I sat down with Chris Sopher, Co-Founder & CEO of Whereby.us and The New Tropic who, along with Co-Founders Rebekah Monson and Bruce Pinchbeck, are encouraging us all to “live like you live here,” through their daily newsletter, stories, and neighborhood guides covering all things Miami.

Chris has some solid wisdom for startups trying to get traction, including how to avoid the mistake most commonly made by startups - making something nobody wants!

Chris and his team are bringing great storytelling and “connective tissue” to the Miami scene through their writing, events, and support of companies seeking to engage authentically with all of us in Miami.

He also shares the #1 question leaders should have on call at their disposal  - some great wisdom here from a true hustler leading a solid team that’s committed to making Miami great.

1:30 - Background before starting Whereby.us

3:00 - Why he felt comfortable leaving a stable job at The Knight Foundation to pursue a startup

4:20 - How they validated the idea before launching 

6:40 - How the philosophy of “writing what you know” can be a lesson for early-stage startups

7:30 - What he wishes he knew before launching Whereby.us

9:40 - How they are taking a different approach from the typical internet content model

11:45 - His journey and development as a leader 

12:45 - One of his early leadership mistakes

16:00 - Actionable advice for developing new business

18:10 - His philosophy behind “human-centered design” and what startups can learn from its wisdom

21:00 - The limitations of the Lean Startup approach

23:00 - Why they are going small and local vs big and global

26:00 - His number one metric for success

28:00 - Reasons for why Whereby.us could be a success and/or failure

31:40 - Closing questions: pros/cons of doing business in Miami, “only in Miami” moments, best advice ever received, books, what he’d do with $500 and brand new to Miami

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