Pivot Fast, Sell First: Startup Lessons from Josh Barker

In this episode, Josh Barker, CEO of City Innovations, dives deeper into the principles behind his book Traction First. Hear how rapid pivots, lightweight experiments, and a “sell first, build later” approach helped transform costly startup mistakes into powerful lessons.

Josh reveals how founders can shorten learning cycles, avoid over-engineering, and find product-market fit faster—without burning through time, money, or energy.

🎧 A must-listen for innovators, entrepreneurs, and corporate changemakers looking to de-risk their ideas and gain real market traction.

Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction and Recap of Part 1
(02:14) The Power of Rapid Pivots
(06:40) Learning Without Over-Engineering
(11:05) Pre-Selling and Validating Demand
(15:38) Shrinking Experiment Timelines
(19:50) Overcoming Burnout and Finding Momentum
(23:12) From Mistakes to Market Traction
(27:05) Advice for Founders and Innovators
(30:44) Closing Thoughts

Want to learn more?
Check out our site.

https://www.tractionfirstbook.com/