Startup Dad

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

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

—

In this episode, we cover:

[2:10] Personal background

[4:36] How did you meet?

[6:54] Family/kids

[8:12] Kid’s transition stages/puberty

[11:46] Decision to start a family

[15:30] IVF

[19:04] Earliest memories of becoming a parent

[24:04] Work/life balance

[26:05] Privilege

[31:50] Being the default parent

[38:28] Teen vs. Tween mode

[39:18] Parenting frameworks

[48:20] What is a good parent/unconditional love

[52:52] Rapid fire round

—

Show references:

You're Not a Sh*tty Parent: https://www.carlanaumburg.com/books/youre-not-a-shtty-parent/

How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t With Your Kids: https://www.carlanaumburg.com/books/how-to-stop-losing-your-sht-with-your-kids/

Ready, Set, Breathe: https://www.carlanaumburg.com/books/ready-set-breathe/

All of Carla's Books: https://www.carlanaumburg.com/books/

—

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

Amazing frameworks for raising three boys | Matt Greenberg (father of 3, fmr CTO at Reforge) Aug 17, 2023

Show notes

Matt Greenberg is a product and engineering executive and was most recently the CTO at Reforge. He was previously the VP of Engineering at Credit Karma. Matt is a husband and father of three boys and one dog. In this episode we discuss:

Matt's father being his hero and the wisdom he gained from him

The work required in raising three boys

The decision to have a third kid

What to do when you get a phone call that your kid has wandered off in the neighborhood

An exciting home birth experience involving the fire department

The exponential growth of love after having kids

Parenting three kids and starting Reforge during the pandemic

Having an autistic son and getting him diagnosed

Assessments, IEPs, and other support for autistic kids

—

Where to find Matt Greenberg

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

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

Where to find Adam Fishman

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

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

—

In this episode, we cover:

[1:58] Matt's background

[3:53] Current life/Reforge/Engineering Leaders

[5:44] Matt's childhood

[7:03] Random funny parenting stories

[8:24] Matt's parents

[10:27] Advice from Matt's Dad

[12:44] Matt's partner and how they met

[14:00] All about Matt's kids

[14:26] Their decision to have kids

[17:37] Who is in charge of the dog

[19:16] Earliest memory of Fatherhood and a wild home birth experience

[24:15] His most surprising thing as a Dad

[27:24] Managing three kids during Covid with his partner

[31:24] Autism

[37:20] Advocacy/IEPs/supporting your Autistic child and parenting frameworks

[53:45] Where he's not always 100% aligned with his partner

[58:56] Rapid fire

—

Show references:

How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk, by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish - https://www.amazon.com/How-Talk-Kids-Will-Listen/dp/0380811960/

The Birth Partner, by Penni Simkin - https://www.amazon.com/Birth-Partner-5th-Childbirth-Companions/dp/1558329102/

—

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

Feeling ready for kids and being social chair of your marriage | Mike Duboe (father of 2, GP at Greylock) Aug 10, 2023

Show notes

Mike Duboe is a General Partner at Greylock, one of the most well-known venture firms in Silicon Valley. Prior to that he was a Growth leader at Stitch Fix through their IPO and Tilt which was acquired by AirBnB. He is a husband and the father of two kids. In this episode we discuss:

Cultural influences from his grandparents and parents

Getting into alignment on the right time to have kids

Having your second kid 2 months into the pandemic!

Building resiliency in your family

The ongoing challenge of balancing with two working parents

Creating constraints to prioritize your time

How to make time for your spouse

Being the social chair of your marriage

What he'd do differently if they had a third kid

—

Where to find Mike Duboe

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

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

Where to find Adam Fishman:

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

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

—

In this episode, we cover:

[1:50] Mike’s Background

[7:54] Key Differences Between Growth and Venture

[11:15] Mike’s childhood and upbringing

[14:46] Mike’s wife and kids

[16:58] Aligning on the time to start a family

[19:36] His earliest fatherhood memories

[21:31] Most surprising part about being a dad

[24:08] The ongoing challenge of balancing the lives of two working parents

[28:25] Frameworks for parenting

[30:30] Disagreements on parenting philosophy

[33:22] Having your second kid at the start of the pandemic

[35:38] Biggest mistakes made as a father

[37:15] Rapid fire round

[41:41] Parting words

—

Show references:

Bill Murray-Lost in translation: https://youtu.be/eNK7N3AwVFQ

Greylock: https://greylock.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

Watching your kids first experiences and quality vs. quantity time | Darius Contractor (father of 2, CGO at Otter.ai, Growth and Product Leader) Aug 03, 2023

Show notes

Darius Contractor is the Chief Growth Officer at Otter.ai, prior to that he was Chief Product and Technology Officer at Vendr, a Growth and Product leader at Airtable and Facebook, and an Engineering leader at Dropbox. He is also a fantastic angel investor and advisor, a husband and the father of two kids. In this episode we discuss:

His parents influence on his career

His earliest memories of being a Dad

Freak out moments

Watching your kids experience the world for the first time

Frameworks for parenting

Sacrifices you make when becoming a parent

Acknowledging your mistakes

—

Where to find Darius Contractor

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

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

Where to find Adam Fishman:

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

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

—

In this episode, we cover:

[1:24] Darius introduction and professional background

[2:46] His personal background

[4:05] His parent’s influence on his life

[5:30] Info on his family

[6:50] Decision to start a family

[9:53] Parenting during the Pandemic

[12:41] Earliest memory of being a Dad

[15:06] A freak out moment

[17:22] Most surprising part of being a Dad

[21:40] Watching your kids experience the world the first time

[24:22] Parenting frameworks

[30:25] Disagreements with your partner

[34:16] Successes!

[35:31] Sacrifices made in becoming a parent

[39:12] Mistakes as a Dad

[42:17] Hustle culture vs. Parenting

[46:57] Rapid fire round

—

Show references:

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

—

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

Coping with the loss of a child and protecting your time | Brian Balfour (father of 2, CEO and founder Reforge, venture partner) Jul 27, 2023

Show notes

Brian Balfour is the founder and CEO of Reforge, former VP of Growth at Hubspot, and a venture partner at Long Journey Ventures. He is one of the foremost experts on Growth and also a husband and the father of two young kids. In this episode we discuss:

His parents opinion of his profession

Other family members' influence on his entrepreneurial spirit

His decision to start a family and whether he took to fatherhood right away

The tragedy of losing his first child at birth and challenges of conceiving

How to protect your time as a CEO and a father

Brian's frameworks for parenting

How to align with your partner

Life during the pandemic with a partner who is a nurse, young kids and a fast-growing startup

—

Where to find Brian Balfour

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/bbalfour

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

- Personal Website: https://www.brianbalfour.com

Where to find Adam Fishman:

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

- H.A.N.D. - Helping After Neonatal Death

—

In this episode, we cover:

[1:40] Intros

[2:06] Professional background

[3:28] Personal background

[6:38] Parents' opinion of his career

[9:33] Uncle’s influence on his entrepreneurial spirit

[11:59] About his family

[14:39] Decision to start a family

[18:07] Whether or not he took to Fatherhood right away

[18:30] Losing a child at birth

[21:29] The “Instagramification” of parenting

[22:52] Parenting reality check

[25:26] Most surprising thing about Fatherhood?

[28:08] How to protect your time as a parent and a CEO

[30:21] More discussion of losing a child and Brian's coping strategies

[37:09] Parenting frameworks

[41:34] Aligning as a couple

[45:11] Life during pandemic

[48:58] Rapid fire round

—

Show references

- www.reforge.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

Consistency in parenting and having teenagers | Fareed Mosavat (father of 2, CDO at Reforge, Product Leader) Jul 20, 2023

Show notes

Fareed Mosavat is Chief Development Officer at Reforge, former Director of Product at Slack, Instacart, Zynga and more. He's a husband and father of two teenagers (!). In this episode we discuss:

Lessons from being raised by his Mom

His decision to start a family

Earliest memories of being a Dad

Regrets he's had as a father

Tweens vs. Teens and which is worse

Establishing family guard rails

What he and his wife don't agree on

Hilarious rapid-fire round

—

Where to find Fareed Mosavat

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/far33d

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

Where to find Adam Fishman:

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

—

In this episode, we cover:

[1:35] Introductions

[2:25] What is a CDO?

[5:19] Fareed’s career background

[8:19] Childhood

[11:04] Lessons from Mom

[13:49] How he met his partner

[16:36] Their decision to start a family

[20:51] More about his wife

[21:39] Earliest memories of being a Dad

[27:50] Work/life balance and a career story

[32:33] Regrets

[36:38] Tweens vs. Teens and which is worse

[39:46] Establishing family guard rails

[43:44] Where he and his partner don't agree

[46:23] Rapid fire round

—

Companies referenced: www.reforge.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

Starting a family while broke, how to navigate divorce with young kids | Buster Benson (father of 2, PM at Medium, Author, Founder) Jul 10, 2023

Show notes

Buster Benson is Principle Product Manager at Medium, the platform creating a new model for digital publishing. He a published author of the book Why Are We Yelling? The Art of Productive Disagreements, the founder of 750Words, and most importantly the father of two boys. In this episode we discuss:

Joining and leaving companies in pursuit of being a better father

Starting a family while being broke with no insurance

Home birthing

Having a kid who doesn't sleep for more than 30 minutes at a time

Separation and divorce

How to talk to your kids about divorce

Maintaining an amicable relationship with your ex and connection to your kids

—

Where to find Buster Benson:

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/buster

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

- 750 Words: https://750words.com/

- Amazon: Why Are We Yelling?

Where to find Adam Fishman:

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

—

In this episode, we cover:

[1:26] Introduction

[2:30] Background

[6:22] Decision to start a family

[7:49] Homebirth

[9:28] Homebirth community

[11:06] About Buster’s kids

[12:47] Why parenting is hard

[14:40] Buster’s earliest fatherhood memories

[17:53] Surprising fatherhood things

[19:45] External pressure

[21:45] Frameworks for parenting

[24:14] ADHD/Diagnosis

[25:13] The story of his separation and divorce

[28:43] Telling the kids about their separation

[31:04] Advice for separation

[34:46] Agreements in parenting

[36:42] Managing complex demands

[39:46] Mistakes in fatherhood

[43:33] Rapid fire round

—

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 kids without a support network, surprising aspects of being a new dad, frameworks for parenting | Alex Cohen (father of 2, Carbon Health, Spendoso, Angel Investor) Jul 02, 2023

Show notes

Alex Cohen is Sr. Director of Product at Carbon Health, a modern health clinic that provides urgent and primary care for easier everyday health. He is also a serial entrepreneur, investor, and one of the most prolific "shitposters" on Twitter. He's a loving husband and the father of 1 kid, born during the peak of the pandemic. In this episode we discuss:

Getting fired from Office Depot

Marrying his high school sweetheart and prom date

Being the youngest parent in your neighborhood

His wife's take on his internet celebrity

How "shitposting" has made her choice to not work outside the home easier

The difficulties of parenting without community, family, or friends

Bringing home a baby during the peak of the pandemic

—

Where to find Alex Cohen

- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/anothercohen

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-cohen/

Where to find Adam Fishman:

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

—

In this episode, we cover:

[1:30] Introductions [2:02] Professional background

[5:16] Angel investing

[7:51] Marrying your high school sweetheart

[12:26] Leaving California for Texas

[17:51] His wife's decision to stay home

[18:32] Her take on his internet fame

[20:22] Starting a family

[21:46] Earliest fatherhood memory

[22:53] Lack of support network

[23:53] Instagram VS. real life

[25:56] Most surprising about being a new Dad

[27:38] Frameworks for parenting

[29:26] Having a Pandemic kid

[31:05] What his kid's reaction to an internet famous Dad will be

[33:33] Establishing strong partnership with his wife

[35:42] What did you give up to be a Dad?

[38:08] Rapid fire round

—

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

The importance of role models, raising a child with special needs, advocating for your kids | Adam Grenier (father of 3, Eventbrite, Masterclass, Uber) Jun 20, 2023

Show notes

Adam Grenier is VP of Growth at Eventbrite, a ticketing company that is bringing the world together through live experiences. Prior to that he led growth for Masterclass and Lambda School, was an EIR at Reforge and was Head of Growth Marketing at Uber. He's also a loving husband and the father of 3 kids, including an autistic son. In this episode we discuss:

Adam's humble upbringing in the Midwest

How he got into improv and made his way to California

Poop (of course)

Raising a child with special needs

How to communicate your capacity to your spouse

Advocating for your children

Some of the shame around parenting

Setting up family guardrails and balance

—

Where to find Adam Grenier

- Twitter: https://twitter.com/AKGrenier

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

Where to find Adam Fishman:

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