The Really Really

Matt and special guest, Travis Hawkes, ask “Where’s Boise’s Edge?”

How does Boise-based VC firm, Capital Eleven, think about a founder’s mental health? Enjoy these themes and more gems for the Gem State in this episode of The Really Really!

Thanks to Brett Badostain for terraforming our content. Recorded in his private studio in Boise, Idaho.

With Dom away at Techstars Los Angeles, Matt sat down with Travis Hawkes, a fund manager at Capital Eleven in Boise, Idaho. Together, Matt and Travis deliberate through different perspectives that founders and investors have at an early stage, from mandatory monthly meetings to mindset.

Thanks to Brett Badostain for holding our voices accountable. Recorded in his private studio in Boise, Idaho.

In this episode of The Really Really, Dom declares his undying love for Liquid Death and Matt elaborates on the complexity of CPG trends in competitive categories (like water).

Thanks to Brett Badostain for editing, recording, and keeping our voices hydrated.

Are entrepreneurs and startups more likely to be successful in Boise, Idaho vs. other markets? Join two entrepreneurs, Matt Price and Dom Ramirez, as we debate this question in depth.

Thanks to Brett Badostain for giving us that silky smooth radio voice.

First, find out out what people love and hate so far in this chapter of The Really Really in the first part of this episode. 

Founders either hide, thrive, or die after raising their first round. The second part of this episode is about founder behavior after “the first big round”, including a debate about whether advisory boards help founders… at all.

Thanks to Brett Badostain for making our voices sound soulful. Recorded in his private studio in Boise, Idaho.

Welcome back for another chapter of The Really Really! Matt and Dom reflect on recent changes and continue the exploration of what it means to be a startup founder or entrepreneur.

(00:00) WTF, 2023?

(17:34) Who thinks money can't buy happiness?

(34:00) Matt hates LinkedIn and wants to take it down

(46:44) Narcissism, baby!

(1:01:30) Shit, what about empathy?

Thanks to Brett Badostain for making our audio sexy. Thanks to Jeff Reynolds for hosting us in his Downtown Boise office.

What's it like running an event as wide-ranging as Boise Entrepreneur Week? How do the event's leaders cultivate volunteer power into awesomeness every year? What are the highest-impact aspects of this multi-faceted event? And what are the characteristics of a successful partnership?

In the last episode of Chapter 2 of The Really Really, Matt and Dom sit down with Boise Entrepreneur Week co-chairs Nick Crabbs and Tiam Rastegar to discuss how they've led Boise Entrepreneur Week (formerly Boise Startup Week) together for years.

*Special Episode Alert*

Join us with guest Eric Gilbert, Co-Founder at TREEFORT MUSIC FEST, Partner at Duck Club and once professional musician in the band Finn Riggins!

This episode of The Really Really is all about finding parallels between the journey of an aspiring musician and that of a startup entrepreneur. Our guest, Eric Gilbert, tells us the origin story of Treefort Music Fest, shares his down-to-earth perspective on the business of making music and offers profound advice to aspiring musicians (which all entrepreneurs need to hear).

But first, we start with 7 minutes of empathy for the people of Afghanistan.

Featuring music by Finn Riggins, courtesy of Eric Gilbert.

What’s the experience of a woman in entrepreneurship? How can we make room for more diverse cultures within our companies? And what’s stopping us from trying harder to create more inclusive ecosystems?

We invite Janessa White from Simply Eloped for a second time to help Matt and Dom address shortcomings in diversity.

When StageDotO came to Boise, Idaho in 2018, they started by making 7-figure investments in early-stage Idaho companies; unconventional to say the least. But why Boise? And how does StageDotO’s unique model give them an advantage in this market? And does collecting a monthly fee as a VC constitute misalignment?

This time Matt and Dom talk to the Managing Partner of StageDotO Ventures, Mike Self, about his front-row seat in the history of venture capital, his perspective on risk, the role of people in venture, and where StageDotO’s model does (or doesn’t) make sense for Boise founders.

How do non-profits, free events, and public-private partnerships effect a startup ecosystem? How has Boise's ecosystem developed and how do we fit into the larger economy? And what benefit can a secondary or tertiary ecosystem hope to gain from freelancers and remote workers moving in?

In this episode, Matt Price and Dom Ramirez discuss ecosystem and beyond with Nick Crabbs, a Partner at Vynyl and a Co-Chair for Boise Entrepreneur Week (formerly Boise Startup Week).

What if VCs made their bets based on who the startup team is, not what they’ve done? What if startups could take a test based on their business and personality, then receive a $100k round of seed funding based on those test results? What can we learn from the make-up of founding teams?

Brad Zapp and Connetic Ventures are the new kids on the block in VC. They’ve been using Wendal, an opportunity-vetting AI, as their launching point for their fund's investment decisions.

In this episode, we discuss the dynamics of fund raising based on founding teams and the immense role that personality plays in the success of startups.

What does it take to bring a product from farmer's markets to store shelves? How does raising money affect consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies? Does experience in your company's industry save you from struggling as an entrepreneur? And what can CPG entrepreneurs do to help the world adopt sustainable packaging?

In today's episode, Matt and Dom talk about everything CPG with Killer Creamery CEO and food scientist, Louis Armstrong.

Is entrepreneurship good for everyone? Is ego keeping us from benefitting from our journey? And are famous programs like Y-Combinator (or "YC") the solution to all our problems?

In this episode, Matt and Dom explore how entrepreneurship can both help and hurt just about anyone with Jeff Reynolds.

Kicking off the second chapter of The Really Really!

What did we learn from the first five episodes of this podcast? Where will this new chapter take us? And, speaking of where things are going, what do recent events tell us about the future of "The American Dream"? 

Matt and Dom are getting the gang together again to continue their exploration of building companies and humanity at large.

What does bootstrapping cost a founder? What can immigrants teach us about the American Dream? And what does racial inequality have to do with business?

Matt and Dom get personal in the second hour of conversation with Tiam Rastegar. 

What does an Iranian-German-American executive director have to teach us about building companies? What are new founders missing when they plan to build companies? And what is the "Studio Model"?

Matt and Dom discuss the path of an immigrant, ecosystem history, "studio model" investors, and knowledge gaps in this first hour of conversation with Tiam Rastegar.

Does early product/market fit give you the right to break the rules? How do our past hardships prepare us for doing the hard things? And what happens when outside factors (such as COVID-19) threaten to take that away?

Janessa White and Matt Dalley (the founders of Simply Eloped) talk with Matt and Dom about the "special mojo" of their company, the dynamics of partnership, the uncommon choices they made in fundraising, and the role of community.

What did listeners disagree with from the first episode of The Really Really? Why do some people hate hearing about "the ecosystem"? And what is the role of mental health and imposter syndrome in building companies?

In this second episode, Matt and Dom go through some of the more surprising feedback that listeners gave from the pilot episode.

What is The Really Really? And what does it mean to startup founders, investors, and people who are helping build economies in growing markets? Should investment dollars come before business traction or is the opposite true? What will become a city's identity as it experiences waves of growth?

In this inaugural episode, Matt and Dom lay out the reason they started The Really Really and explore the notion of identity in Boise's startup scene.