TMBA 485: Mastering the Art of Entrepreneurial Kung Fu

Podcast 38:24 | Download | Stitcher | iTunes | Comment

Dan and Ian have talked a lot about business strategy on this show, but there are some business techniques that are so powerful, you have to learn them from a true master.

Jason Cohen, the founder of WP Engine, recently wrote a piece on his blog ASmartBear.com titled Kung Fu.

In it, Jason proposes that all entrepreneurs are essentially fighters. We are fighting to make a living, fighting to survive, and fighting to change marketplaces.

Any good fighter needs to have a plan, and in his post, Jason shared his own “moves” for running a business.

On today’s episode, we are talking about some of Jason’s insights, and sharing a few of our own “moves” as well.

Transcript

Listen to this week’s show and learn:

• Why a “Freemium” model isn’t a good way to learn about your customers. (5:40)
• The reason all startups are screwed up, and why that’s okay. (11:49)
• How “napkin math” can help you set realistic goals. (17:22)
• Why your pricing determines everything else in your business. (23:26)
• Some of our secret Kung Fu moves. (27:10)

Mentioned in the episode:

• Before the Exit – Our New Book
• TMBA Masterminds
• Sponsor the TMBA Podcast
• The Dynamite Circle
• The DC Podcast
• Help Us Choose a New Name for the TropicalMBA Podcast
• DC BKK
• Dynamite Jobs
• Jason Cohen
• WP Engine
• Kung Fu by Jason Cohen

This week’s sponsor:

This week’s episode is brought to you by Ahrefs. For a lot of our listeners, Ahrefs is already your go-to tool for optimizing search engine results. This year, they have dramatically improved their Keywords Explorer by rebuilding it from scratch. Their new Keywords Explorer 3 not only gives you access to data from Google, but from nine more search engines including YouTube, Amazon, and Bing.  Whether you need to run a technical site audit, do competitor research, or identify high-value keyword opportunities, check them out at Ahrefs.com and big thanks to Ahrefs for sponsoring the show.

Enjoyed this podcast? Check out these:

• • TMBA 100: Rip, Pivot, and Jam: The Strategy That Launched Our Newest Product Line
  • TMBA 190: 1,000 True Fans, 100 True Customers, or 10 True Clients
  • TMBA 402: What’s Your Superpower?

Listening options:

• • • Subscribe via iTunes.
    • Listen on Stitcher Radio.
    • Android users can grab our RSS feed here.
    • Right-click and “save file as” for direct download.
    • Or click here to get sent to the top of the page where the on-site player is.
    • Have comments about the show, or ideas for things you’d like Dan and Ian to discuss on future episodes? Our producer Jane would love to hear from you at jane@tropicalmba.com or leave us a voice message using the record button below.

Thanks for listening to our show! We’ll be back next Thursday morning 8AM EST. Cheers, Dan & Ian