Phil Kirkeiner: I Fired My Sales Team & Built a $7M Startup, Remote Teams, SaaS, Marketplace Podcast By cover art

Phil Kirkeiner: I Fired My Sales Team & Built a $7M Startup, Remote Teams, SaaS, Marketplace

Phil Kirkeiner: I Fired My Sales Team & Built a $7M Startup, Remote Teams, SaaS, Marketplace

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 In this episode of the Startup Ignition Podcast, hosts John and Tyler Richards are joined by Phil Kirkeiner, the CEO of Baton, a rapidly growing referral platform for the home services industry. Phil, a former student of John's, shares his incredible journey from being a music major and accountant to a successful entrepreneur. We dive deep into the origin story of Baton, born from a problem Phil discovered while working at a pest control company. Phil discusses the tough decisions he's made, including firing his entire US-based sales team and how it led to more sales. He also reveals his unique strategy for scaling by building a 50-person remote team in the Philippines, sharing actionable tips for hiring and management. This episode is packed with insights on founder-market fit, the power of being teachable, and the mindset required to grow a company from $150k to a projected $7 million in revenue.

(00:00:00) Firing the Entire Sales Team & Getting More Sales
(00:01:16) Welcome to the Startup Ignition Podcast
(00:02:21) From John's Student to CEO of Baton
(00:03:05) Phil's Journey: From Drummer to Accountant to Entrepreneur
(00:05:45) Icebreaker: This or That with Phil
(00:08:38) How John Knew Phil Would Be a Success
(00:11:07) The Superpower of Being Teachable
(00:13:59) Phil's First Business: EveryBankBonus.com
(00:19:34) The Problem: Dead Leads in Pest Control
(00:24:29) Validating the Idea for Baton at Pest World
(00:28:37) The Best Way to Dispel Fear is Action
(00:30:28) How the Startup Ignition Boot Camp Provided a Clear Roadmap
(00:33:11) Finding the Right Co-Founder in Cody
(00:37:09) From $150k Revenue to Raising the First Round
(00:39:00) How Baton's Referral Platform Works
(00:43:38) The Mindset Behind Explosive Revenue Growth
(00:47:42) The Hardest Challenge: Overcoming Being a People Pleaser
(00:51:24) Why They Fired the US Sales Team
(00:54:18) The "Founder Problem": Why Startups Prematurely Hire Sales Teams
(00:56:08) Building a 50-Person Remote Team in the Philippines
(00:59:31) How to Successfully Hire and Manage a Remote Workforce
(01:03:36) The Impact: Changing Lives in the Philippines
(01:05:45) Phil's Final Advice: Just Start and Talk to Customers

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#Startup
#Entrepreneurship
#Baton
#PestControl
#SaaS
#Bootstrapping
#VentureCapital
#FounderStory
#StartupIgnition
#CEO
#RemoteWork
#GlobalTeam
#Philippines
#Sales
#Scaling
#BusinessGrowth
#FounderMarketFit
#Mentorship
#LeanStartup
#StartupAdvice
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