I was delighted to have a focused chat with Kass and Mike Lazerow. Kass and Mike are serial founders, visionary early-stage investors, and New York Times bestselling authors with an awesome record of building, scaling, and backing successful companies.
Kass and Mike are currently launching a new book: Shoveling $h!t: A Love Story About the Entrepreneur’s Messy Path to Success, a work containing “hard-learned lessons from decades of shoveling as co-founders and early investors in start-ups that have generated more than $10 billion in realized gains.” It’s chock-full of actionable insights that every entrepreneur (and in the age of social media, that’s a lot of us!) should be exposed to.
Kass and Mike emphasize the importance of entrepreneurs setting clear goals, success metrics, and understanding when to pivot. They highlight the evolving role of AI in business, noting that while AI has made coding more efficient, it hasn’t changed the need for timeless business principles. They also discuss the significance of HR in scaling businesses, the impact of unit economics, and the shift from enterprise sales to product-led growth. The conversation touches on the broader applicability of their lessons to various industries and the role of AI in influencing and marketing.
Discussion topics include:
- How the book title reflects Kass and Mike’s commitment to being brutally honest and avoiding sugarcoating.
- The need for entrepreneurs to pivot their organizations and mindsets when things don’t go as planned.
- Why it’s important to focus on timeless “cheat codes” that are relevant regardless of the time or tools available.
- The importance of having a clear mission, values, and culture.
- The need for entrepreneurs to be honest with themselves and use data to make informed decisions.
- The differences in venture capital philosophies, with East Coast firms focusing on unit economics and West Coast firms on scale.
- How many modern businesses are not in winner-take-all markets, requiring a balance between scale and unit economics.
- The role of AI in achieving scale and unit economics efficiently.
- The rise of influencers and creators as modern entrepreneurs, using social media as a platform for growth.
- The potential for AI to disrupt traditional marketing strategies and create new opportunities for brands.