Today, we'll start a startup live on the pod. A listener wrote in with an idea in the shifting healthcare space and we pursue it over the next few episodes. We start from square one, digging into what's actually valuable about the idea with the 90% Wrong Principle, using the Four Question framework to pull out assumptions, and finally judging the viability of early customers with the Committed vs. Interested Test. It's a fun start to a series where we'll build a business in real-time. 

• 90% Wrong
• How to Live an Asymmetric Life
• Tacklebox
• Idea to Startup Newsletter
• Idea to Startup Bot 

00:25 Intro - Starting a Startup Idea Live
02:02 The Idea - Healthcare is changing
05:58 Smooth Jazz
06:30 90% Wrong
07:52 Scary and Hard
09:30 Worst First
10:51 The Four Story Questions
15:45 The Two hero’s
18:38 The End: I Hate Both Customers

Today we'll help you find and choose the right startup idea. We'll use a couple of frameworks to help you evaluate startup ideas you've got and find startup ideas other people miss. We talk through the Hard Startup Myth and The Hassle Premium, two mental models that'll make sure your next idea has legs. We'll also evaluate Tinder for Jobs and learn a lesson from the great Frank Prisinzano. 

• Byldd
• Tacklebox
• Frank's Crispy Egg video + instagram
• Personal MBA
   

00:27 Intro
01:35 Are All the Good Ideas Taken?
05:15 Byldd
06:22 Tinder for Jobs
11:30 Execution vs Customer Risk
12:30 Specific Knowledge and Leverage
13:04 The Hard Idea Myth + Frank Prisinzano
17:22 The Hassle Premium

Today, we dig into the Always Work and Never Work Lists - a method that'll help entrepreneurs make good decisions through the constant second guessing and self-doubt that a startup brings. We talk through examples from the lists and apply them to a moment Brian had to deal with recently. We get a little help from Goodfellas and Taylor Swift. 

• Tacklebox
• Idea to Startup Newsletter
• Idea to Startup Bot
• Anti-Hero - I stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror - (quietly a better version)
• Goodfellas

00:30 Intro
02:54 Is My Idea Actually Good?
04:13 Goodfellas
05:44 Smooth Jazz
06:11 Should I Stop Doing This Podcast?
08:24 The Process
08:55 The Three Prompts
12:20 The Things That Always + Never Work Lists
17:27 The Plan
18:58 You
19:57 People Over 30 Don’t Sprint

I meet far too many unhappy entrepreneurs. The whole point of this thing is to build a business that makes you happy. It needs to work, but it also can't make you miserable. Lots of entrepreneurs set themselves on a bad path from day one by ignoring critical early decisions. We talk through them today. And if you're not happy building what you're building, it's not too late. 

• Tacklebox

Today we'll help you sink your teeth into value. We'll help you understand what people will actually pay for, talk through a framework to ensure you're creating enough value to anchor a business, and look at examples of a few startups doing this well and poorly. There's also a magician. 

• Make $1,000 Today
• Tacklebox

This episode digs into how to reduce complexity and choose the right path through a mental model we call the river. You identify the dams that stop your customer and break them down, focusing on just them to bring focused, explainable, shareable value. Plus, the papaya. Which you'll have to listen to understand. 

• Tacklebox
• The River (Bruce Springsteen)

We've spent a ton of time recently on tactics and strategies. Today, we talk about how to build a group to make sure you're implementing them. Here's how to build a 4 person startup accountability group that'll meet weekly. We talk through who should be in the group, what you should focus on, and why it'll help. There's absolutely no better way to get started. 

• Tacklebox

Today we reflect on the three core characteristics our fastest growing startups shared. We break each down and talk through how to check for them and optimize for them. We also realize that startup ideas without these characteristics aren't worth your time to build. 

• Tacklebox
• Byldd
• Kunal Shah on The Knowledge Project

Today we think through an idea for an app that treats chronic pain. We'll use the Three Level system to figure out what we know, what we need to learn, and whether the business has enough potential for us to spend our time filling in the gaps. 

And, if you're a freelance designer, podcast producer, or in video production, and you're interested in working on and growing ITS, contact team@gettacklebox.com. 

• Tacklebox
• Miro

Today we'll talk about how early-stage entrepreneurs can get themselves unstuck. It's easy to get paralyzed when the things you do don't lead to the outcomes you want. The key is understanding that in the startup world, results and decisions don't always go hand in hand. Separating them and focusing on stacking good decisions while understanding that the results might be a lagging indicator is your best bet. That's hard to do. Today, we talk through it. 

• Tacklebox
• Alex Honnold Video

A 20(ish) minute skills episode on sales 101 for entrepreneurs who hate sales. We go through three tactics and a bunch of examples to help you build a system for sales that'll help you grow without making you feel slimy. We set up sales for a sabbaticals as a service startup. And we talk through why entrepreneurs hate sales and how to reframe the whole thing.  

• Tacklebox
• Text Expander
• Streak
• Pipedrive

Most entrepreneurs struggle with prioritization. When you need to do *everything*, where do you start? Today we lay out a three-part framework to make sure you're spending your time on the most important stuff. It includes a calendar, a weekly audit, and an environment makeover. Best of all, it works. Hat tip to Finland for the inspiration. 

• Tacklebox
• Tom Eisenmann Episode

Today we talk through testing and getting to an idea that can grow before you invest time and money to build it. We do this through the lens of a meeting agenda startup, plus revisit Brian's basketball lesson business and the NYC speakeasy, Please Don't Tell. 

• Immi
• Please Don't Tell
• Tacklebox

Today, we'll talk about content. Two of the most asked questions we get are "should I create content?" and "if I should... what the heck should I say?" Creating content feels daunting until you realize the best way to create content is to not create content. We go through how to do that, leaning on a few examples and a content generating framework. We also crown the best burrito in NYC.

• Tacklebox
• Dos Toros / El Gallo
• Bird by Bird 

00:25 Intro
02:56 Why People Order Hot Habanero Sauce
07:45 Byldd
08:52 How to Start
14:25 Content as a System
14:40 Top of Funnel
15:38 Mid-Funnel
16:20 Brand Building 
20:00 The Act of Noticing

Today we break down a tough question: What makes a great product? We look at Brian's two favorite products to tease out themes and characteristics we can leverage to build a great first product at a smaller scale. 

• Tacklebox Membership (with pod listeners discount / application)

Operating in a crowded market with a ton of potential is tempting - and tough. Today, we evaluate companies taking very different approaches to the coffee market. We go deep on Blank Street, Cometeer, and Nguyen Coffee Supply and pull out everything we can learn that'll help you build your business.  

• Tacklebox
• Nguyen Coffee Supply, Cometeer, Blank Street
• Quibi Episode - How to lose 1.8bn dollars in 10 days
• Boston Towns Sketch
• Air Mail article on Blank Street

Today's episode introduces the Product Pyramid Framework, a tool entrepreneurs who have never built products before can use to make sure they build the right thing. The three part system ensures you're focused on features that'll move the needle and translate into organic growth. 

• Tacklebox

Lots of people carve out time to work on their startup ideas. Most people spend that time doing things that don't matter. Today, we talk about something you can do this weekend that'll actually matter for your startup. Like, way more than anything else you could do. We get a little help from Martin Scorsese, a golf startup, and a restaurant that only serves French Dip. 

• Tacklebox

Getting to a startup idea worth starting is active, not passive. The idea won't just show up - you'll need to find it. And it likely won't be the first idea you've got. The way to get a great startup idea is to get lots of startup ideas so you've got context and practice. The way to get lots of startup ideas... well, that's what the episode is about. The three pillars of getting lots of good startup ideas. 

• Tacklebox

Here at Idea to Startup we're obsessed with the process of filtering through and choosing ideas. Today we're joined by Alex White, previously the founder of The Next Big Sound (acquired by Pandora) and current founder of Subcity, and someone with as thoughtful and rigorous an approach around ideation as you'll find. We dig in on how to think through an idea, how to pursue it, and how to decide if it's worth your time. 

• Subcity
• Tacklebox
• Four Steps to the Epiphany

Writing copy for a startup is hard, especially when you're thinking it up from scratch. This episode goes through five frameworks that'll help you write copy that converts customers. We've got a bunch of examples in here and Brian has a sore throat so he "sounds pretty cool, actually" - his words. 

• Byldd - MVP development agency
• Tacklebox - Build your startup with us  (join before we move to application only May 2)
• Inflection Points 

Today we talk with Jonathan Hunt-Glassman, the founder of Oar Health. Oar Health makes safe, effective medication and convenient care for people who want to drink less or quit drinking altogether. Jonathan went through Tacklebox a few years back and created a path a lot of entrepreneurs with jobs would love to follow - validating, building, and growing before quitting his job to transition to Oar full-time. Since, he's raised funding, grown the team, and is tackling addiction in a unique and highly effective way.  He talks through his business, the strategies that allowed him to make this transition, and the most important things he's learned on the journey. 

• Oar Health
• Tacklebox

Today we're going to start yet another startup in 7(ish) minutes. We'll flesh out an idea and figure out how to test it using four key questions. The problem we'll solve is parking in NYC. As always, if anyone wants to run with this - please do. Reach out if you do. This problem needs a solution. 

• Tacklebox

The 100th episode of Idea to Startup dives into the most important thing our entrepreneurs with jobs have done to make progress - purposefully designing their lives so that inertia pulls them towards growth, not inaction. We go through how you can design your life to make progress on your startup the norm with a little help from Brian's grandfather, Poppy.

• Tacklebox

One of my favorite episodes in a while. Today, we talk about how you can stand out in a crowded market by looking at an exceptionally successful exterminator. We'll pull out four lessons that make a framework to create contrast between your business and your competitors. We'll talk through Customer Journey Mapping, the Feature Fold, how to take yourself seriously through pricing and the things other people stink at. And, we'll get a ton of help from the Mouse Man (and no help from Ruby). 

• Tacklebox
• Idea to Startup Newsletter
• Idea to Startup Bot
• Sugar (but it stinks)

00:30 Intro
02:00 We’ve Got Mice
05:15 The Mouse Man’s Funnel
07:50 Smooth Jazz
08:21 One - Build Your Funnel to Match Customer Emotion
11:45 Good Questions For Your Funnel
12:30 Two - Contrast from the Feature Fold
14:30 Saving your Customers a Decision
15:53 Three - Take Yourself Seriously
19:14 Four - The Things Other People Stink At
22:14 The End
22:50 Recap of the Four Lessons

The best entrepreneurs choose what they compete against. They stack the deck so their product is overwhelmingly better than the alternative. The key to this is choosing the category your customer sees you in. Choose the category and you'll be able to dictate your competitors and ensure you have a good chance to win. Today we'll talk about choosing categories with a little help from e-bikes, protein bars, and a mattress. 

• Tacklebox
• RSVP for Entrepreneurs with Jobs Getting Coffee in NYC on April 6
• Consulting inquiries: team@gettacklebox.com

Your startup will only grow if you design for and facilitate word of mouth. The big mistake people make is thinking their business will generate that WoM growth - the key is making sure the conversation is already happening before you build a product. We'll talk through strategies for this today, with a little help from a wine investing platform and a product to help a two year old sleep.   

• Byldd
• Tacklebox

Today we'll talk about finding ideas that are primed to grow fast and grow big. As we dug in, we realized this was a great approach for any sized business. There are three pillars for this type of idea, and we'll go through each with a little help from Coke and Pepsi and my grade school friend, Aaron. 

• Pepsi Challenge
• Generation Defining Stats
• The Innovator's Dilemma
• Competing Against Luck

Today we'll talk through how to test out and build a startup idea in ~10 days by answering four questions. We'll use an idea that's oddly popped up a bunch lately: Kitchen Organizer. We do this with a little help from a story about a poker player and my good friend, Penne Vodka Pete.

• Tacklebox Membership
• Wix

Simple products win. You probably already knew this, but creating a simple product is harder than it should be. The reason is that a simple product has nothing to do with the product itself. Today we'll talk about Customer Deltas - the most important piece of the puzzle for a simple product that you can build fast and is primed for growth. 

• Tacklebox
• The Psychology of Money 

Today we'll talk about the irrational fears that keep entrepreneurs from doing the things they need to do to be successful. We've got stories about Barney Greengrass, a six year old pedaling on a Peloton with his hands, and a tourist ending up with the perfect order. And, a system to ensure you don't get caught making irrational decisions that hamstring your startup. 

• Byldd 
• Tacklebox Membership
• ITS habit pods: 
  • How to Not Waste Your Life
  • You Need a Bouncer
  • Do The Thing

Building a great startup usually isn't rocket science - it often comes down to just trying more things than anyone else does. The hard part about this is the repetition and the mindset - building a system will push you through. Today we talk about that system with a little help from a prolific writer and a startup idea about sabbaticals. 

• Tacklebox Membership
• Say hi: team@gettacklebox.com

Entrepreneurs are told all the time to avoid crowded markets. There's too much competition, there's too much venture funding, you'll get squashed like a bug. I'm not so sure. There's a lot to like about crowded markets - this episode talks through how to carve out your own space and benefit from all the great things crowded markets have to offer. 

• Tacklebox
• A podcast on Slice

Creating moments your customers will share is how your startup will grow early on. This episode will teach you how to orchestrate and plan those moments before you've built a product. Your business will rely on these moments for growth, so we need to figure them out early. Featuring bagels, noodles, and a dog training app. 

• Tacklebox Membership (Pod Listeners Page + Discount)
• Xi'an Famous Foods
• H&H Bagels

There's an epidemic of talented entrepreneurs bailing on their startup ideas right before those ideas are about to get interesting. We talk about why and how to avoid it, with a little help from Splash Mountain and a Tacklebox alum. 

• Tacklebox

One of the most listened to episodes in ITS history with an average consumption rate well over 100%. Today, we go through a Weekly Prioritization and Audit Framework for entrepreneurs. We'll hit on three giant shifts you'll likely need to make - ditching a to do list and moving to your calendar, weekly progress reports, and environment design. We get a little help from our friends in Finland along the way.

For more info on the framework, subscribe to the Idea to Startup Insider Newsletter. 

• Tacklebox ("Build Right" for 50% off month one)
• Tom Eisenmann Episode
   

00:30 Intro
01:09 A Weekly Prioritization Framework
04:13 The Race to Five Pivots
05:49 Smooth Jazz
06:13 Finland has the most gold metals per capita
11:01 Prioritization System
13:27 Calendar
19:53 The Weekly Audit
22:53 Your Environment
25:30 An Overview of the System

People are too precious with ideas. The idea you've got is probably wrong, but the only way you'll get to the right one is working on the wrong one - not waiting for the right one to magically appear. But how do you do that? This episode is about startup practice - how to find and test ideas on the side that'll eventually lead to the one that'll hopefully change your life. 

• Tacklebox
• The Rescue
• How to Get Startup Ideas

A storytelling primer for entrepreneurs. Marketing is storytelling, and in this pod we lay out a three step framework for telling exceptional stories that convert customers. This is idiot-proofing - you don't need to be a great marketer or writer or storyteller. You can build effective messaging campaigns if you understand and execute this process. 

• Tacklebox Membership 
• UpDate

A bonus short episode for a snowy Friday. A story that might light a bit of a fire under your ass for 2022. Great to listen to over lunch.

And don't worry, we'll get back to our tactical episodes next Wednesday 💪🐐😈.

• Tacklebox Membership

Startups work best when they're anchored around a secret. A great secret has three characteristics, and Brian goes through those, as well as examples of a few secrets that can anchor a business, in this week's pod. 

• Tacklebox Membership Pod Promo
• Our Brain Typically Overlooks This Brilliant Problem Solving Strategy

The last episode of 2021 is Brian's favorite - sell the position. It's rare that a piece of advice truly changes your life. This advice did. 

• Tacklebox Membership (40% off for life with code "BuildIn2022")

How to Not Waste Your Life. This was the most listened to episode of 2022, so we're running it back with a special intro. It's the lesson we all need to hear going into the New Year 💪.

• Tacklebox Membership (40% off w/ code "BuildIn2022")
• Spirited Away

We lay out a framework for finding and evaluating problems and dig into a problem worth solving: single-use plastic from takeout food orders. If you're working on this - reach out. 

• Tacklebox Membership 
• Number Munchers

We're all lugging around metaphorical backpacks. These backpacks are filled with tasks, shoulds, and IOUs. The problem isn't that they exist, it's how easily other people are able to lob things in and how hard it is for us to get them out. This episode talks about how to create a bouncer - to ensure that the only things taking up your consciousness are things you've chosen, things that will help you move towards your goals. 

• Tacklebox Membership
• Text Expander

If lots of people think your startup idea makes no sense, it's got a much higher likelihood of succeeding. Counterintuitive ideas will buy you time to build, test, and flesh out your product before competitors catch on. Today, we talk through how to come up with and grow counterintuitive ideas while looking at a bonkers business Brian can't get enough of.

• Tacklebox Membership (Cyber Monday Code "BuildThings"
• Core Walking
• List of Mental Models

Today we talk through three things entrepreneurs can do over Thanksgiving break - and the next six weeks - to differentiate themselves in 2022. Stories about the fireplace delusion, rainfall in Bermuda, and how to tell sexual partners you've got chlamydia will help us out. 

• The Fireplace Delusion
• Rain in Bermuda
• Tacklebox Method

Today, we'll run through a Concierge MVP example live on the pod. Brian chooses an idea specifically because someone wrote in and said it was "un-Concierageable," which isn't a word but is the reason this podcast exists.

We go through the four-part framework that'll help you build a Concierge MVP - The Three Components of Wild Success, Acquiring Customers, The Test, and Feedback Loops. And we get a little help from an alum helping people get grants and our old friend - the Monkey on the Pedestal. 

• Tacklebox
• Idea to Startup Newsletter
• The Luge
• Tackle the Monkey First
• Miro

00:30 The Concierge MVP
02:05 The Grant Concierge MVP Example
04:56 Pushback
06:30 Smooth Jazz
07:00 David’s Idea
09:23 Concierge MVP Step One: The Three Components of Wild Success
10:43 Monkey and the Pedestal
14:08 Concierge MVP Step Two: Acquiring Customers
18:22 Concierge MVP Step Three: The Test
21:03 Concierge MVP Step Four: The Feedback Loop
22:52 The End - 85% of the Way There

If you were building an MBA in entrepreneurship from scratch, how would you do it? We built out a framework to design your own program - and just about any other program you'd like - on today's pod.  

• Tacklebox Method

Today we'll talk about a guy in the Adirondacks who sells wood for $10 when everyone else around him sells it for $5. He sells 10x more wood than all his competitors and it's all due to being able to answer one question really well. We'll dig into that question and how you can leverage it to build your business on this week's Idea to Startup. 

• Tacklebox Method
• Elephant water skiing on the Hudson River
• The Effective Executive

The apartment I live in was on the market for a year without a bid, then sold in a bidding war for well above ask in a week. What the heck happened? Today's episode breaks down why people took action (and a framework to create it).  

• Tacklebox Method 
• Sell The Position (🐐 episode)