Startup Stories from the Treehouse

In this episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse, Todd Gagne and Mike Vetter of Wildfire Labs share their insights from two years of running their software acceleration program. They discuss how their entrepreneur-first approach has guided their work, emphasizing the importance of deep customer understanding and strategic AI integration. The hosts explore the evolution of the VC model for nic...

Startup Stories from the Treehouse" brings you raw, unfiltered tales from the entrepreneurial frontlines. In this episode, we dive deep with Tom Conlon, founder of North Street Creative, as he unpacks 14 years of startup wisdom. Tom dishes out golden nuggets on niche domination, the art of delegation, and why financial literacy is your secret weapon. Learn how to build a dream team, implement a ki...

Integrating AI into Your Product Strategy: Key Takeaways for Startup Founders is a webinar we recorded for aspiring founders turn their ideas into revenue-generating startups in just 6 months. Hosted by experienced entrepreneurs Todd Gagne and Chris Grebisz.  From developing a clear product strategy to leveraging AI for global expansion, the podcast offers actionable insights and expert advice. Wh...

In this episode of The Treehouse podcast, host Todd Gagne sits down with Andy Jorgensen to explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) for startups. They discuss innovative AI use cases across various industries, the importance of prompt engineering skills, and fostering creativity in AI utilization. The conversation also touches on building trust and transparency in AI ap...

This week on Startup Stories from the Treehouse, we chat with Bo Abrams, co-founder and CEO of Kommu—a trust-based home-sharing and travel network. Bo’s entrepreneurial journey began with a personal challenge: balancing travel costs while renting. His experiences led to the creation of Kommu, which allows users to share homes with trusted connections. Despite early setbacks in his academic pursuit...

Embark on a journey of entrepreneurial wisdom with seasoned founder Michael Zuercher in this week's podcast episode. From launching his first startup as a 19-year-old to leading a company with hundreds of employees, Michael shares invaluable insights and lessons learned along the way. Discover the power of embracing the learning curve, as Michael dives into his early days of entrepreneurship and t...

During Todd’s conversation with Matt Eberhart - CEO at Query.ai - the theme of fingerprints kept coming up. But it wasn’t the fingerprints of criminals he was gathering, it was something else. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Matt Eberhart began his career as a cybersecurity analyst for a large Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP). From there Matt went from technical work to team leadership to...

During my podcast conversation with Logan Hughes, his journey unfolded as a compelling narrative of transition, determination, and insight into the essence of entrepreneurship in the digital age. Key Takeaways: Build your personal brand, early and often. Be authentic Find your why. People want to use products from people they believe have a compelling story. Entrepreneurs should find some sort of...

In our latest episode of Startup Stories from the Treehouse podcast, I had the honor of speaking with Jim Malpede, a Go-To-Market expert in the software sales space with an impressive track record at companies like Taleo and SAP Concur. Jim talked about his professional journey, sharing insights that are gold for anyone at the helm of a startup. His experiences laid bare the foundational elements...

In this highly anticipated episode, Badlands Capital CEO Blaine Crissman offered some wisdom, reminding us of the often neglected factors shaping startup success. In this podcast you'll get the following key takaways: 1. Growth Is Nothing Without Time 2. Don't Mess Up the Equity Pie 3. Where in the Investor's Fund are You? These snippets from Blaine's interview offer a taste of the real-world wisd...

In the first episode from Season 2 you'll hear from VC, angel investors and startup CEO's about how to raise and manage capital in today's difficult environment. You'll hear investor and startup CEO perspectives on the outlook in the next few years and how you can best position your startup to thrive in this environment. Panelists: Blaine Crissman (Linkedin) - Managing Partner - Badlands Capital J...

Mike & Todd share their top 10 takeaways from season 1 of Wildfire Tales from entrepreneurs and investors on the show in 2023. The episode begins with a story of a startup founder interviewing over 200 co-founders and why, and ends with why Flearning is key to survive and thrive your startup. Don't miss this final episode of season 1, and learn what we have planned for season 2!  Ready to launch a...

In this exciting episode you'll learn how Brigit went on a lifechanging trip to Costa Rica and stumbled upon a need for sustainable clothing. She turned that discovery into a startup rethinks thrifting and 2nd hand clothes. In this podcast she shares key lessons along the way and how they got to thousands of active users. Ready to launch a startup? Download the Wildfire Tales pitch deck template:...

Wildfire Tales goes live at Innovation Expo 2023 with our entrepreneur panel. Hear from Wildfire co-founder Mike Vetter and 4 Wildfire startups: Mycroft Liu - Vivatlantis Cathy Jordan - HIYA Cleaners Jared Teifenthaler - Signed Up Sports Tyler Olson - Journeyman Join in for our session at this year's event! Ready to launch a startup? Download the Wildfire Tales pitch deck template: https://wildfir...

Jake Joraanstad started out building a services business that consistently lost money. From those difficult beginnings Jake and his team learned about the power of finding a niche and creating value in the industry in their backyard - agriculture. Today Bushel serves more than 100,000 farmers across the nation, and is one of the leading ag tech providers. Want to launch a startup? Download the Wil...

Matt Paulson shares his experience building MarketBeat from the ground up to a $25 million business, his VC fund, and his experiences building entrepreneurial ecosystems. MarketBeat has only 13 employees, which is incredible considering his revenue rate and growth. Matt also shares what his VC fund is looking for and his effort building an entrepreneurial ecosystem in Sioux Falls, SD.  Want to lau...

Eric grew up on a rural North Dakota farm starting his career as a crop duster. From there he spent time spent managing restaurants and then got into real estate investing and managing assisted living centers. Eric now invests in tech companies and helps new startups get prepared for capital at Wildfire Labs. In this episode you'll learn key lessons learned and how important people are to success....

Get instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Get instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Get instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Get instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Get instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Get instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.

Get instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.