Episode 366: Justin Gordon interviews Colleen Heidinger, President of 43North, a pioneering startup competition and venture program focused on building Buffalo into a thriving center for innovation and entrepreneurship.

43North invests $5 million annually in companies that relocate to Buffalo through its immersive accelerator program.

Applications now open: https://43north.org/founders/program/

Watch this episode and others on YouTube.

---

Show Notes:

00:00 What’s coming in the episode…

00:23 Introduction

01:01 What is 43North?

03:27 The early days of 43North

07:08 Covid days at 43North

09:14 Admission process

16:02 Getting the right partners

19:58 The first IPO from a 43N’s company

21:02 The long-year program 

26:53 Why five “$1M” on investment money?

31:02 The impact of 43North

34:50 What’s next?

40:13 Why has 43N succeeded?

41:15 Take a look at the application!

42:22 Reach out to Colleen

---

Connect with Justin: 

• Twitter: https://x.com/justingordon212
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justingordon8/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justincharlesgordon/

---

What Justin is working on: 

• Just Go Grind Newsletter: https://www.justgogrind.com/subscribe
• The LA Grind Local Newsletter: https://thelagrind.beehiiv.com/subscribe
• Newsletter Founder Course & Community: https://newsletterfounder.com/
• Running (Strava): https://www.strava.com/athletes/52394979
• Hiring: https://partnerslink.athyna.com/pod
• Scouting: https://headline.com/

Episode 365: Justin Gordon interviews Mehul Nariyawala, Co-Founder of Matic Robots, about his experience building two successful venture-backed startups, Flutter and Matic. 

Learn more about Matic, the world’s most advanced floor cleaner. 

Watch this episode and others on YouTube.

---

This episode is brought to you by Rho. With Rho, founders get:

• A single pane of glass they can use to run and scale their business from Day 1: Bank account, corporate cards to start running – and expense management, bill pay automation, and accounting to help you move fast as you scale.
• Rho is trusted by thousands of companies ranging from two-person YC companies to brands like Perplexity, Cal.com, Splitwise and more.
• The big thing with Rho: Every customer has a "person" at Rho. 24/7 customer support - phone, text, email - we will be there at every critical milestone in your startup's journey.

To learn why startups choose Rho, visit www.rho.co today.

---

Show Notes:

00:00 What’s coming in the episode… 00:13 Introduction 01:39 Mehul’s background 07:49 YC’s Paul Graham’s insight on Mehul’s previous startup 11:54 From Flutter to Matic 16:48 Matic’s first robot 22:14 Matic’s early days and fundraising 25:37 Building the right team 28:07 Known and unknown challenges in robotics 34:28 Last few days before launch 36:08 The mentality for a long job 40:23 Figuring out Matic’s market strategy and pricing 50:41 Building the present and planning the future of Matic

---

Connect with Justin: 

• Twitter: https://x.com/justingordon212
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justingordon8/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justincharlesgordon/

---

What Justin is working on: 

• Just Go Grind Newsletter: https://www.justgogrind.com/subscribe
• The LA Grind Local Newsletter: https://thelagrind.beehiiv.com/subscribe
• Newsletter Founder Course & Community: https://newsletterfounder.com/
• Running (Strava): https://www.strava.com/athletes/52394979
• Hiring: https://partnerslink.athyna.com/pod
• Scouting: https://headline.com/

Episode 364: Justin Gordon interviews Waseem Daher, Co-Founder of Pilot, about his experience as a 3x founder building a startup that's raised $150M+ in venture capital. 

Check out the founder salary report.

Watch this episode and others on YouTube.

---

This episode is brought to you by Rho. With Rho, founders get:

• A single pane of glass they can use to run and scale their business from Day 1: Bank account, corporate cards to start running – and expense management, bill pay automation, and accounting to help you move fast as you scale.
• Rho is trusted by thousands of companies ranging from two-person YC companies to brands like Perplexity, Cal.com, Splitwise and more.
• The big thing with Rho: Every customer has a "person" at Rho. 24/7 customer support - phone, text, email - we will be there at every critical milestone in your startup's journey.

To learn why startups choose Rho, visit www.rho.co today.

---

Show Notes:

00:00 What’s coming in the episode… 00:27 Introduction 01:36 Waseem’s passion for startups  03:58 Starting Pilot  05:43 Why was it the right time to start Pilot  13:30 Early days at Pilot 19:27 Raising capital for Pilot 22:32 Waseem’s mentality on fundraising 26:36 The story behind Pilot’s Series A round 30:22 Pilot’s first sales  34:09 Pilot’s ICP  36:44 Growth strategies back then  40:09 Growth strategies today 48:34 The evolution of Waseem’s role as a founder 54:25 Be a part of Pilot

---

Connect with Justin: 

• Twitter: https://x.com/justingordon212
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justingordon8/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justincharlesgordon/

---

What Justin is working on: 

• Just Go Grind Newsletter: https://www.justgogrind.com/subscribe
• The LA Grind Local Newsletter: https://thelagrind.beehiiv.com/subscribe
• Newsletter Founder Course & Community: https://newsletterfounder.com/
• Running (Strava): https://www.strava.com/athletes/52394979
• Hiring: https://partnerslink.athyna.com/pod
• Scouting: https://headline.com/

Episode 363: Justin Gordon interviews Abdul Al-Assad, co-founder and CEO of Basic Capital, about how he created the startup solution to finance investments and close the American ownership gap. 

Check out Basic Capital.

Watch this episode and others on YouTube.

---

This episode is brought to you by Rho. With Rho, founders get:

• A single pane of glass they can use to run and scale their business from Day 1: Bank account, corporate cards to start running – and expense management, bill pay automation, and accounting to help you move fast as you scale.
• Rho is trusted by thousands of companies ranging from two-person YC companies to brands like Perplexity, Cal.com, Splitwise and more.
• The big thing with Rho: Every customer has a "person" at Rho. 24/7 customer support - phone, text, email - we will be there at every critical milestone in your startup's journey.

To learn why startups choose Rho, visit www.rho.co today.

---

Show Notes:

00:00 What’s coming in the episode… 00:48 Introduction 02:18 Basic Capital’s origin 06:51 Abdul’s background 09:41 Hustling for Basic Capital and raising from billionaire Bill Ackman 16:55 The solution to a vicious cycle 24:00 Early days of Basic Capital 30:19 Raising capital 36:11 The logic behind Basic Capital 40:25 The vision for Basic Capital 43:34 Get involved in Basic Capital

---

Connect with Justin: 

• Twitter: https://x.com/justingordon212
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justingordon8/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justincharlesgordon/

---

What Justin is working on: 

• Just Go Grind Newsletter: https://www.justgogrind.com/subscribe
• The LA Grind Local Newsletter: https://thelagrind.beehiiv.com/subscribe
• Newsletter Founder Course & Community: https://newsletterfounder.com/
• Running (Strava): https://www.strava.com/athletes/52394979
• Hiring: https://partnerslink.athyna.com/pod
• Scouting: https://headline.com/

Episode 362: Justin Gordon interviews Jeremy Yamaguchi, founder of Lawn Love and Cabana Pools, about how he built and grew several “high-suck” companies in the home services industry.

Check out Jeremy's company, Cabana Pools. 

Watch this episode and others on YouTube.

---

This episode is brought to you by Rho. With Rho, founders get:

• A single pane of glass they can use to run and scale their business from Day 1: Bank account, corporate cards to start running – and expense management, bill pay automation, and accounting to help you move fast as you scale.
• Rho is trusted by thousands of companies ranging from two-person YC companies to brands like Perplexity, Cal.com, Splitwise and more.
• The big thing with Rho: Every customer has a "person" at Rho. 24/7 customer support - phone, text, email - we will be there at every critical milestone in your startup's journey.

To learn why startups choose Rho, visit www.rho.co today.

---

Show Notes:

00:00 What’s coming in the episode…  00:55 Introduction 02:17 Jeremy’s background 08:34 Jeremy’s “origin story” 18:22 The process behind Lawn Love 26:18 Early days of Lawn Love  30:42 Lawn Love’s experience in YC  33:19 Angel raising with Lawn Love  35:47 Lawn Love’s growth  37:56 Selling Lawn Love  40:48 Founding Cabana Pools 49:19 Growing + buying companies  53:15 Fundraising for Cabana Pools  1:06:17 Cabana’s challenges 1:11:05 What’s next for Cabana Pools 1:13:17 Contact Jeremy

---

Connect with Justin: 

• Twitter: https://x.com/justingordon212
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justingordon8/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justincharlesgordon/

---

What Justin is working on: 

• Just Go Grind Newsletter: https://www.justgogrind.com/subscribe
• The LA Grind Local Newsletter: https://thelagrind.beehiiv.com/subscribe
• Newsletter Founder Course & Community: https://newsletterfounder.com/
• Running (Strava): https://www.strava.com/athletes/52394979
• Hiring: https://partnerslink.athyna.com/pod
• Scouting: https://headline.com/

Episode 361: Justin Gordon interviews John Andrew Entwistle, Founder and CEO of Wander, about how he built a luxury travel business at the age of 23.

Book a Wander with inspiring views, hotel-grade amenities, dreamy beds, top-tier cleaning, and 24/7 concierge service. It’s a vacation home, but better: https://www.wander.com/

Watch this episode and others on YouTube.

---

This episode is brought to you by Rho. With Rho, founders get:

• A single pane of glass they can use to run and scale their business from Day 1: Bank account, corporate cards to start running – and expense management, bill pay automation, and accounting to help you move fast as you scale.
• Rho is trusted by thousands of companies ranging from two-person YC companies to brands like Perplexity, Cal.com, Splitwise and more.
• The big thing with Rho: Every customer has a "person" at Rho. 24/7 customer support - phone, text, email - we will be there at every critical milestone in your startup's journey.

To learn why startups choose Rho, visit www.rho.co today.

---

Show Notes:

00:00 What’s coming in the episode… 00:52 Introduction 02:49 John Andrew’s beginnings  04:08 Early lessons as a founder 08:19 The start of Wonder 16:35 The story behind Coder.com  20:00 Wander’s early days 25:08 Building Wander’s brand 30:40 First customers and feedback  36:29 Locations and international expansion 42:03 John Andrew’s purpose   46:04 Funding Wander 50:51 Where is Wander today? 55:12 Focusing on user activation  1:02:41 What’s next for Wander?

---

Connect with Justin: 

• Twitter: https://x.com/justingordon212
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justingordon8/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justincharlesgordon/

---

What Justin is working on: 

• Just Go Grind Newsletter: https://www.justgogrind.com/subscribe
• The LA Grind Local Newsletter: https://thelagrind.beehiiv.com/subscribe
• Newsletter Founder Course & Community: https://newsletterfounder.com/
• Running (Strava): https://www.strava.com/athletes/52394979
• Hiring: https://partnerslink.athyna.com/pod
• Scouting: https://headline.com/

Episode 360: Justin Gordon interviews Nick Huber, entrepreneur, investor, and author of "The Sweaty Startup", about how he built three thriving companies and a well-known online brand.

Link to buy Nick's book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4bLazjW

---

This episode is brought to you by Rho. With Rho, founders get:

• A single pane of glass they can use to run and scale their business from Day 1: Bank account, corporate cards to start running – and expense management, bill pay automation, and accounting to help you move fast as you scale.
• Rho is trusted by thousands of companies ranging from two-person YC companies to brands like Perplexity, Cal.com, Splitwise and more.
• The big thing with Rho: Every customer has a "person" at Rho. 24/7 customer support - phone, text, email - we will be there at every critical milestone in your startup's journey.

To learn why startups choose Rho, visit www.rho.co today.

---

Show Notes:

00:00 What’s coming in the episode…

00:54 Introduction

02:21 Nick’s background

05:53 Growth strategies

07:58 From college storage to self-storage

11:00 Raising capital

13:17 Partnering up

17:21 Selling Storage Squad

19:31 Nick’s presence on Twitter

24:37 Acquiring Somewhere

33:01 Starting RE Cost Seg

37:30 Writing “The Sweaty Startup”

43:04 A business empire vs a media empire

47:23 What’s next?

49:16 Where’s the opportunity now?

56:34 Nick’s ideal business partners

58:07 Reach out to Nick

---

Connect with Nick:

• www.sweatystartup.com

• www.nickhuber.com

• www.sweatystartupbook.com

• www.somewhere.com

• www.boltstorage.com

• www.recostseg.com

• www.adrhino.com

• www.spidexx.com

• www.boldseo.com

• www.titanrisk.com

• www.x.com/sweatystartup

• www.instagram.com/sweatystartup

• www.linkedin.com/in/sweatystartup

• www.youtube.com/sweatystartup

• www.tiktok.com/sweatystartup

• www.threads.net/@sweatystartup.com

• https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nick-huber-show/id1576120606

• https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sweaty-startup/id1445260221

---

Connect with Justin: 

• Twitter: https://x.com/justingordon212
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justingordon8/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justincharlesgordon/

---

What Justin is working on: 

• Just Go Grind Newsletter: https://www.justgogrind.com/subscribe
• Running (Strava): https://www.strava.com/athletes/52394979
• Hiring: https://partnerslink.athyna.com/pod
• Scouting: https://headline.com/

Episode 359: Justin Gordon interviews Everett Cook, Co-Founder & CEO of Rho, about how he built the company into a leader in business banking.

Everett Cook’s dream was to start a company.

Even before Rho, he’d always loved markets and finance. So much so that he interned for the Mike Bloomberg, where he got to learn from one of the best entrepreneurs in the world.

Then he spent a decade as Portfolio Manager at multiple macro hedge funds, and had the time of his life.

But still, there was something missing. Something of his own.

So when he got tired of waiting for the ‘spark of opportunity’, he decided to go look for it himself.

That was the start of Rho, the fintech that quickly became a key player in the business finance world.

---

This episode is brought to you by Rho. With Rho, founders get:

• A single pane of glass they can use to run and scale their business from Day 1: Bank account, corporate cards to start running – and expense management, bill pay automation, and accounting to help you move fast as you scale.
• Rho is trusted by thousands of companies ranging from two-person YC companies to brands like Perplexity, Cal.com, Splitwise and more.
• The big thing with Rho: Every customer has a "person" at Rho. 24/7 customer support - phone, text, email - we will be there at every critical milestone in your startup's journey.

To learn why startups choose Rho, visit www.rho.co today.

---

Show Notes:

00:00 What’s coming in the episode…

01:18 Introduction

02:14 The start of Rho

04:14 Everett’s background

9:53 Decision-making in the early days of Rho

14:50 Partnering with banks

17:48 Growth in the early days

20:44 Building community

25:19 Rho’s competition

27:10 How does Rho get feedback

29:16 Rho’s target and non-target market

31:29 The SVB crisis and other challenges

35:22 Hiring in-person vs remote

38:15 Raising capital

47:43 Everett as a founder 

---

Connect with Justin: 

• Twitter: https://x.com/justingordon212
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justingordon8/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justincharlesgordon/

---

What Justin is working on: 

• Just Go Grind Newsletter: https://www.justgogrind.com/subscribe
• Running (Strava): https://www.strava.com/athletes/52394979
• Hiring: https://partnerslink.athyna.com/pod
• Scouting: https://headline.com/

Episode 358: Justin Gordon interviews Jacob Jaber, Co-Founder, former CEO, and current Board Member of Philz Coffee, the company that grew from one neighborhood shop in San Francisco into a beloved national brand known for its personalized blends and people-first approach. Jacob helped scale Philz to over 70 locations across the country, raising venture funding while staying true to its community-driven roots. He’s now the Founder of Humble Lion, where he invests in and supports the next generation of brick-and-mortar businesses built with heart.

---

This episode is brought to you by Rho. With Rho, founders get:

• A single pane of glass they can use to run and scale their business from Day 1: Bank account, corporate cards to start running – and expense management, bill pay automation, and accounting to help you move fast as you scale.
• Rho is trusted by thousands of companies ranging from two-person YC companies to brands like Perplexity, Cal.com, Splitwise and more.
• The big thing with Rho: Every customer has a "person" at Rho. 24/7 customer support - phone, text, email - we will be there at every critical milestone in your startup's journey.

To learn why startups choose Rho, visit www.rho.co today.

---

Show Notes:

00:00 What’s coming in the episode…

1:14 Introduction

2:32 The story behind Philz Coffee

7:13 What made Philz stand out?

11:05 Expanding Philz

18:01 Hiring for the new locations

24:19 Challenges of expanding

29:00 Raising capital

36:09 The keys to scaling Philz

40:02 Long-lasting brands

42:57 Starting Humble Lion

51:17 What to look for in a brick-and-mortar

54:29 Contact Jacob Jaber

---

Connect with Justin: 

• Twitter: https://x.com/justingordon212
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justingordon8/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justincharlesgordon/

---

What Justin is working on: 

• Just Go Grind Newsletter: https://www.justgogrind.com/subscribe
• Running (Strava): https://www.strava.com/athletes/52394979
• Hiring: https://partnerslink.athyna.com/pod
• Scouting: https://headline.com/

Episode 357: Justin Gordon interviews Dave Fontenot, Founder of HF0, the residency for repeat founders. At HF0, 10 teams live in a 20,000-square-foot mansion in San Francisco for 12 weeks to build their life's work. During the residency, everything is taken care of for them, healthy meals are provided daily, and founders can focus solely on building their company. The quality of these founders is awe-inspiring, with many teams reaching $2M-$3M in ARR by demo day. 

---

This episode is brought to you by Rho. With Rho, founders get:

• A single pane of glass they can use to run and scale their business from Day 1: Bank account, corporate cards to start running – and expense management, bill pay automation, and accounting to help you move fast as you scale.
• Rho is trusted by thousands of companies ranging from two-person YC companies to brands like Perplexity, Cal.com, Splitwise and more.
• The big thing with Rho: Every customer has a "person" at Rho. 24/7 customer support - phone, text, email - we will be there at every critical milestone in your startup's journey.

To learn why startups choose Rho, visit www.rho.co today.

---

Show Notes:

00:00 What’s coming in the episode…

1:22 Introduction

2:49 What is HF0?

6:00 Dave’s background

9:57 Dave’s vision

15:12 Early days of HF0

19:35 From MHacks to HF0

24:53 First ever concept of HF0

27:46 Second batch

32:58 Dave’s take on inner work

37:23 From New York to San Francisco

40:05 Funding HF0

48:29 Putting the teams together

1:05:40 The success of HF0

1:10:23 On the lookout for a GP

1:11:57 Dave’s hypothesis on why HF0 worked

---

Connect with Justin: 

• Twitter: https://x.com/justingordon212
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justingordon8/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justincharlesgordon/

---

What Justin is working on: 

• Just Go Grind Newsletter: https://www.justgogrind.com/subscribe
• Running (Strava): https://www.strava.com/athletes/52394979
• Hiring: https://partnerslink.athyna.com/pod
• Scouting: https://headline.com/