This Venture Investor's Best Advice: "Sell the Wind, Not the Sailboat"

This Venture Investor's Best Advice: "Sell the Wind, Not the Sailboat"

Author: Ryan Hanley March 4, 2026 Duration: 57:02

Spartan philosophy, built in the black-ops lab of business: https://linktr.ee/ryan_hanley

You're building a world-changing product.

You've obsessed over every feature, every line of code, every pixel. Your sailboat is perfect.

So why isn't anyone buying it?

Because you're selling the wrong thing.

Chris Van Dusen is a venture investor who has built and sold multiple 8-figure companies. He's seen thousands of pitches. He knows why most founders fail.

And he's about to give you the one piece of advice that changes the entire game.

It's a secret the best founders know and the rest of the world misses. Stop selling the sailboat. Start selling the wind.

This isn't just a podcast. It's a strategy session that will change how you think about your business forever.

This is the way.

- Hanley


🎙️ Listen to audio version of the podcast: https://linktr.ee/ryan_hanley


GUEST: Chris Van Dusen

Chris is the Managing Partner at Solyco Capital, an "accidental entrepreneur," and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who applies the principles of the mat to the boardroom.

► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismvandusen/

► Solyco Capital: https://www.solycocapital.com/



This show is part of the Unplugged Studios Network — the infrastructure layer for serious creators. 👉 Learn more at https://unpluggedstudios.fm.

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Ryan Hanley hosts a conversation that lives at the intersection of ambition and practical reality. Finding Peak w/ Ryan Hanley is built on the idea that meaningful progress-in business, in personal development, in life-often requires a slightly unreasonable perspective. Each episode delves into the mechanics of power, not as an abstract concept, but as a tangible tool for building something worthwhile. The discussions explore leverage, examining how individuals can amplify their efforts and influence to create disproportionate results. You’ll hear from guests who have applied these principles in diverse fields, dissecting their journeys, their strategic decisions, and the mindsets that allowed them to push beyond conventional limits. This isn't about quick fixes or superficial success stories; it's a deep, often challenging, look at the frameworks that enable exceptional outcomes. The podcast provides a space for nuanced dialogue where ideas from education, self-improvement, and raw business strategy collide. Listeners will find themselves equipped with new ways of thinking about their own goals and the paths to achieve them, all through conversations that are as substantive as they are engaging. Tune in for a regular dose of actionable insight from those who operate at the edge of what's possible.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Finding Peak w/ Ryan Hanley
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