Doing What You’re Great At and Hiring the Rest with Kyle Rawson Founder of Syphon Sound

Cult of Startup Podcast

In this episode, we speak with Kyle Rawson, the founder of SyphonSound. Syphon Sound is an audio company that came to fruition in 2011 and specializes in motocross and snowboarding sound technology.

Kyle grew up snowboarding throughout junior high and high school. After 3 business competitions, he finally decided to pursue his idea intermingling these passions while being able to listen to his favorite music with comfort and ease. Some good luck with investors and years of research and development later, Syphon Sound is thriving.

Some Questions I Ask Kyle:

• What were some elements you came across in the evolution of your business idea? [3:14]
• After participating in business competitions, what kind of feedback were you receiving? What convinced the judges to look more into your idea? [4:51]
• What did you discuss in the initial conversation with your first investor? [8:45]
• What step came after landing your first investment? [12:25]
• After completing research and development, how did you find a supplier for your first product? [15:13]
• What advice would you give to an entrepreneur looking to have a product manufactured in another country? [17:12]
• What was the issue in quality of audio after you put your first product out, and how did you resolve that issue? [19:05]
• How did you resolve your first product’s issue when it came to customers? [22:32]
• Was there an “aha!” moment that spurred you to expand into motocross, in addition to snowboarding? [27:19]
• Were there products similar to yours when you were developing it? [30:42]
• Do you think there’s any underlying benefit to selling out? [37:11]
• Is Syphon Sound’s website hosted on a specific platform? [41:09]
• When it comes to e-commerce, is your platform providing the tools you think you need? [42:44]
• Have you wanted to expand your product line? [46:07]
• How have you been able to take advantage of outsourcing the fulfillment of product orders? [49:35]
• What have you noticed as a huge marketing strength for yourself, and what are your thoughts on marketing within your company? [51:24]
• What was a time where you felt Facebook advertising really hit home for your business? [55:18]
• Where did the idea of using correlation tables for Facebook advertising come from, and how did you use that as a way to dial in your audience? [1:04:06]
• What resources would you suggest to a novel start-up wanting to sell online and narrow down their market? [1:08:00]
• What are some sources you frequently use in order to pick up information on your target market audience? [1:10:00]
• Are there any tools you use for retargeting? [1:13:53]
• How is the Facebook Pixel incorporated into your marketing? [1:15:04]
• What other tools today do you feel are benefitting your marketing team? [1:19:01]
• What can you tell us about the social media marketing company you’ve started? [1:24:20]
• What are some things you enjoy when doing professional video development? [1:28:36]
• Do you have a favorite quote? [1:30:12]
• What do you feel is the number one reason entrepreneurs fail? [1:31:18]

Some Things You’ll Learn In This Episode:

• How Kyle transitioned from snowboarding into motorsports within his company
• Who the first investors in Syphon Sound were
• How Kyle’s experience with his startup’s first stages was different than most
• How long research and development for Syphon Sound’s first product took
• Where Kyle’s product idea really came from
• Why Syphon Sound has been successful from the get-go
• What mode of business Kyle is most comfortable with
• What Kyle has realized about his business aspirations as the company continues to grow
• What platform Syphon Sound uses and why they’ve stayed on it for so long
• The percentage of sales Syphon Sound has outside the U.S.
• Where Kyle’s interest in video development began

Check out the Syphon Sound Soundwrap here!

If you're looking to get in touch with Kyle you can find him on Instagram @KyleRaw