Founder Real Talk

11% Instead of 30-50%: Joy Curth on Building a Fairer Marketplace for Small Business | Ep. 62

Wisdom Partners — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 17:21:30 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

We explore the real journey of building and growing a company. Each episode, we go beyond the highlight reel to unpack the strategies, decisions, and hard lessons that shaped successful businesses, revealing the good, the bad, and the ugly behind the growth.

This week, Josh sits down with Joy Curth, founder of El Locale, a platform making it easy to shop local. Joy also owns Societe, a brick-and-mortar wellness shop in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and her own brutal experience trying to sell on Amazon — a $100 monthly fee just to exist, a 30% cut of every sale, and her own custom product buried on page 25 of search results — became the spark for El Locale. She opens up about building a fee model that takes 11% instead of Amazon's 30-50%, winning the audience award at Boston Innovation Night, and running a bootstrapped startup almost entirely with the help of 25 remote college interns.

This episode was brought to you by Wisdom Partners. If you’re looking for more real conversations, practical resources, and honest founder stories, follow us for upcoming episodes of Founder Real Talk. We invite you to subscribe to our Substack newsletters to receive weekly articles, insights, and resources designed to support founders through every stage of the journey!

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(01:38) - The Amazon story that started it all: page 25 and no buy-now button

(05:40) - Building a fee model that actually works for small businesses

(08:11) - Starting hyper-local: the New Hampshire Seacoast as the pilot market

(09:47) - A big win: the audience award at Boston Innovation Night

(11:04) - Learning to solve problems creatively without corporate resources

(14:05) - Competitors emerging as validation, not threat

(14:35) - The biggest challenge now: helping businesses that aren't online at all

(19:19) - Doing things that don't scale (yet)

(23:19) - Evolving as a leader: teaching 25 remote interns

(27:24) - What has to happen before expanding to a second community

Links & Resources

Joy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joycurth
El Locale: https://ellocale.com/
Related business, Société: https://societeapothecary.com/
Paul Graham's "Do Things That Don't Scale" essay: https://www.paulgraham.com/ds.html

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, shop local, local commerce marketplace, El Locale, Joy Curth, Amazon alternative, Etsy alternative, small business platform, New Hampshire, Seacoast, bootstrapped startup, remote interns, fee model, marketplace economics, local economic impact, brick and mortar retail, onboarding challenges, do things that don't scale, first-time founder, corporate to startup transition

Anyone Can Vibe Code a Prototype. That's Not the Hard Part. — Arun Krishnaswamy on Mool AI | Ep. 61

Wisdom Partners — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 17:36:44 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with Arun Krishnaswamy, founder and CEO of Mool AI, an agent factory for the enterprise back office. Arun's background spans Yahoo, Microsoft Research, Visa, and Workday — where his team built the world's first foundation model, three years before ChatGPT. He explains why building an AI prototype is easy but getting it into production is the real bottleneck, how Mool AI takes an agent from four to six months down to two hours, and why he was talking about "orchestration" and token optimization over a year before the rest of the industry caught up. Arun also opens up about the cost of being early, running a partner-dependent business model, and his unusual founder ambition: not just a great exit for himself, but making every employee at Mool AI a millionaire and a future founder.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(02:10) - Why building an AI prototype is easy, but production is the real problem

(05:55) - Bring us your "lovable project" and we'll harden it into production

(13:05) - Context Forge: reversing the context problem

(13:50) - A big win: agentifying the SaaS ecosystem instead of replacing it

(19:00) - Building a production-ready agent live, in a two-hour customer meeting

(24:37) - Learning through struggle: the risk of partner-dependent growth

(25:44) - Being early: talking about orchestration before anyone else was

(30:28) - How they stayed afloat while ahead of the market

(34:44) - First time being a CEO: from big-team leader to jack of all trades

(38:54) - Investing in himself: cooking, delegation, and building future founders

(44:00) - The goal: make every employee a millionaire

Links & Resources

Arun’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arun-krishnaswamy
MoolAI: https://www.moolai.ai/

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, AI agents, agentic platforms, Mool AI, Arun Krishnaswamy, production-ready AI, LLM orchestration, context engineering, synthetic data, SaaS agentification, enterprise AI, red teaming, prompt injection, AI hallucination, first-time CEO, partner ecosystem risk, being early to market, token optimization, founder legacy, employee equity

Our Most Limited Resource Is Energy — David McCombie on M&A and Founder Wisdom | Ep. 60

Wisdom Partners — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 19:01:11 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with David McCombie, founder and CEO of McCombie Group, an investment bank and advisory firm that helps mid-market founders build, fund, and sell their businesses. David pushes back hard on "unicorn pressure" — the idea that a startup only succeeds if it becomes a billion-dollar outcome — and explains why some founders walk away from a $50 million exit with little or nothing because of liquidation preferences buried in their cap table. He opens up about a pivotal moment early in his career when he turned down paying work because the client didn't feel like the right fit, and why separating your identity from your business's performance actually makes you a better negotiator, not a worse one.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(02:36) - What McCombie Group actually does: helping founders build, fund, and sell

(04:30) - Why it's not just "real estate brokering for businesses"

(06:16) - Defining the mid-market: $20M to $200M deals

(08:59) - Unicorn pressure and the myth of the billion-dollar outcome

(12:31) - Liquidation preferences: the hidden booby trap on your cap table

(15:52) - A big win: turning a business with serious gaps into a life-changing exit

(19:16) - Wisdom is failure redeemed: choosing the wrong financial partner

(23:16) - The crucible moment: turning down an assignment he needed

(26:41) - The biggest challenge now: separating fulfillment from net worth

(29:53) - Separating identity from the business's performance

(33:00) - Holding the bat loosely

(36:57) - Courting multiple buyers without needing to sell

Links & Resources

David’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmccombie
McCombie Group: https://mccombiegroup.com/

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, mergers and acquisitions, M&A, investment banking, mid-market, McCombie Group, David McCombie, exit planning, unicorn pressure, liquidation preferences, venture capital, cap table, founder identity, business partnerships, co-founder fit, McKinsey, separating identity from outcome, negotiation, forced seller, business valuation

He Staged a Protest Outside a HubSpot Event. It Went Viral — Ben Gusberg on Building CAPE | Ep. 59

Wisdom Partners — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:57:38 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with Ben Gusberg, co-founder and CEO of CAPE, an AI platform built for warm go-to-market — automating referrals, warm intros, and event networking instead of cold outreach. CAPE didn't start as CAPE. It began as a stablecoin infrastructure company that became non-viable almost overnight, just months after raising $4 million. Ben opens up about the most stressful moment of his life, why he refuses to dwell on sunk costs, the viral protest his team staged outside a HubSpot event during NYC Tech Week, and why he believes speed of learning — not background, network, or expertise — is the one thing that actually predicts startup success.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(01:35) - AI for warm go-to-market: what CAPE actually does

(04:11) - Why in-person trust is resurging as AI floods every other channel

(07:53) - A big win: staging a viral protest outside a HubSpot event

(12:06) - The stablecoin pivot and the most stress he's ever felt

(15:27) - Avoiding the sunk cost fallacy

(18:05) - The biggest challenge now: launching the new product and chasing product-market fit

(21:16) - Revealed preferences vs. stated preferences

(22:59) - Finding the stickiest features in the product

(27:32) - Evolving as a first-time venture-backed founder

(28:50) - Becoming more shameless as a leader

(29:58) - Investing in himself: Saturdays, and staying obsessed

Links & Resources

Ben’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-gusberg
CAPE: https://www.joincape.ai/

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, sales technology, go-to-market, warm outreach, referrals, networking, CAPE, Ben Gusberg, stablecoin, crypto pivot, cold email, AI sales tools, product-market fit, behavioral economics, revealed preferences, viral marketing, guerrilla marketing, speed of learning, venture-backed founders, first-time founder, sunk cost fallacy

From $0 to $200K in 65 Days. Then His Body Broke Down. — Michael Barnes on Viva Benefits | Ep. 58

Wisdom Partners — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 16:29:49 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with Michael Barnes, repeat founder, investor, and CEO of Viva Benefits, a company that empowers landlords to offer benefits like telehealth, financial wellness, and education support to renters in affordable and workforce housing. Viva now serves 55,000 households nationwide, offering full-household telehealth for as little as $8 a month. Michael opens up about the moment his stress physically broke his body during his first company's hypergrowth (shingles, at 35), the lightning-in-his-veins moment he described to his own daughter, and the systems, coaching, and mental practices he's built to make sure it doesn't happen again.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(02:34) - What Viva Benefits actually does for renters and landlords

(05:33) - Why stabilizing residents stabilizes the whole housing asset

(08:06) - The Kaiser Permanente origin of employer health insurance, and its parallel here

(13:50) - A big win: discovering $8-a-month telehealth

(18:56) - $0 to $200K in 65 days, then shingles at 35

(20:40) - Lightning coursing through his veins

(26:40) - Building an ops manager role to stop things falling through the cracks

(29:18) - Hiring a sales advisor instead of trying to clone himself

(34:37) - The mind palace: staying clear instead of holding onto stress

(36:10) - Investing in leadership: coaching, parenting, and making space to be a dad

Links & Resources

Michael’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/texbarnes
Viva Benefits: vivabenefits.com

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, proptech, affordable housing, workforce housing, renter benefits, telehealth, Viva Benefits, Michael Barnes, repeat founder, employee benefits history, Kaiser Permanente, net operating income, real estate investment, founder burnout, physical health and stress, shingles, leadership coaching, mind palace, mindfulness, parenting and leadership, ops manager, delegation

From Emotional Leader to Cutthroat CEO — AJ Goyal on the Cost of Scaling Fibr AI | Ep. 57

Wisdom Partners — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 15:24:46 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with AJ Goyal, repeat founder and CEO of Fibr AI, the company bringing AI-personalized, real-time responsive websites to marketers, banks, and healthcare companies. Before Fibr AI found its market, AJ built the same product for D2C brands in India and couldn't sell a single unit — even to his own friends. A pivot, a painful comparison to a competitor doing $17 million, and a bet on enterprise banks (against nearly every piece of standard startup advice) eventually turned it around. AJ opens up about why he decided to chase whales instead of minnows, how his leadership style flipped from emotional to cutthroat as the company scaled, and the moment a simple question about his own growth caught him completely off guard.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(02:28) - What Fibr AI actually does: personalizing websites for humans, bots, and LLMs

(05:20) - Why this problem became personal: the PCOS product that lost customers on a generic page

(09:49) - Fishing for whales instead of minnows

(12:15) - The engineering team that couldn't keep up with the pivot

(14:36) - Surviving an 18-month sales cycle

(19:08) - The India failure: nobody took it, not even his friends

(20:55) - The competitor hitting $17M while AJ was stuck at zero

(25:03) - The biggest challenge now: top of the funnel

(29:02) - The growing edge: being a people's leader without losing the vision

(32:41) - Investing in himself: a six-month-old, a new country, and no time left over

Links & Resources

AJ’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ankurgoyal22
Fibr AI: https://fibr.ai/

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, AI personalization, website optimization, Fibr AI, AJ Goyal, repeat founder, enterprise sales, whale hunting, ICP discovery, D2C, women's health tech, PCOS, banking clients, 18 month sales cycle, pilot pricing, founder failure, market fit, leadership development, cutthroat leadership, developmental culture, founder burnout, immigrant founder

She Fired Herself From Marketing Her Own Marketing Company — Dana Marxer on AyeQ | Ep. 56

Wisdom Partners — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 16:34:59 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with Dana Marxer, CEO of AyeQ, a SaaS company that automates growth planning and sales and marketing execution for B2B organizations. An engineer by training who found herself in marketing early in her career, Dana built AyeQ to end the age-old finger-pointing between sales and marketing teams by treating revenue generation like a manufacturing process. She opens up about the 30% of her company's investment she now knows was wasted (and why it was entirely her own doing), firing herself from marketing her own marketing company, and the moment cooking with her son Ben taught her more about leadership than a decade of sprinting ever did.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(02:38) - What AyeQ actually solves: manufacturing revenue

(06:13) - Connecting marketing spend to closed revenue

(10:08) - Why this problem resonates: an engineer's take on sales and marketing

(12:23) - A big win: when AI made the platform's insights click

(17:22) - Building the infrastructure first, then layering in AI

(21:03) - Wasting 30% of the investment (and why it was all her)

(28:06) - Firing herself from marketing her own company

(30:51) - Building a great company, not just a great product

(34:00) - Ben, the eggs, and letting your team fail safely

Links & Resources

Dana’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danamarxer
AyeQ Website: https://aye-q.com/
Wisdom Partners blog post: How to Triage Fires Without Kneecapping Your Team: https://blog.wisdompartners.llc/p/triaging-fires-without-kneecapping

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, RevOps, B2B SaaS, sales and marketing alignment, growth planning, AyeQ, Dana Marxer, AI agents, machine learning, LTV to CAC, marketing automation, CRM, founder failure, wasted investment, hiring mistakes, product-led growth, firing yourself, scaling a company, special needs parenting, letting teams fail, leadership development, podcast, CEO

He Used His Own Company to Save His Father's Life — Ardy Arianpour on Seqster | Ep. 55

Wisdom Partners — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with Ardy Arianpour, co-founder and CEO of Seqster, a company aggregating and managing fragmented patient health data into a single longitudinal health record. A decade in, Ardy shares the story of using his own company's technology to get his father into emergency surgery within a week of a cancer diagnosis, pulling records from six different health systems in a single tumor board. He opens up about two years spent hiding in stealth mode out of fear, 16 to 17 months of depression he hid from his own team, and the exercise routine that eventually pulled him out of it. This is one of the most candid, vulnerable conversations we've had on the show.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(02:02) - The problem: 10 years fixing fragmented patient data

(03:26) - How Seqster helped save his father's life

(08:03) - The BioIVT partnership

(16:11) - Why this became a mission: his mother's breast cancer and the fight against Myriad Genetics

(22:07) - The stars and scars: two years lost hiding in stealth mode

(25:39) - Fear and anxiety as a founder

(27:29) - 17 months of depression he hid from everyone

(34:55) - What helped him get out of it: exercise, the ocean, and nature

(39:00) - Closing thoughts: more shots on goal

Links & Resources

Ardy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ardyarianpour/
Seqster: https://seqster.com/
Leadership Anxiety: Managing Yours and Theirs: https://www.amazon.com/Managing-Leadership-Anxiety-Yours-Theirs/dp/1400210887
BioIVT: https://www.linden.com/portfolio/investments/current/bioivt/

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, health tech, patient data, longitudinal health record, Seekster, Ardy Arianpour, oncology, precision medicine, genomics, BRCA gene patents, Myriad Genetics, healthcare interoperability, AI in healthcare, founder depression, founder anxiety, mental health, founder resilience, cap table, equity sharing, mission-driven founders, exercise and mental health

He Opened a Meditation App and His Worst Thoughts Showed Up. — Yash Ghanekar on Moksha | Ep. 54

Wisdom Partners — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with Yash Ghanekar, founder and CEO of Moksha, a startup building breathing-based tools and wearables to reduce anxiety and stress. Moksha started as a mechanical breathing necklace born out of Yash's own struggle with anxiety and grief during COVID, and has since become a smart, gamified breath-work device with four times the 30-day retention of leading meditation apps. Yash opens up about the first device that accidentally made people more anxious, why he gives ad campaigns 90 days instead of pulling the plug after three weeks, and why he leans on his customers instead of the funding narrative whenever things get hard.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(02:07) - From a breathing necklace to a gamified smart device

(04:25) - How the necklace actually worked

(06:29) - A big win this year after four years of R&D

(09:35) - 4x the retention of leading meditation apps

(12:38) - Pricing, subscriptions, and the gem economy

(14:53) - Landing the first distribution partner

(17:48) - Giving ad campaigns 90 days instead of pulling the plug early

(21:49) - How building Moksha changed Yash as a leader

(27:16) - Where to find Moksha, and who Yash wants to meet

Links & Resources

Yash’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yash-ghanekar-b56753184
Moksha Website: https://mokshanecklace.com/
Moksha App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/moksha-gamified-breathwork/id1658736712
Breath by James Nestor: https://www.amazon.com/Breath-New-Science-Lost-Art/dp/0735213615

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, wellness tech, mental health tech, breathwork, meditation, wearables, hardware startups, Moksha, Yash Ghanekar, anxiety, stress management, gamification, product retention, hardware distribution, paid ads, ad testing, founder resilience, customer-first mindset, leadership development

He Asked for a Free Tour. He Left as CEO — Dan Koukol on Building Digit | Ep. 53

Wisdom Partners — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 19:45:17 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with Dan Koukol, founder and CEO of Digit (Now D-Software), a unified operating system for manufacturers. Dan's path started with an email asking for a free tour of a disc golf factory, which turned into a consulting gig, which turned into him becoming CEO of Prodigy Discs within six months. He grew Prodigy from $2 million to $10 million in eighteen months, largely by picking up trash off the warehouse floor until his team started doing it unprompted. He opens up about declining the only term sheet his company had with no cash left in the bank, the difference between missionary and mercenary founders, and why he now runs his leadership development through weekly sessions with Claude.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(04:05) - Growing Prodigy from $2M to $10M in 18 months

(08:48) - Ownership culture in action: the gimbal walk and the trash on the floor

(11:47) - What D-Software actually solves for manufacturers

(14:28) - A big win this year

(16:13) - Missionary founders vs mercenary founders

(20:07) - The biggest challenge right now

(22:18) - Finding real work-life balance as a founder

(27:05) - Investing in himself: sleep, habits, and weekly sessions with Claude

Links & Resources

Dan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielkoukol/
D-Software’s Website: https://www.digit-software.com/
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Habit-What-Life-Business/dp/081298160X

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, manufacturing tech, ERP software, Digit, Dan Koukol, Prodigy Discs, disc golf, operations turnaround, ownership culture, servant leadership, missionary founders, term sheet, near-death startup story, founder resilience, work life balance, leadership development, Claude AI, general manager transition, remote-first culture, supply chain software

Fundraising Is Fundamentally Broken. Jeff Fidelman Is Fixing the Incentives. | Ep. 52

Wisdom Partners — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with Jeffrey Fidelman, a multi-time founder and CEO of Fiddleman & Co. — a firm that helps startups and emerging funds raise capital through investor outreach — and soon-to-launch Fundex, a CRM built specifically for the fundraising process. Jeff spent his early career at Morgan Stanley, HSBC, and as a VC partner before realizing early-stage fundraising was fundamentally broken by misaligned incentives. Eleven years into running his own business, he opens up about why "failing correctly" is harder than winning, the scientific method he applies to fundraising campaigns, and the line from another founder that hit him harder than he expected.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(02:05) - Why early-stage fundraising is fundamentally broken

(05:37) - The paradox: founders need help raising, but paying for help looks bad

(11:16) - Why this problem became Jeff's passion

(14:38) - A win this year: more capital raised than all of last year combined

(16:38) - Failing correctly is hard. Winning is easy.

(21:03) - The scientific method for testing a fundraising campaign

(23:15) - Setting the right expectations (and refusing to sell snake oil)

(29:59) - Evolving as a leader: being the conduit for your team and your clients

(33:42) - Investing in yourself: outlets, outsiders, and the gym

(36:57) - The 10-year overnight success

(37:10) - Closing thoughts

Links & Resources

Jeff’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyfidelman
Fidelman&Co: https://fidelmanco.com/

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, fundraising, venture capital, investor relations, capital raising, Fiddleman & Co, Jeffrey Fidelman, Fundex, CRM, seed stage, Series A, pre-seed, misaligned incentives, founder-led fundraising, scientific method, A/B testing, company culture, remote teams, delegation, leadership investment, overnight success, founder resilience

I Wage War on the Word "Fail" — Justin Abrams on Building Cause of a Kind | Ep. 51

Wisdom Partners — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with Justin Abrams, co-founder of Cause of a Kind — a startup studio and agency that builds custom software and web applications for impact-driven businesses. Justin and his co-founder (his best friend since age 15) spent 10 years failing at their own product ideas — a membership platform called Membo, a sustainable beeswax surf wax company, a t-shirt line — before realizing what they were actually great at was building other people's dreams. He opens up about why he refuses to use the word "fail," why the power of unsexy Main Street customers is bigger than founders realize, and why the AI panic has it backwards: we're entering the age of expertise, not obsolescence.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(01:12) - What Cause of a Kind actually does

(04:41) - Why building other people's dreams became the mission

(10:44) - The age of expertise (and why AI panic has it backwards)

(13:48) - The power of boring, unsexy Main Street businesses

(27:06) - Wisdom is the receipts of failure

(28:08) - The Membo story: 11 years of failed products

(31:42) - Follow opportunities, not passion

(33:53) - Failing intelligently and the Inception Marketing playbook

(35:15) - Closing thoughts

Links & Resources

Justin’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin
Cause of a Kind: https://www.causeofakind.com/
Strictly from Nowhere Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w
Blog post: The Power of Unsexy Customers: https://blog.wisdompartners.llc/p/the-power-of-unsexy-customers

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, agency, custom software, web development, Cause of a Kind, Justin Abrams, Mike Rispoli, startup studio, impact-driven business, AI and jobs, age of expertise, taste as a moat, boring industries, Main Street businesses, unsexy customers, failure graveyard, wisdom is failure redeemed, follow opportunities not passion, Inception Marketing, founder resilience, co-founder relationships

50 Episodes In — What We Have Learned From 49 Founder Stories | Ep. 50

Wisdom Partners — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

Fifty episodes. Forty-nine founders. Fifty different companies, fifty different stories — and a lot of the same wounds showing up over and over again.

For Ep. 50, we're doing something different. Instead of one more conversation with one more founder, Josh looks back on the first 49 episodes and pulls out three themes that keep surfacing no matter the sector, the stage, or the story. Loneliness at the top. Hiring and firing. And the one every founder eventually has to reckon with; you can't separate the founder from the company.

Woven through the reflection are clips from past guests you'll recognize — Scott Ryan, David Pollak, Andrew Mao, Chelsie Hall, James O'Connor, Kirill Lopatin, Giulia Flores, Erynn Petersen, and more — reminding you that whatever you're going through, another founder has been there too.

If this show has helped you at all in the first 50 episodes, this is our thank you. To every founder who came on. To every listener who kept showing up. And to every founder still in the middle of the grind wondering if they're the only one.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(01:08) - 50 episodes in, and why this one is different

(03:33) - Theme 1: The loneliness at the top

(07:56) - Theme 2: Hiring and firing (mostly firing)

(12:51) - Theme 3: You can't separate the founder from the company

(19:02) - What we've learned about the founders who make it

(21:36) - Reach out. You are not alone.

Featured Guests

Scott Ryan, Investature (Ep. 49)
David Pollak, Spice Labs (Ep. 41)
Kirill Lopatin, X-AID (Ep. 48)
Andrew Mao, Parsnip (Ep. 27)
Erynn Petersen, Emme (Ep. 26)
Chelsie Hall, Viral Moment (Ep. 33)
Giulia Eve Flores, Lila Studios (Ep. 8)
Kira Shishkin, informed.now (Ep. 1)
Nafaa Haddou, Firesafe (Ep. 2)
Chris Fitzgerald, Intrace (Ep. 7)
Luke Miller, MediaRide (Ep. 4)
James O’Connor, Innovation Within (Ep. 39)

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, milestone episode, Founder Real Talk, 50 episodes, founder loneliness, hiring and firing, founder identity, founder burnout, founder journey, Wisdom Partners, Josh Broward, solo episode, retrospective, founder patterns, ownership culture, community

He Reallocated $2 Billion Away From Fossil Fuels in Year One — Scott Ryan on Investature | Ep. 49

Wisdom Partners — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with Scott Ryan, founder and CEO of Investature — the company connecting financial plans with climate action plans for organizations and households. Scott spent 25 years as a senior executive at Morgan Stanley, Accenture, Bank of America, and Salesforce before founding Investature 18 months ago. In year one, they reallocated $2 billion in "zombie money" for 8,000 employees. He opens up about the difference between chasing a foreseen need versus building for an unforeseen one, why it's harder to lead at the top than as a department head, and why he defies every startup coach who tells founders not to go after the big boys first.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(02:11) - Connecting financial plans with climate action plans

(04:33) - Three things about Scott: environment, financial intentionality, and being happy

(06:07) - The 20% "zombie money" problem nobody's aware of

(09:41) - $2 billion reallocated for 8,000 employees in year one

(11:31) - The hardest lesson: it's lonely at the top

(14:10) - How to find the right founder network

(17:16) - Foreseen need vs unforeseen need

(19:37) - Educating the market as your biggest challenge

(21:02) - The intros Scott is looking for

(23:23) - Defying every startup coach: going after the big boys first

(24:34) - Family first: valuing what fuels the 70-hour weeks

Links & Resources

Scott’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottwilliamryan
Guest Website: investature.com
Investature's 2025 impact report: https://investature.com/insights/Blog%20Post%20Title%20One-3zaa9-zlxng-xbkmm-h3pes

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, climate tech, sustainable finance, ESG, retirement planning, 401k, pension funds, treasury management, Investature, Scott Ryan, zombie money, fossil fuel divestment, impact investing, B Corp, unforeseen need, market development, first-time CEO, executive to founder transition, founder loneliness, work life integration, family first

Fundraising. Sales. Hiring. — Kirill Lopatin on Building xAID | Ep. 48

Wisdom Partners — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with Kirill Lopatin, founder and CEO of xAID — the health tech company building AI foundation models for head, chest, and abdomen CT reporting. The US has a radiologist shortage so severe it takes up to a year and a half to hire one. X-AID is designed to close that gap by delivering ready-to-sign reports instead of blank ones. Kirill opens up about the COVID scan that shaped his mission, the four to five months he spent iterating hypotheses before anyone would pay for the product, the LinkedIn micro-influencer play that became his main sales channel, and the cross-cultural hiring lesson every non-native founder in the US needs to hear.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(01:46) - The radiologist shortage and what X-AID actually does

(03:17) - How a missed diagnosis in his own scan shaped the mission

(05:18) - Cracking the US market with a human-in-the-loop hack

(06:53) - The lesson from Europe: iterate fast until it clicks

(08:20) - Building a LinkedIn micro-influencer channel from scratch

(09:25) - Founder-led sales and the challenge of building a US sales team

(10:34) - Only 3 things a founder should do: fundraising, sales, hiring

(15:00) - No more free pilots

(20:15) - The growing edge: understanding American culture as a Russian founder

(23:35) - Investing in yourself by doing the reps

(24:41) - The intros Kirill is looking for

(25:15) - Closing thoughts

Links & Resources

Kirill’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lopatinvkirill
xAID: https://xaid.ai

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, health tech, medtech, radiology AI, foundation models, X-AID, Kirill Lopatin, US market entry, human-in-the-loop, FDA workaround, cross-cultural leadership, non-native founders, LinkedIn micro-influencer, founder-led sales, sales team hiring, free pilot trap, fundraising and sales and hiring, ownership culture, founder focus

First Assumption Was Wrong. The Revenue Followed the Pivot. — Aspen Buckingham on Overture | Ep. 47

Wisdom Partners — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 15:47:52 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with Aspen Buckingham, CEO of Overture — the company introducing AI to kids in a safe, human-centered way through in-person educators, not one-to-one screens. Aspen originally raised $400K to build music education video games. A week after launching his flagship game, almost nobody was playing it. He had to walk back to his investors and tell them the assumption was wrong. That pivot led him to family workshops, then to AI education, then to the "walled garden" model Overture runs today. He opens up about why people learn best from people, why door-to-door sales might be coming back, and the shift from founder-quarterback to founder-coach.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(02:02) - The two problems parents actually have with AI

(05:15) - The walled garden model: an 8-year-old builds a game with no screen

(08:25) - Music, video games, and how the original assumption fell apart

(13:10) - Why revenue followed the pivot

(15:20) - The trust deficit and the return of door-to-door sales

(20:51) - Where AI stops and humans have to step in

(25:15) - The spidey sense in sales that no automation replicates

(29:51) - Grit, cockroach mode, and the coach-quarterback shift

(33:00) - The intros Aspen is looking for

(33:50) - Closing thoughts

Links & Resources

Aspen’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aspen-buckingham
Overture: https://www.overtureai.org/
Khan Academy and Khanmigo AI: https://www.khanmigo.ai/

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, EdTech, AI for kids, AI education, Overture, Aspen Buckingham, walled garden model, AI safety, screen time, pivot, human-in-the-loop, AI-native services, founder pivot, Techstars, Northwestern, Khan Academy, door-to-door sales, trust deficit, principal outreach, family programs, coach-quarterback transition, delegation, ownership culture

He Went Through a Divorce. Then He Built the Product He Wished He'd Had: Hans Guntren | Ep. 46

Wisdom Partners — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with Hans Gunter, co-founder and CEO of Deliberately AI — the AI-native platform modernizing workflows for family law and legal professionals. Hans has spent nearly 30 years in Silicon Valley leading product across aerospace, defense, financial services, and healthcare. But it was his own divorce a decade ago that pointed him toward legal services, an industry he saw waiting to be transformed. Hans opens up about pricing experiments across geographies, the fear that fell off him when he stopped worrying what people thought, and why he believes self-care is a business strategy — not a distraction from one.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(01:54) - How divorce led Hans into legal tech

(05:43) - Expanding beyond family law

(07:19) - A big win: from four-digit deals to six-digit deals

(09:29) - The wisdom of guessing less and testing more

(11:34) - Pricing experiments across geographies

(14:35) - The biggest challenge: software development is being rewritten in real time

(19:29) - Evolving as a leader: losing the fear

(20:47) - How self-understanding rewires your leadership

(24:19) - Self-care as a business strategy

(27:07) - Brownout, marathon pace, and 100% > 90%

(29:32) - Closing thoughts

Links & Resources

Hans’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hansguntren
Deliberately AI: https://deliberately.ai/
Scaling People by Claire Hughes Johnson: https://www.amazon.com/Scaling-People-Tactics-Management-Building/dp/1953953212

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, legal tech, family law technology, Deliberately AI, Hans Gunter, AI-native software, product leadership, self-care, founder burnout, brownout, meditation, yoga, leadership development, self-understanding, pricing strategy, LLMs, legal AI, Silicon Valley, Scaling People, Claire Hughes Johnson

"Riches Are in the Niches": JR Butler on the Lesson That Reshaped Shift Group | Ep. 45

Wisdom Partners — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with JR Butler, CEO of Shift Group — the company helping athletes and veterans translate 20 years of uniform-earned intangibles into business careers. JR played hockey for 23 years, retired at 22, and lost himself in what he calls his "handcuffs and hospitals era" before getting sober (14 years this August). He opens up about the identity collapse most athletes and veterans go through when they leave uniform, the "riches are in the niches" lesson that reshaped his company this year, and how a recent epilepsy diagnosis forced him into the structure his business now depends on.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(02:22) - The identity collapse when the uniform comes off

(07:58) - Why traditional hiring can't find real talent

(11:33) - Character vs competency: what actually predicts success

(15:23) - A big win: pivoting to drive more career outcomes than revenue

(19:34) - Mission and margin: why nonprofit outcomes need for-profit engines

(20:33) - The wisdom of this year: riches are in the niches

(24:47) - Getting the team out of scale thinking and back to sustainability

(26:28) - Evolving as a leader: from CRO to CEO to husband and dad

(30:39) - Sales background as a superpower — and its shadow habit

(33:41) - The epilepsy diagnosis that forced a new operating rhythm

(35:14) - How JR is finally learning to say no

(36:20) - Closing thoughts

Links & Resources

JR’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jrbutler
Shift Group: https://shiftgroup.io/
Radical Delegation Book: https://mindmaven.com/radical-delegation/

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, athletes in business, veterans in business, Shift Group, JR Butler, hiring, talent acquisition, sales leadership, character development, sobriety, addiction recovery, identity, life after sports, military transition, mission-driven business, riches in the niches, epilepsy, founder health, executive assistants, radical delegation, CRO, sales-led founder

100% of Zero Is Still Zero — Cosimo Spera on Building Minerva CQ | Ep. 44

Wisdom Partners — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 16:27:03 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with Cosimo Spera, founder and CEO of Minerva CQ — the collaborative intelligence platform building real-time AI agent assist and multi-agent safety infrastructure for contact centers. Cosimo opens up about why resilience is the single most important founder trait, the mobile payments company he built in 2005 (before the iPhone) that went nowhere, and the bank-robbery analogy he uses to explain why "safe" AI agents become dangerous when they work together

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(02:12) - Why resilience is the #1 founder trait

(03:56) - Bike rides, family time, and the discipline of showing up

(10:19) - Hire people way better than you (100% of zero is still zero)

(12:16) - Building Minerva CQ: from real-time agent assist to agentic AI

(16:14) - The bank analogy: why "safe" AI agents fail together

(19:47) - Why the EU AI Act changes everything by August 2026

(20:35) - Celebrating small wins over big wins

(24:34) - Failure is part of the game: the 2005 mobile payments story

(27:27) - How to separate your identity from your company

(28:34) - The buck stops with you: leading a team the right way

(30:54) - Closing thoughts

Links & Resources

Cosimo’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cosimospera
Minerva CQ: https://www.minervacq.com/

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, resilience, AI safety, agentic AI, multi-agent systems, Minerva CQ, Cosimo Spera, collaborative intelligence, contact center AI, real-time agent assist, EU AI Act, AI compliance, hiring philosophy, small wins, failure, second-time founder, mobile payments, founder identity, team leadership

Someone Snored During My First Pitch — Daphne Pariser on Building Heron AI

Wisdom Partners — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 14:39:57 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with Daphne Pariser, CEO of Heron AI — the financial decision intelligence platform connecting fragmented systems like QuickBooks, NetSuite, Excel, and CRMs into a single operating layer for mid-sized businesses. Daphne is a second-time founder with a PhD from Harvard and MIT (MIT was Heron AI's first investor). She opens up about the pitch where someone fell asleep and told her it was the worst presentation they'd ever seen, the hiring method that transformed her team, and the leadership shift from life-or-death intensity to genuine joy.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(02:42) - Why mid-sized businesses need an operating system

(06:33) - The passion for helping SMBs make and save millions

(08:11) - Building an architecture that outperforms much larger teams

(11:32) - The hiring method that changed everything: paid 3-day trials

(15:48) - The silver tsunami: preserving institutional knowledge before it retires

(20:05) - Evolving as a leader: less ego, more joy

(26:04) - What still needs to evolve: storytelling and moving beyond founder-led sales

(27:45) - Investing in yourself: pay yourself a salary

(31:01) - The burnout paradox of early-stage investing

(32:12) - The intros Daphne is looking for

(33:00) - Closing thoughts

Links & Resources

Heron AI: https://www.heronai.com/
Daphne’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daphne-pariser

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, second-time founder, Heron AI, Daphne Perser, financial decision intelligence, business intelligence, BI, mid-sized businesses, SMB, accounting technology, client advisory services, CAS, silver tsunami, institutional knowledge, MIT-backed startups, fundraising, hiring, paid trials, joy in leadership, founder burnout, ownership culture

Downsized 80% at Peak Revenue — Amodhi Weeresinghe on Rebuilding Coura

Wisdom Partners — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 16:21:14 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with Amodhi Weeresinghe, founder and CEO of Coura — the product and go-to-market strategy studio that helps non-technical, first-time founders bring software companies to life. In five years, Coura has completed 600+ projects with a 97% client return rate. But on paper, last year was Amodhi's best year — and it was also the year she nearly burned out. She opens up about the 80% team downsize she made at peak revenue, the moment she realized she didn't like who she was becoming, and why she believes the most grounded founders are the most effective ones.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(02:14) - Bridging the gap between idea and reality

(04:12) - How to actually get founders to pause

(07:19) - Finding the true minimum viable product

(11:04) - Why non-technical founders keep getting disregarded

(13:43) - 600 projects, 97% return rate — and a team downsized by 80%

(20:41) - What it feels like to do the work you're exceptional at

(24:03) - "I didn't like the person I was becoming"

(25:54) - The real cost of hyper-growth

(28:33) - Family isn't in competition with business

(35:37) - The intros Amodhi is looking for

(38:17) - Closing thoughts

Links & Resources

Amodhi’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amodhi-weeresinghe
Coura: https://coura.io/

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, non-technical founders, product strategy, go-to-market, MVP, minimum viable product, Coura, Amodhi Weeresinghe, service business, downsizing, right-sizing, founder burnout, family and business, sanctuary space, adaptive leadership, mom founders, first-time founders, technical co-founder, product-market fit

Quantum Computer Will Break Bitcoin — David Pollak on Building Spice Labs

Wisdom Partners — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 18:36:03 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with David Pollak, founder of Spice Labs — the team building a mathematical model of software to help enterprises audit and remediate their code before quantum computers break the cryptography holding the internet together. According to Google, that day is 2029. David opens up about why being a CEO is the loneliest job in the world (and why every founder needs a "coffee buddy or wine buddy"), the hard-earned lesson from an IBM partnership that shaped his sales philosophy for the next 25 years, and why he thinks enterprise software should feel more like Duolingo.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(01:52) - Being a CEO is the loneliest job in the world

(04:22) - What Spice Labs does and what post-quantum cryptography actually means

(11:00) - The Gartner moment that changed the company's trajectory

(15:21) - Working with old colleagues who become teammates again

(19:23) - Two decisions that made investors cranky (and made the product bulletproof)

(22:11) - The IBM lesson: understand the chain of incentives

(26:00) - Delivering Reese's-Pieces moments in enterprise software

(31:44) - Evolving from short-tempered founder to (maybe too) patient CEO

(35:58) - Challenge vs. relationship: the leadership balance

(36:10) - The intros David is looking for

(38:30) - Closing thoughts

Links & Resources

David’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bearfeeder/
Spice Labs Website: https://www.spicelabs.io/
Gartner's post-quantum cryptography Top 6 CISO priority recommendation: https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2026-02-05-gartner-identifies-the-top-cybersecurity-trends-for-2026

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, cybersecurity, post-quantum cryptography, PQC, quantum computing, Spice Labs, David Pollack, enterprise sales, CISO, chief information security officer, first-time founders, founder loneliness, coffee buddy, wine buddy, IBM partnerships, chain of incentives, enterprise software UX, patient leadership, challenge vs relationship, ownership culture

Manage Your Board or It Will Manage You: Abhi Yadav's First-Time CEO Lesson

Wisdom Partners — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 16:45:20 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with Abhi Yadav, three-time founder and CEO of iCustomer — the decision OS helping brands turn their first-party data into privacy-aware, AI-driven marketing at scale. Abhi opens up about a lesson every first-time CEO learns the hard way (usually too late), why the "minimum viable network" now matters more than the minimum viable product, and why building a company in 2026 is harder than it was ten years ago — even for a repeat founder.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(02:07) - The changing landscape of privacy-aware advertising

(05:21) - What "first-party data" actually means (and why it's the new oil)

(12:15) - Launching a Product Hunt hit

(16:29) - Learning to manage the board — or get managed by it

(23:42) - Cutting through the noise in enterprise sales

(28:22) - Evolving from product-driven to operator-driven

(31:44) - Why building a startup is harder now than 10 years ago

(33:15) - Minimum viable network > minimum viable product

(34:32) - The intros Abhi is looking for

(35:24) - Closing thoughts

Links & Resources

Abhi’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhi123
iCustomer: https://www.icustomer.ai/

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, three-time founder, repeat founder, iCustomer, Abhi Yadav, first-party data, decision OS, marketing AI, adtech, martech, privacy-aware advertising, retail media networks, CDP, customer data platforms, board management, operator mindset, minimum viable network, SaaS-pocalypse, AI-native software, enterprise sales

Stop Pitching. Start Listening. James O'Connor on Customer Discovery Done Right

Wisdom Partners — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with James O'Connor, CEO of Innovation Within — the team behind the Discovery Platform, an AI-powered system that helps founders turn their ideas into validated business models before they start building. James has been in Silicon Valley since 1977. He's seen every inflection point in the industry. He opens up about why 40% of startups fail building things nobody wants, why vibe coding is making that problem worse, and why he treats his own company like an ongoing experiment — including how that mindset helped him survive nearly losing the business during COVID.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(01:19) - Turning ideas into business models (and 80 hypotheses)

(09:26) - Why founders avoid customer discovery

(11:04) - Who actually pays for this (and the founder paradox)

(20:49) - COVID nearly killed the business

(21:14) - Treating your startup like a scientific experiment

(26:49) - Evolving from CTO mindset to CEO

(28:55) - AI as a founder's secret weapon

(29:17) - The next paradigm shift: getting the idea out into the world

(31:00) - Closing thoughts

Links & Resources

James’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesoco
Innovation Within: https://innovationwithin.com/

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, customer discovery, startup failure, business model validation, Innovation Within, James O'Connor, Discovery Platform, AI for founders, deep tech, NSF, NIH, lean startup, scientific method, vibe coding, AI tools, MVP validation, market validation, founder psychology, founder coaching, ownership culture

From Lawyer to AI Founder: Amanda Lukoff on Winning the ASU GSV Global AI Challenge

Wisdom Partners — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 16:26:00 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with Amanda Lukoff, CEO and co-founder of Eleplan, the AI-powered platform helping the 63 million family caregivers in the US organize, share, and contextualize the information they're holding in their heads. Eleplan was born out of Amanda's own experience caring for her brother Liam, and a single hospital moment with her mom that changed how she saw the entire problem. Fresh off winning the inaugural ASU GSV Global AI Challenge in San Diego, Amanda opens up about leading from the heart, navigating the channel-overload of a hockey-stick moment, and what it really takes to make the transition from quarterback to coach.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(01:52) - 63 million family caregivers and the information overwhelm

(07:07) - The yellow folder moment that started Eleplan

(11:05) - Winning the ASU GSV Global AI Challenge

(16:37) - Why founders should trust their gut

(19:07) - Heart vs head leadership

(23:45) - Choosing one channel out of many

(27:38) - Evolving as a leader: authenticity as a superpower

(30:39) - The next evolution: building responsibly toward the hockey stick

(32:26) - From team quarterback to team coach

(38:10) - Closing thoughts

Links & Resources

Amanda’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-lukof
Eleplan Website: https://eleplan.com/

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, family caregiving, AI for caregivers, Eleplan, Amanda Lukoff, special needs caregiving, aging parents, autism support, healthcare technology, AI platforms, ASU GSV, AI Challenge, heart-led leadership, authenticity, ownership culture, founder transitions, hockey stick growth, channel strategy, two-sided marketplace, mission-driven startups

Chewing Glass and Looking Into the Abyss — Jose Bulatau on Building Venueconex Solo

Wisdom Partners — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 19:53:59 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with Jose Bulatao, founder of Venueconex — an AI-powered event booking marketplace. Jose is on a mission to be the first solo founder to build a billion-dollar company. He's doing it through a model he calls "Uber for Builders" — part-time-for-equity, where contributors invest their time the way investors invest money, with the option to convert into equity at Series A. Jose opens up about burning the boats on his nine-to-five, the aha moment when in-house AI agents took 10 months of manual work down to weeks, and the painful lesson every founder has to learn the hard way: talk to your first 100 customers.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(01:33) - Airbnb for events, powered by AI

(04:14) - Uber for Builders: the part-time-for-equity model

(09:34) - The aha moment that 10x'd the company

(12:45) - Get to your first 100 customers

(20:08) - Start with the buyer, not the seller

(21:56) - Building a win-win-win marketplace

(28:32) - Evolving as a leader

(30:07) - The intros Jose is looking for

(32:40) - Closing thoughts

Links & Resources

Jose’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jose-bulatao

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, solo founder, AI marketplace, event tech, Venuconex, Jose Bulatau, part-time for equity, Uber for Builders, OPC, one person company, AI agents, agentic systems, two-sided marketplace, Y Combinator, burn the boats, do things that don't scale, first 100 customers, Sam Altman, billion-dollar unicorn, corporate event planning

Building the Airlock for AI — Stephen Calhoun on SASI

Wisdom Partners — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 18:22:33 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with Stephen Calhoun, CEO of Technical Visionaries — the team building SASI, an AI safety middleware layer that acts as an airlock between users and the AI chatbots they're talking to. Stephen is on his 4th startup. The other three failed. He opens up about why AI needs the equivalent of Norton or McAfee, the yacht-software startup he lost because he didn't get the contracts in writing, and why he believes the only way you fail as a founder is if you stop.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(01:47) - The airlock between users and AI

(07:45) - Why AI safety resonates with Stephen personally

(09:30) - Big wins this year

(11:50) - Be a river, find a way around the obstacle

(13:32) - Helping app developers see they don't have safety covered

(19:49) - Evolving as a leader

(24:10) - Thinking forward, not just executing in the present

(26:41) - Investing in leadership

(28:12) - The intros Stephen is looking for

(31:30) - Closing thoughts

Links & Resources

Stephen’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-calhoun/
Guest Website: techviz.us

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, AI safety, AI middleware, SASI, Technical Visionaries, Stephen Calhoun, AI chatbot safety, AI for kids, EdTech AI, mental health AI, AI governance, AI insurance, AI compliance, Seldonian principle, deterministic AI, AI airlock, McAfee for AI, multi-time founder, founder resilience, ownership culture, leadership

Building The First Continuous Hormone Monitor for Women — Jenny Duan & Abhinav Agarwal

Wisdom Partners — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 17:13:19 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with Jenny Duan and Abhinav Agarwal, co-founders of Clair Health, the company building the world's first continuous hormone monitor for women. Think Oura or Whoop, but for hormones. Within ten weeks of launching, they had 25,000 women on the waitlist and 3,000 pre-orders. Their first batch sold out in weeks. Jenny and Abhinav open up about saying no to a "no" from a top accelerator, why women's health has been chronically underserved by medicine, and the transition every early founder eventually faces — from quarterback to coach.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro & meet Jenny and Abhinav

(01:46) - What Clair Health does: the CGM moment for hormones

(06:15) - Why this resonates personally for Jenny and Abhinav

(10:57) - Big wins

(15:01) - Rejected by an accelerator and rejecting the rejection

(17:46) - Closed mouths rarely get fed

(17:54) - Racing against time on a hardware launch

(18:56) - Evolving as leaders: from quarterback to coach

(22:52) - The next growth step

(25:21) - How Jenny and Abhinav are investing in their own leadership

(28:43) - Closing thoughts

Links & Resources

Jenny’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennysduan
Abhinav’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agarwalaabhinav/
Clair Website: wearclair.com

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, women's health, FemTech, hormones, continuous hormone monitor, wearables, perimenopause, menopause, PCOS, endometriosis, CGM moment, Clair Health, Jenny Duan, Abhinav Agarwal, co-founder dynamics, hardware startups, Speedrun accelerator, fundraising, female longevity, hormone tracking, women in healthcare

5 Startups, 1 Success, Still Building — Ali Ahmed on RoboMart

Wisdom Partners — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 17:07:13 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with Ali Ahmed, CEO and co-founder of RoboMart — the company building self-driving stores and autonomous delivery robots that are 70-80% cheaper than any delivery option out there. RoboMart is Ali's 5th startup. Four of his previous ventures didn't make it. He opens up about why he keeps building, why founders need a little naivety to survive, and why robotics is the hardest startup category in the world.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(01:33) - The problem RoboMart solves

(04:00) - Self-driving stores, the RM5, and what makes the model work

(10:07) - Launching the RM5 and the autonomous driving stats behind it

(11:42) - 5 startups, 4 failures, and why patience matters

(15:32) - The .333 batting average

(19:45) - Biggest challenge

(21:38) - How Ali has evolved as a leader

(23:55) - The next evolution: from builder to platform operator

(29:39) - Closing Thoughts

Links & Resources

Ali Ahmed LinkedIn: https://www.crunchbase.com/person/ali-ahmed-2
Robomart: https://robomart.ai/

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, robotics startups, autonomous delivery, self-driving stores, RoboMart, Ali Ahmed, on-demand delivery, last-mile logistics, hardware startups, robotics manufacturing, series A, founder resilience, multiple startups, ownership culture, retail innovation, autonomous vehicles, RM5, full self-driving, founder lifestyle

60 No's Before a "Maybe": Chelsie Hall on Building Viral Moment

Wisdom Partners — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 17:46:51 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with Chelsie Hall, founder and CEO of Viral Moment — the AI platform that watches social video at scale so brands like Coca-Cola, Warner Brothers, and Mattel can understand what's actually happening across culture in real time. Chelsie opens up about the spreadsheet of 100+ VC calls that built her fundraising playbook, the ego death of realizing what she wanted to build wasn't quite what the market wanted, and what it's been like building a company while becoming a mom to two littles.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(02:01) - What Viral Moment actually does

(07:45) - Why this resonates with Chelsie

(10:39) - Wins in 2026

(12:03) - 100 VC calls and the ego death of mission vs. market

(17:47) - A shifting AI market

(21:11) - Evolving as a leader

(25:02) - How Chelsie invests in herself

(27:16) - Who ViralMoment works with

(28:00) - Closing thoughts

Links & Resources

Chelsie LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelsie-hall
ViralMoment: https://viralmoment.com/
The Gap and the Gain by Dan Sullivan & Benjamin Hardy: https://gapandgainbook.com/

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, AI for marketing, social video AI, video analytics, consumer insights, brand intelligence, Viral Moment, Chelsie Hall, hate speech detection, disinformation, culture mapping, mom founders, fundraising rejection, 100 VC calls, mission-driven business, market fit, AI adoption curve, enterprise sales, Techstars, The Gap and the Gain, psychotically present, founder burnout, work-life integration

"Time Kills All Deals" — Jonathan Festejo on Modernizing B2B Sales

Wisdom Partners — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 18:26:17 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with Jonathan Festejo, CEO of SalesBricks — the platform unifying pricing, contracts, e-signing, and payments into one B2B sales motion. Jonathan opens up about the new-dad quarter-end moment that pushed him to start the company, the absurd contract failures his team has seen in the wild (yes, including divorce papers accidentally merged into MSAs), and why "time kills all deals" is the principle reshaping how he thinks about every interaction.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(01:44) - Meet Jonathan Festejo & SalesBricks

(05:55) - Why this problem?

(12:20) - Big wins this year: investing in the buyer experience

(16:40) - Wisdom is failure redeemed

(18:25) - The hard-earned lesson

(20:33) - Focusing on the right ICP

(26:09) - Evolving as a leader

(28:03) - Ownership culture: alignment, accountability, autonomy

(34:30) - Closing thoughts

Links & Resources

Jonathan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-festejo-a52565256
Salesbricks: https://www.salesbricks.com

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, B2B SaaS, revenue operations, rev ops, sales infrastructure, quote-to-cash, pricing and packaging, usage-based billing, performance billing, contract management, DocuSign alternative, SalesBricks, buyer experience, seller experience, B2B buying, delegation, ownership culture, founder hiring, ideal customer profile, ICP, time kills all deals, Jonathan Festejo

The Misaligned Incentive Behind Every Dating App with Eric McHugh

Wisdom Partners — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with Eric McHugh, president and co-founder of Dating — the first AI-powered matchmaking platform that auto-generates dating profiles from your digital footprint and uses an LLM called Cupid as a "relationship butler." Eric opens up about the structural problem with every other dating app, the bot-army shakedown that taught him to say no to bad investors, and why in the age of vibe-coding, trust is the only moat that lasts.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(01:12) - Meet Eric McHugh & Data-ing

(02:18) - How Dating works: digital footprints, tags, and Cupid AI

(09:31) - Why this problem

(11:24) - When Cupid AI saved a real relationship

(17:31) - The social commerce startup and the "Instagram bot army" shakedown

(19:57) - Matching people to who they're truly compatible with

(21:49) - Evolving as a Leader

(28:21) - Advice for founders

Links & Resources

Eric McHugh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericdouglasmchugh
Data-ing Website: https://dataing.io/

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, AI matchmaking, dating apps, Tinder alternatives, relationship technology, Cupid AI, AI-powered apps, digital footprint, bootstrapping, self-funded startups, bad investors, founder lessons, vibe coding, AI trust, ownership culture, alignment accountability autonomy, spiritual entrepreneurship, conscious creation, Eric McHugh, Dating app, startup community building

From 9/11 Tragedy to Building AI Marketing with Harjiv Singh

Wisdom Partners — Wed, 27 May 2026 16:22:47 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This week, Josh sits down with Harjiv Singh, founder of CambrianEdge.ai, the world's first AI-native, human-led marketing platform. After 25 years in marketing and a 2001 startup story that ended with their investors' building destroyed in the September 11 attacks, Harjiv shares what it actually takes to come back, build again, and lead through a technological shift the size of electricity itself.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(01:07) - Meet Harjiv Singh & CambrianEdge.ai

(06:40) - The product team and the beta feedback

(08:35) - The fear of AI and the case for AI literacy

(10:39) - Building the world's first app before the word "app" existed

(13:03) - April 2001 to September 2001: when everything went wrong

(17:47) - Why every tech shift creates more jobs than it kills

(19:59) - Evolving as a leader

(24:54) - Closing thoughts

Links & Resources

Harjiv’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harjivsingh
Company Website: cambrianedge.ai

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, AI marketing, marketing technology, martech, AI-native platforms, AI literacy, AI fluency, enterprise marketing, B2B marketing, performance marketing, marketing analytics, generative AI, AI evangelism, startup resilience, dot-com bust, 9/11 startup story, World Trade Center, technological shifts, candle to electricity, Isaac Newton, leadership in AI, founder lessons, Harjiv Singh, CambrianEdge

Transforming Alcohol Addiction Treatment with Jonathan Hunt-Glassman

Wisdom Partners — Tue, 26 May 2026 13:40:03 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

In this insightful interview, Jonathan Hunt-Glassman, CEO of Oar Health, shares his journey in building a digital health company focused on helping individuals reduce or quit alcohol use. The discussion covers the challenges of medication supply chains, the importance of adaptive leadership during crises, and innovative approaches to expanding access to evidence-based treatments.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Introduction

(03:43) - Understanding Alcohol Use Disorder

(09:20) - Coaching and Support in Recovery

(11:53) - Lessons Learned from Challenges

(18:30) - Adapting to Market Changes

(24:35) - Evolving as a Leader

(28:16) - Investing in Personal Development

(31:05) - Building Partnerships for Better Care

Links & Resources

Jonathan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jhuntglassman
Oar Health Website: https://www.oarhealth.com/
Ron Heifetz, The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: https://www.amazon.com/Practice-Adaptive-Leadership-Changing-Organization/dp/1422105768
HBR, The Work of Leadership: https://hbr.org/2001/12/the-work-of-leadership

Keywords

alcohol use disorder, medication-assisted treatment, telehealth, adaptive leadership, supply chain resilience, behavioral health, addiction recovery, healthcare innovation

Redefining Mentoring and Career Development with Anita Balaraman

Wisdom Partners — Fri, 22 May 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

Anita Balaraman, founder and CEO of Epixego, shares her journey from accidental educator to innovator in career development. Discover how her competency fingerprint technology bridges awareness gaps in education and workforce development, and learn about her insights on scaling impact and leadership in a complex environment.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Introduction to Founder Real Talk

(02:26) - Anita's Journey to Founding Apixigo

(10:13) - Current Status and Wins of Apixigo

(13:43) - Lessons Learned from Entrepreneurship

(19:54) - Challenges and Future Growth of Apixigo

(24:50) - Investing in Leadership Growth

(29:08) - Scaling Challenges and Workforce Development

Links & Resources

Anita’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anita-balaraman-10a4211
Epixego: https://epixego.com/

Keywords

career development, education technology, competency fingerprint, workforce development, startup scaling, social capital, mentorship, higher education innovation

How AI is Disrupting Education and Personal Development with Andrew Mao

Wisdom Partners — Wed, 20 May 2026 19:52:13 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

In this insightful interview, Andrew Mao shares his journey of building Parsnip, an AI-powered learning platform for cooking and life skills. He discusses the challenges of startup life, the impact of AI on education, and the importance of emotional intelligence and leadership development.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Introduction to Founder Real Talk

(02:10) - The Journey of Parsnip.ai

(04:28) - The Challenge of Learning to Cook

(07:37) - Wins and Challenges in the Past Year

(11:39) - The Future of Education and AI

(14:38) - Lessons Learned the Hard Way

(18:08) - Investing in Leadership and Emotional Intelligence

(21:07) - Current Challenges and Business Model Exploration

(22:18) - AI Coaching: Expanding Horizons

(26:43) - Building Organizational Culture: The Dual Product

Links & Resources

Andrew’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mizzao
Parsnip AI: https://www.parsnip.ai/team

Keywords

AI education, startup journey, leadership, emotional intelligence, personalized learning, cooking, knowledge mapping, founder challenges

Buying a Company and Rebuilding It Six Times with Erynn Petersen

Wisdom Partners — Mon, 18 May 2026 20:01:29 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

Erynn Petersen shares her journey of refounding Emme, a healthcare startup, focusing on making healthcare costs transparent and accessible. She discusses pivots, product-market fit, leadership lessons, and the impact of AI on healthcare innovation.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Introduction to Founder Real Talk

(01:30) - The Journey of a Refounder

(03:20) - Pivots and Product Evolution

(06:09) - Investor Confidence and Market Dynamics

(08:57) - Solving Healthcare Affordability

(11:50) - Real-Life Success Stories

(16:22) - Lessons Learned from Failure

(18:57) - Navigating Success and Disruption

(20:53) - Preparing for Growth

(25:22) - Leadership and Team Dynamics

(28:10) - The Role of AI in Healthcare

(33:21) - Investing in Leadership Development

(35:04) - Closing Thoughts

Links & Resources

Erynn’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erynn-petersen-599502/
Guest Website: https://emme.com/

Keywords

healthcare, startup, refounder, product pivot, AI, healthcare costs, transparency, leadership, innovation

How Founders Can Navigate Cyber Risks and Growth with Aaron Warner

Wisdom Partners — Wed, 13 May 2026 20:07:48 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

In this episode of Founder Real Talk, host Josh Broward interviews Aaron Warner, CEO of ProCircular, about the human side of cybersecurity, the challenges faced by founders, and strategies for growth and risk management. They explore how cybersecurity can be a strategic advantage and the importance of understanding risks in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Introduction to Founder Real Talk

(06:30) - ProCircular's Unique Approach to Cybersecurity

(11:56) - Lessons from the Cybersecurity Landscape

(17:58) - Navigating the Challenges of Growth

(23:31) - Investing in Leadership and Personal Growth

(31:02) - Conclusion and Call to Action

(35:52) - Podcast Outro

Links & Resources

Procircular: https://www.procircular.com/
Aaron’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-r-warner-8aab211

Keywords

cybersecurity, founders, risk management, growth strategies, human-centered security, ProCircular, AI in cybersecurity, industry challenges

The AI Solution for Government Procurement with August Sun Chen

Wisdom Partners — Mon, 11 May 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

In this insightful interview, August Sun-Chen, CEO of Hazel, shares his journey of building an AI-powered procurement platform for government, emphasizing the importance of understanding sector-specific sales, the power of AI in streamlining complex processes, and lessons learned from early mistakes. Discover how Hazel is transforming government operations and the key strategies for founders to succeed in navigating bureaucratic challenges.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Introduction to Founder Real Talk

(06:44) - AI's Role in Streamlining Procurement

(11:23) - Real-World Impact of Hazel's Solutions

(18:13) - Adapting Sales Strategies for Government

(24:31) - Evolving Leadership and Team Dynamics

(30:02) - Maintaining Passion and Preventing Burnout

Links & Resources

Hazel AI: https://www.hazelai.com/
August’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/augustschen

Keywords

AI, government procurement, startup lessons, sector-specific sales, public sector innovation, Hazel, founder insights, government efficiency, AI in public sector, startup growth

From Selling His Car to Selling Out Events with Adam Goldstein

Wisdom Partners — Wed, 06 May 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

In this episode, Josh Broward interviews Adam Goldstein, CEO of Sway, about his entrepreneurial journey, pivots, and leadership growth. They discuss building a successful event business, overcoming challenges in sales and growth, and investing in personal development.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Introduction to Founder Real Talk

(02:43) - The Evolution of Sway

(08:46) - Understanding the Business Model

(13:58) - Key Wins and Challenges

(18:54) - Hiring and Leadership Development

(23:56) - The Importance of Goal-Driven Leadership

(27:41) - Impact of Coaching on Leadership

(30:10) - ROI of Coaching and Personal Development

(34:45) - Podcast Outro

Links & Resources

Adam’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/goldsteinadamm
Sway: www.trysway.co

Keywords

startup, entrepreneurship, event management, sales, leadership, business growth, founder journey

Building the World's First Floating Hydrogen Ports with Sumer Daou

Wisdom Partners — Fri, 01 May 2026 19:55:02 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

Sumer Daou discusses innovative solutions in maritime energy, focusing on floating hydrogen ports and hybrid boats powered by wind, solar, and hydrogen. He shares insights on sustainable maritime technology, safety, market potential, and his entrepreneurial journey.

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Founder Real Talk

02:08 Innovative Solutions in Maritime Energy

09:31 The Journey of a Founder

13:17 Lessons from Struggles and Failures

17:56 Current Challenges and Future Goals

21:41 Investing in Leadership and Personal Growth

24:14 Seeking Connections in the Industry

Links & Resources

Sumer’s LinkedIn: https://lb.linkedin.com/in/sumer-daou-681b19b
Blue Invest Readiness Program: https://www.blueinvest.eu/

Keywords

floating hydrogen ports, hybrid boats, maritime energy, sustainability, hydrogen safety, green shipping, renewable energy, startup journey

The 90-Day Test: How to Validate a Business with Brian Schopfel

Wisdom Partners — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:07:48 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

In this episode, Brian Schopfel, co-founder of Ordinary Everything, shares insights on helping early-stage founders with go-to-market strategies, branding, and navigating the challenges of startup growth. He discusses the importance of foundational identity, iterative cycles, and personal leadership development.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Introduction to Founder Real Talk

(02:01) - The Importance of Foundational Branding

(06:58) - Personal Branding and Its Impact

(09:54) - Lessons from Failure and Struggle

(17:40) - The 90-Day Cycle for Business Validation

(20:58) - The Hard Truth of Startup Life

(24:26) - Evolving as a Leader

(29:49) - Connecting with Early Stage Founders

(32:08) - Podcast Outro

Links & Resources [Brands, resources, and links mentioned during the episode]

Ordinary Everything: https://www.ordinaryeverything.com/
Ordinary Genius Newsletter: https://www.ordinarygenius.com/

Keywords

startups, founders, branding, go-to-market, iteration, leadership, entrepreneurial journey, early-stage, business strategy

How To Find Product Market Fit. LIVE @EF San Francisco

Wisdom Partners — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 19:09:47 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

This episode is a live recording from our last FRT event in San Francisco: How To Find Product Market Fit.

Panelists

Daniel Chapellin: Co-founder & COO of Wealthing VC Fund
Greg Hayes: CEO of Branch, the fastest growing office furniture brand in North America.
Chelsie Hall: Founder & CEO of ViralMoment, a social video analytics platform.
Nathan Maton: Managing Director of Basal Capital and a three-time founder.
Alex Caveny (Host): Advisor at Berkeley Skydeck and Wisdom Partners mentor.

They discuss real-world challenges, strategic pivots, and the evolving landscape of technology and investment, offering valuable lessons for entrepreneurs at all stages.

Thank you to our sponsors and partners, Entrepreneurs First, Startup Intros, Sway, and Lead Generation Hubs,

Subscribe to our Substack: blog.wisdompartners.llc

Chapters

(00:00) - Introduction

(02:36) - Understanding Product Market Fit

(08:08) - The Journey of Founders and Their Pivots

(16:15) - Navigating Challenges and Course Corrections

(24:28) - The Role of Founders in Business Success

(32:09) - Adapting to Market Changes and AI Influence

(41:24) - Finding Product-Market Fit with AI

(44:53) - The Power of Prototyping and User Feedback

(45:44) - AI in Diagnostics: Accuracy and Ethics

(48:09) - The Role of AI in Team Dynamics

(50:40) - Navigating the Challenges of Fundraising

(54:34) - Lessons Learned: Cautionary Tales for Founders

Links & Resources

Daniel Chapellin: https://au.linkedin.com/in/danielchapellin
Greg Hayes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ghayes4
Chelsie Hall: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelsie-hall
Nathan Maton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanmaton
Alex Caveny: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-caveny

Keywords

startup growth, product market fit, pivots, AI in startups, founder lessons, investment strategies, market timing, go-to-market, startup challenges

How AI is Solving the Mental Health Crisis with Tanuj Sharma

Wisdom Partners — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

In this episode, Tanuj Sharma, CEO of Kana Health, discusses how AI-driven clinical decision support is transforming behavioral healthcare. He shares insights on the challenges of mental health care, the importance of understanding customer problems, and the journey of building a platform that supports both care providers and seekers.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Introduction to Founder Real Talk

(02:14) - The Crisis in Mental Health Care

(05:51) - Personal Motivation Behind Kana Health

(11:14) - Learning from Early Mistakes

(14:12) - Shifting Customer Profiles

(18:27) - Investing in Leadership and Team Dynamics

(20:10) - Current Challenges and User Behavior

(22:51) - Advice for Seed Stage Founders

(27:52) - Get in Touch with Kana

Links & Resources

Tanuj’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanujsharma/
Kana Health: https://www.kanahealth.ai/
Amplitude: https://amplitude.com/
Pendo: https://www.pendo.io/

Keywords

mental health, AI, clinical decision support, healthcare innovation, startup journey, behavioral health, healthcare technology, founder insights

Scaling a Food Brand with Alex Nguyen and Tram Huyhn

Wisdom Partners — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:17:58 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

In this episode, founders Tram and Alex from Hot Boy Chili Oil share their entrepreneurial journey, challenges, and growth insights. Discover how they built their brand, scaled operations, and the importance of community and resilience in business.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Introduction to Founder Real Talk

(02:09) - The Birth of Hot Boy Chili Oil

(05:18) - Personal Connections to the Business

(12:32) - Recent Wins and Growth

(15:37) - Navigating Opportunities and Challenges

(21:56) - Lessons Learned Through Struggles

(25:51) - Investing in Personal Growth

(30:05) - Current Challenges and Solutions

(33:58) - How to Support Hot Boy Chili Oil

(38:24) - Reflections on the Founder Forum

Links & Resources

Alex Nguyen’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexnguyen309
HotBoi’s Website: https://hotboi.co/

Keywords

entrepreneurship, food startup, chili oil, scaling business, founder lessons, startup growth, community support

From His Car to Fintech: Ronnie Green on Building Wealth from Zero

Wisdom Partners — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 21:42:58 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

In this episode, Ronnie Green, CEO of AlgoPear, shares his inspiring journey from living out of his car to leading a fintech company focused on financial inclusion for community banks and credit unions. Discover how his personal experiences and innovative solutions are transforming the future of banking for the next generation.

Subscribe to our Substack: blog.wisdompartners.llc

Chapters

(00:00) - Introduction to Founder Real Talk

(01:27) - Understanding AlgoPear's Mission

(08:23) - Recent Wins and Industry Breakthroughs

(12:04) - Lessons Learned from Struggles

(15:12) - Investing in Leadership Development

(21:39) - Building a Winning Team

(27:31) - Connecting with Community Institutions

(29:13) - Tools for Transitioning Roles

Links & Resources

Ronnie’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronniemgreen
AlgoPear: https://algopear.com/

Keywords

fintech, financial inclusion, community banks, credit unions, startup growth, digital banking, financial education, innovation, leadership, startup challenges

How to Build a Team That Wins: Lessons from Matt Hudson

Wisdom Partners — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 17:31:55 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

In this episode, experienced founder Matt Hudson shares insights on personalized web experiences, leadership, and making strategic decisions in startups. Discover how to leverage demand, invest in people, and navigate challenges to build impactful products.

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Chapters

(00:00) Intro

(05:35) The Importance of User Experience

(08:54) Investing in People for Business Success

(13:38) Navigating Challenges and Celebrating Wins

(18:25) Identifying Real Demand in Product Development

(23:22) Navigating Team Dynamics and Cultural Mix

(28:28) Investing in Leadership Development

(31:07) Embracing the Challenges of Startup Life

(33:08) Choosing Your Suffering in Entrepreneurship

Links & Resources

Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattshudson
BILDIT: https://www.bildit.co/
Principle-Centered Leadership: https://a.co/d/08YJJKde
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: https://a.co/d/04GTQKpW
The Second Mountain: https://a.co/d/0iAYMElG

Keywords

Startups, Leadership, Personalization, E-commerce, Demand, Building Great Teams, Product Strategy, AI, Business Growth

How AI is Transforming Group Communication with David Petrou

Wisdom Partners — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

In this episode, David Petrou shares his journey from Google to founding Continua, exploring how AI and social agents are transforming group communication and collaboration. Discover insights on building innovative AI products, navigating startup challenges, and the future of social AI integration.

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Chapters

(00:00) Introduction

(02:23) The Problem Continua.ai Aims to Solve

(06:35) From Enterprise to Startup

(10:55) Culture Shock and Learning Curves

(13:05) The Advantage of Velocity in Startups

(18:33) Current Challenges: Speed and Coherence in AI

(25:34) Milestones in AI Development and Coding Tools

(28:47) Leadership Growth and Self-Development

(30:57) Connecting with Continua.ai and Future Opportunities

Links & Resources

David’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dpetrou
Continua AI: https://continua.ai/

Keywords

AI, social agents, startup, innovation, group chat, collaboration, technology, entrepreneurship, Continua, Google

Revolutionizing Construction with Robotics and AI: Edgar Munoz's Vision

Wisdom Partners — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 17:26:44 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

In this episode, Edgar Munoz, a multi-time founder and expert in digital construction, shares insights on integrating modern tech with traditional construction, scaling operations, and the importance of resilience and effective communication in leadership.

Subscribe to our Substack: blog.wisdompartners.llc

Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Founder Real Talk

(01:55) Modern Development: Bridging Tradition and Innovation

(06:52) Lessons Learned: Wisdom from Failure

(11:46) Investing in Leadership and Personal Growth

(14:50) Learning Through Experience

(16:30) Communicating Across Stakeholders

(21:03) Evolving as a Leader

(26:03) Finding Balance and Presence

Links & Resources

Guest contact info: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edgar-mu%C3%B1oz-121a8a51
Moderne Dev Website: https://modernedevelopment.com/
Oxford University Digital Systems Program: https://www.cs.ox.ac.uk/teaching/courses/2025-2026/digitalsystems/

Keywords

construction, digital construction, robotics, AI, scaling, leadership, resilience, innovation, real estate, startup

The Importance of Execution in Startups with Saeid Makhmali

Wisdom Partners — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 15:33:52 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

In this episode, Saeid Makmali, a tech executive and serial entrepreneur, shares insights on how startups can overcome execution challenges, the importance of cultural fit in hiring, and strategies for achieving product-market fit. Learn from his experiences in building SinonSoft and his MVP Partner Program to support early-stage founders.

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Founder Real Talk

01:47 Understanding the Pain Points of Entrepreneurs

04:52 The Joys and Challenges of Entrepreneurship

06:30 Lessons Learned from Failure

09:52 Investing in Leadership Development

12:26 Narrowing Focus: Transitioning to Healthcare

15:05 Advice for Seed Stage Founders

19:27 Connecting with Entrepreneurs in Need

20:56 losing Thoughts and Future Connections

Links & Resources

Saeid’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saeid-makhmali
Guest Website: https://sinansoft.com/
MVP Partner Program: https://sinansoft.com/services/mvp-partner-program

Keywords

startups, entrepreneurship, product-market fit, hiring, company culture, MVP, software development, founder journey

Revolutionizing Pediatric Care with Ricardo Berrios

Wisdom Partners — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 17:45:00 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

In this episode of Founder Real Talk, Josh Broward interviews Ricardo Berrios about Adhera Health's innovative use of AI in pediatric chronic care. They discuss the company's journey, challenges, successes, and the importance of family-centered healthcare solutions.

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Chapters

(00:00) Introduction

(03:05) The Genesis of Adhera Health

(05:17) Empathic AI in Healthcare

(08:16) Achievements and Recognition

(10:43) Lessons from Mistakes and Challenges

(13:09) Advice for Seed Stage Founders

(15:33) The Importance of Continuous Education

(17:04) Current Challenges and Future Vision

(19:28) Support and Partnerships Needed

(21:46) Reflections on the Founder Journey

Links & Resources

Ricardo’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardocberrios
Adhera Health: https://www.adherahealth.com/

Keywords

AI health, pediatric chronic care, digital health, family health, healthcare innovation, startup journey, healthcare AI awards

Lessons Learned from Fintech with Ashley Parekh

Wisdom Partners — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 18:06:01 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

In this insightful interview, Ashley Parekh shares her journey from banking to fintech innovation, focusing on digital onboarding solutions for small banks and credit unions. She discusses the challenges of startup pivots, the importance of customer focus, and lessons learned from failure, offering valuable advice for aspiring founders.

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Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Syntex and Its Mission

(03:09) Ashley Parekh's Journey in Banking

(05:26) Lessons Learned from Early Mistakes

(09:26) Navigating the Challenges of Startups

(15:08) Investing in Yourself

(19:54) Current Challenges and Future Goals

(23:13) Working with Syntex

Links & Resources

Ashley’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-parekh
Syntex: https://www.syntex.pro/

Keywords

fintech, startup, banking, digital onboarding, entrepreneurship, pivot, customer focus, fundraising, failure, growth

Empathy-Driven Innovation: Inside Foqal's Success

Wisdom Partners — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

In this episode, Vlad Schlossberg, CEO of Foqal, shares insights on how AI and automation are transforming support workflows within organizations. He discusses the importance of integrating with existing chat platforms, the challenges of scaling, and lessons learned from building a customer-centric product.

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Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Founder Real Talk

(02:07) Understanding Focal's Core Problem

(04:04) The Importance of Integration in Workflows

(08:06) Empathy in Problem Solving

(10:31) The Journey of Building a Startup

(12:01) Celebrating Wins and Learning from Losses

(17:01) Struggles and Mistakes in Execution

(21:12) Balancing Customer Requests and Product Development

(25:51) Scaling Challenges: Navigating Growth and Marketing

(27:32) Customer Acquisition: The Lifeblood of Business

(29:17) Bootstrapping Success: Building a Sustainable Business

Links & Resources

Vlad’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vshlos
Guest Website: https://www.foqal.io/

Keywords

AI, automation, support workflows, chat platform integration, scaling startups, product development, customer success

Navigating the GovTech Landscape

Wisdom Partners — Sat, 21 Mar 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

In this episode of Founder Real Talk, host Josh Broward interviews Rachel Stern, founder and managing partner of GovTech Ventures. They discuss the unique challenges and opportunities in the GovTech space, the importance of capital and expertise for early-stage startups, and Rachel's extensive experience working with state and local governments. Rachel shares her journey of fundraising, the lessons learned from failures, and the significance of having a personal advisory board. The conversation also touches on the transition from founder-led sales to scalable processes and the value of engaging with the GovTech community.

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction to GovTech Ventures and Rachel Stern

02:58 The Need for Capital in GovTech

06:06 Rachel's Background and Experience in Government

08:58 The Journey of Fundraising and Building a Network

12:05 Learning from Mistakes and Embracing Failure

17:52 The Importance of Personal Advisory Boards

20:53 Investing in Professional Development

25:01 Challenges in Fundraising and Building a Fund

28:45 Advice for Seed Stage Founders

31:55 The Transition from Founder-Led Sales to Scalable Processes

36:00 Engaging with the GovTech Community

Links & Resources

Rachel’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelstern12
Website: https://govtechventures.com/

Keywords

GovTech, venture capital, fundraising, startups, personal development, advisory board, failure, seed stage, founder-led sales, networking

Transforming Cinema: Giulia's Journey as a Female Founder

Wisdom Partners — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

In this episode of Founder Real Talk, host Josh Broward speaks with Giulia Eve Flores, founder of Lila Studios, about the spiritual journey of entrepreneurship, the importance of storytelling in cinema, and the personal growth that comes with being a founder. Giulia shares her experiences transitioning from a corporate job to starting her own studio, the challenges of rapid growth, and the significance of self-care and emotional regulation in her journey. The conversation emphasizes the need for community support among founders and the transformative power of cinema to inspire and uplift humanity.

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Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Founder Real Talk

(01:57) The Spiritual Path of Entrepreneurship

(05:14) The Birth of Leela Studios

(07:35) Harnessing the Power of Storytelling

(12:51) Personal Wins and Growth as a Founder

(17:13) Navigating Rapid Growth and Self-Care

(27:25) The Importance of Self-Care in Business

(29:02) Embracing the Egg Principle in Business

(31:04) Trusting the Process and Non-Linear Growth

(32:52) Investing in Yourself and Strategic Partnerships

(36:52) Navigating Growth and Delegation Challenges

(39:04) Seeking Investors and Building Legacy

Links & Resources

Giulia’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giulia-eve-flores-985243202

Keywords

entrepreneurship, female founder, transformational cinema, storytelling, self-care, personal growth, Lila Studios, business strategy, emotional intelligence, community support

AI and Open Source Intelligence with Chris Fitzgerald

Wisdom Partners — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

In this episode of Founder Real Talk, host Josh Broward engages with Chris Fitzgerald, the CEO of an AI-powered open-source intelligence company, Intrace. The conversation delves into the challenges faced by startup founders, particularly the feelings of loneliness and the struggle to normalize their experiences. Chris shares insights into his company's mission to streamline investigations for security and private investigation firms by leveraging AI technology. He explains the four pillars of their platform: graph, search, monitoring, and corpus collection, which collectively enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of investigations across various domains.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Introduction to Founder Real Talk

(02:00) - Understanding Open Source Intelligence (OSINT)

(05:13) - Identifying Customer Needs and Market Fit

(06:58) - The Journey of Building Intrace

(09:50) - Technical Wins and Team Morale

(12:29) - Learning from Mistakes and Failures

(15:55) - Investing in Talent and Team Culture

(21:54) - Challenges in Client Management

(24:58) - Advice for Early-Stage Founders

Links & Resources

Chris’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fitzgerald-christopher
Intrace: https://www.intrace.ai/
Take our Free Work Well-Being Assessment! https://forms.gle/RRcQAmv3xnQyM184A

Keywords

Founder Real Talk, OSINT, AI, cybersecurity, private investigation, startup challenges, product development, failure, investment, scaling

The Evolution of Hiring in the AI Era with Pablo Estevez

Wisdom Partners — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 17:58:33 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

In this conversation, Josh Broward and Pablo Estevez discuss the challenges of burnout in the workplace, the role of AI in modern hiring, and the importance of adaptive leadership. Pablo shares his personal experiences with burnout and how it has shaped his approach to leadership and hiring. They explore the significance of hiring the right people and the future of recruitment as AI continues to evolve. Pablo also reflects on his journey as an entrepreneur and the lessons learned along the way, emphasizing the need for personal growth and the importance of celebrating small wins.

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Chapters

(00:00) - Introduction to Burnout and Leadership
(09:31) - Understanding Burnout in the Workplace
(15:22) - Adaptive Leadership and Problem Solving
(19:51) - The Journey of Time to Hire
(26:50) - The Importance of Hiring in the Modern Age
(29:48) - Daily Wins and Leadership Practices
(32:57) - Investing in Personal Growth
(36:15) - Connecting with Enterprise Companies
(37:00) - Podcast Outro

Links & Resources

Pablo’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pestevez1
Time to Hire Website: https://timetohire.ai/companies

Keywords

burnout, hiring, AI, leadership, adaptive problems, entrepreneurship, recruitment, workplace culture, personal growth, Time to Hire

How Top Founders Spot Real Opportunities Amid the Noise of AI

Wisdom Partners — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 19:12:48 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

In this episode of the Founder Real Talk podcast, host Josh Broward engages with Sandro, a seasoned entrepreneur in the AI space. They discuss the challenges and triumphs of startup life, the importance of building effective teams, and the role of failure in growth. Sandro shares insights on his current ventures, Velen and Parable, and emphasizes the significance of technical knowledge and genuine connections among founders.

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Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Founder Real Talk Podcast

02:34 - Sandro's Journey and AI Startups

04:38 - The Importance of Team Dynamics

08:47 - Learning from Failure

13:13 - Investing in Technical Knowledge

14:45 - Navigating Challenges in Startups

16:45 - Advice for Seed Stage Founders

18:15 - Building Connections and Community

Links & Resources

Sandro’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandrookropiridze

Keywords

AI, startups, entrepreneurship, team building, failure, growth, technical knowledge, founder advice, networking, Velen, Parable

The Art of Storytelling with Luke Miller

Wisdom Partners — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

In this episode, host Josh Broward interviews Luke Miller, founder of MediaRide, discussing the challenges and triumphs of entrepreneurship. They explore the importance of storytelling in business, the strategy of starting small, overcoming imposter syndrome, and the balance between work and personal life. Luke shares insights on learning from mistakes, investing in personal growth, and navigating social media challenges. The conversation highlights the transformative impact of coaching and the financial growth MediaRide has experienced since working with Wisdom Partners.

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Chapters

(00:00) Introduction

(01:44) The Birth of MediaRide

(03:28) The Importance of Storytelling in Business

(04:40) Starting Small: A Strategy for Success

(07:43) Expanding Services and Embracing Growth

(09:01) Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

(10:24) The Balance of Work and Personal Life

(11:21) Learning from Mistakes: The Importance of Ideal Client Profiles

(12:37) Investing in Personal and Professional Growth

(15:23) Navigating Social Media Challenges

(16:45) Advice for Early Stage Founders

(18:17) How to Support MediaRide

(19:12) The Impact of Wisdom Partners on MediaRide

(20:30) Financial Growth and Business Success

Links & Resources

MediaRide: mediaride.com
Luke’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lukemiller-mediaride
WP Website: www.wisdompartners.llc

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, storytelling, video production, business growth, marketing, social media, personal development, coaching, MediaRide

Transforming Finance with PowerPoint Automation with Connor Engelsberg

Wisdom Partners — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

In this episode, host Josh Broward speaks with Connor Engelsberg, founder of Orvyn, a PowerPoint automation tool for the finance industry. They discuss the challenges and triumphs of being a founder, the importance of persistence, and the lessons learned from failures. Connor shares insights on personal and professional investments, the significance of collaboration, and the core challenges faced by startups in the finance sector.

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Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Founder Real Talk

(02:00) Connor's Journey and Orvin's Mission

(03:22) The Power of Automation in Finance

(07:27) Lessons from Failures and Persistence

(10:54) Personal and Professional Investments

(14:13) Challenges in the Business Landscape

(15:24) Advice for Early Stage Founders

(16:45) How to Support Orvin

(19:14) Customer Alignment and Product Development

(21:58) Lead Generation and Growth Strategies

(24:22) Josh's Background and Wisdom Partners

(27:48) Closing Thoughts and Future Directions

Links & Resources

Connor’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/connor-engelsberg
Orvyn Website: https://www.getorvyn.com/

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, leadership, startup, PowerPoint automation, finance, AI, personal growth, professional development, persistence

Innovating Fire Prevention with Nafaa Haddou

Wisdom Partners — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 15:38:13 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

In this episode of Founder Real Talk, Josh speaks with Nafaa Haddou, CEO of FireSafe AI, about the challenges and triumphs of founding a startup focused on wildfire prevention using AI technology. The conversation emphasizes the need for resilience and adaptability in the startup world, as well as the significance of building partnerships and engaging with local communities to address pressing issues like wildfires.

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Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Founder Real Talk

(02:58) The Mission Behind FireSafe AI

(05:14) Navigating Startup Challenges

(07:45) Funding Strategies for Startups

(10:30) Recent Wins and Innovations

(13:07) Learning from Mistakes

(15:31) Advice for Seed Stage Founders

(18:58) Professional Investments and Mentorship

(22:00) Current Challenges and Market Dynamics

(23:27) Engaging with Local Governments

(24:58) Advice for Seed Stage Founders

(26:38) How to Contact and Support Firesafe

Links & Resources

Nafaa’s LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/nafaa-haddou
Firesafe Website: https://firesafe.live/

Keywords

wildfire prevention, AI technology, startup challenges, founder advice, community support, financial strategies, innovation, partnerships, learning from failure, seed stage funding

The Journey of Revolutionizing News with Kira Shishkin | EP 1

Wisdom Partners — Sat, 07 Feb 2026 18:17:03 GMT

Welcome to Founder Real Talk, a podcast for founders, by founders.

In this episode, we feature Kira Shishkin, a tech entrepreneur best known as the Founder & CEO of informed.now, a media-and-news startup that aims to help people stay informed without overload, bias, or sensationalism.

Kira joins us to discuss media mindfulness and how they help individuals reclaim attention, cut through noise, and make up their own minds rather than being shaped by sensational headlines or ideological narratives.

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Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Founder Real Talk

(01:48) Kira Shishkin and the Informed Mission

(04:30) Understanding News by Text Service

(07:46) Philosophical Perspectives on Bias in News

(12:17) The Epistemology Crisis in America

(15:13) Recent Wins for Informed

(20:54) Learning from Mistakes in Startups

(27:14) Investing in Personal Brand

(29:50) Challenges in Storytelling and Market Expansion

(31:37) Advice for Seed Stage Founders

(35:56) How to Support Informed's Mission

Links & Resources

Kira’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirashishkin
Informed: https://informed.now/

Keywords

founders, entrepreneurship, news, information crisis, Informed, Kira Shishkin, startup lessons, personal branding, epistemology, media integrity