12 episodes

See what our company does every week! This is a raw and real inside look at how a startup is trying to grow and survive. Everything we do is shared on this podcast so you know whether or not we actually sold LED lightbulbs or not!

DollarProbs Startup Company Derek N. Shumway, Founder

    • Entrepreneurship

See what our company does every week! This is a raw and real inside look at how a startup is trying to grow and survive. Everything we do is shared on this podcast so you know whether or not we actually sold LED lightbulbs or not!

    End of an Era: Closing Up Shop

    End of an Era: Closing Up Shop

    Derek, Matt, and Adam have finally made it to the end of the semester! Finals begin in two weeks, and the three have a roundtable discussion about what they learned from being with DollarProbs.

    Plans for the future of the company, and personal school and work plans are talked about as they look on to the next chapter of their lives.

    • 41 min
    Cold Calls are Cold

    Cold Calls are Cold

    Just a few more weeks until the end of the semester, where Derek, Adam, and Matt talk about how hard it is to sell by making cold calls. It's a learning process that just isn't for anyone!

    • 44 min
    Getting Under Way

    Getting Under Way

    Adam and Matt take over the podcast while Derek is gone. In this short episode, they talk about how sales are going. Calls are being made, ads are being put out, and Facebook groups are being joined. Join us this week to see how sales are going.

    • 9 min
    The Sales Script

    The Sales Script

    This week officially marks the first full week the team has committed to make cold calls and try to their darndest to sell LED light bulbs! Adam, Matt, and Derek review the sales script and practice with each other taking turns being the customer and sales rep.

    While it's awkward and longer than desired, for being the first time doing this, the company could be doing worse! The three have agreed that each person will make at least 20 outbound calls, join 20 Facebook groups, and message 20 people in a bid to sell.

    Next week's episode, the 10th episode, will mark the almighty week in telling if the team actually sold any boxes. Also, Adam and Matt voted on sticking with the current sales plan, and, if changes to how the company should sell its LEDs or packages are shared for improvement, then they will be implemented to keep DollarProbs adaptable!

    • 31 min
    Assembly Line

    Assembly Line

    This is the company's 8th week publishing a podcast, but about 10 weeks overall of its existence with its interns Adam and Matt. In a surprise visit, one of Derek's friends, Alex, shows up to add his magic touch on sound and audio recording and editing to breathe some new life into the podcast recording! The team talks about social media and follows up on where its Twitter and Pinterest numbers stand.

    Interestingly, it is discovered that the cost per LED bulb for customers is not a strict trend, in that just because you buy more LED bulbs, doesn't necessarily mean the cost per bulb is cheaper than if you buy a few. It fluctuates within a small range!

    After the podcast ended, the whole company made a makeshift factory assembly line to package together with the very first LED light bulbs EVER! The boxes are beautiful, and the next day, sticker labels arrived so now it's complete!

    The next week will mark our first full week to try and make sales by none other than classic cold calling! Tune in next week to see if we actually sold any LEDs!

    • 34 min
    Really Boring Stuff

    Really Boring Stuff

    This week, Derek starts the podcast off talking about adoption and how DollarProbs can play a small role in supporting it. Interns Matt and Adam enlighten with new fun facts about themselves to kick things off! Also, sometimes there are boring meetings, and then there are really boring meetings.

    This week's podcast is a full 45 minutes of the team mulling through numbers on end. The final prices for the cost of packaging including boxes, tissue wrapping paper, and sticker labels was confirmed and agreed upon by everyone. Shipping time frames and ETAs on all things light bulbs are talked about.

    A reminder not to leave any social media account behind is brought up as the company's Pinterest fell onto deaths doorstep with just 865 monthly visitors . . . down from about 225,000 at its height in early Spring of this year. Fear not though, as Pinterest and its friend Twitter will receive some TLC (tender, love, and care) this next week! DollarProbs' followers on Twitter did double though from 4 to 8—so not all hope is lost!

    • 44 min