"Fear is the disease, hustle is the antidote" - Travis Kalanick, CEO of Uber

Our guest this week is Evan Burns, the CEO and Co-Founder of Odyssey. Odyssey, is a social discovery platform committed to democratizing content creation while personalizing discovery. Currently, the platform distributes more than 50,000 pieces of content a month from a community of over 14,000 creators to a monthly audience of 30 million users.

As a student at Indiana University in 2009, Burns co-founded Odyssey with the vision of creating resonant and relevant content for his peers. Re-launched in 2014, Odyssey seeks to democratize the media business and elevate engagement by magnifying broader perspectives and facilitating deeper conversations in and about the world. Driving innovative technology and dynamic creativity through Odyssey, Evan has set forth a new media model that is committed to igniting engagement and empowering its community.

In 2015, Burns was name to Forbes 30 Under 30 list and was also named one of the most powerful young tech executives in his home state of Indiana. A sought-after thought leader, Burns has been featured in Digiday, TechCrunch, and Business Insider, and is also a regular contributor to Inc. magazine online.

In this Episode You'll Discover...

• The journey from being a startup with a group of college students to concluding their latest round of venture funding of over $25 million
• His method and mindset to overcoming roadblocks along the journey
• Why it's ok and encouraged to pivot your business when the market demands something else
• Their strategy for recruiting and keeping great people with a shared vision
• The books, influencers, and success principles that have influenced him over the years
• The makeup and mission of Odyssey and Evan's vision for it over the next three years

Links From the Episode:

• Odyssey
• Wall Street Journal
• DigiDay
• TechCrunch
• Business Insider
• Forbes
• Inc. Magazine
• Indiana Business Journal
• Indiana University
• Shoe Dog By Phil Knight
• Uber
• Atlas Shrugged By Ayn Rand
• The Influencer By Joe Gremy, Kerry Patterson, David Maxfield, Ron McCollom, and Al Switzler
• Elon Musk By Ashlee Vance
• Thrive By CJ McClanahan

Those Mentioned:

• Donald Trump
• Hilary Clinton
• Phil Knight
• Ayn Rand
• Mark Zuckerberg
• Jeff Bezos
• Elon Musk
• Ashlee Vance