Creating something new is never easy, and the making of Astropad 1.0 was no different. In this episode, we talk through the ups and downs of building and launching Astropad. We discuss how we met at Apple, the origins of our idea, a critical moment that transformed the project, and how we hit total mental burnout close to the finish line. We also go over useful topics like how to pick a cofounder and how to go from a consulting shop to a product company.

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Episode Summary

• [1:30] How we met.
• [4:00] Our time at Apple (circa 2006)
• [8:30] Reconnecting and consulting together.
• [10:00] Why a 50/50 founder split was key.
• [12:00] How to pick a cofounder.
• [18:30] Officially founding Astro HQ.
• [20:00] How we got the idea for Astropad.
• [24:00] Creation vs. consumption and going against the grain.
• [27:00] Creating early prototypes.
• [29:00] Building our LIQUID tech and betting on the future.
• [34:00] A key moment that transformed the project.
• [37:00] The long road to launch day.
• [41:00] Going into marketing mode.
• [45:00] We hit total mental burnout.
• [46:20] Launch day.
• [50:30] Our book recommendations.

Links and resources

• Matt Ronge on Twitter
• Giovanni Donelli on Twitter
• Zero to One by Peter Thiel
• The Startup of You by Reid Hoffman
• Console Wars by Blake J Harris 

"Stay aggressive!" - Tom Kalinske