This One Hire Nearly Killed My Business | Pat Killoren - E60

What happens when a startup sales pro burns out and decides to start a podcast? In this episode of Funds and Founders, we sit down with Pat Killoren — host of Lone Startups who shares his wild journey from scaling beer brands and influencer platforms to building community-led content in Austin. 🎙 We go deep into: Building sales teams as a founder The mistakes startups make in GTM strategy Burnout, pivots, and personal reinvention How to monetize podcasts through real partnerships (not just ads) Whether you're a builder, creator, or investor, this episode will leave you with tangible lessons on growth, niche branding, and sustainable success. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 – Intro: Who is Pat Callaghan? 01:00 – Why he chose Austin and non-tech founders 03:30 – His journey from beer to blockchain 06:00 – What is Go-To-Market ? 08:00 – The Enterprise Trap: Why startups jump too soon 10:00 – How scrappy founders should build sales 14:30 – Why you shouldn’t send proposals too early 16:00 – How founders waste time chasing the wrong customers 18:00 – Picking the right channels: The Web3 sales story 21:00 – Cold outreach vs sniper sales: What works today 23:00 – How to hire your first sales hire (without getting burned) 25:00 – Why he quit sales and started a podcast 28:00 – The admin pain of podcasting no one talks about 30:00 – The monetization struggle: why brands hesitate 32:00 – Seasons vs weekly: how he’s structuring Lone Startups 36:00 – Format talk: from nature podcasts to 3D LED sets 40:00 – Roundtable format: a future idea for deep-dive episodes 44:00 – The mental blocks of podcast production quality 46:00 – Tools + Tech Stack for running the show 52:00 – Why video editing has become his new obsession 54:00 – Question for the next guest 56:00 – Where to follow Pat & closing thoughts