From corporate publishing to disrupting the blogging industry, Megan Casey’s journey to entrepreneurship has been anything but typical. Megan began her career in the publishing industry directly out of college. As a business book editor, she was introduced to the world of startups and CEOs and was fortunate to meet some of the world’s most well-known entrepreneurs and business leaders.
It was through her corporate publishing job that she met Seth Godin, who would eventually offer her the deal of a lifetime. If Megan agreed to co-found a new web publishing platform with Seth, he would teach her everything she needed to know about running a successful business.
Megan said yes (obviously), and the result was Squidoo, one of the top 40 most-visited websites in the world when she left in 2013. Not content to return to corporate America, Megan immediately started working on her next company: Pack, a social network for dogs and dog-owners.
Listen in to Jay’s conversation with Megan to learn:
- How Seth Godin convinced Megan not to do her MBA, and why that was one of the best decisions she’s ever made
- Why you shouldn’t rush to find a technical co-founder or a funding partner right away
- The importance of founding a business that’s in agreement with your passions
Listen to this episode on iTunes.
Continue the conversation on Twitter and tweet Jay at @jaykimmer.
Links from Today’s Episode
- Read the full transcript from Megan’s interview
- Check out Megan’s LinkedIn and Twitter profiles
- Or ask her your most pressing questions directly
- Connect with other dog owners on Pack
Detailed Show Notes
- (2:12) Who is Megan Casey?
- (3:25) Megan’s unusual path from corporate book publisher to startup founder
- (4:45) Megan lands the ultimate mentorship with Seth Godin
- (9:19) On growing up with risk and parents who were supportive of Megan’s entrepreneurial ambitions
- (12:34) On co-founding Squidoo and the current state of the blogosphere
- (19:22) Why Megan decided to leave Squidoo and challenge herself by founding her own startup, Pack
- (22:49) Megan’s advice for entrepreneurs with an idea, but no technical experience
- (27:30) On the importance of building an audience before looking for funding
- (28:40) Finding a sustainable revenue stream for Pack
- (31:52) Megan plays interviewer and asks Jay for his top piece of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs
- (33:26) Megan’s own advice for would-be business founders
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