EPISODE 39

Jonathan Sturgeon joins Founder Mode to explain how he built multiple eight-figure businesses without chasing an audience, a personal brand, or social media validation. He breaks down his deliberately anti-influencer posture, why cold calling still outperforms content for high-intent sales, and how his companies Dingus & Zazzy and Uh Oh scale through systems, scripts, and trust rather than hype. The conversation moves from trolling internet fame culture to designing a radically simple IT business with a free trial and pay-what-you-want pricing, and ends with Jonathan’s view that not every project needs to optimize for returns—some are worth doing because they’re fun.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Building businesses without social media or an audience

03:45 – The anti-influencer mindset and trolling internet fame

11:45 – Cold calling, scripts, and why outbound still works

15:30 – Uh Oh: free-trial IT, pay-what-you-want pricing, and trust

24:00 – Art over profit and building businesses for enjoyment

LINKS

Connect with Jonathan Sturgeon

Uh Oh • Dingus & Zazzy • LinkedIn • X/Twitter

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LinkedIn • X/Twitter

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LinkedIn • X/Twitter

EPISODE 38

Recorded mid-flight in Kevin’s Vision Jet en route to Monterey, Kevin and Jason talk with veteran pilot and aviation podcaster Max Trescott about why flying can feel like a flow-state reset, and how the discipline of aviation maps to building companies. Kevin shares his path from earning a pilot’s license in college to taking a long break, then returning to aviation with structured training, checklists, and the calm that comes from repetition. Together they unpack why “it’s not hard, it’s a lot of effort,” why SOPs and emergency prep matter when things break, and the real key to learning: consistent time in the seat, the right instructor, and a focus on proficiency over deadlines.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Flying as a stress reset and the “are you ready?” check

00:48 – Welcome to Founder Mode from the Vision Jet

02:55 – Kevin’s pilot journey: college license to getting hooked on the Vision Jet

05:23 – The founder/pilot overlap: effort, SOPs, and staying calm when things change

13:09 – Buying (and upgrading) a jet: the sales cycle, timing, and “right message, right moment”

LINKS

Connect with Max Trescott

Aviation News Talk • LinkedIn • X/Twitter

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Connect with Kevin

LinkedIn • X/Twitter

Connect with Jason

LinkedIn • X/Twitter

EPISODE 37

Kevin and Jason sit down with Austin Boer, co-founder of Sleke, to unpack what it takes to build a “dumb phone” that still supports modern life. Austin shares how a simple insight from the r/dumbphone subreddit shaped Sleke’s mission: people want fewer distractions, not less utility. The conversation covers founder-led customer discovery, why Sleke is built around intentional constraints like banning infinite scroll, and how the team balances privacy, usability, and real-world needs like QR codes, maps, and music. They also explore the bigger question of what replaces the phone by 2030 and why digital minimalism should be accessible to everyone, not a luxury product.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – The dumb phone problem people actually have

03:50 – Why Austin built Sleke and what the product is

04:30 – Founder-led discovery: 200+ ICP calls and shifting ICP

08:20 – The “fatal flaw” of dumb phones and preventing app creep

16:30 – Digital minimalism shouldn’t be a luxury

LINKS

Connect with Austin Boer

sleke.io • Instagram • X/Twitter

Special Offer: Use code FOUNDERS5 for a discount on a Sleke device.

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Connect with Kevin

LinkedIn • X/Twitter

Connect with Jason

LinkedIn • X/Twitter