Two Dads in Tech CEO of beehiiv Shares His Secrets on Building a Startup - Ep 18
Apr 9, 2025
Tyler Denk, co-founder and CEO of beehiiv and creator of Big Desk Energy, shares his incredible journey from $120K in debt to leading one of the fastest-growing media platforms. He discusses the impact of AI on SaaS, the crucial role of company culture, and the importance of working weekends for success. Tyler also reflects on how his playlist evolved into a thriving newsletter, the challenges of vendor solutions, and what he looks for in top hires. His insights are a mix of ambition, personal sacrifice, and the relentless pursuit of growth.
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Tyler's Startup Origin Story
- Tyler Denk began coding by building a failed startup in college and graduating with $120K debt.
- His break came contracting at Morning Brew, becoming their second employee and helping scale it to millions of readers and a $75M acquisition.
AI Threat Is Custom User Builds
- The bigger AI threat to Beehive is users building their own custom solutions rather than competitors cloning Beehive.
- Building, scaling, security, and support infrastructure create high barriers that AI alone can't easily replicate yet.
VentureStorm Taught Coding Skills
- Tyler's early startup, VentureStorm, aimed to connect college entrepreneurs but targeted a market with no money.
- Challenges with equity management and no paying customers led to its failure but taught Tyler to code.