In this book, Ben Horowitz shares his personal and often humbling experiences in the tech industry to offer essential advice and practical wisdom. He addresses various hard decisions and challenges that business leaders face, such as firing friends, managing company culture, handling layoffs, and making tough strategic decisions. Horowitz emphasizes the importance of honesty, resilience, and adaptability in leadership, drawing from his experiences with companies like Loudcloud and Andreessen Horowitz.
In *The Creative Act: A Way of Being*, Rick Rubin distills the wisdom he has gained from a lifetime of working with artists across various genres. The book is not just about music production but about the broader creative process and how it applies to everyone's life. Rubin emphasizes the importance of reconnecting with a state of innocence, being aware of the world, and tapping into what he calls 'Source'—an infinite and constant flow of ideas and inspiration. The book is structured around 78 areas of thought, providing practical wisdom, philosophical insights, and encouragement for anyone seeking to enhance their creative expression.
How do you transform a rejection into a stepping-stone for success? For Liam Millward, founder of Instant, that rejection sparked an obsession with speed and revenue that would drive his young company to incredible heights. In this conversation, we explore Liam’s journey of rapid growth, strategic pivots, and the lessons learned on the path to building a $100M+ business.
In this episode, we learn:
🚀 The pivotal rejection and how it motivated Liam to persevere.
💼 The early funding struggle and how a $250K angel investment changed Instant’s trajectory.
💡 How revenue obsession became a core philosophy, shifting focus from product perfection to customer impact.
👥 Why Instant operates without managers, and how a flat sales culture drives performance.
🎯 The role of speed in Instant’s DNA—how quick pivots and rapid decision-making fuelled growth.
🔑 The value of a relentless customer focus that has transformed Instant from a “checkbox feature” into an $5M+ ARR product.
Instant’s journey shows that with the right attitude and strategy, even setbacks can be transformed into stepping-stones for success at great heights.
Wild Hearts 
