53 episodes
Startup Dad Adam Fishman
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- Kids & Family
Adam Fishman (author of a top business newsletter on Substack with 10K+ subscribers) interviews executives, entrepreneurs, and company leaders in technology companies who are also fathers. They discuss the tough aspects of work, parenting, family, the mistakes made and lessons learned along the way.
startupdadpod.substack.com
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Integration over Balance and What It Means to Hustle with Kids | Eric Bahn (Dad of 2, Hustle Fund)
Eric Bahn is the co-founder and a GP at Hustle Fund—a pre-seed venture fund that invests in very early stage founders. He has also been a founder himself as well as a product leader at companies like Intuit and Instagram. Most importantly, he’s a husband and the father of two kids. In our conversation today we discussed:
* What it means to feel joy in coming home to your family
* His decision with his wife to have children
* How to prioritize your spouse
* Life integration rather than balance
* Some non-traditional methods of recharging his batteries
* A hilarious tangent about home projects including a recent plumbing success
* What emerging companies he has seen that could have a significant impact on kids and future generations
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Where to find Eric Bahn
* Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericbahn/
* X: https://twitter.com/ericbahn
* Website: https://www.hustlefund.vc/
Where to find Adam Fishman
* FishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com
* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/
—
In this episode, we cover:
[1:54] Welcome
[2:30] Professional background
[3:06] Explaining career to his kids
[4:16] Grew up in Detroit
[5:12] Childhood
[7:14] Immigrant family/being Korean in Detroit
[11:03] Talking to kids about how Eric’s parents culturally assimilated
[13:00] How did you meet wife/what does she do?
[15:45] Decision to start a family
[19:53] Earliest memory of becoming a dad
[21:50] Most surprising thing you discovered?
[23:44] Parenting approach helped professional life?
[26:53] Prioritizing wife over kids
[29:45] Where you and partner don’t agree?
[33:30] Eric’s home plumbing tweet
[36:10] Advice for younger Eric?
[39:41] What does it mean to “hustle” vs. family life?
[43:57] Leadership style influenced by having kids?
[47:37] What things has he seen in VC that will affect kids?
[52:18] What relationship do you want your kids to have with technology?
[55:09] Recharge batteries?
[59:38] Mistake you made as a father?
[1:00:08] Follow along
[1:01:11] Rapid fire
[1:04:52] Thank you
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Show references:
Hustle Fund: https://www.hustlefund.vc/
Instagram: instagram.com
Intuit: https://www.intuit.com/
8 Mile: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298203/
McAllen, TX: https://www.mcallen.net/
Patrick Thompson Epidsode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDbmT4AgizQ
“Juicy” By Notorious BIG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JZom_gVfuw
Sonoma Raceway: https://www.sonomaraceway.com/
F1: https://www.formula1.com/
Squatty Potty: https://www.squattypotty.com/
Cocomelon: https://cocomelon.com/
—
For sponsorship inquiries email: podcast@fishmana.com.
For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com
Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at http://www.armaziproductions.com/
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit startupdadpod.substack.com -
A Modern Day Commune | Yousuf Bhaijee & Chris Lloyd (Dads of 3 and 2 kids)
Yousuf Bhaijee is a Growth Gdvisor and interim Head of Growth to companies like Brightwheel, HP, Evernow and Blackbird. Chris Lloyd is an engineer who most recently worked at AI company, Humane, and also Pinterest, Assembly and Opera. Yousuf is the father of three kids and Chris is the father of two.
Chris and his family, Yousuf and his family and five other families live in a town-home complex that they all collectively bought several years ago. There are now a total of fifteen kids at the complex! In today’s conversation we discussed:
* How this whole modern day commune experiment got started
* What it means to live in a modern day commune
* The shared rituals, benefits and drawbacks of this lifestyle
* The positive impacts on mental health
* The benefits of sharing
* How gender roles take on new meaning in communal living
* The most surprising aspects of a communal lifestyle
* Family privacy and parenting styles when you live in close proximity with others
Where to find Yousuf Bhaijee
* Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yousufbhaijee
* X: https://twitter.com/ybhaijee
Where to find Chris Lloyd
* X: https://twitter.com/chrislloyd
Where to find Adam Fishman
* FishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com
* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/
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In this episode, we cover:
[1:47] Yousuf & Chris Introduction/Welcome
[4:46] Family Life and Hottakes
[10:42] Commune Living - What it is
[12:44] Commune Living - How it came to be
[17:50] Logistics & Agreements
[19:42] Gender Roles
[21:30] External Judgements
[23:36] Macro and Micro Rituals
[26:15] Social Media
[27:15] Functionality of Commune Living
[30:00] Family Privacy & Parenting Styles
[35:52] Changes in Mental Health
[39:22] Modern Day Sharing Economy
[42:37] Discoveries of Living in a Commune
[45:00] Vulnerability & Parenting Advice
[50:48] Technology and the Communal Impact
[57:12] Parenting Mistakes as a Dad
[1:00:25] Reaching Out
[1:00:00] Rapid Fire
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Show references:
Amazon One Medical: https://health.amazon.com/prime
Brightwheel: https://mybrightwheel.com/home-b/
HP: https://www.hp.com
Evernow: https://www.evernow.com/
Blackbird: https://www.blackbird.xyz/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com
Assembly: https://www.joinassembly.com/
Opera: https://www.opera.com/
Eaze: https://www.eaze.com/
Zynga: https://www.zynga.com/
Humane: https://humane.com/
WWDC: https://developer.apple.com/wwdc24/
Disney: https://www.disney.com/
Paw Patrol: https://www.pawpatrol.com/
Blippi: https://blippi.com/
Nickelodeon: https://www.nick.com/
Lovevery: https://lovevery.com/
SNOO: https://www.happiestbaby.com/products/snoo-smart-bassinet
NoseFrida: https://frida.com/products/nosefrida
—
For sponsorship inquiries email: podcast@fishmana.com.
For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com
Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at http://www.armaziproductions.com/
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit startupdadpod.substack.com -
Creativity, Artificial Intelligence and Time | Scott Belsky (Dad of 3, Chief Strategy Officer and EVP Emerging Products at Adobe)
Scott Belsky is the Chief Strategy Officer and EVP of Design and Emerging Products at Adobe. He took on this role after being Chief Product Officer for their flagship Creative Cloud products. In 2006 Scott founded a company for creative professionals called Behance which he later sold to Adobe. He is also an active angel investor having invested in companies like Pinterest, Uber, Carta, Warby Parker, Ramp, Airtable and more. He’s a loving husband and the father of three kids. In today's conversation we discussed:
* How his perspective on building now incorporates his family
* Advice to founders who are starting a family
* Supporting his wife as a co-founder
* Fostering creativity in kids and observing where creativity comes from
* Support systems necessary for maintaining busy lives
* How AI has already changed the world for kids
* What AI is going to do for education
* The philosophy behind his wife’s company, Good Inside
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Where to find Scott Belsky
* Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottbelsky/
* X: https://twitter.com/scottbelsky
* Scott’s newsletter: https://www.implications.com
Where to find Adam Fishman
* FishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com
* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/
—
In this episode, we cover:
[1:48] Welcome
[2:14] Has your business perspective changed since having a family?
[3:51] Advice to founders starting a family
[5:16] Family
[6:04] Wife’s co-founder role
[8:15] Decision to start a family
[10:05] Fostering creativity in kids
[12:00] Favorite picture
[13:18] Most surprising thing as a dad
[14:35] Support systems in busy lives
[17:12] How has AI changed the world for kids?
[19:26] What is AI going to do for Education?
[22:20] Advice for pre-kid Scott about becoming a dad
[24:28] Advice to ignore
[26:49] Good Inside philosophy
[28:36] Mistake you mad as a dad?
[29:41] Where do him and wife not align?
[30:38] Follow along
[32:16] Rapid fire
[34:56] Thank you
—
Show references:
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/
Uber: https://www.uber.com/
Carta: https://carta.com/
Warby Parker: https://www.warbyparker.com/
Ramp: https://ramp.com/
Airtable: https://www.airtable.com/
Adobe: https://www.adobe.com/
Behance: https://www.behance.net/
Columbia: https://www.columbia.edu/
Good Inside: https://www.goodinside.com/
Harriet Tubman: https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/harriet-tubman
Michael’s: https://www.michaels.com/
North Fork River, CO: https://northforkranchguideservice.com/north-fork-of-the-south-platte-river/
Frida Baby: https://frida.com/collections/baby
Crib camera: https://www.amazon.com/Monitor-5Display-Pan-Tilt-Zoom-Temperature-Lullabies/dp/B09GM8JZM9/
Emirates: https://www.emirates.com
Blues Clues: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0163929/
Forrest Gump: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109830/
—
For sponsorship inquiries email: podcast@fishmana.com.
For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com
Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at http://www.armaziproductions.com/
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit startupdadpod.substack.com -
Managing Weekends as a Founder & Dad and 'First Team' Parenting | Patrick Thompson (Dad of 1, co-founder of Clarify)
Patrick Thompson is a three-time founder, starting a company right after college and then founding and selling his second company, Iteratively, to Amplitude in 2019. He stayed on as a Director of Product until leaving recently to co-found his third company, Clarify, a next generation CRM platform. He’s a loving husband and the father of one kid. In today's conversation we discussed:
* How to manage a young family with starting a company
* The differences between his last startup when he wasn’t yet a parent and this one
* Having the conversation with your partner about getting back to building
* Investing in your relationship with your partner
* The concept of “first team” and applying that at work and home
* Rituals for quality time with your kids
* Recharging his batteries as both a parent and founder
* Top tips for airplane travel with an infant
* A potty training disaster story
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Where to find Patrick Thompson
* Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickt010/
* X: https://twitter.com/patrickt010
Where to find Adam Fishman
* FishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com
* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/
—
In this episode, we cover:
[1:36] Welcome
[1:48] Shout out to his co-founder Austin
[2:18] Why start a company while having a toddler?
[3:26] How has being a dad changed your company-building approach?
[5:11] Childhood
[7:44] Athletics compared to startups
[10:16] How did you meet your wife?
[11:40] Decision to start a family
[12:52] Decision to leave Amplitude and start a company
[16:45] Investing in your relationship with your partner
[18:58] Applying “first team” at home
[20:05] Taking an 18 month old on an airplane and top toddler travel tips
[22:42] Earliest memory of becoming a dad
[24:48] Most surprising aspect of fatherhood
[25:55] Mistake you made as a dad
[28:30] Advice for pre-kid era Patrick
[30:15] Advice to ignore
[31:32] Rituals in a busy life
[33:19] How to manage weekends as a founder
[34:20] Frameworks for parenting
[36:34] An area Patrick and his wife don’t agree on in parenting
[38:46] Relationship Patrick wants his son to have with technology
[40:51] What he’s given up to become a dad
[42:18] How to recharge your batteries
[43:32] Family favorite trip
[44:59] Follow along Patrick’s journey
[45:45] Rapid Fire
[51:41] Thank you
—
Show references:
Amplitude: https://amplitude.com/
Clarify: https://www.clarify.io/
Boy Scouts: https://www.scouting.org/
Atlassian: https://www.atlassian.com/
Siqi Chen’s on Startup Dad: youtube.com/watch?v=I2Nm5Mkj0s0
Immad Akhund’s on Startup Dad: youtube.com/watch?v=FR2ws9UKJ2k
—
For sponsorship inquiries email: podcast@fishmana.com.
For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com
Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at http://www.armaziproductions.com/
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit startupdadpod.substack.com -
Finding Fun in the Mundane Aspects of Parenting | Ethan Austin (Father of 3, Founder, Outside VC)
Ethan Austin is the founder of OutsideVC, where he invests in founders building a more equitable and just financial system. He was the Chief Strategy Officer of Gig Wag, Managing Director of Techstars Denver, and was co-founder and president of GiveForward which was acquired by GoFundMe. He’s a loving husband and the father of three kids. In today's conversation we discussed:
* The time he picked up his oldest kid from school in a taco costume
* His life with a newborn
* Teaching kids values
* Modeling behaviors with your kids
* Finding fun in the mundane
* How partners can take turns supporting one another
* Why every parent is just winging it most of the time
* Three important parenting frameworks he’s developed
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Where to find Ethan Austin
* Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fintech-investor/
* Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/ethanaustin
Where to find Adam Fishman
* FishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com
* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/
—
In this episode, we cover:
[1:24] Welcome
[1:40] Professional background
[2:27] Childhood
[3:35] Parent’s career/losing father at a young age
[6:06] Family now
[7:52] What kind of values do you live by/teach your kids?
[10:28] How do you model adventure for your kids
[14:13] Tell me about your wife’s career - how do you compartmentalize?
[16:00] Decision to start a family
[18:16] Parental leave
[20:13] Experience of third child vs. others
[23:29] Finding the fun in mundane
[27:16] Surprising things about being a dad
[29:20] Advice to ignore?
[31:28] Advice for younger Ethan
[33:27] Frameworks
[35:51] Partners taking turns supporting each other
[37:52] Where partners don’t align
[39:21] kids relationship to technology
[42:10] Recharge batteries
[43:38] Getting kids to hike
[45:55] Follow along
[46:20] Rapid fire
[53:52] Thank you
—
Show references:
Techstars: https://www.techstars.com/
GiveForward: https://www.giveforward.com/
Outside VC: https://outside-vc.com/
Boy Scouts: https://www.scouting.org/
NoseFrida: https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/F6682FCC-F1F9-44FE-9D89-173058B06AEF
The Happy Sleeper: The Science-Backed Guide to Helping Your Baby Get a Good Night's Sleep-Newborn to School Age by Heather Turgeon MFT: https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Sleeper-Science-Backed-Helping-Sleep-Newborn/dp/0399166025
Paw Patrol:https://www.pawpatrol.com/
Scarface:https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086250/
—
For sponsorship inquiries email: podcast@fishmana.com.
For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com
Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at http://www.armaziproductions.com/
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit startupdadpod.substack.com -
Does Parenting Have To Be So High Stakes? | Lane Shackleton (father of 3, CPO at Coda)
Lane Shackleton is the Chief Product Officer of Coda, where he has worked for over 8 years. Prior to that he had a 9+ year career at Google and Youtube as a product manager and leader. He’s a loving husband and the father of three kids. In today's conversation we discussed:
* How to motivate and teach lessons to your kids through “quests”
* Lowering the pressure on high-stakes parenting
* Two actions that can solve most of the challenges you’ll experience with your kids
* The difference in feeling overwhelmed between a parent and a professional
* Why parenting overwhelm can be so much harder to work through
* Leveraging technology as a builder vs. a passive consumer
* Balancing being a startup executive with coaching a baseball team full of 9 year olds — and which one is harder
—
Where to find Lane Shackleton
* Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laneshackleton/
* Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/lshackleton
Where to find Adam Fishman
* FishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com
* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/
—
In this episode, we cover
[1:53] Welcome
[2:23] Wine & software
[4:57] Quests with your kids
[10:30] Childhood
[11:45] How did your son get into baseball?
[13:54] Family now
[15:24] Decision to start a family?
[16:18] Earliest memory of becoming a dad
[18:00] Feeling of overwhelm
[20:58] Most surprising thing about becoming a dad
[24:47] Not everything is high stakes
[28:59] Solving problems with kids
[32:35] Favorite book to read to kids
[33:58] Frameworks
[36:46] Has parenting changed your management style?
[40:17] Where do Lane and his partner not align
[41:39] Kid’s relationship to tech
[45:28] What did you give up to become a dad?
[47:07] How do you recharge your batteries?
[49:10] Startup hustle culture
[52:08] Rapid fire
[58:18] Thank you
—
Show references:
Bruce Bolt batting gloves:https://brucebolt.us/
Napa: https://www.cityofnapa.org/
Coda: https://coda.io/
YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/
Google: google.com
Atlanta, GA: https://www.atlantaga.gov/
CPMC: https://www.sutterhealth.org/cpmc
Field of Dreams:https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097351/
Llama Llama: https://llamallamabook.com/books/
You Can Play Sports Board book by Nicole Stoltenberg: https://www.amazon.com/Play-Sports-Nicole-Todd-Stoltenberg/dp/0578878224
Lorax: https://www.amazon.com/Lorax-Classic-Seuss-Dr/dp/0394823370
Luca: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12801262/
Stripe: https://stripe.com/
Sound Machine: https://www.amazon.com/Magicteam-Machine-Looping-Soothing-Function/dp/B07RWRJ4XW/ref=zg_bs_g_18746767011_d_sccl_1/143-4646178-9363038?psc=1
Cascade Falls: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/cascade-falls
Cocomelon: https://cocomelon.com/
—
For sponsorship inquiries email: podcast@fishmana.com.
For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com
Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at http://www.armaziproductions.com/
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit startupdadpod.substack.com
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