Idea to Startup
Episodes
15 Min(ish) Skill: Script the Start and End (ITS Classic)
15 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll talk about one of the most effective methods to do hard things we've found at Tacklebox: Scripting the start and end. Tacklebox Alte...
Thrust and Drag, Part 1: A System to Keep Momentum
08 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today we'll talk about thrust and drag, the components of momentum. Momentum is the lifeblood for startups, but most people leave it to chance. By foc...
A Framework to Make Sure You're Building Something Useful
25 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll talk through a framework that'll help you evaluate whether you're building something useful enough to anchor a business. Most startups fa...
Running a Concierge MVP Live (feat. the four-step Concierge MVP framework) ITS Classic
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll run through a Concierge MVP example live on the pod. Brian chooses an idea specifically because someone wrote in and said it was "un-Conc...
Three Shortcuts to Actually Help You Get Started On Your Idea
05 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we talk through the Silk Sheet Problem - how to do something new and hard when your life is fairly... comfortable. We help a listener get start...
Start a Startup in Ten Days with Four Questions (ITS super-classic)
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today we'll talk through how to test out and build a startup idea in ~10 days by answering four questions. We'll use an idea that's oddly popped up a ...
Giving Your Startup an Identity
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we’re talking about startup identity—why you need one, and how it makes every decision you face way easier. We’ll talk swimming and nervo...
How to Get Your First Customers (The Trust to Risk Ratio)
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll help you get your first customers. We'll do it by learning how to use the trust to risk ratio - a way to identify the big risks that are ...
The One Thing That Matters - How to Find a Differentiator That'll Support Your Business (ITS Classic)
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll help you find a differentiator powerful enough that it can support your business. We'll talk through what a differentiator actually allow...
How to Identify and Kill Bad Startup Ideas Masquerading As Good Ones (ITS Classic)
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll lay out a framework to help you identify and kill bad ideas. It's hard to objectively evaluate your idea early on - this framework helps ...
The Three Pillars of Sales for Entrepreneurs Who Hate Sales (ITS Classic)
07 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A 20(ish) minute skills episode on sales 101 for entrepreneurs who hate sales. We go through three tactics and a bunch of examples to help you build a...
Three Ways to Create Trust (ITS Classic - top 1%)
31 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we'll talk about why people hand their keys over to random strangers on the street in New York City, how a person selling cures for baldness con...
The One-Inch Picture Frame
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk about two methods to help make your big startup plans for 2026 manageable. We borrow Short Assignments and Shitty Drafts from Anne Lamot...
How to Find Your Customers In-Person (Even If You're SURE You Can't)
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll talk through how you'll find customers in-person. This is the single most important acquisition tool for early-stage founders, and there'...
The Coffee Truck Idea I'd Start Tomorrow (Thanksgiving Mailbag)
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're digging into the mailbag for your Thanksgiving commute. First, what idea would Brian start if he had to start an idea? We go deep on why ...
How to Finally Get Your Ideas Into the World as a Right-Brain Founder
20 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is a toolkit for right-brain founders who get lost in ideas and struggle to execute. Brian shares three practical systems—AI as your le...
How to Pick Your First Customer
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll help you pick your startup's first customer segment. This decision dooms a huge percentage of first time entrepreneurs - if you don't und...
How to Niche if You're Afraid of Niching
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll talk about the big question - should you start with a focused niche? There are pros and cons to the approach, but the perceived cons - "w...
How to Find and Solve Hard Problems (feat. a used car salesman and The Problem Hunters) ITS classic
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hard problems are the only problems worth your time. Today, we'll talk about how to identify them and build a business around them. We'll dig in on de...
Why You're Struggling with the Easy Stuff as a Founder
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we talk about why you struggle so much with easy, seemingly straightforward tasks as a founder. You probably assume this is a productivity prob...
How to Engineer Luck (ITS classic)
09 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most founders hope to get lucky. But luck isn't random - it can (and has to be) engineered. Today we'll break down exactly what luck is and how you ca...
An SOP for Testing a Startup Idea (ITS top 1%)
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll help you build an SOP for testing startup ideas. We'll use an example from a listener - a startup in the homeschooling space - as a guine...
Customers Speak Problem, But You’re Speaking Solution (ITS Top 1%)
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll talk about why so many entrepreneurs can't effectively explain what they're doing to their customers. The short answer is they speak the ...
How to Nail One-Sentence Marketing (ITS Classic)
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s episode is for everyone who struggles to summarize their startup in a sentence. We lay out a framework to do this well with help from a stic...
How to Name Your Startup (a No Whisper Ideas pod)
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll teach you how to name your startup. This is from No Whisper Ideas, a post sent every Sunday by Brian. Customer Interviews Workshop (Star...
How to Run Customer Interviews with AI (Part 1)
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we build a machine to help you actually run customer interviews.We’ll use AI to tackle the big blockers—accountability, CRM setup, outreach...
A Four Part System to Generate Ideas (aka how to let your brain be a brain) - ITS Classic
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we talk through a 4-part system to generate ideas - one that'll tap into your brain's natural ability to develop novel solutions rather than ju...
How to Build a "Skeptical Startup" - $8k per month in 10 hours per week (ITS Classic)
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll help you tackle the big question for entrepreneurs with startup ideas and jobs - when's it time to quit the job and focus on the startup ...
Normal Brain vs. Entrepreneur Brain
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we talk about the difference between Entrepreneur Brain and Normal Brain. Normal Brain is out to sabotage your startup. We teach you Entreprene...
How to Get Two Months of Work Done in One Weekend
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll help you get two months of work done in a weekend. We break down a four-part sprint framework that is actually realistic and manageable f...
A Startup Storytelling Framework for Non-Storytellers (top 1% classic)
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll help all the non-storytellers tell a compelling story about their business. We've got a framework that'll walk you through the ingredient...
How to Flounder Effectively
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most startup advice says you need to be "maniacally focused" on one thing. I disagree. You need to balance your focus with some good old fashioned flo...
How to Stand Out in a Crowded Market - A Mouse Pod (encore)
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most-listened and shared episodes of 2024 - an episode that multiple people reached out months later to say "this single episode helped me ...
Stop Beating Yourself Up
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll help you stop beating yourself up so that you have the space to take the creative, strategic risks your startup needs to be successful. W...
How to Get Your First 1,000 Customers (Encore)
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we've got a classic, much-listened to episode on getting your first 1,000 customers. We contrast the approaches of two pizza companies - Push f...
The Four Questions that Kill Bad Differentiators (feat. The Rabbi, The Coffee Founder, and The Poison Ivy Guy)
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most founders don't know what their differentiator is. That's a problem. Today, we walk through two paths to help you find a differentiator strong eno...
The Vacuum Strategy - Letting Go to Move Forward (A No Whisper Ideas Post)
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Vacuums are uncomfortable, but they're actually far less risky than the alternative. A No Whisper Ideas post on how to think about, approach, and crea...
Mailbag! Beating Idea FOMO, The Best Stories for Founders, and Simple Startup Math
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're digging into the mailbag to answer some common questions. We hit on how to actually commit to a startup idea when you aren't confident it...
Testing an Idea's Potential Using the ERP Rubric: FODMAPs
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today is Part 2 of the series introducing the ERP (Early Rep Potential) Rubric. The idea behind ERP is that the best idea for you is the one you can d...
A Startup Misogi (A No Whisper Ideas Post)
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're trying something new. We send out the No Whisper Ideas newsletter every Sunday, and today, we posted it here. Maybe you'll like it. It's ...
How to Pick Which (Of Your Many) Ideas to Pursue
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Got a notebook full of startup ideas but no clue which one to build first? In this week’s pen-and-paper episode, we walk through the ERP—Early Rep...
Giving Your Startup an Identity
04 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we’re talking about startup identity—why you need one, and how it makes every decision you face way easier. We’ll talk swimming and nervo...
Extreme Quality
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We're Back! Today, we'll talk about Extreme Quality - the best way to create contrast for your startup and the antidote to the average stuff most pe...
How I'd Start a Startup in 2025
10 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll talk about the four steps I'd take if I needed to start a startup in 2025. We'll also talk about idiots.We begin by embracing the reality...
Testing an Idea Live on the Pod, Part Two: AI for Parenting
02 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today is episode two of testing an idea (AI for Parenting) live on the pod. We use a second round of interviews to go deep on the actual problem we're...
A Live Idea Test: AI for Parenting
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today is day one of testing an idea live on the pod. We talk through how to turn a big, broad idea (AI for Parenting) into something actionable, the t...
Thanksgiving Mailbag: Are all the good ideas taken? What should I do about AI? What single skill should I focus on?
27 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A special Thanksgiving mailbag episode answering your biggest questions (plus a holiday deal for the dedicated listeners who aren't too busy with pump...
Three Ways to Approach Your Startup Like a Pro (Encore)
21 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll dig in on three approaches that separate how pros and amateurs build businesses. We'll talk through how pros leverage existing infrastruc...
How to Engineer Luck
13 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Most founders hope to get lucky. But luck isn't random - it can (and has to be) engineered. Today we'll break down exactly what luck is and how you ca...
How to Productize Your Customer's First Step (Encore)
08 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we'll dig in on productizing your customer's first step. This is the best path to building a product that generates revenue immediately so that ...
A Thing That Always Works: The 5-Minute List
31 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we dive into the Always Work and Never Work Lists to pull out a method that's immeasurably useful for our founders: The 5-Minute List. A system...
Three Types of Problems Worth Your Time to Solve
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk through the three types of problems that deserve a solution. We start off with a few higher level thoughts about problems and startups -...
Another Lesson at 40: Three Shortcuts for Getting Started
17 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we talk through the Silk Sheet Problem - how to do something new and hard when your life is fairly... comfortable. We help a listener get start...
Writing Persuasive Copy That Tests Your Startup Idea
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we talk through how to write compelling copy. We go through a few counterintuitive archetypes you can use to dramatically increase the clarity ...
A Lesson at 40: Happiness and Hard Things
04 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're going to talk about one of the best things Brian has learned in 40 years of living. We'll talk through why embracing discomfort is crucia...
Are You a Freelancer or an Entrepreneur?
27 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll help you think through a deceptively tough question - are you a freelancer or an entrepreneur? Every decision you make needs to nest neat...
The Exciting Part - Building a Product and The Test (Part 4 of Starting a Startup Live)
20 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today is the last episode in our four-part series helping a doctor test a business idea live on the pod. We follow as they execute their Concierge MVP...
Running a Concierge MVP (Part 3 of Starting a Startup Live On The Pod)
12 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In part three of testing a startup idea live on the pod, we dive into the Concierge MVP - a crucial step in validating a startup idea by manually solv...
Starting a Startup Live On The Pod, Part 2
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today is Part 2 of starting a startup live on the pod. We focus on finding and engaging potential customers through Brute Force Customer Acquisition a...
Testing a Healthcare Startup Idea Live On The Pod, Part 1
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll start a startup live on the pod. A listener wrote in with an idea in the shifting healthcare space and we pursue it over the next few epi...
How to Spot Promising Startup Ideas (feat. the Hard Startup Myth and the Hassle Premium)
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we'll help you find and choose the right startup idea. We'll use a couple of frameworks to help you evaluate startup ideas you've got and find s...
How to Choose The Right Quest
15 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll talk through how to identify and pursue the big, consequential ideas - what we'll call Quests. We go through how to identify them, how to...
How to Find Juicy Problems (ITS Classic)
08 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hard problems are the only problems worth your time, but they're not always easy to find. Today, we'll talk about how to root them out. We'll dig in o...
The Daniel Tiger SOP - How to Regularly Do Hard Stuff
01 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll talk about my favorite item from the Always Work List from a few weeks back - the Daniel Tiger SOP. Entrepreneurship requires you to do u...
A System to Help You Become Wildly Creative
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll help you build a system for creativity. We'll start by defining creativity as an equation to make it more accessible. Then, we'll develop...
How to Use One-Person Landing Page Tests to Find Your Differentiator (ITS Classic)
18 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll talk through a landing page system that'll help you find a great initial customer - one that can anchor your business. We'll talk through...
How to Not Screw Up Pricing For Your Startup
11 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we talk about how to price your startup. We touch on the four places to find margin, the Taco Bell pricing strategy, and using price to attract...
A Podcast Figuring Out Your Value (ITS Classic)
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll help you figure out how to find and position your startup idea's value. We'll talk through the Need/Gap/Swap framework, go through a few ...
How to Prioritize as an Idea-Stage Founder (ITS Classic)
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A throwback to the 6th ever episode of Idea to Startup - an episode that’s been listened to thousands of times and has a consumption rate at nearly ...
Things That Always Work and Things That Never Work
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we dig into the Always Work and Never Work Lists - a method that'll help entrepreneurs make good decisions through the constant second guessing...
How to Create Useful Content (for people who don't think they can create content)
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll talk about content. Two of the most asked questions we get are "should I create content?" and "if I should... what the heck should I say?...
A Mouse Pod (How to Stand Out in a Crowded Market)
30 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One of my favorite episodes in a while. Today, we talk about how you can stand out in a crowded market by looking at an exceptionally successful exter...
A Weekly Prioritization and Audit Framework for Entrepreneurs (ITS Classic)
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most listened to episodes in ITS history with an average consumption rate well over 100%. Today, we go through a Weekly Prioritization and ...
Running a Concierge MVP Live (feat. the four-step Concierge MVP framework)
16 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll run through a Concierge MVP example live on the pod. Brian chooses an idea specifically because someone wrote in and said it was "un-Conc...
How to Start the Business You’re Not Quite Ready to Start
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk through a system to help you start the business you don't feel ready to start. We do this because that's the only type of business there...
How to Take Yourself Seriously feat. The Entrepreneurship Handbook (ITS Classic)
01 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Most people's startup approach is haphazard. It's a combination of instincts and reactions and luck or happenstance. People who succeed are far more p...
A Startup Storytelling Framework for Non-Storytellers
24 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll help all the non-storytellers tell a compelling story about their business. We've got a framework that'll walk you through the ingredient...
When to Pivot and When to Stick (aka what to do with all your startup ideas) ITS Classic
10 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll talk about one of the most common hurdles entrepreneurs run into - getting tempted by a new idea a few months into working on their main ...
How to Pick Your Startup's First Customer
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll help you pick your startup's first customer segment. This decision dooms a huge percentage of first time entrepreneurs - if you don't und...
A System to Do Hard Things (ITS Classic)
21 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we help you become the type of founder who relishes uncomfortable things that lead to successful startups. There are no real secrets in the sta...
How to Build the First (Magical) Version Of Your Product This Weekend (ITS Classic)
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today's classic episode will help you get the first version of your product up and out this weekend.We use a three-part framework to help you focus in...
A System to Generate Ideas (aka how to let your brain be a brain)
29 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we talk through a 4-part system to generate ideas - one that'll tap into your brain's natural ability to develop novel solutions rather than ju...
20-ish Minute Skill: The Concierge MVP (ITS Classic)
21 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today's classic ITS episode discusses the Concierge MVP, an indispensable tactic early stage entrepreneurs can use to get the feedback of a full produ...
How to Create a Strategy For Your Startup
14 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll talk about strategy - what good (and bad) strategy looks like for startups, and how most early-stage companies lack any strategy at all. ...
How to Build a "Skeptical Startup" - 8k per month in 10 hours per week
31 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll help you tackle the big question for entrepreneurs with startup ideas and jobs - when's it time to quit the job and focus on the startup ...
What if the problem you're solving isn't "painful" or "urgent"? What if it's just something you think people will want? Should you still pursue it? (feat. Linguini)
17 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today is an ITS classic - an episode that was listened to and shared a ton. It hits on a fundamental question for idea-stage entrepreneurs - what if t...
The Magic of One-Sentence Marketing
11 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s episode is for everyone who struggles to summarize their startup in a sentence. We lay out a framework to do this well with help from a stic...
Designing a System to Actually Prioritize Your Startup This Year
04 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we dive into a practical, resilient system to help you carve out and hold time for your startup amidst the craziness of your life. Most startup...
Seth Godin and Brian Go Through Startup Ideas (ITS Classic)
27 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Seth Godin (!) and Brian go through startup ideas. Seth gives his opinion on how he’d start everything from a pasta truck to an updated CSA program....
How to Think Bigger (feat. The Problems and Opportunities Method)
20 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we’ll teach you how to avoid sabotaging your startup. Most founders think the best way to build a startup is to mitigate risks - to optimize ...
How to be Different, Part 1 (feat. The Personal Venn Diagram Method)
14 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll help you build a system to be different. We dive into the Persona Venn Diagram Method - a tool designed to help you identify and capitali...
Testing Another Startup Idea Live Part 1: Picking the Idea, Nudging the Boulder
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll kick off a new series where we'll start an idea live on the pod. Actually, we'll start two. One in the healthcare space, one in the AI sp...
The Quest for an Identity
30 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we'll help you find an identity. An identity is something unique that you can organize your business beneath. A north star that can act as a len...
How to Find a Differentiator (ITS Classic)
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we'll outline two frameworks that'll help you find a meaningful differentiator. We'll use a bunch of examples to show how Inversion + Before and...
Customers Speak Problem, But You’re Speaking Solution
16 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll talk about why so many entrepreneurs can't effectively explain what they're doing to their customers. The short answer is they speak the ...
An SOP for Testing a Startup Idea
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll help you build an SOP for testing startup ideas. We'll use an example from a listener - a startup in the homeschooling space - as a guine...
Two Ways to Approach Your Startup Idea Like A Pro (ITS Classic)
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll talk about pros and amateurs. Pros build businesses that have a shot - amateurs never leave the starting gate. Unfortunately, most amateu...
Writing Persuasive Copy to Test an Idea
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we talk through how to write compelling copy. We go through a few counterintuitive archetypes you can use to dramatically increase the clarity ...
How to Embrace Risk, Uncertainty, and Chaos
18 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we'll help you embrace risk, uncertainty, and chaos. The only way to get asymmetric results in life is to spend a lot of time in what we call t...
The Three Types of Problems Worth Your Time to Solve
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today we talk through the three types of problems that deserve a solution. We start off with a few higher level thoughts about problems and startups -...