Episode 152 - Done Beats Perfect: Ray Samuels on Iteration, Momentum, and the Real Currency of Relationships
Guest: Ray Samuels, Growth Advisor and Founder, Cer Capital
Episode in a sentence: Ray shares how “done beats perfect,” why relationships are the real currency, and how a simple idea plus disciplined iteration can create momentum, funding, and valuation growth.
What we cover
- From high-school dances to London Telecom to Direct Energy: Ray’s entrepreneurial through-line
- The 65% rule: ship, listen, iterate
- “Clarity beats complexity,” and getting “pedestrian” with customers to gather real feedback
- G.R.O.W. mindset: Gratitude, Resilience, Optimism, Willpower
- The Equal Tank story: a simple washer-fluid dispenser, environmental impact, and national rollout
- Funding growth: why sales orders are easier to fund than ideas
- Packaging a story investors understand and want to back
- Daily relationship rituals that keep your network alive
Key takeaways
- Ship at 65% and improve with feedback
- Relationships compound if you maintain them intentionally
- Keep the product and the story simple so adoption is easy
- Growth needs cash, data, and proof, not perfection
- Momentum creates new problems, but they are the right problems
Timestamps
- 00:00 Meet Ray and the power of relationships
- 02:30 Early entrepreneurship: dances, driveways, done over perfect
- 07:10 Iteration vs. perfection and the 65% rule
- 08:50 Clarity beats complexity and learning to listen
- 18:20 The G.R.O.W. mindset explained
- 23:20 Equal Tank: simple solution, big impact
- 28:20 When and how to fund growth
- 35:50 Packaging the story for partners and investors
- 36:30 Wrap: relationships and iteration as operating systems
Connect with Ray
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-samuels-a20165/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-samuels-a20165/
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Creators and Guests
Editor
Shaun Whynacht
I’m the founder of Blue Cow Marketing and father of an amazing little boy. helping other business owners overcome challenges is my passion.
