The $0 Salary Gamble That Reached 1M+ Students in 80 Countries
  • Jan 21, 2025

The $0 Salary Gamble That Reached 1M+ Students in 80 Countries

0:00
0:00
Advertising will end in
play_arrow
pause
replay_10
forward_10
volume_up
volume_down
volume_off
share
speed
Skip ad
close
close
close
close
close
Share:

About Podcast

What happens when you trade a cushy Target supply chain job for a risky startup role with no salary for five months? For Brandon Winter, former CRO of Stukent and founder of Fundraise Genius, it led to helping build Stukent from zero to serving over a million students across 80 countries. Going behind the scenes of Stukent's meteoric rise, Brandon reveals how Stukent grew from a makeshift warehouse office (complete with a porta-potty!) into an ed-tech powerhouse that revolutionized digital marketing education. Through stories of shared hotel rooms in Singapore and intense strategy meetings, Brandon breaks down the delicate balance of building a sales culture that drives astronomical growth while maintaining team cohesion. Get an insider's look at how early-stage compensation negotiations work, why having a mission bigger than money attracts top talent, and what it takes to transition from "player-coach" to true sales leadership. For founders looking to build high-performing sales teams and professionals considering the leap into startups, this episode offers an unfiltered look at both the grind and glory of startup life.



Related Episodes

Duis mi velit, auctor vitae leo a, luctus congue dolor. Nullam at velit quis tortor malesuada ultrices vitae vitae lacus. Curabitur tortor purus, tempor in dignissim eget, convallis in lorem. Pellentesque non magna est.

Solo CTO vs Impossible Deadline: The Story Behind Stukent's Success

Solo CTO vs Impossible Deadline: The Story Behind Stukent's Success

Every morning, Stukent's first CTO Mike "Turbo" Farmer would burst into the warehouse-turned-office shouting "TURBO!" – bringing energy and fun to a startup racing against impossible deadlines. As the sole technical leader, Mike powered through Christmas coding sessions to rebuild Stukent's entire platform, ultimately helping create software that would impact students at over 300 universities. Through stories of late-night debugging sessions, heated strategy meetings, and the pressure of being the company's only engineer, Mike breaks down what it really takes to build mission-critical educational software from scratch. The conversation explores the delicate balance of technical decisions in a non-technical founding team, the importance of stock option understanding for early employees, and how celebrating small wins helped the team push through their toughest challenges. For founders looking to build strong technical partnerships and engineers considering joining early-stage startups, this episode offers invaluable insights into the human side of startup engineering leadership.

Play
The Unconventional Marketing Tactics That Built An 8-Figure EdTech Company

The Unconventional Marketing Tactics That Built An 8-Figure EdTech Company

We showed up to conferences and we had humans all over our booth. So many humans that our neighbours were complaining" - this is how Trevor Erikson describes Stukent's early disruptive entry into the academic publishing space, where he served as the company's first hire and CMO. From pioneering personalized marketing campaigns (including tracking down professors' favorite candy bars from around the world) to scaling email strategies that helped grow Stukent to tens of millions in valuation, Trevor reveals the innovative tactics that transformed a basement startup into an educational technology leader serving over a million students. His experience juggling side hustles while building companies offers a real playbook for both marketers and founders. Now at Deviant Ink, he's proving that mixing digital innovation with passion markets is a winning formula. For entrepreneurs looking to scale through authentic marketing, this episode shows why personal touches and real connections beat conventional marketing every time.

Play
Mergers, Mentors & Millions: A Young CEO's Journey

Mergers, Mentors & Millions: A Young CEO's Journey

From ranch hand to digital marketing mogul, Michael Johnson's entrepreneurial journey is a masterclass in building a service-based business. In this episode of Startups with Stu, the CEO of Get Found First shares how early lessons from 4-H sales and a pivotal private jet meeting shaped his path to success. Gain insider perspective on the strategic acquisition that transformed competitors into partners, leading Johnson to scale his agency to 40 employees and $8 million in revenue. Packed with practical insights on going "all in," mastering strategic communication, and building lasting client relationships, this conversation delivers invaluable lessons for anyone looking to build and scale their business. This episode provides a roadmap for turning entrepreneurial dreams into reality through strategic thinking, persistence, and the power of relationships.

Play

Comments