The Undefeated Underdogs Brian Swartz - On a mission to make remote work actually work!
๐๐ผ About the Guest:
Brian Swartz (ex-Startup Chile, NeighborSchools) is a 2x venture-backed founder who sold his last company NeighborSchools. He is currently working on a stealth startup improving remote work and the way we show up as teams. They are on a mission to improve connectivity & real-time collaboration among remote teams. Brian is all about building startups, teams, and software products to solve big hairy real-world problems.
๐๐ผ About the Host:
Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generates $30k ARR which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 20,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. Currently, he is the Head of Community at Threado and runs a newsletter called Sharath's CliffNotes alongside hosting this podcast.
๐๐ผ Description:
Tune in as Sharath and Brian discuss pivoting from international development to the startup world, what it takes to be a good CEO, remote work, and more!
Timestamps:
- 0:00 | Episode highlight
- 0:29 | Intro to Brian Swartz
- 1:54 | Brian's journey creating and navigating NeighborSchools through covid
- 12:02 | How Brian's experience in Uganda international development impacted his journey as a founder
- 15:00 | Creating a product with empathy - even if it has nothing to do with your personal experience
- 20:32 | Brian's failed startup ideas
- 23:50 | Brian's newest startup: Remote work and connectivity
- 29:50 | Swivel's platform for impactful work: What does productivity mean?
- 39:50 | Why did Brian choose to work in stealth instead of building in public?
- 41:15 | Brian's transition from international development to working in startups on remote work
- 46:20 | Swivel's next steps: Beta testing, team building, and coming out of stealth!
- 50:00 | Brian's important lessons for next-gen founders
๐๐ผ Where to find Brian Swartz:
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/bswartzzz
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianswartz
๐๐ผ Where to find Sharath:
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harath
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harath
- Website: https://5harath.com/
- Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/