191 - Waseem Daher of Pilot: What I Learned From Selling My First Two Startups

10/21/22 • 40 min

Nick Hughes is joined by Waseem Daher CEO and Cofounder of Pilot, from San Francisco. Waseem is the CEO and co-founder of Pilot, which specializes in bookkeeping, tax, and CFO services for high-growth technology startups. He is a three-time entrepreneur with two successful exits: his first company, Ksplice, was acquired by Oracle in 2011 and his second, Zulip, was acquired by Dropbox in 2014. He has a degree in computer science from MIT.
The episode starts with Nick and Waseem talking about his journey into startups and entrepreneurship. They touch on his previous acquisitions and what things he learned from those previous startups. Waseem shares how they situated the startups for an attractive exit and what he learned in the proces. They then discuss how to best work with your cofounding team and as a technical founder, what did he most have to invest in/uplevel to gain success in the position. They then shift to talk about Pilot and illustrate the differences with Pilot from more traditional back office accounting and CFO services. The conversation ends with Waseem mentioning what the biggest mistakes he sees startup founders make and general advice to startups and how should we be navigating this downturn. This is a fun and informative conversation with an very experienced entrepreneur, we hope it helps you today.
https://pilot.com/offer/founderslive

Previous Episode

190: Michelle Kulp, Publishing Specialist: Publish Your Bestselling Book In One Month

Nick Hughes is joined by Michelle Kulp Book Launch Expert, from Annapolis Maryland. Michelle Kulp is a Book Launch Expert, Publishing Specialist, 20x #1 Bestselling Author, and USA Today Bestselling Author. Since 2012, she has been teaching entrepreneurs, consultants, coaches, and thought leaders how to elevate their expertise, attract their ideal clients, and increase their income and opportunities — with a Bestselling Book! To date, Michelle has launched over 300 books for clients and has helped them hit numerous #1 Amazon bestseller lists as well as Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller lists. Michelle's Bestseller program is a one-stop shop for authors who don’t have the knowledge, expertise, desire or skill-set to publish and market their own books.
The episode starts with Nick and Michelle jumping into her journey into entrepreneurship... and what it takes to be a writer. Can anyone write a book a month? What is a book exactly? These questions are dissected by Michelle to illustrate how to you write and publish a book in one month. She details out her advice on how to start your writing career, how to create passive income with writing, how to break down your ideas and topics into chunks of content and how to do the best marketing processes - outside of Amazon. The end with Michelle's advice to writers and early stage entrepreneurs. This is a fun and informative conversation with an amazing author and entrepreneur, we hope it helps you today.
https://bestsellingauthorprogram.com/

Next Episode

193 - Becca Gardner of NKD LDY: The NKD Lady Changing The Drinking Industry

Nick Hughes is joined by Becca Gardner, who is the founder and CEO of NKD LDY from Louisville, Kentucky. ALT Distilling (ALT) is an innovation company that makes really good beverages. Our Product Is “Naked,” Stripped Of Alcohol, Leaving A Pure Drink That Allows You To Pursue Whatever The Night Might Hold, Without Compromise. The idea for ALT Distilling (parent company to NKD LDY) came from Becca's own experience as a non-drinker; her frustration with the alienation that resulted from making a strong decision for herself and the seeming absence of exciting substitutes in spaces of socializing and celebration.

The episode starts with Nick and Becca discussing her journey into starting her own business, and WHY start her own business? We learn how she walked away from a successful corporate career to address the stigma around "sober culture". They then shift into how she created an authentic experience for non-alcoholic drinkers, and why she named it such a name as NKD LDY. Becca and Nick point to the branding, and why it is so important when differentiating your company from so many others in the market. Along with many other lessons and tips, we hear Becca's advice to early stage entrepreneurs who are just starting out. This is a fun and entertaining conversation with an up and coming entrepreneur, we hope it helps you today.

Instagram - NKD LDY

https://www.drinknkdldy.com/