After working for years in early-stage startups and as a journalist, here are three hard truths I’ve learned:<br /><br />1. Success in Silicon Valley hinges on connections, hard work and luck.<br />2. Startups often fail because founders lack fundamental business knowledge.<br />3. Real, actionable advice comes from those who’ve actually done it.<br /><br />There’s no such thing as “founder DNA.” If you’re willing to take on risk and invest years of your life in something that has maybe a 10% chance of paying off — less if you’re a woman or person of color — you can be a startup founder.<br /><br />Here’s why I founded Fund/Build/Scale:<br /><br />1. To help founders make fewer mistakes.<br />2. To share successful strategies that can accelerate your go-to-market journey.<br />3. To inspire more people to see themselves as potential founders. There’s a lot of overlooked talent out there, and we are missing out.<br /><br />This podcast is for anyone who’s interested in learning the basic skills required to launch a startup, secure initial funding and transform an idea into a sustainable business.<br /><br />I’m talking to guests about everything: finding a co-founder, conducting customer discovery, recruiting early employees, developing a PLG strategy, fundraising when you’re outside a major tech hub — all of it.<br /><br />Interested? Subscribe to Fund/Build/Scale on all major platforms and follow the podcast on LinkedIn to get articles, excerpts, transcripts and more.<br /><br />Fund/Build/Scale is a production of Truth and Soul Media LLC.
Fund/Build/Scale
Claim This Podcastby Walter Thompson
Podcast Authority
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Podcast Overview
After working for years in early-stage startups and as a journalist, here are three hard truths I’ve learned:<br /><br />1. Success in Silicon Valley hinges on connections, hard work and luck.<br />2. Startups often fail because founders lack fundamental business knowledge.<br />3. Real, actionable advice comes from those who’ve actually done it.<br /><br />There’s no such thing as “founder DNA.” If you’re willing to take on risk and invest years of your life in something that has maybe a 10% chance of paying off — less if you’re a woman or person of color — you can be a startup founder.<br /><br />Here’s why I founded Fund/Build/Scale:<br /><br />1. To help founders make fewer mistakes.<br />2. To share successful strategies that can accelerate your go-to-market journey.<br />3. To inspire more people to see themselves as potential founders. There’s a lot of overlooked talent out there, and we are missing out.<br /><br />This podcast is for anyone who’s interested in learning the basic skills required to launch a startup, secure initial funding and transform an idea into a sustainable business.<br /><br />I’m talking to guests about everything: finding a co-founder, conducting customer discovery, recruiting early employees, developing a PLG strategy, fundraising when you’re outside a major tech hub — all of it.<br /><br />Interested? Subscribe to Fund/Build/Scale on all major platforms and follow the podcast on LinkedIn to get articles, excerpts, transcripts and more.<br /><br />Fund/Build/Scale is a production of Truth and Soul Media LLC.
Language
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Publishing Since
12/3/2023
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Recent Episodes
June 14, 2026
Money Is the Only Customer Validation That Matters
Host Walter interviews Shanea Leven, co-founder of Empromptu.ai, as she explains why money is the only true customer validation for startups.
June 13, 2026
What Hospitals Are Actually Buying in the AI Boom
Host Walter interviews Mayo Clinic Platform Accelerate Director Jamie Sundsbak about what hospitals truly purchase in the AI boom and how healthtech founders can succeed.
June 10, 2026
The 10x Rule: Turning a Research Paper into an AI Company
Host Walter interviews Stanford professor and Inception Labs CEO Stefano Ermon about transforming a research paper into a venture-backed AI company by achieving a 10x advantage.
119 total episodes available with 57 transcripts
Recent guests on Fund/Build/Scale
Guests from recent episodes — sign up to see every guest that has ever appeared on this show.
Shanea Leven
Guest
Jamie Sundsbak
Guest
Stefano Ermon
Guest
Abby Strong
Guest
Puneet Agarwal
Guest
Mayank Mehta
Guest
Eugene Malobrodsky
Guest
Isaac Saul Kassab
Guest
Sheena Jindal
Guest
Ben Black
Guest
Phylicia Koh
Guest
David Cramer
Guest
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This podcast is available on 9 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
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Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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