Startups Decoded
Episodes
#63: Burn the Script — Alicia Teltz on Leaving the “Perfect” Life.
06 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Alicia Teltz didn’t reinvent her life overnight. She made one decision.That step led to losing 84 pounds, leaving a 10-year relationship, walking aw...
#62: AI Predicting the Future. What Happens Next? With Vanja Josifovski
30 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
AI has already changed how we create, search, and automate. The next step is prediction.In this episode, Vanja Josifovski joins Andy Walsh to explore ...
#61: VCs Don’t Take Power. Founders Hand It Over. With Itamar Novick
23 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Power in startups is rarely where founders think it is.Itamar Novick, Founder and GP at Recursive Ventures, has worked both sides of the table as a fo...
#59: Raising Smart Capital in 2026 — Discipline, Data & Control with Roei Samuel
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The fundraising hangover is real.Capital returned in 2025, but investors are now far more selective. Traction, revenue clarity, and capital efficiency...
#59: Early-Stage GTM And The Modern Growth Engine with Brendan Tolleson.
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In a world of shifting algorithms and AI noise, winners aren’t the teams with the most tools, but the ones with the best orchestration.Andy Walsh si...
#58: “Founder” is a status; “CEO” is a skill you’re ignoring - Alisa Cohn.
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Alisa Cohn has spent decades coaching CEOs through the moments that define their leadership: rapid growth, board pressure, and the quiet isolation of ...
S2E24: AI Without the Lawsuits - How to Build Without Burning Your IP.
23 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
AI is moving fast, but durable businesses aren’t built on models alone. In this episode of Startups Decoded, Andy Walsh sits down with Frank Pa...
S2E23: The Diligence Mirror: Truth, Data, and Post-Acquisition Reality with Dr. Denise Bronner.
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Andy Walsh sits with Dr. Denise Bronner, a scientist-turned-strategist who has spent 15 years bridging the gap between the lab bench ...
S2E22: Built, Sold, Burned Out. What Comes After a $60M Exit? With Xaver Lehmann.
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Xaver Lehmann built two AI startups, sold one for $60M, and paid the price most founders don’t talk about until it’s too late.Burnout. Identity lo...
S2E21: Specialists Optimize. Operators Build Companies. With Casey Woo (FOG Ventures + Operators Guild)
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Casey Woo has spent over two decades inside the engine room of real companies, scaling startups as a 6x CFO and 2x COO across SaaS, marketplaces, hard...
S2E20: The Intro Economy: How Trust Moves Deals — With Mike Adams
26 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Mike Adams has spent 30 years doing what most founders underestimate and then desperately need. Connecting people. Lead generationFrom HP to Apple to ...
S2E19: Advice Before Money: The VC Model Founders Actually Want — With Mike Ma.
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Mike Ma doesn’t invest in decks. He invests in people.As Managing Partner and Head Coach at Sidecut Ventures, Mike works with what he calls “coach...
S2E18: Stop Running Your Startup Like a Hobby. Build It to Sell. With Luke Tobin
12 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Startups Decoded - Presented by Morrison Foerster - mofo.com.Luke Tobin has built seven businesses across hospitality, e-commerce, and agencies. Three...
S2E17: Nervous to Become a Founder? Start Here (Before You Quit) — With Niluka Kavanagh
05 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Niluka Kavanagh left Big 4 consulting with a simple question: Can I work for myself, and can I do it from anywhere?That question turned into an experi...
S2E16: Angel Money Isn’t ‘Play Money’. It’s a Major Advantage - with Katie Dunn.
29 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ founders still get boxed out of capital, but Katie Dunn has built her angel investing thesis to do the opposite, and she’...
S2E15: We Need To Scale Angel Investing — with Cheryl Kellond, Play Money.
22 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Startup investing used to be gated, exclusive networks, complex diligence, and full-time fund managers. But what if anyone could build a startup portf...
S2E14: When AI Chases Invoices Better Than You Do – Mihir Deo, Founder - Invoice Butler.
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As AI moves from clever tool to “virtual teammate,” nowhere is the shift more real than in finance.In this episode of Startups Decoded, Invoice Bu...
S2E13: From Fundraise to Exit: What Every Founder Needs to Know — Jennifer Lewis, Exited Founder - Lex
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Andy Walsh sits down with Jennifer Lewis, former Founder CEO of queer social app Lex, to unpack the full arc from first fundraise to ...
S2E12: There Is No Perfect Pitch Deck - What You Actually Need, with Robert Harary, CEO and VC - Decko
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Robert Harary found his first venture deal while in high school detention, and hasn’t looked back since. Today, he sits at the center of the ve...
S2E11: Use Banks, Not VCs: Non-Dilutive Capital for Founders with Ashley D. Bell & Redemption Bank.
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Attorney, entrepreneur, and policy leader Ashley D. Bell is building Redemption Bank, a modern Minority Depository Institution designed to give founde...
S2E10: The FemTech Edge: Build and Train by Your Menstrual Cycle - Lizzy Palmer (Founder, SyncN).
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
94 percent of sports-science research excludes female physiology.The result? A $10 billion fitness industry that burns women out, leads to injury, and...
S2E9: From Peter Thiel’s Fellowship to 1517 Fund — The VC Who Funds Rebels (Michael Gibson)
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Forget Ivy League. Build Your Own Startup Empire.From Peter Thiel’s Fellowship revolution to building the 1517 Fund, Michael Gibson has made a caree...
S2E8: Founders: The Easy Way to Land Angels, Fast - Jaclyn Johnson, CEO - Cherub
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jaclyn Johnson is a powerhouse entrepreneur, investor, and advocate for women in business.By 35, she had already launched and sold two multimillion-do...
S2E7: Boards That Raise, How to Turn Advisors into Capital (with Breen Sullivan)
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if founders could get the right advisor, investor, or board talent exactly when they need it, before they even ask?In this episode, Breen Sulliva...
S2E6: AI Meets Medicine — Personalized Care You’ll Actually Use with Dr. Erik Reis
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How integrative care, AI, and behavior design are reshaping health: prevention-first, data you own, and systems busy founders can stick to.Founders ar...
S2E5: How AI Agents Ran Our Business, While I Went To Burning Man (with Adam Robinson)
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
OpenAI’s latest “Zapier-killer” headlines were sobering, but Adam Robinson already did the unthinkable: he removed every human from RB2B, a $6M ...
S2E4: The Startup Security Playbook: AI That Keeps Up with AI — with Francesco Piccoli (Almanax).
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textHow LLMs are rewriting application security: less false positives, faster triage, and real-world founder playbooks.Founders are sprintin...
S2E3: Crack the LinkedIn Code: How to Hit 100,000 Followers with Charlie Hills
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn this episode of Startups Decoded, Andy Walsh talks with Charlie Hills, a global leader in LinkedIn growth strategy.AI is rewriting Li...
S2E2: Own the Audience or Lose the Game. Nick Humphreys - Linktree.
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textAlgorithms are wringing creators dry. In this inspiring S2 episode, Linktree co-founder & CCO Nick Humphreys ($167M raised; 70M+ use...
S2E1: How Billion-Dollar Companies Get Built. Mike Jones - Liquid Death, Dollar Shave Club, Science Inc.
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn the Season 2 opener of Startups Decoded, host Andy Walsh sits down with Mike Jones, General Partner at Science Inc., the venture stud...
Ep#33: The Real Cost of Venture Capital in the AI Era - Joseph Lee.
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn this episode of Startups Decoded, I sit down with Joseph Lee, founder and CEO of Supademo, to talk about the real founder’s journey...
Ep#32: A Logo is Decoration. A Brand Is Survival. Startups Fail When They Ignore It. With Malcolm Buick.
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn this episode of Startups Decoded, host Andy Walsh sits down with Malcolm Buick, Partner & Chief Creative Officer at Athletics and...
Ep#31: Your Digital Strategy Is Already Obsolete! Here’s How to Fix It with Jay Erickson.
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn this episode of Startups Decoded, Andy Walsh sits down with Jay Erickson, Chief Innovation Officer and co-founder of Modus, to explor...
Ep#30: Future-Proofing Products in 2025: Startup Lessons from Orgo’s Zoya Lehrer
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textSummaryIn this episode of Startups Decoded, host Andy Walsh speaks with Zoya Lehrer, founder of Orgo, about the challenges and opportuni...
Ep#29: The Post-Product Market Fit Playbook: Scaling, Systems, and Survival - with Adrian Fagerlund - Linkby
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn this episode of Startups Decoded, Andy Walsh sits down with Adrian Fagerlund, Co-Founder and CRO of Linkby, a performance PR platform...
Ep#28: How Great Founders Build Trust: The Startup Advantage You Can’t Fake - David Homan
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textMost startup advice focuses on product, pitch, and traction. But there’s one skill that fuels them all: trusted relationships.In this ...
Ep#27: The Secret to Raising Capital? Tell Your Story, Don’t Sell - Dr. Ankur Pathak.
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textDiscover how effective storytelling captivates investors and builds a compelling personal brand. Join us as we unpack the strategie...
Ep#26: Why Your Startup’s Culture Sucks (and How to Fix It) - Michael Landers
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn this episode of Startups Decoded, Michael Landers shares why culture isn’t just an HR function; it’s a startup’s competitive ed...
Ep#25: Scale or Shatter? Why Founders Break - Leila Lahbabi
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textMany founders are chasing scale, but at what cost? In this episode, Leila Lahbabi shares how purpose-driven leaders can grow thrivi...
Ep#24: Why Venture Studios Are the Future of Startups - Matthew Burris
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textMatthew Burris joins Startups Decoded to unpack how venture studios are evolving from a misunderstood startup model into a formal, funda...
Ep#23: From The NFL To The Ultimate Pivot with Kevin Jurovich
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn this episode of Startups Decoded, Kevin Jurovich (Founder & CEO of Hubble) joins me to unpack the raw, early-stage lessons no one...
Ep#22: Founders, Build Your Startup in Public with Cory Blumenfeld
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn this episode, we explore why the best founders don’t wait for perfect plans—they launch, learn, and build in public. From ea...
Ep#21: How To Secure An Angel Investor with Tony Kula
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textAngel investors are no longer just writing checks – they’re becoming strategic advisors, board members, and even fractional executiv...
Ep#20: Founder-Investor Fit with Chris Tottman - Notion Capital
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textChris Tottman, Founding General Partner at Notion Capital, shares how collaboration between radically different thinkers — founders, i...
Ep#19: The AI Playbook: How Founders Must Adapt - Mark S. McNally
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textVenture Studios are evolving, and Nobody Studios is at the forefront of building AI-native startups. In this episode, we explore ho...
Ep#18: Building the VC Firm Founders Choose First with Jason Shuman
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe best VCs aren’t just writing checks, they’re building products. In this episode, I sit down with Jason Shuman, General Partner a...
Ep#17: The Art of Networking for Founders with Madelaine Czufin
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textBringing people together is an art, and a strategy. In this episode, I sit down with Madelaine Czufin, founder of EOLO, to break down wh...
Ep#16: The Founder’s Blueprint: Building Startups in 2025 with Majd Alaily
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn this episode, we talk to Majd Alaily, founder of Ruya Advisory, a consultancy that helps startups turn visionary ideas into thriving ...
Ep#15: Why Founders Follow the Crowd — What VCs Look For Instead with Mike MacCombie
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn this episode of Startups Decoded, I’m joined by Mike MacCombie, partner at Generous Ventures, a NYC-based VC fund known for investi...
Ep#14: Venture Studios vs. Traditional Startups with Ben Yoskovitz
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn this episode, I sit down with Ben Yoskovitz, founding partner at Highline Beta, to explore the intersection of product, analytics, an...
Ep13: Is Early-Stage VC Broken? The Future with Jeff Becker - Antler
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textThe startup funding game is changing fast, and so is the early-stage VC model. So… is it time for a reset?In this episode of Startups ...
Ep#12: The Green Skills Revolution - Neil Yeoh
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textSustainability is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have. As businesses face growing pressure to align with climate targets, ...
Ep#11: Launching a Non-Alcoholic Beer with Andy Miller - Heaps Normal
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textRedefining normal: how brands can challenge culture and win.In this episode, we sit down with Andy Miller, co-founder and CEO of Heaps N...
Ep#10: What’s Next For Product Design in 2025? With Nick Sgobba
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn this episode I sit down with Nick Sgobba to discuss the evolution of product management in the age of AI. We explore how AI tool...
Ep#9: Mastering Go-To-Market Strategy with Carol Malakasis
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn this episode, sales and go-to-market expert Carol Malakasis breaks down the essential components of a winning go-to-market strategy.&...
Ep#8: The Power of Brand for Startups with Danish Chan
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn today’s fast-paced and ever-evolving business landscape, brand strategy is more crucial than ever. As consumer expectations shift a...
Ep#7: Legitimizing Venture Studios with Neal Ghosh
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textVenture Studios are not all built the same, some focus on rapid ideation, others on deep operational support, and their structures can v...
Ep#6: The Evolving Role of VCs: Why Platform Teams Matter with Joel Connolly
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textVenture capital isn’t just about writing checks, it’s about creating value. In this episode, we dive into the crucial role of VC pla...
Ep#5: Founders: Are You Investing in Yourself? With Rachel Hamlin.
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textScaling a startup is tough, but what if you are the bottleneck? In this episode, Rachel Hamlin shares how founders can break free from b...
Ep #4: Demystifying Tech Storytelling: Bridging Complexity to Clarity - Cindy Skalicky
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn this episode, we dive into the art of communicating complex science and technology concepts. Cindy Skalicky, an expert in executive c...
Ep#3: How Can Founders Scale High-Performance Teams? - Crystelle Desnoyer
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn this episode of Startups Decoded, we’re joined by Crystelle Desnoyer, an accomplished Executive Operator with extensive experience ...
Ep# 2: Founders: The Secret to Hiring the Right Marketer at the Right Time - with Lucy Woolfenden
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn this episode of Method: Startups Decoded, Lucy Woolfenden, a founder and dynamic marketing leader with extensive experience in scalin...
Ep #1: Does Climate Tech Need a Rebrand? Insights with Helena Wasserman.
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Send us a textIn this debut episode, we tackle a critical question for the future of the climate tech industry: Does climate tech need a rebrand?Featu...