The Friction List: A Bootstrapper's Guide to Building Better S03E15

31/07/2025 1h 0min Episodio 39
The Friction List: A Bootstrapper's Guide to Building Better S03E15

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Episode Synopsis

At 18, Chris Brisson’s journey began with a simple desire for new Mustang rims, but it evolved into a lesson in business arbitrage when he resold them for a profit. Years later, facing financial hardship, Chris turned to eBay, sparking his entrepreneurial mindset. He learned by solving problems hands-on, embracing continuous improvement and documenting everything. Chris’s companies—like Salesmsg—focus on real, two-way conversations, not just blasting messages. He champions a “friction list” where team members log inefficiencies, and he prioritizes automation and AI to create compound leverage. Chris’s approach is rooted in Kaizen: small, weekly improvements. His bootstrapped, remote company values autonomy, transparency, and constant learning. The key takeaways: treat problems as learning opportunities, systematically reduce friction, leverage AI for true efficiency, and maintain flexibility by raising capital only when necessary. Chris’s story is a blueprint for scrappy, scalable, founder-led growth.Subscribe to the Wildfire Labs Substack for podcast summaries and more insight on building a tech startup.
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