Startup Dad

Latest Episodes:

Amazing Parenting Frameworks for You and your Partner | Gaurav Vohra (father of 1, co-founder Superhuman) Nov 02, 2023

Show notes

Gaurav Vohra is the Head of Growth at Superhuman, where he created the fastest email experience ever with his brother as part of the founding team nearly 9 years ago. Gaurav is the child of immigrant parents and decided not to follow in their footsteps at a young age. He is a husband and a father of one toddler!

In this episode we discuss:

* The influence of immigrant parents on his own work ethic and values

* Not following in your parents footsteps

* The challenge and reward of starting a family when each parent has a demanding career

* Starting a company with a sibling and balancing each other out

* Frameworks for days! Vertical Responsibility Management and Delete - Automate - Delegate

* Division of labor in their household using these frameworks

* Developing a system for getting great childcare

* Rapid fire!

Listen, watch and subscribe: Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and Overcast.

—

Where to find Gaurav Vohra:

- Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/gauravvohra1

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gvohra/

Where to find Adam Fishman

- Newsletter: http://startupdadpod.substack.com

- Newsletter: http://fishmanafnewsletter.com

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

- Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/fishmanaf

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

—

In this episode, we cover:

[1:49] Welcome Gaurav!

[2:14] Professional background

[6:25] Personal background/brother co-founder

[11:42] Pressure from his parents

[13:59] Family life

[15:03] Partner’s career

[17:05] Decision to start a family

[18:45] Full vertical responsibility management

[23:45] Expectations align/verticals

[25:05] Earliest memory of being a dad

[27:27] Most surprising part of being a dad

[31:14] Frameworks for raising your kids

[38:31] Systematically getting great childcare

[44:52] Areas where you don’t align

[48:13] Mistake made as as a Dad

[51:55] Parental leave as a founding team member

[56:07] Follow Gaurav

[56:45] Rapid fire round

—

Show references:

Chevy Bolt - https://www.chevrolet.com/electric/bolt-ev

How To Have A Baby - By Natalie Meddings - https://www.amazon.com/How-Have-Baby-Mother-Gathered-Guidance/dp/1527207366

Adjustable Height Kitchen Step-stool - https://www.amazon.com/SDADI-Adjustable-Kitchen-Learning-Mothers/dp/B07YJLHXPQ

KiwiCo - https://www.kiwico.com/

Lovevery - https://lovevery.com/products/the-play-kits

Thomas The Tank Engine - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_the_Tank_Engine

Winston Churchill - https://winstonchurchill.org/

Superhuman - https://superhuman.com/

Oliver Wyman - https://www.oliverwyman.com/index.html

Command & Conquer - https://www.ea.com/games/command-and-conquer

Rapportive - https://rapportive.en.softonic.com/web-apps

The Emperor's New Groove - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120917/

Aristocats - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065421/

Fair Play by Eve Rodsky - https://www.amazon.com/Fair-Play-Game-Changing-Solution-When/dp/0525541934

The Seven Principles For Making Marriage Work by John M. Gottman PHD - https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Principles-Making-Marriage-Work/dp/0553447718

Upchoose - https://www.upchoose.com/

Parenting By Design - Lyndall Schreiner - https://www.lyndallschreiner.com/parenting-by-design

Lyndall Schreiner's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyndallschreiner/

—

Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at

http://www.armaziproductions.com/

Episode art designed by Matt Sutherland at https://www.mspnw.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

What It Takes to Raise SIX Kids and be a CEO | Tobi Emonts-Holley (father of 6, CEO of Tiphereth) Oct 26, 2023

Show notes

Tobi Emonts-Holley is the CEO of Tiphereth where he started as a volunteer nearly 18 years ago. Tiphereth is an Edinburgh-based community for adults with learning disabilities and other support needs. He also holds a PhD in Economics. Most importantly (and impressively) Tobi and his wife are the parents of six children!

In this episode we discuss:

* Tobi's early journey leaving his home and moving to Edinburgh at a young age

* The joys and challenges of raising six unique kids

* Tobi's philosophy on fatherhood, including why memories trump possessions

* What it takes to be a great partner to his wife and how they share responsibilities

* What it means to be truly present in parenting

* The concept of "no magic pill" when it comes to raising kids

* How your kids are motivators, not excuses

* How to instill values, ethics and a sense of purpose in your children

* Tobi's lessons learned from living life very publicly on social media

* A "typical day" when raising six kids

* Rapid fire!

Listen, watch and subscribe: Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Overcast and Google.

—

Where to find Tobi Emonts-Holley:

- Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/tobi_emonts

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobi-emonts-holley-62382a292/

Where to find Adam Fishman

- Newsletter: http://startupdadpod.substack.com

- Newsletter: http://www.fishmanafnewsletter.com

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

- Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/fishmanaf

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

—

In this episode, we cover:

*Timestamps available later today!*

—

Show references:

How I discovered Tobi - https://twitter.com/tobi_emonts/status/1690712460334948353

Tiphereth - https://www.tiphereth.org.uk/

—

Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at

http://www.armaziproductions.com/

Episode art designed by Matt Sutherland at

https://www.mspnw.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

Surrogacy, Raising Twiblings, and Navigating Fatherhood as a Gay Man | George Arison (father of 2, CEO of Grindr) Oct 19, 2023

Show notes

George Arison is the CEO of Grindr and the former co-founder and CEO of Shift. George grew up in Republic of Georgia when it was still part of the former Soviet Union and immigrated to the U.S. as a teenager. George knew he always wanted to be a Dad and he got that wish about 4 years ago. He's a husband and father of two kids.

In this episode we discuss:

* Growing up (and leaving) Georgia

* The surrogacy process

* The birth of his twins (or twiblings) and what *is* a twibling

* The difficulties gay men face when becoming parents

* His husband as the rule enforcer in the house

* His family's love of books and some of his *favorites*

* His parenting philosophies and the values central to raising his kids

* How to prepare your kids to understand different family structures and questions they might get

* The growing acceptance and supportive communities he's experienced

Listen, watch and subscribe: Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Overcast and Google.

—

Where to find George Arison:

- Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/georgearison

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgearison/

Where to find Adam Fishman

- Newsletter: http://startupdadpod.substack.com

- Newsletter: http://www.fishmanafnewsletter.com

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

- Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/fishmanaf

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

—

In this episode, we cover:

[1:37] Welcome

[2:25] George's Background

[4:27] Childhood in the U.S. vs. Republic of Georgia

[7:28] How he met his partner

[10:33] Their decision to start a family/surrogacy

[15:10] Surrogacy challenges

[18:41] Discrimination

[21:04] Surrogacy blockers

[21:51] His earliest memory of being a Dad + raising financing while his son was born!

[24:47] Most surprising part of becoming a dad

[26:38] Conversation w/ kids about same sex partners and more

[30:51] Household of books

[35:39] Where doesn't he always align with his partner?

[37:38] Challenges as same sex parents

[42:38] Husband/default parent

[45:47] Mistake as a dad?

[46:33] Play and work

[49:07] Rapid fire round

—

Show references:

Do Say Gay - George's notes on the most meaningful books for his family: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/do-say-gay-fathers-day-george-arison/

Julia Donaldson (Author) - https://www.juliadonaldson.co.uk/

The Gruffalo - https://www.gruffalo.com/

The Pip and Posy Collection - https://www.goodreads.com/series/81031-pip-and-posy

Axel Scheffler - https://axelscheffler.com/

The Grumpy Monkey Book Series - https://www.goodreads.com/series/265196-grumpy-monkey

—

Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at

http://www.armaziproductions.com/

Episode art designed by Matt Sutherland at https://www.mspnw.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

Balancing Career Ambition With Your Prime Parenting Years | Casey Woo (father of 3, founder of Operators Guild) Oct 12, 2023

Show notes

Casey Woo is the founder of Operators Guild, a community of engaged ops professionals who help each other navigate the issues that arise when scaling a company. He is a reformed Finance leader who found his passion growing a community. He's a husband and father of three kids.

In this episode we discuss:

* How I discovered Casey through a LinkedIn post

* His wife's career and their decision to start a family

* How he explains his job to his kids

* How to lean into your children's strengths

* His favorite (and least favorite) kids books

* Parenting frameworks

* The concept of Cash vs. Lotto tickets

* Rapid fire!

Listen, watch and subscribe: Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Overcast and Google.

—

Where to find Casey Woo

- Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/caseyswoo

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseywoo/

- Operators Guild: https://operators-guild.com/

Where to find Adam Fishman

- Newsletter: http://startupdadpod.substack.com

- Newsletter: http://fishmanafnewsletter.com

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

- Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/fishmanaf

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

—

In this episode, we cover:

[1:38] Welcome and introduction

[1:57] Our LinkedIn connection

[5:39] His childhood/background

[14:02] All about his partner

[17:05] All about his kids

[19:06] His wife’s career

[20:21] Their decision to start a family

[22:23] His earliest memory of being a dad

[23:27] What work/life balance means to him

[25:42] Explaining his job to his kids

[27:34] Carving out time with your spouse

[29:54] Most surprising thing about being a dad

[32:07] Leaning into his kids' strengths

[34:18] Favorite/least favorite kid’s book

[36:32] Parenting frameworks

[38:48] Partnership

[41:24] Cash vs. lotto tickets

[45:39] What he had to give up to become a dad

[47:16] His mistakes as a dad

[48:33] Where to follow/find Casey

[49:40] Rapid fire

—

Show references:

Casey's LinkedIn Post - https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7090030457370644480/

Operator's Guild - https://operators-guild.com/

FOG Ventures LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/fog-ventures/

West Point - https://www.westpoint.edu/

Harvard University - https://www.harvard.edu/

Goldman Sachs - https://www.goldmansachs.com/

Morgan Stanley - https://www.morganstanley.com/

WeWork - https://www.wework.com/

McKinsey & Company - https://www.mckinsey.com/

Microsoft Excel - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/excel

The Wolf of Wall Street - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0993846/

The Big Short - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1596363/

Innovation Endeavors - https://www.innovationendeavors.com/

The Incredibles - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Incredibles

The Gruffalo - https://www.gruffalo.com/

Hot Shots! Part Deux - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107144/

Umbrella stroller - https://www.amazon.com/Kolcraft-Lightweight-Stroller-Multi-Position-Reclining/dp/B019DHBCXE

—

Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at

http://www.armaziproductions.com/

Episode art designed by Matt Sutherland at https://www.mspnw.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

Two married company founders on starting companies and family | Trae Stephens & Dr. Michelle Stephens (parents of 2, Founders Fund, Anduril, and Oath Care) Oct 05, 2023

Show notes

In this special Startup Dad (and Mom) episode I interviewed husband and wife team Trae Stephens and Dr. Michelle Stephens. Trae is a partner at Founders Fund, and is also co-founder and Executive Chairman of Anduril Industries, a defense technology company focused on autonomous systems and a co-founder of Sol, a wearable e-reader. Prior to that he was an early employee at Palantir and was an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University.

Dr. Michelle Stephens is the co-founder and Chief Nursing Officer of Oath Care which aims to provide instant answers to all your parenting questions. She has practiced nursing with a focus on pediatrics in Philadelphia, Maryland, and Washington, DC. She has been an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and received her PhD at UCSF.

In this episode we discuss:

* Their professional background and a shared hobby

* What childhood was like (spoiler: very different for each of them)

* Their decision to start a family

* Navigating miscarriages

* Faith and religion in their childhood and family life now

* Helpful parenting frameworks

* How to take care of yourself and your relationship

* How they make it all work with busy careers and busy kids

Listen, watch and subscribe: Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Overcast and Google.

—

Where to find Trae Stephens

- Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/traestephens

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trae-stephens-485a811/

Where to find Dr. Michelle Stephens

- Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/mddstephens

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-stephens-oath-care/

Where to find Adam Fishman

- Newsletter: https://www.fishmanafnewsletter.com

- Newsletter: http://startupdadpod.substack.com

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

- Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/fishmanaf

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

—

In this episode, we cover:

[1:53] Welcome to the show![2:30] Professional backgrounds[8:34] Shared hobby[9:19] Childhood and growing up[13:25] How they met[17:40] All about their kids[18:56] Decision to start a family[21:47] Navigating miscarriages and support[23:29] Faith/religion[27:54] Having 2 kids vs. big family[30:57] Trae's earliest memory of being a dad[33:28] Most surprising thing about being a dad[38:05] Company as “kids” / non-traditional roles[42:15] Parenting frameworks[45:44] Where they don’t agree[47:30] Taking care of yourself/your relationship[51:28] Pet peeves[54:30] What a great sleep day looks like[57:14] Thoughts on hustle culture[59:30] Awe & wonder with your kids[1:00:58] How to reach them[1:01:33] Rapid fire

—

Show references:

Trae Stephens Twitter - https://twitter.com/traestephens

Oath Care- https://www.oathcare.com/

Enneagram Type Eight - https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-8

Enneagram Type Three - https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-3

SNOO - https://www.happiestbaby.com/products/snoo-smart-bassinet

The Intentional Father by Jon Tyson - https://www.amazon.com/Intentional-Father-Practical-Courage-Character/dp/0801018684

Emily Oster - “Crib Sheet” and “Expecting Better” - https://emilyoster.net/

Magic: The Gathering - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic:_The_Gathering

Bluey - https://www.bluey.tv/

Angel's Landing - Zion National Park - https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/angels-landing-hiking-permits.htm

Hook - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102057/

Palantir - https://www.palantir.com/

Anduril - https://www.anduril.com/

Founders Fund - https://foundersfund.com/

Philadelphia Eagles - https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/

Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University - https://sfs.georgetown.edu/

Georgetown University - https://www.georgetown.edu/

UCSF - https://www.ucsf.edu/

Wedding Crashers - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0396269/

Peter Thiel - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Thiel

SpaceX - https://www.spacex.com/

PayPal - https://www.paypal.com/us/home

Taekwondo - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taekwondo

Monty Python and the Holy Grail - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Python_and_the_Holy_Grail

—

Bonus!

If you can figure out Trae's AIM screen name you can DM him for some Founders Fund Swag!

—

Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at

http://www.armaziproductions.com/

Episode art designed by Matt Sutherland at https://www.mspnw.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

Fostering creativity, managing ADHD and internet celebrity with the “3rd coolest Dad” in America | Aaron Huey (father of 2, National Geographic photographer, serial creative entrepreneur) Sep 28, 2023

Show notes

Aaron Huey is an award-winning National Geographic photographer, a three time Stanford Fellow and the founder and chief creative officer of Amplifier.org. He has broken crowdfunding records when he raised $3 million in a few weeks for projects like We the People and We the Future. Before he had kids he did a 3,349 mile solo walk across America with his dog Cosmo over 154 days. Most importantly Fatherly called Aaron the "3rd Coolest Dad in America" beating out Barack Obama and Childish Gambino. He's a husband and father of two kids.

In this episode we discuss:

* His life with his wife and two children

* Encouraging making, exploration and risk-taking

* How to foster a lifelong love of creativity and expression in your kids

* The complementary nature of his wife's steady personality with his high-speed ADHD personality

* The inspiration behind his kids unique names

* His thoughts on social media and when his oldest son skyrocketed to Instagram fame as a young kid

* His involvement in social issues, tech innovations and storytelling

Listen, watch and subscribe: Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Overcast and Google.

—

Where to find Aaron Huey

- Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/aaronhuey

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/argonautphoto

- His amazing website: https://www.helloprototype.com/

- Latest project on climate change: https://www.crisiscurated.com/

Where to find Adam Fishman

- Newsletter: http://startupdadpod.substack.com

- Newsletter: http://fishmanafnewsletter.com

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

- Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/fishmanaf

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

—

In this episode, we cover:

[2:08] Welcome to the show

[2:25] Aaron’s professional life

[4:49] Record setting moments

[6:57] 3rd Coolest dad in America

[8:58] Aaron’s childhood

[10:20] Living all over the world

[10:57] Walking 3,349 miles across the country

[13:27] His wife and family

[15:38] All about his kids

[18:48] More about his amazing wife

[19:11] Their decision to have kids

[23:35] First memory of becoming a dad

[24:07] Most surprising thing about being a dad

[25:55] No blood, no foul

[28:14] Fostering creativity

[34:10] Exploration/risk taking

[37:08] Not always seeing eye-to-eye with his wife

[39:37] How his career affects family life

[43:37] Mistake made as a dad

[46:27] Pre-teens and social media

[50:51] Hustle culture

[53:44] Rapid fire round

[1:02:19] Thank you

—

Show references:

Aaron Huey's Website - https://www.helloprototype.com/

Aaron's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/argonautphoto

Hawkeye Huey's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/hawkeyehuey/

Juno Huey's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/junohuey/

Aaron's Ted Talk - https://ed.ted.com/lessons/america-s-native-prisoners-of-war-aaron-huey

Amplifier.org - https://amplifier.org/

Fatherly.com - https://www.fatherly.com/entertainment/100-coolest-dads-in-america-2018

Kickstarter We The People - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/amplifierfoundation/we-the-people-public-art-for-the-inauguration-and/posts

Kickstarter We The Future - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/amplifierfoundation/we-the-future-art-for-the-classroom-and-beyond

National Geographic - https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/photographer/aaron-huey

2017 Women's March - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Women%27s_March

Lakota People - https://www.lakotamall.com/history-and-ancestry/

Rotary - https://www.rotary.org/en

John S. Knight Fellowship - https://jsk.stanford.edu/

Tom Shadyac - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Shadyac

Smithsonian Institution - https://www.si.edu/

Heyoka - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heyoka

Hayao Miyazaki - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0594503/

—

Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at

http://www.armaziproductions.com/

Episode art designed by Matt Sutherland at https://www.mspnw.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

Newborns, standup comedy and a new definition of fatherhood | Will Rocklin (new father of 1, Google, Square, Safara) Sep 21, 2023

Show notes

Will Rocklin is a product advisor, the former Head of Product at Safara and former product leader at Square and Google. He is also an aspiring standup comic, having performed in New York and Los Angeles. He now helps climate tech startups go from zero to one. When he's not doing that he's busy gentrifying Los Angeles as a new father.

In this episode we discuss:

* A hilarious story about how he met his wife

* How compatible product management is with standup comedy

* His parents thoughts on his comedy aspirations

* How they chose their son's name

* The good and bad of IVF

* How marriage is a growth driver for self actualization

* His love of babywearing

* Will's evolved definition of what it means to be a husband and a father

* Parental leave policies and what they did after their son was born

* Frameworks for simplifying your life after your kid enters

* Parenting books, Google searches and ChatGPT

* Sacrifices and mistakes made as a Dad so far

* A rapid fire round including why Will is PRO minivan!

Listen, watch and subscribe: Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Overcast and Google.

—

Where to find Will Rocklin

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wrocklin/

- Linktree: https://linktr.ee/willrocklin

Where to find Adam Fishman

- Newsletter: startupdadpod.substack.com

- Newsletter: fishmanafnewsletter.com

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

- Twitter (aka X): https://twitter.com/fishmanaf

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

—

In this episode, we cover:

[2:03] Welcome and introductions

[2:21] Will’s professional background

[4:08] Will’s childhood and his parents career

[5:30] Standup comedy

[9:28] Parent’s opinions of his standup

[11:28] Standup and Product Management

[14:09] How he met his partner

[16:33] Choosing his son’s name and his Mom’s reaction

[19:33] IVF

[22:42] Marriage as a growth driver for self actualization

[25:15] Their decision to start a family

[27:06] Earliest memories of being a dad

[28:26] Prepping for delivery

[30:57] Most surprising thing about being a dad

[32:00] Babywearing

[33:37] His evolved definition of a husband/father

[36:41] Parental leave polocies

[38:18] Frameworks for newborns

[40:38] Parenting books

[42:02] What he agrees and disagrees about with his partner

[45:51] Sacrifices he’s made

[49:11] Mistakes made as a dad

[50:11] Thoughts on hustle culture

[52:46] Rapid fire round

—

Show references:

Will Rocklin Standup Comedy - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMWHua2cAciWTpFK-AVloSQ?app=desktop&feature=applinks

Sarah Cooper - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Cooper

Square - https://squareup.com/

Lalabu - https://shop.lalabu.com

Burning Man - https://burningman.org/

Seinfeld - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098904/

Merengue - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merengue_(dance)

What To Expect The First Year - By Heidi Murkoff - https://www.amazon.com/What-Expect-First-Heidi-Murkoff/dp/0761181504

Your Baby Week By Week - By Dr. Caroline Fertleman and Simone Cave - https://www.amazon.com/Your-Baby-Week-Ultimate-Caring/dp/0091910552

The Montessori Book - https://www.amazon.com/Montessori-Book-Babies-Toddlers-Independence/dp/B0CHL7WS6R

ChatGPT - https://chat.openai.com

Doona - https://www.doona.com/en-us/car-seat-stroller/discover-doona

Friends - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friends

The New York Times - https://www.nytimes.com

Fellow Tea Kettle - https://fellowproducts.com/collections/kettles

Hatch Rest 2 - https://www.hatch.co/rest-second-gen

Asics - https://www.asics.com

Ipad - https://www.apple.com/ipad

Sonos Speaker - https://www.sonos.com

Spotify - http://www.spotify.com

IVF - https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/in-vitro-fertilization/about/pac-20384716

RMA - https://rmanetwork.com/

X (Twitter) - https://twitter.com/

Harville Hendrix - https://harvilleandhelen.com/

Acropolis - https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/404/

Doula - https://www.dona.org/what-is-a-doula-2/

—

Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at

http://www.armaziproductions.com/

Episode art designed by Matt Sutherland at https://www.mspnw.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

Raising responsible teenagers, how to let kids make their own decisions, and who is on your parenting team | Tom Willerer (father of 2, COO at Reforge) Sep 20, 2023

Show notes

Tom Willerer is the Chief Operating Officer at Reforge. Prior to that he was the Chief Product Officer at Opendoor, Coursera and a VP of Product at Netflix. Tom is a husband, father of two teenagers and a fellow Michigander.

In this episode we discuss:

* Tom's early years as a college baseball player

* How Tom got into tech

* The decision to start a family

* A hilarious story about burritos in the delivery room

* Having a limited support network

* How parenting is a team sport and how that team changes over time

* What it's like raising teenagers

* How to let kids make their own decisions (safely)

* Mistakes made leaning in too much to help

* Parenting frameworks

* How to put your partners needs above your own

* Managing kids and career

Listen, watch and subscribe: Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Overcast and Google.

Know someone who would benefit from listening to this podcast?

Where to find Tom Willerer

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/twillerer/

Where to find Adam Fishman

- Newsletter: www.startupdadpod.substack.com

- Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com

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

- Twitter (aka X): https://twitter.com/fishmanaf

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

—

In this episode:

(1:51) Tom's introduction

(2:13) Learning more about Tom's background

(5:57) How Tom got into tech

(8:40) His decision to start a family with his wife

(9:50) Lacking a strong support network

(12:05) Tom's earliest memory of becoming a dad

(15:58) Why parenting is a team sport

(18:40) How the team changes as your kids get older

(22:22) What it's like raising teenagers

(27:26) How to let your kids make their own decisions

(31:30) Mistakes made leaning in too much

(35:23) Parenting frameworks

(38:19) When he and his wife don’t agree

(42:50) Putting your partner’s needs above own

(46:56) Managing kids & career

(48:47) Sacrifices made as a dad

(51:37) Rapid fire round

—

Show references

Springfree Trampoline - https://www.springfreetrampoline.com/collections/trampolines

Inside Out the movie - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2096673/

Jeep Wrangler - https://www.jeep.com/wrangler.html

Sleep Coach - https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/what-is-sleep-coach

Reforge - www.reforge.com

Opendoor - www.opendoor.com

Coursera - https://www.coursera.org/

Netflix - https://www.netflix.com/

Indiana University - https://www.iu.edu/index.html

Mario Kart 8 - https://mariokart8.nintendo.com/

Sun Microsystems - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Microsystems

BlackBerry - https://www.blackberry.com/us/en

Dad Joke Cards - https://www.amazon.com/WORD-TEASERS-Worst-Jokes-Conversation/dp/B09BX39MBN/r

City Ballet of San Diego - https://cityballet.org/

X (Twitter) - https://twitter.com/

Colic - https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/colic

ChatGPT - https://chat.openai.com

Super73 - https://super73.com/

Luke Bryan - https://www.lukebryan.com/tour

Shoreline Amphitheatre - https://www.mountainviewamphitheater.com/

Bridesmaids - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1478338/

Elon Musk - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elon_Musk

—

Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at

http://www.armaziproductions.com/

Episode art designed by Matt Sutherland at https://www.mspnw.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

Fostering interests in your children, maintaining friendships and pandemic tradeoffs | Ryan Johnson (father of 2, CPO at CallRail) Sep 07, 2023

Show notes

Ryan Johson is the Chief Product Officer at CallRail a marketing and AI technology company. He was an early pioneer in the AI industry doing fascinating work on computer vision for anomaly detection in videos and images. Ryan is a husband and father of two kids and a fellow Midwesterner.

In this episode we discuss:

His Midwestern upbringing and the work ethic that instilled in him

The challenges of maintaining friendships with parents who have kids at different ages than yours

The worst parenting advice he's ever received

How to foster interests in his kids without coming on too strong

How he and his wife navigated the decision for one of them to step back from the workforce during the pandemic

Muckle-Wells Syndrome - his daughter's rare autoinflammatory disease and the process for figuring it out and getting her treatment

Mistakes he's made as a dad and lessons learned

—

Where to find Ryan Johnson

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryandjohnson/

- Twitter (aka X): https://twitter.com/rydavidjohnson

Where to find Adam Fishman

- Newsletter: https://www.fishmanafnewsletter.com

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

- Twitter (aka X): https://twitter.com/fishmanaf

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

—

In this episode, we cover:

[1:47] Ryan's professional background

[5:56] Ryan's Midwestern childhood

[8:54] His family's influence on his career

[10:30] How he met wife and an introduction to his kids

[11:45] Maintaining friendships with parents of different aged kids

[14:20] Worst parenting advice he's ever received

[16:05] About Becky, his wife

[18:00] Why his wife stepped back from work during the pandemic and the conversation around that decision

[23:00] Their decision to start a family

[24:08] His earliest memory of being a dad

[26:04] The most surprising parts of being a dad

[27:46] Which of his kids are like him or his wife

[28:23] Fostering kid’s interests in art, sports and other creative pursuits

[32:08] His daughter’s auto inflammatory disease

[41:44] Where he and his wife don’t align sometimes

[43:44] Sacrifices he's made as a parent

[46:12] His version of work/life balance

[48:50] Mistakes made and lessons learned as a dad

[51:00] Rapid fire round

—

Show references:

Oracle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oracle_Corporation

ChatGPT: https://chat.openai.com

General Motors: https://www.gm.com/

University of Michigan: https://umich.edu/

Albion College: https://www.albion.edu/

Muckle-Wells Syndrom: https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/muckle-wells-syndrome/

Mario Kart: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Kart

CallRail: https://www.callrail.com/

The NoseFrida: https://frida.com/products/nosefrida

Saginaw, Michigan: https://www.saginaw-mi.com/

—

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

Episode art designed by Matt Sutherland at https://www.mspnw.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

Emotional intelligence, navigating race and fatherhood in the UK | Ben Williams (father of 2, advisor at PLGeek.com) Aug 31, 2023

Show notes

Ben Wiliams is a product and engineering executive and was most recently the VP Product at Snyk; an $8B developer tools company. He is currently a Product and Growth advisor and owner of PLGeek.com as well as The Product Led Geek Newsletter. Ben is a husband and father of two kids and my first international interview (he hails from the UK).

In this episode we discuss: