Building With Leverage: How Jon Robert Bradford Is Redefining Startup Success
I had the pleasure of interviewing Jon Robert Bradford, CEO of Colab Venture Studio. He’s helped launch more than 100 startups with a combined valuation of over $2B and has been part of nine successful exits. With over a decade of experience building, operating, and structuring companies across multiple industries — from early validation to acquisition — he’s widely recognized for championing fractional talent, capital efficiency, and ruthless founder/operator alignment.
Thank you so much for joining us!
What motivated you to launch your startup?
Too many smart people were building the wrong way. Raising too much, hiring too fast, wasting their best energy pitching before they even had proof. Colab was built to flip that script. Get leverage early, make better decisions faster, and skip the expensive lessons when possible.
What is it that excites you about what you’re building?
Speed, clarity, and people who are good at what they do. There’s nothing better than helping a founder take something from slide deck to signal in six weeks instead of six months. Especially when the idea’s good but the infrastructure isn’t there yet. That’s where we get to play — on the edge of potential and execution.
What has been your biggest challenge when growing your startup?
Learning to walk away. Not every idea deserves to be built. Not every founder is ready. Saying no — especially when the opportunity looks good on paper — has been the hardest and smartest discipline to build. Alignment over excitement, every time.
What are your future plans for your startup?
More exits. More founder wins. More ways for high-talent operators and agency partners to plug in with equity, not just invoices. Colab isn’t just a studio anymore — it’s turning into an ecosystem. I’m now looking to build a platform for our community and others to benefit from our process. You can learn more at https://dreamsha.re.
My ultimate goal is to keep building companies worth owning, with teams that actually want to be there.
If you had to share “words of wisdom” with a Founder who’s about to start their own startup, what would they be?
Validate fast. Fall in love with proving yourself wrong. Most early founders don’t need capital — they need clarity. Don’t over hire. Don’t over explain. And treat your time like a scarce resource, because it is. Burn rate isn’t just cash — it’s attention, energy, and focus.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jonnydreams
Studio: colab.la
Platform: dreamsha.re
