1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,700 When it came to you doing the podcast of How to Founder, 2 00:00:04,700 --> 00:00:06,560 tell me about your vision. 3 00:00:08,040 --> 00:00:12,660 Well, so, How to Founder is with me and my friend, 4 00:00:12,660 --> 00:00:14,700 my buddy, Chris Franks. 5 00:00:14,700 --> 00:00:17,160 And Chris and I are pretty active 6 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:18,180 in the entrepreneurial community, 7 00:00:18,180 --> 00:00:20,260 especially here in Colorado. 8 00:00:20,260 --> 00:00:22,580 And we're always volunteering our time 9 00:00:22,580 --> 00:00:27,000 and running meetups and events and in-person things. 10 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:32,000 And we want to help entrepreneurs, 11 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:36,520 whatever that means, we wanna serve entrepreneurs. 12 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:41,520 I believe entrepreneurship is the master key to prosperity. 13 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:46,520 And I wanna help those entrepreneurs along the journey. 14 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:52,040 And so we started How to Founder 15 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:55,000 because one of the things that is missing 16 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:58,960 with entrepreneurial content and books 17 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:02,440 is it's very inspirational and very little tactics. 18 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:05,960 So How to Founder is about the tactics 19 00:01:05,960 --> 00:01:07,920 of being an entrepreneur. 20 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:10,540 What do you do when an employee is stealing from you? 21 00:01:10,540 --> 00:01:12,640 How do you create a vision statement? 22 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:17,780 What does social media strategy look like? 23 00:01:17,780 --> 00:01:21,060 Every episode is a deep dive into, 24 00:01:21,060 --> 00:01:24,620 think of it as a founder reference manual 25 00:01:24,620 --> 00:01:26,300 that we'll eventually one day write. 26 00:01:26,300 --> 00:01:27,840 But that's what the podcast is. 27 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:29,920 It's the tactics, it's how to, 28 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:34,180 the practical advice on a specific topic. 29 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:37,680 I'm gonna ask you one more question. 30 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:39,200 How did you get started? 31 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:44,400 In the podcast or just as an entrepreneur? 32 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:45,600 Oh, I love it. 33 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:46,440 Give it to me. 34 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:49,360 I'm an entrepreneur 35 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:51,040 because I can't hold the job otherwise. 36 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:52,840 I'm a terrible employee. 37 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:55,440 So I started becoming an entrepreneur 38 00:01:55,440 --> 00:02:00,360 by doing graphic design for a Mexican t-shirt company 39 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:01,200 as a contractor. 40 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:05,840 So I made t-shirt designs for a silk screening company 41 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:09,060 and just kind of fell in love with working on my own. 42 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:12,400 And then started building companies 43 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:13,840 and partnering, et cetera. 44 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:18,840 The podcast was just a result of Chris and I wanting to, 45 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:22,640 essentially I wanna work with founders 46 00:02:22,640 --> 00:02:23,880 for the rest of my life. 47 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:25,480 It's selfish. 48 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:29,920 I just love working with entrepreneurs and founders. 49 00:02:29,920 --> 00:02:34,920 And so this is our first step into maybe making a business 50 00:02:35,920 --> 00:02:40,800 out of helping founders progress along their businesses. 51 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:42,560 Yeah, yeah, I get that. 52 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:44,040 And if I'm not mistaken, 53 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:46,520 you have had multiple businesses 54 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:49,520 with successful exit plans, 55 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:53,640 allowing you to continue to be a founder 56 00:02:53,640 --> 00:02:55,740 and an entrepreneur, is that correct? 57 00:02:55,740 --> 00:03:00,140 Yes, I've started seven companies, sold six of them. 58 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:03,720 Two, I sold the public companies. 59 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:08,720 And yeah, I love the launch. 60 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:10,320 I love the exit. 61 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:11,600 The middle part, not so much, 62 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:15,240 but the in-between stuff is the hard stuff, 63 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:17,440 but the launch and exit I absolutely love. 64 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:22,440 When you stated being a founder, being an entrepreneur, 65 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:26,240 there is a lot of costs to it. 66 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:29,120 So what I wanna talk about is the startup cost. 67 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:32,200 What are some hidden costs founders or entrepreneurs 68 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:35,440 should be prepared for when starting a business? 69 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:40,440 Well, so if you're talking like hard, like dollars, 70 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:44,240 you can start a business and not put any money upfront. 71 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:48,400 A lot of services businesses start with no risk. 72 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:50,840 And if you're just starting as an entrepreneur, 73 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:53,840 I highly recommend starting as a services business. 74 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:58,680 Go do car wash, create a car detailing service 75 00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:02,080 or a window cleaning service, something that you can do. 76 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:03,700 If you're younger, something that you can do 77 00:04:03,700 --> 00:04:05,760 without having to put any money upfront. 78 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:11,120 But there's personal costs 79 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:13,280 that I think what you're really talking about. 80 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:15,200 And the personal costs are, 81 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:19,440 I think the most common thing 82 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:24,440 that entrepreneurs don't recognize is the cost to your ego. 83 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:33,600 So you have to have no shame when you get into a startup. 84 00:04:36,100 --> 00:04:39,120 You have to be willing to look foolish. 85 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:41,400 So there is a reputational cost, 86 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:43,720 especially when you're starting out 87 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:46,600 because you have to be willing to go 88 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:48,240 and talk to people and sell. 89 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:52,580 And you have to be willing to fail a lot. 90 00:04:53,500 --> 00:04:55,320 Even if you're in it for 20 years, 91 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:58,920 you have that willingness to fail and look foolish. 92 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:04,780 I would say is the most under recognized cost 93 00:05:04,780 --> 00:05:09,780 of being an entrepreneur is just being wrong a lot 94 00:05:09,780 --> 00:05:11,140 is hard on your ego. 95 00:05:12,140 --> 00:05:12,980 Yeah. 96 00:05:12,980 --> 00:05:15,700 And you could say that I'm sitting here like, 97 00:05:15,700 --> 00:05:17,300 ooh, tell it because. 98 00:05:19,460 --> 00:05:20,500 Yes. 99 00:05:20,500 --> 00:05:23,380 And it's definitely an ego thing. 100 00:05:23,380 --> 00:05:26,540 I'm just gonna share, I hate being told no. 101 00:05:26,540 --> 00:05:28,860 Hate being told no. 102 00:05:28,860 --> 00:05:31,100 I don't know if I've ever not ever put myself 103 00:05:31,100 --> 00:05:33,740 in the position of being told no when I was younger, 104 00:05:33,740 --> 00:05:35,380 but right now I'm like, 105 00:05:35,380 --> 00:05:37,940 oh, that's a word that I really don't like. 106 00:05:37,940 --> 00:05:41,100 It could either make you or break you, 107 00:05:41,100 --> 00:05:43,840 pushing you forward to understand why. 108 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:49,500 I think that you're onto something when it comes to saying, 109 00:05:49,500 --> 00:05:53,840 don't do it, but then when you do, these are the tactics. 110 00:05:53,840 --> 00:05:57,460 So what would you tell an entrepreneur first? 111 00:05:57,460 --> 00:06:01,060 Like, hey, if this is something that you really wanna do 112 00:06:01,060 --> 00:06:05,420 and you're okay with all these things, where do they start? 113 00:06:05,420 --> 00:06:10,420 You start with trying to prove yourself your idea wrong. 114 00:06:12,500 --> 00:06:16,900 So for you it'd be go look for that no 115 00:06:16,900 --> 00:06:20,540 and find out why they're saying no and do that a lot. 116 00:06:20,540 --> 00:06:23,580 So talk to people, before you start the business, 117 00:06:23,580 --> 00:06:25,660 before you get a company logo, and by the way, 118 00:06:25,660 --> 00:06:26,860 I make this mistake all the time. 119 00:06:26,860 --> 00:06:29,580 The first thing I do when I have an idea 120 00:06:29,580 --> 00:06:33,380 is I go and make a logo so I can have in my head an identity. 121 00:06:33,380 --> 00:06:35,860 That's the wrong way to do it. 122 00:06:35,860 --> 00:06:38,140 The best thing that you can do is go out 123 00:06:38,140 --> 00:06:42,500 and talk to your customers, build a website, 124 00:06:42,500 --> 00:06:47,500 go to, I use strikingly, but there's a bunch 125 00:06:49,020 --> 00:06:52,380 they get a different, put up a really simple website 126 00:06:53,260 --> 00:06:55,220 and that you can send people to 127 00:06:55,220 --> 00:06:56,720 and see if you can get traction. 128 00:06:56,720 --> 00:07:01,720 Before you spend any money, before you start the business, 129 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:05,080 go figure out where your idea is wrong. 130 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:08,800 It's best to do it in person, so go knock on doors, 131 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:12,520 go to a trade show and just start talking to the exhibitors 132 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:14,640 and the people there and try to figure out 133 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:17,320 where you are wrong and modify it 134 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:22,320 until you feel like you've got an idea you can sell. 135 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:25,680 That's when you start, is when you think, 136 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:28,800 okay, I can get money for the thing that I'm doing. 137 00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:33,800 That's when you can actually start the business. 138 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:35,920 And you know that's interesting you say that 139 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:39,280 because as social media and everything 140 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:42,080 just blows up all these ideas, 141 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:44,320 I believe that there are entrepreneurs 142 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:47,760 that become entrepreneurs based off of what they see 143 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:49,680 and not really what they know. 144 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:52,600 When you, have you met anyone that's like, 145 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:55,880 you know what, I've seen somebody do this, I can do this. 146 00:07:55,880 --> 00:07:58,760 And then how do you go about having that conversation? 147 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:03,120 Yeah, so you're dead on with that. 148 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:10,340 If you're going into it to make money, 149 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:15,160 chase the vision, not the money, right? 150 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:16,740 To your podcast, chase the vision, not the money. 151 00:08:16,740 --> 00:08:19,080 The money will end up following you. 152 00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:23,860 So you have to have a passion 153 00:08:23,860 --> 00:08:25,600 for what you're doing to start a business. 154 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:30,600 If it's not something that you would do for free, 155 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:35,920 essentially, then you're not gonna have the grit, 156 00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:39,040 the perseverance to work through the hard times 157 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:40,640 because it's not fun. 158 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:43,600 So if you're not doing something that you enjoy, 159 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:45,240 if you're doing it because somebody else 160 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:48,460 is making money at it, and that's the reason, 161 00:08:48,460 --> 00:08:49,520 you're gonna fail. 162 00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:50,520 It's that simple. 163 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:55,520 It's too hard to do it just for the money. 164 00:08:56,280 --> 00:08:59,280 And I tell you, I think I see that a lot. 165 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:02,000 And not saying that I've had a guest on here 166 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:04,400 that is doing that. 167 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:06,920 It's just when you're on social media 168 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:09,400 and you're watching all these people 169 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:13,160 birth up these ideas that don't seem like their vision, 170 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:16,960 it just seems like an idea that someone else brought to them. 171 00:09:16,960 --> 00:09:20,480 Could that be the reason why 90% of entrepreneurship 172 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:21,720 businesses fail? 173 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:26,800 Yeah, a great reason why companies fail 174 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:29,560 is because the founder loses steam. 175 00:09:29,560 --> 00:09:31,740 It's just too hard. 176 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:36,840 And I wanna take a step back 177 00:09:36,840 --> 00:09:39,640 because what I said just before 178 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:41,680 is not necessarily true for everybody. 179 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:45,820 If you wanna go out, so I first said, 180 00:09:45,820 --> 00:09:48,400 go out and start a services business, right? 181 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:50,960 Go do window washing. 182 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:53,120 And that probably isn't your passion. 183 00:09:54,680 --> 00:09:57,320 So the reason why I said that 184 00:09:57,320 --> 00:09:59,680 is because entrepreneurship is a craft. 185 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:04,160 And if you're just starting out, 186 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:07,400 go fall in love with being an entrepreneur. 187 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:12,160 It doesn't have to be the business that you're in today 188 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:13,760 because you're gonna have 10 businesses 189 00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:14,900 that you're gonna do. 190 00:10:14,900 --> 00:10:17,560 So first, fall in love with the craft 191 00:10:17,560 --> 00:10:19,240 and understanding of being an entrepreneur. 192 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:20,280 How do you run your books? 193 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:22,080 How do you sell to customers? 194 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:23,720 How do you actually provide service? 195 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:25,400 What do you do with employees? 196 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:27,120 All of those things, 197 00:10:27,120 --> 00:10:31,000 the entrepreneurship itself can be a passion, 198 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:33,740 but when you wanna take that swing for the fences, 199 00:10:33,740 --> 00:10:37,200 it's gotta be something that you're passionate about. 200 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:40,580 So I diverted off of the question you just asked. 201 00:10:40,580 --> 00:10:42,800 I apologize, but I thought that was important to bring up. 202 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:43,720 No, no worries. 203 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:44,680 No, no worries. 204 00:10:44,680 --> 00:10:48,880 And that's okay because this is about vision, of course, 205 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:50,480 because we're Vision Pros Live 206 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:52,720 and everyone does have a vision, 207 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:56,280 but sometimes, well, majority of people have a vision 208 00:10:56,280 --> 00:10:58,760 when it comes to starting a business. 209 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:00,360 But even if you don't, like you said, 210 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:02,560 I've never actually heard anyone say, 211 00:11:02,560 --> 00:11:06,600 you can be passionate about being an entrepreneur, 212 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:10,780 which often sometimes makes serial entrepreneurs 213 00:11:10,780 --> 00:11:14,180 very successful because they know how to start up, 214 00:11:14,180 --> 00:11:16,640 go to the middle and exit, 215 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:18,680 and they can continue to do that. 216 00:11:18,680 --> 00:11:20,560 And if I may ask, Anthony, 217 00:11:20,560 --> 00:11:22,920 is that something of what you've done 218 00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:27,920 is created this path that allows you to start businesses 219 00:11:30,500 --> 00:11:34,520 and then have great exit strategies and continue on? 220 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:37,480 Yeah, my hobby is entrepreneurship. 221 00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:41,520 I don't play golf, I don't go tennis, 222 00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:44,640 I don't do wood carving. 223 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:47,840 Like I wish I did, it'd make me seem more balanced, 224 00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:51,360 but truly my hobby and my passion 225 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:55,600 is entrepreneurship itself and helping other founders. 226 00:11:55,600 --> 00:12:00,600 So it's a little bit, 227 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:02,720 and I think most serial entrepreneurs are like that. 228 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:05,360 They enjoy the game. 229 00:12:05,360 --> 00:12:06,200 It is a game. 230 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:08,880 They enjoy the game of being a founder 231 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:11,040 and serving their employees and customers. 232 00:12:11,040 --> 00:12:11,880 They just love it. 233 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:15,320 What's your why? 234 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:18,720 To help entrepreneurs. 235 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:20,040 It's that simple. 236 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:21,240 My way is really easy. 237 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:26,160 And you wake up excited about it every morning, right? 238 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:27,000 No. 239 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:27,840 No? 240 00:12:28,840 --> 00:12:30,400 What are you doing? 241 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:32,240 No, no, no, no, no. 242 00:12:34,720 --> 00:12:36,320 Life happens. 243 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:41,320 So there's oftentimes where, what am I doing? 244 00:12:43,680 --> 00:12:44,520 That's normal. 245 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:48,760 Like that being in this and doing this, 246 00:12:48,760 --> 00:12:50,880 it is a roller coaster. 247 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:54,560 And you have to just kind of set yourself up 248 00:12:54,560 --> 00:12:56,360 to understand that and get, 249 00:12:56,360 --> 00:12:57,320 and when you're in a dip, 250 00:12:57,320 --> 00:12:59,440 know that there's gonna be, 251 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:00,280 when you're in a valley, 252 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:01,920 you know there's gonna be a peak as well. 253 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:04,320 So just kind of get used to the ride. 254 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:06,600 That is so funny. 255 00:13:08,120 --> 00:13:11,160 What was your most significant learning experiences? 256 00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:14,120 Oh gosh. 257 00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:22,400 I think the most significant piece 258 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:25,960 of information I received was when I, 259 00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:28,240 was when I read a really small book. 260 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:30,240 It's a really, I recommend this to everybody. 261 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:31,720 It's called Strengths Finder. 262 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:36,720 And essentially what I used to feel, 263 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:40,920 I used to feel like I needed to work on all of my weaknesses. 264 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:44,400 Like I, because I was not strong in one area, 265 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:46,280 I needed to go work and lean into that 266 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:49,120 and become better at the thing that I didn't like to do 267 00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:50,840 or was not good at. 268 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:54,400 And what I did, 269 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:56,520 I've always, once you read this book, 270 00:13:56,520 --> 00:13:57,520 there's kind of a little task 271 00:13:57,520 --> 00:13:59,720 that tells you what you're strong in. 272 00:13:59,720 --> 00:14:01,280 And it also says, 273 00:14:01,280 --> 00:14:04,240 and so go find other people that are strong 274 00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:07,240 where you're weak and partner up with them 275 00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:09,920 and not be apologetic for where you're weak. 276 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:13,040 Say, the reason why I need you is because I'm weak here 277 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:14,520 and you're strong here. 278 00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:18,920 And so attracting people and setting the people up 279 00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:19,840 that you're working with, 280 00:14:19,840 --> 00:14:22,720 that this is why I need you to be a partner with me 281 00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:25,120 is because I'm weak here, you're strong here, 282 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:27,640 was incredibly liberating. 283 00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:31,680 It allowed me to go do the things that I'm great at 284 00:14:31,680 --> 00:14:34,960 and enable other people to do the things 285 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:35,800 that they're great at 286 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:37,640 and make really great teams 287 00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:41,920 from those balancing acts of strengths and weaknesses. 288 00:14:41,920 --> 00:14:43,960 Anthony, I really liked that you said that 289 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:47,840 because I believe, I was actually on social media 290 00:14:47,840 --> 00:14:50,440 and I've seen this, of course, this reel 291 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:54,000 and this man had this ginormous hat on, right? 292 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:57,800 And he said, that's the hat that entrepreneurs wear. 293 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:00,240 And it's all hats. 294 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:02,560 I mean, it should cover everything. 295 00:15:02,560 --> 00:15:04,160 And we- That's true. 296 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:07,280 We believe that that, becoming an entrepreneur 297 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:10,880 and having a vision is usually something we do alone, 298 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:14,040 but you saying to go out there and find someone 299 00:15:14,040 --> 00:15:17,320 that is strong in the areas that you're weak, 300 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:21,040 meaning you don't have to wear the hat all by yourself. 301 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:23,160 So it's very interesting. 302 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:26,680 But when someone starts a business, 303 00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:28,760 when is the time to say, 304 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:30,680 hey, I need to find somebody else? 305 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:37,160 That is a very, like the answer, 306 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:39,400 it's the same answer for anything entrepreneurial. 307 00:15:39,400 --> 00:15:40,440 It depends. 308 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:41,280 Okay. 309 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:45,480 It depends. 310 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:48,960 So if you're entering, some founders 311 00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:51,680 will look for a co-founder right away. 312 00:15:51,680 --> 00:15:54,640 For example, if I'm really strong in sales 313 00:15:54,640 --> 00:15:56,480 and I'm really weak in technology, 314 00:15:56,480 --> 00:15:58,840 I'm gonna go find somebody that's strong in technology. 315 00:15:58,840 --> 00:15:59,880 Really hard to do by the way, 316 00:15:59,880 --> 00:16:02,800 but that's kind of what you would do when you're starting. 317 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:05,080 It's like, I can sell into this vertical. 318 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:06,880 I have a solution I need built. 319 00:16:06,880 --> 00:16:10,600 I'm gonna go find a co-founder or vice versa. 320 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:13,160 If you're a strong CTO and you need somebody 321 00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:17,920 that can market and sell, then go find a co-founder. 322 00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:19,880 There's a lot of entrepreneurs that decide, 323 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:23,840 I'm gonna try and do it all upfront. 324 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:28,520 And even the things that I'm not great at, 325 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:31,280 I'm gonna learn how to do them 326 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:33,960 so I can cover all bases if I need to. 327 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:36,000 I think that's also a very practical way 328 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:37,320 of starting a business. 329 00:16:37,320 --> 00:16:39,180 Not trying to find a co-founder, 330 00:16:39,180 --> 00:16:41,160 but trying to get good at everything 331 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:44,000 so that you know who to hire or bring on 332 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:46,520 as you're going through the business. 333 00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:49,520 Like this, I know that this is where I'm weak 334 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:52,080 and I know that I need somebody that can, 335 00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:54,080 but you also have an understanding 336 00:16:54,080 --> 00:16:56,120 of what it takes to be successful in that area 337 00:16:56,120 --> 00:16:58,880 so it helps you bring on the right co-founder. 338 00:16:58,880 --> 00:16:59,720 Yeah. 339 00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:07,800 I think when you feel you can't get 340 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:12,000 to the next level by yourself, 341 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:14,840 and with just going out and having coffee with people 342 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:16,640 that are good at what you're weak at, 343 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:17,720 once you get to the point where it's like, 344 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:20,320 I need somebody to kind of lean into this full time, 345 00:17:20,320 --> 00:17:23,200 that's a really good time to go find somebody 346 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:26,060 that can help balance you out. 347 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:30,400 Understand that that definitely helps me 348 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:32,600 and I'm sure the audience to understand that 349 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:35,920 that you don't necessarily have to do it alone, 350 00:17:35,920 --> 00:17:37,840 but there are steps that you can take 351 00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:42,400 when wanting to have help or find a co-founder. 352 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:45,400 I never even thought about the fact that, 353 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:47,600 yes, entrepreneurs are founders 354 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:50,720 and then you can immediately begin to have a co-founder 355 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:52,520 to actually build a business 356 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:55,920 and possibly become a lot stronger in both areas. 357 00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:58,440 Yep, there's actually accelerators 358 00:17:58,440 --> 00:18:01,080 that have that as a thesis that they don't invest in 359 00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:04,000 or let anybody a part of their acceleration program 360 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:08,680 unless you have the thought that you need a co-founder. 361 00:18:08,680 --> 00:18:10,280 They invest in teams of two or more, 362 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:13,560 not individual single lone wolves. 363 00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:16,400 And I think that that makes all the sense in the world, 364 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:19,440 especially if you know that that's what you wanna do. 365 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:21,840 Before we head out, I do wanna ask, 366 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:25,640 what tips do you have for entrepreneurs and or founders? 367 00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:31,920 So for founders, there's a difference for me. 368 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:34,640 So founders are people that are individuals 369 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:37,760 that are doing it, they're in a business now 370 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:38,580 and they're running it. 371 00:18:38,580 --> 00:18:42,280 Entrepreneurs, I feel are a little bit more 372 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:44,840 before they jump into a business, 373 00:18:44,840 --> 00:18:46,720 they're thinking about a business or in a startup 374 00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:48,400 that it doesn't have revenue. 375 00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:50,640 And that's just my classification. 376 00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:53,500 That's probably not the dictionary definition of it. 377 00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:59,520 So tips for entrepreneurs is just start. 378 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:01,440 Take the first step. 379 00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:04,440 Well, first of all, don't do it, stay away from it, run, 380 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:05,780 go live a normal life. 381 00:19:05,780 --> 00:19:08,640 The second one is now that you've ignored me, 382 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:11,280 just take the first step. 383 00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:14,660 Over planning, your plan will fail. 384 00:19:14,660 --> 00:19:17,320 Whatever you think is going to be your business 385 00:19:17,320 --> 00:19:19,680 in six months, you are wrong. 386 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:22,240 So just be comfortable with being wrong 387 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:26,160 and take the first step and know that you're gonna have 388 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:28,460 to readjust constantly along the way. 389 00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:34,140 For founders, look, I know it's lonely. 390 00:19:35,680 --> 00:19:38,840 And go find other founders to talk to. 391 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:42,840 Be a part of a peer group, go to meetups, 392 00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:47,840 go find other founders in person in your area. 393 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:54,720 There's something so enabling and so fulfilling 394 00:19:54,720 --> 00:19:58,680 about being around other batshit crazy people like you 395 00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:02,280 that are going through not the same problem, 396 00:20:02,280 --> 00:20:06,120 but having the similar struggles that you do as a founder. 397 00:20:06,120 --> 00:20:09,320 So it's inherently lonely. 398 00:20:09,320 --> 00:20:12,280 So make it less so by finding other founders 399 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:13,480 that you can talk to. 400 00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:14,840 Thank you for being here today. 401 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:17,320 I'm really happy that you tuned in to Vision Pros Live. 402 00:20:17,320 --> 00:20:19,960 I'm looking forward to seeing your reactions 403 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:22,240 as these episodes continue to move forward. 404 00:20:22,240 --> 00:20:23,960 This is gonna get more and more fun. 405 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:25,760 We'll have more and more engagement as well. 406 00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:27,880 We'll invite people to participate in the show 407 00:20:27,880 --> 00:20:30,240 and thank you for giving us your time and attention. 408 00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:32,960 Have an excellent time building out your vision 409 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:42,960 and becoming a Vision Pro yourself.