Bootstrapped Giants podcast

Troy Vollhoffer, owner and founder of Country Thunder Music Festival, invites the biggest country artists to join him for a one-on-one celebrity interview “On the Bus”. As Troy opens his home, his tour bus, and festival venues to his audience for behind the scenes conversations, he asks exclusive questions, discusses festival do’s and don'ts, and highlights the tracks you will hear on stage at Country Thunder this summer. Guests include Dustin Lynch, Koe Wetzel, Tigirlily Gold, Dierks Bentley, Bailey Zimmerman, Jon Pardi, Ashley McBryde and countless other music industry legends, taking you backstage to share stories of their concerts, their careers, and their entertainment industry journeys. Be ready to be thunderstruck, On the Bus with Troy Vollhoffer.

Bootstrapped Giants

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Close - Focused CRM does $50 million a year 49:11

5일 전49:11

나중에 재생

리스트

49:11

[00:00:00] Intro – Andrew sets up the conversation: sales reluctance, AI, and CRM evolution [00:00:47] Steli explains Close's positioning: high-communication CRM for salespeople [00:01:41] Revenue milestone: Close is on track to hit $50M this year [00:02:36] Bootstrapping vs. fundraising: why Close chose profitability over VC [00:04:01] Why staying small and focused is their competitive advantage [00:04:51] Competing with giants: don’t out-fund, out-focus [00:05:31] The power of saying no and maintaining a narrow product scope [00:06:52] Product-led growth: Close doesn’t rely on integrations to win customers [00:07:48] Focusing on deep communication use cases sets Close apart [00:08:51] Why they resist chasing enterprise customers [00:09:30] Andrew compares this strategy to ClickUp’s broader, less focused model [00:10:10] Saying no to tempting opportunities to stay true to the customer [00:11:35] AI as an accelerant for focused companies with strong opinions [00:13:05] Close’s AI vision: sales inbox automation and no lead left behind [00:14:44] Andrew’s “AI wrapper” idea — simple products that succeed by layering AI [00:16:28] The future of software: niche-focused, AI-powered tools [00:17:23] AI changes what it means to “build” a product [00:18:06] Steli warns against the belief that product alone drives success [00:18:53] Sales is often the missing piece in failed startups [00:20:32] Don’t dismiss simple wrappers — execution matters more than ideas [00:21:18] Close monitors product-market fit actively — it’s always shifting [00:22:24] VoicePen example: AI product evolution from wrapper to workflow [00:23:48] Talking to customers weekly keeps Close grounded [00:24:35] Andrew presses on how to extract value from those calls [00:26:07] The real problem: most people aren’t willing to talk to customers [00:26:52] From agency to SaaS: how Close transitioned from services [00:28:18] Steli’s warning: don’t jump too quickly from services to product [00:30:32] Andrew asks for Close's best sales tactics [00:31:38] Speed matters: follow up within minutes, not days [00:32:57] Long-term follow-up wins deals — even 6 years later [00:34:50] Why Close built high-quality, technical customer support [00:36:00] Trust is built through understanding real customer problems [00:37:01] Steli shares the Close.com domain story — persistence paid off [00:38:33] Final thoughts: $50M revenue and still just getting started…

Bootstrapped Giants

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He's controlling ChatGPT responses 50:56

6 weeks 전50:56

나중에 재생

리스트

50:56

[00:00:36] Intro: ChatGPT as a traffic driver and Chirag’s early insight [00:01:48] Revenue Numbers and Profitability of Taco [00:02:24] Personal investment strategy and non-AI assets [00:03:36] How Chirag uses AI agents to replace writers and boost efficiency [00:05:42] What makes Taco a true AI-powered agency [00:07:03] Tracking brand rankings inside ChatGPT and Perplexity [00:08:33] Tools used to measure AI visibility and rankings [00:09:18] How to rank higher in AI search engines like GPT and Perplexity [00:10:30] Paid placement strategies in high-authority sites to boost AI visibility [00:11:06] Why AI search traffic converts better than Google [00:12:36] Chirag’s backstory: discovering SEO through Neil Patel and Mixergy [00:14:15] Cold-emailing Neil Patel and landing a $10K/month contract [00:15:27] Lessons from working with Neil and getting exposure to high-performers [00:17:06] Transitioning to CMO at Medley and moving into healthcare marketing [00:18:36] Failed Facebook campaigns and what really worked to reach doctors [00:22:39] Medley’s collapse and fraud charges against executives [00:25:21] Leaving Medley to care for his mom during cancer treatment [00:26:06] Why Chirag founded Taco based on gaps he saw in SEO agencies [00:27:54] Belief that search is changing—not dying—with rise of LLMs [00:28:48] Re-embracing SEO as a valuable, evolving skillset [00:30:00] Getting first customers through referrals and agency partnerships [00:32:06] Using relationships to close deals instead of competing on services [00:33:00] Discovering Mutual Intro from Jesse’s post and seeing results [00:34:57] Why he needed a repeatable customer acquisition system [00:36:00] Cold outreach stories from college and early networking [00:37:30] Setting up Mutual Intro infrastructure with just 2 people [00:39:27] Becoming systems-oriented and building processes [00:41:42] Joining the sales accelerator and breaking down the ROI [00:42:54] Generated nearly $1M in run-rate revenue from Mutual Intro alone [00:43:03] Future of AI search vs. Google’s market position [00:45:09] Why Google can’t rush into full AI interface without risk [00:47:06] Search behavior is fragmenting—more room for new players [00:48:27] Why now is a land grab moment in AI search optimization [00:49:21] SEO history repeating in the age of LLMs [00:49:57] Organic optimization matters more than ever in AI-led search [00:50:42] Closing thoughts and Taco’s vision moving forward…

Bootstrapped Giants

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1440 is a Bootstrapped Giant 49:49

8 weeks 전49:49

나중에 재생

리스트

49:49

[00:00:00] Quick Montage (Growth, Grit, Vision, Revenue, Meaning of 1440) [00:00:36] Intro: Why 1440 is Different [00:01:48] Revenue Numbers and Profitability [00:02:24] How They Funded Without Venture Capital [00:04:48] How Big Can an Email Newsletter Get? [00:05:15] Why They Ignored Advice to “Go Niche” [00:06:09] 1440’s Thesis: Inch-Deep, Mile-Wide for the Intellectually Curious [00:08:24] Tim’s Previous Startup: When in Rome (Failure Story) [00:11:15] Lessons on Unit Economics and Why When in Rome Failed [00:15:09] Why Email Newsletters Are Such Great Businesses [00:16:03] Inspirations: Sam Parr, Morning Brew, and the Hustle [00:18:45] Launching to 78 Friends and Family [00:20:06] Early Product Market Fit Signals [00:21:45] Feedback: Why They Removed Pictures from the Newsletter [00:24:00] Hiring Timeline: When They Brought in Their First Editor [00:25:48] Drew’s Grit: Waking Up at 4AM to Write [00:26:51] First $100K in Revenue: Growth Strategy and Milestones [00:29:15] Current Growth: 300K Subscribers/Month, 50% Retention [00:31:39] Economics: Revenue Per Email Open [00:32:06] Comparing Broad vs. Niche Newsletter Strategies [00:35:33] Why 1440 Focused on One Product (Until Now) [00:39:00] Scaling Discipline: Lessons from Private Equity [00:42:09] No Layoffs, High Revenue per Employee, Control Through Bootstrapping [00:43:30] New Product Launch: Knowledge Platform (Topics) [00:46:57] The Vision: Human-Curated Knowledge vs AI [00:49:30] Meaning Behind the Name "1440" [00:49:48] Closing Thanks…

Bootstrapped Giants

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I Built 4 AI Agents in 2 Weeks – No Code! 30:49

15 weeks 전30:49

나중에 재생

리스트

30:49

[00:00:00] Introduction [00:00:45] Early Adoption of Generative AI & GitHub Copilot [00:01:30] Discovering How Code Comments Improve AI Suggestions [00:02:33] Skepticism About AI Hype & Fear of Being Left Behind [00:04:03] Seeing a YouTube Tutorial That Unlocked Building a RAG Agent [00:05:06] Building His First Agent in One Week (and Feeling “Bad at AI”) [00:07:03] From 1 Agent to 4 Agents, Focusing on Small Single-Purpose Tools [00:08:15] Live Business Use Case: The “Mutual Intro” AI Agent [00:09:45] Benefits of Ranking Contacts & Saving Significant Human Time [00:11:15] Attempt to Build a Large, All-In-One Agent & Its Failures [00:14:03] Compounding Error With Multi-Step AI Workflows [00:16:57] Conclusion: Why Single-Purpose Agents Work Better [00:18:18] Expanding Into LinkedIn Sales Nav & Automated DMs [00:19:48] N8n as the Core Platform (Open-Source Alternative to Zapier/Make) [00:21:09] Future Vision & “Agent That Builds Agents” Dream [00:21:45] Potential for Buying Businesses & Training Their Teams on AI [00:22:21] “SaaS Is Dead” – Emphasis on Highly Customized AI Tools [00:23:51] Possibility of an AI Course or Accelerator for Nontechnical Builders [00:25:12] How Nontechnical People Often Adopt AI Faster Than Engineers [00:26:33] Who Should Reach Out About AI (Sales/Support/Small Agencies) [00:27:36] Adam’s Email & Looking Toward Future Products/Services [00:28:12] Andrew’s Wish for an AI-Generated First Draft from Transcripts [00:28:45] Adam’s 4-Step Method for Summarizing Calls & Extracting Stories [00:30:27] Closing Remarks & Plan to Continue Updates Based on Audience Feedback…

Bootstrapped Giants

1
I found my zone of genius 45:54

16 weeks 전45:54

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리스트

45:54

[00:00:00] Intro & Evolving Work Relationship [00:01:03] Balancing Andrew’s Creative Side vs. Business Demands [00:02:06] Integrating Different Approaches from Teammates [00:02:33] Identifying and Staying in Your “Zone of Genius” [00:04:03] Tasks That Energize vs. Tasks That Drain [00:05:06] Struggle With First Drafts & Delegation [00:06:09] Committing to Genius vs. Excellence [00:07:12] “Heroing” & Taking 100% Responsibility [00:09:36] Asking for Help Without Overburdening Others [00:12:18] Intermittent Fasting & Energy Management [00:13:57] Drive to Prove Oneself & Self-Awareness [00:17:06] Pinpointing Andrew’s True Strengths [00:19:03] Jesse’s “Themed” Workdays & Finding Balance [00:24:00] Considering Bigger Moves: M&A vs. New Startups [00:29:18] AI Opportunities & How to Experiment Quickly [00:32:15] Jesse’s Investment Approach & Personal Finances [00:38:00] Shifting Mindset From Scarcity to Abundance [00:40:09] “Die With Zero” & Rethinking Spending [00:44:09] Wrapping Up & Final Reflections…

Bootstrapped Giants

1
We launched a $40k/month newsletter 53:52

45 weeks 전53:52

나중에 재생

리스트

53:52

In this episode: how we launched our newsletter, Bootstrapped Giants . Presented by: Superhuman , the email app that gets us to inbox zero fast, helps us sell more and enables us to collaborate. Time stamps: [00:01:03] Why start the Bootstrapped Giants podcast? [00:01:26] Can you introduce yourself briefly? [00:04:03] Should we use clickbait titles? [00:05:06] How do you handle self-doubt? [00:09:36] Would you refund disappointed sponsors? [00:13:03] What's the human element in business? [00:17:33] What's the Bootstrap Giants business model? [00:20:24] How much revenue from ads? [00:24:27] What is your growth strategy? [00:27:45] Why is private equity better? [00:30:36] Should we explore private equity more? [00:34:21] How does Gateway X support companies? [00:44:06] How did GrowthAssistant start? [00:46:12] Has GrowthAssistant's vision changed? [00:52:03] How did this Twitter Live work? [00:52:30] Should we do private meetings publicly?…

Bootstrapped Giants

1
E00: Why can't Andrew start this podcast? 43:18

46 weeks 전43:18

나중에 재생

리스트

43:18

We recorded 4 episodes and Andrew hasn't posted 1. Why not?

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Amazon Basics Multipurpose Copy Printer Paper, 8.5 x 11 inches, 20 lb, 1 Ream, 500 Sheets, 92 Bright, White

Bounty Quick Size Paper Towels, White, 8 Family Rolls = 20 Regular Rolls (Packaging May Vary)

Peacock TV

들어볼 가치가 있는 팟캐스트

1
On the Bus with Troy Vollhoffer