Divot

Vinod Khosla, founder of Khosla Ventures and co-founder of Sun Microsystems, shares thought-provoking insights on AI's transformative impact on the job market. He predicts AI will soon take over most mundane tasks, allowing humans to focus on their passions. The conversation delves into the role of startups as true innovators, the need for a balanced approach to education, and the significance of resilience in entrepreneurship. Khosla also emphasizes the importance of work-life balance and pursuing what you love, even amidst the rapid changes brought by technology.

In this episode, Kobie Fuller invites us into his home gym — and into the mindset that’s driven him through elite athletics, startup investing, fatherhood, and personal growth. From sprint workouts to 24-hour fasts, Kobie shares how he uses physical discipline to sharpen mental clarity and lead with purpose.He breaks down two core ideas that changed his life: “It takes what it takes” and neutral thinking — frameworks he learned from late mentor Trevor Moawad to overcome self-doubt, pressure, and negativity.We explore how Kobie handles failure, centers his faith, coaches his kids, balances ambition with presence, and defines what it truly means to win. This is a masterclass in mindset, emotional leadership, and how to build a life that actually matters.Follow Kobie – X (Twitter): https://x.com/kobiefullerFollow Derek – X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/derekjandersenTimestamps:0:00 – Introduction1:40 – Inside Kobie’s gym: how fitness drives clarity2:00 – Track workouts, aging, and athletic self-awareness5:16 – Why the 800 is the most brutal race6:13 – Coaching his kids, and what youth sports reveal8:20 – “It takes what it takes” – the mindset behind greatness11:25 – Neutral thinking vs. toxic positivity14:18 – Road rage, emotional discipline, and living by the Golden Rule20:47 – Teaching neutral mindset to his kids22:11 – Preemptive emotional mapping with Trevor Moawad25:18 – Balancing work, presence, and guilt as a founder & father28:00 – Monday fasts, spiritual resets, and weekly discipline31:10 – Building long-term investor-founder relationships32:30 – Having a spouse who helps you stay grounded33:17 – Trusting God’s plan when life doesn’t go your way35:37 – Accomplishing hard things: track, leadership, and family40:45 – Privilege, pressure, and staying grateful42:49 – The person he admires most: Jim Lowry43:44 – What he’s most proud of (it’s not Harvard)44:30 – Meeting God and leaving the world better45:05 – How he will measure his lifeEpisode Partners:SalesforceStart faster with Salesforce Starter Suite.https://www.salesforce.com/form/signup/freetrial-salesforce-starter/?d=701ed000007ZTPhAAOFollow Divot:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DivotpodX (Twitter): https://twitter.com/divotdotorgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/divotdotorgTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@divot.orgLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/divotdotorg/#DivotPodcast #MindsetMatters #ItTakesWhatItTakes #NeutralThinking #EmotionalDiscipline #Fatherhood #Faith #Leadership #KobieFuller

In this conversation, Greg Osborne shares his remarkable journey as a retired real estate developer, Vietnam veteran, and former Stanford basketball player. He discusses the power of simplicity in leadership, emphasizing that success hinges on effective training and motivation. Greg draws parallels between his military experiences and family life, offering insights into raising responsible children and maintaining a loving marriage for over 54 years. He also reflects on the transformation of Silicon Valley and the importance of creating practical solutions in both business and life.

Steve Blank, a serial entrepreneur and educator known for his insights into startups and government innovation, shares his experiences on America’s innovation decline. He highlights how outdated systems and risk aversion prevent the Department of Defense from innovating. Blank discusses China's integrated approach to technology and warns of the U.S. falling behind. He promotes the Office of Strategic Capital as a model for advancing defense tech and stresses the importance of fact-based decision-making in leadership and government.

Most founders follow advice that sets them up to fail.In this episode of Divot, we sit down with one of the most influential minds in startup history — Steve Blank.Before reshaping modern entrepreneurship, Steve co-founded E.piphany, a CRM company that went public in 1999 and soared to an $8 billion valuation. After multiple startups and hard-won lessons, he created the startup playbook that changed how companies are built — from customer discovery to the Lean Startup.Steve’s teachings are used at Stanford, Columbia, and Berkeley, adopted by Y Combinator, and taught in U.S. national security programs through his Hacking for Defense initiative. He’s helped thousands of founders avoid failure and build with truth instead of hype.This conversation is a masterclass in resilience, innovation, and clarity for any builder, founder, or operator.Follow Steve – X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/sgblankFollow Derek – X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/derekjandersenTimestamps:6:30: After 21 years of doing startups, deciding what was next10:39: What makes startup founders different14:11: “Adventure Capital” and how the entrepreneurial ecosystem has evolved18:43: Origin of the Lean Startup method and why it changed everything22:33: Why customer discovery is key to startup success29:34: How to choose what kind of startup to build32:45: Failure is the greatest teacher a founder can have35:29: Hubris and other company killers37:42: Why showing up more than most people counts for a lot39:17: Entrepreneurship is not a job. It’s a calling44:38: How AI is changing everything about how startups are built46:56: Making a dent in the universe with Lean LaunchPad, I-Corps, Hacking for Defense50:21: The three pillars of Lean and how they work together to drive entrepreneurial success52:58: Why smart founders don’t outsource customer discoveryEpisode Partner:SalesforceNo matter your team size or industry, Salesforce Starter Suite is your scalable CRM solution for growth. https://www.salesforce.com/form/signup/freetrial-salesforce-starter/?d=701ed000007ZTPhAAOFollow Divot:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DivotpodX (Twitter): https://twitter.com/divotdotorgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/divotdotorgTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@divot.orgLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/divotdotorg/#SteveBlank #LeanStartup #E.piphany #StartupAdvice #CustomerDiscovery #Entrepreneurship #DivotPodcast #StartupFailure

Liz Wiseman, a leadership researcher and CEO of the Wiseman Group, is here to unlock the secrets of effective leadership. She shares her experience growing up in Silicon Valley and how it shaped her perspective on leadership. Discover the difference between diminishing and multiplying leaders, and why micromanagement stifles creativity. Wiseman highlights the vital role of 'impact players' who thrive in uncertainty. She emphasizes that fostering a culture of willingness and ownership can transform team dynamics and unleash potential.

His family lost their home, memories, and peace — in minutes. What came next would define his legacy. Rich Raddon, co-founder and co-CEO of ZEFR, opens up about losing everything in a wildfire — and what it taught him about rebuilding, resilience, and leading with heart.From sleeping in his office to supporting a 200-person team while navigating grief, Rich shares how tragedy transformed his leadership — and how ZEFR became a category leader in brand safety, working with billions of impressions across YouTube, TikTok, and Meta.We go deep on faith, therapy, family, purpose, and the mindset it takes to turn pain into clarity — and companies into movements.Follow Rich – X (Twitter): https://x.com/richraddonFollow Derek – X (Twitter): https://x.com/derekjandersenTimestamps:0:00 – The fire that changed everything3:00 – Evacuation, loss, and finding only ashes6:30 – Journals, photos, heirlooms: what was lost10:00 – Strangers, neighbors, and unexpected grace13:00 – The role of therapy and grief processing17:00 – Leading a startup while homeless21:00 – How pain forged a new leadership style26:00 – Rebuilding life in San Clemente30:00 – ZEFR’s rise in the brand safety space34:00 – YouTube, Meta, TikTok: managing billions of impressions38:00 – The emotional weight of impact42:00 – Rich’s personal framework for optimism and faith45:00 – What he hopes his kids will rememberEpisode Partners:NotionStartups get up to 6 months free of Notion with unlimited AI. Use code SGXNotion: https://ntn.so/startupGoogle CloudAccelerate your AI startup with Google for Startups Cloud Program: https://partners.startupgrind.com/partner/google-cloud/Follow Divot:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DivotpodX (Twitter): https://x.com/divotdotorgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/divotdotorgTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@divot.orgLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/divotdotorg/#RichRaddon #StartupResilience #BrandSafety #Zephyr #Movieclips #WildfireRecovery #MentalHealthForFounders #FaithInBusiness #DivotPodcast

Navin Chaddha, Managing Partner of Mayfield Fund, shares insights from his impressive career backing tech startups like Lyft and Poshmark, driving over 40,000 jobs. He discusses the significance of investing in people over ideas, emphasizing compassion in leadership. Chaddha reflects on his journey from IIT Delhi to Silicon Valley, intertwining spirituality and capitalism. He also explores how AI reshapes entrepreneurship, enhances productivity, and creates new opportunities while advocating for resilience and learning from failures in the startup ecosystem.

What if the biggest problem in the NBA today was also the key to unlocking its future?In this episode, we sit down with Kirk Goldsberry — bestselling author of SprawlBall and Hoop Atlas, current University professor, former NBA strategist and ESPN analyst — to talk about how spatial analytics, Steph Curry, and the three-point revolution changed the game forever. And why it might be time to change it again.From his early days mapping court data to working with the Spurs, MIT, and Harvard, Kirk shares the inside story of how shot charts became mainstream, why he believes we need to rethink the corner three, and how the culture of basketball is shaped by math, emotion, and identity.We explore how rules evolve, why bigs might dominate the next era, and what the NBA must do to stay competitive, creative, and culturally relevant. If you're into basketball, analytics, or game-changing innovation, this is a must-watch.Follow Kirk – X (Twitter): https://x.com/kirkgoldsberryFollow Derek – X (Twitter): https://x.com/derekjandersenEpisode Partners:NotionStartups get up to 6 months free of Notion with unlimited AI. Use code SGXNotion: https://ntn.so/startupGoogle CloudAccelerate your AI startup with Google for Startups Cloud Program: https://partners.startupgrind.com/partner/google-cloud/Follow Divot:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DivotpodX (Twitter): https://x.com/divotdotorgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/divotdotorgTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@divot.orgLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/divotdotorg/#KirkGoldsberry #NBAAnalytics #StephCurry #BasketballInnovation #ThreePointRevolution #ShotCharts #SprawlBall #HoopAtlas #DivotPodcast #SportsAnalytics

Josh Luber, co-founder of StockX and collectible toy brand Ghosts, dives into his fascinating journey from sneakers to creating a $4B platform. He discusses how storytelling, scarcity, and market data influence the hype economy. Josh explains the Dutch auction model that allows consumers to set prices, revolutionizing traditional pricing strategies. He shares insights on nostalgia in sneaker culture and how innovative collectible toys are transforming personal expression and community engagement in the collectibles market.