Startup Therapy

Latest Episodes:

How We Leave is How We're Remembered Jun 23, 2021

Show notes

In today’s Startup Therapy Podcast, Wil and Ryan talk about avoiding unpleasant breakups. There always comes a time when you need to part ways with people, friends, staff, even investors. Every bad breakup can seriously damage your reputation in any means possible simply because some harbor vindictive emotions and speak negatively against you. What can you do then to avoid that?

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What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
00:22 How many good stories do you remember of breakups throughout your career?
03:55 Your poor actions is what people remember the most
06:21 Letting go of people means having more than one conversation
12:42 Your reputation takes years to build and takes seconds to destroy
17:23 The damage a single blown relationship can do
22:41 How handle breakups that usually end well
25:10 The need to justify yourself and your actions
28:25 It matters if they don’t feel mistreated when the breakup happens
34:04 A little touch can change the tone and reignite a soured relationship
38:58 We have to be structured and strategic with our words

What Happens to My Startup After I Sell? Jun 21, 2021

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In today’s Startup Therapy Podcast, Wil and Ryan talk about what happens after you sell your Startup. Beyond the big paycheck that will certainly make your life better, is the lingering attachment you have for your company and what becomes of it after you give up ownership and control over it. And what about the employees you’re leaving behind? Will they be well taken care of?

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What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
00:40 This fantasy of reaching this level when you want to sell your Startup
05:35 When you sell, how is everyone else in the organization affected?
08:59 From the one making the decisions to asking permission from someone else
14:01 Realizing that you have to step off the trail is a tough pill to swallow
17:51 It won’t be the same environment and a lot of people won’t stick around
23:26 This is about what to consider when you sell
26:02 Investors will only see you as a fall-in-line employee
32:08 If things were great, why do we want them to end?
39:17 It’s not just you, but the employees within the company

If We Want Power, We Create Power Jun 16, 2021

Show notes

In today’s Startup Therapy Podcast, Wil and Ryan talk about power struggle. A lot of us are used to hearing people telling us what we should and shouldn’t do, what we can and cannot achieve just because these people have tried it or have been in a similar situation. What they don’t realize though is the difference in capacity and skills. What works for them may not work for you, and what works for you didn’t work out for them.

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What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
00:27 The value in having a level of power and control in an agency
02:45 When having somebody else determine your destiny wasn't going to work for you
11:01 Setting your own path and not allowing anyone to tell you what to do
16:36 Stop listening to what everybody else is telling you to do
23:31 If you can do it once, you can do it again
27:10 What if the investors investing in you aren't what you should be focused on?
28:36 Attaining power that wasn’t handed to you gives a sense of inner peace
33:43 Set your own terms so other people can set their own
37:34 Figure out how to create power for yourself and extend it to the world

What will We Regret Risking for Our Startups? Jun 14, 2021

Show notes

In today’s Startup Therapy Podcast, Wil and Ryan talk about regret. Founders are bound to make decisions all the time. These decisions can make or break the Startup, and this is why regret is inevitable. Not all decisions bring a positive outcome, and when the outcome is the opposite of what you had anticipated, it’s part of the risk you’re taking.

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What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
00:33 Can you remember the first time you felt regret during a trade off?
05:15 The regret didn’t kick until later
07:43 Many of the risks that we’re putting up won’t return
11:39 We assume that we can make up for these risks
14:09 Don’t use the same pattern whenever you experience something new
17:28 When we form habits, we stop thinking about the different outcomes
21:32 Myth: No matter what the sacrifice is, you’ll be able to pay it back in the future
25:52 Going on a vacation but not really enjoying the vacation
27:25 We have to periodically reassess the sacrifices that we make
30:53 Founders are experts at manufacturing anxiety

Lessons from "Once Hot" Startups Jun 09, 2021

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In today’s Startup Therapy Podcast, Wil and Ryan talk about how we get blinded by the early signs of growth. When things go well, we tend to think it’s the golden moment and that your Startup is on it’s way to getting big, only to find out a week or a month later that you’re back at step one. Early stage successes become dangerous when we get blinded by them and start making the wrong decisions.

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What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
00:20 Early signals that tend to blind us from what we actually should be doing
04:54 It becomes dangerous when we start making decisions based on sudden growth
08:41 When things go well, it increases our vulnerability to make the wrong decisions
14:23 Yes, it’s going well, but you aren’t making any profit
19:24 It’s a mentality problem when we get too excited at the early stages
23:43 External signals sometimes send the wrong message
27:08 Don’t get blinded how well your product is received after launch

What If I Sell Too Early? Jun 07, 2021

Show notes

In today’s Startup Therapy Podcast, Wil and Ryan talk about when is the best time to sell your Startup. It’s a tedious process so you shouldn’t just focus on what’s happening during the negotiations but also the pros and cons after the sale is made. And of course, how much you’re being paid for selling is as important as HOW you’re getting paid.

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What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
00:11 “What happens if I sell too early?”
06:36 Buyers are often negotiating to pay for a company’s future value
10:17 Whatever cash you’re taking now might be the last cash you’ll ever get in the negotiations
15:10 It’s not about how much but HOW you’re getting paid
17:58 Myth: The maximum amount the company is worth is equal to how much the founder need
27:21 You have to be realistic that you might not be able to sell

Do We Need Offices Anymore? Jun 02, 2021

Show notes

In today’s Startup Therapy Podcast, Wil and Ryan talk about going back to an office setting. The idea that more work gets done inside the office is no longer as effective as it used to be. An office setting may not be that substantial anymore for Startups. A lot of businesses are being run remotely and by far, they are progressing well.

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What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
00:28 What happens when we return to our offices?
04:15 In current times, is an office really necessary?
08:47 Myth: We need an office to build culture
15:59 An office is the least likely way to build friendships
23:37 Myth: We need an office to get work done
27:20 Office equals work is no longer true
30:36 Slack and other project management tools can make collaborations happen
35:25 Collaboration versus coordination

Our Latest Success Might Be Our Last May 31, 2021

Show notes

In today’s Startup Therapy Podcast, Wil and Ryan talk about the notion that your current success will be the same for every Startup you build. While you’re in the momentum and when new ideas come in, you’re most likely tempted to venture into another Startup. Right? But, take a pause there and consider the odds of your success.

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What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
00:25 The notion that your current success will be lifetime
04:59 We think about our startup success the way people tend to think about career success
08:05 Sometimes, founders are just done and want to sell fast
14:36 We optimize for cost and revenue over time but unwilling to invest time when it’s over
18:28 We love to assume the outcome in that next hand and just carry forward
22:56 Stick around and work on every angle to achieve exponential liftoff
26:41 Pay attention to what you have in your hand at the moment
30:07 Successful Startups achieve success due to a ton of factors lining up at the same time

Do Socio-Political Issues Belong at Work? May 26, 2021

Show notes

In today’s Startup Therapy Podcast, Wil and Ryan talk about founders allowing open discussion of socio-political issues inside the workplace. Over the years, societal and political issues are topics that can either encourage healthy discussions and debates within the team or instigate friction and divide within the company. The question is, HOW do we talk about these issues?

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Resources:

What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
00:25 Socio-political issues in a workplace
03:02 It’s important how and where we talk about these issues
05:55 Areas where we can start to have more productive conversations
10:51 Focus has a cost and it’s not that simple
14:44 Some socio-political issues are directly impacting people’s focus 11:39
18:03 Not all founders really care about other people’s issues outside of work
20:28 There are a lot of people in power that just don't understand these issues
25:43 Why this idea of just oppressing everything is just a broken hammer
32:00 Issues aside, what are the employees trying to accomplish?
36:34 Not everyone wants to be pulled into these discussions

The Superstar Advisor Sham May 24, 2021

Show notes

In today’s Startup Therapy Podcast, Wil and Ryan ask, is it too early to get an advisor? Many Startup companies invest in an advisor to tap into connections that can possibly help raise additional capital. Yet, this investment does not promise successful returns because some introductions don’t end with the results founders are hoping for. The anticipated business meetings are never set.

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What to Listen For

00:00 Intro
00:28 How often were you asked to be a business advisor?
03:55 What's the guarantee that they want to know you?
07:08 If getting an advisor is just for raising the capital
09:31 One-sided conversations: what’s the biggest thing you can have getting an advisor
12:10 What if you make the introductions and nothing comes of it?
16:18 Ponder first if it’s the right time to invest in an investor
18:46 When people know more than you do, they just seem like geniuses
22:37 You can’t qualify an advice on a topic you’ve never understood
28:58 A good advisor will tell you what questions you should be asking
35:25 Advisors aren’t that bought in and won’t fully care

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