The Reluctant Entrepreneur
Hosted by Mike Konrad
A podcast exploring the real, unpolished journeys of founders who fell into entrepreneurship by necessity, twist of fate, or accident.
This is a long-form interview show focused on the origin stories and operational realities of running a business. Host Mike Konrad talks with founders from diverse industries, unpacking how they transitioned from being a creative or technician into a business owner. The conversations consistently explore the psychological hurdles, early struggles with pricing and clients, and the evolution required to scale a company.
“The "reluctant" framing is its core distinction, creating a space for honest conversations about the doubts, fears, and non-linear paths of founders. Unlike many business podcasts, it humanizes the journey rather than glorifying the outcome.”
Who hosts this show
Mike Konrad hosts The Reluctant Entrepreneur, a podcast dedicated to the authentic stories of business owners who never planned to be one. Konrad himself is a self-proclaimed "reluctant entrepreneur," having founded his company Aqueous Technologies in 1992 only after his employer declined to build a product he designed. He is also the author of "The Reluctant Entrepreneur - Anatomy of a Business Start-Up" and hosts a second podcast, "Reliability Matters," focused on his technical field.
Credentials & credits
- Founder & CEO, Aqueous Technologies (1992-present)
- Author, "The Reluctant Entrepreneur: Anatomy of a Business Start-Up"
- VP of Communications, SMTA Global Board of Directors
- Conference Chair, Pan Pacific Strategic Electronics Symposium
- Court-approved Expert Witness in electronics manufacturing
- Honored with "Distinguished Speaker" status by the SMTA
Other ventures
- Aqueous Technologies
- Reliability Matters Podcast
- Author & Public Speaker
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01
- 02
- 03From Filmmaker to Founder: Building a Creative Business That Cuts Through the NoiseJun 24, 2026 · 1h 03m
- 04100 Episodes Later: Why the Reluctant Entrepreneur Still Matters - Episode 100Jun 22, 2026 · 21 min
- 05Reluctant Lessons: When the Mission Statement Couldn’t Pay the RentJun 22, 2026 · 29 min
- 06
- 07
- 08
Notable episodes
- 01100 Episodes Later: Why the Reluctant Entrepreneur Still Matters - Episode 100
A solo episode where the host explains the show's mission and his personal philosophy on entrepreneurship.
- 02Fueling Growth Without Outside Capital - Eliot Vancil on Discipline, Leadership, and Letting Go
A classic example of the show's format, focusing on a founder's transition from operator to CEO in a traditional industry.
- 03From Filmmaker to Founder: Building a Creative Business That Cuts Through the Noise
This episode clearly articulates the common challenge of turning a creative craft into a scalable business.
- 04Reluctant Lessons: When the Mission Statement Couldn’t Pay the Rent
A case-study episode on WeWork that showcases a different, analytical format for the show.
What you'll be asked on this show
Konrad runs a structured, empathetic interview. He opens with a detailed monologue setting the stage for the guest's unique journey. His first question almost always targets the guest's origin story, often using a "time machine" metaphor to ask what they were doing before their business and how they were pulled into entrepreneurship. He probes deeper by sharing his own analogous struggles with pricing, hiring, or scaling, which creates a safe space for guests to share their own failures. He frequently asks about the psychological shift from being a hands-on technician to a CEO who builds systems. His interviews don't involve aggressive pushback; instead, he guides a collaborative exploration of the guest's path and the lessons learned.
Mike Konrad begins each episode with a detailed, well-researched introduction that frames the guest's story and the central theme of the conversation. His style is conversational, often sharing his own entrepreneurial experiences to build rapport and encourage guests to be candid. The show is an interview format, with no co-host or narrative segments outside of occasional solo episodes.
Questions Mike Konrad keeps coming back to
9 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when Mike Konrad reaches for it.
origin
2- Q.01
“What's your origin story? Did you always plan on being an entrepreneur?”
This is Konrad's opening move, used to establish the show's core "reluctant" theme from the start.
- Q.02
“What opportunity did you see in your industry that others were overlooking?”
This uncovers the unique insight or frustration that sparked the business idea.
mindset
2- Q.01
“What was the biggest surprise you faced when you became a business owner?”
He asks this to get past generic advice and uncover the unexpected realities of the founder role.
- Q.02
“When you hit a low point or a failure, what's the mindset that allows you to keep going?”
He asks this to explore the personal resilience required for entrepreneurship.
process
2- Q.01
“At what point did you have to shift from being the 'technician' to building systems and leading a team?”
This question targets the critical, often difficult, evolution from practitioner to CEO.
- Q.02
“Many founders start a business to 'own their time.' What was the reality of that for you in the beginning?”
He uses this to challenge a common entrepreneurial myth and discuss work-life balance.
money
1- Q.01
“How did you figure out how to price your work confidently in the early days?”
Konrad often uses this to explore the common founder struggle of connecting value to money.
advice
2- Q.01
“What's a key lesson you learned about growth that most founders have to learn the hard way?”
This question is designed to extract hard-won, practical advice for the listeners.
- Q.02
“What did your past experiences or earlier businesses teach you about leadership?”
This question connects the guest's past to their present leadership philosophy.
Signature segments
- · Opening line: "Welcome or hopefully welcome back to The Reluctant Entrepreneur."
- · Using a "time machine" metaphor for origin stories
- · Detailed, thematic guest introductions
- · Host sharing his own analogous experiences
- · Solo reflection episodes (e.g., Episode 100)
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are typically founders and CEOs who built their business from the ground up, often without prior intent to become an entrepreneur. They come from a range of industries (tech, manufacturing, creative services) and are willing to speak openly about their mistakes, lessons, and the transition from doing the work to running the business.
- Eliot Vancilon Fueling Growth Without Outside Capital - Eliot Vancil on Discipline, Leadership, and Letting Go
- Ari Pirutinskyon Steady Growth in a Chaotic Business - How Ari Pirutinsky Built an Agency Around Process & Boundaries
- Christopher Weiheron From Filmmaker to Founder: Building a Creative Business That Cuts Through the Noise
- Nathan Gwilliamon The Business of Being Useful - Nathan Gwilliam on Adoption.com & Entrepreneurial Purpose
- Paul Papeon Turning Business into a Game Creatives Can Understand - With Gamify Business's Paul Pape
- Mridu Parikhon When the Day Goes Off the Rails - Mridu Parikh on Focus, Systems, and Getting the Right Things Done
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
Based on the episodes reviewed, the podcast does not currently feature third-party sponsors. The likely audience of B2B founders and decision-makers would make it an attractive channel for business software, financial services, or professional coaching sponsors (estimated).
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- Who is the host of The Reluctant Entrepreneur?
- The host is Mike Konrad, an author and the founder of Aqueous Technologies, who started the podcast based on his own experience as an 'accidental' entrepreneur.
- What is the podcast's format?
- It is primarily a long-form interview show where Mike Konrad has one-on-one conversations with other entrepreneurs. Occasionally, he releases solo episodes reflecting on a business topic or the show's journey.
- Is The Reluctant Entrepreneur still releasing new episodes?
- Yes, the podcast is active and releases new episodes approximately twice a month.
- Who is this podcast for?
- It's for anyone interested in the real, unfiltered stories of starting and running a business, especially those who didn't follow a traditional entrepreneurial path.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The Reluctant Entrepreneur is available on YouTube and major podcast platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Official Websitemikekonrad.com
- [02]About The Reluctant Entrepreneur Podcastreluctantentrepreneurpodcast.com
- [03]Mike Konrad - PodMatch Profilepodmatch.com
- [04]Mike Konrad - Accendo Reliability Bioaccendoreliability.com
- [05]About Mike Konradmikekonrad.com
- [06]The Reluctant Entrepreneur (Book Summary)mikekonrad.com
- [07]Introduction to The Reluctant Entrepreneur Podcastyoutube.com
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