The third episode of the Outfoxed podcast by Hunter.io features Rand Fishkin, cofounder and CEO of SparkToro (and former cofounder of Moz). As a longtime leader in digital marketing, Rand has spent more than two decades helping companies understand where their audiences are and how to reach them effectively. His work has shaped how marketers think about SEO, audience research, and the balance between data and creativity.

Today, Matt and Rand cut through the noise to talk about how SparkToro navigated a hard pivot off social media to clickstream data, why zero-click marketing changes how success is measured, and how founders can find their first 100 customers by focusing on channels they genuinely enjoy (including offline ones) instead of chasing trends. They also discuss the limits of AI-generated content and why judgment still matters more than automation.

This episode offers practical lessons for founders, marketers, and creators — packed with data, candor, and grounded advice from someone who’s built and rebuilt in public.

Podcast Episode Highlights:

• How SparkToro survived losing its primary data source and rebuilt from scratch
• Why your first 100 customers should come from channels you actually enjoy
• The rise of zero-click marketing and what it means for audience research
• Why AI is a useful tool but a poor substitute for human creativity

About Rand Fishkin:
Rand Fishkin is the cofounder and CEO of SparkToro, an audience research software company that helps marketers identify where their ideal customers spend time online. Known for his contrarian approach to entrepreneurship, Rand has earned a reputation for challenging Silicon Valley norms while building enduring, profitable companies.

A Seattle native, Rand attended the University of Washington before leaving to help rescue his mother’s struggling marketing firm from debt. That company became Moz, which he co-founded in 2004 and led as CEO from 2007 to 2014. Under his leadership, Moz grew from a seven-person blog into a global, 200+ employee SaaS company that generated over $50 million in annual revenue.

At Moz, Rand launched the Whiteboard Friday video series, co-authored “The Art of SEO,” and played a pivotal role in making SEO education accessible to millions at a time when the industry was notoriously secretive. He was named to BusinessWeek’s 30 Under 30 and became one of the most recognized educators in digital marketing, keynoting more than a hundred conferences worldwide.

After leaving Moz in 2018, Rand cofounded SparkToro, which pioneered an alternative, transparent funding model and built tools that help marketers discover where their audiences actually spend time. His 2018 book, “Lost and Founder: A Painfully Honest Field Guide to the Startup World,” drew widespread attention for its candid take on venture capital, founder burnout, and mental health in tech. He also cofounded Snackbar Studio, an independent game company that experiments with creative funding models.

He lives in Seattle with his wife, award-winning author and travel blogger Geraldine DeRuiter.

Learn more about Rand and SparkToro via:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/randfishkin/
• https://sparktoro.com/
• https://sparktoro.com/blog

Credits:

Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.

The second episode of the Outfoxed podcast by Hunter.io features Joel Simkins, founder of XST Capital and a seasoned investment banker with nearly 30 years in the gaming industry. His career spans hundreds of deals in Vegas and beyond, and today he’s helping fast-growing digital gaming and sports betting startups raise capital and scale.

Joel shares how he built a thriving firm from the ground up, using email, newsletters, and personal relationships to drive growth. His story is packed with lessons for entrepreneurs, sales leaders, and anyone building a pipeline in competitive industries.

This conversation reflects the Outfoxed ethos: creating opportunity through persistence, leaning on technology without losing the human touch, and proving that even in fast-moving markets, relationships are the real differentiator.

Podcast Episode Highlights:

• Why resilience and rejection go hand in hand in business
• How newsletters and referrals fuel B2B growth
• Why tight, authentic messaging outperforms AI-generated fluff

Be really tight with your delivery — Joel Simkins

About Joel Simkins:
Joel Simkins brings a reputation for trusted industry insights, market relationships, and a rare track record of success advising both sellside and buyside clients for more than 25 years.

Prior to his tenure at Houlihan Lokey, Joel was Head of Gaming & Leisure investment banking at Truist Securities, growing its business from a nascent state in 2016 to a top-seven platform during his tenure through March 2022. He was the only sector coverage banker with experience in sellside debt/equity research and buyside investment management and one of a few successful former analysts to convert. Earlier, Joel worked for Credit Suisse Securities, Macquarie Capital, and Deutsche Bank Securities.

Before his career pivot, Joel was an equity research analyst known for bold and correct stock picks, deep industry expertise, and substantial connectivity. He was named Best Up & Coming Analyst in the 2009 Institutional Investor Poll and subsequently ranked No. 6 overall in 2012. A highly recognized and respected voice in the industry, Mr. Simkins has appeared on CNBC, Bloomberg, Canadian Business Channel, and Fox Business and has been a featured speaker at industry conferences and on other media outlets.

Joel earned a B.B.A. in Banking and Finance, with highest honors, from Hofstra University, where he sits on the business school advisory board. He is an outdoors enthusiast and also sits on the advisory board of Protect Our Winters, a climate advocacy foundation. Joel is a 6 time marathon finisher, avid yoga practitioner and proud father of 2 children.

Learn more about Joel and XST Capital via:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-simkins/
- https://xstcapital.com/
- https://xstcapital.com/whats-nxst/?category=considerations

Credits:

Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.

The launch episode of the Outfoxed podcast by Hunter.io features award-winning photojournalist Spike Johnson, whose work has appeared in WIRED, NBC, The Washington Post, and The Guardian.

Spike turned a creative passion into a thriving business using email, and his perspective will help entrepreneurs from all backgrounds.

This is a perfect reflection of the Outfoxed ethos: it’s about building something meaningful, overcoming fear of failure, and success through audience relevance and personal vulnerability.

Podcast episode highlights:

• Why writing underpins everything
• Why fear is part of the journey
• How personal pitches create success

About Spike Johnson:
Spike is an independent photojournalist and filmmaker. His work has been published by NBC, BBC PBS, CBS, The New York Times, The New Yorker, Newsweek, The Washington Post, The Guardian, Harper’s, Vice Magazine, Foreign Policy, and Human Rights Watch.

His projects have received funding from the Fund for Investigative Journalism, the Society of Environmental Journalists, and the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.

Johnson has been recognized with awards from the National Press Photographers Association, The International Photography Awards, and the College Photographer of the Year competition.

Learn more about Spike and his work via:
- https://www.instagram.com/spike_johnson
- https://www.spikejohnson.co.uk
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/spike-johnson

Credits:

Podcast theme music by Transistor.fm.