed to grow their business exponentially in such a short period of time. New founders expect the same outcome to happen to them. The truth is, outside of the community, it takes several years, decades even, to reach significant growth in returns. Not everyone can get rich overnight.

Sign up for the Startups Newsletter

https://www.startups.com/newsletter

Resources:

Startup Therapy Podcast
https://www.startups.com/begin
Join our Network of Top Founders
Check in with us on LinkedIn | Wil Schroter | Ryan Rutan

What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
00:09 When do founders actually get paid?
05:28 The expectation of a linear path
12:53 Startups.com just celebrated its 10th year anniversary
13:49 We expect success in 18 months
18:45 Why do founders get paid last?

We're All Afraid of Paper Demons Jun 06, 2022

Show notes

In today’s Startup Therapy Podcast, Wil and Ryan talk about overthinking. When you start to focus your attention on something that has not happened yet and it starts to affect your performance, decision-making, and growth, you end up getting anxious. And this growing anxiety will hinder what you are truly capable of achieving. So, stop worrying about the things that didn’t happen and start planning based on what’s happening now.

Sign up for the Startups Newsletter

https://www.startups.com/newsletter

Resources:

Startup Therapy Podcast
https://www.startups.com/begin
Join our Network of Top Founders
Check in with us on LinkedIn | Wil Schroter | Ryan Rutan

What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
00:41 We spend so much time thinking about what might go wrong
04:41 Investors do care for us in some ways
08:26 One failure won’t destroy you for life
14:45 Customers only care about what you’re doing
17:00 Focus on product quality instead of the competition
21:45 Anxiety in the workplace

Letting People Go: Ego and Safety May 30, 2022

Show notes

In today’s Startup Therapy Podcast, Wil and Ryan talk about people losing their jobs. We’ve been talking about it and now it’s happening. People are losing their jobs fast and they are left with little to no option in these trying times. As a founder, what can you do to help? Are you supposed to do something somehow? People are losing their safety of a steady stream of income and the last thing they want to bring with them when they leave is uncertainty and heavy competition. If you still have the means, make it so that the transition is made easier for them.

Sign up for the Startups Newsletter

https://www.startups.com/newsletter

Resources:

Startup Therapy Podcast
https://www.startups.com/begin
Join our Network of Top Founders
Check in with us on LinkedIn | Wil Schroter | Ryan Rutan

What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
00:29 It’s a hard time for employees
03:58 Our ego is attached to this sense of ownership
09:14 People always remember what they felt during a transaction
13:19 How to properly handle demoting/letting go of people
23:40 A founder’s ego and safety is being threatened also
29:10 Moving employees from full time to part time
37:29 Should you hire more employees now?
41:10 Taking advantage of talents being let go
43:14 Deferred or partially deferred payment

What a Market Downturn Means for Startups May 23, 2022

Show notes

In today’s Startup Therapy Podcast, Wil and Ryan talk about putting a freeze on your resources when returns take a downturn. When is it necessary to let go of some employees? When is it an urgent matter to get more funding? Can you possibly get more funding when the Startup isn’t hitting the target? Well, you can definitely weather the storm when you understand that a downturn is tough but it’s a good phase to start cleaning up unnecessary ties and expenditures.

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