Build Before You Burn Out — Chris Davis on What Startups Keep Getting Wrong About Tech

What does it really take to build a tech startup that scales — and how do you avoid the costly mistakes most founders make? In this episode, I sit down with Chris Davis, a seasoned startup operator, strategist, and former CEO of multiple venture-backed companies, to talk through the gritty, unglamorous parts of launching a tech business that actually works.

From his early years navigating sports tech and recruiting startups to his current role at Intucia Labs, Chris has helped dozens of founders move from vision to viable product — without wasting months (or millions) trying to reinvent what already exists.

Chris shares:

• His journey from football captain at Duke to CEO and product strategist
• Why most startup founders fail at product design (and how to fix it)
• How to think about “second launches” when your MVP wasn’t built right the first time
• The rinse-and-repeat tech systems that cut costs and increase speed to market
• What great founders do differently (spoiler: it starts with writing things down)

We also get into the real conversations founders need to have with investors, why many MVPs are built backwards, and how to avoid becoming the startup that hemorrhages cash because the backend is a mess.

🎯 Key Takeaways:

• Ingenuity beats investment. Hustle, resilience, and resourcefulness still matter more than fancy pitch decks.
• Design isn't just colors. User experience design = mapping out the entire customer journey before you write a single line of code.
• Don’t build from scratch. 80% of most products are the same — focus on the 20% that makes you different.
• Fix the foundation before scaling. Tech debt will cost you more in time and money than investing in the right setup early.
• Know your flame. If you don’t have traction, a waitlist, or a working prototype — you’re not ready for investors.

Whether you’re a non-technical founder figuring out product for the first time, or you’re ready for a second shot at building it right — this episode gives you a framework to think smarter and build faster.

📌 Learn more about Chris’s work at Intuitio Labs
📌 Connect with Chris on LinkedIn

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🎙️ This Week’s Episode: From Ballet to B2B—Allyson Havener on Owning the Modern CMO Role

What does it take to go from ballerina to CMO in the fast-paced world of B2B tech? In this episode, I sit down with Allyson Havener, Chief Marketing Officer at TrustRadius, to unpack what it really means to lead marketing today—across content, data, strategy, and most of all, trust.

With a background that spans SaaS, brand building, and go-to-market strategy, Allyson shares how she orchestrates marketing teams to drive growth—and why being action-oriented beats perfection every time.

Allyson shares:

• Her journey from creative roots to tech CMO
• The difference between marketing for marketing’s sake and marketing that drives business
• Why original content (not AI copycatting) is the next frontier
• How TrustRadius is redefining the buyer’s journey with real customer voice and reviews
• Why marketers need to take off the “marketing hat” and think like business leaders

We also dig into the evolving B2B customer journey (hello, Google’s messy middle), the power of word-of-mouth at scale, what makes modern demand gen work, and how CMOs can build boardroom credibility by aligning marketing to revenue—not just vanity metrics.

🎯 Key Takeaways:

• Build trust by showcasing real customer experiences
• Original content means having a POV, not just publishing AI fluff
• B2B buyers want pricing, proof, and peer validation—fast
• CMOs must balance brand-building with revenue accountability
• Content + distribution + consistency = the simplest (and smartest) growth plan

Whether you're leading a marketing team, building a go-to-market plan, or trying to make your way to the C-suite, this episode offers fresh perspective on how today’s top marketers are adapting, iterating, and leading with purpose.

📌 Learn more about TrustRadius at trustradius.com
📌 Follow Allyson on LinkedIn
📌 Follow TrustRadius on LinkedIn

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🎙️ This Week’s Episode: From Magic Tricks to Marketing Truths—Jeff Greenfield on Attribution’s Future

Is marketing attribution still possible without cookies? And how do you actually know which of your efforts are driving conversions? In this episode, I sit down with Jeff Greenfield—entrepreneur, magician, and co-founder of Provalytics—who’s building the next generation of privacy-compliant, AI-driven attribution for marketers who are tired of guessing.

Jeff’s career path is anything but ordinary—starting in chiropractic and close-up magic, detouring into early SEO, product placement, and branded entertainment, and eventually pioneering one of the first multi-touch attribution models at C3 Metrics. Now with Provalytics, he’s empowering marketers with actionable insights without relying on cookies or user-level data.

Jeff shares:

• His wild journey from Magic Castle magician to measurement expert
• How marketers can confidently defend spend in a privacy-first world
• Why impressions—not clicks—are the true currency of marketing
• What legacy marketers need to unlearn (and relearn) to keep up
• How Provalytics is helping brands find ROI in places they never thought to look

We also dig into why marketers often fear data (and how to fix that), what SMBs can do to DIY their own measurement, and why being “less wrong each month” is a smarter goal than perfection.

🎯 Key Takeaways:

• Attribution is no longer about perfect tracking—it’s about predictive trust
• Focus on impressions, not just clicks—they’re your first signal of interest
• Marketing mix modeling isn’t just for big brands anymore
• Visibility into what’s actually working can save you millions
• It's time to bridge the gap between creative marketing and cold, hard finance

Whether you're a data-driven CMO, a scrappy founder trying to stretch your budget, or a marketer who wants to sound smarter in front of the CFO—this episode is a must-listen.

📌 Learn more about Jeff’s work at provalytics.com
📌 Follow Provalytics on LinkedIn
📌 Follow Provalytics on Facebook

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🎙️ This Week’s Episode: Why Short-Term Rental Hosts Are Ditching Airbnb

Tired of sky-high booking fees and platform rules that favor guests over hosts? In this episode, I sit down with Denayer and Carlos, co-founders of Direct BookMe, a community-first platform helping short-term rental hosts take back control of their business—and their profits.

Born from their own frustration as frequent travelers and would-be hosts, Direct BookMe is on a mission to simplify direct bookings, eliminate commissions, and give hosts the tools and freedom to grow.

Danaer and Carlos share:

• Why Airbnb and VRBO no longer serve most hosts
• The tipping point that sparked the idea for Direct BookMe
• How they’re building trust, community, and a commission-free future
• The platform’s focus on education, simplicity, and host empowerment

We also dig into traveler behavior in 2025, the rise of digital nomads, and how Direct Book Me is aligning with new expectations in the vacation rental space.

🎯 Key takeaways:

• Direct bookings = more money in your pocket, less red tape
• The major trust and autonomy gaps in legacy platforms
• Why building with community from day one is a game-changer
• How hosts can start listing without needing their own website

Whether you're a current host, thinking of becoming one, or just sick of feeling like a commodity—this episode is for you.

📌 Learn more and list your property at directbookme.co

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🎙️ This Week’s Episode: Why B2B Video Marketing Is Broken—and How to Fix It

B2B video isn’t working the way it should. In this episode, I sit down with Daniel Borba, founder of Spark Portal, to talk about how companies are burning budget on flashy videos that don’t perform—and what to do instead.

Daniel breaks down:

• The Video-as-a-Service (VaaS) model that’s disrupting B2B marketing
• Why production quality ≠ effectiveness
• The simple framework to turn webinars, explainer videos, and even selfie clips into content that converts

We talk LinkedIn’s evolution, sales enablement through video, and how to finally align your video efforts with business strategy—not vanity metrics.

🎯 Key takeaways:

• Why your first 10 videos can do more than your last 100 social posts
• The role of strategic repurposing in scaling content
• How low-lift video (think: iPhone + talking head) often outperforms high-production assets

If you’re leading marketing, sales, or running a business—you need this episode.

📌 Follow Daniel Borba & Spark Portal:

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Spark Portal LinkedIn

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Podcast Summary: The Worldview Brief — Why Marketing Needs a Political Lens (Without the Politics)

In this episode, Sacha Awwa sits down with Chris Peterson, co-founder of LifeMind and author of Red and Blue Customers, to unpack one of the most overlooked dimensions in marketing today: worldview. A former agency leader and lifelong consumer insights enthusiast, Chris explores how the deeply ingrained cultural values of liberal and conservative customers shape purchasing behavior, brand loyalty, and marketing strategy.

From the evolution of political polarization to AI-powered segmentation, Chris breaks down the subtle but powerful ways businesses project their own values—often unconsciously—and what to do about it. If you’ve ever wondered why your marketing works better with some audiences than others, this episode is your roadmap to understanding why.

Key Topics Discussed:

1. The Hidden Influence of Worldview

• How a 2020 Pew study sparked the book Red and Blue Customers
• The difference between politics and worldview—and why it matters in marketing
• Why values, not policies, shape purchase decisions

2. Decoding Consumer Behavior

• Liberal vs. conservative consumption patterns—from TV shows to Tesla
• Surprising insights from anthropology and psychology, not political science
• 27 values that differentiate—and 7 that unite—American customers

3. The Worldview Brief: A New Strategic Tool

• Why most creative briefs miss this simple but powerful question
• How to assess your customer base without alienating anyone
• Real-world examples from fitness, automotive, and home retail industries

4. Building Brands that Resonate

• How brands like WeatherTech and Apartments.com naturally align with worldview
• The role of founders’ values in long-term brand positioning
• What happens when values conflict with segments you didn’t mean to alienate

5. AI and the Future of Values-Based Marketing

• How LifeMind uses AI to map customer values (regional, generational, political)
• The surprising results from AI-generated copy that "doesn't sound like you"
• Why the best marketing removes your personal bias from the message

6. Worldview Inside the Organization

• Why sales and marketing often clash—and how worldview explains it
• The role of leadership in value projection and culture shaping
• How worldview brief discussions can bring clarity to creative, media, and hiring decisions

Key Takeaways for Founders & Marketing Leaders:

• You’re projecting a worldview whether you realize it or not—get intentional.
• Marketing without worldview awareness leads to missed fit and wasted spend.
• The goal isn’t to “go political”—it’s to align values with the right audience.
• Worldview briefs should sit beside your ICP and brand guide, not replace them.
• Great brands balance innovation and reliability to resonate across segments.

Follow Chris Peterson’s Work:

📘 Red and Blue Customers — available on Amazon
💡 LifeMind.ai — AI-driven customer value segmentation
🔗 LinkedIn

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Podcast Summary: The Community Code — Building Brand Loyalty Beyond the Transaction

In this episode, Sacha Awwa dives deep with Michael Puhala, Chief Community Evangelist at Khoros, a trailblazer in the digital community space. With over a decade at the forefront of online community innovation, Michael has helped some of the world’s top brands—like Microsoft, Spotify, and Sephora—build thriving ecosystems that drive retention, loyalty, and long-term customer engagement.

From the early days of gamer forums to the rise of AI-assisted support and ideation hubs, Michael unpacks how brands can turn passive customers into active participants. This episode is essential for marketers, CX leaders, and product teams who want to build customer relationships that last.

Key Topics Discussed:

1. The Evolution of Community Strategy

• Why digital communities predate social media—and how they still matter more
• From support channels to data goldmines: how community became strategic
• How post-COVID dynamics revived the role of community in brand building

2. Community as a Retention Engine

• Why Sephora community members spend 2.5x more than non-members
• The difference between customer-to-brand and customer-to-customer engagement
• Using forums and ideation to support loyalty, CSAT, and product development

3. From Forums to Flywheels

• How brands like Zoom and Southwest scale support through community
• The power of community-driven SEO: 180-day payoff, long-term value
• Super users as volunteers, evangelists, and customer service amplifiers

4. B2B vs. B2C Communities

• The surprising overlap between Spotify and Shopify
• Why use cases like support, ideation, and lifestyle education apply across sectors
• Community KPIs: lifetime value, churn reduction, CSAT, and content generation

5. Community & AI: A New Frontier

• Why AI needs community more than the reverse—for now
• Summarization, prioritization, and churn prediction: AI’s real role in communities
• How generative AI will transform federated search and product-embedded support

6. Avoiding the Community Pitfalls

• Why “build it and they will come” doesn’t work
• The death of MQLs and the rise of behavior-based engagement
• Why community is a long-tail investment, not a short-term marketing fix

Key Takeaways for Founders & Marketing Leaders:

• Treat community like a listening channel—not a marketing one
• The first 90 days of a new community initiative are critical—don’t wing it
• Don’t treat community like a campaign; it’s a flywheel, not a funnel
• Community members are your highest-value customers—invest accordingly
• Surround yourself with experienced community leaders from day one

Follow Michael Puhala’s Work:
📍 LinkedIn
📖 Human Traits — A speculative novel exploring humanity’s future with AI

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Podcast Summary: Cracking the Meta Code — Scaling Ads with Strategy, Not Just Spend

In this episode, Sacha Awwa sits down with Manel Gomez, a Meta ad specialist managing $300K–$500K/month in spend for e-commerce brands across the U.S. and Europe. With over $25M in profitable ad spend under his belt and regular appearances at Meta HQ, Manel breaks down the technical evolution of Facebook Ads and how founders can navigate the increasingly competitive paid social landscape.

From bidding strategies to AI tools and platform trends, Manel offers a masterclass in modern media buying. Whether you're spending $30 or $30,000/day, this episode is a must-listen for anyone trying to make paid ads work in 2025.

Key Topics Discussed:

1. The Evolution of Meta Advertising

• How ad strategy shifted from 2016’s low-hanging fruit to today’s competitive battlefield
• The impact of COVID in three waves: low CPMs, the “golden era,” and post-boom attrition
• Why today's ad success requires deeper thinking, not just platform familiarity

2. Budget, ROAS & Reality Checks

• The importance of setting a daily budget based on your average order value (AOV)
• Why under-spending leads to poor machine learning performance
• How to manage client expectations on ROAS and discovery

3. Manual Bidding & Wave Surfing

• The power of manual bidding: cost cap vs. bid cap explained
• “Overbidding” to dominate the auction and bully competitors
• Timing ad spend around consumer behavior, pay cycles, and Shopify data

4. Creatives That Convert

• Why most user-generated content (UGC) is dying out
• Testing different formats (before/after, meme-style, image vs. video)
• Finding the one ad that drives scale—it’s 95/5, not 80/20

5. Platform Myths & Meta’s Real Agenda

• Why you should ignore most Facebook rep suggestions
• Advantage+ and multi-advertiser placement: what to watch out for
• The coming wave of Instagram Checkout and native shopping within Meta

6. The AI Reality Check

• Why AI is useful—but not a magic wand
• How tools like 11 Labs and Lovvo.ai can improve scale and localization
• Why human strategy still beats automation—for now

Key Takeaways for Founders & Media Buyers:

• Don't skip the research. It fuels every winning ad.
• Testing should be intentional, not guesswork.
• Your first goal is to find one killer creative.
• Strategic spend > impulsive scale.
• Ride the market waves—don’t fight them.

Follow Manel’s work and insights:

📍 Instagram: @manelgomez

📍 YouTube: Manel.gomez

📍Website: Meta Scaling Accelerator

🎙️ Speaker at Affiliate World, Ads Accelerator & more

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