There are a million things you have to do when you start a company

And everybody is going to have advice for you. Do you have IP? Have you hired an accountant? Did you see there’s a company in the Valley that is doing that same thing now? It doesn’t stop, and it’s overwhelming. Your only hope is to somehow pick which things are most important, and focus on them first.

This is literally my #1 favorite thing to do. In class we will fill up a room full of white boards with all the things you will need to do, then pare that giant list down to a handful of things that matter most. It’s not a perfect science, but it’s essential for getting unstuck. The goal is to validate your key assumptions as quickly as possible and modify your plans as you go.

You’re going to hear how Jeff Mason used this strategy to outmaneuver the biggest companies in the insurance industry.

Jeff has had a successful career in the insurance industry, then left to start a technology company called Groundspeed Analytics that has become one of the fastest growing companies in the region. Groundspeed uses artificial intelligence to digitize insurance records. The company went from an idea to raising a $30M Series B in two and half years. Jeff is one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. We met at Groundspeed headquarters in Ann Arbor.

There are four sections in this episode – In this first section you’ll hear about Jeff’s background and how he came to start Groundspeed.