Should I pivot or keep searching for the right business model? For many founders, this dilemma feels like the final decision to make. Do we keep going or is this the end of our journey? In this episode, Cocoon Program CEO Farhad Niyoz talks with COO & Co-Founder of Monetizr Martins Bratuskins. Martins tells his experience of what happens in the founder's mind when the passion for an idea is so powerful that even after several near-bankruptcies there is a fire to keep going. Both entrepreneurs share their different perspectives on what it means to be your authentic self and how meaningful connections bring honest conversations and have transformed their business into a more open and efficient work environment. Expect to hear learned lessons and practical advice on topics such as: ➡️ How to train your intuition ➡️ Why it is important to hire fast and fire fast ➡️ When to know it is time to part ways with a co-founder ➡️ What mistakes to avoid when dealing with investor money ➡️ How being your authentic self will boost your team dynamics and trust ➡️ The difference between business-oriented and personal growth-oriented mentorship Jump into the topics: 00:30 Welcome COO & Co-Founder of Monetizr Martins Bratuskins 1:19 Creating meaningful experiences inside a network of mobile games 4:41 Three steps for validating your idea 6:05 Finding a co-founder with similar problems 8:52 How to recognize the moment to pivot instead of quitting 14:42 Saving business with the right connection at the right time 17:44 Finding the perfect customer fit for one last try 20:03 Reshaping the team's mindset for the company's final push 22:39 Learning from near-bankruptcy experiences to maintain a positive mindset 25:19 Bringing innovation to one of the biggest industries in the world 27:02 Most valuable lessons from breaking up with a co-founder 29:00 How to recognize when to split with your founder 31:50 Mastering feedback for more efficient relationships 38:17 Building with passion not a goal to exit 40:29 Avoid this mistake when spending investor money 44:39 What to focus on when onboarding new team members 50:03 Balancing data with intuition driven decision making 51:17 How to train and use your intuition 53:38 Why strong relationships will scale your startup to the next level 55:29 Importance of inner growth oriented mentorship for a founder 56:45 Most impactful changes for Martins in past years Welcome to Inner Power Particles. We talk with entrepreneurs and leaders about their challenges and lessons learned to improve their inner strength. We do this to share their journey and knowledge with you so that you can improve as a leader and a person. Resources: To learn more useful tools for CEOs and C-level managers, ➡️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/resources Uncover how to scale your business fast with clarity, ➡️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/scale Follow Martins Bratuskins, COO & Co-Founder of Monetizr ➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/martins-bratuskins/ Follow Farhad Niyoz CEO of Cocoon Program ➡️ https://www.cocoonprogram.com/Mentors/Farhad-Niyoz