TMBA 485: Mastering the Art of Entrepreneurial Kung Fu

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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.

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:

Ahrefs Logo - TMBA 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?

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HAVE COMMENTS ABOUT THE SHOW?

Do you have 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

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TMBA 486: The Re-Readables: Getting Things Done

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TMBA 484: 5 Things We’ve Learned From Running a New Business for 6 Months