Inspired with Alexa von Tobel

As we all strive to increase our productivity, it's no wonder that productivity startup Notion has taken off. Since co-founder and CEO Ivan Zhao launched a prototype a few years ago, Notion has gained a cult following of over one million users. With a team of less than 30 employees, the company has already achieved a sky-high valuation of $800M. Ivan shares his approach to democratizing software, why he believes engineers are the scribes of our time, and why he moved to Kyoto to reboot the company in its earliest days. Make sure to follow Ivan on social at @notionhq and @ivanhzhao.

In 2010, professional hairstylist Alli Webb had the idea to open a salon with a simple motto: "No cuts, no color, just blowouts." She teamed up with her brother, and Drybar has since become a clear beauty industry leader, with over 130 salons and full suite of products. Now, a long stream of upstarts claim to be "the Drybar of [insert service here]." Alli and Michael share how they found investors who could add value and not just capital, why Michael joined Alli even though he was skeptical about the market fit, and how they've trained thousands of stylists over the last decade. Make sure to follow Alli and Michael on social at @thedrybar @alliwebb and @mdlandau.

The era of cars being our go-to mode of transportation may be behind us. At least, if companies like Lime continue on their trajectories of rapid growth. Since launching in 2017, Lime has revolutionized the first and last mile for people around the world, serving more than 15 million users in just a few short years. Toby shares how growing up in a city of over 20 million people inspired his big idea, how Lime grew 10x last year and achieved profitability in key markets, and why he believes our future cities will be built around people—and not cars. Make sure to follow Toby on social at @lime and @toby.lime.

In today's world, the success or failure of a company is often attributed to its company culture. But what defines culture? That's the question Ben Horowitz sets out to answer in his new book, What You Do Is Who You Are—drawing on key lessons from history and his own experience co-founding Opsware (which sold to HP for $1.6 billion) and venture firm Andreessen Horowitz (which counts Airbnb, Lyft, and Slack in its portfolio). Ben shares the two things he looks for in founders before backing them, why culture is how people behave when you're not there, and what prison culture has to do with corporate culture.Make sure to follow Ben on social at @bhorowitz0 and @andreessenhorowitz.

What if 3D printing was 100x faster? That's the big question Dr. Joseph DeSimone posed in his 2015 TED talk, which he gave at the very same moment he unveiled his new company's website. Since then, his company, Carbon, has quickly grown to become the most valuable 3D tech company in the world with a valuation north of $2 billion. Joseph shares how his 20+ years as a professor at UNC lead him to entrepreneurship, what it feels like to have a team counting on you, and how Carbon has achieved an 89 NPS score with the first-ever manufacturing product available via subscription.Be sure to follow Joseph on social at @carbon.

Advancements in fintech mean that entrepreneurs are shaking up every aspect of the financial system. Co-founders Everett Cook and Alex Wheldon have just launched their company, Rho, to do exactly that for business banking. They believe a winning formula is a mix of better rates, best-in-class service, and sleek technology. Everett shares why over-communication is key for a strong partnership, how he leverages his Sunday afternoons to make for more productive weeks, and why he believes in hiring employees who have a sense of urgency.Be sure to follow Everett on social at @rhobusiness

What started as a childhood hobby for sisters Danielle and Jodie has turned into a thriving fashion business, Dannijo. Through a commitment to scrappiness and a knack for marketing via ever-evolving social media channels, Dannijo has managed to stay relevant to its community of super fans for over a decade. Danielle and Jodie share how getting fired gave them the courage to launch, how they put their sisterhood aside in pursuit of a strong business partnership, and why the retail experience needs to be rebuilt from the ground up.Be sure to follow Danielle and Jodi on social at @dannijo, @danielleasnyder, and @jodiesnydermorel. 

Money is an inherently emotional topic—and the emotions it tends to inspire are anxiety and fear. Jason Brown is working to change that through Tally. With empathy ingrained in its company culture, Tally now manages more than $400M of consumer credit card debt, and counting. Jason shares why he gets his best ideas on a weekly 60 mile bike ride, the importance of finding an investor who's aligned to your mission, and how he's scaling the business while maintaining a sky-high retention rate.Follow Jason on social at @meettally and on Twitter at @SF_JCB. 

Sometimes, change starts at the top. Carolyn Childers and Lindsay Kaplan weren't willing to wait to reach gender parity in the workplace, so they started Chief. These startup vets — who helped build Soap.com, Casper, and Handy — have created a community for senior women executives that already has a waitlist in the thousands. Carolyn and Lindsay share how they've built a no-judgement zone, their approach to creating a game-changing brand, and why coaching is critical to the future of work.Make sure to follow Carolyn and Lindsay on social at @childerscarolyn, @lindsaykap, and  @chiefamongstus. 

What if there was a stock market for private companies? Carta is well on its way to realizing that vision. Henry Ward launched the company to 2012 under the name eShares. Fast-forward and Carta now manages over $575B in equity for 11,000+ companies and has a sky-high valuation of its own at $1.7 billion. Henry shares his vision for closing the wealth inequality gap, how he's hiring 50 new employees each month, and how his previous startup's failure led to Carta's success. Check out the full episode in the player below.Make sure to follow Henry on social at @cartainc