Tropical MBA: Entrepreneurship & Founder Lifestyle Dan Andrews; Ian Schoen
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- Business
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With 10M+ downloads and thousands of listener meetups worldwide, the TMBA Podcast is the hub for 7 & 8-figure founders who’ve built life-changing businesses while attaining personal freedom. New episodes every Thursday morning.
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#750 What is the Most Simple OS for $5M?
The hard part shouldn’t be how to implement an OS in your organization. The hard part is answering the question: Are the right people in the right roles at your company?
In this episode, Dan and Ian share their own OS that’s extremely simple. It’s called GPS. They’ll explain how GPS helps you put a plan in place to meet your goals, and deliver on that plan. That’s it.
Also, hiring for specific tasks, the impact of remote work on hiring, and more.
Dan & Ian’s Stuff:
Our book: Before the Exit
The Newsletter
“The DC”
DC Black
Global events
Hire remote talent
Find a remote job
Listen on YouTube
Follow on Instagram
@TropicalMBA
@AnythingIan
Chapters
● (00:00:41) Introduction and 'Meaty Shorts' Format
● (00:06:48) Hiring for Specific Tasks in a Business
● (00:15:55) Minimum Viable EOS (GPS) Implementation
● (00:16:27) Implementing the EOS System: The GPS Framework
● (00:18:54) Using Scorecards for Clarity and Accountability
● (00:25:06) The Importance of Regular Check-ins and Standing Meetings
Links:
Dan Martell - Who to Hire Next
The EOS Business Model
Scorecard template (G doc)
Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Tommy Griffith, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Travis Jamison, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Tynan, Lucy Bella Simkins, Brian Balfour, Nick Huber, Mike Michalowicz, Greg Crabtree, Jordan Gal
Additional episodes you might enjoy:
Do Things That Don’t Scale
Three Phases to 1 Million in Revenue
Quiet Crypto, The Demand Question, and Difficult Decisions ft. Jordan Gal -
#749 Do Things That Don’t Scale
In this episode, Ian and Dan discuss the concept of doing things that don't scale, inspired by Paul Graham's influential article 'Do Things That Don't Scale.' They explore the idea of taking risks and gambling in entrepreneurship, and how it relates to increasing one's locus of control. The conversation covers various strategies for founders, including recruiting users manually, building something fragile, delighting users, focusing on experience, and niche marketing. In this conversation, Ian and Dan discuss Paul Graham's article 'Do Things That Don't Scale' and explore the principal themes and takeaways. They cover topics such as the idea of scaling, fabricating products yourself, consulting and acting as an anchor client, going manual and doing unscalable laborious tasks, the illusion of big launches and partnerships, vectors vs. scalars (ideas and execution), and the temptation to gamble and the importance of locus of control.
Our book: Before the Exit
The Newsletter
“The DC”
DC Black
Global events
Hire remote talent
Find a remote job
Listen on YouTube
Follow on Instagram
@TropicalMBA
@AnythingIan
Chapters
● (00:00:47) Introduction and Waking Up Early
● (00:01:58) The Concept of Taking Risks and Gambling
● (00:03:52) Introduction to Paul Graham and Y Combinator
● (00:05:37) The Importance of Doing Things That Don't Scale
● (00:10:00) Recruiting Users Manually
● (00:12:48) Building Something Fragile
● (00:20:48) Niche Marketing
● (00:23:02) The Facebook and the Idea of Scaling
● (00:24:53) Consulting and Acting as an Anchor Client
● (00:27:17) Going Manual and Doing Unscalable Laborious Tasks
● (00:30:08) The Illusion of Big Launches and Partnerships
● (00:34:54) Vectors vs. Scalars: Ideas and Execution
● (00:38:36) The Temptation to Gamble and the Importance of Locus of Control
Links:
Paul Graham’s Article “Do Things That Don’t Scale”
Lao Tzu - Philosophy
Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Tommy Griffith, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Travis Jamison, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Tynan, Lucy Bella Simkins, Brian Balfour, Nick Huber, Mike Michalowicz, Greg Crabtree, Jordan Gal
Additional episodes you might enjoy:
Three Phases to 1 Million in Revenue
Quiet Crypto, The Demand Question, and Difficult Decisions ft. Jordan Gal
“3 Million in Revenue is a Death Zone" - Financial Strategy with Greg Crabtree -
#748 Three Phases to 1 Million
Dan and Ian discuss the different phases of bootstrapping a business and the common challenges that arise at each stage. They walk through three phases: Zero to $250k “Mindset”; $250k to 1 million "We're seeking a reliable/repeatable source of new customers"; and $1 million + "We need to hire, fire, improve/change team members more effectively”. They explore everything from adjusting the offer to the marketplace and developing a strong customer base to making a rule that the founder should be responsible for growth up to $5M.
They also explore the crucial role that team composition plays in the professionalization of the company. Finally, they discuss the decision between maximizing profitability and scaling the business.
Dan & Ian’s Stuff:
Our book: Before the Exit
The Newsletter
“The DC”
DC Black
Global events
Hire remote talent
Find a remote job
Listen on YouTube
Follow on Instagram
@TropicalMBA
@AnythingIan
Chapters
● (00:00:43) Introduction and Era Change
● (00:04:28) Mindset for Early Stage Bootstrapping
● (00:08:35) Running a Shit Ton of Experiments
● (00:19:34) Customer Development and Adjusting the Offer
● (00:23:37) Founder's Responsibility for Growth
● (00:24:28) Founder's Role in Growth Until $5 Million
● (00:25:29) Following Strategies That Work for the Majority
● (00:26:41) Celebrating the Achievement of $1 Million in Revenue
● (00:29:18) Transitioning from $1 Million to $5 Million
● (00:34:07) The Importance of Team Composition
● (00:34:22) Shifting Focus to Managing a Team
● (00:39:19) Maximizing Profitability vs. Scaling
Links:
Simple Numbers by Greg Crabtree
Exploitative Play in Live Poker
Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Tommy Griffith, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Travis Jamison, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Tynan, Lucy Bella Simkins, Brian Balfour, Nick Huber, Mike Michalowicz, Greg Crabtree, Jordan Gal
Additional episodes you might enjoy:
Quiet Crypto, The Demand Question, and Difficult Decisions ft. Jordan Gal
“3 Million in Revenue is a Death Zone" - Financial Strategy with Greg Crabtree
A Podcast About Shiny Object Syndrome -
#747 Quiet Crypto, The Demand Question, and Difficult Decisions ft. Jordan Gal
Dan talks to Jordan Gal, founder of Rally and co-host of the Bootsrapped Web podcast about challenges in the ecommerce space, product-market fit and demand, partnerships and veto power, the quietness of crypto, risking other people’s money, and more…
There’s one thing that founders tend to really struggle with when it comes to growing their business and that’s getting the right team in place. Listen as Jordan shows Dan how and why he fires unfit team members.
Dan & Ian’s Stuff:
The Newsletter
“The DC”
DC Black
Global events
Hire remote talent
Find a remote job
Listen on YouTube
Follow on Instagram
@TropicalMBA
@AnythingIan
Chapters
(00:04:22) News Update
(00:05:58) From Player to Coach
(00:06:50) Jack Welch
(00:12:10) Bootstrapping vs Raising Money
(00:15:52) Product-Market Fit and Adjustments
(00:18:57) Partnerships and Veto Power
(00:20:42) Deciding When to Pivot
(00:36:27) Firing and Personnel Decisions
(00:43:30) The Quietness of Crypto
(00:48:05) Challenges in E-commerce
(00:57:30) Impact of Having a Family
Links:
Bootsrapped Web podcast
Jordan on Twitter
Rally
Winning
Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Tommy Griffith, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Travis Jamison, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Tynan, Lucy Bella Simkins, Brian Balfour, Nick Huber, Mike Michalowicz, Greg Crabtree, Jordan Gal
Additional episodes you might enjoy:
A Shopify Software Business Success Story (Jordan Gal)
How Transparent Should You Be? Thoughts on Queen Bee Roles & a Ticket Giveaway
A Podcast About Shiny Object Syndrome -
#746 “Full-Service Agencies Are Out” & Other Productized-Service Ideas
Dan & Ian talk to John Doherty, the founder of Editor Ninja, former owner of Credo, and cohost of the Working Sessions podcast about three major trends he’s seeing in the agency space that could impact your strategy and profitability for the year and beyond.
John talks about the challenges of running a full-service agency, a shift towards specialization in productized services, the need for outsourced strategic layers, focusing on profitability, and more.
Stick around for the guys to reveal six productized-service business ideas.
Dan & Ian’s Stuff:
The Newsletter
“The DC”
DC Black
Global events
Hire remote talent
Find a remote job
Listen on YouTube
Follow on Instagram
@TropicalMBA
@AnythingIan
Chapters
(00:02:04) News with Dan & Ian
(00:05:20) Introducing John Doherty
(00:06:46) Starting Credo and EditorNinja
(00:09:30) Trends in the Agency Space
(00:11:27) Building a Strategic Program
(00:28:10) Focus on Profitability
(00:30:40) Importance of Work Quality
(00:31:55) Categories for Business Opportunities
(00:32:42) Software Quality Assurance as a Service
(00:35:57) TikTok Titan: Leveraging TikTok for Business
(00:38:54) SAAAS: Systems Automation as a Service
(00:40:28) Managed VA Service for Social Media
(00:43:57) Fractional Business Strategist
(00:45:23) Financial Dashboard as a Service
(00:50:44) Workbooks for Business Metrics
Links:
Find John on Twitter
EditorNinja
Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Tommy Griffith, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Travis Jamison, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Tynan, Lucy Bella Simkins, Brian Balfour, Nick Huber, Mike Michalowicz, Greg Crabtree
Additional episodes you might enjoy:
“3 Million in Revenue is a Death Zone" - Financial Strategy with Greg Crabtree
How Transparent Should You Be? Thoughts on Queen Bee Roles & a Ticket Giveaway
A Podcast About Shiny Object Syndrome -
#745 “3 Million in Revenue is a Death Zone" - Financial Strategy with Greg Crabtree
Transitioning through the death zone requires careful execution and a focus on profitability. The $3 million dollar mark is a critical milestone for businesses, and many struggle to push through it.
In this episode, Dan talks to Greg Crabtree, author of Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits! about how founders can push through the death zone (otherwise known as the messy middle) and grow their profit far beyond that $3M mark.
Some of the common mistakes made by founders include not understanding profit truth, not investing in finance and accounting, and not effectively managing labor efficiency.
Dan & Ian’s Stuff:
The Newsletter
“The DC”
DC Black
Global events
Hire remote talent
Find a remote job
Listen on YouTube
Follow on Instagram
@TropicalMBA
@AnythingIan
Chapters
(00:00:39) Introduction and the Death Zone
(00:05:26) The Impact of Paying a Market-Based Wage
(00:06:53) Behavioral Economics and Profit Truth
(00:10:34) The Definition of a Fully Capitalized Business
(00:12:39) Transitioning through the Death Zone
(00:13:16) The Three Steps to Business Success
(00:15:04) Remaining Profitable in the Death Zone
(00:15:50) Different Capital Profiles and Cashflow
(00:16:53) The Emotional Challenge of Spending in the Death Zone
(00:19:52) The Executional Problem of Growth
(00:20:27) Getting Through the Black Hole
(00:21:51) The $3 Million Mark
(00:23:15) The Worth of Going Through the Zone
(00:26:22) Managing a Marketing Agency Past $5 Million
(00:31:16) Common Mistakes Made by Founders
(00:33:25) Understanding Profit Truth
(00:40:23) Investing in Finance and Accounting
Links:
- Apply to win a free ticket to DC Mexico!
Simple Numbers, Straight Talk. Big Profits!
Past guests on TMBA include Cal Newport, David Heinemeier Hannson, Seth Godin, Ricardo Semler, Noah Kagan, Rob Walling, Jay Clouse, Einar Vollset, Sam Dogan, Gino Wickam, James Clear, Jodie Cook, Mark Webster, Steph Smith, Taylor Pearson, Tommy Griffith, Justin Tan, Matt Gartland, Travis Jamison, Ayman Al-Abdullah, Tynan, Lucy Bella Simkins, Brian Balfour, Nick Huber, Mike Michalowicz
Additional episodes you might enjoy:
How Transparent Should You Be? Thoughts on Queen Bee Roles & a Ticket Giveaway
A Podcast About Shiny Object Syndrome
Spotting Taboo Business Ideas Through the Overton Window
Customer Reviews
One of my favourites
This podcast does what it says on the tin. It’s great for entrepreneurs who want practical ideas for growing their business, particularly those operating primarily online and/or want to be able to work anywhere. Would highly recommend
Love the content, keep it flowing!
Look forward to my weekly dose of the show and while some topics resonate more than others, it’s the quality packed into their weekly themes that makes this show unmatched in the lifestyle design business space.
Seem like massive douchebags
At least that is what I first thought when I started listening to them. Like seriously who are these guys and what do they know, bunch of arrogant dicks. Well they just had this little something that kept me listening in to them week in and week out and it’s just gets better and better! I am not one for independent work locations as I am an accountant and advise businesses but the information I have learnt from these guys has changed my opinion to them both being little douchebags but massive legends!
I look forward to their weekly podcast and although some are less then amazing, others are pure gold that I still listen to and use in my work life
Keep up the awesome work