Episodios

  • From whiteboard idea to $7 BILLION…How Flock Safety catches 20% of US crime — w/ Garrett Langley
    Jun 10 2025

    How on earth do startup founders with zero experience in the security industry sell millions of dollars in contracts to police stations around the US?

    In this episode of Exceptional Startups, Garrett Langley, founder and CEO of Flock Safety, breaks down step-by-step 1) How they did it, 2) What process gave them the idea to go after crime, and 3), The biggest lessons he's learned during Flock Safety's rocket-like growth.


    Chapters:


    (00:00:00) Flock Safety's Impact on Crime Solving


    (00:11:05) Innovative Solutions for Crime Prevention


    (00:11:51) Community Safety Solutions through Innovative Technology


    (00:18:06) Daily Customer Engagement for Business Success


    (00:21:04) Strategic Management for Hardware-Enabled SaaS Businesses


    (00:24:48) Managing Costs for Hardware Startup Funding


    (00:32:48) Crime Reduction Revolution with Flock's Technology


    ——


    Check out Flock Safety: https://www.flocksafety.com/


    Check out PELION: https://pelionvp.com/


    Subscribe for more!

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    36 m
  • How Benchmark Capital finds EXCEPTIONAL startups in the age of AI — A convo w/ Eric Vishria
    May 20 2025

    With so many AI startups these days, how do you identify which will be home-runs and which will be flops?

    In this episode of the I/O Podcast, Tyler and Sterling sit down with Eric Vishria, a General Partner at the legendary Benchmark Capital, who uncovers their exact process for finding and funding some of the world's fastest-growing and most successful AI startups.


    Chapters:


    (00:07:28) Exponential Rise of AI Startups


    (00:10:21) Diverse Revenue Paths in AI Startups


    (00:14:10) LLM-enhanced Vertical AI Solutions for Industry


    (00:18:25) Tech Product Success through Market Awareness


    (00:20:05) Balancing Human Expertise with AI Automation


    (00:35:22) The Value of Venture Capital Partnerships


    (00:37:48) Founders' Partnerships in Early-Stage Investing


    (00:47:10) Key Questions: The Core of Investing Decisions


    (00:54:22) Supporting Founders in Venture Capital Industry


    ———


    Learn more about Benchmark here: https://www.benchmark.com/


    This podcast was brought to you by Pelion Venture Partners. Have a great startup idea? Learn more about Pelion here: https://pelionvp.com/

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    57 m
  • How Great Founders SELL Before They BUILD — An Exceptional Startup Chat w/ The Founder of Wander
    May 6 2025

    How do you get paying customers...before you've even built your product? Time to find out!

    In this episode of Exceptional Startups, Tyler sits down with John Andrew Entwistle, Founder and CEO of Wander, the platform that's transforming the vacation-rental space.

    Tyler and John Andrew discuss waitlist tactics, how to solve the supply-and-demand problem for marketplace companies, and how to build a great employee culture.

    Chapters:

    (00:01:40) The Idea For A Efficient Vacation Rental Management Platform

    (00:05:42) The Business Growth Strategies at Wander

    (00:07:05) Solving The Supply Problem

    (00:11:53) Transition to Third-Party Inventory Strategy

    (00:20:17) Transaction vs. Subscription Revenue Models in Software

    (00:27:48) Visionary Hiring Culture at Wander

    (00:29:58) How Exceptional Service Elevates Wander's Customer Experience


    Check out Wander: https://www.wander.com/


    Check out PELION: https://pelionvp.com/

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    34 m
  • The Simple Tricks Founders Need To Build WINNING Teams — An IO Interview With Nakul Mandan
    Apr 22 2025

    In this episode of the IO Podcast, Nakul Mandan (founder of Audacious Ventures) shares his tips and tricks for recruiting top talent, the most critical assets for successful companies.

    He also shares his story of how he became a top investor and what every startup founder needs to know to successfully raise capital.

    Chapters:

    (00:05:12) Hustle and Networking in Venture Capital Growth

    (00:12:50) Mastering B2B Go-to-Market Expertise through Experience

    (00:15:22) Exceptional Individuals Driving Business Growth

    (00:18:06) Attracting Exceptional Talent for Startups

    (00:26:32) Tailored Hiring Approach for Role Success

    (00:30:24) Proactive Talent Sourcing for Startup Teams

    (00:41:40) Proactive Communication for Closing Top Candidates

    (00:45:29) Optimizing Recruitment Strategies for Successful Hiring

    (00:48:48) Founder-Centric Investment Platforms

    Audacious Ventures: https://www.audacious.co/


    Check out PELION: https://pelionvp.com/

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    52 m
  • His Company Went Public At $1.8 BILLION...And His Next Idea Is Even Bigger
    Apr 8 2025

    In this episode of Exceptional Startups, Brandon Rodman (founder of Weave and now Previ) breaks down how he’s quietly building a Costco for the modern workforce — one that’s already grown from 300K to 1.5M users in 3 months, all without charging employers a dime.

    He shares hard-earned lessons from going 0 to IPO with Weave, why he got rejected by 150 investors, and how he's self-funded Previ with a bigger vision in mind — this time, he’s not giving up control.

    It’s honest, tactical, and full of gold for anyone scaling something real.

    Chapters:

    0:00 Intro

    2:42 Insane Growth and Brandon's B2B2C tactics

    5:20 Launch of “The Drop”

    13:00 Clear, consistent user retention & growth beats fast acquisition

    15:00 Betting on Yourself

    21:51 How to Build A Winning Culture

    24:01 “If you only give 80%, you get 80%. That last 10–20% is where everything happens.”

    Check out Previ: https://previ.com/landing


    Check out PELION: https://pelionvp.com/


    Like, Share, and Subscribe!

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    28 m
  • Building the Sales Machine with Pete Kazanjy, Author of Founding Sales | IO Podcast
    Mar 25 2025

    In this episode, Pete Kazanjy—author of Founding Sales and a veteran sales leader—joins hosts Tyler Hogge and Sterling Snow to share a crash course in founder-led sales, explaining why early-stage founders must take charge of selling before hiring sales reps. He breaks down the key mindset shifts for technical founders, how sales is like “weaponized product management,” and when it’s time to delegate lead generation.

    If you're a startup founder looking to master sales we highly recommend this episode. Pete's book which can be found online at foundingsales.com

    Chapters:

    06:11 Objection Handling and Sales Narrative Crafting

    12:48 Validation through Founder-Led Sales Approach

    16:55 Founder's hands-on role in scalable sales.

    22:09 Tailoring Outreach Strategies for Target Audiences

    29:49 LinkedIn Prospect Engagement for Founder Outreach Success

    35:15 Empathetic Approach to Sales Conversations

    42:10 Effective Sales Strategies for Closing Deals

    47:31 Hiring Early Stage Salespeople for Startups

    54:12 Product-Obsessed Pioneers in Organizations

    58:26 Packaging Tactical Solutions for Customer Pain Points

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    1 h
  • The Best Podcast For Early Stage Founders - Season 2 of the I/O Podcast & the Exceptional Startups List
    Feb 20 2025

    How do early-stage founders break through and build exceptional companies? In this upcoming season of the I/O Podcast, hosts Sterling Snow and Tyler Hogge unveil a new approach—combining insights from the Exceptional Startups List with tactical advice from founders actively scaling their businesses. This season, we’re setting out to be the best podcast in the world for seed and Series A founders.

    Episode Highlights:

    00:45 - The Big Change: Merging the Exceptional Startups List with the I/O Podcast

    We’re bringing on founders who are actively crossing key growth milestones—sharing real-time insights before they hit the mainstream.

    02:35 - Solving a Major Founder Challenge: Hiring Exceptional Talent

    The Exceptional Startups List started as a resource for job seekers, but it’s also helping founders attract top-tier talent.


    04:43 - Introducing I/O Podcast Snacks: High-Impact, Shorter Episodes

    In addition to our full-length episodes, we’re launching I/O Snacks—quick, tactical interviews with startup leaders making waves.


    This season is all about delivering actionable, high-quality content tailored for founders navigating their early-stage journey. If you’re looking for insights on scaling, hiring, and building a world-class startup, you won’t want to miss this.


    Exceptional Startups List Here:

    https://exceptionalstartups.com/


    Follow the I/O Podcast Here:

    x: https://x.com/IO__podcast

    Web: https://www.investoroperator.io/

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    7 m
  • The Formula for Outlier Success with Dr. Gurner, a World's Best Executive Coach | IO Pod Ep 15
    Nov 12 2024

    How do you become the best of the best—the top performer in your field? Dr. Julie Gurner, an acclaimed executive coach and once likened to Billions’ Wendy Rhoades by The Wall Street Journal, shares her insights on what it takes to excel at the highest level. In this episode, Dr. Gurner joins hosts Sterling Snow and Tyler Hogge to explore the mindsets, strategies, and leadership styles that empower people to perform at their peak.

    Episode Highlights:

    00:00 Meet Dr. Julie Gurner and her unique approach to executive performance

    05:47 The fine line between "good crazy" and "bad crazy" in high achievers

    08:44 Rule-bending: When it drives success and when it derails progress

    15:16 How confidence and aggression play into leadership styles

    18:56 Evolving roles: Adapting leadership from a startup’s early days to maturity

    24:18 The power of vulnerability: Why CEOs should own their weaknesses to build balanced teams

    27:43 Helping others lean into their unique strengths for maximum impact

    33:17 Identifying "great" talent vs. "good" talent: What sets true excellence apart

    40:23 The importance of positive self-talk and why leaders should never downplay themselves

    47:01 Reframing failure: How top performers see setbacks as learning, not defining moments


    Whether you're a startup founder, entrepreneur, or aspiring leader, this episode is packed with actionable takeaways to help you break through personal and professional barriers. Dr. Gurner’s guidance is invaluable for anyone striving to reach the top in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment.


    Follow Dr. Gurner Here:

    X: https://x.com/drgurner

    Newsletter: drgurner.substack.com

    Web: drgurner.com

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    59 m