This is how Sam raised $67M for his startup, Levels, and helped turn one of his co-founders into a successful influencer with nearly a million followers.
📚 1,800 Pitch Decks (Free) → deck-database.carrd.co
Follow Sam's journey:
🐦 X → x.com/samcorcos
💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/samcorcos
🚀 Startup → levels.com
Follow us:
🔔 Subscribe → youtube.com/@foundingjourney?sub_confirmation=1
📝 Newsletter → join.foundingjourney.com
📈 Founder Membership → upgrade.foundingjourney.com
💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/michael-houck
Sam's Startup Journey
01:24 — How Sam almost didn't become an entrepreneur
05:46 — Sam's companies before Levels
09:45 — Early entrepreneurial lessons learned
Customer Insights
17:19 — Importance of understanding customers
21:12 — Customers are directionally correct
22:48 — Engaging with customers
PR & Community
11:59 — Power of PR for startups
27:20 — Building community at Levels
29:16 — Community as a growth strategy
Content & SEO
30:37 — Levels' SEO strategy
33:25 — Focusing content efforts
35:18 — Content as a hiring tool
41:24 — Measuring influencer ROI
58:14 — Creator partnerships insights
59:13 — Increasing content breakthroughs
1:02:38 — Pursuing a viral content strategy
1:04:25 — Value of follower count
Market Positioning & Growth
53:42 — Carving a niche in a crowded market
56:11 — Sustaining growth over time
1:06:04 — Selling before launching
1:08:25 — Finding product-market fit
Networking & Efficiency
1:11:13 — Building a broader network
1:14:28 — Network theory for investors
1:16:20 — Creating systems & delegation
1:01:15 — Time management in growth
Rapid Fire
1:18:15 — Who's an investor you'd recommend?
1:18:48 — One thing you'd change about startups?
1:20:17 — Advice for first-time founders?
1:20:28 — Something you believe that most disagree with?
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