Founder's Journal

Episode 48: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) is lost. This is something many entrepreneurs will cycle through over the course of their journey. It happens to the best of us. There is a belief that entrepreneurs have unshakable confidence to achieve success but the truth is that there will always be moments where purpose and direction isn’t clear. In this episode, Alex talks about some paths to ta...

Episode 47: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) dives into one of the most pivotal stages for every entrepreneur: finding product-market fit. There are a lot of definitions on product-market fit and how to achieve it. In this episode, Alex unpacks widely accepted definitions coined by pioneering business leaders but also highlights key issues within those definitions, such as lack of measurability. ...

Episode 46: Ideas can come from anywhere but it doesn’t always mean it’ll be a good idea. Even the most savvy business minds believe they’re solving a problem that ultimately doesn’t lead to a sustained business. Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) has a simple answer: find the suck. If you’re thinking of building a business, do your research, look into problems that people are consistently having,...

Episode 45: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) takes a look into what a personal holding company is, why it’s the hottest trend among entrepreneurs, and whether it’s the right move for you. While they may provide you the most freedom to invest and scale businesses that you really enjoy, it takes a certain personality type and understanding of the risk to achieve success. Send us an email and let us...

Episode 44: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) does another temperature check to review and reflect the latest achievements, adversities, and ascertainments. He’s closing in on finding product market fit for Storyarb and a renewed appreciation for coffee chats – something that waned during the pandemic. Then lessons learned about battling boredom throughout the day. Finally, lessons from India’s st...

Episode 43: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) shares a harrowing story from an entrepreneur that pierces through at the human level. Scott Weir, aka The Coda Guy, lost his home and job while he had a family. At the brink of despair, Scott became laser focused on securing financial security for this family so they would never have to worry about money again.  Send us an email and let us know what y...

Episode 42: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) shares 8 businesses that he’s bullish on. He breaks down the idea, the problem that needs solving, the business model, and why he’s bullish. If any of these ideas are interesting, Alex invites you to reach out to start the conversation and help build these ideas into a full company.  Send us an email and let us know what you think of the idea! founders...

Episode 41: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) talks about the Paradox of Success, what it is, and why it’s important. It’s an issue that Alex, and many other successful entrepreneurs grapple with as they continue to find success. In the end, Alex shares his tips on how to stay grounded and avoid the paradox.  Timestamps: (00:16): Intro (03:21): My relationship with money (07:01): The paradox of su...

Volatile markets and inflation are top of mind for investors. We kick off season 4 by exploring the current economic and financial landscape and the tools investors can use to navigate it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 40: Welcome to Edge City. Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) reveals his process for generating startup ideas. It’s a combination of how many people will want your idea, basically how big the market is; and how badly people will want your idea, basically what is the demand. Using this framework will determine the viability of your product or service and gauge how you want to approach it. Al...

Episode 39: No pain, no gain. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Growth lies in discomfort. Pressure makes diamonds. You’ve probably heard these phrases multiple times. It’s supposed to capture the relationship between our immediate struggles with future success. Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) talks about the psychological effects of pleasure & pain and why we make certain choices. Plus,...

Episode 38: Building an audience or following on social media is no longer an influencer-exclusive goal. Entrepreneurs and business builders can leverage a large following to reap benefits to their business. Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) breaks down 5 easy, doable steps to build a content strategy to build a better audience in today’s connected world.  Timestamps: (00:18): Intro (01:14): Why b...

Episode 37: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) shares 6 musings in the last week that have been the conversation of the Internet-sphere. Learn why demand does not equal product market fit, how we tend to overreact to every trending product, and why entrepreneurs are expected to move at break-neck speeds. In reality, every business is hard, make sure you have the right reference point when hiring, a...

Episode 36: It’s time for another mailbag episode! Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) answers some burning questions from our listeners. In this episode, Alex talks about how to balance your long-term brand with short-term profits, how to test a new business idea, why he chose to be a chairman vs. CEO, and ultimate goals and motivation.  Timestamps: (02:08): How to balance brand building with profi...

Episode 35: Codie Sanchez (@Codie_Sanchez) stops by to drop off gems about business building. As someone who’s used to going against the grain, she proudly wears the title of “unemployable,” in that she was meant to be an entrepreneur. Codie walkthrough 6 tips to help make the founder’s journey easier. Timestamps: (01:37): Contrarian thinking (06:02): It gets lonely when building (07:51): Check yo...

Episode 34: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) reviews the article “Choose Good Quests” and talks about 4 types of quests every entrepreneur will have to choose from. Knowing which quest you’re on can determine how much effort you should be placing on your current quest. Secondly, Alex reflects on his own journey and evaluates which quest he is undertaking. Which quest are you on? Timestamps: (00:1...

Episode 33: Lace them up! Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) dives into the meteoric rise of Hoka, the popular shoe brand that just crossed the $1 billion mark in revenue. Since the pandemic, it went from having less than 10% of Deckers’ (parent company) revenue to nearly 40%, and a stock that is up 375% over the last 5 years. Learn more about the history of this niche, French brand; and how you ca...

Episode 32: Romeen Sheth (@RomeenSheth) steps in for a guest founder’s journal to share his 3 frameworks related to talent. These simple, but effective frameworks can help any founder hire the right talent to make their organization successful. Not a founder? This also benefits those who are looking for a career change or evaluation by knowing when it's time transition into a new role and how to a...

Episode 31: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) analyzes a viral tweet by a former director at Twitter where she talked about the moments leading up to Twitter’s sale to Elon Musk and what it was like working with him. While there are numerous articles and think pieces of Elon’s leadership, this gives an intimate look that is nuanced.  Timestamps: (00:31): Who was Esther Crawford? (01:50): “You can’...

Episode 30: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) has returned from his vacation in Africa. During his trip, he got to experience rich culture and world-class service. It was the break needed to acquire a new perspective on his company, Storyarb. While most shy away from spending time away from their business, a substantial vacation can reveal any holes or gaps in your processes, or validate the ones...

Episode 29: Disagreements and conflicts are bound to happen. They can either make you stronger as a team through resolution and understanding, or become detrimental that can hurt the business. Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) shares this two-part playbook to handle big disagreements at work, making sure the conflicts you have among colleagues help strengthen your relationships, not break them. Ti...

Episode 28: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) runs through 8 biases that affect all business leaders and decision-making. He ties real-life examples during the early days of Morning Brew to each bias and the reflections from those experiences. By acknowledging these potential blindspots, this will help prevent making poor decisions based on feeling and more on tangible evidence.  Send us an email...

Episode 27: In another edition of a guest entry for Founder’s Journal, Sam Parr (@thesamparr) shares the secrets of how he built The Hustle, a wildly popular newsletter covering business and tech that was acquired by Hubspot in 2021. In this episode, learn all the tools that will provide the necessary data to make informed decisions.  Send us an email and let us know what you think of the idea! fo...

Episode 26: Mistakes happen. But it can be difficult knowing which mistake is the right one or the wrong one. Depending on the type of mistake, they can either help solidify a foundation for your business or create a structure of bad habits. Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) talks about an employee’s first mistake and reflects on the mistakes he’s made over the past.  Send us an email and let us k...

Episode 25: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) has hired the first employee for his business. It’s a pivotal moment and crucial time as it can set the tone for future success. If you’re trying to look beyond the resume, your top, early talent should have these 4 key characteristics: critical thinking, obsessive brain, self-awareness, and a force of nature.  Timestamps: (00:57): Reflecting on how to...