In this episode of Explore, I sat down with Kevin Jurovich, the CEO and founder of Circles📱an app that helps you find the right places at the right time. Kevin is also a former NFL Athlete, he was a Wide Receiver and played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, and San Francisco 49ers. We discussed Kevin's journey from playing in the NFL to raising $300k in a seed round at Circles. We talked about his sports mindset and how that helps him succeed in the startup world, the challenges of being a first-time founder and the importance of having a stellar product and user base before deciding on a revenue strategy. 🚀 Kevin also shared some important lessons for startups founders that he learned throughout his journey, such as how to raise your first round, the need to be creative in the early stages and the importance of trusting your early team members. Tune in to hear Kevin's fascinating story! Learn more about Explore : Follow on LinkedIn 🌐: ⁠⁠⁠Hugo Rauch | LinkedIn⁠ Learn more about Kevin : Follow on LinkedIn 🌐: Kevin Jurovich Timestamp : 0:00 Introduction and Welcome 01:02 Kevin's Journey: From Childhood Dreams to NFL 02:26 Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Change 05:24 Transition from NFL to Corporate World 07:56 Becoming a Financial Advisor and Discovering the Startup World 16:04 The Birth of Circles: A New Venture 18:24 Building a Team and Embracing the Startup Culture 20:25 Fundraising Journey and Challenges 24:52 Pitch Deck and Initial Funding 25:48 Challenges of a Non-Technical Co-Founder 26:46 Building an App: The Right Approach 28:21 Protecting Your Startup Idea 30:23 The Evolution of Circles App 34:49 The Future of Circles: Expansion and Monetization 46:58 The Journey of a Startup Influencer