In this episode, host Kate Adams sits down with Julia Austin—Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School, startup advisor, executive coach, and author of After the Idea: What It Really Takes to Create and Scale a Startup. With decades of experience leading teams at Akamai, VMware, and DigitalOcean, Julia brings tactical wisdom and deep empathy to the messy, high-stakes realities of startup life.

Together, they unpack what really happens after the check clears: from managing investor relationships and board dynamics to building operationally sound companies that can scale. Drawing on frameworks from her book and real-world examples, Julia gives founders clear guidance on how to stay in the driver’s seat—even in the face of strong investor opinions.

Highlights include

• How and when to communicate with your investors after the "check clears"
  
  
• Productive ways to disagree with your investors and still build trust
  
  
• Strategies to get the most value out of your board member’s network & expertise
  
  
• The gap most startup books miss—and how After the Idea fills it

Julia also lays out a strong case for why figuring out the “culture and people stuff” is essential to a startup’s survival. 

Whether you’re working towards product market fit, building a team, or navigating early-stage chaos, this is your crash course in leading with intention, not reaction.

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Stay connected with our host, Kate Adams, here on LinkedIn! 
Purchase your copy of After the Idea here!