The Founder Formula

Cindy is unique in that she founded her own tech company that was purchased by Oracle. She then found her second company, one that funds entrepreneurs.

Her advice? Focus on the things that matter - then go off and build a great business!

Cindy believes she has founder genes in her DNA - always thought like a founder. She launched her first company Vivant because, as she put it, she had no more excuses.

Listen to this and all of The Founder Formula episodes through your favorite podcast platform or Trace3.com.

Cindy Padnos has not only done it twice, she's in a great position to advise those who only need to do it once. 

Cindy is unique in that she founded her own tech company that was purchased by Oracle. She then found her second company, one that funds entrepreneurs.  

Her advice? Focus on the things that matter - then go off and build a great business! 

Cindy believes she has founder genes in her DNA - always thought like a founder. She launched her first company Vivant because, as she put it, she had no more excuses. 

When describing starting a company: It was back breaking, gut wrenching work - and the most fun she’d ever had! 

What does she look for in a founder? Someone scrappy, resilient, who demonstrates the ability to attract talent and knows how to celebrate wins. 

If you take away fear and uncertainty and focus on building a solid business you’ll be the better for it. Focus on getting a few things right then when the uncertainty is lifted you’ll be in a much better position.

“Software is a weapon.”

And the thing about weapons is, they can be used to attack, or they can be used to defend. And if you know how they can be used to attack, it only makes them all the easier to defend when the time comes.

In this episode of The Founder Formula, we sat down with Lior Div, who traded his life in the Israeli army, for a life as a CEO & Co-Founder of a cybersecurity company.

Listen to this and all of The Founder Formula episodes through your favorite podcast platform or Trace3.com.

“Software is a weapon.”  

And the thing about weapons is, they can be used to attack. 

Or they can be used to defend.  

And if you know how they can be used to attack, it only makes them all the easier to defend when the time comes.  

On a recent episode of The Founder Formula, we sat down with Lior Div, who traded his life in the Israeli army, for a life as a CEO & Co-Founder of a cybersecurity company. We talked all about:  

- His time in the Israeli army and how his experiences there set him up for a career as a CEO 

- What it was that prompted him to start his own company  

- Why it’s not a matter of IF you get hacked, but a matter of WHEN 

Listen to this and all of The Founder Formula episodes at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

This is a terrible time to be trying to start a company. Right? Maybe not.

While it might seem like the worst possible time to be throwing your energy, time, and money into starting a company, what if this were the best possible time to embark on this crazy journey?

Gaurav Manglik thinks this might just be your time. And it’s not just about starting a company. If you are starting, what do you need to do? How can you increase your chances of getting funded?

Listen to this and all of The Founder Formula episodes through your favorite podcast platform or Trace3.com.

This is a terrible time to be trying to start a company.  

Right?  

Maybe not.  

While it might seem like the worst possible time to be throwing your energy, time, and money into starting a company, what if this were the best possible time to embark on this crazy journey?  

Gaurav Manglik thinks this might just be your time.  

And it’s not just about starting a company. If you are starting, what do you need to do? How can you increase your chances of getting funded?  

Gaurav was a guest on The Founder Formula recently, and was kind enough to talk with us all about:  

- Some of the most common myths about working for a VC 

- Why your business plan could be the thing that makes the difference between success and failure 

- What it was like having your company purchased by one of the largest enterprise tech firms in the word: Cisco  

Listen to this and all of The Founder Formula episodes at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

After graduating from Cornell University, Tim’s first gig was executing the ideas of others. He soon realized the Data Science and Insight work he was doing wasn’t solving the pain point that was creating usable data.

The solution didn’t exist. It needed to be created – and he knew how to do it.

Thus, the launch of a new start-up and a founder's journey.

Tim Delisle started his company at just 25 years old. He did his first pitch between college classes, and rather than using a power point or whiteboard, he used a notebook and some sharpies from his backpack.

Listen to this and all of The Founder Formula episodes through your favorite podcast platform or Trace3.com.

After graduating from Cornell University, Tim’s first gig was executing the ideas of others. He soon realized the Data Science and Insight work he was doing wasn’t solving the pain point that was creating usable data.  

The solution didn’t exist. It needed to be created – and he knew how to do it.   

Thus, the launch of a new start-up and a founder's journey.  

Tim Delisle started his company at just 25 years old. He did his first pitch between college classes, and rather than using a power point or whiteboard, he used a notebook and some sharpies from his backpack.  

On this episode of The Founder Formula, we sat down with Tim to discuss: 

- Finding his co-founder at a Hackathon 

- Building culture by cooking and eating together  

- Not knowing any VC’s when he started 

- 3 keys stages: Seed Stage, Series A, and large growth rounds 

- Translating gut instincts into clear communication  

Listen to this and all of The Founder Formula episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.

What happens when you get the chance to sit down with someone who was the co-founder of Oculus VR, and was one of the chief IP leads for the famed Activision franchise Guitar Hero? Someone who has made a career out of innovation and knows what it takes to succeed in the startup world? You drop everything and have that conversation.

We sat down with Jack McCauley to talk about the story of the development of Oculus, the soft skills needed to survive in a startup environment, advice for folks who want to hang on to their IP, and so much more!

Listen to this and all of The Founder Formula episodes through your favorite podcast platform or Trace3.com.

What happens when you get the chance to sit down with someone who was the co-founder of Oculus VR, and was one of the chief IP leads for the famed Activision franchise Guitar Hero?  

Someone who has made a career out of innovation and knows what it takes to succeed in the startup world?

You drop everything and have that conversation.  

On the Season 2 kick off episode of The Founder Formula, we sat down with Jack McCauley to talk about: 

- The story of the development of Oculus 

- The soft skills needed to survive in a startup environment 

- Advice for folks who want to hang on to their IP 

- So, so much more 

Listen to this and all of The Founder Formula episodes at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website.