OnlyFounders
What really happens when two founders hit record?
Welcome to OnlyFounders, the unfiltered podcast where Anne Gillaspie and Matt Lo—two wildly different founders with wildly good chemistry—let you eavesdrop on the conversations that usually happen behind closed doors.
From the brand therapist brain of Anne (Fix & Form) to the tech-obsessed mind of Matt (ChipBot), these are the deep dives, off-the-rails riffs, and philosophical rabbit holes that business owners crave but rarely get. Think of it as your morning coffee with two founders who aren’t afraid to disagree, throw a little shade, and get real about the humanity and science of building things that last.
Business. Branding. Technology. Psychology. Strategy. Swearing. It’s all on the table.
Grab your mug. You’re invited.
OnlyFounders
013: “The Human Touch vs. The Algorithm”: How Founders Win Attention (and Avoid 'Yuck Marketing')
Anne and Matt dive into the often-underestimated challenges of podcast distribution and marketing, questioning if the hardest part of their journey has just begun. They discuss the critical role of empathy and human connection in effective marketing, emphasizing that genuine engagement beats "noise". The hosts debate the ethical lines of AI in personalized marketing without consent and distinguish between persuasion and manipulation. They also explore the nuances of product marketing, from the slow growth of a human-centered approach to understanding diverse buyer motivations, whether driven by emotional experience or technical features.
🚨 Stuff You’ll Want to Remember:
- "I've failed so many times in marketing and the humanization, you know, being human in general really works way better than trying to overanalyze the data. Like, none of that stuff works." — Matt
- "Effective marketing is not persuading the person to need what you're selling. I think persuasive marketing that's good is persuading the buyer who's already looking for what you're selling to go with you." — Anne
- "In marketing, there's a line in the sand. There is the art of persuasion and then the art of manipulation." — Matt
- "There's the emotional approach which is the experience and the feelings and the sensations, right?... But then there is the technical buyer that wants all the gadgets, right? All the- the cool $%^&, the gizmo guy, the gizmo gal" — Anne
💣 Sh*t Only Founders Say:
- "But also, like get to the $%^&ing point already, right?" — Anne
- "Is distribution always the hardest thing?" — Matt
- "... we're craving this authentic place to connect with someone ... "— Anne
- "But when it comes to product, that growth is too slow." — Matt
💬 Lines That Slap:
- "$%^& you. I didn't give you permission to look at my website. I wrote that @$#$. Get out of it." — Anne
- "I'm not editing anything out." — Matt
📡 Where to Find Us:
- Anne → Fix & Form - LinkedIn
- Matt → ChipBot - LinkedIn