Before you build, pressure-test your idea the smart way. In this episode, we cover validating the problem, sizing the market, unit economics, stress-testing your time and finances, running a minimum-effort MVP, and checking competitors. You will hear practical tactics like using Reddit to find real pain, building a waitlist and pre-selling with Stripe, and plotting a quick competitor map. We wrap with two hot takes, be naive enough to start, and plan enough to execute.

More Hot Takes Big StakesInstagram: www.instagram.com/hottakesbigstakes/TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@hottakesbigstakes/More on Natalie Holloway:Personal Instagram: www.instagram.com/natalieholloway/“Bala” Instagram: www.instagram.com/bala/“Balacize” Instagram: www.instagram.com/balacize/Substack,“Working Out in Heels”: natalieholloway.substack.comBook a 1-on-1 Call: intro.co/NatalieHollowayMore on Lana Elie-Meyers:Personal Instagram: www.instagram.com/lanaelie/LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lana-elie-875b383a/

00:00 Intro, why this matters for new founders


00:32 Tip 1, Validate the problem, not the idea


01:16 Signals that the problem is real, emotion and willingness to pay


02:48 Tip 2, Size the market, top-down vs bottoms-up


04:26 Unit economics sense check and payback logic


05:26 Tip 3, Stress-test your time and finances


07:18 Support systems, partners, housing, and tradeoffs 


08:22 Tip 4, Run a minimum-effort test, landing page and list 
09:23 Pre-selling with Stripe, early prototypes, and social proof 
11:18 Start socials early and build with your audience 


12:15 Tip 5, Pressure-check the competition and find your moat 
14:44 Hot takes, be naive enough to start vs plan enough to execute 


15:36 Closing thoughts and next steps

Everyone says passion matters, but is it required to launch a successful business? In this episode we debate passion versus action, share a simple system to spot ideas in your everyday life, and walk through a no-nonsense validation checklist. You will learn how to mine “boring” categories, read Amazon reviews for insights, stress-test market size, and draw the line between stealing and genuine differentiation. We wrap with real idea starters you can take and run with today.

More Hot Takes Big StakesInstagram: www.instagram.com/hottakesbigstakes/TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@hottakesbigstakes/More on Natalie Holloway:Personal Instagram: www.instagram.com/natalieholloway/“Bala” Instagram: www.instagram.com/bala/“Balacize” Instagram: www.instagram.com/balacize/Substack,“Working Out in Heels”: natalieholloway.substack.comBook a 1-on-1 Call: intro.co/NatalieHollowayMore on Lana Elie-Meyers:Personal Instagram: www.instagram.com/lanaelie/LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lana-elie-875b383a/

00:00 Intro and the passion myth
00:36 The debate begins: passion vs. action
01:37 “If you are waiting for passion, you will never start”
03:28 Want to work for yourself, but no idea yet
04:51 Mine daily frustrations for ideas
05:53 The CVS walk and Amazon review audit
07:44 Where to look for under-innovated categories
10:59 Why working at a startup accelerates you
12:01 Copying, inspiration, and brand differentiation
15:16 How to validate: sit with it, talk to honest friends
16:27 Market size math and right-sized ambitions
20:18 Action over waiting, getting out of your own way
22:34 Rapid-fire idea starters
31:36 Wrap and call to action

Dr. Jason shares how a devastating injury led him to hack together the first Theragun, then spend eight relentless years turning it into Therabody. He explains the science he discovered along the way, why 40Hz matters, and how early believers from the New England Patriots to Justin Timberlake helped the idea spread. We also get candid lessons from painful business missteps, a pandemic pivot, and a rebrand that brought recovery tools home. If you’re building, healing, or both, this story is loaded with takeaways.More Hot Takes Big StakesInstagram: www.instagram.com/hottakesbigstakes/TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@hottakesbigstakes/More on Dr. Jason WestlandInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjasonwerslandLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jason-wersland-0116846a/Website: https://www.therabody.comMore on Natalie Holloway:Personal Instagram: www.instagram.com/natalieholloway/“Bala” Instagram: www.instagram.com/bala/“Balacize” Instagram: www.instagram.com/balacize/Substack,“Working Out in Heels”: natalieholloway.substack.comBook a 1-on-1 Call: intro.co/NatalieHollowayMore on Lana Elie-Meyers:Personal Instagram: www.instagram.com/lanaelie/LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lana-elie-875b383a/

Lana the founder of Floom, a premium flower marketplace featured in Vogue, Forbes, and The New York Times, breaks down how she sold her company to a strategic buyer without a banker. We cover spotting the right time to sell, building a data room, running a buyer process, and handling LOI exclusivity risk. She shares the emotional side too, identity after the exit and why deals can fall through. If you are considering selling, this conversation is a practical roadmap and a reality check.

More Hot Takes Big Stakes

Instagram: www.instagram.com/hottakesbigstakes/

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@hottakesbigstakes/

More on Natalie Holloway:

Personal Instagram: www.instagram.com/natalieholloway/

“Bala” Instagram: www.instagram.com/bala/

“Balacize” Instagram: www.instagram.com/balacize/

Substack,

“Working Out in Heels”: natalieholloway.substack.com

Book a 1-on-1 Call: intro.co/NatalieHolloway

More on Lana Elie-Meyers:

Personal Instagram: www.instagram.com/lanaelie/

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lana-elie-875b383a/

00:00 Intro, who is Lana and what is Floom

01:09 Deciding it was time to sell, reading the signals

04:30 Burnout vs. timing, why she aimed for profitability first

07:00 What M&A advisors do, why she went solo

08:56 Building the data room, financials, legal, and IP proof

12:15 Finding buyers, using LinkedIn and a short strategic list

14:54 When deals fall through, managing the emotional crash

16:11 Should you sell before you hate it, practical advice

18:33 Identity after an exit, grief, journaling, and reset

22:00 Life design, profitability, and alternatives to venture scale

24:27 LOI exclusivity risks, spotting unserious buyers

26:59 Deal structures 101, lessons she wishes she knew earlier

28:07 When to sell, hot vs. right-for-you timing

29:57 After the handoff, how closely to watch the brand

30:47 Hot take, does a company need to be your identity

31:26 Time off between companies, sprint or sabbatical

33:08 Does selling give you clout, second-time founder advantages

34:28 Wrap up, subscribe and comment

Founder Diana Cohen shares how Crown Affair went from a viral haircare Google Doc to a nationwide Sephora brand. She walks through lessons from early roles at Away, Outdoor Voices and Harry’s, the Japanese rituals that shaped her formulas, and the Laura Mercier powder hack that inspired Crown Affair’s dry shampoo. Diana breaks down scalp versus strand health, why brushing matters, and her “raise as you go” approach that led to sustained, profitable growth. If you care about brand, product and calm, durable company building, this one is packed with takeaways.Hot Takes Big Stakes listerner get to enjoy 15% off their purchase at https://www.crownaffair.com using code HTBS15.More Hot Takes Big StakesInstagram: www.instagram.com/hottakesbigstakes/TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@hottakesbigstakes/More on DiannaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/diannacohenLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diannacohenWebsite: https://www.crownaffair.comMore on Natalie Holloway:Personal Instagram: www.instagram.com/natalieholloway/“Bala” Instagram: www.instagram.com/bala/“Balacize” Instagram: www.instagram.com/balacize/Substack,“Working Out in Heels”: natalieholloway.substack.comBook a 1-on-1 Call: intro.co/NatalieHollowayMore on Lana Elie-Meyers:Personal Instagram: www.instagram.com/lanaelie/LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lana-elie-875b383a/

This episode is the honest look at building a business while breastfeeding, corralling toddlers, and cleaning up midnight messes, the kind of chaos that never makes the highlight reel. We talk about the Shark Tank bump, finding out we were pregnant, and how priorities shifted as the family grew.You will hear the rules that keep us sane, one night out per week and a no-meetings policy that protects deep work and bedtime.We cover real help, from full-time family support to outsourcing errands, flexible schedules for working parents, founder maternity leave during nap windows, and giving yourself permission to let a few things slip.More Hot Takes Big StakesInstagram: www.instagram.com/hottakesbigstakes/TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@hottakesbigstakes/More on Natalie Holloway:Personal Instagram: www.instagram.com/natalieholloway/“Bala” Instagram: www.instagram.com/bala/“Balacize” Instagram: www.instagram.com/balacize/Substack,“Working Out in Heels”: natalieholloway.substack.comBook a 1-on-1 Call: intro.co/NatalieHollowayMore on Lana Elie-Meyers:Personal Instagram: www.instagram.com/lanaelie/LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lana-elie-875b383a/

00:00 Cold open, what real chaos looks like
00:48 Mom first, company second
02:00 Shark Tank growth and a surprise pregnancy
02:50 Rules and tools that keep motherhood first
04:45 The night from hell, still doable
06:10 Why help matters, full-time family support and outsourcing
08:00 Designing flexible schedules for working parents
10:10 Time-saving rules, one night out per week
11:20 The no-meetings policy that protects deep work
12:50 When meetings are necessary, compress to 30 minutes
14:20 Identity shifts and the rise of mom anxiety
17:30 How we handled maternity leave as founders
20:15 Give yourself grace, some things will slip
24:20 Postpartum must-haves and hydration habits
26:14 Wrap up and call to action

Danny Alexander, co-founder and Chief Product and Purpose Officer of Who Gives A Crap, shares how a cheeky name, clever packaging, and an audacious mission turned a humble household product into a $100M brand. The team bootstrapped for nine years, then cracked growth by treating every touchpoint as marketing and by learning to land initiatives, not just launch them. Highlights include the infamous 51-hour toilet livestream that powered their IndieGoGo debut, and why donating 50% of profits builds real retention and trust. Danny also breaks down the pivot from a multilingual EU push to a focused Canada relaunch and how DTC plus selective retail keeps the brand experience tight.

More Hot Takes Big Stakes Instagram: www.instagram.com/hottakesbigstakes/

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@hottakesbigstakes/

More on Danny Alexander

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalexdalex

“Who Gives A Crap” Website: https://us.whogivesacrap.org

More on Natalie Holloway: Personal Instagram: www.instagram.com/natalieholloway/

“Bala” Instagram: www.instagram.com/bala/

“Balacize” Instagram: www.instagram.com/balacize/

Substack, “Working Out in Heels”: natalieholloway.substack.com

Book a 1-on-1 Call: intro.co/NatalieHolloway

More on Lana Elie-Meyers:

Personal Instagram: www.instagram.com/lanaelie/

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lana-elie-875b383a/

00:00 Intro

00:49 Danny’s background in industrial design and social impact

05:12 The name “Who Gives A Crap,” testing and why it stuck

08:20 Packaging as marketing, paper wrap insight

10:00 The stripe concept and present-style unboxing

11:35 Mission talk, 50% of profits to impact

15:56 Bootstrapping for nine years, why investors said no

16:53 IndieGoGo strategy and the $50K threshold

17:48 The 51-hour toilet livestream

24:58 Early UK retail moment and momentum check

26:18 “Everything is marketing,” touchpoints that spread

27:51 One big thing per year, the focus thesis

31:06 Second brand experiment and hard tradeoffs

34:53 Launch vs land, scaling lessons

36:10 Europe attempt, translation reality check

36:44 Pivot to Canada, partnerships and pre-launch plan

37:25 DTC first, selective retail like Whole Foods

52:31 Wrap up and call to action