Meet Joshua Litwack, Founder of Paragon Data Labs (aquired by InTapp), who took center stage as the Featured Founder at August’s RevRoad University. Here are four lessons we learned from Litwack at the event:
Litwack believes that the best founders are really the best storytellers.
“I used to be so obsessed with trying to be the smartest guy in the room, and what I learned is that it’s not actually important to be the smartest guy in the room. It’s important to bring people along the journey with you. And that’s what storytellers do.”
What makes for an amazing product demo, a strong pitch, or a successful campaign? The story you tell. The heroes. The villains. The suspense.
Litwack emphasizes the need for founders to craft three narratives: what you’re telling your customers, your investors, and your employees. A compelling story can captivate audiences, build trust, and inspire action. Your ability to deliver a narrative that resonates with different stakeholders is crucial for building connections and driving your business’s success.
“Your personal brand is one of those things that investors, customers, and employees are going to be attracted to,” Litwack advises. “When you meet someone new for the first time, you are giving a lot of different impressions to them that you might not be aware of.”
Litwack is intentional about his Zoom background, selecting a spot in his home office that represents his personality and serves as a conversation starter. When he hops on a call and someone comments on the beautiful mountain photos, it sparks a conversation where he shares the story of taking the photo during his trip around the world. Barriers come down, and connections are formed.
“Choose a Zoom background that’s reflective of who you are. If you are working from home, if you’re doing demos, if you’re doing anything, put something in your background that represents you. Don’t blur your background.”
Likewise, Litwack pulled up his pant leg to reveal socks paying tribute to his favorite band, Phish. “Most people have absolutely no idea what this is, but for people that do know what it is, I’ve had people come up to me after sessions and ask, ‘Oh dude, how many shows have you been to?’ I’ve been to 90.”
These examples show how small, intentional details can make a big difference in connecting with people. Litwack says that authenticity is key to creating a cohesive brand identity that reflects your values and mission—both personal and professional.
“The world is not changed by one person. The world’s changed by teams,” Litwack asserts.
Building a strong, cohesive team is essential for any startup’s success. Early on in his career, a mentor told Litwack, “Most businesses die of suicide, not homicide.”
Litwack continued, “The thing that really makes businesses go out of business is internal conflict and not having proper conflict resolution. When you’re starting a company, one of the most important things that you can do is align with your co-founders.”
There are standard conflicts in every organization. Product and engineering teams often have different views, as do sales and marketing departments
Litwack advocates for the Blueprints Of We framework, which outlines conflict resolution strategies early on. As the business journey progresses, problems deepen and become more challenging. Identifying conflict resolution practices before these challenges arise is critical for maintaining harmony and focus.
“I look for values rather than skill sets. If you prioritize similar values, you’ll long-term build better organizations.” With conflict resolution parameters in place, along with common values and goals, you can better navigate challenges and build a resilient, purpose-driven company. These frameworks become the DNA of your organization, allowing any team member to understand the vision and contribute effectively.
“I think goal setting is one of the most important things that anybody can do, both in their personal and professional life.”
Litwack said he’s always been a natural goal setter, but there was a KPMG leadership training he attended as a 19-year-old that solidified the importance.
The presenter asked a room full of students to stand if they had goals and then gradually asked them to sit if they lacked goals beyond getting their chartered accountant designation, then sit if they lacked goals beyond that, then sit if they didn’t have a written plan, and so on. Eventually, only four people remained standing—Litwack being one of them.
The lesson taught by the instructor was not necessarily the importance of writing down goals and having a plan, but that the four people who remained standing already had figured out what it takes to be successful. He advised everyone to get to know the four students still standing, as they demonstrated the qualities needed to succeed.
Litwack recalls, “I remember every single person that was in that room. I know what’s happening with the three other people that were standing. I have no idea what happened to the other 35 people.”
He continues describing what it takes to have a winning mentality, “Call your shots, hold yourself accountable. It’s not rocket science; it’s just a matter of having that good institutional discipline.”
Setting clear goals and writing them down is crucial for both personal and professional success. Litwack credits this strategy with helping him effectively collaborate with co-founders, build a strong business that led to a successful exit, align with his wife on shared objectives, and achieve his personal goal of 85 ski days in Park City last winter.
Watch the full interview on YouTube here.
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RevRoad University is a monthly lunch-and-learn event for entrepreneurs, featuring a Featured Founder who shares their entrepreneurial journey, including the highs, lows, and valuable lessons learned along the way. Join us online at youtube.com/revroad or in person at 412 W River’s Edge Dr., Provo, UT 84604 (RevRoad HQ).
