
September 17, 2020
Ryan Delk on The Pod of Jake
Check out The Pod of Jake Podcast Episode Page
Key Takeaways
- Build things that excite you
- Relationships compound, choose co-workers you want to work for a decade
- When fundraising, understand what’s a meaningful amount of money for each investor that will make them care and architect the fundraising round around that
- “Raise money from people that you couldn’t hire but that you want to hire” – Ryan Delk
- Strive to quickly build a self-sustaining company that doesn’t rely on venture capital
- Don’t be afraid to send cold emails, but keep your emails short and direct
Intro
- Ryan Delk (@delk) is the co-founder of Primer
- Host: Jake (@blogofjake)
Home Schooling is On the Rise
- Distance learning is gaining ground, more so because of COVID lockdowns
- Many parents will stick with homeschooling post-COVID, because of the economical and academic benefits
- That said, homeschooling in its current form isn’t suitable for all families, as both parents have to work in-person
The Home Schooling Experience
- The internet makes it easier to follow a curriculum and figure out what to learn
- Traditionally, parents were worried about the social aspects of homeschooling, but more homeschooled individuals are dismissing those worries
- The challenge with homeschooling is to find projects, field trips, and activities for the kids
- That said, it’s now easier to be part of many communities both online and offline
Primer
- Primer brings together homeschoolers and parents of shared interests
- Kids can join clubs and work on projects based on their interests
- Additionally, parents can easily monitor what kids are working on (e.g. projects, curriculum, subjects, etc.)
- Primer Navigator also outlines regulations per state
- Investors in primer include Keith Rabois, Naval Ravikant, Balaji Srinivasan, Cyan Bannister, Erik Torenberg, Scott Belsky, Fred Ehrsam, Harry Stebbings, and David Perell
The Sharing Economy
- Things that can be shared should be shared
- We could all buy and own less stuff, share more, and have access to high-quality goods that we couldn’t otherwise afford
- Imagine an Uber fleet of self-driving cars
- The trick is finding out the economic and logistical model to make it work
- We could all buy and own less stuff, share more, and have access to high-quality goods that we couldn’t otherwise afford
On Building a Company
- Relationships compound, choose co-workers you would want to work for for a decade
- “Raise money from people that you couldn’t hire but that you want to hire” – Ryan Delk
- Draw on their expertise and let them drive popularity for you
- Strive to quickly build a self-sustaining company that doesn’t rely on venture capital
Getting Value From Investors
- “I am a huge believer in having a few investors, at least 1, with a very concentrated stake in the company” – Ryan Delk
- That said, the more successful the investor, the more the value you have to provide
- Understand what’s a meaningful amount of money for each investor that will make them care and architect the fundraising round around that
- Else, the investor may own more of other companies and end up spending time on those
Cold Emails
- Don’t be afraid to send cold emails and explore the opportunities
- People are busy, keep your emails short and direct
- An example, “Hey Ryan, I have a podcast, I would love to have you on. We have 90,000 listeners and here is a link to our recent episode. Let me know if we can get 45 minutes booked in the next month”
Additional Notes
- Build things that you are excited about
- Similarly, as a parent, what would you like to see your kid work on
- Experts are not always the best teachers
- “The best NBA players aren’t the best coaches and the best coaches aren’t the best NBA players usually” – Ryan Delk