Startup Dad

Patrick Thompson is a three-time founder, starting a company right after college and then founding and selling his second company, Iteratively, to Amplitude in 2019. He stayed on as a Director of Product until leaving recently to co-found his third company, Clarify, a next generation CRM platform. He’s a loving husband and the father of one kid. In today's conversation we discussed:* How to manage a young family with starting a company* The differences between his last startup when he wasn’t yet a parent and this one* Having the conversation with your partner about getting back to building* Investing in your relationship with your partner* The concept of “first team” and applying that at work and home* Rituals for quality time with your kids* Recharging his batteries as both a parent and founder* Top tips for airplane travel with an infant* A potty training disaster story—Where to find Patrick Thompson* Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickt010/* X: https://twitter.com/patrickt010Where 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:[1:36] Welcome[1:48] Shout out to his co-founder Austin[2:18] Why start a company while having a toddler?[3:26] How has being a dad changed your company-building approach?[5:11] Childhood[7:44] Athletics compared to startups[10:16] How did you meet your wife?[11:40] Decision to start a family[12:52] Decision to leave Amplitude and start a company[16:45] Investing in your relationship with your partner[18:58] Applying “first team” at home[20:05] Taking an 18 month old on an airplane and top toddler travel tips[22:42] Earliest memory of becoming a dad[24:48] Most surprising aspect of fatherhood[25:55] Mistake you made as a dad[28:30] Advice for pre-kid era Patrick[30:15] Advice to ignore[31:32] Rituals in a busy life[33:19] How to manage weekends as a founder[34:20] Frameworks for parenting[36:34] An area Patrick and his wife don’t agree on in parenting[38:46] Relationship Patrick wants his son to have with technology[40:51] What he’s given up to become a dad[42:18] How to recharge your batteries[43:32] Family favorite trip[44:59] Follow along Patrick’s journey[45:45] Rapid Fire[51:41] Thank you—Show references:Amplitude: https://amplitude.com/Clarify: https://www.clarify.io/Boy Scouts: https://www.scouting.org/Atlassian: https://www.atlassian.com/Siqi Chen’s on Startup Dad: youtube.com/watch?v=I2Nm5Mkj0s0Immad Akhund’s on Startup Dad: youtube.com/watch?v=FR2ws9UKJ2k—For sponsorship inquiries email: podcast@fishmana.com.For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com Production 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

Ethan Austin is the founder of OutsideVC, where he invests in founders building a more equitable and just financial system. He was the Chief Strategy Officer of Gig Wag, Managing Director of Techstars Denver, and was co-founder and president of GiveForward which was acquired by GoFundMe. He’s a loving husband and the father of three kids. In today's conversation we discussed:* The time he picked up his oldest kid from school in a taco costume* His life with a newborn* Teaching kids values* Modeling behaviors with your kids* Finding fun in the mundane* How partners can take turns supporting one another* Why every parent is just winging it most of the time* Three important parenting frameworks he’s developed—Where to find Ethan Austin* Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fintech-investor/* Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/ethanaustinWhere 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:[1:24] Welcome[1:40] Professional background[2:27] Childhood[3:35] Parent’s career/losing father at a young age[6:06] Family now[7:52] What kind of values do you live by/teach your kids?[10:28] How do you model adventure for your kids[14:13] Tell me about your wife’s career - how do you compartmentalize?[16:00] Decision to start a family[18:16] Parental leave[20:13] Experience of third child vs. others[23:29] Finding the fun in mundane[27:16] Surprising things about being a dad[29:20] Advice to ignore?[31:28] Advice for younger Ethan[33:27] Frameworks[35:51] Partners taking turns supporting each other[37:52] Where partners don’t align[39:21] kids relationship to technology[42:10] Recharge batteries[43:38] Getting kids to hike[45:55] Follow along[46:20] Rapid fire[53:52] Thank you—Show references:Techstars: https://www.techstars.com/GiveForward: https://www.giveforward.com/Outside VC: https://outside-vc.com/Boy Scouts: https://www.scouting.org/NoseFrida: https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/F6682FCC-F1F9-44FE-9D89-173058B06AEFThe Happy Sleeper: The Science-Backed Guide to Helping Your Baby Get a Good Night's Sleep-Newborn to School Age by Heather Turgeon MFT: https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Sleeper-Science-Backed-Helping-Sleep-Newborn/dp/0399166025Paw Patrol:https://www.pawpatrol.com/Scarface:https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086250/—For sponsorship inquiries email: podcast@fishmana.com.For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com Production 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

Lane Shackleton is the Chief Product Officer of Coda, where he has worked for over 8 years. Prior to that he had a 9+ year career at Google and Youtube as a product manager and leader. He’s a loving husband and the father of three kids. In today's conversation we discussed:* How to motivate and teach lessons to your kids through “quests”* Lowering the pressure on high-stakes parenting* Two actions that can solve most of the challenges you’ll experience with your kids* The difference in feeling overwhelmed between a parent and a professional* Why parenting overwhelm can be so much harder to work through* Leveraging technology as a builder vs. a passive consumer* Balancing being a startup executive with coaching a baseball team full of 9 year olds — and which one is harder—Where to find Lane Shackleton* Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laneshackleton/* Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/lshackletonWhere 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[1:53] Welcome[2:23] Wine & software[4:57] Quests with your kids[10:30] Childhood[11:45] How did your son get into baseball?[13:54] Family now[15:24] Decision to start a family?[16:18] Earliest memory of becoming a dad[18:00] Feeling of overwhelm[20:58] Most surprising thing about becoming a dad[24:47] Not everything is high stakes[28:59] Solving problems with kids[32:35] Favorite book to read to kids[33:58] Frameworks[36:46] Has parenting changed your management style?[40:17] Where do Lane and his partner not align[41:39] Kid’s relationship to tech[45:28] What did you give up to become a dad?[47:07] How do you recharge your batteries?[49:10] Startup hustle culture[52:08] Rapid fire[58:18] Thank you—Show references:Bruce Bolt batting gloves:https://brucebolt.us/Napa: https://www.cityofnapa.org/Coda: https://coda.io/YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/Google: google.comAtlanta, GA: https://www.atlantaga.gov/ CPMC: https://www.sutterhealth.org/cpmcField of Dreams:https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097351/Llama Llama: https://llamallamabook.com/books/You Can Play Sports Board book by Nicole Stoltenberg: https://www.amazon.com/Play-Sports-Nicole-Todd-Stoltenberg/dp/0578878224Lorax: https://www.amazon.com/Lorax-Classic-Seuss-Dr/dp/0394823370Luca: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12801262/Stripe: https://stripe.com/Sound Machine: https://www.amazon.com/Magicteam-Machine-Looping-Soothing-Function/dp/B07RWRJ4XW/ref=zg_bs_g_18746767011_d_sccl_1/143-4646178-9363038?psc=1Cascade Falls: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/cascade-fallsCocomelon: https://cocomelon.com/—For sponsorship inquiries email: podcast@fishmana.com.For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com Production 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

David Haddad, founder of Mr. Branzino, talks about teaching Dads to cook with the PPSCE system, maximizing meals efficiently, building confidence in the kitchen, and sample meal plans. They discuss starting a family, modeling behavior, and involving kids in cooking. The podcast covers efficient meal prep strategies, themed meal nights, cooking tips, and dad stories.

Matt Wensing, founder/CEO of Summit and father of 4, shares insights on being a young Dad, eliminating excess to focus on work and family, tech challenges for teens, impacts of social media, and personal growth after losing a parent.

Designer, entrepreneur, and father of two, Linus Ekenstam discusses male infertility, time, parenting challenges, and the impact of AI on his daughters' lives. He shares insights on being an 'AI Gardener,' coping with daily struggles, and his optimism for the future with AI technology as a tool.

Siqi Chen, CEO of Runway and father of two, discusses the myths of work-life balance, parenting dynamics, and using technology as a tool for leverage. He shares insights on balancing parenting roles, incorporating kids into daily activities, and the importance of shared responsibility with your spouse.

Luke Millar, SVP Product & Eng at Medium and father of 5, shares insights on taking paternity leave as a startup founder, building relationships with multiple kids, working from home with a full household, and supporting his wife through cancer. He discusses mistakes made as a dad and the challenges of navigating family dynamics.

Nir Eyal, author and consultant, discusses avoiding distractions and building healthy habits for families. Topics include lessons from his books, creating an indistractable household, intrinsic vs. extrinsic rewards, setting limits, and motivating kids. Practical tips for reducing distractions and fostering strong family connections are shared.

Immad Akhund, Co-founder and CEO of Mercury, discusses starting a family young, founding companies, balancing time vs. energy, and skill-building with kids. He shares insights on disagreements with spouses and draws parallels between building a family and a startup.