Have you thought about what your founder futures look like if you're suddenly not here—and whether your business worth is actually protected?

You spend your time thinking about growth, valuation, exits, and risk—but many founders avoid the uncomfortable questions about legacy, control, and continuity. This episode connects estate planning to founder futures, showing how personal preparedness, governance decisions, and AI disruption all shape what really happens to the value you've built when circumstances change.

By listening, you'll gain:

A practical framework for protecting your founder futures by understanding how estate plans, healthcare directives, and digital assets prevent chaos for your family and your company.
Clear insight into scaling a venture-backed platform the right way, including term sheets, preference stacks, board control, and why "IPO-ready" thinking matters more than chasing an IPO.
A CEO's perspective on AI disruption and defensibility, including how category leaders must rebuild for an AI-native future before competitors force the change.

Press play and learn how to safeguard your founder futures while building a company—and a legacy—that holds up under real-world pressure.

Check out:

~06:30–09:30 Why estate planning matters even if you "don't have much" Cody explains why wills, healthcare directives, and digital assets matter regardless of net worth—and why certainty beats assumptions for families and founders.
~32:00–38:00 Venture capital reality: term sheets, preferences, and board control A candid CEO-to-CEO discussion on VC tradeoffs, preference stacks, governance, and why founders must be willing to walk away from bad terms.
~1:07:00–1:14:00 AI disruption and rebuilding to protect the business Cody outlines why AI is both the biggest threat and opportunity, and how Trust & Will is thinking about becoming AI-native before a challenger forces the change.

About Code Barbo

Cody Barbo is the Co-Founder & CEO of Trust & Will, the leading digital estate planning platform in the U.S., trusted by over one million families. Since launching in 2017, Trust & Will has modernized legacy planning with simple, secure, and attorney-approved online solutions tailored to state-specific laws. Under Cody's leadership, the company has raised over $75 million in funding, and its customers report more than $100 billion in estate assets on the platform. Trust & Will supports 20,000+ financial advisors and 200+ banks and enterprise partners, including AARP, Fifth Third Bank, UBS, and USAA. Recently, the company introduced EstateOS, the first intelligent estate planning platform designed to revolutionize legacy planning through embedded AI guidance, streamlined workflows, and enhanced collaboration between families and financial professionals.

Trust & Will was recognized on the Inc. 5000 list for the second consecutive year in 2024. Cody was named an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2023 Pacific Southwest Award Winner and regularly contributes to Forbes, Fast Company, and Inc. He is passionate about leveraging technology to transform estate planning from a transactional task into a deeply meaningful and personal experience.

Past Presidents Discussion with Suzanne Gordon, Ralph Johnson, & Lisa Burdill Moscaritolo