Building What Users Say & Do: How Yana Welinder Built a Product Teams Loved — And Sold It to Amplitude

Building What Users Say & Do: How Yana Welinder Built a Product Teams Loved — And Sold It to Amplitude

Yana Welinder, founder and CEO of Kraftful, shares her dynamic journey from law professor at Stanford to a product leader whose company was acquired by Amplitude. In this episode, Yana discusses Kraftful's evolution, the importance of pivoting, and the steps involved in a successful acquisition. She underscores the significance of leveraging user feedback, optimizing fundraising speed as a solo founder, and maintaining product focus amid growth. With actionable insights for founders, Yana sheds light on the strategic considerations and personal resilience required to navigate the startup landscape. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 00:37 Yana Weller's Journey to Kraft Full 02:31 The Birth and Evolution of Kraft Full 06:01 Product Hunt Success and Fundraising 12:39 Navigating Acquisition Offers 21:49 The Acquisition Process 24:18 Post-Acquisition Reflections 35:59 Lightning Round and Closing Thoughts Links & Resources * Check out the products Yana built at Kraftful [https://www.kraftful.com/] & Amplitude [https://amplitude.com/] * Kraftful's Acquisition Announcement [https://investors.amplitude.com/news-releases/news-release-details/amplitude-acquires-kraftful-accelerate-ai-strategy] * Follow Yana on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ywelinder/] and X [https://x.com/yanatweets?lang=en] * Yana's insights on getting into Y Combinator [https://ehandbook.com/how-we-got-into-y-combinator-a7d0f0183307]

Raised in Purpose, Built in Community: Khadijah Robinson's Journey

Khadijah Robinson’s entrepreneurial journey didn’t begin in a startup accelerator — it began in her childhood home, where her parents were intentional about shaping how she saw beauty, possibility, and Black excellence. That foundation led her to build the Nile List as a “therapeutic exercise” during  her full-time legal career, eventually growing it into a platform supporting thousands of Black-owned businesses around the world. In this episode, she traces the purposeful thread from her mom’s early entrepreneurial success, to launching the Nile List during a pandemic from Nigeria, to navigating an unexpected acquisition. Today, that same thread shows up in her roles as GP at Fictive Ventures, leader of the LIFT Incubator, and community architect behind The Pit in Atlanta. For founders across industries and backgrounds, Khadijah offers something rare: a blueprint for building rooted in identity, community, and clarity — not hype. Show Notes: In this episode: * The childhood lessons that shaped how she sees community, beauty, and entrepreneurship * Why her mom’s early business success quietly set the stage for her own founder journey * How the Nile List began as a spreadsheet for stress relief during a painful clerkship * Launching March 1, 2020 — and why that timing unexpectedly accelerated growth * Bootstrapping, burning personal savings, and learning she had a real business * Subscription boxes, early customers, and community pulling the product forward * Navigating valuation, negotiation, and leadership through her legal lens * The realities of being a Black woman founder leading inside a larger org * What she brought forward into investing — and what she refuses to repeat * How she now supports founders through Fictive, LIFT, and The Pit Links & resources mentioned: * Khadijah Robinson on LinkedIn  –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/khadijahrobinson/  * Fictive Ventures – fictiveventures.com * The Pit Atlanta – thepitatlanta.com * Center for Black Entrepreneurship + LIFT Incubator – cbecenter.org

From Herstory to Lex to What’s Next: Kel Rakowski’s Journey of Love & Reinvention

What does it look like to build a social app from an Instagram project into a VC-backed global community — and then let it go? In this episode of Founded On Purpose, Kt McBratney talks with Kel Rakowski, artist, strategist, writer, and founder of Lex, the beloved queer social app acquired by 9Count in 2024. Kel opens up about the origins of Lex in vintage lesbian personal ads, the early explosive growth, and the challenges of scaling a community-centered product inside a venture-backed structure. Kel also shares the deeply personal side of stepping back as CEO, navigating burnout, building with love, and finding the courage — and clarity — to start a new chapter after the acquisition. We talk about: * The moment Kel knew Lex was bigger than a side project * How the community shaped the app’s evolution * Burnout, identity, and the stigma around stepping back * What it really means to hand your company to someone else * Why love — in all forms — has always been Kel’s purpose * The return to creativity through writing, Herstory, and storytelling * Redefining success after an exit This conversation is honest, tender, and expansive — perfect for founders navigating identity, impact, burnout, and reinvention. Resources & Links * Lex – https://www.lex.lgbt/  * Herstory (Kel's Instagram project) – https://www.instagram.com/h_e_r_s_t_o_r_y/ * Kel’s Substack: Work Unseen – https://rakowwwski.substack.com/  * NTS Radio – https://www.nts.live/

Viral Moments, Quiet Decisions: How Amelia Lin Navigated Honeycomb’s Path to Exit

What really happens after your startup gets acquired? In the first episode of season 2's After the Exit series, Kt talks with Amelia Lin, cofounder and former CEO of Honeycomb, the AI-powered family photo platform acquired in 2024, and cofounder of VC Backed Moms, the global community for venture-backed founders navigating motherhood. Amelia shares the real story behind Honeycomb’s journey — from building safe AI image generation for kids before it was mainstream, to going viral on TikTok, to scaling through millions of family photos across the world. She opens up about the parts of M&A founders rarely talk about: preparing (or not preparing) for an exit, culture fit with an acquiring team, and the identity shift that happens when you go from founder to employee again. We also dig into: * Her family’s powerful story of education as opportunity * Why she believes founders should learn about exit paths far earlier * How viral growth is never as overnight as it seems * What changed in her day-to-day once the deal became public * Why she sees VC Backed Moms as a lifelong purpose, not a side project This episode pulls back the curtain on what “after the exit” really looks like — human, honest and deeply useful for any founder mapping their own journey. Resources & Links Mentioned * Honeycomb – https://medium.com/joinhoneycomb/introducing-honeycomb-94395b5950f8  * Ello (AI reading coach) – https://www.ello.com/  * VC Backed Moms – https://vcbackedmoms.com * Follow Amelia on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/amelialin/  * Renew Venture Capital – https://renewvc.com

From Software to Superfoods: How Kesha Stickland is Changing What We Eat

Kesha Stickland's mission is clear: to make healthy food accessible and delicious. After a life-changing health crisis, she turned to mushrooms as a powerful tool for healing—and now she's revolutionizing the meat alternative industry. Discover how her journey from software engineer to food innovator is transforming consumer behavior and building healthier communities. Episode Summary: Kesha Stickland, CEO and co-founder of The Mushroom Meat Co., shares her journey from software engineering and consulting to food innovation. Following a severe health crisis and personal journey to recovery, Kesha discovered the healing power of mushrooms. Her commitment to health drove her to develop award-winning beef and pork alternatives using functional mushrooms as the star ingredient. In this episode, Kesha breaks down the science behind mushrooms, their nutritional power, and why they outperform many meat alternatives in both health benefits and sustainability. She also explores how she's working with farmers to grow mushrooms as a profitable alternative to traditional livestock, unlocking new economic opportunities and utilizing existing supply chains. Throughout the conversation, Kesha opens up about her leadership journey, her role as a visible role model, and how she embraces every learning as a powerful tool for innovation and growth. Listen in to hear how Kesha's dedication to health is driving impactful change in the food industry and what we put in the center of our plates. Key Themes: * How Kesha Stickland's health journey inspired her to build The Mushroom Meat Co. * The powerful nutritional benefits of mushrooms and their role in overall health * Why reducing friction is key for changing consumer behavior, even when health is the motivating factor * Why Kesha doesn't believe in failure and sees everything as a learning moment * How a successful career in software, engineering, and consulting translates to her role and strengths as a founder * Why celebrating wins and finding moments of laughter are key to her success Links & Resources * Connect with Kesha Stickland [https://www.linkedin.com/in/keshastickland] and our host Kt McBratney [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ktmcbratney/] * Learn more about Kesha's work with The Mushroom Meat Co. [http://mushroommeatco.com] * Follow The Mushroom Meat Co. on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mushroommeatco/] for chef-driven recipes and more * Want more founder stories? Subscribe to Founded on Purpose [https://dashboard.transistor.fm/shows/founded-on-purpose/episodes/navigating-success-and-authenticity-with-chrystal-l-graves-of-liquid/edit#] * Learn more about Renew VC [https://renewvc.com/podcast], and follow on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/renewvc/] to stay in the know