Today we’d like to introduce you to Patrick Killoren.
Hi Patrick, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Ever since I can remember, I loved being a part of a team. I think that’s why I naturally gravitated to startups in my career, where the team dynamics are on full display.
Over 15+ years I built sales and partnership playbooks and realized I was a pretty good people manager. When you start really paying attention to the people you work with, you can start to predict outcomes.
What I’ve learned is that the defining factor between success and failure rarely comes down to product superiority alone. The startups that thrive are those with a compelling narrative that resonates internally with their teams and externally with their customers.
When founders and their teams genuinely believe in their story, this authenticity translates into customer trust and investor confidence.
I created LoneStartup to focus on the people behind great companies and the narratives that drive them forward.
What began as a podcast highlighting Austin’s entrepreneurial ecosystem has evolved into a comprehensive founder support system. For every founder featured on the podcast, I engage with dozens more who need assistance crafting and communicating their story effectively.
These collaborative sessions have naturally expanded into LoneStartup Advisory, where I partner with founders on deeper strategic initiatives spanning sales architecture, go-to-market strategy, and operational excellence.
When I’m not in the studio or advising founders, I’m a proud girl dad of two. My family remains my core inspiration and the driving force behind everything I build.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The podcasting journey has been an adventure. In the beginning I did it all. I would set up 2 mics in a tiny little co-working room and learned the ropes on audio mastering and post-editing. I had plenty of mishaps, including forgetting to hit the record button halfway through one of my first interviews.
On the consulting side, I’ve had plenty of struggles. Early on, I lacked the confidence that I could provide value without being a full time employee. So much of my identity was tied to being a leader and builder within a team setting. I felt like that wouldn’t translate into consulting…and that I would be spending too much time on the ‘fluff’ and not real execution.
Eventually, I found my rhythm and my own way of doing things that stayed true to my strengths. It took a solid year before the consulting business grew to a point that actually brought in meaningful revenue. It also helped take a lot of pressure off of the podcast, that I had been trying to monetize too early.
This balance of building a creative project and a consulting business has been a balancing act with a lot of identity crises along the way.
Please tell us more about your business. What should we know? What sets you apart?
LoneStartup has two sides: a podcast and a consulting practice, and they actually feed into each other pretty well.
The podcast focuses on Austin entrepreneurs and their real stories. I’m not interested in the typical business podcast stuff about profit margins or unicorn valuations. I want to know what actually drives these founders and the decisions that shaped their companies.
On the consulting side, I help founders build sustainable go-to-market strategies. When I work with a company, I look at three things: does your message actually connect with your market, do you have the right team executing your strategy, and are your systems ready to scale without breaking.
Most consultants jump straight into tactics, but I’ve learned that without getting the foundation right first, you’re just building on shaky ground. I’ve seen too many startups fail not because they had a bad product, but because they couldn’t get their internal team aligned with what the market actually wanted.
What I’m most proud of is sticking with this vision even when it wasn’t immediately profitable. Most podcasts die after 10 episodes, and I knew building something meaningful would take time. I’m glad I didn’t get distracted by vanity metrics or the pressure to monetize too quickly.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Building a life that gives me the freedom to spend as much time with my family as possible, while creating meaningful impact for the founders I work with.
In the end, I want to create as many moments with my family as possible. If I can build a career that fuels this goal while helping other entrepreneurs build sustainable, people-first companies, that represents success on every level that matters to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lonestartup.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lonestartupatx/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pat-killoren-6190921a/
