Uber's 1st Head of Product: Untold Stories, Chaos w/ Travis & Lessons From $25M Startup Collapse

Mina Radhakrishnan was Uber’s first Head of Product in 2011 (employee #20), after working at both Google and Goldman Sachs, and was also the co-founder of Different - a VC-backed startup that raised millions and scaled fast before shutting down. Now, she’s building solo with AI as her co-founder.

In this episode, she shares an unfiltered look into the highs and lows of building at the edge of tech:
What it was really like working with Travis Kalanick at Uber
The hard lessons from shutting down Different - and how she bounced back
Why AI is changing how we build companies - and who should build them
Her hot takes on junior engineers, bootcamps, and the future of coding
How Uber shaped her mindset on speed, intensity, and product culture
Building a solo startup today - with AI as her full team
The mistakes founders make when acting like big companies
Why Australian startups need more pay-it-forward culture

One of our most candid and insightful episodes yet - a must-watch for anyone building in tech.

Like this video? You might also enjoy our interview with 21-year old CEO, Liam Millward, of $100M startup, Instant.
   • Instant's Liam Millward: Uncanny Prof...  

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:12 Help us get to 15k subscribers!!
01:46 Vibe-coding & Back to Building
03:12 The Future of Software Engineering
05:40 Mina Career Journey
07:57 Zeller Ad
15:03 Reflections on the Tech Industry
19:58 Lessons from Uber and Working with Travis Kalanick
23:00 Working with Intensity: The Travis Effect
25:13 Uber's Legacy and Personal Growth
27:20 Advice for Aspiring Founders
30:11 The Role of AI in Modern Startups
31:03 Emotional Challenges of Founding a Startup
32:38 KC Ventures Ad
33:46 The Importance of Curiosity and Learning
35:33 Building a Company in the Age of AI
41:27 Improving Australian Startup Culture
45:15 Wrapping Up and Final Thoughts

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Thanks to our sponsors Zeller and KC Ventures.

Zeller is building the financial stack to help startups scale, called Zeller for Startups. Every founder unlocks exclusive rewards and offers when you use Zeller for Startups — including a high-interest savings account, 12-month free access to Zeller Corporate Cards and expense management, and discounts on amazing partner solutions from Employment Hero, Xero, and Pop Business.
www.myzeller.com/startups

KC Ventures helps Australian startups scale by providing strategic financial advice. You can find KC Ventures at kcventures.com.au/ or message their founder Luke Rix on Linkedin to get in contact directly.
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