Shows
Startup Stories from the TreehouseThe Paradox of AI: Balancing Technology with Human Connection S03E17William Welser IV’s conversation with Todd Gagne spotlights a human-centered approach to AI and product building. His non-linear path—military, engineering, RAND, and founding LOTIC—centers on helping people. LOTIC flips the data model: it uses spoken stories as rich, owned-by-user data, secured with advanced encryption, and analyzed by the “Wisdom Engine” for personalized insights. Key takeaways for founders: design to enhance lives, not just speed tasks; “show your work” to build transparency and learning; form interdisciplinary teams (behavioral scientists first); practice humility and assume you might be wrong; and address cofounder misalignment early. Welser warns against offloading thinking to AI...
2025-08-2854 min
The Digital Agency Growth PodcastFrom Ozempic to Ad Strategy: Todd Gagne on GLP-1’s Ripple EffectsToday, I talk to Todd Gagne—tech founder, startup mentor, and the guy who accidentally dropped a viral bomb on Substack after a weekend rabbit hole about GLP-1 drugs. We talk about why these weight-loss medications might be as transformative as the air conditioner, what this means for advertising, and why the next few years could upend how we think about consumer behavior, even in B2B.⏱️ Timestamps[00:00] – Todd’s background and startup school origins[01:20] – How a Substack detour into GLP-1 changed everything[03:33] – What GLP-1 dru...
2025-07-0219 min
ACMG Digital PodcastExclusive Podcast Episode: Software Serial Entrepreneur Todd Gagne is changing the game!“I am a serial entrepreneur. I was a senior leader with Concur where we went from $7M to $1.71B in my 19 years before we sold to SAP for $8.3B. Today I run a software accelerator helping other entrepreneurs turn their ideas into products and ultimately Revenue. https://wildfirelabs.io/
2024-07-0837 min
Startup Stories from the TreehouseTop 10 Takaways from Season 1 with Todd & Mike - S1E13Mike & Todd share their top 10 takeaways from season 1 of Wildfire Tales from entrepreneurs and investors on the show in 2023. The episode begins with a story of a startup founder interviewing over 200 co-founders and why, and ends with why Flearning is key to survive and thrive your startup. Don't miss this final episode of season 1, and learn what we have planned for season 2! Ready to launch a startup? Download our investor-reviewed pitch deck template: https://wildfirelabs.io/download-pitch-deck
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2024-01-1750 minStartup Stories from the TreehouseA Costa Rica Trip Turns Into Reinventing Thrifting - Brigit Blote - S1E12In this exciting episode you'll learn how Brigit went on a lifechanging trip to Costa Rica and stumbled upon a need for sustainable clothing. She turned that discovery into a startup rethinks thrifting and 2nd hand clothes. In this podcast she shares key lessons along the way and how they got to thousands of active users.Ready to launch a startup? Download the Wildfire Tales pitch deck template: https://wildfirelabs.io/download-pitch-deck
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2023-11-291h 00Startup Stories from the TreehouseWildfire Entrepreneur Panel @ Innovation Expo 2023 - S1E11Wildfire Tales goes live at Innovation Expo 2023 with our entrepreneur panel. Hear from Wildfire co-founder Mike Vetter and 4 Wildfire startups:Mycroft Liu - VivatlantisCathy Jordan - HIYA CleanersJared Teifenthaler - Signed Up SportsTyler Olson - JourneymanJoin in for our session at this year's event!Ready to launch a startup? Download the Wildfire Tales pitch deck template: https://wildfirelabs.io/download-pitch-deck
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2023-11-1433 minStartup Stories from the TreehouseThe Story of Bushel - Building an app that 100,000+ farmers use - (S1E10)Jake Joraanstad started out building a services business that consistently lost money. From those difficult beginnings Jake and his team learned about the power of finding a niche and creating value in the industry in their backyard - agriculture. Today Bushel serves more than 100,000 farmers across the nation, and is one of the leading ag tech providers.Want to launch a startup? Download the Wildfire Tales pitch deck template: https://wildfirelabs.io/download-pitch-deck
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2023-10-2453 minStartup Stories from the TreehouseHow to Build a $25 Million Fintech Company - Matt Paulson - S1E9Matt Paulson shares his experience building MarketBeat from the ground up to a $25 million business, his VC fund, and his experiences building entrepreneurial ecosystems. MarketBeat has only 13 employees, which is incredible considering his revenue rate and growth. Matt also shares what his VC fund is looking for and his effort building an entrepreneurial ecosystem in Sioux Falls, SD. Want to launch a startup? Download the Wildfire Tales pitch deck template: https://wildfirelabs.io/download-pitch-deck
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2023-09-261h 07
Startup Stories from the TreehouseCrop Duster to Successful Real Estate & Tech Investor - Eric Martz (S1E8)Eric grew up on a rural North Dakota farm starting his career as a crop duster. From there he spent time spent managing restaurants and then got into real estate investing and managing assisted living centers. Eric now invests in tech companies and helps new startups get prepared for capital at Wildfire Labs. In this episode you'll learn key lessons learned and how important people are to success. Eric also covers how being mentored and mentoring have played a huge role in his life, and how making tough decisions to balance work and home life has helped him grow.
2023-09-1236 minStartup Stories from the TreehouseEpisode 7: Eric BroughtonGet instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts
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2023-08-231h 03Startup Stories from the TreehouseEpisode 6: Ray HespenGet instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts
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2023-07-1247 minStartup Stories from the TreehouseEpisode 5: Bill TrevillyanGet instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts
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2023-06-0551 minStartup Stories from the TreehouseEpisode 4: Jared TiefenthalerGet instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts
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2023-04-1142 minStartup Stories from the TreehouseEpisode 3: Deb Clark from Eval.comGet instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts
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2023-03-1449 minStartup Stories from the TreehouseEpisode 2: David Hanna from Paystubz.comGet instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts
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2023-03-1433 minStartup Stories from the TreehouseEpisode 1: Origin StoryGet instant access to all of our podcast transcripts here: https://wildfirelabs.io/get-podcast-transcripts
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2023-03-1328 min