I had a chance to join Jason Kirby on his Podcast to talk all things startups, fundraising, M&A, and bouncy balls. Jason also started and sold a few companies and is now running a company called Thunder VC where he’s helping founders navigate the wild world of fundraising and M&A.
His show notes and full video are below. It’s a good one.
→ Don’t Be Afraid to Pivot “Why My Mom Became My First Customer Service Rep” → Choose Partners Wisely “The Day I Realized My Business Partner Was on the FBI’s Radar” → Embrace the Unexpected “How Throwing College Parties Led to a Marketing Company” → Turn No’s into Yes’s “The VCs Said No. So We Did Everything They Said We Couldn’t.” → Follow the Wave “When Facebook Was Rising, We Rode the Social Media Wave” → Stay True to Your Vision “Why I Left a Cushy Corporate Job to Build My Dream… Again” → Build Relationships, Not Just Companies “How Saying No to an Investor Led to Multiple Deals Down the Road” → Think Beyond the Fundraise “The Goal Isn’t Raising Money. It’s Building a Profitable Company.” → Give Back “Why I Angel Invest: It’s Not About the Money”
I recently had a chance to catch up with my friend Michael Karnjanaprakorn. We’ve known each other for at least a decade or so now from the early days of the New York Tech ecosystem. This was a fun one.
And, some highlights that Mike pulled out from our conversation.
Dan Reich: “Business is a video game.”
I asked Dan Reich who has sold four companies to Salesforce, Buddy Media, and Procter & Gamble:
“Why are you still building companies instead of retiring and riding off into the sunset?”
He shared a conversation with a fellow serial entrepreneur:
CEO: “Do you still play video games? Dan: “Yeah, I do still play video games.” CEO: “So do I. But this business is a video game, and it’s a game that other people gave me money to play. If I win, not only will I make them money, I’ll make money too. And I love the video game.”
Dan reflects on this analogy:
Dan: “He was right. The journey is the prize. I tell everyone I have a career conversation with: People who optimize for money are not happy, and people who optimize for happiness end up finding money.”
In this episode, Dan dives into:
• His transition from 4x founder to building a venture studio. • His playbook for building companies. • His advice for navigating a post-exit journey.