Test. Optimize. Scale.

Listen as industry leaders and pioneers share their insights and experiences of growing their businesses to scale using marketing. Find out what to test, what to optimize, and when to scale as they speak with Jason Fishman, SVP Digital Strategy, DNA - Digital Niche Agency.

Test. Optimize. Scale. is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 245 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts Test. Optimize. Scale., a business show with 245 episodes published.

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  Episode #250

  EP. 250: David Dressler - Tender Greens Co-Founder on Building a 1,200-Person Restaurant Brand

  Oct 2, 202652 min

  How do you grow one restaurant into a $100 million brand with 1,200 employees? David Dressler, co-founder of Tender Greens, started with a plan written into the company's name: 10 years, 3 guys, 30 restaurants. In this episode of Test. Optimize. Scale., host Jason Fishman interviews David Dressler, co-founder of Tender Greens, the fast casual restaurant brand he helped scale from a single 1,700-square-foot location in Culver City to a $100 million company. Tender Greens was named one of the ten best restaurant chains in the world by Condé Nast and one of the 25 most innovative consumer brands by Forbes. David now works as a trusted thinking partner to founders and executives, including leaders taking their organizations through AI transformation. Questions this episode answers: - How did Tender Greens start? (Three hotel colleagues, a friends-and-family raise of $1 million, and a lot of no's) - What was the idea behind Tender Greens? (Fine dining quality without the cost of fine dining) - What happened on opening day? (A line around the block, and no food left by 7 p.m.) - How did Tender Greens market itself before social media? (PR, local sponsorships, and "best of" lists) - How do you choose restaurant locations? (Four criteria, set before you fall in love with a building) - Why develop your own talent instead of hiring experienced chefs? - What is a leader's real job? (Make it easy for the team to do great work, and remove roadblocks) - When should founders bring in an advisory board and a C-suite? - How do you know when it is time to step aside as CEO? - Why is leadership lonely, and what can you do about it? - How should leaders optimize? (Ask the people doing the work, let them own the fix, then revisit it) - How should teams think about AI tools? (Move from doer to orchestrator and quality control) Connect with David Dressler: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidtdressler/ Website: https://daviddressler.co Newsletter: The Early Signal (weekly on LinkedIn) Test. Optimize. Scale. is a weekly podcast from Digital Niche Agency covering growth marketing, capital raising, and business strategy, hosted by Jason Fishman. Subscribe for new episodes every week.

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  Episode #249

  EP. 249: Eric Josovitz - The Finance Mistakes That Quietly Kill Startups

  Sep 25, 202648 min

  How much equity should a founder give away in a funding round? Eric Josovitz, founder and CEO of AdaptCFO, has a firm rule: never more than 30% per round. If you would need to give away more, go back and build more value first. In this episode of Test. Optimize. Scale., host Jason Fishman interviews Eric Josovitz, founder and CEO of AdaptCFO, a fractional CFO and accounting firm for founders. Eric served as fractional CFO for PrizePicks, has a client that recently had a $4 billion exit, and was head of finance at specialty pharmacy Encompass Rx, which grew from $100 million to $400 million in about a year and a half before selling to CVS. He also hosts the Growth Under Pressure podcast. Questions this episode answers: - How much equity should you give away per funding round? (No more than 30%) - What is the cheapest type of capital? (Grants, then debt. Equity is the most expensive.) - What happens when an early investor gets too much control? - Why is overvaluing your company dangerous? (It sets you up for a down round) - Why do the real KPIs start with your financial statements? - What does a five-year books cleanup and a six-figure IRS fine teach founders? - When should you raise capital? (Before you need it, and when investors are ready, not just when you are) - Why did Duolingo build users before monetizing? - How is scaling direct-to-consumer different from scaling B2B? - What is the difference between a real CFO and a bookkeeper? - How do you optimize when the numbers aren't working? (Coaching, practice, and realistic benchmarks) - How do you scale? (Pour into what works, cut what doesn't, and rebalance your spending buckets) Connect with Eric Josovitz: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josovitz/ AdaptCFO: https://adaptcfo.com Podcast: @adaptcfo Test. Optimize. Scale. is a weekly podcast from Digital Niche Agency covering growth marketing, capital raising, and business strategy, hosted by Jason Fishman. Subscribe for new episodes every week. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Preview: don't be afraid to start 0:13 - Who is Eric Josovitz? 1:24 - Pre-med, Division II football, and failing his first accounting class 2:24 - From public accounting to head of finance 3:21 - Encompass Rx: $100M to $400M and a sale to CVS 3:58 - Launching AdaptCFO: a new baby, a torn Achilles, and a career change in the same few weeks 6:54 - Why accounting and finance are the backbone of a business 8:03 - The five-year books cleanup and a six-figure IRS fine 8:33 - Why the real KPIs start with your financial statements 12:14 - Why fundraising can go wrong fast 12:45 - The 30% rule for every round 13:19 - Grants, debt, equity: ranking the cost of capital 16:22 - The early investor who got too much control 17:03 - Overvaluation and the down round trap 18:27 - Where marketing and finance have to meet 21:20 - Marketing is trial and error: why your budget needs flexibility 22:01 - PrizePicks and the Atlanta Braves partnership that wasn't in the budget 22:49 - The Duolingo lesson: build users before you monetize 25:13 - Mission first: why the CEO shouldn't focus on the metrics 26:42 - Raise before you need to: thinking like an investor 27:43 - The founder with three days of runway 28:18 - What a real CFO does 29:07 - Direct-to-consumer vs. B2B: where the capital goes 30:01 - Using benchmarks to allocate a raise 32:29 - What to test: honesty and vulnerability 35:02 - Keep it simple: the few channels that move the needle 37:10 - If you can't measure it, you can't optimize it 38:01 - How to optimize: coaching, practice, and realistic benchmarks 40:24 - Pricing, lifetime value, and the four Ps 41:06 - How to scale: pour into what works, cut what doesn't 42:54 - Rebalancing G&A, R&D, and sales and marketing 43:38 - Outsourcing admin to free up growth capital 44:57 - Final thoughts and where to find Eric

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  Episode #248

  EP. 248: Karl Pontau - Practical tips for networking and relationship management

  Sep 18, 20261h 1m

  Looking for practical networking and relationship management tips that work? Karl Pontau says it does not matter if your business is B2B or B2C. It is really H2H: human to human. In this episode of Test. Optimize. Scale., host Jason Fishman, CEO of Digital Niche Agency (DNA), interviews Karl Pontau, human connection expert, host of the Human Connection Podcast (230+ episodes), and founder of Vouch Connections, a concierge networking firm for busy executives. At 15, Karl survived two malignant brain tumors, an experience that taught him what matters when everything is on the line: genuine human connection, honest communication, and showing up for each other. He now shares the proven relationship-building tactics executives use to drive relationship-driven revenue growth. Questions this episode answers: - What does H2H (human to human) mean in business? - Why does every business relationship need both "rebar" (mutually beneficial transactions) and "concrete" (personal connection)? - Why should you build relationships before you need them? - Why do people avoid networking? (Research by Boothby and Bohns, 2021: we underestimate how good interactions feel and overestimate the awkwardness) - What is the daily compliment habit and why does it work? - How did a law firm grow from zero to $3M by listening to callers for 10 minutes? - Why do founders feel empty after a successful exit? - How many relationships can one person realistically maintain? (Around 150, so prioritize a core group of 12 to 20) - How should you approach networking events? (Be the most interested person in the room, not the most interesting) - What is a better question than "How are you?" ("What has been a highlight of your week?") - Why are real relationships a competitive moat in the AI era? - How do you scale human connection without losing authenticity? Connect with Karl Pontau: @TheHumanConnectionPodcast https://thehumanconnectionpodcast.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kpontau/ Test. Optimize. Scale. is a weekly podcast from Digital Niche Agency covering growth marketing, capital raising, and business strategy, hosted by Jason Fishman. Subscribe for new episodes every week.

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  Episode #247

  EP. 247: Rod Turner - Fear of missing out drives investor action.

  Sep 11, 20261h 1m

  Can your company pass the 15-second test? Rod Turner says if you cannot explain your business in 15 to 20 seconds online, your capital raise will not work, no matter how strong the company is. In this episode of Test. Optimize. Scale., host Jason Fishman, CEO of Digital Niche Agency (DNA), interviews Rod Turner, founder and CEO of Manhattan Street Capital, the first dedicated Regulation A+ funding platform, live since June 2015. Rod is a seven-time tech startup veteran who was the 12th employee at Ashton-Tate (dBASE), built Norton AntiVirus from scratch at Symantec, took two companies through IPOs to NASDAQ, and suggested the concept the SEC later named "Test the Waters." Questions this episode answers: - What is Regulation A+ and why did Rod Turner call it the SEC's most pragmatic rule system? - Which industries raise capital most successfully online? (Real estate, biotech, med tech, and consumer-relatable technology) - Why do Main Street investors fund biotech companies that institutional investors pass on? - What is the 15-second explainability test for online capital raises? - What is "proof of life" and why do stagnant offering pages kill investor confidence? - Why do eye-to-camera founder videos convert investors? (Viewers feel they already know you) - How did Insitu Biologics convert 87% of its reservations into investments in three weeks? - How did a 7-second video ad cut one campaign's cost from $10 to $3.30 per $100 raised? - Can you raise your share price during a Reg A+ offering? (Yes, within SEC rules, and it rewards early investors while managing dilution) - How do direct listings work through Reg A+ when the IPO window is closed? (Newsmax's March 2025 Reg A+ IPO discussed) - How should issuers structure offerings so institutions can participate? (Bonus shares and parallel Reg D offerings) - Why should founders never prejudge which ad creative will convert? Connect with Rod Turner and Manhattan Street Capital: Website: https://www.manhattanstreetcapital.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodturner-msc/ CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Intro 0:38 - Who is Rod Turner and what is Manhattan Street Capital? 1:16 - From apprentice engineer at a UK nuclear power station to Silicon Valley 3:55 - Employee #12 at Ashton-Tate: 12 people to 2,000 and an IPO 4:39 - Building Norton AntiVirus from scratch at Symantec 5:22 - Why the Reg A+ rules impressed a seven-time startup veteran 6:26 - Founding the first dedicated Reg A+ platform in 2015 8:00 - Why Manhattan Street Capital skipped Reg CF and stayed boutique 11:29 - What differentiates the platform: tracking pixels, logic, and transparency 15:30 - Which verticals raise the most: real estate, biotech, and relatable tech 17:21 - Why Main Street investors fund biotech that institutions pass on 21:12 - The 15-second explainability test for online raises 23:24 - Proof of life: why stagnant offering pages lose investors 25:55 - Eye-to-camera founder videos and why they build trust 28:24 - Viral reach: the GolfSuites ads investors shared in droves 31:18 - How Rod suggested "Test the Waters" to the SEC 32:44 - The takeoff-speed problem: why tiny ad budgets never get airborne 34:12 - Insitu Biologics: 87% of reservations converted in three weeks 36:29 - Direct listings through Reg A+ when the IPO window is closed 38:01 - The Newsmax March 2025 Reg A+ IPO 39:52 - Cub Crafters, Red Bull, and 1.6 billion views 43:15 - Structuring offerings so institutions can invest 44:25 - Never prejudge your creative: the green company case study 47:08 - Optimization: the 7-second video ad that cut costs 3x 50:13 - Raising your share price mid-offering to reward early investors 53:04 - Why securities attorneys give contradictory answers on Reg A+ 56:49 - Where to find Rod Turner and final advice

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  Episode #246

  EP. 246: Cate Diaz & Devin Ambron - The Three Signals That Make Investors Trust a Raise

  Aug 25, 20261h 4m

  How do the top crowdfunding campaigns raise millions while the bottom 50% stay stagnant? Cate Diaz and Devin Ambron have the data: their agency, Market Chemistry, has run just under 80 capital raises and helped startups secure over $225 million. In this episode of Test. Optimize. Scale., host Jason Fishman, CEO of Digital Niche Agency (DNA), interviews Cate Diaz and Devin Ambron, the team behind Market Chemistry, a fundraising firm based in Austin, Texas. Market Chemistry provides full-service fundraising and investor readiness materials for early and growth-stage startups, operating a 250,000-investor database and running Reg CF, Reg A+, and traditional rounds across the US and Canada. Questions this episode answers: What is investor readiness and what should founders prepare before a capital raise? What are the four core elements every crowdfunding pitch needs? (Mission and story, team, traction, use of funds) How do you create social proof for an investment campaign? (Pathos, ethos, logos framework) Why do cold email lists fail for investor outreach? (A 48,000-contact list produced near zero) What are the three rings of investor outreach? (Warm network, owned investor database, paid traffic) Why do founders misread advertising attribution on capital raises? (Multi-touch journeys, iOS tracking limits, modeled conversions) What is rejection data and how does it improve a campaign? What are the three levers of campaign optimization? (Message, audience, offer) How do you scale a raise once it starts working? (Lookalike investor matching, finding the thread, duplicating what converts) Why do overinflated valuations kill crowdfunding campaigns? Why can't marketing compensate for a weak offer? ("You can't optimize for trust") Connect with Cate Diaz and Devin Ambron: Website: mktchemistry.com Cate Diaz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catediaz/ Devin Ambron on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dambron/ Newsletter: Community Capital Club (link in the mktchemistry.com footer) Connect with Jason Fishman, host of Test. Optimize. Scale.: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jafishman/ Connect with Digital Niche Agency (DNA), the growth marketing agency behind this podcast: Website: www.digitalnicheagency.com Test. Optimize. Scale. is a weekly podcast from Digital Niche Agency covering growth marketing, capital raising, and business strategy, hosted by Jason Fishman. Subscribe for new episodes every week. CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Who are Cate Diaz and Devin Ambron of Market Chemistry? 1:02 - Cate's origin story: from Austin startups to pitch decks that raised Texas's largest seed round 4:16 - Devin's background: storytelling meets fundraising operations 6:51 - What is investor readiness? Operating the raise so founders can run the business 8:54 - Why organizing your traction into one document changes how founders see their business 10:16 - What actually moves investors: the core four elements of every pitch 13:08 - The crowd effect: how popular sentiment accelerates campaigns 16:53 - The three rings of investor outreach: warm network, owned database, paid traffic 18:15 - Why cold email lists fail: the 48,000-contact list that produced nothing 19:28 - Pathos, ethos, logos: the framework for building social proof 22:50 - Making your message repeatable: why clarity spreads 25:29 - Why founders underestimate their warm network 27:54 - Attribution myths: why "ads aren't working" is usually wrong 33:03 - The rolling thunder technique: showing up everywhere at once 35:27 - Rejection data as diagnostics: what investor "no"s teach you 36:12 - The three optimization levers: message, audience, offer 39:54 - Scaling on proof, not hope: why volume amplifies whatever is already happening 43:37 - What founders should test before launching a raise 45:32 - The audience test that predicts top 1% campaigns 47:35 - Diagnosing a broken funnel: investor movement vs. marketing motion 50:12 - How to scale a working campaign: finding and duplicating the thread 52:57 - Lookalike investor matching and analyzing who actually invests 55:11 - The Tesla lesson: why your first investors aren't who you think 58:13 - Fair valuations: why overpriced deals flop with retail investors 59:27 - "You can't optimize for trust": building an audience before you need it 1:02:09 - Where to find Market Chemistry and final numbers: 80 raises, $225M+

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