Billion Dollar Tech Brendan Dell

“Something that doesn't slice the pie differently or steal someone else's breakfast, but something with a potential to grow the overall pie,” is Omri Yacubovich’s description of Lama.ai, of which he is co-founder and CEO. Lama.ai provides business lending to banks, credit unions, SaaS companies, fintech and B2B brands. Through his research, Omri found that 80 percent of businesses that applied for a loan through their primary banking relationship were declined. Alternative methods included exorbitant APRs that could reach as much as 400%, as well as a very high cost of acquisition and capital. Lama. ai offers to lower these expenses to nearly zero while also offering a more specialized strategy to fit varying needs of businesses versus a cookie cutter plan.
Omri offers insights into the number of entrepreneurs who have emerged from Israel. He speculates that it has something to do with having to perform mandatory service at 18, having major responsibilities and decisions to make. He and Brendan discuss the myth of the young Ivy league-educated entrepreneur success story–the vast majority of majorly successful business people had years of experience–even whole careers under their belts before founding their first big business. There is a balance between the bravery of youth where you have very little to lose and the experience and wisdom that come with being older.
Omri shares his unpopular opinion on the concept of work/life balance. He talks about what he might have done differently if he had the process to do all over again.

Quotes:
“There are 1000s, or tens of 1000s, or hundreds of 1000s of startups that fail.. the validation was an important piece.” (15:13-15:27 | Omri)
“What we've done, which I think is also important for the first time founders that are listening to this episode, is we left some room for strategic investors...including my previous CEO.” (24:32-25:26 | Omri) 
“The Northern Lights or where you want to go and what you want to sell is way more important than the actual technology and features that you're building and you're probably very proud and excited about. So, my recommendation is to talk about the problem and why you and your team are the right ones to solve that problem.” (27:31-27:52 | Omri) 
“If you're not running fast enough, if you're in the right or wrong direction, you're never going to get to the finish line. So I think it's crucial for startups to have the ability to move fast. And unfortunately, moving fast requires a lot of dedication and working hours. So, it's not popular, but that's my opinion." (35:47-36:13 | Omri)

Connect with Brendan Dell:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendandell/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BrendanDell
Instagram: @thebrendandell
TikTok: @brendandell39


Buy a copy of Brendan’s Book, The 12 Immutable Laws of High-Impact Messaging: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780578210926 
 
Connect with Omri:
Omri.y@lama.ai
lama.ai

Check out Omri’s recommended books:


Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle by Dan Senor and Saul Singer
https://bookshop.org/p/books/start-up-nation-the-story-of-israel-s-economic-miracle-dan-senor/16646834?ean=9780446541473
 
The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz
https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-hard-thing-about-hard-things-building-a-business-when-there-are-no-easy-answers-ben-horowitz/6432758?ean=9780062273208



Zero to One: Notes on Startups or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel and Blake Masters
https://bookshop.org/p/books/zero-to-one-notes-on-startups-or-how-to-build-the-future-peter-thiel/9402001?ean=9780804139298
 
The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries 
https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-lean-startup-how-today-s-entrepreneurs-use-continuous-innovation-to-create-rad

“You probably can’t overemphasize the importance of your co-founder relationship,” says Noah Abelson-Gertler, founder coach and former public company CEO, explaining that 50% of startups and scaleups that fail do so due to co-founder relationships. Co-founders have an intimacy that is like marriage without the romance—you experience highs and lows, make major decisions together, you’re dependent on each other, and can often spend more time together than you do with your actual spouse. That is why it is so important to be as thorough as possible in getting to know your potential co-founder, asking them every possible question, their strengths and weaknesses, references, how they would respond to every possible scenario, and if you can really see yourself working side-by-side with this person for the next ten years. It is just as important to be honest with yourself, about your motivations, shortcomings, etc. 
This is something that Noah wishes he had done more of with his own co-founder before entering into business with each other. But, as he mentions, the only other difference between marriage and co-founder partnerships is that co-founders aren’t given the tools and resources couples are given. That’s why he encourages all founders to find a coach because you really can’t know what it’s like until you’re in it, and as you scale and succeed, your role constantly changes. 
Noah and Brendan also touch upon feelings of imposter syndrome, spurred in part by what Brendan calls “success porn.” Founders feel like they are the only ones who feel the increasing pressure that builds commensurate with success. No one has it all figured out, they agree. And if they think they do, they’re likely a sociopath. 

Quotes
“You probably can't overemphasize the importance of your co-founder relationship. So from the moment that you start looking into becoming a co-founder with somebody, you want to focus as much resource on it as, as you logistically can, you're not going to be able to spend 100% of your time on it, never will. But it's wildly important to the success of your business.” (27:43-28:06 | Noah) 
“The most similar relationship that you're going to have in your life to a co-founder relationship is a romantic relationship, bar none. It is wildly intimate, you are dependent upon each other, you spend an immense amount of time with each other, and you're making hard decisions constantly. Now, the difference between these two relationships is, and I talk about this a lot in co-founder coaching, a romantic relationship has a bunch of tools to it, the co-founder relationship does not.” (31:26-31:59 | Noah) 
“A common thing that comes up is founders who enter into a co-founder relationship is thinking that they don't need to both better get to know themselves, and constantly work on themselves. So that's an understanding you have to have from the jump. If we're going into this together, we both have to have the humility to look at our shortcomings and look at ways that we can improve.” (35:00-35:21 | Noah) 
“If you think about what really moves the needle as… it's the inner person, the soft skills that really often make the difference. Can you organize people well, and you're not going to organize and direct a team. It's like when the parents are fighting at home:..If you're not getting along, and you guys are constantly at odds, and there's tension there, the team's going to sense that in there, as you're creating a divide in your business.” (36:26-Brendan | 37:12 | Brendan)



Connect with Brendan Dell:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendandell/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BrendanDell
Instagram: @thebrendandell
TikTok: @brendandell39


Buy a copy of Brendan’s Book, The 12 Immutable Laws of High-Impact Messaging: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780578210926 
 
Connect with Noah:
Foundersjourney.io

Check out Noah’s recommended books:

“We're emotional beings that think, not thinking beings that feel,” says Scott Walker, leadership coach, former Scotland Yard detective and one of the world’s most experienced kidnap for ransom negotiators. Scott joins the podcast today to share what engaging in covert counterterrorism and kidnapping operations has taught him about communicating in life and in the corporate world. The process, Scott explains, is a matter of taking your emotions—as well as your ego—out of the equation. At the same time, you must be very aware of the other person’s emotions, what they want and need including what Scott calls “the bunch of fives.” Force, subjugation and domineering approaches rarely work if at all. Negotiation is very much about collaboration. It is far less about a set script of things to say and more about showing up and being curious about another person.
For most people, talking about money is the most uncomfortable thing they do at work. When asking for a raise, focus on what you can do to provide value to your employer, on your long-term commitment. Negotiations should have a single clear message. Don’t lose sight of the outcome. Hear Scott talk about the “three Ms” that are invaluable to his daily practice. 
Scott and Brendan discuss the success of Chris Voss—also a former hostage negotiator, and his ability to, in the TikTok era where most people can only stay present for a thirty second video, hold people’s attention for three hours. Scott credits JP Sears for infusing discourse with humor and nuance in a world where people hardly listen to or empathize with each other. They also discuss Diego Perez and Andrew Huberman. 

Quotes:
“I'd say that emotional self mastery, which is ultimately what having a right mindset is about, is probably one of the number one skills of an effective negotiating communicator…So you don't become swayed from pillar to post by people's challenges, really.” (20:04-20:45 | Scott) 
“People make decisions based on emotion…if I can uncover what your real needs are, then I'm a step closer to helping you meet them.” (28:02-28:35 | Scott) 
“Sometimes people ask me, ‘Are you just trying to manipulate people?...I just want you to walk away happy thinking, ‘Hey, I've got a good deal here.’” (33:41-34:19 | Scott)




Connect with Brendan Dell:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendandell/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BrendanDell
Instagram: @thebrendandell
TikTok: @brendandell39


Buy a copy of Brendan’s Book, The 12 Immutable Laws of High-Impact Messaging: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780578210926 
 
Connect with Scott Walker:
scottwalkerbooks.co.uk


Buy a copy of Scott Walker's book, Order Out of Chaos:
https://www.scottwalkerbooks.co.uk/


Check out Scott Walker recommended books:
 
Tools of TItans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers     by Tim Ferris
https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781328683786
 
Unlimited Power: The New Science of Personal Achievement by Tony Robbins
https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780684845777



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“We started to feel like there was something bigger here, that this could be transformational,” says Jason Radisson, co-founder and CEO of Sh1ft, which brings push button technology to blue collar and middle class work, and is transforming HR in the B2B spaces by implementing gig economy-style automation and efficiency. Sh1ft promises to eliminate 80 to 90 percent of a traditional HR employee’s role by resolving issues such as schedule inefficiencies and time fraud. Sh1ft is currently making great strides in the professions of engineering, construction, and nursing. 
Born to a young, single mother, Jason learned early on from the people around him both the value of hard work and the value of education to upskill and land better jobs. He and Brendan discuss good and bad reasons for attending school and in what instances attending top schools, like his alma mater Harvard, is a worthwhile pursuit. He explains how certain companies become like mafias and why that’s a good thing. 
Later, he explains why the white collar job sector will be saturated in the future, the transformation of local markets into national ones, and what’s in store for blockchain and crypto. Brendan describes the two classes of skills which will guarantee success in the modern economy.



Connect with Brendan Dell:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendandell/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BrendanDell
Instagram: @thebrendandell
TikTok: @brendandell39


Buy a copy of Brendan’s Book, The 12 Immutable Laws of High-Impact Messaging: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780578210926 
 
Check out Jason’s recommended books:


Decision Making Under Uncertainty by David E. Bell
https://www.amazon.com/Decision-Making-Under-Uncertainty-David/dp/1565272757
 
Decision Making Under Certainty by David E. Bell
https://www.amazon.com/Decision-Making-Under-Certainty-Schleifer/dp/9812435069/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1R9IXZQZ3YZ36&keywords=David+E.+Bell+Decision+Making+Under+Certainty&qid=1678834076&s=books&sprefix=david+e.+bell+decision+making+under+certainty%2Cstripbooks%2C96&sr=1-1
 
Valuation: Measuring and Managing the Value of Companies by McKinsey & Company, Inc., Tim Koller, Marc Goedhart, and David Wessels
https://www.amazon.com/Valuation-Measuring-Managing-Companies-Finance/dp/1119610885/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1E4W4ESJYI7S5&keywords=Valuation&qid=1678834336&s=books&sprefix=valuation%2Cstripbooks%2C98&sr=1-1
 
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“What if we could do it better than anyone else in the ecosystem?” Nathan McCauley asked himself while co-founding Anchorage Digital, a unicorn assets platform that provides instantly settled key storage and custody—holding investments on behalf of investors—for digital assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Before starting this venture, he worked at financial services platform Square, where he performed what he called “financial security” for four years with his future Anchorage Digital co-founder Diogo Monica. There the two helped to design the digital card reader with Jack Dorsey. Wanting to learn more about the sales, marketing and development aspects of B2B business before starting their own company, he and Diogo joined Docker, a software platform that helps developers to build, run and share applications. 
Nathan talks about working at Square with Jack Dorsey and Keith Rabois, their unique approaches to leadership, and what the experience at Docker was versus what he thought it was going to be. Brendan explains the problem with overindexing on opportunities to make what turn out to be largely unneeded products. Early on in his career, Nathan’s managers constantly evaluated him as having “irrational optimism.” He later learned about the power of being paranoid. 
Nathan started Anchorage because he wanted to build a culture, one in which his employees could find a purpose and enrich their lives. With this motivation still at the forefront, he spends a lot of time interviewing potential employees. He explains the key to finding the right people who align with the company’s mission. 

Quotes:
“This idea of sitting around and waiting for good opportunities and then when you find them, putting everything into them. One of the things that would've happened if I decided to start a company just after Square is I would've probably gone after a smaller opportunity that wasn't as high leverage as Anchorage. And so I'm extremely grateful for the patience aspect of it. In terms of waiting for the right opportunity, that was a good fit for mine and my co-founders’ skillset. That's not to say that I didn't learn a ton from Docker. I actually did learn a ton from Docker too. But it's kind of a dual purpose of learning a lot, learning about enterprise sales, learning about marketing, but also not jumping into something that was not as big of an opportunity as it possibly could have been.” (24:29-25:18 | Nathan) 
“We had this idea of a very secure system without a problem that actually needed solving that way, the custody problem coming along was almost this conceptual model of an idea of a very secure system that finally had a use case that we could build towards. So the answer to that ends up being that we had a very clear product vision very early on what needed to get built,  but we did not want to build an mvp. because we knew the very nature of the product was likely to hold non-trivial amounts of funds very early on. We didn't want to do anything less than good enough in the first version.” (29:44-30:27 | Nathan) 
“The most useful outlet for fear is to keep innovating.” (35:46-35:50 | Nathan)




Connect with Brendan Dell:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendandell/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BrendanDell
Instagram: @thebrendandell
TikTok: @brendandell39


Buy a copy of Brendan’s Book, The 12 Immutable Laws of High-Impact Messaging: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780578210926 
 
Connect with Nathan McCauley:
Anchorage.com
nathan@anchorage.com

Check out Nathan’s recommended books:
 
Only the Paranoid Survive: How to Exploit the Crisis Points that Challenge Every Company by Andrew S. Grove
https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780385483827
Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. by Ron Chernow
https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781400077304
A History of the World in Ten and a Half Chapters by Julian Barnes
https://www.indiebound.org/book

New York Times bestselling author Jonah Berger’s cutting-edge research reveals how six types of words can increase your impact in every area of life: from persuading others and building stronger relationships, to boosting creativity and motivating teams. He labels them SPEACC (“speak,” phonetically), and they are crucial to understanding if one wants to be a more effective and charismatic speaker. Meanwhile, Jonah explains–using words like seems, think, should–-lessens the effectiveness of speech overall. More specifically, though, there are certain hedging phrases which yield more results than do others, and he discusses them here. He also describes “the copier experiment,” wherein one simple word will persuade people to accommodate a request, even if inconvenient. 
A simple two-letter word modification will convince everyone from children in the classroom to community members during election time to take the desired action. Delegating action versus assigning someone an identity based on that action is a very powerful shift, as Jonah explains. There are six categories under which persuasive language falls, a framework.
There is a surprising difference between the effectiveness of abstract language and concrete language  when it comes to raising money. Brendan shares an example of using hedging language versus direct language, and the difference it made to his clients. 

Quotes:
“While we pay a lot of attention to what we want to communicate…we think a lot less about how we say those things, the particular words we use. And that's a mistake because the words we use can have a big impact on our effectiveness.” (3:52-4:15 | Jonah) 
“I know that some people hate Donald Trump, and I know that some people love Donald Trump. Whether you love him or hate him, you can't deny that he's been a great salesperson for his ideas. Even if you hate him and hate everything he stands for, he's had an amazing ability to get a whole bunch of people to do what he wants and follow his suggestions. So, one question is: why?” (6:57-7:18 | Jonah)
“Think about it this way: If you understand the science of hitting, you get on base more in baseball. If you understand the science of shooting a basketball, more of your three free throws go in. Same is true of language. Language is something we do all the time, just like you can become a better basketball shooter, a baseball hitter, a better swimmer, whatever you do in your life. By understanding how language works, you can use it more effectively.” (17:55-18:19 | Jonah)

Connect with Brendan Dell:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendandell/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BrendanDell
Instagram: @thebrendandell
TikTok: @brendandell39


Buy a copy of Brendan’s Book, The 12 Immutable Laws of High-Impact Messaging: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780578210926 
 
Pre-Order Jonah’s Book: Magic Words
Hardcover & Kindled: https://amzn.to/3IwX21l
Audio: https://amzn.to/3ZbRe4c

Check out Jonah’s recommended books:
 
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell 
https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780316346627
 
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath 
https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781400064281
 
Diffusion of Innovations by Everett M Rodgers
https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780743222099



Please don't forget to rate, comment, and subscribe to Billion Dollar Tech on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Use code Brendan30 for 30% off your annual membership with RiverSide.fm 

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm