Podcast · Business

The Startup Podcast

by Yaniv Bernstein and Chris Saad · English · Business

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 48 min
Latest: 3 Aug 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

3 Aug 2026 · 46 min

ScaleStudio: The new tool putting our principles into practice

After nearly 300 episodes of The Startup Podcast, Chris Saad is bringing everything he's learned about building world-class products and product strategy into a single tool: ScaleStudio. In what may be our final episode (unless a white knight sponsor appears), Chris walks Yaniv through the product that could fundamentally change how founders approach strategy; from problem statement all the way to positioning, roadmap sequencing, and org design. Chris demonstrates how this one AI tool, housing his vast knowledge of Silicon Valley startup strategy, can give an overwhelming process a navigable…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

S5 · E25 · 27 Jul 2026 · 52 min

Rob Snyder demonstrates his PULL framework in real-time – using Yaniv's startup

A few weeks ago, Rob Snyder came on the pod to introduce his PULL framework for identifying real product-market fit. Now, Yaniv turns the tables and subjects his own startup, Vera, to the same scrutiny. Yaniv and Rob strip away the noise around Vera's mission to help adult children care for aging parents and get brutally honest about where the product actually has pull, where it doesn't, and what needs to change immediately. They identify a specific, unavoidable moment in the customer journey and pinpoint that is where the real business begins, and discuss more macro issues, such as AI vs.…
S5 · E24 · 20 Jul 2026 · 44 min

Why you should run your startup like a poker player (Replay)

This is a remastered Replay of one of our most popular episodes, "What Startups Can Learn From Poker", which was originally published on 21 December 2022. Enjoy! Original description: All season, Chris and Yaniv have talked about the mindset that is needed to succeed at venture-backed startups. For the final episode of Season 1, we tie it all together with an analogy: tournament poker. It is amazing how many things poker and startups have in common, so in this episode we use the lens of poker to discuss the big picture of how to approach building a successful startup. We dive into each of…
S5 · E24 · 13 Jul 2026 · 56 min

Avoiding ‘team debt’ by building small and smart (w/ Matt Cook)

Is hiring a person still your default answer to a problem? For a growing number of startups, it shouldn't be. In this episode, Yaniv Bernstein is joined by returning guest Matt Cook, co-founder of Scouut, one of Australia's most respected engineering recruiters for early-stage startups, to unpack what's changed in engineering hiring since Matt's last visit. They cover ‘team debt’ (the AI-era sequel to tech debt), why AI is acting as an appetite suppressant for headcount, why the best engineers are now worth $400K+, and why the ‘software factory builder’ is becoming the most sought-after hire…
S5 · E22 · 6 Jul 2026 · 56 min

How good timing makes great products w/ Paul Orlando

Every startup pitch deck has a "why now" slide. Most of them are nonsense, barely considered, and only there to tick a box. But timing is more than a slide, it can make or break a company. It’s the difference between pets.com and the trillion-dollar company selling the exact same idea a decade later. In this episode, Yaniv Bernstein sits down with Paul Orlando, who has built four startup accelerators supporting over 300 companies, including Hong Kong's first accelerator and a program in Rome run in partnership with the Vatican, and has taught entrepreneurship at USC for over a decade, where…
S5 · E21 · 29 Jun 2026 · 54 min

Make your product irresistible: Rob Snyder on the PULL framework

You’ve done all the research, implemented every startup strategy you could find, but your product just isn’t selling. Where do you start looking for the problem? And how do you identify and implement the solution? In this episode, Yaniv Bernstein sits down with Rob Snyder – serial founder, fellow at Harvard Innovation Labs, operating partner on the venture side, and now author of 'The Power of PULL' – to discuss why most founders have fundamentally misunderstood demand, and how to accurately pinpoint it. In this episode, you will: Understand why pain points and problems alone are not demand,…
S5 · E20 · 22 Jun 2026 · 55 min

Success is 90% luck. So how do you build a successful startup? (w/ Mike Grossman)

Founders are told that if they work hard, build the right product and hire well, the outcome will follow. It's motivating. It's clean. And according to today's guest, it's mostly wrong. Mike Grossman has been CEO of six venture-backed Silicon Valley companies. Across them, he tried 18 different business models. Twelve failed. Five required layoffs. Three lived in persistent existential crisis. And yet all six were eventually acquired. Mike's story is one that far more founders actually live, but almost nobody tells. In this episode, Yaniv Bernstein sits down with Mike to dig into his new…
S5 · E19 · 16 Jun 2026 · 52 min

Insiders React: Anthropic’s Fable, Mythos explained + SpaceX’s record-breaking IPO

The Startup Podcast is back for its 300th episode – and it’s an absolute doozy. In today’s Reacts, hosts Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein break down how Anthropic became the new industry leader in AI, and why betting on coding as the 'meta domain' of AI turned out to be one of the most consequential product decisions of the decade. They also dig into Mythos and the newly released Claude Fable: what makes Fable different, whether it has something approaching genuine intelligence, and what the Anthropic 'strategy dividend' (per Ben Thompson of Stratechery) actually means for the industry. Then:…
S5 · E18 · 8 Jun 2026 · 43 min

How to fix a 'broken industry' (w/ Brandon Weber – Nava Benefits, VTS, Hightower)

Every founder gets a version of the same advice: don't pick a fight with an entrenched industry. The incumbents have the relationships, the regulatory cover, the deep pockets - you'll bleed out trying. But some of the most interesting companies of the last decade were built ignoring that advice, winning over markets that were nearly impenetrable. In this episode, Yaniv Bernstein is joined by Brandon Weber - co-founder and CEO of Nava Benefits, a Series C-funded AI-powered health benefits brokerage. Before Nava, Brandon co-founded Hightower, a commercial real estate startup that merged with…
S5 · E17 · 1 Jun 2026 · 53 min

Why Gary Lo's product strategy has evolved in the era of DIY software

What if writing software became as easy as taking a selfie? This episode, Yaniv Bernstein sits down with Gary Lo - founder of OpenBA and one of the sharpest AI-and-startups thinkers Yaniv knows - to discuss the concept of 'selfie software': disposable, hyper-personal, AI-generated tools that anyone can create for themselves, with no hand-written code. AI-generated tools like these are changing the startup landscape. While founders now have more tools at their disposal, it's now necessary than ever to create a product that truly disrupts the market. Gary and Yaniv discuss all of this and…
S5 · E16 · 25 May 2026 · 57 min

Author Eric Ries (The Lean Startup) on how to build an incorruptible company

Most founders set out to build something that matters: a company that’s aligned with their mission, now and forever. But what if the very systems we use to build ‘real’ companies are the thing that corrupts them? In this episode, Yaniv Bernstein is joined by Silicon Valley legend Eric Ries author of the era-defining 'The Lean Startup', founder of the Long-Term Stock Exchange, and now the author of a provocative new book, 'Incorruptible: Why Good Companies Go Bad and How Great Companies Stay Great'. Eric makes the case that corruption is a structural problem, rather than a failing of the…
S5 · E15 · 21 May 2026 · 39 min

FEED DROP: Could AI Make Capitalism Better? Henrik Werdelin Is Optimistic (from FAFO with Dan Blumberg)

This is a bonus feed drop from Dan Blumberg's podcast 'Future Around and Find Out' (FAFO), winner of the 2026 Webby Award for Best Technology Podcast. If you like what you hear, check out FAFO at https://www.futurearound.com/ Original description: Henrik Werdelin is one of my favorite entrepreneurs. He’s founded and incubated several unicorns, most notably BARK, the dog happiness company. Henrik himself is a pretty happy guy — an optimistic guy who likes to ask what could go right? — and on the day we recorded (a few months ago as I was squirreling away interviews for the podcast relaunch),…
S5 · E15 · 18 May 2026 · 1 hr 5 min

The Science of Scaling: Using data to scale your startup perfectly w/ Mark Roberge

Most founders treat 'scale' like a switch you flip after raising a round: hire 14 reps, 10x the ad spend, and pray. About half scale too early and burn the runway, while the other half scale too late and get caught by a more aggressive competitor. Almost nobody can tell you, in measurable terms, when they're actually ready. In this episode, Yaniv Bernstein is joined by Mark Roberge - founding CRO at HubSpot (where he scaled the company from $0 to $100M ARR), senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, cofounder of Stage 2 Capital, and author of the new book 'The Science of Scaling'. Mark…
S5 · E14 · 11 May 2026 · 45 min

Refounding: Why this $80m founder quit as CEO, and what it says about the future of startups

In 2026, startups age like milk. Josh Foreman's solution is a radical one - step down as CEO, go back to basics, and refound the whole company. Yaniv Bernstein discusses this decision with Josh, founder and (for now) CEO of InDebted - the AI-native debt resolution business he scaled to an $80M revenue run rate, a Series C raise, and operations across 8 markets. Just days before recording, Josh publicly announced he's hiring a new CEO so he can step back into the business as a hands-on operator and refound the company for the agentic AI era. In this conversation, Josh and Yaniv discuss…
S5 · E13 · 4 May 2026 · 38 min

Adapting your startup to an AI-native world (w/ Marlon Nichols)

Many AI startups funded in the last 18 months won't last three years - so what makes a business durable today? Yaniv Bernstein is joined by Marlon Nichols, co-founder and managing general partner of MaC Venture Capital - one of the most active seed-stage AI investors in the market, having scaled MaC to over $600M AUM across three funds in just four years. Marlon's portfolio includes Pipe, Stoke Space, Thrive Market, Chef Robotics, and exits like Wonder Dynamics to Autodesk and Gimlet Media to Spotify. In this conversation, Marlon uses his industry experience to explain the biggest threats to…
S5 · E12 · 27 Apr 2026 · 29 min

How the best founders balance fear and hope

Being a founder has always meant dreaming big while keeping a close eye on potential trip-ups, and in the age of AI, finding and maintaining that balance is more important than ever. Today, Yaniv Bernstein talks about the importance of getting that balance right. Using deep insight and decades of industry experience, he discusses why now is the time for founders to be more ambitious than ever before - while identifying threats to success and keeping a keen, near-paranoid eye on them. In this episode, you will: Understand why ‘paranoid optimism’ has always been the founder superpower, and why…
S5 · E11 · 20 Apr 2026 · 50 min

Same As Ever: 7 rules that HAVEN'T changed about building great startups (w/ Amir Shevat)

Between AI shaking up the industry, geopolitical upheaval, and unpredictable capital, being a founder has never been more confusing. So what advice, if any, is still relevant? In this episode, Yaniv Bernstein is joined by Amir Shevat (Silicon Valley developer platform veteran and now General Partner at Darkmode Ventures) to answer exactly that. Focusing on what isn't changing rather than what is, Amir walks through seven truths of startup building that have become more important in the age of AI. In this episode, you will: Discover why AI-generated sales outreach is backfiring, and why…
S5 · E10 · 13 Apr 2026 · 48 min

Surviving the AI SaaSpocalypse: Will AI kill your startup? w/ Scotty Allen

Will AI kill your startup? For a lot of startups, probably yes. But which ones? And more importantly, how do you make sure yours isn't one of them? Yaniv Bernstein is joined by returning guest Scotty Allen (bootstrapper, founder of The Product Bus, and startup strategist extraordinaire) to reason through one of the most pressing questions of 2026: how do you build a startup to survive the SaaSpocalypse? They discuss why this AI wave is more of a threat to tech startups than Google and Facebook ever were, and why the B2B/B2C distinction has never mattered more. Along the way, Yaniv discusses…
S5 · E9 · 6 Apr 2026 · 29 min

‘Unlearning’ with Yaniv: Why founders need to rewrite outdated, radioactive mindsets

You may have spent years (or even decades) building your expertise. But is any of it still relevant? And how much of it is an active detriment to your startup? In this special solo episode, Yaniv Bernstein delivers a no-guest monologue on the most critical skill any founder can develop right now: ‘unlearning’. Drawing on Morgan Housel's ‘Same as Ever’; real-world examples from his own startup, Vera; and frameworks for rebuilding beliefs from the ground up, Yaniv makes the case that obsolete knowledge is as bad as radioactive waste actively distorting your decisions. In this episode, you…
S5 · E8 · 30 Mar 2026 · 23 min

Your co-founder relationship could break your startup! Here's how to fix it

(This is Part 2 of a conversation with Dr. Matthew Jones about co-founder relationships. You can find Part 1 here: https://www.tsp.show/how-to-identify-red-flags-early-in-your-cofounder-relationship-w-dr-matthew-jones/ ) Co-founder conflict is tough to deal with, but it also has ripple effects through your entire organization. When a tough relationship is left to fester, it can erode your team culture, spike turnover, and eventually turn into a full-blown crisis. Continuing last week's conversation with Yaniv, Dr. Matthew Jones - author of The Cofounder Effect and founder of Cofounder…
S5 · E7 · 23 Mar 2026 · 40 min

How to identify red flags early in your cofounder relationship w/ Dr. Matthew Jones

Your co-founder relationship is the single most important variable in your startup's success, and one of the most likely things to destroy it. Today, Yaniv Bernstein sits down with Dr. Matthew Jones, author of ‘The Cofounder Effect’ and founder of Cofounder Clarity, to dig into the psychology of co-founder relationships: why they break down and what the warning signs look like. Matt brings a rare combination of clinical depth and startup-world pragmatism to the topic - an essential skillset to help you properly understand common co-founder pitfalls, and how to avoid them. In this episode,…
S5 · E6 · 16 Mar 2026 · 42 min

Why Claude never stops listening to our meetings (w/ Minikai's Keoki Alexander-Chang)

In a deeply regulated industry such as healthcare, building an AI-native app poses a host of unique challenges, particularly when it comes to navigating customer privacy and industry red tape. How do you create an industry-leading resource and stay on the cutting edge of tech, while managing these constraints? Keoki Alexander-Chang can help you there. He's the founder and CEO of Minikai, a Melbourne-based startup using AI agents to slash the administrative burden on disability and aged care providers. Before launching Minikai, he led Deloitte's Forensic AI lab, so he's been thinking about…
S5 · E5 · 9 Mar 2026 · 57 min

Recruiting the best AI engineers w/ Matt Cook of Scouut

Has your hiring process kept up with the industry’s AI leaps, or are you still interviewing like it's 2022? Today’s AI-driven landscape means the skill gap between a good engineer and a great one widens every day, and the great ones can be difficult to find. But how do you choose – and hire – the best in the business? How do you find those elusive engineers who can skilfully handle multi-agent workflows, ship in hours what used to take weeks, and add an AI-focused competitive edge to your startup? In this episode, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein are joined by Matt Cook, an expert in hiring…
S5 · E4 · 2 Mar 2026 · 37 min

Insiders React: OpenClaw and Claude Cowork have changed everything for startups w/ Gary Lo, Open BA

The agentic AI revolution is finally escaping the coding bubble. What does that mean for startup founders? Just 13 days after recording his first conversation with Yaniv, Gary Lo called to re-record. The reason? OpenClaw and Claude Cowork dropped some huge AI agent updates, and it shifted Gary's perspective enough to change the whole conversation. In this episode, Yaniv Bernstein sits down with Gary Lo – founder of OpenBA, one of Australia's most compelling pre-seed AI startups – to unpack why OpenClaw and Claude Cowork news marks a 'Cursor moment' for the rest of the world: the inflection…
S5 · E3 · 23 Feb 2026 · 58 min

Making the most of the founder/investor dynamic (w/ Liz Zalman, author of 'Founder vs Investor')

Founders and investors like to tell themselves they're on the same team, and they can be – but it takes work. In this episode, Yaniv Bernstein sits down with Liz Zalman, a veteran founder with over 20 years of startup experience, for an in-depth chat about the real dynamics of the founder-investor relationship. Liz is also co-author (alongside VC Jerry Neumann) of 'Founder Vs Investor: The Honest Truth About Venture Capital from Startup to IPO’, one of Yaniv's favorite books on startups. From re-vesting demands to acquisition offers that investors won't approve, Liz brings hard-won,…
S5 · E2 · 16 Feb 2026 · 56 min

How founders can survive 2026 w/ Jess Mah

Is AI making founders more anxious than ever, even in the heart of Silicon Valley? Behind the optimistic LinkedIn posts and fundraising announcements, some of the most successful people in tech are struggling with burnout and an overwhelming pace of change. So what does it actually take to build a resilient, successful startup in 2026? In this episode, Yaniv is joined by Jess Mah, serial founder, Y Combinator alum, and venture creation powerhouse behind Mahway. Jess has founded more than 10 companies — collectively valued at over $1 billion — and was the youngest woman ever accepted into Y…
S5 · E1 · 9 Feb 2026 · 44 min

Recursive Self-Determination: Why your startup needs autonomy at every layer

Self-determination throughout your team: it sounds simple, but implementing it effectively could give your startup a razor-sharp competitive edge. In this episode, Chris and Yaniv unpack the 'Recursive Principle of Self-Determination', a framework for designing autonomous startups that maximize agency at every layer of the business. They explore how high-agency decisions shape product strategy, engineering, go-to-market, fundraising, teams, and culture, and why AI is accelerating the shift toward founder empowerment. In this episode, you will: * Understand the concept of recursive…
S4 · E79 · 13 Nov 2025 · 40 min

Reviewing Our 2025 Tech Predictions

Were we wildly wrong, or surprisingly on the money? As 2025 wraps, Chris and Yaniv revisit the bold predictions they made at the start of the year. They reflect on their calls about AI, robotics, VC markets, crypto, and geopolitics. While some were accurate, some were also hilariously off. Together, they unpack what 2025 really looked like for startups, venture capital, and the global tech landscape. In this episode, you will: Learn why both hosts believe their AGI predictions were misses and what “AGI” even means anymore. Understand how Google re-emerged as a serious AI contender, from…
S4 · E78 · 6 Nov 2025 · 1 hr 10 min

Is OpenAI Evil? Reacting to Sam Altman's Latest Announcements w/ Jacob Ward

OpenAI may appear to be building the future, but are they leading the tech industry towards collapse? In this episode, Chris and Yaniv are joined by Jacob Ward (journalist, author of The Loop and NBC Technology Correspondent) to break down OpenAI’s latest livestream and what it signals about the next era of AI. Sam Altman may talk the good talk, but his actions, and the priorities of OpenAI at large, may not align with those claims. Chris, Yaniv, and Jacob unpack these differences between words and actions, the emerging social consequences, and what it all means for the tech industry. In…
S4 · E77 · 3 Nov 2025 · 45 min

Replay: Engaging Young Employees - How to Attract the Best & Brightest Minds w/ Dan Brockwell from Earlywork

What do you need to do to keep employees engaged and committed? What should your position be on remote work? Side hustles? Ping pong tables? Should you offer all employees equity? Bringing Gen Z employees to your workplace is well worth it, but it means a mental pivot from the hiring team, keeping in mind an entirely new set of criteria. Chris and Yaniv discuss all this and more with Dan Brockwell, Founder and Chief Meme Officer of Earlywork, a vibrant community for early-career professionals. In this episode, you will: Understand the four key factors Gen Z professionals weigh when choosing…

About The Startup Podcast

Advice for founders and entrepreneurs who want to build disruptive startups like they do in Silicon Valley. Not another interview podcast: concrete tips and masterclasses on what founders need to know: raising Venture Capital, strategy, product, marketing, growth, and more. A guide to the unique mindset and approach that drives Silicon Valley style disruption. Hosts Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein share practical advice based on decades of experience at Google, Uber, and their own startups.

The Startup Podcast is a English business podcast from Yaniv Bernstein and Chris Saad. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Yaniv Bernstein and Chris Saad
Language: English
Category: Business
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 48 min
Latest episode: 3 Aug 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1612757016
Website: tsp.show
Rights: Yaniv Bernstein and Chris Saad

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