A new chapter begins as Mallory joins the crew as a co host and sharpens our focus on the brand, community, and content moves that actually compound for AI startups. We swap stories about stamina and setbacks, from API approval limbo to error loops and locker-room fatigue and why recovery is a growth habit, not a luxury. Then we dive into one of the cleanest startup playbooks we’ve heard in a while with hackathon winner and builder extraordinaire, Sukhpal Saini, the winner of the Lovable Hackathon.
Sukh walks us through a ruthless validation loop: find domain-specific problems with insiders, price the pain ($10 vs $1,000 vs $10,000), pitch two options, and collect real dollars before you write code. He shares how he’s built 36 products, why many “good tools” are bad businesses, and how engineers can learn to sell with a simple 30-minute call structure—rapport, discovery, permissioned demo, objections, and an immediate close. No vague pipelines. No “let’s circle back.” Just clear steps that lead to decisions.
Enjoy the convo, share it with a builder who needs a nudge, and subscribe for more honest playbooks on AI branding, customer acquisition , and growth. Got a validation win or war story? Drop us a note and leave a review, your insights fuel what we explore next.
