I Taught Myself To Code in a Dunkin’ Donuts | Ishmael Samuel

She Lost 100 Pounds, Got Into YC, and Raised $15M

Anna Berger, founder of Trayd, spent most of her twenties feeling invisible. Then she changed everything. In this episode, she shares the full story — from struggling with her health and identity, to losing 100 lbs, leaving her job, getting into Y Combinator after 149 rejections, and raising $15M. We also go deeper on what it actually takes to “blow up your life” and rebuild it on your own terms — the tradeoffs, the doubt, and the moments that force you to choose yourself. This is a conversation about transformation, self-trust, and becoming the person you always knew you could be. About Maker Maker is a private community for young founders shaping the world. Learn more: https://www.makermember.com/ [https://www.makermember.com/] Connect with us: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/makermember/ [https://www.instagram.com/makermember/] X - https://x.com/makermember [ https://x.com/makermember] LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/makermember/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/makermember/] TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@makermember [https://www.tiktok.com/@makermember] 00:00 Trailer 01:20 Introduction 08:33 Rent the Runway Lost Years 17:10 Choosing Yourself and Startup Leap 26:12 Startup Spark at Marriott 33:03 149 Nos Then YC Yes 41:58 Series A and Founder Mindset 50:00 Lowest Points and What's Next

The Incident That Led to a $375M Startup

Arjun and Abhijay Bhatnagar are the brothers and co-founders behind Cloaked, a company redefining privacy in the digital world. They started building together at age 10. This week, they raised a $375M Series B. In this episode, they take us back to the beginning and share the untold stories behind everything it took to get here. Learning to code as kids. Heartbreak. Failure. Nearly running out of money. And the breakthrough that changed everything. About Maker Maker is a private community for young founders shaping the world. Learn more: makermember.com [makermember.com] Connect with us: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/makermember/ [https://www.instagram.com/makermember/] Twitter - https://x.com/makermember [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbWE0dHM0WFlfY1FTa1lBRFkxaE5yTkg0LWtWQXxBQ3Jtc0tuMGZ0VHZBcHoyaVpjWGgyWDN5WmVIMGZIdGhUc2RvUllHSURxSDdFelZORl9tYjBQSEdVLVRpVW96Z0YtenhEcV8xUU1NbWdMZFBtemt0dUozYy1RU05WUTFTcTJTdzVrZ01SWVlsSlBJLU9zTHdHRQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2Fmakermember&v=Kgo_y6Hj69c] LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/makermember/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/makermember/] TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@makermember [https://www.tiktok.com/@makermember]

Taking a Company Public at 26 | Brandon Moak

In Episode 03, we sit down with Brandon Moak, founder of Embark Trucks. He dropped out of Waterloo at 19 to build self-driving trucks. By 24, he'd taken the company public at a $5 billion valuation. He shares what it was like getting into YC with a self-driving golf cart and raising $30M from Sequoia, then the shift when the markets collapsed and he was burning $25M a quarter with no clear way forward. This is not a story about the wins. It's about being young and responsible for hundreds of people and not knowing if you'll make it. If you're building something uncertain, this one's for you.

From The Brink of Bankruptcy to $1M/Month | Haley Pavone

In Episode 02, we sit down with Haley Pavone, founder of Pashion Footwear, to talk about the parts of the journey most people never see. Before million-dollar months and a cult-like following, Haley was navigating investor rejection, supply-chain chaos, trade wars, and moments where the company was on the brink. She shares the decisions made under extreme pressure, having to project confidence when you don’t feel it, and what ultimately kept the company alive. This isn’t a growth-hack episode. It’s a conversation about resilience, survival, and what it really means to keep going when the path forward isn’t clear. If you’re building something hard, this one’s for you.

I Taught Myself To Code in a Dunkin’ Donuts | Ishmael Samuel

Ishmael’s early life demanded maturity long before most people his age. He arrived in the U.S. with nothing, taught himself to code, and eventually became the co-founder and CTO of Paragon, with $22M raised. This conversation isn’t about overcoming adversity or achieving milestones. It’s about how those experiences shape who you become. About Maker Maker is a private community for young founders shaping the world. Learn more: ⁠makermember.com⁠ [makermember.com⁠] Connect with us: Instagram -⁠ instagram.com/makermember⁠ [instagram.com/makermember⁠] Twitter - ⁠x.com/makermember⁠ [x.com/makermember⁠] LinkedIn - ⁠linkedin.com/company/makermember⁠ [linkedin.com/company/makermember⁠] TikTok - ⁠tiktok.com/@makermember⁠ [tiktok.com/@makermember⁠] 00:00 Trailer 01:00 Introduction 04:37 Early Life in America: Struggles and Adaptation 11:05 The Unconventional Path: Hitchhiking Across America 23:53 Realizing the Need for Financial Independence 27:11 Starting the Journey as a Self-Taught Programmer 47:00 Reflecting on Early Career Choices 50:34 Building Paragon: From Idea to Execution 01:00:42 Personal Growth and Spiritual Journey