Episodes

Episode 53: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) talks about why it’s good to embrace the boring parts of starting a business. Founders can get caught up in the notion that if they’re not doing anything exciting at all times, they’re failing. However, it some cases, refining your product or service might not be sexiest phase of your business but can be the most important in building the foundation. Send us an email and let us know what you think of the idea! foundersjournal@morningbrew.com #Found...

Episode 52: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) runs through 8 ideas to see if they merit becoming full-on sustainable businesses. From Blinkist for podcasts to an AI-assisted memoir writer, Alex walks through his thought process as if he were an investor and gives an honest rating. Send us an email and let us know what you think of the idea! foundersjournal@morningbrew.com #FoundersJournal #Startups #Entrepreneur Listen to Founder’s Journal here: https://link.chtbl.com/OV4W93_W Watch Founder’...

Episode 51: It’s Flashback Friday. Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) and Jesse Pujji (@jspujji), former co-host of The Crazy Ones, talk about what bootstrapping a business really means. In this episode, Alex uses examples from his early days of Morning Brew to highlight the differences between bootstrapping a business vs. raising money through investors. Send us an email and let us know what you think of the idea! foundersjournal@morningbrew.com #FoundersJournal #Startups #Entrepreneur Listen...

Episode 50: Are you a “below the line” or “above the line” leader? Don’t know the difference? Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) shares examples of how to become a more self-aware leader, making sure your approach to problem-solving or disagreements is honest and open-minded. As leaders, it’s natural to have egos, but it often takes higher leadership abilities to set aside your ego for the greater good. Send us an email and let us know what you think of the idea! foundersjournal@morningbrew.com ...

Episode 49: Establishing a logo can be a trap for many entrepreneurs and startups. Just because a business might have a distinct design or font that is recognizable, doesn’t mean it's a brand. Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) goes into the biggest difference between a logo and a brand. A brand goes beyond the design or the look. It’s a status symbol or a culture. In this episode, you’ll learn how you can strive to become a brand, not just a logo. Send us an email and let us know what you think...

Episode 48: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) is lost. This is something many entrepreneurs will cycle through over the course of their journey. It happens to the best of us. There is a belief that entrepreneurs have unshakable confidence to achieve success but the truth is that there will always be moments where purpose and direction isn’t clear. In this episode, Alex talks about some paths to take when feeling lost. Send us an email and let us know what you think of the idea! foundersjournal@...

Episode 47: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) dives into one of the most pivotal stages for every entrepreneur: finding product-market fit. There are a lot of definitions on product-market fit and how to achieve it. In this episode, Alex unpacks widely accepted definitions coined by pioneering business leaders but also highlights key issues within those definitions, such as lack of measurability. Send us an email and let us know what you think of the idea! foundersjournal@morningbrew.com Links...

Episode 46: Ideas can come from anywhere but it doesn’t always mean it’ll be a good idea. Even the most savvy business minds believe they’re solving a problem that ultimately doesn’t lead to a sustained business. Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) has a simple answer: find the suck. If you’re thinking of building a business, do your research, look into problems that people are consistently having, and see if there’s a business model that can be the solution to that problem. Send us an email and ...

Episode 45: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) takes a look into what a personal holding company is, why it’s the hottest trend among entrepreneurs, and whether it’s the right move for you. While they may provide you the most freedom to invest and scale businesses that you really enjoy, it takes a certain personality type and understanding of the risk to achieve success. Send us an email and let us know what you think of the idea! foundersjournal@morningbrew.com #FoundersJournal #Startups #Entr...

Episode 44: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) does another temperature check to review and reflect the latest achievements, adversities, and ascertainments. He’s closing in on finding product market fit for Storyarb and a renewed appreciation for coffee chats – something that waned during the pandemic. Then lessons learned about battling boredom throughout the day. Finally, lessons from India’s startup culture and sophisticated payment system that is more advanced than the U.S. Send us an email...

Episode 43: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) shares a harrowing story from an entrepreneur that pierces through at the human level. Scott Weir, aka The Coda Guy, lost his home and job while he had a family. At the brink of despair, Scott became laser focused on securing financial security for this family so they would never have to worry about money again. Send us an email and let us know what you think of the idea! foundersjournal@morningbrew.com Links: 8 Business Ideas I'm Bullish On #Fou...

Episode 42: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) shares 8 businesses that he’s bullish on. He breaks down the idea, the problem that needs solving, the business model, and why he’s bullish. If any of these ideas are interesting, Alex invites you to reach out to start the conversation and help build these ideas into a full company. Send us an email and let us know what you think of the idea! foundersjournal@morningbrew.com #FoundersJournal #Startups #Entrepreneur Listen to Founder’s Journal here:...

Episode 41: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) talks about the Paradox of Success, what it is, and why it’s important. It’s an issue that Alex, and many other successful entrepreneurs grapple with as they continue to find success. In the end, Alex shares his tips on how to stay grounded and avoid the paradox. Timestamps: (00:16): Intro (03:21): My relationship with money (07:01): The paradox of success (10:45): How to stay grounded Send us an email and let us know what you think of the idea...

Episode 40: Welcome to Edge City. Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) reveals his process for generating startup ideas. It’s a combination of how many people will want your idea, basically how big the market is; and how badly people will want your idea, basically what is the demand. Using this framework will determine the viability of your product or service and gauge how you want to approach it. Alex gives an example of how he uses Edge City to come up with an idea for mental health Timestamps: ...

Episode 39: No pain, no gain. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Growth lies in discomfort. Pressure makes diamonds. You’ve probably heard these phrases multiple times. It’s supposed to capture the relationship between our immediate struggles with future success. Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) talks about the psychological effects of pleasure & pain and why we make certain choices. Plus, tips on how to identify these moments to ensure you’re making the right decision for long-term plea...

We kick off season 4 by exploring the current economic and financial landscape and the tools investors can use to navigate it.

Episode 38: Building an audience or following on social media is no longer an influencer-exclusive goal. Entrepreneurs and business builders can leverage a large following to reap benefits to their business. Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) breaks down 5 easy, doable steps to build a content strategy to build a better audience in today’s connected world. Timestamps: (00:18): Intro (01:14): Why build an audience (03:46): Define your goals (05:56): Build your content pillars (10:06): Pickin...

Episode 37: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) shares 6 musings in the last week that have been the conversation of the Internet-sphere. Learn why demand does not equal product market fit, how we tend to overreact to every trending product, and why entrepreneurs are expected to move at break-neck speeds. In reality, every business is hard, make sure you have the right reference point when hiring, and why discipline is the most important quality to have. Timestamps: (01:37): Why demand doesn’t m...

Episode 36: It’s time for another mailbag episode! Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) answers some burning questions from our listeners. In this episode, Alex talks about how to balance your long-term brand with short-term profits, how to test a new business idea, why he chose to be a chairman vs. CEO, and ultimate goals and motivation. Timestamps: (02:08): How to balance brand building with profits (09:05): How to test a new business idea? (16:32): Why be chairman from day one of the new bus...

Episode 35: Codie Sanchez (@Codie_Sanchez) stops by to drop off gems about business building. As someone who’s used to going against the grain, she proudly wears the title of “unemployable,” in that she was meant to be an entrepreneur. Codie walkthrough 6 tips to help make the founder’s journey easier. Timestamps: (01:37): Contrarian thinking (06:02): It gets lonely when building (07:51): Check your bank account (08:25): Waking up at 5AM (09:52): Efficient days vs. effective days (11:22):...

Episode 34: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) reviews the article “Choose Good Quests” and talks about 4 types of quests every entrepreneur will have to choose from. Knowing which quest you’re on can determine how much effort you should be placing on your current quest. Secondly, Alex reflects on his own journey and evaluates which quest he is undertaking. Which quest are you on? Timestamps: (00:15): Listener feedback (02:39): The 4 types of quests (06:35): Reflections on my quests (10:48):...

Episode 33: Lace them up! Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) dives into the meteoric rise of Hoka, the popular shoe brand that just crossed the $1 billion mark in revenue. Since the pandemic, it went from having less than 10% of Deckers’ (parent company) revenue to nearly 40%, and a stock that is up 375% over the last 5 years. Learn more about the history of this niche, French brand; and how you can apply it to your business. Timestamps: (01:15): History of Hoka (04:35): Great product for big ...

Episode 32: Romeen Sheth (@RomeenSheth) steps in for a guest founder’s journal to share his 3 frameworks related to talent. These simple, but effective frameworks can help any founder hire the right talent to make their organization successful. Not a founder? This also benefits those who are looking for a career change or evaluation by knowing when it's time transition into a new role and how to approach it. Timestamps: (00:52): Intro (01:58): Framework 1 - how to choose where to work (05:28...

Episode 31: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) analyzes a viral tweet by a former director at Twitter where she talked about the moments leading up to Twitter’s sale to Elon Musk and what it was like working with him. While there are numerous articles and think pieces of Elon’s leadership, this gives an intimate look that is nuanced. Timestamps: (00:31): Who was Esther Crawford? (01:50): “You can’t just be a builder, you have to be a politician” (03:28): Waiting for Twitter to sell (04:32): ...