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Neem is a Pakistan-based fintech startup building the payments infrastructure that simply doesn't exist in the world's fifth largest country. While 71% of transactions still happen in cash, businesses juggle 10+ payment providers just to collect money or pay vendors. Neem has built the full stack: collections, disbursements, branded wallets, and unified reconciliation—all through a single API.Founded by Vladimira, Nadeem, and Naeem—a former fintech accelerator builder, the ex-CEO of Pakistan's largest fintech JazzCash, and a former Pakistani Minister of Investment—Neem went live in January 2025 and already powers 50+ enterprise clients including the country's largest logistics provider (2 million packages/day), three top insurers, and healthcare platforms serving millions of patients.With digital transactions growing 40% year over year and government backing the shift to cashless, Neem is laying the financial rails for 2.5 million+ underserved businesses in a market where Stripe, Razorpay, and Adyen don't operate.Angel investor Mahrukh Qadeer joins the Investor Talk at the end of this podcast.Hosted by Maaike Doyer & Hester Spiegel, founders of Epic Angels.
The Twenty Minute VC: Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
AGENDA: 04:47 Cursor Raises $2.3BN at $29BN Valuation 11:36 What Gemini 3 Means for Lovable, Cursor and Replit 30:54 Peter Thiel and Softbank Sell NVIDIA: The Bubble Bursting? 48:54 Oracle Credit Default Swaps: The Risk is Increasing 01:07:22 Stripe Does Tender at All-Time High: Why the Best Companies Will Never IPO 01:19:18 Why Retail WIll Cause a Surge of Capital into VC Funds
Today, Hunter was joined by two guests from the Brooklyn Defender Services, Heather Stoloff and Andie Markowitz. Unfortunately, today's conversation brings us another allegation of a public defender leader engaging in flagrant union busting efforts. A few months ago, the Executive Director of the organization called Andie in for a one on one meeting. In that meeting, Andie alleges that the Executive Director handed her instructions detailing how to dissolve the office's current union, how to create a new one, and as Andie understood it, that she would be rewarded for doing so. Guest: Heather Stoloff, Attorney Team Lead, Preserving Family Bonds Team, Brooklyn Defender Services Andie Markowitz, Senior Social Worker, Brooklyn Defender Services Resources: Read More Here https://queenseagle.com/all/2025/9/19/brooklyn-defender-services-boss-accused-of-union-busting-scheme https://www.alaa.org/media-releases/resolution-condemning-lisa-schreibersdorf https://hellgatenyc.com/brooklyn-defender-services-union-bust/ https://x.com/bds_union Contact Hunter Parnell: Publicdefenseless@gmail.com Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com Subscribe to the Patreon www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast Donate on PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ Donate on Stripe https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show! https://app.reduct.video/o/eca54fbf9f/p/d543070e6a/share/c34e85194394723d4131/home
Send us a textGiving Tuesday Is Days Away - Here's Your Game PlanGiving Tuesday is almost here…and yes, you still have time to show up with clarity, confidence, and zero panic.In this episode, Cara Augspurger walks you through the final steps that make the biggest difference – the practical moves, the strategic choices, and the calm mindset that help your nonprofit show up and shine in one of the biggest giving moments of the year.You'll discover:Why Giving Tuesday is absolutely worth showing up forWhat to focus on when time is shortHow to show up authentically without getting lost in the noiseSmart steps from the Donorbox year-end checklistHow to use Giving Tuesday to set up December successThe monthly giving move most orgs forgetThe three things you must do on the day itselfPlus: Cara's favorite low-lift ideas for creating real momentum – without a big team, big budget, or big stress.Create your comprehensive last-minute checklist with this great blog: Your 2025 Giving Tuesday Checklist to Raise More You've got this – and we're here to help every step of the way.Sponsor thanks: This episode is sponsored by AppealMaker - an easy, simple, and stress-free way to send direct mail campaigns that feel personal and powerful. Set up your free account (no credit card needed!) at AppealMaker.com today.What makes Donorbox the Best Nonprofit Fundraising Platform to Achieve Your Strategic Goals?Easy to customize, available in multiple languages and currencies, and supported by leading payment processors (Stripe and PayPal), Donorbox's nonprofit fundraising solution is used by 80,000+ global organizations and individuals. From animal rescue to schools, places of worship, and research groups, nonprofits use Donorbox to raise more funds, manage donors efficiently, and make a bigger impact.Discover how Donorbox can help you help others!The Nonprofit Podcast, along with a wealth of nonprofit leadership tutorials, expert advice, tips, and tactics, is available on the Donorbox YouTube channel. Subscribe today and never miss an episode:
Stripe holding your money or freezing payouts? Here's why reserves happen — and what ecommerce brands, subscription businesses, and online sellers can do to get their funds released faster.If Stripe is suddenly holding your money, placing a “% reserve,” freezing payouts, or delaying transfers, you're not alone. Thousands of ecommerce brands, subscription businesses, coaches, SaaS companies, and online sellers get hit with Stripe reserves every year. When Stripe thinks your business model, refund rate, dispute patterns, or chargeback risk are too high, they lock down your funds — and once a reserve is in place, getting your money back can feel impossible.In this video, we break down why Stripe freezes your funds, the difference between a fixed reserve and a rolling reserve, the most common reserve triggers, and what actually helps you get payouts released faster.You'll learn:► What a Stripe reserve really means► How reserves work (rolling reserve, capped reserve, and upfront reserve)► The risk signals Stripe uses to flag merchants► How long reserves typically last — and when you'll get your money back► What YOU can do to show Stripe you're reducing risk► Why now is the time to add a backup payment processor before things get worseStripe reserves rarely come out of nowhere — but they definitely feel like it. If you want stability, predictable cash flow, and fewer frozen payouts, it might be time to look at a high-risk merchant account that won't surprise you with sudden fund holds.Are you ready to switch to a merchant account and protect your payment processing? Reach out to DirectPayNet today!
We're bringing back yet another MTAC Another World OSMinterview! Today, we've got our interview we did alongside The Side Quest Podcast for Natalie Van Sistine. Here's what MTAC had on their webpage about her:Natalie Van Sistine is a voice actor, audio engineer, and writer who currently lives near Dallas with her dog, Nico.In anime, you can hear her as Yor Forger in Spy X Family, Star and Stripe in My Hero Academia, Miorine in Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, Selene in Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest, the Fox Devil in Chainsaw Man, Irene Adler/James Bonde in Moriarty the Patriot, Yihdra in The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World, Lilith in The Maid I Hired Recently is Mysterious, Arnheid in Vinland Saga, Natsuko Aki in Re: Cutie Honey, and in dozens of other titles, including Attack on Titan, Full Dive, Overlord, and One Piece.She has also appeared in over two hundred games, including Honkai: Star Rail as Serval and World of Warcraft as Dark Ranger Velonara. You can also hear her in Hearthstone, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Fire Emblem Heroes, CookieRun: Witch's Castle, and Goddess of Victory: Nikke.Book fans may also recognize her from the Graphic Audio production of A Court of Thorns and Roses as Nesta.She can be found on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky, and TikTok @nvansistine.https://mtac.net/guests/natalie-van-sistine/OSMnotesWe want to thank Natalie and once again for taking the time to chat with us! And you can find all the places where Natalie is by checking out her online at:On her website: https://www.nvansistine.com/On Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/nvansistine.bsky.socialOn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nvansistine/On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nvansistineOn Twitter: https://x.com/nvansistineOn YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NatalieVanSistinePlus, a big thank you to MTAC for both letting us have the chance to chat, but also credit for the convention logo used.We also have YouTube Channels now! Both for OSMcast proper and The Carbuncle Chronicle! Please subscribe, hit the bell, and share amongst your friends.And as always, feel free to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts! Oh, and if you still use Spotify, go ahead and get on that mobile device and throw us some five stars there too. Tell your friends! As well, just like we mentioned when we do the OSMplugs, you can also join the Discord and support us on Patreon! PS If you have ever wanted some OSMmerch, feel free to check out our TeePublic page! PPS We appreciate you.
Where is OpenAI going, and what does it mean for the broader AI and tech ecosystem? Madrona Partner Vivek Ramaswami sits down with Jason Kwon, Chief Strategy Officer at OpenAI, for a rare behind-the-scenes look at the decisions shaping one of the most influential AI companies in the world. In this live conversation from the 2025 IA Summit, Jason shares what OpenAI will build, what it won't, and how founders can use that as a roadmap to go big without going head-to-head. They unpack OpenAI's ecosystem-first mindset, what "full-stack AI" really means, and how the rise of agentic AI is reshaping what gets built — and by whom. They also unpack: The real reason OpenAI is investing so heavily in compute infrastructure How to interpret and work alongside OpenAI's product moves as a founder, rather than fear them Why the most compelling startups bet on model progress, not workarounds Where OpenAI wants partners, and where it's staying hands-off What reasoning + agentic AI unlock for next-gen products How OpenAI is navigating its AGI mission while staying product-relevant This episode is essential listening for anyone building in AI and wondering: Where should I build — and how will OpenAI operate in the space? Full Transcript: https://www.madrona.com/how-what-to-build-in-the-age-of-openai Chapters: (00:00) – Introduction (01:17) – Jason Kwon's background and role at OpenAI (02:43) – What is the "full stack of AI"? (Jason's breakdown) (04:07) – Where founders should build: Opportunities in the AI ecosystem (05:43) – OpenAI's partnerships and why compute matters (06:57) – The "reasoning revolution" and agent capabilities (07:57) – Agentic commerce: Stripe partnership and agent protocols (09:15) – OpenAI's philosophy: Platform vs. product, and the value of partnerships (10:47) – What does AGI mean inside OpenAI? Research focus and company culture (11:44) – How OpenAI decides what to build (and what not to) (14:42) – Where OpenAI won't build: Advice/opportunity for founders (17:31) – Q&A: Profitability, business models, and compute margins (20:00) – How ChatGPT changed OpenAI: Growth, culture, and leadership (21:20) – Sam Altman's ruthless prioritization and company focus (23:20) – Q&A: OpenAI's role in commerce and monetization (24:55) – Q&A: Application vs. model layer, and the Cursor partnership (26:48) – Looking ahead: What Jason hopes OpenAI will accomplish next year
Get the Side Hustle Ideas Database [free]: https://clickhubspot.com/ckf Episode 765: Sam Parr ( https://x.com/theSamParr ) and Shaan Puri ( https://x.com/ShaanVP ) talk about every business Shaan tried before he made his first million. — Show Notes: (0:00) #1 Chipotle of Sushi (5:00) #2 Selling Wristbands Online (9:34) #3 Biotech with a billionaire (12:54) #4 Making the next billion dollar app (17:30) #5 Ride a wave (22:37) Shaan applies to Stripe (25:29) Going from 0/12 to 5/5 (26:35) Project selection (40:00) Your last dollar (46:00) Uncle Shaan's advice for 20 year olds (52:12) New segment: Life happens — Check Out Shaan's Stuff: • Shaan's weekly email - https://www.shaanpuri.com • Visit https://www.somewhere.com/mfm to hire worldwide talent like Shaan and get $500 off for being an MFM listener. Hire developers, assistants, marketing pros, sales teams and more for 80% less than US equivalents. • Mercury - Need a bank for your company? Go check out Mercury (mercury.com). Shaan uses it for all of his companies! Mercury is a financial technology company, not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Column, N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust, Members FDIC — Check Out Sam's Stuff: • Hampton - https://www.joinhampton.com/ • Ideation Bootcamp - https://www.ideationbootcamp.co/ • Copy That - https://copythat.com • Hampton Wealth Survey - https://joinhampton.com/wealth • Sam's List - http://samslist.co/ My First Million is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by HubSpot Media // Production by Arie Desormeaux // Editing by Ezra Bakker Trupiano //
Today, Hunter was joined by the CJA Panel Rep for New Mexico, Ryan Villa. The last time Hunter talked about CJA panels on the show he discussed how the federal government stopped paying the panels back in July. After months of not getting paid, Ryan and the rest of the New Mexico panel decided that enough was enough. They wrote a letter stating they would no longer be accepting new cases. With the future funding of this system in doubt, this could be a preview of what is in store for federal public defense in the near future. Guest: Ryan Villa, CJA Panel Rep, Federal District of New Mexico Resources: Contact Ryan ryan@rjvlawfirm.com Read the Letter https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/new-mexico-lawyers-stop-accepting-new-court-appointed-defense-work-over-funding-2025-11-05/ https://www.fd.org/news/new-mexico-defense-lawyers-stops-accepting-new-court-appointed-cases-over-shutdown Memo in California https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/federal-judges-can-compel-lawyers-represent-defendants-without-pay-california-2025-11-07/ Contact Hunter Parnell: Publicdefenseless@gmail.com Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com Subscribe to the Patreon www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast Donate on PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ Donate on Stripe https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show! https://app.reduct.video/o/eca54fbf9f/p/d543070e6a/share/c34e85194394723d4131/home
Discover how the world's most profitable companies actually make money, from Tesla to Amazon to ChatGPT. Join Product Manager Brian Orlando and Enterprise Business Agility Consultant Om Patel as they continue to explore the 23 business models from Adrian Slywotzky's "The Art of Profitability." Part 2 continues the examination of the strengths and weaknesses of the remaining 11 business models where the hosts discuss why some companies dominate their industries while others struggle.Business models covered are: Specialty Product model (CrowdStrike, Beyond Meat)Local Leadership (Publix, Dutch Bros)Transaction Scale (Visa, Stripe)Value Chain Position (Amazon, TSMC)Cycle timing (private equity firms)After-Sale profits (Apple Care, John Deere)New Product innovation (Tesla, OpenAI)Relative Market Share (Walmart, Google)Experience Curve (Southwest Airlines, TSMC)Low-Cost Design (Dropbox, IKEA)Scarcity tactics (Ferrari, Nike limited editions)Whether you're a product manager, startup founder, or business strategist, this episode provides actionable insights on choosing and executing the right business model for your market. #ProductManagement #BusinessModels #StrategyLINKSYouTube https://www.youtube.com/@arguingagileSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/362QvYORmtZRKAeTAE57v3Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/agile-podcast/id1568557596Website: https://arguingagile.com/
Dina Denham Smith is an executive coach and strategic advisor who helps senior leaders build capacity, scale impact, and thrive in complex environments. She has coached leaders at top companies including Google, Netflix, Goldman Sachs, Stripe, and Adobe.Her practical approach draws on early career experiences being placed in high-stakes leadership roles—often as the only woman in the room—managing major clients, mergers, IPOs, and strategic initiatives. She learned firsthand that top-level success requires more than expertise.Dina's framework centers on three pillars: Results (strategic focus and outcomes), Relationships (trust and influence), and Resilience (high performance without burnout).Previously, she served as EVP of a private equity firm, helping grow sales 15x, led a 75-person team at a digital agency, and began her career in consulting at PwC.She holds an MS in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and an MBA from the University of Michigan and is credentialed by the ICF and EMCC. A prolific thought leader, she has written 60+ leadership articles and co-authored the bestselling Emotionally Charged (Oxford, 2025). She lives in the Bay Area with her family.
Who were the men who built the Empire State Building? Glenn Kurtz returns to the show to tell their story with MEN AT WORK: The Empire State Building and the Untold Story of the Craftsmen who Built It (Seven Stories Press). We talk about how he accidentally fell into this project, how "turn every page" led him to a key discovery about Lewis Hine's photos of the Empire State construction, how his experience researching and writing THREE MINUTES IN POLAND helped him with this book, his childhood connection with the Empire State, and how identifying their subjects affects the mythic aura of Hine's photographs. We get into the corporate perspective of the building and how it dehumanizes the workers who built it, and similarly how that heroic collectivist notion of The Worker devalues workers as people, whether craftsmanship and artisanship survived the transition into mass production during the skyscraper era, Hine's authorial fallacy and the genius of his portraits, and what the Empire State says about the immigration-dynamics of the workforce and the role of unions, We also discuss the question of context and how the question, "What are we looking at?" can reveal the world, the resonance of Hine's Icarus/Sky Boy pic, the messiness of history, the joy of Virginia Woolf's diaries, why Glenn just wants to write a novel without it inspiring a nonfiction project, and more. Follow Glenn on Instagram and Facebook • More info at our site • Support The Virtual Memories Show via Stripe, Patreon, or Paypal, and subscribe to our e-newsletter
Stephen Wemple, Principal at Spero Ventures, shares how he backs mission-driven founders building enduring companies aligned with purpose and profit. From investing in hardware startups like Telo Trucks to backing social impact ventures such as Juno, Stephen explains why conviction and alignment between founders and investors matter more than ever. He reflects on his journey from Fulbright Fellow in Vietnam to venture capitalist in Silicon Valley, the lessons he's learned from working with founders, and how smaller, concentrated funds like Spero bring focus and depth back to early-stage investing.In this episode, you'll learn:[01:00] - Stephen's journey from Fulbright Fellow in Vietnam to venture capitalist at Spero Ventures[04:30] - How Spero spun out of Omidyar Network to back purpose-driven founders[08:10] - Investing early—with proof points that show real-world traction[11:10] - Why mission and authenticity matter more than hype in founder evaluation[14:00] - The story behind Spero's investment in Juno and the value of long-term relationships[17:00] - How founders should work with junior investors inside VC firms[19:00] - Why conviction and alignment matter when founders choose their investors[22:00] - Stephen's take on the concentration of capital and the future of small, focused fundsNonprofit highlight: AchieveKidsAbout Stephen WempleStephen Wemple is a Principal at Spero Ventures, where he invests in mission-driven founders building companies for a healthier, more sustainable, and fulfilling future. He has led investments across sectors such as healthcare, climate, and frontier technologies, backing founders who combine purpose with commercial ambition.Stephen began his career in early-stage venture capital, investing in emerging markets across Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and South Asia. A Fulbright Fellow in Vietnam, he worked with the U.S. State Department to support entrepreneurship initiatives before joining Spero Ventures in its formative years. Stephen believes the best entrepreneurs are those who find and stay true to their mission.About Spero VenturesSpero Ventures is a Silicon Valley-based early-stage venture capital firm that backs mission-driven founders building companies for a healthy, sustainable, and fulfilling future. The firm leads or co-leads seed and Series A rounds with $2–4 million investments and maintains a concentrated portfolio to closely support each founder. Its team, which includes former operators from Tesla, eBay, and Stripe, has invested in companies like Juno (child disability insurance), Telo Trucks (electric pickup trucks), Tiny Health (gut health solutions), Euclid Power (renewable energy software), and Gencove (genome sequencing platform), reflecting its belief that purpose-driven startups can create both outsized impact and venture-scale returns.Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode.
Today, Hunter was the President and Founder of #AfghanEvac, Shaw VanDiver. During our two decades of conflict in Afghanistan, America made a promise to hundreds of thousands of Afghans who helped our cause: work with us, and we will provide you safety from the Taliban. Yet when Kabul fell back into the hands of the Taliban, America left behind more than 195,000 of our allies in harms way. Shawn and his team at #AfghanEvac aim to fulfil the promise we made to our Afghan allies by assisting them in claiming asylum in the United States. Guest: Shawn VanDiver, President and Founder, #AfghanEvac Resources: Contact Shawn and His Team https://afghanevac.org/ https://x.com/afghanevac https://www.instagram.com/afghan_evac https://www.youtube.com/c/AfghanEvac https://www.facebook.com/AfghanEvac https://www.tiktok.com/@afghanevac https://truthsocial.com/@afghanevac https://bsky.app/profile/afghanevac.bsky.social https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14026798/ Contact Hunter Parnell: Publicdefenseless@gmail.com Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com Subscribe to the Patreon www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast Donate on PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ Donate on Stripe https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show! https://app.reduct.video/o/eca54fbf9f/p/d543070e6a/share/c34e85194394723d4131/home
In this episode of Thought Behind Things, we sit down with Ziyad Parekh, Co-Founder & CEO of Safepay, one of Pakistan's most exciting fintech startups and a Y-Combinator backed startup.Ziyad shares how he went from Karachi to New York and why he left everything to return home and build Pakistan's version of Stripe. We uncover how Safepay survived being taken to zero overnight, how they rebuilt with grit, and why they now process volumes comparable to giants like HBL.We Explore:VISA/Mastercard charging Rs. 30 per transactionGetting Investment From StripeKarachi's Poor infrastructure How RAAST might change everythingAnd what the future of digital payments will look likeSocials:TBT's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings/TBT's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tbtbymuzamilTBT's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thoughtbehindthingsTBT Clips: https://www.youtube.com/@tbtpodcastclipsMuzamil's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan/Muzamil's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/muzamilhasan/Ziyad's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ziyad-parekh/Endeavor's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/endeavor-pakistanSpecial thanks to Kickstart for providing us with the studio space.You can find out more about them at: https://kickstart.pk/Credits:Executive Producer: Syed Muzamil Hasan ZaidiAssociate Producer: Saad ShehryarPublisher: Talha ShaikhEditor: Jawad Sajid
Listen now: Spotify, Apple and YouTubeIf you're a product leader trying to navigate the shift from single-product focus to a broader portfolio—or wondering how AI is reshaping execution, team design, and strategic planning—this episode is for you.In this episode of Supra Insider, Marc and Ben sit down with Brian Balfour, CEO of Reforge, to explore how product orgs can expand into multi-product portfolios without losing focus, momentum, or clarity. Brian shares how his team shipped five new products in under a year, what most companies miss when trying to adopt AI, and how to avoid common traps like “Frankenstein workflows” and slow-to-die experiments.From deciding when to build vs. buy, to managing zero-to-one teams in parallel, to evaluating strategic threats in the AI era—this conversation is packed with practical frameworks and hard-earned lessons. You'll hear Brian's candid takes on M&A, cross-functional execution, PM bottlenecks, and the future of product development when language, code, and design start to collapse into one.Whether you're expanding your roadmap, building AI-native products, or simply trying to execute faster with fewer resources, this one's worth a listen.All episodes of the podcast are also available on Spotify, Apple and YouTube.New to the pod? Subscribe below to get the next episode in your inbox
Avec Antoine Grimaud cofondateur de Payplug, on revient sur une aventure incroyable : celle d'un entrepreneur français aux US qui a dit non à Stripe, avant de bâtir une FinTech en France, rachetée par BPCE.
DEMAIN je reçois Antoine Grimaud : on parle d'entrepreneuriat, et comment capter la valeur créée.Il a monté Payplug aux US -il a refusé une offre de rachat de Stripe, il est ensuite rentré en France, puis a revendu Payplug à BPCE.
Click here to sign up for a new platform that helps law firms use subscription billing.Here are the top 5 takeaways from this episode:1. Constant Adaptation and Simplification Are Key to Law Firm Success.Both Mathew and Lauren emphasized the importance of regularly reassessing and adapting their practice areas, pricing, and service offerings. Lauren pivoted away from tax debt resolution to focus on estate planning and prenups, while Mathew simplified his pricing structure and eliminated underused features and add-ons.2. Data-Driven Decisions Improve Offerings and Client Experience.They both use a mix of analytics, client feedback, and “gut data” from years of experience to refine their services. This includes tracking which offerings clients actually use, which content gets the most engagement, and adjusting accordingly for better retention and satisfaction.3. Streamlined Onboarding and Intentional Friction Save Time.Mathew shared how he reworked his onboarding process using Google Workspace, Calendly, Stripe, and Google Forms to introduce just enough friction. This helps filter out unqualified leads and ensures new clients are a good fit, saving time for both the lawyer and the client.4. Community and Content Platforms Matter.Lauren's move from MailChimp to Substack for her newsletter and podcast was inspired by the platform's community features and ease of use. Both hosts discussed the value of memorable branding, vanity URLs, and focusing content on topics that resonate most with their audience (like costs, outsourcing, AI, and SOPs).5. Embrace AI and Technology, but Stay Client-Focused.Both are exploring ways to use AI and automation to improve efficiency and client service, such as creating SOPs, using AI prompts, and building tools for solo practitioners. However, they stress that technology should serve the client's needs and not overwhelm them with complexity.Bonus: The most popular content topics for their audiences are costs, outsourcing, AI, finances, and standard operating procedures—indicating a strong interest in practical, efficiency-focused advice for running a modern law firm.__________________________Learn more about A Different Practice.Sign up for Paxton, my all-in-one AI legal assistant, helping me with legal research, analysis, drafting, and enhancing existing legal work product.Here's a link to purchase lifetime access to the recordings of My Shingle's AI Teach-In if you couldn't make it live.I've partnered with Pii to make it easy for you to purchase the hardware I use in my law firm: (1) Studio Setup; (2) Midrange Setup; (3) Highrange Setup.Get Connected with SixFifty, a business and employment legal document automation tool.Sign up for Gavel, an automation platform for law firms.Check out my other show, the Law for Kids Podcast.Visit Law Subscribed to subscribe to the weekly newsletter to listen from your web browser.Prefer monthly updates? Sign up for the Law Subscribed Monthly Digest on LinkedIn.Want to use the subscription model for your law firm? Sign up for the Subscription Seminar waitlist at subscriptionseminar.com.Check out Mathew Kerbis' law firm Subscription Attorney LLC. Get full access to Law Subscribed at www.lawsubscribed.com/subscribe
Today, Hunter was joined by Calvin Duncan and Sophie Cull, Co-authors of the book, Jailhouse Lawyer. In this book, Sophie and Calvin tell the story of Calvin's life. As a teenager, Calvin was wrongfully charged with and ultimately convicted of a homicide. He faced a life sentence in Angola State Prison. For the nearly three decades that Calvin was wrongfully incarcerated, he worked as a jailhouse lawyer. In that role, he helped countless men, in hopeless legal situations challenge the conditions and legality of their confinement. Now, Calvin and Sophie are here to share the power that a jailhouse lawyer can have in radically challenging mass incarceration. Guest: Calvin Duncan, Co-Author of The Jailhouse Lawyer¸ Director of the Light of Justice Program Sophie Cull, Co-Author of The Jailhouse Lawyer, Louisiana Resources: Contact Calvin https://www.loyno.edu/academics/faculty-and-staff-directory/calvin-duncan https://www.calvinduncan.com/ Pick up a Copy of the Book https://www.calvinduncan.com/p/book-the-jailhouse-lawyer Follow Them on Socials https://www.instagram.com/jailhouse_lawyer/?hl=en Contact Hunter Parnell: Publicdefenseless@gmail.com Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com Subscribe to the Patreon www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast Donate on PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ Donate on Stripe https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show! https://app.reduct.video/o/eca54fbf9f/p/d543070e6a/share/c34e85194394723d4131/home
Send us a textWriter's block for Christmas? You're not alone. Try these Giving Season AI writing prompts that actually workIn this short, informative easy listen, Britt Stockert shares how AI can be the creative writing partner you didn't know you needed this Giving Season.She walks through how to use AI prompts to beat the blank page, keep your tone real, and save time on those endless donor messages.What's inside:Why, and how, AI can be your creative sidekick for campaign writing3 prompts to get unblocked fastHow to keep your messages sounding real, not roboticThe ethical line you should never crossThis episode's a little lighter and perfect for when your Giving Season coffee has gone cold and your cursor's been blinking too long.And, to take your full fundraising strategy to the next level, check out JayAI here, or head to our blog for a breakdown of AI for Nonprofits: How to Use Artificial Intelligence for Good to round out your AI knowledge base.Listen now and make writing the easiest part of your Giving Season.What makes Donorbox the Best Nonprofit Fundraising Platform to Achieve Your Strategic Goals?Easy to customize, available in multiple languages and currencies, and supported by leading payment processors (Stripe and PayPal), Donorbox's nonprofit fundraising solution is used by 80,000+ global organizations and individuals. From animal rescue to schools, places of worship, and research groups, nonprofits use Donorbox to raise more funds, manage donors efficiently, and make a bigger impact.Discover how Donorbox can help you help others!The Nonprofit Podcast, along with a wealth of nonprofit leadership tutorials, expert advice, tips, and tactics, is available on the Donorbox YouTube channel. Subscribe today and never miss an episode:
This episode is different. For the first time, I'm sharing my personal story—the journey that explains everything about who I am and why I'm making a big change. I've always been a private person on the podcast, but to explain this new chapter, I want to share the full context. I talk about being forced to leave school at 14, finding English as my lifeline, and building a career in Educational Technology. I also get transparent about the realities of operating a global brand from Lebanon, and how that has led me to a new, exciting, and more sustainable direction. In this episode, you will hear about: My personal journey and why "English" has always had a "Plus." My decision to return to my professional field of Educational Technology. The great consolidation: English Plus is becoming my single, unified passion project for all my writing, music, and creative ideas. My core identity as a writer and how this new structure will honor it. An honest look at the challenges for creators in Lebanon and why your support is so crucial. Support This New Journey on Patreon As I explained in the episode, I'm committed to keeping all this content free. However, because I live in Lebanon, I have no access to PayPal or Stripe. My Patreon page is the single, only possible way you can support this show and my work as a creator. If you find value in my work and want to help me build this new chapter, please consider becoming a patron. Join the Patreon Community: https://patreon.com/dannyballan
12 proven business models that separate successful products from failures!Product Manager Brian Orlando & Enterprise Business Agility Consultant Om Patel examine 12 real-world business models with real examples of the companies that employ them!Based on "The Art of Profitability" by Adrian Slywotzky (2002), this part-1-of-2 podcast covers:• Customer Solution Model (Palantir, SAP, Salesforce)• Product Pyramid (Apple, Tesla, GM)• Multi-Component Pricing (Uber, Coca-Cola)• Switchboard Platforms (Uber, Airbnb, eBay)• Time & Materials (Consulting firms)• Blockbuster Model (Pharma, Netflix)• Profit Multiplier (Microsoft, Disney)• Entrepreneurial Model• Specialist Model (Mayo Clinic, Agile Coaches)• Installed Base (Printers, Razors, K-Cups)• De Facto Standard (Windows, Adobe PDF)• Brand Model (Apple, Nike, BMW)Perfect for product managers, agile coaches, startup founders, and business leaders trying to understand which revenue model fits their product strategy.
Will Gaybrick is the President of Technology and Business at Stripe.Stripe builds financial infrastructure for the internet, and if you've ever purchased a product online, you've probably used Stripe.We talk about what Stripe's doing in crypto and stablecoins, how AI is changing commerce and payments, how they're thinking about going public, how they build products internally, and interesting data they're seeing around AI-native companies, like how they're growing 3.5x faster than SaaS companies.Thank you to Claire Hughes Johnson, Josh Kushner, and Cosmin Nicolaescu for help brainstorming topics for the conversation.Thank you to Numeral and Amplitude for sponsoring this episode.Numeral: The end-to-end platform for sales tax and compliance. Try it here: https://www.numeral.comAmplitude: Listen to users at scale with AI https://www.amplitude.com/AI-FeedbackTimestamps:2:42 Will's promotion5:29 Build vs Buy in AI6:39 Inside the Bridge acquisition8:54 Stripe's stablecoin strategy11:20 Why building Stripe is so complicated13:22 How Stripe builds new products18:29 AI companies growing 3.5x faster than SaaS22:58 New fraud vectors in AI businesses25:19 Agentic commerce in ChatGPT29:34 Building modular products34:05 How Stripe uses AI internally42:12 Building the first payments foundation model48:23 Link, Stripe's 200M MAU consumer product56:52 Will Stripe ever IPO?59:14 Blurring of private and public companies1:03:39 Starting Hack Yale1:08:23 Joining Thrive's $5 million Fund 11:12:30 Low margin businesses are underrated1:16:30 Joining Stripe as CFO1:21:59 How Stripe's go-to-market has evolved1:25:56 Stripe's margins1:29:52 Why financial services are so hard to use1:33:04 Lessons from Alan MulallyReferencedStripe: https://stripe.com/Careers at Stripe: https://stripe.com/jobs/searchFollow WillTwitter: https://x.com/gaybrickLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-gaybrick-5730347Follow TurnerTwitter: https://twitter.com/TurnerNovakLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/turnernovakSubscribe to my newsletter to get every episode + the transcript in your inbox every week: https://www.thespl.it/
Secondary students from across Ireland have once again showcased their scientific curiosity through the 1,974 project entries received for the 2026 Stripe Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (Stripe YSTE). From AI-driven health tools to the effects of Leaving Cert stress, Ireland's next generation of innovators are tackling the issues that matter most to them. The shifting focus of Stripe YSTE entries helps to illustrate the topics that are becoming more important to students. The number of projects related to AI and machine learning grew 75%, whilst sustainability and climate change entries increased 41%. Emerging themes-with lower entry numbers but strong growth-include robotics, which attracted double the number of entries (+100%), and renewable energy, which increased 50%. Conversely, projects focusing on social media fell by 16%, highlighting a possible shift in interest for students across Ireland. Dr. Tony Scott, co-founder of YSTE, said: "The level of intellect and curiosity displayed in this year's Stripe YSTE project entries has amazed us. Narrowing down the 1,974 entries to just 550 qualified projects was no small task, and we look forward to hearing more from the students about their projects at the exhibition in January." Eileen O'Mara, Chief Revenue Officer at Stripe, said: "It's brilliant to see students using science as a way to understand themselves, their communities and the world around them. What's exciting about this year's entries is the balance between deep scientific inquiry and social awareness. We can't wait to see hundreds of these ideas come to life in January, and I'd encourage everyone who wants to visit the exhibition to buy their ticket now." Health & well-being Health remains a top concern for students, with 27% of entries falling into this category. Within that: 13% explored mental health 10% examined the effects of stress, anxiety, or depression 6% investigated sleep Health and well-being projects incorporating technology increased significantly, up 40% compared to last year. Project applications include AI-driven mental health tools, wearable tech for health monitoring, apps for fitness and nutrition tracking, and studies into screen time and blue light exposure. Artificial Intelligence Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) were standout themes this year, with a 75% increase in project submissions this year. These projects extend beyond the Technology category, with students applying AI and ML across biology, health, social science, and environmental studies. Students plan to use AI to diagnose health conditions, research the ways AI helps or hurts in business and educational settings, and even to predict global natural disasters. Multiple submissions also plan to pit human intelligence against AI to see which is superior. Sustainability Sustainability is also a growing area of focus for young scientists, with a 41% increase in projects addressing themes such as climate change, environmental protection, and sustainable living. Submissions investigate ways to decrease the average Irish person's carbon footprint, the effect of climate change on farmers, microplastics, and even using mathematics to prove why we need to take action against temperature increase. Culture, lifestyle & everyday curiosity Applying the scientific method to daily life, many students used their projects to investigate topics that resonate with teenagers in modern Ireland. This year's entries included: 41 projects on music 18 on the impact of Leaving Cert stress 15 exploring TikTok 11 investigating the effects of vaping 10 bring endometriosis into the conversation These entries highlight how young people are using science to question, measure, and reimagine their world, spanning health, habits, creativity and culture. Tickets for the Stripe YSTE 2026 are on sale now at www.stripeyste.com See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication a...
On the podcast, we talk with Eric about the opportunities and challenges of AI for consumer apps, what you can learn from Strava acquiring Runna, and the flawed thinking around ‘subscription fatigue'.Top Takeaways:
5 Marketing Takeaway Secrets for Zip Code Marketing 2.0 with Favour Obasi-Ike | Sign up for exclusive SEO insights.Favour discusses Zip Code Marketing 2.0, emphasizing its importance for local businesses. Favour explains that this marketing strategy involves geo-targeting audiences based on their zip codes and interests to achieve local market success through tailored content and advertising.Key platforms for this type of marketing include Amazon, Google, YouTube, and TikTok, with a forward-looking mention of using Connected TV for targeted ads as part of the "2.0" evolution. Favour also stresses the necessity of thorough research before launching ad campaigns and highlights the value of SEO and content strategy in driving commercial growth and connecting with potential customers.The internet is a constant flood of marketing advice. We're told to blog more, post more, and spend more on ads. It's overwhelming, and most of it feels like noise. But every so often, you stumble upon a single conversation that cuts through it all.That's what happened to me during a one-hour Clubhouse talk on "Zip Code Marketing 2.0." Favour shared a series of potent, surprising, and immediately actionable insights that challenge the 'more is more' gospel of content marketing and the 'gamble' of paid ads, offering a refreshingly precise alternative. The talk covered both foundational tactics for local businesses and a stunning look into the future of hyper-local advertising. Here are the five secrets I learned.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Next Steps for Digital Marketing + SEO Services:>> Need SEO Services? Book a Complimentary SEO Discovery Call with Favour Obasi-Ike>> Visit our Work and PLAY Entertainment website to learn about our digital marketing services.>> Visit our Official website for the best digital marketing, SEO, and AI strategies today!>> Join our exclusive SEO Marketing community>> Read SEO Articles>> Need SEO Services? Book a Complimentary SEO Discovery Call with Favour Obasi-Ike>> Subscribe to the We Don't PLAY Podcast--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Takeaway #1: Hyper-Niche SEO Can Deliver Results in Under 24 HoursWe're often told that SEO is a long game, requiring months of consistent effort. This case study proves that with the right strategy, it can be shockingly fast.Favour shared the story of a client selling a "prayer box for busy moms". By researching the competition, they discovered the niche had been neglected for years. After making a few strategic tweaks to the website, the client started getting sales directly from their Google link in less than 24 hours.The real insight wasn't just finding a low-competition keyword; it was understanding the customer's specific behavior. The sales came in at 6 a.m. and 2 a.m.—times when busy moms could find a quiet moment before their day began. This hyper-specific understanding of when and why a customer searches is more powerful than a hundred generic blog posts. It's the direct result of putting research before action.SEO is not just blog, blog, blog, blog. Like there there has to be some reasoning behind it.The lesson: your fastest path to profit might not be broad appeal, but a laser-focused solution for a neglected niche whose buying habits you can pinpoint to the hour.Takeaway #2: The Golden Rule of Ad Spend Is About Time, Not MoneyFor many businesses, running paid ads feels like gambling. You put money in and hope for the best. The speaker offered a simple, powerful principle to completely reframe this approach.Do not spend a dollar on ads if you've not spent a second on research.The logic is undeniable: running ads to a market that already needs and is searching for your product is infinitely more effective than trying to create demand from scratch. True success in advertising doesn't start with a campaign; it starts with research and development (R&D) to find the perfect market fit. Stop treating your ad budget like a slot machine and start treating it as the final step in a rigorous R&D process.Takeaway #3: Every Online Sale Is a Treasure Map (And X Marks the Zip Code)This point was so simple it was brilliant. Every single time you make an online sale—whether through Shopify, Squarespace, or Stripe—you collect a crucial piece of data: the customer's zip code.This isn't just logistical information for shipping. It's a treasure map. That zip code is a clear, unambiguous signal telling you exactly where your audience lives. The speaker used a perfect analogy: you should be selling jackets to people in cold zip codes and t-shirts to those who don't need jackets. It sounds obvious, but how many businesses ignore this data and market their "jackets" to everyone, everywhere? This means your most valuable marketing asset isn't a new ad campaign; it's a spreadsheet of your top 10 customer zip codes and a plan to dominate them.Takeaway #4: Paid Ads Aren't the Enemy of SEO—They're "Accelerated SEO"Once you've used your sales data to identify your "treasure map" of high-value zip codes, the next step isn't just organic—it's what the speaker calls "Accelerated SEO."The age-old debate of "Paid vs. Organic" is a false choice. The speaker reframed paid advertising not as a competitor to SEO, but as a faster way to own the keywords that matter in the places that matter. To prove the point, they shared an experiment: a simple $5/day Facebook ad campaign. By targeting only the specific zip codes with proven search interest, the results were incredible. The cost-per-click (CPC), which started around 30 cents, steadily dropped to 14 cents, and in some cases, as low as 9 cents.This dramatic cost reduction happens because by targeting only zip codes with proven, active search interest, the ad's relevance score skyrockets. Platforms like Facebook reward this high relevance with significantly lower costs, eliminating wasted spend on uninterested audiences.Takeaway #5: Zip Code Marketing 2.0 Is Taking Over Local TV and BillboardsThis was the most forward-looking secret of the entire talk. The "2.0" in the title isn't just about optimizing search and social—it's about applying zip code precision to channels once reserved for national brands: Connected TV and digital billboards.Favour explained that it's now possible to run ads on platforms like Peacock, Netflix, and various sports channels targeted only to viewers in specific zip codes. Imagine a local business running a TV commercial that's only seen by households in their most profitable neighborhoods. Or, consider the strategy of running ads on digital billboards within the zip code of a major conference, reaching every attendee during their downtime without having to be there physically. This is the future of local marketing—using data to show up on the biggest screens, but only for the exact audience that matters.Conclusion: From Local Champion to Global ContenderThe core theme was that effective marketing isn't about shouting the loudest; it's about deep research and showing up precisely where and when your audience needs you. Whether it's analyzing the 2 a.m. shopping habits of a busy mom or targeting a TV ad to a single zip code, the data to win is already at your fingertips.As Favour powerfully stated, "You can't be a global champion if you're not a local champion." Success starts by dominating your specific market first. Before you try to conquer the world, you have to win your neighborhood.It leaves one final, crucial question for all of us: What hidden data is your business already collecting that could unlock your next breakthrough?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
James Reggio (CTO @ Brex) shares the story of "Brex 3.0", an 18-month journey behind their operational evolution. We explore how they rewound their org from a Series E to a Series C mindset, and replaced siloed OKRs with seasonal "marquee initiatives." James deconstructs the “Brex Hacker House”, an AI-focused startup within a startup experiment aimed to disrupt their core business. This conversation is all about evolving operational rhythms, layers of management, product building, and culture change! ABOUT JAMES REGGIOJames Reggio is Brex's Chief Technology Officer. James is a forward thinking technology leader who currently oversees Brex's entire Engineering org. James joined Brex in 2020 as Principal Engineer and has played a vital role in building the company's mobile app and AI capabilities. Prior to Brex, James had an extensive career as a Software Engineer at leading companies such as Microsoft, Salesforce, AirBnB, Stripe and more. Additionally, James founded two companies: Altair Management and Banter, a social discovery platform for podcasts that was later acquired by Convoy in 2018. James received his B.A. of Science from The University of Texas Austin. SHOW NOTES:The birth of Brex 3.0: Using a layoff as a "moment to refound the company" (3:38)Moving from a Series E to a Series C operational mindset (5:28)The problem with a GM model: How siloed OKRs and roadmaps created "deadlock" (6:07)New rituals: Why the CEO became "chief editor of the roadmap" (8:16)The impact on morale: "Folks just knew how their work fit into the bigger picture" (11:16)The challenge of the new model: Who do you hold accountable when you "win and lose as a team"? (13:43)The lesson for reintroducing systems: "Less is more" (15:43)The "Startup within a Startup": Launching an internal team to disrupt Brex (16:49)“What if we were founding Brex again today?” The 4 constraints for the "Hacker House" experiment (17:58)Questions eng leaders should ask when running a similar experiment to Brex (21:02)Aha moment: "With agentic coating, code is so cheap" (22:35)Managing the two narratives: "compounding" the core biz vs. “innovating" with AI (26:01)A surprising dynamic: Why the AI team struggled to see their impact (while the core team didn't) (29:38)Building alongside your customer to iterate / experiment faster (36:06)The turnaround is over: Brex hits 50% YoY growth and cash-flow positive (38:45)Rapid fire questions (42:10) This episode wouldn't have been possible without the help of our incredible production team:Patrick Gallagher - Producer & Co-HostJerry Li - Co-HostNoah Olberding - Associate Producer, Audio & Video Editor https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-olberding/Dan Overheim - Audio Engineer, Dan's also an avid 3D printer - https://www.bnd3d.com/Ellie Coggins Angus - Copywriter, Check out her other work at https://elliecoggins.com/about/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Assembled is the AI customer support platform powering hundreds of modern enterprises including Stripe, Robinhood, Salesforce, and Ashley Furniture. The company's largest customer operates a 20,000-person contact center. With products spanning AI chat and voice agents that resolve 70-80% of tickets to sophisticated workforce management and forecasting systems, Assembled's core thesis challenges the industry narrative: the best support teams orchestrate humans and AI in perfect balance rather than replacing one with the other. In a recent episode of Category Visionaries, we sat down with Ryan Wang, CEO and Co-Founder of Assembled, to explore the company's journey from eight months to first customer to becoming the infrastructure behind customer experiences at scale. Topics Discussed: The reality gap between AI support demos and production deployment Why sophisticated buyers now demand quality benchmarks and latency metrics over feature lists The hidden complexity in contact center work: KYC compliance, fraud review, and multi-system workflows How the Klarna "fire everyone" approach failed and what it reveals about the market Patrick and John Collison's all-company support rotations at Stripe The product-market fit question that ended six months of wrong direction Enterprise destiny baked into early product decisions Converting LinkedIn discomfort into a systematic storytelling engine Path dependence from workforce management to AI automation products Why customer support problems rhyme with operations challenges across industries GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Quality-first positioning wins when buyers move past demo amazement: Ryan observed a critical market shift. Sophisticated buyers now run rigorous bake-offs with training data variability and ask for latency metrics, quality benchmarks, and production performance data. The last three AI deals Assembled closed required detailed competitive evaluations. When messaging emphasizes cost reduction over quality improvement, you lose credibility with buyers who understand that turning off support entirely would be free—they're investing in lifetime value and loyalty creation. Position around the buyer's actual objective hierarchy: quality first, efficiency as validation. The product-market fit question that encodes your entire GTM strategy: Ryan's co-founder asked prospects "What is software that you must have or you hate your options?" This single question revealed multiple strategic insights simultaneously: you're targeting painkillers in established categories, pursuing replacement sales against weak incumbents, and entering markets with demonstrated willingness to pay. For Assembled, this naturally surfaced workforce management—a must-have category with Windows 95-era tools serving 20,000-person teams. The question's elegance is how it filters for product-market fit and GTM approach in one conversation. Access the best through respect signals, not connections: When hiring his first engineering executive at 15 people, Ryan got an introduction to a former VP of Engineering at Facebook, then explicitly signaled time respect: requested only 15 minutes, clarified he wasn't recruiting, offered availability "Saturday 8pm or anytime," and had specific questions prepared. The call happened at an odd Saturday time. The insight wasn't just learning about "Dual Lands" leadership (a Magic: The Gathering reference)—it was understanding how exceptional minds construct mental models. You can reach these people through investor networks or multi-hop introductions, but earning their time requires demonstrating you'll use it surgically. Recognize when you're not "the company" to avoid strategic errors: A top recruiting firm told Ryan "you're not Stripe, so you can't sell people like you're Stripe." At any moment, one Silicon Valley company occupies a unique position—Stripe then, OpenAI now—where normal rules don't apply. That company can eliminate product managers, remove all titles, or make unconventional demands. Understanding you're not in that position prevents catastrophic hiring missteps. Ryan had to recalibrate from Stripe-era patterns where his recruiter became Anthropic's president and his onboarding buddy became OpenAI's president. Your positioning must match your actual market gravity, not your aspirational tier. Systematize founder storytelling to compound credibility: Ryan solved founder marketing discomfort by reframing from self-promotion to being an intermediary—sharing customer stories from Armenia, banking conferences, and global contact centers rather than broadcasting opinions. The system: Friday morning sessions with prompts ("interesting things from this week," "near-death moments," "challenges from 1-10M to 10-20M ARR," "why London now?"), team filters for compelling angles, three drafts weekly, then editing. The Science of Storytelling principles apply: narratives demonstrating lived experience build more credibility than thought leadership. This creates a flywheel where audience members surface their own stories in comments and DMs, feeding future content. // Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe. www.GlobalTalent.co // Don't Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire Senior GTM leaders share the tactical hiring frameworks they use to build winning revenue teams. Hosted by Andy Mowat, who scaled 4 unicorns from $10M to $100M+ ARR and launched Whispered to help executives find their next role. Subscribe here: https://open.spotify.com/show/53yCHlPfLSMFimtv0riPyM
Who knew that olive oil makes head lice sleepy? Jennifer Hayden rejoins the show to celebrate her new graphic memoir/anti-cookbook, WHERE THERE'S SMOKE, THERE'S DINNER: Confessions of a Cartoonist Cook (Top Shelf), share comedic tales of domestic mess, and rebel against the expectations of wife/motherhood. We talk about the lifetime of bad cooking that led to this new book, the revenge of turning her bad experiences into comedy, how she found a unique form to tell her story, and how a youthful reading of Babar left her with a lifelong phobia of mushrooms. We get into how she was reverse-inspired by Lucy Knisley's Relish, how watercolors gave her a color toolbox for her comics, what this book taught her about storytelling, and how her daughter diagnosed her as "expectation-allergic." We also discuss how she's been cheating on comics with spoken word storytelling, what life after memoir is like, how her breast-cancer memoir doubled as a last will & testament for her family, the process of finding a new creative process and narrative voice, her shamanic experience attending The Moth, the significance of the tarot card she repeatedly draws when she's hard at work on a book, why the folk names of herbs are like edible emotion, and more. Follow Jennifer on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe to her Substack • More info at our site • Support The Virtual Memories Show via Stripe, Patreon, or Paypal, and subscribe to our e-newsletter
Today, Hunter was joined by Eric Seiferth and Nick Weldon of the New Orleans Historic Collection to discuss a historic exhibit they curated. The Captive State traces the story of mass incarceration to its historical roots to Louisiana's colonial slave holding past. Guest: Eric Seiferth, Curator/Historian, New Orleans Historic Collection Nick Weldon, Senior Editor, New Orleans Historic Collection Resources: Buy the Book Here https://hnoc.org/publishing/books/captive-state Contact Hunter Parnell: Publicdefenseless@gmail.com Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com Subscribe to the Patreon www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast Donate on PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ Donate on Stripe https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show! https://app.reduct.video/o/eca54fbf9f/p/d543070e6a/share/c34e85194394723d4131/home
Your gross margin might not be telling the truth. In episode #327, Ben Murray exposes the seven “dirty secrets” that distort SaaS gross margins — from incorrect COGS coding to missing allocations for shared resources and misclassified expenses. Whether you're a CFO, finance lead, or operator, you'll learn how to clean up your P&L and get accurate unit economics that reflect your true performance and valuation. What You'll Learn The 7 big offenders that make SaaS gross margins misleading. How to correctly code payment processing fees (Stripe, ACH, wire) under DevOps in COGS. The difference between internal-use software and third-party apps embedded in your product. How to classify customer success — adoption-focused vs. account management. Why demo and test environments must be allocated properly between departments. How to ensure fully burdened expenses (wages, taxes, benefits, bonuses) are coded correctly. The impact of co-mingled headcount on margins by revenue stream. Why department leaders belong in the departments they manage. Why It Matters For Founders: Clean accounting drives higher (or preserved) company valuation and investor confidence. For Finance Teams: Accurate COGS and gross profit ensure your SaaS metrics are reliable. For Operators: Clear expense allocation helps identify efficiency opportunities in support, services, and DevOps. For Investors: Properly structured financial systems and accounting practices make due diligence faster and cleaner. Key Takeaways Misclassified expenses can make your gross margin appear stronger or weaker than it really is. Always differentiate between OpEx and COGS — the foundation of credible financial modeling. Track margins by revenue stream (subscription, usage, services) for true business insight. Ensure your P&L reflects fully burdened costs per department — including contractors. Clean financial data = higher trust from investors and buyers. Resources Mentioned SaaS Metrics Foundation Course: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/the-saas-metrics-foundation Quote from Ben “Your P&L doesn't lie — but bad coding does. If your COGS and OpEx aren't clean, your gross margin isn't either.”
In this episode of the Paywall Podcast, Pete and Tyler give an "absolute yes", arguing that the "enormous" revenue gain far outweighs the admin work. They break down solutions for the two biggest publisher fears: payment hassles and login issues. They explain how to automate payment management and churn reduction using tools like Stripe, and how to make login support tickets pretty much disappear by combining a single email registration field with an auto-login system from your newsletter.
Welcome back to our Engineering the SMB Capital Stack, sponsored by our friends at Fundbox. In this four-part series, we're exploring small businesses, small business lending, and the forces shaping how small businesses access capital. I'm joined by Prashant Fuloria, CEO of Fundbox, as cohost. In Episode 1, we explored why small business lending is so distinctly challenging. Now, in Episode 2, we turn to distribution: how capital actually reaches small businesses. To tackle that question, we invited Tanay Jaeel, Head of Product at Stripe Capital, who's spent nearly five years building and scaling Stripe's embedded lending products. Highlights include: How Stripe identified capital access as both a customer pain point and a platform growth opportunity The shift from serving merchants directly to powering embedded financing for vertical SaaS platforms Lessons from expanding lending internationally and balancing build-vs-partner decisions How AI is transforming contextual lending (helping SMBs understand why and when to borrow) Tanay also explains how embedded lending works best when it's invisible, surfacing capital in the exact moment a business owner realizes they need it. From coffee shops buying new equipment to SaaS founders bridging subscription cycles, context is everything. If you want to understand how distribution is becoming the real differentiator in small business lending, this conversation is essential listening. Don't forget to subscribe to catch future episodes and insights! This episode was brought to you by Fundbox. As a leading capital infrastructure provider behind the digital SMB economy, Fundbox is focused on enabling platforms to embed financial tools directly into their user experiences. Learn more here. Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Alex: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnson Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson Follow Prashant: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fuloria/ Follow Tanay: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanayjaeel/ Learn more about Fundbox here.
Listen now: Spotify, Apple and YouTubeWhat happens when a creative side project starts to gain traction—but the founders have different ideas about how far to take it?In this unusually raw episode of Supra Insider, Marc and Ben invite their longtime friend and coach Josh Herzig-Marx to facilitate a live coaching session—on the podcast. Together, they explore the tension between friendship and business, how to manage an unequal split in effort, and whether to go “all in” on Insider Loops or preserve what's already working.This episode is for anyone navigating high-stakes collaborations, co-founder relationships, or creative projects that start as fun, but might be worth so much more.Expect vulnerability, laughter, some hard truths, and surprisingly actionable advice on alignment, contribution, and staying friends while building together.All episodes of the podcast are also available on Spotify, Apple and YouTube.New to the pod? Subscribe below to get the next episode in your inbox
Small businesses are owed over one trillion dollars in unpaid invoices. Host Tedd Huff the CEO of Voalyre a Fintech advisory firm and Founder of Fintech Confidential sits down with Prashant Fuloria, CEO of Fundbox, to discuss how embedded finance transforms working capital access for business owners managing teams of one or two while juggling payroll, invoicing, and growth decisions. Prashant left senior roles at Google, Facebook, and Yahoo to help solve this massive cash flow crisis affecting hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs. This conversation covers how Fundbox embeds financing directly into platforms like QuickBooks and Stripe, eliminating lengthy applications and delivering instant capital when business owners need it most. Prashant explains why leadership culture drives sustainable growth, how daily team huddles prevent executive isolation, and why transparent partnerships built on trust outperform traditional direct marketing. The episode reveals practical strategies for scaling fintech platforms while serving underserved small businesses with flexible, responsible lending.1️⃣ Use continuous platform integrations that monitor business health in real time and automatically adjust credit offers as revenue grows.2️⃣ Remove lengthy forms by using existing platform data from accounting software or payment processors to complete underwriting instantly.3️⃣ Access immediate capital when trucks break down or equipment fails without waiting for traditional loan approval timelines.4️⃣ Structure financing to align with actual cash flow patterns rather than rigid monthly schedules that ignore seasonal business cycles.5️⃣ Embed financing into industry-specific software platforms to create a one-stop experience where owners never juggle multiple logins.Get more at Fintech Confidential.com GuestPrashant FuloriaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prashant-fuloria/CompanyFundboxWebsite: https://fundbox.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fundbox/X: https://x.com/FundboxYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FundboxcomFintech ConfidentialYoutube: https://youtube.com/@fintechconfidentialPodcast: https://fintechconfidential.com/listenNewsletter: https://fintechconfidential.com/accessLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fintechconfidentialX: https://x.com/FTconfidentialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fintechconfidentialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/fintechconfidentialSupportersUnder: Streamlines application and underwriting with digital form processing. https://under.io/ftcSkyflow: Zero-trust data privacy vaults as an API to secure and tokenize personal information. https://skyflowsecure.comDfns: Wallets as a service secured with MPC; powers crypto payments across 50+ networks. https://fintechconfidential.com/dfnsHawk AI: Real-time screening and ML monitoring to strengthen fraud and financial-crime prevention. https://gethawkai.comAboutPrashant Fuloria is CEO of Fundbox, a product and technology leader with 25+ years of experience building platforms at Google, Facebook, and Yahoo. At Fundbox he has supported more than 500,000 SMBs and unlocked over $5 billion in working capital.Fundbox is an embedded working capital platform built for SMBs using accounting, payments, and vertical SaaS tools. By integrating with QuickBooks, FreshBooks, and other platforms, Fundbox provides fast, flexible credit using AI-powered underwriting and real-time data.Tedd Huff is Founder of Voalyre, a fintech advisory firm, and host of Fintech Confidential. Over 25+ years, he has contributed to
Jen Abel is GM of Enterprise at State Affairs and co-founded Jellyfish, a consultancy that helps founders learn zero-to-one enterprise sales. She's one of the smartest people I've ever met on learning enterprise sales, and in this follow-up to our first chat two years ago (covering the zero to $1 million ARR founder-led sales phase), we focus on the skills founders need to learn to go from $1M to $10M ARR.We discuss:1. Why the “mid-market” doesn't exist2. Why tier-one logos like Stripe and Tesla counterintuitively make the best early customers3. The dangers of pricing your product at $10K-$20K4. Why you need to vision-cast instead of problem-solve to win enterprise deals5. Why services are the fastest way to get your foot in the door with enterprises6. How to find and work with design partners7. When to hire your first salesperson and what profile to look for—Brought to you by:WorkOS—Modern identity platform for B2B SaaS, free up to 1 million MAUsLovable—Build apps by simply chatting with AICoda—The all-in-one collaborative workspace—Where to find Jen Abel:• X: https://x.com/jjen_abel• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/earlystagesales• Website: https://www.jjellyfish.com—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Welcome back, Jen!(04:38) The myth of the mid-market(08:08) Targeting tier-one logos(10:50) Vision-casting vs. problem-selling(15:35) The importance of high ACVs(20:45) Don't play the small business game with an enterprise company(25:09) Design partners: the double-edged sword(28:11) Finding the right company(36:55) Enterprise sales: the art of the deal(43:21) The problem with channel partnerships(44:41) Quick summary(50:24) Hiring the right enterprise salespeople(56:49) Structuring sales compensation(01:01:01) Building relationships in enterprise sales(01:02:07) The art of cold outreach(01:07:31) Outbound tooling and AI(01:14:08) Lightning round and final thoughts—Referenced:• The ultimate guide to founder-led sales | Jen Abel (co-founder of JJELLYFISH): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/master-founder-led-sales-jen-abel• Mario meme: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/missing-meme-led-me-woman-johann-van-tonder-im6df• Kathy Sierra: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathy_Sierra• Cursor: https://cursor.com• The rise of Cursor: The $300M ARR AI tool that engineers can't stop using | Michael Truell (co-founder and CEO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-rise-of-cursor-michael-truell• Justin Lawson on X: https://x.com/jjustin_lawson• Stripe: https://stripe.com• Building product at Stripe: craft, metrics, and customer obsession | Jeff Weinstein (Product lead): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-product-at-stripe-jeff-weinstein• He saved OpenAI, invented the “Like” button, and built Google Maps: Bret Taylor on the future of careers, coding, agents, and more: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/he-saved-openai-bret-taylor• OpenAI's CPO on how AI changes must-have skills, moats, coding, startup playbooks, more | Kevin Weil (CPO at OpenAI, ex-Instagram, Twitter): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/kevin-weil-open-ai• Anthropic's CPO on what comes next | Mike Krieger (co-founder of Instagram): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/anthropics-cpo-heres-what-comes-next• Linear: https://linear.app• Linear's secret to building beloved B2B products | Nan Yu (Head of Product): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/linears-secret-to-building-beloved-b2b-products-nan-yu• Gemini: https://gemini.google.com• Microsoft Copilot: https://copilot.microsoft.com• How Palantir built the ultimate founder factory | Nabeel S. Qureshi (founder, writer, ex-Palantir): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/inside-palantir-nabeel-qureshi• McKinsey & Company: https://www.mckinsey.com• Deloitte: https://www.deloitte.com• Accenture: https://www.accenture.com• Building a world-class sales org | Jason Lemkin (SaaStr): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-a-world-class-sales-org• Peter Dedene on X: https://x.com/peterdedene• Hang Huang on X: https://x.com/HH_HangHuang• Hugo Alves on X: https://x.com/Ugo_alves• A step-by-step guide to crafting a sales pitch that wins | April Dunford (author of Obviously Awesome and Sales Pitch): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-step-by-step-guide-to-crafting• Clay: https://www.clay.com• Apollo: https://www.apollo.io• Jason Lemkin on X: https://x.com/jasonlk• Gavin Baker on X: https://x.com/GavinSBaker• Jason Cohen on X: https://x.com/asmartbear• Baywatch on Prime Video: https://www.primevideo.com/detail/Baywatch/0NU9YS8WWRNQO1NZD5DOQ3I8W6• Playground: https://www.tryplayground.com• ClassDojo: https://www.classdojo.com• Jason Lemkin's post about Replit: https://x.com/jasonlk/status/1946069562723897802—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com
November 7, 2025 HEADLINESCryptoQuant Bull Score Hits Zero for First Time Since January 2022Kazakhstan Building $500 Million-$1 Billion National Crypto Reserve Fund From Confiscated Mining RigsCoinbase CEO Wants Your Stocks Trading Like Degen Coins at 3 AMTether Buys $97M Bitcoin During the Dip Because of Course They DidMonad Announces Farming Program Ahead of November 24 Mainnet LaunchLittle BITZBitcoin ETFs finally snapped their six-day outflow streak as some brave souls started buying the dip WednesdayTempo, the Stripe-backed blockchain payments startup, dropped $25 million on crypto infrastructure firm Commonware for a strategic partnership focused on making payments actually work on-chainParadigm identified as top $HYPE holder with 19,141,655 tokens ($763.18 million) spread across 19 addressesWHERE TO FIND DCNdailycryptonews.nethttps://twitter.com/DCNDailyCryptoEMAIL or FOLLOW the HostsQuileEmail: kyle@dailycryptonews.netX: @CryptoQuile——————————————————————***NOT FINANCIAL, LEGAL, OR TAX ADVICE! JUST OPINION! WE ARE NOT EXPERTS! WE DO NOT GUARANTEE A PARTICULAR OUTCOME. WE HAVE NO INSIDE KNOWLEDGE! YOU NEED TO DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH AND MAKE YOUR OWN DECISIONS! THIS IS JUST EDUCATION & ENTERTAINMENT. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Register for Founder University Japan's kickoff! https://luma.com/cm0x90mkToday's show:*On TWiST, Jason welcomes an all-star VC panel — Deedy Das of Menlo Partners and Jay Eum of GFT Ventures — for a deep dive into the shocking scale of early-stage AI raises, a transitional moment for investors, the growing importance of the “prosumer” market, ChatGPT's insane smile curves, and much much more.IN THIS EPISODEWhat the panelists make of Roelof Botha's exit from Sequoia… and is he really going anywhere…Why Jason says VC is no longer the best way to get rich…Why so many private companies are growing SO HUGE before going public…And much more!Timestamps:(00:03:37) Jason is fresh from surviving Riyadh traffic but he's here and introducing our all star panel(00:04:03) Why Jason compares Riyadh to Silicon Valley in the 1960s(00:05:21) Friend of the Pod Roelof Botha is stepping down at Sequoia… our insiders try to guess what might have happened…(10:00) Crusoe - Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit crusoe.ai/startup to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today.(00:13:11) Deedy moved up at Menlo without being a venture native… he shares the secrets behind his rise.(00:19:09) Was Roelof wrong about “return-free risk”? Does more capital always = more great companies?(20:00) Northwest Registered Agent - Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today!(00:26:54) With so many private companies growing SO HUGE… when is the right time to go public? Considering the case of Glean and Stripe…(30:00) AWS Marketplace - If you're ready to really accelerate your sales cycle, AWS Marketplace is your next stop. Head to https://aws.com/startups to learn more.(00:30:07) Why Jason says venture capital is no longer the best way to get rich(00:32:34) Why AI apps are so appealing to enterprises after years of paying for SaaS(00:36:32) The growing importance of “prosumers”(00:37:31) Why Deedy says a smile curve is the most beautiful depiction of “Product Market Fit”(00:44:36) Why it's still tough to raise pre-seed money, even during an AI “boom”!(00:46:08) Why Jason says the hardest job in the tech ecosystem is being an investor(00:55:52) “Time is one of the primary drivers of venture capital return.” - Jay Eun(00:57:42) Deedy on the shocking amounts being raised by early-stage AI companies(01:00:21) Just how much DO VCs work compared to founders? The panel compares notes.(01:02:53) Are some investors not doing diligence? Deedy on the speed of some AI deals.(01:16:51) The panel picks their fav portfolio company of the moment (or one of their faves)Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisThank you to our partners:Crusoe - Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit crusoe.ai/startup to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today.Northwest Registered Agent - Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visitAWS Marketplace - If you're ready to really accelerate your sales cycle, AWS Marketplace is your next stop. Head to https://aws.com/startups to learn more.Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.comSubscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916
Today, Hunter was joined by two guest from the Detroit Justice Center, Nancy A. Parker and Rubina Mustafa. As they did on Tuesday, Hunter and his guests are exploring court related fines and fees, how fines and fees are impacting communities in Michigan, and the policies that have started the slow fight to eliminate court fines and fees. Guest: Nancy A. Parker, Executive Director, Detroit Justice Center Rubina Mustafa, Senior Staff Attorney, Detroit Justice Center Resources: Detroit Justice Center https://detroitjustice.org/ FOR GENERAL INQUIRIES: info@detroitjustice.org FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES: media@detroitjustice.org Michigan Road to Restoration https://www.michigan.gov/sos/license-id/road-to-restoration Documentaries https://finedout.com/new-mexico/ http://finedout.com/ https://finedout.com/michigan/ Contact Hunter Parnell: Publicdefenseless@gmail.com Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com Subscribe to the Patreon www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast Donate on PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ Donate on Stripe https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show! https://app.reduct.video/o/eca54fbf9f/p/d543070e6a/share/c34e85194394723d4131/home
Zack Kanter is the founder and CEO of Stedi, an API-first healthcare clearinghouse. After bootstrapping a wildly profitable auto-parts business, he sold it to tackle "the most complicated problem" he'd ever encountered: business-to-business transaction exchange. He spent years building EDI infrastructure, threw away the entire codebase eight times, and found extraordinary traction in healthcare. Stedi recently raised a $70M Series B co-led by Stripe and Addition. In this conversation, Brett and Zack discuss why venture capital means "going pro," why execution is never actually a moat, and how "eating glass" became Stedi's competitive advantage. In today's episode, we discuss: How 16-year-old Zack turned $2,500 into a wholesale empire Why bootstrapping means being "constrained by capital" and how VC removes that ceiling Why Zack rebuilt their EDI product eight times before launch The snake swallowing a deer: what extreme product-market fit really looks like What software companies can learn from discount retail and Toyota Why Stedi's new hires are told "everything's your fault now" And much more Where to find Zack: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zkanter Twitter/X: https://x.com/zackkanter Where to find Brett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-berson-9986094/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/brettberson Where to find First Round Capital: Website: https://firstround.com/ First Round Review: https://review.firstround.com/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/firstround YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FirstRoundCapital This podcast on all platforms: https://review.firstround.com/podcast References: Aetna: https://www.aetna.com/ Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/ AWS: https://aws.amazon.com/ Blue Cross Blue Shield: https://www.bcbs.com/ Change Healthcare: https://www.changehealthcare.com/ Cigna: https://www.cigna.com/ Clay: https://www.clay.com/ Costco: https://www.costco.com/ Ford Motor Company: https://www.ford.com/ GM: https://www.gm.com/ HIPAA overview (HHS): https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/index.html Jeff Bezos: https://x.com/JeffBezos Kanban / TPS (Toyota): https://global.toyota/en/company/vision-and-philosophy/production-system Microsoft Teams: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-teams NetSuite: https://www.netsuite.com/ O'Reilly Auto Parts: https://www.oreillyauto.com/ Peter Thiel: https://x.com/peterthiel Porter's five forces: https://www.isc.hbs.edu/strategy/pages/the-five-forces.aspx "Reality has a surprising amount of detail": https://johnsalvatier.org/blog/2017/reality-has-a-surprising-amount-of-detail Slack: https://slack.com/ Stedi: https://www.stedi.com/ Summit Racing: https://www.summitracing.com/ Target: https://www.target.com/ Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/ Zapier: https://zapier.com/ Timestamps: (01:24) Zack's first business (08:54) Why the first customer is tricky (10:12) The downside of bootstrapping (11:42) Why venture capital is like “going pro” (14:20) The confusion between ownership vs. control (16:08) Building a company you don't want to leave (20:46) Do things better than other people (24:49) Stedi's early years (31:43) Physical vs. digital product-market fit (34:41) How Stedi scaled decision-making (40:08) Stedi's journey to product-market fit (45:22) Finding founder-approach fit (50:42) “All software is a cascade of miracles” (52:52) The surprising lessons from discount retail (57:50) How the Toyota production system influences software (1:01:31) What it means to be a high-agency person (1:03:09) The core trait Zack looks for when hiring (1:02:57) Maintaining conviction in unconventional practice (1:14:19) When should you start to hire managers? (1:17:42) “Reality has a surprising amount of detail”
Send us a textNovember is Giving Season Go TimeIt's here - now is the time to transition your year-end campaigns from planning to performance. Your message is live, donors are active, and every touchpoint counts.In this episode, Jena and Cara break down how to confidently lead your campaign, stay engaged, and keep supporters connected through every moment of Giving Season.What you'll learnA simple 3-step rhythm to lead your campaign with clarityThe mistake that quietly stalls year-end fundraisingHow often to check campaign performance (and what to look for)Smart mid-month touchpoints that keep donors engagedPerfect for nonprofit leaders, fundraisers, campaign managers, and anyone running year-end appeals.Don't forget your free featured resource from our sponsor, AppealMaker, The 2025 State of Direct Mail Survey, packed with fresh insights into donor behavior and communication trends.Download it here, and take a moment to explore how AppealMaker can strengthen your direct mail outreach.What makes Donorbox the Best Nonprofit Fundraising Platform to Achieve Your Strategic Goals?Easy to customize, available in multiple languages and currencies, and supported by leading payment processors (Stripe and PayPal), Donorbox's nonprofit fundraising solution is used by 80,000+ global organizations and individuals. From animal rescue to schools, places of worship, and research groups, nonprofits use Donorbox to raise more funds, manage donors efficiently, and make a bigger impact.Discover how Donorbox can help you help others!The Nonprofit Podcast, along with a wealth of nonprofit leadership tutorials, expert advice, tips, and tactics, is available on the Donorbox YouTube channel. Subscribe today and never miss an episode:
After Breakers Conference, my husband and I have both been wrecked in the best way. This conversation is raw and real as we unpack what God's been doing in our hearts and how He's calling us into deeper surrender, purity, and obedience. Follow me on Instagram: @AngelamarieScafidi Follow my husband Michael: @MichaelJScafidi - Ways to Support the Show:
Multi-hyphenate Rian Hughes rejoins the show to celebrate his new Kickstarter, TYPERACTIVE: Thirty Years of Device Fonts (closing November 20, 2025)! We talk about designing and publishing a catalog-collection of every font he ever designed for his foundry, how the Kickstarter has proved a lot more successful than he was expecting, seeing one of his fonts showing up on Poker Face, and how typography means designing a form without content. We get into the history of type design and how he approaches new design with respect for his precursors, the serendipity that led to one of his best-known fonts, how he balances commercial work with pushing the limits of design in personal projects, the artist's trajectory from inspired amateur to spent expert, how he knows when one of his fonts has been ripped off, and his take on AI in illustration and type design. We also discuss his new novel and how it fits with XX and The Black Locomotive, the pros and cons of advertising work, designing the new EC Horror comics, the next Kickstarter he's considering, how he used to keep three different portfolios until he realized it was All Rian and integrated them into one, why his creative mind leaves him with zero interest in meditation, and more. Follow Rian on Instagram and Bluesky • More info at our site • Support The Virtual Memories Show via Stripe, Patreon, or Paypal, and subscribe to our e-newsletter
Today, Hunter was joined once again by journalist Katey Rausch. Last time Katey was on the show, she discussed her bombshell reporting on the non-disclosure agreements law enforcement was using to hide the misconduct of law enforcement officers. Now, Katey is here to describe how that reporting has turned into a ban on those agreements and a state wide data base to allow people to track law enforcement misconduct. Guest: Katey Rusch, Record Requests Manager and Data Journalist, California Reporting Project, UC Berkeley School of Journalism Resources: Contact Katey https://journalism.berkeley.edu/person/katey-rusch/ https://x.com/kateyrusch?lang=en Read Katey's Work and About the Database https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2024/police-clean-record-agreements/ https://gijn.org/stories/investigating-police-officer-misconduct/ https://journalism.berkeley.edu/berkeley-and-stanford-police-database/ https://clean.calmatters.org/ https://calmatters.org/justice/2025/08/police-misconduct-records-database/ Contact Hunter Parnell: Publicdefenseless@gmail.com Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com Subscribe to the Patreon www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast Donate on PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ Donate on Stripe https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show! https://app.reduct.video/o/eca54fbf9f/p/d543070e6a/share/c34e85194394723d4131/home
In this episode, I talk about how Fiv3 Racing's Stripe account hit 1 million dollars last month - a big milestone for our company that until 2024 was mostly just my revenue and a small portion from a business partner. How did we get there? I review the 4 areas that helped me/us get here and what you can learn to get to your 1 million dollar milestone. Interested in getting your coaching business started? Join the Dream Launcher waitlist HERE: https://coachmichellelake.kit.com/dlwaitlistAnd lastly, Dream to 6 is opening to just a handful of coaches in November: Learn more here: https://coachmichellelake.lpages.co/dt6waitlist/Website | Follow Michelle on IG
This week, we chat with Des Traynor! Des is the Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Intercom, the company behind Fin.ai, and he also sits on Intercom's board of directors. Over the years, Des has led teams across Product, Marketing, Customer Support, and Content, playing a key role in shaping Intercom into one of the most influential customer communication platforms in the world. Today, he oversees Intercom's R&D team, based in Dublin and London.Before founding Intercom, Des was a UX consultant, a university lecturer in computer science, and a Ph.D. researcher focused on improving computer science education. He also previously co-founded Exceptional, a software company acquired by Rackspace.Beyond his work at Intercom, Des is an author, speaker, and angel investor, sharing insights on startups, product strategy, and scaling companies through books, podcasts, and conferences. He's also an investor in some of the most notable startups of our time — including Miro, Stripe, Notion, and Hopin.✨ This episode is presented by Brex.Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspodThis episode is supported by RocketReach, Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.RocketReach: rocketreach.co/trailblazersGusto: gusto.com/trailblazersQuo: Quo.com/trailblazersAthena: athenago.me/Erica-WengerFollow Us!Des Traynor: @destraynorFin AI: fin.ai@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTokErica Wenger: @erica_wenger
Today, Hunter spoke with Joanna Weiss, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of the Fines and Fees Justice Center. Today, the two sat down to discuss FFJC's campaign to end court fines and fess the automatically revoke a person's driver's license nationally and in New Mexico Guest: Joanna Weiss, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director, Fines and Fees Justice Center Resources: FFJC https://finesandfeesjusticecenter.org/ https://x.com/FinesandFeesJC https://www.facebook.com/finesandfeesjc/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/finesandfeesjc/ https://bsky.app/profile/finesandfeesjc.bsky.social https://www.youtube.com/@finesfeesjusticecenter9462 Reform in New Mexico https://finesandfeesjusticecenter.org/2023/06/15/new-mexicos-drivers-license-suspension-reform-is-now-in-effect-heres-what-you-need-to-know/ Documentaries https://finedout.com/new-mexico/ http://finedout.com/ Contact Hunter Parnell: Publicdefenseless@gmail.com Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com Subscribe to the Patreon www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast Donate on PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ Donate on Stripe https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show! https://app.reduct.video/o/eca54fbf9f/p/d543070e6a/share/c34e85194394723d4131/home
This week, our guest is Andrew Ross Sorkin, a financial news reporter at The New York Times, and co-anchor of Squawk Box on CNBC. His new book is 1929: The Inside Story of the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History. It's an in depth look at America's most famous financial event, and Sorkin believes there are major parallels to today's market. On October 18, 2025 Sorkin came to the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to talk with Patrick Collison, founder of the payments processing platform Stripe.