Navigating Startup Culture and Entrepreneurship with Evan Currid

Every once in a while someone comes along with an idea for a product that isn’t just new, it's revolutionary. The type of thing that can start a movement. That’s what Evan Currid did with his first startup. After traveling the world and seeing villagers strapping canvas tents to the roof of their cars, he came back with his wife and started the first American rooftop tent company, Tepui… which fueled the overlanding boom that continues to grow today.

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Evan eventually sold Tepui to Thule and has not only started another game changing company, Hitchfire, he’s even got another one in the works! Hear all about it on the latest episode of Only the Strong Survive ( OTSS Podcast ). This was a fun one, here are a few of the lessons I learned:

• Making mistakes in business is inevitable, especially in product development. Don’t be so hard on yourself when there’s a bump in the road, use it as fuel. Just don’t make the mistake of choosing the wrong vendor.
• Doing things you are passionate about is a game changer. Consumers can tell when a product is just a money grab and not backed by passion. Build those customer connections, and stay true to your brand.
• Take risks, and go fast. Being the first to introduce a product allows you to dominate the market and build brand recognition as soon as possible. First come, first serve- especially with a great product.?

You can listen to the full episode on Spotify, Substack, and Apple Podcasts.