The Builders

Matt Levenhagen

"The Builders" Podcast is designed for those that are 'building' stuff on the web. Whether that's building a business, an agency, building teams, building products, services.. or building websites.. if it's related to building something, it's fair game.

  1. 4d ago

    Kim Miller-Hershon – Building Businesses & Teams Around Strengths Instead of Sameness

    In this episode of The Builders Podcast, Matt Levenhagen sits down with leadership coach, consultant, speaker, and podcaster Kim Miller-Hershon for a conversation about building businesses and teams around human strengths instead of forcing sameness.  Kim shares her journey from struggling to fit inside traditional corporate environments to discovering that her greatest strength was helping people better understand themselves, communicate more effectively, and thrive within organizations. Together, Matt and Kim explore leadership, coaching, workplace culture, communication, and the importance of recognizing that people are wired differently. This conversation goes beyond traditional management advice. It’s about designing businesses, careers, and team environments that align with how people actually operate at their best. From entrepreneurship and leadership to creativity and personal growth, this episode uncovers what happens when organizations stop forcing conformity and start building around human potential instead. Key Takeaways Strong teams are built by understanding differences, not eliminating themOne-size-fits-all leadership often limits creativity and growthHealthy communication is foundational to strong business culturesCoaching helps individuals recognize and operate within their strengthsBusinesses perform better when people feel aligned with their workGreat leaders create environments where people can genuinely thrive

    56 min

  2. May 18

    William Holsten – Stopping Preventable Business Mistakes Through Simple Systems & Habits

    In this episode of The Builders Podcast, Matt Levenhagen welcomes back William Holsten for a deeper conversation around the hidden behavioral patterns behind preventable business mistakes. After sharing his entrepreneurial journey and hard-earned lessons in Part I, William returns to explore how founders can reduce risk through simple systems, stronger habits, and better operational awareness. The discussion digs into the psychology of decision-making under pressure, why many business mistakes repeat themselves, and how small issues often spiral when businesses move too quickly without safeguards in place. Drawing from his nationwide study of entrepreneurs, William explains how stress, distraction, unchecked assumptions, and reactive decision-making contribute to preventable failures across businesses of all sizes. Matt and William also unpack practical solutions builders can apply immediately... from checklists and operational routines to lightweight testing, customer validation, and habits that improve focus and consistency over time. This episode is packed with grounded insights for founders, entrepreneurs, and business owners looking to build smarter, more resilient businesses. Key Takeaways  Many costly business mistakes follow predictable behavioral patterns Simple systems and routines can dramatically reduce preventable errors Stress, distraction, and fatigue often lead to poor decision-making Lightweight testing helps uncover problems before scaling investments Operational discipline and focus create long-term business stability Small habits can prevent mistakes from escalating into larger problems

    46 min

  3. May 11

    Bob Labbe – Building Solutions Through Curiosity, From Golf to Coasters

    Bob Labbe has spent a lifetime building businesses, solving technical problems, and engineering practical solutions. From scaling air pollution control companies to developing a quantitative putting system for golfers, Bob approaches life with the mindset of a builder: observe the problem, test relentlessly, and keep refining until something works. In this episode, Bob shares the journey behind building and selling multiple engineering companies, the importance of long-term partnerships, and the relationships that helped shape his career over more than five decades. He also reflects on retirement, rediscovering golf, and how frustration with his putting game eventually led him to develop and publish Putting by the Numbers, a system designed to help golfers think about putting in a completely different way. What makes this conversation especially interesting is how Bob applies the same engineering mindset everywhere. A frustrating putting problem became years of experimentation and eventually a published book. A ruined silk tie at dinner became the inspiration for a patented coaster design. In both cases, the process was the same: notice the friction, stay curious, and build a better solution. Key Takeaways Great businesses are often built through strong partnerships and complementary skill sets. Innovation frequently starts with frustration and curiosity. Builders train themselves to notice problems other people ignore. Testing, iteration, and patience are essential parts of building something meaningful. Relationships and trust are foundational to long-term business success. Builders never really stop building, even after retirement.

    49 min

  4. May 4

    William Holsten – Turning Product & Business Blunders into Hard-Won Lessons

    In this episode of The Builders Podcast, Matt Levenhagen sits down with William Holsten to explore the early journey behind his first product… and the business lessons that came from getting it wrong before getting it right. What started as a simple, fun idea quickly turned into a real opportunity. Demand showed up. The product sold. Everything looked like it was working… until it wasn’t. Once the product hit real customers in real environments, the cracks started to show. Complaints rolled in, failures surfaced, and what felt like early success revealed deeper issues in execution and understanding the customer. This episode is about those moments. The ones every builder faces at some point… where assumptions break, reality hits, and you’re forced to adapt. William shares what went wrong, what it cost, and what it taught him about building products that actually hold up in the real world. If you’ve ever launched something, thought you had it figured out… and then learned otherwise… this one will feel familiar. Key Takeaways Early success can hide deeper problems that only show up in real-world use The biggest lessons often come from what breaks, not what works You don’t truly understand your customer until you see how they operate day-to-day Assumptions in design and execution are where costly mistakes begin Listening to feedback is one thing… observing behavior is another Every builder goes through an “uh-oh” moment… what matters is how you respond

    40 min

  5. Apr 27

    How to Build Something New Without Breaking What You’ve Built, Rebuilding My Art Practice

    As builders, we often think change requires a reset. A clean break. Starting over.But what happens when you feel the pull toward something new… and you’ve already built something that works?In this episode, Matt explores what it looks like to build a new path alongside an existing one without disrupting everything in the process. Drawing from his own experience returning to art while running an agency, he breaks down how small shifts in habits, identity, and daily action can create real change over time.This isn’t about big moves or dramatic reinvention. It’s about pattern awareness, intentional practice, and learning how to integrate something meaningful into a life that’s already full.If you’ve ever felt that pull toward something more but didn’t know how to pursue it without risking what you’ve built, this episode offers a grounded, practical way forward.Key Takeaways✔️ You don’t need to start over to pursue something new✔️ Change begins by breaking small, existing patterns✔️ Action creates momentum, not the other way aroundY✔️ ou can integrate new pursuits by replacing low-value time✔️ Clarity and direction come through consistent practice✔️ Builders can evolve intentionally without disrupting what already works

    42 min

  6. Apr 20

    Silyana Bojilova – Building Without a Blueprint: Turning Instinct and Curiosity into a Career

    There’s a certain kind of builder who doesn’t follow a clear path… they discover it by walking it.  In this episode, we sit down with Silyana Bojilova, a serial entrepreneur and consultant whose journey spans survival, reinvention, and ultimately finding purpose through helping others build. From growing up in Bulgaria and navigating major life disruptions early on… to moving abroad, struggling through years of uncertainty, and eventually returning home to rebuild from scratch, Silyana’s story is one of resilience in its purest form. Nothing was linear. Nothing was guaranteed. But each step… even the messy ones… stacked into something meaningful. What makes this conversation stand out is how her path evolved. Through failed experiments, side projects, burnout, and unexpected wins, she didn’t chase a perfect plan… she followed curiosity. That mindset eventually led her into consulting, startups, and mentorship, where she now helps others move faster by sharing what she’s learned along the way. At its core, this episode is about trusting yourself when the path isn’t clear… and building anyway. Key Takeaways Resilience isn’t built in success… it’s forged through uncertainty and pressure You don’t need a blueprint to build something meaningful Trying and rejecting paths is part of finding the right one Early “failures” often reveal what actually matters to you Growth accelerates when you stop doing everything alone The real breakthrough comes when you align work with what brings you joy

    51 min

  7. Apr 13

    Miguel Carranza – Building RevenueCat by Solving Subscriptions for App Developers

    Subscriptions sound simple… until you try to build them.In this episode, we sit down with a builder who turned one of the most frustrating parts of app development into a platform now powering monetization for tens of thousands of apps. From early days growing up in Spain to taking a leap into Silicon Valley, this is a story about following curiosity, taking risks, and recognizing when a problem is bigger than it first appears. What started as an internal challenge… billing, analytics, experimentation… quickly revealed itself as a widespread pain point across the entire app ecosystem. Instead of working around it, Miguel and his co-founder leaned in, building a solution they wished existed. That decision became RevenueCat. We go beyond the origin story and into what it actually takes to build and scale something like this… from infrastructure and team building to culture, communication, and constantly evolving as a founder. This is a grounded look at building something real… by solving a problem developers didn’t want to touch. Key Takeaways Subscriptions are deceptively complex and become a major challenge at scale The best opportunities often come from problems you’ve experienced firsthand If developers avoid building something, it might be worth paying attention to What gets you started won’t be what helps you scale Strong communication is essential in remote, distributed teams Founders must evolve constantly and focus on solving the biggest problem at hand

    48 min

  8. Apr 6

    Jill Heinze – Why AI Governance Matters Before You Ship Anything to Real Users

    AI tools are moving fast… but governance isn’t keeping up. In this episode, Matt sits down with AI strategist Jill Heinze to explore what happens when generative AI moves from experimentation into real-world deployment. From chatbots in regulated industries to internal productivity systems, the conversation focuses on the risks that emerge once AI starts interacting with real users and real data. Jill shares how her background in user research led her to focus on anticipatory design and AI governance. Instead of reacting after something breaks, her approach centers on identifying risks early. That includes understanding data flow, training inputs, model behavior, and the unintended consequences that can surface when AI systems are deployed at scale. Together, Matt and Jill explore the shift from prototype thinking to production-ready AI. The discussion highlights the importance of building responsibly, protecting sensitive data, and designing systems that account for both opportunity and risk. For builders, agencies, and teams experimenting with AI, this episode offers a grounded perspective on what it really means to ship AI safely. Key Takeaways Generative AI introduces new risks that require governance before deployment Once sensitive data enters training pipelines, it’s difficult to remove AI systems become more complex as they move from prototype to production Anticipatory design helps teams identify risks early in development Data flow and architecture decisions matter as much as model choice Responsible AI is not just enterprise thinking, it applies to builders too

    47 min
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About

"The Builders" Podcast is designed for those that are 'building' stuff on the web. Whether that's building a business, an agency, building teams, building products, services.. or building websites.. if it's related to building something, it's fair game.

Information

  • Creator
    Matt Levenhagen
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    279
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Matt Levenhagen
  • Show Website
    The Builders