The Physics of Startups

Learning from Infomercials: How to describe your product

Today we’re learning from true masters of their craft - the heroes behind infomercials and “As seen on TV” product - who understand PULL more intuitively than the best marketers.Rob breaks down the “TurboPump” infomercial, which communicates just about everything a customer needs to know within 16 seconds. Lessons include:Sequencing a sales callHow to describe how your product worksHow to improve your sales calls using this approachHow to differentiate your supply vs. othersTurbo Pump infomercial: YOUTUBE https://youtu.be/MtzSgzijGyk?si=4EfpEv7MaffDvRAc Breathe Easy Humidifier infomercial: YOUTUBE ---Work with Rob: INFORob's Substack post here: ⁠LINK⁠PMF Camp / Work with Rob: ⁠LINK⁠Pre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL") - ⁠Amazon⁠Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠LINK⁠

Is your customer BLOCKED or COPING?

There are two types of PULL out there. If a customer has either of them - and if your Supply fits - they will rip a product out of your hands. Here is how Rob defines them:COPING PULL: A buyer who is prioritizing a project right now, but their current approach is sufficiently bad that they are COPING - struggling against their current approach.BLOCKED PULL: A buyer who would prioritize a project right now if they could - but their existing options are unworkable, so they are BLOCKED.In this episode, Rob dives into the difference between the two, case studies of each, how to find them, and common pitfalls that founders run into. Substack post: “Blocked or Coping?”Rob's Substack post here: ⁠LINK⁠PMF Camp / Work with Rob: ⁠LINK⁠Pre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL"): ⁠Amazon⁠Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠LINK⁠

Cyberstarts: Inverting the idea stage

Cyberstarts (VC focused on cybersecurity) has an insane hit rate - its first fun turned $50M into $2B within 3 years investing in 9 founders. Founded by Gili Raanan, their approach (which they call "Sunrise") inverts the pre-idea / pre-product stage. Instead of choosing a market / technology to bet on, they invest in founder teams pre-product, use a network of CSIOs to identify demand, validate by selling, then begin to build the product. In this episode, Rob breaks down Cyberstarts' approach from the lens of PULL and customer demand - including why Cyberstarts' approach has an advantage over other VCs, what can be learned from both a founder and a VC perspective - and a few areas that he would approach differently.Invest like the Best interview with Gili Raanan: Spotify, transcript, Cyberstarts webpageRob's Substack post here, "Inverting the idea stage": LINKPMF Camp / Work with Rob: LINKPre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL") - AmazonConnect with Rob on LinkedIn: LINK

How companies become generational

A frequent critique Rob hears of "Sell then build" is that it's fine for a 'lifestyle business' but can't possibly result in a unicorn or generational company. ...Right? So Rob dug into the histories of some of the leading tech (Microsoft, Oracle, Hubspot), Deep-tech (NVIDIA) and consumer (Nike, Starbucks) companies. ... turns out, they follow similar themes:Figure out some sort of a market need by selling and delivering somethingLearn the shape of the real opportunity by selling and delivering something that’s not quite right.Avoid attempting to (1) predict the future or (2) convince the market. At some point, benefit from demand waves or dams. (related post)This week's post: "How companies become generational" (Substack)Work w/ Rob or join the next PMF Camp: LINKSubscribe to Rob's Substack: LINKPre-order Rob's book, "The Power of PULL": LINK

The aerodynamics of sales

Rob discusses the evolution of sales calls from the first version (often awkward, typically clunky and uncomfortable for the prospect, and not effective) to the various iterations he sees with each step improving incrementally. The discovery sharpens, then the customer targeting, then the pitch, the demo, the sequencing of calls, and the offer / conversion.This is a very practical episode and Substack for founders and early sales hires that are noticing 'friction' in their sales process and struggling to understand how to think about improving. Rob's newsletter: LINK - this week's post: "The aerodynamics of sales"Join Rob's upcoming PMF Camp: LINKPre-order Rob's book, "The Power of PULL": AMAZONRob's website: www.robsnyder.org