52 Founders

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -How Atlas operates on the ground, and how Mickey, who’s from New York, discovered this opportunity halfway across the globe -The challenges to building a company in West Africa, and why it was critical that the team lived there when they first were getting started -Mickey’s childhood growing up in Westchester, and why he originally aspired to become a marine biologist -His earlier forays into entrepreneurship, including a TV show entitled "The Candidate", and why Mickey ultimately decided to attend law school -The evolution of Mickey’s founder journey, starting from attending monthly NYC Tech Meetups to meeting with the investment team of Alibaba, and how grit played an integral role in the process -What’s been the most surprising part of entrepreneurship thus far, and why the benefits ultimately come down to the people you work with and create products for Check out the end of the (final!) episode, where Mickey shares the best piece of advice he’s ever received, in addition to the startup he loves and the founder he’d most want to interview.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -How Andela’s cofounders, Christina and Jeremy Johnson, came together over shared values and vision about the opportunity in Africa -What it was like pitching to early stage investors, and why it was critical that they accompanied them to Africa to see the magic firsthand -The company’s headquarters in Lagos and New York, and why both cities have benefitted Andela thus far -Christina’s father, who emigrated from Germany, and how her parents instilled in her a global mindset from a young age -Her experience as an educator, starting first as an idealist in Clark County, Georgia then to the West Bank and Southeast China, before finally heading to Nairobi and Kenya -Christina’s thoughts on the traditional education system, both in and outside of the U.S., and how Andela is fixing it for those who need it most Be sure to listen through the end, where Christina shares the African startups to watch, and the reason why she’d want to chat with Elon Musk.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -How Electric was born from Ryan’s own frustrations with IT in his previous company, and why he was on the look out for hardships during that time -Why Ryan decided to start his next company in NYC vs SF, where his former company Swarm was headquartered, and the big takeaways he learned from running his past startups -Ryan’s first childhood career aspiration (which draw chuckles from me) and how filmmaking eventually inspired his interest in entrepreneurship -How some professional athletes have parlayed their talents into new ventures, and why passion projects are always a great place to start creating -Ryan’s reasoning for attending college after already having success in his late teens, and how he views education during the hiring process -The qualities that make for a great hire at Electric, and why persistence is hands down the best attribute an entrepreneur can have Listen as Ryan shares a New York startup he really loves (so much so that he personally invested), in addition to the “founder” he’d most want to interview and why.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -The autonomous vehicle stack, and why companies aren’t building everything in house -Why Carmera decided to build its headquarters in New York versus the Bay, and the benefits of doing so -The entrepreneurial genes that run in Ro’s family, and why his parents ended up leaving India to come to the States -When Ro started thinking about entrepreneurship as a viable career option, and how it relates to the immigrant mentality -The differences between operating at an early stage startup versus creating your own, and the unrelenting stress that comes with the latter (even when the -cause is good) -How the CEO of a startup should think about allocating his or her time, and why working smarter is a must Be sure to check out Ro’s picks for his favorite NYC startup, in addition to the operator he’d most want to interview.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -How Loftium was inspired by Yifan’s own experience when she and her husband moved to Seattle and started renting out a spare bedroom -The new market Loftium has created for home buyers, and the company’s initial traction since its recent launch -The pros and cons to growing a real estate, and fintech, focused start up in Seattle -Yifan’s parents' emigration from China, and her memories of when they purchased their first home -What Yifan’s first venture, Pact, taught her about motivating users, why she decided to recently shut it down, and what she plans on doing differently this time around -The skills Yifan learned from going through Techstars with Pact, and why she decided not to go through it again with Loftium Catch the end of the show, where Yifan shares the Seattle startup she loves, and the founder she’d most want to interview (it’s a new one)!

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -How May’s travels to Asia while living in Abu Dhabi inspired the creation of Qordoba, in addition to growing up as a non-native English speaker -Why the company is named after the historic Spanish city Cordoba during the time of the Enlightenment, and examples of how language has continually unified people -How being the oldest of eight children prepared May for being a CEO and allowed her to embrace her feminine leadership traits -Moving from Lebanon to Canada with her family at the age of five, and how her parents’ entrepreneurial behavior became second nature to May -How seeing the hard aspects of her father’s venture taught May some of the most important tenants of business -How May inspires loyalty at Qordoba among her employees, and how having an international team creates empathy At the end May shares the San Francisco startup she loves (and uses at Qordoba) and the founder she most wants to interview (hint: he’s one that crops up a lot on this show).

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -Rebecca’s time spent living in Lima, Peru working with female entrepreneurs, and why she left to go to Kellogg School of Management -How Rebecca’s friends’ experiences with “mom guilt” inspired the idea for Wise Apple -Why Wise Apple chose to go after the consumer segment of the problem rather than the B2B side (i.e. school supplied lunches) -Rebecca’s take on why Chicago is a great place to disrupt older industries, and her views on overall startup community (as a Chicago native) -How Rebecca fought her way into her elementary school’s gifted program herself after she was initially passed over (as an 8 year old!) -The importance of learning great from a young age, and how you can continue to grow even as you get older Check out Rebecca’s pick for her favorite Chicago startup and the top people she would want to interview if given the chance (hint: one has already been interviewed on this show).

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -The story behind ShieldPay’s origin, and why the company isn’t targeting the friends and family transaction space -How many UK startups use the country as a testing ground for ideas before scaling out into alternative markets such as the U.S. -Why Pete decided to enter the Techstars Barclays accelerator, even though he -already was a serial founder -How aspirations to play professional rugby eventually led Pete to a career in media, and later, his first startup venture -Why raising too much capital can kill a startup, and what to consider when accepting venture funding -How playing sports for the majority of his life instilled in Pete the importance of diversity on teams At the end, Pete shares another London startup he’s a big fan of, in addition to the entrepreneur he’d most want to interview (hint: he’s also from the UK).

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -How the Pioneer Square Labs model works, and why the team views the people that eventually run the company as the true founders -What qualities PSL looks for in these founders, and why domain knowledge is key -The startup ecosystem in Seattle, and why the big tech incumbents are largely to thank for it -How Taunt currently operates, and the future monetization strategy the company sees playing out -How Startup Weekend played a pivotal role in both Ben and his father’s careers -Ben’s advice to budding entrepreneurs about working for a large tech company before starting something of your own -Why accountability is critical to having a great career, and the best thing Ben’s ever read on the topic Check out Ben’s Seattle startup pick (outside of PSL companies) at the end of the episode, in addition to hearing us both geek out about Amazon.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -How Tovala controls the entire end-to-end experience of each meal, from sourcing the ingredients to creating unique recipes with its in-house chefs -David’s background in the food industry, and how he found himself creating Tovala shortly after arriving at Chicago Booth -How the advice David received from the founders of Airbnb helped him go after such a bold idea -The decision to go through Y Combinator after winning Booth’s New Venture Challenge, and how it gave the Tovala team an excuse to focus on nothing but the business for a few months -The benefits to growing an IoT startup in the Midwest, and how it has allowed Tovala to rapidly scale -How David’s parents, who are both Iranian immigrants, molded his ideas on entrepreneurship and healthy eating Catch the end of the show, where David shares another Chicago startup he’s a fan of and the founder he’s most keen to interview. P.S. Thanks to 52 Founders alumn Kevin Marvinac for the intro!

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -The opportunity Tia sees in the market for women’s health, and why the company is focused on millennial women -Carolyn’s perspective on raising funding as a female founder of a women’s healthcare company -How Tia is a hybrid of both her parents, particularly her mother, whom she grew up attending Planned Parenthood meetings with -Where the name “Tia” comes from, and how Carolyn and her team thought of the entire persona behind “her”  -The grand vision behind Tia and why Carolyn decided to make the initial focus on birth control -How Carolyn’s time at Google gave her the right background to rethink how people access and engage with information platforms Listen at the end, where Carolyn shares her favorite startup brand and, as usual, who she would like to interview and why (it’s a new one to boot).

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -Why simulations have advanced in recent years, and why enterprises should utilize them for more scenarios than ever before -How Simudyne plans to first go after the financial services market while other sectors’ technology catches up -Why London has the best ecosystem for startups with a financial focus, even over New York, and why it’s not just due to the close proximity to banks -Jonathan’s experience teaching math after attending Cambridge, and why he was chosen as head of the department -How helping others for a few months and attending hackathons built Jonathan’s London network -The early days of Simudyne pre-Techstars and the office perils they originally endured before entering the program After Jonathan shares some colorful stories about office life, be sure to listen to the end, where he tells me a London startup he loves and the founder he’d most want to interview.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -How Lattice sprung from the growing pains Jack and his cofounder felt while working together at Teespring, and how Lattice has evolved from their original vision -Growing up in St. Louis, and why Jack is grateful that his formative years took place in a Midwestern suburb -The influence Jack’s older brothers had on him and how sibling dynamics play an integral role in a person’s development -The benefits to gaining operating experience at other startups before venturing out of your own -Why having a company culture that inspires people to want to come to work was a major goal for Jack when starting Lattice -Why some roles are harder to create success metrics for than others (and why it may not be the ones that immediately spring to mind) Catch the end of the show, where Jack tells me the startup he’s a big fan (and user) of, and the person he most wants to interview and why.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -How Mantas uncovered this opportunity and the initial applications Accelerated Dynamics is focusing on -Mantas’ response to people who might have concerns about unmanned drones that are programmed with artificial intelligence applications -Why Accelerated Dynamics is based in London, and how being in a top rated accelerator like EF helps startups receive funding -Growing up in Lithuania, and how studying in Spain broadened Mantas’ perspective on what he wanted to do -Both of his parents’ small-scale entrepreneurial ventures, and how Mantas spent his childhood building and designing for fun Hear the end of the show, where Mantas shares some startups he loves in London and of course, shares the founders he most wants to interview and why.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -Automata’s product progression and the early surprises Mostafa and his cofounder uncovered when Eva was first introduced -The most common use cases Automata sees and how companies evaluate whether a robot could be useful for its business -Why London is the ideal location to create a company, particularly for highly technical startups -Mostafa’s experience growing up in Dubai, and how living there inspired him to pursue architecture -The software component that accompanies Eva, and the “teach by example” approach Automata uses to train the product -Why Mostafa and his cofounder Suryansh ultimately decided to leave architecture and join Entrepreneur First to pursue their dream Catch the end of the show, where I ask Mostafa some new questions, in addition to, of course, hearing the person he’d most want to interview and why.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -Why Fred and his cofounder Russell decided to leave Europe and come to San Francisco to create their company  -Fred’s family tradition that inspired him to think creatively about problems, even when he was a child -How Rainforest tries to incorporate diversity in its culture, and why it’s important not to reward office politics -Why working weekends doesn’t translate to more success, and why you have to always believe in your own approach  -Why the main job of a founder is to endure the bulk of the stress for the company, and why employees shouldn’t always look to them for the right answers -Fred’s main motivator, and what success will look like for Rainforest Though it’s a longer than normal episode, be sure to catch the end of the show. Fred shares two favorite startups (one of which is a future podcast interviewee!), and how his family’s iMac inspired Fred to be a designer.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -How Ezza stores plan to operate, and the thought process that went into the details behind the customer experience -The benefits of starting a business while obtaining an MBA, and how Chicago Booth’s New Venture Challenge helped make things happen -What it’s like to work inside of 1871, Chicago’s technology and entrepreneurship center -Kim’s ability to bring people together, ranging from full-scale performances when she was young to an outhouse team race in South Dakota to pizza trolleys for MBAs (myself included) -Why Ale finds ways to continually challenge herself, even in activities not related to work -The most surprising aspects of entrepreneurship that each woman has learned thus far At the end of the episode we’ll chat about the startup both founders love in Chicago, in addition to the person they’d most want to interview and why (it’s a new one to boot!).

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -How Charlie’s own experience trying to put in vacation time at Google inspired Merlin Guides -The value Charlie sees in the New York startup scene, and why the American market is extremely attractive to founders -How Charlie is really the perfect blend of both of his parents’ backgrounds, and why he always knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur -Why Clark Kent, the journalist, not necessarily as Superman, was one of Charlie’s heroes growing up -Why setting aggressive goals is something Charlie swears by, and why it’s important to give yourself permission to fail -Expa Labs, the incubator Charlie joined and the locale for Merlin Guides, and the reason why he decided to join Stay tuned for end of the episode, where Charlie shares a startup he really believes in, and the three founders he would want to interview if given the chance (very diverse answers, all of which I thoroughly enjoyed hearing the reasoning behind).

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -The opportunity Alex saw for humans to amplify the results of machines, and how Scale API plans to act on it -Growing up in Los Alamos, New Mexico, the birthplace of the Atomic bomb, and how its emphasis on science impacted Alex’s childhood -How working at Addepar and Quora before college influenced Alex’s career, and how that led to his taking a leave of absence from MIT -The thought process behind starting Scale API, and why Alex and his cofounder Lucy Guo were going to start it whether they got into Y Combinator or not (but they did!) -What Scale API looks for when hiring, and why they feel comfortable betting on smart, inexperienced candidates -Why having a passionate initial user base, even a small one, is critical to creating a successful company Catch the end of the episode, where Alex shares a startup he is a big fan of (hint: it’s a London-based one) and the best advice he took away from being a part of Y Combinator.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -CMG’s evolution from its initial site, Who What Wear, to the conglomerate it’s become today -How Katherine ensures CMG remains close to the consumer, and why its critical to the company’s success in light of fashion’s globalization -Katherine’s early entrepreneurial endeavors that included putting on (paid) shows for the neighborhood and creating faux restaurants with her toy kitchen -Her previous aspiration to be a film producer, and why she doesn’t think she now could handle the slower pace of that industry -Why Katherine decided to move to LA on her own at 16, and the decision to forgo college in favor of gaining work experience -The path she took before becoming the West coast editor of Elle Girl at a mere 24 years old Be sure to stay tuned until the end of the episode, where Katherine shares her favorite LA companies, why she’s a fan of Beautycon, and, of course, the founder she most would want to interview and why.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -The state of innovation in Chicago, and how the startup ecosystem has changed since Sean built his first company -Sean’s transient childhood, and the hardships he saw his parents endure as Taiwanese immigrants who tried to be restauranteurs -Why hard work is not enough to be successful, and why it’s important to spend time thinking about business dynamics in any industry -How Sean views mentorship, and the relationship that guided him to a career in product -Why Sean hates the celebration of entrepreneurs who put work above all else, and how that can lead to a lack of diversity in your company -Why important decisions should never be made in Slack Be sure to check out the last few minutes of the episode, where Sean shares some of his favorite Chicago startups and the founder he would most want to interview (it’s a new one, and a bit of a surprise!).

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -Why constant work chatter is actually detrimental to progress, and how to avoid the FOMO that comes from not immediately responding to messages -How Basecamp’s maintained steady growth over the past 13 years, and why rapid growth is not necessarily synonymous with success -Ideas for creating connections amongst remote workers, and the benefits that come with having a diverse set of employees -The words of wisdom Jason took from his father, and the ones he chose to ignore -How having both a wonderful and a terrible manager shaped the boss that Jason wanted to be -Why being risk averse and ignoring your competition can actually make you a better entrepreneur Check out the ending, where Jason shares a Chicago company he loves and why he really wants to talk to Judge Judy.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -Who the ideal Fossa customer is, and why enterprise companies are not the only ones who care about code quality and security -The evolution from TLDRLegal to Fossa, and the opportunity Kevin saw to create a sustainable business -How attending the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy boarding school shaped Kevin’s childhood and led to his early independence -How Kevin’s parents, who emigrated from China, were the driving force behind his technical education -The “dual life” Kevin led growing up between school and freelance coding, and how the latter became his motivation to start a company -How working at Techstars Chicago marked the beginning of Kevin’s startup journey, and why he decided to move to San Francisco Be sure to stay tuned at the end of the episode, where Kevin shares some favorite Bay area companies and explains why there isn’t just one person he would most want to interview.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -How Bitnami evolved from a side project in 2008 to become a full fledged company in 2013 when the founders saw an opportunity surrounding the deployment experience -The pros and cons to raising outside funding, and why the Bitnami team choose to wait until the point where not raising would impede the business -Growing up in the Bay area, and how having an entrepreneurial father inspired Erica’s own ventures from a young age -How Erica views the idea of “being your own boss” and the misconception people may have about how it actually works -Her experience working at T-Mobile that taught her how to hire and manage large teams, and how to constantly be a better manager -How a founder’s job adapts with the evolution of the company, and why learning as you grow is critical to success Catch the fun question round at the end, where Erica shares a few favorite San Francisco startups (hint: one’s a 52 Founders alumn), and the founder she would most want to interview and why (it may surprise you!).

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -Critical advice on how to bring new products to market, and how to find your ideal customer -Why business is fundamentally creative versus competitive -The strategy and decision making process as to why Sir Kensington’s is headquartered in New York City -How Scott’s childhood growing up in the Bay area influenced his idea of entrepreneurship -How living in Japan shaped Scott’s thinking on Sir Kensington’s flavor profiles, brand marketing, packaging, and manufacturing (kaizen!) -Who “Sir Kensington” is, and how the company went about creating this eccentric character to represent the brand Be sure to catch the end of the episode, where Scott shares which Sir Kensington’s product is his favorite, in addition to the NYC startup he loves and who he most would want to interview.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -100 State, the largest coworking space in Wisconsin, and how it aims to be the center of gravity for the budding Madison entrepreneurial scene -How creating seven healthcare startups made the founders realize the need for Redox, and how the team solved the classic “chicken-and-egg” platform problem -Why his parents’ jobs instilled a deep ethical compass for Luke, and why you have to do what’s right even when it’s hard -Luke’s experience bringing iSAC , an international student exchange group that contracts with local city businesses, to Cornell -Why semi-informed advice is always the worst kind, and how to best take action from the cacophony of available data that exists -Why finding smart people is not the only metric you should considering when hiring, and why it’s imperative to think of what each hire will do when you are starting to scale At the end of the show, Luke shares one of his favorite Midwest startups (hint: it’s mine as well), his interest in the genetics / genomics space, and the future implications of sharing healthcare data.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -The beginnings of Ionic, which originated from Codiqa, a drag-and-drop tool for jQuery mobile that stemmed from the desire (and frustration) to quickly build great apps -Why the pair feels so strongly about building Ionic from Madison, and the cabin (aka garage) phase of the company -The private messaging forum / blog they created among their friends in high school (before the days of Facebook) to share poetry, stories, and updates (and gossip) -The thought process Max and Ben individually had surrounding becoming an entrepreneur, and how Y Combinator’s resources inspired them to start -What it’s like to hire and work with your friends, and the advice Max and Ben have for those that go down that path -Why it’s critical to find your evangelists when you build products, and how you come to terms with killing features and designs you love that others may not -How Max and Ben bootstrapped Ionic to get it off the ground, and advice for entrepreneurs on how to smartly start a company -Defining moments in the company’s history thus far through the founders’ eyes -Why being relentless and having passion are always the best way to know if you should work on an idea Catch the end of the episode, where Max and Ben answer some fun questions, like companies they are evangelists for, other markets in which they would consider starting a business, and why they love Signal vs Noise, the Gospel of Basecamp.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -Why Boxed surprisingly has very little customer overlap with the traditional brick-and-mortar discount clubs -Why seasoned entrepreneurs go after different markets than first-timers, and how to look beyond just solving a problem -The culture behind Boxed that has made it such a publicly lauded company (see here and here), and why these values actually do positively affect your bottom line -How Chieh’s parents, who emigrated from Taiwan, managed to leapfrog the generation lag that comes with the proverbial American dream by placing a large emphasis on education -How growing up economically constrained has permeated Chieh’s business thought process -Why Chieh decided to quit being a lawyer to become an entrepreneur, and why the timing of his first job made the biggest impact of all Be sure to check out the end of the episode, where Chieh talks about the other New York companies he admires (hint: one’s a 52 Founders alumn!) and the current (and future) state of e-commerce.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -How the idea for Pressbox started from Vijen’s aim to simply make life easier, and the other ideas he entertained before settling on dry cleaning -Vijen’s experience in high school reselling Cubs tickets at a lofty margin, and how that sparked his urge to be an entrepreneur -Why math was the center of Vijen’s life, and how this logical framework showed him how to create change (including how to lose weight) -How attending Notre Dame shaped Vijen’s perspective and future career by providing Vijen with future mentors for Pressbox -Why Vijen believes passion inspires others to help you, and why it’s critical to find something that you truly believe in Bootstrapping versus raising venture capital, and how the former makes you a much smarter money manager Stay tuned until the end of the episode, where Vijen shares a Chicago startup he really loves (looking at you Mark Lawrence) and we talk about the incremental improvements that can be made in healthcare.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -Tradesy’s beginnings, and the little hacks Tracy did to build up both sides of the marketplace -Tracy’s transition from artist to entrepreneur and how she dealt with all of the responsibility that came with it -Why it’s important to pick activities that force you to learn-as-you-do them, and how Tracy took that to heart while living in Mexico -What it’s like being a female entrepreneur running a female-centric business pitching to mainly male venture capitalists -How Tracy originally bootstrapped Tradesy by renting out her room on Airbnb to cover initial costs (and how she ended up marrying her first guest!) -How earlier hardships taught Tracy to never quit, even during the hardest of times, and why resilience is the key to success Check out the end of the episode, where Tracy recommends her favorite books for entrepreneurs to read, the fields of tech she sees taking off, and, of course, the founder she most would want to interview and why.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -Why Danielle and Michael decided to focus solely on younger founders, regardless of whether or not they attended university -How starting a venture fund increased her empathy for entrepreneurs, particularly through fundraising efforts -Danielle’s experience starting a charter school in San Diego, and why it was easy to fall prey to “imposter syndrome” during that time -Her experience as an instrumentalist growing up and how that helped her learn to lead, direct, and give feedback to her peers -Why previous execution is critical for applicants to the Thiel Foundation and for entrepreneurs looking for investments from 1517 Fund -The correlation between alternative schooling and entrepreneurship Stay tuned to the end of the episode, where Danielle shares why founders should read personal development books and her current interest in sensor-based technology.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -How Popular Pays evolved its product since its inception based on the feedback it got from its initial customers -Why building a company on a mission is more important (and challenging) to Corbett that figuring out ways to simply make a profit -His father’s own work on a startup, and how that helped Corbett learn more about term sheets, making connections, and raising initial funding -How failure can teach you a lot about your appetite for risk, and how Corbett’s experience in advertising helped him build a thick skin -The “graveyard” of ideas Corbett’s cofounder built while at Leo Burnett, and how it served as future inspiration for new ideas -Why having a cofounder is a good way to hold yourself accountable and why picking the right one is the most important thing you’ll ever do Check out the final few minutes of the show, where Corbett shares a few book recommendations and why he’d want to interview more recent startup founders than the traditional tech giants.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -How one customer with over 5,000 employees saved $48M in savings in a year from offloading these everyday tasks to Zoom -Why Toronto is the ideal location for creating a machine learning / AI company, and how it’s become the 3rd largest technology hub in North America -How being an only child raised by a single parent made Roy think creatively about how to make extra money from a young age -How Star Wars and his first software sale made Roy realize he was meant to be an engineer, and why joining someone else’s startup first made him a better entrepreneur -Why building a business is like being in a dark room with lots of furniture, and how befriending experienced founders will keep you from getting hurt -Roy’s experience as a solo founder, and why he doesn’t recommend being one to other people Roy’s also an investor an advisor to other startups, so be sure to catch the end of the episode where he shares the advice he gives to first time founders and the best books to read when starting up.

In this episode you’ll hear about: -The struggles of content marketers today, and why media startups need to be especially scrappy and resourceful to succeed -The present opening Rachel sees in media companies and who the Love Stories TV’s typical user is (it may surprise you) -Rachel’s childhood growing up in suburban Detroit, where she was a competitive, synchronized skater! -How coming from a family of entrepreneurs helped inspire Rachel to eventually become one herself -The grand vision beyond weddings that Rachel sees for Love Stories TV, and why content is king when it comes to videos -Why entrepreneurs should be wary of using the “we’re the [blank] for [blank]” description when first building their companies Stay tuned until the end of the episode, where Rachel shares the best piece of advice she’s gotten thus far and explains why she’d want to interview The Knot’s Carla Roney if given the chance.

In this episode you’ll hear about: -The origins of Kylie.ai, and why it’s entrepreneurs should always listen to prospective customers when developing new products  -How his mother’s blend of math and psychology, and his father’s 30+ year tenure working at GE, inspired him to be an entrepreneur -Sinan’s experience as a professor at Johns Hopkins’ (after finishing his Bachelor’s degree in just 2 years), where he met his then-chocolatier (yes, chocolatier!) cofounder  -How Sinan fell in love with data science after teaching himself how to code as it’s the perfect blend of computer science and math -Why it’s critical to continually show people what you are building Sinan’s response to critics of AI, and why the winners of AI will be ones that can integrate successfully into what humans are already doing Be sure to stay tuned to the end of the episode, where Sinan explains his love for Henry Ford and why he’d want to talk about the way Ford integrated technology with the masses to ensure widespread adoption.

In this episode you’ll hear about: -When Taylor first saw the opportunity for Tiz, and why he decided to work at -Drizly before striking out on his own -The benefits of launching a startup in Chicago over San Francisco, and why top universities are critical to the ecosystem -How Taylor broke the family occupational mold by being an entrepreneur (he comes from a long line of surgeons!) -Why working in sales at a tech startup provided the best foundation for eventually running a company -Why attending college was always the choice to make, and why Taylor would encourage others to do the same Catch the end of the episode, where Taylor goes over the best (and worst) advice he’s ever heard as an entrepreneur, and why you shouldn’t hold a grudge when things don’t work out.

In this episode you’ll hear about: -Why innovation tends to happen at the cross-section of disciplines, and how Sparrho is helping foster that innovation -Vivian’s childhood growing up in Australia (with parents working in education and publishing) where she discovered a love for science -The “contained chaos” that happens when getting a PhD at Cambridge, and the opportunities for leadership that were there -Why the occupational and cultural diversity in London will continue to drive problem solving and lead to the creation of more startups -The state of entrepreneurship and venture in Australia -How learning to program gave Vivian an appreciation for logic that went beyond her education in science Be sure to check out the end of the episode, where Vivian succinctly sums up the best piece of advice she’s ever received, the question she’d want to ask Elon Musk, and why she’d want to interview small-scale entrepreneurs.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -The genesis of Aire, the vision Aneesh sees for the next 20+ years, and how to show value to investors along the way -His own transient childhood as the son of the diplomat (and a journalist), and how the “start, restart” mindset led way to entrepreneurship -Aneesh’s early activism, starting with an angry letter he wrote to Panasonic as a 16 year old to fix his MD player, and why he has always refused to accept “no” as an answer  -What leadership truly means in an organization, and how his opinion has evolved over time -The value of building a startup in London, especially if you know the fintech ecosystem -Why having the right foundations means everything when starting a company, and why complexity at the beginning will only create more worries later on At the end of the episode, be sure to catch Aneesh’s recommendations on top books to read as a founder and his response to the founder he would most like to interview (hint: it’s a new one!).

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -Why it was important for Cleo to have a personality, and the opportunity Aleksandra sees in the space -Growing up in Poland and how her father helped foster her early interest with -technology  -How, as a child, computer science felt like wizardry, where scripts were spells and programs were magic -Why Aleksandra was not deterred by not having prior leadership experience (and why learning by doing is critical to success) -Why London is the perfect locale for launching a new venture -The importance of having balanced personalities between cofounders Check out the end of the episode, where Aleksandra talks about the future of VR and why it’s critical to not be afraid of who you are (and who you want to be).

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -How the idea for Occasion was born out of frustration from being unable to reserve tennis court time in Chicago -Aksh’s view on how AI will transform his industry -The long lineage of entrepreneurship in Aksh’s family, and how it molded his childhood dreams -Why Aksh works at his mother’s store every six weeks, and how that enables him to build a better product -The apprenticeship program Occasion started for its employees in order to gain more customer empathy -Why entrepreneurs shouldn’t equate business failure with personal failure Catch the end of the episode, where Aksh talks about the growing importance of voice interfaces and why it’s critical to surround yourself with mentors who are much more senior in their career.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -Why being EIRs at Social Capital before officially starting Renzu helped the founders substantially add initial value when fleshing out ideas -How Renzu got potential customers to be angel investors before landing capital from venture firms like Redpoint -His childhood living all over the world due to his Dad’s diplomatic career, and how that influenced his ability to fearlessly adapt to new environments -The high bar his parents set for him, and why that’s taught him to continually strive for more from his life -Why working at a large company has its advantages -The fears (and hopes) that come with starting at the beginning again post-exit Be sure to check out the end of the episode, where Abhinav shares the best piece of advice he’s gotten as an entrepreneur (it may surprise you!), and the founder he most wants to interview.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -Why cryptocurrency is more easily adopted in the developing world -How James’ first foray intro entrepreneurship at age 12 led to a series of different ventures (and why the passion is still the same regardless) -James’ perspective on education and skipping college, and why it’s not always the best choice for everyone -How being a young founder has allowed James to be comfortable with the risk that comes from pursuing entrepreneurship -Why the ability to code is a road block, not a requirement, for being an entrepreneur (and why a good one should be able to get around this) -The importance of fairness in a company’s culture, and how to keep everyone (including yourself!) accountable Listen to the end of the episode, where James talks about the future of cryptocurrency in America and why he’d pick Einstein to interview over anyone else.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -Why Brian’s thinks entrepreneurship is a means to an end, and why acquisitions that grow your business can be more gratifying than doing it on your own. -How his childhood independence was due to his “submarine” parents (i.e. the opposite of today’s helicopter parents). -Brian’s lack of interest in science as a child and innate propensity for business, much to his parents’ chagrin. -Starting his first company with his sister (using their father’s finances) and how they managed to maintain a high level of professionalism. -How culture can really shape your company, and why that doesn’t equate to having beers together. -As a boss, why it’s incumbent on your team to tell you how to improve, and how to create a place where people feel comfortable being candid. Catch the end of the episode, where Brian shares his insights on the future of healthcare technology and CRISPR, and why he’d want to most want to interview Michael Dell.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -How Andy’s cofounder Danielle convinced him to stay in the Valley to build what would later become Mattermark -Why a company’s data tells more of a story than its press releases -The pivotal moment for Mattermark, where publishing an article on Zombie VCs turned into finding a product / market fit -Why Andy finds starting a company more inspiring than taking a high-paying job (and why you should ignore people’s opinions on the matter) -The first business Andy started at a young age, and how its unfortunate business name enabled him to find his first customers -The self-awareness needed to move your company forward and how having shared values with your cofounder is critical Stay tuned to the end of the episode, where Andy tells us more about what he’s currently working on and what he would ask Jeff Bezos if he had the chance to interview him.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -Why Marc prefers to build startup ecosystems outside the major cities in the U.S., and why entrepreneurship can thrive anywhere -The genesis of Startup Weekend, and when the lightbulb went off for Marc that these events were where great ideas begin -Marc’s childhood living with exchange students from all over the world -How adversity in your youth can lead to a path of self discovery and independence -Why Marc thinks real world experience prior to entrepreneurship is integral to success -The values behind Startup Weekend, and why inclusivity and neutrality are critical when it comes to starting a company Check out the end of the episode, where Marc explains why he would rather interview an entrepreneur from Syria than someone who is famous, and where he shares some of his favorite memories from Startup Weekend.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -The travels her family did each summer growing up, alternating between India -and new locations, and how this influenced her curiosity -How even as a child, Gowri aspired to be a doctor, rocket scientist, and professor rather than the typical “princess fairy” -How the violin taught her the importance of practice and instilled in her a work ethic that would later help when starting a company -Why Gowri never thought the company would end, even when their first CTO had to leave the company (and why that’s critical to success) -How she and her husband, who is also an entrepreneur, bounce ideas off each other while still managing to keep work and home life separate -What success means to Gowri (and why it’s probably not what you think) At the end you’ll hear about Gowri’s favorite products, including Purple Carrot, a vegan Blue Apron that even her meat-eating friends enjoy, and why she’d want to interview Jeff Bezos.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -Surfset’s appearance on Good Morning America, and how Sarah’s scrappiness made it a success -The decision to get funding from Shark Tank versus a traditional venture route or entirely bootstrapping -How Surfset avoided being a trend-driven fitness activity to become a sustainable business -How Sarah changed her typical high school bake sales into new events that significantly increased funds raised -Sarah’s defining moment (at age 9!) that sparked her curiosity for entrepreneurship -Why the fear of failure shouldn’t be on your mind if you want to succeed (and why thinking of the worst case scenario can be liberating) Be sure to stayed tuned until the end of the episode, where Sarah talks about her love of productivity apps and the business books that have helped her get where she is today.

In this episode, you’ll hear about: -How the company originally focused on residences rather than offices before realizing there was a better opportunity in the latter -Why it’s all about the company’s narrative during a startups early phases -The sustainable infrastructure program Dan created while at Hopkins that is now one of the most robust university programs in the U.S.  -How his older brother inspired him to take control of his life (and why being smart doesn’t mean much if you don’t also work hard) -What really motivates great entrepreneurs, and why building things is a better catalyst for change than politics -What success means to Dan and how this permeates the business of Managed by Q Be sure to catch the end of the episode, where we talk about our mutual love for Kurt Vonnegut and hear who Dan would most want to interview if given the chance.

In this episode you’ll hear about: -How Hubble got its name from the Hubble Space Telescope, which actually needed a contact lens to correct its vision. -Jesse’s experiences starting a movie club and a mentoring group that showed him he could build something from nothing. -How his experience investing at Bridgewater gave him and his co-founder Ben a network of advisors. -The decision to be Co-CEO’s versus pursuing a more traditional organizational structure, and why titles don’t really matter. -Why a healthy dose of individual pessimism can actually foster collaborative optimism in a startup. In typical form, we’ll end with a few fun questions about companies Jesse admires and who he most would want to interview given the chance.

In this episode you’ll hear about: -How SkySpecs was born out of the University of Michigan’s incubator after building a drone for a senior design project. -How his years running a landscaping business in high school with a friend built his foundation for entrepreneurship. -Why a strong network is key to building a company. -How his Dad’s “let’s build it ourselves” mentality made him inclined to study engineering. -A class that involved creating and racing blimps that changed the entire course of his career. -Why the low-cost, open space in Michigan made it an easy choice to stay in the Midwest versus moving to the Bay (and why having investors nearby makes all the difference). We’ll end things off with the usual fun questions, where you’ll hear about Danny’s love of 3D printing in both his personal and professional life.

In this episode you’ll learn: -About Mitch’s early passion for rockets that gave him his first chance to make things people wanted to use. -How watching Kevin’s mother pursue her own small businesses inspired him from a young age to build his own company (side note: a woman in the 90’s who taught herself how to build computers? Bad ass). -How early leadership experiences led way to a career of helping set others up for success (that is their business after all). -About the value of venture funding vs. bootstrapping in a business with network effects. -Why persistence trumps all else, and how running marathons helped prepare Kevin for entrepreneurship. -Why both founders think creating a good business where people actually want to work is much more important that external “success” factors. Finally, we’ll end with some fun topics, like what book Kevin recommends and why they both want to interview the same founder (spoiler alert, it’s Jason Fried of Basecamp).