Jason Kirby. From Exit to Ease: Letting Go of the Stress

Sep 6, 2024

Jason Kirby, a tech entrepreneur who scaled Generation Esports and founded Thunder, shares his transformative journey from high-stress startups to a fulfilling life. He reflects on the challenges faced during the sale of Liquid Sky to Walmart and the emotional turmoil that followed. Jason emphasizes the importance of curiosity and adaptability in business, and how those traits helped him pivot towards a meaningful venture. He also discusses balancing family life with professional aspirations, highlighting the need for personal fulfillment over mere business success.

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Intro

00:00 • 4min

Harnessing Curiosity for Business Innovation

04:00 • 3min

Navigating Acquisition Challenges and Personal Growth

06:49 • 29min

From Inspiration to Innovation: Creating a Unique Investment Platform

35:59 • 4min

Demystifying Fundraising: Insights from Current Founders

40:15 • 4min

Navigating Post-Exit Entrepreneurial Decisions

44:17 • 8min

Balancing Business and Family Life

52:26 • 4min

Jason Kirby. He Sold Liquid Sky software to Walmart six years ago, but became disillusioned when Walmart abruptly scrapped the company's ambitious plans. Seeking a new direction, Jason joined Generation Esports, rapidly scaled it and exited three years ago. This last exit prompted Jason to reassess his priorities, leading him to focus on family, health and meaningful work. This shift inspired him to found Thunder, a tech enabled investment bank and launch the fundraising demystified podcast. In this interview, Jason shares his journey from high stress startups to a life centered on fulfillment and purpose. _____________________________________________________ TIME STAMPS: 00:00:00: Overview of Jason’s Expertise 00:01:27: Starting Liquid Sky 00:01:56: Formation and Operational Beginnings of Liquid Sky 00:02:24: The Vision and Mission of Liquid Sky 00:03:11: Partnership and Expansion Efforts 00:03:37: Business Philosophy and Personal Contribution 00:05:15: Diverse Industry Experience 00:06:50: Curious Nature and Learning Process 00:06:53: Liquid Sky’s Rapid Growth and Sale to Samsung 00:08:05: The Failed Acquisition by Samsung 00:10:17: Crisis and Pivot Strategy 00:11:01: Final Attempts for Acquisition and Survival 00:13:28: New Strategy with Walmart 00:15:39: Outcome and Life Post-Acquisition by Walmart 00:19:42: Excitement about Walmart Gaming 00:20:25: Transition to San Diego and New Opportunity 00:20:50: Introduction to Generation Esports 00:21:48: Investing Energy into Generation Esports 00:24:05: Initial Reflection and Momentum 00:25:42: Navigating the COVID-19 Challenges 00:26:28: Series A Funding and Rising Tensions 00:29:06: Decision to Leave Generation Esports 00:31:00: Self-discovery and New Relationships 00:35:19: Learning from Relationship Dynamics 00:36:00: Considering the Next Move 00:36:10: The Idea of Starting Thunder 00:36:42: The seed for Thunder 00:37:18: What Thunder does 00:39:02: Thunder as a tech-enabled investment bank 00:40:21: Introduction to the podcast "Fundraising Demystified" 00:42:00: Origin of "Fundraising Demystified" 00:44:04: The value of understanding venture capital 00:45:11: Advice for post-exit founders considering new ventures 00:52:01: Importance of risk tolerance 00:52:58: Determining the endgame for new businesses 00:53:41: Plans for Thunder 00:54:14: Decision against starting another big business 00:55:04: Balancing career and family priorities 00:55:48: Balancing Family and Ambitions 00:56:07: Introduction to Entrepreneurship in College 00:56:11: Influence of Successful Entrepreneurs 00:56:35: Reflections on Success and Family Time 00:56:39: Closing Remarks