In this podcast episode, three-time founder and startup advocate Jaclyn Siu discusses resilience, reinvention, and redefining failure with Daniel Ahmadizadeh, founder and CEO of Time.
About Our Guest:
Daniel Ahmadizadeh is an entrepreneur, educator, and seven-time Y Combinator applicant turned founder. Daniel’s journey spans teaching at Stanford and Columbia, consulting for early-stage founders, and navigating the emotional terrain of shutting down his YC-backed company.
In this episode, we cover:
- Why Daniel applied to Y Combinator seven times — and what happened when he finally got in
- How shutting down a company impacted his identity and mental health
- Reframing entrepreneurship as problem-solving rather than personal validation
- “Start With One” — a powerful framework for founders feeling lost or stuck
- Teaching the next generation of builders how to grow confidence and take meaningful first steps
- What Daniel is doing differently this time around
Listen now to explore the realities of entrepreneurship—where setbacks become stepping stones, and honest stories lead to powerful comebacks.
About Round Two:
Round Two, hosted by Jaclyn Siu, is dedicated to rewriting the narrative around startup setbacks, resilience, and reinvention. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and join the conversation online.
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