Zero to Traction
Zero to Traction
Customers, ecosystems, and the curse of big markets
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Customers, ecosystems, and the curse of big markets

In this episode, JDM and Cameron Law sit down with guest co-hosts Pava LaPere and Sherrod Davis, the co-founders of EcoMap, for a riveting discussion of finding who your customer is — and isn't.

Join regular co-hosts JDM and Cameron Law, and guest co-hosts Pava LaPere and Sherrod Davis, the co-founders of EcoMap, for a riveting discussion of finding who your customer is.

EcoMap is a Baltimore-based SaaS startup that makes it possible for people to navigate all of the invisible ecosystems that we live and work in every day — e.g. startup ecosystems!

On today’s show:

  • The importance of falling in love with problems, rather than solutions;

  • How EcoMap’s broad target market is as much of a curse as a blessing;

  • Honing your messaging to resonate with your niche;

  • Tools you can use to identify your customers;

  • And more!

To learn more about customer personas, check out JDM’s recent deep dive on YouTube, along with a free template you can use to get started.

Frivolous thoughts

  • Pava talked about the critical role of regional & community banks, particularly amidst the recent banking crises.

  • Sherrod shared his March Madness bracket — take a listen to see how his predictions fared.

  • Cameron confessed he didn’t “get” The Matrix when it first came out when he was a child, but how it takes on a more poignant meaning in the context of 2023.

  • And JDM calls out so-called “imposter syndrome”, based in part on this New Yorker article.

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Zero to Traction
Zero to Traction
Startups are hard AF, risking your time, money, and reputation — and yet you’ve heard the call. You’re in. Now what?
In the Zero to Traction podcast, we tackle the major challenges faced by first-time founders building scalable startups.
Each episode provides tools, tips, stories, and mindset shifts to empower founders to overcome these obstacles to create companies that scale.
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