Kyle Lacy is the Chief Marketing Officer of Jellyfish—a platform that helps developers make data-backed decisions on resource investments. Across two decades he has built companies like Lessonly, Openview, Salesforce and ExactTarget. He’s also a husband and the father of two kids. In our conversation today we discussed:

* Managing work, life and parenting appropriately

* Handling stress across the different facets of your life

* Dispelling the myth about separation of ‘church and state’ between family and work

* Learning how to put your kids before yourself

* The role of nature vs. nurture in parenting

* The most important invention ever - the pee pee teepee

* How most parenting advice is complete crap

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Where to find Kyle Lacy

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylelacy

* X: https://x.com/kyleplacy

Where to find Adam Fishman

* FishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/

* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/

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In this episode, we cover:

[1:33] Welcome

[2:10] Kyle’s Professional background

[4:26] What life was like growing up

[6:12] Siblings

[6:24] Do your siblings have give you parenting advice?

[6:53] His family now and how he met his wife?

[9:06] Are his kids back to school?

[10:59] Decision to start a family

[12:34] Work/life balance

[15:27] Support network

[17:23] Separation of “church and state”

[19:58] Earliest memory after becoming a father?

[22:43] Dads and emotions

[24:11] Putting kids before yourself

[26:37] Surprising aspect of fatherhood

[28:18] Advice for younger Kyle?

[29:55] Advice to ignore?

[31:29] Fav book to read to kids

[32:14] Nature vs. Nurture

[33:27] Parenting frameworks

[35:29] How Kyle’s parenting style evolved

[38:02] Did parenting change you as a manager?

[40:53] When do he and his partner not align

[44:02] Kid’s relationship to tech

[47:42] Mistake as a father?

[48:33] Follow along

[50:11] Rapid fire

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Show references:

Jellyfish:https://jellyfish.co/

ExactTarget (now Salesforce): https://www.salesforce.com/

Lessonly (now Seismic): https://seismic.com/lessonly/

OpenView: https://openviewpartners.com/

Sam Richard LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-crowell-richard/

Sam Richar Twitter: @SamCRichard

Spokane, Washington: https://www.visittheusa.com/destination/spokane

Indianapolis, Indiana: https://www.visittheusa.com/destination/indianapolis

Anderson University: https://andersonuniversity.edu/

Twitter Marketing for Dummies: https://www.amazon.com/Twitter-Marketing-Dummies-Kyle-Lacy/dp/0470930578

Branding Yourself: How to Use Social Media to Invent or Reinvent Yourself

by Erik Deckers & Kyle Lacy: https://www.amazon.com/Branding-Yourself-Social-Reinvent-Biz-Tech/dp/0789749726

CodeSweep (now HCL Software): https://www.hcl-software.com/appscan/products/appscan-codesweep

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/

Orange Theory: https://www.orangetheory.com/en-us

Greenlight: https://greenlight.com/

Linda Flanagan Episode: youtube.com/watch?v=YLqEX8lZeFI

Pee pee tee pee: https://www.amazon.com/Peepee-Teepee-Sprinkling-WeeWee-Cellophane/dp/B000NM3DFY

What to Expect When You’re Expecting: https://www.amazon.com/What-Expect-When-Youre-Expecting/dp/0761187480

Boston, MA: https://www.boston.gov/

Calvin & Hobbes: https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Calvin-Hobbes-Bill-Watterson/dp/1449433251

Dogman: https://pilkey.com/series/dog-man

Gemstone Dragons: https://www.samanthamclark.com/gemstone-dragons/

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: https://wimpykid.com/

Big Nate: https://www.amazon.com/Lincoln-Popularity-Nothing-Possibly-Strikes/dp/0062968610

Crocs: https://www.crocs.com/

Jibbitz: https://www.crocs.com/c/jibbitz

Josh & Carla’s Episode: youtube.com/watch?v=YiaE6ZmaOIQ

New Balance white shoes: https://www.newbalance.com/men/shoes/all-shoes/

Nike: https://www.nike.com/

Bush’s beans: https://www.bushbeans.com/en_US/

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt: https://www.amazon.com/Anxious-Generation-Rewiring-Childhood-Epidemic/dp/B0C9N2L56X/

Apple Vision pro: https://www.apple.com/apple-vision-pro/

Tesla: https://www.tesla.com/

iPad: https://www.apple.com/ipad/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/

Diaper Genie: https://diapergenie.com/

Colts: https://www.colts.com/

Corvette: https://www.chevrolet.com/upcoming-vehicles/2025-corvette-zr1

Pink Fong: https://www.pinkfong.com/en/

Baby Shark: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNVE4szbMrOZk9IheX8vHbQ

Home Alone: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099785/

Gettysburg: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107007/

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For sponsorship inquiries email: [email protected].

For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com 

Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at http://www.armaziproductions.com/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit startupdadpod.substack.com