Proven Podcast

Cem Atik built a portfolio that generated over two billion dollars in revenue without founding a single company from scratch, scaled a SaaS business from barely seven figures to forty-five million in twelve months, and now runs one of Europe's most active acquisition and growth operations buying distressed e-commerce and SaaS businesses and turning them exit-ready. Now he is pulling back the curtain on exactly how it works.
Charles and Cem get into the real mechanics of acquiring and scaling businesses that other operators have given up on, from identifying the unit economics that separate a hidden gem from a money pit, to building a lead generation engine that converts without burning through ad spend, to running A/B tests that take a company from stagnant to scaling inside a year. Cem breaks down the organic content strategy that consistently delivers higher ROI than paid channels, the onboarding tweak that boosts conversions by up to forty percent, and what he would do in the first ninety days if he were starting a SaaS company from zero today.
Together, they explore why selling the result always outperforms selling the product, why the highest return on investment platform is one most operators are already ignoring, and why knowing your unit economics matters more than any marketing tactic you will ever run.
This is not a masterclass in theory. It is a field-tested breakdown of how overlooked businesses become acquisition-ready machines.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Why unit economics are the single most important number in any business and how most founders are measuring them wrong without knowing it
How Cem's offer-testing framework identifies the highest-converting angle without committing your full budget to a single bet
The landing page principle that will cost you more than your entire ad spend if you skip it before scaling traffic
Why targeting an audience with purchasing power changes the complete math of your business model regardless of what you are selling
How to use AI as a sparring partner rather than a search engine and why that shift produces decisions you can actually trust
KEY POINTS
01:21 Two billion in revenue: Cem reveals the scale of what his team has built for businesses they did not start, while Charles breaks down why the number changes everything about how you think about acquiring versus building.
02:06 Finding deals no one else sees: Cem explains the M&A network strategy and why paying consultants above market rate ensures the best opportunities land with him first, while Charles connects it to how he ran the same play in real estate.
04:30 The unit economics test: Cem walks through the exact numbers he looks at before touching a business, while Charles pushes him on what it really looks like when a company thinks it is healthy but is not.
07:27 Sell the result, not the product: Cem uses a telehealth case study to show why reframing your offer around the outcome rewires the entire conversion process, while Charles ties it back to how every great brand in history has done the same thing.
12:20 The A/B tests that actually work: Cem shares the specific experiments that consistently outperform across industries, while Charles digs into where founders should be running those tests if they want the fastest feedback loop.
14:52 Where the real ROI lives: Cem breaks down why LinkedIn and Reddit outperform paid channels for most operators and what organic content actually needs to say to move an audience, while Charles challenges him on how you cut through when everyone else is doing the same thing.

Victor Damasio built one of Brazil's longest-running masterminds, grew an audience of 700,000 on Instagram, and helped hundreds of professionals turn their expertise into high-ticket income, all without recording a single polished course. Now he is bringing that playbook to the United States for the first time.
Charles and Victor get into the real mechanics of monetizing what you already know, from landing your first paying mentee without a following, to charging what your time is actually worth, to running a group program that people renew year after year. Victor breaks down the four-question framework that flips the sales dynamic entirely, putting clients in the position of pitching themselves to you rather than the other way around, and shares what he would do in the first 90 days if he were starting from scratch today.
Together, they explore why you do not need to be the best in your field to teach, why your next client is probably already in your phone contacts, and why selling before you have a perfect program is not a shortcut but the actual method.
This is not a masterclass in theory. It is a step-by-step look at how ordinary expertise becomes extraordinary income.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Why you do not need to be number one in your field to mentor others and start generating income from your knowledge
How Victor's four-question application framework gets prospects to sell themselves into your program before you ever pitch them
The mindset shift that moves you from free advice to a paid mentorship offer with people who already know and trust you
Why launching a messy first cohort beats waiting until your program is perfect every single time
How to build a mastermind where clients stay for over a decade by leading with care over credentials
KEY POINTS:
01:13 Turning passion into profit: Victor explains why you only need to be a few steps ahead of the people you want to help, while Charles connects it to what most people get wrong about expertise.
03:10 Selling before you are ready: Victor reveals why starting with a blank iPad was intentional, while Charles digs into what separates people who launch from people who keep preparing.
06:26 Finding your first mentees: Victor shares why your next client is already in your contacts, while Charles pushes him on how to move from a friendly relationship to a paid one.
08:08 Charging for what you know: Victor walks through the moment people stop doing free coffees and start getting paid for them, while Charles connects it to how his own team handles the same dynamic.
12:11 The four questions that close clients: Victor breaks down the reverse polarity framework that makes prospects pitch themselves to you, while Charles unpacks why hiding the price always costs you more time than it saves.
40:04 Keeping clients for 12 years: Victor shares what actually drives long-term retention, while Charles challenges him on what it really takes to build that kind of loyalty.

As a co-founder of Hims and Hers, Joe helped take a direct-to-consumer healthcare brand public at a $1.6 billion valuation. Now as CEO of Dutch, he is reshaping how pet owners access veterinary care through telemedicine. Joe has spent 15 years learning what it actually takes to build something that lasts, and in this episode, he holds nothing back.
Charles and Joe dig into the real mechanics of building a venture-backed business, from knowing when to burn everything down and start over, to hiring the right kind of crazy, to leading a team through failure without losing them. Joe breaks down the pivot that took Hims from a product nobody wanted to a $200 million valuation in a single month, and what he would do completely differently if he had to do it all again.
Together, they get into why execution beats ideas every time, why dreaming too small is just as dangerous as dreaming too big, and why the best businesses are built on a simple formula: faster, cheaper, better.
This is not a highlight reel. It is a masterclass in what entrepreneurship actually looks like from the inside.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Why execution and perseverance matter more than the original idea when building a scalable business
How Joe took Hims from a failing product to a $200 million valuation in just one month after a full rebrand
The hiring mindset that separates startup survivors from people who need stability
Why dreaming too small is one of the most underrated mistakes founders make
How faster, cheaper, and better remains the most reliable formula for building something people actually want
KEY POINTS:
01:12 : Building venture-backed businesses: Joe breaks down what VCs actually look for, while Charles connects it to the grind most entrepreneurs overlook.
03:49 : The power of the pivot: Joe walks through the moment Hims almost died and what it took to start over, while Charles explores why most founders wait too long to make that call.
06:21 : Leading a team through uncertainty: Joe shares what it feels like to jump off a cliff and hope for the best, while Charles digs into how you bring your people with you.
08:49 : Hiring for startups: Joe explains how to spot someone built for the chaos of early stage companies, while Charles challenges the conventional wisdom around who makes a great hire.
48:06 : Lessons from a billion dollar exit: Joe reflects on ringing the NYSE bell and what he wishes he had known sooner, while Charles pushes him on what would have made it faster.
51:58 : Dreaming bigger: Joe makes the case for setting goals that feel impossible, while Charles ties it back to building a business that is genuinely in service to others.

Most people think cybersecurity is complicated. MK Palmore disagrees. With 32 years in the federal government, two decades as an FBI special agent, and executive roles at both Google Cloud and Palo Alto Networks, MK has seen every angle of the threat landscape, and his message is simple: the basics will save you.
Charles and MK go deep on what everyday consumers and small business owners are getting dangerously wrong about their digital security, why a data breach can be the last thing a company ever survives, and how the adversary is quite literally banking on your laziness. MK also gets candid about the tools he personally trusts, the privacy myths that need to die, and why doing a few simple things consistently beats any fancy security stack money can buy.
Whether you're a solo entrepreneur or running a growing team, this episode is a wake-up call you didn't know you needed, and a practical roadmap to making yourself a much harder target.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Why multi-factor authentication is still the most underused line of defense for consumers and businesses alike
How a single data breach can financially and reputationally destroy a small business overnight
The truth about privacy tools, what's worth your time, and what's just noise
Why consistency, not complexity, is the real foundation of digital security
The devices and platforms a former FBI cyber executive actually uses to protect his own data
KEY POINTS:
01:20 – The basics most people ignore: MK breaks down the simple steps that make the biggest difference, while Charles connects them to everyday consumer behavior.
07:45 – Inside a data breach: MK walks through how attacks unfold and why SMBs are prime targets, while Charles unpacks the real financial and human cost.
15:30 – The SMB blind spot: MK explains why small businesses underestimate their exposure, while Charles shares why the assumption of being "too small to target" is one of the most dangerous myths in business.
28:10 – Building a security culture: MK lays out what it takes to get a team bought in on cybersecurity, while Charles explores the leadership gap that leaves most companies vulnerable.
45:00 – Privacy tools, myths, and what's actually worth it: MK cuts through the noise on VPNs, incognito mode, and Faraday bags, while Charles weighs in on his own approach to personal data protection.
56:55 – The everyday carry of a cyber expert: MK reveals the exact devices and platforms he relies on, while Charles reconsiders his loyalty to Microsoft.

In this thought, provoking episode, Charles sits down with Nir Eyal, author, behavioral design expert, and investor, to explore the psychology behind why people become attached to certain products, ideas, and habits. Nir unpacks the core principles from his bestselling book Hooked: How to Build Habit, Forming Products, revealing the behavioral frameworks that the world's most successful companies use to create products people return to again and again.
From the science of triggers and rewards to the ethical responsibility of building technology that shapes human behavior, Nir explains how entrepreneurs and product creators can design experiences that truly resonate with users. He also dives into the difference between manipulation and meaningful engagement, sharing why understanding human psychology is essential for building products that serve people rather than exploit them.
Together, they explore how habits are formed, how attention has become the most valuable currency in the modern economy, and why the future of innovation lies at the intersection of psychology, technology, and intentional design.
This isn't just a conversation about product development. It's a blueprint for understanding human behavior, and for building companies, tools, and ideas that people genuinely want to make part of their daily lives.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
-How Nir Eyal developed the behavioral design framework behind Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products
-Why the most successful companies design products around psychology, not just technology
-The four-step "Hook Model" that explains why users repeatedly return to certain products and platforms
-The difference between ethical engagement and manipulation when building habit-forming technology
Head over to provenpodcast.com to download your exclusive companion guide, designed to guide you step-by-step in implementing the strategies revealed in this episode.
KEY POINTS:
01:10 – The psychology behind habit-forming products:
Nir introduces the behavioral science that inspired his work, while Charles explores why understanding human behavior is essential for modern entrepreneurs.
04:35 – The Hook Model explained:
Nir breaks down the four-step framework behind habit, forming products, while Charles reflects on how the world's most successful platforms keep users coming back.
08:12 – Internal triggers and human behavior:
Nir explains how emotions like boredom, curiosity, and uncertainty drive digital habits, while Charles highlights how these triggers influence everyday decisions.
12:40 – Engagement vs. manipulation:
Nir discusses the ethical responsibility of product creators, while Charles explores the line between building value and exploiting attention.
17:05 – Why distraction is an internal problem:
Nir challenges the idea that technology alone causes distraction, while Charles reflects on how self-awareness plays a role in productivity.
22:18 – Designing products people love:
Nir shares how companies create experiences that naturally integrate into daily routines, while Charles emphasizes the importance of solving real user problems.
27:44 – Behavioral design as a business advantage:
Nir explains why understanding psychology gives entrepreneurs a massive edge, while Charles ties it to building products that last.
32:10 – The future of technology and human attention:
Nir closes by discussing the evolving relationship between technology and human behavior, while Charles reflects on the responsibility innovators carry when shaping habits.