Founder’s Field Guide
Episode 8 Know What You Are Selling
Founder’s Field Guide

Episode 8: Know What You Are Selling

Know What You Are Selling

Nick is the CEO of Tock and co-owner of some of the world’s best restaurants & bars: Alinea, Next, and The Aviary. We cover misconceptions of starting a restaurant, improving the profitability of any business, and the importance of understanding what you really sell.

This episode is brought to you by:

Microsoft for Startups. Microsoft for Startups is a global program dedicated to helping “enterprise-ready” B2B startups successfully scale their companies. If you’re a founder running a B2B company targeting the enterprise, you should definitely check them out at Microsoft for Startups.

Solo Stove. There’s simply no better way to create good moments this holiday season than around a fire with a Solo Stove Bonfire. Complete with 30-day return policy and a lifetime warranty, the unit is made entirely of stainless steel, and at just 20 pounds, the Solo Stove Bonfire is easy to transport for a perfect evening in the backyard, at the campground, or on the beach. Get $5 off with code Patrick5 before December 31st 2020.  Check out SoloStove today.

[00:03:02] – Why he thinks it’s so important to own something

[00:04:35] – Make decisions that have outcomes

[00:07:00] – His interest in the restaurant business

[00:08:54] – Why restaurants are so tough 

[00:12:05] – How their business mindset changed their running of the restaurant

[00:14:35] – Words they would avoid in the restaurant 

[00:16:19] – Asking the right questions in the restaurant business

[00:20:40] – Importance in taking the right risks

[00:22:02] – Coming up with innovative strategies for ticketing, selling meals ahead of time, and dynamic pricing

[00:30:08] – Can dynamic pricing be extended to other businesses

[00:31:20] – Origin of Tock

[00:36:17] – Early days of Tock and identifying the right customers/challenges

[00:41:33] – Importance of the first customer 

[00:44:22] – The typical restaurant business model

[00:49:23] – Lessons from Tock and the importance of knowing what your selling

[00:53:47] – Lessons from publishing

[00:55:44] – Other aspects of business that people know but do nothing about 

[01:00:19] – Their response to Covid and lessons learned

[01:07:43] – The real impact to the food delivery companies

[01:09:24] – How businesses communicate their end processes to their customers

[01:14:07] – Kindest thing anyone has done for him

Know What You Are Selling

Introduction

Patrick
My guest today is Nick Kokonas, the co-founder of three of the best restaurants and bars in America and the world, Alinea, Next, and The Aviary, as well as the co-founder and CEO of Tock, a comprehensive booking system for restaurants. This was one of my favorite conversations in the history of the show. Nick is a philosophy major turned derivatives trader and now one of the most well-known and respected names in the restaurant and hospitality industries. We cover so many topics I can't list them here but I'll remember it for why it's so important for a business to really know what it's selling and then actually sell it. Nick also pulls back the curtain on why restaurants and even book publishers can be great businesses if you do them the right way. I felt like this conversation could have gone on for hours and I hope you enjoy it.

Own, Decide, Repeat

Access the full transcript
Sign in or register to view episode transcripts.

Contact

Get in touch at help@joincollossus.com