Seed to Harvest

Paige Finn Doherty
  • 5.0 (9)
  • Investing
  • Weekly

🎙️ Seed to Harvest | Stories from Technical StorytellersWelcome to Seed to Harvest, the podcast by Behind Genius Ventures.We talk to early-stage founders, operators, and investors—people building with code and conviction. Each episode is a chapter in their story: from the messy beginnings to the quiet pivots, from planting ideas to growing companies that matter.Expect: 🌱 Honest conversations on the earliest chapters of company-building🧠 Tactical insights from technical minds with narrative soul✨ Reflections on resilience, rituals, and reinventing what’s possibleThis podcast is for the builders who think in frameworks and metaphors. The ones who whiteboard in wild places. The ones writing their own mythologies—one commit, pitch, or poem at a time.From spark to story.From seed to harvest. 🌾

  1. 4d ago

    How a Top 100 Dream Guest List Landed Alex Karp Interview: Sourcery Founder Molly O’Shea | Ep 100

    Send us Fan Mail In just one year of full-time building Sourcery, Molly O’Shea has interviewed over 200+ founders, CEOs, execs & investors across public co's, startups, VC, growth equity, PE, hedge funds on her show, Sourcery - including Alex Karp, the CEO of Palantir ($PLTR), Palmer Luckey, CEO of Anduril, Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase.  In today’s episode, we talk about how an art degree led her into venture, how an internal deal newsletter became Sourcery, and why she went all-in on X when Elon bought it. She also shares her contrarian take on funding-announcement exclusives and how a Top 100 dream-guest list landed her the Alex Karp interview that went viral. And yes, we talk about the Alex Karp sword swinging moment.  We recorded this episode on location, Youtube link to watch is here: https://youtu.be/fsOQ-IaamSU My mission is to educate and inspire the next generation of CEOs and builders, and the reason why I wanted to share a conversation with Molly is she’s one of my favorite creators in the technology space! 00:25 Intro 01:26 Lemonade stands in Connecticut and growing up with two entrepreneur parents 03:59 Drawing houses in Moleskines and teaching herself dimensions 06:14 Using art to stand out 08:32 Why the USC Architecture program failed her ROI test 11:17 Discovering VC at Google’s 30 Weeks incubator 15:12 Breaking into VC 18:44 How Sourcery started as an internal deal newsletter 22:53 Why she went all-in on X when Elon took over 27:41 Breaking news vs. timeless content, and a funding-announcement playbook 31:34 What frustrates her: companies that don’t amplify their own interviews 34:21 Her Top 100 dream-guest list 38:06 How the list landed Alex Karp 40:55 Alex Karp: The first walking interview and the sword 46:17 Jack Altman: “It’s my brother” 48:28 Dry humor, Will Ferrell, and learning to smile 49:53 The next list, and landing 20%+ of the first one in a year 51:24 How Molly chooses guests 55:41 Her vision for Sourcery: more walk-and-talks, factory tours, future list 1:01:36 Molly asks Paige about Behind Genius Ventures 1:05:28 What we’re each manifesting for the next 12 months Connect with Molly:  Molly on X: https://x.com/MollySOShea Sourcery: https://www.sourcery.vc/ Sourcery on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sourceryvc Connect with Paige: Twitter | https://twitter.com/paigefinnn Personal Blog | https://paigefinndoherty.com/ Behind Genius Ventures | https://www.behindgeniusventures.com/ Support the show

  2. Sep 17

    5 Minute Guided Meditation for Busy Founders - Tabula Rasa Morning

    Send us Fan Mail Meditation and mindfulness is an incredibly helpful practice, especially for busy founders feeling overwhelmed by the challenges of running a growing business.  But it can be challenging to find a short meditation to calm you down, relieve stress, and center your purpose for the day.  (I know because I just tried to find one!) So, this morning I created a short meditation centered around grounding your energy, traveling into a blank slate environment to set your intention for the day, embodying the feeling of accomplishing your highest priority task, and closing with attention to your breath.  I’m away from my fancy mic and editing equipment, but I am publishing as I thought this could be helpful in its current form.  Ideally, you should feel refreshed, energized, and full of clarity for your day.  Please send any feedback, suggestions for additional guided meditations, or questions you may have to paige@behindgenius.com.  Recorded with love in Encinitas, CA.  Support the show

  3. 07/15/2025

    What 640 Oxford Founding Partner Adam Gartenberg Learned on 400 Factory Tours| Ep. 97

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, host Paige Doherty sits down with Adam Gartenberg, co-founder at 640 Oxford and former Head of Product & Ops at Uber Rider Innovation.  They discuss Adam's 400 factory tours to build unique investment insights, how to build with urgency, the psychology of early-stage execution, and Adam’s unique lens on product strategy, shaped by startup experience and scaling inside Uber. Watch the full episode for: Early-stage speed & decision-making Leading product in scrappy vs. scaled environments Lessons from Uber & 640 Oxford Advice for builders trying to gain traction Connect with Paige 🌱💜 Behind Genius Ventures blog | https://www.behindgeniusventures.com/ Personal Blog | https://paigefinndoherty.com/ Twitter | https://x.com/paigefinnn Connect with Adam Gartenberg 🌱💜 Twitter | https://x.com/adamgartenberg Email | adam@sixfortyoxford.com Support the show

  4. 06/18/2025

    Alex Bean on Selling Divvy for $2.5B, Early Hustles, & Building Factory for Good | Ep 96

    Send us Fan Mail Alex Bean, co-founder of Divvy (acquired by BILL.com for $2.5B), joins us to share his founder journey - from teaching ski lessons at 16 to starting multiple scrappy businesses, to scaling Divvy into a fintech giant.  In this episode, we talk about the lessons learned from both early failures and billion-dollar success, what not to do when launching a company, and how he's now building Factory to support other founders. This episode includes: • His earliest business ideas (including one called “Plum Tree Jewelry”) • Why chasing margins doesn’t work • Divvy’s scale-up and acquisition journey • What he's building now with Factory for Good • Advice to young founders just getting started Reach out to Paige: paige@behindgeniusventures.com Twitter/X: https://x.com/paigefinnn Website: https://www.behindgeniusventures.com/ Connect with Alex: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexbean/ Factory for Good– https://factoryforgood.com/ Listen to Seed to Harvest everywhere: Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/seed-to-harvest/id1600933931 Youtube – https://www.youtube.com/@seedtoharvest/videos Support the show

  5. 05/14/2025

    James Evans’ Lessons Learned Building a >$50M YC-Backed Business & Selling it to a Public Company | Ep 95

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, James Evans, co-founder of Command AI (acq by Amplitude), shares his entrepreneurial journey- from childhood ambitions to launching a startup in college and scaling it through YC. He talks about turning a side project into a venture-backed company, navigating the startup grind, and eventually getting acquired by Amplitude. James breaks down the realities of startup life, including hiring, sales vs. product-led growth, and the psychological weight of being a founder. He also walks through the acquisition process, post-acquisition integration, and how he’s continuing to grow in a new role. This episode is packed with candid insight into early-stage building, decision-making, and what comes after the “win.” 00:00 Starting a Company: The Myth vs. Reality  00:08 Interview with James Evans: Early Life and Entrepreneurial Aspirations  01:41 College Days: The Birth of Command AI  02:50 From Side Project to Startup  04:31 Entering Private Equity After Graduation  05:34 The YC Experience and Why Speed Matters  13:26 Marketing and Growth: What Actually Works  16:32 Conserving Innovation and Picking the Right Bets  16:54 Remote Work as a Strategic Choice  17:48 Marketing: From Popups to Planes  19:17 Avoiding Overthinking and Moving Fast  20:30 Angel Investing and Operating Insights  22:38 Hiring, Firing, and Early Team Building  26:02 The Amplitude Acquisition: How It Happened  30:14 After the Exit: Integration and Personal Growth Connect with Paige 🌱💜 Behind Genius Ventures blog | https://www.behindgeniusventures.com/ Personal Blog | https://paigefinndoherty.com/ Twitter | https://x.com/paigefinnn Links 🔗 James Evans – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesbevans/ 🔗 CommandBar – https://www.commandbar.com/ 🔗 Y Combinator – https://www.ycombinator.com/ 🔗 Amplitude – https://amplitude.com/ Support the show

  6. 05/06/2025

    Lessons I Learned Writing and Self-Publishing a Children's Book About VC | Ep 94

    Send us Fan Mail Hi everyone! In this episode, I’m doing something a little different — walking you through the three phases of self-publishing my first book, Seed to Harvest, a children’s book about venture capital. I’ll share the full behind-the-scenes: how I came up with the idea, what the writing and publishing process looked like, how much money I made (real numbers!), and how this book helped launch Behind Genius Ventures. In this episode, I cover: How to validate book ideas like a startupWhat it actually costs to publish a book (and how I crowdfunded it)How writing Seed to Harvest helped me raise a $5M venture fundHow being online (especially on Twitter) played a major role in all of thisWhat I’d do differently next timeWhether you’re curious about writing a book, starting a fund, or just love a good build-in-public story, I hope this helps you take the leap on your own creative project. 📍Follow me:  Twitter (X): @paigefinnn Email: paige@behindgeniusventures.com Website: behindgeniusventures.com Book: Seed to Harvest: A Simple Explanation of Venture Capital available on Amazon Support the show

  7. 04/24/2025

    Tom McLeod on Startups, Tech, and Creative Financing | Ep 93

    Send us Fan Mail Tom McLeod isn’t your typical founder or investor. He bootstrapped a SaaS to 100k users, built a League of Legends app used by millions, sold it to Tencent, and now backs businesses at the intersection of identity, community, and cashflow. Think: car clubs, not cloud infra. In this episode of Seed to Harvest, Tom breaks down: • The 3 founder archetypes he’s seen across cycles • Why he hires founders (even though they always leave) • What he learned going from bootstrapped to venture-backed • How he thinks about underwriting non-venture-scale returns It’s a fresh take for anyone rethinking capital models or scouting overlooked operator talent. Connect with Paige 🌱💜 Behind Genius Ventures blog - https://www.behindgeniusventures.com/ Personal Blog -  https://paigefinndoherty.com/ Twitter -  https://twitter.com/paigefinnn Connect with Tom 🌱💜 Email- Tom@saltwater.com  Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/tmcleod/?hl=en Twitter- https://x.com/tmcleod3?lang=en Support the show

  8. 04/10/2025

    NJOY's Journey: From $1B Val to Bankruptcy to $2.75 Billion Dollar Exit | What It Takes Ep 1

    Send us Fan Mail In this special series of 'What It Takes,' Paige and analyst Chinwuba interview founders who have sold their companies for more than $1B. Our first episode features Mark Weiss and Jeff Weiss, the founders of NJOY, a billion-dollar e-cigarette company. They dive into the entrepreneurial journey, starting from their upbringing in a family of lawyers and athletes to the unique inception of NJOY after discovering electronic cigarettes through a mentor.  Mark explains the challenges NJOY faced, including the legal battles with the FDA, which they successfully overcame, allowing them to pioneer in the e-cigarette market. Jeff shares insights into the company's significant pivots, financial struggles, and eventual recovery post-bankruptcy.  They also discuss substantial investments from prominent figures like Peter Thiel and Sean Parker, navigating regulatory hurdles, and NJOY's eventual acquisition by Altria.  The episode highlights lessons learned, the importance of adaptability, and reflects on the rewarding yet turbulent journey of building a groundbreaking company. Connect with Paige and Chinwuba 🌱💜 Behind Genius Ventures blog | https://www.behindgeniusventures.com/ Personal Blog | https://paigefinndoherty.com/ Twitter | https://twitter.com/paigefinnn Linkedin | https://www.linkedin.com/in/chinwubaezesike/ 00:00 Introduction to the Series and Guests 00:32 Growing Up in a Big Family 02:36 The Birth of NJOY 06:08 Early Challenges and Breakthroughs 12:50 Legal Battles with the FDA 20:48 Financing and Growth 23:16 The Rise of NJOY 24:13 Challenges Leading to Bankruptcy 25:23 The Pivot to Flavors and Nicotine Salts 27:08 The Bankruptcy and Downsizing 28:09 The Struggle with Investors and Market Share 30:42 Emotional and Strategic Reflections 33:15 Reemergence and Fresh Start 39:24 Acquisition by Altria 42:54 Lessons Learned and Final Thoughts Support the show

See All (100)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

🎙️ Seed to Harvest | Stories from Technical StorytellersWelcome to Seed to Harvest, the podcast by Behind Genius Ventures.We talk to early-stage founders, operators, and investors—people building with code and conviction. Each episode is a chapter in their story: from the messy beginnings to the quiet pivots, from planting ideas to growing companies that matter.Expect: 🌱 Honest conversations on the earliest chapters of company-building🧠 Tactical insights from technical minds with narrative soul✨ Reflections on resilience, rituals, and reinventing what’s possibleThis podcast is for the builders who think in frameworks and metaphors. The ones who whiteboard in wild places. The ones writing their own mythologies—one commit, pitch, or poem at a time.From spark to story.From seed to harvest. 🌾

Information

  • Creator
    Paige Finn Doherty
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Seed to Harvest
  • Show Website
    Seed to Harvest

You Might Also Like