In this episode, I chat with my Magic: The Gathering coach Stanley Hartman (Stanley2009) about different career paths. I flip the script and share my own advice with Stanley as we explore how to land a job at a tech startup, build a career as a content creator, and brainstorm software ideas through vibe coding. For anyone interested in career guidance, content creation, or startup ideas, this episode provides practical advice and actionable tips.
FOLLOW STANLEY
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/stanley2099
X: https://x.com/stanley_2099
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@stanley_2099
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7I6IFHdvYOLeIMHtlhbNsC?si=d86a108fb335494c
FOLLOW ME
Website: https://mikekarnj.com
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
01:21 Getting a Job at a Tech Startup
25:25 Content Creation
57:01 Vibe Coding
How do you know when it’s time to make a change—whether in your career, personal life, or mindset?
In this episode, I sit down with Danya Shults, who shares her experiences from working at Skillshare and Patreon to becoming an executive coach. We also talk about her recent psychedelic therapy, sabbatical in Spain, and navigating changes as you get closer to 40.
We discuss:
This conversation is perfect for anyone experiencing major life transitions.
Follow Danya: https://www.danyashults.com
CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
07:30 Sabbatical
16:59 Life After
32:08 Entering 40s
36:52 Marriage and Milestones
42:28 Spirituality
50:44 Psychedelic Therapy
59:51 Advice
Safwaan Kay is working on a new (stealth) startup. He was previously at Founders, Inc.
LINKS
Safwaan's X: https://x.com/safwaankay
I’m rich and have no idea what to do with my life: https://vinay.sh/i-am-rich-and-have-no-idea-what-to-do-with-my-life/
HOST
Michael Karnjanaprakorn: https://mikekarnj.com/
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
03:31 Post Exit Founder Essay
20:18 Open Source
29:47 AI Agents
46:56 Ambition
Reflecting on the year has always been part of my annual process — celebrating wins, learning from challenges, and planning ahead. In this essay and podcast episode, I’ll share my highlights, lessons, and goals for 2025, along with some unexpected takeaways from a year dedicated to having fun.
Lessons
Dropping the Mask: Letting go of the personas we build to meet others’ expectations is difficult but transformative. Living authentically allows for deeper connections and a more fulfilling life.
Redefining Success: Inspired by my conversation with Kevin Dahlstrom, I’ve embraced a new version of the American Dream: sabbaticals, financial independence, passion-driven identities, and quality family time are what success looks like to me now.
Health is Wealth: Navigating my heart health issues and running injuries reinforced a simple truth: everything else in life rests on a foundation of good health. Without it, nothing else is sustainable.
Simplify to Focus: Decluttering my physical and mental space has been transformative. By owning less and streamlining commitments, I’ve freed up time and energy to focus on what I truly care about, whether it’s hobbies, relationships, or personal growth.
Transitions take Time: Big life changes rarely happen overnight. Shifting priorities, evolving identities, and exploring new paths require patience. Dead ends are part of the process; what matters is continuing to take steps forward without rushing the process.
Read: https://mikekarnj.com/posts/2024-review
Chapters
00:00 Intro
02:45 Highlights
26:32 Lessons Learned in 2024
29:54 Random
33:26 2025
I chat with Matt about his unconventional path to building a holding company. At just 22 years old, he has already had two successful exits. We discuss his approach to building his studio model holding company, Halation, where he focuses on creating one-of-a-kind software. Matt shares how he selects the ‘game’ he wants to play, why he chooses to work with friends, and the importance of having a 'cash cow' to fund other ventures. We delve into validating new ideas, finding the right operating partners, and his whale-and-barnacle approach. Lastly, we exchange advice on balancing work and life.
Guest
Matt Espinoza is a partner at Halation, building an empire of internet companies. Follow him on X.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction 01:43 Building a HoldCo 05:14 Bootstrapping 06:57 Partnering with Creators 12:22 Acquiring vs. Building 15:14 Validating Ideas 27:53 Importance of Operators 31:51 Lessons Learned 37:20 Balancing Work and Life 45:40 Calm Company 51:10 Fun
Host
I am the ex-founder of Skillshare, and I am now exploring what's next. The Karnjanaprakorn Show (TKS) follows my journey as I chat with others, taking unique approaches to business and life. Learn more about me: https://mikekarnj.com
Kevin Dahlstrom might be the most balanced person I’ve ever met. He’s a 4x Founder, 3x CMO, and investor in over 55 companies. He also pursues rock climbing at an elite level — all while prioritizing his family.
He says it’s only possible because of his “ideal end state” exercise. It aligns his actions with his true desires, allowing him to design a life he never needs to escape. As a result, he’s reduced work to just 10% of his identity.
As I navigate my 40s, I wanted to get his advice on making the most out of this decade. I chatted with Kevin to get his perspective on work, identity, health, lifestyle design, and more.
Guest
Kevin Dahlstrom is a 4X founder, 4X CMO, 50X PE investor, and avid rock climber.
Chapters
00:00 Intro 02:27 The Text 05:39 Lifestyle Design 11:38 Ideal End State Exercise 18:19 Manifesting Goals 21:28 Compounding 22:25 Reflections at 50 26:59 Work-Life Integration 32:08 Retirement 33:16 Minimalism 35:40 Climbing 37:09 Identity Beyond Work 39:50 Curating Your Tribe 41:39 Hobbies 47:27 Giving Back 52:40 Mental and Physical Health 01:04:12 End Quote
Host
I am the ex-founder of Skillshare, and now exploring what's next. The Karnjanaprakorn Show (TKS) follows my journey as I chat with others taking unique approaches to business and life. Learn more about me: https://mikekarnj.com
Dan has sold four companies throughout his career. We discuss what that was like and dive into what he’s doing next—building a venture studio. He shares his playbook and how he's leveraging his strengths, and I get his advice on navigating post-exit life. Plus, we discuss philanthropy and finding purpose and fulfillment beyond financial success.
Guest
Dan Reich is an entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. He has co-founded Spinback (acquired by Buddy Media), Tula (acquired by Procter & Gamble), Dibs Beauty, and Troops.ai (acquired by Salesforce).
Links
Chapters
00:00 Intro 02:14 Dan's Journey 09:47 Venture Studios 13:16 Creators 22:40 Financing 25:44 Why Again? 28:01 Daily Routines 29:31 Post-Exit Emotions 40:49 Philanthropy 43:07 Angel Investing 44:59 Final Thoughts
Podcast
I am the ex-founder of Skillshare, and now exploring what's next. The Karnjanaprakorn Show (TKS) follows my journey as I share what I learn along the way, and chat with others who are taking unique approaches to business and life. Learn more about me: https://mikekarnj.com
I chatted with Geoff Roberts about how they designed the company at Outseta, where they do things differently. Everyone makes $210,000 and can choose to work one to five days a week. They operate without budgets, targets, or OKRs, maintaining a flat hierarchy with no bosses. The company prioritizes life profitability for both the team and customers. Geoff discusses the motivation behind these decisions and how a high-trust, fully transparent work environment facilitates this unique culture.
Guest
Geoff is the co-founder of Outseta, an all-in-one membership software that makes it easier to build SaaS products, membership sites, and online communities. Learn more about their unique culture here.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
03:57 Bootstrapping
05:21 Ambition & Lifestyle
06:45 Life Profitability
13:52 $210,000 Salary
19:37 Flat Hierarchy
23:42 Resolving Conflicts
27:42 Attracting Talent
29:36 Lessons
32:18: Living Abroad
38:38 Advice
Podcast
I am the ex-founder of Skillshare, and now exploring what's next. The Karnjanaprakorn Show (TKS) follows my journey as I share what I learn along the way. Learn more about me: https://mikekarnj.com/
In this episode, I share the cycle many former founders go through as they decide between starting another company or riding off into the sunset.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:28 Founder Cycle
07:59 Redefining Success
Podcast
I am the ex-founder of Skillshare, and now exploring what's next. The Karnjanaprakorn Show (TKS) follows my journey as I share what I learn along the way. Learn more about me: https://mikekarnj.com/
In this episode, I explore lifestyle design, a philosophy centered around creating a life that aligns with freedom, work-life integration, purposeful living, and income autonomy. I question the conventional path to success and explore examples of people who are doing it differently. And share steps on how you can design your own lifestyle.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:25 Core Principles
02:57 Examples
08:44 Reflection
Podcast
I am the ex-founder of Skillshare, and now exploring what's next. The Karnjanaprakorn Show (TKS) follows my journey as I explore ideas related to life, business, and technology.
Learn more about me here: https://mikekarnj.com/
I had a conversation with Ryan Sneddon, who has built a successful local email newsletter in Annapolis, Maryland. We discussed the playbook for building a local business empire, and we both pitched different business ideas in real estate and YouTube.
Guest
Ryan Sneddon runs Naptown Scoop, a local newsletter serving Annapolis, Maryland. He's built an audience of over 18,000 (nearly half the town's population) and is building a local empire.
Links
Chapters
00:00 Intro 01:31 Local Newsletters 09:53 Local Business Empire 22:58 Real Estate Newsletter 40:10 YouTube 51:32 Internet
Podcast
After working in tech startups, I'm now exploring what's next. The Karnjanaprakorn Show (TKS) follows my journey as I explore ideas related to life, business, and technology.
In this episode, I share three career failures: not getting into business school, the failure of my first startup, and the ten pivots we went through at Skillshare.
READ
PODCAST
After working in tech startups, I'm now exploring what's next. The Karnjanaprakorn Show (TKS) follows my journey as I explore ideas related to life, business, and technology.
CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 01:06 Business School 02:35 By/Association 06:06 Pivots 09:40 Learnings
Tarpit ideas seem promising but trap founders in companies that are hard to scale. The first version of Skillshare was trapped. I also share a list of common tarpit ideas. Stay away from these!
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
02:33 Skillshare
06:02 List of Tarpit Ideas
READ MORE
PODCAST
The Karnjanaprakorn Show (TKS) is a podcast in which I explore ideas related to life, business, and technology.
I compiled a list of my ten most important life decisions. There are many more, but these were the top decisions I made before I turned 40. I also share some thoughts on how to best make those decisions.
LIFE DECISIONS
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:41 Life Decisions
03:09 Being Right
04:02 The Click
05:47 Reflecting
BLOG POSTS
In this solo episode, I share three ideas about business: 1) how to get to your first $100K, 2) playing a different game, and 3) impact.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
00:30 Investing in Yourself
02:38 Metagame
06:53 Legacy
In this solo episode, I share four of my favorite blog posts from the past month. This episode aims to inspire you to rethink your approach to life, creativity, and what it means to be successful.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
01:53 Craftsmanship
05:52 Success Addiction
09:27 Parent Stories
14:27 Assets
PODCAST
The Karnjanaprakorn Show is where I explore ideas across life, startups, and technology. As the former founder of Skillshare, I am now following my curiosity. This show follows that journey, exploring topics like longevity, emerging technologies, living a fulfilling life, and more.
In this episode, we discuss what happens after you sell your company. Ben sold his company to Zapier in 2021 for an undisclosed amount, but it was enough for Ben to retire from working. We discussed why he sold the company, what he did in the first year, and the wave of emotions he felt after selling the company. We also talked about how he spent the money and what he’s investing in today. I also picked his brain on how he’s building an AI Assistant.
GUEST
Ben Tossell writes an AI Newsletter, Ben’s Bites, and invests in early-stage AI startups. He was previously the founder of Makerpad, a no-code education site, which was acquired by Zapier. He also just launched a new community called Acquired Founders.
LINKS
PODCAST
The Karnjanaprakorn Show is where I explore ideas across life, startups, and technology. As the former founder of Skillshare, I am now following my curiosity as I figure out my next thing. This show follows that journey, exploring topics like longevity, emerging technologies, living a fulfilling life, and more.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro 12:49 Why Sell 19:16 First Year 25:07 Stay or Leave 35:19 Money, Spending, Investing 45:53 AI Executive Assistant
