In this episode, I interview my son, Patrick Kelly, co-founder of Shorca Wood. We talked a bit about his business and about being an entrepreneur. He has grown up watching me start multiple businesses and host this podcast. He is also an entrepreneur himself and isn’t even a teenager yet. After hosting my Startup Competitors podcast for four years, I have decided it’s time for this final episode. I’ve enjoyed it immensely and have met many entrepreneurs who’ve generously shared their genius...

Pernix Solutions is a software building company co-founded by former Intel and HP employees. They specialize in extending and building development teams, developing mobile and web apps, and crafting MVPs for startups and entrepreneurs.  In this episode, I chat with Carlos Sirias, founder and CEO of Pernix Solutions. Carlos is located in Costa Rica and we talk about the economic stability of Latin America. We also discuss how that ties into him building an apprentice program, where the company...

Sequense is a B2B SaaS workflow management software created by travel agents, for travel agents. Because the travel industry has evolved and grown, especially due to Covid, people are having more of a relationship with their travel agent. In fact, in updated terminology, travel agents are more frequently called travel advisors. Currently, approximately 100,000 United States travel advisors are responsible for over $32 billion per year in travel revenue. In this episode, I talk with Sequense...

I was recently a guest on the fun and inspirational Moments To Momentum podcast with Scott Abbott. In his signature style, Scott asked me a series of questions, balancing frivolity with deeper business insights. We talked about how I got started in technology, Oreos and whiskey, and a few other interesting facts about my life.  After that, we moved on to more serious topics. One we discussed at length was how to recognize and not trivialize the pain and suffering of others. And once you...

iResearch is an online platform that allows users to conduct focus groups all over the world, in any language. With the ability to quickly extract insights from consumers, iResearch provides users the knowledge to make smart business decisions. ConnectQik is an app that allows users to make connections and take part in engaging interactions. Designed to capture business information, you can instantly exchange information with new contacts. In this episode, I talk with iResearch.com and...

iTeam is a network of CEO think tanks that brings top level CEOs together in private groups. The purpose is to provide a place to reflect on tough decisions or get honest feedback. With an emphasis on technology enablement, and a process to find, sharpen, and drive competitive edges forward, the results speak for themselves. They have identified and are addressing the somewhat hidden needs of high level CEOs.  In this episode, I talk with iTeam founder and CEO, Thaddeus Rex, about what it...

Vertex Intelligence is a data science and machine learning consultancy. They help a wide-range of companies solve tough data-related challenges by changing human problems into math problems and then solving them. Vertex identified frequent issues plaguing companies of all sizes, such as scheduling, data mining, and resource allocation, and developed machine-learning based solutions.  In this episode, I talk with CEO, Tyler Foxworthy, about how they’ve leveraged data science and optimization...

Otus is a single platform for teaching, grading, analyzing and planning for K-12 education. It’s designed for administrators, educators, students and families so they can concentrate on what matters most -- learning. Through robust and integrated technology, Otus eliminates the time and ease of use pain points for administrative and teaching tasks.  Otus employs 8-week cycles for product assessment, actively and rapidly adapting and responding to requests for additions and improvements. They...

Geneoscopy is committed to reinventing the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. Their innovative techniques for non-invasive diagnosis and treatment includes technology for assistance in early-stage colon cancer detection. As a venture-backed startup based in Saint Louis, Missouri, Geneoscopy is walking through building technology and bringing it to the marketplace. This includes commercializing technology coming out of universities and schools of medicine. For Geneoscopy, this is...

Upper Hand builds award-winning innovative sports and fitness management software. They streamline day-to-day operations and eliminate manual and time-consuming tasks for fitness studios, sports facilities and sports academies. Upper Hand has found tremendous success, skillfully transitioning from a solid B2C company into a sought-after, growing B2B company. Interested in learning about how they did it, I spoke with Kevin MacCauley, Founder and CEO of Upper Hand. We discuss their early pivot,...

Buddy Brands is a collection of solution-based pet product brands, all focused on relieving various pet health problems. Their combined products address issues such as pain, mobility, anxiety, allergies, and itching. Through Buddy Brands, President and Founder, Trevor Crotts, uses his expertise in employing advanced technology to increase consumer confidence and drive sales of quality products. In this episode, I talk ecommerce with Trevor, who is also involved in the startups Compel Commerce...

Unicorn Venture Partners specializes in pre-seeds and Series A investments. Their two verticals are mainly the technology space and consumer space. Because Unicorn Venture Partners has no LPs (limited partnerships), how they operate, the massive success they’ve had, and how they’ve grown since 2018 sets them apart. In this episode, I talk with Jonathan Hung, Co-Managing Partner of Unicorn Venture Partners. We discuss the experience diversity superpower of the three founding partners and how...

Capbase is a compliance platform designed to manage information and paperwork typically needed for a startup. It includes corporation, payroll, funds raising, document signing, compliance and government filings, and much more. It was started by Co-Founders Stefan Nagey and Greg Miaskiewicz, who both have founded and sold other companies. In this episode, Stefan Nagey shares how Capbase was inspired by the mistakes and pain points he and Greg experienced. They wanted to help other startups...

Avestor provides real estate investing made simple. It allows the average person to build their own custom real estate platform, using a range of prequalified investments. Despite the uncertainty of the economy during Covid, they went fully live in 2020. And it paid off. Their commitment and growth actually shaped the company in positive ways, despite the restrictions Covid created. These surprising positives made the conversation with Sanjay Vora, Co-Founder of Avestor, super interesting. I...

Observa combines human observation with artificial intelligence to compile accurate retail marketing data. They compare what a client’s marketing spend (trade spend) is supposed to be getting them to what is actually happening in-store. With a human force of over 275,000 in-store observers, and the technology to turn raw information into usable marketing data, Observa is addressing one of the biggest problems in retail. Whenever a company generates the opportunity to make themselves that...

Lloyd is a career navigation business with a human touch. It’s based on the premise that people both want and need additional structure and accountability in their careers, especially as they grow. I chatted with Co-Founder and CEO, Dan Gusz, about the current beta phase of Lloyd and how they plan to scale going forward. We also discussed how Lloyd is approaching product development and the features they plan to implement in the product road map. I enjoyed the conversation immensely and if...

Appsurify is the tester for testers. Its plugin is compatible with existing software test environments, and provides the immediate feedback developers constantly need. Whenever software changes are implemented, it isolates the proper and necessary subset of tests to run. With Appsurify, any organization utilizing software development can quickly improve their system. This competitive edge allows them to ship faster, get to market faster, have fewer defects, and much more. Fully bootstrapped,...

ProBook is the all-in-one platform for any sports team. It streamlines team management by integrating the Five Pillars of coaching excellence. This includes tracking and fostering athlete development and team culture by centralizing social media, events, profiles, nutrition, film, schedules, communication, and much more.  However, ProBook has a huge competitor - the gorilla in that space... so how are they wedging themselves in? I discussed their early success and future plans with founder...

Forecasting for your business using outdated, clunky software slows your business and it eats up time you could spend on action items to grow. Forecastr fixes that pain point. It’s an online software platform that helps founders build great financial models, so they can make better decisions, impress investors, and get funded. Through Forecastr, you can quickly see your current revenue streams, expected growth, expenses and more -- so you can focus on the areas that need your attention the...

We all know a data breach can crush a small or medium-sized business. PrettyFluid Technologies protects businesses by taking the liability and security of customer data off the company and placing it back in the hands of their customers. With a truly first-to-market concept, Zentinel™, their SAS platform, is so needed, they easily pre-sold it before build.  Of course, I was eager to find out how that happened. And even more eager when I learned that the bootstrapped company has also received...

Motor is bringing extra power to the electric car movement by uniting utility companies and drivers. Approximately 70% of Americans have never even been in an electric car, and it is Motor's primary goal to change that by changing the way we think about electric cars. In my conversation with co-founders Mike Barg and Bryan Bernard, they share how they create a seamless experience for customers in order to increase electric car usage, as well as what it was like launching Motor from a larger...

Forecastr is an online software platform that helps founders build great financial models, so they can make better decisions, impress investors, and get funded. Financial forecasts are key to any business’s tool kit, particularly for startups, and Forecastr fills an important role of helping create financial models and support them over the long term. I talk with CEO and co-founder Steven Plappert about the recent launch of the beta product, and how they were able to launch with 87 clients...

Jewlr is an all-encompassing software solution built specifically for the jewelry industry. Their MVP addresses everything a retail store needs to run as a whole, and the product roadmap seeks to address other facets of the jewelry industry as a whole. In my conversation with Natalie Whitmore and Richard Crowe, two of the four members of the founding team, they illustrate the current state of the technology within the jewelry industry and just how outdated it is. We spend a lot of time in our...

Kennected completely simplifies and automates your lead-generation and outreach via LinkedIn by teaching you how to optimize your LinkedIn profile and think uniquely around finding your target audience. In this episode, I talk with Kennected co-founder and CEO Devin Johnson. We talk about how the team got started, what their product roadmap looks like beyond the their current product offering, and preparing the business for rapid growth. Devin also shares details about the mindset resources...