What if the cure for founder loneliness isn’t more hustle, but better peers and a new way to mentor? Brad Feld joins us to map the journey from scrappy software shop to mentor-driven ecosystems, sharing how a bootstrapped mindset, structured forums, and a “give first” philosophy can reshape an entire career. You’ll hear about the origin of “We Suck Less,” why owning the full customer experience created trust, and how one room of candid founders at YEO turned isolation into momentum.
We unpack the mechanics of forum and why it works: monthly cadence, strict attendance, and a clear flow from updates to deep dives to questions to lived-experience reflections. Brad explains the crucial shift from giving advice to speaking from experience—an approach that lowers ego, invites equality, and helps the presenter uncover root causes rather than chase symptoms. He also shares how these ideas helped shape Techstars, from the early mentor-driven accelerator model to David Cohen’s Mentor Manifesto, a set of principles that encourages curiosity, presence, and practical generosity without turning mentorship into a transaction.
The conversation broadens into startup communities and the Give First philosophy: put energy into the system without predefining return, and watch value compound over time in unexpected ways. Brad connects these dots with stories from the dot-com crash to global programs that democratized entrepreneurship. And he leaves us with a grounding mantra from a trusted mentor: “They can’t kill you and they can’t eat you.” It’s a sharp reminder that perspective fuels resilience.

Please visit www.internationalfacilitatorsorganization.com to learn more about Mo Fathelbab and International Facilitators Organization (IFO), a leading provider of facilitators and related group facilitation services, providing training, certification, marketing services, education, and community for peer group facilitators at all stages of their career.