Founding Journey

Michael Houck
Founding Journey

Interviews with world-class startup founders about their unique paths to uncover tactical insights they've learned about how to fundraise, grow, validate, hire, scale, and lead teams while building your startup.Get full access to detailed takeaways on each episode, additional case studies, and more at join.foundingjourney.com

  1. How Sahil Chopra Went from Doctor to Startup Founder

    17 JAN

    How Sahil Chopra Went from Doctor to Startup Founder

    Sahil Chopra left his medical practice after being trained at Harvard and UCLA to become a startup founder. Now, he's solving the silent sleep epidemic alongside his brother. 📚 1,800 Pitch Decks (Free) → deck-database.carrd.co Follow Sahil’s journey: 💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/sahilchopramd 🚀 Startup → empowersleep.com Follow us: 🔔 Subscribe → youtube.com/@callmehouck?sub_confirmation=1 📝 Newsletter → join.foundingjourney.com 📈 Founder Membership → upgrade.foundingjourney.com 💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/michael-houck In this conversation we discuss: Founder Mode (00:00) — Intro (01:12) — Becoming a doctor before a founder (02:46) — Convincing his brother to start a company with him (05:08) — Starting a company with your brother (06:52) — Working alongside a complementary co-founder (08:20) — Transitioning to his brother becoming CEO (10:57) — The fundraising process (13:15) — Transitioning from fundraising to building (14:36) — Hiring good people early on (37:37) — Having the right founder mindset (39:03) — Staying even-keeled as a founder (41:17) — Solving your own problems (42:27) — Why sleep is a venture-scale opportunity (43:31) — Importance of a frictionless user experience Health & Sleep (16:46) — Why sleep is so important (18:33) — How much sleep people should get (19:10) — Why people don't prioritize sleep (20:59) — How many people are sleep deficient (23:51) — Sahil diagnoses Michael Houck (32:55) — Defining sleep opportunity vs. sleep (30:48) — The Empower Sleep vision (33:44) — Drive to conquer sleep (35:41) — How broken the healthcare system is Rapid Fire (46:01) — Who is one investor you’d recommend? (47:21) — One thing you'd change about startups? (48:30) — Advice for first-time founders? (48:45) — Something you believe that most disagree with?

    51 min
  2. Luke Sophinos: From Thiel Fellow to $27M Vertical SaaS Startup

    2 JAN

    Luke Sophinos: From Thiel Fellow to $27M Vertical SaaS Startup

    This is how Luke got a $100,000 investment to drop out of college and turned it into a $27 million startup. He breaks down how to identify and build your own vertical SaaS business too. 📚 1,800 Pitch Decks (Free) → deck-database.carrd.co Follow Luke’s journey: 🐦 X → x.com/lukesophinos 💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/lukesophinos 🚀 Startup → coursekey.com 📝 Newsletter → newsletter.lukesophinos.com 📔 Vertical SaaS Bible → verticalsaasbible.com Follow us: 🔔 Subscribe → youtube.com/@foundingjourney?sub_confirmation=1 📝 Newsletter → join.foundingjourney.com 📈 Founder Membership → upgrade.foundingjourney.com 💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/michael-houck In this conversation we discuss: Founder Mode (00:00) — Intro (01:18) — Luke's first business (03:32) — Joining a VC firm in college (06:33) — Becoming a Thiel Fellow (11:26) — Dropping out of college & going all in (15:33) — Why traditional education is broken (18:04) — Why founders should target boring industries (19:53) — Building trust (21:04) — When to pivot Vertical SaaS (22:46) — Differences between vertical & horizontal SaaS (23:53) — Why vertical SaaS has better opportunities going forward (26:53) — What makes for a venture-scale vertical SaaS product (32:38) — Why vertical SaaS is criticized for not being venture scale (34:30) — AI's impact on vertical software (37:37) — Why Luke is sharing the vertical SaaS playbook (39:00) — The vertical SaaS bible (39:53) — Where to start building vertical SaaS businesses (41:53) — Raising venture funding & debt financing Rapid Fire (44:50) — Who is one investor you’d recommend? (45:08) — One thing you'd change about startups? (45:38) — Advice for first-time founders? (46:00) — Something you believe that most disagree with?

    48 min
  3. How Aleksandr Volodarsky Accidentally Created a $16M Business

    26/12/2024

    How Aleksandr Volodarsky Accidentally Created a $16M Business

    Aleksandr helped one person hire an engineer. A few years later, it's turned into a $16 million, largely bootstrapped business. 📚 1,800 Pitch Decks (Free) → deck-database.carrd.co Follow Aleksandr’s journey: 🐦 X → x.com/volodarik 💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/volodarik 🚀 Startup → lemon.io Follow us: 🔔 Subscribe → youtube.com/@callmehouck?sub_confirmation=1 📝 Newsletter → join.foundingjourney.com 📈 Founder Membership → upgrade.foundingjourney.com 💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/michael-houck In this conversation we discuss: Founder Mode (00:00) — Intro(01:07) — Lemon.io founding story(04:15) — How Aleksandr knew Lemon.io was a big opportunity(06:15) — Lemon.io's differentiator(07:49) — Why founders miss opportunities right in front of them(42:00) — Aleksandr’s first 2 businessesRebranding & Growth (09:49) — Intentional rebranding efforts(14:42) — Tactically executing a rebrand(16:25) — Building in public in 2025(18:48) — 2025 social media plan(22:19) — Building in public's impact early on(23:58) — Using Quora as a growth channel(24:22) — 2025's growth channel opportunity(26:34) — Utilizing the podcast growth channel(31:06) — Going all in with early-stage advertisingHiring (34:31) — Making first sales hire(43:50) — The benefit of paid work trials(46:11) — What founders should evaluate when hiring(47:06) — How non-technical founders can evaluate technical talent(48:50) — Laying off employees while growingInvestment (35:54) — The wrong way to take on venture investment(39:38) — Buying out existing investors(40:07) — Why there’s no need to raise more for Lemon.ioRapid Fire (52:58) — Who is one investor you’d recommend?(53:58) — One thing you'd change about startups?(54:41) — Advice for first-time founders?(55:36) — Something you believe that most disagree with?

    57 min
  4. How Pujun Bhatnagar Doubled His Startup’s Valuation to $75M… in 3 Months

    19/12/2024

    How Pujun Bhatnagar Doubled His Startup’s Valuation to $75M… in 3 Months

    Pujun Bhatnagar dropped out of Stanford, Harved, and MIT to build startups. He decided to build in an unsexy industry and it worked. He doubled Kintsugi’s valuation to $75M in 3 months. 📚 1,800 Pitch Decks (Free) → deck-database.carrd.co Follow Pujun’s journey: 🐦 X → x.com/pujun_ai 💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/pujun 🚀 Startup → trykintsugi.com Follow us: 🔔 Subscribe → youtube.com/@callmehouck?sub_confirmation=1 📝 Newsletter → join.foundingjourney.com 📈 Founder Membership → upgrade.foundingjourney.com 💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/michael-houck In this conversation we discuss: Kintsugi (00:00) — Intro(00:57) — What Kintsugi does & why it's successful(14:22) — What Kintsugi meansFounder Mode (03:15) — Why Pujun did an "unsexy" business(09:40) — AM frequency vs. Pujun's FM frequency(12:29) — What happens to ambition when success comes(26:20) — Pujun's mindset shifts over time(32:20) — Pujun's toughest situation with co-founders(59:10) — Dropping out of academia 3x(1:07:20) — What Pujun does when not performing at his best(1:10:00) — Pujun's spicesAI & Technology (05:36) — What problems AI can solve(19:44) — Successfully building AI PLG(21:44) — The future of AI models(51:14) — Differences between the ML & LLM gold rush(54:46) — How to identify AI snake oilGrowth & Strategy (17:06) — Focusing on building good software(24:31) — Tradeoffs that come with scale(34:51) — Having conviction & discipline(36:11) — Who Pujun & Kintsugi looks for in teammates(38:09) — Doubling valuation in 3 months time(42:04) — Optimizing for minimal dilution(43:53) — Ruthless prioritization when scalingRapid Fire (1:12:09) — Who is one investor you’d recommend?(1:13:33) — One thing you'd change about startups?(1:16:22) — Advice for first-time founders?(1:16:55) — Something you believe that most disagree with?

    1h 18m
  5. How Tibo Louis-Lucas Bootstrapped to a $10 Million Exit

    12/12/2024

    How Tibo Louis-Lucas Bootstrapped to a $10 Million Exit

    This is how Tibo Louis-Lucas built a new startup every month... until one took off and turned into a $10 million exit. 📚 1,800 Pitch Decks (Free) → https://deck-database.carrd.co Follow Tibo's journey: 🐦 X → x.com/tibo_maker 🚀 Website → tmaker.io Follow us: 🔔 Subscribe → youtube.com/@foundingjourney?sub_confirmation=1 📝 Newsletter → join.foundingjourney.com 📈 Founder Membership → upgrade.foundingjourney.com 💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/michael-houck In this conversation we chat about: Founder Mode (00:00) — Intro(01:24) — Being a venture-backed founder(02:41) — Learnings from early business failures(24:00) — Identifying scalable business opportunities(33:20) — Goal of getting 5 companies to $100k MRR in 3 years(41:35) — How to unlock different versions of yourself(43:02) — Identifying opportunities while building multiple companiesGrowth & Scaling (05:14) — The advantage of quickly shipping(08:36) — Pros and cons of building in public(10:28) — Alternatives to building in public(11:24) — The moats that exist today(15:31) — Utilizing micro-influencers for growth(37:56) — Keeping 2-person companies at scale(39:18) — Working alongside a complementary co-founderProduct & Acquisition Strategy (12:55) — Platform risk(18:32) — How founders can learn to kill products(20:35) — Outsourcing to external developers(21:57) — Buying small products(25:26) — Deciding how much to invest into micro-acquisitions(27:47) — Buying & selling assets rather than companies(30:42) — Buying a tool to compete with the newsletter giants(36:46) — AI’s unique software enablement(44:08) — Deciding when and how to sell your company(48:10) — How to decide how and whom to sell your company toAdvice & Insights (49:04) — Founder Tips for Negotiating Deals(49:57) — Bootstrapping vs. raising VC(52:08) — The future of SaaS(55:58) — Taking a job after being a founder(58:21) — Founders don’t know when they need to quitRapid Fire (59:18) — Who is one investor you’d recommend?(59:46) — One thing you'd change about startups?(1:00:20) — Advice for first-time founders?(1:00:51) — Something you believe that most disagree with?

    1h 3m
  6. How Adam Alpert Went from 0 to 1,000 Signups Per Day

    05/12/2024

    How Adam Alpert Went from 0 to 1,000 Signups Per Day

    This is how Adam raised over $3 million for his hiring startup Pangea.app, and why he won’t need to raise again. 📚 1,800 Pitch Decks (Free) → deck-database.carrd.co Follow Adam's journey: 🐦 X → x.com/the_pangean 💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/adamalp 🚀 Startup → pangea.app Follow us: 🔔 Subscribe → youtube.com/@foundingjourney?sub_confirmation=1 📝 Newsletter → join.foundingjourney.com 📈 Founder Membership → upgrade.foundingjourney.com 💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/michael-houck Accelerators & Fundraising 00:00 — Intro01:10 — Incubators/accelerators05:56 — YC application experience1:03:11 — Fundraising isn't the goal1:07:02 — When you don’t get immediate fundingFounder Mode: 09:42 — The founder mindset & validation38:19 — Tough decisions & losing customers43:22 — Knowing when to change course46:07 — When you're too niched down59:01 — What gave Adam conviction to go all in1:10:51 — Why founders should explore stoicismProduct Development 14:55 — MVP Versus SVP20:53 — Getting to #1 on Product HuntCommunity & Growth 22:14 — Product Hunt launch impact25:18 — Long-term growth strategies26:45 — Getting customers through ChatGPT30:17 — SEO & AI/LLMs34:49 — Growth channels & niching down49:27 — Why community is keyFounding & Leadership Insights 50:48 — NYC Founders Club52:17 — Vision for the future55:46 — Focus areas when hiringRapid Fire 1:12:29 — Who's an investor you'd recommend?1:13:40 — One thing you'd change about startups?1:14:22 — Advice for first-time founders?1:14:35 — Something you believe that most disagree with?

    1h 16m
  7. Founders Who Raised $447 Million on... Community

    30/11/2024

    Founders Who Raised $447 Million on... Community

    Founders who've collectively raised $450 million for their startups explain how their success came from their network and community. 📚 1,800 Pitch Decks (Free) → deck-database.carrd.co (02:00) — Michael Houck from Founding Journey: Creating a Community (03:12) — Tyler Denk from Beehiiv: Encouraging early investors to become customers (05:50) — Andrew Yeung from Fibe: Creating a sense of community by hosting parties (09:57) — Steven Galanis from Cameo: Having a product that innately enables community building (13:48) — Dara Ladjevardian from Delphi: The “big, small, big” framework (16:13) — Sam Corcos from Levels: Speaking to customers enables community building (17:43) — Zayd Ali from Valley: Joining founder communities to get startups off the ground Follow Tyler's journey:📝 Newsletter → bigdeskenergy.com🐦 X → x.com/denk_tweets💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/tyler-denk🚀 Startup → beehiiv.com Follow Andrew's journey:🐦 X → x.com/andruyeung💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/andyeung🚀 Startup → meetfibe.com Follow Steven's journey:🐦 X → x.com/Mr312💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/stevengalanis🚀 Startup → cameo.com Follow Dara's journey:🐦 X → x.com/daraladje💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/dara-ladjevardian🚀 Startup → delphi.ai Follow Sam's journey:🐦 X → x.com/samcorcos💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/samcorcos🚀 Startup → levels.com Follow Zayd's journey:🐦 X → x.com/zaydsyedali💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/zayd-syed-ali-4201101a9🚀 Startup → joinvalley.co Follow us:🔔 Subscribe → youtube.com/@foundingjourney📝 Newsletter → join.foundingjourney.com📈 Founder Membership → upgrade.foundingjourney.com💼 LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/michael-houck

    23 min

About

Interviews with world-class startup founders about their unique paths to uncover tactical insights they've learned about how to fundraise, grow, validate, hire, scale, and lead teams while building your startup.Get full access to detailed takeaways on each episode, additional case studies, and more at join.foundingjourney.com

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