Founder's Journal

Episode 32 Founder’s Journal: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) shares his experience and tips on how to acquire your first group of customers, whether that be 100 or 1000. First, he talks about the early stages of Morning Brew, going from classroom to classroom to sign people up for the newsletter. This approach is known as the hub & spoke model which he plans on using for The Plunge. Then, he’ll...

Episode 31: (Recorded 03/10/23) Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) and Jesse Pujji (@jspujji) react and unpack the news about Silicon Valley Bank and its collapse. Jesse goes into where banks fit in the entire financial ecosystem and how they relate to startups. Then, they go into some of the early lessons learned that could apply to business leaders.  #TheCrazyOnes #Startups #Entrepreneur Listen t...

Episode 30: Let’s face it…most meetings suck. Even when they’re set up with all the best intentions, they often end up being a waste of everyone’s time. So what can be done? Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) has 7 important lessons to keep your meetings under control. By incorporating these lessons, you’ll know when a meeting is needed or not (Hint: most of the time, it’s not).  #TheCrazyOnes #Sta...

Episode 29: In this episode, Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) and Jesse Pujji (@jspujji) catch up to talk about Jesse’s tips on unplugging when going on vacation. Then, the guys get into the incredible story of Sam Zemurray, the billionaire that built his fortunes in the banana business. Lastly, Alex and Jesse analyze Doola, a startup that aims to streamline the legal formation of companies.  Lin...

Episode 28: In this episode, Jesse Pujji (@jspujji) breaks down what a venture studio is, the pros & cons of a venture studio, and examples of successful studios that could be your source of inspiration. Then, Jesse shares what the future could look like for his very own venture studio, Gateway X.  #TheCrazyOnes #Startups #Entrepreneur Listen to The Crazy Ones here: https://link.chtbl.com/OV4W93_W...

Episode 27: In this episode, Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) and Jesse Pujji (@jspujji) are sitting down with Isaac Medeiros. He’s the founder of MiniKatana, a product company that is wildly successful because of its…content? That’s right. MiniKatana goes beyond building products. In fact, they see themselves as a media company that creates viral videos attracting 300M views a month. Isaac share...

Episode 26: It’s ok, you’re not alone. Today, Alex (@businessbarista) tackles the phenomenon that affects even the most prominent leaders today: imposter syndrome. Whether you’re an executive of a multinational corporation or small business owner, we’ve all dealt with it. Alex is here to share his thoughts on how he’s been able to manage the self-doubt that can creep up from imposter syndrome. Lis...

Episode 25: Today, hosts Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) and Jesse Pujji (@jspujji) are discussing how Rihanna built her businesses. From convincing Jay-Z to being a multi-platinum artist to establishing her fashion brand, Fenty Beauty, Rihanna has grown to be one of the most iconic figures today. Then, Jesse and Alex get into how to validate your business ideas, sharing insights and methods to...

Episode 24: In this episode of The Crazy Ones, host Jesse Pujji (@jspujji) is sharing his seven biggest takeaways from launching GrowthAssistant, which celebrated its 2-year anniversary on February 10th. Listen to hear Jesse share some really sage advice on what to keep in mind when starting a new business. #TheCrazyOnes #Startups #Entrepreneur Listen to The Crazy Ones here: https://link.chtbl.com...

Episode 23: Today, hosts Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) and Jesse Pujji (@jspujji) are discussing product-market fit: how to find it, what to do when you don’t have it, and just how much you should actually worry about it. Then, Jesse and Alex jump into a discussion about billionaire Sir Richard Branson and his illustrious entrepreneurial career, his approach to starting new businesses that has...

Episode 22: In this episode of The Crazy Ones, host Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) is walking you through why, when, and how to craft the perfect investor update, complete with advice from some very experienced investors. #TheCrazyOnes #Startups #Entrepreneur Listen to The Crazy Ones here: https://link.chtbl.com/OV4W93_W Watch The Crazy Ones here: https://www.youtube.com/@TheCrazyOnesPod  Subsc...

Episode 21: Today, hosts Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) and Jesse Pujji (@jspujji) are getting into all things crowdfunding. Alex has decided to create a Kickstarter campaign for his new business, The Plunge, and is learning a lot in the process—from the secrets behind the most successful Kickstarter campaigns in history, to knowing how and when to pursue crowdfunding. Listen to hear Alex share...

Episode 20: In this special bonus episode of The Crazy Ones, host Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) is telling you everything you need to know about personal knowledge management. That’s right, Alex is breaking down and summarizing what he’s learned in a recent course he took called Building a Second Brain, all about knowledge management and how to make the most effective use of the information yo...

Episode 19: Today, hosts Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) and Jesse Pujji (@jspujji) are breaking down the recent sale of Jesse’s first business, Ampush. From building the company in the early days, to making the decision to sell, to the actual negotiations and the emotional aftermath, Jesse and Alex dig into all of it. #TheCrazyOnes #Startups #Entrepreneur Watch The Crazy Ones here: https://www....

Episode 18: Today, host Jesse Pujji (@jspujji) is bringing you a special bonus episode addressing a frequently asked question—how do you run a great team off-site? Listen to hear Jesse break down the fundamentals of running an impactful off-site with your team—from effective preparation, to what types of strategy sessions to hold, to the best team-bonding exercises.  (00:00) - Intro (00:29) - Why...

Episode 17: Today, hosts Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) and Jesse Pujji (@jspujji) are joined by fellow startup entrepreneur Jonathan Swanson. Jonathan is the co-founder and chairman of Thumbtack—a massive technology leader building the modern home management platform. In this episode, Jonathan tells Alex and Jesse all about how he and his co-founders came up with the idea for Thumbtack, the tu...

Episode 16: Today, hosts Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) and Jesse Pujji (@jspujji) discuss some of the highly self-critical beliefs Alex has been reflecting on as a founder, and how he’s learned to reframe them for himself.  #TheCrazyOnes #Startups #Entrepreneur Listen to The Crazy Ones here: https://link.chtbl.com/OV4W93_W Subscribe to Morning Brew! Sign up for free today: https://bit.ly/morni...

Episode 15: Today, hosts Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) and Jesse Pujji (@jspujji) are talking about their predictions in the business world for 2023—from generative AI, to content creation, what will happen with Twitter (of course), and so much more. Then, Alex gets Jesse’s advice on the launch plan of his new lawn game, The Plunge. And finally, we wrap the episode with a question around recur...

Episode 14: To kick off the new year, host Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) is bringing you a very special episode of The Crazy Ones featuring Morning Brew Co-Founder and CEO Austin Rief (@Austin_Rief) and special guest Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom). In this conversation moderated by Sahil, Austin and Alex recount the early days of building Morning Brew, the scrappy ways they grew their subscriber ba...

Episode 13: Today, hosts Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista), Sophia Amoruso (@sophiaamoruso), and Jesse Pujji (@jspujji) are talking solo-preneurship—aka running a business of one. What are the pros and cons of being a solo-preneur? And what types of businesses is solo-preneurship best suited for? Then, the team gets radically honest about how they spend their time each week—from self-care to deep...

Episode 12: Today, hosts Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista), Sophia Amoruso (@sophiaamoruso), and Jesse Pujji (@jspujji) brainstorm some brilliant ideas for making extra $$ in the new year, as well as how to come up with your own side hustle concepts. Then, the team gets deep with a discussion on year-end reflection and how they set goals and intentions for the coming year. And finally, we wrap wit...

Episode 11: Today, hosts Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista), Sophia Amoruso (@sophiaamoruso), and Jesse Pujji (@jspujji) are talking about the brilliance behind airline rewards programs, and other genius ways that businesses have found to get extra cash out of their partners and customers. Then, the team talks end-of-year planning for your business and how to determine which goals and metrics to wo...

Episode 10: The team is back together again! Today, hosts Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista), Sophia Amoruso (@sophiaamoruso), and Jesse Pujji (@jspujji) discuss the marketing brilliance of Spotify Wrapped and all that makes it a mega success, as well as how other companies can try to replicate it. Then, the team dives into selling your business—when, how, and why to do it, what the process is ACTU...

Episode 8: Today, host Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) is solo again for another special episode of The Crazy Ones, this time featuring founder and CEO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK and 02E Brands, Brian Scudamore (@BrianScudamore). Brian bought a used truck and started 1-800-GOT-JUNK in 1989 as a college dropout. Today, 1-800-GOT-JUNK makes $600 million in revenue, and Brian has also created the parent com...

Episode 8: Today, host Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) is flying solo for a very special episode of The Crazy Ones featuring founder and private equity investor Codie Sanchez (@codie_sanchez). Codie has made millions from buying boring businesses (think laundromats, carwashes, and AirBnBs), and has also amassed an audience of over 3 million followers with her media company, Contrarian Thinking....