This One Hire Nearly Killed My Business | Pat Killoren - E60
What happens when a startup sales pro burns out and decides to start a podcast? In this episode of Funds and Founders, we sit down with Pat Killoren — host of Lone Startups who shares his wild journey from scaling beer brands and influencer platforms to building community-led content in Austin.
🎙 We go deep into:
- Building sales teams as a founder
- The mistakes startups make in GTM strategy
- Burnout, pivots, and personal reinvention
- How to monetize podcasts through real partnerships (not just ads)
Whether you're a builder, creator, or investor, this episode will leave you with tangible lessons on growth, niche branding, and sustainable success.
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 – Intro: Who is Pat Callaghan?
01:00 – Why he chose Austin and non-tech founders
03:30 – His journey from beer to blockchain
06:00 – What is Go-To-Market ?
08:00 – The Enterprise Trap: Why startups jump too soon
10:00 – How scrappy founders should build sales
14:30 – Why you shouldn’t send proposals too early
16:00 – How founders waste time chasing the wrong customers
18:00 – Picking the right channels: The Web3 sales story
21:00 – Cold outreach vs sniper sales: What works today
23:00 – How to hire your first sales hire (without getting burned)
25:00 – Why he quit sales and started a podcast
28:00 – The admin pain of podcasting no one talks about
30:00 – The monetization struggle: why brands hesitate
32:00 – Seasons vs weekly: how he’s structuring Lone Startups
36:00 – Format talk: from nature podcasts to 3D LED sets
40:00 – Roundtable format: a future idea for deep-dive episodes
44:00 – The mental blocks of podcast production quality
46:00 – Tools + Tech Stack for running the show
52:00 – Why video editing has become his new obsession
54:00 – Question for the next guest
56:00 – Where to follow Pat & closing thoughts
