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In this episode, I interview my son, Patrick Kelly, co-founder of Shorca Wood. We talked a bit about his business and about being an entrepreneur. He has grown up watching me start multiple businesses and host this podcast. He is also an entrepreneur himself and isn’t even a teenager yet. After hosting my Startup Competitors podcast for four years, I have decided it’s time for this final episode. I’ve enjoyed it immensely and have met many entrepreneurs who’ve generously shared their genius and wisdom. I thank each of them once more, and thank each of you who have listened and supported the Startup Competitors podcast all these years. Topics In This Episode Solving problems with projections and spreadsheets What is your earliest memory of Developer Town? What’s it like when I’m so busy with my entrepreneurial endeavors? How do you think watching me has affected what you might do in the future? What are some things you’ve picked up from watching me that you think are good? Not good? Why do people work? Why do you work and why did you and Levi start Shorca Wood? As a parent that works so much, what can I do differently or better? About Shorca Wood Shorca Wood is a two-year old wood supply company started by two friends who are not even teenagers yet. One of them happens to be my son, Patrick Kelly. The other is his friend, Levi. They specialize in selling firewood by the rick (which basically fills the bed of an F150 truck). The wood is harvested and split from the acres of timber on the Kelly homestead.  If you would like to hear more about Shorca Wood, check out my previous interview with Patrick: startupcompetitors.com/podcast/2020/12/28/shorca-wood-learning-business-at-a-young-age  About Developer Town DeveloperTown is a multi-faceted software consultancy for today’s IT and Business Leaders. We create world-class digital experiences to help businesses succeed in a competitive digital world. Website: developertown.com  Company LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/developertown  Company Twitter: twitter.com/developertown Company Facebook: facebook.com/developertown   Company Instagram: instagram.com/developertown  Michael’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaeldkelly  Michael’s email: [email protected]

Pernix Solutions is a software building company co-founded by former Intel and HP employees. They specialize in extending and building development teams, developing mobile and web apps, and crafting MVPs for startups and entrepreneurs.  In this episode, I chat with Carlos Sirias, founder and CEO of Pernix Solutions. Carlos is located in Costa Rica and we talk about the economic stability of Latin America. We also discuss how that ties into him building an apprentice program, where the company is headed, and more. I have a lot of respect for Carlos and his willingness to give. Whether you’re thinking about building a product or are already in the middle of building one, you need to listen to this episode. Topics In This Episode Apprenticeship program and mission Helping create economic growth in Latin America Why things go wrong in the technology field and how to fix it The economic burn and benefits of an apprenticeship program Scoping for minimal viable product How early experience and behaviors manifest later Success examples Does Pernix Solutions take equity in startups they help through their apprenticeship program? Common mistakes startups and entrepreneurs make starting out Focusing on what makes a startup succeed Becoming employee-owned Contact Info Pernix Solutions Website: pernix-solutions.com Pernix Solutions (company) LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/pernix-solutions/about  Carlos Sirias LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/csirias/  Facebook Twitter Email: [email protected]

Sequense is a B2B SaaS workflow management software created by travel agents, for travel agents. Because the travel industry has evolved and grown, especially due to Covid, people are having more of a relationship with their travel agent. In fact, in updated terminology, travel agents are more frequently called travel advisors. Currently, approximately 100,000 United States travel advisors are responsible for over $32 billion per year in travel revenue. In this episode, I talk with Sequense co-founder and CMO, Megan Habig about the need travel advisors have for a platform like Sequense. We discuss building an early stage tech company, fundraising and working with an accelerator, launching without a technical co-founder, and their early go to market strategy. I really enjoyed this conversation and hope you do as well. Topics In This Episode The inspiration and evolution of travel behind Sequense Experience with an accelerator, pre-seed funding, and advisors Leveraging people already in the industry Why Sequense doesn’t technically have any direct competitors Future growth over the next 5 years, including software development Designing to shorten learning curves and facilitate customizations Launching and building without a tech co-founder Goals for funding rounds Learning and following through to make the most of opportunities The most rewarding part of the journey so far Megan’s biggest challenges in all this Contact Info Sequense Website: https://sequensesoftware.com  Sequense (company) LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/sequense-software Megan Habig LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/megan-habig-40aa8721 Email (investor advisors): [email protected] Email (travel advisors): [email protected]

I was recently a guest on the fun and inspirational Moments To Momentum podcast with Scott Abbott. In his signature style, Scott asked me a series of questions, balancing frivolity with deeper business insights. We talked about how I got started in technology, Oreos and whiskey, and a few other interesting facts about my life.  After that, we moved on to more serious topics. One we discussed at length was how to recognize and not trivialize the pain and suffering of others. And once you recognize that pain exists, how you can appropriately adjust your approach to people whether in business, life or parenting. The other was “the day I fell in love with sales”. It was a really fun conversation and I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed being Scott’s guest. A Sample of the Questions Scott Asked Me: Who is Mike Kelly? What’s your background? How did you get started in technology? What are you doing now? What is DeveloperTown and FullStack? Any celebrity crushes?  If you were a teacher, what would you teach? What is your favorite: cookie, snack, beverage and meal?  If you had a yacht, what would your yacht be named? Can you share with us one of your most meaningful, defining and noteworthy situations - you know, a specific experience, time, relationship, or event - that has made a significant impact on your life, so far? What happened, why was it so meaningful, what did you learn, how did it benefit you, and what advice or recommendations can you share? About Moments To Momentum with Scott Abbott "Moments to Momentum, with Scott Abbott" is a fun, informative and inspirational podcast - featuring impactful conversations, with successful leaders from a wide-spectrum of demographics and vocations - that share their most meaningful situations, stories and events (i.e. “moments”), that they have experienced. Furthermore, how those big moments produced "momentum," that helps them succeed in their profession, and life. By having leaders share their most significant experiences - along with the lessons and advice learned - listeners gain their own “moments to momentum," as they enjoy and benefit from our guests’ personal experiences, insights and recommendations. An important element of the podcast - is identifying and discussing what Scott calls, the "bio-mechanics" to productivity, happiness and success. In other words, using the podcast to understand and appreciate, the components and connection between the biological elements (i.e. the mind, heart, body, soul, psychology and sociology), with the mechanical elements (i.e. the strategy, tactics, systems, structure, tools, science and engineering), that it takes to effectively determine, develop, maintain and optimize consistent productivity, happiness and success: in business, work and life. momentstomomentum.com LinkedIn Instagram Twitter

iResearch is an online platform that allows users to conduct focus groups all over the world, in any language. With the ability to quickly extract insights from consumers, iResearch provides users the knowledge to make smart business decisions. ConnectQik is an app that allows users to make connections and take part in engaging interactions. Designed to capture business information, you can instantly exchange information with new contacts. In this episode, I talk with iResearch.com and ConnectQik.com founder and CEO, Darshan Mehta, about finding meaningful insights from customers, users and consumers. We discuss how such insights inform product road maps and decision-making, as well as Darshan’s four ways to increase your chances of being successful. We also chat about current international business opportunities and his upcoming book, Getting to Aha! - Why Today's Insights are Tomorrow's Facts. Topics In This Episode Become your own worst competitor Control inroads, differentiate yourself and your product 4 ways to increase your chances of being successful Structuring methods, questions and conversations to reveal powerful insights Tapping into the jet streams of society -- getting to the why Find a connection from your product to an emotion; an example Why you should do focus groups first Marketing solutions and problem solving versus selling to people International business opportunities and insights Darshan’s experience living in Thailand Contact Info iResearch Website: https://iresearch.com  iResearch (company) LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/iresearch-com Darshan Mehta LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/darshan--mehta ConnectQik Website: www.connectqik.com Email: [email protected] Get Darshan’s Book: Getting to Aha! - Why Today's Insights are Tomorrow's Facts

iTeam is a network of CEO think tanks that brings top level CEOs together in private groups. The purpose is to provide a place to reflect on tough decisions or get honest feedback. With an emphasis on technology enablement, and a process to find, sharpen, and drive competitive edges forward, the results speak for themselves. They have identified and are addressing the somewhat hidden needs of high level CEOs.  In this episode, I talk with iTeam founder and CEO, Thaddeus Rex, about what it means to run a business specifically designed to help other CEOs focus on their businesses. This includes analyzing processes, offering strengths where others are weak, and supporting and interacting in a mutually beneficial manner. All this creates a unique, and much-needed, pact of dedication between CEOs who might otherwise be alone in many circumstances and decision-making. Topics In This Episode The pact that inspired iTeam Investment and growth through Covid-19 Quality control of a business when your product isn’t actually a product Analyzing potential fit of a CEO and business builders Solving unsolvable problems - the right team iTeam’s current competitors and how iTeam is different What makes a great facilitator Differentiation in startups to set yourself apart Thaddeus’ core philosophy about the purpose and impact of business Some success stories and some struggles as iTeam members support each other Cultivating options for solutions Contact Info Thaddeus Rex website: thaddeusrex.com/iteamexperience  iTeam (company) LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/the-iteam  Thaddeus Rex LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thaddeusrex  Twitter Facebook iTeam (new website coming soon): thinkiteam.com

Vertex Intelligence is a data science and machine learning consultancy. They help a wide-range of companies solve tough data-related challenges by changing human problems into math problems and then solving them. Vertex identified frequent issues plaguing companies of all sizes, such as scheduling, data mining, and resource allocation, and developed machine-learning based solutions.  In this episode, I talk with CEO, Tyler Foxworthy, about how they’ve leveraged data science and optimization to build Vertex Intelligence. We cover problems data scientists solve that exist now and where he sees it going in the future. Tyler shares some of Vertex Intelligence’s successes, including working with multiple enterprise-level companies. Boot-strapped to success, they have achieved seven figures with just four full time employees.  Topics In This Episode When and how a company should look at the processes they need to optimize  Looking at internal and external (3rd party) data and blending them Mapping problems into math, an example Identifying and leveraging the right solutions; getting started and maintaining continuity Current status of data science and where Tyler sees it going Who is already using data science and who is coming into this approach The impact of SaaS software companies on business development and structure Why clean data is crucial and the resulting departure from traditional software Entering the data science field and market Contact Info Website: vertexintelligence.com  Vertex Intelligence (company) LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/vertex-intelligence  Tyler Foxworthy LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tyler-foxworthy  Email: [email protected]

Otus is a single platform for teaching, grading, analyzing and planning for K-12 education. It’s designed for administrators, educators, students and families so they can concentrate on what matters most -- learning. Through robust and integrated technology, Otus eliminates the time and ease of use pain points for administrative and teaching tasks.  Otus employs 8-week cycles for product assessment, actively and rapidly adapting and responding to requests for additions and improvements. They have positioned themselves in the center of the “Venn diagram” of technological needs in education. In this episode, I talk with Otus Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer, Christopher Hull about all of this and much more. Listen as he expertly outlines their product roadmap and also gives me my absolute favorite answer ever received to a question I’ve asked at least 75 times. Topics In This Episode The reach of Otus, their 300% revenue growth and market share increase Customer acquisition, leveraging referrals and social media; crafting the path to product adoption Otus’ current competitors, how Otus sits in the center of the Venn diagram of meeting needs Product roadmap: measuring success through “buckets”, key metrics, usage benchmarks, and implementation reporting Responding to customer requests for both current pain points and future preferences Otus’ 8-week cycle for product improvement and listening to multiple stakeholders for input An example of an 8-week cycle Listening to clients first, then assessing competitors, and combining results Pricing models and adapting for growth and usage Simple pricing for launch of a SaaS Pricing review cadence and processes Contact Info Website: otus.com  Otus (company) LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/OtusK12  Chris Hull LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chull9 Company Twitter Christopher’s Twitter Company Facebook

Geneoscopy is committed to reinventing the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. Their innovative techniques for non-invasive diagnosis and treatment includes technology for assistance in early-stage colon cancer detection. As a venture-backed startup based in Saint Louis, Missouri, Geneoscopy is walking through building technology and bringing it to the marketplace. This includes commercializing technology coming out of universities and schools of medicine. For Geneoscopy, this is specifically Washington University’s School of Medicine. In this episode, I learned a lot from Chief Commercial Officer, Vince Wong, JD, MBA, who has worked through the various aspects it takes to fully bring a product to market. We discussed what they’ve already accomplished, where they currently are, and their soon launching 10,000 clinical participant study. In particular, I was excited to discuss what Vince termed “air” support and “ground” support for product rollout. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Topics In This Episode Series B funded company; in development product FDA break-through designation Product manufacturing plans and differing operating models for inside and outside the United States Current competitors and how Geneoscopy is superior Marketing and positioning: healthcare insurers, healthcare providers and opinion leaders, patient advocacy groups, patient awareness Cutting through marketplace noise Partnering with and leveraging existing footprints “Air” support and “ground” support for product rollout How launching a new product is both similar and different in method Potential direct-to-consumer futures Decentralized targeting creates widened reach, expanded demographics Contact Info Website: geneoscopy.com  Clinical study participation: colonscreeningstudy.com  Email: [email protected]  Geneoscopy (company) LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/geneoscopy  Vince Wong LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/vince-wong-7254151  Twitter Facebook

Upper Hand builds award-winning innovative sports and fitness management software. They streamline day-to-day operations and eliminate manual and time-consuming tasks for fitness studios, sports facilities and sports academies. Upper Hand has found tremendous success, skillfully transitioning from a solid B2C company into a sought-after, growing B2B company. Interested in learning about how they did it, I spoke with Kevin MacCauley, Founder and CEO of Upper Hand. We discuss their early pivot, their product roadmap, vertical growth focus, and their plans for future development in the ever-changing landscape of sports and fitness. Our conversation also moved into discussing the role of AI, data interpretation, Big Tech, and more, all of which I found engaging. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Topics In This Episode Navigating the challenges of evolving from a B2C model to a B2B model  Upper Hands’ current competitors Focusing vertically for future growth, data handling and payment platforms Engaging innovation and accuracy in the customer roadmap Integrating valuable client education and leveraging analytics Why Kevin sees AI, data interpretation, and action as integral to success Analytics, technology regulation, ethics, AI, data storage, and Big Tech Contact Info Website: getupperhand.com  Email: [email protected]  Upper Hand (company) LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/upper-hand  Kevin MacCauley LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kevinmaccauley  Instagram Twitter Facebook

Buddy Brands is a collection of solution-based pet product brands, all focused on relieving various pet health problems. Their combined products address issues such as pain, mobility, anxiety, allergies, and itching. Through Buddy Brands, President and Founder, Trevor Crotts, uses his expertise in employing advanced technology to increase consumer confidence and drive sales of quality products. In this episode, I talk ecommerce with Trevor, who is also involved in the startups Compel Commerce and ScanShop.io. We discuss how targeted marketing and business scale drive positive growth, along with the importance of the ever-expanding role of 3D and AI in the future of ecommerce. As a dog person and business person, I really loved our conversation. Following our time together, Trevor was gracious enough to offer a 25% discount code (Startup25) on Buddy Rest or Natural Doggie products for Startup Competitors listeners. Topics In This Episode Using eBay as a tool to learn the moving parts of ecommerce The trends and future of ecommerce, especially coming out of Covid Competing with the large juggernauts in your business space by smartly leveraging ecommerce The future of 3D model creation and AI for use in ecommerce and augmented reality (enhance shopper experience, increase conversion rates, and decrease returns) Responding to knock-offs and direct competitors that crop up How Buddy Brands has taken on diversification of their brand and product lines Contact Info Want to try any Buddy Rest or Natural Doggie products? Use the code Startup25 to save 25%! Website: buddybrands.pet  Email: [email protected]  Phone: (888) 674-1710 Buddy Brands (company) LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/buddypetbrands  Trevor Crotts LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/trevor-crotts Contact Buddy Brands: buddybrands.pet/home

Unicorn Venture Partners specializes in pre-seeds and Series A investments. Their two verticals are mainly the technology space and consumer space. Because Unicorn Venture Partners has no LPs (limited partnerships), how they operate, the massive success they’ve had, and how they’ve grown since 2018 sets them apart. In this episode, I talk with Jonathan Hung, Co-Managing Partner of Unicorn Venture Partners. We discuss the experience diversity superpower of the three founding partners and how that has impacted their success. We explore valuable concepts like “watch the blind side”, the ‘business emergency contacts’ litmus test, and cash cow business structures. In particular, I found the tips Jonathan shares regarding successful investment pitching to be (potentially) worth millions. Topics In This Episode Structuring the leadership team without VPs The importance of writing investment memos, even though only three people read them Looking at a business team and leadership as perhaps the most important success indicator How Unicorn leverages both itself and the other separate entities of each of its founders Balancing Unicorn Venture Partners with the demands of Johnathan’s various ventures. Why business owners should be selective, even if they need investment funds. Is this someone you’d have as your business emergency contact? Rethinking and reinventing cash cow businesses to increase revenue and scale Tips from Jonathan on how to successfully secure capital Contact Info Website: unicornvp.com  Email: [email protected]  Unicorn Venture Partners (company) LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/unicorn-venture-partners/about  Jonathan Hung LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jonathanhung  Contact Unicorn Venture Partners: unicornvp.com/contact-us Contact Jonanthan directly for investment pitches, to read his blog, and more: jonathanhung.com