Building a Startup Is Ugly. Here's What Happens Behind the Scenes

Ever felt like a CEO’s life is a roller coaster, with more downs than ups?  That’s exactly what Sahil Patel, 2x founder and current CEO of Spiralyze, is here to unpack. In this episode, Sahil dives deep into the gritty reality of entrepreneurship, describing how to live in the valleys and still lead authentically. He unpacks hard-earned lessons from ER Express, explains why small markets can kill growth dreams, and reveals his proven website conversion strategies through A/B testing.  Plus, mental health and therapy for business leaders get a full spotlight. What You’ll Learn: Why “living in the valley” is the real CEO mindset nobody talks about How anxiety kills leadership, and calm earns real loyalty The truth behind Sahil’s ER Express exit (and why it wasn’t a beach-check payday) Why most B2B websites fail the 3-second test, and how to fix it How showing pricing (even for complex products) can boost conversions The CRO mistake nearly every small business makes on their homepage Why therapy might be the smartest investment for founders under pressure Favorite Quote: “You got to learn to live in the valley... that is part of the job. Maybe that even is the job.”   Who is Sahil? Sahil Patel is a two-time founder. He co-founded and led ER Express (a health-tech platform) and now heads Spiralyze, a conversion-rate optimization powerhouse. He’s built businesses that tackle real-world problems and writes weekly CRO tips on LinkedIn.   Why Should You Listen? Tune in to rethink how you handle failure, sharpen your website game, and protect your mental well-being.   Connect with Sahil: Website: https://www.spiralyze.com LinkedIn (Personal): https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahilanamipatel   📞 Want help prepping your business for growth or sale? Hit us up at https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/call-with-credit-banc-pod 🎧 Subscribe. Rate. Share. Repeat. Our website Apple Podcasts  Spotify  Audible  YouTube    📧 Want even more? Subscribe to The Weekly, our Friday morning newsletter, for all the latest in the world of finance, tech, small business, and more.  Available on Substack: https://theweeklyfromshieldadvisory.substack.com/ Connect with us on Instagram: ➡️ @matthew.r.meehan ➡️ @luigi_rosabianca, ➡️ https://www.instagram.com/theliquidlunchproject/