Jesse Pujji

Reflections from Last Week's Church for entrepreneurs Meeting: Last week, I had the privilege to attend a startup church meeting led by Gerald Duran. It was a refreshing experience to be surrounded by like-minded founders and VCs. I think half the battle for founders in today's world is finding those that are in your camp, who are in your tribe, who believe in you and have a higher power belief system. (without this what do you have as a member of faith?) "God has a way of choosing nobodies." "The Underdogs." "The future does not care about yesterday, where are you today." "Getting VC funding as a Christian is harder in 2024" "much harder but the tide is shifting" "Every founder has a failure story. Own it." "We're pirates with the skills of a Navy SEAL" (startup founders) "Forget AI and focus on SI - Spiritual Intelligence" "Doors open/Doors close: God chooses who He chooses and He doesn't care about others' opinions" "Ephesians 6: Put on the full armor of God" Course: Develop the faith to move mountains - free course at Cana Global (take it/lean in). https://lnkd.in/eNqgJnGX

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What works for one... ...may or may not work for another. Had dinner with one of my agency partners last night to celebrate a few exciting recent account wins. We talked about the wins... We talked about a few losses... We talked about a few open opps... Something that won them a big exciting account...also lost them another opportunity. TBD how it pans out on a current opp. Being an agency is really really really hard. You do something, and it works. "Holy sh*t, it worked! Let's keep doing that!" you think. So, you do that same thing, again, for a different client/prospect...and it's met with an entirely different reaction. "Holy sh*t, this sucks, lets never do that again!" Damned if you do and damned if you don't. At the end of the day, being a great agency is an exercise in psychology. It's about knowing your audience. It's about figuring out how to resonate with the person/people, you're attempting to win over. You eventually have to do great work, but you've gotta win first, to get to the work. Winning is significantly less about the work, than it is about earning trust and making your prospect comfy. Comfy they can trust you. Comfy they can give you large sums of $$. Comfy you will do what's right. Comfy they can be in the trenches with you. Comfy you'll make them look good. Comfy you'll do a good job. If you're an agency struggling to win new biz lately, stop talking about the work, and start figuring out what makes your prospect tick.

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Where are you stalling out your fundraising process? 1) The constant rejection? 2) Feedback that you need to be a better storyteller? 3) The "Ick" about asking for warm intros? 4) The neverending work on the deck? 5) Your fundraising has gone on for 6 months and isn't working? 6) You had a handshake deal with a VC for a term sheet...and then they ghosted you? I can help you cut out the noise, deal with the rejection and keep moving towards a positive result. Imagine what it will feel like after your last investor has wired...and you've got money to grow your team and crush your milestones? Book time with me if you want to close your round by September. https://lnkd.in/eKTy99bS

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Next up on Embracing Erosion? Alex Pattis, the General Partner of Riverside Ventures and founding team member of Hampton. Alex is also the co-founder of Last Money In Media, a leading VC newsletter that delves into Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) within the Venture Capital ecosystem. Alex has become a leading voice advocating for the SPV investment format versus the traditional VC fund model. So it won’t surprise you got super deep and into the weeds on all things investing, but we touched on plenty of other topics such as: 🚀 How to scale a company from concept to 9-figure exit 🔄 How to break away from the traditional consulting model and apply product approaches ⏩ Why it’s important to iterate quickly and often with messaging 💸📈What signals are important to pay attention to when investing in startups Give it a listen 👉 https://lnkd.in/gEKv5ghE The Compete Network

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Many people talking about buying a business like it's just the newest way to get rich. Yes, buying a business in many ways is safer than building from 0 Yes, the Silver Tsunami of retiring business owner boomers is a once in a generation event I get it. But buyers, PLEASE recognize who’s business you’re buying and the sacrifice taken to build it. Most baby boomer sellers grew their business from the absolute bottom. Started with a truck and a wrench. Didn’t come from a corporate background. They hired employee after employee, slowly as they could afford too. Likely grew conservatively, taking on little debt, sometimes buying assets with cash because it was the safest thing to do. Very often, building their business without a playbook. There was no google in 1990. They learned business fundamentals in real time, via blood, sweat, and tears. Most sellers have had countless sleepless nights, wondering if they’ll go out of business. They've had to navigate 2-3 recessions plus a pandemic. Most have worked 60-80 hours a week, for months or years on end to get their business to where it is. For some sellers, they’ve spent more time on their business than with their family. Or, they’ve hired family into their business. And had many family memories created inside the family business. This is why you hear people refer to their businesses as “their baby” It’s impossible for most sellers to sell their baby unemotionally. So when you approach an acquisition, just recognize this. Recognize where the seller is coming from. It will help you understand the work required to build a sellable asset. And at the very least, it will help you create a win-win outcome for that works for both of you 🤝

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Negotiating "Valley of Death" to Scale. -- As the founder of Bizblip, I've spent the past three years bootstrapping my business while searching for product-market fit. It's been a challenging journey, filled with countless iterations and adjustments. Now that I believe I've found that elusive fit, I'm facing a new set of challenges: landing sales commitments for software products that I'm still scrambling to build and finance. This phase is often referred to as the startup "valley of death" - a critical period where cash flow is tight, and the pressure to deliver is high. However, if I successfully navigate this phase and start bringing in significant revenue, I'll need to shift my focus quickly to scaling the business. This transition from startup to scale-up is a crucial moment that requires careful planning and execution. One of the first considerations when scaling is team building. As orders increase, you'll need to hire and onboard new team members rapidly. This process isn't just about filling positions; it's about finding individuals who align with your company culture and can contribute to your long-term vision. Infrastructure is another key area to address. Your systems and processes that worked for a small team may buckle under the pressure of rapid growth. Investing in scalable technology solutions early can save you from costly disruptions down the line. Financial management becomes increasingly complex as you scale. You'll need to balance reinvesting in growth with maintaining healthy cash flow. This might involve seeking additional funding, negotiating better terms with suppliers, or optimizing your pricing strategy. Customer support is often overlooked in the rush to scale, but it's critical for maintaining the quality of your product or service. As your customer base grows, you'll need to implement systems to ensure each client receives the attention they deserve. Marketing and sales strategies may need to evolve as you target larger markets or different customer segments. What worked for your initial customers may not be as effective as you scale. Lastly, don't forget about your company culture. Rapid growth can strain your organization's values and ways of working. Actively nurturing your culture during this period of change is essential for long-term success. Scaling a startup is an exhilarating and challenging phase. By anticipating these key areas and planning accordingly, you can set your business up for sustainable, long-term growth. Remember, scaling isn't just about getting bigger - it's about getting better at what you do while expanding your reach and impact. I hope I can do this well.

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Yesterday PitchBook dropped some new data showing Q2 activity up, and Modern Retail and Anna Hensel published a great article on Zombie brands. Sean Frank summarized it well. So what is the actual state of affairs? Do things suck? Or do things not suck? My take: We live in too much of a black and white world. Nuance and grey area are important. Take the Non-Alcoholic category for example. Twitter takes are hot that either Alcohol is DEAD, or Non-alcoholic is FOR SURE a fad. For me, the answer is in between. I don't need NA to take over the whole store, or even half the store. I need it to grow its shelf space from 1 to 1.5, or 2. Incremental changes, across a wide number of stores. That grows the market. It's not all or nothing. The current investment cycle is messy. There are large amounts of zombies. There are also large amounts of good companies successfully raising capital, quickly, that may trade at revenue multiples in the future. Both can be true, at the same time. Discerning investors and operators will continue to focus on fundamentals.

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So you’re a #founder and your email fundraising campaign isn’t working? Here’s why: 👉 You’re not sending enough emails. You need to send 7-10 emails to remain top of mind and spur a conversion. 👉Engage your audience by running a poll or asking for feedback: i.e. “Which version of this product do you like better?” This will make your audience feel more connected with and invested in you. #FundraisingTips

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I see it every single day: Fundraising founders drowning. Stuck with a failed fundraise lasting months. All the while never actually building your business. But it doesn’t have to be this way, you know. If you have the right systems? You can do both. All it takes is building out your own fundraising operating system. That way you can fundraise more effectively. And spend more time actually building the business of your dreams. You can see more about how to do that in the comments below. ♻️ Repost to help other founders with this. — P.S. Building these systems is not a quick-fix. It takes time. But these can be used for every single fundraise you do after, so its always worth it.

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Struggling to scale your mid-market business? Scaling isn't just about getting bigger – it's about getting smarter. In this week's The Wise Exit newsletter, we're diving deep into scaling strategies for mid-market firms. You'll learn: - The difference between growth and scaling (most get this wrong). - 5 key strategies to scale your business without losing your shirt. - Common mistakes to avoid (we see these all the time). - Case Study: How Zapier scaled without traditional VC funding. Whether you're planning to scale, sell, or just curious about what's next, this issue is packed with insights you can't afford to miss. Read the full newsletter here: https://bit.ly/3LHo7Ra Don’t miss out. P.S.: Follow me for more content like this.

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Founders, you're losing deals by not having a clear discovery call plan. I've seen this a lot where founders looking to scale up their early sales efforts are going into it thinking the product will get them through the sale In most cases, this isn't the truth You need to have some sort of framework to make the selling motion more repeatable Instead of demo'ing the product, try learning more about them and their challenges first. Your goal should be to know enough to build a customized demo for them. This will help in building solid relationships, build value throughout the process and likely speed up deals on the back end of it. If you don't know where to start, hit me up and I'm happy to lay out some early sales structure for founders! Go crush it out there 🤙

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Chubbies was acquired for 9 figures and went through a 10 figure IPO - your classic overnight success that took a decade. As a brand builder, the stat that completely changed my approach to brand building was the 95/5 rule. btw, I basically did the exact opposite of what the rule says for embarrassingly too long, but hey, my loss is your gain, so here's: 1) Three things I learned about the 95/5 rule, 2) Three ways you can update your thinking on the topic, and 3) Three things you can do about this right now. let's do it. ** Three things I learned about the 95/5 rule ** 1. Only 5% of the people who see your content on a daily basis (AKA your potential buyers) are in-market to buy right now. That means 95% of the buyers you reach are out-of-market and won’t buy for months or even years. 2. And, nope, no matter how awesome your direct response offer is, you cannot persuade the buyer to go in-market because they already have what you’re selling and won’t need a newer version any time soon. We don’t move buyers in-market – buyers move themselves in-market based on their needs. 3. All the direct-response conversion-focused dollars we spend are only relevant to the 5% of folks. This was especially humbling when realizing that ~95% of our spend allocation went to direct response (see reference above re: doing the exact opposite). ** Three ways you can update your thinking on the topic ** 1. Our goal is to increase the probability that the brand comes to mind when the buyer goes in-market, NOT to persuade the buyer to go in market. You can’t push buyers down a funnel, but you can, to quote Professor Jenni Romaniuk, “catch buyers as they fall”. 2. "People largely use their memories when buying, rather than searching. Simply put, the brand that gets remembered is the brand that gets bought." - John Dawes of the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute 3. Since marketing works by influencing future buyers, think about developing creative that gets noticed and gets remembered -- gives you permission to be bold, put on a show and have a little fun. ** Three things you can do about it right now ** 1. Since we've all been so focused on optimizing the hell out of how we convert the 5%, we need to reacquaint ourselves with the 95%. Walk a day in the shoes of the 95% to develop the empathy needed to effectively speak to that person. 2. Put together a plan to gradually shift your marketing investments to match the reality of the 95/5 rule. It could take all of 2024. No need to rush. 3. Take a day with your team. Remove all meetings. From a blank slate, think about what it means to do things that get remembered, that get noticed. What does it mean for your brand to be bold, to put on a show, and to have a little bit of fun? enjoy

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Founders are constantly bombarded by vendors that can (or claim to) help your business. I was happy to sit in on a conversation with Fermented Felon's CEO and Founder Tony H. and one such vendor. His silver bullet question: "So, what is your KPI for success?" Those KPIs have to ladder up to your vision, forecast and cash management. Loved seeing his clarity of leadership in action. Proven Ventures Nathan Preheim

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Whether you're a founder, an investor, or someone trying to make sense of why your brand feels like a random TikTok reel, buckle up. We're about to dive into the magical world of branding, Pavlovian style. Pavlov, even though he was a dick to dogs, gave us the foundation of conditioning. Ring the bell, when you give a treat, now the bell is the treat. It’s a classic example of conditioned response. Now, swap the dogs with your target audience and the bell with your brand. Every touchpoint, every interaction, and every piece of content can condition how people perceive you. Imagine you're watching a clip from your favourite movie. Now, change the background music to something completely different. The entire mood and meaning of the scene shift, right? That's the essence of branding. It's not just about what you say; it’s about how you say it, where you say it, and the context in which you say it. Your brand's message should be consistent and reinforcing, just like that perfect soundtrack that makes a movie scene unforgettable. To create that Pavlovian effect, you need to meet your audience where they are. This means understanding their needs, their challenges, and what makes them tick. Why? Because the foundation of branding is to train people how to perceive your brand, but if the reinforcements and rewards aren't done right, there is no result. - Like wasting money on an ad campaign without knowing your user needs - Not knowing your user's decision-making, but defining what they call a win You want to build a business that scales?  A business that gets recognised for its impact? Stays on the tip of the tongue when a problem is brought up? Then you need to start working on your brand before you launch Branding isn't just about design It's about every decision your business makes and keeping it in alignment It starts by building with your users Knowing what they want And why they want it Strategic branding is not just a nice-to-have; it’s a must-have for any business looking to scale and succeed in today’s competitive landscape. Want to stand out in saturated markets? Let's talk! Always, Arcui

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🚨 Small business owners deserve better. There's a massive opportunity in a massive industry to do things better - change is long overdue. Navigating customer acquisition can be daunting, especially for many small trade service business owners. Unfortunately, the current landscape dominated by lead aggregators like Angi's and Yelp often adds to the confusion rather than alleviating it. Key Issues: ⚠️ Deceptive Tactics: The FTC decision in 2023 against HomeAdvisor for deceptive lead-selling practices highlights a major issue. Many platforms promise quality leads but often leave businesses with little understanding of customer acquisition and service value. Sadly, it's our belief and position based on intimate review, that old habits die hard. ⚠️ High-Pressure Sales: Boiler room sales tactics push business owners into minimum to long-term agreements with no recourse, leaving many operating in the red. Take the $ (earn their commission), deliver poor leads, then force the business owner to fight to even receive credits or refunds. ⚠️ Review Manipulation: Yelp faces continual complaints about authentic reviews being removed or deprioritized by arbitrary algorithms, further handicapping business growth. A Better Way Forward: 💡 Opportunity to Build Something Better: New platforms featuring better-aligned incentives that genuinely prioritize small business success. Providing knowledge and tools for accurate service valuation and effective customer acquisition is crucial. Competition is good - if you want to collaborate, let's do it. 💡 Balanced Approach: Emphasize real connections with your clientele and deliver exceptional service to encourage word-of-mouth referrals. There's nothing more powerful than a satisfied customer spreading the word. While not perfect, Google has fostered a more encouraging business environment. Let's rethink how we support small businesses. Even while building our own, we're motivated to discover ways we can pull others forward. By fostering a transparent, fair, and supportive environment, we can ensure that trade service businesses not only survive but thrive. 💬 Join the Conversation: How have lead aggregators impacted your small business? #SmallBusinessSupport #TradeServices #CustomerAcquisition #IncentiveAlignment #BusinessGrowth #WordOfMouth #Empowerment #FairBusiness #Search #PaidMedia

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Do you stumble over your words when someone asks what you do? Check out Jaime's Pitch Practice Party below.

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I've frequently used influencers, especially to boost purchase-intent SEO, making it one of my favorite channels for achieving significant impact with relatively low effort. Influencers have a remarkable ability to sell products and services through their influence and public persona. While influencer campaigns are typically associated with social media, they're versatile enough for various types of performance marketing. Influencer marketing has its pros and cons. It can be cost-effective and efficient in reaching your target market via social networks. In certain cases, influencers can be more persuasive than traditional sales pitches. However, a notable challenge is the difficulty in measuring its effectiveness. It's not always clear if social media engagement translates into tangible metrics like sales, and this ambiguity can lead to issues like fraud. Despite these challenges, influencer marketing is continuously evolving and remains a potent tool in performance marketing. When delving into influencer marketing, check these points: - Dedicate time to monitor engagements, which can be managed effectively using a robust social media management platform. - Focus less on the number of followers and more on the influencer's impact on audience behavior. - Explore beyond just Facebook and Instagram. Platforms like TikTok and features like social media stories offer fresh, engaging ways to connect with your audience.

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3 years of pricing lessons at Equals condensed into one blog post. Since starting the company, we've tinkered a lot with pricing and packaging. It's one of the single most impactful levers early stage companies can pull. I think folks *don't* experiment with pricing enough, or take big enough bets when they do. We've tried free. We've tried completely sales led. We've tried not listing pricing on the site. Matt Hodges details all the plans we've had, why, and what we've learned in our latest installment on Wrap Text. https://lnkd.in/ecckEDba

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🌱 Startups that invest in a strong brand and integrated marketing strategy from the beginning are 3x more likely to reach $10M+ ARR within 5 years. But your marketing strategy at $1M won't get you to $10M or $100M. You need to evolve as you scale. At each growth stage, reassess your marketing mix: ❓ Are your current channels and tactics still delivering strong ROI?  ❓ Are there new opportunities you should explore? ❓ What worked before may not work now - and that's okay   As you scale, invest more in: 🏆 Brand building 🧩 Product marketing  🤝 Customer marketing Expand into new segments, verticals, or geos. Get more sophisticated with data and analytics. Stay nimble and open to change. Don't get attached to any one strategy or tactic. Experiment, fail fast, and pivot as needed. Keep your finger on the pulse of your market, customers, and competition. Adapt proactively instead of reactively. Embrace agility as your marketing north star. It's the key to unlocking exponential growth in a rapidly changing landscape. #founders #startups #growth

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