Sell First Build Second

Jarron Tate is a 20 year sales veteran. Currently he works at HR Acuity a software company that raised a $40M at Series B to standardises how employee-related events are investigated, documented, and reported as Director of Enterprise Sales. In today’s episode, we get to learn a little bit more about Jarron’s journey into sales, the process of cracking enterprise sales as a startup and what it takes to succeed in this space.

Part II of a collection of quotes and thoughts from history's greats.

9 sales lessons (for better and for worse) I gathered from the film Glengarry Glen Ross. This episode is sponsored by Docmost. To securely manage your company's knowledge, deploy on premises and migrate from Notion or Confluence with ease: https://docmost.com/

"Take the f**king money" - Logan Roy, Succession (TV series). Knowing when to exit is just as important as knowing when to enter. Reflections on business exits that worked and didn't work. Join the first ever Sell First Build Second Workshop on 14th November 2025 in London, here: https://tally.so/forms/w45x7B

"Life is hard, but its much harder if you are stupid" - John WayneDiving into the science behind poor decision making and Ken Cunningham's view on how to sustain long term success in business by reversing these.

Life has its immutable laws, death and taxes. Business is no different. Distribute or die. Peter Thiel: “Distribution should be part of product design."This week we look at 6 startups that built distribution into their product.

Relentlessness and Taste might be the two most important skills in business today. "A Cooler wonders what’s going to happen. A Closer watches things happen. A Cleaner makes things happen.” - Tim Grover"The best founders understand that taste is a competitive advantage that compounds. It runs deeper than pixels — it’s in your codebase, your culture, your cap table." — Sarah Guo

"Despite decades of pretending our work isn’t to be taken personally, storytelling proves that if it isn’t personal, it doesn’t matter." - Annette SimmonsThis week, we explore the importance of storytelling in business, lessons from Gary Halbert and the 6 types of stories you can tell.

Origin stories aren't as clean as they are made out to be. A lot of the time you sell what you don't yet have and see who bites.So, how do you really get going early on?Stories from the Howard Schultz, Starbucks founder and more.

"A lot of would-be founders believe that startups either take off or don’t. You can’t wait for users to come to you. You have to go out and get them." - Paul GrahamA story about Stripe's early user acquisition and 5 strategies to grow your early stage sales.

"I don’t play in a game where other people are wise and I am stupid. I look for a game where I am wise and they are stupid." - Charlie MungerA story about Charlie Munger, Costco and a sales tip.

"What often looks like talent is just great positioning" This week we look at why positioning is everything in business and your career. We spotlight...dragonflies.

Eloka Agu successfully founded and exited Keakie, a music streaming platform and today is building out Satellite Labs, a creative agency.We talk about why there's never been a better time to build in human history in the age of AI, the impact of technology on time, identity and so much more. You can find Eloka on his following socials:Instagram / Twitter (X) / LinkedIn: @elokaagu

"The smartest companies realise they are also in the distribution business" - Elad Gil.Today we look at how individuals and businesses in different industries have leveraged distribution to build a successful stream of income. Stories from Jay-Z, Amazon, Shane Parrish and more.

"Later, the coffee gets cold." An episode highlighting the power of speed and urgency.Stories and lessons from Noah Kagan, founder of AppSumo ($80 million a year business) and Mark Zuckerberg.

"Two obsessions is one too many" Exploring the lives of UFC Mixed Martial Artist, Conor McGregor and the world's best chess player, Magnus Carlsen to understand what obsession looks like and how it feeds greatness.

Can stopping a difficult task actually help you complete it better? This week we jump into the science of procrastination, rest and a story about the "I Have A Dream" Speech.

Success isn’t just about talent—it’s about grit. In Grit by Angela Duckworth, she reveals how passion and perseverance matter more than natural ability. Tune in to learn why staying committed to long-term goals is the real key to achievement and a story about Jensen Huang, Co-Founder and CEO NVIDIA.

An episode on how inaction can lend itself to success.Stories from Ted Williams, one of the greatest baseball players of all time and Warren Buffet, one of the greatest investors of all time.

"If I had behaved in a more professional way it would have taken me 20 years to arrive. I had neither the time nor the money to wait. I was poor, unknown and in a hurry." - David OglivyExploring the unconventional paths successful individuals like Steven Spielberg and Maya Angelou took to arrive at their destination.

"Facts are stubborn things, but our minds are even more stubborn" - John Adams What happens when our understanding evolves, and the once-reasonable facts no longer hold entirely true?

An episode speaking about how ideas which look simple on the surface disrupt world order. Why? Because of their value.

"May Your Road Be Rough" - Tai Solarin A history of road design and life lessons from a trip a to Lagos.

“We all need mirrors to remind ourselves who we are.” - Shelby (Memento) Join me for a collection of quotes and thoughts from history's greatest.

Will Smith famously once said: We spend money that we do not have, on things we do not need, to impress people who do not care. Jump into this episode on the maths of compounding and emotional temperament needed to do this for a long time, away from the limelight.

This week we dive into the importance of making your requests known. We explore the science, spirituality and pragmatism of verbalising what you desire.

The Zone of Genius is the intersection between your talents, passions, and strengths. Dive in on this episode on a guide for how to find yours.

“The future is already here but it’s not evenly distributed.” - William Gibson Enjoy the stories of Mike Maples Jr, Henry Ford and Jeff Bezos as foundations for ways to implement ideas for the future.

Running a business based on foot traffic during Covid. New episode of Prolific now live — in conversation with Ifeyinwa Frederick. We speak about launching the world’s first Nigerian Tapas restaurant, managing a business through Covid, creativity and investment from Beyoncé. For YouTube visuals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-olVEQ0RAWE

The more I learn, I’ve realized that the best of the best make the world work their way. This week we explore how rejection can be a chance for redirection rather than quitting.

"If anything is worth doing, it’s worth doing to excess.” - Edwin Land This week we look at the concept of balance in life and how to counterintuitively achieve it by using The Barbell Strategy.

“It’s the things you chain yourself to that set you free.” - David Brooks There’s an inextricable link between self control and success. This week we dive into the practice of building self-discipline.

Everything you do in life should be considered as a game. The question that you have to consider in everything you are doing is: Am I playing because I want to win? Or, because I want to continue. https://www.kitenge.me/essays/the-infinite-game

The more I learn, the more I realise how much I don’t know. What can we do when we hit this realisation? "It’s where you are at and where you want to be, then everything that sits in between which won’t matter at the end "— Nipsey Hussle

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” - Thomas Edison Exploring the benefits of staying still and prepared for when opportunity arrives.

"In order to innovate, you need to be able to see things in a new way "— Walt Disney This week we explore what new ideas look like at birth and how to have them.

Simmy Dhillon, Founder of Simmer Eats found it hard to find out what work he wanted to do, before he stumbled into entrepreneurship. We chat about growing food prep service from £10 investment to £1 million in recurring revenue. Finding work best suited to himself, and what he’s learnt along the way.

Getting your ideas out requires a high dose of an essential characteristic — confidence. In this episode, we explore the benefits of delusion. https://www.kitenge.me/essays/a-case-for-delusion

The elite obsess over fine margins. Dive into a story of the extent to which Kobe went to and how you can learn too can build an edge. https://www.kitenge.me/essays/kobe-bryants-secret-handbook

Entrepreneur and Investor, Naval Ravkiant thinks the reality of being productive over a 40 hour work week is a myth and I totally agree. https://www.kitenge.me/essays/cows-vs-lions

What is Ambition? How does it manifest? Can we become more ambitious? Tune in this week on Prolific, for a story which covers all three of these questions. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY_xnzj49EDVU6wy8dTVLag

Everyday we encounter decisions. These decisions come in all shapes and sizes. But they shouldn't all be treated the same way. Tune in for a framework on how to decipher between problems and the speed at which we should decide on them.

Kiiru headed into a traditional Kenyan bank to set up a new account, when he was dismissed as another young person with no money. This is what began his journey to building Fingo, Africa's first digital bank for youth. In his episode Prolific, we get to learn a little bit more about his journey, what it's really like to be the CEO at an early stage startup, entering Y Combinator and what ambition looks like. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyZul0Zkr_s

In Stephen Covey's book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, a chapter is dedicated on Begin With the End in Mind. Too often in life, we start something without a vision of where we would like things to go. In this episode, we explore how exactly we can work on designing a life that we truly desire.

In this episode, we delve into the mantra "Done > Perfect" and its significance in personal and professional growth. Purchase Art and Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking here.

We explore the beauty and importance of solitude. How does being alone differ from being in solitude? From finding peace in solitude to fostering creativity and self-discovery, learn how to embrace and thrive in moments of aloneness.

Peace Itimi is a Growth Marketer by day and visionary by night. She has built founders connect, an ecosystem for Afri tech founders to tell their stories and has shared her journey through tech on her YouTube. In this episode, we discuss her journey from Nigeria to London, what she thinks about the Afri-Tech ecosystem today and what will sustain it's growth in the future. Enjoy! For visuals: https://twitter.com/kitenge_me

We need Momentum more than we do Motivation. Discover why consistent progress is essential for success in both your career and personal life. Learn actionable strategies for building and sustaining momentum, ensuring you stay on track towards your aspirations. Instagram - 30 minute sales consultation, follow and comment "Me!" Twitter - 30 minute sales consultation, follow and comment "Me!"

From pinpointing potential customers to sealing the deal, get ready for actionable tips and real-world examples that promise to make you your first $1 online. Tap into this power-packed episode where I reveal my 11 principles essential for mastering the art of sales. For a chance to at a free 30 minute consulting session, follow and message "Me!" on this Instagram or Twitter (X) post. Buy 'The Personal MBA' Buy 'Founding Sales'

Saying no is a representation of focus. Yes, creates obligations. When we say yes to things, we do not know exactly what it is we are committing to.  So how do we say no? Join me this week to explore the importance of focus, Steve Jobs' approach to this and a framework to get more focus in your life.