Best Mark Koller Podcasts (2024)

1
Geoff and Linsey 51:06

1M ago51:06

51:06

Behind the scenes look at this couple.

1
Daphne Koller: Changing Lives With Coursera 43:33

1M ago43:33

43:33

Few startup founders follow a path to success like Daphne Koller, a polymath whose academic career in machine learning, computer vision, and computational biology make her a force far beyond the business arena. Koller left her academic career at Stanford in 2012 to co-found Coursera, the world’s largest platform for massive open online courses (MOO…

1
Pattern Breakers: Which Startups Change the Future? 36:40

2M ago36:40

36:40

On this special episode of Pattern Breakers, host Mike Maples Jr. of Floodgate joins LinkedIn founder and legendary investor Reid Hoffman for a conversation on Hoffman’s podcast Masters of Scale, where iconic business leaders share lessons and strategies that have helped them grow the world's most fascinating companies. Mike discusses the insights …

1
A Sneak Peek at Pattern Breakers 39:45

2M ago39:45

39:45

Today is a huge day for Pattern Breakers, the book. Co-written with Peter Zeibelman of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Pattern Breakers has been dubbed “the most important start-up book of the last ten years” by legendary entrepreneur and co-creator of the Lean Startup movement Steve Blank. Pattern Breakers draws from decades of experienc…

1
Maddie Hall: A Different Path to the Future 40:08

3M ago40:08

40:08

There is no single path to becoming the founder of a pattern-breaking startup. For Maddie Hall, her journey began with a crucial choice: to brainstorm startup ideas or to spend time with people already shaping the future. She chose the latter, following Sam Altman at OpenAI as his Chief of Staff. This experience, along with the connections and know…

1
Breakthrough Lessons: Founder-Future Fit 12:12

3M ago12:12

12:12

Check out the new Pattern Breakers Blog at patternbreakers.substack.com for even more Pattern Breaking content from Mike. Mike's new book Pattern Breakers is available now wherever you buy books.By Mike Maples

1
Justin Kan: Pattern Breaker Personified 41:59

3M ago41:59

41:59

If pattern breaker was a term in the dictionary, you just might find an image of Justin Kan. From his attempts as a teenager to send a camera to outer space, to selling his first company on Ebay, to strapping a camera to his head to play the starring role on Justin.tv, Kan has always been a man with uncommon ideas and the ability to convince people…

1
Breakthrough Lessons: The Value of a Superbuilder 11:16

4M ago11:16

11:16

In the early days of a start-up, the superbuilder can be as important to greatness as the start-up leader, and they’re often not the same person. But what are the traits of a great superbuilder, and why do they play such a crucial role in the zero to one phase of a company? In this Breakthrough Lesson, Mike Maples, Jr of Floodgate discusses the suc…

1
Kyle Vogt: A Problem Solver With A Purpose 39:02

4M ago39:02

39:02

Kyle Vogt has always been fascinated with designing robots and machines. From his youngest days, he retrofitted his father's car to drive itself along the highways of his home state of Kansas. Later, he dropped out of MIT and became a wildly successful startup founder, playing a crucial role in the development of Justin.tv and Twitch. With Cruise A…

1
Kristy & Darran 55:45

4M ago55:45

55:45

Listen to find out more about these two!

1
Breakthrough Lessons: Learning to Savor Surprises 11:48

4M ago11:48

11:48

The ability to notice and savor surprises is a key overlooked skill of the greatest founders. It allows you to narrow in on the types of capabilities that will lead to breakthroughs. In this Breakthrough Lesson, Mike Maples, Jr of Floodgate calls on the lessons learned by Twitch co-founder Emmett Shear to discuss why founders should seek surprises …

1
Emmett Shear: How Twitch Changed Media by Merging it with Gaming 38:38

4M ago38:38

38:38

Emmett Shear was a gamer long before he helped define one of the most important new media companies at the intersection of gaming, media, and the creator economy. What can we learn from his success as a founder? (hint: it has something to do with truly listening to users.)Check out the new Pattern Breakers Blog at patternbreakers.substack.comfor ev…

1
Breakthrough Lessons: The One Thing That Matters Most… 10:10

5M ago10:10

10:10

In the early days of a startup, finding product-market fit is paramount. Once you have it, failure is almost impossible. Without it, you can do everything else right, and still fail. In this Breakthrough Lesson, Mike Maples, Jr of Floodgate discusses three heuristics for maximizing the odds of success: Find the right North Star, offer a Delta 4 exp…

1
Michael Seibel: “The Godfounder” Discusses Justin.tv, Twitch, and Y Combinator 46:47

5M ago46:47

46:47

Michael Seibel didn’t set out to become a legendary startup founder. As a young man, his sights were set on politics, dreaming of a future on the Supreme Court. But his friendship with fellow Yale classmate Justin Kan led to a fortuitous cross-country trip to California that changed everything. In this episode, Mike Maples, Jr. of Floodgate talks w…

1
Welcome to Pattern Breakers 6:42

5M ago6:42

6:42

Mike Maples, Jr. of Floodgate is back with a new season of his podcast, once called Starting Greatness, now renamed Pattern Breakers. The focus remains, but with increased ambitions. In this season intro, Mike explains his reasons for expanding the podcast's scope, what listeners can anticipate going forward, and details about a forthcoming book se…

1
Georgia 43:28

5M ago43:28

43:28

One of our college ladies gives her life story (and tells on her family as well).

1
The Gentrys 49:38

7M ago49:38

49:38

Find out more about this great couple.

1
Travis & Angela 52:05

7M ago52:05

52:05

The truth behind this power couple!

1
Breakthrough Lessons: Nail Your Niche 9:12

1+ y ago9:12

9:12

Founders are naturally drawn to the tantalizing potential of their product reaching a vast market, but the route to victory starts with nailing a niche before going for the broader opportunity. In this lesson of greatness, Mike Maples, Jr of Floodgate calls on the lessons of Spotify co-founder Daniel Ek to examine how this is done: Identify a stron…

1
Daniel Ek: How Spotify Revolutionized The Music Business 47:29

1+ y ago47:29

47:29

When he was a little boy growing up in Sweden, Daniel Ek was obsessed with two things: the binary realm of computers and the artistry of music. As a young adult, he combined his love for both by co-founding Spotify, which became the global standard-bearer for streaming, Spotify now has more than 500 million users per month. In this episode, Mike Ma…

1
Will Taylor 52:04

1+ y ago52:04

52:04

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1
Breakthrough Lessons: Crisis Reveals Greatness 9:10

1+ y ago9:10

9:10

Startup founders dealt with uncertainty, stress and trauma in the wake of the run on Silicon Valley Bank, but the most important lessons from this crisis never showed up in social media. In this lesson of greatness, Mike Maples, Jr of Floodgate calls on the actions of a variety of founders who showed incredible courage and competence to showcase th…

1
Untold lessons from the SVB bank run 32:37

1+ y ago32:37

32:37

The recent run on Silicon Valley Bank led to a variety of accusations, recriminations and finger-pointing on social media, but how can FOUNDERS actually learn from the crisis? And what lessons can we learn from the founders who crushed it under tough circumstances? In this episode, Mike Maples, Jr welcomes Floodgate co-founder Ann Miura-Ko on the s…

1
Emma Powell 38:27

1+ y ago38:27

38:27

Catch up with Emma, the beloved daughter of Jason and Michelle Powell! Including being a nurse, hobbies and church memories.

1
Breakthrough Lessons: Refuse Mediocrity 11:50

2y ago11:50

11:50

When we REFUSE to accept mediocrity, we can start building greatness. But how can you avoid the pitfalls of learned helplessness and help your company break through the arbitrary limits that impede progress? In this lesson of greatness, Mike Maples, Jr of Floodgate calls on the lessons of Boom Supersonic founder Blake Scholl to examine three tips t…

1
Blake Scholl: How Boom Supersonic Took Flight 40:52

2y ago40:52

40:52

More than fifty years after the first Concorde took flight, consumer air travel is actually SLOWER. Blake Scholl and his team at Boom Supersonic are out to reverse this stagnation and change how we think about commercial aviation. In this episode, Mike Maples, Jr of FLOODGATE interviews Scholl to learn more about the history of American aviation, t…

1
Olivia Koller 47:35

2y ago47:35

47:35

Find out more about this service-oriented Marine!

1
Breakthrough Lessons: Leslie’s Compass 11:54

2y ago11:54

11:54

When a startup product goes to market, the two key muscles it can flex are marketing and sales. In nearly every facet of a startup product, marketing or sales takes the natural lead in getting the product to customers. But startups often pour resources into these two areas in unfocused ways, and the results can be disastrous. In this lesson of grea…

1
Mark Leslie: Silicon Valley Go-to-Market Legend (Part 2) 36:46

2y ago36:46

36:46

Mike Maples, Jr of Floodgate welcomes back go-to-market expert and Stanford Graduate School of Business lecturer Mark Leslie for the second of their two-part interview, this time focusing on the role and responsibilities of a CEO and a deep dive into Leslie’s Compass, an essential set of heuristics for every startup founder. Leslie also discusses t…

1
Breakthrough Lessons: The Sales Learning Curve 11:47

2y ago11:47

11:47

When a startup launches a new product, it's tempting to ramp its sales force too quickly. Often, this leads to a crash-and-burn scenario for companies that failed to learn what it took for the *entire organization* to achieve product-market-fit. In this lesson of greatness, Mike Maples, Jr of FLOODGATE discusses how Mark Leslie's Sales Learning Cur…

1
Mark Leslie: Silicon Valley Go-to-Market Legend (Part 1) 45:50

2y ago45:50

45:50

During the 1990s, Mark co-founded Veritas Systems, which he piloted from nothing to 6,000 employees and $1.5B in revenue in a decade. Now a lecturer in management at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Leslie is one of the foremost experts in go-to-market strategy in Silicon Valley, and in the first of this two-part series with Mike Maples, J…

1
Ken & Linda Parrish 1:24:23

2y ago1:24:23

1:24:23

Get to know this beloved couple, who define what it means to serve.

1
Breakthrough Lessons: The Infinite Game 6:35

2+ y ago6:35

6:35

We’re taught from a young age about *finite* sporting games like baseball, basketball, and soccer. Or board games like checkers or chess. Or academic games like grades and test scores. Or status games like credentials and university degrees. In these games, we know the rules and how to determine who scored the highest, according to rules set by som…

1
Tobi Lutke: A Startup Founder Arming The Rebels Against Amazon 40:12

2+ y ago40:12

40:12

Growing up in Germany, Shopify co-founder and CEO Tobi Lutke was never quite comfortable with people telling him to do things because that's the way they're done. In this episode, Mike Maples, Jr of FLOODGATE interviews Lutke to discuss the origins of Shopify, the difference between finite games and infinite games, and the reason it's important for…

1
Adrienne Lourens 58:44

2+ y ago58:44

58:44

She may have an accent, she loves God, it’s Yo Adrienne!

1
Andrew & Leah Case 1:05:07

2+ y ago1:05:07

1:05:07

Beards, technical difficulties, Buckey's, beef jerky, how they met, college jobs, singing experience, relocating to Florida, football during COVID, football uniforms, Leah's down-time activities, neighborhood watch, siblings & children, radio in the car, Hamilton, beards (again), favorite Bible character/story, Tee-ball…

1
Breakthrough Lessons: The Artistry of Startup Breakthroughs 8:10

2+ y ago8:10

8:10

Too many people mistakenly believe that being a good entrepreneur comes from simply talking to customers and solving their pain. But the most impactful companies are built for aesthetic reasons - think of Twitter, Lyft, Apple, and Medium - and those companies serve as expressions of what their founders thought the world needed. In this lesson of gr…

1
Tim Westergren: How The Band Kept Playing At Pandora 41:52

2+ y ago41:52

41:52

Tim Westergren maxed out 11 credit cards, racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, and was rejected 348 times for a second round of funding for his revolutionary idea for a music streaming platform. But like any true artist, Westergren remained committed to his vision of creating an aesthetically more beautiful future with Pandora, and n…

1
Robert Gainey 1:14:07

2+ y ago1:14:07

1:14:07

Baseball/Softball, nickname, childhood, family, father's military career, bible knowledge, class length, taking care of his mother, bible study, college, meeting Paula, preaching, having kids, haircuts, names, Sunday football, occupation, advice to your younger self.

1
Breakthrough Lessons: “BIG D" Design 7:56

2+ y ago7:56

7:56

Lots of people think about design from the perspective of how a product should look and function. But design can be applied to greatness on many more levels than most realize. In this lesson of greatness, Mike Maples, Jr of FLOODGATE discusses how you can design your opportunity, your team, your market, your category, your culture, and even your ow…

1
Qasar Younis and Peter Ludwig of Applied Intuition: A Startup Designed to Win 37:14

2+ y ago37:14

37:14

Qasar Younis and Peter Ludwig both grew up in the backyard of American automotive giant General Motors in Detroit, but didn’t cross paths until their days as product managers at Google. Since then they’ve pooled their affinity for cars and technology as the co-founders of Applied Intuition, a fast-moving startup that has already achieved greatness …

1
Breakthrough Lessons: How to Defeat "We're F*cked, It's Over" (WFIO) Moments 12:32

3y ago12:32

12:32

Your startup will face multiple WFIO moments on the path to greatness...COUNT ON IT. But that doesn’t mean you should let these moments get inside your head. In this lesson of greatness, Mike Maples, Jr of FLOODGATE discusses how every startup team MUST be prepared to take the initiative in the crucible of the WFIO moments they will inevitably face…

1
Ben Horowitz: “The IPO From Hell” and Other REAL Lessons from the Startup Crucible 44:13

3y ago44:13

44:13

Startups are romanticized AFTER they win. But it takes extraordinary grit to have what it TAKES to win. Ben Horowitz, the co-founder of Andreessen-Horowitz, is the perfect guest to tell it like it is, as he has for many years in his books "the Hard Thing About Hard Things" and "What You Do Is Who You Are." Mike Maples, Jr of FLOODGATE interviews Be…

1
Breakthrough Lessons: The future is DESIGNED, not predicted 13:03

3y ago13:03

13:03

Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel understands that the task of a revolutionary startup is to manifest a radically different future, and not merely settle for a marginal improvement. But how did he make that future a reality with messenger RNA Therapeutics, and how can you do it with your startup? In this lesson of greatness, Mike Maples, Jr of FLOODGATE …

1
Stephane Bancel of Moderna: $5B and 10 years on the path to changing humanity 45:14

3y ago45:14

45:14

What’s it like to run a startup that has achieved its goal of impacting humanity at a time of desperate need? Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel joins Mike Maples, Jr of FLOODGATE to discuss the power of taking offensive risks to seize unlikely futures with massive upside, sometimes with the result of changing the odds of life itself. For founders seeking…

1
Justin & Kerri Mitchell 1:08:34

3y ago1:08:34

1:08:34

Postponed, dental questions, how they met, being on stage, Hamilton, FC Camp, meeting Tim Tebow, proposal story, moving to Tampa, Chick-fil-a, funny children, Children's Church, spiritual advice.

1
Breakthrough Lessons: Apply Game Design to Business Software 10:24

3y ago10:24

10:24

Rahul Vohra shows us how game design can be used to make business products far more engaging and contribute to a state of flow. Since future success in business software and services is increasingly driven by product-led growth and bottoms-up adoption driven by end-users, mastering game design is vital for startups seeking greatness. In this lesson…

1
Rahul Vohra of Superhuman: How to create business products people enjoy using 37:03

3y ago37:03

37:03

Rahul Vohra of Superhuman has adopted some of the most cutting-edge approaches to making a business product people *want* to use, rather than have to use. In this episode, Mike Maples, Jr of FLOODGATE talks to Rahul about how any startup founder can apply the principles of game design to their products, and why this is becoming increasingly importa…

1
Reilly Hinds 59:56

3y ago59:56

59:56

Getting to know this teacher and Star Wars fan.

1
Breakthrough Lessons: The Myth of TAM 10:15

3y ago10:15

10:15

The conventional thinking is that a big total available market (TAM) is one of the most important factors in startup success. But Julia Hartz's success at Eventbrite shows the limits of this thinking. In this Lesson of Greatness, Mike Maples Jr of Floodgate talks about the difference between available markets and potential markets and offers heuris…

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