Build Mode

Forethought AI co-founder Deon Nicholas shares how he built a company that puts customers (not hype) at the center. In this episode of Build Mode, he unpacks his “7-Failure Rule,” the early experiments that shaped Forethought’s success, and why conviction should always come from your users, not your investors.  Chapters: 00:00 Intro  01:23 The Founder Journey: Adapting Every 6-9 Months  05:33 From AI Research to Solving Business Problems  11:12 Finding Your Customer: The Importance of User Conversations  18:22 Building Demos and Landing First Paying Customers  25:12 The Seven Failure Rule for Product Market Fit  30:38 Preparing for and Winning TechCrunch Disrupt  35:16 The Reality of Fundraising and Chasing Metrics  39:07 Navigating Competition in Customer Service AI  43:03 Stepping into Chairman and What's Next  44:57 Outro  New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday. Isabelle Johannessen is our host. Build Mode is produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience Development is led by Morgan Little. And a special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.  

Build Mode is TechCrunch's newest podcast, hosted by Startup Battlefield Editor, Isabelle Johannessen. This season we’re talking with founders and VCs sharing hard-won lessons on getting to market—the right way, the hard way, and the creative way.

TechCrunch is launching a new podcast Build Mode, which brings candid startup wisdom from the people who build, break, and build again. Build Mode is hosted by our very own Startup Battlefield Editor, Isabelle Johannessen who is joined by founders, investors, and operators to dig into the uncomfortable truths about startup life. Think cap table drama, co-founder breakups, and pivot panic. Wherever you are in your startup journey, this podcast will be your field guide. Season 1 is launching November 13.

Jordan Crook and Darrell Etherington, both TechCrunch reporters, reflect on their two-year journey in the world of startups. They delve into the challenges of nurse recruitment and staffing, especially during the pandemic, highlighting innovative solutions in healthcare. The conversation touches on the entrepreneurial mindset, emphasizing relationship-building with investors and the impact of business models in health tech. Listeners are encouraged to revisit the show's archives to relive memorable moments and insights.

Hyuk-Jeen Suh, co-founder of Venx and a general partner at SkyRiver Ventures, joins a panel of innovative founders to discuss merging profit with purpose. They explore how startups can genuinely contribute to sustainability while meeting shareholder expectations. The conversation delves into the impact of AI on energy innovation and the importance of partnerships with large corporations like Amazon and Google. Suh highlights strategies for navigating corporate-startup dynamics and advancing climate tech while securing financial returns.

Nick Frosst, an innovator at Cohere, discusses the booming world of enterprise AI and the building of natural language models. He argues that the current AI trend is here to stay, dismissing bubble theories. Frosst emphasizes the importance of multilingual capabilities and AI’s potential for sustainable practices. He also dives into the complexities of fundraising, regulatory challenges, and the necessity for responsible AI development. Tune in for insights on AI's future and its impacts on various industries!

In this episode, Dom and Becca are joined by Former Bonobos CEO Andy Dunn to talk about his mission to reverse America's loneliness epidemic through Pie, an app built to facilitate connections in the real world. They discuss the lessons Dunn brought from fundraising for Bonobos to Pie, founder mental health, and building a consumer movement in the midwest.

On this episode of Found, Dom is joined by Sara and Erin Foster along with their advisor at Oversubscribed Ventures, Phil Schwarz. Across their careers, the Foster sisters have co-founded the clothing line Favorite Daughter, co-led creative for Bumble Bizz and Bumble BFF, and currently co-host a podcast together. Erin Foster even created the top Netflix show “Nobody Wants This,” starring Kristen Bell. But in this conversation we get into how they made the pivot to VC, the type of investments that excite them the most, and how they balance all of the different facets of their careers.00:00 - Introduction02:27 - Empathy in VC04:41 - The Influence of Whitney Wolfe Herd and Kim Kardashian09:45 - Working with Family12:27 - Prioritizing Mental Health and Work-Life Balance15:24 - Media Perception of Female Founders

This week on found, Dom and Becca are talking with the co-founders of Alloy Women’s Health who just closed a new funding round to expand its mission of fixing menopause care. Monica Molinar and Anne Fulenwider discuss raising capital in a competitive health tech landscape, their choice to bypass traditional insurance models, and how this funding will help them scale their telehealth platform nationally.00:00 - Introduction 04:37 - Turning personal experience into a business idea08:55 - The challenges of raising awareness about menopause10:00 - Why Alloy bypasses insurance 15:00 - Scaling a telehealth model18:06 - How the political landscape affects women’s health20:00 - Addressing disparities in menopause treatment23:26 - Lessons from Alloy’s fundraising journey30:00 - The benefits of a co-CEO leadership model37:17 - Closing thoughts Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcast: Equity . Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each Connect with us: On Twitter On Instagram Via email: found@techcrunch.com

This week on Found, Dom and Becca are diving into the world of data governance with Collibra CEO Felix Van de Maele. They get into how maintaining organized data started as a niche concept and became the bedrock of AI and privacy compliance. They also talk about the early challenges of building a startup in Belgium, the lucky breaks that saved the company, and why Felix believes every employee is a “data citizen.”00:00 - Introduction02:00 - The Importance of Organized Data in the Age of AI05:00 - Collibra’s Early Days07:13 - How the 2008 Financial Crisis Sparked Collibra’s Growth10:00 - Navigating the Evolution of Data Governance15:00 - Balancing Privacy, Security, and AI Integration19:25 - Overcoming Early Challenges25:00 - Lessons in Leadership and Building a Team30:00 - The Future of Collibra and the Role of Data Citizens31:42 - Closing Reflections and Takeaways Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcast: Equity . Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each Connect with us: On Twitter On Instagram Via email: found@techcrunch.com