In this conversation, Shamil Malachiyev, Aaron Hurst, and Charlotte Massey discuss the importance of building connections in a post-COVID world, the role of education in fostering relationships, and the impact of technology on personal connections. They explore neighborhood dynamics, the intentionality required in building friendships, and the challenges faced in nonprofit leadership. The discussion also touches on the influence of AI on modern relationships and the costs associated with the entrepreneurial journey. Ultimately, they emphasize the need for community engagement and the importance of creating a supportive organizational culture to combat loneliness and foster connections.
In this engaging conversation, Lucas Dickey shares his unique journey from a military upbringing to becoming a successful entrepreneur. He discusses the impact of his childhood experiences on his adaptability and empathy, the challenges of parenting in the digital age, and the importance of curiosity and validation in his career. Lucas reflects on his time at Amazon, his transition to startups, and his innovative projects like Deepcast and Prompt Yield, which aim to revolutionize podcast discovery and contextual advertising in the age of AI.
In this conversation, Edan Shahar, CEO of Wild Zebra, discusses the transformative potential of AI in education, emphasizing personalized learning experiences. He shares insights from his entrepreneurial journey, including lessons learned from previous startups, the challenges of long sales cycles, and the importance of building relationships in business. The discussion also touches on the impact of parenthood on work-life balance and the evolving landscape of work in the context of personal aspirations and societal changes.
In this conversation, Kendall opens up about her journey in the art industry - from curating massive shows to raising $6M for her startup. She reveals the challenges artists face in selling their work and the mission behind her platform, Cohart.She emphasizes the power of community, storytelling, and the impact of digital trends like NFTs on art collecting. Kendall also shares candid insights on building a strong co-founder relationship, developing resilience through hundreds of investor pitches, and balancing creativity with structure as a founder.Reflecting on her childhood, the pressure to perform, and the role of luck, she highlights how self-care and mindfulness have become essential in navigating the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Cohort and Its Mission05:04 The Challenges Artists Face in Selling Art07:44 How Cohart Reinvents Art Demand10:07 The Power of Storytelling in Art12:51 After the NFT Craze: Why Collecting Is Still Social15:06 Impact of NFTs on Art Collecting18:04 From Spark to Startup: Cohart’s First Angel Investor20:50 Founder Therapy: How to Save a Partnership24:12 Childhood Pressure That Built a Founder27:00 Fighting for Art in a Family of High Expectations31:07 Why Discomfort Creates Resilient Leaders34:38 The Perfect Mix: Business Smarts + Art Dreams39:39 400+ Pitches, Cold Emails, and First $50K Check43:51 Building Connections and Networking46:12 The “Give First” Strategy That Opens Doors50:56 Luck and Opportunity: Creating Your Own55:26 From Pain to Power: Turning Rejection Into Fuel59:28 How Small Actions Beat Overthinking01:02:47 Meditation Hacks from a Startup Retreat01:05:49 Discipline Isn’t for Work — It’s for Life01:07:40 The Power of Walking in Silence01:09:11 First $70K Sale and What’s Next for Cohart01:11:18 From Struggles to Strength: Final Reflections🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcast: https://lnk.to/founderscode👇 CONNECT WITH KENDALKendall Warson ► / kendall-warson-a14a16178 COHART ► https://www.cohart.com/👇 CONNECT WITH SHAMILShamil Malachiyev ► / shamilmalachiyev FluidLabs & Founder`s Code ► https://fluidlabs.tech/
From being signed by Interscope Records and working with 50 Cent, Nicki Minaj, and Kylie Minogue… to hitting rock bottom and rebuilding from scratch - John Fontein’s story is wild.
In this episode, we unpack how he walked away from a life that looked like success… and built one that felt like success.
He went from:
Writing multi-platinum hits in Japan
Secretly running a record label while working at Goldman Sachs
Falling into deep depression when it all collapsed
...to becoming co-founder of Sesame, a startup that’s raised over $75M to make healthcare actually work for everyday Americans.
If you’ve ever questioned your path, hit a wall, or wondered whether you’re building the right dream - this one is for you.
🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe if these founder stories hit home.
In this conversation, Mada Seghete shares her journey from a failed startup to building Upside, a platform focused on revenue intelligence for B2B brands. She discusses the importance of understanding what drives revenue, the challenges of belonging and imposter syndrome, and the significance of building community. Mada reflects on her experiences in education, the entrepreneurial spirit, and the dynamics of co-founding a startup. She emphasizes the role of emotional intelligence in leadership, the impact of burnout, and the evolution of motivation from proving oneself to pursuing passion. The conversation also touches on transformative experiences, the importance of meditation, and the future of humanity in relation to AI.Key Takeaways
-Building community can help overcome feelings of loneliness.-The entrepreneurial path often involves significant risk and uncertainty.-Team dynamics and trust are essential for startup success.-Emotional intelligence plays a key role in effective leadership.-Open communication can resolve resentment among co-founders.-Burnout can stem from a lack of purpose and recognition in work.-Finding motivation can evolve from proving oneself to pursuing passion.-Transformative experiences can lead to personal growth and self-awareness.-Meditation and mindfulness can enhance clarity and focus.-Self-improvement is a continuous journey that requires effort.-The future of humanity is intertwined with the evolution of AI.
👇 CONNECT WITH MADAMada Seghete ► / madalina Upside ► https://www.upside.tech/Branch ► https://www.branch.io/👇 CONNECT WITH SHAMILShamil Malachiyev ► www.linkedin.com/in/shamilmalachiyevFluidLabs & Founder`s Code ► https://fluidlabs.tech/
Kevin Coleman has no plan to sell. Instead, he’s all in on making Ravenna the most consequential company in Seattle - starting with a $15M seed round. In this engaging birthday episode, Kevin Coleman, co-founder of Ravenna, shares insights into the startup landscape, the importance of effective communication, and the balance between family life and entrepreneurship. He discusses the challenges of early B2B sales, the significance of content creation, and the lessons learned from his journey as a founder. Kevin emphasizes the need for clear positioning and differentiation in business strategy, while also reflecting on the value of feedback and building a strong co-founder relationship. Looking ahead, he expresses his excitement for the future of Ravenna and the impact it aims to make in the industry.
🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts: https://lnk.to/founderscodeThis episode is for any founder who needs to hear that they are not alone in their journeys that start with uncertainty, struggle, and resilience.
👇 CONNECT WITH KEVIN
Kevin Coleman ► https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravenna-kev/
Ravenna.ai ► https://ravenna.ai/
👇 CONNECT WITH SHAMIL
Shamil Malachiyev ► www.linkedin.com/in/shamilmalachiyev
FluidLabs & Founder`s Code ► https://fluidlabs.tech/
Is the American Dream still alive in the age of AI?
In this episode of The Founder's Code, Raghu Gollamudi shares his journey from Chennai to Microsoft to building Included.ai - a platform using AI to give companies real insight into their workforce.
We talk about the early spark behind his pre-Tinder app Mingles, the pivot that followed George Floyd’s murder, and why he nearly gave up in year one. What kept him going? His team’s belief.
You’ll learn:
Why customer pain matters more than their requests
How AI is lowering the cost to build and ship
The hiring test Raghu swears by: first 15 days
Why empathy and trust beat features in enterprise sales
How Included helps companies avoid talent blind spots
This one’s for builders chasing long-term impact - especially those who’ve had to fight for their seat at the table.
In this episode of the Founder`s Code podcast, host Shamil Malachiyev interviews Brendan Severin, founder of Conductor Quantum. They discuss the future of quantum computing, the importance of AI in enhancing quantum capabilities, and the entrepreneurial journey that shaped Brendan's vision. The conversation delves into the significance of resilience, communication, and attention to detail in building a successful startup culture. Brendan shares insights from his experience at Y Combinator and reflects on the aggressive mindset required to navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship. In this conversation, Brandon Severin discusses the impact of high standards on personal growth, the importance of overcoming adversity, and the balance between aggression and softness in leadership. He delves into the implications of quantum computing on cryptocurrency, emphasizing the resilience of crypto in the face of potential threats. The dialogue also explores the significance of trust and relationships in business, the role of money in motivation, and the complexity of human emotions compared to AI. Ultimately, the conversation reflects on the journey of personal and professional growth, the value of community, and the meaning of life.Keywords: quantum computing, AI, startup culture, entrepreneurship, Y Combinator, resilience, leadership, team building, deep tech, innovation, high standards, personal growth, overcoming adversity, self-belief, assertiveness, quantum computing, cryptocurrency, resilience, trust, relationships, money, fulfillment, community, emotions, neural networks.
This morning I sat down with Matt Oxley - co-founder of Opal, Managing Director at US Expansion Partners, and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Smedvig Ventures.
No filters. No masks. Just two founders trading real stories:
• Building confidence while failing in public
• Why work ethic only matters if you know your WHY
• Betting his life savings on Opal and moving to Portland
• Scaling with Madrona & Accel — the highs and lows
• What separates good founders from the ones who stall out
• How he now helps EU startups crack the US playbook
• Founder mental health, burnout, and learning when to quit
👇 CONNECT
Matt Oxley ► https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdoxley/
Opal ► https://workwithopal.com/
US Expansion Partners ► https://www.usxp.co/
🎙 LISTEN to The Founder’s Code on Spotify / Apple / wherever you get podcasts.
🔔 Subscribe & hit the bell so you don’t miss the next episode.
What if Earth can no longer support the future of AI?
In this episode of The Founder's Code, I speak with Philip Johnston, founder and CEO of StarCloud - a startup building data centers in space.
Philip isn’t just another founder. He’s building infrastructure for a post-terrestrial future, where compute is moved into orbit to escape Earth’s growing energy bottlenecks. We talk about space infrastructure, superintelligence, the future of civilization, and how YC helped him bet on a 100-year vision.
In this episode:
Whether you’re building on Earth or planning beyond it, this conversation is a look at the kind of founder thinking 100 years ahead.
Dave Hersh built Jive Software from scratch to a $200M IPO.
Backed by Sequoia. Listed on NASDAQ. On paper, he won the startup game.
But what came after? Identity collapse. Burnout. Depression.
And eventually - a complete reinvention of what it means to lead.
In this conversation, Dave opens up about:
The hidden trauma behind startup success
Grieving the “old self” after an exit
The real reason most founders feel empty, even when they win
And how to build from your soul and not your ego
👉 If you're building a company, chasing a dream, or questioning what it’s costing you - this one’s for you.
🎧 Subscribe for more real conversations with founders who’ve been through it.
What really happened in DocuSign’s early years—and how close did it come to failing?
In this episode, I sit down with Court Lorenzini, the founding CEO of DocuSign, for a raw and revealing conversation about the early days of one of the world’s most iconic SaaS companies.
We talk about:
Growing up around the original builders of Silicon Valley
Starting out as a janitor in his father's company
The emotional toll of early-stage entrepreneurship
Why he turned down Adobe
Firing customers to stay alive
The Microsoft moment that changed everything
And his mission now with Founder Nexus
This is not a story about overnight success—it’s about risk, belief, and the quiet decisions that shape billion-dollar companies.
Whether you're building your first startup or scaling your next venture, this episode will hit home._________________________________________________________
🎙️ Hosted by Shamil MalachiyevFounder of FluidLabs and creator of The Founder’s Code
📩 Connect with Court Lorenzini: court@foundernexus.com
