TechCrunch's Found podcast, which has been bringing listeners the stories behind startups since April 2022, released its final episode today.
I've been certainly one of Found's hosts since November 2022 and in that point I've spoken to greater than 75 founders concerning the startups they're constructing. These founders come from many various backgrounds and work in industries starting from AI to climate to e-commerce to higher education and the whole lot in between.
Now that the series isn’t any longer releasing recent episodes, I made a decision to have a look back at a few of my favorite episodes.
You may notice a theme in a lot of these. The best founders you possibly can confer with didn't pitch us their product on a regular basis or make big, boastful claims about their company or industry. Instead, a lot of these founders provided a transparent account of constructing their corporations and coping with the trials and tribulations of startup life.
The following 15 episodes are definitely a few of my favorites that I even have been a component of. These episodes are listed in reverse chronological order of release date, versus my actual rating, which you is not going to receive from me.
Guest: Howie Liu, co-founder and CEO of Airtable
What the corporate does: No-code app platform
Episode release date: October 22, 2024
Why it's a favourite: It was a pleasure to confer with Liu. Airtable has a captivating story and Liu tells it well. The undeniable fact that the app's design is inspired by certainly one of Liu's favorite cartoon characters tells you the whole lot it is advisable to know concerning the tone of this conversation.
Guest: Nick Frosst, co-founder of Cohere
What the corporate does: Enterprise AI
Episode release date: August 8, 2024
Why it's a favourite: There is a variety of exaggeration and hype relating to today's AI startup market. There isn’t any prevention of frost. It was refreshing to confer with an AI founder who’s knowledgeable and may discover what the AI industry is overselling and the way his own company suits into the wave.
Guest: Tade Oyerinde, Chancellor, Campus
What the corporate does: Accredited online community college
Episode release date: July 18, 2024
Why it's a favourite: Much of the startup ecosystem consists of founders trying to iterate on old ideas. Although this approach is each valid and sometimes lucrative, it will not be at all times interesting. Campus is certainly one of the few (non-climate focused) corporations I've spoken to this 12 months that’s doing something truly unique.
Guest: Nicholas Green, co-founder and CEO of Thrive Market
What the corporate does: Membership-based online healthy food platform
Episode release date: April 2, 2024
Why it's a favourite: Thrive Market could have targeted its online marketplace for healthy snacks and groceries toward the forms of customers who can already access them. But that wasn't the case, and the the explanation why make for an amazing founding story. Plus, learning concerning the logistics of a web-based food market that opened pre-COVID was fascinating, even for many who aren't as obsessive about grocery logistics as I’m.
Guest: Rebecca Hu, co-founder of Glacier
What the corporate does: Robots sorting recycling
Episode release date: March 12, 2024
Why it's a favourite: Glacier's approach to using computer vision to show robots to sort recycling appears to be a glimpse into the long run of reduce, reuse and recycle. Hu also has some interesting anecdotes about what it's wish to construct an AI company within the age of AI laundry. The robots even have names.
Guest: Beatrice Dixon, co-founder and CEO of The Honey Pot (acquired by Compass Diversified)
What the corporate does: Menstrual hygiene products
Episode release date: February 6, 2024
Why it's a favourite: The founding story of The Honey Pot is fascinating and Dixon is a real storyteller. This episode also shows you ways hard it’s to get a startup off the bottom, but additionally takes a take a look at the sweet reward at the tip of all that work.
Guest: Ben Goodwin, Co-founder and CEO, Olipop
What the corporate does: Prebiotic lemonade
Episode release date: January 24, 2024
Why it's a favourite: Olipop is a wild company to follow because the gut-healthy soda market has exploded in the previous few years. Goodwin was also a pleasure to confer with. Even though he’s CEO, he still develops all the brand's flavors himself. He took our call while drinking coffee from a wine glass. That gives you an idea of the way it went.
Guest: Neil Batlivala
What the corporate does: Connects underserved communities with quality care
Episode release date: November 28, 2023
Why it's a favourite: Batlivala has cracked the code on leveraging government resources to assist a startup scale its impact. Batlivala and his work with Pair Team are a brilliant spot within the startup ecosystem as his company works to enhance the lives of probably the most vulnerable populations within the U.S., who are sometimes neglected by the tech industry at large.
Guest: Abhi Ramesh, Founder and CEO, Misfits Market
What the corporate does: Online food market with ugly products and incorrectly packaged goods
Episode release date: October 31, 2023
Why it's a favourite: Ramesh was incredibly candid concerning the founding story of Misfits Market and all of the hurdles he faced in getting the corporate off the bottom. This episode was also recorded shortly after Misfits acquired rival Imperfect Foods, so there's also a variety of useful information on find out how to merge corporations.
Guest: Graham Hine, co-founder and director of ePlant (former CEO)
What it does: Uses AI sensors to observe tree health
Episode release date: September 5, 2023
Why it's a favourite: This Startup Uses AI to Talk to Trees! Hine wasn't your typical Silicon Valley founder, in way, and it was fun to speak with an organization that's solving an enormous problem – tree health – but in a really entertaining way. Listen to seek out out Hines' favorite tree, too.
Guest: Rebecca Rosenberg, Founder and CEO, ReBokeh
What the corporate does: Assistive technology for individuals with visual impairments
Episode release date: August 1, 2023
Why it's so popular: People with disabilities are sometimes completely ignored by technical innovations. So it was really cool to listen to from a founder who’s developing transformative technologies for individuals with visual impairments and is doing it in a way that is predicated on her personal experience. Rosenberg can be sensible beyond her years.
Guest: Kamakshi Sivaramakrishnan, Founder and CEO, Samooha (now a part of Snowflake)
What it does: Secure data collaboration
Episode release date: May 16, 2023
Why it's a favourite: Sivaramakrishnan is a force to be reckoned with within the tech world. She signed documents to sell her first startup while within the hospital preparing to offer birth and has since founded and sold one other startup. There are many lessons to be learned from this.
Guest: Ben Lamm, Founder and CEO, Colossal Biosciences
What it does: Conservation through revitalization of extinct species
Episode release date: March 21, 2023
Why it's a favourite: While you might be confused initially of this episode as to why a tech startup would attempt to bring the woolly mammoth back to life, by the tip of this episode you'll be considering that this concept makes perfect sense. Lamm is an enticing speaker and the science behind the enterprise is endlessly fascinating.
Guest: Matt Rogers, Founder and CEO, Mill
What the corporate does: Home food composter and recycler
Episode release date: March 7, 2023
Why it's a favourite: Rogers has a captivating background prior to founding Mill, which incorporates work on the unique iPhone and founding the Nest smart thermostat company. Rogers is hilarious – his jokes and anecdotes alone make this book worthwhile.
Guest: Mir Hwang, Founder and CEO, GigFinesse
What the corporate does: Gig booking software
Episode Release Date: January 17, 2023
Why it's a favourite: Hwang is a captivating founder. From pretending to be your personal booking agent to constructing this startup out of another person's dorm room, there are plenty of funny stories in here. Plus, GigFinesse’s gig booking tool is pretty cool in itself.
