On this episode Abadesi talks to Josh Howarth, co-founder of Exploding Topics. In this episode they talk about... * His early days as a maker and what he would change if he could do things over again. * The genesis and evolution of Exploding Topics and the lessons he’s learned through the process. * How writing updates kept him accountable as a solo founder and his advice for finding a co-founder you can work well with. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts,...

On this episode Abadesi talks to Matthew Paul, software product designer, researcher, and front-end engineer. He’s a former product designer at InVision, he’s worked on software and design systems at IBM, and has designed prototypes at Apple. In this episode they talk about... * The open-source design project he’s working on, and how to make good design more accessible. * Common design pitfalls to avoid and advice for working with designers. * How he’s working on his personal development...

On this episode Abadesi talks to Pieter Levels, founder of Nomad List, a global community of international travellers working around the world, RemoteOK, a job board for remote jobs, and Hoodmaps, a unique neighborhood map app. In this episode they talk about... * Bootstrapping versus VC, and why he doesn’t want to build a team around his products. * The difference between creating a website and building a community, and how to think about charging for your product. * What the future of...

On this episode Abadesi talks to Waseem Daher, founder and CEO of Pilot. Pilot is bringing bookkeeping into the modern age. He has started (and sold!) two other companies prior to Pilot. In this episode they talk about... * The story of starting Pilot and what Waseem learned from his two previous companies. * When it makes sense to take venture capital versus bootstrap a business. * How to think about a potential acquisition. * How Waseem stays productive. We’ll be back next week so be...

On this episode Abadesi talks to Ethan Eismann, VP of Design at Slack. He has previously worked on flagship products at Google, Uber, and Airbnb, as well as at Adobe back when Flash was still a thing! In this episode they talk about... * The consumerization of the enterprise and bringing personality to software. * The design philosophy at Slack and how they use hypotheses in designing their products. * Customer-centric design and what it means to communicate energy as well as...

On this episode Abadesi talks to Michelle Bacharach, founder and CEO of FINDMINE, a retail technology company that uses machine learning to scale the currently manual and tedious process of product curation. They are a fast-growing company with clients like Adidas, Perry Ellis, and Callaway. In this episode they talk about... * What led Michelle to found FINDMINE, and how they’re changing the buying experience. * Her advice for startups pitching big companies as potential clients. * How...

On this episode Abadesi talks to Ryan Simonetti, co-founder and CEO of Convene. They call themselves commercial real estate’s first workplace-as-a-service platform. He co-founded the company in 2009 and have raised $260M in funding to date. He is also an investor in and advisor to tech startups. In this episode they talk about... * The story of founding Convene and his advice for finding a co-founder. * How they have created a strong company culture and the importance of gratitude at...

On this episode Abadesi talks to Jill Salzman, founder of The Founding Moms, a “global collective of offline masterminds and online resources for mom entrepreneurs.” She was formerly the founder of a music management firm and was also the creator of a line of baby jewelry. In this episode they talk about... * The story of the creation of The Founding Moms and how it’s helping mom entrepreneurs around the globe. * How she grew the community and her advice for those who are new to...

On this episode Abadesi talks to Brianne Kimmel, founder of Work Life, an early stage venture firm in Silicon Valley that invests in tools and services for the modern workplace. She was formerly head of product and GTM strategy at Zendesk. In this episode they talk about... * Why she started Work Life and what she learned while fundraising. * No-code tools, distributed teams, and the future of work. * How she’s building a community around her fund. She also talks about some of the...

On this episode Abadesi talks to John Henry, venture partner at Harlem Capital and host of Hustle on VICELAND. In this episode they talk about... * How he got into entrepreneurship and how the expectations for today’s entrepreneurs have changed. * Why he says getting a regular job is riskier than starting a company. * How he discovered financial literacy and how to be a “multi-dimensional earner.” * The history of VC and how they’re changing the flow of capital to underrepresented...

On this episode Abadesi talks to Kathryn Duryea Wyndowe, founder and CEO of Year & Day. They make beautiful tableware that they sell direct-to-consumer online via their website. In this episode they talk about... * How she came up with the idea for Year & Day. * Her crazy year preparing to launch the brand. * The power of Instagram and the rise of direct-to-consumer. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or...

On this episode Abadesi talks to Bill Loundy and Jeff Camera, co-founders of Readup. Jeff is the sole developer on the team, and Bill handles everything else. Readup is a social reading platform designed to help you track and improve your online reading habits. In this episode they talk about... * How they came up with the idea for Readup and how it has evolved over time. * How you can have a more peaceful existence on the web and the problems with the current state of social media. * The...

On this episode Abadesi talks to Cat Noone, CEO and designer at Stark, a suite of integrated accessibility compliance tools for teams. She is also co-founder of Iris, a modern-day emergency alert system. In this episode they talk about... * The story behind Stark. * Why accessible design matters. * Why they are “investing in customers” at Stark. * How she uses time design to be productive. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify,...

On this episode Abadesi talks to Sylvain Kalache, co-founder of Holberton School, a project-based alternative to college where you can become a software engineer in two years. They have campuses in the United States and Colombia. Sylvain formerly worked at Slideshare and LinkedIn. In this episode they talk about... * The story of founding Holberton and why a new type of school is needed. * How they designed their software engineering curriculum. * How to find motivated and passionate...

On this episode Abadesi talks to Yassmin Abdel-Magied, a mechanical engineer, social advocate, writer, and broadcaster. She is the author of multiple books and is the founder of Youth Without Borders. In this episode they talk about... * Her aspirations to work in Formula 1. * How she hustled her way into jobs. * Navigating engineering culture. * How she has successfully pivoted her career multiple times. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google...

On this episode Abadesi talks to Ruben Harris, founder and CEO of Career Karma. They help match you to the best coding bootcamp for you and publish a directory of over 450 bootcamps. In this episode they talk about... * How he broke into tech and how Career Karma is helping people get into the industry. * How to level up your career. * What makes a good software engineer. * The importance of humility. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite...

In today's episode we have collected the very best from the interviews we've done with founders in 2019. Mathilde Collin, CEO of Front, shared lessons on building a strong company culture and talked about the questions she asks when hiring. Sahil Lavingia, founder and CEO of Gumroad, told the story of founding the company and explained some of the challenges that come with taking venture capital.Sharmadean Reid, founder of Beautystack, talked about the unique way she ran her fundraising...

On this episode Abadesi talks to Thomas Kutzman, co-founder and co-CEO of Prevu. Prevu is a real estate technology platform that saves homebuyers money. In this episode they talk about... * How he decided to leave his finance job to start Prevu. * Advice on starting a tech company as a non-technical founder. * Why they bootstrapped the company and how doing so helped them. * Lessons on leadership and how he invests in personal growth. He also talks about some of his (and his wife’s!)...

On this episode Abadesi talks to Dave Charest, Director of Content Marketing at Constant Contact. He’s here to walk us through all the common mistakes that makers make when marketing their products, and how you can avoid them. In this episode they talk about... * How to contribute to an online community as a marketer. * Top tips for developers, designers, and others who are first-time marketers. * Which marketing channels to focus on. * Common mistakes people make in email...

On this episode Abadesi talks to Tige Savage, co-founder with Steve Case of Revolution, and managing partner of Revolution Ventures. He was formerly VP of Time Warner Ventures and got his start at age fourteen working at a computer store, where he helped create a community for customers before there was a commercially available internet. In this episode they talk about... * How to think about whether to raise capital. * The future of direct-to-consumer and Tige’s breakdown of a number of...

On this episode Abadesi talks to Andrew Mason, founder and CEO of Descript. He was formerly founder of Detour, which Descript emerged within before it was spun out into its own company when Bose bought the technology behind Detour. Andrew was also founder of Groupon. In this episode they talk about... * Descript’s origin as part of Detour, and how to know when it’s the right time to pivot from your original idea. * Andrew’s advice on managing people and scaling a company. * Personal...

On this episode Abadesi talks to Mike Vernal, partner at Sequoia, the legendary venture capital firm. They are celebrating their scout program turning a decade old. Mike shares stories about the early days at Facebook, transitioning to VC, and advice for founders seeking funding. In this episode they talk about... * Why the culture at Facebook in the early days was so special. * Going from product manager to VC. * What founders need to know about pitching VCs. * Trends Mike is excited...

On this episode Abadesi talks to Marcus Taylor, founder of Venture Harbour, a digital product company based in the UK. They’ve launched nine companies in the last few years and have grown them to millions in revenue. He is also the youngest patron of The Prince’s Trust youth charity and has committed £100,000 to support young entrepreneurs across the UK. In this episode they talk about... * The business philosophy at Venture Harbour. * How the team works together. * Some of the...

On this episode Abadesi talks to David Heinemeier Hansson, co-founder and CTO of Basecamp, and creator of Ruby on Rails. He is also the author of several bestselling books, including It Doesn’t Have To Be Crazy At Work, co-authored with his co-founder at Basecamp, Jason Fried. In this episode they talk about... * Why you should think about your company as a product. * Why we need new role models in tech. * How to break the cycle of overwork. * A new way of working. Of course, they also...