52 episodes

Get into the minds of breakthrough business leaders and entrepreneurs to explore their unique stories and ideas for the future. From devastating pitfalls to life-changing aha moments, hosts and serial entrepreneurs themselves Pete Sena and David Salinas push interviews past the surface for an in-depth, insightful glimpse at the future of business and brands. Take your seat at the table to hear guests recount their failures, re-live their midnight planning sessions, share their hopes & passions, and explain what’s next for their business, industry, and the world. Subscribe now and join us in becoming Forward Obsessed, and be sure to watch all the full video episodes on Youtube.

Forward Obsessed Pete Sena and David Salinas

    • Business
    • 5.0 • 11 Ratings

Get into the minds of breakthrough business leaders and entrepreneurs to explore their unique stories and ideas for the future. From devastating pitfalls to life-changing aha moments, hosts and serial entrepreneurs themselves Pete Sena and David Salinas push interviews past the surface for an in-depth, insightful glimpse at the future of business and brands. Take your seat at the table to hear guests recount their failures, re-live their midnight planning sessions, share their hopes & passions, and explain what’s next for their business, industry, and the world. Subscribe now and join us in becoming Forward Obsessed, and be sure to watch all the full video episodes on Youtube.

    • video
    The Future Of Venture Funding With Jason Kirby

    The Future Of Venture Funding With Jason Kirby

    Jason Kirby is the Founder of Thunder.VC, an AI-powered investment bank that helps startups navigate the fundraising process. Previously, he was the Co-Founder and President of Liquid Sky, a cloud gaming company acquired by Walmart in 2018, and the President and COO of Generation Esports, an esports platform for schools that raised $11 million in funding.
     
    Throughout the interview, Kirby shares valuable insights and lessons learned, such as the importance of setting deal terms before diving into due diligence, focusing on customer acquisition instead of fundraising, and the challenges of managing investor expectations. He also discusses his experience thriving in chaos and his ability to align teams towards a common goal.
     
    Kirby's story is one of resilience, adaptability, and perseverance in the face of numerous challenges and setbacks. He emphasizes the value of learning from failure, building strong relationships, and staying committed to one's vision. His journey from photographer to successful tech founder and investor is an inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs.
     
    This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the world of startups, fundraising, and entrepreneurship. Kirby's firsthand accounts of navigating acquisitions, pivoting business models, and managing team dynamics provide invaluable lessons for founders, MBA students, and managers alike. His story serves as a reminder that success often comes from embracing chaos, learning from failure, and never giving up.
    Episode Outline
    (00:00:00) Introduction and sponsorship messages(00:03:15) Jason Kirby's early entrepreneurial journey and photography business(00:10:32) Launching San Diego Photography Classes and the importance of asking questions(00:15:19) Transitioning from photographer to business person with Toggly marketplace(00:23:09) Raising capital for Togally and the importance of targeting the right investors(00:26:25) Almost getting acquired by Kodak and lessons learned(00:29:40) Joining Liquid Sky as Co-Founder and raising $12 million(00:36:17) Samsung's acquisition offer and the deal falling through(00:41:15) Pivoting Liquid Sky's business model and securing enterprise contracts(00:43:44) Getting acquired by Walmart and the stressful acquisition process(00:49:54) Becoming a Walmart employee and the shutdown of the gaming project(00:51:51) Consulting for Generation Esports and helping them scale(00:56:56) Raising funds for Generation Esports and navigating the COVID-19 pandemic(01:02:45) Leaving Generation Esports due to differences in vision(01:05:04) Founding Thunder.VC and building an AI-powered investment bank(01:09:16) Identifying people who thrive in chaos and the importance of perseverance
     
    Episode Links
     
    Thunder.VC: https://web.thunder.vc/Jason Kirby's Twitter: https://twitter.com/jasonkirbyJason Kirby's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonrkirby/Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki (Book): Amazon LinkJason Kirby's podcast: Fundraising Demystified
     
    Visit our sponsors:
    Daas Good: ⁠www.daasgood.design⁠
    Digital Surgeons: ⁠www.weareds.com⁠
     
    Support & ConnectForward Obsessed Website: www.forwardobsessed.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@forwardobsessedLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/forward-obsessed/
     

    • 1 hr 52 min
    • video
    Life Begins At The End Of Your Comfort Zone With Jess Lynch

    Life Begins At The End Of Your Comfort Zone With Jess Lynch

    Jess Lynch is currently the Cofounder and Founding Partner at Raiz Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm using data and community to reimagine startup investing. She was previously the Cofounder and CEO of Wishroute, a scalable behavior change platform that was acquired in 2022.
     
    Throughout her journey, Jess has demonstrated remarkable resilience and leadership. This includes overcoming challenges like running out of cash and weathering the pandemic's impact on Wishroute's initial customers. She successfully led her company through an M&A process despite a difficult experience with one large potential acquirer. Jess credits her success to intuition, problem-obsession, and genuinely caring for people.
     
    The interview touches on many topics valuable to founders and business leaders. Jess emphasizes the importance of having a technical co-founder or trusted advisor early on. She shares recommendations for managing fear, getting comfortable with discomfort, and pushing past the limits of your comfort zone. Additional insights include lessons learned from fundraising, managing investor relationships, preparing for acquisition, and running an accelerator program.
     
    A key theme is Jess' remarkable perseverance and her development of an innate sense for when to push forward versus when it's time to change course. Her story demonstrates that entrepreneurial success requires hard work and also an element of luck or good timing. Overall, Jess Lynch provides a wealth of practical knowledge and inspiration for anyone interested in startups, venture capital, or leadership. This is a must-listen episode packed with forward-thinking wisdom.
    Episode Outline
    (00:00:00) Introduction(00:02:06) Early entrepreneurial interests and family backdrop(00:05:31) Brother's juvenile diabetes diagnosis inspires family lifestyle changes(00:07:16) Educational background at Babson College(00:10:59) Early career in forensic accounting at PwC(00:15:33) Leaving corporate career to pursue entrepreneurial path(00:18:22) Working on BP oil spill litigation(00:23:32) Finding the idea for Wishroute while at Babson MBA program(00:25:37) Launching Wishroute and early traction(00:27:34) Pandemic causes pivot from gyms to direct-to-consumer(00:30:58) Fundraising challenges as a female founder without technical background(00:32:04) Mental health during startup struggles and running out of cash(00:36:41) Large potential acquirer ends up building internally instead(00:42:26) Emotionally difficult decision to pursue acquisition of Wishroute(00:43:04) Warning signs when deal-making with large companies(00:44:51) Importance of letter of intent in M&A process(00:47:19) Securing acquisition despite numerous setbacks(00:49:20) Lifelong lessons in resilience from journey(00:50:07) Reluctance to jump back into startup founder role after acquisition(00:53:30) Currently supporting portfolio companies and investing in CT
     
    Episode Links
     
    Wishroute (founded by Jess Lynch): https://www.wishroute.com/
    Raiz Capital (co-founded by Jess Lynch) https://raiz.vc/
    Babson College: https://www.babson.edu/
    Techstars: https://www.techstars.com/
    Suggestic: https://suggestic.com/
    Guidely: https://guidely.com/
    Jessica  Lynch on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicallynch/
    Jessica Lynch on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jessicallynch
    Lenny's newsletter - https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/
    The Lean Startup book - https://www.amazon.com/Lean-Startup-Entrepreneurs-Continuous-Innovation/dp/0307887898
    Brian Chesky episode on Lenny's newsletter - https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/brian-cheskys-contrarian-approach
     
    Support & ConnectForward Obsessed Website: www.forwardobsessed.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@forwardobsessedLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/forward-obsessed/
     

    • 1 hr 14 min
    • video
    From Pioneering Facial Recognition to Apple Acquisition With Adi Eckhouse Barzilai

    From Pioneering Facial Recognition to Apple Acquisition With Adi Eckhouse Barzilai

    Adi Eckhouse Barzilai is the Co-Founder and CEO of RealFace, a facial recognition software company that was acquired by Apple Inc. She was previously in brand management at Procter & Gamble. As founder of RealFace, Adi helped pioneer mobile facial recognition capabilities that later became integral to Apple’s FaceID unlock feature. RealFace provided the core IP and engineering talent behind making robust facial authentication seamless for iPhone users worldwide. After multiple pivots and surviving high-stakes fundraising stresses familiar to most early-stage founders, Adi successfully negotiated an acquisition deal with Apple.
    Throughout a wide-ranging interview, Adi shares hard-won lessons from her entrepreneurial journey in the high-risk world of consumer tech startups. For young founders, she strongly advocates getting hands-on experience learning computer science to better grasp future opportunities. Adi also believes time working at a top corporation exposes priceless insights on how elite marketing, product development, and operational scale-up works behind the scenes.
    Episode Outline
    (00:00:00) Introduction
    (00:02:00) Adi's background and early entrepreneurial influences
    (00:06:00) Studying computer science and working at Procter & Gamble
    (00:10:00) Getting an MBA from Columbia Business School
    (00:14:00) The importance of branding for startups
    (00:17:00) Adi's thoughts on MBAs and issues of antisemitism on campus
    (00:20:00) The hostage crisis in Gaza
    (00:23:00) Defining what a brand is
    (00:26:00) Why investing in brand matters for startups
    (00:30:00) Pivoting RealFace from a consumer app to facial recognition
    (00:35:00) The challenges of being a startup founder/CEO
    (00:40:00) Having the entrepreneurial "bug" and the importance of co-founders
    (00:45:00) Differentiating between tech and product companies
    (00:48:00) The niche strategy behind RealFace's technology
    (00:55:00) Connecting with Apple and maintaining secrecy
    (01:00:00) Negotiating the acquisition deal with Apple
    (01:05:00) The emotional rollercoaster of the startup journey
    (01:10:00) Adi's feeling when the Apple acquisition closed
    (01:15:00) Trying to launch a nonprofit after the exit
    (01:20:00) Why Adi is passionate about education and empowering girls
    Episode Links
    Procter & Gamble (former employer): https://us.pg.com/
    RealFace (Co-Founder and CEO): https://www.timesofisrael.com/apple-buys-israels-facial-recognition-firm-realface-report/
    Adi’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adi-eckhouse-barzilai-8000928/
     
    Support & ConnectForward Obsessed Website: www.forwardobsessed.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/
    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@forwardobsessedLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/forward-obsessed/

    • 1 hr 33 min
    • video
    Betting On Blockchain: The Future Of Sports Betting With Alex Dubin

    Betting On Blockchain: The Future Of Sports Betting With Alex Dubin

    Alex Dubin is the Founder and CEO of BettorOff, a sports betting platform designed to bring transparency and integrity to bettors through blockchain technology. After a few early career twists and turns, Alex Dubin leveraged a chance meeting in a poker game to pivot into sports betting just as daily fantasy sports (DFS) was taking off. He helped set up an investment fund that delivered over 70% returns by deploying algorithms and analytics to beat platforms like DraftKings and FanDuel. However, regulatory changes aimed at these DFS market leaders ultimately crushed Alex’s fund after an impressive 23 month run. Showing perseverance, he co-founded a sports data and analytics company focused on the exploding esports industry and was acquired within two years.
     
    Alex then combined his passion for sports and his legal background to co-found BettorOff. With over 50 million sports bettors in the U.S. relying on questionable information sources, BettorOff verifies betting records and gives handicappers an equitable way to build reputation and community. The company wants to be the go-to source for sportsbook players and content creators in a niche Alex calls the “OnlyFans for sports betting”. He believes relentless pursuit of purpose and passion is key to thriving through the startup wilderness.
     
    Episode Outline
    (00:00:00) Introduction
    (00:01:29) Early career and background
    (00:04:48) College struggles and resilience
    (00:07:01) Getting Miami Heat internship
    (00:10:00) Learning from Coach Pat Riley
    (00:14:44) Launching fantasy sports fund
    (00:18:26) Leaving law firm
    (00:22:45) Shutting down the fund
    (00:24:37) Pivoting to sports data startup
    (00:26:34) ESPN partnership
    (00:30:56) Acquisition by SportsGrid
    (00:35:27) Starting BettorOff
    (00:41:03) Building remote teams
    (00:44:31) Fundraising approach
    (00:48:19) Previous startup exits
    (00:50:07) Parent reactions
    (00:52:15) Vision for BettorOff
    (00:55:52) Handicapper transparency
    (01:00:07) Sports betting portfolio model
    (01:02:18) Social network aspects
    (01:06:57) Remote work culture
    (01:17:53) Monetization models
    (01:20:10) Market viability
     
    Episode Links
    BettorOff: https://www.bettoroff.com/Miami Heat: https://www.nba.com/heat
    Alex’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-dubin-41834261/
    Pat RIley Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Riley
    Winning Time (TV SHow): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winning_Time:_The_Rise_of_the_Lakers_Dynasty

    Support & ConnectForward Obsessed Website: www.forwardobsessed.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/
    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@forwardobsessedLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/forward-obsessed/

    • 1 hr 41 min
    • video
    Breaking Barriers For Women In Tech With Beverly Parenti

    Breaking Barriers For Women In Tech With Beverly Parenti

    Beverly Parenti is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and cofounder of The Last Mile, a nonprofit providing technology training to incarcerated individuals. She has founded and cofounded several other successful companies, including First Virtual Holdings, one of the first online payment systems, which went public in the 1990s.
     
    In the interview, Parenti stresses the importance of grit, resilience, choosing the right partners, and providing second chances. She recounts the origins of her entrepreneurial spirit from her parents, both survivors of the holocaust, along with the incredible story of her father escaping the Nazis. She discusses cofounding First Virtual Holdings and other startups, as well as cofounding the KickLabs accelerator, which successfully launched massive companies like Wish.com. Her current project is The Last Mile, which provides training in coding, web development, and other technical skills to prepare incarcerated individuals for careers in technology upon release. The organization has expanded to 8 states and gained support from leaders in business, government, and philanthropy. Parenti emphasizes the need to break generational cycles of incarceration and allow individuals to become productive members of society. Her journey and the work of The Last Mile showcase the power of purposeful work, compassion, and redemption.
     
    Episode Outline
    (00:00:00) Introduction of Beverly Parenti
    (00:02:10) Parenti's childhood and entrepreneurial parents
    (00:08:53) Launching the First Virtual Holdings payment system
    (00:14:01) Moving to California and starting retail businesses
    (00:21:34) Getting into tech/consulting in San Francisco
    (00:25:57) Meeting Chris Redlitz and joining his startup
    (00:30:34) Taking First Virtual Holdings public
    (00:31:03) Leaving First Virtual Holdings and consulting
    (00:33:48) Joining AdAuction.com with Chris Redlitz
    (00:44:27) Starting KickLabs Accelerator
    (00:51:02) KickLabs success stories like Wish.com
    (00:55:50) Partnership with Chris Redlitz
    (01:05:59) Cofounding The Last Mile nonprofit
    (01:11:39) Expanding The Last Mile to reduce recidivism
     
    Episode Links
     
    Marketplace Consulting: https://www.marketplaceconsultinggroup.com/
    The Last Mile: https://thelastmile.org/
    The Last Mile Radio: https://thelastmileradio.org/
    HBR Case Study on First Virtual Holdings: https://store.hbr.org/product/first-virtual-holdings-inc-a/98E007#:~:text=Source%3A%20Ivey%20Publishing-,First%20Virtual%20Holdings%2C%20Inc.,and%20services%20over%20the%20Internet.
     
    Support & ConnectForward Obsessed Website: www.forwardobsessed.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/forwardobsessed/
    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@forwardobsessedLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/forward-obsessed/

    • 1 hr 24 min
    • video
    Best Of Forward Obsessed - 2023 Holiday Recap

    Best Of Forward Obsessed - 2023 Holiday Recap

    This year, we had 25 incredible interviews. 25 deep dives into the rollercoaster experience of building a company -  taking an aha moment, nurturing it into a tangible idea for a business, building a team, getting funding, growing, failing, pivoting, growing again, failing again, exploding, and then - who knows. Every story is different - and yet, our team has been able to tease out some of the throughlines from all of these stories, the fundamental truths of entrepreneurship. We are taking everything we are learning, and we are creating a book - the ultimate field guide to building a business. Next Year, we will be taking the first 50 episodes of forward Obsessed and will distill this priceless entrepreneurial knowledge into a single book, one that we plan to get into your hands by next summer. Stay tuned :) 
    Being Forward Obsessed means taking your learnings from the past and applying them to the endeavors of the future with unbending resolve, curiosity, and ambition. One thing we have learned is that we have the best fanbase ever - thanks to people like you, sharing our episodes and clips, we reached over 3 million people in 2024 across all our channels. 
    As our year draws to a close, We are doing our yearly wrap, and we need your help, the audience, the listeners, who we do it for, to find the best clip. We have decided to award 5 of you a free Forward Obsessed T-shirt, one of the legendary “Progress, Pitfalls, and Pivots” mugs you see on every episode, and a signed copy of the Forward Obsessed book when it drops next year. In order to be eligible, you have to do the following: Pick out your favorite Forward Obsessed clip from our social media, share it to your instagram, share it to your instagram TikTok, share it to your instagram LinkedIn account, and Tag us so we can see it, and you will be in the running
    From the entire team here at Digital Surgeons in New Haven Connecticut, we would like to thank you, the viewers and listeners, for your support, your feedback, your energy, and your genuine excitement that you shared with us in the last year. As a part of our end-of-year tradition, we decided to compile the top moment from every episode in the last year, as chosen by our viewers and listeners through their engagement. Like last year, It was tough to omit any piece of knowledge that our amazing guests brought to the table, as every episode presents a brilliant perspective on what it means to be an entrepreneur. I hope you enjoy these clips, take inspiration from these outstanding minds, and step into the new year refreshed and Forward Obsessed. 
    Support & Connect
     
    Digital Surgeons Website: https://digitalsurgeons.com
    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@digitalsurgeons
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digitalsurgeons
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/210497/
     

    • 33 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
11 Ratings

11 Ratings

makaelajane ,

Breadth & Clarity

Forward Obsessed can help you expand your thinking and focus your thinking simultaneously - not an easy feat! I finish each episode with a nice balance of big ideas and small actionable tasks for myself. I trust it will do the same for you.

Broncos(-)365 ,

Inspiration for anyone

While the podcast is indeed about and hosted by those who are Forward Obsessed, you don’t need to be an entrepreneur to enjoy it (although you’ll likely want to become one!). The information and stories found within are appealing to anyone lucky enough to give this pod a listen. Each guest’s backstory and career path is not only inspiring, but informative. The hosts’ questions not only dig in to provide better context and understanding, but exhibit how to be present and truly engaging. Much to be learned and enjoyed from this show, cannot recommend highly enough!

Navdoc13 ,

Refreshingly real

Listening to Pete and Dave talk with Topper in the first episode was so fresh, real, and actionable. Topper recounts his journey in a fun and often “melodic” way (you’ll have to listen) with actionable tidbits laced throughout. LOVE IT!

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