Product Hunt Radio

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 and where he learns the most. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Headspin Mobile for their support. 😸

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 remote work and the digital nomad lifestyle will look like. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Headspin Mobile for their support. 😸

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 sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Headspin Mobile for their support. 😸

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 information. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Headspin, Safety Wing, and Trulioo for their support.

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 to close enterprise customers. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Headspin, Safety Wing, and Trulioo for their support.

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 Convene. * Ryan’s predictions for the future of work in an increasingly distributed world. He also talks about some of his favorite products and a great book that he read that helped him as he scaled Convene. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Headspin, Safety Wing, and Trulioo for their support.

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 community-building. * How she approached the decision to charge for access and subsequently increase prices, as well as how she stays productive. She also talks about some of the products she’s loving right now. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Headspin for their support.

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 products she’s loving right now. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

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 founders at Harlem Capital. He also talks about how he invests in personal development and talks about some of the products he’s loving right now. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

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 wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Knowable for their support. 😸

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 challenges of being a maker and how they have overcome them. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Knowable and NetSuite for their support. 😸

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, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Knowable and NetSuite for their support. 😸

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 people. * How they are working to increase representation in the tech industry. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Knowable and NetSuite for their support. 😸

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 Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Knowable and NetSuite for their support. 😸

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 podcasts. 😸

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!) favorite products. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. 😸

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 marketing. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. 😸

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 companies and industries. * How to scale a startup. Tige also talks about some of his favorite products. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. 😸

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 development as a leader and helping your team grow. Andrew also tells us about one of his favorite products that he uses to build tools for the team. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. 😸

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 about, including the no-code revolution. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. 😸

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 unconventional views Marcus holds. * How he thinks about personal development. Of course, he also talks about some of his favorite products. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. 😸

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 talk about some of his favorite products as well. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. 😸

On this episode Abadesi talks to Elias Torres, co-founder and CTO of Drift. He co-founded the company with David Cancel, a longtime collaborator. They have achieved smashing success so far, and Elias’s personal story of moving to the United States from Nicaragua and working at McDonald’s while simultaneously finishing high school and learning English is one you don’t want to miss. In this episode they talk about... * Elias’s longtime partnership with David Cancel. * What it was like growing up in Nicaragua and moving to the United States. * A CTO’s tips on hiring and why he spends an hour a month fielding support queries. * Growing revenue from zero to eight figures in under twenty-four months. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. 😸

On this episode Abadesi talks to Delane Parnell, founder and CEO of PlayVS. PlayVS is *the* community for amateur high school esports. He was previously the youngest black venture capitalist in the US and built and sold his own esports team prior to founding PlayVS. He also has an incredible story of overcoming adversity to get to where he is today. In this episode they discuss... * His incredible “origin story.” * How he learned to set his sights high. * How he became comfortable with risk-taking and his advice about giving advice. * What he learned from failure and why founder life is less glamorous than you think. Of course, he also talks about some of his favorite products. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

Abadesi is joined on this episode by Sarah Paiji Yoo. She is the founder of Blueland, a direct-to-consumer company that sells environmentally-friendly cleaning supplies. She formerly founded and sold Snapette, a mobile platform for local platform shopping. In this episode they talk about... * Her extensive entrepreneurial journey. * How she convinced investors of the promise of Blueland. * The future of sustainable direct-to-consumer products and companies. * Managing a fast-growing team at a scaling company. * What’s in her “resiliency toolkit.” Of course, she also tells us what some of her favorite products are and why she loves them. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. 😸

On this episode Abadesi talks to Sharmadean Reid, founder of Beautystack. She’s one of Aba’s favorite people of all time, and is an inspiration to women and people of color everywhere. She recently raised a whopping seed round to grow and scale Beautystack. In this episode they talk about... * How she’s helping women start businesses. * What fashion means to her. * Her fundraising journey. * The founder mindset and personal development. * The future of work and scaling a team. Of course, she also lets us know what some of her favorite products on her home screen are. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. 😸

In this special edition of Product Hunt Radio, the community is the guest. Ryan chats with the members of the Product Hunt community about the apps that they love and why they’re so great. People from all around the world called in to let us know what’s on their home screens. This was an experiment, so let us know what you think! If you want to be part of the next session and potentially be featured in the podcast, make sure to follow us on social media. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. 😸

On this episode Abadesi talks to Ryan Singer, head of Product Strategy at Basecamp, where he’s worked for 16 years, ever since 2003. He is the author of Shape Up: Stop Running in Circles and Ship Work That Matters. You can read the book for free online. In this episode they talk about... * How Basecamp cultivates their unique company culture. * Why wireframes and documents are overrated. * Why betting is better than planning. * How to find balance at work, and why Basecamp doesn’t think about “maximizing capacity." * How to separate strategic failure from execution failure. Ryan also talks about his love for the Apple Pencil and the iPad, and how he uses them to get his work done. We also have more bonus content for you this week! Aba recently hosted a Periscope session where she invited all of you in the community to call in and explain what sites you use for personal branding and why. They covered LinkedIn, Medium, Twitter, personal sites, mailing lists, and more. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. 😸

On this episode Ryan is joined by a friend, writer, and student of human psychology, Nir Eyal. He has an incredible ability to synthesize complex ideas and studies into actionable steps people can use to build more engaging products and a healthier life. Ryan actually helped him with his first bestselling book, Hooked: How to Build Habit Forming Products, back in 2012, before Product Hunt started. This week he published his second book, Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life. The timing of its release is more relevant than ever as people are increasingly seeking a healthier relationship with their smartphones, wearables, and tech in general. In this episode they talk about... * The change in attitude towards tech over the past several years. * How to make sure your product development process is ethical. * Whether the government should or should not get involved in regulating tech. * The true impact of tech on your brain. * The strategies he uses to ensure he doesn’t get distracted. We also have some bonus content for you! Abadesi recently hosted a Periscope session where she asked the community to chime in on what their favorite products are and why. Make sure to follow us on social to participate in the next session, and you could make it into the podcast! We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. 😸

On this episode Abadesi talks to Nic Brisbourne, managing partner at Forward Partners, and creator of the popular email newsletter, The Equity Kicker. In this episode they talk about... * The future of venture capital and the concept of “applied venture.” * The culture at Forward Partners. * Nic’s introduction to mindfulness. * The benefits of mindfulness for founders. * What he’s most excited about in the tech ecosystem. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. 😸

On this episode Abadesi talks to Gina Bianchini, a serial entrepreneur and an investor. She is founder and CEO of Mighty Networks, a platform for building communities. She also co-founded Ning and has been an entrepreneur in residence at Andreessen Horowitz. In this episode they talk about... * The emerging trend of community-powered businesses. * Why it’s important to stay laser-focused on the results your customers want. * How a community helps build your brand. * Why it’s okay (and preferred!) to start small. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. 😸

On this episode Abadesi talks to Courtland Allen. He is a super talented designer and developer. In 2016 he founded Indie Hackers, an awesome community of bootstrappers and makers sharing their stories. Nine months later, Stripe acquired the company. Courtland is also a Y Combinator alumnus and an MIT graduate with a degree in Computer Science. In this episode they talk about how to avoid making the most common maker mistakes. They discuss... * How and why Courtland became an Indie Hacker. * How to figure out whether you have a good idea on your hands. * Finding beta testers for your product and what to avoid when bootstrapping. * How to know whether to go full-time on your idea once demand picks up. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

On this episode Abadesi talks to Cassidy Williams. Cassidy is a great follow on social media and is a software engineer at CodePen. Prior to CodePen, she worked for Venmo, Amazon, Clarify and others. She is a true maker and a huge mechanical keyboard nerd (which you hear a bit about on the show). In this episode they discuss... * How she got to where she is today, including lessons learned from working at big and small companies. * Her personal definition of success as a software engineer. * The future of programming. * Why she loves mechanical keyboards so much. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Copper for their support. 😸

On this episode Abadesi talks to Justin Jackson. Justin is a founder, author, and podcaster. He is co-founder of Transistor, a platform for podcasters, and runs his own podcast called Build your SaaS. He is also the creator of the MegaMaker community for developers. In this episode they discuss... * Going from side hustle to full-time founder. * His candid recounting of his experience with depression. * How to take care of your mental health. * The future of podcasting and “mindful technology.” And of course, they talk about some of his favorite products for desktop and mobile. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Copper for their support. 😸

Abadesi is joined by Sarah Cooper on this episode. She’s an author and comedian from New York, and has published two books: 100 Tricks To Appear Smart In Meetings, and How To Be Successful Without Hurting Men’s Feelings. She was also an executive at Yahoo! and Google. In this episode they discuss: * How she got started in comedy and her advice for following your passion. * The inside scoop on working at Google. * What she’s excited about and how tech can do better at helping the world. * Her advice for people who are trying to write more. And of course, we also talk about some of her favorite products. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Copper for their support. 😸

On this episode Abadesi talks to Alex Konrad, Senior Associate Editor at Forbes. He’s one of today’s top tech journalists and has interviewed some of the biggest tech titans around. He also plays a pivotal role in the lists that Forbes publishes, including The Midas List, The Cloud 100, and 30 Under 30. In this episode they discuss... * Why the financial crisis was a flourishing moment in tech. * How to handle a crisis as a founder or CEO. * The best ways to establish rapport with someone important. * “Hustle-porn culture” and how he stays productive. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Copper for their support. 😸

On this episode Abadesi talks to April Wensel, founder of Compassionate Coding, and one of Aba’s favorite follows on Twitter. She’s a veteran software engineer who has worked in healthcare, entertainment, research and education. In this episode they discuss... * How to make your interviews more inclusive. * Why we need to change the way we think about the tech industry. * Why telling someone you’re non-technical is nonsensical, and why she says, "if you can use a fork, you’re technical." * The problem of “toxic elitism” in the tech industry. * How you can do your part to cultivate a positive culture at your company. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Copper for their support. 😸

Ryan recently visited Grove HQ in SOMA in San Francisco to chat with two founders who know a ton about fintech. Chris Hutchins was our gracious host and is CEO of Grove, a startup that uses people and technology to help you with your financial goals. Ryan actually met Chris in the early days of Product Hunt when he was an investor at Google Ventures. Before that, he started a company called Milk that was acquired by Google. All his life he's been a self-acknowledged financial nerd, often sharing his money-saving tips with friends, which was a large inspiration for starting Grove. Jake Gibson is the co-founder of NerdWallet. The company started back in 2009 and helps consumers make smart financial decisions like “which credit card should I get?” or “what's the best savings account for me?” He left in 2014 and has since focused his time angel investing, primarily in fintech startups. In this episode they discuss... * How fintech has evolved over the past decade — and why it’s so hot right now. * The top financial life hacks, including why Chris says he buys his groceries at OfficeMax. * What the future holds for fintech and their favorite companies in the space. * The rise of crypto and how it might impact fintech. If you want to give Grove a try, check out hellogrove.com/producthunt to get $100 off. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Vettery and Copper for their support. 😸

On this episode Abadesi sits down with Reshma Sohoni, co-founder and managing partner of Seedcamp. She co-founded the firm in 2007 and works with the Seedcamp team and their portfolio companies to help push early stage companies from difficult times to household names. In this episode they discuss... * How Seedcamp discovers, attracts (and retains!) hidden talent. * How they’ve built a strong culture at Seedcamp. * Her advice for people who want to work in VC. * Why founder mental health has been getting more attention and how VCs can help the cause. * Which spaces she’s most excited about investing in. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Vettery and Copper for their support. 😸

Abadesi talks to Veni Kunche, founder and CEO of Code with Veni, a newsletter for women in tech, and Diversify Tech, an awesome online resource for underrepresented groups trying to break into the industry. In this episode they discuss... * How she got into tech and her advice for people trying to break into the industry. * How companies can make their recruiting process more suitable for women and underrepresented candidates. * How she invests in her career capital and keeps up with new developments. * Her advice on starting companies and fostering community. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Vettery and Copper for their support. 😸

Abadesi talks to Sahil Lavingia, founder and CEO of Gumroad, an online platform that enables creators to sell directly to their customers. Sahil is a very authentic founder who is not afraid to speak uncomfortable truths, as you’ll see in the interview. They talk about... * His journey starting Gumroad and what happened when they realized the company wasn’t going to be as successful as they had hoped. * Why relationships in Silicon Valley are so transactional. * Dealing with the psychological ups-and-downs of having your identity as a founder so wrapped up in the fate of your company. * His philosophy of technology, both personally and at Gumroad. * Why he believes so strongly in in-person connection. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Embroker and Vettery for their support. 😸

Abadesi is back to host this episode with Saron Yitbarek, founder and CEO of CodeNewbie and the Codeland conference. Saron is a former journalist who started working in the tech industry and then pivoted to a technical role after learning to code from scratch. Aba and Saron talk about... * What inspired her to get into tech, and the story of going from journalist to software engineer. * Her journey learning to code, including what she learned from the failed attempts. * How to get the most out of coding bootcamps and how to find a great job. * How the landscape for learning to code has changed. * Her unique formula for staying organized and productive. She also talks about some of the apps her and her team uses to stay on top of their time and their work. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Monday.com and Embroker for their support. 😸

Scott Kupor joins Ryan on this episode to talk about his new book, Secrets of Sand Hill Road. Scott is Managing Partner at Andreessen Horowitz and has been at the firm since it was founded. He has a long history with Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, including working alongside them at Opsware in the early 2000s. Ryan and Scott talk about... * How venture capital has changed over the past decade. * Advice for founders in the new investment landscape. * The future of venture capital. * How to think about the long-term relationship between your company and your investors. * How a VC thinks and how to understand their incentive structure. Ryan also tells the story of walking into Andreessen Horowitz in sneakers and a Product Hunt kitty t-shirt to pitch the company and finding himself speaking to nearly twenty people. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Monday.com and Embroker for their support. 😸

Ryan and Wade Foster have known each other through the internet for years before recently meeting in person in Mountain View. Ryan learned so much from the coffee chat that he asked if Wade would join the podcast to share some of his stories scaling Zapier. Like Product Hunt, Zapier is a fully distributed team, although they're much bigger with 200 people in over 20 countries. They're helping makers create no-code apps and helping everyone get work done more efficiently. Ryan and Wade talk about... Learnings from scaling a distributed team and Zapier's “delocation package.” Managing team dynamics in a fast-growing organization. What it's like to be CEO and the “cheat code” that CEOs get to keep in their back pocket. His thoughts on the no-code movement. Joel also talks about some of this favorite products and the software the company uses to collaborate. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Pilot, Monday.com, and Embroker for their support. 😸

On this episode Ryan is joined by Joel Gascoigne, CEO of Buffer, a simple tool manage all your social media accounts. We've been avid users, big fans, and paying customers for years. In this episode Ryan and Joel talk about... Joel's roundabout journey from the UK to the US via Hong Kong and Israel. What it's like to manage an 85-person completely distributed team. Buffer's extreme transparency and how that endears the company to its customers. Why (in a very unorthodox move) Buffer bought out their investors last year. Of course, Joel also talks about some of his favorite products as well. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Pilot and Monday.com for their support. 😸

Web Smith has a long history working in direct-to-consumer and e-commerce. He managed marketing spend for Rogue, a leading sports goods manufacturer back in 2011 before co-founding Mizzen + Main and later joining Gear Patrol. In 2015 he founded 2PM, a B2B media company for the commerce industry and advises leading executives in the space. Through 2PM Web also invests in early-stage DTC brands and platforms that support the consumer ecosystem. If you've ever thought about starting your own DTC brand or online shop, you'll want to heed Web's advice. In this episode Ryan and Web talk about... The state of direct-to-consumer today. Some of the trends he's seen in the space, including which growth strategies have been effective and how companies will need to evolve in the coming years as the landscape shifts. What Web would do if he was starting a direct-to-consumer brand. How to think about defensibility for direct-to-consumer companies. They also discuss some of their favorite e-commerce or direct-to-consumer brands and companies, and Web breaks down why those companies have been successful. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Pilot for their support. 😸

AJ is mysterious. He's a maker who goes by his initials only and is the creator of Carrd, an awesome tool for creating one-page websites without any code. AJ lives in Nashville and built Carrd entirely himself. He's a bootstrapped, solo entrepreneur and maker who's been able to make a great living building a product people love and pay for. Luckily, he agreed to be recorded without voice masking, as Startup L Jackson requested, when Park— er, Startup L Jackson came on in the first incarnation of Product Hunt Radio. In this episode Ryan and AJ talk about... How AJ started Carrd as a side project which morphed into a full-blown business... “It started out as trying to make my life easier but ended up making users’ lives easier as well. A one-page site builder sounds innocuous, but you’d be surprised at the directions something like this can go.” He explains how he started Carrd and why he decided not to take on the large, multi-page site builders of the world. ... and how Carrd's users transformed it into something new entirely as an outlet for their creativity. “Trends in web design means everything moves together and kind of starts to all look the same. It’s nice to see people using Card to build websites that look unlike anything you’ve ever seen.” Among many other applications of the platform that AJ says he couldn't have foreseen, there has also been an unexpected takeover of Carrd by K-Pop fans who use it to create customized fan sites that look very... unique. AJ explains how he thinks about the direction of the platform and how he handles feature requests... “I try to take most new feature requests and figure out whether this is something that really only service one niche, and if so, is it a big enough niche to justify implementing that feature? But I prefer to implement things that would work for multiple groups of people. I try to look at them and think, ‘how can I distill this down to something that’s a bit more general-purpose that others can get use out of?’” ... and how inspiring it is to see the next generation of makers creating their own projects based on the platform. “It tells you that you can do this, you don’t have to just consume, you can create, you can get out there just like everyone else and make something. It doesn’t have to just be a one-way thing. I’m glad that Card is included in this even though I didn’t intend it to be included in the sphere of no-code tools. That’s probably the coolest part of this entire thing to me.” Some of the sites that users have created are in Ryan's words, “so internet in the best way” and are a great way for people to get into creating things on the web, which is reminiscent of the way that people creating amazing apps today got their start hacking their MySpace pages. They also discuss what it's like to work at a single-person startup... “The day-to-day is fundamentally just me in front of a computer, just hacking away at this thing. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t get lonely. Remote work has only been a thing people have done recently. I don’t think we’ve fully realized the implications of what it means to spend your day working alone away from human interaction.” AJ recently brought in someone to help with content moderation, but otherwise he's created, built, and scaled Carrd himself. He opens up about some of the “mistakes” he's made along the way and what he would do differently next time. He also talks about the tools he uses to build the platform. ... and why the discussion around whether a company should take venture capital or not is flawed. He talks about whether he would want to take on venture capital and points out that people get caught up in a false dichotomy. He says that we need a more nuanced discussion of what the right type of funding is for a company that takes into account the company's age and stage. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Pilot for their support. 😸

In 2013, Danielle Morrill was just starting up her blog, and writing about startups from a unique, data-driven lens. The blog turned out to be an MVP for what would later become Mattermark, a company she co-founded with her husband, Kevin Morrill, and Andy Sparks. Danielle's blog was also unique in that she opened up publicly about some of the challenges she was facing at the time, such as feeling lonely as a founder. She also admits to being a “secret introvert” and how over time, even with the level of transparency she brought to her writing, blogging “came to feel a bit like performance art.” “There’s so much content online but a lot of it is very impersonal... Pain is a little easier too bear when you share it. Sometimes it’s easy to believe when we’re struggling we’re going through something no one else has been through. But it’s not true.” In 2017, Mattermark was acquired by FullContact and Danielle moved to Denver Colorado, where she now resides. Danielle recently joined devops platform GitLab as GM of Meltano, a developer workflow tool. In this episode Ryan and Danielle talk about... Her love of reading, the mind-expanding power of fiction, and her book recommendations. Danielle admits that until recently, when she was on sabbatical, she hadn't read many of the classic “startup books.” She's checked many of those off her list now, but she still loves fiction for its mind-expanding power. She says that she thought of herself as a fairly worldly person before she started reading fiction. “I understand a lot more about emotions like empathy and compassion after reading fiction. Each time you read a new book, you try on these new characters’ lives and you get new perspective.” You can follow Danielle on Goodreads, “one of the most underrated social networks.” She loves to give book recommendations. They also discuss... The tools and strategies Danielle uses to track her time and stay productive, and how she ensures she makes time for solitude and self-reflection. Danielle runs through the tools she uses to manage her time and how her routine of Sunday planning and reflection lets her make sure ahead of time she won't have regrets about how she spent her time that week. She talks about the importance of solitude and says that she blocks out time for it in her calendar. “The blog was a good outlet but in a way it became another form of performance art. There’s always more truth you don’t share. There’s the internal work of constantly working towards some kind of coherent story about your life. Journaling, working out, or other things that cause you to have to be in solitude are good for that.” She also talks about what it was like to move from Silicon Valley to Colorado and what it was like to have a co-founder who's also a spouse. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Spoka and Pilot for their support. 😸

Lee Jacobs and Brian Balfour join Ryan at AngelList HQ for this week's episode. Back in the day, Lee was one of the first syndicate leads on AngelList and later went on to join as a Partner. He previously started an education marketplace startup called Campus Dock. Ryan got to know Lee at AngelList a few years ago, when Lee was kind enough to help him craft his deck as he went out to raise his first fund. Lee is now a full-time investor with his own fund, Edelweiss, which he started with Brian Balfour, Elaine Wherry, and Todd Masonis. Brian Balfour invests part-time at Edelweiss and spends the majority of his time as CEO of Reforge, a professional education program for experienced practitioners. We've had some of our teammates here at Product Hunt go through the program. Prior to Reforge, Brian was the VP of Growth at HubSpot, EIR at Trinity Ventures, and the founder of several startups including Boundless Learning, POPSignal, and Viximo. In this episode we talk about: What kinds of questions Lee and Brian ask founders when they first meet them Some of the mistakes that first-time fund managers make and how to avoid them How to think about fund strategy and why the style of your fund should match your personality The importance of cultivating resilience, both as a founder and as an investor Of course, we talk about some of their favorite products as well. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Bubble, Spoka, and Dipsea for their support. 😸

Today I'm joined by Everette Taylor, a fellow entrepreneur and community builder that I got to know back when he was building GrowthHackers.com five years ago. But well before this, Everette began his founder journey starting (and then selling) an events business in his teenage years. He later went on to join a few startups to run marketing and growth, including Skurt (a company I regularly used prior to its acquisition) and StickerMule (a company that makes our awesome Product Hunt stickers). Today Everette runs ET Enterprises, a collection of businesses that include PopSocial, Hayver, Millisense, and his newest venture, ArtX. In this episode we talk about: Everette's path to entrepreneurship, including dropping out of school. The importance of being authentic in everything you do. Some of his favorite self-care apps. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Bubble, Spoka, and Dipsea for their support. 😸

In today's episode, Ryan interviews Mathilde Collin, CEO of Front. Front is a shared inbox for your team and the company is used by startups big and small. They raised a whopping $66 million from Sequoia last year. Mathilde and Ryan met at Y Combinator, when they were in the same YC batch in Summer 2014. It was at that time that Ryan recognized something special about Mathilde and her team: they build fast and embrace a very transparent culture, which has no doubt led to their success. In this episode we talk about: Why it's important as a founder to remain humble and be willing to do the dirty jobs yourself to understand what it's like to do a job before you hire someone to do it for you. Why, contrary to reports of its demise, email is not dead. How Mathilde manages company culture at a fast-growing startup with offices in both San Francisco and Paris. The products she uses to stay sane and productive. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to FreshBooks, Spoka, Bubble, and Dipsea for their support. 😸

Today's episode includes two expert storytellers who happen to also be two of Ryan's good friends. Carmel DeAmicis is an editor (aka word wiz) at Figma, a startup that's reinventing how people design software and which recently announced a $40M fundraise led by Sequoia. Prior to joining Figma, Ryan met Carmel when she was a reporter at Pando. She was the first journalist to write about Product Hunt and later went on to join GigaOM and Recode. Camille Ricketts is another friend and expert storyteller. She recently joined Notion, a hot startup building an all-in-one workspace for your notes, docs, and to-dos. Prior to joining Notion she spent nearly 5 years at First Round, starting and leading their content and marketing efforts. You've likely read one or many of her First Round Review articles. Earlier in her career she was a reporter at Wall Street Journal and VentureBeat and also worked at Tesla, Kiva, and the White House. In this episode we talk about: How to tell the story of your startup. Both Camille and Carmel are former reporters and they share some of the secrets they've honed over the years on what to do and what not to do when it comes to crafting the narrative around your company. How Carmel and Camille ended up in their respective jobs at Figma and Notion, why it's important to take time between jobs to find the right role, and how to leverage your network to find out what a company is really like on the inside. The wild, weird, wonderful world of TikTok, and why the constraints it imposes generate such creativity. Carmel talks about opening up the app to check it out for the first time and ending up staying up until three in the morning watching TikToks. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to FreshBooks, Bubble, and Dipsea for their support. 😸

Two active makers in the Product Hunt community join Ryan at AngelList in San Francisco for this week's episode of Product Hunt Radio. Hiten Shah was recently awarded Product Hunt Community Member of the year. While that's the honor of a lifetime, he's also accomplished much more than that. He co-founded a few SaaS companies over the years, including KISSmetrics and Crazy Egg(which is still going strong after 13 years). He's now working on FYI, a tool that makes it super easy to find your documents in a few clicks. Marie Prokopets is also a co-founder at FYI. Prior to jumping into the tech scene she was Director at Diageo, a spirit and wine company, and worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers. In this episode we talk about: How Marie and Hiten built FYI. They talk about the challenges they faced in their product development process and how they've learned from them. Marie's transition from working in a big company (where she occasionally rode on private jets) to founder of a startup. The story of the MVP they built in just five days, and the tools they use to gather feedback from users. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to AngelList, FreshBooks and Bubble for their support. 😸

In this episode Ryan visits Shots HQ in Los Angeles to chat with the company's CEO John Shahidi (aka @john on Twitter). John and the Shots team have a unique background. Ryan met John and his brother, a co-founder of the company, nearly five years ago when they were building a social network for teens. The app had no likes, comments, follower counts, or other mechanics that often enable anxiety and bullying. Their mission was to create a more positive and healthy community. They've since pivoted and built a massive network of artists, comedians, and creators that includes Alesso, Anwar, Rudy Mancuso, Lele Pons, and Anitta. In this episode we talk about: How entertainment business models have changed with the evolution of streaming platforms. Why Vine had such a major influence on the current generation of content creators. The end of the 22-minute-long TV episode. We also talk about some of John's favorite products and podcasts. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to AngelList, FreshBooks and Bubble for their support. 😸

On this episode, Abadesi talks to Austen Allred, co-founder and CEO of Lambda School. Lambda School is a pioneer in the income-sharing agreement (ISA) space. They offer live online courses in software development, data science and design that are free until you get a job, at which point you re-pay a capped portion of your income to Lambda School. In this episode we talk about: Austen's adventures abroad prior to starting Lambda School, including what he learned through his travels as a missionary in Ukraine, and the time he booked a one-way ticket to Shanghai on a whim. The challenges inherent in the inflexibility of education and how Lambda School is hoping to change the traditional model of how people train for and find careers. Austen's leadership style at Lambda, why he took venture capital even though he had earlier said he would never do so, and how they work as a distributed team. We also talk about some of the tools that Austen and the team at Lambda School use to stay productive. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to AngelList, FreshBooks and Bubble for their support. 😸

On this episode, Ryan sits down with Eric Bahn from Hustle Fund in San Francisco. Hustle Fund invests in what they call “hilariously-early hustlers.” Prior to co-founding the fund, Eric worked in a number of operating roles, including as a product manager at Intuit, co-founder of a gaming company, founder of a startup to serve MBA students (that was later acquired), product manager at Facebook, co-founder of a media company called The Hustle, and EIR at 500 Startups (phew!). On this episode we take you behind the curtain to break down exactly how venture capital works. We talk about: Eric's advice on how to break into venture capital if you've never worked in the space before. Some of the common misconceptions about VC, including how much venture capitalists are actually paid (spoiler alert: unless you're at a big fund, it's not as much as you think). Hustle Fund's investing thesis, including their unique data-driven approach to investing in early stage companies. We also talk about the rise of “no code” and some of the best apps that are letting makers create amazing products without writing code. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to AngelList and FreshBooks for their support. 😸

On this episode, Abadesi talks to Matt Navarra, a social media consultant from the UK. He is a self-described “Facebook geek” who has worked in digital communications for the UK government and was previously social media director at The Next Web. In this episode: Matt analyzes current trends in the social media landscape, including whether the current craze around ephemeral content is here to stay. He lays out his predictions for the future of social media 10-20 years from now, talks about the potential benefits of regulation of social media, and why algorithms need to have ethics. Matt also provides a ton of tips for founders and makers to help grow their social media following. We of course also talk about some of his favorite products to help up your social media game, tools that social media managers can't live without, and the smart home devices he loves. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to AngelList and FreshBooks for their support. 😸

On this episode, Abadesi interviews Linda Xie, co-founder of Scalar Capital. Scalar Capital is a San Francisco-based hedge fund specializing in crypto assets. Linda is also an advisor to 0x and former product manager at Coinbase. In this episode we talk about: Her extraordinary story of hustling to get a job at Coinbase, what it was like growing with the company as it scaled from only a few employees to one of the best-known companies in crypto, then leaving the company to start a fund with a fellow employee. How she first became interested in crypto (back when Bitcoin was $200), the coolest projects she's come across in the space, and the most exciting (and world-changing) applications of cryptocurrencies. The investing thesis at Scalar Capital, what kinds of companies they're looking to invest in, and how they use the power of communities to source deals. Of course, we also talk about some of her favorite products and what she uses to become more productive, including a chatbot that can improve your emotional health, a way to simplify scheduling meetings, and an app that lets you save highlights from physical books by taking a picture with your phone. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to AngelList and FreshBooks for their support. 😸

Abadesi is back to talk to Ben Halpern, creator, founder, and webmaster of DEV, an online community where developers share ideas and help each other grow. He is also behind@ThePracticalDev on Twitter and runs DEV alongside his two other co-founders, Jess Lee and Peter Frank. Fun fact: Ben is a Canadian who moved to NYC to join a startup and never left. He spoke to Aba from Brooklyn. In this episode we talk about: Why you need to lead by example when you're building an online community and how your behavior as a founder on the site can be more effective in setting a tone than complicated rules. How DEV manages their distributed team, the advantages of working from home, and being honest with yourself about when you need to take a break from your work as a founder, even if it's not easy to do. His love for open source, his predictions for future trends on the web and his very unique personal website, which is a throwback to the web of years past. We also talk about his love for Tiles, the surprising usefulness of Android's Measure app, and why Ben says if you're not using a password manager, you're “not living your digital life to the fullest.” We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to AngelList and FreshBooks for their support. 😸

On this episode I'm visiting Benchmark Capital, one of the world's most renowned venture capital firms, at their offices in the heart of the Tenderloin in San Francisco to chat with two of its general partners, Sarah Tavel and Eric Vishria. Sarah Tavel has a unique background as an investor, then operator, and back to investor. In the mid-2000s she joined Silicon Valley-based Bessemer where she led an investment in Pinterest and others. She went on to join Pinterest back when they were only a few dozen people before returning to venture three and a half years later. She's now a GP at Benchmark and on the board of Hipcamp and Chainalysis. Eric Vishria started his career as an operator, working at Opsware and HP before founding Rockmelt, a social take on the web browser, back in 2008. Later the company was acquired by Yahoo where Eric joined as a VP before making a leap into venture at Benchmark. Over the past four-plus years he's lead investments in Confluent, Contentful, Amplitude, and others. In this episode we talk about: What it's like to go from operating to investing and the different skillsets involved in those jobs, and why Benchmark has bucked the trend of venture firms expanding both in headcount and fund size. What Sarah and Eric are looking for in an investment, which spaces they're most excited about (hint: they say that contrary to reports of its death, consumer is very much alive), and why each partner at the firm only does on average one or two investments in a year. The importance of starting a company in Silicon Valley (or not) and why we're seeing more startups build outside the Valley. We also discuss some of her favorite products, including a couple apps that are enabling new forms of communication on mobile, an “Airbnb for campsites,” and why Sarah has been playing Fortnite for “research purposes.” We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to AngelList and FreshBooks for their support. 😸

Aba is back to host this episode with Jessica Lessin, journalist, founder, and editor-in-chief of The Information. Founded in 2013, The Information breaks exclusive stories and publishes deeply reported articles about tech and startups. In this episode we talk about: What attracted to her to journalism in the first place, how she got her start at the Wall Street Journal, and why the distortion of the news industry's business model by the internet led her to start The Information. What she's learned after five years running The Information, her insights on leadership, and the importance of resilience and self-awareness. And of course, her take on the big tech trends on the horizon, including the possibility of tokenizing everything and the future of Facebook. We also discuss some of her favorite products, including Google Maps, Google Photos, and Asana, which they use extensively at The Information. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to AngelList and FreshBooks for their support. 😸

Bryce Roberts is co-founder and managing director of a different kind of VC firm, Indie.VC. He recently announced v3 of their fund model which is focused on backing revenue-generating companies that are seeking financial independence from the traditional VC rat race. Prior to starting the fund four years ago, Bryce invested in seed stage startups in the mid-2000's out of O'Reilly AlphaTech Ventures (OATV). Portfolio companies include Bitly, Chartbeat, Codecademy, Foursquare, Hipcamp, OpenX, and a bunch of others. He joins me all the way from his home base in Utah. In this episode: We talk all things venture capital, including how it's changed over the past decade and where it's going in the future. We've previously talked a bit about distributed teams on the startup side, but here we also talk about distributed teams when it comes to investing, including when Bryce moved from the Bay Area to Utah in the middle of a fund. How founders can be more honest with themselves about what they really want, and why so many want to quit chasing venture funding that they don't really want, and which leaves them in an escalating cycle of constantly reaching for the next funding milestone. We talk about which geographies in the Bryce is most bullish on for startups, besides the Bay Area. We get sidetracked talking about Bryce's membership in the “first name club” on Twitter (his username is @bryce) and whether we might be seeing any of the videos he's created on TikTok anytime soon (we won't). We also talk about some of Bryce's favorite products, including the Apple Watch, a headband that is supposed to help you sleep, and why TikTok is so addictive. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to AngelList and FreshBooks for their support.

Aba is back to host this fun episode with Taylor Lorenz. Aba is part of the team at Product Hunt and the author of Dream Big, Hustle Hard: The Millennial Woman's Guide to Success in Tech. Taylor Lorenz is a staff writer at The Atlantic, where she covers technology and culture. We love the way she always finds a way to be entertaining while stirring up thought-provoking debate. She's also an all-around social media superstar. In this episode we talk about: The origins of her obsession with the web and social media, and why people always seem to be nostalgic for the internet as it was when they first discovered it. Why deeming tech either universally good or universally bad is a false dichotomy and the need for a more nuanced discussion around the topic. Her obsession with horror movies and the psychology of horror, and why she would never want to live on Mars. We also discuss some of Taylor's favorite products including “Netflix for horror movies,” one of her favorite mobile community apps, and how she uses Google Maps to discover some of the best places and events near her. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to AngelList for their support. 😸

We have a special guest host for this episode, our teammate at Product Hunt, Abadesi Osunsade. She is the author of Dream Big, Hustle Hard: The Millennial Woman's Guide to Success in Tech. She'll be hosting more episodes alongside Ryan this year. Ann Miura-Ko is a founding partner at Floodgate, a seed-stage VC firm in Palo Alto. She has been called “the most powerful woman in startups” by Forbes and is an early investor in Lyft and TaskRabbit. She is also a lecturer in entrepreneurship at Stanford's School of Engineering and a founding member of All Raise. In this episode we talk about: Ann recounts how she got to where she is today, including what it was like growing up with a NASA scientist for a dad. She talks about some of the formative moments in her career and explains why she says that a “career path” is a misnomer. The mentors that have helped Ann throughout her career, and why she never approaches a relationship with an expectation of mentorship, but instead always “begins with an act of service.” Why the tech industry should always take a step back to question whether everyone prospers from its work, the five values that drive her investments at Floodgate, and why they tell entrepreneurs “your life's work is our life's work.” How she manages her children's relationships with social media (“browsing Instagram feels like not being invited to every party everyone else is having”), how she is personally working to increase the number of underrepresented founders, and the business benefit of diversity. We also discuss some of their favorite products including an old-fashioned note-taking system for the digital age, a better way to organize your tabs in Chrome, and a built-in CRM for your Gmail inbox. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to our sponsors, Rally Rd and AngelList, for their support.

On this episode I'm visiting Atrium's headquarters in SoMA in San Francisco to chat with two serial entrepreneurs, Justin Kan and Ranidu. Justin Kan's career blew up in the mid-2000s when he started livestreaming himself 24/7 on Justin.tv, a Y Combinator backed startup that he co-founded. Justin.tv eventually turned into Twitch and sold to Amazon for nearly a billion dollars. He has gone on to found multiple startups since then, including Exec, Whale, and now Atrium. Ranidu has a unique background. Before jumping into tech, he rose to fame as an R&B and hip-hop artist . He went on to join Google before founding the first of many startups, many of which have been centered around his passion for music. We talk about a few of them including The Drop, The Artist Union, and Audius, a decentralized audio distribution platform he started earlier this year. In this episode we talk about: What they've learned from building products and startups, what lessons they would give to entrepreneurs starting out today, and how the startup and investing landscape has changed. Justin explains why he says that 2010-2013 was the “sweet spot” for building and scaling a company in the Bay Area. We talk about whether distributed teams make sense due to the escalating cost of living and the battle for talent in San Francisco. Whether an Apple Watch can replace your smartphone. Justin talks about how he survives in Silicon Valley without a phone, how going phone-free has changed how he works and lives and why he compares compulsive smartphone use to an addiction. He says a smartphone is a “Juul for your mind.” We're all big music fans, so we also talk about artists we've been loving recently, why the lines between music genres are being blurred, and the economics of creating music for artists. We also discuss some of their favorite products including a gratitude journal app that will improve your mental health, a “social network for athletes,” and a tool to help organize your tasks at work. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to our sponsors, Rally Rd and AngelList, for their support.

Today I'm at Kleiner Perkins in San Francisco's South Park neighborhood to talk to Eugene Wei and Eric Feng. Eugene Wei has worked at Oculus, Flipboard, Amazon and Hulu. He actually left Amazon in the mid-2000s to attend film school before jumping back into tech. He’s also a prolific writer on his blog, Remains of the Day. Eric Feng is co-founder of Packagd and General Partner at Kleiner Perkins. He has previously worked at Microsoft, Flipboard and Hulu, where he and Eugene worked together. Fun fact: Eugene actually married Eric! (Eugene was the officiant at his wedding). In this episode we talk about: The uniqueness of video as a medium of communication and the future of how video will be created and consumed. Eric and Eugene worked together at Hulu and they talk about the background to the recent trend of tech moving in on Hollywood's turf. Creating tighter feedback loops when you're trying to learn something new or change your behavior. Eugene tells the story of adding after-market sensors to his golf clubs that give him all kinds of information on the speed and length of his swing. He calls it a swing coach on your phone and talks about how the trend of sensors and immediate feedback could be used to improve peoples' overall health, not just their short game. As some of the most plugged-in individuals in tech these days, they also discuss some of the trends they've been seeing in the tech industry and make some predictions about what they expect to see in the future. They discuss changes in how young people communicate these days, how the Chinese tech industry is different from the West's and why they expect to see the shift to e-commerce from advertising continue. We also discuss some of their favorite products including sensors you can stick on your golf clubs to give you pro-level stats, a tech-enabled meat smoker, and a way to solve the perennial 'baby with a stuffy nose' problem. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to our sponsors, GE Ventures, Rally Rd, and AngelList for their support. 😸

Today I'm visiting Garry Tan at Initialized HQ, a multi-stage fund that he started with Alexis Ohanian, one of the co-founders of reddit. The fund has grown tremendously over the past six years with nearly $1B under management, a team of more than 10, and investments in a few companies you might be a customer of, including Coinbase, Instacart, Algolia, GOAT, and a bunch of others. They were also investors in Product Hunt. In this episode we talk about: Garry's early years working as a software engineer in tech, including some major missed opportunities (in hindsight). He recounts the story of Peter Thiel trying to hire him away from Microsoft to join what became the multi-billion dollar company, Palantir. Initialized's decision-making framework for figuring out which companies to pass on and which companies to invest in, as well as their honey badger mascot. Why an often overlooked skill for founders is managing conflict, even when the team is still small. Garry explains why he backed a company that aims to help create harmonious startup teams founded by his former therapist. We also discuss some of the Initialized portfolio companies that Garry is most excited about and the “megatrends” that are creating opportunities for investors and founders in tech today. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to our sponsors, GE Ventures, Rally Rd, and AngelList for their support.

Today I'm visiting San Francisco's Mission district to chat with Winnie co-founders, Sara Mauskopf and Anne Halsall . They have a unique background working at large tech companies like Google, Twitter, Quora, and Postmates, where they worked together before starting Winnie, “the companion app for parents.” As someone who's built and admires community-driven businesses, it was a pleasure to dive into how Winnie is creating community and a platform for parents. As mothers, Sara and Anne exemplify founder/market fit and are uniquely qualified to build a product for parents. In this episode we talk about: How Anne and Sara found founder/market fit and how their personal experience — Sara and Anne both have two children — informs not only how they built Winnie the product, but also how they built Winnie the company. How Winnie combats fake parenting news, and why it was important for them to take a stance on certain issues and actively moderate out certain topics. The power of communities aligned around a single vertical. We compare custom-built communities to generalized community-building tools like Facebook and Reddit. Of course, we also talk about some of their favorite products, including a way to continuously share your location with other members of your family, an app to share photos with family members, and another that captures one second every day and over time turns it into a highlight reel for your life. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to our sponsors, GE Ventures, Rally Rd , and AngelList for their support.

Today I'm at the headquarters of High Fidelity in San Francisco talking with co-founder and CEO, Philip Rosedale. Philip and the team at High Fidelity are creating free and open source software that enables real-time, social virtual reality. Some of you may also know Philip as the creator of Second Life, the iconic “internet-scale virtual world.” In fact, this episode was actually recorded entirely in virtual reality. Philip and I were both wearing headsets in different rooms. You can actually watch a video capture of our 3D VR chat, featuring a slightly awkward-looking avatar of myself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu6pE6xQ0fY In this episode we talk about: The most advanced uses of VR today, like school kids being able to take a virtual field trip into an Egyptian tomb, and where VR is headed in the future. We discuss what VR might look like 5, 10, and 20 years in the future and which companies are best positioned to take advantage of the shift to VR. How widespread adoption of VR will transform our lives, especially when it comes to how we work and go to school. Philip gives the example of kids being able to go to school together with others from the other side of the world and how that will change for the better how we relate to one another. We also get into some of the philosophical questions around VR, including how to deal with identity and anonymity in a virtual world and why VR can enable better privacy online. We also talk about some of Philip's favorite VR applications as well as some of his requests for products in the space. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to our sponsors, GE Ventures, Rally Rd, and AngelList for their support

Today I'm at AngelList HQ in San Francisco for a bit of a reunion with two friends and investors: Parker Thompson and Erik Torenberg. Parker Thompson is a partner at AngelList and early stage investor. Prior to joining the family here (Product Hunt is an AngelList company), he was a partner at 500 Startups where he invested in Erik's first company, among many others. Before that, Parker spent six years at Pivotal Labs. As you'll hear, he's also behind the popular Twitter account @StartupLJackson. Erik Torenberg is co-founder and partner at Village Global, a network-driven venture firm. He is also co-founder and chairman of crypto company TokenDaily and On Deck, a community of top talent looking to start or join their next company. Erik was actually the first full-time teammate to join me at Product Hunt and prior to that, he co-founded rapt.fm, an app for participating in live online rap battles. In this episode we talk about: How investors choose which companies to bet on, including how investors think about investing in companies with distributed teams. We also run through the lessons learned from the early stage investing Parker, Erik and I have done and discuss the strategies founders should use when pricing their initial fundraising rounds. The emergence of crypto and whether it will pose a threat to Facebook as well as the challenges Facebook faces in trying to regulate what can and can't be said on their platform. We also talk about when decentralization makes sense and why some of the benefits of centralization might be overlooked in the rush to decentralize. How new business opportunities emerge through platform shifts, including whether voice as a platform is finally seeing its often-forecasted and much-anticipated shift to the mainstream. Erik and Parker also run through some of their requests for products. Of course, we also talk about some of their favorite products, including a social network for books, an app to help freestyle rappers, and a device that lets you cook food to perfection by vacuum-sealing it and submerging it in hot water. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to our sponsors, Airtable, GE Ventures, Intercom and Stripe for their support.

Today's episode of Product Hunt Radio is the largest gathering yet, featuring Arlan, Christie, Bryan, and Amiah from the Backstage Capital team. Arlan Hamilton isn't your typical VC. She went from being homeless not long ago to founding and scaling Backstage Capital, a fund dedicated to investing in underrepresented (or underestimated, as she coined) founders. Since 2015, they have invested millions of dollars into over 80 companies. Prior to starting the fund, she worked in the music industry, where she was a tour manager and founder and publisher of INTERLUDE, an internationally distributed indie magazine. Christie Pitts is the co-founder of Backstage Studio, their recently announced venture studio. Prior to teaming up with Arlan and team, she worked with Verizon Ventures portfolio and following emerging technology trends. Bryan Landers is Backstage's recently promoted COO and producer of two of Backstage's podcasts. Previously he worked as a designer and product manager at Zapier and as a consultant. Amiah Sheppard is an operations associate and analyst working on the deal flow team at Backstage. She has a particular focus on beauty and wellness startups. In this episode we talk about: Arlan's mission to find underrepresented and underestimated founders and the importance, even as adults, of being able to look up to role models who look like you. Arlan hopes to be a role model to a new generation of people of color that want to build companies. The crew, as they call the team at Backstage, walk through some of their requests for products, including waterproof headgear, online book clubs, and a way to bring the shared experience of live music online. Aspiring founders, take note! Also mullets make another appearance (see last week's episode for more chatter about mullet). Except this time it's not about a mullet strategy or mullet businesses, it's about the actual, for-real hockey hair. We also talk about some of their favorite products, like an app that lets you experience live music in virtual reality, a service that lets you search live audio, and a way to add pictures, maps or quotes to your favorite podcasts. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to our sponsors, Airtable, GE Ventures, Intercom and Stripe for their support

Today on Product Hunt Radio, I make the trek from San Francisco down to Sandhill Road to talk to Andrew Chen and Ada Chen at Andreessen Horowitz. Their matching last name is not a coincidence — yes, they are siblings. Andrew Chen is a relatively recent addition to Andreessen Horowitz team, where he's a General Partner focused on consumer and SaaS. Prior to joining the illustrious firm, he led growth teams at Uber. He's also a prolific writer with more than 650 essays over the past decade covering startups, growth, and more. Fun fact: he coined the term “mullet business” which we touch on during the podcast. (Where's a mullet emoji when you need it!?) Ada Chen has a unique background, operating at companies with massive scale, including Mochi Media, LinkedIn, and SurveyMonkey, as well as startups at the earliest stage. Today she advises several startups and is the COO of Notejoy, a collaborative notes app for teams, which she co-founded with her husband. In this episode we talk about: The uniqueness of the Silicon Valley tech ecosystem, how network effects conspire to create a “rich get richer” situation for cities, and why new communication tools enabling distributed teams to work together across continents could mean that there will be no “next Silicon Valley.” Ada shares her insights on the contrasting skill sets needed when working at a big company versus a small startup, after having herself gone from a small startup to a huge organization like LinkedIn back to a two-person startup with her husband. How to port the concept of OKRs — objectives and key results, a personnel management framework originated by legendary Intel CEO Andy Grove — to your personal life from your business (and why you would want to). We talk about you can use them to help manage your exercise, social life and relationship with your SO. Of course, we also chat about some of their favorite products, including an app that lets you pop in to a luxury hotel for a few hours to shower or have a nap, a super cool way to greet visitors to your office, and a new app for emailing yourself. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to our sponsors, Airtable, GE Ventures, Intercom and Stripe for their support.

In this episode of Product Hunt Radio, I'm in the sunny hills of Los Angeles at the home of Sophia Amoruso with Suzy Ryoo. Sophia Amoruso is an incredible entrepreneur who I've gotten to know over the past year. She got her start very young, when at 22 she founded NastyGal, selling vintage clothing on eBay. It turned into a massive company with hundreds of employees, until a decade later the company filed for bankruptcy. She's the author of the New York Times bestseller GIRLBOSS and more recently founded Girlboss, a company focused on bringing together and helping women professionals. They put on community events, publish a daily newsletter and host a wildly popular podcast. Suzy Ryoo is a very special person to me (full disclosure: She's my SO). We met at Coachella in 2015 just before she transitioned her career from entertainment and media to venture capital. At Atom Factory, she works with entrepreneur, artist manager, and investor, Troy Carter. They manage the Prince Estate and are investors in companies like Lyft, Uber, Warby Parker, Spotify, and Girlboss. She is also a partner at Cross Culture Ventures, a seed stage fund in Los Angeles. In this episode we talk about: The best tools and techniques we've used to build healthy habits, whether it's getting more exercise, meditating more frequently (even for five minutes at a time) or just having a calmer mind. We also talk about the ways that being part of a non-judgmental online community — yes, those do exist online — can help everybody involved reach their goals. Sophia talks about her journey as an entrepreneur, including building a huge company like Nasty Gal “by accident” and the lessons she's taking from her time at Nasty Gal as she starts Girlboss, which, as she likes to say, is the first company she's started “on purpose.” Why Suzy is still a power user of location-based check-in apps like Swarm and Foursquare. We also talk about some of the unappreciated merits of what sometimes seem like “creepy” products. The ups-and-downs of investing, and why sometimes you can make a sound decision at the time that you later come to regret. Of course, we also chat about some of their favorite products, including a $40 (!) astrology app, apps that promise “a vacation for your mind,” as well as startups that deliver the best vitamins and probiotics. We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Also, big thanks to our sponsors, Airtable, GE Ventures, Intercom and Stripe for their support.

Today I'm visiting Stripe's office in San Francisco to chat with Patrick Collison and Courtland Allen, shortly after they announced their latest round of funding, valuing the company at a whopping $20B. Patrick Collison is the CEO and co-founder of Stripe, an ambitious company aiming to increase the GDP of the internet. The now 1,300 person company was started in 2010 by Patrick and his brother, John Collison, at the age of 23 and 21, respectively. Courtland Allen is a super talented designer and developer. In 2016 he founded Indie Hackers, an awesome community of bootstrappers and makers sharing their stories. Nine months later Stripe acquired the company. Courtland is also a Y Combinator alumnus and an MIT graduate with a degree in Computer Science. In this episode we talk about: * Patrick and Courtland's role models when they were building their businesses, and how the right role models today can help build a more inclusive tech ecosystem. * The influence of Indie Hackers on Stripe and why even with the great tech for online communication today, some of the best interactions between its community members happen at meetups. * Why Stripe started a book publishing business (in 2018) and the reading habits of Patrick, Courtland, and others at Stripe. We of course also talk about some of their favorite products including a product to tell you how you sleep, helpful tools for building your next app, and some “oldies-but-goodies” that you might have forgotten about.

In this episode of Product Hunt Radio, I'm visiting TechCrunch HQ to hang out with two journalists that see more startups in a month than most people in a lifetime. Josh Constine is the Editor-At-Large at TechCrunch where he specializes his analysis on social products, including everything Facebook. Two fun facts: He's a Stanford graduate with a Master's degree in cybersociology and (like myself) a big fan of live music. Sarah Buhr is a new mother and, as she announces on the show, is taking a break from reporting at TechCrunch to raise her child. I've known Sarah since she joined TechCrunch in 2014 and more recently she's focused her writing on the wild world of biotechnology. In this episode we talk about: The baby boom in Silicon Valley, including some of the coolest tech-enabled baby products helping tired moms and dads, as well as the ways that tech company cultures have changed since their founders and employees started having children. Why it might be possible to beat unhealthiness with convenience. We talk about a number of startups that are trying to get you fit by making the healthy option the easier option, similar to how Spotify beat piracy by making streaming easier than pirating. The future of work and education and how it will affect the world baby Hayes grows up in. We talk about why Sarah and her husband have been debating whether they should be saving for Hayes to go to college, how AR and VR will transform education and how automation will affect the workplace. All things Facebook – whether new startups can compete with the massive social network and some quick thoughts on their first hardware product, Portal. We of course also talk about some of their favorite products including a robot that makes burgers, a time-sucking app for meme lovers, and a virtual assistant that can do things for you when you run out of time (because you were browsing memes).

I'm recording from my home in San Francisco to talk to two young entrepreneurs: Tiffany Zhong interned at Product Hunt while she was still in high school. After she finished school, she worked in venture capital before starting Zebra Intelligence, a startup helping brands and old people like myself better understand Gen Z. Drake Rehfeld is CEO of Splish, a Y Combinator-backed company that's building social apps to make the internet more fun. We talk about “what the kids are using these days” and all things Generation Z. We also discuss the phenomenon of “digital influencers” on Instagram, what Gen Z thinks of them, and why you would start your own. We also talk about the “finsta,” the ways that “the kids these days” are reshaping how identity works on the web, and some of the experimental social apps that don't have any of the typical social features like comments, followers or likes.

In this episode of Product Hunt Radio, I'm in Los Angeles talking to Brian Norgard and Jeff Morris Jr., both of whom may be indirectly responsible for a generation of “Tinder babies”. Brian Norgard is an entrepreneur, investor, and Chief Product Officer at Tinder. Jeff Morris Jr. is the Director of Product for Tinder's revenue initiatives. In this episode we talk about: - The joy of turning online connections into real-world connections. Jeff is great at this. He once went biking with Lance Armstrong in Hawaii after reaching out to Armstrong on Twitter. - How seemingly minor design decisions, like adding a subtle animation to a play button, can “nudge” users into a new pattern of behavior and make products more enjoyable to use. - Brian and Jeff discuss the design of Tinder Places, including the thoughtfulness that went into the privacy features of the product, and how they took inspiration from Foursquare. - We get nostalgic and discuss some of our favorite products from the past, like Chill and Highlight. They leveraged location on mobile in an attempt to merge the online and offline world. - Jeff tells the story of the time he reached out on Twitter about a job opportunity and less than 48 hours later had moved from San Francisco to Kansas City. - Why Product Hunt has gained a reputation as a positive, fun, and upbeat community and how subtle, very intentional design decisions — like our ridiculous Google Glass-sporting cat — contribute to the community and brand.

I'm visiting Y Combinator's San Francisco headquarters to talk to two of the people who are integral to Y Combinator — Kat Manalac and Michael Seibel. Kat is a Partner at Y Combinator and one of the people that convinced us to apply to join the program back in 2014. She's been at YC for five years, focusing on founder outreach, company pitch perfection, and much much more. Michael is CEO of Y Combinator's accelerator program. He has been through YC himself a couple of times — first in 2007, as co-founder and CEO of Justin.tv — and again in 2012 as co-founder and CEO of Socialcam. Justin.tv later became Twitch and sold to Amazon, and Socialcam was sold to Autodesk. In this episode we talk about: The evolution of Y Combinator. It's changed a ton since Product Hunt went through the program four years ago. They've been working on several programs for founders — things that Michael wishes existed when he went through the program. Michael and Kat's advice for founders, including counterintuitive tips they've learned after working with literally thousands of startups. A key mistake that trips up new founders when pitching their company, as well as advice for founders seeking a technical co-founder. How YC has scaled the organization as a 50-person company with its 4,000 (and growing) alumni.

In this episode of Product Hunt Radio I'm joined by two incredible people, Laura Deming and Daniel Gross, who have accomplished more before the age of 30 than most people have realized in a lifetime. We talk about what it was like for Laura and Daniel to move to the Bay Area from overseas, how Pioneer aims to find the "world's lost Einsteins" and what it might mean to put an end to aging.

On this episode we're joined by Anil Dash and Allison Esposito. Anil is CEO of Glitch, a friendly community where developers build the app of their dreams. Allison founded Tech Ladies, a community that connects women with the best jobs in tech. We reminisce about the good ol' days of IRC, Friendster, AIM, and MySpace. A lot has changed since then, yet they continue to exhibit some of the same dynamics and challenges of today's massive social networks. We also talk about the challenges of building a healthy community on the internet in a time when careers and reputations can be destroyed in an instant. Of course, we’ll also cover some of our favorite products that you might not know about.

In our inaugural episode, we're joined by two notable investors, Alexia and Niko Bonatsos. We talk about the rise of voice technology, the evolution of venture capital, and some of our favorite products including an app that reminds you that you're going to die. ☠️

Today, we're re-introducing Product Hunt Radio, a weekly show with the people building and shaping the future of tech and culture. 😸

This week’s episode is with Donald Rumsfeld. Donald is the former Secretary of Defense for the US and, at the tender age of 83, released an app - a solitaire game inspired by Winston Churchill. We talk about the app, lessons learned over his career, thoughts about succeeding in politics, in business, how he thinks about the future and much more. Edited by @jennaweissberman Lavish Praise to @Rumsfeldoffice Constructive Criticism to @eriktorenberg

Jason Calacanis is a long time founder and investor, having invested in Uber, Thumbtack, and many more. We talk about Jason’s Launch Incubator, investment strategy, legacy, and much more. As always, Jason tells it straight and does not hold back any punches. Edited by @alexkontis Lavish Praise to @Jason Constructive Criticism to @eriktorenberg

Arianna is the founder of The Huffington Post, board member of Uber, and author of "The Sleep Revolution". Order the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011G3HC0U/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 We talk about all things sleep, (i.e why we glamorize burnout), what inspired her to write the book, and what she’s doing to spark a sleep revolution. We also we talk about the story behind her joining Uber, her background and how she got into tech, and her long-term ambitions and thoughts on legacy. Edited by @alexkontis Lavish Praise to @ariannahuff Constructive Criticism to @eriktorenberg

Josh is one of the most respected product managers in the game, having built products at Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin. Now he has made an name for himself at Greylock as a top vc We talk about his journey working at those companies, what it was like to work with some of the best founders of all time, his transition to investing, advice for people starting a company, and much more. Josh has been a friend and supporter and If you ever get a chance to work with Josh I highly recommend it. One of the best at what he does and he’s one of the good guys.

Tyler Willis is an angel investor and entrepreneur (former CMO of Hired). In this episode we talk about identity balancing the personal & professional self, goal setting, transparency, imposter syndrome, self-learning. the craft of angel investing, and much more. Do check out Tyler Willis' fantastic podcast about angel investing: https://soundcloud.com/angellist/episode-0-tyler-willis-intro-to-angellist-radio-s1 Edited by @alexkontis Lavish Praise to @Tylerwillis Constructive Criticism to @eriktorenberg

Bret Taylor previously built Google Maps and served as CTO of Facebook. He is now founder of Quip. In this episode we talk about what it was like working at Facebook & Google, how he’s grown as a CEO and founder of Quip and various lessons learned along the way. Edited by @alexkontis Lavish Praise to @Btaylor Constructive Criticism to @eriktorenberg

Brad is an incredibly successful investor, having founded the Techstars accelerator and Foundry group, and he's also also known as one of the kindest guys in the business. In this episode, we talk about how Brad rejects the term career, his principles of time management, why he doesn’t have kids, mental health and startups, romantic relationships, ego management, and much more. As one listener remarked, this episode is basically a how-to on life. Edited by @alexkontis

Esther Perel is the perhaps world’s foremost expert on relationships. In this episode we talk about why desire wanes in relationships, how she would devise her own sex-education curriculum, why a bit of jealousy is good, how couples make non-monogamy work, how childhood affects one’s relationships, and much more. Esther has just launched a course called Rekindling Desire, which gets into all this stuff and much more. http://rekindlingdesire.com/?ims=yrbbp&utm_campaign=Discovering+Desire+2016+04&utm_source=Influencer&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=Product+Hunt Here are the perks: -- Grand Opening price of $297 (After the grand opening, the normal price immediately goes up to $497 - $200 value) -- Private Facebook Group Support Community -- Signed copy of Esther’s book Mating in Captivity -- The first 300 people to register will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a private two-hour individual or couple therapy session with Esther. Edited by @alexkontis Co-host is @clairecaveny Lavish Praise to @EstherPerel Constructive Criticism to @eriktorenberg

Elisa New is a Harvard professor of poetry and founder of the non-profit, Poetry in America. Involved in the project are people like Nas, Bill Clinton, and others who want to promote a love of poetry. We talk about the role of poetry in society, the forms its taken place (academia, spoken word, hip hop), the business of poetry, and much more. For more information on Elisa's class, here is the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o051ZQ6OoDI And here is the link to register: https://www.edx.org/course/poetry-america-modernism-harvardx-ampox-6

Adam Grant is the youngest professor ever to be tenured at wharton business school, and a best selling author of classics "Give and Take" and, most recently, "Originals" In this episode we talk about what separates Originals from their peers, what environments best nurture original thinking, how people can become more creative, why the effects of parenting are overrated, and much more. Edited by @alexkontis Lavish Praise to @adamgrant Constructive Criticism to @eriktorenberg

Note: Apologize for poor audio quality on my part - we've transcribed the full podcast for your pleasure: https://docs.google.com/document/d/143v8O5o609f68uoco4oXRF67mPNGyzpleCiqzJR7E04/edit Larry is the former Treasury Secretary, former Chief Economist for Barack Obama, former president of Harvard, and is currently a board member for companies like Square and Lending Club. In this episode we talk about his approach to government, academia and tech investing, the rise of Donald Trump, Barack Obama’s legacy, the future of higher education, and much more. if you enjoy this episode, check out Larry's blog at larrysummers.com. Edited by @alexkontis Lavish Praise to @LHSummers Constructive Criticism to @eriktorenberg *My apologies for poor audio in first few min.

Gary Vaynerchuk is a entrepreneur, investor, and best selling author with a new book called #AskGaryVee Link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Z71HW8A/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?ie=UTF8&btkr=1 In this episode we talk about his new book, how he became an investor, what it’s like staring a company with his brother, the role ego plays in his life, his famous jam sessions with Chris Sacca, Travis Kalanick, Ashton Kutcher, and much more. Edited by @Alexkontis Lavish Praise to @garyvee Constructive Criticism to @eriktorenberg

Matt is managing partner at Lower Case Capital with Chris Sacca. We talk about how Matt transitioned from 8 years at CAA to the world of VC, the future of Lowercase and VC in general, advice for breaking into startups/VC, difference between LA and SF, and much more. Matt is one of the best investors in the game and also one of the kindest. Edited by @alexkontis Lavish Praise to @Mazzeo Constructive Criticism to @eriktorenberg

Ruben Harris runs partnerships at Honor and is on the front lines of the diversity in tech movement. in this episode we talk about how he broke into tech, how he moved from Atlanta to SF and built a network from scratch, how before that he taught himself to be an investment banker, how he built a personal board of advisors, and more. Edited by @alexkontis Lavish Praise to @RubenHarris Constructive Criticism to @eriktorenberg

Jesse Williams is an actor in the hit show Grey’s Anatomy, and founder of Ebroji. this episode we talk about the launch of his app Ebroji, emojis and gifs as extension and evolution in language, the upsides and downsides of him being famous, the role social justice plays in his life and much more . Edited by @alexkontis Lavish Praise to @jessewilliams Constructive Criticism to @eriktorenberg

Dhani Jones is a former NFL player, book author and founder of Proclamation. In this episode we talk about life after the NFL, his transition into the business world, the NFL as an organization, misconceptions about football players, race in america, and much more. Edited by @Alexkontis Lavish Praise to @DhaniJones Constructive Criticism to @eriktorenberg