Founder Mode

EPISODE 22In this episode of Founder Mode, Anurag Agarwalla shares his journey from leading fast-moving engineering teams at Uber to building hpy, an AI-powered platform designed to support therapists and patients in achieving better outcomes. He explains why emotional systems matter as much as technical ones, how to design for happiness without burning out, and why privacy and empathy must be foundational in mental health tech. The conversation dives into emotional intelligence, daily habits, and how AI can serve as a companion tool without replacing the human connection at the core of therapy.CHAPTERS00:00 – From Uber to building for happiness05:12 – Healing the healer: AI for therapists09:27 – Privacy and ethics in mental health tech14:06 – Designing systems for happiness and balance23:37 – Building tools for healthier habitsLINKSConnect with Anurag Agarwallathinkhpy.com • LinkedIn • X/TwitterConnect with hpyLinkedIn • X/Twitter • InstagramSpecial OfferDo you go to therapy? Your next therapy session is on us. With hpy, we help clinicians help YOU reach your goals faster with better outcomes, tracking and progress. Introduce us to your therapist and if they sign up for hpy, your next session is on us. Email sales@thinkhpy.com to get started and mention Founder Mode. Are you a mental health professional and want to automate all of your admin? With hpy Pro, the first AI assistant designed specially for therapy, save up to 20 hours a week. We’re offering Founder Mode listeners an exclusive—refer a colleague and get an entire YEAR of hpy Pro free. To get registered, email sales@thinkhpy.com and mention Founder Mode.Stay Connected with Founder ModeSubscribe to our newsletter: foundermode.kit.comConnect with KevinLinkedIn • X/TwitterConnect with JasonLinkedIn • X/Twitter

EPISODE 21Hosts Kevin Henrikson and Jason Shafton go beyond the headlines to unpack the real bottlenecks that stall healthcare—and how to fix them—with consultant and operator Rebecca Shufeldt, founder of Ignite Healthcare Solutions. Drawing on her path from urgent care ops to EHR/revenue cycle leadership, Rebecca explains why go‑live is “day zero,” how her evolving “Silver Bullet” project plan keeps Athenahealth implementations aligned to payer/CMS changes, and where AI—voice intake, scheduling, eligibility, authorizations and referrals—removes administrative drag, reduces denials, and lifts patient and clinician satisfaction. The group digs into tailoring EHRs beyond “turnkey,” building clinician buy‑in, upskilling staff instead of replacing them (“Betty”), and how a flexible, female‑led team model helps practices scale without burnout while improving revenue.CHAPTERS00:00 – Setting the stakes: healthcare’s hidden blockers + Jason’s Heal story02:00 – AI as a wedge: voice, eligibility & EHR‑integrated routing05:03 – Meet Rebecca Shufeldt & Athenahealth optimization10:19 – The “Silver Bullet” plan: go‑live is day zero12:55 – Revenue cycle pitfalls, authorizations & upskilling the teamCONNECT WITH REBECCAWebsite • LinkedInSPECIAL OFFERIgnite Healthcare Solutions is offering a complimentary 30-minute athenahealth optimization review with our CEO for Founder Mode listeners. We’ll assess your current use of the platform, highlight quick-win opportunities to improve efficiency and revenue, and share proven strategies tailored to your organization’s goals—whether you’re a start-up, an established practice, or an MSO.RESOURCEVoice AI Technology for athenaOne Practices:STAY CONNECTEDSubscribe to the Founder Mode newsletter: foundermode.kit.comCONNECT WITH KEVINLinkedIn • X/TwitterCONNECT WITH JASONLinkedIn • X/Twitter

Ahad Khan, CEO of Kajabi, empowers creators to build sustainable businesses through monetization. He emphasizes shifting focus from virality to long-term ownership, discussing actionable strategies for pricing and achieving content market fit. Ahad also shares insights on integrating AI while preserving personal connections, the critical role of post-founder leadership, and how creators can validate their ideas through audience engagement. His vision for the creator economy highlights the importance of entrepreneurial creators and customer obsession.

EPISODE 19Visibility isn't a vibe—it's a system. In this episode, Jason and Kevin sit down with Chris Winfield, creator, connector, and coach, to break down how founders can build an unfair advantage in an AI-saturated world. Chris shares his 80/20 rule for AI usage, why content strategy is non-negotiable in 2025, and how personal connection still beats automation. Learn how to become the go-to expert in your niche, simplify your message like Steve Jobs, and avoid falling into the “Slopbot” trap of over-AI'd content.CHAPTERS00:00 – The 80/20 Rule for Using AI06:26 – Visibility Through Content and Connection12:11 – Build Real Relationships in a Noisy Digital World15:28 – Marketing Trends That Actually Matter in 202519:37 – The Real Unfair Advantage for FoundersLINKSConnect with ChrisInstagram • LinkedInSpecial OfferDM Chris on Instagram @chriswinfield and mention Kevin & Jason to get a special offer.Stay Connected with Founder ModeSubscribe to our newsletter: foundermode.kit.comConnect with KevinLinkedIn • X/TwitterConnect with JasonLinkedIn • X/Twitter

EPISODE 18In this candid, fast-paced solo episode, Jason and Kevin unpack the systems behind their ideal weeks, why founders should prioritize health like a product launch, and how to build a ride-or-die team that spans multiple startups. From hiding jets from repo men to wearing smart glasses on the beach, they share war stories, personal rituals, and the mindset that separates cautious operators from calculated risk-takers.CHAPTERS00:00 – The Casino Story That Saved FedEx01:04 – Building Your Perfect Week05:14 – Big Company Constraints Are (Mostly) Self-Imposed10:00 – Health Is Your Only Asset16:08 – Boomerangs vs. Boomer RidesLINKSConnect with KevinLinkedIn • X/TwitterConnect with JasonLinkedIn • X/TwitterRESOURCESMeta Ray Ban WayfarerTune Up FitnessMyo

EPISODE 17Water‑tech pioneer Ravi Kurani explains how a floating pool‑chemistry robot became the ultimate hardware moat, why proprietary water data unlocks service marketplaces, and where trillion‑dollar opportunities lie at the water‑energy nexus. He recounts two years on Shenzhen factory floors perfecting Sutro, selling the startup before mass production, and now plotting to buy it back to tackle agriculture, cooling towers, and AI data centers. Hosts Jason Shafton and Kevin Henrikson unpack story‑driven design, founder persistence, and the future of “smart” water.CHAPTERS00:00 – From Pools to Robotics: Ravi’s origin story03:44 – Hardware Moats & Proprietary Water Data07:11 – Sutro as the “Nest Cam” for Your Pool09:01 – Water as Tech’s Next Trillion‑Dollar Frontier16:36 – Founder Mode in China: Two Years on the Factory FloorLINKSConnect with RaviSutro • Liquid Assets Podcast • LinkedIn • X/TwitterStay Connected with Founder ModeSubscribe to our newsletter: foundermode.kit.comConnect with KevinLinkedIn • X/TwitterConnect with JasonLinkedIn • X/Twitter

EPISODE 16From living two years out of a suitcase to shipping AI products at Microsoft-scale, Angus Logan joins Kevin and Jason to unpack how “failing forward” accelerates learning. He explains why product teams should break things early each morning, how to shield a fast-moving startup culture inside a corporate giant, and the importance of weekly shipping cadences. Angus also shares his “LifeOps” playbook—100 travel-buddy rules, zero checked bags, and decision templates that free up brainpower—plus how culture-soaking trips and five-year-old Android phones keep him designing for real-world users everywhere.CHAPTERS00:00 – Why failure is fuel03:34 – Angus on rapid AI experimentation06:50 – Integrating startups into Microsoft10:58 – LifeOps: travel hacking & decision systems18:47 – Global perspective and takeawaysLINKSConnect with Angus LinkedIn • NewsletterStay Connected with Founder ModeSubscribe to our newsletter: foundermode.kit.comConnect with KevinLinkedIn • X/TwitterConnect with JasonLinkedIn • X/Twitter

EPISODE 15AI builder Shuja Keen joins Kevin and Jason to trace his 20-year journey from building offshore labor forces to AI-native operations. He explains how falling bandwidth costs kicked off globalization, why today’s custom LLM agents are ready while people and processes lag, and how an abundance mindset lets founders redesign workflows instead of bolting AI onto old playbooks. Using metaphors like orthotics that adapt to your feet, Shuja shows how bespoke software, not one-size-fits-all packages, will unlock personalization in healthcare, education, and beyond—and urges founders to stop selling car parts and deliver the full “Uber” experience.CHAPTERS00:00 – Outcomes Over Tools: The Uber Analogy04:31 – Onshore → Offshore → AI: Shuja’s 20-Year Lens11:32 – Custom Software & the Abundance Mindset17:06 – AI’s Impact on Healthcare, Education & Inclusion21:02 – Founder Playbook for 2025LINKSConnect with Shuja Keen786 Ventures • LinkedIn • X/TwitterStay Connected with Founder ModeSubscribe to our newsletter: foundermode.kit.comConnect with KevinLinkedIn • X/TwitterConnect with JasonLinkedIn • X/Twitter

EPISODE 14In this episode of Founder Mode, we hit the gym with legendary trainer Coach Lou Perrotta—who's spent decades working with elite entrepreneurs, celebrities, and top performers. Coach Lou shares how fitness, mindset, and consistency create compounding results—both in the gym and in business. From towel pull-ups in hotel rooms to 15-minute daily routines, Kevin, Jason, and Coach Lou talk about building mental resilience, breaking plateaus, and why the best founders train their bodies as relentlessly as they train their minds.CHAPTERS00:00 – Why Every Founder Needs a Coach01:05 – Coach Lou’s Origin Story03:38 – Health is the First Investment05:21 – Use What You Have08:20 – Focus, Transformation, and Final LessonsLINKSConnect with Coach LouInstagramStay Connected with Founder ModeSubscribe to our newsletter: foundermode.kit.comConnect with KevinLinkedIn • X/TwitterConnect with JasonLinkedIn • X/Twitter

EPISODE 13Kevin Henrikson and Jason Shafton sit down with serial entrepreneur Dennis Mortensen (IndexTools, Visual Revenue, x.ai, and now LaunchBrightly) to unpack what it was really like to build an AI company years before large-language models existed. Dennis recounts owning the x.ai domain before Elon Musk, hand-labeling 32 million emails to train an early scheduling agent, and the costly product-design decisions that followed. He shares hard-won lessons on focusing on pain over technology, reverse-engineering post-acquisition goals, and why parenting teenagers is the ultimate sales boot camp. Dennis then introduces LaunchBrightly, his new platform that automates every product screenshot in your help center—and he caps the chat with an exclusive free-setup offer for Founder Mode listeners.CHAPTERS00:00 – x.ai Before Elon01:34 – Hand-Labeling 32 Million Emails05:45 – Product Design > Prediction Precision14:45 – Birth of LaunchBrightly29:56 – Special Offer & Next StepsOFFERMention “Founder Mode” when you connect with LaunchBrightly to get your first batch of up to 1,000 automated screenshot-update recipes created for free.Connect with DennisLaunchBrightly • LinkedIn • X/TwitterStay Connected with Founder ModeSubscribe to our newsletter: foundermode.kit.comConnect with KevinLinkedIn • X/TwitterConnect with JasonLinkedIn • X/Twitter