Ethan Ding, founder of TextQL, believes the biggest problem in startups isn’t talent—it’s talent dispersion. In this episode, he shares how he met his co-founder, how he discovered his co-founder was "the one," why partnerships are the key to billion-dollar companies, and why waiting to find the right people is the biggest mistake you can make.
We also get into:
- Why education suppresses natural talent
- The line between confidence and arrogance for intelligence
- Why he doesn’t believe in “Fake it Until You Make it”
- How to double down on the right relationships
Hope you enjoy the episode! Please be sure to like and subscribe :)
- Follow Us On IG: https://www.instagram.com/failinguppp/?hl=en
- Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3KMsmkqvycGgoXZDjoM6Py?si=6e40e75d54374c08
- Listen On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/failing-up/id1771458449
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Welcome Ethan!
1:00 You’re never surprised when things go bad
3:47 - Life after getting fired and transitioning into TextQL
7:00 - How Ethan knew Mark, his co-founder, was “the one”
13:00 - The next trillion dollar company will be a partnership
21:45 - How Ethan is fighting the talent dispersion problem
27:36 - A love letter to special people who don’t know they’re special
29:30 - Does our education system suppress people’s “it”?
34:20 - Drawing the line between embracing superiority and being arrogant
38:00 - Ethan’s attitude on agency
41:00 - Why Ethan doesn’t believe in “Fake it Until you Make it”
43:00 - “Every day that you’re not finding your person is a day wasted”
47:30 - Does the sense of “urgency to find someone” apply to romantic relationships only or time spent with family and friends?
53:00 - Double down on existing relationships
#podcast #selfimprovement #failure #success #entrepreneurship
