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Founder Mode – Episode 23 – From Stonks to AI for Everyone with John Hancock

by Rozelle Picazo

EPISODE 23: In this episode of Founder Mode, John Hancock joins us to break down the gap between startup hype and reality. From building Stonks—the largest angel syndication platform on AngelList—to walking away when the mission no longer fit, John shares what he’s learned about fundraising, pivots, and rebuilding with first principles. He introduces Validate, a tool designed to help founders and “idea people” kill bad ideas fast before wasting time or money, and explains why most AI features are “better shoes, not wings.” The conversation dives into validating ideas, writing as a way to sharpen thinking, and the most common founder mistake—stopping customer conversations. John closes with the raw truth: most people shouldn’t be founders, and that’s okay.

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Founder Mode – Episode 23 – From Stonks to AI for Everyone with John Hancock

Thursday, September 4, 2025

Founder Mode – Episode 23 – From Stonks to AI for Everyone with John Hancock

EPISODE 23: In this episode of Founder Mode, John Hancock joins us to break down the gap between startup hype and reality. From building Stonks—the largest angel syndication platform on AngelList—to walking away when the mission no longer fit, John shares what he’s learned about fundraising, pivots, and rebuilding with first principles. He introduces Validate,...
Founder Mode – Episode 22 – Building Happiness with Anurag Agarwalla

Thursday, August 28, 2025

Founder Mode – Episode 22 – Building Happiness with Anurag Agarwalla

EPISODE 22: In this episode of Founder Mode, Anurag Agarwalla shares his journey from leading fast-moving engineering teams at Uber to building hpy, an AI-powered platform designed to support therapists and patients in achieving better outcomes. He explains why emotional systems matter as much as technical ones, how to design for happiness without burning out,...
Founder Mode – Episode 21 – The Healthcare Innovation Bottleneck with Rebecca Shufeldt

Thursday, August 21, 2025

Founder Mode – Episode 21 – The Healthcare Innovation Bottleneck with Rebecca Shufeldt

Episode 21: Hosts Kevin Henrikson and Jason Shafton go beyond the headlines to unpack the real bottlenecks that stall healthcare—and how to fix them—with consultant and operator Rebecca Shufeldt, founder of Ignite Healthcare Solutions. Drawing on her path from urgent care ops to EHR/revenue cycle leadership, Rebecca explains why go‑live is “day zero,” how her...
Founder Mode – Episode 20 – The Creator CEO with Ahad Khan

Thursday, August 14, 2025

Founder Mode – Episode 20 – The Creator CEO with Ahad Khan

Episode 20: In this episode of Founder Mode, Kevin and Jason sit down with Ahad Khan, CEO of Kajabi, to unpack what it really means to be a “creator CEO” in 2025. From shifting creators’ mindsets beyond virality toward sustainable, owner-operated businesses, to finding content market fit before building products, Ahad shares actionable strategies for...

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