Episodes

  • Why Your Startup Pitch is Failing (And What Investors Actually Bet On)

    Why Your Startup Pitch is Failing (And What Investors Actually Bet On)
    May 12 2026
    Joe Feminella, entrepreneur and founder of First Round on Me, gets raw about what it really takes to raise $5M+ across multiple company pivots, no Harvard degree required. In this episode, Joe breaks down how a single investor conversation changed ever...
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    32 mins
  • Bridging the Gap: Aligning Education, Economic Development, and Industry

    Bridging the Gap: Aligning Education, Economic Development, and Industry
    May 5 2026
    In this episode, host Paul Graham sits down with Curtis Clough, a seasoned educational leader and superintendent, to discuss the critical intersection of K-12 education, workforce development, and economic growth. Curtis shares his unique "trifecta" pe...
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    24 mins
  • The People ROI: Why Great Leaders Put Humans Before KPIs

    The People ROI: Why Great Leaders Put Humans Before KPIs
    Apr 28 2026
    Is your leadership style adding or multiplying? In this episode, Paul Graham sits down with Tim 'Coach' Scholze, a seasoned leader who climbed from the mailroom to the executive suite, to discuss why most CEOs fail when they focus solely on the data. T...
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    26 mins
  • How Founders Accidentally Lose Millions During Due Diligence

    How Founders Accidentally Lose Millions During Due Diligence
    Apr 22 2026
    Are you building a billion-dollar company with a thousand-dollar mindset? In this episode, Paul Graham sits down with Eric Nghiem, founder of The Cashflow Doctor, to dissect the financial "hiccups" that sink tech startups during due diligence. Eric sha...
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    26 mins
  • Using AI to Audit and Avoid Extra Cloud Spend

    Using AI to Audit and Avoid Extra Cloud Spend
    Apr 16 2026
    In this episode, Max from CloudGo.ai explains how companies bleed millions in cloud spend. Discover how to audit your environment to ensure your tech stack is ready for VC due diligence or a single engineer becoming a point of expensive failure. 00:25 ...
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    27 mins
  • The Relaunch: Why I Paused the Podcast

    The Relaunch: Why I Paused the Podcast
    Apr 14 2026
    In this relaunch episode, I share why I paused the show for nine months to shift from "making noise" to creating real transformation. Discover how to grow your net worth without losing your identity or your family, as you transition from a moneymaker t...
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    16 mins
  • What Every Business Owner Must Know About the 10% Equity Rule Starting June 1st

    What Every Business Owner Must Know About the 10% Equity Rule Starting June 1st
    May 23 2025
    In this episode of The Investor’s Guide to Joy, Paul Graham sits down with business strategist Jimmy Rios to unpack major SBA rule changes coming June 1, 2025, and what they mean for business owners looking to sell, scale, or bulletproof their companie...
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    20 mins
  • The Truth and Timeline Behind DIY Cost Cutting for Business Owners

    The Truth and Timeline Behind DIY Cost Cutting for Business Owners
    May 22 2025
    In this episode of The Investor’s Guide to Joy, Paul Graham sits down with cost-reduction expert Shawn Stratton to uncover how business owners can save thousands without sacrificing service quality. From telecom audits to waste management, Shawn breaks...
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    17 mins