Founders Need Content to Survive

Many founders have always wanted to create content, but now it’s become a need.

That was the core point that Chris Decker, CEO of Salescast.co, stressed in his Hot Takes Live talk. He’s coached over 170 creators—including both individuals and companies of all sizes—so he understands this topic well.

In 2019, Decker noticed that the barrier to entry for branded content creation had been dramatically lowered, making it more accessible. So he created his own, only to discover that while podcast creation is more accessible, there can be a huge gap in quality creativity and accountability since there was no “right” way to do it. 

Think wild west… but with podcasts.

Initial outreach yielded sparse results, getting only one out of twenty replies to come onto the show. 

Yet, as strong, high-quality content continually rolls out, it opens the door for new relationship-building. It opened the door for more growth in community-driven business models. This is easier to do when quality creative and tech processes are applied to the creation process.

In order to fuel revenue, founders can “bootstrap” their story, applying the lean startup model to the content itself by doing the following:

• Using iterative storytelling through podcasting as a type of long-form content
• Leveraging omnichannel distribution to maximize audience and community building—your email list will build itself
• Emphasizing reception of communication of your vision and story, which strengthens resolve over time 

Want to implement this strategy? This is what it looks like in practice:

• Combining the skill, value, and passion of either the brand or the individual hosting the podcast to create a clear appeal
• Setting up a recording and publishing habit, which is the number one factor that contributes to the success
• Having a community and audience creation and retention vehicle, like email subscriptions, Slack channels, and more, where all content drives into and keeps users engaged 

The core takeaway here, according to Decker? 

“Your company MVP doesn’t just start with your product. It starts with your story communicated efficiently with your community. Today’s buyer audiences demand authenticity.”

Keep the following formula in mind:

Authenticity x Community = Growth 

You must be authentic, which means true stories and true passion. If you need help deciding what story you want to tell, Decker says that starting by determining “who do I not want to be” can be a helpful place to start. 

Once you leverage that with consistency, audience vehicles for engagement, and a systemized process, you’re off to a great start. 

Want to check out the full video? Watch the full Hot Take Live here!