Startup Dad

Greg Laughlin is the founder of Campwing, a product designed to take the headache out of summer camp planning. Parents use detailed filters to search through every summer camp in their area in cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. Prior to Campwing, Greg was the co-founder of Statwing, a statistical analysis product he sold to Qualtrics that became their Stats IQ product. He’s also a husband and the father of 2 daughters. We discussed:* Why equitable access to summer activities are so important* The pain of summer camp planning and why it’s broken for parents and kids* The biggest problems for parents in finding and evaluating camps* The number one piece of advice he'd share with younger Greg: get your health in order* The surprising importance of temperament in children* How you learn about yourself by raising kids* A fun word game that as a bonding ritual* His #1 framework for parenting - if they can do it themselves, they should* The two ways he recharges his batteries as a DadWhere to find Greg Laughlin* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greglaughlin/Where to find Adam Fishman* FishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/* Instagram: https://ww.instagram.com/startupdadpod/_In this episode, we cover:[2:05] Welcome[2:26] Greg’s professional background[5:11] What is with “wing” in all his startup names[6:07] His attempt to buy a fourth tier English soccer team[8:33] Why he feels like he’s won the lottery[10:31] His Mom’s thoughts on buying the soccer team[11:06] Greg’s Family now[13:44] Conversation with his wife around becoming a stay-at-home parent[16:42] CampWing and what’s broken about summer camp[29:19] Advice to parents on camp[33:51] Surprising things he’s learned as a dad[38:53] Advice to younger Greg[45:35] Puzzle game vs. books[49:58] Parenting frameworks[51:42] Partnership[54:02] Kid’s relationship with tech[58:49] What is something you gave up to be a dad?[1:00:22] Recharge batteries with golf and piano[1:02:32] Mistakes as a Dad[1:04:34] Startup hustle culture[1:09:22] Lightning round—Show references:CampWing: https://campwing.com/Qualtrics: https://www.qualtrics.com/Center for Effective Philanthropy: https://cep.org/Rochdale Soccer Club: https://rochdaleafc.co.uk/Ted Lasso: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10986410/Arrested Development: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367279/Radiohead: https://www.radiohead.com/Dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/Emily Oster: https://economics.brown.edu/people/emily-osterWinnie: https://winnie.com/Sara & Eric Mauskopf’s Episode:The Gardener and the Carpenter: What the New Science of Child Development Tells Us About the Relationship Between Parents and Childrenby Alison Gopnik: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-gardener-and-the-carpenter-alison-gopnik/1122824922I Am a Bunny by Ole Risom, Richard Scarry (Illustrator): https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-am-a-bunny-ole-risom/1100058404Detective Beans: and the Case of the Missing Hat by Li Chen: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/detective-beans-li-chen/1144786389Jonathan Haidt: https://jonathanhaidt.com/Black Mirror: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2085059/Miracle blanket: https://miraclebabyusa.com/Disneyland: https://disneyland.disney.go.com/Paw Patrol: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3121722/My Neighbor Totoro: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096283/Nutella: https://www.nutella.com/Monty Python and the Holy Grail: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071853/27 Dresses: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0988595/_For sponsorship inquiries email: podcast@fishmana.com.For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.comProduction support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron athttp://www.armaziproductions.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit startupdadpod.substack.com

Jeff Fritz is principal program manager at Microsoft where he leads production for one oftheir largest developer events. He’s also active in the developer community as a live-coding Twitch streamer, Youtuber, and podcast host. He’s a lifelong developer who got his start working on the family’s Commodore 64. In addition to his work as program manager and developer he’s a husband and the father of two daughters. We discussed:* Making the most of your time with your kids when they’re young* Preparing your kids and yourself for the big changes that come with high school and college* What it’s like when your kids leave the house for the first time* The modern day college admissions process* Helping your kids establish good decision-making frameworks from a young age* Supporting your kids extracurricular activities unconditionally* Creating trust through consistent support—Where to find Jeff Fritz* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreytfritz/* Twitch: https://twitch.tv/csharpfritz* Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfvJirlbRTN-bU9sMWMb_ZQWhere to find Adam Fishman* FishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/* Instagram: https://ww.instagram.com/startupdadpod/_In this episode, we cover:[1:49] Welcome[2:34] Professional background[6:18] Live streaming[7:55] AI tooling in his work[12:33] Childhood[15:20] “Seasonal” empty-nester[17:47] Daughters thoughts on dad being on Twitch[21:18] Empty-nester deep dive[25:39] Advice for parents approaching empty nesting[29:40] College admissions process[34:43] Align with college-age kids/family[39:53] Kids making adult decisions[42:23] Kid’s interest in tech[45:12] Kids wanting to be in tech[50:21] Follow Jeff[51:28] Lightning round[1:01:20] Thank you—Show references:Jeff’s Website: https://jeffreyfritz.com/Source Code on Github: https://github.com/csharpfritzMicrosoft: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Commodore 64: https://www.commodore.ca/commodore-products/commodore-64-the-best-selling-computer-in-history/Copilot: https://copilot.microsoft.com/chats/X7EeM9ig1Wv9k9ayG9KZMVisual Studio: https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/Penn State: https://www.psu.edu/Eagles: https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/TwitchCon: https://www.twitchcon.com/LSU: https://www.lsu.edu/Kansas State: https://www.k-state.edu/West Virginia University: https://www.wvu.edu/Yale: https://www.yale.edu/Harvard: https://www.harvard.edu/UCLA: https://www.ucla.edu/USC: https://usc.edu/University of Miami: https://welcome.miami.edu/Thanksgiving Macy’s Day Parade: https://www.macys.com/s/parade/Fortnite: https://www.fortnite.com/?lang=en-USRocky: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075148/Princess Diaries: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0247638/University of Michigan: https://umich.edu/—For sponsorship inquiries email: podcast@fishmana.com.For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit startupdadpod.substack.com

Aaron Francis is the co-founder of Try Hard Studios, a company he started with Steve Tenuto that makes amazing videos for developers and teaches companies how to do it too. He started Try Hard Studios after being laid off from PlanetScale… while on paternity leave with his second set of twins (!). Prior to that he was a data analyst and a developer. He started his career as an an accountant at a Big 4 accounting firm. In addition to his work at Try Hard Studios he’s also a husband and the father of two sets of twins. We discussed:* Navigating a loss of one of their triplets during the first pregnancy* Life with two sets of twins* How he and his wife managed after he was laid off on paternity leave* The challenges of starting a business with newborns* How to stay present with all the pings from an extremely online life* Parenting each of his four kids differently* Finding ways to focus on only what matters at this stage of life* Hilarious and fascinating stories: falling asleep in a chair at the gym, building a non-traditional office space, and celebrating a birthday with a solo-staycation.Where to find Aaron Francis* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aarondfrancis/* Twitter: https://twitter.com/aarondfrancis* Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@aarondfrancisWhere to find Adam Fishman* FishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/* Instagram: https://ww.instagram.com/startupdadpod/_In this episode, we cover:[2:08] Welcome[3:01] Laid off while having second set of twins[6:33] Decision to start a business[11:34] Conversation with wife about business idea[12:49] Family now[14:17] Used to be an accountant[15:48 Decision to start a family[23:46] Starting a business w/ newborns[25:59] Staying present when you have an online presence[29:33] Advice to younger Aaron[33:23] Rollercoaster day[34:48] Parenting style w/ each kid[36:49] Frameworks[38:00] Where you don’t align with partner[42:31] Funny stories[51:29] Kid’s relationship to tech[56:15] Follow along[57:01] Lightning round[1:09:15] Thank you—Show references:Aaron’s website: aaronfrancis.comTryHard Studios: https://tryhardstudios.com/Screencasting: screencasting.comTexas A & M: https://www.tamu.edu/index.htmlErnst & Young: https://www.ey.coSeverance: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11280740/Factorio: https://www.factorio.com/The Joulel: https://www.thejouledallas.com/offers/book-directCalvin and Hobbes: https://calvinandhobbes.webflow.io/Sicario: Day of the Soldado: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5052474/Luddites: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LudditePee Pee Tee Pee: https://www.amazon.com/Peepee-Teepee-Sprinkling-WeeWee-Cellophane/dp/B000NM3DFYKyle Lacy’s Episode:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbBdVw-ncyQHow to Be a Pirate by Isaac Fitzgerald: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-be-a-pirate-isaac-fitzgerald/1130769165Richard Scarry: https://www.richardscarry.com/Vuori jogger pants: https://vuoriclothing.com/Taking Cara Babies: https://takingcarababies.com/meet-caraBurl Ives Rudolph: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21616734/The Sandlot: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108037/Honda Odyssey: https://automobiles.honda.com/odysseyCar Mom: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheCarMom_For sponsorship inquiries email: podcast@fishmana.com.For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.comProduction support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at http://www.armaziproductions.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit startupdadpod.substack.com

Jeremy Howard, a thought leader in AI and co-founder of Fast.ai, shares insights on parenting in a technology-driven world. He discusses the balance between traditional education and innovative homeschooling, emphasizing social interactions even in remote learning. Jeremy also reflects on his journey as a father, exploring how his background in science influenced his parenting philosophy. The importance of discussing AI and screen time with kids is highlighted, showcasing a modern approach to child-rearing that adapts to ongoing technological changes.

Mike Yan, co-founder and CEO of ManyChat, shares his transformation from aspiring magician to tech entrepreneur. He discusses the challenges of starting a family while leading a growing company and how he navigated paternity leave. Yan explains the paradox of being an 'Unhappy Achiever,' balancing success with personal fulfillment. He shares heartfelt stories about sleep training and adapting to new childcare realities, along with insights into the evolving role of technology in parenting. The conversation is both insightful and relatable for founders and parents alike.

Eric Colbert, Jay Chandrasekhar and Eli Szasz are the co-founders of VouchVault, a new platform that helps you get trusted recommendations for products and services you need. Eric and Eli have worked together for years at creative agency, Spark6. Jay is a comedian, writer and actor best known for his movies Super Troopers and Beerfest. Collectively they’re the dads of 9 different kids along with being loving and supportive husbands (or so they told me). We discussed:* How they all met and decided to start VouchVault* How their new company helps busy parents* Getting into trouble as young kids* Raising teenagers and Eric’s “three pillars” of success* How their relationships have changed as their kids have gotten older* Advice they’d give the younger versions of themselves* A raging debate on minivansWhere to find Eric Colbert, Jay Chandrasekhar and Eli SzaszEric * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-colbert-9900a65/Jay * X: https://x.com/jaychandrasekha * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaychandrasekhar/Eli * https://www.linkedin.com/in/elijahszasz/Website: www.vouchvault.comWhere to find Adam Fishman* FishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/* Instagram: https://ww.instagram.com/startupdadpod/_In this episode, we cover:[2:09] Welcome[2:49] How did you meet & decide to partner[4:14] Mission of VouchVault[9:26] Worst experience of a review[13:08] What were you like as kids?[16:59] Ages of children[22:19] Teenage years/ pillars[29:17] How has your relationship with your kids changed as they got older?[33:25] Jay’s movies[37:44] Earliest memory of becoming a dad[40:49] Doing things differently the second time around[42:35] Kid’s relationship to tech[49:37] Partnership[55:12] Follow along[56:27] Lightning round[1:10:28] Thank you—Show references:VouchVault: https://www.vouchvault.com/Spark6: https://www.spark6.com/Broken Lizard: https://brokenlizard.com/Super Troopers 1: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0247745/Super Troopers 2: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0859635/Beer Fest: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0486551/Community: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1439629/Arrested Development: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367279/New Girl: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1826940/Shantaram: A Novel by Gregory David Roberts: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shantaram-gregory-david-roberts/1100338449Blackbirds: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3818366/Walk the Line: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0358273/MacGruber: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1470023/Citizen Kane: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033467/Generation Kill: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0995832/Fast Times at Ridgemont High: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083929/University of Utah: https://www.utah.edu/Colgate: https://www.colgate.edu/University of Michigan: https://umich.edu/St. Andrews: https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/Tim Urban: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-urban-56927430/American Pie: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0163651/Tidying Up with Marie Kondo: https://www.netflix.com/title/80209379Wefunder: https://wefunder.com/Magnetiles: https://www.magnatiles.com/products/CocoMelon: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12427840/Baby Einstein: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9808494/Dora The Explorer: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0235917/Spongebob Squarepants: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0206512/Toy Story: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114709/Moana: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3521164/ACDC Highway to Hell: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway_to_Hell_(song)Star Wars: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076759/Back To The Future: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088763/First Blood: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083944/Terminator 2: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103064/_For sponsorship inquiries email: podcast@fishmana.com.For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.comProduction support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at http://www.armaziproductions.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit startupdadpod.substack.com

Tyler Moore aka TidyDad is a school teacher turned internet sensation and best-selling author. Pushed to the brink of a breakdown after the birth of his second daughter, Tyler went on to tidy up his mind, his life and his household. In the process he built a massive following as Tidy Dad and recently published a USA Today best-selling book called Tidy Up Your Life. He has been featured on Good Morning America, The Washington Post, NYTimes, NYPost, Better Homes & Gardens, Apartment Therapy and the HGTV Podcast (among many others). In addition to his role as Tidy Dad he still teaches elementary school in New York City and lives in a 5 room, 750 square foot apartment with his wife and three daughters. We discussed:* Tyler’s journey from mental breakdown to best-selling author* How to tidy up your mind then your space* The one-area-a-weekday cleaning method* Involving your kids in the tidying process* What “Just Enough” means* The first step in de-cluttering* The concept of Surthrival* Many of the tidying frameworks discussed in his new bookWhere to find Tyler Moore* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tidydad/* Website: https://thetidydad.com/Where to find Adam Fishman* FishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/* Instagram: https://ww.instagram.com/startupdadpod/_In this episode, we cover:[2:19] Welcome[2:52] Inspiration for Tidy Dad[5:43] Intro to book story[8:54] Family[10:55] Decision to start a family[14:07] Tidy Dad order of operations[16:30] General advice from “Tidy Up Your Life.”[18:26] Working through “just enough.”[22:55] What comes after, “just enough.”[24:44] One area a day cleaning routine[29:26] First step to decluttering[32:27] How do you involve kids in tidying[38:10] Most challenging aspect to being tidy as a dad[40:48] Advice to younger Tyler[42:50] Advice to ignore[46:18] Kid’s relationship to tech[50:16] Surthrival[52:30] Most rewarding feedback[54:41] Future of Tidy Dad[58:17] Follow along[59:23] Lightning Round[1:05:57] Thank you—Show references:Tidy Dad: https://thetidydad.com/Tidy Up Your Life: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tidy-up-your-life-tyler-moore/1145899800Folex Cleaner: https://folexcompany.com/Despicable Me: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1323594/Sister Act: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105417/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1Lindt: https://www.lindtusa.com/_For sponsorship inquiries email: podcast@fishmana.com.For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.comProduction support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at http://www.armaziproductions.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit startupdadpod.substack.com

Pouyan Salehi is the co-founder and CEO of Scratchpad—a company trying to take the busy work out of sales. He has founded three other companies, including PersistIQ (acquired by Wishpond) and Stackmob (acquired by PayPal). In addition to being a serial founder and entrepreneur he is also a husband and a Dad to three kids. We discussed:* Coming to America from Iran and restarting his life with his parents* Why there’s no perfect time to start a family* How each kid is different and requires different parenting strategies* Advice he’d give his younger self about how to relax* Appreciating the new way your life comes together after kids* Moving across the country to be closer to familyWhere to find Pouyan Salehi* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pouyansalehi/* Twitter: https://x.com/psalehiWhere to find Adam Fishman* FishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/_In this episode, we cover:[1:49] Welcome[2:13] Pouyan’s professional background[3:51] Scratchpad[4:47] His childhood[9:34] How did you meet your wife/tell about your kids[10:44] Desire to start a family vs. focusing on careers[13:09] Earliest memory of becoming a dad[15:13] Emotions that arose when becoming a dad[16:20] Parenting three kids[17:38] Parenting a teenager[19:08] Advice for younger Pouyan[21:06] Advice to ignore[22:24] Move to Minnesota[24:25] Parenting Frameworks [26:26] How has parenting evolved kid-to-kid[27:50] Has being a parent helped him lead teams & vice versa[29:40] Aligning with partner[32:14] Kid’s relationship with tech[33:52] AI & kids[36:19] What’d he give up to be a dad?[37:18] How does he recharge his batteries[38:18] Mistake made as a dad?[39:54] Where to find Pouyan[41:07] Lightning round[48:43] Thank you—Show references:Scratchpad: https://www.scratchpad.com/Wishpond: https://www.wishpond.com/Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/us/homeDominos: https://www.dominos.com/en/Tod Francis episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwFYEpFSi3AApple: https://www.apple.com/Ferris Bueller's Day Off: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091042/_For sponsorship inquiries email: podcast@fishmana.com.For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.comProduction support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at http://www.armaziproductions.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit startupdadpod.substack.com

Alex Lloyd Hunter, co-founder of The Dad Shift, passionately advocates for better paternity leave in the UK. He shares alarming insights on the current state of paternity policies and the hurdles in achieving legislative change. Discussing the evolving role of fathers, Alex highlights personal transformations influenced by his own dad and the birth of his son. He emphasizes redefining masculinity, balancing professional and family life, and the mental health benefits of engaged fatherhood—championing a movement towards shared parenting responsibilities.

Paul Sullivan, founder of Company of Dads and a best-selling author, dives into the evolving role of 'Lead Dads' as primary caregivers. He discusses the importance of community support and open communication within families. Sullivan reveals innovative solutions for balancing work and home life, shedding light on how fathers can champion equitable household participation. His personal anecdotes highlight the humorous realities of parenting while addressing the need for modern policies that support all parents in the workplace.