🧑‍💻 Growth Capital Podcast — Episode 60 🧑‍💻

What if the biggest barrier to building a tech company is already gone? In this episode of the Growth Capital Podcast, host Justin Dixon sits down with Joel Walker, Founder & CEO of Hotline, to unpack how non-technical founders can now go from idea to working product—before hiring engineers or raising significant capital.

Joel shares how he used modern AI and code-assist tools to build a functioning prototype himself, logging 100-hour weeks to turn a personal pain point into a scalable platform. The conversation explores what this shift means for founders, investors, and operators—and why execution, clarity, and obsession still matter more than tools.

🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How AI is changing who gets to build technology
• Why “prototype first, hire later” creates leverage
• What non-technical founders must still own in product development
• How founder obsession leads to better product decisions
• Why execution discipline matters more than ever in an AI-driven world

This episode is especially relevant for founders, PE-backed CEOs, venture investors, and operators thinking about product, talent, and scale.

📩 Connect with Joel Walker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelw3/

👉 Watch now, subscribe for more conversations with growth-stage leaders, and drop a comment: Do you think AI changes how early-stage teams should be built?

👤 Growth Capital Podcast — Episode 59 👤

What happens when the skills that built the company start to limit its growth?

In this episode of Growth Capital Podcast, host Justin Dixon sits down with Jason Putnam, CEO of Vetty, to explore one of the most challenging transitions in building a company: transitioning from founder-led control to scalable leadership.

Jason shares hard-earned lessons from stepping into CEO roles after founding companies, scaling them from $10M to $50M+, and building repeatable systems that enable growth without chaos. From why repeatability matters more than hustle, to how brand has become a critical growth lever in an AI-driven market, this conversation is a must-watch for founders, operators, and investors navigating scale.

• Why what gets a company started won’t get it to the next stage
• How founders know when it’s time to step back—or evolve
• The real meaning of repeatability in sales and operations
• Why brand now outperforms demand gen in modern GTM
• How elite operators scale faster by bringing proven teams
• Where AI accelerates growth—and where strategy still wins

Whether you’re a founder preparing for your next phase, a PE-backed CEO scaling operations, or an investor evaluating leadership risk, this episode offers a clear operator’s perspective on what scalable leadership really requires.

🎧 Watch now on YouTube 🎙️ Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify

📩 Connect with Jason Putnam:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonputnam/
• Website: http://www.vetty.co

👉 Subscribe for more conversations with PE leaders, operators, and founders 💬 Drop a comment: When did you realize leadership had to change to scale?

🏷️ Growth Capital Podcast — Episode 58 🏷️

Most B2B SaaS leaders treat pricing as a number to optimize—when in reality, it’s one of the most powerful strategic levers in the business.

In this episode of the Growth Capital Podcast, host Justin Dixon sits down with Daniel Balcauski, Founder & Chief Pricing Officer of Product Tranquility, to unpack why pricing is less about math and more about strategy, positioning, and customer value.

Dan shares hard-earned insights from working with B2B SaaS companies scaling from $20M to $50M+ ARR, including how pricing decisions impact net revenue retention, sales velocity, expansion revenue, and long-term competitiveness. The conversation also explores how AI is reshaping SaaS cost structures—and why usage-based or token pricing is often the wrong reaction.

🎯 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why “who” and “how” you charge matters more than “what” you charge
• How pricing and packaging influence net revenue retention and expansion
• The hidden risks of “average pricing” in growing SaaS businesses
• Why pricing projects often expose deeper strategy and ICP issues
• How to think about monetizing AI without confusing or alienating customers

🚀 Whether you’re a founder, operator, or investor, this episode reframes pricing as a core growth discipline—not a finance afterthought.

📩 Connect with Dan Balcauski:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/balcauski/
• Website: https://www.producttranquility.com

👉 Subscribe for more conversations with private equity leaders, PE-backed CEOs, and SaaS founders. 💬 Comment below: How intentional is your pricing strategy today?

🌴 Growth Capital Podcast — Special Episode (Part 2) 🌴

What does rest look like for founders, CEOs, and private equity leaders who spend their lives building and scaling businesses?

In the final episode of our 2-part Year-End Series, we step away from balance sheets and boardrooms and into something just as important: reset, perspective, and time away.

In Founders Reset: Favorite Vacation Spots of 2025, guests from across the Growth Capital Podcast share the places that helped them unplug, recharge, and think clearly — from quiet coastal towns to historic cities, nature escapes, and global destinations.

🌍 Vacation spots featured in this episode include: • Santa Claus Village, Arctic Circle, Finland • Charleston, South Carolina • Oregon Coast • Puerto Vallarta & Sayulita, Mexico • Anna Maria Island & St. Pete Beach, Florida • Abaco Island, Bahamas • Hawaii • London • Humacao, Puerto Rico • Lisbon • Madrid, Spain • Ephraim, Wisconsin • South Korea • Israel • Florence, Italy • Costa Rica • Japan

Each destination comes with a story — why it matters, what it provides, and how time away ultimately makes leaders better at what they do.

And to close out the episode, Justin Dixon shares his own favorite place— and why it continues to pull him back year after year.

🎧 Whether you’re planning your next trip or simply rethinking how you disconnect, this episode is a reminder that rest is not a reward — it’s a strategy.

👉 Comment below: Where do you go to truly reset?

📖 Growth Capital Podcast — Special Episode (Part 1) 📖

What do today’s founders, operators, and investors actually read when the stakes are high?

In the first part of our special year-end two-part episode of the Growth Capital Podcast, Justin Dixon breaks down the most recommended books of 2025, based on insights shared by private equity leaders, CEOs of PE-backed companies, and startup founders throughout the year.

These aren’t trend-driven picks — they’re battle-tested books that shape how leaders think about:

• Scaling companies
• Building strong teams
• Making hard decisions
• Developing habits that compound
• Navigating uncertainty with clarity

📚 Books featured in this episode:

• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
• Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
• Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore
• Who Not How by Dan Sullivan
• Atomic Habits by James Clear
• Good to Great by Jim Collins
• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

Whether you’re leading a PE-backed business, building your first startup, or investing in growth-stage companies, this episode offers a practical reading roadmap grounded in real operator experience.

👉 Listen now and let us know in the comments: What book had the biggest impact on you this year? 🔔 Subscribe for more insights from founders, investors, and executives shaping the future of growth

🌿 Growth Capital Podcast — Episode 57 🌿

What if the fastest way to scale a services business isn’t adding headcount or waiting on referrals—but strategically buying the capabilities you need? In this episode of the Growth Capital Podcast, Justin Dixon sits down with Bart Davis, Co-Founder & CEO of 512 Financial, a rapidly growing Austin-based firm offering fractional accounting, finance, HR, and executive search services. After three years of organic growth, Bart and his team completed two acquisitions in one year—without raising institutional capital. The result? A multi-service platform designed to support clients across the entire talent and G&A lifecycle. Together, they unpack: 🔹 Why services businesses hit a ceiling with organic growth alone 🔹 How M&A can compress years of expansion into months 🔹 The “people-first” integration process that ensured near-perfect retention 🔹 The strategic power of expanding into full talent lifecycle services 🔹 Why ignoring AI is “signing your company up to die” 🔹 The founder-to-CEO mindset shift required to scale beyond yourself Whether you're a founder, operator, or investor, this episode breaks down a pragmatic roadmap for scaling smarter—not just bigger. Connect with Bart: 📩 Email: bart.davis@512financial.com 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bartdavis512/ Listen & Subscribe: If this episode adds value, hit Like, leave a comment, and make sure to subscribe to stay updated on future conversations with leaders in private equity, venture capital, and high-growth companies.

💼 Growth Capital Podcast — Episode 56 💼

What really changes when a founder moves from a scrappy, bootstrapped operation to a venture-backed, high-growth company? In this episode, Justin Dixon sits down with Jeff Majka, Founder of The Security Bulldog, to unpack the mindset shift, execution challenges, and strategic demands that come with raising outside capital.

The Security Bulldog is an AI-driven cybersecurity intelligence platform helping teams turn overwhelming data into fast, actionable decisions. Jeff shares his founder journey—from building professional services businesses to launching his first VC-backed SaaS company—and the unexpected realities he’s faced along the way.

🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode: • Why cybersecurity is ultimately a human problem—not a technology one • How lean teams can build enterprise-grade products without heavy overhead • The real tradeoffs of taking venture capital vs. bootstrapping • Why founder-led sales and thought leadership still matter • How AI fits into cybersecurity workflows in the real world • What it takes to raise capital in today’s market • How revenue and “new logos” solve most early-stage challenges

📩 Connect with Jeff: Website: https://securitybulldog.com/ Email: jeff@securitybulldog.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffmajka/

If you’re building, investing in, or scaling tech companies—especially in cybersecurity or enterprise SaaS—this conversation is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

👉 Watch more episodes, subscribe, and leave a comment with your biggest takeaway!

🌉 Growth Capital Podcast — Episode 55 🌉

What does it really take to turn a great idea into a real, functioning business? In this episode of the Growth Capital Podcast, Justin Dixon sits down with Zackary McKibbon, CEO & Founder of Vellora.AI. This next-generation AI-driven sales platform automates the administrative tasks that hold teams back.

Zack shares how he moved from raw inspiration to true implementation—rapid prototyping, leveraging accelerators, building a specialized technical team, and navigating today’s funding environment. We also dive into a live demo of Vellora.AI and explore how AI-driven sales systems are reshaping how modern teams sell, scale, and compete.

Whether you're a founder, operator, or investor, this episode offers a practical look at the execution gap that separates ideas from actual businesses—and what it takes to cross it.

• Why sales teams spend only 28% of their time actually selling—and how AI can change that
• The real startup chasm: moving from concept → product → paying customers
• How accelerators like Antler shorten execution cycles and improve go-to-market strategy
• Why time—not capital—is the biggest killer of early-stage startups
• The founder mindset needed to build from zero, and how to attract the right early team
• A live demo of Vellora.AI and how it automates CRM, next steps, and deal execution

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zmckibbon/

Like the video, drop a comment with your biggest insight, and subscribe for conversations with leaders across private equity, venture capital, and high-growth startups.