Frank Growth

Jason Shafton
  • 5.0 (4)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

Frank Growth is a sharp, execution-first podcast about how companies actually grow. Hosted by Jason Shafton, it features candid conversations with founders, operators, and investors who are in the work right now. The focus is real decisions: distribution, demand, pricing, org design, incentives, and what breaks once the early playbooks stop working. No hype. No recycled advice. Just clear thinking from people accountable for outcomes.

  1. Designing Serendipity with Kushagra Shrivastava

    3D AGO

    Designing Serendipity with Kushagra Shrivastava

    Episode #207: Kushagra Shrivastava - Engineering serendipity in community and eventsHow to design events where the right people actually meet and follow through.For founders and operators building communities, networks, or community-led growth. Kushagra Shrivastava is a builder and community investor behind Zoogler, a 40,000+ ex-Google alumni network. He explains how he defines “serendipity” as structured randomness within constraints, how he measures it through behavioral signals (like connection velocity), and what he considers non-negotiable when hosting events. We also cover why Zoogler outgrew a stack of tools like Google Sheets, Airtable, and Eventbrite-style platforms, what changed during the 2023 Google layoffs, and how his product Key uses intent to drive warm introductions for outcomes like hiring, fundraising, and business development. What you’ll hear A practical definition of serendipity, “structured randomness within constraints,” plus how to measure it The 3 non-negotiables for events: pre-event intent collection, designed “collision moments,” and forced closure with a next step What breaks communities: optimizing for quantity (content and connections) instead of intent and outcomes A founder checklist for starting a community as an individual vs. as a brand and how to scale once you know what worksChaptersIf transcript includes timestamps, use mm:ss or hh:mm:ss. 00:00 - Defining serendipity and how to measure it 06:20 - Zoogler overview: building a 40,000+ ex-Google network 07:18 - Minimum viable magic for events: intent, collisions, forced closure 09:32 - Key: turning intent into warm intros and outcomes 14:32 - Founder checklist: building community as a person vs. a brand 17:35 - Lightning close: the one takeawayLinks & resourcesGuestKushagra Shrivastava - Builder and community investor (Zoogler; Key) About Frank GrowthFrank Growth is a podcast about how companies actually grow, real operators, real constraints, real decisions.Hosted by Jason Shafton. Promotional links Work with Winston Francois: https://wf.team/podcast Subscribe / Follow Jason: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonshafton/

    20 min
  2. How to Write Like a Human with Steve Dennis

    FEB 10

    How to Write Like a Human with Steve Dennis

    Episode #206: Steve Dennis — How to Write Like a Human in the Age of AI AI can generate endless copy. The new bar is making someone feel something.This episode is for founders, marketers, and anyone who writes for a living and wants their work to connect. Steve Dennis is a writer and ghostwriter who has shaped voices the world knows—including Andy Puddicombe at Headspace. Jason and Steve go back to the Headspace days, where Steve helped define the brand voice and coached writers (including Jason) on how to sound human on the page. In this conversation, they cover how to capture someone else's voice authentically, why vulnerability makes writing believable, and what AI still can't replicate. What you'll hear Why your spoken word is where authenticity lives—stop "writing" and start speaking your story firstThe ghostwriter's test: can your closest friends read it and think it's your voice?What AI gets wrong: it engineers patterns, not meaning—it has no conscience, memory, or imaginationThe "remembering room" technique for evoking sensory detail and emotional truthChapters 00:00 — Cold open: Writing about mistakes is writing about being human00:33 — Opening riff: Three traps of AI-era writing02:33 — Steve's background and working with Andy Puddicombe05:16 — How to disappear as a ghostwriter07:27 — The biggest authenticity mistake: putting a dinner jacket on language10:06 — The irreplaceable role of human writers13:13 — Why AI can't access your memory bank15:03 — Book recommendations: Stephen King and Robert McKee17:38 — Where to find Steve and closing Links & resources GuestSteve Dennis — WriterTwitter/XInstagramAgency: Curtis Brown (London) Mentioned"On Writing" by Stephen King"Story" by Robert McKee About Frank Growth Frank Growth is a podcast about how companies actually grow—real operators, real constraints, real decisions. Hosted by Jason Shafton. Promotional links Work with Winston FrancoisSubscribe / Follow Jason

    20 min
  3. From Audience to Community with Jordan DiPietro

    FEB 3

    From Audience to Community with Jordan DiPietro

    Episode #205: Jordan DiPietro — How to Turn an Audience Into a Community That Compounds Growth Most companies stop at audience. This episode shows you how to build community that creates its own pipeline.For founders and operators who want retention, not just reach. Jordan DiPietro has built audience-to-community flywheels at The Motley Fool, The Hustle (inside HubSpot), and as CEO of Hampton. In this conversation, he breaks down the specific systems Hampton used to vet members—including raising the revenue threshold from $1M to $3M and personally reviewing every applicant video. He explains why trust compounds through radical transparency (like publishing every stock pick, good and bad, at Motley Fool) and how to pick a content medium you won't burn out on. What you'll hear The difference between audience and community: if the party stops when you leave, you don't have a communityHow Hampton's vetting process filtered for members who give more than they takeWhy founder-as-creator is really about distribution, not personal brandingThe SVB crisis moment when Hampton's community self-organized faster than the company could respondChapters 00:00 — Cold open: Audience vs. community defined00:27 — Introduction and Jordan's background01:13 — The through-line: audience → trust → community03:33 — Hampton's depth-over-breadth systems05:15 — Founder's arbitrage: attention, trust, and taste06:27 — SVB crisis: community self-organizing in real time07:49 — Why founder as creator is no longer optional09:32 — Minimum viable cadence for content creation10:48 — Start with community from day one11:55 — One operating principle for durable growth13:11 — Where to find Jordan13:52 — Closing takeawaysLinks & resources GuestJordan DiPietro — ex-CEO of Hampton, former leader at The Hustle (HubSpot) and The Motley FoolWebsite / Newsletter (Signal Noise) Mentioned Hampton The Hustle The Motley Fool About Frank Growth Frank Growth is a podcast about how companies actually grow—real operators, real constraints, real decisions. Hosted by Jason Shafton. Promotional links Work with Winston FrancoisSubscribe / Follow Jason

    15 min
  4. I Hate Sales with John Kennelly

    JAN 27

    I Hate Sales with John Kennelly

    Episode #204: John Kennelly — Founders who hate sales still have to sell If sales feels intrusive, this episode reframes it as problem-solving.Built for founders avoiding sales calls, decks, and outreach. John Kennelly, Founder of I Hate Sales, works with founders who have never had a sales job and actively avoid selling. In this episode, he explains why sales fear is usually a mindset problem, not a skill gap, and why curiosity matters more than persuasion. The conversation covers running discovery without pitching, qualifying people out quickly, and why early founders slow themselves down by building systems instead of talking to customers. Kennelly shares concrete examples from his cohort work, including starting with interviews instead of sales calls and what to track before using a CRM. What you’ll hear Reframing sales from “intrusion” to helping through discoveryHow to run interviews instead of sales callsWhy broad ICPs, decks, and CRMs backfire earlyThe only two metrics to track before you have customersChapters Chapters with timestamps 00:00 — Why founders dread sales02:17 — Sales as helping, not intruding03:39 — Curiosity and discovery before pitching05:17 — Qualifying hard and knowing your ICP08:16 — Interviews instead of sales calls13:48 — What to track before using a CRMLinks & resources GuestJohn Kennelly — Founder, I Hate SalesWebsiteLinkedIn About Frank Growth Frank Growth is a podcast about how companies actually grow—real operators, real constraints, real decisions. Hosted by Jason Shafton. Promotional links Work with Winston FrancoisSubscribe / Follow Jason

    20 min
  5. Acquisitions and Inorganic Growth with Trevor Houghton

    JAN 20

    Acquisitions and Inorganic Growth with Trevor Houghton

    Episode #203: Trevor Houghton — How to buy growth without risking cashHow founders use acquisitions to grow without betting the company.For operators considering their first inorganic deal. Trevor Houghton is CEO of Pass Galleries and a former private equity and corporate development operator. He breaks down how founders can use acquisitions to increase enterprise value without overextending capital. The conversation covers how deals actually get sourced, why most failed acquisitions start with the wrong premise, and how Trevor structures transactions using debt, seller notes, and earn-outs to reduce downside. He walks through a concrete example of acquiring $5M in EBITDA with no net cash outlay and explains why integration planning must start before the deal closes. What you’ll hear Why the best acquisitions start as partnerships, not cold offers The customers vs. capabilities rule and why you must only extend one How no-money-down deals work using debt and deferred payments Why day-one integration and early culture alignment determine outcomesChaptersTimestamps derived from the episode transcript. 00:00 — Structuring acquisitions with minimal cash risk 00:30 — Introduction to inorganic growth and Trevor’s background 01:44 — Building acquisition paths through partnerships 03:13 — The customer vs. capability decision framework 04:07 — Identifying targets through existing customer usage 05:03 — Growing earnings and valuation through acquisitions 06:04 — Integration planning before close 06:29 — Culture integration and no-money-down deal mechanics 08:05 — Building an acquisition engineLinks & resourcesGuestTrevor Houghton — CEO, Pass Gallerieshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-houghton-th/ About Frank GrowthFrank Growth is a podcast about how companies actually grow—real operators, real constraints, real decisions.Hosted by Jason Shafton. Promotional links Work with Winston Francois: https://wf.team/podcast Subscribe / Follow Jason: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonshafton/

    11 min
  6. How Investors Think About Growth with John Connolly

    JAN 13

    How Investors Think About Growth with John Connolly

    John Connolly - Make your growth story hold up in investor diligence How to present growth so it is defensible, measurable, and scalable.For founders raising and operators building board-ready growth reporting. John Connolly is a Managing Director at Spectrum Equity, and he explains what he expects to see when a company tells a growth story at the growth equity stage. He covers why founders often stop at simplified metrics instead of going deep on channels, cohorts, and what is actually repeatable. John breaks down two common issues he sees in diligence: when each incremental dollar stops working, and when teams blend organic and paid in a way that hides what is driving performance. He also shares Spectrum’s framing for evaluation: identify what makes the company special, then isolate the few growth drivers that truly move the business. What you’ll hear ​How Spectrum pressure-tests whether growth is durable, not just up and to the right​How to separate organic and paid so you can explain what is really working​What breaks when incremental spend hits diminishing returns, and why teams miss it​A practical way to focus your story: the “special thing” plus a short list of real growth drivers Chapters ​00:35 - Intro: what investors diligence in a growth story​02:48 - The common miss: not going deep enough on growth​03:43 - Diligence issues: incremental dollars stop working, blending organic and paid​05:08 - Compounding advantages and creator-led organic loops​06:36 - Evaluation framework: what is special, then what actually drives growth​08:29 - Why pace of execution matters in fast-moving AI markets Links & resources Guest John Connolly — Managing Director, Spectrum Equity spectrumequity.com LinkedIn Mentioned Otter Kajabi Teachers Pay Teachers About Frank Growth Frank Growth is a podcast about how companies actually grow - real operators, real constraints, real decisions.Hosted by Jason Shafton. Promotional links ​Work with Winston Francois: https://wf.team/podcast​Subscribe / Follow Jason: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonshafton/

    15 min
  7. Building Your Growth Operating System with Cait Anderson

    JAN 6

    Building Your Growth Operating System with Cait Anderson

    Episode #201: Cait Anderson — Building trust into a repeatable growth system Trust breaks faster than funnels.This episode is for operators trying to make growth predictable without killing speed. Cait Anderson is Chief Marketing Officer at Winston Francois. In this conversation, she and Jason unpack what actually makes a growth system sustainable: predictable returns, clear operating rhythm, and trust that compounds instead of resets. They walk through concrete examples, including a B2B SaaS company spending $1M/month in paid media, how experimentation budgets are set at different stages, and why breaking a product promise can wipe out downstream revenue faster than any channel issue. What you’ll hear How Cait defines a growth operating system across acquisition, nurture, and conversionWhy early-stage teams need wide flexibility, while later-stage teams cap experimentation at ~10–20%A real example of reallocating spend that moved ROAS from 2:1 to 20:1—and why that was still not the end goalHow broken trust (not missing features) kills retention, referrals, and revenueChapters Timestamps from episode transcript 00:00 — Aspirational vs. functional promises and why trust breaks fast01:14 — What a growth operating system actually is02:50 — Compounding metrics, referrals, and overlooked revenue04:16 — Early-stage vs. late-stage operating rhythm and spend mix06:49 — $1M/month paid media example: foundation vs. experimentation10:27 — Activation, funnels, and building demand before conversion15:23 — Turning around a struggling ad program and rethinking ROAS17:13 — North Star metrics, buyer intent, and what to track firstLinks & resources GuestCait Anderson — Chief Marketing Officer, Winston Francoishttps://winstonfrancois.com About Frank Growth Frank Growth is a podcast about how companies actually grow—real operators, real constraints, real decisions.Hosted by Jason Shafton. Promotional links Work with Winston Francois: https://wf.team/podcastSubscribe / Follow Jason: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonshafton/

    19 min
  8. How to Fix Healthcare and Other Bad Words

    08/30/2024

    How to Fix Healthcare and Other Bad Words

    Welcome to Frank Growth, the podcast where husband and wife duo Jason Shafton and Alyssa Fox explore the intricacies of business and personal growth. In this episode, they interview Hank and Carly Schlissberg. Hank is the CEO of Evio Pharmacy Solutions, and Carly is a stay-at-home mom to their three daughters. Hank and Carly discuss their experiences as parents and entrepreneurs, sharing insights on managing time, setting priorities, and finding balance. They emphasize the importance of hiring exceptional people and prioritizing what truly makes a difference. Hank discusses how aligning incentives in the healthcare industry is key to growing and creating a sustainable, member-focused company.  Follow ⁠Winston Francois⁠ https://winstonfrancois.com/  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/winstonfrancois/  X - https://twitter.com/WFdoesgrowth  Instagram: - https://www.instagram.com/WFdoesgrowth  TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@WFdoesgrowth  Follow Jason Shafton:  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonshafton  X - https://twitter.com/jasonshafton  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jasonshafton/  TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jshafton  YouTube - www.youtube.com/@JasonShafton  Follow Alyssa Fox: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afox19/ Evio:  https://www.evio.com/ X: https://x.com/EvioTeam LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eviopharmacysolutions/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hank-schlissberg-17843/

    47 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Frank Growth is a sharp, execution-first podcast about how companies actually grow. Hosted by Jason Shafton, it features candid conversations with founders, operators, and investors who are in the work right now. The focus is real decisions: distribution, demand, pricing, org design, incentives, and what breaks once the early playbooks stop working. No hype. No recycled advice. Just clear thinking from people accountable for outcomes.

Information

  • Creator
    Jason Shafton
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Jason Shafton
  • Show Website
    Frank Growth