Idea to Startup

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

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 R...

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)

People keep telling us they're stuck. The next three pods are stories that'll get your juices flowing. It'll be impossible to be stuck after them. Today's is about Selling The Position - it's probably the most helpful single concept we've ever discussed on the pod.   Seth Godin - The Wrong Bus Tacklebox Method  

Lots of people come into our orbit because they'd like to get their startup to a point where they can quit their full-time job and transition over. Here's what you need to do before you quit - and what'll happen to you and your idea once you do. If you're looking for a kick in the ass, this might be it. Tacklebox Method The Artists Way    

We leverage Yu-kai Chou's Octalysis Framework to think through motivating customers. We test it out using a startup idea that's come across Brian's desk recently: a network of Airstream trailers, dropped on people's property, that digital nomads can subscribe to. How would we motivate these people to take action? What can we test? The framework leads the way as we kickstart the business.  Tacklebo...

In part two of our Mailbag series, Brian answers listener questions on how to run lean, inexpensive, fast tests on an idea that seemingly has big up front costs (we launch tests for the pasta startup), how niche is too niche, and a framework to deal with stress as a founder. As always, thank you for the questions, and if you'd like to submit a question, email it to team@gettacklebox.com    Notes:...

Brian answers emails from listeners on a startup ethos, examples of great marketing - leveraging behavioral economics to remove friction and The Rent Is Too Damn High guy, nootropics (sort of), and the best inputs for the best outputs. We also start a travel company for couples.    Tacklebox Method All the books I mentioned  Podcasts   How I Built This The Dave Chang Show No Stupid Questions Indie...

Lots of entrepreneurs spend their time trying to figure out if their startup idea is "good." They wonder if they can raise funding and build a team. But so much of our idea evaluation ignores the most fundamental building block of a startup - the magic moment that will spur organic growth. There is no funding or team or business without that initial magic, so maybe the best route is to reverse eng...

Are you finding your startup's hidden lottery tickets? What are the opportunities hiding in plain sight that will drastically amplify your output? We talk through Bumble, vertical farms, poker, and derivatives trading, and set up prompts for you to identify hidden lottery tickets that'll catalyze your startup. The Tacklebox Method Found a ska version of I Want It That Way - looking for something b...

We are BACK. We talk through how to approach a startup idea in a space you aren't in expert in, how to build momentum and make decisions fast, and the problem mindset. We also talk through how everyone was wrong about Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken and what that means for Brian's vertical farm startup.  The Tacklebox Method - link to discount for ITS listeners Founder Venn Diagram - free, in Fo...

Jeff Sheldon is the founder of Ugmonk, a company I have an enormous amount of admiration for. It's a thoughtful, purposeful, highly effective business that creates and curates beautifully designed products. Jeff has run and grown the business slowly and sustainably (without funding), building an incredibly engaged customer base. This strong customer affinity allows him to launch products through c...

The past 15 months kicked our butts. We all picked up some terrible habits, and we get a pass for it. But now it's time to dig ourselves out of the hole. This episode goes through three questions that'll help you refocus, tactics to find your North Star, and a framework to reset your inputs. There's never been a better time to build a startup, and if you haven't got an idea or are deciding between...

Inertia is the tendency to not change. Everyone is on a path driven by inertia, which leads just about everyone to always repeat the same things. Which is a problem if you're starting a startup, since you need people to do something different (buy your thing). In this episode we talk through inertia and how to build startups that leverage it vs. fight it, with cameos from Javier the Hot Air Balloo...

Today we've got Tom Eisenmann on the pod. He's an entrepreneurship teacher at HBS and the author of the white-hot startup book "Why Startups Fail." We had a blast talking through all the mistakes startups make and the best ways to avoid them. We also talk through how to validate when you've got big up front costs, when domain experts are important (and when they're not), and how to start the gig-e...

There’s one decision that early stage founders make that can drastically tip the tables in their favor.  This is a tactical episode, helping you push through the critical question of what customer segment to target first. We delve into a framework to help you identify and evaluate customer segments as your startup evolves.  Tacklebox Cohort 28 starts June 2 - apply by May 15 Tacklebox Self-Serve n...

This week's ITS Classic covers whether your startup idea is any good. We talk through a failed startup Brian ran called Find Your Lobster, present a framework to ensure you choose the startup idea that best matches your skillset, and how to stay away from the dreaded Whisper Idea.  Byldd is a venture studio that’s democratizing software entrepreneurship. Tacklebox Accelerator Cohort 28 starts June...

I recently asked a good investor friend of mine what he thought the most underrated but important skill for entrepreneurs in 2021 was. He responded quickly - storytelling. The amount of compelling copy a startup needs to write in 2021 is astounding - from ads to emails to socials to pitch decks - and the base rate has gotten extremely high. A startup can only be as successful as it's messaging, an...

We revisit an episode from the early days of the podcast on an operating system for founders. Not everything I say here has stuck, and not everything I do I recommend. But the bones of this podcast are rock solid. Being thoughtful about how you work and what you work on is the key for building a startup in the margins. And, everyone has more margins now. If you're one of the people who isn't going...

Predicting a startup will fail is like betting every number on the roulette wheel except that green double zero and then puffing out your chest when one of your numbers hits. It's just not impressive to predict that something going up against overwhelming odds won't beat those odds. And yet.... Sometimes people build startups like horses asses. And in that case, they need to be called out. This po...

We're told the curious entrepreneurs are the most successful. But we're also told we need to be experts for our startups to work. How do you balance being curious and learning with being seen as an expert? Today, we explore curiosity through one of the best founders to ever go through Tacklebox, and through another founder just getting started building something in the Space...space. Tacklebox Acc...

You get startup advice constantly. Your ears probably perk up when it comes from an entrepreneur that's been successful. But what should you listen to? What's still relevant? How can you evaluate if the tactics an entrepreneur suggests are right for you?  Today we talk through survivorship bias, how to take advice, how to check base rates, and how to decide on the right strategies for your startup...

Today we'll talk about how to pick what you work on - we need to ensure you're spending your time on things that'll actually matter. We'll do it through the lens of the greatest company ever built.  We also wrap up Problems + Opportunities and get some guidance from Peter Drucker.   NewCo  - Reach out to Marissa@buildwithnewco.com to pitch  Tacklebox - New cohort for idea-stage founders starting M...

Last week, we laid out the Problems vs. Opportunities (PVO) framework. This week, we dive deeper into the "vision" part of the framework, helping you identify and follow your North Star. We use This Too Shall Pasta, a gluten free DTC pasta company, to dig deeper into the PVO process.  Tacklebox - Cohort 27 applications are open Tacklebox self-serve accelerator program Idea to Startup Book Club!!...