Founder Unfiltered - What Founders Think But Never Say

Mylance
  • 5.0 (8)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Formerly Six Figure Secrets of Fractional Experts, Founder Unfiltered is the show about the stuff founders don't talk about: the identity crisis when you go from operator to leader, the weird shame of self-promotion, the gap between who you are and who your business needs you to be. Hosted by Bradley Jacobs, founder of Mylance — a LinkedIn thought leadership platform for B2B founders — this show gets into the psychology, the patterns, and the honest conversations that actually move the needle. No hacks. No hype. Just the raw truth about what's really holding you back.

  1. 1d ago

    11 Million Followers, a Burnout, and What He Learned with Swish Goswami

    He built a basketball media brand to 11 million followers, sold a company, and still ended up burnt out at 23. My guest today, Swish Goswami, has lived that whole arc, and this conversation is about what he tore down and rebuilt afterward. Swish has been building companies since he was a kid running an imaginary investment bank out of notebooks for his grandparents. He dropped out of university, co-built Dunk into an 11 million follower basketball media brand, grew a personal brand as a LinkedIn top voice, co-founded and sold a data company called Surf, and is now building his newest company, Broker Plus. We talk about how he thinks about product market fit, why customer obsession beats a polished product every time, and how he actually recovered from the burnout that hit him in 2022 after scaling a 36 person team. This one is useful if you care about linkedin thought leadership and how founders build authority without the flashy, look-at-me version of a personal brand. Swish makes a strong case that authenticity, not more content, is what actually works, and that linkedin content marketing only lands when it comes from a place that is genuinely you. We also get into why vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness, when you are building in public. Build your founder brand with Mylance: https://mylance.coConnect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/ 00:00 Introducing Swish Goswami01:15 Deciding to become an entrepreneur02:45 Building Dunk to 11 million followers04:08 Product market fit, Surf versus Broker Plus06:25 Why customer obsession drives 80 percent of success09:11 Building an internal tool to track feedback12:34 Growing entirely through organic referrals16:16 Hitting burnout in 202219:39 The intentional habits that changed20:27 Building a personal brand without cringe27:45 Shifting from distraction to focus30:14 The one piece of advice for first time founders

    11 Million Followers, a Burnout, and What He Learned with Swish Goswami

  2. Oct 8

    I Stopped Pitching on Calls. Here’s the Framework That Replaced It.

    I stopped pitching on my calls, sales calls included, and now I ask questions to find out whether someone has a project they cannot avoid. The framework comes from Rob Snyder's founder bootcamp and his book The Power of Pull, which I picked up while digging into product market fit and why people buy. Customers buy when a project is sitting on their to do list, and a problem on its own is not enough, since people live with plenty of problems they never pay to solve. I walk through the four parts of the framework: the project to be done, why it is unavoidable, the other options they have (competitors, doing it themselves, doing it manually, or AI), and where those options fall short. Then I apply it to Mylance, where the project is showing up on LinkedIn to demonstrate expertise and attract clients. That is LinkedIn thought leadership, and many founders I talk to have tried AI for their LinkedIn content marketing and found it generic and unlike them. I share the twelve questions I ask every customer, including what happens if you do nothing for six months and how convinced you are that LinkedIn works for you. I cover the signs that someone is ready to buy, why I ask people where their head is at, a recent call where I was pitched for ten minutes without a single question, and a UX designer example that shows how this works for any service or software. Build your founder brand with Mylance: https://mylance.coConnect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/ 00:00 Welcome and what Mylance does00:40 Why I stopped pitching on calls01:25 Rob Snyder's founder bootcamp01:50 Customers buy to finish a project02:20 The six month do nothing question02:55 The four part framework begins03:30 The other options customers have04:10 The framework applied to Mylance05:30 LinkedIn conviction, AI shortfalls07:00 The 10 minute pitch I sat through08:35 The twelve questions I ask09:45 Any service or software10:15 UX designer example12:45 Signals someone is ready to buy13:10 Asking where their head is at13:45 The customer who went on vacation15:00 Try Mylance and design your voice

  3. Oct 1

    Stop Chasing the Next Thing: How to Build a Life That Actually Feels Good with Sloane

    I used to think building the business, hitting the number, and checking every box on the list would eventually add up to feeling good. My guest today spent over a decade as a business attorney, built her own law firm, scaled it, sold it, and by every external measure had made it. Then she realized hitting every goal on the list wasn't actually making her happy, and the whole path she had been running on wasn't built for her. Sloane is a transformational mentor who helps high performing women create success on their own terms, and she brings something most people in this space don't: a certification in neuropsychophysiology, combining neuroscience, psychology, and biology to back up what she teaches. In this conversation we get into why so many founders sacrifice themselves now hoping to be happy later, why that trade almost never pays off, and what she calls the slingshot effect of building from alignment instead of pure hustle. We also talk about something founders rarely discuss openly: how the male dominated default of business, the single pointed focus model, differs from what Sloane calls diffuse awareness, and why understanding this matters if you lead a team, run a company, or are building your own version of thought leadership and visibility. If you have ever felt like your linkedin thought leadership or your business success looked great from the outside while something quietly felt off on the inside, this episode is for you. Build your founder brand with Mylance: https://mylance.coConnect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/ 00:00 Welcome to Founder Unfiltered00:45 Meet Sloane, attorney turned mentor01:22 Building the dream and still feeling empty03:22 The pattern of chasing the next big thing07:29 Selling the firm and moving to coaching09:07 The dinner in Mexico that changed everything11:31 The two things missing from a fulfilled life13:59 How this applies to founders15:16 What happens after you sell the company16:11 The slingshot effect of building from alignment20:21 The research behind subjective well being22:06 Diffuse awareness versus single pointed focus25:07 Why business culture is built for men27:11 The four different women in one cycle28:40 The superpowers hidden in each phase33:14 Leading with curiosity instead of judgment36:43 Why true pleasure is profitable39:40 Sloane's five core beliefs framework43:07 How to work with Sloane and what's next

    Stop Chasing the Next Thing: How to Build a Life That Actually Feels Good with Sloane

  4. Sep 24

    I Thought I Understood Product-Market Fit. I Didn’t.

    I thought product-market fit meant people liked what I built. That belief was wrong, and it cost me time. In this solo episode, I walk through what product-market fit actually looks like once you get past the surface-level idea of "people gave positive feedback." I talk about the pain cave, the identity crisis that comes with being a founder, and why nine out of ten people give up before they ever get there. I explain the exact situation I look for in a Mylance customer: someone with a task they cannot avoid, and existing options that are not good enough for very specific reasons. I get into how I use LinkedIn content marketing and LinkedIn thought leadership as the backdrop for this whole conversation, since that is the product I have spent years building. I also share how I separate my identity from my product so I can hear real feedback without taking it personally, and the list of questions I now ask every customer to understand what is actually unavoidable about their situation. If you are building something, whether a product or a service, this is the mindset shift I wish I had earlier. Build your founder brand with Mylance: https://mylance.co Connect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/00:00 Why building a company is so hard01:36 The typical product-market fit path02:42 The emotional weight of putting yourself out there03:35 What I used to think product-market fit meant04:57 The unavoidable task and the limits of existing solutions06:21 Why skeptical customers are not "hell yes" customers07:27 Building authority versus expecting inbound leads08:15 Becoming an investigator into your customer10:31 Separating your identity from your product12:08 The 12 questions I ask every customer13:33 Finding your hell yes customers14:39 Staying detached while believing you will figure it out

  5. Sep 17

    From $1.65 an Hour to Multimillionaire: The Brain Science Behind the Leap with John Assaraf

    I sat down with John Assaraf, someone who has built five multimillion dollar companies, written 18 books including two New York Times bestsellers, and appeared in 14 movies including The Secret. But none of that is why I wanted him on the show. I wanted to know what actually happened in his brain the day everything changed. John dropped out of high school after 10th grade, was working for $1.65 an hour in a factory, and by his own account was heading toward jail or worse. Then at 19, one conversation with a mentor named Alan Brown shifted the entire trajectory of his life, not because of a single piece of advice, but because it forced John to choose between being interested in his goals and being committed to them. We go deep on what it actually took to rewire his identity from the inside out, the belief work he still does every single day at 65, and why fear of success is just as dangerous and far less talked about than fear of failure. John breaks down the neuroscience of prediction, why your brain is constantly trying to keep you safe from embarrassment and rejection, and how he taught himself to turn fear into fuel using tools any founder can practice. We also get into why consistency beats intensity, what he's doing today with AI to run 80 percent of his business, and the daily non negotiables that have kept his mindset sharp for over four decades. If you have ever felt like you know what to do but cannot get yourself to actually do it, this conversation is for you. Build your founder brand with Mylance: https://mylance.coConnect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/ 00:00 Intro to Founder Unfiltered00:21 Meet John Assaraf01:32 The $1.65 an hour years02:20 The lunch that changed his life04:21 The 1980 goal setting guide05:32 Interested versus committed06:50 A mentor says yes08:03 Rewiring identity from scratch09:26 Creating new beliefs on day one11:30 Reading and feeling the vision daily12:15 Reverse engineering the sales goal13:01 The cold call script14:15 First deals and first wins16:00 The exceptional life blueprint today17:20 Understanding the brain's mechanics18:32 Two paths after the opportunity19:14 Sick and tired of being sick and tired21:25 Escaping the old environment22:52 Owning your gifts without arrogance24:17 The podcast mistake that humbled him25:48 Fear of success explained26:17 The brain's prediction loop28:21 What fear of success is protecting29:57 Self regulating the nervous system31:23 Practice versus reacting in the moment32:59 The hardest part of business today34:05 Bradley's own avoidance pattern35:04 Understanding your role on the team36:57 Disappointment avoidance in sales37:59 Separating rejection from self worth39:22 Changing the meaning changes the feeling41:09 Daily non negotiable practices43:18 Consistency before complexity44:34 Relearning to walk after surgery45:20 Where to find John Assaraf

    From $1.65 an Hour to Multimillionaire: The Brain Science Behind the Leap with John Assaraf

  6. Sep 10

    Why You’re Scared to Grow Your Business (And What to Do About It)

    I want to tell you about something I almost didn't admit out loud. I shipped a feature I'm genuinely excited about, one that finds the people commenting on your posts, scores them against your ideal customer profile, and even drafts a reply for you. It's working, and I told almost no one. No email to my customer list, no newsletter blast, no LinkedIn post. In this episode, I dig into why I did that, and why so many founders do the same thing without realizing it. The honest answer is fear. Not fear of failure exactly, fear that if the product isn't perfect, that says something about me. When you're a solo founder, or when you are the product, like a fractional COO or independent consultant, that fear gets even sharper because there's no cofounder in the room to call it out. I break down the real loop every growing business depends on: build something imperfect, put it in front of real customers, get their honest reaction, and iterate. That loop only works if you're willing to be seen before you're ready. I talk through how to separate your worth from your product, how to notice the voice in your head that's actually running the show, and what it really takes to keep showing up every day even when the thing you built has bugs in it. If you're a founder who has been sitting on a launch, a post, or a feature because it isn't polished enough yet, this one is for you. Build your founder brand with Mylance: https://mylance.coConnect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/ Timestamps 00:00 Welcome to Founder Unfiltered00:35 The feature I shipped and hid01:28 Why I didn't tell anyone02:22 The fear underneath the silence02:40 Shipping before it's perfect03:27 I coach founders on this daily04:13 The hypothesis every founder is running04:34 The vulnerability of being the product05:19 Getting judged by the market06:16 The feedback and iteration loop07:14 Why this hides in the shadows07:46 Not telling anyone about your product08:30 The unconscious fear behind the story09:07 Making it about you, not the work10:03 Distraction and procrastination as avoidance10:37 What you would tell someone else11:05 Owning the truth about building11:45 Separating yourself from your product12:32 What makes a great founder13:09 Naming the voice running the show13:29 Realizing it's not true, it's not you14:17 A daily battle, not a one time fix15:21 What Mylance does with your story16:10 Ratings, thanks, and sign off

  7. Sep 3

    The Mirror Test: What Every Founder Needs to Confront with Chris Deaver

    Chris Deaver spent his career shaping culture inside Apple, Disney, and Dell. Then he went out on his own and learned what that culture work actually costs a person. In this conversation, Chris and I get into what "brave" actually means when you're a founder with no big company behind you. We talk about the mirror test, a principle from his book that pushes you to get quiet enough to ask what you actually need to do differently, instead of copy pasting someone else's playbook. We go deep on the difference between being brave alone and being brave together, why deleting priorities is harder than adding them, and why the best leaders lead with questions instead of answers. Chris also gets real about his own valley. Right as his book was launching and his career should have been peaking, his marriage was ending, his company was getting acquired out from under him, and he couldn't get out of bed to shoot a video with his own co-author. He shares what actually pulled him through it, and why he thinks becoming a founder might be one of the most spiritual experiences available to us today. If you've ever felt like your business identity and your personal identity got tangled up in a way that isn't working, this one is for you. Build your founder brand with Mylance: https://mylance.coConnect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/ 00:00 Intro to Chris Deaver00:45 What brave means for solo founders01:44 Why bravery alone has limits02:42 Getting stuck without knowing why04:08 The mirror test explained05:44 Why the founder journey is confronting06:25 Ed Catmull and asking better questions07:14 The hero's journey and sacrifice09:21 The Warren Buffett top five method10:23 Steve Jobs and the sacrifice question10:53 Why deleting is harder than doing11:25 Ed Catmull, take care of the baby12:35 Amazon's sequential build lesson13:57 Culture as the golden goose14:14 Leaving big companies to go solo16:55 What it was really like eating glass19:41 AI disruption and founder priorities20:11 The bottom falling out moment21:28 The Weekend at Bernie's video shoot22:16 A hand on a tree25:07 When founder identity confuses with the business27:30 The solar startup culture turnaround30:04 Building a brain trust32:39 From 15 million to 150 million34:41 Finding your tribe at a company35:37 Spock and Kirk co-founder dynamics36:28 Softway and the trust question38:06 Ice baths and stacking habits39:03 The spiritual side of building40:23 Leading with questions, not answers44:32 Asking for help and refining leverage45:23 A team that rocks together46:13 Where to find Chris Deaver

    The Mirror Test: What Every Founder Needs to Confront with Chris Deaver

  8. Aug 27

    Trying to Get Visible While Staying Invisible | The Fear That's Costing You Clients

    A few months ago I got on a call with a business owner who almost canceled on me twice. She runs a real consulting business, real clients, real revenue, and she's smart and experienced. But when we finally connected, she told me something I hear constantly: she's trying to grow her visibility while staying invisible. She wants more clients and more reach, but she doesn't want to actually put herself out there to get it. In this episode I dig into that contradiction, because it's one of the most common things I see in founders, consultants, and fractional executives. I ask her the question I ask almost everyone in this spot: what are you actually afraid of? Her answer was blunt. She's scared to fail in public. Scared of bad takes. Scared people will read what she posts and think less of her. I walk through why that fear feels so real and so specific, and why it almost never matches what actually happens once people start posting. If you've ever sat on a draft, rewritten a headline five times, or talked yourself out of hitting publish, this conversation is for you. This is the fear that quietly costs founders clients, and I want to help you name it so you can move through it instead of around it. Build your founder brand with Mylance: https://mylance.coConnect with Bradley Jacobs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-r-jacobs/ 00:00 The client who kept rescheduling00:53 Why founders stay invisible01:26 Naming the real fear02:33 Fear with no actual consequence03:10 The vulnerability of putting yourself out there04:09 The founder who never posted once05:04 What actually happens after a bad post05:51 Why posting daily doesn't bombard anyone06:30 The algorithm myth everyone believes06:53 Your content isn't about you08:18 My own fear before hitting publish09:15 Why nothing is ever perfect at launch10:02 The hardest part of being a founder10:30 The exercise: name what you're avoiding11:02 Let your vision be bigger than your fear11:33 Closing and where to find Mylance

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Formerly Six Figure Secrets of Fractional Experts, Founder Unfiltered is the show about the stuff founders don't talk about: the identity crisis when you go from operator to leader, the weird shame of self-promotion, the gap between who you are and who your business needs you to be. Hosted by Bradley Jacobs, founder of Mylance — a LinkedIn thought leadership platform for B2B founders — this show gets into the psychology, the patterns, and the honest conversations that actually move the needle. No hacks. No hype. Just the raw truth about what's really holding you back.

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