You Don't Need This Podcast Archives

Student Founders

Ben was back at UW Stevens Point, speaking and collaborating inside the UW Stevens Point Center for Entrepreneurship. During his time on campus, Alex Suscha and Haley Densow joined him for another “In The Wild” jam session.

Hear how these two college student founders are building beyond the classroom by embracing the tension of going beyond the status quo. We speak about building a company while balancing school work, how to win pitch contests, and growing up in the connected era. For leaders who build on the timeline of now, this timeless episode is brewed just for you. Enjoy!

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BONUS MATERIALS

https://sourcerai.co

https://uwsp.edu/news/haley-densow-dormdash

https://x.com/SentrySchool/status/1896335458461778294

https://x.com/BENovator/status/1894227286326464568

http://Student-Founders.YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

http://YouDontNeedThisKeynote.com

http://PlayforcePrinciples.com

EP17 – Schoolhouse Rock 🎙️ Anika Yadav

EP31 – What is School For? 🎙️ Russ Goerend

EP53 – Now & Later 🎙️ Evan Stanislawski + Matt Vollmer

EP54 – Blurring Lines 🎙️ Kevin Neuman + Chris Klesmith

EP69 – Generative Humans 🎙️ Chris Snider

EP81 – Technology Soup 🎙️ Carl Lippert

https://BenMcDougal.com/slide-deck-design

http://YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

By Ben McDougal, 4 hoursJune 18, 2025 ago

You Don't Need This Podcast

Paving Paths

Eric Engelmann builds stuff. Let’s cheers to this leader’s early entrepreneurial experiences and the origins of so many projects (see bonus materials) that have paved different paths for fellow founders. We also discuss when teams need to raise financial capital and how to manage a board of advisors, then explore leveraging large clients, finding co-founders in a startup community, and being honest with the end game in mind.

After the break, we hear how Eric wants to be remembered and riff on if everyone has an entrepreneurial spirit. We celebrate co-founders in life, articulate venture studios, deal flow as an investor, the importance of computer science in education, and avoiding burnout within the long-term realm of evolving entrepreneurial ecosystems.

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BONUS MATERIALS

https://x.com/ericengelmann

https://geonetric.com

https://newbo.co

https://isaventures.com

https://novyventures.com

http://Paving-Paths.YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

Roasted Reflections Break: Pain Relievers vs. Vitamins

https://entrefest.com

EP9 – Future of Work 🎙️ Nancy Mwirotsi

EP17 – Schoolhouse Rock 🎙️🎞️ Anika Yadav

EP30 – Exit Ramps 🎙️ Brian Crotty

EP77 – Problem Solving – Gerald Beranek

http://YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

http://BENBOT.ai

By Ben McDougal, 1 weekJune 9, 2025 ago

You Don't Need This Podcast

Courtside Perspectives

Just in time for the NBA Finals!

Sit courtside with Drew Van Meeteren, President of Business Operations for the Iowa Wolves. The G League connects basketball players and leaders to each team in the NBA. EP93 is packed with fast-paced collisions that’ll leave you thirsty for overtime.

The Minnesota Timberwolves had a remarkable run and Ben sits courtside at the Iowa Wolves, who also had another howling good minor league season. The business of sports is BIG, so find your seat, hit the bonus materials below, and get set… tip-off is now!

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BONUS MATERIALS

https://iowa.gleague.nba.com

Iowa Wolves 🏀💨 Courtside – https://youtu.be/Hv_lfxh2G78

https://BenMcDougal.com/Hole-in-One

https://x.com/BENovator/status/1722345784941625630

http://Courtside-Perspectives.YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

Roasted Reflections Break: One & Only

https://now4next.nbaplayerdev.com

https://pgatour.com/korn-ferry-tour

EP23 – Make It Rain 🎙️ Adam Viet

EP28 – Let’s Get Phygital 🎙️ Sachin Sehgal

EP82 – Base Camp 🎙️ Jon Kallen

http://YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

http://BENBOT.ai

By Ben McDougal, 2 weeksJune 4, 2025 ago

You Don't Need This Podcast

Revenue Bulldogs

Bill Adamowski is a technologist, founder, and educator who strengthens the web for understanding customers, solving the right problems, and sequencing human-centered design to grow revenue. We explore this catalyst’s journey from early interest in AI at Syracuse University, building/exiting his own business, helping large companies scale, shifting into higher education, establishing the ISU Startup Factory, and now inside Drake University (Bulldogs) as the Executive Director of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Human-Centered Design.

After the break, hear how to leverage research discoveries and scientific findings from tech transfer portals inside R1 universities. We close by discussing venture capital and paving paths to exit in style.

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BONUS MATERIALS

https://Drake.edu/zimpleman

https://researchguides.library.syr.edu/AI

http://Revenue-Bulldogs.YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

Roasted Reflections Break: Import Knowledge

https://technology.nasa.gov

https://warf.org

EP30 – Exit Ramps 🎙️ Brian Crotty

EP31 – What is School For? 🎙️ Russ Goerend

EP69 – Generative Humans 🎙️ Chris Snider

EP81 – Technology Soup 🎙️ Carl Lippert

http://YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

http://BENBOT.ai

By Ben McDougal, 3 weeksMay 28, 2025 ago

You Don't Need This Podcast

Surfing Early Moves

Based in Lincoln, Nebraska, Devon Seacrest is a tech founder who helps entrepreneurs surf through early moves that test the desirability, feasibly, and profitability of new ideas.

He visiting Des Moines to lead the discussion at a web3dsm gathering, leveled up with an unplanned pinball lesson, and presenting at 1MC Des Moines the next morning. We then hit the studio to talk about ways a minimum viable product (“MVP”) can activate the smallest viable audience and how to support progress with ongoing usability testing.

After a narrated break, Ben and Devon think through digitized consciousness and riff on the entrepreneurial lifestyle. For companies that have technical products, we share how communication patterns help to translate sophisticated concepts in ways that will resonate. These two technologists close by sharing creative ways to find co-founders and encourage us all to enjoy the journey of this magnificent marathon.

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BONUS MATERIALS

https://CodeBuddy.com

CodeBuddy Library

https://youtube.com/@CodeBuddyTV

http://Surfing-Early-Moves.YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

Roasted Reflections Break: Early Moves

EP21 – Pinball Wizards 🎙️ Ben Sinclair

https://BenMcDougal.com/linear

http://YouDontNeedThisPodcast.com

http://BENBOT.ai

By Ben McDougal, 4 weeksMay 21, 2025 ago

Ben McDougal is an author, founder, technologist, and entrepreneurial ecosystem builder in the connected era.

Ben has been called a polymath. He evolves ideas into reality and accelerates others through the art of connection. Check out the innovations this leader has activated over time!

You’ve likely met Ben or heard him speak.

You Don’t Need This Podcast has been the place to enjoy a podcast every Wednesday morning for a while now! McDougal’s latest creation unites 80+ timeless episodes, each with featured guests in-studio! Listen and watch as leaders brew through the fabrics of an entrepreneurial lifestyle. The content creation never stops either. 160+ writings are now minted into Roasted Reflections. This library is a literary journey for the mind and could present a compelling path toward an all-new format coming soon.

Shifting gears, the quest that is FliteBrite remains compelling and an active part of Ben’s journey as a founder. Since 2012, their electronic serving system and beer festival app have created tech-infused paths for craft breweries and event organizers. This tasty story continues to be written, with fun, friendships, successes, learnings, and more fun, every step of the build.

Alongside his ventures, Ben caffeinates a nationwide movement called 1 Million Cups. After leading 1MC Des Moines for 5 years, Ben now collaborates with the Kauffman Foundation as the @1MCMidwest Regional Rep. He’s been making a ruckus in this position for over 5 years. What glorious collision, with endless generous 1MC organizers, in countless entrepreneurial ecosystems. Ben loves this leadership role brewed to connect and support 1MC organizers from 100+ communities throughout the Midwest and nationwide!

When it comes to nationwide efforts, Ben also had the privilege of teaming up with Techstars as an Entrepreneur in Residence and Ecosystem Builder. Investing 2021-2023 to build through the Iowa Techstars Accelerator was fantastic. That marketing-flavored, community building, culture, and founder-support role allowed Ben to continue accelerating inspired entrepreneurs… while connecting mentors and investors from around the globe.

Such experiential wisdom is translated into BENergy as McDougal speaks with a variety of different audiences. For example, You Don’t Need This Keynote activates students, while other talks accelerate young professionals, founders, side hustlers, and intrapreneurs. Watch fantastic examples here, then let’s chat about your next event, keynote speaker ideas, workshop collaborations, and/or entrepreneurial initiatives.

There’s so much more too. The full story is linked below and a spacious museum will keep you appreciating work that feels like play. As you’ll see through stories, Ben also enjoys travel, golf, EDM expeditions, reading, Seth Godin, philosophy, wine, craft beer, pinball, and spending treasured time with his wife and daughter. May the best of your todays, be the worst of your tomorrows. Cheers!

FULL STORY