Podcast
The Physics of Startups
Hosted by Rob Snyder · EN
Most founders are stuck in the pain cave - and no one can tell them why.
Rob Snyder - 3x founder, Harvard Innovation Lab fellow, has helped 40+ startups go from 0-$1M ARR - is on a mission to understand why some startups take off and other's don't.
The startup education that should have been invented decades ago.
Practical insights to help founders escape the pain cave and build profitable businesses.
PMF newsletter: https://thephysicsofstartups.substack.com/
Work with Rob: https://www.robsnyder.org
Contact: rob@reframeb2b.com
27episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
If your product hasn't taken off (radical simplification)
1w ago00:22:22Tap to summarizeYour 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
Transcribe →Learn from 2 *real* founder sales calls (Rob teardowns)
2w ago00:14:30Tap to summarizeSales 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/
Transcribe →What founders get wrong about pilots / POCs / trials
3w ago00:30:42Tap to summarizeYour 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
Transcribe →The first two things that matter in a startup ("Aero mode")
4w ago00:28:30Tap to summarizeAccess 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
Transcribe →What happens after PMF?
May 2200:23:13Tap to summarizeRob'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
Transcribe →The PULL Quickstart Guide (a PMF hierarchy)
May 1500:27:23Tap to summarizeRob 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
Transcribe →Investor PULL (what VCs actually want)
May 800:28:37Tap to summarizeThis 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/
Transcribe →Buying is weird and rare (a reality check)
May 100:26:17Tap to summarizeFounders 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/
Transcribe →How Rocksalt.ai went from Push to Pull
Apr 2400:47:00Tap to summarizeThe 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
Transcribe →
DECK DROP - Rob's latest
Apr 1700:09:02Tap to summarizeWhatever 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
Transcribe →