Founder Problems Podcast

About Founder Problems Podcast

Unscripted, anti-hustle conversations with real founders working through real problems. Behind closed doors, founders aren't talking about the highlight reels. Listen in as we help each other–and you–navigate the ups and downs of life as a business owner, whether you're on your 1st startup or your 15th.

Publisher

Lee Zuvanich, Zach Oshinbanjo, Sarah Schumacher

Category

business · business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

2 Dec 2024

Latest episode

14 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

23 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   14 Oct 2026

   How to Run a Business Without Killing Yourself

   Lee Zuvanich, Sarah Schumacher, and Zach Oshinbanjo compare what's actually kept them healthy while building businesses without burning out. Zach's longest-running habit is consistent workouts, which noticeably affect his mood and focus if he skips them. Sarah's is bullet journaling—less "dear diary," more utilitarian planning, habit tracking, and keeping priorities visible—plus reading, meditation, supplements, and note-taking systems. Lee frames sleep as his non-negotiable system after serious health consequences from deprivation, even though founder hyperfocus makes it tempting to ignore. They swap what hasn't worked (early mornings, time blocking, forcing someone else's schedule), discuss founder "health stacks" like nutrition and visual task lists, and end with advice: start small, use habit stacking, expect it to suck at first, reassess regularly, and don't demand perfection. Timestamps: 00:00 Meet the Hosts 00:33 Founder Health Focus 01:36 Zach's Workout Habit 04:18 Sarah's Bullet Journal 06:45 Lee's Sleep System 10:50 What Didn't Work 11:03 Sleep Struggles and Night Owls 17:08 Why Time Blocking Fails 18:03 Kids and Interrupted Focus 19:18 Core Habits Take Time 19:33 Founder Health Stacks 20:03 Nutrition and Supplements 22:00 Lists and Visual Planning 24:04 Workout Systems and Darebee 26:38 Reading for Recovery 29:24 Meditation and MTHFR 30:30 Starting Over Advice 34:34 Habit Stacking Basics 35:49 Yearly Reassess and Wrap Mentioned In This Episode: Post: Bullet Journaling: What It Is and Why I Do It Product: Adam Clear Habit Journal Wikipedia: Death Note Manga Review: Death Note Resource: Darebee Workouts Resource: MTFHR gene Wikipedia: David Goggins Wikipedia: James Clear Book: Do Nothing by Celeste Headlee Founder Problems is a podcast by and for real-world, fed-up founders. Three entrepreneurs in the messy middle share hot takes, actionable steps, and resources to navigate the challenges of running a business—no promises of 10x growth or swooning investors. Every founder's journey is different, so take what works and make it your own. Learn more at founderproblems.com.

2. 

   2 Oct 2026

   What's Your Problem: Back-to-School Wins, AI Cheapskates, and Key-Man Chaos

   In this episode, the hosts admit that (at the time of recording) it was the first week after school started and everyone's exhausted. Wins center on kids being back in school and the return of quiet workdays; struggles include client flakiness and boundaries, AI making "cheapskates free to be cheapskates," slow business by choice, and frustration with clients going DIY/AI and failing to communicate about budgets or unpaid bills. Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 01:02 Wins After School Starts 02:09 What Is WWOOF 03:34 Reading Between Reviews 05:13 Empty Nest and Freedom 06:10 Sarah Back to Work Mode 07:08 Burnout and AI Websites 08:55 Zach Joins READY Program 10:43 Workout Routines and Disc Golf 15:53 Struggles and Client Boundaries 19:16 Foreboding Joy and Stability 21:03 Billionaire Talk and Calendly 23:28 Google Disruption and Moats 26:08 Sarah Struggle Caring Less 26:25 Burnout After Two Decades 26:41 AI Cheapskates Problem 27:24 Why Hosting Builds Trust 28:32 Losing A Beloved Client 29:55 Payment Silence Vs Honesty 31:15 Stricter Client Boundaries 35:21 Canva AI Site Reality Check 36:47 Building AI Website Package 38:26 Humans In The Loop Model 43:17 Zach Key Man Bottleneck 49:34 Earned Revenue Experiments 53:01 Lee Focuses On Startup 56:27 R And D And Wrap Up Links Mentioned In This Episode: Organization: WWOOF Reddit Thread: Workaway Organization: REDI Concept: 'Forboding Joy' Income Happiness: ("Globally, we find that satiation occurs at $95,000 for life evaluation and $60,000 to $75,000 for emotional well-being.") Wikipedia: Tope Awotana Podcast: How I Built This: Tope Awotana Tool: Tidycal Platform: Aptible KC Program: ProX KC Program: Northland CAPS KC Program: Worktern Founder Doing everything behind the scenes story: Chattjb (https://chattjb.org/) Founder Problems is a podcast by and for real-world, fed-up founders. Three entrepreneurs in the messy middle share hot takes, actionable steps, and resources to navigate the challenges of running a business—no promises of 10x growth or swooning investors. Every founder's journey is different, so take what works and make it your own. Learn more at founderproblems.com.

3. 

   18 Sept 2026

   Runaway Founder Syndrome

   After opening with a recording snafu (because it's funny), the hosts dive into "runaway founder syndrome," describing it as a spectrum where founders can't let the business breathe, micromanage decisions, and constantly rework direction (including late-night idea pivots that exhaust teams). They discuss when it can be beneficial versus when it becomes harmful. Practical takeaways include recognizing the pattern, hiring and delegating appropriately, using a trusted sounding board, not dumping new ideas on the team, focusing on sales/user feedback, and accepting solopreneurship if control is non-negotiable. Timestamps: 00:00 Audio Fails Cold Open 00:53 Meet the Hosts 01:11 Defining Founder Syndrome 04:16 Why This Topic Matters 05:54 When It Helps Visionaries 13:48 When It Turns Toxic 20:07 Industry Examples Creative Nonprofit 27:46 App Dev Pitfalls and Advice 32:20 Founders Fallacy Product First 33:22 Industry Expertise Debate 34:21 Desperation Built Businesses 36:49 Side Hustles Cut Teeth 37:49 Avoiding Founder Syndrome 43:07 Micromanage Or Delegate 49:54 Founder Syndrome Fixes 54:53 Hiring And Letting Go 01:03:22 Solopreneur Or Scale 01:05:39 Final Mantras Wrap Up Founder Problems is a podcast by and for real-world, fed-up founders. Three entrepreneurs in the messy middle share hot takes, actionable steps, and resources to navigate the challenges of running a business—no promises of 10x growth or swooning investors. Every founder's journey is different, so take what works and make it your own. Learn more at founderproblems.com.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

46

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 47 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

55

Social presence

0

YouTube

63

Engagement

32

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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