The Physics of Startups Fri, 21 Aug 2026 05:00:02 -0400 https://www.robsnyder.org en © 2026 The Physics of Startups yes 9de01136-10ae-593f-8357-3cbb509e4d4c Rob Snyder episodic false Most 0-to-1 and product-market fit advice is a pile of things that worked for someone, once. This show is built on causal relationships, not tactics. 

Rob Snyder has helped 50+ startups go from $0 to $1M ARR. He's the creator of the PULL framework and author of "The Power of PULL" which explains why customers buy and why some startups scale and others stall. 

For VC-backed and bootstrapping founders who are tired of advice that sounds smart but doesn't work. 

More about Rob: https://www.robsnyder.org 

]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) Rob Snyder https://storage.buzzsprout.com/0zl9et89amah2vnc8as4yjaxt1xh?.jpg The Physics of Startups https://www.robsnyder.org Cold Outbound (from Rob's a16z talk) Cold Outbound (from Rob's a16z talk) Everyone's favorite topic - outbound! 

Think about your LInkedIn or email inbox - what makes most cold outbound so bad? Rob breaks down what actually causes someone to take a meeting from a cold message, and what you are probably doing that's shooting yourself in the foot. 

Rob introduces the "hierarchy of interestingness," a way to rank what's actually interesting to your recipient instead of what you want to tell them, plus the specific landmines that quietly kill response rates even when the core message is good. 

Links

]]> Everyone's favorite topic - outbound! 

Think about your LInkedIn or email inbox - what makes most cold outbound so bad? Rob breaks down what actually causes someone to take a meeting from a cold message, and what you are probably doing that's shooting yourself in the foot. 

Rob introduces the "hierarchy of interestingness," a way to rank what's actually interesting to your recipient instead of what you want to tell them, plus the specific landmines that quietly kill response rates even when the core message is good. 

Links

]]> Rob Snyder Buzzsprout-19644035 Fri, 21 Aug 2026 05:00:00 -0400 2098 full false Why your product makes it hard to see demand ("The Demand Lens") Why your product makes it hard to see demand ("The Demand Lens") Why is it so hard for founders to see real demand, even when it's all around?

Rob breaks down "the demand lens," the practice of removing your product from the picture entirely so you can see where people are actually stuck, versus the "supply lens" most founders default to without realizing it. That difference is what decides whether you're solving a real problem or just shouting into a world that was doing fine without you. 

Links

]]> Why is it so hard for founders to see real demand, even when it's all around?

Rob breaks down "the demand lens," the practice of removing your product from the picture entirely so you can see where people are actually stuck, versus the "supply lens" most founders default to without realizing it. That difference is what decides whether you're solving a real problem or just shouting into a world that was doing fine without you. 

Links

]]> Rob Snyder Buzzsprout-19637691 Fri, 14 Aug 2026 04:00:00 -0400 1645 full false The 'No-Speculation' Rule (for the overthinking founder) The 'No-Speculation' Rule (for the overthinking founder) Why do founders waste so much energy thinking about things they can't actually know?

Rob breaks down his "no speculation rule," the topics he treats as off limits because they waste time without ever being answerable. The three traps: guessing the future, assuming what customers mean, and building abstractions like personas.

Get in touch

Thinking about onboarding team members to PULL or something else? Email RC: rc@reframeb2b.com 

Links

]]> Why do founders waste so much energy thinking about things they can't actually know?

Rob breaks down his "no speculation rule," the topics he treats as off limits because they waste time without ever being answerable. The three traps: guessing the future, assuming what customers mean, and building abstractions like personas.

Get in touch

Thinking about onboarding team members to PULL or something else? Email RC: rc@reframeb2b.com 

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 7ef7a35a-b2b8-450e-90c4-89001f9e7d24 Fri, 07 Aug 2026 06:00:00 -0400 1726 full false The Physics of Enterprise Sales The Physics of Enterprise Sales Does selling to a Fortune 100 company need a different playbook than selling to a small business? 

Rob's take: enterprise sales runs on the same physics as other deals - you're still looking for one person with PULL. We discuss why procurement isn't actually your buyer, how to spot the person inside a big org who can buy, and why the "project plan to purchase" is where deals quietly stretch from one month to six or twelve.

Bonus: Rob's conversation with Newt Gingrich: YouTube | Apple Podcasts 

Links

]]> Does selling to a Fortune 100 company need a different playbook than selling to a small business? 

Rob's take: enterprise sales runs on the same physics as other deals - you're still looking for one person with PULL. We discuss why procurement isn't actually your buyer, how to spot the person inside a big org who can buy, and why the "project plan to purchase" is where deals quietly stretch from one month to six or twelve.

Bonus: Rob's conversation with Newt Gingrich: YouTube | Apple Podcasts 

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 3c8f0c02-5d98-4b8b-b6b7-105fe3e68a9c Fri, 31 Jul 2026 06:00:00 -0400 1805 full false The $1M ARR founder calendar The $1M ARR founder calendar What should a founder's calendar actually look like? (and if someone looked at your calendar, would they believe finding product market fit or growing your business is your #1 priority?)  

Rob introduces the Calendar Standard: a simple framework for how founders should spend their time if they're serious about reaching product-market fit and scaling from $0 to $1 million ARR. Includes a practical weekly schedule you can use today. 

Links

]]> What should a founder's calendar actually look like? (and if someone looked at your calendar, would they believe finding product market fit or growing your business is your #1 priority?)  

Rob introduces the Calendar Standard: a simple framework for how founders should spend their time if they're serious about reaching product-market fit and scaling from $0 to $1 million ARR. Includes a practical weekly schedule you can use today. 

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 6f4df296-f327-467b-bfae-b4d5b6c44e34 Fri, 24 Jul 2026 06:00:00 -0400 1556 full false Debunking Startup mythology: "Pain Points" (and why they're worthless) Debunking Startup mythology: "Pain Points" (and why they're worthless) Why do some people with obvious pain points never buy? 

Rob explains why founders are often taught to look for the wrong thing. Pain points may create interest, but they don't create purchases. Instead, he introduces the concept of PULL points, the conditions that make a customer unable to delay a project and unable to solve it with their existing options. Use these to stop mistaking enthusiasm for buying intent and start identifying customers who are actually trying to buy. 

Links

]]> Why do some people with obvious pain points never buy? 

Rob explains why founders are often taught to look for the wrong thing. Pain points may create interest, but they don't create purchases. Instead, he introduces the concept of PULL points, the conditions that make a customer unable to delay a project and unable to solve it with their existing options. Use these to stop mistaking enthusiasm for buying intent and start identifying customers who are actually trying to buy. 

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 10b5f151-4d24-4d1d-b4d7-74160513bb15 Fri, 17 Jul 2026 05:00:00 -0400 1331 full false What "Good" actually looks like for startups What "Good" actually looks like for startups How do you know if your startup is actually on track?

A founder recently asked Rob a simple question: What does good actually look like? Rob realized that most founders don't have clear standards for evaluating whether their startup is making progress or quietly stalling. In this episode, Rob introduces a practical framework for assessing startup health across the entire customer factory - from pipeline and PULL to close rates, cycle times, and customer success. 

Covered in this episode:

  • The six metrics every founder should track
  • What a repeatable case study actually looks like
  • How many customer conversations you should be having each week
  • The close rates and sales cycles high-performing startups achieve
  • Your leading indicator of customer retention

Links

]]> How do you know if your startup is actually on track?

A founder recently asked Rob a simple question: What does good actually look like? Rob realized that most founders don't have clear standards for evaluating whether their startup is making progress or quietly stalling. In this episode, Rob introduces a practical framework for assessing startup health across the entire customer factory - from pipeline and PULL to close rates, cycle times, and customer success. 

Covered in this episode:

  • The six metrics every founder should track
  • What a repeatable case study actually looks like
  • How many customer conversations you should be having each week
  • The close rates and sales cycles high-performing startups achieve
  • Your leading indicator of customer retention

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 551bbc18-203e-4196-8a7f-995365f02ef1 Fri, 10 Jul 2026 06:00:00 -0400 2583 full false Five Lessons from 50 Startups That Reached $1M ARR Five Lessons from 50 Startups That Reached $1M ARR What do startups that reach $1 million ARR have in common?

Rob has helped more than 50 startups grow from $0 to $1 million ARR. In this episode, he reflects on the patterns that show up across startups and industries, including five lessons from those journeys.

Covered in this episode:

  • Why PULL is the underlying cause of startup growth
  • Why nearly every successful startup "unfolds"
  • Why the product customers want is usually much smaller than founders imagine
  • How founders accidentally make sales harder than they need to be

Links

]]> What do startups that reach $1 million ARR have in common?

Rob has helped more than 50 startups grow from $0 to $1 million ARR. In this episode, he reflects on the patterns that show up across startups and industries, including five lessons from those journeys.

Covered in this episode:

  • Why PULL is the underlying cause of startup growth
  • Why nearly every successful startup "unfolds"
  • Why the product customers want is usually much smaller than founders imagine
  • How founders accidentally make sales harder than they need to be

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 0ce17e29-24b8-4eba-b6f7-fd44b91832d7 Fri, 03 Jul 2026 05:00:00 -0400 2040 full false Are they pulling? (aka: avoiding "seems-like-pull-but-isn't") Are they pulling? (aka: avoiding "seems-like-pull-but-isn't") People with PULL try to buy. People without PULL often sound interested, ask questions, and give positive feedback - but don't initiate purchase-shaped actions. 

Rob explores one of the most costly mistakes founders make: confusing enthusiasm with PULL. We explore why things customers say like "This would solve our biggest pain point" or "This would save us millions" often lead founders down dead ends. 

Covered in this episode

  • The difference between enthusiasm and PULL
  • Why pain points, ROI, and positive feedback are often misleading
  • What "trying to buy" actually looks like
  • Why founders waste months chasing prospects who were never going to buy
  • How to "play dumb" to uncover what customers are really thinking

Links

]]> People with PULL try to buy. People without PULL often sound interested, ask questions, and give positive feedback - but don't initiate purchase-shaped actions. 

Rob explores one of the most costly mistakes founders make: confusing enthusiasm with PULL. We explore why things customers say like "This would solve our biggest pain point" or "This would save us millions" often lead founders down dead ends. 

Covered in this episode

  • The difference between enthusiasm and PULL
  • Why pain points, ROI, and positive feedback are often misleading
  • What "trying to buy" actually looks like
  • Why founders waste months chasing prospects who were never going to buy
  • How to "play dumb" to uncover what customers are really thinking

Links

]]> Rob Snyder b526c24b-2b94-4e8b-b9f1-cc3d6176a916 Fri, 26 Jun 2026 06:00:00 -0400 1879 full false If your product hasn't taken off (radical simplification) If your product hasn't taken off (radical simplification) Your startup has customers. Revenue is growing. So why does growth still feel harder than it should? 

Rob tackles one of the most frustrating challenges founders face: knowing your product works, but not knowing why growth isn't accelerating. Rob explains why the issue is almost always traced back to just two causes: 

1. You haven't identified who truly has PULL for your product, or 

2. You're doing something that prevents those people from buying. 

Covered in this episode

  • The two root causes behind most startup growth problems 
  • How to narrow your ICP 
  • Why most sales processes create friction instead of momentum 
  • A simple way to audit your sales calls for hidden problems 
  • The signals that tell you whether a prospect actually has PULL

Links

]]> Your startup has customers. Revenue is growing. So why does growth still feel harder than it should? 

Rob tackles one of the most frustrating challenges founders face: knowing your product works, but not knowing why growth isn't accelerating. Rob explains why the issue is almost always traced back to just two causes: 

1. You haven't identified who truly has PULL for your product, or 

2. You're doing something that prevents those people from buying. 

Covered in this episode

  • The two root causes behind most startup growth problems 
  • How to narrow your ICP 
  • Why most sales processes create friction instead of momentum 
  • A simple way to audit your sales calls for hidden problems 
  • The signals that tell you whether a prospect actually has PULL

Links

]]> Rob Snyder cafe1a39-bed9-4376-b692-f3d25b6cb849 Fri, 19 Jun 2026 06:00:00 -0400 1342 full false Learn from 2 *real* founder sales calls (Rob teardowns) Learn from 2 *real* founder sales calls (Rob teardowns) Sales teardown #1: https://youtu.be/3TsrrMSXIfg 

Sales teardown #2: https://youtu.be/9a78RWkaALM 

Links

]]> Sales teardown #1: https://youtu.be/3TsrrMSXIfg 

Sales teardown #2: https://youtu.be/9a78RWkaALM 

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 72bb4512-3978-47a7-8c11-f00e4b8c792a Fri, 12 Jun 2026 06:05:00 -0400 870 full false What founders get wrong about pilots / POCs / trials What founders get wrong about pilots / POCs / trials Your pilots are going well. Users are getting value. Usage is increasing. So why aren't customers buying? Or buying still is painful?

Rob unpacks a common startup assumption: if a pilot succeeds, the customer will buy. He explains why pilots, demos, procurement reviews, and other parts of the sales process never cause a purchase. Instead, they can only prevent one. 

Understanding that distinction helps founders design shorter sales cycles, avoid endless pilots, and focus on the factors that actually drive buying decisions.

In this episode:

  • The two things that actually cause a purchase
  • What procurement, security reviews, and compliance really do
  • How to uncover the reason behind a pilot request
  • Why "success criteria" can be a trap
  • How to design pilots that accelerate deals instead of delaying them

Links

]]> Your pilots are going well. Users are getting value. Usage is increasing. So why aren't customers buying? Or buying still is painful?

Rob unpacks a common startup assumption: if a pilot succeeds, the customer will buy. He explains why pilots, demos, procurement reviews, and other parts of the sales process never cause a purchase. Instead, they can only prevent one. 

Understanding that distinction helps founders design shorter sales cycles, avoid endless pilots, and focus on the factors that actually drive buying decisions.

In this episode:

  • The two things that actually cause a purchase
  • What procurement, security reviews, and compliance really do
  • How to uncover the reason behind a pilot request
  • Why "success criteria" can be a trap
  • How to design pilots that accelerate deals instead of delaying them

Links

]]> Rob Snyder aa272ded-692e-445e-865b-cbe7e4dd2efa Fri, 05 Jun 2026 06:00:00 -0400 1842 full false The first two things that matter in a startup ("Aero mode") The first two things that matter in a startup ("Aero mode") When founder is getting started, they might be juggling multiple different ICPs and value props. Rob in this episode discusses why the goal is to eliminate all the "might work" and get to "weird if it didn't work" --> then translate that into a "weird not to meet" when a customer is in that situation. 

Links

]]> When founder is getting started, they might be juggling multiple different ICPs and value props. Rob in this episode discusses why the goal is to eliminate all the "might work" and get to "weird if it didn't work" --> then translate that into a "weird not to meet" when a customer is in that situation. 

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 38d25c75-939f-4b7b-99d7-d01c1cb0575e Fri, 29 May 2026 06:00:00 -0400 1710 full false What happens after PMF? What happens after PMF? Rob's buddy found PMF a few months ago and went from ~bankrupt to more than $1M ARR in less than three months. What happens in that case?

Rob and RC discuss what changed to find PMF, and what the experience is post-PMF. Also, what do you do as a founder - where do you focus? And how does your approach pre-PMF affect your post-PMF life? (tl;dr: a lot)

Preorder Rob's book - "The Power of PULL" - ⁠and take a screenshot of your receipt! (we'll tell you what to do with it soon) ⁠https://amzn.to/48KC1yv⁠⁠---- 

Workwith Rob: ⁠ ⁠ https://www.robsnyder.org⁠⁠ 

Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠ ⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/⁠ 

⁠Weekly founder insights: ⁠⁠https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/⁠

Preorder Rob's book - "The Power of PULL" - ⁠ https://amzn.to/48KC1yv⁠

Links

]]> Rob's buddy found PMF a few months ago and went from ~bankrupt to more than $1M ARR in less than three months. What happens in that case?

Rob and RC discuss what changed to find PMF, and what the experience is post-PMF. Also, what do you do as a founder - where do you focus? And how does your approach pre-PMF affect your post-PMF life? (tl;dr: a lot)

Preorder Rob's book - "The Power of PULL" - ⁠and take a screenshot of your receipt! (we'll tell you what to do with it soon) ⁠https://amzn.to/48KC1yv⁠⁠---- 

Workwith Rob: ⁠ ⁠ https://www.robsnyder.org⁠⁠ 

Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠ ⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/⁠ 

⁠Weekly founder insights: ⁠⁠https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/⁠

Preorder Rob's book - "The Power of PULL" - ⁠ https://amzn.to/48KC1yv⁠

Links

]]> Rob Snyder a7bd5aaa-ff2b-4ad1-9798-ea80fae3bff7 Fri, 22 May 2026 19:15:01 -0400 1393 full false The PULL Quickstart Guide (a PMF hierarchy) The PULL Quickstart Guide (a PMF hierarchy) Rob has distilled PULL into its most important elements - arranged in hierarchical order so that a founder knows where to focus first. This conversation includes the common error of getting the order wrong, Rob's commentary on the three most important parts of PULL, and examples of how these show up with founders.

Highly recommend reading the full substack post, "The PULL Quickstart Guide", available on Rob's substack: https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/

---- 

Work with Rob: ⁠ https://www.robsnyder.org⁠ 

Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/

⁠Weekly founder insights: ⁠https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/

Preorder Rob's book - "The Power of PULL" - https://amzn.to/48KC1yv

  

#PMF #B2BSales #VC #Startup #VentureCapital #Founderledsales 

Links

]]> Rob has distilled PULL into its most important elements - arranged in hierarchical order so that a founder knows where to focus first. This conversation includes the common error of getting the order wrong, Rob's commentary on the three most important parts of PULL, and examples of how these show up with founders.

Highly recommend reading the full substack post, "The PULL Quickstart Guide", available on Rob's substack: https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/

---- 

Work with Rob: ⁠ https://www.robsnyder.org⁠ 

Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/

⁠Weekly founder insights: ⁠https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/

Preorder Rob's book - "The Power of PULL" - https://amzn.to/48KC1yv

  

#PMF #B2BSales #VC #Startup #VentureCapital #Founderledsales 

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 92ed0042-7a5f-47e1-b2e9-1b0c9f2dd806 Fri, 15 May 2026 06:00:00 -0400 1643 full false Investor PULL (what VCs actually want) Investor PULL (what VCs actually want) This is about VCs but also isn't about VCs. PULL can be found all over a startup - obviously with customers, but also, investors have PULL and they're trying to accomplish something specific. Rob works with founders to shape pitch decks and has fundraised - there's a hard-won lesson about what VCs are trying to accomplish, and the HUGE trap that smart, thoughtful founders building solid businesses fall into. 

This is an example of a broader lesson - things that look the same "when you're squinting" - are often fundamentally different, and that drives how you sell, how you build, and more. 

Check out Rob's full lecture: "Notes on the physics of startups": ⁠LINK⁠

Preorder Rob's book: ⁠LINK⁠

----

Rob's website: ⁠www.robsnyder.org⁠

Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/⁠

Rob's (free) Substack: ⁠https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/⁠

Links

]]> This is about VCs but also isn't about VCs. PULL can be found all over a startup - obviously with customers, but also, investors have PULL and they're trying to accomplish something specific. Rob works with founders to shape pitch decks and has fundraised - there's a hard-won lesson about what VCs are trying to accomplish, and the HUGE trap that smart, thoughtful founders building solid businesses fall into. 

This is an example of a broader lesson - things that look the same "when you're squinting" - are often fundamentally different, and that drives how you sell, how you build, and more. 

Check out Rob's full lecture: "Notes on the physics of startups": ⁠LINK⁠

Preorder Rob's book: ⁠LINK⁠

----

Rob's website: ⁠www.robsnyder.org⁠

Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/⁠

Rob's (free) Substack: ⁠https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/⁠

Links

]]> Rob Snyder d3655a95-566d-41ff-bc36-6a38e6bf1297 Fri, 08 May 2026 06:00:00 -0400 1717 full false Buying is weird and rare (a reality check) Buying is weird and rare (a reality check) Founders are inherent optimists - that's why (despite all the warnings of battle-scared entrepreneurs) we continue to start businesses. It is the cheerful burden we carry as we march into the abyss.

But GIVEN THAT'S THE CASE - how can we avoid that optimism crippling our chances at finding product-market fit? In this convo, Rob discusses the cold, harsh reality of launching a startup, the risks that optimistic founders run, and how to avoid them.

Also, Rob deadlifted 400lbs.

Check out Rob's full lecture: "Notes on the physics of startups": LINK

Preorder Rob's book: LINK

----

Rob's website: www.robsnyder.org

Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/

Rob's (free) Substack: https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/

Links

]]> Founders are inherent optimists - that's why (despite all the warnings of battle-scared entrepreneurs) we continue to start businesses. It is the cheerful burden we carry as we march into the abyss.

But GIVEN THAT'S THE CASE - how can we avoid that optimism crippling our chances at finding product-market fit? In this convo, Rob discusses the cold, harsh reality of launching a startup, the risks that optimistic founders run, and how to avoid them.

Also, Rob deadlifted 400lbs.

Check out Rob's full lecture: "Notes on the physics of startups": LINK

Preorder Rob's book: LINK

----

Rob's website: www.robsnyder.org

Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/

Rob's (free) Substack: https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/

Links

]]> Rob Snyder a0b82622-991e-46f7-8c6c-be148633c5b2 Fri, 01 May 2026 06:00:00 -0400 1577 false How Rocksalt.ai went from Push to Pull How Rocksalt.ai went from Push to Pull The Lightspeed-funded startup Rocksalt had some traction, but it wasn't clear they had really found Pull. They had sales, but there was friction in the sales calls. They were trying to decide between three different ICPs. And retention and consistent use wasn't as consistent as they wanted.

In this conversation, cofounders Arjun Moorthy and Anita Moorthy join Rob to discuss how they used the PULL way of thinking to change their approach to identifying their ICP, outbound, their sales process, their sales deck, and how their product evolves.

Learn more and get in touch with Arjun and Anita:

Website: https://www.rocksalt.ai/

Arjun LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunmoorthy

Anita LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amoorthy/

Email: arjun@rocksalt.ai , anita@rocksalt.ai

X/Twitter: https://x.com/anitamoorthy , https://x.com/juicemoorthy

---

Work with Rob: ⁠ https://www.robsnyder.org⁠ 

Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/

⁠Rob's substack: ⁠ https://howtogrow.substack.com/ ⁠ 

Preorder Rob's book - "The Power of PULL" - https://amzn.to/48KC1yv

Links

]]> The Lightspeed-funded startup Rocksalt had some traction, but it wasn't clear they had really found Pull. They had sales, but there was friction in the sales calls. They were trying to decide between three different ICPs. And retention and consistent use wasn't as consistent as they wanted.

In this conversation, cofounders Arjun Moorthy and Anita Moorthy join Rob to discuss how they used the PULL way of thinking to change their approach to identifying their ICP, outbound, their sales process, their sales deck, and how their product evolves.

Learn more and get in touch with Arjun and Anita:

Website: https://www.rocksalt.ai/

Arjun LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunmoorthy

Anita LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amoorthy/

Email: arjun@rocksalt.ai , anita@rocksalt.ai

X/Twitter: https://x.com/anitamoorthy , https://x.com/juicemoorthy

---

Work with Rob: ⁠ https://www.robsnyder.org⁠ 

Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/

⁠Rob's substack: ⁠ https://howtogrow.substack.com/ ⁠ 

Preorder Rob's book - "The Power of PULL" - https://amzn.to/48KC1yv

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 305a3d8c-1388-4523-ace0-a2a01c52857a Fri, 24 Apr 2026 06:00:00 -0400 2820 full false DECK DROP - Rob's latest DECK DROP - Rob's latest Whatever you're doing, make time to read through Rob's latest deck: "Notes on the Physics of Startups"

Access here (free): LINK

Work with Rob: robsnyder.org

Links

]]> Whatever you're doing, make time to read through Rob's latest deck: "Notes on the Physics of Startups"

Access here (free): LINK

Work with Rob: robsnyder.org

Links

]]> Rob Snyder f905f9c3-2cac-46f0-af44-083d0c66f5da Fri, 17 Apr 2026 05:00:00 -0400 542 false Cause vs. Benefit | The Quickbooks lesson Cause vs. Benefit | The Quickbooks lesson When someone buys something, they get a bunch of benefits and they may use a variety of different features, all of which provide an array of different benefits. After they buy, they explain what they like about our product based on these post-hoc benefits they received after they purchased it.

But the benefits do not *predict* why someone buys. In this conversation Rob gets into the difference between cause vs. benefits of a purchase, and a surprising lesson from Quickbooks and Bobby Moesta.

Rob's Substack post here: ⁠LINK⁠

PMF Camp / Work with Rob: ⁠LINK⁠

Pre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL") - ⁠Amazon⁠

Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠LINK⁠

Links

]]> When someone buys something, they get a bunch of benefits and they may use a variety of different features, all of which provide an array of different benefits. After they buy, they explain what they like about our product based on these post-hoc benefits they received after they purchased it.

But the benefits do not *predict* why someone buys. In this conversation Rob gets into the difference between cause vs. benefits of a purchase, and a surprising lesson from Quickbooks and Bobby Moesta.

Rob's Substack post here: ⁠LINK⁠

PMF Camp / Work with Rob: ⁠LINK⁠

Pre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL") - ⁠Amazon⁠

Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠LINK⁠

Links

]]> Rob Snyder b61d5601-db7f-40f5-868a-477ba876c732 Fri, 10 Apr 2026 06:00:00 -0400 1172 full false The fusion engine for progress (PULL applied to capitalism) The fusion engine for progress (PULL applied to capitalism) Rob is zooming out this week to look at what PULL means in the context of capitalism, and in particular, why it is the only system that can possibly serve people. It's taking a micro-understanding of how demand and PULL work, and thinking about its broader implications - and what this means for social entrepreneurship and alternative economic organizations.

Rob's Substack post here: ⁠LINK⁠

PMF Camp / Work with Rob: ⁠LINK⁠

Pre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL") - ⁠Amazon⁠

Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠LINK⁠

Links

]]> Rob is zooming out this week to look at what PULL means in the context of capitalism, and in particular, why it is the only system that can possibly serve people. It's taking a micro-understanding of how demand and PULL work, and thinking about its broader implications - and what this means for social entrepreneurship and alternative economic organizations.

Rob's Substack post here: ⁠LINK⁠

PMF Camp / Work with Rob: ⁠LINK⁠

Pre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL") - ⁠Amazon⁠

Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠LINK⁠

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 674ef5d3-8fa0-40b2-b1fd-c3e75dd97677 Fri, 03 Apr 2026 05:00:00 -0400 2194 full false Translating customer language 101 Translating customer language 101 One of the most challenging things about identifying PULL in customers is understanding what they are telling you. In this conversation, Rob discusses the “hairball” that customers often spit out - a mix of demand, supply, history, random red herrings - and how to translate that into Demand. 

Rob's Substack post here: ⁠LINK⁠

PMF Camp / Work with Rob: ⁠LINK⁠

Pre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL") - ⁠Amazon⁠

Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠LINK⁠

Links

]]> One of the most challenging things about identifying PULL in customers is understanding what they are telling you. In this conversation, Rob discusses the “hairball” that customers often spit out - a mix of demand, supply, history, random red herrings - and how to translate that into Demand. 

Rob's Substack post here: ⁠LINK⁠

PMF Camp / Work with Rob: ⁠LINK⁠

Pre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL") - ⁠Amazon⁠

Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠LINK⁠

Links

]]> Rob Snyder d16525e5-ca09-49ae-871c-4240a478cbdc Fri, 27 Mar 2026 04:30:00 -0400 2886 full false Rob's B2B Sales Call Script (finally) Rob's B2B Sales Call Script (finally) Rob's B2B Sales Call Script: LINK

You asked, Rob answered. Rob is open-sourcing his sales call script that he uses with founders and heads of sales to identify PULL and pitch supply in a way that customer's want (and actually understand and buy).

In this conversation, Rob discusses common failure modes in sales calls that he sees and walks through key elements of the sales call script - from Demand to Supply.

Rob's Substack post here: ⁠LINK⁠

Work with Rob: ⁠LINK⁠

Pre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL") - ⁠Amazon⁠

Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠LINK⁠

Links

]]> Rob's B2B Sales Call Script: LINK

You asked, Rob answered. Rob is open-sourcing his sales call script that he uses with founders and heads of sales to identify PULL and pitch supply in a way that customer's want (and actually understand and buy).

In this conversation, Rob discusses common failure modes in sales calls that he sees and walks through key elements of the sales call script - from Demand to Supply.

Rob's Substack post here: ⁠LINK⁠

Work with Rob: ⁠LINK⁠

Pre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL") - ⁠Amazon⁠

Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠LINK⁠

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 053fae88-f1a2-4afa-a58c-dc99e48af800 Fri, 20 Mar 2026 04:30:00 -0400 2981 full false Behind a $300M exit: Interview w/ Palash Soni from Goldcast Behind a $300M exit: Interview w/ Palash Soni from Goldcast Palash Soni founded Goldcast, a video-first B2B event marketing platform which was acquired by CVent in December 2025 reportedly for $300M. 

Palash and Rob have known each other for several years, and in this conversation they discuss the evolution of Goldcast, why Goldcast survived when better funded competitors didn't, the acquisition process, choosing the right market, the experience of being acquired, and more.

--

Rob's Substack: ⁠LINK⁠

PMF Camp / Work with Rob: ⁠LINK⁠

Pre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL") - ⁠Amazon⁠

Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠LINK⁠


Links

]]> Palash Soni founded Goldcast, a video-first B2B event marketing platform which was acquired by CVent in December 2025 reportedly for $300M. 

Palash and Rob have known each other for several years, and in this conversation they discuss the evolution of Goldcast, why Goldcast survived when better funded competitors didn't, the acquisition process, choosing the right market, the experience of being acquired, and more.

--

Rob's Substack: ⁠LINK⁠

PMF Camp / Work with Rob: ⁠LINK⁠

Pre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL") - ⁠Amazon⁠

Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠LINK⁠


Links

]]> Rob Snyder 1f491ffb-ea81-4f47-a77e-af888b16e845 Fri, 13 Mar 2026 04:00:00 -0400 2818 full false The "PULL Theory" of business The "PULL Theory" of business A startup is not many things - it's "one thing" - and it obeys laws of evolution. The best way to understand how the evolution works is through the PULL framework, and Rob sheds light on the continuum - from outreach and discovery to demo and onboarding / delivery. 

Reserve your spot in the next cohort of "The Physics of Sales." Spots are limited! https://bit.ly/4aQcuWa or reach out to Rob on LinkedIn. 

Read Rob's Substack post here: ⁠https://howtogrow.substack.com/ 

Pre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL") - https://amzn.to/48KC1yv 

Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1

Links

]]> A startup is not many things - it's "one thing" - and it obeys laws of evolution. The best way to understand how the evolution works is through the PULL framework, and Rob sheds light on the continuum - from outreach and discovery to demo and onboarding / delivery. 

Reserve your spot in the next cohort of "The Physics of Sales." Spots are limited! https://bit.ly/4aQcuWa or reach out to Rob on LinkedIn. 

Read Rob's Substack post here: ⁠https://howtogrow.substack.com/ 

Pre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL") - https://amzn.to/48KC1yv 

Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 8cc27683-ae4d-4efb-83fe-7c5d75eaef86 Fri, 06 Mar 2026 05:00:00 -0500 2701 full false Exponential PULL (aka: stop slogging it out) Exponential PULL (aka: stop slogging it out) Why do some startups take off ($25M ARR within 2 years) while others - with equally talented founder teams, with equally unique tech, with equally attractive markets, … - struggle to reach $500k, $1M or just feel like they’re pushing instead of customers pulling?

Rob jumps into that question in this week’s Substack and this podcast. The answer is that PULL is not linear - it’s logarithmic - and that explains how startups can have such divergent outcomes.

Rob's Substack post here: ⁠LINK⁠

PMF Camp / Work with Rob: ⁠LINK⁠

Pre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL") - ⁠Amazon⁠

Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠LINK⁠

Links

]]> Why do some startups take off ($25M ARR within 2 years) while others - with equally talented founder teams, with equally unique tech, with equally attractive markets, … - struggle to reach $500k, $1M or just feel like they’re pushing instead of customers pulling?

Rob jumps into that question in this week’s Substack and this podcast. The answer is that PULL is not linear - it’s logarithmic - and that explains how startups can have such divergent outcomes.

Rob's Substack post here: ⁠LINK⁠

PMF Camp / Work with Rob: ⁠LINK⁠

Pre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL") - ⁠Amazon⁠

Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠LINK⁠

Links

]]> Rob Snyder f23fb084-937c-42c8-a805-e764a18ca9b2 Fri, 27 Feb 2026 05:00:00 -0500 2761 full false Learning from Infomercials: How to describe your product Learning from Infomercials: How to describe your product Today we’re learning from true masters of their craft - the heroes behind infomercials and “As seen on TV” product - who understand PULL more intuitively than the best marketers.

Rob breaks down the “TurboPump” infomercial, which communicates just about everything a customer needs to know within 16 seconds. Lessons include:

  • Sequencing a sales call
  • How to describe how your product works
  • How to improve your sales calls using this approach
  • How to differentiate your supply vs. others

Turbo Pump infomercial: YOUTUBE https://youtu.be/MtzSgzijGyk?si=4EfpEv7MaffDvRAc 

Breathe Easy Humidifier infomercial: YOUTUBE

---

Work with Rob: INFO

Rob's Substack post here: ⁠LINK⁠

PMF Camp / Work with Rob: ⁠LINK⁠

Pre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL") - ⁠Amazon⁠

Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠LINK⁠

Links

]]> Today we’re learning from true masters of their craft - the heroes behind infomercials and “As seen on TV” product - who understand PULL more intuitively than the best marketers.

Rob breaks down the “TurboPump” infomercial, which communicates just about everything a customer needs to know within 16 seconds. Lessons include:

  • Sequencing a sales call
  • How to describe how your product works
  • How to improve your sales calls using this approach
  • How to differentiate your supply vs. others

Turbo Pump infomercial: YOUTUBE https://youtu.be/MtzSgzijGyk?si=4EfpEv7MaffDvRAc 

Breathe Easy Humidifier infomercial: YOUTUBE

---

Work with Rob: INFO

Rob's Substack post here: ⁠LINK⁠

PMF Camp / Work with Rob: ⁠LINK⁠

Pre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL") - ⁠Amazon⁠

Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠LINK⁠

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 32188d4a-2dba-482d-9131-72fdcc50d95b Fri, 20 Feb 2026 05:00:00 -0500 2479 full false Is your customer BLOCKED or COPING? Is your customer BLOCKED or COPING? There are two types of PULL out there. If a customer has either of them - and if your Supply fits - they will rip a product out of your hands. Here is how Rob defines them:

  1. COPING PULL: A buyer who is prioritizing a project right now, but their current approach is sufficiently bad that they are COPING - struggling against their current approach.
  2. BLOCKED PULL: A buyer who would prioritize a project right now if they could - but their existing options are unworkable, so they are BLOCKED.

In this episode, Rob dives into the difference between the two, case studies of each, how to find them, and common pitfalls that founders run into. 

Substack post: “Blocked or Coping?”

Rob's Substack post here: ⁠LINK⁠

PMF Camp / Work with Rob: ⁠LINK⁠

Pre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL"): ⁠Amazon⁠

Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠LINK⁠

Links

]]> There are two types of PULL out there. If a customer has either of them - and if your Supply fits - they will rip a product out of your hands. Here is how Rob defines them:

  1. COPING PULL: A buyer who is prioritizing a project right now, but their current approach is sufficiently bad that they are COPING - struggling against their current approach.
  2. BLOCKED PULL: A buyer who would prioritize a project right now if they could - but their existing options are unworkable, so they are BLOCKED.

In this episode, Rob dives into the difference between the two, case studies of each, how to find them, and common pitfalls that founders run into. 

Substack post: “Blocked or Coping?”

Rob's Substack post here: ⁠LINK⁠

PMF Camp / Work with Rob: ⁠LINK⁠

Pre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL"): ⁠Amazon⁠

Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠LINK⁠

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 03a69d0a-83f5-4d0e-b36a-7c4da872164b Fri, 13 Feb 2026 04:00:00 -0500 3049 full false Cyberstarts: Inverting the idea stage Cyberstarts: Inverting the idea stage Cyberstarts (VC focused on cybersecurity) has an insane hit rate - its first fun turned $50M into $2B within 3 years investing in 9 founders. Founded by Gili Raanan, their approach (which they call "Sunrise") inverts the pre-idea / pre-product stage. Instead of choosing a market / technology to bet on, they invest in founder teams pre-product, use a network of CSIOs to identify demand, validate by selling, then begin to build the product. 

In this episode, Rob breaks down Cyberstarts' approach from the lens of PULL and customer demand - including why Cyberstarts' approach has an advantage over other VCs, what can be learned from both a founder and a VC perspective - and a few areas that he would approach differently.

Invest like the Best interview with Gili Raanan: Spotify, transcript, Cyberstarts webpage

Rob's Substack post here, "Inverting the idea stage": LINK

PMF Camp / Work with Rob: LINK

Pre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL") - Amazon

Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: LINK



Links

]]> Cyberstarts (VC focused on cybersecurity) has an insane hit rate - its first fun turned $50M into $2B within 3 years investing in 9 founders. Founded by Gili Raanan, their approach (which they call "Sunrise") inverts the pre-idea / pre-product stage. Instead of choosing a market / technology to bet on, they invest in founder teams pre-product, use a network of CSIOs to identify demand, validate by selling, then begin to build the product. 

In this episode, Rob breaks down Cyberstarts' approach from the lens of PULL and customer demand - including why Cyberstarts' approach has an advantage over other VCs, what can be learned from both a founder and a VC perspective - and a few areas that he would approach differently.

Invest like the Best interview with Gili Raanan: Spotify, transcript, Cyberstarts webpage

Rob's Substack post here, "Inverting the idea stage": LINK

PMF Camp / Work with Rob: LINK

Pre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL") - Amazon

Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: LINK



Links

]]> Rob Snyder 2317bf16-ad7d-4e6f-abd0-b7351e7ccedd Fri, 06 Feb 2026 04:00:00 -0500 2909 full false How companies become generational How companies become generational A frequent critique Rob hears of "Sell then build" is that it's fine for a 'lifestyle business' but can't possibly result in a unicorn or generational company. ...Right? 

So Rob dug into the histories of some of the leading tech (Microsoft, Oracle, Hubspot), Deep-tech (NVIDIA) and consumer (Nike, Starbucks) companies. 

... turns out, they follow similar themes:

  • Figure out some sort of a market need by selling and delivering something
  • Learn the shape of the real opportunity by selling and delivering something that’s not quite right.
  • Avoid attempting to (1) predict the future or (2) convince the market. 
  • At some point, benefit from demand waves or dams. (related post)

This week's post: "How companies become generational" (Substack)


Work w/ Rob or join the next PMF Camp: LINK

Subscribe to Rob's Substack: LINK

Pre-order Rob's book, "The Power of PULL": LINK

Links

]]> A frequent critique Rob hears of "Sell then build" is that it's fine for a 'lifestyle business' but can't possibly result in a unicorn or generational company. ...Right? 

So Rob dug into the histories of some of the leading tech (Microsoft, Oracle, Hubspot), Deep-tech (NVIDIA) and consumer (Nike, Starbucks) companies. 

... turns out, they follow similar themes:

  • Figure out some sort of a market need by selling and delivering something
  • Learn the shape of the real opportunity by selling and delivering something that’s not quite right.
  • Avoid attempting to (1) predict the future or (2) convince the market. 
  • At some point, benefit from demand waves or dams. (related post)

This week's post: "How companies become generational" (Substack)


Work w/ Rob or join the next PMF Camp: LINK

Subscribe to Rob's Substack: LINK

Pre-order Rob's book, "The Power of PULL": LINK

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 559908fa-d6c9-4b1b-8d9e-b5dde6575a01 Fri, 30 Jan 2026 04:00:00 -0500 3121 full false The aerodynamics of sales The aerodynamics of sales Rob discusses the evolution of sales calls from the first version (often awkward, typically clunky and uncomfortable for the prospect, and not effective) to the various iterations he sees with each step improving incrementally. 

The discovery sharpens, then the customer targeting, then the pitch, the demo, the sequencing of calls, and the offer / conversion.

This is a very practical episode and Substack for founders and early sales hires that are noticing 'friction' in their sales process and struggling to understand how to think about improving. 

Rob's newsletter: LINK - this week's post: "The aerodynamics of sales"

Join Rob's upcoming PMF Camp: LINK

Pre-order Rob's book, "The Power of PULL": AMAZON

Rob's website: www.robsnyder.org

Links

]]> Rob discusses the evolution of sales calls from the first version (often awkward, typically clunky and uncomfortable for the prospect, and not effective) to the various iterations he sees with each step improving incrementally. 

The discovery sharpens, then the customer targeting, then the pitch, the demo, the sequencing of calls, and the offer / conversion.

This is a very practical episode and Substack for founders and early sales hires that are noticing 'friction' in their sales process and struggling to understand how to think about improving. 

Rob's newsletter: LINK - this week's post: "The aerodynamics of sales"

Join Rob's upcoming PMF Camp: LINK

Pre-order Rob's book, "The Power of PULL": AMAZON

Rob's website: www.robsnyder.org

Links

]]> Rob Snyder ceb01092-5252-4fdf-972d-1b1f72993e75 Fri, 23 Jan 2026 04:00:00 -0500 2691 full false How to understand customers How to understand customers A lot of the advice around "understanding / empathizing with customers" or "being customer centric" advises interviews or maybe even visiting customers. But it doesn't go far enough. Rob discusses why "forward deploying" is critical - and not just visiting customers, but what to actually do when you're there. Rob discusses what to look for, and how the "calendar" and "to-do list" come into play. 

Great post / conversation if you've wondered how to generate a PULL hypothesis, how to understand your customer, or what to do when you do customer visits.

Pre-order Rob's book "The Power of PULL" - Amazon

Rob's next PMF Camp starts Feb 9 - info on working with Rob ⁠here⁠. 

Rob's newsletter: LINK

Links

]]> A lot of the advice around "understanding / empathizing with customers" or "being customer centric" advises interviews or maybe even visiting customers. But it doesn't go far enough. Rob discusses why "forward deploying" is critical - and not just visiting customers, but what to actually do when you're there. Rob discusses what to look for, and how the "calendar" and "to-do list" come into play. 

Great post / conversation if you've wondered how to generate a PULL hypothesis, how to understand your customer, or what to do when you do customer visits.

Pre-order Rob's book "The Power of PULL" - Amazon

Rob's next PMF Camp starts Feb 9 - info on working with Rob ⁠here⁠. 

Rob's newsletter: LINK

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 86d0e2c5-db50-4c16-9a78-4cc73fdb7262 Fri, 16 Jan 2026 04:00:00 -0500 2698 full false Do I have a "PMF problem" or "Sales Execution problem"? Do I have a "PMF problem" or "Sales Execution problem"? Among the hardest parts of early sales calls is figuring out what isn't working - "Do I have PMF but I'm screwing up the sale, or do I just not have PMF yet?" Rob breaks down how he diagnoses what is going on in a sales call, and how founders can apply as they are improving their sales calls and navigating early sales. 

Rob's substack: LINK

Info about PMF Camp: LINK

Pipeline Megapost: LINK

Links

]]> Among the hardest parts of early sales calls is figuring out what isn't working - "Do I have PMF but I'm screwing up the sale, or do I just not have PMF yet?" Rob breaks down how he diagnoses what is going on in a sales call, and how founders can apply as they are improving their sales calls and navigating early sales. 

Rob's substack: LINK

Info about PMF Camp: LINK

Pipeline Megapost: LINK

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 7e85d8c6-5b0c-446c-be35-7ff4c5e10e27 Fri, 09 Jan 2026 04:00:00 -0500 2845 full false How to start a sales call ("Discovery" that doesn't suck) How to start a sales call ("Discovery" that doesn't suck) Discovery is very important - but it's poorly understood what exactly you should be looking for in the first moments of a sales call and founders almost always screw it up. This leads to a confused customer being grilled with random questions and the founder struggling to connect with the customer and generate interest in their product (the wrong way to think about it). 

In this episode, Rob discusses how to properly run demand discovery at the start of a call - using the PULL framework and a simple process that will immediately improve the quality of your calls. 

Rob's book "The Power of Pull" is now available for pre-order! https://amzn.to/48KC1yv

PSA - next PMF Camp starts in Feb. More info on how to join here: www.robsnyder.org under "Learn more and get started"

Links

]]> Discovery is very important - but it's poorly understood what exactly you should be looking for in the first moments of a sales call and founders almost always screw it up. This leads to a confused customer being grilled with random questions and the founder struggling to connect with the customer and generate interest in their product (the wrong way to think about it). 

In this episode, Rob discusses how to properly run demand discovery at the start of a call - using the PULL framework and a simple process that will immediately improve the quality of your calls. 

Rob's book "The Power of Pull" is now available for pre-order! https://amzn.to/48KC1yv

PSA - next PMF Camp starts in Feb. More info on how to join here: www.robsnyder.org under "Learn more and get started"

Links

]]> Rob Snyder f1b6825f-5b2e-46e7-9f0c-ef686af992cb Fri, 19 Dec 2025 03:00:00 -0500 2494 full false Nobody "wants" AI (and other lessons from Henry Ford) Nobody "wants" AI (and other lessons from Henry Ford) Highly recommend reading this week's Substacak as the language around supply and demand is precise: LINK

Rob Snyder dives into how to think about Demand as it relates to AI - using both historical (Ford) and contemporary (Jump, Loveable, AI SDRs) examples. 

This convo should be helpful for entrepreneurs, investors and marketers thinking about AI, product positioning, categories, identifying AI-related demand. 

Info and work with Rob: www.robsnyder.org

Links

]]> Highly recommend reading this week's Substacak as the language around supply and demand is precise: LINK

Rob Snyder dives into how to think about Demand as it relates to AI - using both historical (Ford) and contemporary (Jump, Loveable, AI SDRs) examples. 

This convo should be helpful for entrepreneurs, investors and marketers thinking about AI, product positioning, categories, identifying AI-related demand. 

Info and work with Rob: www.robsnyder.org

Links

]]> Rob Snyder e01dc346-0c26-4493-b8d0-c826c111d000 Fri, 12 Dec 2025 04:00:00 -0500 2848 full false PULL is everywhere (AKA: Your business is not the exception) PULL is everywhere (AKA: Your business is not the exception) If you wonder if "PULL" is relevant for your business ("But I sell into enterprise!" "I'm in B2C!" "I sell hardware!" ... " so PULL doesn't apply"), this week's conversation is meant for you. 

Rob and RC discuss some common examples of selling into large businesses / deep tech / hardware / B2C from a "PULL" perspective. 

Leave comments with questions for upcoming Substacks or to address in future podcast episodes.

This week's post: "PULL is Everywhere" on Rob's Substack: https://howtogrow.substack.com/

----

Rob's website: www.robsnyder.org

Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/

Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/

Links

]]> If you wonder if "PULL" is relevant for your business ("But I sell into enterprise!" "I'm in B2C!" "I sell hardware!" ... " so PULL doesn't apply"), this week's conversation is meant for you. 

Rob and RC discuss some common examples of selling into large businesses / deep tech / hardware / B2C from a "PULL" perspective. 

Leave comments with questions for upcoming Substacks or to address in future podcast episodes.

This week's post: "PULL is Everywhere" on Rob's Substack: https://howtogrow.substack.com/

----

Rob's website: www.robsnyder.org

Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/

Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/

Links

]]> Rob Snyder ca8b5c0c-1d55-4807-97cc-b1b6ee4b45b0 Fri, 05 Dec 2025 05:00:00 -0500 2644 full false The PULL framework (finding PMF) The PULL framework (finding PMF) PULL (Project-Unavoidable-Looking for options-encountering Limitation) is the key concept that founders need to understand to sell and find PMF. 

Rob has refreshed his definitions and this conversation dives into topics like:

  • Defining PULL (when customers "rip a product out of your hands")
  • How to use PULL in sales calls
  • SUPER common misconceptions about customer demand (e.g., desire for a product, pain points)
  • Understanding customers' to-do list...and a bunch more stuff.


Highly recommend the blog post and the Jump blog:

  • Rob's post on Substack: LINK (Post: "The PULL Framework, Refined")
  • Jump post: LINK

----Work with Rob: www.robsnyder.orgConnect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/

Links

]]> PULL (Project-Unavoidable-Looking for options-encountering Limitation) is the key concept that founders need to understand to sell and find PMF. 

Rob has refreshed his definitions and this conversation dives into topics like:

  • Defining PULL (when customers "rip a product out of your hands")
  • How to use PULL in sales calls
  • SUPER common misconceptions about customer demand (e.g., desire for a product, pain points)
  • Understanding customers' to-do list...and a bunch more stuff.


Highly recommend the blog post and the Jump blog:

  • Rob's post on Substack: LINK (Post: "The PULL Framework, Refined")
  • Jump post: LINK

----Work with Rob: www.robsnyder.orgConnect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 7b791109-c32e-46e7-8cb7-bef46ae5767c Fri, 21 Nov 2025 05:00:00 -0500 2947 full false The 3 sales pathologies (Helpful, Noble, Smart) The 3 sales pathologies (Helpful, Noble, Smart) Rob and RC dive into three common (and self destructive) sales pathologies that Rob sees in founders: 

  • The "Helpful" founder who thinks s/he can sell by showing how helpful they are to customers
  • The "Smart" founder, who thinks that by impressing customers with deep knowledge (or avoiding embarassing oneself), customers will buy
  • And the "Noble" founder, who is deeply focused on their mission and thinks this mission will cause customers to buy

As Rob explains, each of these pathologies are wrong because they misunderstand demand. And this episode dives into each, how to diagnose, and how to course correct yourself.

Full Substack post (free): LINK

----Rob's website: www.robsnyder.orgConnect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/

Links

]]> Rob and RC dive into three common (and self destructive) sales pathologies that Rob sees in founders: 

  • The "Helpful" founder who thinks s/he can sell by showing how helpful they are to customers
  • The "Smart" founder, who thinks that by impressing customers with deep knowledge (or avoiding embarassing oneself), customers will buy
  • And the "Noble" founder, who is deeply focused on their mission and thinks this mission will cause customers to buy

As Rob explains, each of these pathologies are wrong because they misunderstand demand. And this episode dives into each, how to diagnose, and how to course correct yourself.

Full Substack post (free): LINK

----Rob's website: www.robsnyder.orgConnect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 0a96c4b9-4077-406c-8887-06792b38153f Fri, 14 Nov 2025 05:00:00 -0500 2913 full false Strict Productivity (aka: Understanding superhuman founders) Strict Productivity (aka: Understanding superhuman founders) Blog post: "Strict Productivity" on https://howtogrow.substack.com/

Work with Rob: www.robsnyder.org

Rob and RC discuss productivity based on a foundational understanding of *what is a startup* which is the necessary foundation for doing productive things. Conversation addresses the constraint-theory approach to understanding your startup, identifying bottlenecks, and practical ways Rob sees great founders tackling bottlenecks. Also get into why there is so much performative LARPing in startup-world. 

----Rob's website: www.robsnyder.orgConnect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/

Links

]]> Blog post: "Strict Productivity" on https://howtogrow.substack.com/

Work with Rob: www.robsnyder.org

Rob and RC discuss productivity based on a foundational understanding of *what is a startup* which is the necessary foundation for doing productive things. Conversation addresses the constraint-theory approach to understanding your startup, identifying bottlenecks, and practical ways Rob sees great founders tackling bottlenecks. Also get into why there is so much performative LARPing in startup-world. 

----Rob's website: www.robsnyder.orgConnect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 109fcf19-a3c4-400a-a4eb-7c64ee879f76 Fri, 07 Nov 2025 05:00:00 -0500 2311 full false Customer Success (the "bullet train to retention") Customer Success (the "bullet train to retention") Full Substack post "Customer Success": https://howtogrow.substack.com/

Work with Rob: Info

Rob's Miro: https://bit.ly/4q9JiP3

Rob and RC focus on the "post-sell" part of PMF in this convo - customer success and retention. They discuss Rob's thinking on how to define success, what to focus on, and why so many founders are focused on the wrong metrics or doing customer success wrong ("Throwing the product over the wall"). They also discuss goblin mode, and practical steps for founders who want to improve customer success and retention. 

----Rob's website: www.robsnyder.orgConnect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/

Links

]]> Full Substack post "Customer Success": https://howtogrow.substack.com/

Work with Rob: Info

Rob's Miro: https://bit.ly/4q9JiP3

Rob and RC focus on the "post-sell" part of PMF in this convo - customer success and retention. They discuss Rob's thinking on how to define success, what to focus on, and why so many founders are focused on the wrong metrics or doing customer success wrong ("Throwing the product over the wall"). They also discuss goblin mode, and practical steps for founders who want to improve customer success and retention. 

----Rob's website: www.robsnyder.orgConnect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 37f001ab-483c-4453-b033-fb815c498a7a Fri, 31 Oct 2025 06:00:00 -0400 3239 full false The Divine Lever (What pulls you? A new concept) The Divine Lever (What pulls you? A new concept) Read "The Divine Lever" in Rob's newsletter: https://howtogrow.substack.com

November Bootcamp info: LINK

Rob and RC explore one of Rob's newest ideas - "The Divine Lever" - with its dual elements of "a causal lever" and "divine / objectively good." They discuss how these elements interact, why they interact in a way that creates valuable businesses, and how to think about each in the context of your startup.

Mailbags toward the end of the episode: 

- How to know when to push through and when to give up?

- Does it necessarily have to be true that your startup is the only one that can solve the problem for the customer?

Leave a comment with topics you'd like us to cover in upcoming podcasts!

----Rob's website: www.robsnyder.orgConnect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/

Links

]]> Read "The Divine Lever" in Rob's newsletter: https://howtogrow.substack.com

November Bootcamp info: LINK

Rob and RC explore one of Rob's newest ideas - "The Divine Lever" - with its dual elements of "a causal lever" and "divine / objectively good." They discuss how these elements interact, why they interact in a way that creates valuable businesses, and how to think about each in the context of your startup.

Mailbags toward the end of the episode: 

- How to know when to push through and when to give up?

- Does it necessarily have to be true that your startup is the only one that can solve the problem for the customer?

Leave a comment with topics you'd like us to cover in upcoming podcasts!

----Rob's website: www.robsnyder.orgConnect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 7aba219d-1555-4c7a-93bc-779f2a714d26 Fri, 24 Oct 2025 06:00:00 -0400 3054 full false The Demand Audit The Demand Audit Rob and RC dig into what you should do when you have lukewarm demand or something isn't working quite like it should and you aren't sure why. Includes pragmatic discussion of how to do a Demand Audit, and the difference between several "Demand problems" and "Execution problems" (the tl;dr - your problem might not be that you don't have Demand). 

Links

  • Full post in Rob's Substack, "The Demand Audit": ⁠LINK⁠
  • Miro Board with demand Audit instructions: ⁠LINK⁠
  • Info on working with Rob: ⁠LINK

----Rob's website: www.robsnyder.orgConnect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/

Links

]]> Rob and RC dig into what you should do when you have lukewarm demand or something isn't working quite like it should and you aren't sure why. Includes pragmatic discussion of how to do a Demand Audit, and the difference between several "Demand problems" and "Execution problems" (the tl;dr - your problem might not be that you don't have Demand). 

Links

  • Full post in Rob's Substack, "The Demand Audit": ⁠LINK⁠
  • Miro Board with demand Audit instructions: ⁠LINK⁠
  • Info on working with Rob: ⁠LINK

----Rob's website: www.robsnyder.orgConnect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 4beebf43-3579-40a4-aa70-7e2bb09e0d61 Fri, 17 Oct 2025 07:00:00 -0400 3248 full false Demand: Force against the status quo Demand: Force against the status quo Full post on Rob's Substack: LINK (Post: "Force against the status quo")

Info on working with Rob: LINK

Rob has sharpened his theory on what exactly is demand for startups. Rob and RC dive into this, exploring how Demand behaves like a "Force against the status quo" - which has both magnitude (how much the customer wants change) and direction (what shape they want). 

This theory builds on Rob's Demand, Supply and PULL frameworks - and is helpful especially for founders struggling with lukewarm demand, difficulty closing deals, mixed messages from customers, demos, outbound, etc.

--

Rob's website: https://www.robsnyder.org

Rob's Substack: LINK


Links

]]> Full post on Rob's Substack: LINK (Post: "Force against the status quo")

Info on working with Rob: LINK

Rob has sharpened his theory on what exactly is demand for startups. Rob and RC dive into this, exploring how Demand behaves like a "Force against the status quo" - which has both magnitude (how much the customer wants change) and direction (what shape they want). 

This theory builds on Rob's Demand, Supply and PULL frameworks - and is helpful especially for founders struggling with lukewarm demand, difficulty closing deals, mixed messages from customers, demos, outbound, etc.

--

Rob's website: https://www.robsnyder.org

Rob's Substack: LINK


Links

]]> Rob Snyder ae63f1e2-a626-4988-b11e-9a823612d376 Fri, 10 Oct 2025 06:00:00 -0400 2934 full false Bend the world to fit demand Bend the world to fit demand *Kind of hilarious retraction*: Rob's wife let him know they use Huggies, not Pampers. 

Substack post: Bend the world to fit demand

More about Rob's November bootcamp: GOOGLE DOC

Rob and RC dive into the concept of Supply today (mostly "product" focused), specifically taking the approach of where does supply originate? The conversation goes into how supply should take shape, how to understand demand before developing supply, what to do if you already have supply that you're trying to sell, and, of course, Pampers diapers. 

---Connect on LinkedIn w/ Rob: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ Weekly founder insights w/ Rob: https://howtogrow.substack.com/ More about Rob / work with Rob: www.robsnyder.org#PMF #B2BSales #VC #Startup #VentureCapital #Founderledsales

Links

]]> *Kind of hilarious retraction*: Rob's wife let him know they use Huggies, not Pampers. 

Substack post: Bend the world to fit demand

More about Rob's November bootcamp: GOOGLE DOC

Rob and RC dive into the concept of Supply today (mostly "product" focused), specifically taking the approach of where does supply originate? The conversation goes into how supply should take shape, how to understand demand before developing supply, what to do if you already have supply that you're trying to sell, and, of course, Pampers diapers. 

---Connect on LinkedIn w/ Rob: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ Weekly founder insights w/ Rob: https://howtogrow.substack.com/ More about Rob / work with Rob: www.robsnyder.org#PMF #B2BSales #VC #Startup #VentureCapital #Founderledsales

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 575d83a3-7670-40d8-a423-ae0d53c24641 Fri, 03 Oct 2025 07:00:00 -0400 2665 full false What's your founder operating philosophy? What's your founder operating philosophy? This week's newsletter: "What is your operating philosophy?" 

Rob's Substack: https://howtogrow.substack.com/ 

Rob's "Unifying Theory of Startups" Miro board: LINK Rob and RC jump into the concept of the "Founder Operating Philosophy" - discussing different types of operating philosophies, what different operating philosophies lead to, and ways to diagnose what your operating philosophy. Also discuss how to develop a "Demand-oriented" operating philosophy. The second part of the convo is about Rob's "Unifying Theory of Startups" - Rob's developing thesis of what a startup is and how it works. He's open-sourced this theory, and recommend visitng the newsletter and Miro to check it out. ----Rob's website: www.robsnyder.orgConnect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/

Links

]]> This week's newsletter: "What is your operating philosophy?" 

Rob's Substack: https://howtogrow.substack.com/ 

Rob's "Unifying Theory of Startups" Miro board: LINK Rob and RC jump into the concept of the "Founder Operating Philosophy" - discussing different types of operating philosophies, what different operating philosophies lead to, and ways to diagnose what your operating philosophy. Also discuss how to develop a "Demand-oriented" operating philosophy. The second part of the convo is about Rob's "Unifying Theory of Startups" - Rob's developing thesis of what a startup is and how it works. He's open-sourced this theory, and recommend visitng the newsletter and Miro to check it out. ----Rob's website: www.robsnyder.orgConnect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/

Links

]]> Rob Snyder ef075b85-f23a-49e7-a9ee-d7209a89b0c7 Fri, 26 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0400 2832 full false Pipeline: Getting to 5-10 calls / week Pipeline: Getting to 5-10 calls / week Link to Rob's newsletter: https://howtogrow.substack.com

This week's newsletter: "Pipeline mega-post"

Rob and RC dive into one of Rob's least favorite, but most in-demand topics: pipeline. Conversation covers how to get to 5-10 calls per week even before you have a product, how to craft outbound that people don't hate, and when to convert to a 'toll-booth' approach. 

----Rob's website: www.robsnyder.orgConnect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1 Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com

Links

]]> Link to Rob's newsletter: https://howtogrow.substack.com

This week's newsletter: "Pipeline mega-post"

Rob and RC dive into one of Rob's least favorite, but most in-demand topics: pipeline. Conversation covers how to get to 5-10 calls per week even before you have a product, how to craft outbound that people don't hate, and when to convert to a 'toll-booth' approach. 

----Rob's website: www.robsnyder.orgConnect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1 Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 7557a120-3b6e-4358-b858-257b14c13c76 Fri, 19 Sep 2025 10:00:00 -0400 3045 full false Startups that Find Demand vs. 'Conjure' Demand Startups that Find Demand vs. 'Conjure' Demand Blog post on Rob's Substack: https://howtogrow.substack.com/ 

In this episode, Rob digs into the difference between Conjuring Demand (where a founder has an idea of how the world should work) vs. Finding Demand (where buyers are trying to accomplish something and pull products that help them solve that). He touches his perspective on startups like Clay and Drift, and how he takes a "Demand"-based perspective to think about startups from outside-in (or in pitch decks). 

----

Rob's website: www.robsnyder.org

Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ 

Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/

Links

]]> Blog post on Rob's Substack: https://howtogrow.substack.com/ 

In this episode, Rob digs into the difference between Conjuring Demand (where a founder has an idea of how the world should work) vs. Finding Demand (where buyers are trying to accomplish something and pull products that help them solve that). He touches his perspective on startups like Clay and Drift, and how he takes a "Demand"-based perspective to think about startups from outside-in (or in pitch decks). 

----

Rob's website: www.robsnyder.org

Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ 

Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 91c063fa-0763-4a33-b023-7021f11410f6 Fri, 12 Sep 2025 06:00:00 -0400 2540 full false How to build the 'right' product How to build the 'right' product Basecamp video (highly recommend) - LINK

This newsletter, "How to build the 'right' product": https://howtogrow.substack.com/ 

Rob and RC dig into feature requests to better understand the distinction between Supply and Demand, including how supply masquerades as demand in customer feature requests, using a fantastic video from Basecamp leaders Ryan and Chris. This discussion covers topics including: 

- How to know if a customer is talking about Supply and Demand

- How to get the right insights from customers to develop the right supply for their demand

- Building organizations that incorporate Supply and Demand thinking

- Applying this thinking in other parts of the startup journey (including sales)

- Mailbag about pre-sell tactics

----

Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ 

Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/

About Rob: https://www.robsnyder.org

#PMF #B2BSales #VC #Startup #VentureCapital #Founderledsales

Links

]]> Basecamp video (highly recommend) - LINK

This newsletter, "How to build the 'right' product": https://howtogrow.substack.com/ 

Rob and RC dig into feature requests to better understand the distinction between Supply and Demand, including how supply masquerades as demand in customer feature requests, using a fantastic video from Basecamp leaders Ryan and Chris. This discussion covers topics including: 

- How to know if a customer is talking about Supply and Demand

- How to get the right insights from customers to develop the right supply for their demand

- Building organizations that incorporate Supply and Demand thinking

- Applying this thinking in other parts of the startup journey (including sales)

- Mailbag about pre-sell tactics

----

Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ 

Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/

About Rob: https://www.robsnyder.org

#PMF #B2BSales #VC #Startup #VentureCapital #Founderledsales

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 57031fa6-6ffb-4c34-a792-5a0df0f22bb0 Thu, 04 Sep 2025 22:00:00 -0400 2710 full false The step-by-step sales process for founders The step-by-step sales process for founders This week's newsletter "The Physics of Sales pt 2": LINK

Previous newsletter: "The Physics of Sales": LINK 

This week, RC and Rob continue last week's conversation about sales and the difference between a BUYER-PULL and SELLER-PUSH approach, including breaking down each step of the sales process and what the ideal "Buyer-Pull" approach looks like at: 

Pipeline --> Call 1 --> Call 2 to close --> Customer onboarding and success.


----

Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ 

Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/

Work with Rob: www.robsnyder.org


#PMF #B2BSales #VC #Startup #VentureCapital #Founderledsales

Links

]]> This week's newsletter "The Physics of Sales pt 2": LINK

Previous newsletter: "The Physics of Sales": LINK 

This week, RC and Rob continue last week's conversation about sales and the difference between a BUYER-PULL and SELLER-PUSH approach, including breaking down each step of the sales process and what the ideal "Buyer-Pull" approach looks like at: 

Pipeline --> Call 1 --> Call 2 to close --> Customer onboarding and success.


----

Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ 

Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/

Work with Rob: www.robsnyder.org


#PMF #B2BSales #VC #Startup #VentureCapital #Founderledsales

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 7961afe2-edfc-4a16-985b-96ed09e04dce Fri, 29 Aug 2025 06:00:00 -0400 2276 full false The physics of startup sales The physics of startup sales Newsletter post: The Physics of Sales

Rob and RC explore the fundamental differences between the "seller-push" approach to sales and the "buyer-pull" approach. They discuss the common misconceptions surrounding sales strategies, and debunk the nonsense that exists out there with sales hacks and approaches that pretend to be able to "create" demand where there is none. The dialogue highlights practical advice for founders on how to align their products with actual customer demand, improve sales conversations, and navigate competitive environments effectively. The conversation includes steps that founders can take today to move toward a "buyer-pull" mentality in sales. 

00:00 Introduction to Podcasting Journey

01:04 Understanding Demand vs. Supply in Sales

02:20 The Concept of Demand in Product Development

06:04 Defining Demand and Supply

07:42 Seller Push vs. Buyer Pull Dynamics

14:36 The Power of Buyer Pull

20:01 The Experience of Sales Conversations

22:08 Self-Diagnostics for Sales Approaches

25:56 Navigating Competitive Environments

30:02 Key Takeaways from the Discussion

Connect on LinkedIn w/ Rob: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ Weekly founder insights w/ Rob: https://howtogrow.substack.com/ Work with Rob: www.robsnyder.org

Links

]]> Newsletter post: The Physics of Sales

Rob and RC explore the fundamental differences between the "seller-push" approach to sales and the "buyer-pull" approach. They discuss the common misconceptions surrounding sales strategies, and debunk the nonsense that exists out there with sales hacks and approaches that pretend to be able to "create" demand where there is none. The dialogue highlights practical advice for founders on how to align their products with actual customer demand, improve sales conversations, and navigate competitive environments effectively. The conversation includes steps that founders can take today to move toward a "buyer-pull" mentality in sales. 

00:00 Introduction to Podcasting Journey

01:04 Understanding Demand vs. Supply in Sales

02:20 The Concept of Demand in Product Development

06:04 Defining Demand and Supply

07:42 Seller Push vs. Buyer Pull Dynamics

14:36 The Power of Buyer Pull

20:01 The Experience of Sales Conversations

22:08 Self-Diagnostics for Sales Approaches

25:56 Navigating Competitive Environments

30:02 Key Takeaways from the Discussion

Connect on LinkedIn w/ Rob: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ Weekly founder insights w/ Rob: https://howtogrow.substack.com/ Work with Rob: www.robsnyder.org

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 07ccf034-9e86-4e46-b9cd-70fd2e4a0ea9 Fri, 22 Aug 2025 06:00:00 -0400 2611 full false 'Weird if it didn't work' 'Weird if it didn't work' Link to blog post "Could work vs. Weird if it didn't work": LINK

Rob and RC dive into the difference between a 'could work' mindset and a 'would be weird if it didn't work' approach. We touch practical applications of this concept in new product development, approach to sales, approach to outbound, hiring and communicating with investors. 

00:00 Introduction 

02:01 Exploring Product Market Fit

08:54 Minimizing Failure in Startups

11:45 The 'Could Work' vs. 'Would Be Weird If It Didn't' Approach

13:41 Practical Applications of the Framework

17:24 Identifying Ideal Customers

19:04 Hiring and Fundraising Strategies

21:45 Mailbag 

----Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: LINK Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/ Work with Rob: www.robsnyder.org#PMF #B2BSales #VC #Startup #VentureCapital #Founderledsales

Links

]]> Link to blog post "Could work vs. Weird if it didn't work": LINK

Rob and RC dive into the difference between a 'could work' mindset and a 'would be weird if it didn't work' approach. We touch practical applications of this concept in new product development, approach to sales, approach to outbound, hiring and communicating with investors. 

00:00 Introduction 

02:01 Exploring Product Market Fit

08:54 Minimizing Failure in Startups

11:45 The 'Could Work' vs. 'Would Be Weird If It Didn't' Approach

13:41 Practical Applications of the Framework

17:24 Identifying Ideal Customers

19:04 Hiring and Fundraising Strategies

21:45 Mailbag 

----Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: LINK Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/ Work with Rob: www.robsnyder.org#PMF #B2BSales #VC #Startup #VentureCapital #Founderledsales

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 095828b2-f064-4cbc-8f6f-7c3c95995cad Fri, 15 Aug 2025 06:00:00 -0400 2127 full false How to figure out 0-1 sales How to figure out 0-1 sales Link to blog post: https://bit.ly/3Hn3rPZ 

Rob Snyder discusses the 4 parts to a "Sales Sprint", including how to execute each element (PULL hypothesis, schedule 5 sales calls, execute 5 sales calls, and analyze and refine hypothesis). 

Convo includes examples of how this works "in real life" and what the goals of each step are and tactics you can apply.If you'd like to do a sales sprint supported by Rob, visit www.robsnyder.org for more info and to book 15 min to discuss w/ Rob.

----

Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn

Weekly founder Substack insights

Work with Rob: www.robsnyder.org

#PMF #B2BSales #VC #Startup #VentureCapital #Founderledsales

Links

]]> Link to blog post: https://bit.ly/3Hn3rPZ 

Rob Snyder discusses the 4 parts to a "Sales Sprint", including how to execute each element (PULL hypothesis, schedule 5 sales calls, execute 5 sales calls, and analyze and refine hypothesis). 

Convo includes examples of how this works "in real life" and what the goals of each step are and tactics you can apply.If you'd like to do a sales sprint supported by Rob, visit www.robsnyder.org for more info and to book 15 min to discuss w/ Rob.

----

Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn

Weekly founder Substack insights

Work with Rob: www.robsnyder.org

#PMF #B2BSales #VC #Startup #VentureCapital #Founderledsales

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 135263ce-df64-4704-8045-c402190e26a3 Fri, 08 Aug 2025 07:00:00 -0400 2762 1 6 full false The art of finding startup ideas that work The art of finding startup ideas that work Link to blog post

Summary: Rob Snyder delves into the complexities of startup fundamentals, exploring how founders can effectively identify demand, navigate the startup landscape, and utilize frameworks like the pull framework to ensure their products meet real customer needs. 

They discuss the importance of understanding where ideas come from, the role of design partners, and practical steps for founders to validate their hypotheses and achieve customer retention. The dialogue emphasizes the need for founders to engage directly with their target market to uncover genuine demand and avoid common pitfalls in the startup journey.

Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ 

Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/ 

Work with Rob: www.robsnyder.org

.
.
.

#PMF #B2BSales #VC #Startup #VentureCapital #Founderledsales

Links

]]> Link to blog post

Summary: Rob Snyder delves into the complexities of startup fundamentals, exploring how founders can effectively identify demand, navigate the startup landscape, and utilize frameworks like the pull framework to ensure their products meet real customer needs. 

They discuss the importance of understanding where ideas come from, the role of design partners, and practical steps for founders to validate their hypotheses and achieve customer retention. The dialogue emphasizes the need for founders to engage directly with their target market to uncover genuine demand and avoid common pitfalls in the startup journey.

Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ 

Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/ 

Work with Rob: www.robsnyder.org

.
.
.

#PMF #B2BSales #VC #Startup #VentureCapital #Founderledsales

Links

]]> Rob Snyder e13833a1-6951-4a34-a398-51327f9c015d Fri, 01 Aug 2025 02:00:00 -0400 3267 full false The Hard Thing about Simple Things The Hard Thing about Simple Things Getting to PMF is hard, but it doesn't have to be complex. Rob and RC discuss the 3 simple steps that founders should be taking to find PMF, and why most founders go to extraordinary lengths to avoid doing these things and, as a result, waste valuable time and resources.

Blog post: https://bit.ly/46rYNuf 

Starting Strength weightlifting clilp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI6qDCYvleM

----

Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/

Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/

Work with Rob: www.robsnyder.org

#PMF #B2BSales #VC #Startup #VentureCapital #Founderledsales

Links

]]> Getting to PMF is hard, but it doesn't have to be complex. Rob and RC discuss the 3 simple steps that founders should be taking to find PMF, and why most founders go to extraordinary lengths to avoid doing these things and, as a result, waste valuable time and resources.

Blog post: https://bit.ly/46rYNuf 

Starting Strength weightlifting clilp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI6qDCYvleM

----

Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/

Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/

Work with Rob: www.robsnyder.org

#PMF #B2BSales #VC #Startup #VentureCapital #Founderledsales

Links

]]> Rob Snyder bb127fdb-38ec-4f88-bade-a9aa2d371e74 Thu, 24 Jul 2025 18:00:00 -0400 1963 1 4 full false Fix your GTM with Toll Booths (and Samurai Swords) Fix your GTM with Toll Booths (and Samurai Swords) Blog post - "The toll booth" - https://bit.ly/44xHBCn

In this conversation, Rob Snyder and RC delve into the concept of 'toll booths' in the context of go-to-market strategies for startups. They discuss how to effectively generate demand and engage potential customers by understanding their needs and timing. The discussion includes practical examples, such as the samurai sword approach to capturing attention and the success of Datadog's conference strategy. 

Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/

Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/

Work with Rob: https://www.robsnyder.org

.
.

#PMF #B2BSales #VC #Startup #VentureCapital #Founderledsales

Links

]]> Blog post - "The toll booth" - https://bit.ly/44xHBCn

In this conversation, Rob Snyder and RC delve into the concept of 'toll booths' in the context of go-to-market strategies for startups. They discuss how to effectively generate demand and engage potential customers by understanding their needs and timing. The discussion includes practical examples, such as the samurai sword approach to capturing attention and the success of Datadog's conference strategy. 

Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/

Weekly founder insights: https://howtogrow.substack.com/

Work with Rob: https://www.robsnyder.org

.
.

#PMF #B2BSales #VC #Startup #VentureCapital #Founderledsales

Links

]]> Rob Snyder cff39bc4-b387-4721-a1fb-58ed55dd81e1 Thu, 24 Jul 2025 17:59:00 -0400 2260 1 3 full false The path to PMF demystified (finally) The path to PMF demystified (finally) Rob's Substack

Rob Snyder discusses how startups find product-market fit (PMF) , including the *case study* and the *factory*, which are essential for identifying customer demand and navigating the sales and delivery process. The discussion covers the complexities of the startup journey, the significance of demand, and the need for founders to focus on solving bottlenecks in their sales and delivery processes. 

Takeaways- PMF has historically been poorly defined, but it's possible to demystify.- Founders need to focus on sales earlier in their journey.- Identifying bottlenecks in the sales process is crucial for success.- Demand is a key indicator of product viability.- Achieving PMF is really freaking hard. "Nothing works until everything works." - Founders should be prepared to iterate on their strategies. 

Links

]]> Rob's Substack

Rob Snyder discusses how startups find product-market fit (PMF) , including the *case study* and the *factory*, which are essential for identifying customer demand and navigating the sales and delivery process. The discussion covers the complexities of the startup journey, the significance of demand, and the need for founders to focus on solving bottlenecks in their sales and delivery processes. 

Takeaways- PMF has historically been poorly defined, but it's possible to demystify.- Founders need to focus on sales earlier in their journey.- Identifying bottlenecks in the sales process is crucial for success.- Demand is a key indicator of product viability.- Achieving PMF is really freaking hard. "Nothing works until everything works." - Founders should be prepared to iterate on their strategies. 

Links

]]> Rob Snyder e08edd5f-ca1f-4536-bcc8-8e38552314ff Thu, 24 Jul 2025 17:58:00 -0400 3329 1 2 full false The Startup Landscape: Waves, Dams, and Rivers The Startup Landscape: Waves, Dams, and Rivers Full blog post: https://howtogrow.substack.com/ ⁠ 

In this conversation, Rob Snyder and RC explore how individual demand scales into market momentum ("demand aggregation"), and introduce a startup market framework: waves, rivers, and dams.- Waves reflect emerging, shared priorities—projects suddenly on everyone’s to-do list.- Dams represent pent-up demand blocked by bad solutions—until the right one breaks through.- Rivers are ongoing markets, available for marginal improvements and niche plays, but essentially steady demand.

Rob and RC also dig into how cultural shifts, regulations, and timing shape these dynamics, and why great founders succeed by recognizing where they are (wave/river/dam), and positioning their sales and product accordingly.

Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/

⁠Weekly founderinsights: ⁠ https://howtogrow.substack.com/ ⁠ 

Work with Rob: ⁠ https://www.robsnyder.org⁠ 

Links

]]> Full blog post: https://howtogrow.substack.com/ ⁠ 

In this conversation, Rob Snyder and RC explore how individual demand scales into market momentum ("demand aggregation"), and introduce a startup market framework: waves, rivers, and dams.- Waves reflect emerging, shared priorities—projects suddenly on everyone’s to-do list.- Dams represent pent-up demand blocked by bad solutions—until the right one breaks through.- Rivers are ongoing markets, available for marginal improvements and niche plays, but essentially steady demand.

Rob and RC also dig into how cultural shifts, regulations, and timing shape these dynamics, and why great founders succeed by recognizing where they are (wave/river/dam), and positioning their sales and product accordingly.

Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/

⁠Weekly founderinsights: ⁠ https://howtogrow.substack.com/ ⁠ 

Work with Rob: ⁠ https://www.robsnyder.org⁠ 

Links

]]> Rob Snyder 7987bd92-7efa-44ac-9a4b-554bf0970992 Thu, 24 Jul 2025 17:40:00 -0400 1804 1 1 full false