In this episode of the Startup Ignition Podcast, host Tyler Richards sits down with Adam Weber, the co-founder and CEO of Driven, a SaaS performance management tool for the home services industry. Adam shares his unconventional journey from feeling like an academic underachiever to becoming a serial entrepreneur. He details his first venture in custom suits, the lessons learned from various businesses including a pest control company and even a porta-potty rental service, and how the pain points of running his own service business led to the creation of Driven. Adam offers incredible insights on customer validation, his “irrational confidence,” and a strategic, research-heavy approach to fundraising that has led him to successfully raise a $2.5 million seed round. This episode is packed with real-world tactics and the gritty, unfiltered story of a true operator.

(00:05:19) Startup “This or That” Icebreaker

(00:15:49) Adam’s Early Life and Feeling Dumb in School

(00:18:07) How Watching ‘The Apprentice’ Sparked His Entrepreneurial Drive

(00:19:40) Starting His First Business: A Custom Suit Company

(00:23:44) Moving to San Francisco and Bluffing His Way into a Corporate Job

(00:30:27) The “Knock” Startup Idea in San Francisco

(00:32:19) The Phone Call That Led to Starting a Pest Control Company

(00:36:21) The Key to Success in the Pest Control Business: Hustle

(00:40:22) Side Ventures: Porta-Potties and Dental Service Organizations

(00:43:30) The Genesis of Driven: Solving His Own Business Pains

(00:44:45) Selling the Pest Control Company to Go All-In on SaaS

(00:49:50) Why He Chose a Risky Software Startup Over a Stable Service Business

(00:53:11) Moving to Utah and Raising a Pre-Seed Round

(00:55:31) How Driven Acquired Its First Customers and Validated the Product

(00:58:25) Adam’s Unique and Successful Fundraising Strategy

(01:06:48) Advice for His 20-Year-Old Self

(01:09:39) The Single Most Important Piece of Advice for Founders: Validate

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