Lifeselfmastery's podcast I Startups I Venture Capital

Rohit Malhotra
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Life Self Mastery Podcast is an interview based show where I interview online entrepreneurs who started their businesses and scaled up their businesses to improve their lifestyles. Previous guests include Guy Kawasaki, Brad Feld, James Clear, Shu Nyatta, Ida Tin, Elizabeth Yin, Polina Pompliano, Evgenia Plotnikova, Anna Khan, Minnie Ingersoll, Sridhar Ramaswamy, Mac Conwell, Danielle Strachman, Jake Gibson, Wes Kao, Brian Requarth, Vivek Sodera, Eric Siu, Amit Garg, Nischal Shetty, Pranav Pai, Nir Eyal, Paul Shapiro, Nick Huber, Rob Walling, Andrew Dsouza, Fabrice Grinda, and 300+ incredible guests. partnergrow.substack.com

  1. 3D AGO

    The Book of Elon with Eric Jorgensen

    I am thrilled to have Eric Jorgenson who is the author of The Almanack of Naval Ravikant, with over 2 million copies sold, and The Anthology of Balaji. His latest book is The Book of Elon. In this conversation, Eric Jorgenson discusses his latest book on Elon Musk, exploring the unique insights he gained while writing it. He delves into Musk's mindset, execution strategies, and the importance of purpose in achieving success. Jorgenson also addresses the challenges of writing about a figure as polarizing as Musk, the implications of AI on the future of work, and the tension between visionary thinking and conventional startup wisdom. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Eric Jorgensen and His Works 06:33 Navigating Political Dynamics: Framing Elon's Mindset 14:40 Managing Cognitive Load: Elon Musk's Multitasking Strategies 20:47 The Impact of AI on Jobs and Universal Basic Income 28:01 Separating Vision from Chaos: Elon's Decision-Making 36:25 Using AI in Writing and Distribution Strategies 41:55 Future Writing Aspirations: Exploring New Figures Eric's Links  LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/erjorgenson/ Book – https://www.elonmuskbook.org/ My Links  Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/

    45 min

  2. MAR 19

    How to Not F**king Give Up with Ali Moiz

    I am excited to have Ali Moiz, co-founder of Streamlabs (acquired by Logitech for $170M) and Peanut Labs (acquired for $30M), and currently building Pilot GPT (formerly Stonks). In this conversation, Ali Moiz discusses his journey from selling stickers in first grade in Pakistan to building and exiting two companies worth a combined $200M+. He shares the raw, unfiltered reality of startup life — from doing mass layoffs and losing a co-founder overnight to nearly shutting down and finding product-market fit through sheer persistence. Ali breaks down his philosophy on pivoting (most founders don't pivot enough), why burnout isn't cured by vacation but by success, and how founder energy is a far scarcer resource than capital. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Ali Moiz and his exits 01:02 Growing up in Pakistan and the road to the US 02:10 Why he chose entrepreneurship over Big Tech 02:32 Selling stickers and trading cards — his first "businesses" 06:10 Why he wrote 3 Startups, 40 Pivots: How to Not F**king Give Up 09:10 Jensen Huang's Stanford speech on pain and suffering 10:15 The hardest chapter: mass layoffs, co-founder departure, health crisis 13:34 How to tell the difference between a pivot that saves you and one that delays the inevitable 15:38 Why the mental pivot is always harder than the product pivot 18:07 The burnout myth: why success cures it, not vacation 20:23 The consumer → SaaS → fintech founder lifecycle 22:00 How Peanut Labs was accidentally born (the "nudes for points" origin story) 23:41 How Streamlabs came from a DraftKings-for-eSports pivot gone wrong 25:25 Nine years and 4.5 years of failure before the $170M exit 27:18 Building three companies with his brother Murthy — what almost broke the partnership 29:27 The #1 mistake first-time founders make 32:28 What pivoting actually requires that nobody talks about 36:23 The League of Legends team he sold for $150K that became worth $300M 40:20 The OpenAI deal at a $20B valuation that blew up over a $10K investor 46:03 Why the Sandhill Markets model failed despite investors loving it Ali's Links  LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/alimoiz/ Book – https://www.amazon.com/Startups-40-Pivots-cking-Give-ebook/dp/B0GMKL5VXT Website - pilotgpt.com My Links  Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/

    56 min

  3. MAR 12

    How AI Agents Are Replacing the Entire GTM Funnel with Amos Bar-Joseph of Swan AI

    I am excited to have Amos Bar-Joseph - CEO of Swan AI, two-time exited founder and ex-KPMG advisor. He's building in public toward $30M ARR with just three founders and an army of AI agents. In this conversation, Amos Bar-Joseph, CEO of Swan AI, discusses his entrepreneurial journey, the innovative use of AI in go-to-market strategies, and the evolving landscape of pricing models in the AI industry. Amos emphasizes the importance of leveraging AI as an amplification tool for human capabilities rather than a replacement. He shares insights on building a self-learning support system, ensuring GDPR compliance, and the significance of go-to-market innovation over product innovation. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Hiten Sonpal and Rice Robotics 03:06 Hiten's Journey into Technology and Robotics 05:27 Experience at iRobot and Transition to Entrepreneurship 07:06 Innovations at Rise Robotics: The Beltrolix Technology 08:13 Achieving the Guinness World Record for Robotic Arm 09:16 Crowdfunding Success and Retail Investor Engagement 13:41 Balancing Expectations from VCs and Retail Investors 15:10 Shipping Consumer Robots vs. Industrial Machinery 18:07 Future of Home Robots in the Western World 21:42 Supply Chain Dynamics: US vs. China 24:39 AI and Industrial Automation: Future Trends 26:34 Company Culture at Rice Robotics 27:42 Partnerships vs. Product Sales in Enterprise 29:59 Advice for Future Entrepreneurs Amos's Links  LDN/ X – https://il.linkedin.com/in/amos-bar-joseph Website – My Links  Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/

    32 min

  4. MAR 5

    Hiten Sonpal on Scaling a Robotics Company

    I am excited to have Hiten Sonpal, CEO of RISE Robotics, disrupting a $600B market by replacing century-old hydraulics with Beltdraulic technology—3X faster, 3X more efficient, zero emissions. In this conversation, Hiten Sonpal, CEO of Rise Robotics, shares his journey from childhood fascination with technology to leading a company that is revolutionizing the robotics industry. He discusses his extensive experience at iRobot, the innovative Beltrolix technology, and the successful crowdfunding campaign that engaged retail investors.  He emphasizes the importance of partnerships, market entry strategies, and the need for resilience and risk-taking in entrepreneurship. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Hiten Sonpal and Rice Robotics 03:06 Hiten's Journey into Technology and Robotics 05:27 Experience at iRobot and Transition to Entrepreneurship 07:06 Innovations at Rise Robotics: The Beltrolix Technology 08:13 Achieving the Guinness World Record for Robotic Arm 09:16 Crowdfunding Success and Retail Investor Engagement 13:41 Balancing Expectations from VCs and Retail Investors 15:10 Shipping Consumer Robots vs. Industrial Machinery 18:07 Future of Home Robots in the Western World 21:42 Supply Chain Dynamics: US vs. China 24:39 AI and Industrial Automation: Future Trends 26:34 Company Culture at Rice Robotics 27:42 Partnerships vs. Product Sales in Enterprise 29:59 Advice for Future Entrepreneurs Hiten's Links  LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/hiten-sonpal/ Website –https://wefunder.com/riserobotics https://rise.riserobotics.com/invest My Links  Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/

    33 min

  5. FEB 25

    Building a Media Empire with Ronan Chambers of ETN

    I am excited to have Ronan Chambers is the co-founder of etn., a technology show built for Europe. Previously, he was a founding team member at Convergence, which was acquired by Salesforce, where he worked on Agentforce. In this conversation, Ronan Chambers, co-founder of ETN, discusses his journey from tech startups to creating a technology show for Europe. He explores the European startup ecosystem, misconceptions, emerging tech hubs, and the future of media in venture capital. Ronan shares insights on building an audience, sponsorship strategies, and the importance of leadership in startups. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Ronan Chambers and ETN 01:12 Ronan's Journey into Tech Startups 02:53 Leaving Salesforce for ETN 04:42 Inspiration from US Media and the Need for European Coverage 06:52 The State of the European Startup Ecosystem 10:38 Misconceptions About European Startups 13:04 Underrated Tech Hubs in Europe 14:37 The Future of Media in Venture Capital 16:57 Advice for New Product Builders 19:04 Balancing Audience Building and Product Development 22:13 Reaching Out to Sponsors 25:25 Creating Content for Diverse European Audiences 27:04 Changing Mindsets in European Founders 29:30 Lessons from Convergence and Salesforce 32:22 Overcoming Fear in Podcasting 34:16 Highlighting Emerging European Founders 36:40 Future Goals for ETN Ronan's Links  LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronan-chambers-189118196/ X - https://x.com/ronanchamberss Website – https://www.etnshow.co/ My Links  Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/

    40 min

  6. FEB 19

    Navigating the Voice AI Revolution with Akshat Mandloi of Smallest AI

    I am thrilled to have Akshat Mandloi, the co-founder of Smallest.ai, a voice AI startup recently named among Inc42's "30 Startups to Watch" for 2025. A former senior data scientist at Bosch and IIT Guwahati alum, he's building hyper-realistic voice agents that support 30+ languages with ultra-low latency for enterprises worldwide. In this conversation, Akshat Mandloi, co-founder of Smallest AI, discusses his journey from working at Bosch to starting his own company, the challenges of operating in different markets, and the intricacies of developing voice AI technology. Akshat shares insights on language prioritization, the competitive landscape, and what it means to create enterprise-ready solutions. The conversation also touches on funding, building a strong company culture, hiring practices, and the future of voice AI technology. Timestamps 00:00 The Journey to Smallest AI 02:11 Navigating Operational Challenges 05:12 Language Prioritization in Voice AI 06:57 Building a Competitive Edge in Voice AI 10:15 The Build vs. Buy Debate 12:11 Funding and Investor Insights 14:11 Cultivating a High-Ownership Culture 16:21 Designing for User Needs 18:17 Remote Work vs. In-Person Collaboration 19:11 The Future of Voice AI 21:07 Speed as a Competitive Advantage 22:57 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs 25:01 Vision for the Future Akshat's Links  LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/akshat-2503/ Website - https://smallest.ai/ My Links  Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/

    29 min

  7. FEB 12

    Bani Maini on Scaling Enterprise AI Across Cultures

    I am excited to have Bani K Maini: an AI product leader who transforms complex enterprise operations into scalable solutions that actually get adopted. From cutting forecasting errors by 74% to scaling platforms across 600+ sites in seven countries, she's built AI products for Fortune 500 companies - and conducted 70+ executive interviews at Stanford on how GenAI is reshaping enterprises. In this conversation, Bani Maini, an AI product leader, shares her journey from early exposure to technology in Japan to her current role in transforming enterprise operations through AI. She discusses the challenges of AI adoption across different cultures and regions, emphasizing the importance of understanding local nuances. Bani highlights the non-obvious challenges in rolling out AI products, such as process variance and data issues, and stresses the need for a clear problem-solving approach. She also differentiates between traditional machine learning and generative AI, providing insights into their respective applications. Timestamps 03:22 Understanding Enterprise AI Adoption Challenges 06:22 Cultural and Regional Differences in AI Adoption 09:18 Non-Obvious Challenges in AI Rollout 11:58 Navigating Inflection Points in AI Integration 15:11 Misconceptions About Generative AI in Enterprises 18:19 Identifying AI Use Cases and Metrics for Success 21:06 Traditional ML vs. Generative AI: Decision Framework 24:19 Generative AI in Supply Chain Optimization 27:18 Turning Unstructured Data into Actionable Intelligence 30:05 Organizational Structure for Global AI Teams 33:25 Driving User Adoption Across Cultures 36:13 Shifts in Enterprise AI Thinking 39:22 Reflections on Scaling AI Products 42:14 Final Thoughts and Resources Bani's Links  LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/bani-k-maini-210b5b48/ My Links  Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/

    44 min

  8. FEB 5

    Why Silicon Valley Still Wins with Lars Leckie of AspenWood Ventures

    I am thrilled ot have Lars Leckie, a Partner at Aspenwood Ventures, bringing a rare founder-turned-investor perspective to early-stage investing. He co-founded AutoFarm (now Novariant), pioneering GPS and robotics in agriculture, where he built sales teams across three continents In this conversation, Lars Leckie shares his unique journey from coding and gaming to becoming a partner at AspenWood Ventures. He discusses the critical lessons learned from his early experiences in sales and strategy, emphasising the importance of understanding customer needs and the divide between engineering and sales cultures. Lars also delves into the evolving landscape of venture capital, the impact of AI on business models, and the significance of geographic proximity in tech innovation. Timestamps 00:00 From Gaming to Agriculture: Lars Läcki's Journey 03:23 Lessons from Sales and Strategy in Startups 06:12 The Investor's Perspective: Balancing Technology and Market 09:03 Navigating the Venture Capital Landscape 12:15 The Future of IPOs and Private Capital 15:23 AI's Impact on Revenue and Business Models 18:04 Consumer vs. Enterprise AI: The Competitive Landscape 25:47 The Dynamics of Disruption in AI 28:27 AI Agents: The Future of Sales 30:26 The Role of Geographic Proximity in Tech 36:48 Education in the Age of AI 41:21 The Future of Venture Capital Lars's Links  LDN/ X – https://www.linkedin.com/in/larsleckie/ Website - https://aspenwoodvc.com/ My Links  Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/

    47 min
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5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Life Self Mastery Podcast is an interview based show where I interview online entrepreneurs who started their businesses and scaled up their businesses to improve their lifestyles. Previous guests include Guy Kawasaki, Brad Feld, James Clear, Shu Nyatta, Ida Tin, Elizabeth Yin, Polina Pompliano, Evgenia Plotnikova, Anna Khan, Minnie Ingersoll, Sridhar Ramaswamy, Mac Conwell, Danielle Strachman, Jake Gibson, Wes Kao, Brian Requarth, Vivek Sodera, Eric Siu, Amit Garg, Nischal Shetty, Pranav Pai, Nir Eyal, Paul Shapiro, Nick Huber, Rob Walling, Andrew Dsouza, Fabrice Grinda, and 300+ incredible guests. partnergrow.substack.com

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