Mina Radhakrishnan was Uber’s first Head of Product in 2011 (employee #20), after working at both Google and Goldman Sachs, and was also the co-founder of Different - a VC-backed startup that raised millions and scaled fast before shutting down.

Now, she’s building solo with AI as her co-founder.

In this episode, she shares an unfiltered look into the highs and lows of building at the edge of tech:

- What it was really like working with Travis Kalanick at Uber

- The hard lessons from shutting down Different - and how she bounced back

- Why AI is changing how we build companies - and who should build them

- Her hot takes on junior engineers, bootcamps, and the future of coding

- How Uber shaped her mindset on speed, intensity, and product culture- Building a solo startup today - with AI as her full team

- The mistakes founders make when acting like big companies- Why Australian startups need more pay-it-forward culture

One of our most candid and insightful episodes yet - a must-watch for anyone building in tech.Like this video?

You might also enjoy our interview with 21-year old CEO, Liam Millward, of $100M startup, Instant. https://open.spotify.com/episode/5WgEElgBuyz3I1fvDXPAwA?si=6cb7c19e875548cf

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

01:12 Help us get to 15k subscribers!!

01:46 Vibe-coding & Back to Building

03:12 The Future of Software Engineering

05:40 Mina Career Journey

07:57 Zeller Ad

15:03 Reflections on the Tech Industry

19:58 Lessons from Uber and Working with Travis Kalanick

23:00 Working with Intensity: The Travis Effect

25:13 Uber's Legacy and Personal Growth

27:20 Advice for Aspiring Founders

30:11 The Role of AI in Modern Startups

31:03 Emotional Challenges of Founding a Startup

32:38 KC Ventures Ad

33:46 The Importance of Curiosity and Learning

35:33 Building a Company in the Age of AI

41:27 Improving Australian Startup Culture

45:15 Wrapping Up and Final Thoughts

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Thanks to our sponsors Zeller and KC Ventures.

Zeller is building the financial stack to help startups scale, called Zeller for Startups. Every founder unlocks exclusive rewards and offers when you use Zeller for Startups - including a high-interest savings account, 12-month free access to Zeller Corporate Cards and expense management, and discounts on amazing partner solutions from Employment Hero, Xero, and Pop Business.

https://www.myzeller.com/startups

KC Ventures helps Australian startups scale by providing strategic financial advice. You can find KC Ventures at http://kcventures.com.au/ or message their founder Luke Rix on Linkedin to get in contact directly.

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About us

We are two best friends, trying to build a community around in-depth interviews and short documentaries with the best minds in technology and startups. Through bold storytelling and candid conversations, we explore how visionary thinkers are shaping the future. The best way to support is subscribing, truly it makes all the difference for us 💙

Session 07: Madeline Argy