Best Jake Knapp Podcasts (2025)

1
Howie Liu: Building Airtable to Feel Magical 46:05

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2M ago46:05

46:05

Spreadsheets were originally designed for finance people. But when Howie Liu and his co-founders started Airtable in 2012, they had a deeper insight that a spreadsheet-database hybrid could be used by anyone for just about anything, including project management, content calendars, recipes, and even travel itineraries. Now the company is valued at …

1
Joe Liemandt: The AI-Powered School Rewriting the Future of Education 42:33

2M ago42:33

42:33

Long before he attended Stanford, founded software giant Trilogy, or became the youngest member of the Forbes 400, Joe Liemandt wrote a high school paper about the potential for a futuristic technology called Artificial Intelligence. Four decades later Liemandt sits in the principal’s chair at Alpha School, an AI-powered private school founded in A…

1
Mårten Mickos: Essential Lessons From A Legendary Tech CEO 41:24

3M ago41:24

41:24

Mårten Mickos isn't the kind of CEO who tries to dream up world-changing ideas or invent brand new markets. Perhaps best known for leading MySQL to becoming a $1 billion success story that powered Facebook, Google, and YouTube, Mickos also led teams at Eucalyptus and HackerOne and has consistently shown an ability to convert the potential energy of…

1
Eric Schmidt: The Implications of Superintelligence 40:35

3M ago40:35

40:35

Best known as the CEO who helped transform Google from a promising startup into one of the best businesses in human history, Eric Schmidt has recently become one of the most important voices in the global conversation about artificial intelligence. He’s co-written two books on the subject including the New York Times bestseller Genesis: Artificial…

1
Pedro Franceschi: Lessons from an Evolving Entrepreneur, from Hacking iPhones to Building Brex 43:19

5M ago43:19

43:19

At just 13 years of age, Pedro Franceschi was one of the first to jailbreak the iPhone. By the time he was 15 he had co-founded a payments company that would process over a billion in transactions. And by the time he was in his early 20s, helped transform a last minute YC pivot into Brex, one of the most iconic fintech breakout stories of the decad…

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Mitchell Hashimoto: How Solving His Own Problem Sparked HashiCorp 39:27

5M ago39:27

39:27

The most successful founders don't usually chase startup ideas. Instead, they're pulled toward problems they can't ignore. Back in 2009, Mitchell Hashimoto set out to fix what frustrated him by hacking nights and weekends, open sourcing the tools he wished had existed for over a year. His quiet persistence and commitment to fixing the problem ign…

1
Jake Knapp: The Founder’s Guide to Product-Market Fit 41:10

7M ago41:10

41:10

For startups in the zero to one phase, finding product-market fit isn't everything. It’s the only thing. And there are few people in the entrepreneurial world better at solving the product-market fit puzzle than Jake Knapp, who helped build Microsoft Encarta and Gmail, co-founded Google Meet, and has advised teams at Miro, Slack, LEGO and NASA on p…

1
Amjad Masad: Resolve, Persistence, and the Rise of Replit 39:28

7M ago39:28

39:28

Amjad Masad's journey is defined by relentless persistence. Born and raised in Jordan, he borrowed computers to teach himself coding, and then earned money building software for local internet cafes. He applied to Y Combinator again and again, finally gaining acceptance on his fourth try. His constant drive fueled continuous improvement, culminatin…

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Aaron Levie: The Restless Founder Plotting the Future of Cloud Storage and AI 40:49

8M ago40:49

40:49

When the team behind Box first went looking for funding back in 2005, they tried just about every trick in the book. They sent Bill Gates a fax. They dropped a prospectus off at Paul Allen’s house in Seattle. And they took a shot at convincing Mark Cuban to join two ambitious college kids with a hunch the way businesses stored and collaborated aro…

1
Guillermo Rauch: The Product Visionary Fueling Vercel and Millions of Developers 39:36

8M ago39:36

39:36

Guillermo Rauch didn’t find success by accident. He began working on computers as a kid growing up in Argentina and was hooked immediately, eventually falling in love with programming and open source before moving to Silicon Valley. Since then his blend of technical foresight, audacious ambition and obsessive attention to detail in products has mad…

1
Zach Perret: The Survival Story of a Fintech Giant 38:17

9M ago38:17

38:17

Long before Plaid became a $13.4 billion fintech juggernaut, it was just another struggling startup. Co-founders Zach Perret and William Hockey burned through cash and pivoted from one failed idea to the next, ultimately getting turned away by roughly 100 VCs during seed round funding. But Plaid persevered, and eventually revolutionized how financi…

1
Baiju Bhatt: First Robinhood, Next …. Outer Space? 40:43

10M ago40:43

40:43

As the co-founder of Robinhood, Baiju Bhatt didn't just help launch a company. He sparked a movement that fundamentally shifted the dynamics of investing, and created a new path for everyday people to participate in the markets. But can the man who changed the way people think about money do the same for energy? In this episode, Mike Maples, Jr. of…

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Josh Reeves: How Gusto Took The Pain Out Of Payroll 38:34

11M ago38:34

38:34

When Josh Reeves, Tomer London and Edward Kim founded Gusto in 2012, roughly 40 percent of the employers in the United States were still doing their payroll by hand. Thousands of small business owners spent their time reading up on various federal and local tax codes or buried in late-night paperwork, drained of the energy to truly chase their drea…

1
Breakthrough Lesson: RIP To Old-School Marketing 10:29

1y ago10:29

10:29

Most startups stick to traditional methods of getting their message out. Pattern Breakers, however, don't follow the old rules of marketing. Instead they ignite a movement where they ultimately rise to the top, uncontested, while others later scramble for the leftovers. In this Breakthrough Lesson, Mike Maples Jr. of Floodgate examines three lesson…

1
Niels Hoven: Teaching Two Year-Olds to Read Like Second Graders 34:40

1y ago34:40

34:40

The team behind the educational technology company Mentava is a small one, but its product idea is extremely ambitious: An app that teaches two year-olds to read at a second grade level. The idea is the brainchild of founder Niels Hoven, a father of four committed to accelerating K-12 education and helping high-achieving kids reach their true poten…

1
Daphne Koller: Changing Lives With Coursera 43:33

1+ y ago43:33

43:33

Few startup founders follow a path to success like Daphne Koller, a polymath whose academic career in machine learning, computer vision, and computational biology make her a force far beyond the business arena. Koller left her academic career at Stanford in 2012 to co-found Coursera, the world’s largest platform for massive open online courses (MOO…

1
Pattern Breakers: Which Startups Change the Future? 36:40

1+ y ago36:40

36:40

On this special episode of Pattern Breakers, host Mike Maples Jr. of Floodgate joins LinkedIn founder and legendary investor Reid Hoffman for a conversation on Hoffman’s podcast Masters of Scale, where iconic business leaders share lessons and strategies that have helped them grow the world's most fascinating companies. Mike discusses the insights …

1
A Sneak Peek at Pattern Breakers 39:45

1+ y ago39:45

39:45

Today is a huge day for Pattern Breakers, the book. Co-written with Peter Zeibelman of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Pattern Breakers has been dubbed “the most important start-up book of the last ten years” by legendary entrepreneur and co-creator of the Lean Startup movement Steve Blank. Pattern Breakers draws from decades of experienc…

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Maddie Hall: A Different Path to the Future 40:08

1+ y ago40:08

40:08

There is no single path to becoming the founder of a pattern-breaking startup. For Maddie Hall, her journey began with a crucial choice: to brainstorm startup ideas or to spend time with people already shaping the future. She chose the latter, following Sam Altman at OpenAI as his Chief of Staff. This experience, along with the connections and know…

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Breakthrough Lessons: Founder-Future Fit 12:12

1+ y ago12:12

12:12

Check out the Pattern Breakers Blog at patternbreakers.substack.com for even more Pattern Breaking content from Mike. Mike's book Pattern Breakers is available now wherever you buy books. Follow Mike on X!By Mike Maples

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Justin Kan: Pattern Breaker Personified 41:59

1+ y ago41:59

41:59

If pattern breaker was a term in the dictionary, you just might find an image of Justin Kan. From his attempts as a teenager to send a camera to outer space, to selling his first company on Ebay, to strapping a camera to his head to play the starring role on Justin.tv, Kan has always been a man with uncommon ideas and the ability to convince people…

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Breakthrough Lessons: The Value of a Superbuilder 11:16

1+ y ago11:16

11:16

In the early days of a start-up, the superbuilder can be as important to greatness as the start-up leader, and they’re often not the same person. But what are the traits of a great superbuilder, and why do they play such a crucial role in the zero to one phase of a company? In this Breakthrough Lesson, Mike Maples, Jr of Floodgate discusses the suc…

1
Kyle Vogt: A Problem Solver With A Purpose 39:02

1+ y ago39:02

39:02

Kyle Vogt has always been fascinated with designing robots and machines. From his youngest days, he retrofitted his father's car to drive itself along the highways of his home state of Kansas. Later, he dropped out of MIT and became a wildly successful startup founder, playing a crucial role in the development of Justin.tv and Twitch. With Cruise A…

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Breakthrough Lessons: Learning to Savor Surprises 11:48

1+ y ago11:48

11:48

The ability to notice and savor surprises is a key overlooked skill of the greatest founders. It allows you to narrow in on the types of capabilities that will lead to breakthroughs. In this Breakthrough Lesson, Mike Maples, Jr of Floodgate calls on the lessons learned by Twitch co-founder Emmett Shear to discuss why founders should seek surprises …

1
Emmett Shear: How Twitch Changed Media by Merging it with Gaming 38:38

1+ y ago38:38

38:38

Emmett Shear was a gamer long before he helped define one of the most important new media companies at the intersection of gaming, media, and the creator economy. What can we learn from his success as a founder? (hint: it has something to do with truly listening to users.) Check out the Pattern Breakers Blog at patternbreakers.substack.com foreven …

1
Breakthrough Lessons: The One Thing That Matters Most… 10:10

1+ y ago10:10

10:10

In the early days of a startup, finding product-market fit is paramount. Once you have it, failure is almost impossible. Without it, you can do everything else right, and still fail. In this Breakthrough Lesson, Mike Maples, Jr of Floodgate discusses three heuristics for maximizing the odds of success: Find the right North Star, offer a Delta 4 exp…

1
Michael Seibel: “The Godfounder” Discusses Justin.tv, Twitch, and Y Combinator 46:47

1+ y ago46:47

46:47

Michael Seibel didn’t set out to become a legendary startup founder. As a young man, his sights were set on politics, dreaming of a future on the Supreme Court. But his friendship with fellow Yale classmate Justin Kan led to a fortuitous cross-country trip to California that changed everything. In this episode, Mike Maples, Jr. of Floodgate talks w…

1
Welcome to Pattern Breakers 6:42

1+ y ago6:42

6:42

Mike Maples, Jr. of Floodgate is back with a new season of his podcast, once called Starting Greatness, now renamed Pattern Breakers. The focus remains, but with increased ambitions. In this season intro, Mike explains his reasons for expanding the podcast's scope, what listeners can anticipate going forward, and details about a forthcoming book se…

1
Jake Knapp 38:28

2y ago38:28

38:28

James Nitties welcomes guest host PGATOUR.COM Associate Editor Kevin Prise as he talks with Jake Knapp about his childhood growing up in Southern California, playing collegiately at the University of California, Los Angeles, his love for the Anaheim Ducks, an interesting job he had while coming up through the ranks, and his excitement to make it to…

1
Chan Kim 42:30

2y ago42:30

42:30

James Nitties welcomes guest host PGATOUR.COM Associate Editor Kevin Prise as he talks with Chan Kim about his childhood growing up in Hawaii, playing collegiately at Arizona State University, his passion for video games, some of the interesting prizes he has won while competing internationally, winning back-to-back weeks this season on the Korn Fe…

1
Shad Tuten 32:50

2y ago32:50

32:50

Host James Nitties welcomes Shad Tuten to discuss his childhood growing up in Augusta, Georgia, being at the 16th green at the 2005 Masters Tournament when Tiger Woods made his legendary chip-in, playing collegiately at Armstrong State University, learning how to be a professional golfer while playing on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica and the Korn Ferry To…

1
Kevin Dougherty 42:21

2y ago42:21

42:21

Host James Nitties welcomes Kevin Dougherty to discuss his love for ice hockey before transitioning to golf during his early life in California, being friendly with Rickie Fowler, Justin Timberlake and Aaron Rodgers, his focus on his mental health, playing collegiately at Oklahoma State University, and his excitement to make it to the PGA TOUR.…

1
Max Greyserman 34:53

2y ago34:53

34:53

Host James Nitties welcomes Max Greyserman to discuss his resemblance to Rory McIlroy, his family's heritage from modern-day Ukraine, his focus on academics, playing collegiately at Duke University, and his excitement to make it to the PGA TOUR.

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Rafa Campos 43:59

2y ago43:59

43:59

Host James Nitties welcomes Rafa Campos as they discuss his love of fishing, his very close bond with his family, playing collegiately at Virginia Commonwealth University, representing his native Puerto Rico in the Summer Olympic Games, and the challenges he faced and overcame to make it back to the PGA TOUR.…

1
Chandler Phillips 41:36

2y ago41:36

41:36

Host James Nitties welcomes Chandler Phillips as they discuss learning to play golf at a young age with his father and grandfather, playing collegiately at Texas A&M University, his relationship with 3-time PGA TOUR winner Cameron Champ, getting putting tips from 6-time PGA TOUR champion Rickie Fowler, and his excitement to make it to the PGA TOUR.…

1
Ben Silverman 40:32

2+ y ago40:32

40:32

Host James Nitties welcomes Ben Silverman as they discuss winning the pro-am portion with Aaron Rodgers at the 2023 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, his focus on the mental game, his goal of being the best Canadian player in golf history, and his excitement to make it to the PGA TOUR.

1
Season 3 Trailer 1:15

2+ y ago1:15

1:15

Join host James Nitties for Season 3 of the Chasing TOURBound podcast as he chats with the Korn Ferry Tour’s rising stars amid the annual chase for #TOURBound status and PGA TOUR cards.

1
Rico Hoey 21:28

2+ y ago21:28

21:28

Host James Nitties welcomes Rico Hoey as they discuss his emotional win at the Visit Knoxville Open, the importance of his family in his life, his early success in the amateur ranks along with the difficulties that followed, and his excitement to make it to the PGA TOUR.

1
Breakthrough Lessons: Nail Your Niche 9:12

2+ y ago9:12

9:12

Founders are naturally drawn to the tantalizing potential of their product reaching a vast market, but the route to victory starts with nailing a niche before going for the broader opportunity. In this lesson of greatness, Mike Maples, Jr of Floodgate calls on the lessons of Spotify co-founder Daniel Ek to examine how this is done: Identify a stron…

1
Daniel Ek: How Spotify Revolutionized The Music Business 47:29

2+ y ago47:29

47:29

When he was a little boy growing up in Sweden, Daniel Ek was obsessed with two things: the binary realm of computers and the artistry of music. As a young adult, he combined his love for both by co-founding Spotify, which became the global standard-bearer for streaming, Spotify now has more than 500 million users per month. In this episode, Mike Ma…

1
Breakthrough Lessons: Crisis Reveals Greatness 9:10

2+ y ago9:10

9:10

Startup founders dealt with uncertainty, stress and trauma in the wake of the run on Silicon Valley Bank, but the most important lessons from this crisis never showed up in social media. In this lesson of greatness, Mike Maples, Jr of Floodgate calls on the actions of a variety of founders who showed incredible courage and competence to showcase th…

1
Untold lessons from the SVB bank run 32:37

2+ y ago32:37

32:37

The recent run on Silicon Valley Bank led to a variety of accusations, recriminations and finger-pointing on social media, but how can FOUNDERS actually learn from the crisis? And what lessons can we learn from the founders who crushed it under tough circumstances? In this episode, Mike Maples, Jr welcomes Floodgate co-founder Ann Miura-Ko on the s…

1
Breakthrough Lessons: Refuse Mediocrity 11:50

3y ago11:50

11:50

When we REFUSE to accept mediocrity, we can start building greatness. But how can you avoid the pitfalls of learned helplessness and help your company break through the arbitrary limits that impede progress? In this lesson of greatness, Mike Maples, Jr of Floodgate calls on the lessons of Boom Supersonic founder Blake Scholl to examine three tips t…

1
Blake Scholl: How Boom Supersonic Took Flight 40:52

3y ago40:52

40:52

More than fifty years after the first Concorde took flight, consumer air travel is actually SLOWER. Blake Scholl and his team at Boom Supersonic are out to reverse this stagnation and change how we think about commercial aviation. In this episode, Mike Maples, Jr of FLOODGATE interviews Scholl to learn more about the history of American aviation, t…

1
Harrison Endycott 39:31

3y ago39:31

39:31

Host James Nitties welcomes fellow Aussie Harrison Endycott as they discuss the food and culture from their native country, Harrison's youth as an amateur golfer, and his excitement of heading to the PGA TOUR.

1
Kevin Roy 28:43

3y ago28:43

28:43

Host James Nitties welcomes Kevin Roy, who discusses growing up as a golfer in Syracuse, NY, being the son of a professional golfer, and realizing his dream of playing on the PGA TOUR.

1
Justin Suh 28:04

3y ago28:04

28:04

Guest host Kevin Prise welcomes Justin Suh to the show to discuss his stellar amateur career, his love of Asian cuisine, and his excitement to play on the PGA TOUR next season.

1
Harry Hall 29:11

3y ago29:11

29:11

Harry Hall joins the show and discusses his early life in Cornwall, England, his unique style and personality, and his excitement to play on the PGA TOUR next season.

1
Mark Leslie: Silicon Valley Go-to-Market Legend (Part 2) 36:46

3y ago36:46

36:46

Mike Maples, Jr of Floodgate welcomes back go-to-market expert and Stanford Graduate School of Business lecturer Mark Leslie for the second of their two-part interview, this time focusing on the role and responsibilities of a CEO and a deep dive into Leslie’s Compass, an essential set of heuristics for every startup founder. Leslie also discusses t…

1
Breakthrough Lessons: Leslie’s Compass 11:54

3y ago11:54

11:54

When a startup product goes to market, the two key muscles it can flex are marketing and sales. In nearly every facet of a startup product, marketing or sales takes the natural lead in getting the product to customers. But startups often pour resources into these two areas in unfocused ways, and the results can be disastrous. In this lesson of grea…