The Physics of Startups

Afleveringen

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  The $1M ARR founder calendar 24.07.2026 25min

  What should a founder's calendar actually look like? (and if someone looked at your calendar, would they believe that's what you want?) Rob introduces the Calendar Standard: a simple framework for how founders should spend their time if they're serious about reaching product-market fit and scaling from $0 to $1 million ARR. Includes a practical weekly schedule you can use today.Covered in this episode:Why your calendar reveals what you actually believe mattersThe activities that drive startup growth from $0 to $1M ARRWhat a founder's weekly calendar should look likeWhy smart founders often outsmart themselvesThe two most common excuses founders use to avoid growth activitiesHow to identify whether you're working on the business or avoiding the businessLinksGet The Power of PULL:Amazon: https://amzn.to/48KC1yvBarnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/4dyMTSvRob's PULL course: https://robsnyder.org/courseWork with Rob: https://www.robsnyder.orgConnect with Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/Follow Rob's Substack: https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/Mentioned in this episode:The B2B Standard Operating Philosophy Pipeline Megapost Chapters01:00 Why this episode exists02:03 The Startup Standard recap06:24 What your calendar reveals about you10:58 The Calendar Standard13:06 Why this schedule can generate $2M+ ARR14:04 Why outbound comes first15:42 Go-to-market admin16:14 Post-sales calls18:26 Who this calendar is for20:33 Objection #1: "I don't know my case study yet"21:27 Objection #2: "I can't get people to meet with me"23:51 Why most outbound fails24:27 Compare your calendar to the standard
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  Debunking Startup mythology: "Pain Points" (and why they're worthless) 17.07.2026 22min

  "The Power of PULL" on Amazon: https://bit.ly/4pm3dKq (Please leave a review!) Why do some people with obvious pain points never buy? Rob explains why founders are often taught to look for the wrong thing. Pain points may create interest, but they don't create purchases. Instead, he introduces the concept of PULL points, the conditions that make a customer unable to delay a project and unable to solve it with their existing options. Use these to stop mistaking enthusiasm for buying intent and start identifying customers who are actually trying to buy. Covered in this episode: Why pain points and buying intent are not the same thing The two PULL points every founder should look for when selling (or designing products) How to tell whether a customer's existing options are "good enough" Why the best sales conversations often feel like you're talking someone out of buying Links Get The Power of PULL: Amazon: https://amzn.to/48KC1yv Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/4dyMTSvRob's PULL course: https://robsnyder.org/courseWork with Rob: https://www.robsnyder.orgConnect with Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/Follow Rob's Substack: https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/Chapters01:49 Why book reviews matter03:29 The problem with pain points06:47 Introducing PULL points07:16 Schrödinger's Date12:22 The two PULL points14:23 Example: employee retention software16:55 Why "good enough" matters19:37 A better sales question21:11 Applying PULL points in your business22:02 Closing thoughts
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  What "Good" actually looks like for startups 10.07.2026 43min

  How do you know if your startup is actually on track?A founder recently asked Rob a simple question: What does good actually look like? Rob realized that most founders don't have clear standards for evaluating whether their startup is making progress or quietly stalling. In this episode, he introduces a practical framework for assessing startup health across the entire customer factory - from pipeline and PULL to close rates, cycle times, and customer success. Covered in this episode:The six metrics every founder should trackWhat a repeatable case study actually looks likeHow many customer conversations you should be having each weekWhy PULL is a better metric than interest or enthusiasmThe close rates and sales cycles high-performing startups achieveHow to identify your leading indicator of customer retentionWhy most founders focus on the wrong bottleneckA simple weekly process for confronting reality and making progressLinksGet The Power of PULL:Amazon: https://amzn.to/48KC1yvBarnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/4dyMTSvRob's PULL course: https://robsnyder.org/courseWork with Rob: https://www.robsnyder.orgConnect with Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/Follow Rob's Substack: https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/Chapters00:00 The Power of PULL is published02:16 Why founders need standards08:22 The case study factory13:21 Metric #1: The repeatable case study19:28 Metric #2: Pipeline23:38 Metric #3: PULL27:17 Metric #4: Close rate31:21 Metric #5: Cycle time35:07 Metric #6: Success rate39:01 A weekly startup reality check40:30 Why these standards matter42:37 Final thoughts
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  Five Lessons from 50 Startups That Reached $1M ARR 03.07.2026 34min

  What do startups that reach $1 million ARR have in common?Rob has helped more than 50 startups grow from $0 to $1 million ARR. In this episode, he reflects on the patterns that show up across startups and industries, including five lessons from those journeys.Covered in this episode:Why PULL is the underlying cause of startup growthWhy nearly every successful startup "unfolds"Why the product customers want is usually much smaller than founders imagineHow founders accidentally make sales harder than they need to beWhy learning velocity depends on getting more customer conversationsLinksPre-order The Power of PULL and get Rob's Claude skill:https://www.robsnyder.org/bookRob's PULL course:https://robsnyder.org/courseWork with Rob:https://www.robsnyder.orgConnect with Rob on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/Follow Rob's Substack:https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/Chapters00:00 Book launch02:16 What 50 zero-to-one-million journeys have in common09:03 Lesson #1: PULL is everything14:34 Lesson #2: It almost always takes an unfolding20:01 Lesson #3: The thing that works is embarrassingly small22:27 Lesson #4: Most founders are counterproductive at sales28:39 Lesson #5: Everything starts with customer conversations31:59 Why most startup advice gets this wrong
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  Are they pulling? (aka: avoiding "seems-like-pull-but-isn't") 26.06.2026 31min

  In this episode, Rob explores one of the most costly mistakes founders make: confusing enthusiasm with PULL. We explore why things customers say like "This would solve our biggest pain point" or "This would save us millions" often lead founders down dead ends. People with PULL try to buy. People without PULL often sound interested, ask questions, and give positive feedback - but don't initiate purchase-shaped actions. We cover in this episode:The difference between enthusiasm and PULLWhy pain points, ROI, and positive feedback are often misleadingWhat "trying to buy" actually looks likeHow to identify purchase-shaped actionsWhy founders waste months chasing prospects who were never going to buyHow to "play dumb" to uncover what customers are really thinkingLinksPre-order The Power of PULL and get Rob's Claude skill: https://www.robsnyder.org/bookRob's PULL course: https://robsnyder.org/course Work with Rob: https://www.robsnyder.org Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ Follow Rob's Substack: https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/Chapters01:57 Why founders misread sales calls 04:46 The cost of false PULL 08:33 What PULL actually is 10:51 What trying to buy looks like 15:46 Common signals that aren't PULL 20:33 The danger of hypothetical next steps 25:20 Playing dumb to find the truth 29:36 Getting to ground truth
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  If your product hasn't taken off (radical simplification) 19.06.2026 22min

  Your startup has customers. Revenue is growing. So why does growth still feel harder than it should? Rob tackles one of the most frustrating challenges founders face: knowing your product works, but not knowing why growth isn't accelerating. Rob explains why the issue is almost always traced back to just two causes: 1. You haven't identified who truly has PULL for your product, or 2. You're doing something that prevents those people from buying. In this episode, we cover:• Why most founders feel like there are a million possible reasons growth has stalled• The two root causes behind most startup growth problems • How to identify the customers who are weird not to buy your product • Why some customers buy quickly while others never become successful • How to narrow your ICP based on real-world evidence instead of assumptions • Why most sales processes create friction instead of momentum • The difference between what causes a purchase and what prevents one • How demos, sales calls, and onboarding often work against founders • A simple way to audit your sales calls for hidden problems • The signals that tell you whether a prospect actually has PULLLinksPre-order The Power of PULL and get Rob's Claude skill: https://www.robsnyder.org/bookRob's PULL course: https://robsnyder.org/courseWork with Rob: https://www.robsnyder.orgConnect with Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/Follow Rob's Substack: https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/Chapters00:00 Book and course updates04:56 Why founders feel stuck06:42 The two causes of stalled growth08:27 Who this framework applies to10:00 Reason #1: You haven't identified who has PULL11:41 Narrowing your ICP13:09 Why PULL isn't knowable in advance16:56 Reason #2: You're preventing people from buying19:45 How sales processes create friction20:29 Auditing your sales calls21:27 The one-minute demo rule22:08 A simple test for PULL
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  Learn from 2 *real* founder sales calls (Rob teardowns) 12.06.2026 14min

  Sales teardown #1: https://youtu.be/3TsrrMSXIfgSales teardown #2: https://youtu.be/9a78RWkaALM---Pre-order Rob's book and get his Claude sales call analysis skill: https://robsnyder.org/bookWork with Rob: https://robsnyder.org/work-with-meRob's substack: https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/
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  What founders get wrong about pilots / POCs / trials 05.06.2026 30min

  Your pilots are going well. Users are getting value. Usage is increasing. So why aren't customers buying? Or buying still is painful?Rob unpacks a common startup assumption: if a pilot succeeds, the customer will buy. He explains why pilots, demos, procurement reviews, and other parts of the sales process never cause a purchase. Instead, they can only prevent one. Understanding that distinction helps founders design shorter sales cycles, avoid endless pilots, and focus on the factors that actually drive buying decisions.In this episode:• The two things that actually cause a purchase• Why pilots belong in a completely different category• How founders accidentally sabotage deals by offering pilots too early• What procurement, security reviews, and compliance really do• How to uncover the reason behind a pilot request• Why "success criteria" can be a trap• How to design pilots that accelerate deals instead of delaying themLinks:Pre-order The Power of PULL and get Rob's Claude skill: www.robsnyder.org/bookWork with Rob: www.robsnyder.orgConnect with Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/Follow Rob's Substack: https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/Chapters:00:00 One month until The Power of PULL launches02:02 The founder question: pilots that don't convert05:18 What actually causes a purchase?08:43 Procurement, compliance, and other purchase blockers12:07 Why pilots can hurt your sales process14:29 Understanding the demand behind a pilot request18:20 Why "success criteria" often create delays22:06 Mistaken causality and failed lessons25:15 Designing pilots around failure conditions29:29 Design for causes, minimize preventers
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  The first two things that matter in a startup ("Aero mode") 29.05.2026 28min

  Access to Rob's Claude skill + AMAs: LINK (just upload a screen grab of your pre-order)Rob's book: Amazon, B&NWhen founder is getting started, they might be juggling multiple different ICPs and value props. Rob in this episode discusses why the goal is to eliminate all the "might work" and get to "weird if it didn't work" --> then translate that into a "weird not to meet" when a customer is in that situation.Full blog on Rob's substack (post "Aero Mode"): ⁠https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/⁠⁠---- Work with Rob: ⁠ ⁠ https://www.robsnyder.org⁠⁠ Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠ ⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/⁠ ⁠Weekly founder insights: ⁠⁠https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/⁠Preorder Rob's book - "The Power of PULL" - ⁠ https://amzn.to/48KC1yv⁠
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  What happens after PMF? 22.05.2026 23min

  Rob's buddy found PMF a few months ago and went from ~bankrupt to more than $1M ARR in less than three months. What happens in that case?Rob and RC discuss what changed to find PMF, and what the experience is post-PMF. Also, what do you do as a founder - where do you focus? And how does your approach pre-PMF affect your post-PMF life? (tl;dr: a lot)Preorder Rob's book - "The Power of PULL" - ⁠and take a screenshot of your receipt! (we'll tell you what to do with it soon) ⁠https://amzn.to/48KC1yv⁠⁠---- Workwith Rob: ⁠ ⁠ https://www.robsnyder.org⁠⁠ Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠ ⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/⁠ ⁠Weekly founder insights: ⁠⁠https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/⁠Preorder Rob's book - "The Power of PULL" - ⁠ https://amzn.to/48KC1yv⁠
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  The PULL Quickstart Guide (a PMF hierarchy) 15.05.2026 27min

  Rob has distilled PULL into its most important elements - arranged in hierarchical order so that a founder knows where to focus first. This conversation includes the common error of getting the order wrong, Rob's commentary on the three most important parts of PULL, and examples of how these show up with founders.Highly recommend reading the full substack post, "The PULL Quickstart Guide", available on Rob's substack: https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/---- Work with Rob: ⁠ https://www.robsnyder.org⁠ Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ ⁠Weekly founder insights: ⁠https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/Preorder Rob's book - "The Power of PULL" - https://amzn.to/48KC1yv  #PMF #B2BSales #VC #Startup #VentureCapital #Founderledsales
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  Investor PULL (what VCs actually want) 08.05.2026 28min

  This is about VCs but also isn't about VCs. PULL can be found all over a startup - obviously with customers, but also, investors have PULL and they're trying to accomplish something specific. Rob works with founders to shape pitch decks and has fundraised - there's a hard-won lesson about what VCs are trying to accomplish, and the HUGE trap that smart, thoughtful founders building solid businesses fall into. This is an example of a broader lesson - things that look the same "when you're squinting" - are often fundamentally different, and that drives how you sell, how you build, and more. Check out Rob's full lecture: "Notes on the physics of startups": ⁠LINK⁠ Preorder Rob's book: ⁠LINK⁠----Rob's website: ⁠www.robsnyder.org⁠Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/⁠ Rob's (free) Substack: ⁠https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/⁠
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  Buying is weird and rare (a reality check) 01.05.2026 26min

  Founders are inherent optimists - that's why (despite all the warnings of battle-scared entrepreneurs) we continue to start businesses. It is the cheerful burden we carry as we march into the abyss. But GIVEN THAT'S THE CASE - how can we avoid that optimism crippling our chances at finding product-market fit? In this convo, Rob discusses the cold, harsh reality of launching a startup, the risks that optimistic founders run, and how to avoid them. Also, Rob deadlifted 400lbs. Check out Rob's full lecture: "Notes on the physics of startups": LINK Preorder Rob's book: LINK----Rob's website: www.robsnyder.orgConnect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ Rob's (free) Substack: https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/
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  How Rocksalt.ai went from Push to Pull 24.04.2026 47min

  The Lightspeed-funded startup Rocksalt had some traction, but it wasn't clear they had really found Pull. They had sales, but there was friction in the sales calls. They were trying to decide between three different ICPs. And retention and consistent use wasn't as consistent as they wanted.In this conversation, cofounders Arjun Moorthy and Anita Moorthy join Rob to discuss how they used the PULL way of thinking to change their approach to identifying their ICP, outbound, their sales process, their sales deck, and how their product evolves.Learn more and get in touch with Arjun and Anita:Website: https://www.rocksalt.ai/Arjun LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunmoorthy Anita LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amoorthy/Email: arjun@rocksalt.ai , anita@rocksalt.aiX/Twitter: https://x.com/anitamoorthy , https://x.com/juicemoorthy---Work with Rob: ⁠ https://www.robsnyder.org⁠ Connect w/ Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ ⁠Rob's substack: ⁠ https://howtogrow.substack.com/ ⁠ Preorder Rob's book - "The Power of PULL" - https://amzn.to/48KC1yv
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  DECK DROP - Rob's latest 17.04.2026 9min

  Whatever you're doing, make time to read through Rob's latest deck: "Notes on the Physics of Startups"Access here (free): LINKWork with Rob: robsnyder.org
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  Cause vs. Benefit | The Quickbooks lesson 10.04.2026 19min

  When someone buys something, they get a bunch of benefits and they may use a variety of different features, all of which provide an array of different benefits. After they buy, they explain what they like about our product based on these post-hoc benefits they received after they purchased it.But the benefits do not *predict* why someone buys. In this conversation Rob gets into the difference between cause vs. benefits of a purchase, and a surprising lesson from Quickbooks and Bobby Moesta.Rob's Substack post here: ⁠LINK⁠PMF Camp / Work with Rob: ⁠LINK⁠Pre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL") - ⁠Amazon⁠Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠LINK⁠
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  The fusion engine for progress (PULL applied to capitalism) 03.04.2026 36min

  Rob is zooming out this week to look at what PULL means in the context of capitalism, and in particular, why it is the only system that can possibly serve people. It's taking a micro-understanding of how demand and PULL work, and thinking about its broader implications - and what this means for social entrepreneurship and alternative economic organizations.Rob's Substack post here: ⁠LINK⁠PMF Camp / Work with Rob: ⁠LINK⁠Pre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL") - ⁠Amazon⁠Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠LINK⁠
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  Translating customer language 101 27.03.2026 48min

  One of the most challenging things about identifying PULL in customers is understanding what they are telling you. In this conversation, Rob discusses the “hairball” that customers often spit out - a mix of demand, supply, history, random red herrings - and how to translate that into Demand. Rob's Substack post here: ⁠LINK⁠PMF Camp / Work with Rob: ⁠LINK⁠Pre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL") - ⁠Amazon⁠Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠LINK⁠
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  Rob's B2B Sales Call Script (finally) 20.03.2026 49min

  Rob's B2B Sales Call Script: LINKYou asked, Rob answered. Rob is open-sourcing his sales call script that he uses with founders and heads of sales to identify PULL and pitch supply in a way that customer's want (and actually understand and buy).In this conversation, Rob discusses common failure modes in sales calls that he sees and walks through key elements of the sales call script - from Demand to Supply.Rob's Substack post here: ⁠LINK⁠Work with Rob: ⁠LINK⁠Pre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL") - ⁠Amazon⁠Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠LINK⁠
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  Behind a $300M exit: Interview w/ Palash Soni from Goldcast 13.03.2026 46min

  Palash Soni founded Goldcast, a video-first B2B event marketing platform which was acquired by CVent in December 2025 reportedly for $300M. Palash and Rob have known each other for several years, and in this conversation they discuss the evolution of Goldcast, why Goldcast survived when better funded competitors didn't, the acquisition process, choosing the right market, the experience of being acquired, and more.--Rob's Substack: ⁠LINK⁠PMF Camp / Work with Rob: ⁠LINK⁠Pre-order Rob's book ("The Power of PULL") - ⁠Amazon⁠Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: ⁠LINK⁠