Founder Closers

Matt Uber

Founder Closers (formerly Ground Up) is a tactical, no-fluff podcast for early-stage founders who have traction and need to scale revenue. Hosted by Matt Uber, a revenue leader with 15+ years of experience, each episode delivers actionable playbooks on building your sales process, improving demos, increasing conversions, and moving from founder-led selling to a scalable revenue engine. All previous Ground Up leadership conversations now live on this channel featuring seasoned entrepreneurs sharing how they built teams, culture, and long-term growth. If you’re a founder serious about l

Episodes

  1. FEB 26

    What It Really Takes to Build a Company Worth Buying | FounderClosers EP. 61

    In this episode, we sit down with serial founder Jack Marshall to unpack what it really takes to build companies that scale, raise venture capital, and successfully exit.From launching one of the internet’s first photo-sharing communities to taking a company public — and later selling to Canon — Jack shares raw lessons from decades in Silicon Valley.We cover the evolution of venture capital, why early-stage funding is easier (but exits are harder), what investors actually look for, and how AI is changing the startup landscape.If you’re a founder, investor, or aspiring entrepreneur, this episode is a masterclass in long-term thinking, team building, and execution.⏱ Chapters00:00 – Intro02:15 – Growing Up in Silicon Valley in the 80s06:40 – The Dot-Com Boom and Bust11:30 – Building One of the First Photo-Sharing Communities18:20 – Taking a Company Public24:45 – What Makes a Company Attractive for Acquisition30:10 – Selling to Canon: Inside the Exit36:25 – Raising Venture Capital: Then vs. Now42:50 – What VCs Actually Look For

    43 min

  2. FEB 25

    Why Momentum Beats Perfection in Business, Sales, and Life | FounderClosers EP. 50

    In this episode of FounderClosers, Matt Uber sits down with Ryan Musselman to unpack what it really takes to build a successful knowledge-based business, lead with conviction, and grow without losing yourself in the process.From entrepreneurship and sales psychology to content strategy, mentorship, and the dangers of perfectionism, this conversation dives deep into the mistakes, mindset shifts, and momentum that separate those who dream from those who execute.Whether you're: A high-performing seller considering entrepreneurshipA leader looking to scale impact through coaching or consultingOr someone stuck between corporate comfort and betting on yourselfThis episode will challenge how you think about success, failure, relationships, and personal growth.Chapters / Timelapse00:00 – Introduction & Welcome01:09 – You’ll Make More Mistakes Than Wins (Why That’s OK)01:28 – “Don’t Judge Me by My Wins, Judge Me by My Losses”02:00 – The Importance of Resistance in Growth (Kids & Entrepreneurs)04:18 – Ryan’s Background: Content, Partnerships & Media Businesses06:36 – Why Relationships Still Matter in Modern Selling07:47 – Creating Healthy Tension That Drives Buying Decisions10:32 – Momentum vs Perfection (Why Action Wins)12:24 – The Best Ideas Die in the Graveyard15:21 – Overconfident vs Overprepared: Who Wins?17:13 – The Biggest Mistake After Launching an Offer19:00 – Ryan’s “Why” and Building a Lifestyle Business20:14 – Why Money Is a Dangerous Motivation22:09 – Leadership, Coaching & Developing Others25:37 – The Identity Shift Needed to Scale Your Business26:49 – Convictions, Polarization & Authenticity in Content31:50 – Should You Be More Outspoken Online?37:28 – When Someone Isn’t Ready for Coaching39:15 – How to Evaluate Coaches & Consultants40:01 – Why Most People Struggle to Market Their Experience44:22 – Short-Form vs Long-Form Content Strategy46:23 – Why YouTube & Podcasts Build Real Authority48:01 – YouTube SEO, Titles & Thumbnail Strategy49:16 – Content Creation Systems That Scale51:09 – Leaving Corporate & Breaking the Golden Handcuffs52:56 – Final Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs53:37 – Closing Remarks

    54 min

  3. FEB 25

    Breaking Barriers in a Male-Dominated Industry | FounderClosers EP. 51

    In this episode of Founder Closers, Matt Uber sits down with Katie Naughton—entrepreneur, investor, former dealership owner, and Founder of Drive Her Forward.Katie shares her journey from growing up in a multi-generational automotive family to becoming one of fewer than 1% of women dealership owners, navigating mergers and acquisitions, selling family legacy businesses, and ultimately building a leadership platform designed to help ambitious women rise with confidence and clarity.This conversation dives deep into:• Leadership in male-dominated industries• Buying and selling businesses• Confidence in negotiation• Legacy vs. logic in entrepreneurship• Why leadership can feel lonely at the top• How women can stop waiting for permission and lead boldlyWhether you’re an entrepreneur, founder, executive, or aspiring leader, this episode delivers real-world insight on growth, ownership, and decision-making at the highest level.👉 Subscribe to Founder Closers for more conversations on entrepreneurship, revenue, leadership, and M&A.👉 Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.⏱️ Chapters / Timestamps00:00 – Welcome to Founder Closers02:10 – Katie’s background & early exposure to entrepreneurship05:45 – Entering the automotive industry06:58 – Buying a Kia dealership & checking ego10:30 – Growing up in a family-owned dealership11:21 – The emotional decision to sell a family legacy13:20 – One dinner that changed everything17:45 – Managing businesses across borders22:30 – Women in male-dominated industries28:40 – Confidence, negotiation & executive presence35:15 – Market cycles & dealership M&A trends42:32 – Why leadership gets lonely at the top47:03 – How confidence changes negotiation outcomes51:49 – Why women aren’t victims—ownership & action55:30 – Building Drive Her Forward58:40 – Advice for ambitious women leaders01:01:10 – Final thoughts & where to connect with Katie

    56 min

  4. FEB 25

    Founder-Led Sales Is the Most Dangerous Phase of a Startup | FounderClosers EP. 52

    What happens when you talk to 220 founders across 31 countries?In this episode of Founder Closers, Matt Uber sits down with Dave Rubinstein, former Salesforce and Outreach go-to-market leader, to unpack what founders consistently get wrong about sales, go-to-market, TAM, and scaling.Dave shares how a personal challenge to meet 30 founders turned into a global flywheel — and the patterns he’s uncovered from hundreds of founder conversations. From why founder-led sales breaks, to why niche markets win, to how sales teams should actually be built today, this episode is packed with hard-earned insights every founder needs to hear.If you’re a technical founder, an early-stage CEO, or someone building sales from the ground up — this one will challenge how you think.👉 Learn more from Dave: 100founders.ai👉 Follow Dave on LinkedIn for daily founder insights⏱ Chapters / Timestamps00:00 – Why Big TAM Thinking Is Hurting Startups01:10 – Intro to Dave Rubinstein & His Founder Journey02:15 – From Taking the Summer Off to Meeting 220 Founders04:40 – Why Dave Started Talking to Founders in the First Place06:50 – The Biggest Blind Spot Dave Discovered in Himself08:55 – Sales Founders vs Technical Founders: A Critical Difference11:40 – Why Leadership Matters More Than Product12:45 – Why the Best Startups Start Narrow (Not Big)14:20 – Verticalization: How Niches Beat Commoditized Markets16:10 – How Dave Reached 30 Founders in 30 Days18:00 – What’s Next: 100 Founders in 100 Countries19:05 – Who Dave’s Insights Are Really For20:40 – The Founder-Centered Startup Ecosystem (VCs, Recruiters, Vendors)22:30 – Founder-Led Sales: Why It Breaks Companies24:35 – When Should Founders Actually Hire Sales?25:50 – The SPRINT Framework Explained27:45 – Process vs Talent: What Really Scales Sales Teams29:55 – Magicians vs Soldiers in Sales Organizations31:05 – Why Founder Sales Creates False Product-Market Fit33:40 – How Technical Founders Oversell Features35:00 – The 15-Word Test Every Founder Should Pass36:40 – Asking Better Questions to Get Real Founder Truths39:30 – What’s Really Holding Most Founders Back42:00 – How Dave Built His First Offer (Without Selling)44:15 – Can Consulting Businesses Actually Scale?46:00 – AI, Data, and the Future of Founder Insights47:40 – Dave’s Mission & Final Takeaways49:10 – Closing Thoughts: Loving the ProcessIf you found this valuable:👍 Like the video💬 Comment with your biggest takeaway📩 Subscribe for more founder and go-to-market conversations

    49 min

  5. FEB 25

    Why AI Ads Are Making Platforms Rich—Not Businesses | FounderClosers EP. 53

    In this episode of the Founder Closers Podcast, we sit down with Alex Lloro, founder of All Marketing Services, to break down what actually matters in marketing: revenue and profit.We go deep into the real relationship between marketing and sales, why most agencies obsess over the wrong metrics, how Google, Microsoft, and Meta ads really work, and what AI will (and won’t) replace in the next five years.If you’re a business owner, agency founder, or sales leader tired of vanity metrics like clicks and leads, this conversation will change how you think about growth.🎯 What You’ll Learn:-Why clicks, CTR, and leads don’t matter without revenue-How to align marketing and sales for real ROI-When Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, or Meta actually make sense-Why performance-only pricing often fails-The real impact of AI on marketing and sales-How bad sales processes destroy good marketing⏱️ Chapters00:00 – Why clicks, leads, and CTR don’t matter00:31 – Welcome to the Ground Up Podcast01:04 – Living in DC & Alex’s background02:02 – From Spain to the U.S.02:57 – What All Marketing Services actually does03:54 – Google Ads vs Microsoft Ads vs Meta05:09 – Why Microsoft Ads are underrated07:19 – Age demographics & ad platforms08:18 – LinkedIn targeting inside Microsoft Ads09:06 – How Alex built his agency09:19 – What makes his agency different09:47 – Where marketing stops and sales begins11:00 – Why CRM feedback to ads matters12:03 – Fewer leads, higher conversions14:20 – Why sales teams over-filter leads16:38 – Retainers vs performance-only pricing17:28 – Why performance-only models fail18:59 – Incentives, lead quality, and Google’s algorithms21:05 – The biggest bottleneck in Alex’s business21:25 – Why Alex still closes deals himself22:47 – Selling to CMOs vs business owners23:27 – SDRs, overseas teams, and sales structure25:52 – Why “nice” doesn’t work in sales27:13 – Call centers, intake teams, and trust28:02 – Why slow, quality growth beats scale29:34 – How AI is changing marketing31:56 – Why AI creates commodity businesses34:42 – The future of search & LLMs36:04 – Will ads exist inside ChatGPT?38:46 – The flood of bad AI tools39:19 – Why Alex stays service-focused40:05 – Final thoughts on AI and adaptation41:30 – The real cost of bad sales processes42:05 – Closing advice for founders & operators🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on:Marketing • Sales • AI • Lead Generation • Business Growth👍 Like | 💬 Comment | 🔁 Share if this episode helped you

    43 min

  6. FEB 24

    You Don’t Have an AI Problem — You Have a Strategy Problem | FounderClosers EP. 56

    Artificial Intelligence is exploding — but 83% of AI projects fail.In this episode of Founder Closures, Matt sits down with Michele Thomas, former federal executive and co-founder of Trusted Tech, to break down why so many startups, founders, and even enterprise companies get AI completely wrong.From investor pitch failures to $15M AI implementation disasters, Michele shares what she learned advising investors, working in federal leadership, and now consulting across public and private sectors.They discuss:-Why founders struggle to communicate their strategy-The real reason AI projects fail (hint: it’s not the code)-Deepfakes, cybersecurity, and trust in AI-Robotic surgery and the future of automation-Why clarity beats hype every timeIf you're a founder, investor, or executive trying to implement AI without burning millions — this conversation is for you.⏱️ Chapters00:00 – The #1 Problem Founders Have When Pitching Investors01:12 – Michele’s Journey from Federal Leadership to Consulting04:02 – Retiring (Then Becoming a State CTO)06:02 – Public vs. Private Sector: What’s Changing09:52 – The AI Gold Rush and Market Turmoil11:43 – Why Most AI Projects Fail14:47 – Founders Who Solve Engineering Problems No One Buys17:55 – The 15-Word Clarity Test19:38 – Selling Solutions vs. Solving Pain21:19 – AI in Healthcare, Fraud Detection & Law Enforcement23:35 – Robotic Surgery and Real-World AI Applications28:02 – The Trust Problem in AI Adoption30:17 – Control, Fear, and Resistance to Automation33:00 – Deepfakes, Voice Cloning & Security Risks36:17 – Protecting Against AI Fraud39:49 – Transparency, Strategy & Avoiding Costly Failures41:19 – The Future of AI in Business43:00 – Final Thoughts for Founders and Leaders

    44 min

  7. FEB 24

    Most AI Projects Fail Before They Even Start | FounderClosers EP. 57

    AI isn’t just ChatGPT — and that misunderstanding is holding a lot of businesses back.In this episode, we break down what AI actually looks like inside real companies. We talk about why most AI projects fail, why distribution now matters more than features, and why many AI startups won’t survive the next wave.We also cover the challenge of educating the market, the pressure to niche down in AI, the difference between replacing vs augmenting humans, and the real risks around voice cloning and security.If you’re a founder, consultant, or operator trying to figure out how AI fits into your strategy, this conversation will help you think more clearly about where the real opportunity is — and where the hype is.⏱️ Chapters00:00 Intro02:18 AI Beyond ChatGPT06:45 Why AI Projects Fail12:30 Enterprise vs Startup AI18:22 The Real Moat in Tech24:10 Distribution Over Features34:50 Start With the Problem39:12 AI & The Future of Jobs44:27 Educating the Market57:30 Voice Cloning Risks1:08:55 Final Advice

    47 min

  8. FEB 24

    Sales Strategy for Modern Founders | FounderClosers EP. 58

    In this episode of Founder Closers, Matt sits down with sales strategist and fractional revenue leader Kim Cram to break down what it really takes to scale beyond founder-led sales.From being a 5’2” college athlete to surviving 7+ years as a financial advisor (where she hated prospecting)… to mastering outbound in tech sales and helping PE-backed companies hit aggressive growth targets — Kim shares the real, unfiltered lessons behind building a scalable go-to-market engine.They dive into:-Why most founders struggle to transition out of sales-The truth about outbound (and why it actually works)-Why “cool” never buys-The 4 pillars of sales every company must master-How to structure fractional sales leadership-Why discovery matters more than closingIf you’re a founder stuck in the weeds of sales… or trying to build a revenue engine that runs without you — this episode is for you.⏱️ Chapters00:00 – Welcome to Founder Closers01:00 – Kim’s Athlete Mentality & Competitive Drive02:30 – 7.5 Years as a Financial Advisor (and Why It Was Painful)05:30 – Starting Over in Tech Sales at 3108:45 – Building Sales From Scratch at a Startup11:30 – Private Equity: “Go Hit the Numbers”16:00 – Founder-Led Sales: The Breaking Point19:30 – Fractional vs W-2: Security vs Freedom23:00 – The Biggest Sales Mistakes Founders Make27:00 – The 4 Pillars of Sales (Lead Gen, Discovery, Closing, Retention)32:00 – Why Discovery Wins Deals36:00 – Teaching vs Doing: Scaling Sales Teams Properly41:00 – Taking Control of Your Revenue Destiny44:30 – Final Thoughts & Where to Connect with Kim

    45 min

  9. FEB 24

    Why Most Sales Calls Fail Before They Start

    In this episode, we break down a simple but powerful sales framework that most people completely skip.From selling the appointment…To running a proper discovery…To getting prospects to clearly state their own problems…This conversation dives into what actually drives conversions — and why most sales calls fail before they even start.If you’re in B2B, real estate, recruiting, or building any service-based business, this one is packed with tactical takeaways.🔎 What You’ll Learn:-Why the first sale is the appointment-How to structure a high-impact discovery call-The 30/70 talking rule-Why customers need to verbalize their own problems-The biggest mistake salespeople make⏱ Chapters:0:00 – Intro2:15 – Breaking Sales into 4 Categories6:40 – Sell the Appointment First12:10 – What Most Salespeople Get Wrong18:35 – How to Run a Proper Discovery24:50 – The 30/70 Rule Explained31:20 – Asking Strategic, Open-Ended Questions38:45 – Getting the Prospect to Admit the Problem45:30 – Why Pitching Too Early Kills Deals52:10 – Final ThoughtsIf you found value in this episode:👍 Like💬 Comment your biggest takeaway🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on sales, hiring, and business growth#Sales #Entrepreneurship #BusinessPodcast #B2BSales #SalesTraining

    50 min

  10. FEB 23

    Building Products vs Solving Problems | FounderClosers EP. 60

    In this episode, we sit down with Jeffrey Hou, a Wharton MBA and Search Fund operator on a mission to acquire and run a small business as CEO.But here’s what most people don’t understand about buying a business…Founders don’t sell to the highest bidder — they sell to the person they trust with their life’s work.Jeffrey breaks down what it’s really like to approach legacy business owners, earn their confidence, and step into the operator seat as a first-time CEO. From navigating founder psychology to investing in the rapidly evolving youth sports ecosystem, this conversation dives deep into what it takes to acquire and grow a company in today’s market.We also explore:-The Search Fund model (and why MBAs are using it to become CEOs)-Why legacy and culture matter more than valuation-The rise of private capital in youth sports-Founder risk after acquisition-Why most AI startups are building tools nobody needs-The coming AI valuation bubble-Startup advice for companies seeking a 2–3 year exitIf you're a founder, operator, investor, or early-stage startup looking to scale — this episode is packed with real-world insight on acquisitions, leadership, and building companies that last.⏱️ CHAPTERS00:00 – Why Founders Don’t Sell to the Highest Bidder00:30 – Meet Jeffrey Hou00:54 – Earning Founder Trust as a First-Time Operator01:50 – Legacy vs Profit in Family-Owned Businesses02:55 – Why Founders Fear Private Equity03:40 – What Is a Search Fund?06:18 – Why Jeffrey Is Investing in Youth Sports06:41 – From Multi-Sport Athlete to D1 Rowing08:07 – Lightweight Rowing Explained10:12 – What Counts as a “Youth Sports” Investment?13:24 – How Search Fund Operators Find Investors15:23 – The Role of Investors in Acquisitions17:53 – What Value Investors Actually Provide19:18 – Building the “Avengers” Cap Table21:03 – The Traditional Search Fund Exit Strategy22:53 – Operator vs External Management Models23:41 – Should Founders Stay After the Sale?26:24 – When Founders Should Step Back29:31 – Founder Risk in Acquisitions32:34 – Key-Man Risk Explained34:23 – Who Do You Really Serve as an Operator?36:18 – Why Jeffrey Isn’t Focused on Software40:12 – Advice for AI Startups Seeking Exit42:58 – Solving Real Problems vs Building Tools46:26 – Final Thoughts👍 Like, Comment, and Subscribe for more conversations with founders, operators, and investors building from the ground up.

    48 min
  • 10 Episodes

About

Founder Closers (formerly Ground Up) is a tactical, no-fluff podcast for early-stage founders who have traction and need to scale revenue. Hosted by Matt Uber, a revenue leader with 15+ years of experience, each episode delivers actionable playbooks on building your sales process, improving demos, increasing conversions, and moving from founder-led selling to a scalable revenue engine. All previous Ground Up leadership conversations now live on this channel featuring seasoned entrepreneurs sharing how they built teams, culture, and long-term growth. If you’re a founder serious about l

Information

  • Creator
    Matt Uber
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Matt Uber
  • Show Website
    Founder Closers