Just Grow With It with Natalie Barbu

Thinking of starting a business in 2026? In this episode, I break down the business models I’d avoid, from influencer marketplaces to novelty AI startups. Learn from my experience, discover what makes a business sustainable, and get tips for success in the new year. Share your thoughts in the comments and don’t forget to subscribe for more founder insights every week! Subscribe to my substack: https://thegrowthlist.substack.com 00:00 - Intro: 2026, Year of the Entrepreneur 01:17 - Why I Wouldn’t Start an Influencer Marketplace 03:45 - The Problem with Targeting Enterprise First 06:52 - Recurring Revenue: Why It’s Essential 08:58 - The Harsh Truth About Social Media Startups 12:00 - Novelty AI Startups: A Cautionary Tale 13:45 - Final Thoughts & Community Q&A Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I reflect on the monumental lessons learned in 2025 as a founder and creator. Get 10% off your Squarespace purchase using code NATALIEBARBU or go to https://squarespace.com/nataliebarbu From nearly shutting down to hitting $2M ARR, I share the real, raw journey of building Rella, the power of niching down, why customer obsession is more than a buzzword, and how staying small can be your biggest advantage. Plus, I reveal the #1 trait every founder needs to succeed (hint: it’s not what you think). Sign up for my substack: https://thegrowthlist.substack.com/ If you’re ready to grow, learn, and get inspired for the year ahead, hit subscribe and join the community. Share your biggest lessons from this year in the comments! Timestamps and key takeaways below 👇 00:00 – Intro & Year-End Reflections 02:00 – The Turning Point: From Near Shutdown to $2M ARR 04:24 – Lesson 1: Niching Down Saved Us 07:15 – Saying No to Grow 09:07 – Sponsor: Squarespace 10:21 – Lesson 2: Customer Obsession in Action 13:20 – Lesson 3: Small Teams, Big Results 16:00 – Stop Comparing Your Journey 18:30 – The Power of Consistency 20:30 – Final Thoughts & What’s Next Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does product-market fit really look like? In this episode, I share the raw, unfiltered story of how we spent two years building the wrong product, the painful lessons we learned, and how we finally found true product-market fit with Rella. You’ll hear about the metrics that fooled us, the pivots that saved us, and the real signals that your product is actually working. If you’re a founder, creator, or just curious about the startup journey, this episode is for you. Timestamps and chapters below! 00:00 – What is Product-Market Fit, Really? 02:34 – The Early Days: Rella 1.0 and False Signals 06:26 – The Slack & Figma Stories: Real Product-Market Fit 10:20 – Vanity Metrics That Fooled Us 14:21 – The Pivot: Rebuilding from Scratch 18:07 – How to Know When to Pivot vs. Persevere 21:00 – Metrics That Actually Matter 23:41 – What to Do After You Find Product-Market Fit 25:38 – Final Thoughts & Where to Find Me Subscribe for more honest founder stories and business growth tips. Subscribe to my Substack: https://thegrowthlist.substack.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After 200+ investor rejections, we finally raised $1M for our startup. In this episode, I share the real story behind our fundraising journey, lessons learned, and practical tips for founders facing rejection. Whether you’re starting out or deep in the process, this is the advice I wish I had. Timestamps: 0:00 — Introduction & Podcast Background 3:30 — Fundraising Journey: Rella’s Pre-Seed Story 8:15 — Reflections on Fundraising vs. Bootstrapping 11:06 — How to Pitch: Storytelling & Investor Outreach 21:08 — Tactics: Finding, Contacting, and Tracking Investors 27:48 — Mindset, Rejection, and Getting the First Check 30:08 — Alternative Funding & Closing Thoughts Sign up for my newsletter: https://thegrowthlist.substack.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to "Just Grow With It"! In this episode, I share the biggest mistake we made as founders: not charging customers soon enough. We wasted two years and nearly lost our company before learning the hard truth about pricing. If you’re a creator, founder, or entrepreneur, this episode will save you time, money, and heartache. Newsletter: https://thegrowthlist.substack.com/ 00:00 – Why not charging was our biggest mistake 01:00 – The myth of traction vs. real revenue 02:30 – Why free users rarely convert to paid 04:00 – Our failed freemium launch and what went wrong 06:20 – The painful pivot: relaunching with a paywall 08:00 – How charging saved our business 09:30 – Should you charge from day one? 11:00 – Free trial vs. freemium vs. paid: what works 13:00 – The psychology of pricing and perceived value 15:00 – How to set your price and test your model 16:30 – Final lessons and advice for founders If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and sign up for my newsletter for more founder stories and lessons every week! Get 10% off your first purchase using code NATALIEBARBU or go to https://squarespace.com/nataliebarbu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices