#5: Sam Freeman - From Club Promoter at 19 to Founder of Two Fast Growing Ventures (>$1M ARR) at 23

#8: Parth Patil - From Broke to the Frontier of AI by Being the Original Vibe Coder

Meet Parth Patil. He is a builder, a thinker, and former Clubhouse data scientist who reinvented his career multiple times to become one of the leaders of the AI revolution, leading special AI projects for Reid Hoffman. In this conversation, we cover everything from burning your savings to learn LLMs to the future of AI avatars, the potential need for Universal Basic Income, Parth's advice to his younger self, and so much more. If you are curious about the future of the labor market, how to weave AI into your workflows, and exercise your ambition, I think you will leave this chat inspired and feeling more equipped to not be replaced. Connect with Parth or me: 🧠 Connect with Parth on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/p4r7h/] 📲 Follow Parth on IG [https://www.instagram.com/parthintelligence/?hl=en] 🧠 Connect with Cole on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cole-hume-a737041b6/]  ✍️ Read Cole’s Substack [https://substack.com/@colehume]  Timestamps: 00:00 Intro of Parth, the AI Pioneer 02:33 The Advent of Vibe Coding 11:08 The Growth of GPT and Self 17:46 The Financial Gamble 33:44 Finding the AI Community 37:05 Creating Courses for Coursera 40:12 Building a Personal Brand 42:27 Working with Reid Hoffman 44:41 Exploring Digital Twin Projects 53:05 The Meaning of Expertise in AI 01:02:30 Future Headlines and Predictions 01:14:04 The Tale of John Henry and AI 01:20:00 Where Do People Fit In 01:22:33 Automation and Universal Basic Income 01:31:00 Parth Philosophy and Advice to 20-somethings 01:44:24 Outro and Final Thoughts * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cole-hume-a737041b6/] * Young, Smart, & Battling Broke Substack [https://colehume1.substack.com/] * Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@COLEHUME] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/colehume/] * X | Twitter [https://x.com/cole_hume] Email me at colehume1@gmail.com for any feedback, ideas, or notes!

#7: Adam Novak – Building a Language Learning Startup, 200k+ Audience, and Fluency in Korea at 25

At 25, Adam Novak is building The Fluency Project — a differentiated language-learning platform based in Seoul, South Korea. Through bold, founder-led marketing stunts, Adam has earned over 60 million views across platforms, using creativity and street performance to reimagine how we approach language learning. Before The Fluency Project, Adam was the founding design engineer at 222, a Y Combinator–backed social-connection startup in New York, co-founded Good Home, a wellness-focused home-inspection company, and even spent time living as a monk practicing Vipassana meditation. In this episode, we talk about:  • Adam’s entrepreneurial journey — the wins and the failures  • Going solo vs. building with co-founders  • Finances and focus in your 20s as a founder  • Emotional resilience and mindset  • Philosophies for building and living with intention If you’re navigating your 20s, questioning the traditional path, or curious about building startups abroad, this conversation will hit home. Connect & Subscribe:  The Fluency Project – Early Access → https://thefluencyproject.notion.site/ [https://thefluencyproject.notion.site/] Adam Novak on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/its_adam_novak/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/its_adam_novak/?hl=en] Adam Novak on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamvnovak/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamvnovak/] Cole Hume on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/cole-hume-a737041b6/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cole-hume-a737041b6/] Cole’s Substack – startups, risk & meaning → https://substack.com/@colehume [https://substack.com/@colehume] Subscribe for more conversations on meaning, money and navigating one's 20s. Time stamps: 00:00 – Intro 02:10 – Why Adam Moved to Seoul 04:50 – Founder-Led Marketing & 60M Views 07:00 – Building Amiko (The AI Language Partner) 11:30 – Early Entrepreneurial Roots 18:30 – Joining YC-Backed Startup 222 24:00 – Lessons from YC & Early Startup Life 29:30 – Leaving 222 & Going Solo 33:30 – Co-Founding Good Home 40:30 – Challenges of Solo Founding 49:00 – Mental Health & Founder Struggles 55:00 – Is Striving a Bug or a Feature? 59:30 – Scarcity, Curiosity & Momentum 01:04:00 – Where to Find Adam 01:06:00 – Outro * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cole-hume-a737041b6/] * Young, Smart, & Battling Broke Substack [https://colehume1.substack.com/] * Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@COLEHUME] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/colehume/] * X | Twitter [https://x.com/cole_hume] Email me at colehume1@gmail.com for any feedback, ideas, or notes!

#6: Matt Huang - From IB, BCG, & Google, to Educating 100k+ Subscribers at 26

Matt has worked all the jobs an economics undergrad considers and idolizes: investment banking, consulting at BCG, & now, big tech at Google. While working these jobs, he has moonlighted as a content creator and his educational YouTube channel has surpassed 100K subscribers. Matt is as sharp and kind as they come, and I wish I could have met and learned from him sooner.  We talk professional and financial decisions when one is young as well as our favorite life hypotheses (we are not quite old and wise enough to call them philosophies ;) Its a long-ass episode, so obviously we talk about a whole lot of other interesting things. Hope you enjoy and check out the time stamps to navigate the episode!! 00:00 Overcoming Fear and Embracing Content Creation 01:08 Introduction 02:15 Matt Huang's Journey to YouTube Success 06:39 The Motivations for the Channel 10:17 Navigating Career Challenges and Taking Action 18:43 Mentorship and Inspirations 22:03 Reevaluating Career Paths and Finding Purpose 27:36 The Value of High-Octane Jobs 37:01 Exploring Internet Money and Digital Entrepreneurship 43:59 Dealing with Social Risks of Content Creating 51:05 Handling Hate Comments and Negative Feedback 55:37 Viewer Perception and Personal Growth 58:41 Balancing Ambition with Personal Relationships 01:01:21 Philosophy on Planning and Career Direction 01:09:48 Testing the Multidimensional Human Hypothesis 01:17:04 The Scarce Resource of Excellent Performers 01:21:42 Future Content Directions, Closing thoughts Check out Matt's YouTube channel here:  ⁨@matthuang21⁩ [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCdGuT4qRHJaB-gf9AVlssaw]  Check out Matt's Substack here: https://substack.com/@matthuang1  * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cole-hume-a737041b6/] * Young, Smart, & Battling Broke Substack [https://colehume1.substack.com/] * Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@COLEHUME] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/colehume/] * X | Twitter [https://x.com/cole_hume] Email me at colehume1@gmail.com for any feedback, ideas, or notes!

#5: Sam Freeman - From Club Promoter at 19 to Founder of Two Fast Growing Ventures (>$1M ARR) at 23

Sam Freeman went from UCLA student & nightlife promoter to Founder of two fast-growing ventures doing $1M+ in revenue — all before turning 24. → MTRNM [https://mtrnm.co/]: A global house music brand throwing sold-out shows in airplane hangars, Japanese temples, and even the LA Natural History Museum — across 10+ countries.  → Flair Collective [https://theflaircollective.com/]: A creative marketing agency helping brands like Coca-Cola and Monster connect authentically with Gen Z on college campuses. In this episode, Sam and I unpack: * How club promotion at 19 opened real business doors * Building and balancing two businesses at once * How he built a global house music event brand with venues like the Natural History Museum of LA * Turning nightlife into a global brand and a marketing agency * Money as a young entrepreneur — income, clever tax moves, investing in the business * Unconventional but effective networking frameworks * Delegation, building leverage, and the true scarce resource for ambitious young people Here is Sam on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/samjfreeman1/] ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 — Introduction 03:09 — Sam’s Absurd Calendar 07:30 — What is Metronome? Changing Club Culture 14:00 — Balancing Metronome with Flair Collective 22:00 — Leveraging Nightlife for Networking 26:50 — How "Seeming Valuable" Builds a Network 30:35 — The Philosophy of Networking 35:00 — How to Network When You Have No Leverage 46:23 — The Art of Persistence in Networking 55:55 — Breaking the Financial Taboo: Sam Talks Money, Income, and Financial Strategy 01:07:40 — Advice for Younger Sam: The Power of Delegation 01:12:00 — The Ultimate Scarce Resource * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cole-hume-a737041b6/] * Young, Smart, & Battling Broke Substack [https://colehume1.substack.com/] * Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@COLEHUME] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/colehume/] * X | Twitter [https://x.com/cole_hume] Email me at colehume1@gmail.com for any feedback, ideas, or notes!

#4: Alex Michaelsen – The 26-Year-Old Founder & CEO Who Bet It All at 22 to Build a National Beverage Brand

At 22, Alex Michaelsen quit his job to chase a startup dream. At 24, he was nearly broke. At 26, his beverage brand, Leisure Hydration, is now stocked in every Whole Foods nationwide. In this episode of Young, Smart, & Battling Broke, Alex shares what it really looked like to build a consumer product in a saturated market — from zero income and credit card debt to standing beside Coke and Pepsi on store shelves. We talk about: * 💳 Surviving two years with no income and how he made it work * 🧃 Cracking the code to standing out in the ultra-competitive beverage space * 🤯 The mental load of entrepreneurship — and what he wishes he’d learned earlier This episode is full of sharp insights and hard-earned advice. I learned way too much from Alex. 🎧 If you’re neck deep in building something, wondering what entrepreneurship actually looks like, or just want some wisdom on your walk to class — this one’s for you. Try a Leisure for free with this link: https://try.gotoaisle.com/leisure-hydration-onefree Follow the show on Substack at Young, Smart, & Battling Broke, and find me on LinkedIn or Instagram @colehume. Let me know what you think — I’m always trying to make the show better. Time Stamps: 00:00 – Intro   02:47 – What it really means to launch in Whole Foods   08:49 – How Leisure stands out in a sea of lookalike drinks   12:40 – The genius strategy of getting stocked in tech fridges   19:24 – Competing with giants without getting crushed   27:20 – Entrepreneurial traits that actually make a difference   34:50 – Alex’s favorite failure and what it taught him   39:18 – What he’d shake into his younger self   42:11 – Personal finance lessons from 2 years with no income   51:17 – Is meaning worth more than money or stability?   59:05 – How to choose the *right* cofounder (and build trust)   1:05:39 – The most undervalued resource no one talks about   1:11:52 – Final thoughts + my takeaways   * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cole-hume-a737041b6/] * Young, Smart, & Battling Broke Substack [https://colehume1.substack.com/] * Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@COLEHUME] * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/colehume/] * X | Twitter [https://x.com/cole_hume] Email me at colehume1@gmail.com for any feedback, ideas, or notes!