{"href":"http://player.captivate.fm/services/oembed?url=http%3A%2F%2Fplayer.captivate.fm%2Fepisode%2Fb9dce662-ef88-43c1-b8c0-82c7b5a01e67","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Captivate.FM","provider_url":"https://www.captivate.fm","width":600,"height":200,"type":"rich","html":"","title":"How Sircles Raised $1M in 6 Days and Is Flipping the Review Model, with Founder John Worthington","description":"In this episode of Raw and Real Entrepreneurship, Susan Sly sits down with John Worthington, founder of Sircles \u2014a social recommendation app that raised over $1M in just six days on WeFunder and is on a mission to disrupt the Yelp model.\n\nThey get candid about the real cost of building a startup, leading through chaos, and the emotional resilience required to scale. John shares his personal \u2018why,\u2019 how Sircles is creating a platform rooted in trust\u2014not reviews\u2014and why a community-first ethos is their greatest strategic advantage. If you\u2019re raising capital, facing founder fatigue, or building something from the ground up, this is your strategic pause. \n\n\nAbout John Worthington:\nJohn Worthington is a serial entrepreneur who\u2019s built and scaled multiple businesses from the ground up. He\u2019s the founder and CEO of Sircles, one of the most successful crowdfunded startups in tech without VC backing. His \u201cRiding the Escalator\u201d strategy has redefined how startups grow, turning investors into loyal users and brand advocates.\n\n\nConnect with John:\nWebsite: https://sircles.com/\nLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sircles/\n\n\nAbout Susan Sly:\nSusan Sly is the maven behind Raw and Real Entrepreneurship. An award-winning AI entrepreneur and MIT Sloan alumna, Susan has carved out a niche at the forefront of the AI revolution, earning accolades as a top AI innovator in 2023 and a key figure in real-time AI advancements for 2024. With a storied career that blends rigorous academic insight with astute market strategies, Susan has emerged as a formidable founder, a discerning angel investor, a sought-after speaker, and a\u00a0venerated\u00a0voice in the business world. Her insights have graced platforms from CNN to CNBC and\u00a0been quoted\u00a0in leading publications like Forbes and MarketWatch. At the helm of the Raw and Real Entrepreneurship podcast, Susan delivers unvarnished wisdom and strategies, empowering aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned business veterans alike to navigate the challenges of the entrepreneurial landscape with confidence.\n\n\nConnect With Susan:\nWebsite\u00a0https://susansly.com\nWebsite\u00a0https://thepause.ai/\nLinkedIn @susansly\n\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/fc7d4e11-8395-480b-920c-71cfb6867f99/b81ab913bdc5b8deec6dd238338a37f6.png"}