With a passion for design and a skill for sewing, Mike Pfotenhauer grew a bespoke backpack business into one of the world’s most popular outdoor brands. He got his start in the 1970’s, when it was hard to find a pack that wasn’t clunky and uncomfortable. Operating out of a little shop in Santa Cruz, California, Mike started making better-fitting packs for hi ... Show More
Nov 2022
Mike Meldman: "If the product is bad, no matter who is behind it, it won’t work.”
After a brief stint as a Blackjack dealer, Mike Meldman thought he’d try his hand as a real estate developer. Cut to the present: Mike and his team at Discovery Land Company have created over thirty luxury communities worldwide. But Mike is not just providing four walls and a roo ... Show More
31m 2s
Aug 2020
FedEx vs UPS | Kick the Tire, Light the Fires | 1
<p>It’s the early 1970s, and 27-year-old Fred Smith has an idea for a new kind of package delivery service, one that uses its own planes to deliver packages in under 24 hours. Skeptics tell him the start-up costs are too high and the demand too low, but Smith thinks he’s fou ... Show More
21m 43s
Nov 2021
189: Michael Sacca and Mike Belsito, Customer empathy: User persona or jobs to be done?
<p>Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 189, an episode with Rocketship.FM hosts, Michael Sacca and Mike Belsito.</p> <p><strong>Michael Sacca</strong> is the General Manager at Dribbble.com and co-founder of Rocketship.FM. He was the President at Crew, the freelance design and dev ... Show More
1h 11m
May 2021
Sponsored: Small Business Stories | Columbia Sportswear | 2
<p>This episode is brought to you by Wondery in partnership with Dell Technologies. In honor of small businesses, we're featuring inspiring stories of successful companies that started out small.</p><p>It’s 1970 and Gert Boyle’s life is in ruins. Her husband’s just died, and now, ... Show More
31m 23s