The Physics of Startups

Rob Snyder
  • 5.0 (11)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Most founders are stuck in the pain cave - and no one can tell them why. Rob Snyder - 3x founder, Harvard Innovation Lab fellow, has helped 40+ startups go from 0-$1M ARR - is on a mission to understand why some startups take off and other's don't. The startup education that should have been invented decades ago. Practical insights to help founders escape the pain cave and build profitable businesses. PMF newsletter: https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/ Work with Rob: https://www.robsnyder.org Contact: rob@reframeb2b.com

  1. 6d ago

    The first two things that matter in a startup ("Aero mode")

    Access to Rob's Claude skill + AMAs: LINK (just upload a screen grab of your pre-order) Rob's book: Amazon, B&N When founder is getting started, they might be juggling multiple different ICPs and value props. Rob in this episode discusses why the goal is to eliminate all the "might work" and get to "weird if it didn't work" --> then translate that into a "weird not to meet" when a customer is in that situation. Full blog on Rob's substack (post "Aero Mode"): ⁠https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/⁠⁠ ---- Work with Rob: ⁠ ⁠ https://www.robsnyder.org⁠⁠ Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠ ⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/⁠ ⁠Weekly founder insights: ⁠⁠https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/⁠ Preorder Rob's book - "The Power of PULL" - ⁠ https://amzn.to/48KC1yv⁠

    29 min

  2. May 22

    What happens after PMF?

    Rob's buddy found PMF a few months ago and went from ~bankrupt to more than $1M ARR in less than three months. What happens in that case? Rob and RC discuss what changed to find PMF, and what the experience is post-PMF. Also, what do you do as a founder - where do you focus? And how does your approach pre-PMF affect your post-PMF life? (tl;dr: a lot) Preorder Rob's book - "The Power of PULL" - ⁠and take a screenshot of your receipt! (we'll tell you what to do with it soon) ⁠https://amzn.to/48KC1yv⁠⁠---- Workwith Rob: ⁠ ⁠ https://www.robsnyder.org⁠⁠ Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠ ⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/⁠ ⁠Weekly founder insights: ⁠⁠https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/⁠ Preorder Rob's book - "The Power of PULL" - ⁠ https://amzn.to/48KC1yv⁠

    23 min

  3. May 15

    The PULL Quickstart Guide (a PMF hierarchy)

    Rob has distilled PULL into its most important elements - arranged in hierarchical order so that a founder knows where to focus first. This conversation includes the common error of getting the order wrong, Rob's commentary on the three most important parts of PULL, and examples of how these show up with founders. Highly recommend reading the full substack post, "The PULL Quickstart Guide", available on Rob's substack: https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/ ---- Work with Rob: ⁠ https://www.robsnyder.org⁠ Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ ⁠Weekly founder insights: ⁠https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/ Preorder Rob's book - "The Power of PULL" - https://amzn.to/48KC1yv    #PMF #B2BSales #VC #Startup #VentureCapital #Founderledsales

    27 min

  4. May 8

    Investor PULL (what VCs actually want)

    This is about VCs but also isn't about VCs. PULL can be found all over a startup - obviously with customers, but also, investors have PULL and they're trying to accomplish something specific. Rob works with founders to shape pitch decks and has fundraised - there's a hard-won lesson about what VCs are trying to accomplish, and the HUGE trap that smart, thoughtful founders building solid businesses fall into. This is an example of a broader lesson - things that look the same "when you're squinting" - are often fundamentally different, and that drives how you sell, how you build, and more. Check out Rob's full lecture: "Notes on the physics of startups": ⁠LINK⁠ Preorder Rob's book: ⁠LINK⁠ ---- Rob's website: ⁠www.robsnyder.org⁠ Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/⁠ Rob's (free) Substack: ⁠https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/⁠

    29 min

  5. May 1

    Buying is weird and rare (a reality check)

    Founders are inherent optimists - that's why (despite all the warnings of battle-scared entrepreneurs) we continue to start businesses. It is the cheerful burden we carry as we march into the abyss. But GIVEN THAT'S THE CASE - how can we avoid that optimism crippling our chances at finding product-market fit? In this convo, Rob discusses the cold, harsh reality of launching a startup, the risks that optimistic founders run, and how to avoid them. Also, Rob deadlifted 400lbs. Check out Rob's full lecture: "Notes on the physics of startups": LINK Preorder Rob's book: LINK ---- Rob's website: www.robsnyder.org Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ Rob's (free) Substack: https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/

    26 min

  6. Apr 24

    How Rocksalt.ai went from Push to Pull

    The Lightspeed-funded startup Rocksalt had some traction, but it wasn't clear they had really found Pull. They had sales, but there was friction in the sales calls. They were trying to decide between three different ICPs. And retention and consistent use wasn't as consistent as they wanted. In this conversation, cofounders Arjun Moorthy and Anita Moorthy join Rob to discuss how they used the PULL way of thinking to change their approach to identifying their ICP, outbound, their sales process, their sales deck, and how their product evolves. Learn more and get in touch with Arjun and Anita: Website: https://www.rocksalt.ai/ Arjun LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunmoorthy Anita LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amoorthy/ Email: arjun@rocksalt.ai , anita@rocksalt.ai X/Twitter: https://x.com/anitamoorthy , https://x.com/juicemoorthy --- Work with Rob: ⁠ https://www.robsnyder.org⁠ Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ ⁠Rob's substack: ⁠ https://howtogrow.substack.com/ ⁠ Preorder Rob's book - "The Power of PULL" - https://amzn.to/48KC1yv

    47 min
  7. DECK DROP - Rob's latest

    Apr 17

    DECK DROP - Rob's latest

    Whatever you're doing, make time to read through Rob's latest deck: "Notes on the Physics of Startups" Access here (free): LINK Work with Rob: robsnyder.org

    9 min

  8. Apr 10

    Cause vs. Benefit | The Quickbooks lesson

    When someone buys something, they get a bunch of benefits and they may use a variety of different features, all of which provide an array of different benefits. After they buy, they explain what they like about our product based on these post-hoc benefits they received after they purchased it. But the benefits do not *predict* why someone buys. In this conversation Rob gets into the difference between cause vs. benefits of a purchase, and a surprising lesson from Quickbooks and Bobby Moesta. Rob's Substack post here: ⁠LINK⁠ PMF Camp / Work with Rob: ⁠LINK⁠ Pre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL") - ⁠Amazon⁠ Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠LINK⁠

    20 min
See All (45)

5
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

Most founders are stuck in the pain cave - and no one can tell them why. Rob Snyder - 3x founder, Harvard Innovation Lab fellow, has helped 40+ startups go from 0-$1M ARR - is on a mission to understand why some startups take off and other's don't. The startup education that should have been invented decades ago. Practical insights to help founders escape the pain cave and build profitable businesses. PMF newsletter: https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/ Work with Rob: https://www.robsnyder.org Contact: rob@reframeb2b.com

Information

  • Creator
    Rob Snyder
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    45
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Rob Snyder
  • Show Website
    The Physics of Startups

You Might Also Like