Startup Meditations

Home
Podcast
Archive
About
#18 — Value props are simple
Founders have a tendency to overcomplicate value propositions, but they're really just expressions of four simple questions: who, what, how, and why…
 • 
JDM
4:21
#17 — Product doesn’t matter
At least not as much as you think it does. In the early stages, a product is a tool you use to get signals from customers, and what matters is something…
 • 
JDM
1
3:09
#16 — The Value of Customer Personas
Having a deep understanding of your customer is the basis of any successful startup. Yet most founders have a shallow understanding — at best. Here's an…
 • 
JDM
4:33
#15 — The Mom Test
People lie right to your face because they think they're being kind. So how does a startup founder get accurate information from her customers? The key…
 • 
JDM
2:50
#14 — Why design thinking?
Business has been around...forever. And yet design thinking is seemingly suddenly crucial for success in business. Why are startups different?
 • 
JDM
4:25
#13 — Growth Hacking
Growth hacking isn't magic. It isn't luck. It's a methodical, three-step process you can follow today to find the quickest path to scale. Let's break it…
 • 
JDM
4
4:24
#12 — Grit is Overrated
They say pain is temporary & quitting lasts forever. But pain is only temporary if there’s a there there. Grit isn’t the hard part. It’s knowing when to…
 • 
JDM
3
2:08
#11 — Wicked Problems
Design thinking about solving wicked problems using the tools and mindset of creative design. And the ultimate wicked problem? It's a startup.
 • 
JDM
5
3:14
Startup Meditations #10 — Validation is Everything
At its core, the work of the startup is just the cyclical process of validation. If you can’t articulate your current cycle, you’re stuck.
 • 
JDM
2:13
Startup Meditations #9 — The Ikea Effect
We tend to value more what we create ourselves than what we acquire — even when it comes to ideas. The solution is the startup lifecycle.
 • 
JDM
2
2:13
#8 — The Flow Razor
For a startup founder, the most important task at any moment is the one that will have the greatest immediate impact on the flow of customers through…
 • 
JDM
2
2:46
#7 — Aimlessness
The number one killer of startups is aimlessness. It’s not team dynamics, competition, market timing, or fundraising strategy. Here's why — and how to…
 • 
JDM
4:42
© 2025 JDM (Josh David Miller)
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture