TechCrunch’s Found podcast, which has brought listeners the stories behind the startups since April 2022, released its final episode today.
I’ve been one of the hosts of Found since November 2022 and in that time have spoken to more than 75 founders about the startups they are building. These founders hail from many different backgrounds and are building in sectors ranging from AI to climate to e-commerce to higher education and everything in between.
Now that the show will no longer be bringing you new episodes, I decided to take a look back at some of my favorite episodes.
You may notice a theme throughout many of these. The best founders to talk to didn’t pitch us their product the entire time nor did they make big lofty claims about their company or their industry. Instead, many of these founders offered a clearheaded account of both building their companies and dealing with the trials and tribulations of startup life.
The following 15 episodes are easily my favorites that I’ve been a part of. These episodes are listed in reverse chronological order of when they were released, as opposed to my actual ranking, you won’t be getting that from me.
Guest: Howie Liu, co-founder and CEO, Airtable
What the company does: No-code app platform
Episode pub date: October 22, 2024
Why it’s a fav: Liu was a delight to talk to. Airtable has a fascinating story and Liu tells it well. The fact that the app’s design is inspired by one of Liu’s favorite animated movie characters tells you everything you need to know about the tone of this conversation.
Guest: Nick Frosst, co-founder, Cohere
What the company does: Enterprise AI
Episode pub date: August 8, 2024
Why it’s a fav: There is a lot of exaggeration and hype when it comes to today’s AI startup market. Frosst doesn’t lean in. It was refreshing to talk to an AI founder who both knows their stuff and can acknowledge what the AI industry is overselling and how their own company fits into the swell.
Guest: Tade Oyerinde, chancellor, Campus
What the company does: Accredited online community college
Episode pub date: July 18, 2024
Why it’s a fav: A lot of the startup ecosystem is founders looking to iterate on old ideas. While this approach is both valid, and often lucrative, it isn’t always interesting. Campus is one of the few (non-climate-focused) companies I spoke to this year doing something actually unique.
Guest: Nicholas Green, co-founder and CEO, Thrive Market
What the company does: Membership-based online healthy grocery platform
Episode pub date: April 2, 2024
Why it’s a fav: Thrive Market could have targeted its online market of healthy snacks and groceries to the type of customer that can already access them. But it didn’t and the reasons why make for a great founding story. Plus, learning about the logistics of an online grocery store that launched prior to Covid was fascinating — even for those who aren’t as obsessed with grocery logistics as I am.
Guest: Rebecca Hu, co-founder, Glacier
What the company does: Robots that sort recycling
Episode pub date: March 12, 2024
Why it’s a fav: Glacier’s approach of using computer vision to train robots to sort recycling seems like a glimpse into the future of reduce, reuse, recycle. Hu also has some interesting anecdotes on what it is like to build an AI company in the age of AI washing. Plus, the robots have names.
Guest: Beatrice Dixon, co-founder and CEO, The Honey Pot (acquired by Compass Diversified)
What the company does: Menstrual hygiene products
Episode pub date: February 6, 2024
Why it’s a fav: The founding story of The Honey Pot is a fascinating one and Dixon is quite the storyteller. This episode also shows you the sheer grit of getting a startup off the ground but also dives into the sweet reward at the end of all that work.
Guest: Ben Goodwin, co-founder and CEO, Olipop
What the company does: Prebiotic soda
Episode pub date: January 24, 2024
Why it’s a fav: Olipop is a wild company to follow, as the gut-healthy soda market has exploded in recent years. Goodwin was also a delight to talk to. Despite being CEO, he still formulates all the brand’s flavors himself. He took our call while drinking coffee out of a wine tumbler. That gives you an idea of how this went down.
Guest: Neil Batlivala
What the company does: Connects underserved communities to high-quality care
Episode pub date: November 28, 2023
Why it’s a fav: Batlivala has cracked the code on tapping government resources to help a startup further its impact. Batlivala, and his work with Pair Team, is a bright spot among the startup ecosystem as his company works to improve the lives of the most vulnerable populations in the U.S., which are often overlooked by the tech industry at large.
Guest: Abhi Ramesh, founder and CEO, Misfits Market
What the company does: Online grocery store of ugly produce and mispackaged goods
Episode pub date: October 31, 2023
Why it’s a fav: Ramesh was incredibly candid about the founding story behind Misfits Market and all of the hurdles he faced getting the company off the ground. This episode was also recorded shortly after Misfits acquired rival Imperfect Foods, so there is a lot of useful info on how to merge companies together too.
Guest: Graham Hine, co-founder and director, ePlant (formerly CEO)
What it does: Uses AI sensors to monitor tree health
Episode pub date: September 5, 2023
Why it’s a fav: This startup uses AI to talk to trees! Hine was not your typical Silicon Valley founder, in a good way, and it was fun to chat with a company that is solving a big problem — tree health — but in a very fun way. Listen to find out Hines’s favorite tree too.
Guest: Rebecca Rosenberg, founder and CEO, ReBokeh
What the company does: Assistive technology for people with low vision
Episode pub date: August 1, 2023
Why it’s fav: Folks with disabilities are often completely overlooked by tech innovation, so it was really cool to hear from a founder who is building transformational tech for people with low vision and doing so in a way that is rooted in her personal experience. Rosenberg is also wise beyond her years.
Guest: Kamakshi Sivaramakrishnan, founder and CEO, Samooha (now part of Snowflake)
What it does: Secure data collaboration
Episode pub date: May 16, 2023
Why it’s a fav: Sivaramakrishnan is a force to be reckoned with in the tech world. She signed documents to sell her first startup while at the hospital preparing to give birth and has since launched and sold another startup. There are a lot of learnings to be pulled from this one.
Guest: Ben Lamm, founder and CEO, Colossal Biosciences
What it does: Conservation through bringing extinct species back to life
Episode pub date: March 21, 2023
Why it’s a fav: While you may go into this episode confused as to why a tech startup would be looking to bring the woolly mammoth back to life, you’ll end this episode thinking that idea makes perfect sense. Lamm is an engaging speaker and the science behind the company is infinitely fascinating.
Guest: Matt Rogers, founder and CEO, Mill
What the company does: At-home food composter and recycler
Episode pub date: March 7, 2023
Why it’s a fav: Rogers has a fascinating background prior to starting Mill that includes working on the original iPhone and founding the Nest smart thermostat company. Rogers is hilarious — his quips and anecdotes alone make this one worth your time.
Guest: Mir Hwang, founder and CEO, GigFinesse
What the company does: Gig-booking software
Episode publish date: January 17, 2023
Why it’s a fav: Hwang is a fascinating founder. From pretending to be his own booking agent to building this startup out of someone else’s dorm room, there are a lot of fun stories packed in here. Plus, GigFinesse’s gig-booking tool is pretty cool on its own.
