A look back at my favorite episodes of TechCrunch’s Found podcast

TechCrunch’s Found podcast, which has brought listeners startup news since April 2022, released its final episode today.

I’ve been one of Found’s recipients since November 2022 and in that time I’ve talked to more than 75 founders about the startups they’re building. These startups come from a variety of backgrounds and are building in fields ranging from AI to climate, e-commerce to higher education and everything in between.

Now that the show will no longer be bringing you new episodes, I thought I’d take a look back at some of my favorite episodes.

You can see a theme in many of these. The best founders to talk to didn’t always tell us about the product and they didn’t tell us much about their company or their company. Instead, many of these founders gave a vivid account of building their companies and overcoming the trials and tribulations of early life.

The following 15 paragraphs are my personal favorites. These episodes are listed in chronological order of release, unlike me, you won’t get this from me.

Guest: Howie Liu, founder and CEO, Airtable

What the company does: No-code app platform

Publication date: October 22, 2024

Why I like it: Liu was happy to talk to him. Airtable has an interesting story and Liu explains it well. The fact that the app’s design is directed by one of Liu’s video fans tells you everything you need to know about the tone of this interview.

Guest: Nick Frosst, co-founder, Cohere

What the company does: Enterprise AI

Publication date: August 8, 2024

Why I like it: There is a lot of exaggeration and hype when it comes to today’s AI market. Frosst doesn’t lean in. It was refreshing to talk to an AI founder who knows everything he has and can agree on what the AI ​​industry is looking at and how his company is moving into the industry.

Guest: Tade Oyerinde, Chancellor, Campus

What the company does: An accredited online college

Publication date: July 18, 2024

Why I like it: Most of the startups are startups who want to revisit old ideas. Although this method is acceptable, and often beneficial, it is not always pleasant. Campus is one of the few companies (not looking at the weather) that I spoke to this year that is doing something special.

Guest: Nicholas Green, founder and CEO, Thrive Market

What the company does: A healthy online dating site for membership

Publication date: April 2, 2024

Why I like it: Thrive Market would target its online marketplace for snacks and healthy foods to the type of customers it already has access to. But it didn’t and the reasons that make up the original story. Plus, learning about how a pre-Covid online store was set up was interesting – even for those who aren’t very into shopping like me.

Guest: Rebecca Hu, co-founder, Glacier

What the company does: Robots that sort recycling

Publication date: March 12, 2024

Why I like it: Glacier’s approach to using computer vision to train robots to analyze recyclables seems like a glimpse into the future of reduce, reuse, recycle. Hu also has some interesting posts about what it’s like to build an AI company in the AI ​​wash age. Also, robots have names.

Guest: Beatrice Dixon, co-founder and CEO, The Honey Pot (acquired by Compass Diversified)

What the company does: Medicines for menstrual hygiene

Publication date: February 6, 2024

Why I like it: The original story of The Honey Pot is interesting and Dixon is the narrator. This story also shows the pride of starting from the bottom and getting into the sweet reward at the end of the whole process.

Guest: Ben Goodwin, founder and CEO, Olipop

What the company does: Prebiotic soda

Publication date: January 24, 2024

Why I like it: Olipop is a wild company to follow, as the health soda market has exploded in recent years. Goodwin was also a pleasure to hang out with. Although he is the CEO, he makes the brand’s flavors himself. He answered our phone while drinking coffee from a wine jug. This gives you an idea of ​​how this went down.

Guest: Neil Batlivala

What the company does: They connect underserved communities to quality care

Publication date: November 28, 2023

Why I like it: Mr Batlivala has broken the law by using public funds to help initiate and improve his results. Batlivala, and his work with Pair Team, is a bright spot in the startup environment as his company works to improve the lives of the most vulnerable people in the US, who are often neglected by technology companies.

Guest: Abhi Ramesh, founder and CEO, Misfits Market

What the company does: An online store for bad and poorly packaged products

Publication date: October 31, 2023

Why I like it: Ramesh was very positive about the story of the start of Misfits Market and all the challenges he faced to get the company off the ground. This story was re-recorded after the Misfits acquired Imperfect Foods, so there’s a lot of useful information on how to put the companies together.

Guest: Graham Hine, founder and director, ePlant (former CEO)

What it does: They use AI sensors to monitor tree health

Publication date: September 5, 2023

Why I like it: This startup uses AI to talk to trees! Hine wasn’t your typical Silicon Valley startup, in a good way, and it was interesting to talk to a company that was solving a big problem – tree health – but in a very interesting way. Listen in to find out Hines’ favorite tree.

Guest: Rebecca Rosenberg, founder and CEO, ReBokeh

What the company does: Assistive technology for people with low vision

Publication date: August 1, 2023

Why it’s popular: People with disabilities are often completely overlooked by technology, so it was great to hear from an innovator who is developing technology to transform people with visual impairments and doing so in a way that is based on their own experiences. Rosenberg is wise beyond his years.

Guest: Kamakshi Sivaramakrishnan, founder and CEO, Samoha (now part of Snowflake)

What it does: Data security

Publication date: May 16, 2023

Why I like it: Sivaramakrishnan is a force to be reckoned with in the world of technology. She signed the paperwork to sell her startup while she was in the hospital preparing to give birth and she launched and sold the rest. There are many lessons to be learned from this.

Guest: Ben Lamm, founder and CEO, Colossal Biosciences

What it does: Conservation by reintroducing extinct species

Publication date: March 21, 2023

Why I like it: While you may enter this session confused as to why technologists would want to bring the woolly mammoth back to life, you’ll leave this session thinking the idea makes perfect sense. Lamm is a great speaker and the science behind the company is very interesting.

Guest: Matt Rogers, founder and CEO, Mill

What the company does: Home food composting and recycling

Publication date: March 7, 2023

Why I like it: Rogers has an impressive background before Mill that includes working on the original iPhone and starting the Nest smart thermostat company. Rogers is funny – his fiction and writing alone make this worth your time.

Guest: Mir Hwang, founder and CEO, GigFinesse

What the company does: Gig-booking software

Date of issue: January 17, 2023

Why I like it: Hwang is an impressive inventor. From pretending to be his own personal storage to building a base in someone else’s room, there are plenty of interesting stories packed in here. Plus, GigFinesse’s gig booking tool is great on its own.