Everything from product pricing to brand voice on Twitter relies on one key concept: situational awareness. Businesses must continually weigh every internal decision against a clear-eyed look at external conditions, even when those conditions are uncontrollable. In this episode, Rick Wilson explores the principles and practices brands need to foster intentional, marketplace-aware strategy.

Dragonproof eCommerce

Using Situational Awareness To Make Better Business Decisions

Sensationalistic headlines about labor, GDP, or the Dow have far less to do with the success of independent business than most sellers think. In this episode, Rick Wilson describes how to sidestep an obsession with macro economics, and figure out the correct timescale to analyze progress.

Macro-Economics Are Irrelevant - How To Grow During Boom Or Bear

The dust has somewhat settled after the U.S. business community’s dramatic shift to remote work last year, and for now, it is clear that the changes have stuck. In this episode, Rick Wilson connects the concept of healthy internal work culture to the viability of that business in a constantly changing external world. Part 4 of his series exploring principle-driven business strategies for the modern entrepreneur.

Work Culture in 2021 - Chaos or Competitive Advantage?

The silver bullet of ecommerce strategy is simple: Figure out what problem you’re solving, and then make sure you have people to solve it for. The trick, as Rick Wilson argues on this episode of the Dragonproof Pod, is to have personal, principled passion for both. Whether you are trailblazing new products or refining existing projects, your choices must be dictated by more than market research. 3rd in a series of “Dragonproof Principles” for entrepreneurs.

Why Principled Passion Drives Every Successful Business

The nature of entrepreneurship in the digital era is a story of nonstop change. Industry legends and business modalities from just a few years ago are already dated, as the currency of the online economy has moved from logistics to attention to influence. Yet there are core principles and drives which transcend the trends of the day for any true entrepreneur. Rick Wilson describes what it takes to successfully launch a business and shepherd it through inevitable ups and downs on the way to sustainable success.

The Noble Entrepreneur - What it takes to create a business

Rick Wilson’s 2019 book “Dragonproof” broke down the inner workings of ecommerce for online sellers who found themselves facing an unbeatable foe in Amazon. Now, Rick is launching a new book project which transforms lessons from the first 20 years of ecommerce into core principles for successful business, leadership, and personal happiness. This audio episode workshops one of the key themes of the book - the rapidly changing nature of entrepreneurship and the strategic opportunities which always follow.

The War on Entrepreneurship - Finding opportunity in a world of dragons

Excess jobs plus stagnant worker participation means a labor crisis for 2021 businesses. For many workers, the Covid era has been a gut check on which jobs are worth risks and pay - and the ecommerce industry is ready to offer an alternative. Rick Wilson explores why remote, digital, flexible jobs connected to online selling are the new frontier for the labor market.

The 2021 Labor Crisis - A Competitive Advantage for Online Businesses?

Last week, 300+ leaders of business gathered in Sun Valley, Idaho for an annual summit where handshake deals set the agenda for all U.S. businesses. Rick Wilson unpacks the 3 key issues being talked about, and how these matters will affect entrepreneurship at every level. Amid the oversized wealth and power at the event, there are inherent blind spots which will benefit small businesses by allowing new disruptions to arise.

Summer Camp For Billionaires

At the start of pandemic, online apparel pioneer SCOTTeVEST faced an incredible challenge. With a product line geared toward travel and adventure customers, global lockdowns struck an immediate blow to orders. SCOTTeVEST C.E.O. Scott Jordan joins Rick Wilson to share the detailed strategy he applied to a long year of uncertainty, with ultimately winning results.

Pocket Science - How Apparel Innovator SCOTTeVEST Navigated 2020 in Style

Amazon Prime Day has taken on the air of a national holiday lately, with breathless anticipation of schedules and discounts. But with the sale netting less than a typical day’s revenue for the marketplace, what’s really motivating it? Independent sellers should be aware of the true underpinnings of the event, in order to leverage it for all its worth. Rick Wilson breaks down the context on this audio episode of the Dragonproof Pod.

The Truth About Prime Day - Does Amazon’s Retail Holiday Actually Benefit Sellers?

Last week, the D.C. Attorney General filed landmark anti-trust charges against Amazon. It’s a move that will be extremely relevant to all independent ecommerce sellers, who have long been backed into a corner by Amazon’s monopolistic price controls. Rick Wilson breaks down the new court case, and contextualizes what it means for merchants who desperately need some breathing room after a relentless 2020/2021.

Amazon’s Price-Fixing Is Finally Taken To Court

As tech titans grapple with the complicated issue of content moderation, individual entrepreneurs are putting pen to paper and creating great content that is personal AND effective. John Lawson, author of the best-seller “Kick Ass Social Commerce for E-preneurs: It’s Not About Likes - It’s About Sales” joins the podcast to tell Rick Wilson what the true purpose of content is, and how to put it in front of the right people. It’s a fun and freewheeling conversation that is relevant to all sellers trying to figure out how and why to speak to their audiences.   Check out John Lawson’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Kick-Social-Commerce-preneurs-Likes-ebook/dp/B00HZNSXLS

Talking the Talk: The Art of Great Tech Writing with John Lawson

When Basecamp CEO Jason Fried suddenly announced that there would be no more political debate allowed in his company’s social media and internal communications, it set off a firestorm of reactions online. Rick Wilson takes a nuanced look at the issue of “mission-focused” vs. “social impact” brands, and reviews new reporting which reveal a more complicated set of variables than meet the eye. Was this a matter of content moderation, or was some criticism simply too uncomfortable for the company to bear?

Mission Focus vs Social Impact - The Basecamp Post Explained

The recent documentary “WeWork: Or The Making & Breaking Of A $47 Billion Unicorn” by director Jed Rothstein tells the story of former C.E.O. Adam Neumann’s hyperbolic ascendancy and crash. On this audio podcast, Rick Wilson draws the connection between the entrepreneurial megalomania depicted in the film and the real-world moral challenges that every business leader must face.   You can also listen to this content the pod platform of your choice at: https://dragonproofbook.com/podcast

WeWork and the Cult of The Tech Visionary

Ecommerce veteran Todd Theodossin has navigated the challenges that each new era has delivered - from convincing pre-digital manufacturers that online selling was viable, to battling Google’s opaque SEO rules, to holding onto products and content against brutal Amazon ecosystems. These issues inform the current seller environment as we head into a new ecommerce gold rush. Rick Wilson leads a deep dive into one business’ wild ride across 20 years of selling. 

Navigating Two Decades of Ecommerce - Todd Theodossin - Dragonproof Podcast Episode 37

Online sellers don’t need to fear the Amazon dragon. As CEO of Miva, Rick Wilson's experience overseeing solutions for thousands of successful online businesses has facilitated billions of dollars in ecommerce transactions. Now he draws on that expertise to explore the characteristics of sustainable, profitable ecommerce. Join Rick and his expert guests for this groundbreaking and ongoing masterclass on building an unbeatable online business.

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Dragonproof eCommerce

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