You’re a startup founder — or an early employee. And you’re constantly struggling to figure out how to get the word out. Trust me. I get it. That was the crux of my motivation for starting this site 18+ years ago. I kept running into so many amazing startups, and was constantly asking “Why don’t more people know about this…?” The reality? Most founders don’t have the bandwidth to promote what they’re building. So I open sourced my marketing communications knowledge to make that happen. And now, it’s time to take that same concept to a different medium.
How does this work…?
The concept of “getting interviewed” probably caused a bit of a bit of a cold sweat reaction. That’s natural. But fact of the matter is this: no one is more expert at what you’re doing and why you’re doing it than your are. So that cold sweat is coming from the fear of “What am I getting myself into?”
Let’s nip that in the bud. This is a cakewalk. For real for real. Full of softballs that you can easily knock out the park. With one arm tied behind your back. (Enough analogies yet or should I keep going…?)
While we’re just getting started, I’m planning to focus each interview on five easy questions that you can answer in your sleep. And then I might drill down with some remedial questions to help the audience better understand the concept. But nothing tricky. I promise.
Need examples…?
Noticing a theme…?
Just so we’re on the same page, here are the five questions I always ask:
- What does your startup do? (Give us the pitch!)
- What inspired you to work on this problem? (Was it a personal pain point, an observation, a suggestion from someone else…?)
- What’s one piece of advice you’d give to startup founders? (Peer mentorship is always welcome. Could be an insight, a book, or something else.)
- What’s one startup resource you can’t live without? (Could be a newsletter, a podcast, a data resource.)
- How can we be helpful? (Every startup needs something.)
See…? Practically painless. Now, let’s get you in the queue. (NOTE: Completing this form is only an expression of interest. It does not obligate you to participate in an interview. Similarly, submitting this form does not guarantee you an interview. Interviews will be conducted based on availability and alignment with current audience interests.)
Next steps…
Once you’ve applied, I’ll review your application and — if I have bandwidth — I’ll send you a link to grab a time on my calendar.
Interviews will take 15-20 min, but I’ll block 30 min on your calendar. They will be entirely virtual. We’ll be recording audio and video, but you are more than welcome to keep your camera off if that puts you more at ease. We can just have my big stupid face up there.
To make sure you’re good to go, do a tech check on Riverside.
After recording, I’ll do some minor edits and upload our conversation to YouTube and podcast platforms. Then it’s up to you how many people you share it with. (Although gift giving season is coming up. So act accordingly. Interview content makes a great gift. As far as I’m concerned.)
Obviously, I’ll also share stuff here. And in the newsletter.
Looking forward to chatting with you!
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