Henry Shukman and Jack Shukman are the co-founders of The Way (thewayapp.com), a meditation app designed for those seeking a deeper meditation experience.
Henry Shukman is an authorized Zen Master in the Sanbo Zen lineage. Jack Shukman is the co-founder and CEO of The Way. Together, they embarked on a unique journey to create an app that offers a much more in-depth meditation practice than what is currently available.
What happens when a Zen Master starts a tech startup? That’s exactly what Henry Shukman did. Together with his nephew, Jack, they launched The Way, an app that integrates Zen philosophy into its core.
In this episode, we delve into the intersection of tech and meditation. Henry and Jack share how they infused Zen principles into their startup, discuss how a Zen Master would pitch to Silicon Valley VCs, and explore the importance of awakening for knowledge workers in tech. I also had the chance to ask Henry about his views on manifestation.
I’m very grateful for this episode, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as well.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
04:00 - Why a Zen Master wants to start a meditation app
10:12 - The founding story of ‘The Way’ meditation app
17:15 - Awakening and non-duality
23:00 - “Sales pitch” for Awakening: Why should founders meditate?
32:00 - Is Awakening for everyone?
41:32 - The Way’s four zones
54:45 - Inside “The Way” the startup
01:00:30 - Mission & metrics
01:07:34 - TAM of meditation apps
01:15:18 - Awakening and its impact on entrepreneurs
01:36:34 - Manifestation and wealth: A Zen perspective
01:39:01 - Advice for busy startup founders on meditation
