The Pedro Frias Show

Pedro Frias
  • 5.0 (14)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Biweekly

THE PEDRO FRIAS SHOW features raw, unfiltered conversations with world-class founders, authors, athletes, psychologists, investors, and elite performers covering startups, AI, leadership, psychology, relationships, and human performance. Hosted by Pedro Frias, entrepreneur, author, and former Google dealmaker. No fluff, no scripted PR just honest conversations about business, life, and performance.

  1. Sep 18

    The Philosophy of Envy: Why We Compete With People We Love | Sara Protasi

    Why can we genuinely love someone and still struggle with their success? Envy is one of the most universal human emotions and one of the hardest to admit. It rarely begins with strangers. It tends to emerge between people who resemble us. Siblings. Friends. Coworkers. Partners. The person whose life is close enough to our own that their success becomes a mirror. Sara Protasi is an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Puget Sound and the author of The Philosophy of Envy. For more than 15 years, she has studied envy, rivalry, social comparison, and the complicated ways these forces shape our closest relationships. She begins with an important distinction. Jealousy is the fear of losing something we already have. Envy is the painful awareness of something another person has that we believe we lack. Jealousy protects. Envy compares. As a teenager, Sara deeply admired one of her closest friends, but also believed her friend was prettier. Rather than acknowledging that insecurity, she began making subtle digs and backhanded comments. Years later, she recognized what had been happening. She genuinely loved her friend, but she also envied her. Those emotions were not mutually exclusive. That is part of what makes envy so difficult to recognize. It can exist alongside affection, admiration, and loyalty. It may appear as a joke with too much edge, a dismissive comment, or an inability to celebrate another person’s success. But envy is not always destructive. Sara describes emulative envy, which occurs when another person’s advantage becomes evidence of what may be possible for us. She shares the story of watching another dancer with a similar body type perform a movement she believed she could not do. Then Sara noticed that the dancer’s leg was shaking from the effort. The difference was not an impossible physical advantage. "She’s just a hard worker," Sara realized. Instead of diminishing the other dancer, she studied her, worked harder, and improved. Envy had become information. But comparison can also move in the opposite direction. Aggressive envy focuses on taking an advantage away from someone else. Spiteful envy goes even further. The envious person may gain nothing, but still wants the other person to lose. The central question is not whether we compare ourselves to others. Social comparison is a natural part of being human. The question is what we do next. Do we allow another person’s success to expose our insecurities and make us bitter? Or can we use that discomfort to clarify what we value, what we want, and who we might become? A life built entirely around comparison has no finish line. Near the end of the conversation, Sara becomes deeply personal. She discusses comparing herself to other academics, learning to parent herself, and how part of her competitive drive may trace back to not always feeling unconditionally loved as a child. Her work has not eliminated comparison from her life. It has helped her recognize it, understand it, and redirect it toward something more constructive. Perhaps the goal is not to stop comparing ourselves entirely. Perhaps it is to become more conscious of what the comparison is trying to tell us. As Sara puts it: "If you care about something, you should go and get it." Hosted by Pedro Frias. Connect with Sara Protasi: ▶︎ BOOK | The Philosophy of Envyhttps://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/philosophy/ethics/philosophy-envy?format=HB ▶︎ DISCOUNT | Use code PE25 for 25% off through December 31, 2026 → → → CONNECT WITH PEDRO FRIAS ON SOCIAL MEDIA: ← ← ← ▶︎ YOUTUBE | https://www.youtube.com/realpedrofrias ▶︎ INSTAGRAM | https://www.instagram.com/pedromfrias ▶︎ LINKEDIN | https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedrofrias/ ▶︎ WEBSITE | https://www.pedrofrias.co

  2. Sep 11

    Why the Person You Love Drives You Crazy | Dr. Ricky Arenson

    The qualities that make you fall in love can become the same qualities that drive you crazy. Confidence can start to feel like stubbornness. Being fun and unpredictable can start to feel unreliable. Careful planning can begin to feel controlling. Why does this happen? Why do couples keep having the same arguments? And what does it take to build a relationship that lasts? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Ricky Arenson, author of Why Couples Drive Each Other Crazy, to explore what love requires after the excitement of a new relationship fades. Dr. Ricky Arenson is a physician, endocrinologist, geriatrician, husband, father of four, author, and occasional stand-up comedian based in Melbourne, Australia. For more than 30 years, Ricky has cared for patients while studying relationships, parenting, hormones, and human behavior. His work has been recognized by the American Book Fest Best Book Awards and the National Indie Excellence Awards. In our conversation, Ricky explains why the qualities that first attract us to someone can eventually create tension. We discuss why couples repeat the same arguments, how testosterone can affect motivation and sex drive, and what can happen when one partner becomes more successful than the other. We also explore the differences between men and women, whether men are attracted to ambitious women, why resentment grows when someone feels left behind, and why real closeness requires us to be open and honest. At the center of the conversation is a simple question: Should a relationship focus on what your partner owes you, or on what you both owe the relationship? One of the most powerful moments comes when Ricky shares a decision from his own marriage. He was leading doctors, running a major medical department, holding important leadership positions, and managing his own private practice in Western Australia. Then his wife told him she was unhappy living there. At 50 years old, Ricky gave it all up, moved across Australia, and started again. For him, the decision came down to one question: What matters more, the life you have built or the person you built it with? His marriage mattered more than his title, status, or career. That story raises difficult questions for all of us. What does it really mean to make a relationship a priority? How much should you be willing to change for someone you love? Can you build a successful career and a strong marriage? And are we sometimes too quick to walk away when a relationship becomes difficult? Ricky believes that love requires risk. You cannot build a close relationship without being willing to open yourself up, listen, compromise, and grow. Being loved does not mean your partner must accept every habit or behavior you have. You should still be yourself, but hopefully a better version of yourself. This conversation is about more than dating advice. It is about how two different people can build a life together without losing themselves. Maybe the most important question is not, “What does my partner owe me?” Maybe it is, “What do I owe the relationship?” Hosted by Pedro Frias. Connect with Dr. Ricky Arenson: ▶︎ BOOK | Why Couples Drive Each Other Crazyhttps://www.amazon.com/Couples-Drive-Each-Other-Crazy-ebook/dp/B0HBYY4R6T → → → CONNECT WITH PEDRO FRIAS ON SOCIAL MEDIA: ← ← ← ▶︎ YOUTUBE | https://www.youtube.com/realpedrofrias▶︎ INSTAGRAM | https://www.instagram.com/pedromfrias▶︎ LINKEDIN | https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedrofrias/▶︎ WEBSITE | https://www.pedrofrias.co

  3. Aug 31

    From Ironman Athlete to Two Time Cancer Survivor | Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds

    Imagine being in the BEST SHAPE OF YOUR LIFE, completing a 140.6 mile Ironman, and then finding out you have CANCER not once, but TWICE. DR. JEFFREY REYNOLDS is the President and CEO of Family and Children’s Association, one of Long Island’s largest health and human services organizations. He has spent more than 35 years working in public health, addiction services, mental health, HIV and AIDS advocacy, and community leadership. He holds a doctorate from Stony Brook University and has dedicated much of his life to helping people through some of their darkest moments. He is also an endurance athlete who has completed more than 30 triathlons, 15 marathons, and the legendary full Ironman distance. But just months after reaching the peak of his physical fitness, Jeffrey received a diagnosis that changed everything. PROSTATE CANCER. Then, after successfully getting through treatment and returning to running, a routine colonoscopy revealed another devastating diagnosis. STAGE 3B COLORECTAL CANCER. Jeffrey would go through radiation, chemotherapy, and months of treatment while confronting his own mortality and discovering that decades of endurance training had unknowingly prepared him for the biggest challenge of his life. That experience became the foundation for his book, EVERY MILE MATTERS: HOW TRIATHLON TRAINED ME FOR TRIUMPH OVER CANCER, a powerful story about resilience, vulnerability, purpose, early detection, and what happens when life forces you to reevaluate everything. And that’s where we’re going to spend a lot of time this week. JEFFREY is going to walk you through what it’s like to face cancer twice, including… Being diagnosed with cancer while feeling completely HEALTHY Why routine screenings may have SAVED HIS LIFE TWICE The moment doctors discovered Stage 3B colorectal cancer Why so many MEN refuse to talk about their health The difference between being TOUGH and being VULNERABLE How completing an Ironman prepared him mentally for chemotherapy What happens at MILE 18 when your mind tells you to quit Whether he ever asked himself “WHY ME?” How he continued exercising and maintaining his routine during treatment Why he stopped saying “I HAVE TO” and started saying “I GET TO” Watching other cancer patients around him lose their lives The spiritual questions cancer forced him to confront about GOD, DEATH, and LEGACY Why surviving something difficult becomes proof that you can survive what comes next Finding more BALANCE, GRATITUDE, and PURPOSE after cancer Why he believes SILENCE can be deadly when it comes to men’s health My interview with Jeffrey is one of the most powerful and thought provoking conversations I’ve had. What struck me most is that Jeffrey doesn’t pretend cancer was a gift. He doesn’t sugarcoat what treatment was like, and he doesn’t pretend that strength means never being afraid. Instead, he shows how DISCIPLINE, VULNERABILITY, GRATITUDE, PURPOSE, and the willingness to keep moving forward can completely change how we experience the hardest moments of our lives. By the end of this conversation, you may find yourself asking the same questions I did. What really matters? What kind of light are you bringing into other people’s lives? And are you waiting for something terrible to happen before you finally start appreciating everything you already GET TO DO? → → → CONNECT WITH DR. JEFFREY REYNOLDS ← ← ← ▶︎ BOOK | Every Mile Matters:https://www.everymilematters.com/every-mile-matters/ ▶︎ WEBSITE |https://www.jeffreyreynolds.com/ → → → CONNECT WITH PEDRO FRIAS ON SOCIAL MEDIA: ← ← ← ▶︎ YOUTUBE | https://www.youtube.com/realpedrofrias ▶︎ INSTAGRAM | https://www.instagram.com/pedromfrias ▶︎ FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/pedro.frias.7927408 ▶︎ LINKEDIN | https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedrofrias/ ▶︎ TWITTER | https://www.twitter.com/pedromfrias ▶︎ WEBSITE | https://www.pedrofrias.co

  4. Aug 17

    Why Women Lose Attraction to “Nice Guys” | Dr. Michael Pariser

    Fellas, are you hiding what you REALLY want just to avoid a fight? That may feel like keeping the peace. But over time, it can quietly destroy RESPECT, ATTRACTION, and the relationship itself. TRADITIONAL RELATIONSHIP ROLES are changing fast. But changing roles are not the problem. PASSIVITY IS. DR. MICHAEL PARISER spent more than 25 years treating emotional issues as a psychologist and psychoanalyst and is now an Emotional Intelligence certified coach specializing in assertiveness, decision making, reinvention, and integrated manhood. He is also a recovering "Nice Guy" and the author of NO MORE MR. NICE GUY: THE HERO'S JOURNEY, a practical guide for men who want to stop people pleasing, reclaim their desires, set boundaries, and become more assertive. Michael knows the pattern personally. He describes once putting women on a pedestal, trying to make everyone happy, and quietly hoping they would eventually give him what HE wanted in return. It did not work. In this episode, we go deep into why men lose their voice in relationships and what it takes to get it back, including… Why being NICE is not the same as being HONEST The difference between ASSERTIVENESS, AGGRESSION, PASSIVITY, and PASSIVE AGGRESSION How a man can accidentally train his partner to make every decision Why people pleasing can create RESENTMENT on BOTH SIDES The hidden "covert contracts" Nice Guys make without telling their partners Why a woman can lose respect for a man who refuses to stand up for himself Why becoming MORE NICE when attraction is dying can make the problem worse How childhood criticism can teach men to bury their feelings and desires Why some men eventually stop knowing WHAT THEY WANT Michael's process for "REANIMATING DESIRE" The simple dinner exercise that teaches men to finally say what they want Why attraction can RETURN when a man becomes more integrated and assertive Why the goal is not male dominance or female dominance, but FUNCTIONAL EQUALITY And why you cannot make a good decision if you do not know what you want One of the most powerful ideas in this conversation is that ASSERTIVENESS is not about controlling your partner. It is emotional honesty. "I want this. What do YOU want?" Then both people put their desires on the table and figure it out together. For someone who spent decades avoiding criticism, rejection, or conflict, that can feel terrifying. Michael explains that these patterns often begin in childhood. If expressing yourself created anger, punishment, criticism, or chaos, you learned to survive by shutting your desires down. Eventually, "What do I want?" gets replaced by "What will keep everyone else happy?" And that can follow you into your career, dating life, marriage, sex life, and every major decision you make. This conversation is not about turning passive men into controlling men. It is about becoming CONGRUENT. Knowing what you feel. Knowing what you want. Having the courage to say it. Because the answer is not domination. It is INTEGRATION. → → → CONNECT WITH DR. MICHAEL PARISER ← ← ← ▶︎ WEBSITE | https://www.drpariser.com/ ▶︎ BOOK | No More Mr. Nice Guy: The Hero's Journey: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08X3R9HBG → → → CONNECT WITH PEDRO FRIAS ON SOCIAL MEDIA: ← ← ← ▶︎ YOUTUBE | https://www.youtube.com/realpedrofrias ▶︎ INSTAGRAM | https://www.instagram.com/pedromfrias ▶︎ FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/pedro.frias.7927408 ▶︎ LINKEDIN | https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedrofrias/ ▶︎ TWITTER | https://www.twitter.com/pedromfrias ▶︎ WEBSITE | https://www.pedrofrias.co

  5. Aug 6

    Why 40% of Americans Are Cutting Off Their Families | Jennifer Griffith

    Thinking about CUTTING OFF a family member? You are far from alone. In 2026, 38% of Americans reported going NO CONTACT with a family member or friend in the previous year. Among younger generations, the numbers are even more striking. 60% OF GEN Z. 50% OF MILLENNIALS. What was once viewed as extreme has moved into the mainstream. JENNIFER GRIFFITH is an author, speaker, podcast host, and former technology executive. She hosts ABOUT YOUR MOTHER and is the author of BOTH SIDES OF THEN: FINDING LOVE AFTER ABANDONMENT, a memoir about family secrets, childhood abandonment, resilience, and understanding the people who shaped us. Jennifer’s story is deeply personal. At thirteen, her world changed when she learned her mother had reconnected with a son she had relinquished for adoption years earlier, and her father no longer wanted to remain part of the family. Years of anger, confusion, and resentment followed. Eventually, Jennifer and her father stopped speaking for FIVE YEARS. But that was not the end of their story. They slowly rebuilt their relationship, and after becoming a mother herself, Jennifer began asking a bigger question. How much of what happened to our parents eventually becomes part of US? That question led her away from a successful technology career and into a decade long journey of writing, reflection, and uncovering the family history that shaped her. In this episode, Jennifer and I break down one of the biggest relationship shifts happening in America today, including… Why 38% of Americans have gone NO CONTACT with someone close to them Why 60% of Gen Z and 50% of Millennials report cutting off a family member or friend The difference between healthy BOUNDARIES and emotional avoidance Whether THERAPY CULTURE is helping people protect themselves or encouraging them to walk away too quickly Why parents and adult children often remember the SAME CHILDHOOD differently Jennifer’s FIVE YEAR estrangement from her father Why becoming a PARENT forced Jennifer to confront her own childhood How generational pain moves from one generation to the next The difference between understanding someone and EXCUSING their behavior Whether cutting people off creates peace or contributes to the LONELINESS epidemic And what happens when you stop asking WHO WAS WRONG and start asking WHY DID THIS HAPPEN? My conversation with Jennifer is not an argument for cutting off your family. And it is not an argument for tolerating unhealthy relationships simply because someone shares your blood. It is a conversation about something much more complicated. FAMILY. What I love about Jennifer’s perspective is that she does not reduce people to heroes and villains. Her journey became less about deciding which parent was right or wrong and more about understanding the experiences that shaped them. That curiosity changed how she viewed her childhood, her parents, and ultimately HERSELF. By the end of this conversation, you may find yourself asking: When is a boundary necessary? When does a boundary become a wall? Can you understand someone without allowing them back into your life? And how much of the conflict we carry today started generations before we were even born? Connect with Jennifer Griffith:  ▶︎ WEBSITE | https://byjennifergriffith.com/  ▶︎ BOOK | Both Sides of Then: Click Here → → → CONNECT WITH PEDRO FRIAS ON SOCIAL MEDIA: ← ← ← ▶︎ YOUTUBE | https://www.youtube.com/realpedrofrias ▶︎ INSTAGRAM | https://www.instagram.com/pedromfrias ▶︎ FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/pedro.frias.7927408 ▶︎ LINKEDIN | https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedrofrias/ ▶︎ TWITTER | https://www.twitter.com/pedromfrias ▶︎ WEBSITE | https://www.pedrofrias.co

  6. Jul 29

    How to Train Your Intuition Like a Navy SEAL | Mark Divine

    What if the difference between LIFE and DEATH was not more information, but the ability to quiet your mind long enough to hear what it is telling you? MARK DIVINE knows what that feels like. Before becoming a Navy SEAL Commander, bestselling author, entrepreneur, and elite performance coach, Mark was a young CPA at PwC living a life that looked successful on paper. But something inside him kept saying he was meant for something else. At 21, Mark began studying Zen meditation and martial arts. The deeper he went into silence, the stronger one message became: YOU ARE MEANT TO BE A WARRIOR. Then he walked past a Navy recruiting office and saw a poster: BE SOMEONE SPECIAL. Mark left the corporate path and pursued one of the most difficult routes into the Navy SEALs. His recruiter told him his odds were almost nonexistent. So for NINE MONTHS, Mark trained his body and his mind. Every morning he ran, stretched, breathed, meditated, and VISUALIZED himself successfully completing SEAL training. Eventually, he says something shifted. He no longer hoped he would become a SEAL. He KNEW. Days later, the call came. He had earned one of the rare officer slots. Mark went on to graduate as the top ranked trainee in his BUD/S class, serve 20 years in the SEALs, lead teams around the world, and retire as a Commander. Then came one of the most extraordinary moments of his career. Walking toward a shooting range early one morning, Mark suddenly felt a powerful signal: STOP. He stopped. Seconds later, a teammate accidentally discharged his weapon. The bullet passed so close to Mark's head that he could FEEL THE WIND. Had he taken another step, Mark believes the bullet could have struck him. That experience became one of the clearest examples in his life of what he calls INTUITION. In this episode, Mark and I go deep into… The intuitive signal Mark believes SAVED HIS LIFE Going from CPA to NAVY SEAL through meditation, intuition, and action The NINE MONTH visualization practice he used before SEAL training Why he calls intuition “spontaneous knowingness” The GUT, HEART, and HEAD as different intelligence centers Why elite operators spend more time in SILENCE than most people realize How social media, distraction, and fear can drown out your inner voice Why Mark believes answers about purpose, career, and relationships are found WITHIN Why childhood trauma can distort the signals we receive from ourselves How BOX BREATHING trains attention and emotional control Why Mark does not take meetings before 10 AM Why he says he no longer chases STATUS or WEALTH And why real growth may be less about adding more and more about REMOVING what is not really you Mark has spent decades combining Navy SEAL training, Zen practice, martial arts, breathwork, visualization, and leadership development through SEALFIT and UNBEATABLE MIND. His message in this conversation is simple but difficult: If you never become quiet, you may never hear the answer. We live in a world obsessed with MORE. More information. More opinions. More notifications. More achievement. Mark argues that sometimes the breakthrough comes from doing the opposite. STOP. BREATHE. LISTEN. Because when the noise disappears, you may already know what to do. Connect with Mark Divine: ​Website: https://markdivine.com/​Books: The Way of the SEAL, Unbeatable Mind → → → CONNECT WITH PEDRO FRIAS ON SOCIAL MEDIA: ← ← ←  ▶︎ YOUTUBE | https://www.youtube.com/realpedrofrias  ▶︎ INSTAGRAM | https://www.instagram.com/pedromfrias  ▶︎ LINKEDIN | https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedrofrias/  ▶︎ WEBSITE | https://www.pedrofrias.co

  7. Jul 20

    He Was Abandoned at 3. Then He Made the NFL. | Anthony Trucks

    At THREE YEARS OLD, Anthony Trucks was placed into foster care. Before he was six, he says he experienced PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ABUSE, starvation, and treatment that left him believing one devastating thing: I DON'T MATTER. By sixth grade, Anthony was angry, closed off, and constantly fighting. SIXTEEN FIGHTS IN ONE SCHOOL YEAR. Then, at 14, everything began to change. Anthony was adopted into an all white family and finally allowed to play FOOTBALL. At first, he was terrible. But football gave him something he had never had before. A place to put the chaos. A place where effort mattered more than where he came from. A place where he could BUILD HIMSELF. That skinny foster kid eventually earned a full scholarship to the UNIVERSITY OF OREGON and reached the NFL, spending time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins, and Pittsburgh Steelers. By 25, Anthony had a wife, a son, and the future he had fought his entire life to create. Then a devastating shoulder injury ended his NFL career. Almost overnight, the identity he had spent years building disappeared. Anthony opened a gym and tried to rebuild, but success on the outside could not fix what was happening inside. His business struggled. His health deteriorated. His marriage fell apart. And at one of the darkest moments of his life, Anthony says he came MINUTES from taking his own life. He had survived foster care. He had made it to the NFL. And he still had to learn how to rebuild himself from scratch. That realization became the foundation of Anthony's work around IDENTITY SHIFT and DARK WORK. In this episode, Anthony and I go deep into his extraordinary story, including… Being given away into FOSTER CARE at three years old The abuse and neglect that shaped his earliest beliefs about himself Growing up believing he was UNWANTED and did not matter Getting into SIXTEEN fights in sixth grade Why football became the outlet that may have SAVED HIS LIFE Being adopted at 14 and finally getting the chance to play Going from a terrible player to a college scholarship and the NFL What losing his NFL career did to his IDENTITY Building a business while his health, marriage, and family life suffered Why Anthony believes you cannot sustain success above your CURRENT IDENTITY The DARK WORK nobody sees that creates real confidence Why emotional control is one of the most important forms of strength The moment Anthony lost his temper with his daughter and had to swallow his pride and APOLOGIZE Why becoming powerful does not mean becoming emotionally dangerous And why the goal is not simply to accomplish more, but to BECOME the person capable of holding what you want Anthony told me something in this conversation that cuts through almost every self improvement shortcut: You cannot attain or sustain anything above the identity you currently hold. Information is not enough. Strategy is not enough. Motivation is not enough. At some point, you have to go into the dark and do the work nobody applauds. Because Anthony's life is proof that your past can shape you without having to DEFINE YOU. Smooth seas never made skilled sailors. 👉 Connect with Anthony Trucks: ​Website: ⁠https://anthonytrucks.com/⁠​Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/anthonytrucks/⁠ CONNECT WITH PEDRO FRIAS ON SOCIAL MEDIA: ​YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/realpedrofrias⁠​Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/pedromfrias⁠​Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/pedro.frias.7927408⁠​LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedrofrias/⁠​Twitter: ⁠https://www.twitter.com/pedromfrias⁠​Website: ⁠https://www.pedrofrias.co⁠

  8. Jul 13

    From Meth Addiction to 20 Startup Exits | Ryan Merket

    Before FACEBOOK. Before REDDIT. Before AWS. Before the startup exits and angel investments. RYAN MERKET was a kid hacking computers, running underground software operations from his bedroom, and eventually battling a METH ADDICTION that nearly destroyed his life. His story does not begin with Stanford, an MBA, or a polished Silicon Valley resume. It begins with a GED, the digital underground, addiction, failure, and learning how to rebuild when the world has already counted you out. Ryan taught himself to code at 11. By 12, he was hacking AOL and operating in online software cracking communities. By his early twenties, that same obsessive intensity had taken him somewhere much darker. METH. Ryan eventually got clean and, at 21, found himself sitting in a freshman dorm room trying to rebuild his life through CODE. He was one year sober. What happened next sounds almost impossible. Ryan went on to cofound two startups that were acquired, join FACEBOOK'S Platform team during its explosive growth years, become one of REDDIT'S first product managers, lead its advertising products and 8X AD REVENUE in a single year, then join the AWS Startup Team helping founders build the next generation of companies. Today, he is the founder of COMAL VENTURES, a longtime angel investor, serial entrepreneur, and author of HACKER'S EDGE: BREAKING RULES, BEATING ODDS, AND REINVENTING A LIFE. But the climb was anything but clean. Ryan was betrayed. Pushed out. Told he was TOO NICE to succeed in venture capital. He watched startups fall apart and endured the kind of professional humiliation Silicon Valley rarely puts into founder biographies. And through all of it, he learned something most success stories leave out: We celebrate the victory. We sanitize the struggle. In this episode, Ryan and I go deep into… Hacking AOL at TWELVE YEARS OLD Running a global software cracking operation before most kids had their first job The addiction that nearly derailed his entire life Getting CLEAN and rebuilding himself through code Starting over from a college dorm room at 21 How being an OUTSIDER became his competitive advantage Breaking into FACEBOOK without the traditional Silicon Valley pedigree Becoming one of REDDIT'S earliest product leaders How Ryan helped 8X Reddit's advertising revenue in one year Building and selling startups Being BETRAYED and pushed out of a company he helped create Why top investors told him he was TOO NICE to win The difference between ambition and EGO Why success can disappear much faster than people think What failure taught him that winning never could And why the people who have been BROKEN often understand resilience better than anyone else Ryan's career today looks incredible on paper. Facebook. Reddit. AWS. Startup exits. Hundreds of investments. But that is not what makes his story powerful. It is the distance between where he started and where he ended up. Because Ryan knows what it feels like to be the person nobody expects to win. To screw up. To get clean. To lose. To be betrayed. To start over. And to keep building anyway. His book HACKER'S EDGE is not a traditional Silicon Valley victory lap. It is about CODE, CHAOS, ADDICTION, AMBITION, FAILURE, and REDEMPTION. Ryan puts it perfectly: “We celebrate success but sanitize the struggle.” The scar tissue is part of the story. Maybe it is the most important part. Connect with Ryan Merket  Website: https://ryanmerket.com/ Buy Ryan's Book: Hacker's Edge: Breaking Rules, Beating Odds, and Reinventing a Life → → → CONNECT WITH PEDRO FRIAS ON SOCIAL MEDIA: ← ← ←  ▶︎ YOUTUBE | https://www.youtube.com/realpedrofrias  ▶︎ INSTAGRAM | https://www.instagram.com/pedromfrias  ▶︎ FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/pedro.frias.7927408  ▶︎ LINKEDIN | https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedrofrias/  ▶︎ TWITTER | https://www.twitter.com/pedromfrias  ▶︎ WEBSITE | https://www.pedrofrias.co

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5
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

THE PEDRO FRIAS SHOW features raw, unfiltered conversations with world-class founders, authors, athletes, psychologists, investors, and elite performers covering startups, AI, leadership, psychology, relationships, and human performance. Hosted by Pedro Frias, entrepreneur, author, and former Google dealmaker. No fluff, no scripted PR just honest conversations about business, life, and performance.

Information

  • Creator
    Pedro Frias
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    86
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Pedro Frias
  • Show Website
    The Pedro Frias Show