Founders Weekly

In this episode of Founders Weekly, we continue following the intense journey of the JustRelease team as they race through days 3 and 4 of their ambitious startup challenge in Barcelona. The episode captures the team's determination as they tackle complex technical hurdles, particularly with YouTube integration while building an innovative AI tool for content creators. Through late-night coding sessions, creative problem-solving, and strategic marketing efforts, the team demonstrates how rapid startup development can yield impressive results. The conversation explores their journey from technical setbacks to successful implementation, growing their waitlist to 85 potential users, and ultimately securing their first paying customer. The episode showcases the power of focused teamwork and the viability of hackathon-style development in today's startup landscape. Just Release: http://www.justrelease.ai [http://www.justrelease.ai] Host: Heini Zachariassen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heini/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/heini/] Guests:  Hassan Bazzi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/habazzi/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/habazzi/] Staffan Ulmert LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staffan-ulmert-11aa23145/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/staffan-ulmert-11aa23145/] Levin Grünhagen Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levin-g/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/levin-g/] Stoyan Yankov LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stoyanyankov/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stoyanyankov/]  Josh / Tropic YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tropic5 Raw Startup Social Media * https://youtube.com/rawstartup * https://twitter.com/rawstartupshow * https://www.linkedin.com/company/rawstartup/ * https://www.facebook.com/rawstartup/ * https://www.tiktok.com/@rawstartup * https://www.instagram.com/rawstartup/

In this episode of Founders Weekly, we dive into an exhilarating four-day challenge where a team of ambitious developers and entrepreneurs attempt to build and launch an AI-powered content generation tool in Barcelona. The episode follows Heini Zachariassen and developer Hassan Bazzi as they tackle the first two days of creating a revolutionary tool for content creators that aims to automatically generate show notes, descriptions, and social posts while maintaining each creator's unique voice. Through technical setbacks, late-night coding sessions, and their first real user test with podcaster Stoyan, the team demonstrates the intense reality of rapid product development. The conversation explores their innovative approach to AI-generated content, the importance of user experience, and the challenges of standing out in a crowded market. Just Release: http://www.justrelease.ai [http://www.justrelease.ai] Host: Heini Zachariassen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heini/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/heini/] Guests:  Hassan Bazzi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/habazzi/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/habazzi/] Staffan Ulmert LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staffan-ulmert-11aa23145/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/staffan-ulmert-11aa23145/] Levin Grünhagen Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levin-g/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/levin-g/] Stoyan Yankov LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stoyanyankov/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stoyanyankov/]  Raw Startup Social Media * https://youtube.com/rawstartup * https://twitter.com/rawstartupshow * https://www.linkedin.com/company/rawstartup/ * https://www.facebook.com/rawstartup/ * https://www.tiktok.com/@rawstartup * https://www.instagram.com/rawstartup/

In this episode of Founders Weekly, hosts Heini and Courtney tackle the crucial topic of burnout, with a focus on founders and professionals. They explore the signs and symptoms of burnout, the differences between stress and burnout, and the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance. The conversation features a personal account from guest Oscar Werner, who opens up about his own journey through burnout, the emotional impact it had on him, and the lessons he learned in the process of recovery. Oscar discusses how burnout affected both his professional and personal relationships, the transformative changes he made in his leadership style, and the importance of self-care and mindfulness. The episode also introduces the concept of the "emotional bank account" in relationships, and touches on the challenges of balancing the drive to keep pushing with the need for rest and recovery. Oscar shares practical advice for founders on how to prevent burnout and maintain long-term well-being in both their work and personal lives. Host: Heini Zachariassen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heini/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/heini/] Co-Host: Courtney Quattrini LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneyquattrini/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneyquattrini/] Guest: Oscar Werner LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscar-werner-248612/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscar-werner-248612/] Sinch: https://sinch.com/ [https://sinch.com/] Gilion: https://www.gilion.com/ [https://www.gilion.com/] Raw Startup Social Media * https://youtube.com/rawstartup * https://twitter.com/rawstartupshow * https://www.linkedin.com/company/rawstartup/ * https://www.facebook.com/rawstartup/ * https://www.tiktok.com/@rawstartup * https://www.instagram.com/rawstartup/

In this episode of Founders Weekly, hosts Heini and Brian are joined by Pat Walls, founder of Starter Story. They discuss the journey of solopreneurship versus co-founding a business. Brian shares his experiences with Backlinko and Exploding Topics, emphasizing the value of complementary skills and trust between co-founders. Pat shares stories from building Starter Story. The conversation explores the challenges and rewards of starting a business alone, such as autonomy and isolation, and highlights the importance of motivation, discipline, and adaptability. They also touch on the role of AI in improving business efficiency, the speed of decision-making, and the risks of choosing the wrong co-founder. Host: Heini Zachariassen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heini/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/heini/] Co-Host: Brian Dean LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianedean [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianedean] Exploding Topics: https://explodingtopics.com/ [https://explodingtopics.com/] Guest: Pat Walls LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickwalls [https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickwalls] Starter Story: https://www.starterstory.com/ [https://www.starterstory.com/] Raw Startup Social Media * https://youtube.com/rawstartup * https://twitter.com/rawstartupshow * https://www.linkedin.com/company/rawstartup/ * https://www.facebook.com/rawstartup/ * https://www.tiktok.com/@rawstartup * https://www.instagram.com/rawstartup/

In this episode of Founders Weekly, Heini and Theis explore the challenges founders face in choosing which startup ideas to pursue, focusing on the concept of spin-outs—transforming strong ideas into independent companies. Guest Ola Sars, founder of Soundtrack Technology, offers insights from his journey spinning Soundtrack Technology out from Spotify, discussing the importance of maintaining focus, securing funding, and navigating platform dependency risks. The conversation also covers the complexities of licensing in the music industry, the benefits of being an agile company, and the necessity of achieving product market fit. Sars highlights the significance of discipline, knowing when to pivot, and addressing emerging trends in the B2B music sector. Host: Heini Zachariassen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heini/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/heini/] Co-Host: Theis Søndergaard LinkedIn: https://dk.linkedin.com/in/theissondergaard [https://dk.linkedin.com/in/theissondergaard] Guest: Ola Sars LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ola-sars [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ola-sars] Soundtrack Technology: https://www.soundtrackyourbrand.com/ [https://www.soundtrackyourbrand.com/] Raw Startup Social Media * https://youtube.com/rawstartup * https://twitter.com/rawstartupshow * https://www.linkedin.com/company/rawstartup/ * https://www.facebook.com/rawstartup/ * https://www.tiktok.com/@rawstartup * https://www.instagram.com/rawstartup/