Founders do not know how to convert their network.
Andy Walsh sits down with Kyle Kane, co-founder of onSpark AI, the world's first AI-powered partnership engine. Kyle Kane built $2B in partnership revenue for some of the biggest names in music and brands before realizing the same broken pattern kept killing deals: founders had the right relationships and no system to turn them into money.
Kyle breaks down what a partnership engine actually looks like, why most founders confuse networking with revenue strategy, and how OnSpark is using AI to fix the part of the funnel nobody wants to talk about. The conversation covers borrowed gravity, partnership autopsies, and the one mindset shift that separates founders who close from founders who collect contacts.
EPISODE OUTLINE
- From Shakira tours to Samsung deals — Kyle's path from signed songwriter at seventeen to driving $2B in brand partnership revenue
- Networking is not a growth strategy — why collecting handshakes produces nothing measurable
- The two wounds that kill deals — lack of self-worth and lack of trust
- Borrowed gravity — how founders without celebrity access can use the same logic
- The Drake tour that almost ended him — eight million dollars, 26,000 pre-sold tickets, and a promoter who disappeared with the refund
Presented by Deel If you're making your first or fiftieth hire — and doing it across borders — Deel is worth knowing. They're supporting Startups Decoded this season for good reason. LEARN MORE.
Listen: Apple || Spotify || YouTube
Andy Walsh
2x exited founder and host of Startups Decoded (Top 2% globally). Andy helps founders sharpen judgment and integrate brand, product, and growth into a clear path to scale.
Kyle Kane
Co-founder of onSpark AI — the world's first AI-powered partnership engine, backed by Martell Ventures. Kyle has driven over $2B in partnership revenue for clients and brands, and now builds the tools that make that possible at scale. He works with founders, creators, agencies, and operators who want to stop chasing cold leads and start building partnerships that actually convert.
Access All Areas.
Subscribe: Substack
Connect: LinkedIn
Socials: TikTok || Instagram || X
Web: startupsdecoded.com
Music Credit "Neptuno" – Phondupe (Album: Onykia)
The Studio : Filmed on location at 28th&Park. A content & production studio for New York's visionary Builders, Investors, Artists, Musicians, & Creators to amplify their voice & share bold stories. Use the code "Decoded" for 25% off your first booking.
