Jordan Lisnow asked a friend one question — "what sucks about your job?" — and turned the answer into a startup he sold before graduating college. He did it twice. This one's the playbook for finding real problems and building fast with no technical background.

🔗 Connect with Jordan

🔗 Check out Partunity

Parth Mehta taught himself to code over one summer and built Makistry — an AI-powered CAD platform with 300+ users and 7,000+ designs. He’s a sophomore at UT Austin, plays squash for the university team, performs original music at Austin open mics, and calls school “my side hustle now.” In this episode: the battle robot class that sparked the idea, leading a team of peers when nothing he tried worked, imposter syndrome on calls with executives three times his age, and why there are “no miracle people.”Try Makistry: makistry.aiParth on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/parth-mehta100/

Arnav Gupta is a freshman at Stanford running a full-time startup. Athira connects students with tutors in under 30 seconds for 15-25 minute micro-tutoring sessions — and the AI behind it is learning how great tutors sense confusion, adapt their tone, and personalize in real time. In this episode, Arnav talks about meeting his co-founder through Y Combinator's matching platform before even starting college, launching to 500 users in two weeks, why he thinks LinkedIn is making high schoolers worse, and the ethical line between supplementing human teachers and replacing them.

🔗 Learn more about Athira: https://athira.tech

🔗 Connect with Arnav: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arnav-gupta-bb7a06232/

Most high schoolers can't even imagine leading initiatives that shape their community and inspire the next generation, unless they see the power in their own voice. Kashika Khurana shows how young leaders can rewrite the STEM story and foster confidence that defies age and stereotypes.In this episode, Kashika shares her story in founding three distinct non-profits, each with the goal of empowering young people. She discusses how AI literacy workshops are helping elementary and middle schoolers to not just consume technology but to understand and build it — turning them into the creators of tomorrow’s AI. Kashika’s unique perspective on creativity, problem-solving, and activism in STEM proves that age is just a number when you have conviction and a clear vision.Want to be on the podcast yourself, or know somebody who might be a good fit? Reach out to us ⁠here:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScTL0DCjge6Tztd_JqaK1egBpmZOcM5ZgMukDmr-l0qhWS8HQ/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=103306181892351881850

Sudhanva Athreya ran a financial services company before 21. Now he's building SportSense — an AI-powered platform that wants to change how fans follow sports by making it personal. In this episode, Sudhanva talks about what he learned leading a team with no technical background, losing a co-founder to a $150K job offer, and why he believes ideas are worthless without the people willing to execute them.Learn more about SportSense: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sportssenseco/Connect with Sudhanva: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sudhanvaaathreya/Want to be on the podcast yourself, or know somebody who might be a good fit? Reach out to us ⁠here:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScTL0DCjge6Tztd_JqaK1egBpmZOcM5ZgMukDmr-l0qhWS8HQ/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=103306181892351881850

Akku Kumar was sitting at DFW, four hours into an eight-hour delay, when something clicked. Two years later, he's got contracts with multiple airports and a team building technology to fix one of air travel's most annoying problems. We talk about the 80 customer interviews it took to find the right problem, why five co-founders didn't work out, and what he's sacrificed to build Arrow Analytics while finishing his master's at Texas A&M.Want to be on the podcast yourself, or know somebody who might be a good fit? Reach out to us ⁠at [email protected].

In this episode, we interview Vir Sanghavi and Wyatt Wolfman, the young founders of Tilt, a platform that aims to improve online communication by turning dialogue into data. They discuss the technology behind Tilt, including its unique logic scoring system, and how it seeks to combat the echo chambers prevalent in online discussions. The conversation also covers their experiences as young entrepreneurs, the challenges of balancing education with startup life, and their plans for scaling.

Join us on the Startup Storybook podcast for an engaging conversation with Logan Russell, founder of Runner's High Cookies. What started as a passion for baking and a knack for balancing school and business has grown into a thriving cookie enterprise. In this episode, Logan shares his journey from a college student to a successful entrepreneur, discussing the challenges of managing a business while pursuing a degree in urban planning. Discover how Logan's commitment to community and innovation has shaped his approach to entrepreneurship, and learn about the unique flavors and creative strategies that set Runner's High Cookies apart. Tune in to hear Logan's story of resilience, community, and the sweet rewards of following your passion.

Young entrepreneur Mahir Laul shares how Velric is using AI to replace outdated resumes with dynamic proof-of-work missions, making hiring faster, fairer, and more accurate for recruiters and candidates alike.

Join us on the Startup Storybook podcast for an eye-opening chat with Mahir Laul, founder of Velric, who's on a mission to eliminate resumes forever. As a self-taught entrepreneur who took a leave from college to build his startup, Mahir explains how his frustration with inflated resumes and inefficient hiring sparked the idea for an AI-driven platform that scores candidates based on real-world missions tailored to their skills.

In this episode, Mahir dives into Velric's innovative scoring system, anti-cheat measures, and how it cuts pre-screening time by up to 45%. We explore his journey from high school hustles to pitching investors, the future of education in an AI world, and why locking in with relentless work is key to entrepreneurial success. Tune in for practical advice on validating ideas quickly, embracing AI tools, and turning bold visions into reality.

Chapters00:00 Intro and Welcome02:00 Why Mahir Hates Resumes05:30 How Velric's AI Scoring Works10:15 Preventing Cheating with AI Missions15:00 Candidate Onboarding and Proof of Work20:30 Sourcing Missions from AI25:00 Mahir's Entrepreneurial Journey35:00 Early Hustles and Lessons Learned45:00 Networking and Building Connections55:00 The Future of Education and Upskilling1:00:00 Advice for Young Entrepreneurs1:05:00 Devil's Advocate: Defending the Resume1:10:00 Where to Find Velric

Discover More about Mahir below:

Velric: https://velric.ai/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahir-laul-a77b11224

Want to be on the podcast yourself, or know somebody who might be a good fit? Reach out to us ⁠here.

Help us in our mission to encourage the next generation of college entrepreneurs! If this content interests you, please let us know by following the podcast and most importantly sharing it with a friend! Lastly, help us build a community by commenting below your thoughts on the episode!

#CollegeStartups #YoungEntrepreneurs #AIHiring #StartupStorybook #VelricAI

Co-founders Colt Waller and Ryder McNeal return to share how Prevo Streaming is revolutionizing the world of short films by giving student filmmakers a platform to shine and connect with industry pros.

Join us on the Startup Storybook podcast for an engaging follow-up with Colt Waller and Ryder McNeal, co-founders of Prevo Streaming. Both SMU film alumni, they recount their paths from aspiring producers to creating a service that rescues high-quality student short films from hard drives. Ryder, returning from a prior episode, and Colt discuss how cold calls ignited their partnership, Prevo's growth from a basic app to a hub with newsletters, podcasts, and talent spotlights, and the scrappy drive fueling success in Hollywood.

In this episode, they explore balancing jobs, grad school, and startup demands, the power of optimism and collaboration, and how SMU's outsider status sparked innovation. They offer advice for college entrepreneurs on starting early, persisting, and acting on ideas via competitions or side hustles. Tune in to learn how Prevo builds a filmmaker pipeline and inspires your own ventures.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

00:40 Colt’s Background and Journey to Prevo

02:30 Ryder’s Story and the Spark for Prevo

09:00 The Problem Prevo Solves for Student Filmmakers

12:00 Evolving Prevo: From Streaming to Spotlighting Talent

18:00 Balancing School, Jobs, and Startup Growth

22:00 Challenges in the Film Industry and Staying Optimistic

30:00 Lessons in Collaboration and Thinking Outside the Box

48:35 Advice for Freshmen: Start Now and Find Balance

52:45 Wrapping Up: Where to Find Prevo

Discover More about Colt and Ryder below:Prevo Streaming: https://prevostreaming.com/LinkedIn (Colt): https://www.linkedin.com/in/colt-wallerLinkedIn (Ryder): https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryder-mcneal

Want to be on the podcast yourself, or know somebody who might be a good fit? Reach out to us ⁠here.

Help us in our mission to encourage the next generation of college entrepreneurs! If this content interests you, please let us know by following the podcast and most importantly sharing it with a friend! Lastly, help us build a community by commenting below your thoughts on the episode!

#CollegeStartups #YoungEntrepreneurs #FilmInnovation #StartupStorybook #PrevoStreaming