triumphs

Marc Louvion (@marc_louvion) is the Maker of the Year 2023 and the visionary behind the innovative ShipFast. His product development philosophy emphasizes rapid shipping and focusing on feature-specific builds, which has transformed his approach to creating tech products. Utilizing platforms like ProductHunt for launches, Marc highlights the importance of pre-validation and community feedback in fine-tuning his products, illustrating his strategic and responsive methodology to product creation.

In our insightful conversation —that at some point turns into a founder brainstorming session— Marc delves into the emotional nuances of creators who navigate various expressive avenues, from entrepreneurship to writing, and then returning to coding. His journey with ShipFast showcases the blend of strategic foresight and serendipity crucial for digital market success, alongside the continuous process of innovation. The discussion dive into the intricacies of building a community around a product, the challenges of SaaS businesses, and the significance of maintaining a work-life balance that incorporates personal interests, which in turn fosters a lifestyle that integrates personal well-being with technological advancement.

Marc on Twitter: https://twitter.com/marc_louvion

00:00:00 Building and Launching

00:07:54 Building Startups, Creating Magic, Finding Success

00:13:41 Building a Community Around a Product

00:26:08 Building a Software Community Platform

00:32:25 Balancing Work and Life as Founders

00:41:43 Sharing Hobbies and Life Reflections

This episode is sponsored by Acquire.com

The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/marc-louvion-becoming-a-product-launch-beast/

The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/300-marc-louvion-becoming-a-product-launch-beast

The video: https://youtu.be/yFy1n1TPWNM

You'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com

Podcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcast

Newsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletter

My book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/

My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/

My course Find Your Following: https://findyourfollowing.com

Here are a few tools I use. Using my affiliate links will support my work at no additional cost to you.
- Notion (which I use to organize, write, coordinate, and archive my podcast + newsletter): https://affiliate.notion.so/465mv1536drx
- Riverside.fm (that's what I recorded this episode with): https://riverside.fm/?via=arvid
- TweetHunter (for speedy scheduling and writing Tweets): http://tweethunter.io/?via=arvid
- HypeFury (for massive Twitter analytics and scheduling): https://hypefury.com/?via=arvid60
- AudioPen (for taking voice notes and getting amazing summaries): https://audiopen.ai/?aff=PXErZ
- Descript (for word-based video editing, subtitles, and clips): https://www.descript.com/?lmref=3cf39Q
- ConvertKit (for email lists, newsletters, even finding sponsors): https://convertkit.com?lmref=bN9CZw

• (00:00) - Building and Launching
• (07:54) - Building Startups, Creating Magic, Finding Success
• (13:41) - Building a Community Around a Product
• (26:08) - Building a Software Community Platform
• (32:25) - Balancing Work and Life as Founders
• (41:43) - Sharing Hobbies and Life Reflections

Asia Orangio (@AsiaOrangio), CEO of Demand Maven, joins me as we dive into the world of customer discovery and (go-to) market strategies. We'll discuss real-life examples, like a Gantt chart tool maker who grew their business through customer feedback. This episode is a practical guide on balancing passion with profit and tackling early-stage marketing and growth challenges.

And if you kinda suck at surveys, this one is for you.

In our conversation, Asia and I unravel the importance of customer interviews and debunk the myth that customers aren't willing to share their thoughts. We also explore key decisions in scaling a business, from expanding your audience to smart hiring choices. Whether you're just starting or already on your entrepreneurial journey, this episode offers valuable insights into maintaining a consistent customer base and steering your business's marketing strategy.

Asia on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AsiaOrangio
Asia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asiaorangio/

00:00:00 Early Stage Marketing and Growth Challenges
00:12:37 Overcoming Inhibition to Conduct Customer Interviews
00:18:21 Considering Go-to Market and Freemium Strategies
00:30:17 Navigating Audience Expansion and Maintaining Consistency
00:36:24 Hiring and Building a Team
00:46:19 First Hire Selection and Fractional Hires

This episode is sponsored by Acquire.com

The blog post: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/asia-orangio-crafting-a-growth-blueprint-for-emerging-startups/ 

The podcast episode: https://tbf.fm/episodes/286-asia-orangio-crafting-a-growth-blueprint-for-emerging-startups 

The video: https://youtu.be/tQaf64794lw

You'll find my weekly article on my blog: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com

Podcast: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/podcast

Newsletter: https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/newsletter

My book Zero to Sold: https://zerotosold.com/

My book The Embedded Entrepreneur: https://embeddedentrepreneur.com/

My course Find Your Following: https://findyourfollowing.com

Here are a few tools I use. Using my affiliate links will support my work at no additional cost to you.
- Notion (which I use to organize, write, coordinate, and archive my podcast + newsletter): https://affiliate.notion.so/465mv1536drx
- Riverside.fm (that's what I recorded this episode with): https://riverside.fm/?via=arvid
- TweetHunter (for speedy scheduling and writing Tweets): http://tweethunter.io/?via=arvid
- HypeFury (for massive Twitter analytics and scheduling): https://hypefury.com/?via=arvid60
- AudioPen (for taking voice notes and getting amazing summaries): https://audiopen.ai/?aff=PXErZ
- Descript (for word-based video editing, subtitles, and clips): https://www.descript.com/?lmref=3cf39Q
- ConvertKit (for email lists, newsletters, even finding sponsors): https://convertkit.com?lmref=bN9CZw

• (00:00) - Early Stage Marketing and Growth Challenges
• (12:37) - Overcoming Inhibition to Conduct Customer Interviews
• (18:21) - Considering Go-to Market and Freemium Strategies
• (30:17) - Navigating Audience Expansion and Maintaining Consistency
• (36:24) - Hiring and Building a Team
• (46:19) - First Hire Selection and Fractional Hires

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. day and we are honored to present an interview with renowned architect Curtis Moody, Founder of Moody Nolan.  In today's episode, we delve into the profound impact of truth and self-belief on Curtis's life and pioneering achievements. He shares intimate reflections on his upbringing in Columbus, Ohio, highlighted by a pivotal life moment: a school counselor's claim that his skin color barred him from pursuing a career in architecture. This episode is a journey through the challenges and triumphs that have defined Curtis's journey.

Curtis shares vivid memories of learning about Dr. King’s assassination as a teenager and the impact this event had on his life. He also discusses how being a competitive athlete impacted his approach to business, including an incredible strategy that landed him the commission to design Ohio State's arena.

From the guiding principles he lives by to the projects most meaningful to him, Curtis speaks candidly about the passion and persistence that led him to become one of the most prominent architects in the country.

Follow Doug on LinkedIn.

Click here to get your copy of Doug's children's book—Design Your World.

Follow Imagine a Place on LinkedIn.

Let's explore a fresh perspective on goal-setting...and we're not talking about your run-of-the-mill SMART goals!

Discover the four pillars of setting Goals with Soul: 
⭐ Aspirational
🎯 Attainable
⚡ Meaningful
💗 Seasonal

Together let's learn how to craft your blueprint for 2024 by reflecting on past experiences and setting goals aligned with your personal sense of purpose. 

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✍ Take the Complimentary Self Care Audit
www.mskatehouse.com/audit

🚗 Test-drive the Live By Design Collective, and hop into our free Masterclass on Overwhelming Overwhelm so you can experience what it's like to be one of us for yourself! ➡ Access the Masterclass Here

💌 Connect via email at kate@mskatehouse.com
📷 Send a DM or voice memo @mskatehouse on Instagram

Ready to work together? I’m here to serve as your Empowerment Coach!

1️⃣ In community inside of the Live By Design Collective
www.mskatehouse.com/lbdcollective

2️⃣ Through one-on-one Empowerment Coaching
www.mskatehouse.com/coaching

3️⃣ Inside of the self-paced Pursue Your Purpose Masterclass
www.mskatehouse.com/purpose

4️⃣ Or by tuning in to either of my free virtual summits:
➡️The Goals with Soul Summit: www.mskatehouse.com/goalswithsoulsummit
➡️The Empowered Self Summit: www.mskatehouse.com/empoweredself...

In this new episode, first one spoken in Spanish, host Nacho Bompadre had a chat with three representatives from Colombia: Daniel Suarez, Andrés Camilo and Natalia Reyes Villamil. They both talked about their recent experience as students from Algonquin College and they were also put to the test in some fun quick ping-pong questions. 

En esta ocasión, Nacho Bompadre habló con estudiantes de Colombia de Algonquin College y además de contar sus experiencias como alumnos internacionales, se prendieron a un divertido ping-pong bien cafetero.