Best of Build Mode: The Founder Mistakes That Cost Time, Money, and Growth

This week on Build Mode, we’re diving back into the archives for a special best-of episode all about startup mistakes, hard-earned lessons, and the decisions founders wish they’d made differently.

Host Isabelle Johannesen and producer Maggie Nye revisit some of the most insightful conversations from past seasons to explore the missteps that shaped successful companies. Guests share candid stories about chasing product-market fit, making hiring mistakes, navigating investor expectations, managing hypergrowth, building company infrastructure, and learning what really matters in the early days of a startup.

In this episode, you’ll hear from:

• Deon Nicholas, cofounder & former CEO of Forethought AI and co-founder of Espa Labs

• Jasper Carmichael-Jack, cofounder & CEO of Artisan

• Yuri Sagalov, partner at General Catalyst

• Isaiah Granet, cofounder & CEO of Bland

• Ayal Yogev, founder & CEO of Anjuna

• Sarah Lucena, founder & CEO of Mappa

Whether you’re building your first startup, hiring your early team, fundraising, or figuring out how to scale sustainably, this episode is packed with practical advice and honest reflections from founders and investors who learned these lessons the hard way.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

02:20 Deon Nicholas (Forethought, Espa Labs): Product-market fit, iteration, and why your first product probably won’t work

05:45 Jasper Carmichael-Jack (Artisan): Hiring mistakes, logo shopping, and finding the right people

09:30 Yuri Sagalov (General Catalyst): Founder commitment, investor signals, and avoiding non-standard company structures

12:35 Isaiah Granet (Bland): Equity grants, payroll headaches, and taking care of early employees

17:25 Ayal Yogev (Anjuna): Overhiring, market shifts, and lessons from the 2022 downturn

22:55 Sarah Lucena (Mappa): Why every founder needs a great lawyer

 Subscribe to Build Mode on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, ⁠Spotify⁠, or ⁠wherever you like to listen⁠. And watch the full videos on ⁠YouTube⁠. New episodes of⁠Build Mode⁠ drop every Thursday. Hosted by Isabelle Johannessen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams. 

Apply to Startup Battlefield: We are looking for early-stage companies that have an MVP. So nominate a founder (or yourself): ⁠techcrunch.com/apply⁠. Be sure to say you heard about Startup Battlefield from the Build Mode podcast.