THIS WEEK: 5 Things I Think You'll Love

Hi all, it seems odd to say Happy Friday when I know some of my readers will be suffering. My heart is with all those fighting battles, whether they are literal or otherwise.

This week's roundup includes some content for your weekend pleasure.

PODCAST

This week's podcast is with Jimmy Soni, author of the brilliant The Founders book which charts the early startup days of PayPal and those who were instrumental in shaping it from Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Reid Hoffman, Max Levchin but also the women whose stories rarely get told in traditional press. Listen here. The episode is enlightening, informative, fun and inspiring. You can listen to it wherever you get your podcasts (on Apple here).

Buy Jimmy's book here.

QUOTE

INTERVIEW

"Any founder will tell you how grueling fundraising can be: speaking to hundreds of investors, meeting after meeting, telling your story, and hoping the person on the other side will connect, care and fund your venture. It’s not just emotionally exhausting, it’s also time away from your business."

I am a big fan of VC June Angelides. In this post, June gives some great advice for founders, especially around financing and things to think about when taking investors on board. Read here.

BOOK

In?Reimagining Design, Kevin Bethune, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of dreams, design and life - a "think tank" that delivers design and innovation services using a human-centered approach - shows how design provides a unique angle on problem-solving, how it can be leveraged strategically to cultivate innovation and anchor multidisciplinary teamwork.

In this book, Bethune, who began as an engineer at Westinghouse, moved on to Nike (where he designed Air Jordans), and now works as a sought-after consultant on design and innovation, shows how design can transform both individual lives and organizations. Pre-order the book here

FILM

I like to go left-field with the film recommendations but hopefully, you can see the parallel between the films I recommend and the lives of startup founders. The grit, persistence, dedication, inspiration, ups and downs that top performers, athletes, artists, adventurers face are the same as founders. It is the same drive to succeed, the same ability to bounce back and the same ability to keep going despite the naysayers, which makes them relevant.

This week's recommendation is jeen-yuhs with controversial Kanye West. As Elon said about Kanye in TIME magazine, "He fought for his place in the cultural pantheon with a purpose." This documentary is a thorough look at the rise of Kanye and why he is important, even if you don't agree with everything he says and does.

Twenty-one years ago, Clarence 'Coodie' Simmons met Kanye West and saw something so special that he moved from Chicago to New York City to document Kanye's journey to become the next great rapper. Neither of them had any idea where just how far that journey would take them.

Watch the trailer here.

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Thank you, as always, for reading this newsletter and for listening to?the podcast. I appreciate you.

Have a lovely weekend and see you on the other side.

Danielle