This week, I talk with Ankur Nagpal, founder of Teachable, Carry, and Vibe Capital. Ankur’s journey is nothing short of inspiring. From immigrating to the U.S. for college to founding a company that grew exponentially and sold for a life-changing $250 million, Ankur has built a remarkable career. We explore how he went from creating Facebook apps in college to funding his own education at Berkeley, starting and scaling Teachable in New York, and what he learned about himself after the sale. Ankur shares how success has allowed him to focus on what truly matters—family, meaningful relationships, and purpose-driven work. Now with Carry, he’s on a mission to bring elite investment and tax strategies to everyday business owners. This is a story of resilience, authenticity, and leadership. Let’s get to it!
In this episode:
- (00:00) - Intro
- (02:51) - What makes cricket a beautiful sport?
- (06:40) - Growing up in Oman and moving to the US
- (16:32) - Navigating the US visa system
- (22:09) - What Ankur learned from his initial success building Facebook apps
- (32:01) - Making a million dollars and forgetting to pay taxes
- (33:51) - Finding home in New York
- (38:07) - How New York has shaped Ankur professionally and personally
- (43:10) - Teachable and the evolution of the creator economy
- (49:08) - Challenges of scaling a startup
- (57:45) - What will change for content creators over the next 10 years?
- (01:04:35) - Deciding to sell Teachable
- (01:09:22) - Life-changing realizations
- (01:12:31) - Ankur's first big purchase after selling the company
- (01:14:13) - Walking away from CEO
- (01:16:42) - Investing and family priorities
- (01:19:36) - What Ankur learned as an investor that he didn't know as a founder
- (01:24:01) - Traveling self-discovery
- (01:27:19) - Building a new company
- (01:38:29) - Ankur's beautiful future
- (01:40:19) - Who Ankur is becoming
Get full show notes and links at https://GoodWorkShow.com.
Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@barrettabrooks.
