Founder f**K ups

Lizzy Tan, co-founder of Cleve AI, shares her experience with the co-founder commitment gap and the challenges of early stage recruiting. She discusses the impact of juggling multiple responsibilities and the importance of effective communication in building successful business relationships. Takeaways Co-founder commitment gap Effective communication is key Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Co-foun...

Are you a founder constantly looking for the "next big thing"? You might be suffering from Shiny Object Syndrome. In this episode of Founder F**k Ups, Ben Bagg sits down with Adam Chambers, serial entrepreneur and founder of Nurse Recruitment Experts, to discuss the dangerous trap of chasing new ideas instead of focusing on what actually works. Adam shares his costly $7,500 mistake of investing in...

The conversation delves into the proven hypothesis trap, the challenges of solving the scheduling problem, the pivotal moment of pivoting the business, and the strategy of building in public. Jing Jing shares insights on the pitfalls of assuming a proven hypothesis, the complexities of scheduling solutions, the need for pivoting to address customer needs, and the benefits of building a business in...

Admond Lee, founder of The Runway Ventures, shares insights on the five most common red flags that signal a startup's path to failure. These red flags include growing too fast, spending too much, pivoting too slow, an unsustainable business model, and lack of governance. Admond provides examples and practical advice for founders to avoid these pitfalls. Takeaways Pattern recognition is crucial for...

Tiffany, the founder of WeAssist, shares her experience with the Founder's Fix-It Trap, the process of restructuring her company, and the shift in leadership and empowerment. The conversation delves into the challenges faced by early-stage founders and the transformation of leadership style to build a successful team. Takeaways Founder's Fix-It Trap Building a Team Leadership and Empowerment Chapt...

Stop burning out and start building—hustle culture is a recipe for disaster that leads to poor sales and hiring chaos. Get your AI Founder Coach at: www.ai.founderfuckups.co In this episode of Founder F**k Ups, we break down why most founders fail by choosing "hustle" over sustainable business fundamentals. We explore the common startup mistake of scaling too fast and how AI automation can help SE...

The conversation delves into the pitfalls of early equity distribution, its impact on company operations, and the transition to a new partnership. Reuben's experience highlights the importance of shared vision and values in partnerships, as well as the emotional and financial costs of ending a partnership. The key takeaways emphasize the significance of careful equity distribution and the impact o...

The conversation delves into the challenges of building a company on the frontier, the discovery of Sharly, the gravity gap, the challenges of building from Malaysia, the pivot from B2C to B2B, the impact of distance, the shift to San Francisco, and advice for founders. It provides insights into the strategic decisions and challenges faced by the founder, Simon Macario, as he navigates the complex...

Success is the ultimate blindfold. Daniel Cerventus Lim reveals how a 20-year track record of winning almost led him off a cliff—and why the smartest founders are the ones who know how to give up fast. 👉 Join the mission: We are helping 1,000 founders break the meta-cycle of team chaos and lack of focus. Subscribe to Founder F**K Ups and stop making mistakes in a vacuum. In this episode of Founde...

The conversation with Dr. Selina Chew revolves around the journey of transitioning from a franchise to an independent brand. It explores the challenges, realizations, and strategic decisions involved in building and owning a brand. The key takeaways highlight the risks of building a brand on someone else's equity and the importance of careful planning and execution when transitioning to an indepen...

The conversation delves into the world of venture capital, exploring the complexities of betting on people, misjudging human nature, the psychological trap of the savior complex, the reputational cost of a bad bet, and the strategy of moving slow to move fast. Takeaways Betting on people in venture capital Misjudging human nature Psychological trap of the savior complex Reputational cost of a bad...

The conversation delves into the drive of entrepreneurs to control their own destiny and the strategic blind spot in non-technical founders. It also explores a decade of hiring mistakes and the impact on business growth and profitability. Takeaways Strategic Blind Spot Hiring Mistakes Chapters 00:00 Decade of Hiring Mistakes

Joseph Chin shares his journey of self-reliance and the hidden costs associated with it. He discusses the challenges of realizing the mistake, the process of delegation, and the turning point in his approach to recruiting and managing a team. He also provides valuable advice for founders based on his experiences. Takeaways The hidden cost of self-reliance The value of delegation and hiring around...

The conversation delves into the challenges of achieving sustainable growth and the importance of user retention as a key metric for product success. It explores the illusion of growth through virality, the reality of churn, the pivotal moment of product realization, and the balance between growth and product focus. Takeaways Virality without a durable product isn't growth User retention is a key...

Join us as we dive into the entrepreneurial journey of Adrian, founder of Whizbang Idea and partner at Nexia Corporate Innovation. Discover the lessons he learned the hard way about intellectual property and the importance of protecting your business assets. From his early career in corporate strategy to the challenges of entrepreneurship, Adrian shares his story of resilience and growth.

Join us as we dive into the entrepreneurial journey of Lei Ye, founder of OttoDot, a company revolutionizing education through math and science on Roblox. Discover the challenges faced, lessons learned, and the pivotal moments that led to a successful business pivot. From financial missteps to strategic overhauls, Lei shares invaluable insights for founders and educators alike. Don't miss this eng...

In this episode, Ben Bagg interviews Deric Yee, founder of Sigma School, about the challenges and lessons learned in scaling a startup. Deric shares his experience of hiring too quickly and delegating responsibilities before establishing a solid business model, leading to a dip in sales and culture. He emphasizes the importance of building a strong foundation, setting clear KPIs, and aligning team...

Is your startup idea actually aligned with who you are? In this episode, Serena Lam, founder of Fuzzy AI , gets candid about the messy reality of entrepreneurship. Serena opens up about her early struggles attempting to build "sexy" B2C dating apps, the mental toll of toxic business partnerships, and how she finally found her stride by building a product she actually uses. Tune in to learn: The Co...

In this episode, we sit down with Thalia, the founder of Eduloco, who shares her journey from burning cash on a promising idea to transforming her business by focusing on sales and mentorship. Thalia opens up about the challenges of pivoting her business model, the emotional toll of letting go of her team, and the lessons learned from her entrepreneurial journey. Join us as we explore the importan...

Join us as we dive into the entrepreneurial journey of Michael Helfman, the visionary behind Mikey's, one of Malaysia's most iconic pizza brands. Discover how Michael scaled rapidly, faced challenges like cannibalization and debt, and ultimately turned chaos into a disciplined success story. Learn valuable insights on diversification, discipline, and the real math behind restaurant growth. Whether...

in this episode, I sit down with Shuk Huay Koh, Co-Founder of Jensi.io , a project management tool built with big ambitions — and an even bigger lesson. Shuk and her team set out to create a flexible, powerful product that could serve everyone. But instead of finding traction, they found themselves stretched thin turned into a horizontal monster, why customer discovery went sideways, and what she’...

Join us on Founder Fuckups as we dive into the journey of Ajinkya, a deep tech founder in healthcare. Discover the challenges faced during a pivotal moment in his startup, Seamless, and learn how to navigate advice, align mentor relationships, and maintain momentum. Ajinkya shares insights on building a device to objectively assess touch sensation loss in patients, and the importance of filtering...

oin us as Reuben Chung, founder of Daily CMO and Underdog Con, shares his inspiring journey from a failed partnership to creating a successful community-led event. Discover the power of storytelling in business, the importance of transparency in partnerships, and how setbacks can be transformed into opportunities. Reuben emphasizes the value of purpose over profit and the role of storytelling in b...

oin us in this insightful conversation with Pradesh from Stratos Trading as he shares his journey of rapid growth and the hard lessons learned from scaling too quickly without structure. Discover how he transformed chaos into a disciplined system, emphasizing the importance of documentation, KPIs, and building a sustainable business model. This episode is packed with valuable lessons for any entre...