The First Customer - Built Like a Startup, Written Like a Mission with Founder Gregory Shepard

In this episode, I was lucky  enough to  interview a longtime friend and startup expert Gregory Shepard. Greg shares the story behind his new book, The Startup Lifecycle, which grew out of a four-year research project on why startups fail. With thousands of transcripts and 200,000 case studies, he saw the need to turn complex data into practical tools for founders. What began as a policy-focused effort became a mission to empower entrepreneurs. This led to both the book and his platform, Startup Science, now home to tens of thousands of founders and a growing network of mentors and investors. Greg also shares his startup-style approach to writing and publishing the book. He carefully planned its structure, from parts and chapters to quotes, jokes, and stories, aiming to make it both informative and engaging. He talks about using AI as a helpful editor, while warning against depending on it for original ideas. Greg also outlines his go-to-market strategy, which includes over 700 tactics across podcasts, book clubs, search optimization, and more. Give it up one more time for Gregory Shepard! By treating the book like a product launch, his entrepreneurial mindset shines through, showing that even in authorship, he"s all in on impact and execution! Guest Info: Gregory Shepard"s Website https://www.gregoryshepard.com/ Gregory Shepard"s LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregshepard/ Connect with Jay on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayaigner/ The First Customer Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@thefirstcustomerpodcast The First Customer podcast website https://www.firstcustomerpodcast.com Follow The First Customer on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/company/the-first-customer-podcast/