SmartMoney Ventures Podcast Jeff (J.D.) Davids

In this episode of the SmartMoney Ventures Podcast, Ry Walker tells the story of his entrepreneurial journey from college dropout to Unicorn success in Cincinnati, Ohio. In this episode, you will learn:How to build Unicorn software companies in Cincinnati Ohio.Why the entrepreneur’s journey is like mountain climbing, where you value the climb more than the peak itself. How Astronomer & Tembo are commercializing open source platforms and challenging software giants like Oracle ...

In this episode, you will learn:Why you should do 50 customer interviews before building your product.Why Joe recommends only building software code that is differentiating.How less code & less employees translates into faster speed to market.Which company became a Unicorn with only 13 employees. Why Columbus is an excellent place to build a tech company. Where to buy Joe’s book “Serverless as a Game Changer”Joe Emison is the Co-founder and CTO of Branch, a personal line...

In this episode, you will learn:How MapQuest became a Unicorn in 1999.Channeling your inner 10 year old: The 5 Principles of Building a Fort.The one mistake that all 1st time founders make. Why community & collaboration are essential for innovation.Systems theory for building startups & innovation.Why not all mentorship & advice is created equal.Did you ever build a fort when you were a kid? Chris Heivly has been building successful startups & communities with that...

In this episode, you will learn:What its like to grow from Zero to $300 Million of revenues in 4 years. Why surrounding yourself with the right mentors is crucial to success.Why most startups are a series of failures until they’re not.How the Heartland culture gets s##t done without unrealistic expectations.Why people and culture are critical to success in innovation.This episode of the SmartMoney Ventures Podcast features Sue Tyler who is a C-level executive, board member and investor w...

SMV8: Dwight Smith shares why personality & integrity lead to success. He won E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year, built & sold his company, and Chaired the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.In this episode, you will learn:Why your personality and integrity are essential elements of success.Four important considerations in selling your company - price is NOT one of them.What it’s like to Chair the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.How they almost lost the whole company, and bounced back ...

In this episode, you will learn:How Hugh built and sold his first company at 25 years oldWhy Hugh provides equity compensation to all team members.Why continuing education is a lifelong pursuit for CEOs.The inside scoop on 2 IPOs and working with Craig McCaw.Why the Midwest is a great place to start a business.Episode Summary: This episode of the SmartMoney Ventures Podcast features Hugh Cathey who is an award winning dealmaker and experienced CEO with 2 successful IPOs completed and a passio...