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Building a Feature vs Creating a Product | Simran Singh - E30

Published on: 8th August, 2024

Simran Singh narrates his entrepreneurial journey from his college days at Duke University to co-founding Zogo, a financial education platform which was eventually acquired by Peak Six. He elaborates on the challenges of early-stage startups, the pivoting of Zogo, and decision-making processes related to product development and market targeting. Simran also introduces his new venture, SwayStack, while providing valuable insights on growth, partnerships, and maintaining an entrepreneurial mindset. Additionally, the episode explores influential books like 'Poor Charlie's Almanac' by Charlie Munger, favorite tools and tech stacks like Notion, JIRA, GitHub, Figma, Google Drive, AWS, and Dynalist, and shares advice on resilience, support systems, and customer engagement. The conversation wraps up with anticipation of the next guest's insights into the role of mentors or advisors. If you’re looking for the motivation and insight needed to build a successful startup, this episode is for you.

Key Takeaways:

• How will you know when to invest in an initial MVP?

• Calculating market size to predict scalability

• How working with private equity can be beneficial to your long term vision


Key Timestamps:

(00:00) - Introduction

(01:31) - Simran’s Indian Family Influence

(04:40) - Challenges and Learnings from Zogo

(14:39) - Navigating Early MVPs

(29:25) - Balancing Risk and Stability

(35:50) - Zogo's Business Development Strategy

(36:23) - Sales and Marketing

(38:36) - Total Addressable Market (TAM)

(46:50) - Acquisition by Private Equity

(55:27) - Post-Acquisition Reflections and New Ventures

(59:12) - Rapid Fire Questions and Resources

(01:07:40) - Final Thoughts


Key Topics Discussed:

Funds and Founders, Austin Texas, Abhinav Sinha, entrepreneurs, startups, venture capital


Mentions:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/esimran/


Check out the Funds & Founders Community:

Reach out to Abhi at abhinavsinha.podcast@gmail.com

Website: fundsandfounderspodcast.com

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About the Podcast

Funds and Founders: Untold Journeys Behind Their Breakthroughs
Welcome to "Funds & Founders: Untold Journeys Behind Their Breakthroughs," where we dig deep into the stories of successful Austin founders. Instead of focusing on their successes though, we dive into their journeys, particularly the struggles and obstacles they had to overcome.

This weekly podcast is tailored for Austin founders navigating the early stages of their entrepreneurial journey and hosted by fellow Austinite Abhinav Sinha. Here’s what to expect by tuning into Funds & Founders:

🚀 Embark on a Journey to Success
Join Abhinav as he takes you behind the scenes, exploring the highs and lows of building a company. This isn't your typical success story – we dive into the failures, the struggles, and those pivotal breakthrough moments that define a founder's path.

🌟 Real Conversations, Real Insights
Abhinav's approach is refreshingly different. Rather than dwelling on success, he crafts casual conversations that unravel the untold stories. Identify the setbacks that helped them grow, the lessons learned from failures, and the breakthrough moments that fueled these founders.

🤔 Why Didn't They Quit? Learn and Apply.
At the heart of each episode, Abhinav delves into the 'why' behind the perseverance. Why didn't they throw in the towel during tough times? And, most importantly, how can you apply their insights to your own journey? Get ready to be inspired and equipped with practical takeaways for your entrepreneurial adventure.

🤝 Decoding Venture Capital
Ever wondered what goes on in the minds of Austin's venture capitalists? Abhinav sits down with local VCs to decode their criteria for investing in early-stage companies. Gain valuable insights into the world of venture capital, understand what investors look for, and appreciate the vital factor of founder-investor compatibility.

🎙️ Meet Your Host, Abhinav Sinha:
Abhinav's soft-spoken yet inquisitive style creates an intimate atmosphere, allowing guests to share their authentic stories. His genuine curiosity and insightful questions make each episode a captivating journey into the minds of Austin's most successful founders.

If you're a budding Austin entrepreneur seeking the inspiration and insight needed for building a successful company, "Funds & Founders" is your go-to podcast.