May 13, 2026

Why You Must Love the Problem You Solve - Caleb Avery - S6 - E11

16 minutes

This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz, helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing [email protected] with the subject line Founder’s Life.

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👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – Caleb Avery

Website: https://tilled.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caleb-avery/

What does it really take to build a fintech company from scratch?

In this episode, Caleb Avery, Founder and CEO of Tilled, shares his journey from going door-to-door selling payment solutions at 19 to building a company redefining embedded payments with “PayFac as a Service.”

Caleb opens up about the early days of entrepreneurship, the reality of startup life, and a defining moment during COVID when he had to decide whether to go all-in on his business while supporting a growing family.

We also discuss why balance may be a myth, how to be intentional with time, and why founders must choose problems they’re willing to commit to for the long term.

What you’ll learn:

- Why most founders misunderstand “balance”
- How Caleb built a fintech company from real market needs
- The importance of being intentional with your time
- Why passion for the problem matters more than the idea
- How to think long-term as an entrepreneur