Shows
The Startup Different PodcastIs Remote Work Over?Everyone's obsessing over getting people "back to the office" – but what if we're solving the wrong problem? While AI transforms entire industries, we're still debating desk locations. Dave and Chris unpack the real data on remote, hybrid, and office work, revealing surprising truths about productivity, collaboration, and what employees actually need to thrive.2025-08-0532 min
The Startup Different PodcastAI Took Your Job - Now What?AI is replacing entry-level jobs—and most grads are stuck in resume purgatory. In this episode, David and Chris break down why your early 20s are the best time to start a business, even if you have no money, no idea, and no experience. This isn’t a hype fest—it’s a practical playbook for launching fast, learning fast, and building something real.PODCAST LINKSWebsite: https://www.startupdifferent.comYouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@StartupDifferent2025-07-2926 min
The Startup Different PodcastDo Social Ads Even Work?Do social ads even work—or are you just paying bots to click "like"? In this episode, we break down our own experience with YouTube and Facebook ads, what Prof G had to say about it, and why most founders might be wasting their money. If you're bootstrapping and debating digital ads, listen before you spend a dime.PODCAST LINKSWebsite: https://www.startupdifferent.comYouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@StartupDifferentApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.ap...2025-07-1525 min
The Startup Different PodcastWhy 90% of Startups Should Avoid ResellersMost founders dream of scaling fast, but resellers can quietly kill your margins, brand control, and growth velocity. In this episode, David and Chris break down real-world pitfalls from founders who handed off sales too early—and paid for it. If you're considering a reseller strategy to accelerate revenue, this is your warning shot (and what to do instead).PODCAST LINKSWebsite: https://www.startupdifferent.comYouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@StartupDifferentApple Podcasts: ...2025-07-0827 min
The Startup Different PodcastPush, Pivot, or Pull the Plug?A founder rockets from plateau to $120M revenue and a $1.5B valuation—only to see a 50%+ revenue crash two years later. David and Chris break down the rollercoaster and the brutal decisions behind it. At the end of the day, when your startup stalls or surges how do you know whether to push, pivot, or pull the plug?2025-07-0128 min
The Startup Different PodcastHow Fear Fueled a $100B BrandMost people run from failure—but what if it’s the very thing that drives you? In this episode, David and Chris unpack how fear fueled Howard Schultz’s relentless pitch for Starbucks, despite hearing "no" 217 times. Why do some founders push through while others freeze—and what’s really holding you back?2025-06-2426 min
The Startup Different PodcastThe Worst Trailer of All TimeBros, Business, Banter. That's us. It's the trailer for the Startup Different pod. 2025-06-2301 min
The Startup Different PodcastIs AI Ruining US? (And Maybe Your Kids?)If every meaningful win in your startup came from struggle...what happens when AI takes that away? Chris hits the wall building with AI tools, David wonders if his kids will ever build resilience, and together they unpack whether AI is eroding the effort that makes real growth possible. This one's for the founders who've earned their scars—and wonder if the next gen ever will.2025-06-1728 min
The Startup Different PodcastWill ChatGPT Crush Your AI Startup?Think your AI startup is safe? Think again. In this episode, we unpack how foundational models like ChatGPT are steamrolling niche platforms by absorbing their features overnight—and what you can do to survive. From building unique integrations to niche-first moats, David and Chris share five hard-won lessons for AI founders trying to stay in the game before OpenAI levels the field.The 5 lessons?Don't Compete on Core AI CapabilitiesBuild Moats with Unique IntegrationsFocus on UX and Workflow, Not AccuracyTarget a Niche and Go DeepBuild to Exit, Not to Last Forever2025-06-1028 min
The Startup Different PodcastWho Can CONFRONT Elon?We're trying a new format with the pod. Let us know what you think. Today it's "who can confront Elon"? In this unfiltered and wickedly funny episode, David and Chris explore how one man’s ego—Elon Musk—has torched Tesla’s brand, stock, and reputation, all while loyal fans quietly peel logos off their cars. From a 71% profit nosedive to Cybertruck chaos, it’s a masterclass in founder risk, brand backlash, and why empathy still matters. #ElonMusk #TeslaFail #StartupPodcast #Cybertruck #TeslaStock #BrandReputation #BootstrappedFounders #StartupDifferent2025-06-0329 min
The Startup Different PodcastIs Ego Killing Your Startup?What if your biggest growth block isn’t funding or strategy—but you? In this episode, we explore how ego quietly sabotages leadership and limits your team’s potential. Learn how emotional intelligence, real feedback, and a shift in mindset helped Carrie Fabris build a business helping execs lead better—without the burnout.2025-05-2732 min
The Startup Different PodcastSkip the Payroll - Keep the ProgressWhat happens after you exit your startup and don't want a boss again? Taylor Crane shares how that moment led to a new way of working—and a new way of thinking about early hires. We dig into product lessons, co-founder dynamics, and what fractional roles look like behind the scenes. Plus, we cover when bringing on part-time leadership is actually smarter than hiring full-time.2025-05-2031 min
The Startup Different PodcastCan You Grow Too Fast?She quit her job, had no funding, and started fermenting cider in a garage with her husband. What could go wrong?! Hint: it's not what you think. Within a year, Alicia Hardman and her hubby were running a 10,000 sq. ft. winery with lines out the door—thanks in part to a viral swing table. But what happens when your startup grows faster than you can manage? Was all that growth a good thing?2025-05-1326 min
The Startup Different PodcastCrisis Hit. $15M ARR Later, She Leveled UpWhen COVID wiped out her luxury event business, Virginia Frischkorn didn’t just survive—she reinvented. By turning her workflows into software, she launched Partytrick, a SaaS company now on track for $15M ARR. What started in crisis became a better business than she ever imagined.2025-05-0531 min
The Startup Different Podcast15 Jobs; 1 Multi-Million ExitBefore she turned 22, Jodie Cook had worked 15 different jobs — from mystery shopping to football stadiums. That wild ride set her up for a seven-figure exit, a global digital nomad life, and her latest venture, Coachvox. In this episode, Jodie shares how early hustle shaped her entrepreneurial mindset and why AI is the next frontier for scaling personal brands.2025-04-2936 min
The Startup Different PodcastThe Retail Investor RevolutionRetail investors represent 53% of the investing market. 🤯In this episode, we break down our chat with Jane Crowell of Particle Capital and what founders get wrong about funding. We explore smarter paths to capital, the rise of retail investors, and why founder-led sales still matter. Plus, the mindset shift that separates resilient entrepreneurs from the rest.2025-04-2227 min
The Startup Different PodcastMo VCs, Mo Problems: Raising Without the GrindTired of chasing VCs and getting ghosted? Jane Crowell drops in to share how Particle is flipping startup funding on its head—connecting founders to capital without the pitch deck circus. If fundraising feels like a full-time job, this episode shows you how to skip the grind and get back to building.2025-04-1530 min
The Startup Different PodcastA Boring Multi-Million Dollar GameEver heard of someone getting robbed—only to land their dream job days later? Melissa Cash’s journey from Disney to co-founding Pok Pok is full of wild turns, but her startup’s genius lies in something deceptively simple: it’s intentionally a bit boring. In this episode, we explore how quiet design, thoughtful screen time, and serendipitous moments led to a kids’ app that actually respects how kids play.2025-04-0832 min
The Startup Different PodcastA Boring Multi-Million Dollar GameEver heard of someone getting robbed—only to land their dream job days later? Melissa Cash’s journey from Disney to co-founding Pok Pok is full of wild turns, but her startup’s genius lies in something deceptively simple: it’s intentionally a bit boring. In this episode, we explore how quiet design, thoughtful screen time, and serendipitous moments led to a kids’ app that actually respects how kids play.2025-04-0732 min
The Startup Different PodcastFrom $0 to $1.6B: The Story of a Telecom UnicornWhat does it take to build a billion-dollar company from scratch—in one of the toughest, most regulated industries in the world? Brice Scheschuk, co-founder of Wind Mobile, joins us to unpack the raw, real story behind a $1.6B exit that nearly didn’t happen. From regulatory wars to hiring 1,000 people in a single year, this is a gritty, no-BS blueprint for scaling a unicorn under fire.2025-04-0142 min
The Startup Different PodcastFounder After Forty: How a Midlife Crisis Led to Midlife MissionWhat if the second half of your life held more purpose than the first? Physician-turned-founder Brian Mahoney shares how a midlife pivot and a deep sense of mission led him to launch a startup transforming surgery recovery—before the surgery even starts.2025-03-2538 min
The Startup Different PodcastWin at business AND get rippedFrom selling bootleg software as a teenager to exiting a successful SaaS company, Anthony’s entrepreneurial journey is nothing short of fascinating. In this recap, we break down the hustle, the bold pivots, and the key lessons from his story—like why fearlessness in sales matters and how spotting the right opportunity can change everything. Plus, we debate whether entrepreneurs are truly 'born' or 'made.' Welcome to Startup Different!2025-03-1830 min
The Startup Different PodcastBody & Business: How Anthony Ng Monica Built Two Successful Ventures from ScratchAnthony shares his remarkable path from selling pirated software as a 12-year-old to building and exiting a 70-employee, bootstrapped e-commerce bundling platform. Now running Daily Body Coach, he explains how his entrepreneurial mindset helps executives maintain peak physical performance while managing demanding business lives. Welcome to Startup Different!2025-03-1134 min
The Startup Different PodcastPlaying the Startup Long Game WORKSIn this episode, we dive into the inspiring and unfiltered journey of Jess Chan, founder of Longplay. From navigating personal challenges to scaling an agency that champions retention marketing, Jess shares valuable insights, startup myths, and a jaw-dropping tale about an employee that sounds like it belongs in a crime-drama.2025-03-0425 min
The Startup Different PodcastFrom Setbacks to Strengths: How Jess Chan Built Entrepreneurial Resilience For LongplayOn the show today, we’ve got Jess Chan, founder and CEO of Longplay. She’s an expert in retention marketing who’s built an eight-figure business, and she’s here to share some seriously useful lessons for entrepreneurs. Oh and she also tells us one of the wildest HR stories ever. It’s Startup Different. 2025-02-2532 min
The Startup Different PodcastNavigating Catastrophes and CapitalLast week we spoke to the fantastic Rob Levin, seasoned entrepreneur and investor. We deep dive on how he’s an accidental entrepreneur, how he asks for (and gets) money, and the age old debate of Toronto vs Des Moines. Welcome to Startup Different!2025-02-1830 min
The Startup Different PodcastScaling Smart: Rob Levin’s Guide to Business Growth, Funding, and ResilienceRobert Levin is a seasoned investor and operator with a robust background in strategy, growth and mergers and acquisitions. This week we talk to him about what it means to scale a startup worth tens of millions and how to manage the WFIO moments.It's VC, funding, and pivots on Startup Different!2025-02-1138 min
The Startup Different PodcastBuilding Beyond Unicorns and Redefining Startup SuccessThis week we go deep on our interview with Natalie Kaminski of JetRockets. We dig into the mighty middle, the Russian-Ukraine war, and taking all the work you can find. It’s Startup Different!2025-02-0427 min
The Startup Different PodcastEmpathy and Innovation: Natalie Kaminski’s Journey from Coder to CEOToday, we’re chatting with Natalie Kaminski, the founder and CEO of JetRockets. She’s a tech entrepreneur with a knack for empathetic leadership and a powerful story about moving her entire company to align with her values.2025-01-2835 min
The Startup Different PodcastFirefighters, Funding, and Pivots: Chris Memmott’s Path to SuccessToday on Startup Different we talk to our old pal, Chris Memmott. He has over 15 years of sales and leadership experience within high-growth startups and has even had his own successful (albeit bumpy!) exit. We’ll cover his journey and what to watch out for when selling your business baby.
It’s acquisition time on Startup Different!2025-01-2138 min
The Startup Different PodcastWere we Boss-Holes? The Secrets of Leadership TransformationIn this recap, we’re diving back into our chat with Catherine Bell, where she dropped some incredible gems about mixing purpose and profit as an entrepreneur. Whether it’s building a strong team culture or turning mistakes into growth moments, we’ve pulled together the best insights for you to level up your business game. Bonus: we also press Chris on his Boss-Hole past and is a hot dog a sandwich. It’s startup different!2025-01-1428 min
The Startup Different PodcastCan You Balance Profit and Purpose? A Conversation with Catherine Bell (Season 6, Episode 1)Can you balance profit and purpose?
Today’s guest is Catherine Bell, founder of The Awaken Company, and she’s all about transforming how we think about business. From building healthy cultures to leading with self-awareness, Catherine shows how your company can be a force for good while thriving along the way. Welcome to Season 6 of Startup Different. 2025-01-0728 min
The Startup Different PodcastSeason Six TrailerIt’s Season Six of Startup Different! This season comes loaded with a bunch of crazy stories, like trying to close your latest round of funding the day the market has a historic collapse, a firefighter market flipped upside down, and a tinder swindling senior employee. It’s a wild ride.
We're Dave and Chris and this is Startup Different. We’re tracking down the craziest startup stories and paying it forward to entrepreneurs with a hype-free, myth-busting business blueprint. Find us wherever you get your podcasts and check out our new book to see how we can hel...2025-01-0600 min
The Startup Different PodcastBest Known Beats Best: Key Business Insights from Matt Watson’s $150M Exit (Season 5, Episode 13)In this episode of Startup Different, we reflects on the journey of scaling businesses and the importance of exits, while debriefing our conversation with serial entrepreneur Matt Watson. The conversation delves into the significance of having a well-known product over just a good product, the necessity of execution, and the critical role of hiring the right talent at the right time. Additionally, the discussion touches on the interplay of luck and preparation in achieving business success, providing valuable lessons for entrepreneurs.2024-12-3126 min
The Startup Different PodcastScaling and Success: Matt Watson on Building and Exiting Multiple Startups (Season 5, Episode 12)In this episode of Startup Different, Matt Watson, a serial tech entrepreneur, shares his journey of founding and exiting multiple startups, including a $150 million exit. He discusses the importance of execution, the challenges of scaling a business, and the role of timing and luck in achieving success. Matt emphasizes the need for product-market fit, the significance of key hires, and the complexities of offshoring development. He also addresses the impact of funding on scaling and shares insights on managing burnout as an entrepreneur. The conversation concludes with Matt's advice on being the best known in your field rather than...2024-12-2429 min
The Startup Different PodcastFinding Goldminds: Key Lessons from Cynthia Arscott’s Mindfulness Startup (Season 5, Episode 11)In this episode of Startup Different, we recap our interview with Cynthia Arscott, the founder of Goldminds, an app designed to help children sleep better. The conversation explores Cynthia's journey from tech to entrepreneurship, the challenges of transitioning from in-person to digital solutions during the pandemic, and the importance of working smarter rather than longer hours. We discuss the unique features of the Goldminds app, its market validation through a minimum viable product, and the significance of niche marketing in achieving business success. The episode concludes with insights on engaging with influencers and the promising future of Goldminds.2024-12-1723 min
The Startup Different PodcastGet your Kids to Sleep: Cynthia Arscott’s Goldminds App for Children’s Wellbeing (Season 5, Episode 10)In this episode of Startup Different, Dave and Chris interview Cynthia Arscott, the CEO and founder of GoldMinds, a mindfulness app for kids. Cynthia shares her personal journey from struggling with anxiety as a child to discovering the benefits of mindfulness and meditation. She discusses the evolution of her business from in-person mindfulness classes to a digital app, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The conversation highlights the importance of creating engaging content for children, targeting different age groups, and navigating competition in the app market. Cynthia emphasizes the significance of consistency over hard work in entrepreneurship and the importance...2024-12-1029 min
The Startup Different PodcastBeyond Technical Skills: Key Communication Lessons from Expert Matt Reesor (Season 5, Episode 9)Are entrepreneurs in Canada less motivated than their US counterparts? Last week, Matt Reesor gave us his take and identified how Canadian firms need to compete. Today, Chris and I dig deeper into the complexities of the Canada versus US competitive landscape. Welcome to Start Up Different.2024-12-0331 min
The Startup Different PodcastThe Power of Communication: Matt Reesor's Lessons for Startup Founders (Season 5, Episode 8)This week we're talking about entrepreneurship, Canada, and politics. Our guest is the fantastic Matt Reesor. Matt's expertise lies in understanding how the dynamics of interpersonal communication contribute to the success of plans and ideas. He has trained thousands of MBA and Masters students at Queen's University Smith School of Business in Canada and Nagoya University of Commerce and Business in Japan. Through his company, Reemark Communications, Matt has partnered with leading organizations, to provide communications consulting and training services.
Startup Different, Engage.2024-11-2633 min
The Startup Different PodcastCourageous Entrepreneurship - Lessons from Octavia Goredema (Season 5, Episode 7)In this episode, we unpack our incredible conversation with Octavia Goredema, founder of Fire Memos. We explore themes of employee appreciation, the importance of stepping outside comfort zones, and the myths surrounding solo founders and technical co-founders. We also highlight the need for emotional support in entrepreneurship, the challenges of prioritization, and the innovative spirit of Fire Memos in celebrating achievements within organizations.2024-11-1926 min
The Startup Different PodcastBreaking Barriers and Building Businesses: Octavia Goredema’s Startup Journey (Season 5, Episode 6)Octavia Goredema is the CEO and founder of Fire Memos, a software company dedicated to igniting careers. The platform empowers employees to record and recognize their work accomplishments with AI powered career coaching.
She’s also an acclaimed career expert: she’s the author of "PREP, PUSH, PIVOT: Essential Career Strategies for Underrepresented Women", the host of the Audible Original series "How to Change Careers with Octavia Goredema", and has been featured on CNN, Harvard Business Review, and Fortune.
Today we’re seeing stars on Startup Different!2024-11-1235 min
The Startup Different PodcastLessons from a Startup Great: Mark Organ’s Blueprint for Success (Season 5, Episode 5)In this episode of Startup Different, we discuss our insightful conversation last week with Mark Organ. We'll unpack the myths of entrepreneurship, the importance of communication, iterative improvement, and the dynamics of acquisitions. We'll also explore how effective communication and customer connection can drive business success, the iterative processes that lead to improvement, and the significance of understanding the founder's role post-acquisition. Let's get into it!2024-11-0525 min
The Startup Different PodcastEpisode 4 - Building Killer Startups: Mark Organ on Passion, Pivots, and Problem Solving (Season 5, Episode 4)This week we’re talking to a ridiculously successful entrepreneur, Mark Organ. Mark was an entrepreneurial go-to-market specialist, a CEO with a focus on sales, marketing and business development. Along the way he’s lived in Toronto, Silicon Valley, Chicago and Singapore. He’s Founded 6 companies, raised more than 15 rounds of financing, hired over 250 people, built 7 offices around the world, and helped a lot of people realize their dreams. We had a bunch of questions for him but honestly he was so interesting that we just let him talk. It’s go time on Startup Different.2024-10-2934 min
The Startup Different PodcastExit Strategy Unpacked: What We Learned from Laurie Barkman (Season 5, Episode 3)In this episode of Startup Different, we reflect on our previous conversation with Laurie Barkman, a business transition expert. We discuss the psychology behind selling a business, the importance of planning for exits, and the role of culture and employee engagement in startups. The conversation also touches on intrapreneurship and the resources available for entrepreneurs looking to transition their businesses. We emphasize the need for founders to think about their exit strategies early on and share personal anecdotes from our own experiences in selling our company.2024-10-2225 min
The Startup Different PodcastThe Sherpa’s Guide to Selling Your Business - Expert Advice from Laurie Barkman (Season 5, Episode 2)Welcome to Startup Different! This week we’re excited to welcome a sherpa - specifically a business transition sherpa, to the show!
Laurie Barkman, The Business Transition Sherpa®, is the former CEO of a $100 million dollar revenue company that was sold to a Fortune 50. She guides business owners through the often overwhelming process of transition planning and facilitates sell-side and buy-side transactions in the lower middle market.
Laurie is an adjunct faculty member at Carnegie Mellon University, Amazon best-selling author of "The Business Transition Handbook," and host of the award-winning Succession Stories Podcast and the new...2024-10-1535 min
The Startup Different PodcastMeet the Hosts - Remastered (Season 5, Episode 1)It's been over a year since the Startup Different Podcast kicked off, so we decided to re-record our origin story. We'll give you our backgrounds and tell you about our experience running and eventually exiting our business AppArmor.
Let's get into it! This is Startup Different!2024-10-0825 min
The Startup Different PodcastSeason Five TrailerSay hello to season five of Startup Different.
This season, we're starting things off with a bonus episode: Get to Know a Sinkinson, is our episode zero that retells our origins and the story of our company, AppArmor.
Then, like previous seasons, we move back into interviews with expert guests from our Startup Different studio.
You can look forward to a business transition Sherpa, multiple founders that have exited for hundreds of millions, and some of the most exciting and up and coming entrepreneurs.2024-10-0700 min
The Startup Different PodcastDeep Dive on Fractional Marketing and Find Your Audience (Season 4, Episode 12)Last week we spoke with Nathan Yeung of “Find your audience”. While having one of the more interesting business models out there, Nathan also tried to squash a huge myth about marketing - mostly that we kinda suck at it. Today we deep dive into Nathan’s myth busting and talk about the good o’l days of organic content.
It’s Startup Different with the Sinkinson Bros.2024-10-0127 min
The Startup Different PodcastInterview with Marketing Expert Nathan Yeung (Season 4, Episode 11)With years of experience as a leader in marketing operations, Nathan helps mid-market businesses build, enhance, or support their marketing functions and drive value creation. He’s a B2B SaaS Marketing Leader, Guest Lecturer, Consumer Psychology Geek and Dad, delivering companies marketing functions that become revenue engines. And he’s with us today on another fantabulous episode of Startup Different.2024-09-2429 min
The Startup Different PodcastDeep Dive on Serial Entrepreneurship (Season 4, Episode 10)Last week we spoke to Ameya Juvekar, a serial entrepreneur in the consumer marketing space. His startups in the consumer health worked in tandem to deliver considerable and meaningful value for his customers and their patients. Today Chris and I explore Amaya’s businesses and how working as an intraprenear helped get him going.
Welcome to Startup Different!2024-09-1721 min
Succession StoriesHow Two Brothers Took Startup Software Firm From Idea to Exit, David and Chris SinkinsonLaurie Barkman interviews brothers and business partners, David and Chris Sinkinson, about their experience as co-founders of AppArmor, a bootstrapped SaaS business with a $40 million exit. They discuss the importance of understanding product-market fit, the role of unhappy customers in identifying issues, and the significance of recurring revenue in their app business. The conversation highlights the value of building relationships with potential buyers over time, which contributed to their successful exit. They emphasize the importance of selling at the right time to capitalize on growth potential. The brothers also share their experience of transitioning out of the...2024-09-1545 min
The Startup Different PodcastInterview with Ameya Juvekar, Serial Entrepreneur (Season 4, Episode 9)Once upon a time, Chris and I had a few different businesses on the go. It’s not uncommon for early founders to do this as they’re trying to figure out what works in the market.
But that definitely doesn’t mean it’s easy. Today, we’re speaking with Ameya Juvekar, an entrepreneur with a diverse background in business, marketing, revenue generation, and technology. He’ll be talking about his two companies, ScaleUp42 - a marketing firm that specializes in customer acquisition for health and wellness clinics - and HealthBuddha.ca - a platform that connects patie...2024-09-1025 min
The Startup Different PodcastDeep Dive on RAX and Marley Alles: Social Media & Winning Awards (Season 4, Episode 8)Last week Marley Alles gave us a 101 on her startup Rax. She had some awesome insights on how to set up a peer-to-peer business. This week, we dissect her strategy and draw out some of the key learnings from her experiences.2024-09-0327 min
The Startup Different PodcastInterview with Marley Alles of Rax Clothing Rental (Season 4, Episode 7)This week we’re talking fashion, something Chris brutally sucks at. But it turns out that thanks to Rax, his situation may be salvageable.
Rax is Canada's peer-to-peer wardrobe rental app where you can save money borrowing and make money lending your closet. Co-Founder Marley Alles is here today to tell us about rax, how to own the social media game, and win a ton of awards.
Startup Different innovators, let's go!2024-08-2728 min
Practical Founders Podcast#107: Brothers Sold Their Bootstrapped Software Company for $40 Million – David and Chris Sinkinson Brothers David and Chris Sinkinson attended Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, when David learned of the problems maintaining the blue emergency phones on campus. He proposed a location-aware mobile safety app, so Chris built it himself, and it worked great. AppArmor grew steadily to become the most popular university mobile safety platform in Canada and the US, and over 250 universities use it. With no outside investors, they bootstrapped the company to $6 million ARR with serious profits before selling the company to Rave Mobile Security for $40 million. They stayed on for another year in transition bef...2024-08-231h 09
The Startup Different PodcastFree Flowin’: Deep Dive on Flow State (Season 4, Episode 6)Last week we spoke to Flowstate Coaching and Consulting, and Life By Design Lab Founder Rishi Behari. It was an awesome conversation about flow, going from what it is, to how to make it happen to the science behind it.
Today Chris and I deep dive into flow and cover some of the biggest data backed learnings from our conversation with Rishi. We also figure out our flow profiles and the answers might surprise you. Let’s get into flow - this is Startup Different.2024-08-2025 min
The Startup Different PodcastGo with the Flow with Rishi Behari (Season 4, Episode 5)Today on the program we have Flowstate Coaching and Consulting and Life By Design Lab Founder Rishi Behari. Rishi started these businesses in order to help others find joy and purpose in their lives and work. His coaching philosophy leverages powerful insights from cutting-edge neuroscience research to empower organizations and individuals alike to perform at their peak, while falling in love with the process on the way. Welcome to Startup Different.2024-08-1333 min
The Startup Different PodcastThe Impact Hockey Stick Growth Curve (Season 4, Episode 4)Last week we spoke to Brooke Finlay about her business, Navio, and how it’s helping people get through the “gong-show” of immigration bureaucracy. While her business was definitely impressive and disruptive, it was her passion for impact and helping people that really impressed Chris and I. It’s truly a different startup.
This week, Chris and I go deep on impact, bureaucracy, and disruption - and on the data behind it all. Let’s get it. It’s Startup Different. 2024-08-0626 min
The Startup Different PodcastInterview with Brooke Finlay of Navio (Season 4, Episode 3)Brooke Finlay is an innovator, change maker and purpose- driven entrepreneur. She's a Canadian immigration expert and founder of Navio.
At Navio, they unlocking infinite possibilities of human potential to co-create a better world by making immigration legal services more affordable, transparent, and trustworthy.2024-07-3033 min
The Startup Different PodcastUnicorns 101 (Season 4, Episode 2)Last week we spoke to Co-Founder and CEO Meti Basiri of ApplyBoard, a genuine unicorn. It was pretty cool - not gonna lie. And you know it was a live episode because I even got a little star-struck. What does one say to a paper billionaire?
For our show today, Chris and I deep dive into some of the biggest points made by Meti. Are 25% of all unicorns founded by immigrants? Is dealing with work colleagues the same if they also happen to be your brother? How common are unicorns anyway? All this and more on today’s...2024-07-2323 min
The Startup Different PodcastWe met a Unicorn - Interview with Meti Basiri of ApplyBoard (Season 4, Episode 1)For our first episode of Season 4 we met a unicorn. We weren't trippin', but there was a collision involved - the Collision Conference held in Toronto Canada this year. We interviewed ApplyBoard CEO Meti Basiri live at the show.
Meti founded ApplyBoard with his two other brothers. After facing many challenges and obstacles on their own study abroad journeys, the Basiri brothers saw an opportunity to break down barriers and democratize education. Together they created ApplyBoard to make their dream to educate the world a reality. Now ApplyBoard is estimated to be worth over $4Billion.
An...2024-07-1624 min
The Startup Different PodcastSeason Four TrailerWelcome to Startup Different Season Four!
We're calling this our Book Season! By the end of this season, our book, "Startup Different: The Myth-Busting Blueprint For Your Multi-Million Dollar Business" will be available at all major online retailers. Woo!
We also heard your feedback. This season, we've got more interviews with some of the most exciting startups out there. We bust some myths and have a blast in our new swanky studio. It's gonna be good!
We're Dave and Chris. We started a business in public safety that we sold for millions of...2024-07-1600 min
The Startup Different PodcastHazTrack's Approach to Big Data as a Small Firm (Season 3, Episode 12)In our fourth episode of the Big Data for Small Companies series, and the finale of season 3, Tom McDonell of HazTrack Inc. is here. Tom is the CEO at HazTrack Inc., an industrial IoT startup based in Calgary and Saskatoon. HazTrack helps Oil and Gas and Waste Management companies run their operations more efficiently with best-in-class hardware and software. He's here today and we're looking forward to going deep on data.2024-07-0929 min
The Startup Different PodcastShould you buy marketing data? (Season 3, Episode 11)Everyone knows that business decisions are best informed by good data. But, when you're a small startup, good data is hard to come by, especially if your market is in its early stages of development. Enter the data brokers! You can just buy data about your market, and you'll be on your way to startup success... Because I'm sure all the data you buy will be super-accurate, right? Let's fire up the spreadsheets and talk about how buying data can help and hurt your startup! 2024-07-0232 min
The Startup Different PodcastFind Data to Find Consensus (Season 3, Episode 10)Picture this: It's 9:45am on a Monday morning. You're gathered with your senior team, including your co-founder. You’ve got a big decision ahead of you and unfortunately you and your co-founder are at odds as to the best path forward. What do you do?
Because you're a different leader, you lead your company by consensus, meaning that you need to convince your co-founder. No strong-arming, no voting and no name-calling; instead, you need to find and utilize data effectively to help show them the light. On today's episode, we go at how Chris and I would bre...2024-06-2530 min
The Startup Different PodcastFeedback Loops and Data Goldmines (Season 3, Episode 9)In the early days of many businesses, including ours, data is at a premium. You want to take a data-driven approach to decision making, but because of frankly low system usage, or a product that may not have a ton of data you're at a loss as to how to "find" data.
But data is important. Having a healthy feedback loop with material data sets is crucial to your success. In episode 9 of season 3, and the first episode of our "Big Data for Small Companies" series, we tackle how to find data and build feedback loops for...2024-06-1829 min
The Startup Different PodcastBujjify Innovating Against the Big Guys (Season 3, Episode 8)To conclude our series on product innovation, we invite co-founders of Bujjify, Rohit Jinka and Rekha Anem to the show. Their lives took an extraordinary turn with the arrival of their daughter, Reva. Enter their company: Bujjify. Bujjify is a child development and parent education company dedicated to promoting healthy and well-rounded development for children from birth. Their PlayRigs are toolkits created based on decades of research and inspired by the Montessori philosophy. They are tailored to specific infant age and developmental milestones. They’re here to talk about how they innovate their product and take on the big gu...2024-06-1129 min
The Startup Different PodcastInnovating To Create A New Market (Season 3, Episode 7)In the innovation space, one of the most challenging things to accomplish is to create a new market. You'll need to do something completely differently that challenges established trends. For us, this was AppArmor; it was one of the first ever mobile safety apps. Nobody had ever heard of a "safety app" and it challenged the established ways of providing public safety on university and college campuses. In our third episode of the Innovation Station series, we'll unpack what it takes to innovate and create an entirely new market.2024-06-0427 min
The Startup Different PodcastProduct Roadmap Potholes (Season 3, Episode 6)Product roadmaps should be the steps to realizing a strategic vision for product innovation over the coming 18-24 months, but too often they become anything but. They are often just a list of features to be built into the product. And the product planning meetings associated with the roadmaps are just exercises of pushing back timelines of existing priorities and a means to dismiss newer ideas because “we don’t have the time”. For episode 2 of our Innovation Station series we’re throwing the roadmap out the window!2024-05-2830 min
The Startup Different PodcastThe Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the MVP Process (Season 3, Episode 5)MVP… Most Valuable Player? Must Vacate Property? Millennial View Point? Nope! For our first episode of our Innovation Station series we’re talking about the "Minimum Viable Product - MVP"! It has long been hailed as the best approach to product innovation. The recipe is simple: build-measure-learn with a dash of rapid iteration. It has worked incredibly well for us. But we've also had some misfires. In this episode we'll discuss how MVPs can launch your startup to success, or totally flop.2024-05-2128 min
The Startup Different PodcastStartup Shout Out: Hope McIntosh-Trigg and Negotiating Like a Boss (Season 3, Episode 4)We round out our series on negotiations with a chat with Hope McIntosh-Trigg, CEO of MCG, a business consulting firm focusing on Technology & Digital, Sales, and Strategy.
Hope has a ton of negotiation experience. She has amassed a 20+ year career in the technology sector in tech-operations, consulting, sales, marketing, and business strategy with tech giants such as Honeywell, Compaq, HP, VMWare, Dell, and Air Watch, having positions and consulting projects with clients in the commercial and public sector space that have taken her across the globe and within the 50 states. She’s been a CRO, COO and CE...2024-05-1430 min
The Startup Different PodcastPrice Negotiations and Why You Should Love Them (Season 3, Episode 3)Plug your nose; we're talking about negotiating on price and the popular stigma around it. Turns out, haggling on price and negotiating on price are very different things. In Episode 3 of Season 3 and our Negotiation Elevation series, we tackle why talking about price is awkward and how we can shift to a constructive negotiation from a hostile price haggle.
2024-05-0730 min
The Startup Different PodcastWhat Does it Mean to “Win” a Negotiation? (Season 3, Episode 2)Is taking all you can get in a negotiation actually good for you or your business? Most people would tell you that yes, you must get everything you can. They may even argue that that is the point of the confrontation. But it's short sighted - pushing to get everything in a negotiation will leave your opposition in a rough place, souring the goodwill you may have created with them. What's more, even the intention of trying to "get it all" can counter-intuitively set you back.
In episode 2 of Season 3 and our Negotiation Elevation...2024-04-3029 min
The Startup Different PodcastCheck Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself (Season 3, Episode 1)It wouldn’t be unreasonable to say that in any negotiation, you fixate on your counterpart’s strategy to get the most out of you. It’s a natural thought - a negotiation is very much a confrontation and frankly you don’t want to be duped. But confrontations aren’t always bad - yes, they have the potential to be destructive, but more often than not they have a greater opportunity to be constructive. Rather than focusing on them, it’s time to focus on you. For better outcomes, try preparing yourself first.
In the first...2024-04-2331 minThe Startup Different PodcastSeason Three Trailer
Welcome to Startup Different Season Three!
Last season we covered getting acquired, getting your startup off the ground, and of course, employee shenanigans. We laughed, we cried, and we learned.
Now it's Season 3 of Startup Different. We've got three new series' covering negotiations, product innovation, and big data for small companies. Not only that but we'll have our very first expert guests ready to weigh in.
We're Dave and Chris. We started a business in public safety that we sold for millions of dollars, only to be acquired again 10 months later by Motorola Solutions. We did it differently: We...2024-04-2000 min
The Startup Different PodcastBurning-Out Blows (Season 2, Episode 12)One of the worst things a business can do is burn out employees. While there are many cascading negative effects of burnout, there are times when you and your team need to burn the midnight oil. Still, if you or your team are going into work tired from the day before, you can bet that it's going to slowly eat away at your market position, profitability and company culture. In our final episode of Season 2 and of our Employee Shenanigans series, we address employee burnout and how we managed a near-coup d'etat of our business. 2024-04-0932 min
The Startup Different PodcastNurture Employee Passion (Season 2, Episode 11)Sometimes employees can be stubborn. And whether or not that's a bad thing, really depends. In some cases that stubbornness is actually disguised passion. There's something they're good at, they understand, and know could help move the company forward - if only, those pesky founders would listen. It's time to swallow your pride, give your employees autonomy, and ride the employee passion bus to startup glory station. 2024-04-0227 min
The Startup Different PodcastSideways Flying Employee Reviews (Season 2, Episode 10)It's a beautiful Tuesday morning, and you're just stepping into a semi-annual review with one of your favorite employees. You're excited to recap all the progress the employee has had over the past six months, and eager to plan out what's next. What you don't realize is that your employee has some huge expectations, and you're about to get blindsided. Welcome to the wild world of employee reviews.2024-03-2630 min
The Startup Different PodcastPeeling Back the Interview Onion (Season 2, Episode 9)Welcome to Episode 9 of Season 2 and the first episode in our latest series "Employee Shenanigans"! Today we’re talking interviews - and specifically how tough they can be to properly evaluate candidates. We’ll share some of the hiring best practices and toughest lessons we learned.2024-03-1928 min
The Startup Different PodcastFighting Employment Remorse (Season 2, Episode 8)It's Episode 8 of season 2 and the finale of our Startup TakeOff series! We conclude the series by getting at "Employment Remorse"; that is, helping your new employees buy into your super-early startup. You want to believe they’re as "into it" as you and your Co-Founder but they’re going to take some convincing. Oh, and don’t forget about their family or friends either. 2024-03-1229 min
The Startup Different PodcastDo you really need to raise capital? (Season 2, Episode 7)So far in our ongoing Startup Takeoff series we've touched on a number of myths around launching your business. But the Funding Myth - that you need funding to get your business off of the ground is so pervasive that we’ve opted to give it its own episode. Today we'll cover the myths of early funding and help you understand if funding will help - or hurt - your business. 2024-03-0528 min
The Startup Different PodcastThe Credibility Crisis of Starting a Company (Season 2, Episode 6)So you’ve gotten your fledgling startup going. You’re at a co-working space, starbucks in hand, and wondering if this is "it". Is this really what all the hype is about? And cue the doubts: "Is this a good idea?", "am I the right person for this?", "what am I doing here?" There's glamor in starting a business, but it can fade in a real hurry. In our second episode of the "Startup Takeoff" four part series, we tackle the credibility crisis of starting a company. 2024-02-2729 min
The Startup Different PodcastYou Are an Entrepreneur (Season 2, Episode 5)Welcome to Episode 5 of Season 2 and the first episode of our Startup Takeoff series. Today we tackle the psychological barriers to entrepreneurship. The first biggie? Breaking the mold and starting your own company can feel unnatural and intimidating. You might think you’re not cut out for entrepreneurship. But here’s the thing: entrepreneurs are made, not born. You are an entrepreneur and you can do this. 2024-02-2027 min
The Startup Different PodcastYou're Not Important Anymore (Season 2, Episode 4)Oh boy. Cue the existential crisis. You’ve successfully brought two companies together except for one nagging detail: you. Turns out you successfully made yourself irrelevant to the operations of the business and now it’s time to walk away. It’ll be one of the toughest walks of your life.
Listen to more on this episode of the Startup Different Podcast!2024-02-1324 min
The Startup Different PodcastBringing Two Companies Together (Season 2, Episode 3)You've just had a life-changing event - you sold your business and locked in your financial freedom for the rest of your life. But you're not off the hook yet - you've got to navigate the complexities of taking your company and merging it with the acquirer's firm. In this episode of the Startup Different Podcast, we'll cover what it takes to bring two companies together.
https://www.startupdifferent.com2024-02-0629 minThe Startup Different PodcastThe Process of Being Acquired (Season 2, Episode 2)Everyone has heard of companies being acquired, but do you know the actual steps of the acquisition process?
In part two of a four part series, Dave and Chris will discuss their actual experiences of being acquired. From initial communications with potential buyers, teasing out a letter of intent, due diligence, to closing the deal, we'll discuss it all. 2024-01-3028 minThe Startup Different PodcastPositioning Your Startup For Acquisition (Season 2, Episode 1)From the outside looking in, getting your company acquired is pretty mysterious. Basically all founders want this, but they don’t really know how they’ll get there.
In part one of a four part series, we’re going to go into how you actually get your company in a position to be acquired. We’ll discuss our real world experience of selling our company, and compare it with data on when and how most startups are sold.2024-01-2326 minThe Startup Different PodcastSeason Two Trailer - The Startup Different Podcast
Welcome to Startup Different Season Two!
In Season One, we explored topics ranging from HR to customer service to picking a co-founder. Now, we're excited to bring you a second season of the show broken down into three parts that are four episodes each. We'll start by going deep on how to get acquired, then cover how to get your startup off the ground, and end the season by investigating some interesting employee shenanigans.
We're Dave and Chris. We started a business in public safety that we sold for millions of dollars, only to be acquired again 10 months later...2024-01-2201 minThe Startup Different PodcastMinimum Viable Podcast (Season 1, Episode 11)For the season finale of season 1 we opted to run right at explaining the Lean Startup's MVP process and how we used it to iterate and improve the Startup Different Pod. Rather than talking about an abstract business concept, learn how we built, measured, and learned key concepts for podcasting.2023-11-2827 minThe Startup Different PodcastSell To Them Their Way (Season 1, Episode 10)As a founder, you'll have an idea about where you'll want to highlight your product to prospective customers. Whether that's social media, trade shows, or inbound tactics, you'll have a hunch as to the how and where you'd like to meet your customers in the market. Here's the thing though: What's best for you isn't always what's best for your prospective customers.2023-11-2128 minThe Startup Different PodcastBuilding Your Startup Team Culture (Season 1, Episode 9)We thought we could be like NetFlix. Or at least, we wanted to be one of the most disruptive businesses out there. We wanted to build a winning culture, when really what we needed to do was build a culture around how we wanted to work. It was a painful learning moment. Avoid our mistakes, and learn how to build a great startup from day one in this episode.
2023-11-1428 minThe Startup Different PodcastThe Case for a Co-Founder (Season 1, Episode 8)I know. You want to believe you can do this all yourself. Maybe you've got industry experience, maybe you know how to build a product - hell, maybe you could do it by yourself. But do you want to? In this episode we'll discuss the pros and cons of co-founders. We'll also discuss some of the unique challenges and benefits of starting a business with a sibling.
2023-11-0729 minThe Startup Different PodcastPeople Do Not Equal Customer Service (Season 1, Episode 7)Some companies think that strong customer service means great people that a very polite and respond to requests quickly. Wrong. People do not equal (!=) customer service. To scale your business, you need to add customers without adding more people. And besides, if a customer needs to reach out to your customer service team, you've already let them down.2023-10-3126 minThe Startup Different PodcastCustomer Special Request Mayhem (Season 1, Episode 6)If you're running a B2B SaaS company, you'll inevitably land a "big deal" that requires your team to step up and go above and beyond your current product offering. In this episode, we'll give you some tips to keep those projects from going off the rails and sinking your company.
2023-10-2426 minThe Startup Different PodcastWork Smart AND Hard (Season 1, Episode 5)Have you ever heard someone say “I don’t work hard, I work smart.” What a load of garbage. Everybody tries to work smart, that’s a given. What you need to understand is that to get a business off the ground you’re gonna have to do both. You need to work smart, and you’re going to need to work hard by putting in a lot of hours and doing the tasks that nobody else wants to do (or can do) to make your company happen.2023-10-1725 minThe Startup Different PodcastDon't Follow Your Passion, Develop Your Passion (Season 1, Episode 4)There are countless successful celebrities who will tell you to “follow your passion”. I’m certain you’ve seen speeches by famous people at Ivy League commencement ceremonies that bestow the virtues of following your passions. Simply put, this is terrible advice. In this episode we're going to talk about how passion for your product or industry doesn't need to exist at the beginning, but will come as you keep working on your startup.2023-10-1026 minThe Startup Different PodcastSetting Your Company Cadence (Season 1, Episode 3)It's a proven fact that people work best when they have a consistent routine. For your startup, this can be an incredibly powerful tool to create a highly productive team. In this episode, we'll talk about how we used Scrum to build a cadence to our team and their work that helped us stay on track.2023-10-0330 minThe Startup Different PodcastOffice Space and Startup Culture (Season 1, Episode 2)Office space is an important part of any business. It's how you attract new hires, it helps you create a company culture, and oh yeah, it's where your team is going to come up with your next big breakthrough. The pandemic has dramatically changed the office concept, but in this episode we're going to talk about how to create an in-person office experience that your team will love.2023-09-2626 minThe Startup Different PodcastYour Next Great Idea (Season 1, Episode 1)Coming up with ideas to start a business is an intimidating task. Sometimes (read as: often) you’ll think of an idea but it’s already being done. Or maybe it’s a cool idea but not something someone would pay or pay enough for. It can be deflating and frustrating to keep coming up with ideas that don’t make the cut or that you start investing in mentally only to have it fizzle out.
Trust us though - this is good. Ideally you want to figure out what won’t work early, so you don’t end up investing...2023-09-1927 minThe Startup Different PodcastMeet the Hosts (Season 1, Episode 0)Say Hello to Startup Different! A Hype-free way to grow a multi-million dollar business.
Startups are sexy. From revolutions to disruptions to pivots, running your own startup is an appealing but unfortunately buzzword-heavy endeavor. The problem is that a lot of the buzz around startups is full of myths and misnomers. Making the wrong call on questions like these can actually crush your dreams rather than realizing them.
And it’s not just business decisions. Entrepreneurs also feel constant challenges to their legitimacy—doubts from family, friends, their employees, mentors, the market… you name it.
...2023-09-1525 min