productimprovement

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Today’s show:

Zest's Jake Gutstein joins Jason to discuss his journey in creating the cooking app Zest (1:37). The two dive into how the Zest team formed (10:29), finding the right tools for your startup (25:24), Jake's experience in the Launch Accelerator program (33:27), and more!

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Timestamps:

(0:00) Zest’s Jake Gutstein joins Jason

(1:37) What prompted the creation of Zest and the initial concept and MVP for Zest

(9:22) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist

(10:29) The product development, initial testing, and finding a technical co-founder

(17:21) The decision to go full-time with Zest, the process of raising initial funding, and the importance of overcoming ambiguity and uncertainty

(20:54) MEV - Get $30,000 off your first three months at http://mev.com/twist

(22:05) Demo of Zest’s product

(25:24) Finding the right tools and mentors and the value propositions of Zest discovered through user research

(32:35) Paintbrush - Visit http://getpaintbrush.com to see if you qualify for a $50K startup loan in less than 2 minutes

(33:27) Product launch, approach to fundraising, and experience with the Launch Accelerator program

(46:48) Future plans and goals for Zest

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Check out the Launch Accelerator: https://launchaccelerator.co

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Check out Founder University: https://www.founder.university

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Mentioned on the show:

https://www.respondent.io

https://therewiredgroup.com

https://twitter.com/bmoesta

https://twitter.com/nealsales

https://twitter.com/jasonfried

https://twitter.com/dhh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LK6lKCKMQM

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Follow Jake:

X: https://twitter.com/GutsteinJake LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-gutstein Check out: https://zestapp.co

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Follow Jason:

X: ⁠https://twitter.com/jason⁠

Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jason⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis

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Thank you to our partners:

(9:22) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://vanta.com/twist

(20:54) MEV - Get $30,000 off your first three months at http://mev.com/twist

(32:35) Paintbrush - Visit http://getpaintbrush.com to see if you qualify for a $50K startup loan in less than 2 minutes

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Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland

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Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis

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TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups

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Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast

Your time matters. Today, Alex (@AlexHormozi) talks about the different thoughts and frameworks that worked for him in his entrepreneurial journey, how these lessons can be applied to marketing, employees, relationships, and health, and how continuous improvement is the name of the game.

Welcome to The Game w/Alex Hormozi, hosted by entrepreneur, founder, investor, author, public speaker, and content creator Alex Hormozi. On this podcast you’ll hear how to get more customers, make more profit per customer, how to keep them longer, and the many failures and lessons Alex has learned on his path from $100M to $1B in net worth.

Timestamps:

(2:16) - Difference between infinite and finite games

(6:39) - Advantages of longer time horizon in audience building

(9:56) - Applying time horizon concept to employees and hiring

(12:25) - Importance of bringing in smarter and better people

(15:20) - Trading fear for fulfillment and long-term gain

(16:25) - Pruning relationships and removing growth detractors

(18:40) - Finding enjoyment and prioritizing consistency

Follow Alex Hormozi’s Socials:

LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter | Acquisition

(This episode is a re-run. Original airdate was on March 10, 2022)

You have to learn how to say no to the woman in the red dress and focus on what’s really important ahead. Today, join Alex (@AlexHormozi) as he presents his keynote at Future Flipper to talk about his definition of “work”, the importance of creating volume and leverage when it comes to output, and the other three ways you will not get leverage. This is part 2 of the keynote speech.

Welcome to The Game w/Alex Hormozi, hosted by entrepreneur, founder, investor, author, public speaker, and content creator Alex Hormozi. On this podcast you’ll hear how to get more customers, make more profit per customer, how to keep them longer, and the many failures and lessons Alex has learned on his path from $100M to $1B in net worth.

Timestamps:

(0:45) - Choose one, focus; any can succeed with dedication.

(3:35) - Resist distractions; be the one saying no.

(6:51) - Patience is behavioral, not just about feelings.

(15:35) - Unreasonable focus makes failure unlikely; stack the deck.

(19:59) - Invest time in enhancing lead magnet, offer; key to success.

Follow Alex Hormozi’s Socials:

LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter | Acquisition

Today’s episode debuts a new series, Coffee & Commerce. I’m joined by Moiz Ali, the founder of Native, and we unpack the state of eCommerce in a post-pandemic world. Plus, we discuss the abundance of opportunity for small businesses in niche markets. Enjoy! Let me know what you think.

You can follow VaynerCommerce on:

Twitter: @vaynercommerce

LinkedIn: https://garyvee.com/2zYOdxD

Site: http://vaynercommerce.com/

How do you stand your ground against the goliath of your industry? Should you be flattered that industry leaders are following your steps on social media or worried they are about to pounce on us? Should we wait and get business open with a bang (sort of like a Trojan Horse) or should we tease our clientele with what's common and create a buzz--but risk giving our competitors a chance to prepare for us? These are questions Andy Frisella was asked by listeners and social media followers. The MFCEO's short answer: F*uck your competitors! Why are you worried so much about them? Focus on you."

How do you make a real change--in business and in life? How do you negotiate transitions, exchange bad habits for good ones, and transform how you look at life? In this episode of The MFCEO Project, Andy Frisella and Vaughn Kohler talk about the art of metamorphosis for the sake of success. (And as a bonus, Andy provides his take on common sense and common mistakes in relationships.)