👉🏼 About the Guest:

Chris (300K+ followers on Linkedin and Twitter) went to Yale and played in the Men's Lacrosse team, then to investment banking at Goldman Sachs, then joined the tech startup world, and is now the founder of his own startup. Now, he's bringing together his backgrounds in finance, tech, and startups to create Hanover, with $1 billion in assets under administration.

👉🏼 About the Host:

Sharath is a founder, creator, and community builder. He is also a serial maker who built and shipped 15+ projects using no-code tools. His SaaS product Shoutout generated $30k ARR, which was sold to a UK-based product studio. Prev, Sharath worked for world-changing startups like Product Hunt and On Deck, where he helped build and nurture communities. He also grew his audience on Twitter from 200 to 24,000 using give-first principles and creating high-value content. He recently sold his second SaaS product, GuestLab, and he is working on a startup idea while hosting this show.

👉🏼 Sponsor Corner:

Shoutout to Acquire.com for sponsoring The Undefeated Underdogs podcast! They’re the best online marketplace to buy/sell startups and I know many founders who have sold their businesses there. If you're looking to wind down your business and cash in some of your founder chips, check them out - https://try.acquire.com/sharath/

👉🏼 Description:

Listen in as Sharath and Chris discuss content creation, why Chiefs of Staffs aren't great for early-stage startups, and more!

👉🏼 Timestamps:

00:00: Episode Highlight
00:40: Shoutout to Acquire.com
03:08: Introduction to Chris Hladczuk - Yale alum, investment banker, content creator, founder
07:00: Chris' lessons learned as a content creator
10:37: The tactical stuff: going from idea -> first draft -> finished content
14:00: A starter guide to becoming a content creator
17:45: Benefits of writing content for 4+ years
19:30: What the early days of content creation are like
21:55: Chris' journey from Yale to Goldman Sachs to tech startups
24:17: How to start questioning the status quo
25:54: How Chris deals with lows, failures, and rejection
28:22: Why sports & startups are the same
31:35: Chris' experience at Goldman Sachs
33:15: Why Chris left Goldman Sachs
34:20: How Goldman Sachs actually helped Chris build a startup
37:25: Why Chris chooses not to be a full-time content creator
38:49: How to pick which startup to work at
40:30: Being an individual contributor vs a Chief of Staff
42:25: The best hard skills to learn
44:50: Chris' experience at Meow
47:52: How Chris developed the conviction to start his own company
51:22: The experience of building a complete product
54:20: Chris' new startup, Hanover: a co-pilot for VCs
57:09: Building in public vs building in stealth
58:14: Fundraising 101
59:15: How AI is changing the world in 2024
1:01:04: Defining excellence in startups

👉🏼 Resources:

Link to Acquire.com: https://try.acquire.com/sharath/
Jack Butcher: https://twitter.com/jackbutcher
Paul Graham: https://paulgraham.com/
Meow: https://www.meow.com/
Tim Ferriss: https://tim.blog/

👉🏼 Where to find Chris:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/chrishlad
Website: https://chrishlad.com/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hladczuk-b09204153
Hanover: https://www.hanover.co/

👉🏼 Where to find Sharath:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/5harath
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5harath
Website: https://5harath.com/
Newsletter: https://5harath.substack.com/
Founder Gigs: https://foundergigs.com/

Chris Hladczuk - Tactical advice you need to know to build a fintech startup in stealth!

The Undefeated Underdogs