Founding Journey

This is how Adam raised $137 million for his startup, Pitch, but then turned it into a cashflowing business instead.📚 1,800 Pitch Decks (Free) → deck-database.carrd.coFollow Adam's journey:🐦 X → x.com/adamrenklint💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/adam-renklint🚀 Startup → pitch.comFollow us:🔔 Subscribe → youtube.com/@foundingjourney📝 Newsletter → join.foundingjourney.com📈 Founder Membership → upgrade.foundingjourney.com💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/michael-houckCompany Founding & Leadership Insights(00:45) — Starting Pitch with 8 Co-founders(16:06) — The Pitch founding story(04:26) — Product-led CEO: pros and cons(07:19) — Transitioning from CTO to CEO(31:39) — Keeping the team motivated during chaos(38:23) — Balancing mourning after layoffs with future focusCompany & Product Strategy(10:25) — Product usability as a differentiator(13:21) — Shipping quickly within a framework(20:21) — Changing the aspirations of Pitch(26:08) — Discussing aspirational change with investors(28:16) — Identifying early investorsPitching Best Practices(42:07) — Common pitch deck mistakes(46:36) — The pitch for well-designed decksRapid Fire(48:57) — Recommended investors?(49:30) — One change you’d make in startups?(49:56) — Advice for first-time founders?

This is how James raised $24 million and reached 20 million users for his startup, Command AI, with contrarian ideas.📚 1,800 Pitch Decks (Free) → deck-database.carrd.coFollow James's journey:🐦 X → x.com/dazzeloid💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/james-evans-7086b3126🚀 Startup → command.aiFollow us:🎥 YouTube → youtube.com/@foundingjourney📝 Newsletter → join.foundingjourney.com📈 Founder Membership → upgrade.foundingjourney.com💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/michael-houckFounder Journey(01:00) — James’s founder origin story(04:04) — Command AI origin story(25:15) — Gaining conviction to build Command AIFounder Mindset(06:39) — Recognizing pivot opportunities(08:23) — The overrated nature of creating new categories(11:06) — The myth of necessitating truly new creationsGrowth Strategies(15:17) — Engaging in activities that probably don’t scale(22:37) — Can anyone become a founder?(41:53) — Prioritization strategies for foundersNetworking & Resources(29:18) — Effectively using the YC experience(33:07) — Using Loom as a fundraising cheat code(35:53) — Well-designed decks vs. substance(39:10) — James’ angel investing learnings(44:03) — Securing big logos earlyRapid Fire(47:25) — Recommended investors?(48:33) — Advice for first-time founders?(49:08) — Favorite SaaS tools?(50:03) — One change you’d make in startups?

This is how Zayd Ali sold his first company in high school and immediately started a new one in AI, called Valley, that has raised over $3 million already.📚 1,800 Pitch Decks (Free) → deck-database.carrd.coFollow Zayd's journey:🐦 X → x.com/zaydsyedali💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/zayd-syed-ali-4201101a9🚀 Startup → joinvalley.coFollow us:🎥 YouTube → youtube.com/@foundingjourney📝 Newsletter → join.foundingjourney.com📈 Founder Membership → upgrade.foundingjourney.com💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/michael-houckFounder's Journey(01:19) — Selling a company in high school(07:03) — The feeling after selling a company(09:09) — Community accelerator programs(21:30) — Bootstrapped vs. venture-backed startups(34:58) — Selling before building(52:34) — Risk of startup life in your 20sThe Art of Pivoting(14:51) — Executing a pivot(17:39) — Advice for reluctant founders(18:54) — Founder market fit & "why now"Investor Dynamics(23:11) — High-profile investors’ impact(24:52) — High energy in investor meetings(28:23) — Creating urgency for investors(38:03) — Investor response to customer LOIs(38:47) — Pre-read deck strategy(41:45) — Analyst to partner transition(44:01) — Anticipating investor pushbacks(45:10) — Avoiding introductions from investors who passed(47:30) — Challenges for AI startups(50:44) — Raising in a hot marketRapid Fire(54:56) — Who's an investor you'd recommend?(55:47) — One thing you'd change about startups?(56:44) — Advice for first-time founders?(57:38) — Something you believe that most disagree with?

This is how Dara sold his first startup to build an AI that can clone anyone online, and raised funding from Keith Rabois for it.📚 1,800 Pitch Decks (Free) → deck-database.carrd.coFollow Dara's journey:🐦 X → x.com/daraladje💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/dara-ladjevardian🚀 Startup → delphi.aiFollow us:🎥 YouTube → youtube.com/@foundingjourney📝 Newsletter → join.foundingjourney.com📈 Founder Membership → upgrade.foundingjourney.com💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/michael-houckFounder Journey(00:56) — Dara's grandfather(03:45) — Dara's first encounter with LLMs(06:04) — Launching Friday: Dara's first company(08:10) — The Friday acquisition journey(08:54) — Working at OpenStore post-acquisition(48:03) — Lessons from building FridayCo-founder Dynamics(09:38) — Choosing the right co-founder(12:01) — Transitioning from solo to co-founder(13:58) — Co-founders: bootstrapped vs. VC-backed companiesMarketing & Positioning(14:49) — Positioning Delphi(21:01) — Delphi's product roadmap(23:38) — PLG growth strategy(26:30) — Testing paid marketing channels(27:30) — Differentiating in the age of AI(33:35) — Dara's vision for building Delphi(37:27) — Attracting talent to your companyMentorship & Investment(18:38) — Pitching Delphi to Founders Fund(38:16) — The importance of mentorship(40:21) — Lessons from Keith Rabois(41:51) — Effects of high-profile investors(42:57) — Why Keith Rabois invested in Dara(43:55) — Securing well-respected angels(44:44) — Dara’s fundraising tips(47:00) — Recognizing the need for VC backingAdditional Insights(29:18) — Future role of creators(31:02) — Future role of founders(35:26) — Passion as a priority in startups(49:35) — Niche focus vs. broad targetingRapid Fire(51:54) — Who's an investor you'd recommend?(52:32) — One thing you'd change about startups?(53:14) — Advice for first-time founders?(53:53) — Something you believe that most disagree with?

Andrew Yeung, a former Googler and Facebook employee, left his corporate roles to chase entrepreneurial dreams. He talks about the unexpected shift from stable tech jobs to startups and the emotional toll it took on his identity. Andrew shares insights on building trust within the founder community and networking effectively. He reveals how sobriety unexpectedly fueled his startup success and emphasizes the importance of fostering genuine connections through events. Plus, he discusses the unique challenges faced by immigrant founders navigating the startup landscape.

In this engaging discussion, Sam Corcos, founder of Levels, shares insights on transforming his startup into a $300 million company focused on metabolic health. He reveals how he raised $67 million and the importance of strategic PR and customer engagement. Sam emphasizes building a strong community and leveraging social media partnerships. He also discusses the critical aspects of content strategy for hiring and measuring influencer ROI, while navigating the chaos of startup life and emphasizing product-market fit.

This is how Steven scaled his startup, Cameo, to become a $1 billion unicorn and how the company has changed since.📚 1,800 Pitch Decks (Free) → deck-database.carrd.coFollow Steven's journey:🐦 X → x.com/Mr312💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/stevengalanis🚀 Startup → cameo.comFollow us:🔔 Subscribe → youtube.com/@foundingjourney?sub_confirmation=1📝 Newsletter → join.foundingjourney.com📈 Founder Membership → upgrade.foundingjourney.com💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/michael-houckThe Journey to Cameo(01:33) —  Steven's 1st business: Spartan Entertainment(04:26) — Steven's pre-Cameo work experience(06:33) — Starting Cameo with Co-founder Martin Blencowe(11:14) — Cameo's founding storyFounder Mode(18:43) — Steven’s early insight on “cameos”(23:48) — Overcoming the cold start problem(25:46) — Cameo's growth tactics(27:28) — Cameo's eureka momentChallenges & Opportunities(31:39) — Changing Cameo's idea of success(36:30) — Navigating headcount reductions(38:57) — Joining the 1871 incubator(40:57) — Building alongside other foundersInvestor Relations & Communication(42:26) — How to interact with investors(44:02) — Co-founder communication(46:39) — Attracting investors without fundraising(49:00) — Fundraising without a pitch deck(50:33) — Benefits of creating an unused pitch deck(53:32) — Cameo's Series A experienceRapid Fire(1:01:01) — Who's an investor you'd recommend to other founders?(1:01:50) — What's one thing you'd change about the startup world?(1:02:20) — What's the one piece of advice first-time founders need to know?(1:03:58) — What's something you believe that most people disagree with you about?

This is how Tyler raised $50 million for his startup, beehiiv, to power the newsletter revolution.📚 1,800 Pitch Decks (Free) → deck-database.carrd.coFollow Tyler's journey:📝 Newsletter → bigdeskenergy.com🐦 X → x.com/denk_tweets💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/tyler-denk🚀 Startup → beehiiv.comFollow us:🎥 YouTube → youtube.com/@foundingjourney📝 Newsletter → join.foundingjourney.com📈 Founder Membership → upgrade.foundingjourney.com💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/michael-houckLaunching & Competing(02:17) — Launching in a competitive market(04:36) — Tyler’s billion-dollar insight(08:12) — Pitching investors on beehiiv(09:54) — Creating a scalable roadmapFundraising(12:22) — Early investor pushback(14:41) — Tyler's venture funding decision(20:38) — Funding plans after $33M Series B(40:19) — Gaining leverage for fundraisingCompany Culture(21:58) — Advantages of high shipping velocity(24:45) — beehiiv's unique meeting culture(31:24) — Why beehiiv is remote-firstFounder Mode(28:48) — Finding focus and piece of mind(33:49) — Building in public for easier fundraising(38:30) — Addressing building in public concernsRapid Fire Questions(44:49) — Who's an investor you'd recommend to other founders?(46:04) — Favorite startup book that founders should read(46:38) — What's the one piece of advice I need to know as a first-time founder?(47:58) — What's something you believe that most people disagree with you about?

Welcome to the Founding Journey podcast!Each Thursday, Michael Houck will interview world-class startup founders about their unique paths to uncover tactical insights they've learned about how to fundraise, grow, validate, hire, scale, lead teams while building your startup.Get full access to detailed takeaways on each episode, additional case studies, and more at join.foundingjourney.com.