Victoria, the Head of Growth at Wonder, shares her journey from working at big consulting firms to starting her own company.

Wonder helps entrepreneurs and small businesses with desk research by providing them with curated information and insights. They navigate the risks of the rapidly evolving AI landscape and focus on the desirability, viability, and feasibility of their solution. They aim to be the go-to choice for their audience by offering expertise, credibility, and a comprehensive solution.

Victoria emphasizes the importance of curiosity and asking the right questions in the research process. Victoria discusses the process of conducting desk research and how her company uses AI to provide valuable insights to clients. She emphasizes the importance of understanding customer needs and desires through constant contact and conversations.

She also talks about the challenges of testing and refining solutions, as well as the risks and uncertainties of working in the AI space.

Overall, Wonder aims to simplify and aggregate information for clients, helping them make informed decisions.

Ali Jiwani shares his entrepreneurial journey, from starting a food delivery platform to building Slay School, a personalized learning platform.

He discusses how he used data to predict success in his previous ventures and how he applied those insights to Slay School.

Ali explains his approach to acquiring early customers through Reddit and Discord, and the importance of quick feedback loops.

He also talks about the challenges of pricing and the vision for Slay School to revolutionize education by providing personalized learning paths for students.

Marc Wandler, the co-founder of Susgrainable, shares his journey of turning beer waste into sustainable flour and baked goods.

He started the business as a student project and quickly learned from rapid feedback cycles. By sampling the product at farmers markets and cafes, he honed in on his target market and gained valuable customer feedback. He also leveraged media opportunities to generate buzz and attract customers.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic posed challenges, and Marc had to adapt by observing the market and focusing on food service partnerships. Despite the difficulties, he remained committed to his vision and continued to innovate. Susgrainable was born out of the university and focused on learning about consumer packaged goods and non-dilutive funding opportunities.

They secured non-dilutive money to build the foundation of the business and focused on scaling their flower production.

They conducted A/B tests and gathered consumer feedback to inform their product development and packaging decisions. They also explored collaborations and partnerships to expand their impact.

The next six months will be focused on managing risks, navigating potential partnerships and investments, and continuing to build towards their vision of creating impact through sustainability.

Maura Mitchell, a lawyer and MBA, shares her work at the Women's Business Development Center, helping micro businesses test their assumptions and scale. She guides entrepreneurs through a process of testing their early ideas using the Lean Startup Method and the business model canvas.

Mitchell emphasizes the importance of market research and customer discovery interviews to validate assumptions and find product-market fit. She also highlights the value of accountability and mentorship in helping entrepreneurs navigate the early stages of their businesses.

Mitchell's work includes supporting a retail incubator and coaching and education businesses. She envisions expanding her impact by providing connections and facilitating collaboration among entrepreneurs.

In this conversation, Janna Bastow, founder of ProdPad, shares her insights on testing pricing and packaging strategies. She discusses the importance of understanding the different roles and decision-makers in B2B purchasing, as well as the challenges of navigating the procurement process.

Janna also talks about the evolution of pricing at ProdPad and the lessons learned from testing different packages and pricing structures. She highlights the value of customer feedback and the use of AI in product management.

Overall, Janna emphasizes the need for product managers to focus on the core aspects of their role and leverage technology to automate repetitive tasks.

In this conversation, David J Bland interviews Andi Plantenberg about her experience with testing and experimentation, particularly in the context of NASA missions.

They discuss the importance of testing early stage ideas, the challenges of navigating a culture of perfection and safety, and the need for fluidity and adaptability in the face of uncertainty.

Andi shares insights from her work with NASA, including the use of simulated mission control rooms and the iterative design of software.

She also emphasizes the importance of systems thinking and the need to address complex problems in a holistic way.

Overall, the conversation highlights the value of experimentation in driving innovation and addressing the pressing challenges of our time.

Aaron Eden shares his background and experience with experimentation, particularly within Intuit's Design for Delight (D4D) and Innovation Catalyst programs. He discusses the importance of adapting the approach to fit the company's culture and the challenges of marketing and socializing the process internally.

Aaron shares success stories, such as the development of SnapTax, and a failure story with the Quick Receipts project. He emphasizes the need for continuous testing and learning to drive innovation.

Aaron Eden shares his experience with experimentation and innovation at Intuit. He discusses the importance of understanding customer behavior and aspirations, even when they may not align with their stated preferences.

Aaron also talks about the challenges of driving innovation in a changing company culture and how he is working to reignite the innovation catalyst group at Intuit. He shares the success of a recent three-day workshop called Speed, where teams applied AI and velocity mindsets to deliver business impact.

Aaron emphasizes the importance of using real ideas and providing career skills to participants, even if the ideas don't succeed.

Brandy and Craig discuss their collaboration and the challenges they faced in teaching entrepreneurship and de-risking startups.

They highlight the importance of testing and iterating through customer interviews, surveys, and landing pages. They also emphasize the need to overcome biases and consider counterfactuals when evaluating risk.

The success stories they share include students winning funding at Draper University and turning down investments to pursue their own vision. They discuss the process of scaling their program and providing support to entrepreneurs through events and resources. They also touch on the importance of questioning assumptions and guiding entrepreneurs to discover the gaps in their understanding.

The conversation explores the importance of feedback and testing in entrepreneurship. It emphasizes the need to be open to feedback and willing to challenge assumptions. The hosts discuss the concept of being right versus being successful and the value of honest feedback.

They also touch on the importance of understanding the problem and the customer before jumping into activities like advertising and landing page optimization.

The conversation concludes with a discussion on the founders' initiatives, including Founder Fridays and Help a Startup Out.