Why B2B founders should focus on selling the product before building it

About the episode

“If we’re not cringing about the things that we were doing six months ago, then we’re not growing. We need to always be pushing the boundaries and redefining ourselves.”

Jonathon Barkl

Join Daryna Kulya as she sits down with Jonathon Barkl, Co-Founder and CEO of AirGarage.

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Jonathon dropped out of college to start AirGarage with 2 friends. 6 years later, AirGarage has scaled to 300+ parking lots in over 37+ states. They are backed by world-class investors like a16z and Floodgate and are serving hundreds of thousands of drivers every month.

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Jonathon shared the founding story of AirGarage, how early customers shaped their product, their big pivot, founder-led sales, and non-conventional hiring advice. Jonathon gave tactical tips that founders can use to get their first customers.

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If you’re looking to get better at early-stage sales, this episode is a must listen.

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‍Timestamps

(00:00) Episode highlight
(00:36) Intro to Jonathon + episode summary
(03:29) Applying the Great Filter Theory and Fermi Paradox to startups
(05:51) Jonathon’s path to entrepreneurship
(09:38) The inception of AirGarage
(12:55) Jonathon on why fast feedback loops drive founders
(15:00) What physics teaches founders
(18:32) How to get customers by creatively doing things that don’t scale
(29:37) Lessons from AirGarage’s first pivot
(39:18) Why founders need to sell the product before building it
(41:43) How founder-led sales became the core pillar of AirGarage
(53:42) AirGarage’s big pivot and how they handled it
(1:06:04) Lessons on hiring and scaling a startup
(1:18:19) The proven formula on how to build what customers want
(1:28:18) Jonathon’s one piece of advice to founders

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This is a series featuring real stories behind building a company. Expect candid conversations with fellow entrepreneurs who’ve experienced everything from wild highs to “can-we-survive-this” lows. In each episode, Daryna and her guests share their journeys, lessons learned, and the insights that made all the difference. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or a seasoned founder, there's something here for everyone.

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To learn about Jonathon

▷ Twitter: https://x.com/jonathonbarkl

▷ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathonbarkl/

▷ AirGarage website: www.airagarage.com

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In this episode

Guest

Jonathon Barkl

Jonathon Barkl is the Co-Founder and CEO of AirGarage, the operating system for parking real estate that increases revenue for owners while improving the experience for drivers. He started the company with one parking lot in Phoenix in 2018 and has led it as it has scaled to 300+ parking lots and parking garages across 37 states.

Connect with John Andrew

Meet our host

Daryna Kulya

Daryna Kulya is the Co-Founder and COO at OpenPhone, dedicated to helping businesses build stronger customer relationships. Previously a Product Manager at Vidyard and founder of Product Hunt Toronto, one of the city's largest product events, she began her career in consulting at Deloitte.

Connect with Daryna

About the episode

“If we’re not cringing about the things that we were doing six months ago, then we’re not growing. We need to always be pushing the boundaries and redefining ourselves.”

Jonathon Barkl