Extraordinary Pursuits by BIP Ventures

Hustle Culture is Failing Founders: Energy, Focus, and the Power of No

Hustle culture can look like progress. It rarely is. More likely, it’s a path to burnout and diminishing returns. In this episode of Extraordinary Pursuits, host Rachelle Kuramoto sits down with productivity expert and bestselling author Graham Allcott to explore why managing your attention, not your time, is the key to real, repeatable progress. 
Graham is the founder of Think Productive and author of the best-selling business books, How to Be a Productivity Ninja and KIND: The Quiet Power of Kindness at Work. In this helpful conversation, he shares insights rooted in neuroscience, psychology, and real-world executive coaching. His approach is especially useful for entrepreneurs who feel stretched thin: building companies, leading teams, and navigating uncertainty. 
You’ll learn how to: 
Identify and protect your hours of “proactive attention”—your most valuable resource as a founder. 
Reframe productivity around energy cycles, recovery, and mental clarity (not late-night hustle). 
Understand the hidden causes of procrastination and how to gently dismantle them. 
Apply kindness—not only to your team, but to yourself—as a practical leadership strategy. 
Whether you're scaling a startup or reinventing your approach to leadership, this conversation is packed with tools that can help you do less, better. 
Timestamps: 
[02:33] Graham’s Career Journey: From Chaos to Structure 
[08:31] Leaders vs. Managers: Building a Framework for Focus 
[12:46] Attention is Your Most Valuable Resource 
[15:42] Early Hours and Energy Cycles 
[17:20] “Going Dark” and Protecting Time for Deep Work 
[22:05] Productivity is About Space, Not Speed 
[24:51] Procrastination and the Power of Being Present 
[27:31] Hustle Culture vs. Empathy: Reframing Success 
[29:44] Self-Kindness as a Leadership Strategy 
[34:25] Where to Find Graham’s Books and Work 
Points of Wisdom: 
"Your most precious resource is your attention, not your time." 
"Productivity is about making space for what matters." 
"You can’t be present and busy at the same time." 
“You only have about 12 hours of truly proactive attention per week. Use them wisely.” 
“Don’t grind through the lows. Rest, then reset.” 
About Graham Allcott: 
Graham Allcott is a social entrepreneur, former charity chief executive, and founder of Think Productive, a professional development company. He is a global speaker on kindness at work and productivity and the author of numerous books, including the global bestseller, "How to Be a Productivity Ninja" and the new book “KIND: The Quiet Power of Kindness at Work". Graham is a go-to speaker and productivity advisor for companies such as Amazon, British Airways, Disney, and eBay.  
Website: https://grahamallcott.com/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grahamallcott/ 
Graham’s work: https://www.grahamallcott.com/links 
Resources Mentioned: 
How to be a Productivity Ninja by Graham Allcott 
KIND: The quiet power of kindness at work by Graham Allcott  
Graham Alcott Newsletter: Rev Up for the Week 
BIP Ventures 
Website: www.bipventures.vc 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/bipventures/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bipventures/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bipventures 
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@bipventures  

Mini-episode: Winning the Ground Game – Field Sales for Startups

Rapid growth can feel like whiplash for founders—especially once they’ve nailed product-market fit and start scaling fast. But without a repeatable structure for the sales team, growth is often unsustainable. In this mini-episode of Extraordinary Pursuits, Bart Fanelli, founder and CEO of Skillibrium, breaks down the fundamentals of building a high-performing field force. 
Drawing on years of experience helping companies scale from startup to billion-dollar success stories, Bart explains why great sales strategy starts with consistent execution. He shares the importance of aligning leadership and frontline teams, using leading indicators (not just lagging revenue), and growing from the inside—not by throwing more money at marketing. 
Whether you’re just starting to scale or reevaluating your go-to-market approach, this conversation delivers tactical insight into the discipline behind smart sales growth. 
Timestamps: 
[00:00] Starting with Structure: What to Build First in a Scaling Company 
[03:01] Repeatable Cadence as a Catalyst for Growth 
[05:45] Market Dynamics, Messaging, and the Pendulum Trap 
Points of Wisdom: 
"Most companies don’t ever focus on the baseline. They just chase the revenue." [02:13] 
"You have to grow from the inside." [05:45] 
About Bart Fanelli: 
Bart Fanelli is the founder and CEO of Skillibrium, a company focused on transforming the way organizations drive scalable growth. With decades of experience in sales leadership and a deep understanding of organizational strategy, Bart created Skillibrium to tackle one of the most pressing challenges in sales: aligning talent and tactics to drive predictable and repeatable success. His extensive experience spans roles as an executive advisor, entrepreneur, and co-author of The Success Cadence: Unleash Your Organization’s Rapid Growth Culture.
Resources Mentioned: The Success Cadence by Bart Fanelli 
Website: https://skillibrium.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bartfanelli/
 
BIP Ventures
Website: www.bipventures.vc 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/bipventures/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bipventures/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bipventures 
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@bipventures 

Scaling from Startup to $15B – The Compaq Case Study with Karen Walker

In this episode of the Extraordinary Pursuits podcast from BIP Ventures, strategic advisor and executive coach Karen Walker talks with host Rachelle Kuramoto about navigating hypergrowth. An early executive at Compaq, Karen had a direct role in one of the biggest success stories in American business. She played a direct role in scaling the company from startup to $15B in revenue in a matter of years – navigating the infrastructure, talent, and other operational details that come with the opportunity. 
In this discussion, Karen taps into experience from Compaq and years of consulting to offer counsel on product market fit, cross-team alignment, and maintaining a strong culture as a company is enduring growth and change. She emphasizes the need for curiosity, effective communication, and decision-making in the midst of ambiguity.  
This is an episode for startup leaders, founders, and growth-stage operators looking to build a resilient and high-performing organization. 
Timestamps
[05:32] Understanding Hypergrowth and Product Market Fit
[09:52] The Importance of Alignment and High-Performance Teams
[12:52] Navigating Growth vs. Scale
[16:00] Building a Healthy Company Culture
[19:32] Key Considerations for Startup Leaders
[22:49] Common Issues in Leadership and Communication
[24:56] Decision-Making in Ambiguous Situations
[30:02] Summary of Key Insights and Closing Remarks 
Points of Wisdom
"Your most precious resource is your time."
"You have to figure out how to carve out time."
"The culture is the action to reward and tolerate."
"Over-communicate to keep alignment."
"You have to be comfortable with ambiguity."
"Curiosity is a skill to hire for." 
About Karen Walker 
Karen Walker is an executive coach, consultant, and board advisor who helps CEOs and senior leaders navigate hyper-growth with clarity and confidence. A former executive at Compaq, where she helped scale the company from startup to $15 billion in revenue, Karen now advises global enterprises like AWS, Pfizer, JPMorganChase, and Aetna, as well as high-growth Inc. 5000 startups. She is the author of No Dumbing Down: A Guide for CEOs on Organization Growth and a contributor to Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Fast Company. Karen serves on the board of Mosaic and draws on her engineering background from Texas A&M, along with executive education from Columbia and Stanford. 
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BIP Ventures 
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Startup CFO Strategy: In-House vs. Outsourced

On this mini-episode of the BIP Ventures Extraordinary Pursuits podcast, BIP Ventures SVP of Portfolio Performance Mike Vandiver speaks with John Frazier, CEO of Indonero. The two discuss the critical role of financial management in startups and growth-oriented companies, focusing on what roles should be filled in-house and which are best managed by an outside expert. 
John emphasizes why it’s especially important for early-stage companies to choose the right outsourced CFO and accounting services. He identifies indicators that signal when to bring in a financial expert to help the company grow. This is a short conversation useful for startups striving to put the right resources and expertise in place to help them stay on track for growth. 
Timestamps: 
01:02 The Importance of Choosing Financial Partners 
02:29 Indicators for Hiring Financial Experts 
04:24 Client Experiences with Outsourced Accounting 
05:49 Balancing Outsourced and In-House Financial Roles 
About John Frazier:‍ 
John Frazier is the CEO of InDinero, an accounting and financial services solution provider. InDinero specializes in relationship-driven tailored support that helps growth-oriented companies navigate the complexities of financial management. John has more than 25 years of experience in the service space and a unique background that blends electrical and electronic engineering with cloud services, which has helped him deliver guidance to modern financial solutions. 
🎧 Listen to and watch this episode and other episodes of the Extraordinary Pursuits podcast. 

The Startup Hypergrowth Playbook: Lessons from PlayOn! Sports

Hypergrowth is the stuff of dreams and legends for many startups. For those who achieve it, it’s also one of their greatest challenges. Scaling at an accelerated pace can unlock massive opportunities – provided it’s executed with a disciplined strategy. The key to navigating hypergrowth toward opportunity (not chaos) lies in balancing agility and sustainability and making data-driven decisions in the face of overwhelming decisions.
Companies that master hypergrowth don’t just expand rapidly; they evolve strategically. Those that figure out when to push forward aggressively and when to refine processes are best positioned to turn momentum into lasting market dominance.
In this episode of the Extraordinary Pursuits podcast by BIP Ventures, PlayOn! Sports CEO David Rudolph shares his journey leading a company through hypergrowth. He breaks down how PlayOn! transitioned from chasing growth to harnessing it to transform the company from a startup to a sector leader. This episode is an honest look at the challenges, turning points, excitement, and learnings from a startup leader who lived the ‘dream.’
Timestamps:
[02:16] David’s career background and journey into entrepreneurship
[04:43] The problem that inspired David to create PlayOn!
[06:54] The genesis of PlayOn! and where they are now
[11:48] How, where, and when PlayOn! hit hypergrowth
[23:02] Balancing data and action in scaling a company
[29:04] How PlayOn! went from chasing growth to harnessing it strategically
[31:29] David’s advice to startups pursuing high growth
[36:38] Lessons David wishes he knew when he started as an entrepreneur
[39:56] Where to learn more about PlayOn! and its family of brands
Points of Wisdom:
“Have a theory, and be prepared as you can, but ultimately, you’ve to put your product into the market and see how the market responds.” [22:30]
“There’s part of hypergrowth that is luck, and you’ve to be as prepared as possible so when that moment shows up in your company, you can capitalize on it.” [31:54]
“If you try to stick with the plan you imagined at the start, you’re going to miss the opportunity.” [32:33]
About David Rudolph:
David Rudolph is the CEO of PlayOn! Sports, a cutting-edge technology company that has revolutionized how people connect, engage, and experience digital content. Under David’s leadership, PlayOn! has become the central source for high school fun engagement. It encompasses everything from the ticketing process to streaming events. Their innovation has revolutionized how we experience high school sports. David’s entrepreneurial vision and leadership have positioned him as a dynamic force in the industry, driving innovation and growth at an unprecedented scale.
NFHS Network: https://nfhsnetwork.playonsports.com/overview
GoFan: https://gofan.playonsports.com/overview
VidSwap: https://www.playonsports.com/analytics
VNN: https://www.playonsports.com/products/vnn 
BIP Ventures 
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Mini-Episode: The Power of Regional Investor Networks

In this mini-episode of the Extraordinary Pursuits podcast, Venture Atlanta CEO Allyson Eman zeroes in on why networking and preparation are critical elements of a healthy startup ecosystem.
She explains how and why Venture Atlanta has connected early-stage innovation companies with investors since 2007. Pulling from the near 20-year history of the event, she offers useful insights for founders and investors to prepare to succeed at Venture Atlanta specifically and venture capital in general. Listen in for her useful guidance. 
Key Points 
Differentiation and solid connections matter more than having $1M in revenue.  
Do your research so you can be smart about who you reach out to and why.  
Looking at a company online isn’t enough – talk to them, look at their growth, and review their financials. 
Most startups are unlikely to experience hockey stick growth – and investors know better when they see that projected in a pitch deck. 
If you connect with someone, look them up afterward, make sure they are the right person, and follow up with them. 
About Allyson Eman 
Allyson Eman is a seasoned professional with over 30 years of experience in marketing, communications, sales leadership, and business development. Since 2007, she has served as Executive Director, and later CEO, of Venture Atlanta, the largest venture capital conference on the East Coast. Under her leadership, the conference has grown significantly, attracting over 1,500 attendees and helping emerging technology companies raise over $7.5 billion. Before Venture Atlanta, Allyson was key in expanding SouthStar Funding from a small team to a nationally respected mortgage lender and managed marketing for SouthTrust Bank's Georgia branches. She holds a BS from the University of Florida. LinkedIn  
About Venture Atlanta
The Venture Atlanta Conference has evolved from a two-day, high-caliber event into a full-blown community dedicated to bringing innovative companies, disruptive technologies, and top-tier investors together. The 2025 Venture Atlanta event is happening on October 15th and 16th. Sponsorships are open, and startups can apply to pitch starting in May. 
Learn more, sponsor, and prepare to apply
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The Reality of VC Returns: Why Batting Average Beats the Power Law

The Power Law of Venture Capital is the theory that an exceedingly small number – as little as 5-10% of an investor's venture capital investments – will yield the vast majority (90-100%) of returns from venture investing. In a special interview for the Extraordinary Pursuits podcast, BIP Capital CEO Mark Buffington argues that this definition of the Power Law is (at best) extreme.
Buffington explains why venture capital investors and founders should not accept playing a game where 10% of investments generate a 25x, and everything else is basically a write-off. 
This episode will give you an insider's knowledge of why Batting Average is a better measure of a VC's ability to generate the best possible outcomes for everyone they serve.
If you're a founder, listen in to understand what questions to ask when considering a long-term VC partner and how much capital to pursue to balance risk with optimal outcomes. If you're an investor, you'll gain more clarity about the risks inherent in chasing a small number of high returns.
Timestamps
[02:06] The Power Law and how it has shifted over time in Venture Capital
[03:51] Mark's contrarian perspective on Power Law
[06:43] The usefulness of a Batting Average approach to outcomes
[12:33] The role of risk management
[18:56] The impact of extreme Power Law on VC investors 
[22:48] The balance of skill and luck
[26:52] AI's influence on Power Law dynamics
Points of Wisdom
 "Too many times people try to fund their way to category leaders, that's earned with the customers that you have, not the amount of capital that comes." [09:06]
"Founders need to be thoughtful about where they take the money and how much capital they take in based on their level of product fit and market sophistication." [10:04]
"Getting alignment is important; assessing the risk and gaps is super important." [15:39]
About Mark Buffington
Mark Buffington is the co-founder and CEO of BIP Capital and the Managing Partner of BIP Ventures. Since founding BIP Capital in 2006, he has guided the firm to become one of the most recognized venture capital brands outside Silicon Valley, leading investments in over 80 companies across industries such as healthcare, fintech, and enterprise SaaS. Mark serves on several corporate and nonprofit boards, reflecting his commitment to innovation and community impact. LinkedIn
Resources Mentioned
The Power Law of Venture Capital article
The Current and Future State of AI 
BIP Ventures
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Delivering Value to Distinct Buyer Audiences

Great companies are built on and driven by clear GTM strategies, a specific ICP, consistent messaging, and disciplined metrics. Those steps are fairly straightforward when that company has a single audience to serve. But it’s almost a given that a business will have more than one audience. Most have a set of buyers who then have their own set of constituents. As the source provider, you must understand what constitutes value for each – then meet those distinct needs thoughtfully and consistently, and be aware of how they may be evolving. 
The key to success lies in understanding which of your audiences is the ICP and which are secondary targets and then mapping your offerings to what each one needs and wants most. The process demands focus and flexibility. When a business succeeds in the effort, partnerships thrive, channels widen, and the business is positioned for exponential impact. 
In this episode of the Extraordinary Pursuits podcast from BIP Ventures, HealtheMed CEO Steve Pontius shares strategies and tactics for understanding and addressing multiple audiences' needs. He shares examples of how HealtheMed has grown by organizing its sales and marketing efforts to satisfy the distinct requirements of two very distinct audiences – healthcare providers and their patients.  
This is an episode for any company that is striving to grow their buying audiences and build partner channels. 
Let’s get started. 
Timestamps: 
[00:01] Intro and a bit about our guest, Steve Pontius
[03:07] Steve’s career journey and how he got into entrepreneurship 
[07:21] About HealtheMed and its mission to serve underserved populations
[09:12] The challenge that sparked Steve’s interest (in just 45 seconds)
[11:51] How HealtheMed delivers solutions to its audience 
[14:43] HealtheMed's main buying constituent and solution
[19:04] Key sales and data points for building strong partnerships  
[23:58] How HealtheMed works inside the home
[29:09] How HealtheMed mitigates challenges in remote monitoring 
[31:50] Steve’s advice on how to get to the core of what your audience needs
[35:22] How to reach out and connect with Steve 
Points of Wisdom: 
“If you’re going to be an entrepreneur, one of the best questions you can ever ask is WHY.” [05:39]
“The story is way more important; the data is a supplement.” [17:53]
“Clients have their own concerns, and they are legit; whether we think they should be or not, it doesn’t matter.” [30:46]
“The start-ups that get there get there (do so) because they keep pushing and talking to everybody; this is the only way to be successful.” [34:41] 
About Steve Pontius: 
Steve Pontius is the CEO of HealtheMed, a groundbreaking organization delivering in-home health healthcare and support to underserved populations in Minnesota. He has decades of entrepreneurial, operational and marketing experience within complex businesses in the healthcare space, including Minute Clinic. Under Steve’s leadership, HealtheMed is bridging gaps by bringing innovative technology and care into the homes of the people who need it most. HealtheMed has improved access to vital care services, the health and longevity of typically underserved populations, and the outcomes for caregivers and the healthcare system.   
 
Website: https://healthemed.com/ 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevepontius/ 
 
BIP Ventures 
Website: www.bipventures.vc 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/bipventures/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bipventures/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bipventures 
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@bipventures 
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Mini-Episode: Driving Startup Growth Through Effective CRM Use

In this episode of the Extraordinary Pursuits podcast, host Rachelle Karamoto speaks with Brendan Tolleson, co-founder and CEO of RevPartners, about the importance of revenue operations (rev ops) and customer relationship management (CRM) systems for startups. They discuss how to effectively harness data, the triggers for implementing a CRM, and the best CRM options for early-stage companies. The conversation emphasizes the need for efficiency and sustainable growth in the current venture capital landscape.
Points of Wisdom: 
"Be generous. Share it."
Timestamps: 
02:47 Understanding CRM's Role in Revenue Operations
05:56 Choosing the Right CRM for Startups
About Brendan Tolleson: 
Tolleson is the founder and CEO of RevPartners, a firm that designs, builds, and executes revenue operations to support its holistic go-to-market strategies for scaling companies. Brendan is a HubSpot expert who leads RevPartners in designing, building, and executing RevOps strategies to support high-growth companies. Before founding RevPartners, he held leadership roles at companies like Cprime, TaxConnex, and Tricentis.  
Website: https://revpartners.io/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendan-tolleson-hubolutionary/ 
🎧 Listen to and watch this episode and other episodes of the Extraordinary Pursuits podcast. 

The Key to Leadership Communication

In many workplaces, “conversations” are actually more like broadcasts—leaders talk and teams listen, but real engagement is missing. In others, the dialogue flows freely, ideas are exchanged, and collaboration thrives. In the first instance, leadership talks AT people, while in the other, people talk WITH each other. Particularly in fast-moving environments, it can feel like effective leadership hinges on delivering messages—dictating strategies, giving orders, and requiring answers. Research shows that successful outcomes and organizational endurance come from the quality of the connections between the people working together. Genuine communication builds critical levels of trust that lay a foundation for necessary candor and ensure every voice is heard.
Shifting from monologue to meaningful conversation is more than a cultural imperative. Healthy team dynamics can shape the health of the organization. In this episode of the Extraordinary Pursuits podcast from BIP Ventures, Chris Kisley joins host Rachelle Kuramoto to share strategies for effective and productive conversations even in resource-constrained and fast-moving companies. Chris is the founder and leader of leadership and organizational development firm Kisley & Wild. She offers decades of experience and perspective on how fast-changing businesses can successfully navigate team dynamics as they evolve—so that they CAN evolve.
Timestamps:
[02:29] Christina’s entrepreneurship journey running Kisley & Wild
[03:48] The motivation behind Christina’s transition from corporate to entrepreneurship
[07:41] Leadership communication: What ‘Talking at one another’ means
[10:54] How leaders can avoid ‘Talking at People’ and enhance communication
[12:37] How to reset a conversation when things start going wrong
[15:31] Practical tips on how to move past ‘Talking at’ to ‘Talking with’
[18:55] Managing team dynamics and relationships in a high-growth environment
[22:26] Case study: The consequences of neglecting people in leadership
[27:30] Red flags to watch out for when managing team dynamics
[30:51] Strategies for building cohesion in hybrid and return-to-office workplaces
[35:57] The one thing you need to become a better communicator in the workplace
Points of Wisdom:
“Communication is meant to be two ways, but sometimes we get too excited about what we’re talking about and don’t pay attention to the fact that there is somebody else.” [07:43]
“If you forget that humans are human beings, not human doing, you can move fast with the work but slow with people.” [10:14]
“What you invest in is where you will get results; if you don’t invest in people, your results won’t come through people, and people do the work of the company.” [19:29]
“Ask for feedback to figure out what it feels like to be on the other side; if you don’t ask, you won’t be told.” [35:51]
About Christina Kisley:
Christina Kisley is the founder of Kisley and Wild, a Leadership and Organizational Development firm dedicated to transforming how leaders communicate and collaborate to create healthy, scalable work environments. With a career spanning three decades, Christina brings deep expertise as a leadership strategist and executive coach. Her extensive experience has given her a unique understanding of the unique challenges leaders face, and she has a proven track record of helping them turn challenges into opportunities for growth and success.
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Phone: 404-358-5903
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🎧 Listen to and watch this episode and other episodes of the Extraordinary Pursuits podcast.