Yesterday Podcast

Joshua Browder is the founder of DoNotPay, a legal tech company that automates consumer rights protection. We discuss the Russian mafia stalking his family, interviewing Warren Buffett at 18, building DoNotPay to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and much more. Josh is also a Thiel Fellow, Stanford dropout, and prominent early-stage investor. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yesterdayy.substack.com

Jack Altman, founder of the billion-dollar company Lattice and Alt Capital, shares his journey from investment banking to entrepreneurship. He discusses the challenges of finding product-market fit and the lessons learned through painful pivots. Jack reflects on his competitive upbringing and the role of parental support in shaping his confidence. He emphasizes the importance of authenticity in leadership, his approach to investing in young founders, and how overcoming rejection has built his resilience. Listeners gain insights into Jack's views on tech, team dynamics, and the future of investing.

Haseeb Qureshi is a former pro poker player and now the founder of Dragonly, a crypto-focused venture firm managing $3B+. We discussed growing up in Texas to immigrant parents, his foray into the internet, and how he turned $50 into many millions with poker… a feat that his Muslim parents thought was fake. From there, we discussed the controversial end of his poker career and his early beginnings in tech and Silicon Valley. Haseeb is a world-class storyteller, and it was a pleasure to dive into his life story. We hope you enjoy this episode and look out for a part 2 covering the latter half of his story. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yesterdayy.substack.com

Spenser Skates, founder and CEO of Amplitude, shares his unique journey from feeling mediocre to building a public company generating over $300M in revenue. He reflects on his upbringing in Boston, the influence of his immigrant parents, and the early failures of his first startup, Sonalight. Spenser credits mentorship from industry leaders and discusses pivotal moments in scaling Amplitude, including overcoming operational setbacks and learning the art of sales. His insights on risk-taking, long-term perseverance, and emotional resilience provide valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Dylan Patel, founder of SemiAnalysis and expert in AI infrastructure, shares his compelling journey from small-town Georgia to tech innovator. He opens up about feeling lost, his transformative travels, and how personal experiences shaped his career. The discussion dives into his cultural identity, the importance of community, and the impact of the pandemic on his life choices. He also reflects on navigating the tech landscape and the significance of pursuing passions over societal expectations, all peppered with engaging anecdotes.

Brian Distelburger co-founded Yext, which he helped grow from a small startup into a public company valued at over $1 billion. He is also on the board of Tech NYC. In this episode, we dive into Brian’s early years and the formative lessons that shaped his entrepreneurial mindset. We talk about his first ventures, building Yext, navigating the company’s growth, going public on the NYSE, and more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yesterdayy.substack.com

Chad Byers co-founded Susa Ventures, now managing over $1 Billion. He’s the seed investor in many unicorns, most notably Robinhood, turning his first investment of $250K into $400M. In this episode, we start by discussing his early years and timeless principles instilled by his dad, Brook Byers, who co-founded the legendary Kleiner Perkins. We then discuss selling on Ebay in his teenage years, his time in college at Colorado, the path to founding Susa in his 20s, and much more. S This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yesterdayy.substack.com

Kevin Hartz co-founded Eventbrite (NYSE: EB), Xoom (IPO & acq. PayPal), and A*, an early-stage venture firm managing hundreds of millions of dollars. Recently, he also co-founded Sauron, a high-end home security company. Kevin has been an early angel investor in PayPal, Airbnb, Uber, SpaceX, Pinterest, Palantir, Anduril, and many more companies worth tens of billions. In this episode, we start by discussing his early upbringing in the East Bay of San Francisco, some of which he spent building bombs. We then discuss his explorative time at Stanford & Oxford, growing close to the likes of Thiel and the PayPal mafia, revenue wars with Airbnb, and co-founding / investing in many notable companies worth billions of dollars. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit yesterdayy.substack.com