Simone Giertz describes herself as a maker/robotics enthusiast/non-engineer. She’s also known as the Queen of Shitty Robots. She runs a YouTube channel about those robots and is a cohost on Tested with Adam Savage from MythBusters.

You can find her on YouTube and on Twitter @SimoneGiertz.

She also has a Patreon.

The YC podcast is hosted by Craig Cannon.

Y Combinator invests a small amount of money ($150k) in a large number of startups (recently 200), twice a year.

Learn more about YC and apply for funding here: https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/

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Topics

00:00 - Intro

1:41 - "Whatever feeds the ego kills the soul."

4:21 - Maintaining passion for your work

7:16 - Building a sustainable business as a creator

9:01 - Shipping a real product - The Every Day Calendar - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/simonegiertz/the-every-day-calendar

18:01 - Being scared to step away

19:31 - Generating ideas

20:46 - Finding out she had a brain tumor, having surgery, and sharing it

26:01 - Returning to work after brain surgery

28:01 - Learnings from taking time off

29:01 - Asking for help

30:31 - Evaluating how she's spending her time

32:16 - Giving herself permission to try other things

34:21 - Challenges as a creator and entrepreneur

36:01 - Not feeling guilty about play and pursuing the things you enjoy

41:01 - Becoming less disciplined in certain areas over time

42:46 - Ali asks - How to get started when dealing with imposters syndrome?

43:06 - beep boop asks - What's your favorite robot?

43:46 - Beste asks - Are there any moments where she is bored and feels like giving up on creating new things?

44:56 - Khawar Shehzad asks - What thing do you wish you knew when you started your career?

46:06 - Olaf Doschke asks - What would have happened if Simone's toothbrush helmet wouldn't have gone viral?

48:36 - Johnathan Nader asks - What is the best version of yourself?

#129 - Simone Giertz

Y Combinator Startup Podcast