On this episode of the Startup Show, host John Biggs spoke with Matthew Gialich, founder and CEO of AstroForge, a company with an ambitious mission: mining asteroids for precious metals. AstroForge aims to completely change the mining industry by tapping into the vast resources of space, specifically targeting platinum group metals that are essential in various electronic devices and renewable energy technologies.

Platinum group metals, which include elements like platinum and palladium, are critical for manufacturing electronics and AI chips. However, the supply of these metals on Earth is limited, and the United States has less than 2% of the world’s reserves, concentrated in a single mine in Montana. This scarcity drives up prices and poses significant challenges for future technological advancements.

AstroForge’s solution is to mine asteroids, which are believed to be rich in these metals due to ancient asteroid impacts. By targeting near-Earth asteroids, which can be reached and mined within two years, AstroForge aims to significantly increase the supply of platinum group metals while reducing the environmental impact of traditional mining. Gialich emphasized that asteroid mining would produce far less carbon and eliminate water waste and harmful labor practices associated with terrestrial mining.

In this episode, I interview Savannah Peterson, an on-air celebrity and presenter, about the importance of being your true self when trying to achieve success. Savannah shares her personal journey of self-discovery and emphasizes the value of celebrating your uniqueness.

"The things that make you different are the things that are going to make you memorable,” she says.

She discusses the power of authenticity and vulnerability in connecting with others and building a genuine audience. She also provides advice on overcoming traditional expectations and finding your passion in work. The takeaway? Failure is a natural part of the creative process and that the most important thing is to enjoy the act of creating.

Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)

On this episode of Startup Show, John Biggs sat down with Amrutha Gujjar, the CEO and co-founder of Structured, a revenue intelligence and observability platform. In simple terms, Structured is designed to help businesses understand their sales, marketing, and customer success data to identify high-value customer segments and drive growth. The platform simplifies the process of data analysis, enabling companies to pinpoint their best opportunities for growth using data.

With Structured, businesses can determine when and where their products or services are most popular and who their top customers are. This allows companies to focus their sales and marketing efforts more effectively, ensuring they target the right audience with the right message.

For example, if a company sells cheese sandwiches (John’s latest great idea), Structured could identify that these sandwiches are most popular on Sundays in February near a ball game, targeting specific geographic regions and age groups.

The inspiration for Structured came from Gujjar’s experience as an engineer at Meta, where she worked on tools to make operations teams more effective with data. Her passion for user experience and interfaces led her to create a platform that simplifies data accessibility for revenue operations teams. The goal for the future is to enable small, highly strategic teams with data to drive growth, reducing the need for large teams and making businesses more efficient.

Adam Kahane, director of Reos Partners, shares his experience in helping people transform systems and the importance of learning from failure. He tells a story about a project with Manitoba First Nations in Canada, where he initially made the mistake of assuming he knew best.

Through feedback and humility, he was able to change his approach and achieve success. Kahane emphasizes the need for both vertical and horizontal approaches in working with groups, and the importance of radical engagement in transforming systems. He is currently working on a book about everyday habits for transforming systems.

You can check out Kahane’s book, Collaborating With the Enemy, here.

Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)

The latest guest on Grit Daily Startup Show is Steve McKinney, the founder of McKinney Consulting, who has carved a niche in the executive search industry from his base in Seoul, South Korea. His firm specializes in finding top-tier executives for multinational companies, including Fortune 100s and SMEs, and is renowned for its tailored approach to executive search, ensuring the best fit for both the candidate and the company.

In addition to his consulting work, McKinney is developing a book and online coaching programs aimed at sharing his extensive knowledge and experience. His initiatives focus on helping individuals and organizations achieve their full potential through strategic leadership and personal development, and he discussed it all with host John Biggs on Startup Show.

Samuel Lopez-Barantes, a novelist and musician living in Paris, discusses his perspective on success and failure in the creative world. He highlights the difference between the American and French attitudes towards art and how it is valued. Samuel shares his philosophy on success, which is centered around finishing a project and moving on to the next one. He also talks about his journey as a writer and the importance of recognizing what makes you tick and structuring your life around it. Samuel emphasizes the need to prioritize time over money and to be conscious of how you spend both.

You can buy his new book on his website.

Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)

Couch.com might sound straightforward — a digital marketplace for couches, yet it addresses a nuanced and complex issue: the overwhelming process of buying a couch. Most buyers, unsure of where to begin, face a barrage of choices from materials to retailers without a clear path forward. The platform simplifies this by gathering user preferences and guiding them to the perfect couch through a refined, almost concierge-like service online.

The journey began with acquiring its domain, a tale as interesting as its business model. Back purchased the domain in 2023 from a high-net-worth individual involved in the early development of Google AdSense. Despite the domain’s hefty price tag and tough negotiations, Back secured a deal beneficial for his startup’s growth. This crucial step was not just about owning a URL but establishing a foundation for a brand that promises clarity and convenience in the cluttered furniture market.

Want to be featured on The Startup Show? Email Spencer@gritdaily.com.

Adam Paulisick is the founder of SkillBuilder.io. He’s no stranger to publishing and and writing but when he trusted a company to help him build his next book, he wasn’t very careful. The result? A $20,000 loss and a lot of headaches caused by a business that turned out to be a fly-by-night operation.

Our theme music is by Policy AKA Mark Buchwald. (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/policy/)