Studying Success

In today's episode, we are joined by Frank Licea, founder and CTO at Howdy, the service that allows US tech companies to hire and manage software developers in Latin America. Beginning as a Y-Combinator students, Frank Licea and his co-founder, CEO Jacqueline Samira, have grown Howdy from an idea to a $105M valuation. In this episode, we discuss how Frank and his co-founder built Howdy's network of software engineers, how Y-Combinator influenced his startup process, and what insights the Y-Combinator experience gave Howdy and Frank. Stick around to the end to hear what Y-Combinator thinks is the biggest cause of company deaths, and it's not a bad business strategy. Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube – @studyingsuccesspodcast

In today's episode, we are joined by Elie Seidman. Elie is the interim CEO of Fast Growing Trees where he is leading the scale up. Elie is the former CEO of Tinder where he led Tinder's hyper growth scale-up and internationalization with revenue growth from $350M/year to $1.3B/year. Prior to Tinder, he was the CEO of OkCupid where he led a turnaround - focused on reinventing the product and brand. Elie also sponsored and co-led Match Group's acquisition of Hinge. Before OkCupid and Tinder, Mr. Seidman was an entrepreneur for 15 years. In 2007, he founded Oyster, an online travel business acquired by TripAdvisor in late 2013. At the start of his career, Elie was the co-founder and CEO of Epana, a telecom and money remittance business that he led through hyper growth. He is a member of the Advisory Board of Cove Hill Partners, L.P., a private equity fund. He has previously served as an advisor at both General Atlantic Partners and Lime Rock Partners. He is a member of the Board of Governors of Tel Aviv University.Elie received his BSE in Materials Science Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. He is an active supporter of Penn's school of engineering where he has lectured on entrepreneurship and leadership. In this episode, we discuss Elie's biggest learnings from his time at Fast Growing Trees, the keys to Tinder's fast growth, Elie's philosophy on consumer marketing, and how Elie was able to make Tinder an international brand. Stick around to the end to hear Elie's advice for young people who want to be successful in business. Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube – @studyingsuccesspodcast

Es un honor tener mi primer podcast en español con alguien tan impresionante e inteligente como Peter Lozano Alcolea. Peter es el cofundador de Imascono, una empresa que ayuda a otras empresas con su transformación digital mediante tecnologías como la realidad virtual y la inteligencia artificial. Después de tener una carrera destacada en el fútbol, jugando para el Real Zaragoza, sufrió una lesión que puso fin a su carrera profesional. No obstante, justo después, fundó Imascono, que en ese momento era una empresa que vendía ropa profesional. Sin embargo, después de conocer a su cofundador, cambió la orientación de su empresa para enfocarse en la realidad extendida. Ahora, Imascono cuenta con clientes como Adidas, Disney y Marvel, y gracias a su trabajo en Imascono, Peter ha sido reconocido como una de las 100 personas más creativas en los negocios por Forbes. Hoy hablaremos sobre su experiencia como jugador profesional de fútbol, cómo fundó Imascono y cuáles son las cosas más importantes a tener en cuenta al hacer marketing. Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube – @studyingsuccesspodcast

In this episode, we are joined by Piers Thackray, founder and CEO at Theone, the AI content creator and manager for businesses. After seeing his mother work tireless hours trying to promote her different small businesses, Piers wanted to build a solution that would help smaller businesses with the marketing. So, after founding and building a marketing agency when he was just 19 years old, Piers started his new venture, Theone. In this episode, we discuss actionable steps for building a superstar startup team, how Piers was able to validate the idea for Theone before launching, and the marketing strategy responsible for $100k in pre-orders after just one week. Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube – @studyingsuccesspodcast

In today's episode, we are joined by Matt Pru, co-founder and managing partner at Stackmatix, the startup and scaling growth partner. Prior to co-founding Stackmatix, Matt was the Head of Sales at MightyHive which he helped grow from 10 to more than a hundred employees and which ultimately sold to S4 Capital for $150M. In addition, Matt has worked as a startup advisor to a number of companies including a company called MovingLake, a YCombinator startup. In this episode, we discuss how Matt ran a $30M sales operation at MightyHive, how Matt built Stackmatix, and the tactics Stackmatix uses to grow a startup's sales. Stick around to the end to hear what most startups get wrong and how Matt suggests to fix this. Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube – @studyingsuccesspodcast

For our 30th episode, I am honored to be joined by the Amanda Hesser, Founder and Executive Chair at the Food52, the online culinary community. After working at the New York Times as a food reporter, writer and editor, and columnist, Ms. Hesser felt that she was missing something in her life – entrepreneurship. Shortly after leaving the New York Times, Ms. Hesser used an advance on a book that she was writing to launch Food52. Now, 14 years later, Ms. Hesser discusses with us how she built a customer experience, what she thinks the key to Food52's growth was, and what she would do differently if she were to start all over again. Stick around to the end to Ms. Hesser's biggest takeaways from her startup journey with Food52. Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube – @studyingsuccesspodcast

Today, we are joined by Abby Miller Levy, Managing Partner and Founder at Primetime Partners. After realizing the lack of opportunities for retired people when her father retired, Abby set out to build a business or businesses to give retired people a more vibrant and healthy life. After writing out several business plans, Abby realized that she would not be able to start all of these businesses herself, and pivoted to thinking about starting a venture fund. Partnering with her co-founder, Alan Patricof, the two founders launched Primetime Partners, a venture fund dedicated to investing in early stage companies that cater to older adults. Prior to Primetime Partners, Abby was a senior executive at SoulCycle and the co-founder of Thrive Global which she started with Arianna Huffington. In this episode, we discuss how the startup industry for older adults is a growing and exciting industry, how Abby started Primetime Partners, and what Abby looks for when she invests in startups. Stick around to the end to hear Abby's advice for those looking to do big things in business. Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs, CEOs, and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube – @studyingsuccesspodcast

In this episode, we are joined by Paul Hedrick, Founder and Executive Chairman at Tecovas. In 2015, after having worked more traditional business roles at private Equity firm L Catterton and consulting firm McKinsey, Paul took the leap to build the direct to consumer, western-style boot brand, Tecovas. After launching the original Shopify store in 2015, Tecovas has sold at least one boot everyday, and has grown into a 9 figure boot empire with almost 30 stores nationwide. Today Paul tells us how Tecovas went from a small boot shop located in the back of Paul's Toyota Forerunner to the massive brand that it is today and what advice he would have for those trying to build a brand and a customer experience. Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube – @studyingsuccesspodcast

Today we are joined by Kathryn Cavanaugh, founder and managing partner at Capstar Ventures, a venture capital firm that invests in early stage startups. In this episode we discuss how Kathryn raised the first fund for Capstar, what it was like to go through COVID with Capstar, and what Kathryn looks for in founders. Stick around to the end to hear Kathryn's advice for anyone looking to pursue a career in VC.Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube – @studyingsuccesspodcast

In this episode we are joined by Brian O'Malley, Managing Partner at Forerunner, a venture capital firm that invests in consumer businesses such as Away, Chime, and Glossier. In this episode, we discuss what businesses make Brian most excited to invest, how to market to the consumer, and Brian's biggest challenges both as a VC and at Forerunner. Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube – @studyingsuccesspodcast

Today we are joined by Josh Bowen, Co-founder and COO at Simba, a platform that provides affordable money transfer services for immigrants sending funds home. Prior to Simba, Josh was a Co-founder and head of business development and product at CrowdTwist. CrowdTwist sold to Oracle in 2019 and had more than $10 million in revenue. In this episode, we discuss how Josh and his Co-founder started Simba, why it's so important to stay focused as a startup, and Josh's learnings from CrowdTwist. Stick around to the end to hear Josh's advice for Gen Z. Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs, CEOs, and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube – @studyingsuccesspodcast

In this episode, we are joined by Chris Cabrera, founder and CEO at Xactly, a SaaS company that helps businesses manage aspects of their sales force including compensation and sales forecasting. Today we discuss how Mr. Cabrera built Xactly, the lessons he learned from his experiences working with VCs, and why Xactly was able to grow from $5 million in revenue in their first year to $20 million in revenue by their third year. Stick around to the end to hear Mr. Cabrera's best advice for being effective in sales.Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram @studyingsuccesspodcast.

Today we are joined by Ben Lerer who is a Managing Partner at Lerer Hippeau, an early stage investment fund that targets New York based businesses and that has invested in the seed rounds of companies like Casper, Venmo, and Warby Parker. Before Lerer Hippeau, Ben was a founder at Thrillist Media Group which provides city guides to nightlife and restaurants in cities like New York and LA. Thrillist later acquired media businesses such as Now This and the Dodo to form the holding company Group Nine Media where Ben was the CEO. Group Nine Media was acquired by Vox in 2022. In this episode we discuss how Ben built Thrillist, what it was like to run Group Nine Media, and how Ben meets great entrepreneurs. Stick around to the end to hear Ben's stories about his close friend, Gary Vaynerchuk. Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram @studyingsuccesspodcast.

In this episode, we are joined by Kim Dowling, Founder and CEO at Ride Indoor Cycling. Founded in Austin, Texas, Ride offers customers a fun workout experience filled with dancing, music, and colorful lights. In today's episode, we discuss the power of word of mouth marketing for Ride's success, how Kim creates a world class experience for Ride's customers, and how Ride was able to pivot during COVID. Stick around to the end to hear Kim's suggested reading list for high school and college students interested in business. Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram @studyingsuccesspodcast.

Today we are joined by Cyrus Massoumi, founder and CEO at Dr. B, a telehealth platform that offers affordable online medical consultations with doctors. Prior to Dr. B, Cyrus was the founder and CEO at ZocDoc, a platform that allows you to book appointments with Doctors in your area online. On top of Dr. B, Cyrus is also the founder and managing partner at Humbition, a VC firm. In this episode, we discuss how Cyrus founded Dr. B, why Cyrus is so passionate about providing affordable medical services, and why past founders are the best types of investors. Stick around to the end to hear how Cyrus evaluates businesses as a Managing Partner at Humbition.Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram @studyingsuccesspodcast.

For our 20th episode, Studying Success is honored to be joined by someone as accomplished and successful as Reed Taussig. Taussig, in his epic career, has raised a total of $155 million and has returned to his investors $1.6 billion – yes, that's billion with a b. From June 1997 to July of 2008, Taussig served as Chairman, President, and CEO of Callidus Software, a sales compensation management software provider, which he led from its inception to IPO. Callidus was later acquired by SAP for $2.4 billion. After Callidus, Taussig went on to become the President and CEO of ThreatMetrix, an online fraud mitigation company, which processes over 3 billion transactions per month and has over 6 thousand customers. In 2018, ThreatMetrix was acquired by LexisNexis Risk Solutions for $830 million. Reed is currently the CEO at an identity authentication company called AuthenticID.In this episode, Reed shares his wisdom on why it's so important as a startup to stay focused on the principal service that it provides, what “bad” CEOs do, what he thinks has been the key to his success, and his thoughts on running a public vs. private company. Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram @studyingsuccesspodcast.

Jason Burchard is the CEO and co-founder at a SaaS (Software as a Service) company called RootNote. RootNote provides content creators such as youtubers, musicians, twitch streamers, podcasters, etc. with a single platform that houses all of their relevant data like follower count, streams, plays, etc. so that these content creators can make better informed decisions on which form of content to release. In this podcast, Jason explains his ideation process with RootNote, the implications of raising capital and how they can be potentially stressful, and how social media is changing how businesses market to their consumers. Listen to the end to hear what Jason thinks is the most important thing to keep in mind when thinking about sales. Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram @studyingsuccesspodcast.

Today we are joined by Rob Taylor who has founded and operated 5 vc-backed startups over the past 20 years including BlackLocus which sold to Home Depot in 2012 and TrueCar which went public in 2014. Most recently, Rob Co-founded and was the CEO of a B to B SaaS company called Convey which was acquired by Project44 in September of 2021 for $255M. In addition to being a founder, Rob has done mentorships at Capital Factory and TechStars, and he currently is a board member at LawnStarter. In this episode, Rob shares his expert insight on what is important to focus on in the growth stage of a business, what he thinks is the most important part of a pitch to venture capitalists, and how he and his co-founders were able to grow Convey. Stick around to the end to hear what his two best pieces of advice for growth stage CEOs. Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram @studyingsuccesspodcast.

Mucker Capital is a venture capital firm that invests largely in preseed, seed and series A rounds. In today's episode, Jon tells us why he likes “unsexy” software companies, what makes a company desirable to invest in in early rounds, and what are the characteristics of a great CEO. Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram @studyingsuccesspodcast.

In this episode, we are joined by Klaus Wegener who is a Co-Founder and Managing director at 35up, a company that provides ecommerce sites with cross selling software. Prior to 35up, Klaus Co-founded a custom laptop and phone case company called Caseable where he was the CEO. In today's episode, we dive into how Klaus and his team launched 35up, how to reach out to investors, and why it's so important to hire the right people. Stick around to the end to hear Klaus' advice on business in general. Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram @studyingsuccesspodcast.

In today's episode, we hear from Wesley Gottesman who currently works  as a Principal at a venture capital firm called Brand Foundry Ventures. Brand Foundry Ventures has invested in companies such as Starface, the acne concealer products brand and Allbirds. Prior to Brand Foundry, Wesley launched a startup called Rollrcoastr and worked with Drew Brees to build Brees's company, Nine Brand. Stick around to the end to hear Wesley's three biggest takeaways from his time at Rollrcoastr.Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram @studyingsuccesspodcast.

Dendi is a software platform that helps medical labs organize their data and run their businesses better. With the help of its founder and CEO, Jihoon Baek, Dendi grew to 7 figure growth and raised a $2 million round this August. In today's episode, Jihoon tells us how he started Dendi in the medical field despite having no background in medicine, why it's more important to listen to customers rather than build them their product, and why he believes First Principles Thinking is not a great ideology. Listen to the end to hear Jihoon's advice on who to receive advice from. Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram @studyingsuccesspodcast.

Metron is a consulting service that uses advanced statistics and mathematics in projects primarily for U.S. government clients. One of Merton's most famous projects would be its part in creating a map that led to the discovery of the wreckage from Air France flight 447 in the Atlantic Ocean in 2010. In today's episode, Tom discusses how to have relationships with clients, how Metron got into the business of trading futures contracts, and what the biggest challenges have been in his over 36 years of experience. In addition to founding and running Metron, Dr. Thomas Corwin got his PhD at Princeton in Statistics, has served as an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University, worked closely with the US Navy in the clearance of the Suez Canal after the Yom Kippur War, and has served as the Chief Scientific Officer in an investment firm called Ramsey Quantitative Systems. Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram @studyingsuccesspodcast.

Rinse is a service that picks up customers' dry cleaning and laundry, cleans it, and returns it to their door. In today's episode, Ajay walks us through how he and his co-founder built Rinse from serving 11 people to serving 8 major cities and how for the past 10 years he has worked to create a national brand. Stick around to the end to hear why it is so important to have a growth mindset. Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram @studyingsuccesspodcast.

Bala Health is a company in the nutrition industry that provides its customers with a personalized eating plan based on their “trigger foods” with the goal of improving their wellbeing. In this episode, Jamie Riepe, the founder of Bala Health, takes us through the process of how he built his initial product and got feedback on it, why he is deciding to wait on raising money, and how his investing background in business to business (B to B) services is impacting how he is making decisions in the company. Stick around to the end to hear his advice on when one should raise money. Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram @studyingsuccesspodcast.

Spot is a health insurance company that covers people for their injuries in athletic adventures such as mountain biking, skiing, or skateboarding. In today's episode, Matt Randall, the Co-CEO at Spot, walks us through how he started the company, how to get customers into a purchasing behavior, and how direct marketing to consumers through social media may leave you out of control of your own destiny as a business. Stick around to the end of the episode to hear Matt's best advice on how to be great in business. Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.

After growing and running his company, Square Root, for fifteen years without raising any money, Chris Taylor sold his company in February of 2021 to CDK. In this episode, we talk about the process of getting acquired, how to approach potential customers in a market, and how to be a small company working for giant corporations. Stick around to the end to hear why attempting to start a business is beneficial for your career, even if you fail. Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram @studyingsuccesspodcast.

In addition to co-founding GameFly, a video game rental company, and founding Dropoff, a same day delivery service, Sean Spector has become quite the poker player, having played in the World Series of Poker. In today's episode, we dive into the ideation process of starting a business, when to raise capital, and how one builds a great consumer brand. Stick around to the end to hear Sean's advice on what you should do before starting a business.Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram @studyingsuccesspodcast.

Before co-founding Footwork, a venture capital firm that manages $175M, Nikhil Trivedi was a Managing Director at Shasta Ventures where he invested in many companies including Canva's seed round. Additionally, he was a part of the founding team of Artsy while he was still at Princeton. In this episode, Nikhil tells us about his experiences starting businesses while still in college, how one goes about pitching a venture capital firm to investors, and his most recent investment in the map startup, Felt. If you listen to the end you will hear Nikhil's thoughts on business school and what it takes to have an outlier career.Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram @studyingsuccesspodcast.

FabuLingua is an app that teaches kids a second language through interactive stories and a new patented learning style. Today we learn how Leslie and Mark took their business from being a powerpoint presentation to the wonder-working app that kids use today.Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram @studyingsuccesspodcast.

After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania and interning at Nike's Innovation Accelerator, Danny Edman is now a Senior Associate at Teamworthy Ventures, a venture capital firm. In this episode, we explore what makes a company desirable to investors, what the ideal CEO looks like, and what patterns have emerged throughout Danny's discussions with CEOs. Listen to the end to hear how a military philosophy from the Vietnam War can be useful to becoming a more efficient business.Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram @studyingsuccesspodcast.

In addition to being the CEO of Macellum Capital Management, Jonathan Duskin is on the board of Citi Trends and has over 20 years of experience investing in the consumer and retail sector. In this episode, we investigate what is happening between Macellum Capital Management and Kohl's, identify which books would have made Jonathan more successful had he read them as a kid, and explore how horse racing can help with investments. Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram @studyingsuccesspodcast

Some of Bryan Burkhart's biggest achievements are ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange at the age of 28 after taking Callidus public, co-founding HBloom, a high-end 1800-flowers, and founding his current company, Worksmith, where he is the CEO. In today's episode, Bryan lets us in on his secrets on starting a business, his best advice, and walks us through what he calls the “Rhino Principal.”Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram @studyingsuccesspodcast

After living in Indonesia, Malaysia, Greece, India, and the United States as a child, Sonu Panda's newest adventure is spearheading the fight on greenhouse gas emissions through his company Prescriptive Data. In the show, we dive into how all that moving affected his upbringing, the different experiences he had at jobs over the years and the plethora of life lessons he learned, as well as how Prescriptive Data is helping to reduce climate change. Additionally, he gives us some insider tips on what to keep in mind during the start up process. Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram @studyingsuccesspodcast

In addition to working in silicon valley during the 2001 technology recession and playing football at the University of Pennsylvania, Tom MacLeod is the founder and CEO Zenlist. Today, we talk about how to implement strategies from different businesses, how to fight human nature, and the process of business to business sales. Listen to the end to hear Tom's parting advice about business in general. Please subscribe to Studying Success to hear more from the best entrepreneurs and investors!Also check out our website at www.studyingsuccesspodcast.com.And follow us on Instagram @studyingsuccesspodcast