• Move fast and focus—corporate pace wastes years, whereas entrepreneurship lets you launch and learn quickly.
• Avoid overbuilding your MVP; concentrate on solving one real problem for a specific user segment.
• Your assumptions aren’t the market’s reality—talk to actual users early and let their feedback guide your product.
• Select co-founders with aligned values and resilience—ask where you both see the company in 18 months to test fit.
• Sales skills are foundational; early hustle and learning to sell teaches you about people and value exchange.
• Success comes not from pleasing everyone, but from targeting and solving a clear problem for a defined audience.
• Launching before you feel “ready” is normal; validation comes from real conversations, not from building in isolation.

[00:49] Tom Green Introduction – Phil Better welcomes Tom Green, co-founder and CEO of Verticode, and introduces his experience helping founders launch MVPs.

[02:29] Why Entrepreneurship? – Tom Green explains his decision to leave the corporate world for entrepreneurship, driven by a desire for speed, impact, and leadership.

[04:27] The MVP Mindset – Tom shares the common misconceptions entrepreneurs have about Minimum Viable Products and his approach to focused MVP development.

[07:45] Niching Down – Discussion on the importance of solving a specific problem for a specific audience when launching a product or podcast.

[09:28] Tom’s Founder Journey – Tom recounts his transition from a corporate role to launching his first startups, detailing lessons learned from his early ventures.

[13:15] Building Verticode – Tom discusses how Verticode was conceived, the early scrappy days, and their iterative approach to validating the business model.

[13:59] Founders & Co-Founders – Lessons Tom learned about choosing and vetting co-founders, and the questions founders should ask to ensure alignment.

[17:43] Knowing When to Launch – Tom describes how to determine when an MVP is ready for market and why he loves answering this liberating question.

[19:30] Looking 10 Years Ahead – Tom reflects on his personal vision for the future, ambitions to build a movement, and scaling ventures under a broader umbrella.

[22:28] Ultimate Accomplishments – Tom shares his long-term goal of creating meaningful impact and leaving a mark beyond early-stage startups.

[25:27] Advice to His 10-Year-Old Self – Tom gives practical advice about learning the value of sales and understanding people from a young age.

[27:24] Where to Find Tom – Tom shares where listeners can connect with him and learn more about Verticode and building MVPs.

[28:44] Closing – Phil Better wraps up the episode, encourages investing in yourself, and thanks Tom and the audience.