Founder Secrets with Taylor and Flaviu

Flaviu Simihaian & Taylor Trusty
  • 5.0 (13)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Join Taylor (@ttrusty) and Flaviu (@FlaviuSim) as they interview inspiring founders, and discuss entrepreneur ideas, news, experiences, struggles and successes. This is Founder Secrets. Watch the episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/@foundersecretspod

  1. JAN 16

    Ep 119: The Olive Oil Mafia: Why ‘Extra Virgin’ Isn’t Always Real (with Alya Health’s Maya Ayed)

    Maya Ayed moved from Tunisia to the US at 17, got diagnosed with SIBO, and found an unexpected fix: a tablespoon of real olive oil every morning. That personal turning point turned into Alya, a DTC subscription brand built from a family olive farm—and a crash course in how broken (and fake) the olive oil supply chain gets once “big food” and middlemen enter the picture. In this episode, Maya breaks down what “extra virgin” actually means, how fraud happens (yes, she says the mafia gets involved), and the practical steps her team uses to protect quality—from fast pressing to lab testing and proper glass bottling. We also get into the founder side: bootstrapping with pre-orders, using offline events to drive online subscriptions, staying mentally steady through wins and disasters, and why “build an audience before you need it” saved her when she needed visa sponsorship fast.

    44 min
  2. EP 118: Ash Straughn | The Operator’s Playbook Behind SAM and the Future of Startup Hiring

    JAN 3

    EP 118: Ash Straughn | The Operator’s Playbook Behind SAM and the Future of Startup Hiring

    Join us as Ash Straughn, founder of SAM, shares how a career built across JP Morgan, Postmates, and Cody shaped her into one of the most operationally sharp founders in today’s startup ecosystem. What began with discovering she didn’t belong inside massive institutions evolved into mastering complex logistics, scaling operations at breakneck speed, and now building an AI-powered hiring platform designed specifically for startups. In this episode, Ash opens up about the pivotal experiences that trained her to think in systems, move fast without breaking the wrong things, and build trust inside both fast-moving teams and highly regulated environments. She explains the unexpected story behind Cody’s pandemic pivot, how she negotiated flexible commercial contracts that later attracted Andreessen Horowitz, and why SAM is deliberately focused on mid-level, execution-ready talent rather than senior executives. Ash also breaks down how AI changes hiring—from both the candidate and employer side—and what early traction taught her about precision matching, decision velocity, and building a truly defensible product in a crowded market. 🔑 KEY HIGHLIGHTS THE OPERATOR ORIGIN STORY How JP Morgan taught Ash scale discipline, and Postmates taught her speed, adaptability, and Murphy’s Law problem-solving. THE CODY PIVOT The inside story of transforming a pandemic-hit startup into a rapidly scaling commercial-space platform that later caught the attention of a16z. THE BIRTH OF SAM Why fractional, mid-level, startup-trained talent is the missing layer in today’s hiring market—and how SAM matches and places roles in just five days. AI, HIRING & THE FUTURE OF WORK How SAM’s AI evaluates skills, weighs attributes, integrates references, and filters through the avalanche of AI-generated resumes. FRACTIONAL TALENT AS A SUPERPOWER Why part-time, plug-and-play operators are the secret weapon early-stage founders need—and why traditional hiring models can’t keep up. FUNDRAISING & TRACTION Ash shares how SAM crossed early ARR milestones, closed multi-role clients, and chose the right moment to raise their first round. 🌐 RESOURCES & LINKS Learn more about SAM: launchsam.com Connect with Ash on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ashstraughn/ Podcast Website: foundersecretspod.com 🔗 CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA Instagram: foundersecretspod LinkedIn: founder-secrets-podcast 🎧 LISTEN TO THE PODCAST Apple Podcasts: tinyurl.com/4h59tyer Spotify: tinyurl.com/4wjb26v8 🔔 DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE Enjoyed this episode? LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE for more inspiring founder stories from around the world.

    51 min
  3. EP 117: Sarah Fleischer | Building Europe’s Battery Recycling Future with tozero.

    12/26/2025

    EP 117: Sarah Fleischer | Building Europe’s Battery Recycling Future with tozero.

    Join us as Sarah Fleischer, co-founder and CEO of tozero, shares how she is building one of Europe’s most innovative deep tech companies focused on lithium-ion battery recycling and critical materials recovery. From her early beginnings in the space industry to launching a company designed to reduce global dependence on imported materials, Sarah opens up about the mission, science, and scale behind tozero.In this episode, Sarah reveals how a breakthrough developed by her co-founder sparked the creation of tozero, why Munich has become a hub for world-class engineering talent, and how lithium and graphite can be recovered cleanly, efficiently, and at industrial scale. She also discusses the realities of fundraising, building a global investor base, and the role of mentorship and serendipity in shaping a founder's journey.🔑 KEY HIGHLIGHTSTHE ORIGIN OF TOZEROHow a scientific breakthrough, a napkin pact, and a shared vision led to one of Europe’s fastest-growing deep tech startups.A CLEANER WAY TO RECOVER CRITICAL MATERIALSSarah explains how tozero’s water-based process extracts lithium and graphite with high efficiency and at a cost competitive with mining.WHY MUNICHWhy Munich’s engineering talent and deep tech ecosystem make it the ideal base for scaling a hardware company.BUILDING MATERIAL INDEPENDENCEHow Europe can reduce its reliance on imported lithium and graphite and strengthen its supply chain resilience.THE REAL FOUNDER JOURNEYSarah shares the ups and downs of deep tech entrepreneurship, mentorship, teamwork, and taking risks that shift entire industries.🌐 RESOURCES AND LINKSLearn more about tozero: tozero.solutionsConnect with Sarah Fleischer on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarahfleischerPodcast Website: foundersecretspod.com🔗 CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: @foundersecretspodLinkedIn: founder-secrets-podcast🎧 LISTEN TO THE PODCASTApple Podcasts: tinyurl.com/4h59tyerSpotify: tinyurl.com/4wjb26v8🔔 DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBEEnjoyed this episode? LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE for more inspiring founder stories from around the world.

    33 min
  4. EP 116: Agustin Linenberg | Building AeroLab from Argentina to NYC

    12/18/2025

    EP 116: Agustin Linenberg | Building AeroLab from Argentina to NYC

    Join us as Agustin Linenberg, Co-founder and CEO of AeroLab, shares how he turned a small design studio in Buenos Aires into a global product agency trusted by top startups and venture-backed teams. From Dribbble-fueled serendipity to landing Silicon Valley clients, Agustin breaks down the reality of scaling a service business, staying relevant in a rapidly changing industry, and rebuilding his role as a co-founder across continents.In this episode, Agustin opens up about timing, design fundamentals, AI’s impact on agency work, and how he keeps his energy, creativity, and leadership sharp after 13 years in the game. He also reveals the immigrant journey behind his move to New York, the mentor who changed his trajectory, and why founders must learn to design, think, iterate, and measure — not just execute.🔑 KEY HIGHLIGHTSTHE AEROLAB ORIGINHow Agustin grew a boutique design studio from his room in Buenos Aires into a global agency.THE POWER OF SERENDIPITYHow living in NYC and SF opened doors to founders, investors, and opportunities he could never plan for.DRIBBBLE AS A CATALYSTWhy early exposure on Dribbble led to U.S. clients, referrals, and a career-defining relationship with Wences Casares.CRAFTSMANSHIP OVER EVERYTHINGWhy AeroLab stood out by over-delivering in design quality, obsessing over details, and creating work that felt truly custom.THE SHIFT TO CEO — AND BACKAgustin shares why he stepped away from the CEO role, why he returned, and how it redefined his leadership.A NEW ERA FOR AGENCIESHis take on AI, no-code, the decline of junior-heavy teams, and why the future belongs to small, senior, strategic groups.MENTORSHIP, NETWORKING & THE IMMIGRANT WAVEHow saying yes in his 20s continues to pay dividends a decade later.🌐 RESOURCES & LINKSLearn More About AeroLab: aerolab.coConnect with Agustin on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/agustinlinenbergPodcast Website: foundersecretspod.com🔗 CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: /foundersecretspodLinkedIn: /founder-secrets-podcast🎧 LISTEN TO THE PODCASTApple Podcasts: tinyurl.com/4h59tyerSpotify: tinyurl.com/4wjb26v8🔔 DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE!Enjoyed this episode? LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE for more raw founder stories, global perspectives, and behind-the-scenes lessons from builders around the world.

    46 min
  5. EP 115: Dan Van Tran | From TI-82 Hacks to Scaling a Global Collectibles

    12/11/2025

    EP 115: Dan Van Tran | From TI-82 Hacks to Scaling a Global Collectibles

    Join us as Dan Van Tran, CTO of Collectors, shares how a childhood spent reverse-engineering games on a TI-82 turned into a career leading one of the world’s most influential collectibles companies. What started with curiosity, constraint, and a $140 calculator he hoped his parents wouldn’t notice eventually shaped an engineering mindset that powered massive transformation.In this episode, Dan opens up about building games on calculators, discovering software fundamentals through necessity, and later rebuilding the entire technical foundation of a legacy company handling millions of physical collectibles every month. From AI and automation to leadership and trust-building, this is the inside story of scaling a global operation.🔑 KEY HIGHLIGHTSEARLY ENGINEERING ORIGINSHow reverse-engineering TI-82 games taught Dan the fundamentals that shaped his entire career.SCALING COLLECTORSTransforming a 1986-era grading company into a modern tech platform processing over 1.5M items monthly.LEADERSHIP AND CHANGEHow Dan earned trust, rebuilt teams, and introduced new technology into a legacy culture.THE COLLECTIBLES BOOMWhy sports cards, video games, comics—and especially Pokémon—are exploding in value.MENTORSHIP AND DECISION MAKINGHow Dan evaluates career options, chooses the right opportunities, and mentors the next generation.🌐 RESOURCES AND LINKSLearn more about Collectors: collectors.comConnect with Dan Van Tran on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dantranPodcast Website: foundersecretspod.com🔗 CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: /foundersecretspodLinkedIn: /founder-secrets-podcast🎧 LISTEN TO THE PODCASTApple Podcasts: tinyurl.com/4h59tyerSpotify: tinyurl.com/4wjb26v8🔔 DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBEEnjoyed this episode? Like, comment, and subscribe for more inspiring founder stories from around the world.

    54 min
  6. EP 114: Debbie Kiederer | From Early Web Pioneer to AI-Era Leader

    12/04/2025

    EP 114: Debbie Kiederer | From Early Web Pioneer to AI-Era Leader

    Join us as Debbie Kiederer, founder of Chalk Dust Consulting, shares her journey from leading digital innovation inside Estée Lauder to building one of the earliest remote-first digital agencies long before remote work was mainstream. With decades of experience in luxury beauty, e-commerce, localization, leadership, and organizational transformation, Debbie brings a rare perspective that blends corporate discipline with entrepreneurial adaptability.In this episode, Debbie reveals how she helped launch Clinique’s first website in the 1990s, navigated the dot-com boom, scaled global digital operations, and built a fully remote company culture focused on autonomy, trust, and human-first leadership. She also breaks down why luxury brands are struggling today, how indie brands win, the quiet recession no one wants to name, and why she believes AI mirrors the early days of the internet.Debbie also reflects on her presidency at EO New York and how she led the creation of EO House, the first dedicated EO clubhouse in the world, by aligning leaders, inspiring commitment, and executing a vision others had attempted for years.🔑 KEY HIGHLIGHTSEARLY DIGITAL INNOVATIONHow Debbie helped launch Clinique’s first website and managed global digital rollouts when enterprise e-commerce barely existed.NAVIGATING THE DOT-COM ERALessons from the early internet boom and why today’s AI wave feels exactly the same.BUILDING CHALK DUSTHow she created a remote-first consulting firm in 2001, hiring for autonomy, flexibility, and whole-person culture.REMOTE WORK BEFORE IT WAS COOLWhy “life-work integration” shaped her culture and how she built a high-productivity, high-trust distributed team decades before COVID.CORPORATE TO ENTREPRENEURSHIPHow corporate communication, influence, and stakeholder alignment gave her an edge as a founder.LEADING EO NEW YORKThe story behind launching EO House in New York, rallying leaders, raising funding, and proving what vision-driven execution can achieve.STATE OF LUXURY AND INDIE BRANDSWhy luxury beauty is struggling, how consumer expectations shifted, and why indie brands can win in today’s landscape.OPTIMISM ABOUT THE FUTUREDebbie’s perspective on AI, robotics, and why new industries will emerge just as others evolve or disappear.🌐 RESOURCES & LINKSLearn More About Chalk Dust Consulting: chalkdustinc.com Connect with Debbie Kiederer on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbiekiederer Podcast Website: foundersecretspod.com🔗 CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: /foundersecretspod LinkedIn: /founder-secrets-podcast🎧 LISTEN TO THE PODCASTApple Podcasts: tinyurl.com/4h59tyer Spotify: tinyurl.com/4wjb26v8🔔 DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE!Enjoyed this episode? LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE for more inspiring founder stories from around the world.

    42 min
  7. EP 113: Chris Bailey | How a “Failed” Startup Led to a Hardware Exit

    11/27/2025

    EP 113: Chris Bailey | How a “Failed” Startup Led to a Hardware Exit

    Join us as Chris Bailey, hardware founder and creator of GearBrake, shares how he turned a homemade Arduino prototype in an Altoids tin into a venture backed motorcycle safety product, and what really happened when the company hit technical and financial walls. What started as a side project for safer riding evolved into a global hardware business with distribution in major catalogs and dealerships.In this episode, Chris opens up about winning pitch competitions, getting into top accelerators like Velocity and Techstars Mobility, raising capital, and then facing the brutal realities of hardware: complex engineering, tight margins, and a painful decision to shut down. He also shares how those lessons led him to build and later sell a second, bootstrapped hardware company entirely on his own terms.🔑 KEY HIGHLIGHTSTHE POWER OF STORYHow one storytelling insight, “the one who tells the best story wins”, transformed Chris’s pitch and started him on a streak of winning competitions.FROM ALTOIDS TIN TO GLOBAL DISTRIBUTIONThe journey from an Arduino plus accelerometer hack in an Altoids box to a manufactured brake light sold through dealers, catalogs, and power sports distributors.ACCELERATORS, TECHSTARS AND FUNDRAISINGHow Chris leveraged community, pitch competitions, and mentors to get into Velocity and Techstars Mobility, and turn that into investor interest and a seven figure raise.WHEN HARDWARE HITS A WALLInside the pivot to motorcycle telematics, the engineering challenges around power, Bluetooth, and GPS, and why a technical constraint ultimately killed the product.FAILURE, REBOUND AND A SECOND ACTWhat it was really like to shut down a venture backed startup, talk to investors, face the community, and then come back with a bootstrapped hardware company funded 100 percent by customers.🌐 RESOURCES & LINKSConnect with Chris Bailey on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/christopherleebailey/Podcast Website: foundersecretspod.com🔗 CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: /foundersecretspodLinkedIn: /founder-secrets-podcast🎧 LISTEN TO THE PODCASTApple Podcasts: tinyurl.com/4h59tyerSpotify: tinyurl.com/4wjb26v8🔔 DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE!Enjoyed this episode? LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE for more inspiring founder stories from around the world.

    48 min
  8. EP 112: Varun Bansal | Building a Brand on Precision and Purpose

    11/13/2025

    EP 112: Varun Bansal | Building a Brand on Precision and Purpose

    Join us as Varun Bansal, founder and CEO of eLtru, shares how he left a 15-year career in finance to build a furniture company rooted in precision, transparency, and trust. What started as a personal leap into manufacturing has evolved into a fast-growing business redefining how office and home furniture is designed, produced, and delivered. In this episode, Varun opens up about what it really takes to transition industries, navigate supply chains, and build credibility in a market dominated by large players. He reveals how eLtru’s certified operations and client-first approach helped the company win major contracts and scale responsibly without compromising on craftsmanship or values. 🔑 KEY HIGHLIGHTS FROM FINANCE TO FURNITURE How Varun turned years of corporate discipline into entrepreneurial drive to launch eLtru. BUILDING eLtru The story behind creating a modern furniture company built on quality, detail, and design thinking. CERTIFICATION AS A CATALYST How a key certification opened access to large-scale contracts and fueled sustainable growth. LEADERSHIP AND CULTURE Varun shares how integrity, process, and ownership shape eLtru’s culture and long-term vision. FOUNDER INSIGHTS Why resilience, precision, and relationships matter more than speed when you’re building something that lasts. 🌐 RESOURCES & LINKS Learn More About eLtru: eltru.com Connect with Varun Bansal on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/varunkbansal Podcast Website: foundersecretspod.com 🔗 CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA Instagram: /foundersecretspod LinkedIn: /founder-secrets-podcast 🎧 LISTEN TO THE PODCAST Apple Podcasts: tinyurl.com/4h59tyer Spotify: tinyurl.com/4wjb26v8 🔔 DON’T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE! Enjoyed this episode? LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE for more inspiring founder stories from around the world.

    34 min
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About

Join Taylor (@ttrusty) and Flaviu (@FlaviuSim) as they interview inspiring founders, and discuss entrepreneur ideas, news, experiences, struggles and successes. This is Founder Secrets. Watch the episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/@foundersecretspod

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