Darius Contractor, CGO at Otter.ai, shares insights on parenting, sacrifices, and watching kids' first experiences. From career influences to family decisions, he reflects on frameworks for parenting and acknowledging mistakes. A candid discussion on freak out moments, successes, and disagreements with partners rounds off this episode.

Brian Balfour is the founder and CEO of Reforge, former VP of Growth at Hubspot, and a venture partner at Long Journey Ventures. He is one of the foremost experts on Growth and also a husband and the father of two young kids. In this episode we discuss:His parents opinion of his professionOther family members' influence on his entrepreneurial spiritHis decision to start a family and whether he took to fatherhood right awayThe tragedy of losing his first child at birth and challenges of conceivingHow to protect your time as a CEO and a fatherBrian's frameworks for parentingHow to align with your partnerLife during the pandemic with a partner who is a nurse, young kids and a fast-growing startup—Where to find Brian Balfour- Twitter: https://twitter.com/bbalfour- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bbalfour/- Personal Website: https://www.brianbalfour.com Where to find Adam Fishman:- Newsletter: https://www.fishmanafnewsletter.com- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/fishmanaf- Threads: https://www.threads.net/@fishmanaf—In this episode, we cover:[1:40] Intros[2:06] Professional background[3:28] Personal background[6:38] Parents' opinion of his career[9:33] Uncle’s influence on his entrepreneurial spirit[11:59] About his family[14:39] Decision to start a family[18:07] Whether or not he took to Fatherhood right away[18:30] Losing a child at birth[21:29] The “Instagramification” of parenting[22:52] Parenting reality check[25:26] Most surprising thing about Fatherhood?[28:08] How to protect your time as a parent and a CEO[30:21] More discussion of losing a child and Brian's coping strategies[37:09] Parenting frameworks[41:34] Aligning as a couple[45:11] Life during pandemic[48:58] Rapid fire round—Show references - www.reforge.com- H.A.N.D. - Helping After Neonatal Death—Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at http://www.armaziproductions.com/Episode art designed by Matt Sutherland at https://www.mspnw.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

Fareed Mosavat is Chief Development Officer at Reforge, former Director of Product at Slack, Instacart, Zynga and more. He's a husband and father of two teenagers (!). In this episode we discuss:Lessons from being raised by his MomHis decision to start a familyEarliest memories of being a DadRegrets he's had as a fatherTweens vs. Teens and which is worseEstablishing family guard railsWhat he and his wife don't agree onHilarious rapid-fire round—Where to find Fareed Mosavat- Twitter: https://twitter.com/far33d- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fareed/ Where to find Adam Fishman:- Newsletter: https://www.fishmanafnewsletter.com- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/fishmanaf- Threads: https://www.threads.net/@fishmanaf—In this episode, we cover:[1:35] Introductions[2:25] What is a CDO?[5:19] Fareed’s career background[8:19] Childhood[11:04] Lessons from Mom[13:49] How he met his partner[16:36] Their decision to start a family[20:51] More about his wife[21:39] Earliest memories of being a Dad[27:50] Work/life balance and a career story[32:33] Regrets[36:38] Tweens vs. Teens and which is worse[39:46] Establishing family guard rails[43:44] Where he and his partner don't agree[46:23] Rapid fire round—Companies referenced: www.reforge.comProduction support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at http://www.armaziproductions.com/Episode art designed by Matt Sutherland at https://www.mspnw.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

Buster Benson is Principle Product Manager at Medium, the platform creating a new model for digital publishing. He a published author of the book Why Are We Yelling? The Art of Productive Disagreements, the founder of 750Words, and most importantly the father of two boys. In this episode we discuss:Joining and leaving companies in pursuit of being a better fatherStarting a family while being broke with no insuranceHome birthingHaving a kid who doesn't sleep for more than 30 minutes at a timeSeparation and divorceHow to talk to your kids about divorceMaintaining an amicable relationship with your ex and connection to your kids—Where to find Buster Benson:- Twitter: https://twitter.com/buster - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/busterbenson/- 750 Words: https://750words.com/- Amazon: Why Are We Yelling? Where to find Adam Fishman:- Newsletter: https://www.fishmanafnewsletter.com- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/fishmanaf—In this episode, we cover:[1:26] Introduction[2:30] Background[6:22] Decision to start a family[7:49] Homebirth[9:28] Homebirth community[11:06] About Buster’s kids[12:47] Why parenting is hard[14:40] Buster’s earliest fatherhood memories[17:53] Surprising fatherhood things[19:45] External pressure[21:45] Frameworks for parenting[24:14] ADHD/Diagnosis[25:13] The story of his separation and divorce[28:43] Telling the kids about their separation[31:04] Advice for separation[34:46] Agreements in parenting[36:42] Managing complex demands[39:46] Mistakes in fatherhood[43:33] Rapid fire round—Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at http://www.armaziproductions.com/Episode art designed by Matt Sutherland at https://www.mspnw.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 Cohen is Sr. Director of Product at Carbon Health, a modern health clinic that provides urgent and primary care for easier everyday health. He is also a serial entrepreneur, investor, and one of the most prolific "shitposters" on Twitter. He's a loving husband and the father of 1 kid, born during the peak of the pandemic. In this episode we discuss:Getting fired from Office DepotMarrying his high school sweetheart and prom dateBeing the youngest parent in your neighborhoodHis wife's take on his internet celebrityHow "shitposting" has made her choice to not work outside the home easierThe difficulties of parenting without community, family, or friendsBringing home a baby during the peak of the pandemic—Where to find Alex Cohen- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/anothercohen- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-cohen/ Where to find Adam Fishman:- Newsletter: https://www.fishmanafnewsletter.com- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/fishmanaf—In this episode, we cover:[1:30] Introductions [2:02] Professional background [5:16] Angel investing [7:51] Marrying your high school sweetheart [12:26] Leaving California for Texas [17:51] His wife's decision to stay home [18:32] Her take on his internet fame [20:22] Starting a family [21:46] Earliest fatherhood memory [22:53] Lack of support network [23:53] Instagram VS. real life [25:56] Most surprising about being a new Dad [27:38] Frameworks for parenting [29:26] Having a Pandemic kid [31:05] What his kid's reaction to an internet famous Dad will be [33:33] Establishing strong partnership with his wife [35:42] What did you give up to be a Dad? [38:08] Rapid fire round —Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at http://www.armaziproductions.com/Episode art designed by Matt Sutherland at https://www.mspnw.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

Adam Grenier is VP of Growth at Eventbrite, a ticketing company that is bringing the world together through live experiences. Prior to that he led growth for Masterclass and Lambda School, was an EIR at Reforge and was Head of Growth Marketing at Uber. He's also a loving husband and the father of 3 kids, including an autistic son. In this episode we discuss:Adam's humble upbringing in the MidwestHow he got into improv and made his way to CaliforniaPoop (of course)Raising a child with special needsHow to communicate your capacity to your spouseAdvocating for your childrenSome of the shame around parentingSetting up family guardrails and balance—Where to find Adam Grenier- Twitter: https://twitter.com/AKGrenier- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akgrenier Where to find Adam Fishman:- Newsletter: https://www.fishmanafnewsletter.com- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/fishmanaf—In this episode, we cover:[1:23] Introductions[2:11] Adam’s Background [7:12] Parents[9:26] Discussing Role Models [11:19] Arriving in California, Adam’s wife and kids [20:08] Talk about Poop [21:45] What it’s like with a special needs child [24:15] Discussing capacity and Brene Brown[26:06] How to advocate for your child [31:55] Shame around parenting [33:38] New parent support group anecdote[34:06] Family guard rails[37:12] Parenting disagreements[39:03] How to balance work and family[45:25] Rapid fire round[51:21] Parting advice—Links we reference:Second City https://www.secondcity.com/SNL https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-liveBrene Brown https://brenebrown.com/Butt Cream https://www.forbes.com/health/family/best-diaper-rash-cream/—Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at http://www.armaziproductions.com/Episode art designed by Matt Sutherland at https://www.mspnw.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

Nick Soman is the founder and CEO of Decent, a healthcare company that helps small businesses band together to get more affordable health insurance for their employees. Prior to that he led growth for Gusto, was a product manager on the Kindle at Amazon, and started a company that he sold to Napster! In this episode we discuss:How Nick's parents influenced his own parentingThe challenging early times as a Dad and startup leaderDiscoveries he's had as a DadThe importance of partnership in your marriage and how to navigate conflictHis "irrevocable guidelines" around familySilicon Valley hustle culture and incompatibility with family lifeBringing his own values into his companyMany mistakes he's made as a father and what they've taught him—Where to find Nick Soman:- Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicksoman- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicksoman/ Where to find Adam:- Newsletter: https://www.fishmanafnewsletter.com- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/fishmanaf—In this episode, we cover:[1:50] Introductions[2:36] Nick and Decent Health[4:28] Nick’s background[7:08] His Parents[8:58] Family life and Starting a family[12:27] Challenging early times as a Dad[16:00] Responsibility cape/choice vs. obligation[17:12] Masculine energy/Nature vs. Nurture[20:44] Dad discoveries/Do as I say, not as I do.[24:41] Dissonance between partners[25:32] Importance of partnership/conflict[28:00] Marriage advice[30:22] How do you and your wife recharge?[32:46] “Irrevocable guidelines” around my family[33:27] Silicon Valley “hustle culture”[34:19] A trap he fell into/a walkabout[37:44] Bringing values into his company[40:46] Mistake he’s made as a father[44:28] Rapid fire round—Links we reference:Rivianhttps://rivian.com/ “Hold Me Tight,” Dr. Sue Johnson https://www.amazon.com/Hold-Me-Tight-Conversations-Lifetime/dp/B084G9QFZY/ref=sr_1_2?crid=194BNQXYUKRWA&keywords=hold+me+tight+sue+johnson&qid=1680733560&sprefix=hold+me+tight+sue+%2Caps%2C107&sr=8-2 Nick's company, Decenthttps://www.decent.com/Andy Johns - How to Know When to Stophttps://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-know-when-to-stop—Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at http://www.armaziproductions.com/Episode art designed by Matt Sutherland at https://www.mspnw.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

Welcome to the very first episode of Startup Dad!Every week, Adam Fishman will interview entrepreneurs, leaders, founders, and many people you may have heard advice from before. This time it's different because they're also all fathers. Instead of talking about product development, the latest growth strategies, or fundraising we talk about balancing work with family life, parenting strategies, and the hard and hilarious parts about parenting.Get full access to the FishmanAF Newsletter at www.fishmanafnewsletter.com/subscribe—Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at http://www.armaziproductions.com/Episode art designed by Matt Sutherland at https://www.mspnw.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