Our Future Podcast

In #53, Michael and Simmy talk to Sieva Kozinsky, the founder and CEO of holding company Enduring Ventures. Sieva built two startups before reading a book about Warren Buffet and focusing his efforts on buying businesses to hold forever. In this episode, Sieva talks about his early ventures, why he doesn't believe in the venture capital model, the kinds of businesses he buys and looks to buy, competition, and learnings from Warren Buffet and more.

#businesspodcast #podcast #entrepreneurship

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In this episode of Our Future Podcast, hosts Simran Sandhu and Michael Sikands interview special guest Stan Garber, the co-founder of ScoutRFP (Acquired by Workday) and Levelpath. Stan shares insights into his entrepreneurial journey, highlighting his past successes like selling ScoutRFP for $540M and building a stealthy but huge restaurant tech business, as well as his current AI + procurement venture, LevelPath. Stan emphasizes the importance of long-term partnerships in business, referencing his enduring collaboration with his high school friend and co-founder, Alex. Join the conversation to learn from Stan's experiences and gain valuable advice for aspiring young entrepreneurs.

01:23 Early ventures.

04:54] Scaling a Successful SaaS Company.

08:15] Painless RFPs.

10:15] Evolution of business scalability.

15:06] Building a sustainable company.

19:29] Scaling a successful business.

21:40] Maximizing existing customer value.

25:29] Fragmented supplier record data.

27:36] Delightful procurement vision.

31:12] Building expertise in different industries.

36:57] Building successful software companies.

39:47] MVPs and fully baked products.

43:22] Building a successful enterprise company.

45:23] Young entrepreneurs and inspiration.

#podcast #startups #entrepreneurship

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In #51, Michael and Simmy aggregate exciting business case studies in the world of consumer hardware. The boys analyze hot new products hitting the market like robotic shoes, VR desktops, and bio-hacking wearables. They also peel back the hardware-as-a-service business model that's made it easier to succeed with physical products and the marketing advantage hardware startups have on software. Tune in for a banger this week!

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In #50, Michael Sikand (@michaelsikand) and Simran Sandhu (@simmy) dive into the booming cybersecurity market, highlighting recent incidents and opportunities. They discuss the CrowdStrike internal error that impacted major companies and the potential $23 billion acquisition of Wiz by Google. The hosts emphasize the financial potential in cybersecurity, noting the industry's growth from $182 billion in 2023 to an expected $314 billion by 2028. They explore various business ideas, including incident response services, consumer-focused cyber products, and identity verification solutions like Footprint. The episode also touches on the rapid growth of companies like Drada and Vanta, and the potential for ClEAR to have an "Nvidia moment" in the future. The hosts conclude by encouraging listeners to consider opportunities in cybersecurity, a field they believe is as lucrative as AI.

05:30 - CrowdStrike Incident and Market Impact

10:00 - Rise in Cyber Attacks and Ransomware

15:00 - Potential in Cybersecurity Services and Insurance

20:00 - Ashley Madison Hack Documentary

25:00 - Identity Verification and Biometric Security

30:00 - Footprint: Apple Pay for Identity

35:00 - Wiz Acquisition by Google

40:00 - Clear's Potential in Identity Verification

45:00 - Consumer-Based Cybersecurity Products

#Cybersecurity #TechTrends #StartupStories

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In this episode of Our Future Podcast, Michael and Simmy dive into the journeys of young entrepreneurs like Arib Khan and Dhruv Bindra discussing their unique distribution strategies that enable them to be bootstrapped. We explore the importance of founder-led marketing, the value of investing in distribution, and the evolving landscape of startup success. We also touch on the need for modern content strategies in startup accelerators like Y Combinator. Tune in for insights on building and scaling businesses.

00:00 - Introduction and Podcast Anniversary

00:29 - Convo with Denise Hazime and ProdoScore

02:21 - Private Equity and SaaS Companies

08:28 - Dhruv Bindra and Styl App

16:02 - Arib Khan and Crayo's Success

22:15 - Y Combinator and Startup Strategies

25:48 - Importance of Distribution and Marketing

32:45 - Challenges in Hiring for Marketing Roles

34:28 - Closing Remarks and Podcast Wrap-Up

#business #startups #podcast

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In #48, Michael Sikand and Simran Sandhu discuss mid-twenties founders Edward Tian and Alex Cui, the co-founders of AI detection startup GPTZERO which has raised $13.5M and is already profitable. They explore the dynamics of shows like Shark Tank and the success of startups that didn't secure deals. The conversation shifts to the importance of distribution in the success of AI tools. They also touch on the potential of AI in education, citing examples like RapStudy and StudyBuddy. The episode concludes with a debate on the merits of building cashflow businesses versus pursuing big, impactful ventures, emphasizing the diverse paths to success in entrepreneurship.

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After nearly 50 episodes, in #47 Michael Sikand and Simran Sandhu share their own entrepreneurial journey, from starting their media company Our Future to getting acquired by Morning Brew. They discuss the lessons they've learned, the strategies they employed, and challenges faced along the way.

0:00 Intro & Cold Open

2:07 Michael and Simmy's first idea: Jet Coffee

03:16 Being scrappy and lessons learned in scaling the business

5:13 Importance of starting a podcast and building a network

6:07 Strategy of leveraging podcasts for networking and opportunities

8:01 Discussion on the accessibility of media as a starting point for entrepreneurs

9:17 Importance of building relationships with potential co-founders

10:09 Emphasis on having a clear goal and being open to pivoting

12:37 Importance of being delusional and confident in pitching oneself

17:48 Transition to discussing the acquisition by Morning Brew

23:55 Importance of being cautious with potential acquirers and their agendas

26:02 Advice on handling acquisition discussions and maintaining focus on business growth

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Inn #46, Michael Sikand and Simran Sandhu delve into the stories of two young founders, Blake Resnick and Mohak Nahta. Blake Resnick, a 23-year-old entrepreneur, has built a police drone startup called Brinc. He's raised $80M from investors like Sam Altman and Peter Thiel and the company is now valued at over $300M. Next up is Mohak, the founder of Atlys, who has created a platform to expedite the visa application process, allowing users to complete the process in minutes by simply taking a selfie, scanning their passport, and answering a few questions. He's raised over $16M from investors like a16z.

00:00 - Introduction and Podcast Overview

00:11 - Episode Preview: Young Founders and Their Ventures

00:35 - Michael's Sales Pitch Anecdote

01:06 - Daily Office Rentals Business Idea

02:05 - Blake Resnick's $300M Police Drone Startup

05:31 - Public Perception and Privacy Concerns

08:01 - Surveillance Technology and Public Backlash

10:49 - Challenges in Selling to Public Service Departments

17:28 - Second Story: Atlys - Expediting Travel Visas

24:47 - Pay for Passport Programs and Government Revenue Strategies

#business #podcast #startups

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In #45, Michael Sikand (@michaelsikand) and Simran Sandhu (@simmy) discuss the founders of Folk and ConvertWire. First up is Simo Lemhandez, a late-twenties entrepreneur from France, who is building Folk, a next-gen CRM designed to manage all types of relationships—sales, recruiting, partnerships, and investors. With a sleek, Notion-like UI, Folk has raised millions from top investment firms like Accel and has even won product of the year on Product Hunt. Next is Jack Sory, a 28-year-old entrepreneur who runs ConvertWire, a lead generation business for real estate. Jack's business model focuses on providing high-quality leads through a team of cold callers based in the Philippines. By emphasizing quality over quantity, Jack has built a subscription-based service that generates between half a million and a million dollars annually.

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In #44, Michael Sikand (@michaelsikand) and Simran Sandhu (@_simmy_) discuss the founders of Diddo and Fina. Founded by NYU grads, Diddo has raised $2.8M to let you shop for products featured in your favorite TV shows and movies. Using AI, Diddo identifies the clothing worn on screen and allows viewers to purchase exact items or lookalike products. Next up is Clay Ratterman, the co-founder of Fina, which is best described as Notion for personal finance. The platform is bootstrapped and has already amassed 10,000 users, filling a void in the market for a highly customizable personal finance application.

0:00: Intro

1:00: Story of Diddo

19:10 Story of Fina

#startups #podcast #entrepreneurship

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