Founder Vision with Clearview

Can a machine teach itself to think like a human?

Clearview — Wed, 28 Sep 2022 14:24:36 -0400

Hyperspec CEO Sravan Puttagunta is on an ambitious mission: to make self-driving cars think like humans, not machines. With recent advances in available computational power combined with some very clever machine learning algorithms, Hyperspec is enabling robots to think critically and contextualize the world more like humans do, removing the need for pre-defined maps and opening up new possibilities. As Sravan explains to Brett what it’s like to build an AI that approaches human consciousness, they also reflect on what it means to think like a human, and how that can inform the cultures we cultivate and the companies we build.

Staying agile to sustain momentum in a startup

Clearview — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 10:00:00 -0400

Early stage startups cannot afford to rest on their laurels. In order to scale and grow a business sustainably, business leaders have to make wise decisions about how to direct their resources and where to focus their efforts. Hamish Livingston, Head of Product at Willo, knows that well. He joins Brian Gupton on the podcast to discuss how Willo is managing to scale their asynchronous video interview platform in today's competitive market while keeping the Willo team agile and capital-efficient. He discusses how the product team assesses and prioritizes feature suggestions and leverages the advantages of outsourced developer resources to build a product that clients want to pay for. Listen in to learn how Willo is changing the game in video interviewing, and get a peek at some of the lessons Hamish and his team have learned along the way.

Dealing with difficult life-changing events

Clearview — Thu, 09 Jun 2022 03:00:00 -0400

How did I end up here?

In today's episode, we speak with ChainSafe's VP of Product & Project Management Amer Ameen about overcoming difficult life challenges while building a tech startup.

Whether it's an unfulfilling career, a failing relationship, getting laid off or even all of the above, difficult life challenges are inevitable. How you deal with those challenges is what matters.

We discuss how to make these life challenges a catalyst for personal & professional growth.

Using immersive technology to unlock a mind's full potential

Clearview — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 03:00:00 -0400

Taylor Cole has always boldly followed his curiosity. As a BASE jumper and CRW (synchronized maneuvers under skydive canopy) pilot, he gained an interest in the forces that effect wings - and so he went to grad school to study fluid mechanics. During his career in the Navy, he has put his creativity to work, using math to capture bad guys, perform analyses, and lead a research lab. When he discovered that he himself has an auditory processing disorder, he started exploring immersive environments that engage multiple senses in concert… which led him to found Burble Creativity.

Burble Creativity is creating portable environments that use audio and visual elements together to engage both hemispheres of kids’ brains in immersive experiences. Early research shows promise for education and therapeutic applications, not just for auditory processing disorders, but for a whole slew of others, including autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He joins Brett Kistler on the podcast to share the incredible story behind this new technology, dive deep into what might drive some people toward adventure sports, discuss the under-recognized power of a neurodivergent mind, and more.

051 Can a sales guy build & run a successful tech company?

Clearview — Tue, 03 May 2022 14:00:00 -0400

For non-technical would-be entrepreneurs, getting a tech startup off the ground can be especially challenging. In today's episode, we speak with Sendoso co-founder & CEO Kris Rudeegrapp.

Kris was a sales guy who saw an unmet need around sending gifts as a way to engage with prospective clients throughout their buyer journey. We discuss how he self-funded the company with just $25K and scaled it to over 500 employees and a $100M Series C.

Join us today to learn all the nitty gritty details.

050 Should you build a company without a clear revenue model?

Clearview — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 03:00:00 -0400

Building a business using cutting edge technology often means your business may not have a clear or immediate revenue model. How does this reality change your business strategy?

Volograms Co-Founder & CEO Rafael Pages started his company as a university research project in 3D augmented reality. In today's episode, we discuss the unique challenges associated with building new deep tech without a clear revenue path. We discuss options including starting as a services provider, fundraising and building early stage teams.

049 How should dev teams deal with product pivots?

Clearview — Thu, 24 Mar 2022 04:00:00 -0400

Product pivots are an inevitable reality for early stage tech startups. Understanding how to build, manage and scale early stage engineering teams while embracing the inevitable product pivot or code rewrite is a critical factor in getting your biz to escape velocity.

In today's episode, Brian Gupton discusses these realities with Izicap's CTO Tancho Markovik. Learn how Tancho scaled one company from 6 to 125 devs, how he adjusts his interview process for early versus later hires, how he manages internal expectations around technical debt and much more.

048 How to get the most out of accelerators

Clearview — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 04:00:00 -0400

Business accelerators can be valuable resources for entrepreneurs. Traditionally, they have provided a space to attend expert talks and workshops, make valuable connections, and test your idea alongside other would-be founders. But how can a founder best capitalize on this opportunity? Miriam Schwab from Strattic has some ideas. She joins Brian Gupton on the podcast to discuss when to consider paying a fee or trading equity for space in an accelerator, the benefits and limitations of online-only accelerators, how to maximize your value from the workshops offered, and more. She also delves into other topics, including finding the right business partner, scraping together your first MVP, and recruiting your first set of clients and investors. We were fortunate to have an established professional like Miriam join us to share her insights, and we really encourage anyone who has considered joining an accelerator to give this one a listen. For 80% off your first year with Strattic, use https://www.strattic.com/clearview/

047 Empowering a mission with a vision

Clearview — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 03:00:00 -0400

Alex Price and the team at Ecologi have an ambitious mission: to cut the world's carbon emissions 50% by 2040 through the power of collective action. Bold projects require bold people, and Alex has learned some interesting lessons along the way. He joins Brett Kistler on the podcast to discuss the scaling abilities of a business over a charity, the power of transparency in hiring great people, what to look for in a mentor, how to avoid burnout, and so much more. Ecologi is a project with a lot of heart, and it shows in this interview. We hope you'll join us.

046 Clarity vs certainty: advice for moving into the startup space

Clearview — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 15:50:38 -0500

Being part of a startup rather than an established business has a unique set of challenges and opportunities. It can be a big, risky leap both professionally and personally. Thankfully, there are people like Aaron Cheng who have done this a time or two. Prior to taking on his current role as Chief Product Officer for Felix Health, he already had extensive experience building and scaling large tech teams across a myriad of industries. He joins Brian Gupton on the podcast to share some key insights with us, including the importance of setting and measuring goals even as a hard-to-predict startup, what to look for in first product hires, how to determine whether you need a product manager or project manager, and more.

045 Overcoming friction: how to shake up an established company

Clearview — Tue, 08 Mar 2022 06:00:00 -0500

When a business has been trucking along nicely for (30+) years, it can be tempting to avoid rocking the boat. But in today's rapidly-changing world, not only does that boat need to be rocked, sometimes it's time to replace the sails with a jet motor! When Patricia Hume joined Canvas, she was up for the challenge. She brought 20 years of C-level experience to her new role as CEO, ready to lead Canvas's strategic vision into the future. She joins Brian Gupton on the show to talk about her experience, including the challenges of moving from a perpetual license model to subscription software while retaining clients, managing internal resistance to change and maintaining team rapport, securing funding for new ventures while supporting legacy products, and more. With Patricia at the helm, Canvas has big things ahead, and we're so glad she shared her insights with us.

044 How are Ukrainian tech startups navigating the chaos of war?

Clearview — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 13:06:32 -0500

On a very special episode of Founder Vision, Yurii Filipchuk joins Brian Gupton from his home in Kyiv, mere kilometers from the active warzone, on the 8th day of the Russian invasion. Yurii and two cofounders (who were themselves displaced by conflict in 2014 and now again in 2022), formed Party.Space as a way to create virtual “microverses” - VR environments for events, conferences, and parties. When your real world is under pressing threat, what is the creator of a virtual world to do?   Yurii shares so much with us in this powerful interview. Topics include: - Day to day life under the shadow of war - How tech companies and everyday people can support the Ukrainian resistance, both virtually and physically - How the Ukrainian tech community is fighting - and winning - a “meme war” to destabilize critical Russian IT infrastructure and get real information to the Russian people. - How Ukrainian businesses are surviving, and how to support them - Differing responses within the Ukrainian workforce; ranging from crippling fear to “work therapy” All this and more. We hope you’ll give it a listen, and continue to listen to the people of Ukraine. Interview recorded 5:30pm Ukrainian time on Thursday, March 3.

043 Leveraging tech debt and embracing leadership

Clearview — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 19:16:52 -0500

Technical debt is the source of a lot of confusion, concern, and negative stigma in the startup world. It's the idea that taking a coding shortcut now - to meet a deadline, push an iteration, or for some other goal - will lead to more development work needed in the future. Non-technical founders may fear it, have trouble recognizing it, try avoid it, and unknowingly accrue it. Nael El Shawwa, Head of Engineering at Perpetua.io, has a different perspective. He joins Brian Gupton on the podcast to discuss how founders can thoughtfully - not recklessly - leverage technical debt to help move their vision forward. This thought-provoking conversation also digs into topics such as leadership - how to embrace it for yourself and how to identify and foster it in others; the current state of tech recruitment; and what can be gained and lost as we are siloed away from the office in remote work. We really enjoyed this conversation and think you will too.

042 How can we prioritize our energy in a startup?

Clearview — Thu, 13 Jan 2022 05:00:00 -0500

Beginning and growing a startup is a resource-intensive process. It demands time, money, attention, and energy. In a world where all these resources are finite, how can founders prioritize their efforts for maximum results? Dennis Kelly from Postalytics has some ideas. He joins Brian Gupton to discuss strategies such as building a sales pipeline, identifying your core demographic, optimizing content, the benefits of releasing free software, and more.

041 What are some hallmarks of successful startups?

Clearview — Tue, 23 Nov 2021 21:48:52 -0500

Ciprian Spiridon knows a thing or two about startups. After all, in his role at AW Rostamani Group, he's responsible for the internal software house that serves the companies that make up AWR Group, from ecommerce retail to automobile services and beyond. Both as part of AWR Group and in his prior career as a software developer, he's had the chance to interact with startups and scaling companies from a vast variety of industries, and he joins Brian Gupton on the podcast to share some of what he's learned. Listen in to hear about the most important skill a founder can have, the value of "controlled chaos" in a growing company, his "golden rule" for nontechnical founders, and more.

040 How can technology help support addiction recovery?

Clearview — Thu, 18 Nov 2021 14:08:25 -0500

When Daniela Tudor set out to create WEconnect, it was personal. As someone who is in long-term recovery herself, she saw the major barriers that people in recovery face as they try to change self-destructive behaviors. It can be difficult to stay accountable, find connection, and even to afford access to ongoing recovery support. She and her team at WEconnect are disrupting that pattern with their powerful mobile tool that challenges and rewards participants for creating healthier habits, provides one-on-one peer support, and serves as a safety net for members in crisis. She joins Brett and Brian on the podcast to discuss her journey in building a platform that has helped people from around the world with recovery from addiction. https://www.weconnectrecovery.com/free

039 How can founders utilize qualitative data to resist their own biases?

Clearview — Tue, 16 Nov 2021 09:48:03 -0500

In founding a business, improving a product, and generally keeping up with the fast pace of innovation in today's startup landscape, it's important to make the right decisions the first time around. For years, businesses have relied on quantitative (numbers-based) data to help them understand what's happened and try to guess where to go next. But so much information comes to us in shapes that are hard to punch into a spreadsheet. From phone and video conversations to open-field survey questions, a wealth of data gets overlooked because it can't be easily analyzed, which leaves leaders trying to make decisions from their inherently-biased personal judgment. Michael Bamberger and his team at Tetra Insights are tackling this problem with their powerful qualitative data mining tool. He joins Brett and Brian on the podcast to share some of the insights his team has unearthed and how doing the right research ahead of time can empower business leaders to stay ahead of the curve in today's demanding market. https://www.tetrainsights.com/

038 How can we choose the right startup mentors?

Clearview — Thu, 11 Nov 2021 13:58:22 -0500

When Dr. Matt Wilson decided to leave a burgeoning career in clinical medicine to found medical research technology platform uMed, it was a leap of faith. All the moreso because his first attempt at a medical startup failed to take off. So what does it take to brush the dust off and try again? A heap of inspiration, a bit of luck, and the right mentors and partners around you. Matt and uMed's Head of Product Patti Ward join Brett and Brian on the podcast to share uMed's story. They dig into the need to fail gracefully, how to know when to pivot and when to stay the course, the importance of finding the right mentors on a startup journey, and more.

037 How can we identify the next great opportunity?

Clearview — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 05:00:00 -0500

Ethan Glass's parking management service Ocra came from humble roots. As a parking operator managing spaces near the LA Coliseum, he saw firsthand just how fragmented, inefficient, and disorganized the industry was; every vendor had different methods for tracking inventory, adjusting pricing, and accepting payments. Not content with the status quo, Ethan began incorporating automations and technology to reduce slippage and operating costs. Then, like so many other startups, COVID-19 disrupted the industry. With in-person events (and thus, event parking) coming to a screeching halt overnight, Ethan and his team could have rolled over and quit. Or, they could get creative. Listen in as he shares the story of Ocra's pivot to build the world's first omni-channel management platform for parking operators, designed around real client needs from the ground up.

getocra.com

036 In a data-driven world, how can we keep ethics at the forefront?

Clearview — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 12:18:41 -0400

The Team W understands how human psychology drives UX. After all, founder and CEO Susan Weinschenk holds a Ph.D. in Psychology and serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Wisconsin. This makes The Team W's expertise uniquely valuable to their clients, who are trying to optimize their offerings to guide customer behavior and interactions. But how do we know when we're nearing an ethical boundary, where optimization approaches manipulation? Susan joins Brett Kistler and Brian Gupton on the podcast to talk about The Team W's approach to ethics. She shares the ethical calculator that her son Guthrie Weinschenk created, and gets real about what it means to manage and grow a business as a parent-child team. theteamw.com ethicalformula.com

035 What happens when we focus innovation through client feedback?

Clearview — Tue, 02 Nov 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In building a top-notch product, it's all about communication. Ryan Quiring joins Brett Kistler and Brian Gupton on the show to share his journey founding and growing high-tech workplace safety management platform SafetyTek. He discusses how his team has applied the idea that "time with customers is never wasted." He digs into how client feedback not only allowed SafetyTek to refine and improve their offerings, but also uncovered some hidden values and strengths of the platform. He shares advice on how to find mentors and connect to the communities where clients are, how to approach fundraising (hint: it's not a sales pitch), how to maintain accountability and weed out toxicity on a startup team, and more.

034 How do we know we're on the right track for startup success?

Clearview — Thu, 28 Oct 2021 05:47:46 -0400

Compliance-as-a-Service startup ETHIX360 might be new to the scene, but its founder and CEO J Rollins has some hard-earned experience to back it up. In his 25+ year career, he’s worked with tiny startups, massive corporations, and everything in between. He joins Brian Gupton on the podcast today to share some incredible insights and lessons he’s learned along the way, including how to jumpstart a concept with limited capital, how to turn losses into learning, defining success as a startup, managing imposter syndrome, and more. He even lets us in on his silver-bullet interview question to suss out cultural fit with new hires. This one is so full of valuable ideas, we can’t possibly fit it all in one blurb. Guess you’re just going to have to join us! ethix360.com

033 How can we filter meaningful feedback out of the noise?

Clearview — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 05:00:00 -0400

It takes a village to... raise a startup? As we go through the journey of bringing a business from inception to success, it's important to be open to feedback: from trusted advisors, from would-be investors, from your team and community. But when everyone has an opinion, how do we cut through the noise? Debbie Fortnum has some ideas. As she and her cofounder built their AI workplace optimization platform Macondo Vision, they had to learn how to wade through all the (ofttimes-conflicting) advice they were getting and filter it down to just the most meaningful bits. Listen in for tips on incorporating feedback while remaining authentic to your vision, establishing boundaries, prioritizing your pitches, and more. https://www.macondovision.com/

032 How can we thrive in remote work?

Clearview — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 06:24:11 -0400

If there's one thing Naman Mehrotra understands, it's how to be a global citizen. The child of expat parents, Naman grew up with firsthand experience of the digital nomad's struggle to manage issues like health insurance and retirement benefits when your job and your life transcend borders. When he met the team at SafetyWing, which is tackling that very problem, it was a natural fit. Naman joins Brett Kistler to discuss how his team is taking on such a monumental task (hint: one piece at a time). Not only does SafetyWing work with fully remote companies, but they are one themselves, so Naman has some great insight to share that is very relevant in today's job landscape. He delves into issues such as how businesses can maintain community and culture when most of their interactions are digital, what characteristics help remote workers succeed, best practices for maintaining quality communication across time zones, and more.

031 How can science and technology challenge traditional pedagogy?

Clearview — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 05:00:00 -0400

Sometimes a business is just an idea, and sometimes it's a calling. As Sasha Seymore joins Brett Kistler to share his story, it's easy to see how every step along the way led him toward founding Learn to Win. From early experiences uncovering the power of sports as a means of conflict resolution, to struggles memorizing plays as a college athlete, to a fortuitous reunion with an old friend (now co-founder) in grad school, Sasha has synthesized those experiences and passions to help bring Learn to Win where it is today. Learn to Win provides a platform for government agencies, sports teams, businesses, and more to build science-driven trainings and deliver the "last mile" of learning in an effective, engaging way. https://www.learntowin.com/

030 How can we lean into our strengths?

Clearview — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 13:23:06 -0400

When COVID-19 emerged on the global landscape, Emmanuel Elmajian and his team at Spinzo were amongst the hardest hit. Their platform is designed to help teams and venues move unsold tickets using "crowd pricing" and incentive schemes, and overnight the in-person event world blew up. Venues were canceling and refunding their events haphazardly and no one knew what was coming next. Emmanuel joins Brett Kistler on the show to talk about how he leaned into his strengths - as a customer service-obsessed, tech developer first. Almost overnight, Spinzo rolled out a new product to address their customers' need to communicate the rapidly-changing situation to ticketholders, and have emerged from the early chaos of the pandemic charged up and ready to thrive. http://www.spinzo.com

029 Pioneers and settlers: how do we balance strengths within a team?

Clearview — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 06:36:38 -0400

We're doubling down on Founder Vision today. Kevin Mackey and Tim Metzner, two of the cofounders of Coterie Insurance, join Brett Kistler as well as today's cohost Brian Gupton - Clearview's own VP of Sales. Drop in to a fun, flowing conversation as the four explore a number of topics. Kevin and Tim discuss how they build teams that balance their members' strengths: the value of experience vs the fire of fresh ideas, the drive to push a new startup forward vs the steadiness to lead it in the long run. They discuss how they assess potential hires for their competency as well as for cultural fit, how to "disagree and commit" in the face of differing opinions, keeping their core values of humility and intelligence at the forefront, and so much more. https://coterieinsurance.com/

028 What not to do when founding a startup.

Clearview — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 05:00:00 -0400

A common adage in founding a business is that you should begin with your exit strategy in mind. Nathan Kelleher understands that intimately; he helped found business verification platform Detected - in the middle of a pandemic lockdown, no less! - and within a year had stepped aside to let it grow without him. He is now focusing his energies as a cofounder and director at True Altitude, a UK-based venture capital fund. Through his experience starting and supporting new businesses, he's learned plenty of what to do - and sometimes more importantly, what not to do. He joins Brett Kistler on the podcast to give us a sneak peak into what he's learned, including establishing a new business culture when you're locked in your houses, knowing when to dig in and when to step aside, managing conflicts amongst founding teams, supporting the next generation of founders, and more.

027 How can we deliberately build inclusive teams?

Clearview — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 05:53:24 -0400

How can we tackle big, challenging energy issues? By attracting a diverse, passionate team and putting that passion to use. Imran Noorani and his team at Peak Power are taking on the ambitious project of making the climate polluters part of the climate solution in a revenue-positive way. They design AI-powered energy solutions to help building owners put the environment on the balance sheet. He joins Brett Kistler to discuss how Peak Power strives to gel their diverse team together through JEDI (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion) principles, transparent communication, practice-what-you-preach mental health support, and more. https://peakpowerenergy.com/

026 How can we solve our business problems - fast?

Clearview — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 05:00:00 -0400

In 20+ years of working with startups and scale-ups, Matt Wilkinson has learned a few things. He joins Brett Kistler on the show to talk about how he is applying those lessons to his newest endeavor: SameSide (sameside.io). SameSide aims to remove the friction and time-wasters from business-to-business commerce by creating a solutions-based blueprint to tackle business problems, then linking businesses with the right experts and partners, the first time. It's a whole new way to approach B2B commerce, and attempting to shift such a massive industry can feel like a herculean task. Matt shares his philosophy about carving out a path for startup success, what inspires him to keep tackling this problem, and more.

025 What would happen if we designed delight into our lives, products, and businesses?

Clearview — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 05:00:00 -0400

Miles Ceralde understands the power of design. As the Head of Product Design at SetSail (https://www.setsail.co/), he is building a team to support their AI-driven Revenue Execution Platform - and building it his way. Join Brett Kistler on Founder Vision with Clearview to hear how Miles uses design principles to structure team expectations, and how you can "design delight" into everything from mundane meetings to cocktail parties. (By the way, when is the last time you reticulated your splines?) Miles has some great insight into what it takes to build a winning product from a user experience standpoint - hint: build the airplane round the users, don't ask them to change planes in midair.

024 How can we effectively utilize capital?

Clearview — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 05:00:00 -0400

Caleb Avery from Tilled has been on every side of the fundraising arena. He's successfully bootstrapped a business from the ground up to >100 salespeople, he's been an investor for 22 different startups, and now he and the team at Tilled have successfully raised over 13 million dollars in funding to support their PayFac-as-a-Service product. He joins Brett Kistler on the show to discuss the perspective he's gained about the benefits and potential pitfalls of VC funding, lessons learned in listening to the data and ensuring your project has true market fit, scaling up while maintaining team cohesion, and more.

023 How can we boldly tackle the unknown?

Clearview — Thu, 16 Sep 2021 09:21:20 -0400

Tamas Cser from Functionize has never been afraid of change. That kind of boldness and optimism is crucial for entrepreneurship. He joins Brett Kistler on the podcast to talk about his journey from a professional violinist in Budapest to the founder of a successful tech startup in San Francisco. Along the way, he shares how his familial history inspired him to cultivate intrinsic skills rather than extrinsic gains, how he tries to incorporate an abundance mindset into his company culture, and more. Tamas has learned to trust that if you do your best, everything will probably work out, and that philosophy has empowered him to take risks and chase his passions across the world. functionize.com

022 How can we build a stellar team at the speed of scale?

Clearview — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 05:00:00 -0400

How do you go from zero to contemplating serving two and a half million users in a few short years? Aaron Enten from Insight Optics has some ideas, and he joins Brett Kistler on the show to share. Here's a hint: it's all about teamwork. Aaron believes that a leader's job is to find people who know more than he does, bring them on, and then get out of their way as fast as possible. Tune in to hear about how leadership looks at Insight Optics, including the hard parts: recognizing your own shortcomings and weaknesses, trusting your advisors even when they're telling you things you may not enjoy hearing, and incorporating ideas and vision from the bottom-up as well as top-down. With this culture of leadership and teamwork, Insight Optics has a developed a fascinating technology that is leading the way in preventing preventable diseases by decentralizing medicine and getting quality diagnostic imaging into expert hands - even if those experts happen to be on the other side of the world. Insight Optics: io.care

021 Can modern blockchain help decolonize the most ancient trade?

Clearview — Thu, 09 Sep 2021 05:00:00 -0400

Tea could be considered humanity's first international currency, and its complex entrenchment with politics, culture, and colonization reflects that history. Elyse Petersen and her team at Tealet are bringing modern technology into an ancient trade with a mind for disrupting the darker sides of the market by linking family farms with international buyers and tracing every leaf from field to cup. Elyse joins Brett on the podcast to discuss how contemporary blockchain technology can help promote transparency and equity in the tea trade, and shares some personal lessons she's learned about balancing confidence with humility on a quest for success.

020 How can we use data to optimize our teams' productivity and happiness?

Clearview — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 08:11:54 -0400

In today's rapidly-moving world, it's common to quickly form engineering teams who are used to working with a variety of technologies and processes. In the race to develop, deploy, and move on to the next project, it can be difficult to identify where our teams are struggling, why they're burning out, and how we can improve our processes. That's where Pablo Ferrari and his team at ProcessLabs.ai come in. Pablo joins Brett to discuss how ProcessLabs is using data-driven metrics to help engineering teams succeed and optimize both product quality and engineer satisfaction. He also shares how he applies the same principles that drive ProcessLabs in his personal life to accomplish his own goals.

019 How can we be in the right place at the right time?

Clearview — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 05:00:00 -0400

If there's one thing we know about business, it's that timing is everything. Marshall Mosher and his team at Vestigo got to experience that firsthand as they took their adventure-based team building platform virtual - just in time for a global pandemic to send teams across the world into the virtual workspace. He joins Brett Kistler to share the extraordinary coincidence of technological advancements and timely innovation that allowed Vestigo to charge boldly forward into their latest adventure. Vestigo - vestigo.co Singularity University - su.org

018 What are the benefits and drawbacks to founding a company as a team?

Clearview — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 05:00:00 -0400

Is three a crowd? Most startups are begun by a single founder, one person who is trying to bring his or her vision to fruition. In the case of uDroppy, that responsibility and opportunity was shared by three co-founders: Carlo Bellati, Luca Borreani, and Nicolo Manica. Carlo joins Brett Kistler on Founder Vision to share his unique perspective on the challenges and benefits of founding a company as a team of friends. https://www.udroppy.com/

017 How do we maintain faith in our own success during the challenges of a startup?

Clearview — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 05:00:00 -0400

Founding a startup is no easy task, and it's common to be plagued with worries and self-doubt during the process. Albert Santalo from 8base knows this better than most, and he joins Brett Kistler to share lessons he's learned about the faith it takes to drive a startup through to maturity, the importance of defining a successful exit point as a founder, the role of ego in startup decision making, and more. https://www.8base.com/

016 How do we maintain momentum through downturns?

Clearview — Thu, 26 Aug 2021 05:00:00 -0400

The journey from initial idea to viable product is rarely straightforward. In the case of Nod, Joel Robbie and his team found that out the hard way: after their initial product didn't quite fit what users were looking for, they had to go back to the drawing board, throw out all their initial code, and rebuild from the ground up in three months. How do you keep your team motivated and engaged through such disheartening times? Joel shares these lessons and more in his interview with Brett Kistler. www.noddocs.com

015 How can we transform adversity into purpose?

Clearview — Tue, 24 Aug 2021 05:00:00 -0400

Starting a business is difficult enough. Now imagine building two startups simultaneously... all while battling cancer. Mike Yewdell from BEAM and CampusProtein joins Brett Kistler to tell his story and share how he learned to let go and trust his team, turn his challenges into purpose, and build not just a business but a philanthropic legacy. You don't want to miss this one. youcanbeam.com campusprotein.com

014 How do we streamline onboarding?

Clearview — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 05:00:00 -0400

You hired your new software engineer because you need them - right now. Far too much of a new hire's time when they first come on is spent repeating the same onerous tasks and asking the same repetitive questions, looking for answers in out-of-date documents, and learning how to integrate with the team. That translates to time lost - and money lost - for your business. Jayme Rabenberg joins Brett Kistler on Founder Vision to discuss how she and the team at Edify are using learning science and engineering best practices to remove the friction in onboarding so your new hire can focus on doing their best work from day one. Edify http://getedify.co/ Life in View: Connection over Protection https://view.life/2021/02/13/episode-10-connection-over-perfection-aoa-series-3/

013 How can we structure our business to bring out the best in our team?

Clearview — Tue, 17 Aug 2021 05:00:00 -0400

Companies spend a lot of time and effort recruiting, hiring, and training professionals. So why is it that traditional employment structures then turn around and hobble those professionals by being paternalistic, opaque, and controlling? Gareth Jones and his team at Headstart.io have a simple philosophy when it comes to team management: build a team of adults, create a culture of transparency, and trust your people. He joins Brett Kistler on Founder Vision to share the management style that has allowed Headstart to weather the turmoil of COVID-19 and build a fascinating tool that leverages data science to help businesses break free from implicit bias in the recruiting process.

012 How can we translate rejection into personal power?

Clearview — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 13:47:38 -0400

Xavier Moretti from Koala knows a thing or two about being told "no." In the process of securing funding for Koala's kid-friendly virtual classroom startup, he made 256 pitches and received 240 rejections. He joins Brett Kistler on Founder Vision to share how he learned to turn rejection into personal power and momentum to drive the dream forward.

011 Can we use machine learning to expand global access to music education?

Clearview — Tue, 10 Aug 2021 05:00:00 -0400

Dogmatic, prescriptive education inspires no one. Sam Walder joins our host Brett Kistler to talk about what his team at Trala is doing to expand global access to music education. Using AI and Machine Learning technology, they are taking violin instruction out of its traditional, in-person, classical-is-king box and putting it in the hands of users around the world. Tune in to hear what his team is up to, what keeps them inspired, and how it all started from a hackathon.

010 How can we communicate more effectively?

Clearview — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 05:00:00 -0400

This episode is all about communication. Ben Whately from Memrise joins Brett Kistler to discuss how his team built Memrise to utilize principles of human psychology rooted in science rather than strict pedagogy. He digs into the nuance of how humans naturally learn language and how, leveraging this understanding, Memrise has been able to help upwards of 59 million users from 189 countries learn to speak more than 23 different languages. In the >10 years Ben has been building Memrise, he has learned a lot. In our conversation, Ben shares some of those lessons, including how reassessing his own communication skills helped him to connect with his team and empower them to drive the mission forward together.

References:

Memrise.com
Instagram: @memrise
Foer, Joshua. (2012) Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/301277/moonwalking-with-einstein-by-joshua-foer/9780143120537

009 Open-source traction vs enterprise profits: how do we find balance for product success?

Clearview — Tue, 03 Aug 2021 05:00:00 -0400

Data is useless if not utilized. Activeloop.ai optimizes your database for deep learning operations. Shashank Agarwal joins Brett Kistler to discuss the origins of Activeloop, choices and challenges in balancing open-source traction vs profitable enterprise solutions, and share his story of becoming CTO by stepping into the role first and letting the title follow naturally.

008 How do we make learning fun?

Clearview — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 05:00:00 -0400

Univoice has created an app that turns the language learning experience into a game. They do this by using music to make it enjoyable. A huge benefit of learning through music is the relevance and versatility of vocabulary. Learn the words and phrases that matter most, while also picking up the slang of native speakers. Everybody loves music. With Univoice, you can choose your favorite genres and play your songs on repeat. You will have so much fun that you’ll forget you’re learning!

The best way to master a language is to become addicted to learning it. With our application, turn your song obsessions into language obsessions. It’s the fastest way to learn!

Check out https://wefunder.com/univoice

007 How can we keep our pets safe?

Clearview — Tue, 27 Jul 2021 05:00:00 -0400

Lorien Clemens is the CEO of Pethub and she tells the story about how the founder, Tom Arnold, came up with the idea for Pethub. Brett and Lorien discuss how having the right people in the right roles can really make a difference in a growing company. Lorien talks about how we can assess our strengths and weaknesses as individuals. Brett and Lorien dig into how a title change can affect your business. What does a title do to change perception?

006 How can we scale effectively?

Clearview — Thu, 22 Jul 2021 05:00:00 -0400

As a business scales and grows its internal process, connecting the right expert with the customer can be a challenge. As a product expands to serve a larger market, the professional services team has to scale alongside it to support it. Businesses may find themselves growing their professional services teams one to one with every new feature of the product. Tech companies don't generally want or need such a large professional service team. Xander explains how businesses can expand into the market without minimizing the number of features of their product.

005 How do we evolve?

Clearview — Tue, 20 Jul 2021 05:00:00 -0400

How do we evolve as a business to meet the ever-changing needs of the market? We live in an era where everyone expects a certain amount of personalization. We have grown accustomed to being presented with options that will appeal to us as individuals. Currently, most of the AI and machine learning out there is not available to small businesses. Russ Wilcox the CEO of Quantum Analytica chats to Brett about how they are bringing the democratization of data science to the mainstream.

Using custom machine learning models, Quantum Analytica provides hyper-personalization and a unified playing field of data. http://qushanalytica.io/

004 How fast can we react?

Clearview — Thu, 15 Jul 2021 05:00:00 -0400

How fast can we react to the changing environment? Spencer Elliott from ViewStub chats to Brett about their game-changing event streaming platform.

One year into the development of ViewStub the world went into Covid lockdown. In response, ViewStub shifted its focus to the online events side of its business and found itself perfectly positioned to service the needs of a changing world. ViewStub's quick reaction to the changing environment helped them to succeed during a challenging time.

003 What is the right problem to solve?

Clearview — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 05:00:00 -0400

Therma is a technology startup that builds hardware and software tools that protect our planet. They work with leading organizations in the food, restaurant, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing industries; and their customers include government agencies, major corporations, small businesses, and nonprofits.

Manik Suri talks to Brett about how he became the CEO of Therma.

002 How can vulnerability strengthen business?

Clearview — Sun, 27 Jun 2021 11:52:36 -0400

Lou Carpino from PubX.ai speaks to Brett Kistler. When you feel stuck, locking yourself in a room and trying to get things done without talking to someone else just sucks and it often amplifies the problem.

How can we encourage those around us to be vulnerable and talk about what is going on when they are struggling? We all want everyone to win and be comfortable, but things can only change when we talk to each other. How do we ask the tough questions to get past this?

001 Is sustainability our business?

Clearview — Sun, 27 Jun 2021 10:41:26 -0400

There are so many challenges facing our planet and 2B0 is looking for better ways to encourage recycling.

Sorting recyclables can be cumbersome and most recycled material has low value. Can we reduce the number of recyclables that are dumped in landfills by providing consumers with an incentive to recycle?