Geek At Sea with Kirill Zubovsky
GeekAtSea is a series of conversation with curious people about startups, science, economic and tech, their successes and challenges. Come hang out with us and be rewarded with knowledge you will not find anywhere else!
Paul Davis was once a 2nd employee at Amazon, on track to earn millions. Instead of sticking around to get filthy rich though, Paul decided he did not want to wait for the life to pass him by. He chose to spend time with his family, left Amazon, and twenty years later still has no regrets. His life has been nothing but wonderful. This is Paul’s story.
This is a story of how Anthony Edent founded DNSimple to become the fastest DNS management solution provider in the world. He built himself a company that not only cares about their customers, but also created the perfect place for their employees. They work hard, but they also do it remotely, from around the globe. How did he do it, and what lessons does Anthony have for fellow founders and entrepreneurs? It’s all in this podcast!
A few few additional resources you might enjoy:
- How DNSimple was founded, a cartoon!
- How HTTPS works, a comic!
- How DNS works, a comic too :)
Lastly, if you are thinking of buying a domain or switching your DNS provider, here's $5 you can use right away.
Paul Orlando is a startup founder, entrepreneur, Director of USC Incubator Program & Adjunct Professor for the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. Paul also has an avid interest in history, which he explores though his blog called Unintended Consequences.
Paul's writing is a delight in the times of clickbait and social media. His blogs explore peculiar concepts and require the read to think and to wonder of what is possible, without giving a clear answer.
Some popular posts include: Risk and Autonomous Vehicles, the Cobra Effect, and Don’t Touch Anything.
Books mentioned in this episode:
- The Rise and Fall of American Growth
- Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!
- Don't make me think
- Trust me, I am lying
- The Box
Find Paul online:
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David Woodland is currently a Product Manager at Facebook, previously Head of Product at Palm.com and a Product Manager at Pebble. He is a father of 4, and a Management Consultant who found product-building life in Silicon Valley to be way more attractive than spreadsheets.
On this episode we talk about his work and life balance, what it was like to work at Pebble, how his consulting career prepared him to be a great product manager and a tinkerer, how a team of 12 can launch a bran new smart phone from scratch, how David got Stephen Curry, his childhood hero, to be the face of their company, and lastly, what it was like for him to be a Mormon in Silicon Valley.
Jason Calacanis is a serial entrepreneur and angel investor. He was one of the early believes in Uber, Calm, Robinhood and many others. He is a host of the show This Week in Startups, and the author of Angel. If that was not enough, he is a founder of a startup accelerator Launch.co, and the founder of Inside.com
On this episode, Jason shares his views and wisdom, advice that he's accumulated throughout his career, and lessons learned from other successful entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, Mark Cuban, and Jeff Bezos.
Raising kids could be daunting, or it could ba lot of fun. Nathan is a startups founder and a dad who is making the best of every opportunity. We talk about his family, his work, and how the two intertwine to create a happy and healthy lifestyle.
You can find Nathan on Twitter and on YouTube.
Full show notes are on SmashNotes.
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Roberto from the Expeditioners is the dad many wish they could be. Instead of holding a steady job, he and his family are busy traveling the world, taking gorgeous photos for brands that pay for his living. Roberto is fit and happy, and is not concerned with the norm. Find out what it takes to be a self-made entrepreneur, and how to be paid to be happy.
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Anthony Armendariz is a founder and partner at Funsize, a creative design agency which he started with his wife Natalie. They spent years being laser focused on business, working day and night, and now count Facebook, Oracle, Adobe, EA, AT&T and many others among their customers.
Can such an ambitious and hard-working couple have a baby, and to actually enjoy it? We sit down with Anthony to find out.
This is a special episode because I had a pleasure to record Anthony twice. Once just weeks before their baby was born, and once shortly after. You can hear for yourself what goes on in the mind of a successful business owner, and how his world changes with an arrival of a child.
For detailed notes on this another Rad Dad episodes, please check out Smash Notes.
Full notes for this episode are available on Rad Dad website.
You can find Jonathan on Twitter
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Mubashar Iqbal is a developer, dad, and a maker who just cannot stop creating products on the internet.
Mubs is the guy behind Pod Hunt, Product News, Practical MVP and quite literally, 80 other projects. Some of them sold, some shut down, and some are making him passive income. He's been featured on Lifehacker, The Next Web, Mashable, Fortune and more.
How can one guy do so much, for so long, and still have a full-time job and a family? You've come to the right place to find out.
p.s. This is a cross post from Smash Notes
Vin is a dad of two girls, founder of a creative agency called Fixel, and when he is not busy doing those jobs, he is also a man's fashion model and entrepreneur, running a brand called Better Fellows where him and his partners sell men's apparel they would wear themselves.
Vin is divorced and is running his own company, but that does not stop him from raising two beautiful girls, teaching them about life and entrepreneurship, and from finding time to be with them as much as he can. We talk about what it takes to be a present dad, and how to protect your kids while also giving them freedom to explore. Vin shares his story, how he ended up in Salem, and why small town living could be ideal for your family. We also talk about time management and health, and how to structure your life for the long-haul.
This episode with Vin is a great opportunity to learn about parenting and business, all in one place.
Links from this episode ????
p.s. I think this is the best camera ever created. Do you agree?
pps. Much thanks to Sessions.Blue for the cool intake music.
One day, needing a break from his entrepreneur endeavors, Drew rented an RV and took his entire family on a trip around the United States, for a whole year. This is his story. This episode was recorded in March 2018.
Suggested Episodes:
Mike Folden - Adventure with a newborn
Aviel Ginsburg - How to take your kid on every business trip
Geoff Ralston - Taking kids to Europe for a year
Michael Parenteau - Climbing a mountain with a teenage daughter
Bryce Roberts is the founder of Indie.vc , an investment fund that is leading the new counter-culture startup movement, focusing on revenue and sustainable growth, rather than unhealthy obsession with raising money to achieve a billion-dollar valuation. Fueled by his own desire to do things differently, Bryce lives in Utah with his wife and five children, he works from home office, and while working hard, also finds the time to be a hands-on dad and have a life too.
If you like startups, venture investment, or would like to learn about it and find out for yourself why Bryce is a great funding partner for you, you would love the whole episode. Yet, if you only want to hear his advice on how to spend meaningful time with your family while also working in a hard-stress environment, skip to about 40 minutes into the episode for a quick work of wisdom.
Big thanks to Create33 for hosting Indie.vc event and for giving me space to record this episode.
As always, check out Rad Dad website for the full list of past episodes. There is something there for everyone.
Jason is a co-founder of Dent, a company that creates and supports a community of entrepreneurs, executives, and creatives who are driven to “put a dent in the universe.” He lives in Seattle with his wife Monica Guzman, the founder of The Evergrey, and together they are raising two adorable multilingual kids. We sat down to talk about their startup journey and how to manage two creative jobs while raising two kids.
When he was six years old, Roel lost his mom to cancer and ended up in the foster care. Abuse, drugs, physical violence and the entire system that is structured to keep the kids in it, instead of helping them grow, Roel tells it all.
Valuable to hear for the adults that work in the foster care, and most definitely 10x more valuable for the kids, to know they are not alone. If you know someone who should hear this, please share.
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If you want to get in touch, message Roel on Facebook - Roel Williams
Feed the bunny, write a review on Apple Podcasts ????
Emily Campbell is a product designer based out of Moab, Utah where she lives with her husband and three kids. She makes the money, he plays with the kids, and together they are having an adventure of a lifetime.
In this episode: (1:00) From being a law student in a big city, to a cross-country road-trip to be a raft guide in California, to eventually settling in a small town in Utah. (5:00) Living in a small town of Moab, Utah. (7:00) What does a family life and activities look like in Moab, for those of us city dwellers who don’t know. (10:00) Road trips with children (13:20) Inside the head of a five-year-old.
(16:40) Growing up in a small town, challenges and benefits for kids and their parents. (22:00) How to help your older child to feel loved and special when you have two new/young kids in the house yearning for all the attention. (26:00) How to have awkward conversations with children. (32:00) The social pressure of dads having to provide for the family in a family when mom is the main bread winner. (38:40) Is coffee actually good for your children? (41:00) Kids health, drug abuse, and support network for a family life in small town America (47:00) What it’s like to be an outside in a small town. (49:00) Access to opportunities, uncertainly, embracing change, traveling the world and getting in trouble with the school district. (53:00) Dad envy, birthing a child and the value of bonding with children early on. (63:00) Giving yourself up and the lifestyle you want for yourself. (65:00) Thinking of having kids? Here’s your ultimate advice.
One day a film student from NYU changed advertising forever. In a few short months Adam became the man who did it all - he was producing, casting, directing and starring in for the ads of the most recognizable names in tech. Square, Airbnb, Airtable, TrueCar, Slack, Webflow, Groupon ... the list goes on forever. The story of Sandwich video and how to run a successful business and have a family too, it is all in this episode of Rad Dad.
David Heinemeier Hansson is the founder of Ruby on Rails and co-founder and CTO of Basecamp. He is an outspoken defender of living a fulfilling life, and a true believer that it does not have to be crazy at work. When not writing code, David enjoys endurance car racing and time with his wife and two kids.
Over the years, David has become a very influential person in technology and business, and has developed a number of philosophies which are helping him live a happy and fulfilling life, a life in which there is time for business and pleasure.
As you will hear for yourself, happiness is a simple secret. You too could have a great life and ensure that you kids have one too. David does not try to hide what it takes to be truly happy. At the end, it is on you to give it a try. Are you ready?
Key discussion points:
What drives DHH to come to work every day (01:00)
Can you be at a place where you are only doing things that you like? (06:00)
Happiness, the stoic philosophy and the concept of existentialism (08:30)
How to be satisfied with life and work (13:00)
The power of intrinsic motivation and how David nearly failed high-school (17:00)
Benefits of growing up in a socially democratic state, Denmark (28:00)
ReWork - New York Times Bestseller (32:00)
It Does Not Have to Be Crazy At Work (39:00)
When enough is enough (44:50)
How to make a fortune in car racing (50:00)
Entrepreneurship and the value of balancing risk (58:00)
The goal of living and free-range children (1:03:00)
Modern parent obsession with obedience (1:09:00)
Parenting and equal and how to teach your kids about money (01:15:27)
Books by David and 37Signals / Basecamp
Rework - New York Times Bestseller
Remote: Office not required
It does not have to be crazy at work
Books that David mentioned during the show
Finding Flow: The Psychology Of Engagement With Everyday Life
Punished by Rewards
Popular blog posts by DHH
The day I became a millionaire
RECONSIDER
To see an amazing car collection, as well as beautiful hills of Malibu
Lastly, other podcasts with DHH that were thoroughly enjoyable to hear:
The Tim Ferris Show (warning: very-very-very long)
The Unmistakable Creative (my personal favorite)
How do you enable your kids to create rather than consume? If you are a serial entrepreneur like Dan Shapiro, the answer is clear - make a device that can cut through any material with lasers, then put it in every household in America. Shapiro got inspired to create this company by his kids, and now he comes on Rad Dad to talk startups, kids and creativity.
Episode summary available on http://raddadshow.com/episode/dan-shapiro
p.s. Inspired by Dan, I started The New Framing Company. Check it out and sign up for updates if you too want a home-made picture frame that doesn't break a bank.
Aubrey is a full-time designer living in Charleston, South Carolina. He was named one of Business Insider's Top 75 Designers in Technology and has worked for companies like Twilio, Authy, Science Inc., Color, Scoutzie and many others. While most people would consider running a business a full-time job in itself, Aubrey does all of this in a comfort of his own home. Listen and find out how this rad dad gets the most out of life!
Full episode details ???? on Rad Dad website
Family life with three kids, the rising costs of education and where AI and machine learning will take us. Venture Capitalist Greg Gottesman shares business stories, as well as tips on parenting and education. It's a blast!
Full episode summary on the Rad Dad website ???? https://www.raddadshow.com/episode/greg-gottesman
Eight years ago John co-founded GeekWire.com and had a kid at the same time - Although life hasn’t always been easy, the only thing he regrets is not doing both ealier in his life. Follow along and learn a bit about both entrepreneurship and parenting.
????Full episode description available on - https://www.raddadshow.com/episode/john-cook
A Bay Area native, Zack is a successful entrepreneur, wizard of all things growth, and currently the CEO of a company called Dribbble. While some of his peers are busy cranking 14-hour days in the city, Zack is working with a fully distributed team, which enables him to hang out with kids, enjoy life, and spend absolutely zero hours commuting.
????Full episode description available on the Rad Dad website.
Sean Grover is a psychotherapist from New York City, dad of two children, and an author of the book When Kids Call The Shots. For 25 years Sean has been teaching parents how to embrace their challenges and to create a happy functioning family. If you think your kid might be bullying you, if you lost all hope and don’t know how to deal with tantrums, or maybe you are just looking for some advice on how to be a better parent, this interview is for you. You will not be disappointed, guaranteed!
????Full episode description available on the Rad Dad website.
Geoff Ralston is a successful investor and entrepreneur, living in the heart of Silicon Valley. He founded Yahoo Mail, invested in hundreds of companies, and has seen dozens of successful exists. On this episode Kirill Zubovsky and Geoff Ralston discuss the price of entrepreneurship, challenges of modern-day parenting, device addiction, performance drugs, standardized tests and the future of education.
????Full episode description available on the Rad Dad website.
Aviel Ginzburg is a Managing Director of the Alexa Accelerator here in Seattle, Partner at Founders Co-op and Co-founder of Simply Measured. We talk about the founding of Simply Measured, what it’s like to be a new dad, and how to survive high-stress work while having a baby. As always with other founders we will talk about his startup story and touch a little bit on what it’s like to be a venture capitalist. Lastly, he will share some tips on traveling with your little ones. Let’s jump right in it!
Son of an Indian immigrant family, Giri is a Stanford graduate and a co-founder of Privacy Labs, a local Bellevue Washington startup. We talk about raising two kids in the new world filled with devices, what his company is all about, why privacy is going to be instrumental in the future, and how the world has changed since a few decades ago while Giri was growing up.
????Full episode description available on - https://www.raddadshow.com/episode/giri-sreenivas
Parker Thompson is a Silicon Valley founder turned VC, known to many in startup circles for his anonymous personality of Startup L. Jackson. Hear Parker’s story and advice on raising three kids in a fast-paced world of tech entrepreneurship, and how to keep your kids safe and happy in a city full of millionaires.
????Did you know Parker is also THE Startup L Jackson? More about that on Rad Dad website.
Caspar Babypants is an adored Seattle-based musician and a songwriter. Previously known as the lead singer of The Presidents of the USA, he now brings joy to families around town with his whimsical music that is loved by both kids and parents. In this interview, Chris shares his life story, how he came to be known as Caspar, and what lessons he learned about life and parenting, both as a famous rock artist with thousands of fans on MTV, and a humble Seattle children's artist, with thousands of fans at home.
????️ This Rad Dad interview is available on YouTube ???? Caspar Babypants with Kirill Zubovsky
Caspar Babypants websites
- Babypants Music - listen for free or buy your Caspar CDs here!
- Chris Ballew personal website - "the journey"
- More about Chris Ballew on Wikipedia
Book recommendations:
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Additional Resources Online
How do we make sure that when our kids grow older, they're happy and successful in life? To help answer this question my guest today is Professor Eric Koester.
Eric is an entrepreneur, a professor at Georgetown University, a lawyer, a dad of two girls and a writer. After having more jobs that he can count, Eric has discovered a new philosophy - listen to the show to find out what it is.
Listen and read online: Professor Eric Koester on Rad Dad
We are joined here by Mike Folden and his son River. Mike is a filmmaker, photographer, and now a dad. Mike and his wife Priya are avid explorers of the great outdoors. When their baby boy was born, instead of changing their lifestyle, they bought a camper van and headed to the wild. If you think that baby life means sitting at home, Mike and Priya are living evidence otherwise.
Listen to the episode online: Mike Folden on Rad Dad
In this episode we talk to my friend Matt Wallington about his experiences of raising kids while at startups, then at Amazon, and how those impacted him, his kids and his marriage. We also talk about getting through a divorce, what to expect, and how to do it quick.
Listen to the episode or read the summary online: Matt Wallington on Amazon, startups and family life
When Oleksiy’s daughter was first born, he didn’t feel the love for his child. Quite the opposite, he felt that his daughter was a new source of problems. Full of this difficult thoughts and busy at work, he was unable to share them with anyone, even his wife.
In this episode we talk about balancing work and family life, while being in a stressful and demanding job environment. We dive into typical things that bother parents of a newborn kid. We even talk about the unspoken truths that every parent keeps as a secret.
As a bonus, Oleksiy shares his experience working remotely and how long-distance trail running has helped him deal with a depression and to lose weight.
Read or listen on the web: Oleksiy Kovyrin on Rad Dad
My guest today is my friend Michael Parentau, a dad of a teenage daughter and a rad human being. Michael is many things. He is an artist, a product designer, a developer, and a creative.
In this episode we will talk about raising a child, while paying your bills on a salary of a starving artist. We will take a look at different paths one could take to enable a child to be creative and to be passionate about learning, and we will talk about boredom, and ways to overcome it. Lastly, Michael will share a story of how he and his 10 year old daughter climbed Mt. Saint Helens, and all the wonderful lessons and memories that came from it.
Read or listen on the web: Michael "The Artist" Parenteau on Rad Dad show
Galen Ward is a CEO of a tech company and a father of two awesome girls. Listen and learn how to share the labor of parenting with your partner and how to set your kids up for success from the young age.
Do you want to know how to stay on track of your daily life and find time for kids? Do you ever wonder if you are going to change once you have kids? How do you raise girls in the world that's so male-dominated? If you said yes to any of those questions, this and other parenting advice is waiting for you in this episode of the Rad Dad show. Don't wait, subscribe today!
Read or listen on the web: Galen Ward of Estately on the Rad Dad Show
Matt Shobe is a father of 3 boys, a serial entrepreneur, a private pilot and a rad dad, who came to the podcast to talk about startups and what it takes to have a happy family while you are busy building a rocket ship.
Matt was previously a cofounder of FeedBurner which he and Dick Costolo (former CEO of Twitter) sold to Google for north of $100 million dollars. Now he is a Chief Product Office at Mty.AI, a company that is supplying self-driving data to a majority of the automakers.
On this episode we discuss how to manage family a life without going crazy, how to get the most out of your commute, and startup life with a newborn child.
If you like this and want to hear more, please follow me on twitter @kirillzubovsky or just follow the show's twitter @RadDadShow. See you around!
