Finding More Time vs. More Energy | Immad Akhund (father of 2, co-founder and CEO, Mercury)

04/04/24 • 54 min

Immad Akhund is the co-founder and CEO of Mercury, a business banking platform that has raised over $160M in funding and has over 100,000 customers. He has also founded two other companies – Clickpass and Heyzap; the latter of which was acquired in 2016. Immad is a husband and the father of two kids. In today's conversation we discussed:

Starting a family at a very young age (by San Francisco standards)
Navigating founding and running several companies, including Mercury
The difference between finding more time and finding more energy
How to think about skill building with your kids
Dealing with disagreements with your spouse
The parallels between being the co-founder of a company and the co-founder of a family

—

Where to find Immad Akhund

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iakhund/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/immad

Curiosity Podcast: https://curiositypodcast.substack.com/

Where to find Adam Fishman

FishmanAF Newsletter: https://www.fishmanafnewsletter.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/

—

In this episode, we cover

[1:31] Welcome

[1:46] Childhood

[2:44] Where does your extended family live now?

[3:19] Why keep doing startups?

[6:52] How did you meet your partner?

[7:56] Tell me about your kids

[8:42] Decision to start a family

[9:51] What does your wife do?

[10:59] Why did it feel like the right time to start a family?

[17:13] Earliest memory of being a dad?

[19:29] Advice for his younger self

[22:36] What is something you worked on after having kids?

[23:56] Skill building and teaching kids finance

[27:46] How has his parenting style evolved?

[30:29] What is an example of you getting out of balance w/kids

[31:29] Has being a dad changed how you run companies?

[34:36] Conflict/managing through disagreements

[39:10] Kids relationship w/tech

[42:07] Restore batteries

[44:08] What is a mistake you made as a dad?

[46:32] Follow along

[47:23] Rapid fire round

—

Show references:

Mercury: https://mercury.com/

Model X: https://www.tesla.com/modelx

The Matrix: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/

Union Square Ventures: https://www.usv.com/

Bloomberg: https://www.bloomberg.com/

ClickPass: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/clickpass

Hayzap: https://www.linkedin.com/company/heyzap-com/

Inside Out: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2096673/

Frozen: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2294629/

Teen Titans: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343314/

Doona: https://www.doona.com/en-us

Juni Learning: https://junilearning.com/

—

For sponsorship inquiries email: [email protected].

For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com

Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at http://www.armaziproductions.com/

Starting a family at a very young age (by San Francisco standards)
Navigating founding and running several companies, including Mercury
The difference between finding more time and finding more energy
How to think about skill building with your kids
Dealing with disagreements with your spouse
The parallels between being the co-founder of a company and the co-founder of a family

—

Where to find Immad Akhund

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iakhund/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/immad

Curiosity Podcast: https://curiositypodcast.substack.com/

Where to find Adam Fishman

FishmanAF Newsletter: https://www.fishmanafnewsletter.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/

—

In this episode, we cover

[1:31] Welcome

[1:46] Childhood

[2:44] Where does your extended family live now?

[3:19] Why keep doing startups?

[6:52] How did you meet your partner?

[7:56] Tell me about your kids

[8:42] Decision to start a family

[9:51] What does your wife do?

[10:59] Why did it feel like the right time to start a family?

[17:13] Earliest memory of being a dad?

[19:29] Advice for his younger self

[22:36] What is something you worked on after having kids?

[23:56] Skill building and teaching kids finance

[27:46] How has his parenting style evolved?

[30:29] What is an example of you getting out of balance w/kids

[31:29] Has being a dad changed how you run companies?

[34:36] Conflict/managing through disagreements

[39:10] Kids relationship w/tech

[42:07] Restore batteries

[44:08] What is a mistake you made as a dad?

[46:32] Follow along

[47:23] Rapid fire round

—

Show references:

Mercury: https://mercury.com/

Model X: https://www.tesla.com/modelx

The Matrix: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/

Union Square Ventures: https://www.usv.com/

Bloomberg: https://www.bloomberg.com/

ClickPass: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/clickpass

Hayzap: https://www.linkedin.com/company/heyzap-com/

Inside Out: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2096673/

Frozen: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2294629/

Teen Titans: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343314/

Doona: https://www.doona.com/en-us

Juni Learning: https://junilearning.com/

—

For sponsorship inquiries email: [email protected].

For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com

Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at http://www.armaziproductions.com/

Previous Episode

Parental Guilt, Legal Considerations For Parents, and Career Change | David Lat (father of 2, lawyer, writer)

David Lat is a lawyer turned legal writer who created Above The Law and his current, legal newsletter and podcast Original Jurisdiction, which is now his full-time job. Prior to writing he was a practicing attorney and worked as a federal prosecutor in the Department of Justice under Chris Christie. David is a husband and the father of two kids. In today's conversation we discussed:

The transition from an in-house legal career to the world of writing and podcasting and what that has done for his family

Surrogacy

Important legal considerations for parents

Navigating feelings of parental guilt

How to talk to your kids about different family types and configurations

The fallacy of making logical appeals to children

His approach to interviewing for childcare

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, Overcast and YouTube.

—

Where to find David Lat

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidlat/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidLat

Original Jurisdiction: https://davidlat.substack.com/

Where to find Adam Fishman

FishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/

—

In this episode, we cover

[1:47] Welcome

[2:04] Professional background

[2:53] The decision to go from practicing law to writing about law

[5:02] David's family now

[5:37] Their decision to start a family

[7:21] Surrogacy

[9:37] Family/work balance

[12:34] Was career choice influenced by becoming a dad?

[14:54] Legal considerations for parents

[17:32] What is a pre-birth order?

[19:11] Earliest memory of becoming a dad

[20:57] What emotions came up when you realized it was “real”?

[22:57] Most surprising thing about becoming a dad?

[25:15] Advice for younger self

[28:40] His interview approach for childcare

[30:17] Parental guilt

[34:56] Parenting Frameworks

[36:27] How has your parenting style changed over time?

[38:10] Area where David and his partner don’t align

[40:30] Logical appeals vs. children

[41:59] How do you recharge your batteries?

[43:38] What is a mistake you made as a dad?

[45:02] Talking to son about same-sex parenting

[48:27] Follow along

[49:23] Rapid fire

—

Show references:

Clueless: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112697/

Carly Aroldi, Good Enough Parenting: http://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-enough-parenting/id1708282417

Creative Family Connections: https://www.creativefamilyconnections.com/

Chris Christie: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Christie

Chris Christie on David's Podcast: https://davidlat.substack.com/p/chris-christie-podcast-interview-with-david-lat

Above The Law: https://abovethelaw.com/

BabyConnect: https://en.babyconnect.com/

My Two Dads and Me by Michael Joosten: https://www.amazon.com/My-Two-Dads-Michael-Joosten/dp/0525580107

Snoo: https://www.amazon.com/SNOO-Smart-Sleeper-Happiest-Baby/dp/B0716KN18Z

—

For sponsorship inquiries email: [email protected].

For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com

Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at

http://www.armaziproductions.com/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit startupdadpod.substack.com

Next Episode

Finding More Time vs. More Energy | Immad Akhund (father of 2, co-founder and CEO, Mercury)

Immad Akhund is the co-founder and CEO of Mercury, a business banking platform that has raised over $160M in funding and has over 100,000 customers. He has also founded two other companies – Clickpass and Heyzap; the latter of which was acquired in 2016. Immad is a husband and the father of two kids. In today's conversation we discussed:

Starting a family at a very young age (by San Francisco standards)

Navigating founding and running several companies, including Mercury

The difference between finding more time and finding more energy

How to think about skill building with your kids

Dealing with disagreements with your spouse

The parallels between being the co-founder of a company and the co-founder of a family

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, Overcast and YouTube.

—

Where to find Immad Akhund

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iakhund/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/immad

Curiosity Podcast: https://curiositypodcast.substack.com/

Where to find Adam Fishman

FishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/

—

In this episode, we cover

[1:31] Welcome

[1:46] Childhood

[2:44] Where does your extended family live now?

[3:19] Why keep doing startups?

[6:52] How did you meet your partner?

[7:56] Tell me about your kids

[8:42] Decision to start a family

[9:51] What does your wife do?

[10:59] Why did it feel like the right time to start a family?

[17:13] Earliest memory of being a dad?

[19:29] Advice for his younger self

[22:36] What is something you worked on after having kids?

[23:56] Skill building and teaching kids finance

[27:46] How has his parenting style evolved?

[30:29] What is an example of you getting out of balance w/kids

[31:29] Has being a dad changed how you run companies?

[34:36] Conflict/managing through disagreements

[39:10] Kids relationship w/tech

[42:07] Restore batteries

[44:08] What is a mistake you made as a dad?

[46:32] Follow along

[47:23] Rapid fire round

—

Show references:

Mercury: https://mercury.com/

Model X: https://www.tesla.com/modelx

The Matrix: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/

Union Square Ventures: https://www.usv.com/

Bloomberg: https://www.bloomberg.com/

ClickPass: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/clickpass

Hayzap: https://www.linkedin.com/company/heyzap-com/

Inside Out: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2096673/

Frozen: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2294629/

Teen Titans: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343314/

Doona: https://www.doona.com/en-us

Juni Learning: https://junilearning.com/

—

For sponsorship inquiries email: [email protected].

For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com

Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at

http://www.armaziproductions.com/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit startupdadpod.substack.com

Startup Dad - Finding More Time vs. More Energy | Immad Akhund (father of 2, co-founder and CEO, Mercury)

Transcript

Immad Akhund00:00:00.000

So it's very hard to take advice and apply it. Like you have to be open to it, but you're given all this responsibility of this, like infant, I think you can get yourself like overly worked up about it. Try to like assemble all this advice and like, you know, it's not that complicated. Just keep them alive and, you know, be flexible.

Adam Fishman00:00:20.039

Welcome to Startup Dad, the podcast where we dive deep