Allen Saakyan's Simulation, Discussing The Future Of Humanity
We are proud to have Allen Saakyan on our show today. Not only do I get the pleasure of interviewing him, I had the privilege of being interviewed for his podcast, Simulation, as well!
Allen Saakyan, Simulation
We are proud to have Allen Saakyan on our show today. Not only do I get the pleasure of interviewing him, but I also had the privilege of being interviewed for his podcast, Simulation, as well! This episode will be a little different as we go back and forth asking questions for both of our podcasts, you won’t want to miss it!
Growing up, Allen knew he was destined to take a different path. He was always curious, which drove him to wonder why so many people always took the same path. His quest became to figure out how could he help people desire to take their own path? Fast forward, and now he is the successful founder of Simulation, a podcast that facilitates humanity’s most thought-provoking questions. He also is the host of World’s Fair, a festival with mind-blowing technology and futuristic talks. Listen in to hear more about:
- Allen's meaning of Simulation
- How people are working to make the world a better place
- Why mentorship is so crucial
- How Allen is working to bring back the iconic World’s Fair
- The need to talk about the future and why it is important
- What is the most beautiful thing in the world
The Single Greatest Piece of Advice:
Members of the "A-list" can listen to exclusive A-list bonus clips here! If you are not a member yet be sure to join the Ambition Today A-list!
Quote Of The Episode:
“Value is determined by a person's passion to change the world and make it a better place”
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Listen to this episode now:
The A-List
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Thank you for listening!
Thank you so much for listening and applying these useful tips and strategies to your life! If you have a chance, please drop by and leave a review for the show on iTunes by clicking here. Also, who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…
Transcript:
You can find the full transcript of this episode here.
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Gabe Zichermann's Onward Helps You Achieve Tech-Life Balance
Author, public speaker, and entrepreneur are just a few great titles for today’s guest, Gabe Zichermann. He is the CEO and Founder of Onward, a company that helps you achieve tech-life balance.
Gabe Zichermann, Gamification
Author, public speaker, and entrepreneur are just a few great titles for today’s guest, Gabe Zichermann. He is the CEO and Founder of Onward, a company that helps you achieve tech-life balance. Gabe is also known for his expertise on the topic of Gamification. Having written three books, “The Gamification Revolution”, “Gamification by Design” and “Game-Based Marketing”.
Gabe grew up in Toronto with his two parents that immigrated from Hungary and Romania. He had a passion for games from a young age of 8 when he got his first computer, a Commodore VIC-20, and programmed his first computer game. After college, his first big success was Trimedia, which he sold in 2005. From there Gabe helped define the field of Gamification. In this episode, we get to discuss Gabe's full background, both the ups and downs of life, including:
The power of games and their application to the rest of the world
What is "Gamification"
How to recognize when to change your life
Why it can be so important to take a step back
The importance of doing the self work as an entrepreneur
His success with building Trimedia
Growing his newest company Onward
The future of tech-life balance
Ambition Today Question of the Day™ :
“On the topic of tech life balance, how do you recommend people keep themselves in check?”
The Single Greatest Piece of Advice Gabe Has Ever Learned:
Join the Ambition Today A-list to listen now!
Quote Of The Episode:
“The most important thing is to understand who you are and what your strengths and weaknesses are, and be able to name it”
Links from this episode:
Listen to this episode now:
Join the shows A-list backchannel for exclusive access to additional Ambition Today content, deeper guest insights, a community of fellow fans, and much more. Plus, Learn the single greatest piece of advice this guest has ever learned!
Thank you so much for listening and applying these useful tips and strategies to your life! If you have a chance, please drop by and leave a review for the show on iTunes by clicking here. Also, who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…
You can find the full transcript of this episode here.
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How to Create Products People Love
Building a product that people like is hard, and building a product that people love is even harder. Last week I recorded this webinar with two of our excellent Founder Institute New York mentors: Patrick Schoonveld and Alberto Escalarte!
Building a product that people like is hard, and building a product that people love is even harder. Last week I recorded the webinar above with two of our excellent Founder Institute New York mentors: Patrick Schoonveld and Alberto Escalarte!
Through the video both Patrick and Alberto discuss how to better understand, discover and interpret customer pain points. Along with how to use those insights to inform your product development. They also answered several questions from the audience by suggesting many tools, software, and tips to help you think about how you are building your product today. Click play on the video above to watch now.
Alberto Escarlate - CTO, Throwing Fruit
Alberto Escarlate is a mix of entrepreneur, product strategist, investor, designer and professor. Before joining Throwing Fruit he was the CEO of Paris-based startup FileChat and before that worked as a VC at the Collaborative Fund. Alberto co-founded Causely (f.k.a. Sojo), a company that provides joyful and accessible ways for people to join with others to do lasting social good. Throughout his career he has led a number of digital products for companies including AT&T, Delta, General Motors, IBM and Kraft Foods.
Patrick Schoonveld - Product Management Director, Criteo
Product management leader with over 15 years of experience across the full lifecycle of software product development. From assessing the market opportunity to launch and on to growth, his passion is building great software products and businesses.
How Adeo Ressi Empowered 2,700+ People To Become Startup Founders
Over the summer we sat down with Adeo Ressi, the CEO of the Founder Institute, a startup accelerator program that operates in nearly 200 cities worldwide.
Adeo Ressi
Over the summer we sat down with Adeo Ressi, the CEO of the Founder Institute, a startup accelerator program that operates in nearly 200 cities worldwide. Throughout his time as a founder, Adeo has pioneered innovations in the protection of founder rights, the raising of early-stage capital and the scaling of new businesses.
Previous to the Founder Institute, Adeo has helped to create nearly $2 billion in shareholder value by founding or running nine businesses, including TheFunded, Game Trust, Xceed and Total New York. Adeo previously served on the Board of the X Prize Foundation to pursue his interests in space exploration and techniques to motivate human achievement. Throughout this episode it is clear that Adeo is passionate about mentoring Founders, space exploration, inspiring people to achieve their greatness, and more which includes:
The personality traits of the best founders
How The Funded improved transparency in the VC industry
The role fluid intelligence plays in entrepreneurs
How Adeo helped 2,700 plus founders grow through the Founder Institute
Managing your investors and protecting your equity
How to build startup ecosystems
Why maintaining focus and avoiding distractions is mission critical
How do you give meaning to your life's work
Ambition Today Question of the Day™:
"What is the end game? Where do you see Founder Institute and all your life’s work going?"
Quote Of The Episode:
"There are a lot of shiny things in the sand, that look very appealing to you and may be a cause for you to think about pivoting or adjusting the business model. I can tell you that most of the shiny things in the sand are not diamonds, they are knives waiting to kill you. You have to be very, very, very diligent to remain focused on your core mission"
Links from this episode:
Thank you so much for listening and applying these useful tips and strategies to your life! If you have a chance, please drop by and leave a review for the show on iTunes by clicking here. Also, who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…
You can find the full transcript of this episode here.
Be sure to listen and subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform.
Listen to this episode now:
Join the shows A-list backchannel for exclusive access to additional Ambition Today content, deeper guest insights, a community of fellow fans, and much more. Plus, learn the single greatest piece of advice this guest has ever learned!
Andrew Weinrich Is Predicting Our Future
On this episode Andrew Weinrich sits down with us at his offices in Brooklyn New York. Andrew is the founder of Andrews Roadmaps and the host of the new "Predicting Our Future" podcast.
Andrew Weinrich
On this episode Andrew Weinrich sits down with us at his offices in Brooklyn New York. Andrew is the founder of Andrews Roadmaps and the host of the new "Predicting Our Future" podcast.
As a serial entrepreneur, Andrew created the first ever social network called, Six Degrees. At its height, SixDegrees had around 3,500,000 fully registered members before being bought by YouthStream Media Networks in 1999 for $125 million. In more recent years, Andrew has sold 2 more businesses including Xtify and Meet-Moi. He is currently the co-founder and Chairman of Indicative, a data analytics startup. He also hosts Predicting Our Future, a podcast about the next revolutions in technology. Andrew shares many incredible lessons from his experience over the last 20 years, such as:
- How the first social network, Six Degrees, was created
- What it was like to exit a company for over $100 million
- How Social Networking has changed over the last 20 years
- The future of Social Media
- What ties all of Andrew's companies together
- How to ride the "wave" of new technologies as they emerge
- How he is Predicting Our Future
Ambition Today Question of the Day™:
"What advice do you have for people who are obsessing over getting rich and making a large amount of money to solve all of their problems?
Quote Of The Episode:
"You want to be a critical thinker. Investors assume first and foremost, that whatever plan you have is wrong. That whatever you launch won't be right, it will require pivoting. The question is are you someone who is capable of pivoting? If you're a critical thinker, you will be capable of pivoting."
"Entrepreneurs take advantage of moments in history. They are not determinative of those moments."
Links from this episode:
- Andrew Weinrich on Twitter
- Andrew Weinrich Linkedin
- Andrew's Roadmaps
- Predicting Our Future podcast
- SixDegrees.com
- Founder Institute New York
- Toptal
- Audible
Thank you so much for listening and applying these useful tips and strategies to your life! If you have a chance, please drop by and leave a review for the show on iTunes by clicking here. Also, who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…
Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today on iTunes Store Apple Podcasts for iOS, on Google Play Music or Stitcher for Android.
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How Matt Rodak Plans To Fund Every House Flip In America with Fund That Flip
Any amount of research into the seemingly eternal-growing market of real estate investment will almost surely make one familiar with Matt Rodak, Founder and CEO of Fund That Flip.
Matt Rodak
Any amount of research into the seemingly eternal-growing market of real estate investment will almost surely make one familiar with Matt Rodak. The 2007 John Carroll grad is the founder and CEO of Fund That Flip, a company which allows anyone to apply for fast and affordable funding in the rehabilitative real estate investment business. The New York based startup had already raised $2 million by April 2016, shortly after graduating from Manhattan's Entrepreneur Roundtable Accelerator in the summer of 2015 and Founder Institute New York prior to that. Fund That Flip finds its niche by bridging the gap between accredited investors and vetted real estate rehab projects in the U.S.
On this episode of Ambition Today, Matt Rodak discusses his seemingly inevitable entrepreneurial roots (despite his "best efforts") as the son of a business owner. He explains how his relationship with his father, and him owning his own company before and during college, led to Matt's on-again, off-again kinship with business ownership. Today, Matt capitalizes on the experiences of his youth by taking action to solve the problems he notices in his industry, such as streamlining the loan application process for prospective "flippers". We hear about his journey to where he is, his advice on how to get there, and much more:
Maturing in an entrepreneurial-spirited family.
Paying for college by advancing a teenage lawn-mowing gig to a profitable business that he was able to sell during his sophomore year at JCU.
Being introduced to the real estate market through his early exposure to landscaping.
What to study in college vs. what to leave to education via real-world experience.
Bringing an entrepreneurial spirit to a non-entrepreneurial position at a large business.
Using lessons from upper management to implement starting a business.
Creating a business to streamline and eliminate the fallacies of market norms.
Employing the JOBS Act to capitalize on a brand-new industry.
Ownership vs. Accountability in life.
Ambition Today Question of the Day™:
"How do you align the ambitions of your team with the ambitions of the company?"
Links from this episode:
Thank you so much for listening and applying these useful tips and strategies to your life! If you have a chance, please drop by and leave a review for the show on iTunes by clicking here. Also, who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…
Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS, on Google Play Music or Stitcher for Android.
Listen to this episode now:
Ambition Today Episode Sponsors:
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Founder Institute New York
Jesse Middleton Talks Building WeWork Labs And Investing With Flybridge Capital
Over the years WeWork has grown to become an $16 billion empire of co-working office spaces that are disrupting the traditional real estate markets all over the world. Our guest today, Jesse Middleton, joined the team as the founder of WeWork Labs, the company’s startup focused community. Since then he has helped the company grow into the giant it is today. Recently he has just joined the venture capital firm Flybridge as a General Partner.
Jesse Middleton
Over the years WeWork has grown to become a $16 billion empire of co-working office spaces that are disrupting the traditional real estate markets all over the world. Our guest today, Jesse Middleton, joined the team as the founder of WeWork Labs, the company’s startup focused community. Since then he has helped the company grow into the giant it is today. Recently he has just joined the venture capital firm Flybridge as a General Partner.
Early on with entrepreneurial parents, Jesse learned that he did not have to take the traditional path in life and that he could forge his own future. He started to do just that, as he founded his first company before even going to college. Fast forward to Fast Company magazine once comparing Jesse to Jack Dorsey, then onto his time building WeWork Labs, and now his time as a VC at Flybridge. Jesse has a great story full of many lessons, such as:
Recognizing at an early age the ability to create your own path in life.
The importance of keeping a clear focus at the early stages of a new company.
How Jesse founded WeWork Labs.
Just get started and go.
The lessons from actively helping grow a $16 billion company.
Why long term vision is so important for the founders of companies.
What is next for WeWork Labs.
The intersection of community building and being an investor.
The future of Venture Capital.
Ambition Today Question of the Day™:
“What does Ambition mean to you and how has it driven you?”
Links from this episode:
Thank you so much for listening and applying these useful tips and strategies to your life! If you have a chance, please drop by and leave a review for the show on iTunes by clicking here. Also, who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…
Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS, on Google Play Music or Stitcher for Android.
Listen to this episode now:
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Founder Institute New York
Paul Polizzotto Transforms Advertising Into Real World Positive Social Change With CBS EcoMedia
Serial Social Entrepreneur Paul Polizzotto, who is one of the most passionate and dedicated entrepreneurs I know, joins us for episode 19. Paul is the founder and CEO of CBS EcoMedia, which harnesses the power of advertising and transforms it into a powerful engine for positive social change.
Paul Polizzotto (Eric J. Smith / CBS EcoMedia)
From the CBS EcoMedia office’s in New York City, Serial Social Entrepreneur Paul Polizzotto, who is one of the most passionate and dedicated entrepreneurs I know, joins us for episode 19. Paul is the founder and CEO of CBS EcoMedia, which harnesses the power of advertising and transforms it into a powerful engine for positive social change.
Paul’s personal philosophy and actions around social entrepreneurship over his lifetime have created an incredible story thus far. His journey started in California when he was younger and used to surf the then polluted waters of Santa Monica Bay. Paul noticed that the existing companies in the contract cleaning industry were improperly discharging contaminated water into the storm drains, which then drained into the bay that his friends and him surfed in. His first company Property Prep helped to improve those conditions through a solution that properly disposed of the contaminated water. He now works to improve the world through his most recent company CBS EcoMedia, which was acquired by CBS and funds the most effective non profit companies that are taking on the most urgent social issues of our time. In this episode we also discuss:
Seeing opportunity around you in the world everyday.
How surfing and risk taking has influenced Paul as an entrepreneur.
What happens at the intersection of art and engineering.
Difference between working hard FOR an idea and working hard ON an idea.
How to be receptive to the right ideas in your life.
Paul’s 4 criteria for knowing if an idea is worthwhile to pursue.
How Paul created the national Adopt-A-Waterway Program in the United States.
Using existing business models to transform other industries.
The partnership with CBS that led to EcoMedia being acquired.
If you get exactly what you want, will you have the courage to follow through with it to meet your goals.
Ambition Today Question of the Day™:
How should a person take an idea they have and navigate it into reality?
Links from this episode:
Thank you so much for listening and applying these useful tips and strategies to your life! If you have a chance, please drop by and leave a review for the show on iTunes by clicking here. Also, who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…
Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS, on Google Play Music or Stitcher for Android.
Listen to this episode now:
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Founder Institute New York
David S. Rose Explains How The New Startup Crowdfunding Rules Affect You & His New Book The Startup Checklist
On this episode of Ambition Today David S. Rose explains his new book The Startup Checklist, how the new startup crowdfunding rules affect you & angel investing 101.
David Rose, The Startup Checklist
On this episode of Ambition Today David S. Rose explains his new book The Startup Checklist, how the new startup crowdfunding rules affect you & angel investing 101. A third generation serial entrepreneur, David's new book The Startup Checklist which is now a New York Times Bestseller. David is also the author of the Angel Investing: The Gust Guide to Making Money and Having Fun Investing in Startups, as well as the Founder and CEO at Gust.
A man of many titles: Entrepreneur, Angel Investor, Mentor, and Author; David has had an incredible career starting several businesses. Crain's New York Business has called David "the father of angel investing in New York".
Today we learn about how he got started as a founder, became an angel investor, and where he is now as an Author and CEO. We cover the basics of how angel investing in startups works and unpack what the new SEC crowdfunding rules actually mean for startups, your friends, your family and you. We also learn about:
How an Urban Affairs degree enhanced David's views on business.
Why he started Angel Investing.
How NY Angels was created.
How do you set the foundation for a great startup company.
Angel Investing 101.
What is an Accredited Investor.
How Title 3 of the JOBS Act impacts startups and you.
What the new SEC crowdfunding rules mean if your income or net worth is below $100k.
What the new SEC crowdfunding rules mean if your income or net worth is above $100k.
If a founder decides to fundraise from non-accredited civilians, what do they need to know?
What platforms are enabling crowdfunding right now?
How can you invest in startups now.
Ambition Today Question of the Day™:
Why does success matter in the first place? Why not just live a simple life in a fishing town?
Links from this episode:
Thank you so much for listening and applying these useful tips and strategies to your life! If you have a chance, please drop by and leave a review for the show on iTunes by clicking here. Also, who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…
Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS, on Google Play Music or Stitcher for Android.
Listen to this episode now:
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Founder Institute New York
How Jeff Stewart Helps Loan Money To Strangers All Over The World With Lenddo
Lend an ear as we interview how NY Serial Entrepreneur Jeff Stewart founded numerous companies, including his most recent business, Lenddo.
Lend an ear as we interview how NY Serial Entrepreneur Jeff Stewart founded numerous companies, including his most recent business, Lenddo.
Jeff was a pioneer in the early days of the internet. He started Square Earth in the mid 90's and it eventually got acquired. His second company Mimeo was started in 1998 and is still operating today. Now he is the Founder and Chairman of Lenddo, which uses non-traditional data such as your social media profiles to provide credit scoring and verification to economically empower the emerging middle class around the world. To hear about the rest of Jeff's business ventures and life lessons be sure to check out the whole episode, including:
How Dale Carnegie's writing influenced Jeff's early years.
The advantages of understanding the technology within your products.
How Jeff watched the internet double in size in one day.
Jeff's experience guiding Mimeo through the financial dot com crash.
The parallels between the dot com crash and the 2015-2016 "tech bubble".
What is an Entrepreneur in Residence?
The power of having customers before you have a company.
The pains of being too early to market within an industry.
How do you verify a person's identity?
The importance of having the right team.
How to find the a great advisor!
Ambition Today Question of the Day™:
How important is being the right location to achieving one’s goals?
Links from this episode:
Thank you so much for listening and applying these useful tips and strategies to your life! If you have a chance, please drop by and leave a review for the show on iTunes by clicking here. Also, who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…
Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS, on Google Play Music or Stitcher for Android.
Listen to this episode now:
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Founder Institute New York
Ambition Today: Adam Besvinick Teaches The Art of Hustle and How To Break Into Your Dream Role
Venture Capitalist Adam Besvinick explains the value of pure hustle in pursuing his dreams of breaking into the Startup and Venture Capital industry. Recently named to the Forbes 30 Under 30, Adam has invested in several startup companies as Principal at Deep Fork Capital.
Adam Besvinick, Principal VENTURE CAPITALIST aT Deep Fork Capital
Venture Capitalist Adam Besvinick explains the value of pure hustle in pursuing his dreams of breaking into the Startup and Venture Capital industry. Recently named to the Forbes 30 Under 30, Adam has invested in several startup companies as Principal at Deep Fork Capital.
In episode 14 we explore where Adam came from and how that connects to where he is now. Adam started blogging on VentureMinded.Me years ago and created his own track record through taking ownership of his brand. He has always strived to be continually helpful and add value to others. Through that hustle he previously worked his way into a role at Lowercase Capital to learn from Chris Sacca. Afterword Adam was one of the early employees at Gumroad while going to Harvard Business School. Now Adam is Principal at Deep Fork Capital and has invested in several companies across the country, with a focus on New York City and Silicon Valley. We go over what he looks for in great startups, how he used self-marketing to break into venture capital, and also cover:
The influences of growing up around entrepreneurship.
The value of experiencing life abroad.
How to demonstrate your expertise in a given field.
Why self-marketing is important.
How Twitter can create real world connections.
How constantly being helpful to others, leads to opportunity.
His experience at Duke and Harvard.
The differences between Silicon Valley and New York City.
How being an Investor in New York City is beneficial.
What Adam looks for in startups today.
Exploring some of the Deep Fork Capital portfolio companies.
Ambition Today Question of the Day:
How important is networking?
Links from this episode:
Thank you so much for listening and applying these useful tips and strategies to your life! If you have a chance, please drop by and leave a review for the show on iTunes by clicking here. Also, who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…
Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS and on Stitcher for Android.
Listen to this episode now:
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The Power Of Saying I Don't Know
How saying I don't know can cure rampant lying, faking, and hiding, which permeates every industry and every company across the globe. When stress levels hit high enough they can affect any employee in a company. At times executives and founders are the ones that encounter the most stress and can therefore be most guilty of it. It is called imposter syndrome.
Lying, faking, and hiding is rampant. It permeates every industry and every company across the globe. When stress levels hit high enough it can affect any employee in a company. At times executives and founders are the ones that encounter the most stress and can therefore be most guilty of it. It is called imposter syndrome. It turn's out that there is one simple silver bullet answer to this problem and it is saying:
I don't know.
These 27 minutes of wisdom and honesty by Meghan Messenger exemplify why Meghan is one of the best leaders out there in 2016. Harvard Business Review just named Next Jump as one of it's only three Deliberately Developmental Organizations.
It turns out that lying takes twice as much energy in your brain than telling the truth and it is done to avoid being judged. Here is what you can do instead:
- Listen: Do not default to just repeating what you have heard, actually listen.
- Internalize: Personalize what you have just heard to your own life. (Use empathy)
- Operationalize: Go execute with a real understanding.
Along with the benefit of actually understanding each unique situation your in, there is one more key advantage as well. When you say "I don't know" you open yourself up to get help and feedback from other people. This is the most powerful benefit to keeping this mentality. It will open you up to new knowledge and therefore help you grow as an individual extremely fast. Check out Meghan's video below to hear the full story and a bit more of the story behind the the power of saying I don't know .
Note: TP stands for Talking Partner. Its a program where Next Jumpers are paired off and meet daily. These partners develop relationships of trust and help each other grow through advice and support.
Ambition Today: Justin Dombrowski Uncovers The Power Of Curiosity, History, Bitcoin, & Education In Life
Break out your pen and paper and get ready to take notes because you will be tested on this episode! Justin Dombrowski, Principal at Historiocity teaches some incredible lessons during Episode #11 of Ambition Today.
Break out your pen and paper and get ready to take notes because you will be tested on this episode! Justin Dombrowski, Principal at Historiocity teaches some incredible lessons during Episode #11 of Ambition Today.
One of my favorite quotes from this episode perfectly embodies Justin's strong curiosity from a young age:
"I was trying to figure what kind of things best explained the world that I was interested in."
Justin has more degrees than you can count from institutions such as Columbia and Oxford. The real question though is why? Listen in to find out what Justin thinks of his personal experience with the formal education he has received and how he compares it to the world of entrepreneurship.
Through all his education Justin has become an expert on world history. We talk about what the past can teach us and ask the question: does history repeat itself? In his post academic life Justin now applies his intellect as an expert in the world of Cryptography, Bitcoin, and Financial Technology. Episode 11 of Ambition Today is packed with the following:
The power of curiosity.
How to manage curiosity.
How the access to information is changing education.
The value of formal education in the modern world.
How to use history to understand today.
Does history repeat itself?
How core human behavior is the golden thread unifying history across centuries.
Who is Satoshi Nakamoto?
What is the future of Bitcoin.
How will Bitcoin impact the world.
The importance of living life.
Ambition Today Question of the Day:
What kind of education is most valuable?
Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS and on Stitcher for Android.
Ambition Today Podcast Sponsors:
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Ambition Today: John Federico, Co-Founder Of Event Hero On The Future Of Podcasting, Marketing, and Superman
What an event episode ten of Ambition Today is as Jon Federico, co-founder of Event Hero and @GadgetBoy himself comes on the show all the way from warm and sunny Austin, Texas.
What an event episode ten of Ambition Today is as Jon Federico, co-founder of Event Hero and @GadgetBoy himself comes on the show all the way from warm and sunny Austin, Texas.
Ever wonder why most podcasts are sponsored by Audible.com? Today we a speaking with John Federico who years ago worked at Audible and invented the podcast affiliate program. Through the years he also worked at Advance Internet, Blog Talk Radio, and more. He is now the co-founder of Event Hero which is the first integration Platform-as-a-Service for event technologies. He also hosts the EventTech Podcast is all about event technologies where John interviews EventTech company CEO’s and product managers, industry thought leaders and event organizers. If you are a new startup founder and want to better understand the world of podcasting, audio, and marketing this episode is for you.
How an economic crash can influence you years later.
Why the medium of audio matters.
Recognizing when life deals you an opportunity and capitalizing on it.
Understand the world of podcasts.
How John created the Audible Podcast Affiliate program at Audible.com.
Making the leap from employee to entrepreneur.
How to re-brand your company.
Who would win in a fight: Batman or Superman?
The future of podcasting.
Using content marketing such as blogging or writing a book to grow your brand.
Winning the battle for people's time and attention.
Ambition Today Question of the Day:
What is the optimal work life balance that let's you enjoy success and make all the time and energy worthwhile?
Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS and on Stitcher for Android.
Links from this episode:
Who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…
Listen to this episode now:
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Ambition Today: Jeff Wald, Co-founder of Work Market, talks Harvard, NYPD, Venture Capital, Startups, and Mentoring
On episode eight Jeff Wald, Co-founder and President of Work Market and his incredibly charitable no shave Movember mustache join Ambition Today. "The only thing I know with 100% certainty is that it ain't going down like this." - Jeff Wald
Jeff Wald, Work Market
On episode eight Jeff Wald, Co-founder and President of Work Market join's Ambition Today.
"The only thing I know with 100% certainty is that it ain't going down like this." - Jeff Wald
Jeff Wald’s background is nothing short of impressive. He started at Cornell University and then went to J.P. Morgan. He then went back to school at Harvard for an MBA. After Harvard Jeff spent time at Glen Rock Group before going on to Co-found Spin Back. The wild ride of Spinback, his first startup, took Jeff to almost moving back home after coming close to running out of money. The answer was to rebuild the business which later ended up getting acquired. After acquisition Jeff went to Barington Capital Group, and finally to his current company where he is the Co-founder and President of Work Market. Did I mention he was also an auxiliary member of the NYPD as well? This is an episode packed full of insights:
Is getting a Master's of Business Administration worth the return on investment?
Should you start a company or get an MBA?
The value of spending time with Entrepreneurs.
How to break into Venture Capital.
Leaving a job in Venture Capital to start a new company.
How to attract high quality investors in your startups such as Fred Wilson from Union Square Ventures, Spark Capital, and Softbank.
The one question you should start every meeting with.
The four different types of conversations.
Differences between Advisors and Mentors.
The importance of giving back to others
The Ambition Today Question of the Day:
Who would win in a fight, Batman vs Superman?
Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS and on Stitcher for Android.
Links from this episode:
Work Market, Acquired by ADP
@JeffreyWald on Twitter
Why I Mentor by Jeff Wald in the Huffington Post
NYPD Blue -- What I Learned About Startups Patrolling the Streets of New York City by Jeff Wald in the Huffington Post
NYPD Auxiliary Officer program
Who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…
Listen to this episode now:
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Why I Mentor by Jeff Wald
This is a guest post from Founder Institute New York Mentor Jeff Wald titled "Why I Mentor" as was originally published in Huffington Post. Jeff has asked me to share the post and it contains some incredibly valuable insight on the Mentor / Mentee relationship.
Jeff Wald
This is a guest post from Founder Institute New York mentor Jeff Wald titled "Why I Mentor" as was originally published in Huffington Post. Jeff has asked me to share the post and it contains some incredibly valuable insight on the Mentor / Mentee relationship. My favorite quote from it is:
"I believe we have an obligation to help fellow travelers."
Jeff Wald is Co-Founder and President of Work Market, the leading enterprise-class platform for the management of contract and freelance talent. Jeff has a long track record as a successful entrepreneur across the technology and services landscape. He has successfully built and sold multiple tech companies, including SpinBack to Buddy Media, which was subsequently purchased by Salesforce.com for $800 million.
Why I Mentor
by Jeff Wald
A startup founder recently asked me a simple, yet startling, question during our monthly meetings. We have been working together for nearly two years, and as with all startups she has had her ups and downs. We have had all manner of conversations over the years and yet, in this one instance, her simple question floored me - "When I asked if you would be my mentor, why did you say yes?"
The first thing that surprised me was that she said "mentor" and not "adviser". I have the pleasure of advising many companies. This means that I meet with them every now and again to offer some thoughts on a discrete problem, or I make an introduction or two. However, my relationship here was different. I was more than an adviser. I was a mentor to her. We meet once a month and I know a tremendous amount about her business, where she has been and where she hopes to go. I am proud to be her mentor so I wanted to provide an honest answer.
After collecting myself, I explained that there were three reasons why I said yes, in no particular order of importance:
- She was the first to ask.
- Mentoring helps reinforce the lessons I'm learning at my own company.
- I believe we have an obligation to help fellow travelers.
She was the first to ask. She and I met at The Founders Institute (FI), an organization where I have been teaching for some years. The FI is the world's largest entrepreneur training and startup launch program with chapters across 50 countries. In each chapter "experienced" founders teach a series of classes to aspiring founders.
Many of the students I have taught over the years will email and ask if they can discuss their businesses. I am always happy to help, so I'll meet with them and offer candid feedback on their ideas. These aspiring founders frequently end our time together by asking to return when their plans have progressed. I would always say yes, but few have ever returned. Some never make any progress; some don't like the very direct feedback I am prone to give; some presumably just forget to follow up. So when asked why I agreed to mentor her, part of the answer was simply that she asked. I had time and she asked, so I said yes. If someone had asked before her, then I really would not have had the time.
Mentoring helps reinforce the lessons I am learning at my own company. I have learned a great many things on my entrepreneurial journey at Work Market: mistakes I hopefully won't repeat, important lessons to refer back to and valuable insights from colleagues. Mentoring this founder and hearing about her own struggles and breakthroughs has forced me to reflect on when we were at a similar stage as a company. Offering her advice and describing the opportunities we missed (we all miss many) helps to codify these hard-won lessons and prepares me for my next adventure.
We have an obligation to help fellow travelers. I have walked this tumultuous, crazy, startup path three times. It's one of the hardest journeys you will ever take. It will test limits you never knew you had and then demand you to push beyond them. So, when the journey ends, regardless of the outcome, you have gained invaluable experience. Pass it along. I can promise you this: whatever outcome you had, you didn't get there alone. You had co-founders, colleagues, investors, mentors, advisers, customers, and of course friends and family that all helped in sometimes small, but many times, immeasurable ways. You owe it to them, as well as to yourself, to help others who are embarking upon that similar difficult path. No one can make it alone.
If you have made it to the end of a startup journey, and if you have the time, stretch out your hand and help the next traveler. They will be grateful and you will greatly benefit as well.
And in the meantime, check out what Beatriz and her team at DADA have built.
Ambition Today: Beatriz Helena Ramos, Founder & CEO of DADA Restores Power To The Artist
Beatriz Helena Ramos, Founder and CEO of Dancing Diablo & DADA. After moving from Venezuela to find success in America, Beatriz thought that would be the hardest thing she ever had to do. Then she started her first business.
Beatriz Helena Ramos
On episode 7 Beatriz Helena Ramos, Founder and CEO of Dancing Diablo & DADA is with us.
Her most recent startup, DADA is a visual conversation platform for artists and art enthusiasts.
Founded 14 years ago, Dancing Diablo is is live action and animation production company based in DUMBO, Brooklyn, with a sister company in Caracas, Venezuela. The company has directed over a 100 spots including TV commercials, promos and videos for the web whose clients include: Coca Cola, Jet Blue, Chip's Ahoy, Bayer, General Mills, Kraft, PNC Bank, Tums, Oreo, Bronx Zoo , Movistar, Alka Seltzer, Ralph Lauren, University of North Carolina, Whirpool, Stouffer's, Toyota, Wendy's, Sesame Workshop, PBS, Nickelodeon, MTV, Disney, ESPN, among others.
After moving from Venezuela to find success in America, Beatriz thought that would be the hardest thing she ever had to do. Then she started her first business and learned that was not going to be true anymore. During this episode we go through:
Starting a brick and mortar Comic book store in Venezuela
Moving to America to find success
Working for MTV and Disney
Who would win in a fight, Batman vs Superman?
Running a remote office in another country
How to restore power to the artists
How to find impactful Mentor's and Advisors
The Ambition Today Question of the Day:
What is Ambition to you?
Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS and on Stitcher for Android.
Links from this episode:
Who should I interview next? Please let me know on Twitter or in the comments. Do you enjoy this podcast? If so, please leave a short review in the comments below. It keeps me going…
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Investing In Moonshots
There is a reason that the header image on this site is a scene from the movie Tomorrowland. I believe thats startups can work to build a better tomorrow. I believe when that work is applied to tremendous goals, like moonshots, it can result in incredible outcomes for a better world.
There is a reason that the header image on this site is a scene from the movie Tomorrowland. I believe thats startups can work to build a better tomorrow. I believe when that work is applied to tremendous goals, like moonshots, it can result in incredible outcomes for a better world.
Moonshots focus on a huge problem, a radical solution and breakthrough technology. It usually takes a particular type of fresh, audacious thinking to even conceive of a moonshot, and then an amazing team with passionate leaders to pursue it.
Urban Enhancement
Human Enhancement
One of the best new ways to think about moonshots is the concept of 10x thinking or thinking exponentially. This weekend I mentored a Team X event in New York City which had 2 challenges. The Urban Enhancement challenge was to focus on a 10x improvement to resolve safety, security and health challenges through Robotics, AI and Biotech. The other challenge was to figure out a Moonshot solution for Human Enhancement, to resolve accessibility and mobility challenges through Robotics, AI and Biotech. Teams for both challenges had some BIG solutions that could change the lives of billions of people on earth.
It is always interesting to encourage people to think bigger. Exponential thinking is a mindset and when applied it can result in 10x or even 100x results. A great example explored this weekend was of what Tesla did with the electric motor and vehicle. Tesla committed to the moonshot. Their mission statement was to accelerate the advent of sustainable transport by bringing compelling mass market electric cars to market as soon as possible. Tesla is now the premier luxury vehicle. Recently it broke consumer reports rating system scoring the car 103 out of 100.
Meanwhile competitor Fiskar built a hybrid gas and electric vehicle. Many investors played it safe and invested in Fiskar as it seemed like a smoother and safer transition to an electric motor future. However, Fiskar failed and went into bankruptcy.
"If you invest in a bridge technology you are likely to be left behind, think 10x" - @jackhidary pic.twitter.com/G5a61dDCl0
— Kevin Siskar (@TheSiskar) November 7, 2015A trend is happening where moonshots are increasing in their success rate over less ambitious ventures. This is enabled by the rapid growth in access to new and emerging technologies. If you invest in a bridge technology you are likely to be left behind. So if you are going to do something, it is time you start thinking bigger about it. Think exponential. Think 10x.
The Best CEO Speech Ever: Charlie Kim, Next Jump
Charlie Kim, founder and CEO of Next Jump, gives one of the best motivational speech's ever at the Founder Institute New York.
At the Founder Institute in New York we have incredible Mentors come every week to mentor the founders of our startup companies. Sometimes we share some of those excellent Mentor presentations. This is one of the best CEO speeches of all time.
This motivational speech was given to the Founder Institute New York by Next Jump CEO Charlie Kim on Branding & Marketing. It includes over $200,000 of free branding knowledge, takes you to the future of the information economy, and also includes lessons from the entrepreneurial ups and downs of growing a billion dollar company. Through the Next Jump Leadership Academy, an invite-only full immersion workshop designed to share and teach programs around our learnings becoming a deliberately developmental organization, Charlie Kim works with some of the best leaders in the world.
Shahab Kaviani of CoFounders Lab, Breezio, and Hyperoffice on Ambition Today
On this episode of Ambition Today, I was joined by serial entrepreneur Shahab Kaviani. Shahab is most notably the co-founder of CoFoundersLab, a global organization helping entrepreneurs find their co-founder and launch lasting new businesses together.
On this episode of Ambition Today, I was joined by serial entrepreneur Shahab Kaviani. Shahab is most notably the co-founder of CoFoundersLab, a global organization helping entrepreneurs find their co-founder and launch lasting new businesses together. Previously he cofounded Hyperoffice and recently he is the co-founder of a new company Breezio, which is a collaboration platform for research scientist to accelerate discoveries through team science.
Today we discuss Shahab's journey through serial entrepreneurship. We explore some questions such as:
When is the right time to replace yourself as CEO?
What to do when Google decides to enter your market?
How to test your companies MVP offline without even building a website?
Who could be the right company to merge with?
The new Ambition Today Question of the Day ( Q.O.T.D.™ )
And More
Be sure to listen and subscribe to Ambition Today in the iTunes Store for iOS and on Stitcher for Android.