Follow the Trend. Find the Treasure.
Oct 15, 2025
INSIGHT
Trends are your friends!
Want to build wealth? Tune in to trends.
Each big win we have had as entrepreneurs and investors can be traced back to a trend we recognized — and acted on — before others did.
Talk to the most innovative people you know. Ask what they're interested in. Pay attention to what they are focusing on. Don't know interesting people? Go to events in your area.
Dive into Google Trends and see what's rising in popularity. It's a live look into what people are searching for. (Did you know Lububu is the #1 dog costume this year?)
Discover trends early with Glimpse and other trend-spotting services like HubSpot Trends.
Being early in an emerging market is a proven way to build wealth. So what are you waiting for? Go find the next great market before others rush in!
Happy hunting!
INSIGHT
💰 Big Markets Build Big Businesses — follow the money to spot sustainable trends.
🧘♀️ No Focus, No Culture — clear objectives are key to aligning your team.
🤗 Pick Your Partner Carefully — the right co-founder can make or break your business.
CHEAT CODE: GET IN FUNDRAISING MODE
Fundraising is the lifeline of your business. It's akin to food for a baby. So the number one job of an entrepreneur is to never run out of money. You have to keep the cash flowing to ensure your business thrives. As we like to say, there's only one way a company goes out of business: if it runs out of money.
Kick things off by putting your own skin in the game, if you can. Funding those initial costs yourself shows commitment and positions you to hold onto a larger share of ownership when seeking outside capital. When it comes to finding funds, you’ve got options. From wealthy friends and family to venture capitalists and strategic investors, each path has its perks and pitfalls. Know them well. And remember: fundraising is no different than any other sales process. The more you believe in your product — your company and yourself — the better you’ll be at funding your dreams.
Be deliberate when choosing investors. Look for partners who add value beyond the check, aligning with your timeline, values, and vision. Avoid a shotgun marriage; they rarely end well.
And here's the kicker: never stop networking. You should always have your mind in fundraising mode. Most of the time, however, your focus shouldn't be raising money. You're growing your network of potential investors by building genuine relationships. Show you care, and those connections may pay off when you least expect it.
So embrace the hustle, keep your eyes on the prize, and remember: the discomfort of fundraising is nothing compared to shuttering your business. You've got this!
Want more of our cheat codes?
Follow along on Instagram.
🆘 Access the 49 other cheat codes every entrepreneur needs to know from Shoveling $H!T: A Love Story.
🚜 Have you made a hard pivot? Jump into the Founders Farm and share some stories.
KASS & MIKE’S FOUR FAVORITE FINDS
💄 Companies like Sephora and Condé Nast are changing the marketing playbook with their new creator storefronts.
📊 Startups are staying private for longer thanks to a wealth of alternative capital, from sovereign funds to private credit.
🤖 A former president of the NY Fed on the AI bubble and its consequences for the economy.
📅 JPMorganChase is being "fundamentally rewired" for the AI age. Here's how they're doing it.
AROUND THE FARM
👨🌾 Join the next Founders Farm session
⏰ Tuesday, October 28th | 12:00–12:45 PM ET
📍 Click here to add it to your calendar
Got a topic you’d like to discuss?
Email: info@kassandmike.com
🎤 We spoke to the Moneywise Podcast about everything from founding companies to surviving the dot-com bust.
📖 Real Leaders profiled us on what it’s like to build companies and a life together — and how our shared values (and a little storytelling) keep us aligned through the chaos.
💵 CNBC shared our story of investing our life savings into a business that ultimately went bankrupt and what that taught us about resilience, risk, and the real cost of chasing big dreams.
🎙️ Kass joined The InvestHER Podcast to share unfiltered insights on co-founding companies and navigating the highs and lows of entrepreneurship.
📚 Shoveling $h!t: A Love Story debuted on the New York Times & USA Today bestseller lists! We couldn't have done it without the support of this community—the purchases, the shares, showing up to events, writing reviews and more!
FINALLY, WANNA GET INVOLVED?
📖 Get bulk copies for your team.
⏰ Invite us to speak at your event.
🤯 Share your thoughts on social: #FoundersFarm
⏩ [url=mailto:?subject=Thinking%20of%20you&body=I%20was%20thinking%20of%20you%20while%20reading%20Kass%20and%20Mike%20Lazerow%27s%20newsletter.%20It%20is%20an%20awesome%20resource%20for%20entrepreneurs%20and%20execs.%0A%0AYou%20can%20read%20the%20latest%20issue%20here:%20https://kassandmike.com/newsletters]Forward this dispatch[/url] to 3 entrepreneurs who should be getting it!
Thanks for reading. And, never stop shoveling. An entrepreneur who loves to shovel is unstoppable!
Love,
Kass & Mike
Trends are your friends!
Want to build wealth? Tune in to trends.
Each big win we have had as entrepreneurs and investors can be traced back to a trend we recognized — and acted on — before others did.
- GOLF.com: The rise of the consumer internet ($25M sale)
- Buddy Media: The attention shift to social media ($800M sale)
- Liquid Death: CPG social marketing at scale ($1B+ valuation)
- Scopely: Free-to-play mobile gaming ($5B sale)
- MapAnything: Salesforce as a platform ($300M sale)
- Facebook: Social graph + mobile apps ($1.8T public company)
- Salesforce: Shift from on-premise to cloud-based apps ($230B public company)
Talk to the most innovative people you know. Ask what they're interested in. Pay attention to what they are focusing on. Don't know interesting people? Go to events in your area.
Dive into Google Trends and see what's rising in popularity. It's a live look into what people are searching for. (Did you know Lububu is the #1 dog costume this year?)
Discover trends early with Glimpse and other trend-spotting services like HubSpot Trends.
Being early in an emerging market is a proven way to build wealth. So what are you waiting for? Go find the next great market before others rush in!
Happy hunting!
INSIGHT
💰 Big Markets Build Big Businesses — follow the money to spot sustainable trends.
🧘♀️ No Focus, No Culture — clear objectives are key to aligning your team.
🤗 Pick Your Partner Carefully — the right co-founder can make or break your business.
CHEAT CODE: GET IN FUNDRAISING MODE
Fundraising is the lifeline of your business. It's akin to food for a baby. So the number one job of an entrepreneur is to never run out of money. You have to keep the cash flowing to ensure your business thrives. As we like to say, there's only one way a company goes out of business: if it runs out of money.
Kick things off by putting your own skin in the game, if you can. Funding those initial costs yourself shows commitment and positions you to hold onto a larger share of ownership when seeking outside capital. When it comes to finding funds, you’ve got options. From wealthy friends and family to venture capitalists and strategic investors, each path has its perks and pitfalls. Know them well. And remember: fundraising is no different than any other sales process. The more you believe in your product — your company and yourself — the better you’ll be at funding your dreams.
Be deliberate when choosing investors. Look for partners who add value beyond the check, aligning with your timeline, values, and vision. Avoid a shotgun marriage; they rarely end well.
And here's the kicker: never stop networking. You should always have your mind in fundraising mode. Most of the time, however, your focus shouldn't be raising money. You're growing your network of potential investors by building genuine relationships. Show you care, and those connections may pay off when you least expect it.
So embrace the hustle, keep your eyes on the prize, and remember: the discomfort of fundraising is nothing compared to shuttering your business. You've got this!
Want more of our cheat codes?
Follow along on Instagram.
🆘 Access the 49 other cheat codes every entrepreneur needs to know from Shoveling $H!T: A Love Story.
🚜 Have you made a hard pivot? Jump into the Founders Farm and share some stories.
KASS & MIKE’S FOUR FAVORITE FINDS
💄 Companies like Sephora and Condé Nast are changing the marketing playbook with their new creator storefronts.
📊 Startups are staying private for longer thanks to a wealth of alternative capital, from sovereign funds to private credit.
🤖 A former president of the NY Fed on the AI bubble and its consequences for the economy.
📅 JPMorganChase is being "fundamentally rewired" for the AI age. Here's how they're doing it.
AROUND THE FARM
👨🌾 Join the next Founders Farm session
⏰ Tuesday, October 28th | 12:00–12:45 PM ET
📍 Click here to add it to your calendar
Got a topic you’d like to discuss?
Email: info@kassandmike.com
🎤 We spoke to the Moneywise Podcast about everything from founding companies to surviving the dot-com bust.
📖 Real Leaders profiled us on what it’s like to build companies and a life together — and how our shared values (and a little storytelling) keep us aligned through the chaos.
💵 CNBC shared our story of investing our life savings into a business that ultimately went bankrupt and what that taught us about resilience, risk, and the real cost of chasing big dreams.
🎙️ Kass joined The InvestHER Podcast to share unfiltered insights on co-founding companies and navigating the highs and lows of entrepreneurship.
📚 Shoveling $h!t: A Love Story debuted on the New York Times & USA Today bestseller lists! We couldn't have done it without the support of this community—the purchases, the shares, showing up to events, writing reviews and more!
FINALLY, WANNA GET INVOLVED?
📖 Get bulk copies for your team.
⏰ Invite us to speak at your event.
🤯 Share your thoughts on social: #FoundersFarm
⏩ [url=mailto:?subject=Thinking%20of%20you&body=I%20was%20thinking%20of%20you%20while%20reading%20Kass%20and%20Mike%20Lazerow%27s%20newsletter.%20It%20is%20an%20awesome%20resource%20for%20entrepreneurs%20and%20execs.%0A%0AYou%20can%20read%20the%20latest%20issue%20here:%20https://kassandmike.com/newsletters]Forward this dispatch[/url] to 3 entrepreneurs who should be getting it!
Thanks for reading. And, never stop shoveling. An entrepreneur who loves to shovel is unstoppable!
Love,
Kass & Mike
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