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Startup Founder Reveals Favorite Career Failure, Learns Valuable Lessons

Great question, Mike. I think my favorite career failure would probably be what happened at Friendly, which was the first company I started. Where we never fully achieved product Market fit and as a result ended up selling the company to Facebook, not because the company was successful. But more as what they call a talent acquisition basically a way for Facebook, to acquire our team. And, you know, I guess that's not obviously not a complete. Earlier, but it was not a homerun success, and not the outcome. I was originally looking for when I started the company, but what I have to say is, I learned so much in those next several years at Facebook. And then after that, a tuber working at other successful startups, just kind of seen how to build a company, which there was just, there was so much. I didn't know back when I was starting friendly. So, you know, I still have a lot to learn. Everyone always does. But I feel like I'm in a much better place now, because of what I learned working at those other companies.

My favorite career failure is with Friendly, the first company I started. We never achieved product market fit and ended up selling to Facebook as a talent acquisition. Despite not being the outcome I was originally looking for, I learned so much in that experience, which has helped me become better equipped to build successful companies.

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My favorite career failure would have to be what happened at Friendly, the first company I started. We never fully achieved product-market fit and ended up selling the company to Facebook, not because of its success, but as a talent acquisition. It wasn't the outcome I had initially hoped for when starting the company.

However, the experience taught me invaluable lessons. In the years that followed at Facebook and later at other successful startups, I learned so much about building a company. There were many things I didn't know when I started Friendly, but those subsequent experiences allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the process.

While I still have much to learn, I feel that I am in a much better place now because of the lessons I learned from that failure and the subsequent opportunities I had to work at other companies.

How do you lose weight without working out?

Discover effective weight loss tips without exercise!

Hey Jasmine, I don't actually know the answer this question since the way I like to maintain my weight is just by working out and eating a lot, but I could ask, Greg Bennett over here. He might have some better ideas. How do you lose weight without working out? Could you tell me that answer right now? Because I'm not working out that much. So, you know, I'm trying to lose weight to but it is like it just said it's calories in calories out. I think looking at foods that Are going to be a bit more make you feel satisfied. So generally, higher fat, higher protein is going to help. Stay away from the bagel that I just ate because that's going to just spike your insulin and make you hungry or again in an hour or two. So try and find foods that are going to just make you feel good for a few hours, some of your oils coconut oils. And that kind of thing will really help out. Cheers.

To lose weight without working out, focus on higher fat and protein foods that make you feel satisfied for a few hours, such as coconut oil. Stay away from sugary or processed foods that will spike your insulin levels and make you hungry soon after.

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Losing weight without working out is a question I'm not well-equipped to answer since my personal approach involves exercise and maintaining a healthy diet. However, I can ask my colleague, Greg Bennett, for some insights. Greg, do you have any suggestions on how to lose weight without working out?

Greg: Well, I'm not a fitness expert, but I can share some general ideas. When it comes to weight loss, the concept of calories in, calories out is important. Choosing foods that make you feel satisfied for longer periods can be helpful. Opting for higher-fat and higher-protein options can be beneficial. It's also a good idea to avoid foods that may cause insulin spikes and lead to increased hunger shortly after eating. Incorporating oils like coconut oil into your diet might provide some benefits. However, it's always best to consult with a professional for personalized advice. Cheers!

Do you lift heavy weights? If yes, how often, and do you lift to fatigue or a set number of reps?

Intriguing Weightlifting Technique: Transforming Five-Pound Weights Into an Intense Shoulder Burn!

I tend to do higher reps of lighter weights. In fact, one of the exercises I do uses these five-pound weights, which seems like nothing. But my swim coach Batali will have you do this where I will just slowly let the weights go down and up. And I do it about 15 or 20 times and starts off feeling really easy. But by the end, the shoulders are burning, and it feels like a lot more than five pounds. So, that's one example. I also do quite a bit of stuff, with, with these bands and find that you can get some pretty, pretty good resistance, just with the bands. So anyway, I guess lighter weights for me.

I prefer to do higher reps with lighter weights, such as five-pound weights and bands.

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I primarily focus on higher reps with lighter weights in my workout routine. For example, I use five-pound weights for an exercise where I slowly lower and raise them about 15 to 20 times. Initially, it feels easy, but by the end, my shoulders are burning, and it feels like more than just five pounds. I also incorporate resistance bands into my workouts, as they provide good resistance. So, overall, I prefer lighter weights in my lifting routine.

How does building a company from the ground up - Friend.ly & AnyQuestion compare to jumping into existing companies Facebook & Uber?

Navigating Startups vs Established Companies: A Tale of Growth and Iteration

I'd say the biggest difference is that when you're doing a start-up from scratch, you have to go from zero to one. So, you're basically trying to find product Market fit iterating on the product. You're not likely going to have product Market fit on day one. So you gotta just keep trying and tweaking things and iterating on things until you really get a product that works. And then you can focus on growing the product. Whereas, when I was at companies like Facebook and Uber, they had already found that product Market. It. So then it was just all about growth and going from one to millions or billions in Facebook's case. Not just 0 to 1. So there are a lot of a lot of things that are different about those two stages. The finding product Market fit stage in the growth stage, which I can go into detail answering other questions, but just to throw it a couple one is the team. So at an early stage startup, you're usually on a very small. Small team, where everyone is wearing, lots of hats. Where is it? A bigger company? You usually have larger teams with people that specialize in certain areas. And I'd say, another difference is just the product itself. When you're a bigger company, you're making smaller iterations on the product. Usually, because you already have that product Market fit, whereas at an early stage company, a lot of times. You're making really big changes. Just trying to make sure your going in the right direction.

The biggest difference between a start-up from scratch and bigger companies like Facebook or Uber is that when starting from scratch you have to find product Market fit, whereas at bigger companies they already have it. Also, teams are usually smaller and more diverse at start-ups, whereas at bigger companies the teams are larger and more specialized. Finally, at start-ups, more drastic changes are often needed to find product Market fit, whereas bigger companies will typically only make small product tweaks.

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The biggest difference between building a company from the ground up, like Friend.ly and AnyQuestion, compared to joining existing companies like Facebook and Uber, is the stage of development. When starting a company from scratch, you have to go from zero to one, finding product-market fit and iterating on the product. It's unlikely to have product-market fit on day one, so you need to keep trying, tweaking, and iterating until you find a product that works. Once you have that, you can focus on growing the product.

On the other hand, companies like Facebook and Uber have already found product-market fit. Their focus is on scaling and going from one to millions or billions of users. The challenges and priorities at these different stages are quite distinct.

One notable difference is the team structure. In early-stage startups, the team is usually small, and everyone wears multiple hats. In larger companies, there are larger teams with individuals specializing in specific areas.

Another difference lies in the product itself. In established companies, smaller iterations are made on the product since they have already achieved product-market fit. However, in early-stage companies, significant changes are often made as they strive to ensure they are heading in the right direction.

These are just a few examples of the differences between building a company from the ground up and joining established companies. Each stage presents its own unique challenges and opportunities for growth and success.

What is the best nutrition to consume when on the golf course?

Stay Hydrated and Energized on the Golf Course

Hi Scott. Thanks for the question. I'm not sure if I can say specifically what someone should consume while on the golf course, that's probably more in your area of expertise than it is in mind. But what I can say is when I do an Ironman Triathlon, I like to keep it simple. And first of all, stay well hydrated with water and electrolytes. And then I also like to take these Morton gel packs. It's just a very simple kind of water glucose and fructose and these in the black ones and then these white ones have some added caffeine as well. So I'll sometimes mix that up and do take a couple of these per hour. So I imagine that would also work on the golf course, but I can let you know. It does work on longer distance, triathlons.

I would recommend staying well hydrated with water and electrolytes and taking Morton gel packs throughout the round.

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While I'm not an expert in golf nutrition, I can share some general tips for staying fueled on the golf course. Hydration is key, so make sure to drink plenty of water and consider electrolyte-rich beverages to replenish minerals lost through sweat.

For sustained energy, you may want to consume easily digestible carbohydrates like fruits, energy bars, or whole grain snacks. These can provide a steady release of energy throughout your game.

Some athletes also find gel packs or energy gels helpful during endurance activities. These typically contain a combination of water, glucose, fructose, and sometimes caffeine. They can provide a quick boost of energy when needed.

Ultimately, it's important to listen to your body and experiment with different foods and snacks to find what works best for you on the golf course. Consulting with a sports nutritionist or dietitian who specializes in golf may provide more tailored advice.

Can you talk about your dietary, nutrition, and supplement practices? What are your 5 best pro tips? And what's your take on keto? 

Expert advice: Maximize protein intake for a calorie-rich diet.

I'm not an expert when it comes to nutrition, but I can tell you what I do. First of all, I just consume a lot of calories. I'm always hungry because I'm always working out. So I try to eat a lot of calories. I especially try to eat a lot of protein. So I'll often have eight eggs for breakfast. After I do a morning workout. Although I'll remove the yolks from half of them, and I like to mix that with some veggies. Stove. And I just try to eat all kinds of protein fish, chicken meat as well. And I'll also have protein shakes, probably three or four times a week after some of my longer workouts. I guess a few other things I do one is I take BCAA powder before I do some of my harder strength workouts. That's something that my swim coach recommended. I do. I just kind of mix it with water and the only supplement I take is I'll take magnesium pills at night magnesium, magnesium glycinate, which also helps me fall asleep. So those are, those are a few things that come to mind, basically, eat a lot and eat a lot of protein. And of course, drink, a lot of fluids as well. Mostly water.

I consume a lot of calories and focus on eating plenty of protein. I also take BCAA powder before my harder workouts and magnesium glycinate at night to help me sleep.

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When it comes to my dietary, nutrition, and supplement practices, I can share what I personally do. Please note that I am not a nutrition expert. Here are my five best pro tips:

1. I consume a high number of calories because I am consistently active and working out. This helps to fuel my body properly.

2. Protein is a key component of my diet. For breakfast, I often have eight eggs, removing the yolks from half of them, and mix them with vegetables. I also incorporate various sources of protein such as fish, chicken, and meat into my meals. Additionally, I have protein shakes three to four times a week after longer workouts.

3. Before intense strength workouts, I take BCAA (branched-chain amino acids) powder mixed with water. This was recommended by my swim coach.

4. At night, I take magnesium pills, specifically magnesium glycinate, which helps me fall asleep.

5. Staying hydrated is crucial, so I make sure to drink plenty of fluids, primarily water.

Regarding the keto diet, I don't have a specific take on it as I am not an expert in nutrition. It's important to consult with a qualified professional to determine if the keto diet is suitable for your individual needs and goals.

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Ed Baker is a seasoned entrepreneur and executive, currently serving as the CEO and Founder of AnyQuestion, an AI powered knowledge sharing platform. Prior to this, he played an instrumental role as the Vice President of Product & Growth at Uber and prior to that he sold a company to Facebook where he joined the team as the Head of International Growth. Ed currently sits on the boards of both WHOOP and Form, and his extensive experience in product management, growth strategies, and consumer technology has made him a sought-after thought leader in the tech industry.