Build Mode

TechCrunch

On Build Mode, TechCrunch's Startup Battlefield Editor Isabelle Johannessen cuts through the startup mythology to uncover how founders survive the brutal early days, navigate impossible funding landscapes, and somehow keep their companies — and sanity—  intact. Each season, Isabelle is joined by founders, investors, and operators to dig into specific aspects of the startup journey, from creative go to market strategies to founder mental health. The interviews are full of candid startup wisdom—think cap table drama, co-founder breakups, and pivot panic. So, if you’re starting a company or or even just thinking about it, this is your survival guide.  

  1. 31/12/2024

    Saying goodbye to Found where we started

    This is our last episode of Found so we wanted to share where it all started. Please enjoy our very first episodewith Jordan Crook and Darrell Etherington interviewing Iman Abuzeid from Incredible Health. Please be sure to check out the other TechCrunch podcast: Equity And if you find yourself missing Found, you can always go back into the archives at techcrunch.com/found.

    51 min

  2. 24/12/2024

    How to build a company that can save the world while generating profit

    For this week's episode, we’re sharing a bonus conversation from backstage at this year’s TechCrunch Disrupt. Tim De Chant talked with Areeb Malik, co-founder and CTO of Glacier; Allison Wolff, co-founder and CEO of Vibrant Planet, and Hyuk-Jeen Suh, co-founder of Venx and general partner at SkyRiver Ventures. On stage the panel discussed how a startup can balance doing good with delivering the financial returns they need to keep the lights on. They continue in that vein for this bonus conversation as they dive deep into how successful founder have built profitable companies that are good for the world.

    21 min

  3. 17/12/2024

    Getting realistic about AI’s potential with Nick Frosst from Cohere

    Enterprise AI is booming so it’s no wonder that, as companies figure out how to implement it, the industry of AI infrastructure is emerging. This week Becca and Dom talk to Nick Frosst from Cohere, the AI company building natural language models for enterprise customers. They discuss why Frosst thinks the AI boom isn’t built on a bubble, whether or not AI companies are building toward a “digital god”, and how AI regulation could be a good thing.  (0:00) Introduction (6:15) Enterprise applications for AI language models (12:12) Building multilingual models (14:58) Fundraising and the AI bubble (19:46) AI and sustainability (25:14) Building the Cohere team (29:44) Host discussion Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcast: Equity . Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each   Connect with us: On Twitter On Instagram Via email: found@techcrunch.com

    40 min

  4. 10/12/2024

    Rethinking the social network with Andy Dunn from Pie

    In this episode, Dom and Becca are joined by Former Bonobos CEO Andy Dunn to talk about his mission to reverse America's loneliness epidemic through Pie, an app built to facilitate connections in the real world. They discuss the lessons Dunn brought from fundraising for Bonobos to Pie, founder mental health, and building a consumer movement in the midwest.

    48 min

  5. 03/12/2024

    The playbook for empathy-driven investing with Erin and Sara Foster from Oversubscribed Ventures

    On this episode of Found, Dom is joined by Sara and Erin Foster along with their advisor at Oversubscribed Ventures, Phil Schwarz. Across their careers, the Foster sisters have co-founded the clothing line Favorite Daughter, co-led creative for Bumble Bizz and Bumble BFF, and currently co-host a podcast together. Erin Foster even created the top Netflix show “Nobody Wants This,” starring Kristen Bell. But in this conversation we get into how they made the pivot to VC, the type of investments that excite them the most, and how they balance all of the different facets of their careers. 00:00 - Introduction 02:27 - Empathy in VC 04:41 - The Influence of Whitney Wolfe Herd and Kim Kardashian 09:45 - Working with Family 12:27 - Prioritizing Mental Health and Work-Life Balance 15:24 - Media Perception of Female Founders

    20 min

  6. 26/11/2024

    Closing a major gap in women's health with Alloy Women's Health

    This week on found, Dom and Becca are talking with the co-founders of Alloy Women’s Health who just closed a new funding round to expand its mission of fixing menopause care. Monica Molinar and Anne Fulenwider discuss raising capital in a competitive health tech landscape, their choice to bypass traditional insurance models, and how this funding will help them scale their telehealth platform nationally. 00:00 - Introduction 04:37 - Turning personal experience into a business idea08:55 - The challenges of raising awareness about menopause10:00 - Why Alloy bypasses insurance 15:00 - Scaling a telehealth model18:06 - How the political landscape affects women’s health20:00 - Addressing disparities in menopause treatment23:26 - Lessons from Alloy’s fundraising journey30:00 - The benefits of a co-CEO leadership model37:17 - Closing thoughts Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcast: Equity . Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each   Connect with us: On Twitter On Instagram Via email: found@techcrunch.com

    45 min

  7. 19/11/2024

    Building a data powerhouse for the AI era with Felix Van de Maele from Collibra

    This week on Found, Dom and Becca are diving into the world of data governance with Collibra CEO Felix Van de Maele. They get into how maintaining organized data started as a niche concept and became the bedrock of AI and privacy compliance. They also talk about the early challenges of building a startup in Belgium, the lucky breaks that saved the company, and why Felix believes every employee is a “data citizen.” 00:00 - Introduction02:00 - The Importance of Organized Data in the Age of AI05:00 - Collibra’s Early Days07:13 - How the 2008 Financial Crisis Sparked Collibra’s Growth10:00 - Navigating the Evolution of Data Governance15:00 - Balancing Privacy, Security, and AI Integration19:25 - Overcoming Early Challenges25:00 - Lessons in Leadership and Building a Team30:00 - The Future of Collibra and the Role of Data Citizens31:42 - Closing Reflections and Takeaways Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcast: Equity . Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each   Connect with us: On Twitter On Instagram Via email: found@techcrunch.com

    39 min

  8. 12/11/2024

    Taking Generative AI into the physical world with Raquel Urtasun from Waabi

    In this episode, Dom and Becca dive into the future of trucking with Raquel Urtasun, CEO and co-founder of Waabi, a company pioneering driverless, long-haul trucks powered by generative AI. They talked about Waabi's unique simulation-based training approach, its vision for autonomous technology, and how it could redefine the trucking industry and workforce.     Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcast: Equity . Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each   Connect with us: On Twitter On Instagram Via email: found@techcrunch.com

    36 min
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Hosts & Guests

About

On Build Mode, TechCrunch's Startup Battlefield Editor Isabelle Johannessen cuts through the startup mythology to uncover how founders survive the brutal early days, navigate impossible funding landscapes, and somehow keep their companies — and sanity—  intact. Each season, Isabelle is joined by founders, investors, and operators to dig into specific aspects of the startup journey, from creative go to market strategies to founder mental health. The interviews are full of candid startup wisdom—think cap table drama, co-founder breakups, and pivot panic. So, if you’re starting a company or or even just thinking about it, this is your survival guide.  

Information

  • Channel
    TechCrunch
  • Creator
    TechCrunch
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2024
  • Episodes
    200
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © TechCrunch
  • Show Website
    Build Mode

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