Becoming an accidental founder

Becoming an accidental founder

Author: Changelog Media January 25, 2020 Duration: 41:06
Mike McDerment is the founder and CEO of FreshBooks. Believe it or not, Mike became a founder by accident. Like many of us, Mike had an itch that he just had to scratch. One thing led to another and soon enough FreshBooks became a key tool in the belt of many freelancers and agencies looking for an easy way to send invoices and get paid quickly online. We talk through the early days of FreshBooks and how things came to be, why they created a secret competitor to iterate on a bold idea for the future of FreshBooks, and we also cover what keeps Mike excited.

Behind every successful company, there's a human story that rarely gets told in the headlines. Founders Talk: Startups, CEOs, Leadership from Changelog Media is built on the idea that the real value lies in those unvarnished, personal narratives. Host Adam Stacoviak sits down for extended, thoughtful conversations with the people who have actually built things-founders, CEOs, and makers across the technology and business landscape. This isn't about quick tips or surface-level success stories. Instead, each episode functions as a case study in resilience, peeling back the layers on the specific challenges, pivotal failures, and hard-won lessons that define a leadership journey. You'll hear the nuance behind decisions, the weight of responsibility, and the moments of doubt that precede a breakthrough. By focusing on one guest at a time, the podcast creates space for depth and reflection, moving beyond theory into the practical realities of creating and sustaining a vision. It's for anyone curious about the substance behind the startup myth, whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a leader in your own field, or simply fascinated by the psychology of building something meaningful. Tune in for honest dialogues that replace jargon with genuine experience, offering a clearer picture of what innovation and leadership truly demand from the people at the helm.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Founders Talk: Startups, CEOs, Leadership
Podcast Episodes
Dan Cederholm and Rich Thornett / Dribbble [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:09
The founders of Dribbble, Rich Thornett and Dan Cederholm, join Adam to talk about how Dribbble came to be, the 3rd edition of Bullet Proof Web Design, product development, new and existing features of Dribbble as well a…
Vitaly Friedman / Smashing Magazine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:14
Vitaly Friedman, Founder of Smashing Magazine, joins Adam to talk about the beginnings of Smashing Magazine, taking chances, not being copyable, experimenting to find what works, supporting the community, developing cont…
Drew Strojny / The Theme Foundry [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Drew Strojny joins Adam to talk about his path in life, playing in the NFL, marrying your business partner, web design and pursuing the unknown, developing digital products and themes for WordPress and the 5by5 logo.
Mark Jardine and Paul Haddad / Tapbots [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:11
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Drew Wilson / Valio - Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:58
Drew Wilson joins Adam again for part 2, to talk about his latest venture Advise.me, Valio Con, his ad network Yoggrt (sold) and some future products.
Drew Wilson / Valio - Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:34
Drew Wilson joins Adam for part 1 to talk about his journey as an entrepreneur, the lows, the highs and the in-betweens. Drew talks with Adam about digital projects, how to chase your dreams and more.
Matt Mickiewicz / 99 Designs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:45
Matt Mickiewicz, Co-Founder of SitePoint, 99 Designs, and Flippa talks with Adam about becoming an entrepreneur at a young age, building marketplaces, finding talented people, and using community development and a forum…
Niel Robertson / Trada [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:50
Niel Robertson, Founder and CEO of Trada, talks about crowd-sourcing, crowd mechanics, leveraging "the stealth mode", raising 52 million dollars, community engagement, as well as thoughts on whether or not crowd-sourcing…
Avner Ronen / Boxee [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:07
Avner Ronen talks about his vision of the "Future of TV," the role Boxee plays in today's internet video/audio content on the big screen, the backlash of "big media" against Boxee and how they've changed their tune and m…
Noah Kagan / App Sumo [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:09
Noah Kagan, Founder of App Sumo talks with Adam about his journey to success. Send an email to noah@appsumo.com for more details about something special for 5by5 listeners.