Founder Mode – Details, episodes & analysis

EPISODE 37

Kevin and Jason sit down with Austin Boer, co-founder of Sleke, to unpack what it takes to build a “dumb phone” that still supports modern life. Austin shares how a simple insight from the r/dumbphone subreddit shaped Sleke’s mission: people want fewer distractions, not less utility. The conversation covers founder-led customer discovery, why Sleke is built around intentional constraints like banning infinite scroll, and how the team balances privacy, usability, and real-world needs like QR codes, maps, and music. They also explore the bigger question of what replaces the phone by 2030 and why digital minimalism should be accessible to everyone, not a luxury product.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – The dumb phone problem people actually have

03:50 – Why Austin built Sleke and what the product is

04:30 – Founder-led discovery: 200+ ICP calls and shifting ICP

08:20 – The “fatal flaw” of dumb phones and preventing app creep

16:30 – Digital minimalism shouldn’t be a luxury

LINKS

Connect with Austin Boer

sleke.io • Instagram • X/Twitter

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LinkedIn • X/Twitter

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EPISODE 36

Kevin and Jason sit down with Scout cofounder Tim Barnes to rethink how founders raise capital in an AI-first world. Tim breaks down why most startups overlook trillions in available non-dilutive funding, how AI can automate painful proposal and compliance workflows, and why grants should function as a continuous business development engine—not a last-minute scramble for runway. They explore how climate, deep-tech, and healthcare companies can reposition their work to match shifting federal priorities without losing their mission, how Scout is helping both startups and government agencies modernize the funding ecosystem, and why founders should pursue grants before equity to validate traction and retain ownership. Tim also shares how he thinks about defensibility as foundation models advance, when to integrate grants into a capital strategy, and what it takes to keep founders focused on building instead of pitching.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Why non-dilutive funding matters

01:00 – Rethinking fundraising and bootstrapping in an AI hype cycle

05:30 – How Scout uses AI to unlock and manage grants

10:00 – Packaging your mission for shifting policy without losing focus

16:00 – When to use grants vs equity and how Scout’s fit check works

LINKS

Connect with Tim Barnes

Scout • LinkedIn • X/Twitter

Special Offer

Direct message Tim on LinkedIn and mention Founder Mode for 20% off your first year of Scout.

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EPISODE 27

Ankur Goyal joins Founder Mode to show how real teams get from AI prototype to production: build a two-click loop from user complaint to eval, treat observability as a driver of quality, and design iteration environments that connect production logs back to tests. Ankur explains why LLMs behave more like databases than CPUs, how to avoid eval fatigue by curating the 5–10 examples that matter, and why top teams re-evaluate model choices monthly. He also looks ahead to agents that can review and improve other models’ work, turning today’s manual feedback loops into scalable systems.

CHAPTERS

07:53 – Why prototypes break in production

10:22 – Iteration environments and closing the loop

12:21 – LLMs are databases, not CPUs

14:48 – Beating eval fatigue with ruthless prioritization

21:15 – Observability as a driver of quality, not uptime

25:25 – What’s next for evals, agents, and AI infra

LINKS

Connect with Ankur Goyal

usebraintrust.com • LinkedIn • X/Twitter

SPECIAL OFFER

Email ankur@braintrust.dev and mention Founder Mode to receive a special offer.

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LinkedIn • X/Twitter

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LinkedIn • X/Twitter

EPISODE 26

Bobby Evans goes inversion-first on startup failure modes—from overhiring and bonus wars to vanity metrics, misaligned influencers, and shipping the wrong features. We dig into crypto betting’s realities, why credibility and payouts matter more than hype, the cost of public financialization, and how to protect thinking time, delegate, and avoid perfectionism that delays MVPs. Evans closes with location and personal-brand lessons: build where the network is and productize the founder early.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Think time over busy calendars

06:45 – Hard-earned lessons from crypto betting

12:01 – Growth tactics that backfire

18:43 – Red flags and credibility in the space

25:22 – Location, personal branding, and founder advice

LINKS

Connect with Bobby Evans

Company X/Twitter • Personal X/Twitter

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EPISODE 25

In this episode, Metronome CEO Scott Woody breaks down how AI is rewriting the value of software—from “seats and subscriptions” to agents that do work—and why modern pricing must blend stability with upside. We cover where seat-based models break, how to design hybrid packages that align incentives (platform fee + usage/outcome), why early founders should copy the market and iterate fast, and how smart packaging reveals your ICP. Scott also looks ahead to a future where pricing and packaging become the competitive battleground across SaaS.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – AI rewrites software’s value

04:05 – From Dropbox pain to Metronome

10:06 – Hybrid pricing that aligns incentives

14:35 – Early-stage: copy market, iterate, segment

26:30 – Pricing/packaging becomes the battleground

LINKS

Connect with Scott Woody

metronome.com • LinkedIn • X/Twitter

SPECIAL OFFER

Email sales@metronome.com and mention Founder Mode to get a special offer.

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Connect with Kevin

LinkedIn • X/Twitter

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LinkedIn • X/Twitter

EPISODE 24

A special “best of” highlight reel from our first 20 episodes: we reframe luck as reps and compounding, warn founders about burnout’s hidden interest, and show how AI can supercharge solo building without replacing your voice. We dig into making clear asks and saying “no” to protect focus, why empathy is the real product moat, and how durable edges come from hardware + proprietary data and real-world feedback. You’ll hear scrappy GTM plays (like sub-50 sq ft kiosks and Kickstarter’s customer collision), safety-first execution from nuclear to drones, pre-LLM agents, the 80/20 (AI/human) rule for content, and why creators should monetize ownership—not just virality.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Manufactured luck & the burnout tax05:04 – Empathy is the moat (AI changes jobs)09:49 – Safety & simplicity: nuclear-ready drones13:52 – Fail-forward roadmaps (hypotheses over hype)16:18 – AI 80/20 and the creator long tail

LINKS

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Connect with Kevin

LinkedIn • X/Twitter

Connect with Jason

LinkedIn • X/Twitter

EPISODE 23

In this episode of Founder Mode, John Hancock joins us to break down the gap between startup hype and reality. From building Stonks—the largest angel syndication platform on AngelList—to walking away when the mission no longer fit, John shares what he’s learned about fundraising, pivots, and rebuilding with first principles. He introduces Validate, a tool designed to help founders and “idea people” kill bad ideas fast before wasting time or money, and explains why most AI features are “better shoes, not wings.” The conversation dives into validating ideas, writing as a way to sharpen thinking, and the most common founder mistake—stopping customer conversations. John closes with the raw truth: most people shouldn’t be founders, and that’s okay.

CHAPTERS

00:36 – The hype fades: AI as leverage + anyone-can-build moment

07:42 – From Stonks to walking away: the pivot and why it didn’t fit

10:31 – Validate: kill bad ideas fast (landing pages, plans, comps)

13:46 – Don’t bolt on AI no one wants (“better shoes, not wings”)

27:07 – The uncomfortable truth about being a founder

LINKS

Connect with John Hancock

vldt.ai • X/Twitter

Special Offer

Email john.hancock@hey.com to get Validate free forever. John is offering this exclusive deal to Founder Mode listeners—validate your ideas quickly, save time, and avoid building what no one wants.

Cool Thing

Jason’s vibe-coded app

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EPISODE 22

In this episode of Founder Mode, Anurag Agarwalla shares his journey from leading fast-moving engineering teams at Uber to building hpy, an AI-powered platform designed to support therapists and patients in achieving better outcomes. He explains why emotional systems matter as much as technical ones, how to design for happiness without burning out, and why privacy and empathy must be foundational in mental health tech. The conversation dives into emotional intelligence, daily habits, and how AI can serve as a companion tool without replacing the human connection at the core of therapy.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – From Uber to building for happiness

05:12 – Healing the healer: AI for therapists

09:27 – Privacy and ethics in mental health tech

14:06 – Designing systems for happiness and balance

23:37 – Building tools for healthier habits

LINKS

Connect with Anurag Agarwalla

thinkhpy.com • LinkedIn • X/Twitter

Connect with hpy

LinkedIn • X/Twitter • Instagram

Special Offer

Do you go to therapy? Your next therapy session is on us. With hpy, we help clinicians help YOU reach your goals faster with better outcomes, tracking and progress. Introduce us to your therapist and if they sign up for hpy, your next session is on us. Email sales@thinkhpy.com to get started and mention Founder Mode. Are you a mental health professional and want to automate all of your admin? With hpy Pro, the first AI assistant designed specially for therapy, save up to 20 hours a week. We’re offering Founder Mode listeners an exclusive—refer a colleague and get an entire YEAR of hpy Pro free. To get registered, email sales@thinkhpy.com and mention Founder Mode.

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EPISODE 21

Hosts Kevin Henrikson and Jason Shafton go beyond the headlines to unpack the real bottlenecks that stall healthcare—and how to fix them—with consultant and operator Rebecca Shufeldt, founder of Ignite Healthcare Solutions. Drawing on her path from urgent care ops to EHR/revenue cycle leadership, Rebecca explains why go‑live is “day zero,” how her evolving “Silver Bullet” project plan keeps Athenahealth implementations aligned to payer/CMS changes, and where AI—voice intake, scheduling, eligibility, authorizations and referrals—removes administrative drag, reduces denials, and lifts patient and clinician satisfaction. The group digs into tailoring EHRs beyond “turnkey,” building clinician buy‑in, upskilling staff instead of replacing them (“Betty”), and how a flexible, female‑led team model helps practices scale without burnout while improving revenue.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Setting the stakes: healthcare’s hidden blockers + Jason’s Heal story

02:00 – AI as a wedge: voice, eligibility & EHR‑integrated routing

05:03 – Meet Rebecca Shufeldt & Athenahealth optimization

10:19 – The “Silver Bullet” plan: go‑live is day zero

12:55 – Revenue cycle pitfalls, authorizations & upskilling the team

CONNECT WITH REBECCA

Website • LinkedIn

SPECIAL OFFER

Ignite Healthcare Solutions is offering a complimentary 30-minute athenahealth optimization review with our CEO for Founder Mode listeners. We’ll assess your current use of the platform, highlight quick-win opportunities to improve efficiency and revenue, and share proven strategies tailored to your organization’s goals—whether you’re a start-up, an established practice, or an MSO.

RESOURCE

Voice AI Technology for athenaOne Practices:

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EPISODE 20

In this episode of Founder Mode, Kevin and Jason sit down with Ahad Khan, CEO of Kajabi, to unpack what it really means to be a “creator CEO” in 2025. From shifting creators’ mindsets beyond virality toward sustainable, owner-operated businesses, to finding content market fit before building products, Ahad shares actionable strategies for monetization, pricing, and using AI without losing the human touch. He also opens up about leading a global team as a post-founder CEO, honoring Kajabi’s customer-obsessed roots while implementing his own leadership cadence, and why the future belongs to entrepreneurial creators who build brands their audiences truly value.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Why “Creator CEO” is the Future of the Creator Economy

06:51 – Building for Everyday People and Customer Obsession at Kajabi

12:55 – Content Market Fit and Monetizing Beyond Virality

17:36 – Using AI to Scale Without Losing the Human Touch

25:07 – Leadership Cadence and Work-Life Integration as a Post-Founder CEO

LINKS

Connect with Ahad Khan

Kajabi • LinkedIn • X/Twitter

SPECIAL OFFER

Email ahad [at] kajabi.com for a special offer when you sign up for Kajabi.

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Connect with Kevin

LinkedIn • X/Twitter

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