Hockey Enforcer to $110M: Dave Burnett on Grit, Time, and Making AI See Your Startup

Former hockey enforcer Dave Burnett took punches for a living, then helped build Achievers.com (sold for $110M), watched his own business go to zero twice, and came back both times. In this episode, we dig into why founders with non-traditional backgrounds often outperform the textbook startup playbook, how to make sure AI models actually know your startup exists, and a time management system built around 1,440 minutes that will change how you think about your day.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Intro

0:32 Dave's path from hockey enforcer to serial entrepreneur

1:36 Building Achievers.com and the $110M exit

3:08 Why non-traditional founders have an edge

3:52 The enforcer mentality and entrepreneurial grit

7:05 Building for the future: swappable AI engines

8:25 AI models are commodities, not loyalties

10:30 AI is table stakes now

10:43 The dumbbell theory: where to build in the age of AI

15:53 AI visibility: does ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini know your startup exists?

19:47 What separates visible companies from invisible ones

21:00 How to use LLMTel to check your AI visibility

23:01 What early-stage founders should do now to show up in AI

25:18 GEO vs. SEO: what's different, what's the same

26:48 Mid-roll break

27:09 The 1,440-minute time management system

31:04 Color-coding your day in 10-minute blocks

32:23 Constraint-based prioritization: always work on the bottleneck

34:36 Embracing uncertainty and getting comfortable with failure

36:23 Building things nobody wants (and how to avoid it)

38:27 Why Dave went so granular on time tracking

40:51 Surviving a traumatic brain injury while running multiple companies

41:51 Notifications are other people's priorities

46:54 It's going to suck, and that's normal

47:59 When to pivot vs. when to double down

50:23 Going to zero twice: Great Recession and COVID

53:03 Business as an infinite game

55:01 Closing thoughts

🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES

Dave Burnett's AI Visibility Tool (LLMTel): https://llmtel.com

Dave's Digital Marketing Agency: https://aokmarketing.com

Dave's Book "From Bricks to Clicks": https://aokmarketing.com/book

Dave on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/davebburnett

📥 FREE FUNDRAISING TOOLKIT

Grab templates and tools I built for the founders I coach: https://feeltheboot.com/raise

🎬 Watch the video version of this episode: https://ftb.bz/128V

📖 Read the full blog post: https://ftb.bz/128B

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Feel the Boot helps early-stage startup founders navigate the fundraising process. Whether you're preparing for your first pre-seed round or struggling to close a seed raise, we cover the strategies, frameworks, and mindset you need to raise capital and build a fundable company. Hosted by Lance Cottrell, angel investor and president of North Bay Angels.

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