Podcast Summary: The Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan

Episode 628: (Solo) The Content Playbook I Wish I Had When I Started
Release Date: February 3, 2026
Host: Nathan Chan

Episode Overview

In this solo episode, Nathan Chan, CEO of Foundr, shares the content strategy framework he wishes he had when he first started building his brand. Speaking directly to early-stage e-commerce entrepreneurs and founders, Nathan delivers hard-earned lessons and a straightforward playbook for overcoming the blank-content-slate dilemma. Drawing inspiration from branding expert Dane Walker, Nathan breaks down proven, actionable methods to research, structure, create, and iterate on content—whether you have zero followers or are looking to scale.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Giving Credit and Foundations

• Nathan kicks off by crediting Dane Walker’s book, "90 Day Personal Brand," as a foundational influence (03:35).
• Emphasizes the importance of "founder-led content"—the power of authenticity and intention in online presence.

2. Begin with Market Recon: Study the Landscape

• Study top 10-20 accounts or thought leaders in your niche.

  • Observe brands or creators that have the audience you want. (05:07)
  • Look for outliers, not averages: what content truly outperformed? (06:05)
  • Focus on posts with high views, shares, saves.
  • "What you want to look for, the key is don’t just look at the average, look at the outliers." —Nathan Chan (05:53)

• Reverse-engineer their success:

  • Analyze the first three seconds of videos (hooks).
  • Break down formats—tile art, stories, product demos, reels, carousels.
  • Don’t copy; model the structure and essence.

3. Select Formats and Social Channels

• Avoid trying to be everywhere at once.

• Pick only 2-3 formats that fit your brand, skills, and natural energy.

  • Options: short-form or long-form video, carousel images, bold quotes, product photos, behind-the-scenes. (08:20)
  • "Make what works, work for you." —Nathan Chan (09:51)

• Focus on ONE social channel initially:

  • Examples: Instagram Reels, TikTok, LinkedIn, X (Twitter).
  • Go deep, not wide.
  • Nathan shares his own focus: "Only for the past year, I’ve been really, really focused on Instagram... In the next six months, I’m going to start working on YouTube." (11:24)

4. The Unicorn Strategy: Model Viral Content

• Find and model the top-performing (“unicorn”) content in your space. (13:14)

  • Don’t reinvent the wheel—great content leaves clues.
  • "You want to reverse engineer. Why did this content work? What was the hook? What was the structure? What emotions did it tap into?" —Nathan Chan (13:35)

• Examples:

  • Water bottle brand recreating a durability video they saw succeed elsewhere—led to hundreds of thousands of views and direct sales (14:20).
  • Mr. Beast’s “bags of money” running gag, then adapted by others (books, products)—proves modeling popular formats works (15:32).
  • For Foundr, story-based carousels for podcasts and founder stories perform best.

5. Consistency is King: The 90-Day Challenge

• Commit to posting one piece of content per day for 90 days (16:30).
  • "If you put out 90 pieces of content, one per day, I promise you after 90 days, it will rock your world, change your world for me." —Nathan Chan (16:49)
  • Use the "build — measure — learn" cycle: publish, analyze, adapt.

6. Personal Reflections & Origin Story

• Nathan recounts how modeling quote posts from Forbes, Fast Company, Entrepreneur on Instagram launched Foundr’s massive brand growth (17:26).

  • "I was the king of quotes back in the day. And so I got millions of follows. And it was a game changer for the brand." —Nathan Chan (17:44)
  • Now preferences have shifted, but the lesson on leveraging what works remains vital.

• Honest reflection:

  • Starting from scratch is hard but crucial for building “the muscle.”
  • "If you do this with consistency and curiosity, you will grow a real and engaged audience for your brand." —Nathan Chan (18:51)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Don’t just look at the average, look at the outliers.”
  —Nathan Chan (05:53)
  Emphasizing the importance of identifying breakthrough content, not just what’s popular.

• “Make what works, work for you.”
  —Nathan Chan (09:51)
  A core principle: adapt strategies so they fit your natural skills and voice.

• “You want to reverse engineer. Why did this content work?...You’re not reinventing the wheel, you’re learning from what already works.”
  —Nathan Chan (13:35)
  Detailing the unicorn strategy for content modeling.

• “If you put out 90 pieces of content, one per day, I promise you after 90 days, it will rock your world, change your world for me. I was like, oh my God, I should do this. Ten years ago... founder would be a probably 10 times bigger business than what it is right now.”
  —Nathan Chan (16:49)

• “Starting from zero is hard, but it’s also the most powerful phase because it forces you to focus, adapt, and really build that muscle.”
  —Nathan Chan (18:35)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:35 — Giving credit to Dane Walker, inspiration for the strategy
• 05:07 — How to do market research/recon
• 06:05 — Focus on outlier content, not just averages
• 08:20 — Choosing the right format and channel for you
• 09:51 — The importance of personal style in picking formats
• 11:24 — Nathan’s personal focus: Instagram, and planning for YouTube
• 13:14 — Explaining the “unicorn” content modeling strategy
• 15:32 — Example: Mr. Beast’s viral format and its imitators
• 16:30 — The 90-day content challenge (build-measure-learn process)
• 17:26 — Nathan’s memory: “King of quotes” and early Foundr Instagram growth
• 18:35 — The value of starting from scratch and consistency

Summary Table: The Content Playbook at a Glance

| Step | Action | Rationale | |------|---------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------| | 1 | Study 10-20 leaders in your industry | See what types of content work | | 2 | Focus on outlier, high-engagement posts | Model success, don’t reinvent | | 3 | Pick 2-3 formats that match your strengths | Lean into natural fit for sustainability | | 4 | Choose ONE primary social channel | Gain traction and mastery | | 5 | Model winning ("unicorn") content strategies| Reverse-engineer, don't copy | | 6 | Post consistently for 90 days | Build muscle, tweak with feedback |

Closing Thoughts

Nathan’s tone throughout is encouraging and frank, emphasizing the importance of intention, research, consistency, and adaptability in content creation. He’s transparent about lessons learned and missed opportunities, giving listeners a relatable roadmap to avoid common mistakes and accelerate their own brand growth.

If you’re stuck at square one of your content journey—or ready to double down and scale—this episode is a powerful, practical kickstart. As Nathan says, "Make what works, work for you." (09:51)

Resource:
For further help and access to the Foundr community and strategies: foundr.com/membership

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