Josh Barker, CEO of City Innovations, shares raw and hard-earned lessons from his Silicon Valley startup journey that inspired his upcoming book, Traction First. Hear how a $500K mistake taught him to “sell first, build later,” why chasing product-market fit is like riding a bike downhill, and the critical difference between solving an “aspirin problem” vs. a “vitamin problem.”
From multiple pivots to discovering rapid learning cycles and leveraging no-tech solutions, Josh reveals how founders can avoid years of struggle, validate their ideas fast, and build startups that actually gain traction.
🎧 Essential listening for founders, innovators, and anyone ready to de-risk their next big idea.
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00:00) Lessons from Silicon Valley
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04:45) The $500K Startup Mistake
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10:28) Finding Product-Market Fit
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15:50) Rapid Learning & No-Tech Validation
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20:14) Pivoting to Success
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28:33) The Myth of Silicon Valley
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35:47) Hustle Culture vs. Strategic Thinking
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41:05) Writing
Traction First (
49:22) Key Takeaways for Founders