✴️ How I'm Making... #5

Personally, I prefer to consume content over audio. Even when I read, I listen to the corresponding audiobook at 2x speed because it helps me retain information. So here’s an audio version of me reading the newsletter, just in case you’re the same way 🙂 

✏️ 3 Lessons From a $200m CXO Who Sold To Google

I had the chance to speak to Colin Zima, CEO of Omni (Link to video)

He previously built Looker up from $1M ARR to multiple $100M ARR, and exited to Google.

Here are 3 lessons I took away from the conversation:

1. OBSESS over the customer. Without the customer, there is no business. Talk to the customer. Over, and over, and over, and over, and over again.

2. It's not that complicated. If you fix a problem people have, and make sure you're doing that by talking to people, you will build a business.

3. It takes a long time. Omni is another BI tool, basically an evolution from Looker. Even with his connections, track record, and $25M in funding, it still took over a year for Omni to gain customers. Let that sink in. There are probably only a handful of people on the planet who have as much experience with B2B BI tools as this man. It still took him over a year of dedicated effort to gain some traction.

📈 Lesson: Face The Music

When I was younger, I loved to “get away” with things. Sometimes it was sneaking an extra snack from the kitchen. Sometimes, playing video games when I was meant to be studying. I would always try to find a way around the ‘proper way’ to do things. The only reason I ever did anything (except the things I happened to enjoy) was because I was scared of being punished.

This was no different when I went to college - except here, there was no one around to punish me. I grew lazier and more disillusioned in college than I had ever before. This all culminated in my suspension from college on my junior year. I’m ashamed to say, the first thought I had when I heard the news was how angry my mother would be with me. I made the dreaded phone call to tell her the news. The phone rang three times, she picked up. I told her that I was suspended from Princeton. I braced myself for the angry shouting. But nothing came. She sighed, said okay, and hung up.

My whole life, I had needed the threat of external punishment to keep me performing. But here I sat in my empty bedroom at 7pm, alone, and with no one to push me.

This was the push I needed to actually try to get my life back on track. I applied to 100s of part time positions, used connections I didn't know I had, and managed to find a job at a startup.

This experience taught me a lot, mainly that there is power in facing the shitstorm that life can throw at you.

As a founder, you can’t get away with anything. If you don’t do the work that pushes your thing forwards, no one else will do it for you.

So whatever you’ve been putting off, telling yourself you’ll get to it later, do it. You’ll find that the results come from the work you’ve been putting off.

🎁 Small gift for you…

If you’re also new to this entrepreneurship thing, come join us at our community group! As an early joiner, your membership will be free for life.

🔗 Software: Community Building

I have been trying out different software options for communities. From Circle, Teachable, Kajabi, and more (Discord, Slack, etc…)

Skool has been the best option for community-building, from a user interface, event planning, and teaching management system standpoint.

My own community is being built off of Skool. Check it out here!

What’s Next?

I’m building a business! If anyone here runs a company and is passionate about talking to users, I would love to chat 🙂 Send me a message by replying here!

That’s all for now!

I hope you have a great week - lean into discomfort! It could be the breakthrough that you’ve been looking for.

Cheers,

Ben

Founder: GOM Venture Club

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