TechCrunch's Found podcast, which has been bringing listeners the stories behind startups since April 2022, released its final episode today.
I've been one of Found's hosts since November 2022, and in that time I've talked to over 75 founders about the startups they're building. These founders come from a variety of backgrounds and are building businesses in areas ranging from AI to climate change, e-commerce, higher education, and everything in between.
Now that the show is no longer offering new episodes, I decided to look back at some of my favorite episodes.
You may notice that many of these have a consistent theme. The best founders to talk to weren't all the time trying to sell us their product or making lofty claims about their company or their industry. Instead, many of these founders provided clear-sighted accounts of both the founding of their companies and the trials and anxieties of startup life.
The next 15 episodes are definitely my favorites I've been a part of. These episodes are listed in reverse chronological order when they were released, as opposed to my actual ranking. You're not going to get that from me.
Guest: Howie Liu, Airtable Co-Founder and CEO
What the company does: No-code app platform
Episode release date: October 22, 2024
Why I love it: I really enjoyed talking to Liu. Airtable has a fascinating story, and Liu tells it well. The fact that the app's design is inspired by Liu's favorite animated movie characters tells you everything you need to know about the tone of this conversation.
Guest: Nick Frosst, Cohere Co-Founder
What the company does: Enterprise AI
Episode release date: August 8, 2024
Why we love it: There's a lot of hype and hyperbole when it comes to the AI startup market today. Mr. Frost does not lean. It was refreshing to talk to the AI founder. Not only does he know his stuff, he can recognize what's being oversold in the AI industry and how his company can adapt to the wave.
Guest: Tade Oyerinde, Campus Director
Company Description: Certified Online Community College
Episode release date: July 18, 2024
Why we love it: The startup ecosystem is mostly about founders trying to iterate on old ideas. While this approach is effective and often profitable, it is not always interesting. Campus is one of the few companies I've talked to this year (not focused on climate change) that is actually doing something unique.
Guest: Nicholas Green, Co-Founder and CEO of Thrive Market
What the company does: Membership-based online health grocery platform
Episode release date: April 2, 2024
Why it's popular: Thrive Market could have targeted its online market for healthy snacks and groceries to the type of customers it already has access to. But that wasn't the case, and the reason why makes for a great founding story. Additionally, learning about the logistics of an online grocery store that opened before COVID-19 was very interesting, even for someone who isn't as interested in grocery logistics as I am.
Guest: Rebecca Hu (Glacier Co-Founder)
Company business: Robots that separate recycling
Episode release date: March 12, 2024
Why we like it: Glacier's approach to using computer vision to train robots to separate recycling seems like a glimpse into the future of reduce, reuse, and recycle. Hu also shares some interesting anecdotes about what it's like to found an AI company in the era of AI cleaning. Additionally, robots have names.
Guest: Beatrice Dixon, Co-Founder and CEO of The Honey Pot (acquired by Compass Diversified)
Business: Sanitary products
Episode release date: February 6, 2024
Why we like it: The story of Honey Pot's founding is fascinating, and Dixon is quite the storyteller. This episode also shows the sheer grit of getting a startup off the ground, but it also details the great reward you get at the end of all that work.
Guest: Ben Goodwin, Olipop Co-Founder and CEO
Company business: Prebiotic soda
Episode release date: January 24, 2024
Why we love it: Olipop is a wild company to follow as the gut-healthy soda market has exploded in recent years. I had a great time talking with Mr. Goodwin. Despite being CEO, he still mixes all of the brand's flavors himself. He answered the phone while drinking coffee from a wine tumbler. This will explain how this happened.
Guest: Neil Batlibala
What the company does: Connect underserved communities to quality care.
Episode release date: November 28, 2023
Why we like it: Batlibala cracked the code on leveraging government resources to further the impact of startups. Batrivala and his pair team's work has become a hot topic in the startup ecosystem as the company strives to improve the lives of America's most vulnerable people, who are often overlooked by the tech industry as a whole. There is.
Guest: Abhi Ramesh, Founder and CEO, Misfits Market
What the company is: An online grocery store that sells ugly produce and mispackaged items.
Episode release date: October 31, 2024
Why we love it: Ramesh was incredibly candid about the founding story behind Misfits Market and all the hurdles he faced to get the company off the ground. This episode was also recorded shortly after the Misfits acquired rival Imperfect Foods, so there's a lot of useful information on how to merge companies as well.
Guest: Graham Hine, co-founder and director (former CEO) of ePlant
Features: Monitor tree health using AI sensors.
Episode release date: September 5, 2023
Why we love it: This startup uses AI to talk to trees. Hine was not your typical Silicon Valley founder, in the best sense of the word. And it was fun to chat with a company that is trying to solve the big problem of tree health, but in a very fun way. We also hear about Hines' favorite tree.
Guest: Rebecca Rosenberg, Founder and CEO of ReBokeh
Company business: Assistive technology for people with low vision
Episode release date: August 1, 2023
Why we love it: People with disabilities are often completely ignored by technological innovations. So it was really cool to hear from a founder who is building innovative technology for people with visual impairments and doing it in a way that is grounded in her personal experience. Mr. Rosenberg is also wise beyond his years.
Guest: Kamakshi Sivaramakrishnan, Founder and CEO of Samooha (now part of Snowflake)
Feature: Secure data collaboration
Episode release date: May 16, 2023
Why we like it: Sivaramakrishnan is a force to be reckoned with in the tech world. She signed the papers to sell her first startup while in the hospital preparing to give birth, and then launched and sold another startup. There are many lessons to be learned from this.
Guest: Ben Lamb, Founder and CEO of Colossal Biosciences
Content: Conservation by bringing back extinct species
Episode release date: March 21, 2023
Why we love it: You may go into this episode confused as to why a tech startup would want to bring a woolly mammoth back to life, but you'll leave thinking the idea makes perfect sense. Dew. Mr. Lam is a fascinating speaker and the science behind the company is endlessly interesting.
Guest: Matt Rogers, Mill Founder and CEO
Company business: Home food composter and recycler
Episode release date: March 7, 2023
Why we like it: Rogers has an interesting background before starting Mill, including developing the original iPhone and founding the Nest smart thermometer company. Rogers is hilarious and his quips and anecdotes alone are worth the time to read.
Guest: Mir Hwang, Founder and CEO of GigFinesse
What the company does: Gig booking software
Episode release date: January 17, 2023
Why we like it: Hwang is a fascinating founder. From pretending to be your own booking agent to using someone else's dorm room to launch this startup, there are plenty of fun stories here. Additionally, GigFinesse's live booking tool is pretty great in its own right.