HD in HD

Jack Zhang, Co-founder and CEO of Airwallex, journeyed from a small town in China to building a billion-dollar tech story in Australia. He discusses how Airwallex differentiated itself from Stripe in the APAC market and reflects on a costly mistake that almost derailed their first client. Jack shares insights on navigating the 2022 valuation reset without panic, and highlights an overlooked AI opportunity in fintech. With Airwallex hitting $1B in volume before a proper Series A, his story is one of resilience and innovation in the global payments landscape.

Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber and former Expedia chief, shares his incredible journey from an Iranian refugee to a tech titan. He discusses how his immigrant background taught him adaptability and the significance of education. Dara reflects on his early career challenges, the crucial lesson of betting on people over models, and how he transformed Uber from deep losses to profitability. He also explores the evolution of ridesharing, his vision for a real-time logistics network, and the importance of maintaining culture under public scrutiny.

Max Levchin, the fintech pioneer and co-founder of PayPal, dives into his journey in this engaging discussion. He reveals how his background in cryptography fueled the PayPal revolution and shares behind-the-scenes stories about merging with Elon Musk’s X.com. Levchin contrasts founder-driven optimism with the skepticism of investors, highlights the ethics of lending through Affirm, and discusses how the U.S. credit system evolved. Additionally, he explores the potential of AI in fintech and the future of stablecoins in global finance.

Will Shu, founder and former CEO of Deliveroo, shares the journey of transforming a local food delivery gap into a global powerhouse. He discusses the challenges of managing operations, regulatory scrutiny, and how Deliveroo distinguished itself from rivals like Uber. Shu reflects on the strategic reasons for DoorDash's $3.9 billion acquisition and explores potential lessons from both companies. He also touches on the impact of AI and automation in the delivery landscape and the personal sacrifices of being a founder.

In this engaging conversation, Alex Bouaziz, CEO and co-founder of Deel, shares his journey from a video game-loving child in a large immigrant family to leading a billion-dollar global payroll platform. He dives into the importance of customer obsession, the impact of remote work trends, and how cold emailing opened doors for his career. Alex highlights his commitment to AI and stablecoins as tools to enhance operations, while reminiscing about his ambitious Disney-inspired startup dreams. Get ready for a blend of entrepreneurship, tech insights, and personal anecdotes!

Barry Diller, a legendary media executive behind transformations at Paramount and Fox, discusses his unconventional rise in Hollywood. Starting as a wayward teen, he took risks to create the original TV movie format, defying industry norms. Diller emphasizes how adversity shaped his instincts and led to building IAC, while also critiquing Hollywood's reliance on sequels. He shares insights on launching Fox against established giants and his vision for interactive screens long before the internet era.

Tarek Mansour, the co-founder and CEO of Kalshi, revolutionizes prediction markets by enabling regulated trading on real-world events. He shares his intense journey from facing legal challenges, including a historic lawsuit against the U.S. government, to ultimately winning regulatory approval. Tarek reveals how his trading background shapes his view on risk and decision-making. He discusses the power of prediction markets in improving societal rationality, emphasizing that the entrepreneurial path is about enjoying the journey rather than just reaching a destination.

Sebastian Siemiatkowski, co-founder and CEO of Klarna, grew up in Sweden as the son of Polish immigrants. He shares his journey from local success to a $14B+ global fintech powerhouse. Sebastian discusses how sci-fi books shaped his entrepreneurial mindset and the pivotal moment of securing Sequoia as an investor. The conversation dives into navigating challenges in a competitive market, leveraging Sweden's strict debt collection regulations to Klarna's advantage, and the evolution of the tech scene in Sweden.

Before founding Synthesia, Victor Riparbelli grew up in Denmark with parents who struck a balance between ensuring his future security and giving him the freedom to pursue his passions, with his father steering him toward technology. At Stanford, the intense academics and ambitious peers challenged him to question the status quo and honed his approach to creating helpful tools. We also get into: • why complex video games were his first playground for building business • how Mark Cuban became their first investor without meeting them • why the future of communication is video ABOUT US: We’re proudly sponsored by Brex—a brand I co-founded, now supporting over 30,000 businesses like Anthropic, DoorDash, and Scale AI, helping them make every dollar count. I’m grateful for their continued support as I bring you all conversations with some of the most exceptional founders of our generation. For more information, please go to: https://www.brex.com/?ref_code=bmk_audio_HDinHD Connect with us here: 1. Victor Riparbelli- https://x.com/vriparbelli 2. Brex- https://x.com/brexHQ 3. Henrique Dubugras- https://x.com/hdubugras This episode was produced and distributed by our friends at Atomik Growth: https://atomikgrowth.com

Guillermo Rauch, founder of Vercel and a self-taught tech visionary from Argentina, shares his inspiring journey from selling CDs to revolutionizing web applications. He discusses the importance of technical knowledge for CEOs and how his father’s encouragement shaped his hacker mentality. Rauch reflects on the economic lessons from his upbringing and emphasizes cultivating creativity in kids. The conversation also touches on AI's role in democratizing coding, the evolution of web technologies, and how the intersection of luck and skill shaped his innovative path.