“If you drive a car you’ll probably be listening to Internet radio in it within the next two years. We hope we’ll be powering it for you.”

Interview by Kevin Ohashi of Ohashi Media
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Jake Sigal is one of the Founders of Livio Radio.  Jake is a graduate of Ohio University where he earned his Master’s in Engineering.  Jake’s background is he eats, sleeps and breathes radio and music.  He has worked as a DJ, worked on products for XM Satellite Radio, and built the original ION USB turntable.  Jake founded Livio Radio in his parent’s guest room with $10,000 (also from his parents) in 2008.

Livio Radio is a radio products company.  They have built multiple beautiful consumer electronics related to Radio.  They have created customized radios for NPR and Pandora.  They have created an iPhone app to listen to internet radio in the car.  They have also built Carmen, a physical product to listen to your radio and music in the car or anywhere else with power.

MO:
Jake, first off thank you for your time and I appreciate you doing the interview with us. I am sure you have answered this first question before, but it still remains relevant. You’re a company working with the latest technology in internet radio and Pandora but also building a classic looking physical radio.  How do you balance the two seemingly clashing ideas and what do you see as the future of products in the radio industry?

Jake:
People love radio as much as I do, and sharing radio starts with friends and a good stereo speaker. The only clash is when technology can become a pain to use. Listening to our customers and making radios that are fast to set up without hassles is our real value. It’s all part of why Livio Radio is all about more music with less work.

MO:
The first thing I notice (and some of the reviewers like Attack of the Show noticed) was the simplicity of the designs.  Could you tell us about your design philosophy?  Could you tell us about the actual process from the concept to the product?

Jake:
Great design starts with passion. All of the brands I purchase always have a good story and history of listening to customers. We don’t try to be everything for everyone and that’s OK! There are a ton of great products out there. If you want every bell and whistle and you are a tech-guru, you may want to buy one of our competitor products. Our design comes from our community of users. In fact the company name “Livio” was a community-developed name for our brand. It’s fitting for our design style.

MO:
In your ‘Real Bio’ you talk about being a third generation entrepreneur.  Could you tell us about growing up in a family of entrepreneurs?  What lessons did your family teach you?  Does anyone in your family play a role in Livio Radio?  Did you always plan to be an entrepreneur?

Jake:
I have learned that nothing is free and you have to earn everything in life. I believe that success is found with setting goals and working hard. It’s the process of pursuing a dream that makes me happy. Usually the passion and happiness lead to product successes. My Dad never gave me a buck I didn’t work for. I learned at a very young age how to work and negotiate. For example, I suppose I started with mowing the lawn for $5. Eventually, I “up-sold” my dad on giving me a raise to $10 with a full weed whacking and stick-collecting service added into it. 

MO:
You worked for Numark and Delphi, some fairly big companies in their areas.  What did you learn about innovating within a big organization?  Do you think working at these companies has allowed you better insights into competing with bigger organizations in general?  Would you recommend to other entrepreneurs to work for some big companies before starting out on their own? Why or why not?

Jake:
Well I learned how to work 10 hours a day while starting my career, and I had some amazing mentor’s helping me out every step of the way. I wanted to get big business experience before I started Livio. I have an unpopular view on being an entrepreneur. I think that just as there’s “only so much you can learn in school,” there’s also a limit to what can be learned in trade or by trial and error. Is it possible to start up a Facebook without a college degree or years working at a similar field? Yes, it is possible, but highly improbable. If you’re serious about starting a business, figure out what you need to know to make it easier for your business to succeed. For me it was spending time in industry, learning the trade, and getting some credentials. It made it a lot easier all around and prepared me for all of the trade work so I was only learning the startup, cash strapped, CEO thing for the first couple years, compared to trying to learn how to start a business and the trade in which my business operates.

MO:
I saw that you had some trouble with VCs in your company’s history.  Could you tell us about your fund raising efforts starting with your parents through any other funding (or funding not occurring as case may be)?  Why did you seek investment at each of those stages and what were the consequences?

Jake:
I wouldn’t call it trouble. Basically they didn’t want to invest. My advice is don’t waste time going in with only a pitch because it won’t work. First build something, and then sell something. Next, get people to notice you in your niche. After you do the first cycle, then you can ask for people to partner with your product or service and help you grow. If you do need under $100,000 than go check out micro-loan programs through the federal government or state to help you build your prototype. But in general, more time working, less time talking to investors.

Our current investors are awesome. Not only do they help every step of the way, they also know what we’re good at and help us out where we need it most.

I have a list of over 300 so called “investors” I’ve solicited, and in some cases sounded like a crazy ex-girlfriend leaving voicemails. Over 250 of them are complete bozos and I wish I didn’t waste my time in the first place. If you’re reading this, you’re either laughing because you know exactly what I’m talking about and agree, or you’re saying, “Well I can do a better job than this guy.” What bucket are you in?

MO:
What’s the future of Livio Radio?  Do you have more branded products in the pipeline?  Are there any new products you are working on?

Jake:
Yes, absolutely. We’re always working on new stuff, and working with Pandora and NPR has been great! If you drive a car you’ll probably be listening to Internet radio in it within the next two years. We hope we’ll be powering it for you.