Podcast Summary: The Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan – Episode 618
What 5 World-Class Founders Taught Me This Year
Aired: December 30, 2025

Episode Overview

In this solo episode, Nathan Chan reflects on his top five founder interviews of the year. He shares impactful lessons and personal takeaways from these world-class entrepreneurs—discussing themes of resilience, identity, resourcefulness, originality, and overcoming adversity. Nathan’s candid commentary illustrates how these insights have shaped his own approach and serve as inspiration for listeners heading into 2026.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Letting Go of Failure – Lessons from Kristina Karlsson (00:56)

• Background: Kristina Karlsson, founder of Kikki.K, faced profound business losses—twice over. Despite nearly selling her company for $100 million before COVID-19 intervened, she reemerged stronger, redefining what failure means.
• Key Insight: “For her, failure was just a path to clarity.” (02:21)
  • Nathan highlights the importance of resilience: when everything feels like it’s falling apart, it doesn’t mean you can’t rebuild.
  • He emphasizes that setbacks and hard lessons are “money in the bank” for future ventures.
• Personal Reflection: Nathan shares, “Some of the greatest challenges that I’ve had in business or life have been some of the biggest blessings.” (04:02)
• Notable Quote:

  “If you’re scared to start or you’re going through it right now and things are tough with your business, just remember, it’s not about what you lose. It’s what you gain by being brave enough to go again and not give up.” — Nathan Chan (03:45)

2. Building Outside Legacy – Phoebe Gates (05:13)

• Background: As Bill Gates’s daughter, Phoebe Gates could have relied on her family name, but Nathan spotlights her determination to create her own path. She’s hands-on, cold-emails investors, meets customers, and doesn’t let her surname define her.
• Key Insight: “Legacy is something you build, not inherit. And no matter what your background, your real credibility comes from what you build yourself.” (06:30)
• Discussion of Action: Phoebe’s willingness to fail and persist, instead of shying away due to potential judgment, resonates with Nathan and listeners.
• Memorable Moment: Nathan is struck by a viewer comment:

  “I hate that an immediate initial reaction a few seconds into finding out who her father was was, ‘Of course she’s successful,’... but she is very sharp and clearly takes action and works hard.” (06:01)

• Phoebe’s Tip: Advice on leveraging AI automation and creative use of interns caught Nathan’s attention—he recommends revisiting her episode for tactical strategies. (07:29)
• Personal Note: Nathan relates his own humble beginnings, emphasizing the importance of self-made credibility.

3. Life After the Exit – Jake Kassan & The Identity Crisis (08:29)

• Background: Jake Kassan built and exited the massive DTC watch brand MVMT. Nathan focuses on the less-discussed side of success: post-exit identity loss and the unexpected loneliness that can follow.
• Key Insight: “Money doesn’t replace purpose. If you’re not building something meaningful, no amount of capital will fill that void.” (09:15)
• Vulnerability: Jake found himself more depressed after his financial success—a reality check for founders blinded by the big payday.
• Personal Connection: Nathan discusses struggling with intertwining his identity with Foundr, voicing his own journey to build a life outside the company.
• Notable Quote:

  “Make sure you’re building a business that feeds your soul, not just your bank account.” — Nathan Chan (10:11)

4. Scrappy Bootstrap Strategies – Tori Gill (11:11)

• Background: Tori Gill, a Founder Plus member and former barber from Melbourne, won Foundr’s business grant and launched a regulated, niche sunscreen brand for kids.
• Key Insight: With zero prior experience, Tori pulled in $4,000 on launch day, reached $100,000 revenue in 90 days, and is now running a million-dollar brand.
• Memorable Moment: “Success isn’t about credentials. It’s about resourcefulness and following a proven roadmap.” (12:06)
• Practical Lesson: Start with what you have, execute relentlessly, and never underestimate the combo of belief and action—especially with a niche offer.
• Notable Quote:

  “Execute like crazy but never underestimate the power of belief paired with action and creating a niche product.” — Nathan Chan (12:44)

5. Handling Copycats with Class – Amy Smile (14:11)

• Background: Amy Smile grew Odd Muse, a cult fashion brand, to $20M/year in four years—only to be copied by major players like PrettyLittleThing.
• Key Insight: Rather than fighting fire with fire, Amy doubled down on brand, community, and originality—elements no copycat can steal.
• Leadership Lesson: “Amy’s lesson is one of leadership and conviction. You don’t always have to scream louder. Sometimes you just have to build better.” (15:15)
• Personal Example: Nathan relates how Foundr faced (and still faces) copycats, but emphasizes that a strong founder-led brand and distinct vision are unbeatable.
• Notable Quote:

  “If you stay true to your vision and community, no one can copy that.” — Nathan Chan (15:32)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Kristina Karlsson on Failure & Resilience – 00:56–05:13
• Phoebe Gates on Building Outside Legacy – 05:13–08:29
• Jake Kassan on Life After Selling – 08:29–11:11
• Tori Gill’s Bootstrap Success – 11:11–14:11
• Amy Smile on Handling Copycats – 14:11–end

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “Some of the toughest things I’ve went through, I’ve been better off for it. And it’s been tough at the time, but I promise you, you will get through this.” — Nathan Chan (05:01)
• “Your real credibility comes from what you build yourself.” — Nathan Chan, on Phoebe Gates (06:45)
• “Money doesn’t replace purpose.” — Nathan Chan, reflecting on Jake Kassan’s struggles post-sale (09:18)
• “Success isn’t about credentials. It’s about resourcefulness.” — Nathan Chan, inspired by Tori Gill (12:06)
• “You don’t always have to scream louder. Sometimes you just have to build better.” — Nathan Chan, on Amy Smile’s copycat experience (15:15)

Episode Takeaway

Nathan closes with encouragement to let these hard-won lessons serve as a guiding North Star for entrepreneurs at any stage. He invites listeners to revisit the full interviews and connect with him on social to share what resonated most.

“These aren’t just great stories. You can use these to be your guide in business.” — Nathan Chan (16:10)

For more insights and to go deeper, check the show notes for links to all five featured interviews.