Hey friends 👋
Welcome to your weekly Office Hours Recap! Whether you joined us live or are catching up now, here’s what you missed from our Substack AMA and LinkedIn Live sessions. This week, we dove into the real questions behind startup growth, investor feedback, and the quirks of building in public.
And we had a special guest! Filling in for Cameron was my good friend Ben McDougal — an author, podcaster, entrepreneur, polymath, and ecosystem organizer.
We explored when to chase unexpected traction from new markets, how to handle investors pushing you off-mission (hello, crypto!), and the difference between real and “friend-fueled” traction.
Plus: team shakeups, product pivots, and why sometimes the best move is to slow down and roll the dice.
Substack AMA (Tuesdays at 9am Pacific)
Should you pivot to serve unexpected international users, or stay focused on your original market?
Is it ever worth adding a crypto layer just because an investor wants it?
How do you pick the right exit strategy for your pitch deck—IPO, acquisition, or something else?
Lifestyle business or VC rocketship? How to decide if you should raise or keep growing profitably.
Watch the replay video above this post.
LinkedIn Live (Fridays at noon Pacific)
Does traction from your personal network “count” with investors, or is it just friend-fueled?
How do you prove your product works for strangers, not just your friends?
A co-founder just left—should you rush to replace them, or show you can run lean?
Users are hacking your SaaS in weird ways—pivot or stay the course?
How do you know if your “personal painkiller” product is a real business or just a hobby?
Key takeaways
Not all traction is created equal — investors want to see strangers care, not just your friends.
Don’t let one investor’s crypto obsession derail your roadmap.
Sometimes the best move is to slow down, gather data, and avoid panic pivots.
If users are hacking your product, collect more data before you chase every squirrel.
“Healthy obsession” beats passion — find the real pain, not just your own itch.
What’s your take?
Hit reply and tell us: Have you ever pivoted for unexpected users? Did it work?
Join us live: Substack AMA Tuesdays 9am PT, LinkedIn Live Fridays noon PT
Submit your own question for next week.
Share this recap with a founder friend who needs a reality check (or a fuzzy dice metaphor). See you next week!
—jdm
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