Building Your Entrepreneurial Pain Tolerance: Parker Graham of Finotta

This week on the Startup Savant podcast, we dove deep with Ken Gavranovic into scaling businesses that stand the test of time. We uncovered the essence of product-led growth – shining light on the user experience as a catalyst for organic expansion. Ken shared the riveting journey of Interland; from equity hurdles to a triumphant IPO, emphasizing the monumental leap from $0 to $200 million. We rallied behind his advocacy for employee ownership and aligning your team's heartbeat with the company's core mission.

Ken Gavranovic Links: 

• https://kengavranovic.com/

Startup Savant Links: 

• https://startupsavant.com/podcast
• https://www.youtube.com/@StartupSavantPodcast/
• https://www.instagram.com/startupsavantpodcast/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/startup-savant/

Curtis Matsko, the founder of Portland Leather Goods, joins the podcast to share the story and learnings of growing his company from its humble origins launching inside his garage. Curtis shares tales about convincing his girlfriend to leave her job and trust in his now wildly successful company and living at a Zen monastery. 

Portland Leather Goods: 

• https://www.portlandleathergoods.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/curtis-matsko

Startup Savant Links: 

• https://startupsavant.com/podcast
• https://www.youtube.com/@StartupSavantPodcast/
• https://www.instagram.com/startupsavantpodcast/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/startup-savant/

Author Chris Matthews joins the podcast to share his experience in the startup world and how it led him to write his new book Start Telling People. This episode we dive into how to create superior product demos, mistakes you might be making when showcasing your products, and how to bridge the gap to create a better startup culture in your business. 

Chris Matthews Links: 

• http://www.verysmallrobots.com/
• http://www.starttellingpeople.com/ 
• https://www.amazon.com/Start-Telling-People-Chris-Matthews/dp/B0C4XWSXY9
• https://www.audible.com/pd/B0CJWG3994/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-366385&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_366385_rh_us

Startup Savant Links: 

• https://startupsavant.com/podcast 
• https://www.youtube.com/@StartupSavantPodcast/ 
• https://www.instagram.com/startupsavantpodcast/ 
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/startup-savant/

This week we are joined by Aravinda Seshadri founder of Venturous Counsel, a startup law firm specializing in helping diverse-led startups and their allies navigate the legal complexities of entrepreneurship. The pair chat about the insights and advice on the basics of startup legal, covering topics such as equity distribution, founder shares, funding options, building strategic partnerships, and much more. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or a seasoned startup founder, this episode is packed with valuable information to help you navigate the legal landscape and set your startup up for success.

Venturous Counsel Links:

• https://www.venturouscounsel.com/ 
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/aravindas/

Startup Savant Links: 

• https://startupsavant.com/podcast
• https://www.youtube.com/@StartupSavantPodcast/
• https://www.instagram.com/startupsavantpodcast/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/startup-savant/

Kori Estrada, founder of Risewell, joins the podcast. Kori shares the story behind her fluoride-free toothpaste brand, the problematic nature of fluoride in oral care products, and how the brand found the replacement ingredient, hydroxyapatite. With a background in finance, Kori didn't foresee a career in better-for-you products, the founder discusses the journey to becoming a founder and what she's learned along the way.

Risewell Links:

• https://risewell.com/ 
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/koriestrada/

Startup Savant Links: 

• https://startupsavant.com/podcast
• https://www.youtube.com/@StartupSavantPodcast/
• https://www.instagram.com/startupsavantpodcast/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/startup-savant/

Wissam Tabbara, founder of Truebase, discusses how to build and scale startups, focusing on developing the right go-to-market strategy and not just the product. He emphasizes starting with identifying the problem you want to solve first, rather than starting with a solution looking for a problem to solve. Tabbara shares his experience founding multiple successful companies and insights on what makes startups succeed.

Truebase Links:

• https://truebase.io/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/wissamtabbara/

Startup Savant Links: 

• https://startupsavant.com/podcast
• https://www.youtube.com/@StartupSavantPodcast/
• https://www.instagram.com/startupsavantpodcast/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/startup-savant/

Devo Harris went from grammy award winning producer and founder of GOOD Music alongside Kanye West to successful tech startup founder. Harris founded Adventr to introduce interactive video marketing to the mainstream and to create valuable experiences for consumers. On this episode of the podcast, we chat with Devo about how his background influenced his entrepreneurial journey, the ways venture capital needs to change, and how working with Kanye impacted his story so far. 

About the guest: 

Devo Harris is a Grammy award winning producer, entrepreneur, and founding member of Kanye West’s label GOOD Music. Harris is notably responsible for propelling EGOT winner John Legend to fame by signing him to the label. His startup, Adventr, has caught the attention of major brands including Adidas, Nike, Lexus, H&M, 23andMe, Paramount+, and NASCAR.

Adventr Links:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/devoharris/
• https://adventr.ai/

Startup Savant Links: 

• https://startupsavant.com/podcast
• https://www.youtube.com/@StartupSavantPodcast/
• https://www.instagram.com/startupsavantpodcast/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/startup-savant/

What is a weighted pillow and why did the founders of YouTube and GoPro invest in the company behind it? 

Mikey Goldman, founder of Quiet Mind, joined the Startup Savant podcast to discuss the creation of the first-ever weighted pillow. Diagnosed with ADHD and math dyslexia, Mikey was overprescribed a litany of medications to manage his symptoms daily. The founder decided there must be another way. In this episode we discuss how Mikey created the weighted pillow in stealth mode, the necessity of NDAs even for friends, and how a mixture of PR and SEO has become the company’s most successful marketing strategy.

Quiet Mind Links: 

• https://www.onequietmind.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/quietmind/
• https://twitter.com/quietmind
• https://www.tiktok.com/@onequietmind

Startup Savant Links: 

• https://startupsavant.com/podcast
• https://www.youtube.com/@StartupSavantPodcast/
• https://www.instagram.com/startupsavantpodcast/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/startup-savant/

#77. Tiffany Yang, the co-founder of Sweety, shares her journey from taking her family’s small shaved ice cream shop and creating a nationally distributed brand in stores like Walmart and Costco. She shares the wild tale of landing Walmart as Sweety’s first retail customer and the challenges the startup faced along the way. Tiffany also highlights the importance of storytelling, persistence, and staying true to your brand values in the startup world.

Sweety Links: 

• https://www.sweetyicecream.com/
• IG/TikTok: @sweetyicecreamco 

Startup Savant Links: 

• https://startupsavant.com/podcast
• https://www.youtube.com/@StartupSavantPodcast/
• https://www.instagram.com/startupsavantpodcast/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/startup-savant/

What caused the rise of clickbait? This week we are joined by Sivani Babu, co-founder of Hidden Compass, to discuss the rise of clickbait or ‘junk food media,’ its role in the devolution of journalism as we know it today, and how Hidden Compass is turning the tides to create a better tomorrow for media.

Hidden Compass Links: 

• https://hiddencompass.net/
• https://www.instagram.com/hiddencompassmedia/
• https://twitter.com/Hidden_Compass
• https://www.instagram.com/wayfaringsiv/

Startup Savant Links: 

• https://startupsavant.com/podcast
• https://www.youtube.com/@StartupSavantPodcast/
• https://www.instagram.com/startupsavantpodcast/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/startup-savant/