About this episode

Dave Burnett shares his journey from hockey enforcer to successful entrepreneur, discussing the advantages of non-traditional backgrounds and the importance of AI in startups.

Former hockey enforcer Dave Burnett took punches for a living, then helped build Achievers.com (sold for $110M), watched his own business go to zero twice, and came back both times. In this episode, we dig into why founders with non-traditional backgrounds often outperform the textbook startup playbook, how to make sure AI models actually know your startup exists, and a time management system built around 1,440 minutes that will change how you think about your day.   CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 0:32 Dave's path from hockey enforcer to serial entrepreneur 1:36 Building Achievers.com and the $110M exit 3:08 Why non-traditional founders have an edge 3:52 The enforcer mentality and entrepreneurial grit 7:05 Building for the future: swappable AI engines 8:25 AI models are commodities, not loyalties 10:30 AI is table stakes now 10:43 The dumbbell theory: where to build in the age of AI 15:53 AI visibility: does ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini know your startup exists? 19:47 What separates visible companies from invisible ones 21:00 How to use LLMTel to check your AI visibility 23:01 What early-stage founders should do now to show up in AI 25:18 GEO vs. SEO: what's different, what's the same…

People in this episode

Host: Lance Cottrell

Guest: Dave Burnett

Topics covered

• entrepreneurship
• AI
• time management
• non-traditional backgrounds

Keywords

• grit
• Achievers.com
• startup playbook
• time management system

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Claude, LLMTel, Achievers.com

Books & works: From Bricks to Clicks

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