What does it actually take to build something that has never existed before?
In this episode, Jim McKelvey, co-founder of Square (now Block), breaks down the real story behind building Square from scratch, not with a perfect plan, but through necessity, invention, and relentless problem-solving.
Jim introduces the concept of the Innovation Stack, why innovation is rarely chosen willingly, and why copying “what worked before” fails when you’re solving a problem no one else has solved. He shares the moment Square felt real, the panic of Amazon launching a competing product, and the counterintuitive strategy that helped Square survive.
You’ll learn:
- What the Innovation Stack is and why it protects companies from copycats
- How Square started from a single lost sale and grew into a global company
- What happens emotionally when you’re building something no one understands yet
- Why copying best practices can fail when you’re solving a brand-new problem
- Why mission-driven teams outperform money-driven ones over time
We talk about:
- 00:00 Why timing is everything, and why being “too early” still hurts
- 05:30 The moment Square was born, one lost sale that changed everything
- 10:00 Why the payments industry was designed to exclude small businesses
- 16:30 Mission vs money, and why people joined even when they could leave
- 20:00 Amazon launches a competing product, and Square’s unexpected response
- 26:00 The Innovation Stack explained, and why it’s almost impossible to copy
- 31:00 Panic attacks, pressure, and the nervous system cost of building
- 35:30 Copying vs innovating, and where founders get trapped
- 47:00 Imposter syndrome, even after success
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Connect with Alisa!
Follow Alisa Cohn on
Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better)
Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon
