A Developers Guide To Entrepreneurship with G2i
2025-12-22The Real Story Behind Leaving Corporate to Build an AI-First Agency: G2i Fireside Chat Recap
What does it actually take to leave a stable job and build your own agency? Last week, Mike and I sat down with G2i to answer that question honestly.
For 90 minutes, we pulled back the curtain on 8+ years of building Cause of a Kind, from the conversation on a surf lineup that started it all, to landing Fortune 500 clients like Marriott, Disney, and The Home Depot, to co-founding FIN Forecasting when we couldn't find the financial tools we needed.
This wasn't a highlight reel. It was the unvarnished truth about entrepreneurship: the signals that told us it was time to leave, the expensive mistakes we made, the operational systems we built to stay competitive, and the real dynamics of a technical + non-technical partnership.
If you've been sitting on the fence about making your own leap, this session will give you the framework to decide. Not inspiration—actual decision-making criteria.
What We Covered
The Pivot Story: When Do You Actually Pull the Trigger?
Everyone talks about "knowing when it's time" to leave your job. But what does that actually mean?
We broke down the specific signals that indicated it was time to make the move—and why most people wait far longer than they should. The truth is, you're never going to feel 100% ready. But there are tangible indicators that tell you when the risk has shifted in your favor.
Key insight: The opportunity cost of staying can exceed the financial risk of leaving. We explained how to calculate that for your own situation.
Landing the First Client: No Portfolio, No Problem
Here's what nobody tells you: Your first client doesn't care about your portfolio. They care about solving their problem.
We walked through the exact tactics we used to generate our initial pipeline when we had zero agency credentials, no case studies, and no website. This wasn't about "hustle" or cold outreach at scale—it was about leveraging the relationships and expertise we already had in ways we hadn't considered.
Key insight: Your corporate experience is more valuable than you think. We showed how to repackage it.
Financial Decisions That Matter
Bootstrapping vs. raising capital. When to quit your day job. How much runway you actually need. Pricing your services before you have proof.
We shared our controversial take on financial planning (hint: conventional wisdom about 6-12 months of savings might be keeping you stuck), the expensive mistakes we made in our first two years, and why we'd still choose to bootstrap if we started over today.
Key insight: Cash flow beats profitability in the early days. We explained why and how to optimize for it.
How We Built DISCOSPRINT®, WEEK2WEEK®, and MONTH2MONTH®
One of the biggest challenges in agency life is productizing your services. How do you create repeatable, scalable offerings when every client thinks their project is unique?
We explained how we developed our three core frameworks:
- DISCOSPRINT® - Our discovery and validation process
- WEEK2WEEK® - Our agile development engagement model
- MONTH2MONTH® - Our ongoing optimization and support structure
These aren't just marketing terms. They're operational systems that let us deliver consistently excellent results while maintaining healthy margins.
Key insight: Productization isn't about limiting creativity—it's about creating containers for it.
Building with AI: Staying Competitive in 2024
Everyone's talking about AI. Few agencies are actually using it strategically.
We shared the practical ways we're integrating AI into our workflows—not as a replacement for expertise, but as a force multiplier. From development acceleration to content strategy to financial forecasting (hence FIN), we broke down what's actually working versus what's just hype.
Key insight: AI doesn't replace your agency. It replaces agencies that don't use AI.
The Partnership Advantage: Technical + Non-Technical Co-Founders
Mike and I have known each other since we were 15, climbing together before we ever thought about building a business. That history matters—but it's not why our partnership works.
We discussed the complementary strengths of technical and non-technical co-founders, how we've navigated decision-making when our perspectives differ, and the moments when our partnership was tested (and almost broke) in the early years.
Key insight: Partnership isn't about having similar skills. It's about having aligned values and complementary blind spots.
The Q&A: Your Toughest Questions
Michelle Bakels moderated an incredible Q&A where attendees asked the questions they actually wanted answers to:
- "How do you handle impostor syndrome when you're the CEO but your co-founder is the technical expert?"
- "What do you do when a client's budget doesn't match their expectations?"
- "How did you transition from project work to retainer relationships?"
- "When did you hire your first employee, and how did you know you were ready?"
We didn't dodge anything. Watch the replay for the full conversation.
What Attendees Received
Beyond the 90-minute session, live attendees had access to:
✅ Cause of a Kind Swag Pack Raffle - Custom t-shirt shipped directly
✅ Free 1-on-1 Consultation Session Raffle - Personalized advice for their entrepreneurial journey
✅ FIN Forecasting Exclusive Discount - $9/month for a full year (70% off our standard rate)
Why G2i Hosted This
G2i is a talent marketplace connecting top-tier developers with meaningful remote work. But more than that, they're a community deeply invested in developer career growth and entrepreneurial journeys.
They created this session because they believe developers deserve real information when considering one of the most significant career decisions they can make. Not motivational content. Not LinkedIn hustle culture. Just two founders who've been in the trenches sharing what they learned the hard way.
Watch the Full Session
Whether you're actively planning your exit, casually curious about agency life, or just want to understand how a technical co-founder and a non-technical co-founder actually work together, this conversation has something for you.
What's Your #1 Question?
After watching, what's the question we didn't answer? Drop it in the comments or reach out directly. Mike and I are always happy to continue the conversation.
And if you're building something and need a partner who's been there—whether it's a website, a web app, or a full product launch—let's talk.
Forward to Extraordinary.
Justin Abrams is Co-Founder & CEO of Cause of a Kind and host of the Strictly From Nowhere Podcast. Mike Rispoli is Co-Founder & CTO. Together, they've spent 8+ years building an AI-first agency and recently co-founded FIN Forecasting to solve the financial planning challenges they experienced firsthand.