52 Founders

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In this episode you’ll hear about: -Early childhood inclinations towards learning how things are made (no surprise that toys like Legos and Kinex piqued his interest). -How Startup Weekend changed the course of his career and led him to his cofounder. -James’ innate salesmanship. Whether it was half of his lunch or his own drawings, James was selling even back in elementary school. -Why his outgoing personality helps with hiring. -How getting into Techstars made him take the leap to full time entrepreneurship. -How continually challenging himself from a young age gave him the hustle he needed to be a founder. Finally, we’ll end with a few quick fun questions and learn who James could interview if he had the chance (hint: it’s not who you’d expect).