Shows
The Startup Leap Podcast3 Startups. 1 Founder. All the Pain, Lessons & Wins (No BS): Josh Sandler | Lori, TruTaxJoin us in this compelling episode as we sit down with Josh Sandler, co-founder of Lori and Founder and CEO of TruTax. Josh shares his transformative journey from building Lori, an on-demand logistics and trucking company in East Africa, to founding TruTax, a venture leveraging AI to optimize tax compliance. Learn about his entrepreneurial lessons, personal growth, and the critical mistakes that shaped his path. Dive into his reflections on team building, culture, and managing intense environments, and discover how meditation and self-care have become cornerstones of his strategy. 2025-05-1330 min
The Startup Leap PodcastFrom Self-Taught Developer to FinTech Founder: Victor Alade of RaenestJoin us for an insightful conversation with Victor, the founder and CEO of Raenest, as he shares his inspiring journey from a self-taught software developer in Nigeria to leading a pioneering Fintech company powering remote African workers, that recently raised a $10M Series A round led by QED.Discover how Victor's background in engineering and his unique perspective on the challenges faced by Africa's remote workforce led to the creation of Raenest, a platform aimed at revolutionizing payments for remote workers. Learn about his experiences in fundraising, building a global product...2025-05-0643 min
The Startup Leap PodcastFrom Broke & Pregnant to Building a $60B Industry | Ida Tin, Founder of ClueJoin us in this episode of Startup Leap as we sit down with Ida Tin, co-founder and chairwoman of Clue, a revolutionary women's health app that has empowered over 10 million users worldwide. Ida shares her extraordinary journey from a struggling entrepreneur with no coding skills to building a groundbreaking company in the $60 billion femtech industry. Discover how Ida turned her frustrations with outdated family planning methods into a data-driven digital solution with FDA clearance. Listen to powerful insights on fundraising, product development, and the importance of trusting your instincts. Whether you're a current...2025-04-2139 min
The Startup Leap PodcastThe 5-Minute Startup Advice That Could Save You Years (and Millions)In this episode, experienced entrepreneurs share insightful advice they would give to their younger selves. They emphasize trusting your instincts, asking for help, believing in yourself, and the importance of small, achievable goals. Real-world experiences highlight the significance of resilience, execution over strategy, and the importance of maintaining personal well-being while navigating the challenging journey of building a business.00:00 Advice to Younger Self: Startup Insights00:14 Trust Your Instincts and Keep Going00:58 The Reality of Entrepreneurship01:42 Personal Growth and Self-Belief02:43 Strategic Advice for Entrepreneurs03:22...2025-04-1504 min
The Startup Leap PodcastFrom Corporate Executive to Startup Founder: Abu Addae of LifeCheqIn this episode of The Startup Leap, we dive into the fascinating journey of Abu Addae, the founder and CEO of LifeCheq. Abu transitioned from a senior role in financial risk management to creating a disruptive startup focused on personalized financial planning for the South African market.Learn about the challenges he faced, the decisions that shaped LifeCheck, and the eventual pivot from a consumer-centric model to a B2B platform. Abu shares his insights on entrepreneurship, fundraising, dealing with competition, and leveraging AI in the financial advice space. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur or...2025-04-0846 min
The Startup Leap PodcastDilution 101 - How To Keep Control of Your Startup Before It’s Too LateIn this episode of Startup Leap, we dive into the critical topic of dilution and how it impacts founders. Learn from the experiences of legends like Steve Jobs and Travis Kalanick, who both lost control of their companies due to dilution. We'll break down the concept with a simple example and offer strategic advice for founders facing dilution dilemmas. Gain insights on how to protect your equity and board control, and explore non-dilutive funding options. This is essential viewing for any startup founder looking to navigate the complexities of startup financing...2025-04-0116 min
The Startup Leap PodcastHe Dropped Out of Medical School, Built A HealthTech AI Startup To Help Millions | Ivan Beckley of SuveraIn this insightful episode, Ivan shares his incredible journey from medical school with aspirations of becoming a surgeon, to interning at DeepMind, and ultimately founding a transformative healthcare company, Suvera.Ivan outlines the challenges he faced in shifting from founder to CEO, the importance of unlearning and relearning, and his strategic focus on leveraging data science in medicine. He talks about the crucial decision to pursue primary care in the NHS for early and proactive treatment, navigating complex health systems, the role of AI, and the evolving landscape of chronic disease management.2025-03-2542 min
The Startup Leap PodcastThis Ex-Google PM Is Fixing Addressing for 4 Billion People | Timbo Drayson of OkHiIn this episode of the Startup Leap, Yvonne and Maria sit down with Timbo, the founder of OkHi, a startup rethinking smart addressing for emerging markets. Despite 90% of the world being covered by Google Maps, four billion people lack a formal addressing system. Timbo details his journey from working at Google to experiencing firsthand the massive addressing issues in Africa, which led him to launch OkHi. He discusses the challenges of starting a business in a new market, the importance of understanding and validating the problem, and the crucial pivot OkHi...2025-03-1850 min
The Startup Leap Podcast3 Costly Mistakes When Giving Equity As A First Time FounderIn this episode of Startup Leap, hosts Yvonne and Maria dive deep into critical considerations for startup founders focusing on equity allocation and cap table management. The episode covers insights on how to strategically allocate early equity with co-founders, advisors, and employees, including tips on vesting schedules and cliffs. They share expert advice on raising the right amount of capital at the appropriate time and negotiating beyond just valuation. Featuring the real-life dilemma of a founder dealing with an unequal equity split, the hosts offer practical solutions and emphasize the importance...2025-03-1128 min
The Startup Leap PodcastLessons From Building StoryGraph: Side Project to Book Tracking Giant with Nadia OdunayoIn this episode, Nadia Odunayo, CEO and founder of The StoryGraph, discusses her journey from investment banking to founding a disruptive book tracking technology company through bootstrapping instead of venture capital. Nadia shares insights into her bootstrapping philosophy, avoiding venture capital, validating product ideas, and building a dedicated user community and building incredibly lean -- with over 4 million users, StoryGraph is only a team of 3! Nadia provides valuable lessons on maintaining founder-product fit, the importance of customer feedback, and sustaining growth without external investments. Learn how her reflective practices and clear...2025-03-0446 min