FN Podcast Transistor (https://transistor.fm) https://feeds.transistor.fm/the-founders-network-podcast Candid conversations with the founders behind today’s most impactful start-ups. Each episode features a Founders Network Global Keynote: an inside look at how experienced founders build, scale, and lead. Hosted by Founders Network founder Kevin Holmes, these talks distill decades of hard-won lessons into practical insights on growth, fundraising, and founder resilience. Whether you’re building your first start-up or your fifth, join over 600+ peers in the Founders Network as we explore what it really takes to grow together. 2025 Founders Network b6578cbc-1ef6-5f28-b04b-1bedacb2c747 yes en Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:55:24 -0700 Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:56:08 -0700 https://img.transistorcdn.com/c_BBAaMPQt-CRl4DRS0upVfapPAk3T5F79LDSnz6DT8/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8wY2U1/Mzg5ZWNhYjdiMGQz/ZWQxYThhYmMzNzdl/ZTE2ZS5wbmc.jpg FN Podcast episodic Founders Network Candid conversations with the founders behind today’s most impactful start-ups. Each episode features a Founders Network Global Keynote: an inside look at how experienced founders build, scale, and lead. Hosted by Founders Network founder Kevin Holmes, these talks distill decades of hard-won lessons into practical insights on growth, fundraising, and founder resilience. Whether you’re building your first start-up or your fifth, join over 600+ peers in the Founders Network as we explore what it really takes to grow together. Candid conversations with the founders behind today’s most impactful start-ups. founders, startups, technology, venture capital Founders Network podcast@foundersnetwork.com No No What Still Matters in Start-ups (Even in the AI Era) 3 3 What Still Matters in Start-ups (Even in the AI Era) full 5aacdf41-ff8b-4a18-90cc-793c114186b2 https://podcast.foundersnetwork.com/3
AI has made it easier than ever to build a product.

So what actually matters now?

In this episode, Guy Yalif, co-founder of Intellimize (acquired by Webflow) and former marketing leader at Twitter and Yahoo, breaks down what really drives durable growth in today’s environment.

We cover:

  • Why product is no longer a sustainable moat
  • What actually is defensible: brand, distribution, data, and switching costs
  • The “15 conversations” framework for validating ideas
  • How founders fall into the trap of false validation
  • Why listening to customers beats moving fast

This is a practical conversation about building, validating, and growing a start-up when the rules are changing, but the fundamentals still matter.

]]>
AI has made it easier than ever to build a product.

So what actually matters now?

In this episode, Guy Yalif, co-founder of Intellimize (acquired by Webflow) and former marketing leader at Twitter and Yahoo, breaks down what really drives durable growth in today’s environment.

We cover:

  • Why product is no longer a sustainable moat
  • What actually is defensible: brand, distribution, data, and switching costs
  • The “15 conversations” framework for validating ideas
  • How founders fall into the trap of false validation
  • Why listening to customers beats moving fast

This is a practical conversation about building, validating, and growing a start-up when the rules are changing, but the fundamentals still matter.

]]> Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:50:24 -0700 Founders Network Founders Network 2713
AI has made it easier than ever to build a product.

So what actually matters now?

In this episode, Guy Yalif, co-founder of Intellimize (acquired by Webflow) and former marketing leader at Twitter and Yahoo, breaks down what really drives durable growth in today’s environment.

We cover:

  • Why product is no longer a sustainable moat
  • What actually is defensible: brand, distribution, data, and switching costs
  • The “15 conversations” framework for validating ideas
  • How founders fall into the trap of false validation
  • Why listening to customers beats moving fast

This is a practical conversation about building, validating, and growing a start-up when the rules are changing, but the fundamentals still matter.

]]> founders, startups, technology, venture capital No When Your Start-up Dies, Do You? (The Founder Identity Trap) 2 2 When Your Start-up Dies, Do You? (The Founder Identity Trap) full c90aea47-e61d-46cf-aa09-7187c8036c64 https://podcast.foundersnetwork.com/2
Most founders are told to go all in.

But what happens when your identity becomes your company?


In this episode, Chip Conley, founder of a hotel hospitality group and mentor to Airbnb’s CEO, shares the realities most founders don’t talk about.


We cover:

  • Why tying your identity to your start-up can be dangerous
  • The emotional toll of building, and what happens when things fall apart
  • Lessons from mentoring Brian Chesky at Airbnb
  • How to lead without ego and empower your team
  • What comes after success, burnout, or exit

This is a candid conversation about leadership, resilience, and building a life beyond your company.

]]>
Most founders are told to go all in.

But what happens when your identity becomes your company?


In this episode, Chip Conley, founder of a hotel hospitality group and mentor to Airbnb’s CEO, shares the realities most founders don’t talk about.


We cover:

  • Why tying your identity to your start-up can be dangerous
  • The emotional toll of building, and what happens when things fall apart
  • Lessons from mentoring Brian Chesky at Airbnb
  • How to lead without ego and empower your team
  • What comes after success, burnout, or exit

This is a candid conversation about leadership, resilience, and building a life beyond your company.

]]> Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:42:34 -0700 Founders Network Founders Network 3147
Most founders are told to go all in.

But what happens when your identity becomes your company?


In this episode, Chip Conley, founder of a hotel hospitality group and mentor to Airbnb’s CEO, shares the realities most founders don’t talk about.


We cover:

  • Why tying your identity to your start-up can be dangerous
  • The emotional toll of building, and what happens when things fall apart
  • Lessons from mentoring Brian Chesky at Airbnb
  • How to lead without ego and empower your team
  • What comes after success, burnout, or exit

This is a candid conversation about leadership, resilience, and building a life beyond your company.

]]> founders, startups, technology, venture capital No Zapier’s Compounding Advantage 1 1 Zapier’s Compounding Advantage full 38055bd6-c0d6-45c3-af70-6ff8eb432f40 https://podcast.foundersnetwork.com/1 From a middle-class childhood in central Missouri to building one of the most important “glue” products on the internet, this conversation tracks the real Zapier origin story: the unglamorous early days, the “plus one” pain that sparked the idea, and the long, steady compounding effect of integrations.

We talk about what it actually took to get momentum (credibility, distribution, and relentless customer feedback), why Zapier leaned into an integration flywheel, and how building relationships created “surface area” for unexpected breakthroughs—like discovering your biggest customer is in Austria.

Then we zoom out: what generative AI changes (and doesn’t), why the next era may be more about context + judgment than raw code output, and how founders can stay grounded while the tools get wildly more powerful.

Show Notes

What we cover

  • A Midwest upbringing, engineering school, and the post-2008 job market reality
  • The “magic moment” of the internet: realizing your customers can be anywhere
  • Where the Zapier idea came from: forum threads full of “plus one” requests
  • Early product-building: nights/weekends, staying skeptical, and watching real usage
  • Credibility and distribution: why being vouched for matters with bigger partners
  • The mindset shift: actively seeking real negative feedback (instead of polite nods)
  • The integration growth loop: why “more integrations → more growth” became the model
  • Remote hiring lessons and building culture outside Silicon Valley defaults
  • AI and the future: vibe coding, judgment, and the “context engine” problem
]]> From a middle-class childhood in central Missouri to building one of the most important “glue” products on the internet, this conversation tracks the real Zapier origin story: the unglamorous early days, the “plus one” pain that sparked the idea, and the long, steady compounding effect of integrations.

We talk about what it actually took to get momentum (credibility, distribution, and relentless customer feedback), why Zapier leaned into an integration flywheel, and how building relationships created “surface area” for unexpected breakthroughs—like discovering your biggest customer is in Austria.

Then we zoom out: what generative AI changes (and doesn’t), why the next era may be more about context + judgment than raw code output, and how founders can stay grounded while the tools get wildly more powerful.

Show Notes

What we cover

  • A Midwest upbringing, engineering school, and the post-2008 job market reality
  • The “magic moment” of the internet: realizing your customers can be anywhere
  • Where the Zapier idea came from: forum threads full of “plus one” requests
  • Early product-building: nights/weekends, staying skeptical, and watching real usage
  • Credibility and distribution: why being vouched for matters with bigger partners
  • The mindset shift: actively seeking real negative feedback (instead of polite nods)
  • The integration growth loop: why “more integrations → more growth” became the model
  • Remote hiring lessons and building culture outside Silicon Valley defaults
  • AI and the future: vibe coding, judgment, and the “context engine” problem
]]> Mon, 02 Mar 2026 20:44:05 -0800 Founders Network Founders Network 3202 From a middle-class childhood in central Missouri to building one of the most important “glue” products on the internet, this conversation tracks the real Zapier origin story: the unglamorous early days, the “plus one” pain that sparked the idea, and the long, steady compounding effect of integrations.

We talk about what it actually took to get momentum (credibility, distribution, and relentless customer feedback), why Zapier leaned into an integration flywheel, and how building relationships created “surface area” for unexpected breakthroughs—like discovering your biggest customer is in Austria.

Then we zoom out: what generative AI changes (and doesn’t), why the next era may be more about context + judgment than raw code output, and how founders can stay grounded while the tools get wildly more powerful.

Show Notes

What we cover

  • A Midwest upbringing, engineering school, and the post-2008 job market reality
  • The “magic moment” of the internet: realizing your customers can be anywhere
  • Where the Zapier idea came from: forum threads full of “plus one” requests
  • Early product-building: nights/weekends, staying skeptical, and watching real usage
  • Credibility and distribution: why being vouched for matters with bigger partners
  • The mindset shift: actively seeking real negative feedback (instead of polite nods)
  • The integration growth loop: why “more integrations → more growth” became the model
  • Remote hiring lessons and building culture outside Silicon Valley defaults
  • AI and the future: vibe coding, judgment, and the “context engine” problem
]]> founders, startups, technology, venture capital No