On this episode Abadesi talks to Josh Howarth, co-founder of Exploding Topics.

In this episode they talk about...

* His early days as a maker and what he would change if he could do things over again.

* The genesis and evolution of Exploding Topics and the lessons he’s learned through the process.

* How writing updates kept him accountable as a solo founder and his advice for finding a co-founder you can work well with.

We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. 😸

On this episode Abadesi talks to Matthew Paul, software product designer, researcher, and front-end engineer. He’s a former product designer at InVision, he’s worked on software and design systems at IBM, and has designed prototypes at Apple.

In this episode they talk about...

* The open-source design project he’s working on, and how to make good design more accessible.

* Common design pitfalls to avoid and advice for working with designers.

* How he’s working on his personal development and where he learns the most.

We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Headspin Mobile for their support. 😸

On this episode Abadesi talks to Pieter Levels, founder of Nomad List, a global community of international travellers working around the world, RemoteOK, a job board for remote jobs, and Hoodmaps, a unique neighborhood map app.

In this episode they talk about...

* Bootstrapping versus VC, and why he doesn’t want to build a team around his products.

* The difference between creating a website and building a community, and how to think about charging for your product.

* What the future of remote work and the digital nomad lifestyle will look like.

We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Headspin Mobile for their support. 😸

On this episode Abadesi talks to Waseem Daher, founder and CEO of Pilot. Pilot is bringing bookkeeping into the modern age. He has started (and sold!) two other companies prior to Pilot.

In this episode they talk about...

* The story of starting Pilot and what Waseem learned from his two previous companies.

* When it makes sense to take venture capital versus bootstrap a business.

* How to think about a potential acquisition.

* How Waseem stays productive.

We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Headspin Mobile for their support. 😸

On this episode Abadesi talks to Ethan Eismann, VP of Design at Slack. He has previously worked on flagship products at Google, Uber, and Airbnb, as well as at Adobe back when Flash was still a thing!

In this episode they talk about...

* The consumerization of the enterprise and bringing personality to software.

* The design philosophy at Slack and how they use hypotheses in designing their products.

* Customer-centric design and what it means to communicate energy as well as information.

We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Headspin, Safety Wing, and Trulioo for their support.

On this episode Abadesi talks to Michelle Bacharach, founder and CEO of FINDMINE, a retail technology company that uses machine learning to scale the currently manual and tedious process of product curation. They are a fast-growing company with clients like Adidas, Perry Ellis, and Callaway.

In this episode they talk about...

* What led Michelle to found FINDMINE, and how they’re changing the buying experience.

* Her advice for startups pitching big companies as potential clients.

* How to close enterprise customers.

We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Headspin, Safety Wing, and Trulioo for their support.

On this episode Abadesi talks to Ryan Simonetti, co-founder and CEO of Convene. They call themselves commercial real estate’s first workplace-as-a-service platform. He co-founded the company in 2009 and have raised $260M in funding to date. He is also an investor in and advisor to tech startups.

In this episode they talk about...

* The story of founding Convene and his advice for finding a co-founder.

* How they have created a strong company culture and the importance of gratitude at Convene.

* Ryan’s predictions for the future of work in an increasingly distributed world.

He also talks about some of his favorite products and a great book that he read that helped him as he scaled Convene.

We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Headspin, Safety Wing, and Trulioo for their support.

On this episode Abadesi talks to Jill Salzman, founder of The Founding Moms, a “global collective of offline masterminds and online resources for mom entrepreneurs.” She was formerly the founder of a music management firm and was also the creator of a line of baby jewelry.

In this episode they talk about...

* The story of the creation of The Founding Moms and how it’s helping mom entrepreneurs around the globe.

* How she grew the community and her advice for those who are new to community-building.

* How she approached the decision to charge for access and subsequently increase prices, as well as how she stays productive.

She also talks about some of the products she’s loving right now.

We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Big thanks to Headspin for their support.

On this episode Abadesi talks to Brianne Kimmel, founder of Work Life, an early stage venture firm in Silicon Valley that invests in tools and services for the modern workplace. She was formerly head of product and GTM strategy at Zendesk.

In this episode they talk about...

* Why she started Work Life and what she learned while fundraising.

* No-code tools, distributed teams, and the future of work.

* How she’s building a community around her fund.

She also talks about some of the products she’s loving right now.

We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

On this episode Abadesi talks to John Henry, venture partner at Harlem Capital and host of Hustle on VICELAND.

In this episode they talk about...

* How he got into entrepreneurship and how the expectations for today’s entrepreneurs have changed.

* Why he says getting a regular job is riskier than starting a company.

* How he discovered financial literacy and how to be a “multi-dimensional earner.”

* The history of VC and how they’re changing the flow of capital to underrepresented founders at Harlem Capital.

He also talks about how he invests in personal development and talks about some of the products he’s loving right now.

We’ll be back next week so be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Breaker, Overcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.