How They Built It: Founding Stories from Category Defining Companies

We explore building a modern charitable giving platform. We’re joined by Adam Nash, Daffy’s Co-Founder and CEO, and we cover donor-advised funds, getting kids involved in charity, and philosophies on angel investing. “I think the center of solving problems with products and software is to just always remember that people are the heart of everything. You're solving a problem for a person.” – Adam N...

Listen to one of our favorite moments from tomorrow’s Spotlight episode featuring Daffy with Adam Nash. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We explore building an alternative investment platform across income, equity, and real estate. We’re joined by Milind Mehere, Yieldstreet’s Founder and CEO. We cover the entrepreneurial spirit, building a portfolio of liquidity, and why you should invest in private markets. “I think we talk a lot about spending; we should talk an equal amount about earning.” – Milind Mehere  EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS,...

Listen to one of our favorite moments from tomorrow’s Spotlight episode featuring Yieldstreet with Milind Mehere. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We explore building a media brand to cover the business and policy of space. We’re joined by Mo Islam, Payload’s Co-Founder, who talks with us about becoming the number one resource for space industry news. We cover everything from lowering the costs of space travel to why we are in the middle of the next space race. “Very simply, we are living in the next space race, and it's going to have huge i...

Listen to a trailer for our next Spotlight episode featuring Payload with Mo Islam. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We explore building a global blockchain that’s high-speed, climate neutral, and low-fee. We’re joined by Illia Polosukhin, NEAR Protocol’s Co-Founder. We cover why proof of stake beats proof of work, how NEAR approached scaling, and how Illia raised more than $10M to help fund aid in war-torn Ukraine. “For me, web3 is not about decentralization. I think decentralization is just a tool. What it is...

Listen to a trailer for our next Spotlight episode featuring NEAR Protocol with Illia Polosukhin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We explore building a travel search engine and a trusted global brand. We’re joined by Alex Simon, Elude’s Co-Founder and CEO. We cover why the travel industry is a startup graveyard, the importance of being the merchant of record, and the difficulties and rewards of entrepreneurship. “It's not who you know, it's who knows you.” – Alex Simon EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND BOOKS MENTIONED...

Listen to a trailer for our next Spotlight episode featuring Elude with Alex Simon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We explore the power of virtual cards, building two-sided products, and selling into enterprises. We’re joined by Andrew Jamison, co-founder and CEO of Extend. We cover starting from scratch in the payment space, building software in a startup environment, and the differences between working in a large corporation and in a startup. “Nothing good really happens with cash.” – Andrew Jamison EPISODE...

Listen to a trailer for our next Spotlight episode featuring Extend with Andrew Jamison. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We explore UVC, disinfecting physical spaces, and pioneering a 100+ year old technology. We’re joined by Ben Boyer, co-founder and executive chairman of R-Zero. We cover the challenges of selling in healthcare vs. schools, hardware and software development at R-Zero, and utilizing the Internet of Things. “Every single one of our products has a very clear aesthetic that we care about. Our goal is t...

Listen to a trailer for our next Spotlight episode featuring R-Zero with Ben Boyer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We explore compassionate leadership and helping hyper-growth founders scale. We’re joined by Edward Sullivan, CEO & managing partner of Velocity Coaching. We cover the current state of executive coaching, and how leadership coaching differs from life coaching, constructive vs. deconstructive conflict, and leading with heart. “The reason compassion is so important is that we are all human beings—we...

We explore sleep fitness, sleep technology, and category creation. We’re joined by Alexandra Zatarain, co-founder and VP of brand and marketing of Eight Sleep. We cover the importance of consistent data for innovation, brand vs. category, and Eight Sleep's vision of the future of sleep fitness. “Sleep unlocks life, it unlocks health, it unlocks it longevity. It is the most important pillar of heal...

We explore reinventing mental healthcare, therapy, and solving the access problem. We’re joined by Mike Clare, founder and CEO of Mood Health. We cover how the current mental health care system is broken, the customer experience at Mood Health, and Mood Health’s payment model. “In some ways, one of the things that's really frustrating is that mental health is kind of become this luxury, where if y...

We explore a masterclass on PR and crafting a business narrative. We’re joined by Jessica Schaefer, Founder and CEO of Bevel. We cover building executive profiles, crafting a narrative for a company, and recognizing media opportunities and crisis management. “There is nothing worse than having somebody else tell your own story for you.” – Jessica Schaefer  EPISODE GUIDE (LINKS, QUOTES, NOTES, AND...

We explore the power of breathing, breathwork, and creating belonging. We’re joined by Robbie Bent, co-founder and CEO of Othership. We cover advice for high achievers, understanding the problem before building the solution, and meditation and dark retreats. “Love your customer and the problem you're solving. Not everyone's going to work on their passion, but you need to be excited about the probl...

We explore building the Y combinator of the future with hack and launch houses. We’re joined by Brett Goldstein, Co-Founder of Launch House. We cover investing early in Bitcoin and Ethereum, how innovation happens, and the future of communications technology. “If you can create a strong vibe where people feel deeply connected, deeply indebted to the community and the mission, you're set. Nobody wa...

We explore building the world's first decentralized lending platform. We’re joined by Mike Sall, Co-Founder and CEO of Goldfinch. We cover why raising capital in emerging markets is so difficult, assessing comfort levels with borrowing in crypto, and crypto regulations and compliance. “I don't think it's necessary to just get all the data all up front, no matter what. It's important to know exactl...

We explore space manufacturing, microgravity, and building factories in outer space. We’re joined by Delian Asparouhov, Co-Founder of Varda Space Industries. We cover leaning into your superpowers when investing, common mistakes in venture capital, and problem solving with space manufacturing. “Trust is not what makes successful co-founding relationships. Having the world-class skillset that you n...

We explore finding multi-platinum rapper Logic and investing at the intersection of music and culture with Chris Zarou, Founder & CEO of Vision Music Group. We cover the role of an artist manager, bootstrapping and being a blue collar entrepreneur, and the similarities between music and investing. “Being an entrepreneur is like getting punched in the face every day. Because you're constantly juggl...

We explore solving simple problems and building profitable businesses. We’re joined by Marshall Haas, Founder and CEO of Peel and Shepherd. We cover creating products, overseas recruiting, and tweaking and optimizing a business. “It's back to basics—just be a good person and operate with some integrity, and you can be around long enough to see some success for yourself.” – Marshall Haas EPISODE GU...

We explore managing rental properties and building the rental management platform of the future. We’re joined by Dana Dunford, Co-founder and CEO of Hemlane. We cover problems in the property management industry, the current technology in that space and, and the co-founder dynamic. “For anyone out there starting a company, just start with one pain point and build something for that. And then start...