Exploring early experiences of fatherhood, the chapter shares emotional moments like seeing the child's heartbeat for the first time and the profound connection felt at birth. It discusses navigating parenting advice, prioritizing selflessness, and staying true to one's parenting style amidst differing perspectives. Reflecting on technology's impact, the chapter highlights the shift to selflessness in parenting, challenges of managing digital immersion, and balancing work-family life.
Brian Rothenberg is a general partner at Defy, an early-stage venture firm. He was the former Head of Growth at Eventbrite and has been a serial marketplace founder; starting a services marketplace that was acquired by TaskRabbit in 2011. He's also a husband and the father of four kids. In today's conversation we discussed:
* Pivoting your plans to follow your future spouse
* How to divide and conquer when you've got four kids
* How the family dynamic changes as it grows from one to four kids
* How to prioritize time with your wife amidst the "controlled chaos" of a large family
* Advice he'd give younger Brian and advice he'd ignore
* The wildcard of the "third child"
* How to give up being self-absorbed and become more selfless as a parent
* Mistakes made as a father and the most surprising aspects of becoming a dad