One of One

Mark Pincus is one of the most distinctive founders and product builders of the past three decades. He has written a remarkable new book called Life at the Speed of Play: Launch Products People Love! Most people assume that the willingness to stand for what you know to be true, even when the world is calling you crazy, is a quality common to all founders. In Darren’s experience, it isn't. It is ra...

Eric Ries is author of The Lean Startup, founder of the Long Term Stock Exchange, and now author of a terrific new book called Incorruptible: Why Good Companies Go Bad... and How Great Companies Stay Great . Eric's central argument is that even the most mission driven companies will, over time, succumb to what he calls financial gravity and lose their soul. The solution, how to become incorruptibl...

In nearly 15 years, Wade has grown Zapier from a side project at a Missouri hackathon into one of the most capital efficient software companies ever built. Essentially bootstrapped, Zapier now helps millions of customers automate their work by connecting the thousands of apps and tools that businesses use every day. In this conversation, Darren seeks to understand Wade as a leader: a man who grew...

In this episode of One of One, Darren speaks with Wendy McMahon, former CEO of CBS News & Stations. Wendy McMahon is one of the most influential leaders in modern broadcast journalism. Over the course of her career, has led two of the most important institutions in American media, first as president of the ABC-owned television stations, and later as president and CEO of CBS News and Stations....

In this episode of One of One, Darren speaks with Frank Blake, former chairman and CEO of The Home Depot. Frank stepped into the CEO role at Home Depot at a moment of profound uncertainty. It was early 2007, the housing market was beginning to unravel, and culturally, the company had lost touch with the values that once defined it. Frank had never aspired to be a CEO, and yet he was asked to lead...

In this episode of One of One, Darren speaks with Jarek Kutylowski, founder and CEO of DeepL. DeepL is a pioneering AI company serving hundreds of thousands of businesses around the world. Born in Poland and raised between Poland and Germany, Jarek experienced firsthand the challenges and beauty of bridging languages and cultures. Trained as a computer scientist, he saw early on how AI could trans...

In this episode, Darren speaks with Vishal Ghotge, CEO of Kiva.org . Over the past 20 years, Kiva's platform has crowdfunded over $2.4 billion in interest free microloans to over 5 million entrepreneurs around the world, with a 96% repayment rate. In this episode we hear about Vishal's origins growing up in Mumbai, then coming to the US for his graduate education, holding product roles at Microsof...

In this episode of One of One, Darren speaks with Jeff Cohen, CEO of Fruit of the Loom. Jeff's career has been extraordinary. He spent over 20 years in senior roles at American Express, GE, and Home Depot, which he calls a masterclass in brand process and culture. Later, he ran multiple mid-cap businesses, including Larson-Juhl, a Berkshire Hathaway company, where Darren had the privilege of servi...

In this episode of One of One, Darren speaks with Albert Ko, CEO of Auctane. Al began his career at Intuit, where he was shaped by formative mentors and experiences that continue to influence how he leads today. Later, as CEO of Early Warning, he helped scale Zelle into one of the leading peer to peer payment platforms in the world, transforming how millions of people move money. Today, as CEO of...

In this episode of One of One, Darren speaks with  Scott Harrison, founder and CEO of charity: water. Raised in a deeply religious household, Scott left home at 18 to spend a decade as a successful nightclub promoter in Manhattan, only to wake up one day and realize his life was empty. That reckoning launched him on a journey from the excesses of Manhattan nightlife, to spending two years in the p...

In this episode of One of One, Darren speaks with Dennis Woodside, CEO of Freshworks. Dennis has had an extraordinary career journey, including beginning as a corporate lawyer, a consultant at McKinsey, a senior executive at Google, COO of Dropbox, and president of Impossible Foods. Today he leads Freshworks, an AI enabled software company focused on disrupting and powering the next generation of...

What does it take to turn your business into a masterpiece? In this episode of One of One, Darren speaks with Charles Spinosa and Christopher Davis, a co-author and contributor, respectively, to the incredible book, Leadership as Masterpiece Creation. The book invites leaders to think about themselves and the companies they are building as masterpieces: works of art, worthy of admiration. The book...

In this episode of One of One, Darren sits down with Neil Kumar, co-founder and CEO of BridgeBio, a leading biotech company focused on treating rare genetic conditions that largely affect children. Neil is a deeply contrarian thinker and leader. It shows up in his decision to start a company ten years ago focused on a market that most others ignored, in the unique hub and spoke organizational stru...

In this episode of One of One, Darren sits down with Hanno Renner, co-founder and CEO of the Munich, Germany-based company Personio. Personio is a people software platform focused on small and mid-sized companies, and is widely regarded as one of the most successful technology companies founded in Europe over the past decade. This conversation explores how much Hanno's willingness to put himself i...

In this episode of One of One, Darren sits down with Hamilton Helmer—renowned author of 7 Powers—and his brilliant colleague Chenyi Shi for a deep dive into the architecture of enduring business success. 7 Powers is widely regarded as one of the most insightful and practical frameworks on strategy, offering a clear lens through which leaders can understand how to create persistent compet...

In this episode of One of One, Darren sits down with Howie Liu, Founder and CEO of Airtable, to explore his journey of building and scaling a company with a bold mission: democratizing software creation. Over the past 12 years, Howie has navigated multiple phases of growth, each requiring an evolution in his leadership. We discuss the critical role of a founder-CEO in shaping culture, driving perf...

What does it take to step into the shoes of a founder and lead a company in its next chapter of growth? In this episode of One of One, join host Darren Gold as he sits down with Silvija Martincevic, CEO of Deputy, a leading global workforce management company. You'll follow Silvija's journey from her early years growing up in Croatia to her senior executive roles at companies like Groupon and Affi...

In this episode of One of One, Darren sits down with the extraordinary Sukhinder Singh Cassidy to explore her remarkable career journey. From founding two companies to serving as CEO of StubHub, and now leading Xero, Sukhinder offers a wealth of insights into what it takes to excel in both “founder mode” and “CEO mode.” Together, they dive into the nuanced debate between these two leadership minds...

Ever wondered what it takes to stay ahead in the fast-paced world of fintech? In this episode of "One of One," you’ll hear from industry luminary Max Levchin, the co-founder and CEO of Affirm. Join host Darren Gold as he delves deep into Levchin's journey, uncovering the essential roles of a CEO, like setting a three-year strategy, hiring top talent, and ensuring the company never runs out of cash...

In this episode of One of One, host Darren Gold sits down with Chris Cocks, the CEO of Hasbro, to explore the significant challenges and strategic decisions that defined his initial year in leadership. After stepping into the role in February 2022, Cocks faced immediate and formidable obstacles, including a high-stakes proxy battle with an activist investor and the difficult choice to unwind the m...

In this episode of "One of One," Darren chats with Laela Sturdy, Managing Partner at CapitalG. Laela talks about her unique leadership style that combines seriousness with just the right amount of playfulness to keep her team energized and on point. She reflects on the pivotal role of community, the value of enduring friendships, and the importance of self-awareness in navigating the demands of a...

In this episode of "One of One," you'll hear an incredible conversation with Jiajun Zhu (JZ) and Dave Ferguson, the co-founders of Nuro, a pioneering autonomous vehicle company. They discuss the intricate dynamics of their unique leadership roles as they share candid insights into the way they can operate as co-CEOs, with JZ focusing on technology and people, and Dave handling finance, investment,...

Join us in this engaging episode of "One of One" as we sit down with Scott Cutler, an influential leader with an impressive career at the New York Stock Exchange, StubHub, eBay, and StockX. Scott shares his journey from an advisory role to CEO, unfolding his leadership philosophy centered on personal development, exemplary leadership, and achieving results amidst external challenges like the globa...

In our inaugural episode of "One of One," Darren engages in a profound conversation with Carol Tome, CEO of UPS. You will traverse Carol's accomplished career, beginning with her early life in Jackson, Wyoming, and spanning her various roles at Home Depot over the course of her near-quarter-century tenure, ultimately serving as their CFO. You’ll gain an in-depth understanding of Carol’s transition...

In this compelling episode of One of One , join host Darren Gold as he sits down with Perkins Miller, the dynamic CEO of Fandom. You'll delve into Perkins's illustrious career journey, featuring notable roles at NBC Universal, WWE, and StubHub, and his impactful experiences working on multiple Olympics worldwide. As you listen, you'll uncover valuable insights into leadership, self-awareness, and...