Podcast
The Under 30 Podcast
Hosted by Forbes · EN
How did they make their first million? Whether it’s revenue, followers, streams or something else entirely, the Under 30 Podcast is the must-watch show for anyone young and ambitious building from the ground up. We go beyond the headlines and into the details, unpacking what it really took to go from zero to 50, then 100, and beyond. Hear from some of the most successful founders, actors and musicians featured on the iconic Forbes Under 30 list, as well as the industry veterans, investors and mentors who helped shape their journeys. Real stories, hard-earned lessons and practical insights from the people who have done it. Plus, we make it fun.About The Hosts: Alex York and Zoya Hasan are editors of the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, covering the emerging businesses, brands and founders shaping our economy today. From AI unicorns and drone manufacturers to media empires and cult-followed consumer brands, they put a new spin on business news. Both joined Forbes in 2023, and are New York University alumni.
10episodes
Episodes
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What It Takes to Get Legendary VC Bill Gurley To Invest In Your Startup
1w ago00:32:21Tap to summarizeIn this masterclass episode of the Under 30 Podcast, hosts Alex and Zoya sit down with Silicon Valley royalty and legendary venture capital investor Bill Gurley for an unvarnished, deep-dive interview on the state of global technology, high-stakes startup financing, and the future of corporate growth. Broadcasted from the heart of the world's most competitive technology corridors, this video serves as an authoritative field guide for founders, angel investors, and tech enthusiasts navigating the modern market, stretching from traditional innovation hubs like San Francisco and Silicon Valley to rising ecosystems in New York, Austin, London, and beyond. The macro tech landscape has shifted dramatically into an aggressive, hyper-polarized market. Bill Gurley breaks down the stark, black-and-white divide where artificial intelligence startups are raising capital at historic, astronomical valuations, while non-AI tech companies face massive friction securing seed or growth capital. Looking closely at hot sectors like the automated coding space and legal AI vertical, Gurley highlights that upwards of seven distinct companies have raised more than $200 million each. This creates a hyper-competitive landscape where companies deploy immense capital reserves purely to fund aggressive customer acquisition strategies, rendering traditional, conservative bootstrap approaches completely obsolete. As venture capital firms scale their own asset management pools, a dangerous dynamic has emerged. Gurley details the "observer effect" in modern startup investing, where venture capitalists aggressively push capital onto high-performing tech startups that do not actually need the cash. Founders are routinely flown out in helicopters and gifted premium sports box access to incentivize them to sign away equity, with the implied threat that if they refuse the funding, the cash will be handed directly to a direct market competitor. Taking unnecessary funding artificially drives up a startup's burn rate and obscures its fundamental financial health. Gurley explicitly warns young founders that private cap tables are structurally rigid, built only to scale upward. Due to liquidation preference stacks and ratchet clauses, navigating a down-round in private equity is incredibly destructive, unlike public market stock corrections. While historical anomalies like Uber successfully scaled past a $2 billion annual burn rate to now generate over $10 billion in free cash flow, structural over-leveraging routinely leads to total business failure, as famously seen in corporate downfalls like WeWork. A critical warning for startup founders in this episode centers on unit economics and pricing integrity. Gurley sounds the alarm on the modern trend of "vibe coding" and the illusory software growth scaling metrics reminiscent of the dot-com bubble. Tech startups are frequently caught in an unsustainable cycle where they purchase underlying computing architecture or tokens from upstream tech giants (like Amazon or Anthropic) and resell them to corporate clients at a net loss. Gurley notes that when an enterprise sells a dollar for $0.80, it can easily demonstrate infinite operational growth, but it will face a catastrophic reckoning when forced to achieve true cash-flow break-even metrics. For early-stage startup founders attempting to raise venture capital, Gurley outlines his precise investment framework. Beyond identifying strong consumer marketplaces built on compounding network effects where the 10,000th user derives infinitely more value than the 100th, Gurley prioritizes a founder's raw capacity for salesmanship. Whether loud or quiet, a chief executive must master the art of recruitment, closing customer acquisitions, and navigating fundraising rounds. He references Jeff Bezos' investment thesis of seeking "unbounded determinism"—the visible trait in an entrepreneur that proves there is absolutely no obstacle capable of stopping them from building their enterprise. Stepping outside the boardroom, Gurley shares unexpected historical anecdotes from his early career, including how annual trips to Las Vegas led to counting cards at Binion's casino. By strategically hunting down specific gaming pits where high-rolling gamblers distracted the house pit bosses, Gurley and his peers learned to gamble with a mathematical edge—a strategy that directly mirrored his transition into technology investing. He applies this same analytical lens to the meteoric rise of prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi, warning investors to heavily monitor volume data and watch out for low-float market manipulation or high house rakes on esoteric prop bets. Finally, drawing from the core principles of his newly published book, Runnin' Down a Dream: How to Thrive in a Career You Actually Love, Gurley challenges the standard "follow your passion" corporate cliché. Pointing to landmark Stanford research proving that ten years post-graduation, fewer than 40% of professionals work in a field related to their college major, Gurley urges young corporate workers to avoid the sunk cost fallacy, embrace intellectual curiosity, and fearlessly repot themselves into industries where their internal focus burns the brightest. Watch this exclusive Forbes Under 30 Interview with Bill Gurley to learn more about how speculative tech waves, career choices, and macro market changes shape the global venture landscape. The Massive AI Funding Divide vs. Traditional Trade Startup ModelsThe Valuation Trap, High Burn Rates, and Cap Table ComplicationsIllusory Growth: Are You Selling a Dollar for Eighty Cents?What It Takes to Get Bill Gurley to InvestCounting Cards in Vegas, Prediction Markets, and Career Pivots Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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This Entrepreneur Raised $400 Million To "Poison" Your Data (And Protect Your Privacy)
2w ago00:36:32Tap to summarizeIs your phone number revealing your deepest secrets? Today on the Forbes Under 30 podcast, hosts Alex York and Zoya Hasan sit down with Arjun Bhatnagar, co-founder and CEO of Cloaked. After building a crude AI that accidentally automated his relationship, Arjun realized just how vulnerable our personal data truly is. Now, with $400 million in funding, Cloaked is helping consumers fight back against data brokers and hackers using a radical technique: data poisoning. Arjun breaks down why you should never give out your real phone number at checkout, how Cloaked secured a massive privacy partnership with the NFLPA, and the terrifying reality of what someone can do with just a single piece of your personal information. Plus, he shares the massive $1.5 million marketing gamble that saved his company, and finally sets the record straight on the biggest Forbes Under 30 myth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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From Mom’s Garage To Global Fame: How Vic Blends Built A Cultural Barbering Empire
3w ago00:58:46Tap to summarizeWelcome to the flagship episode of the Under 30 Podcast, where hosts Alex and Zoya sit down with digital creator and celebrity barber Vic Fontanez, widely known as Vic Blends. In this exclusive interview, the visionary entrepreneur shares his blueprint on how to turn an ordinary career into a life of extraordinary purpose . From humble beginnings cutting hair in his mom's garage to styling global icons like Barack Obama and Tom Brady, Vic outlines his unique trajectory for long-term business success. However, rapid scaling in the creator economy comes with major financial risks, and Vic pulls back the curtain on a devastating financial oversight early in his career. He reveals how a six-figure IRS tax bill nearly derailed his entire operation after a bad accountant failed to pay his taxes for two years, offering critical financial literacy lessons on managing business revenue. Beyond small business management and tax strategies, this episode dives deep into the unseen mental pressures of rapid entrepreneurial scaling. Vic opens up candidly about his mental health journey, detailing his bipolar 1 disorder diagnosis, his experience with mania and psychosis, and the necessity of his 16-month hiatus at the absolute peak of his success . Discover the core mindset behind his "stay planted" philosophy, which emphasizes grounding your business and life in personal character rather than fleeting digital metrics . Learn how he leveraged his online influence to secure a major talent agency deal with WME, monetize digital content, and successfully transition to long-form storytelling with his hit show, the Deep Cut Podcast . He also details his latest physical venture expansion, including strategic real estate acquisition by buying the land to launch the physical Planted Barbershop brand . Finally, explore his profound commitment to philanthropy as he explains why he personally self-financed $100,000 to open the Vic Blends Academy—the first licensed barber school inside a California prison . Whether you are an aspiring content creator, a small business owner, or a seasoned startup founder, this interview offers invaluable insights on leadership and building a sustainable enterprise. Subscribe to Forbes for more executive profiles, investment strategies, and motivational success stories from the world’s top young leaders. 00:00 Introduction: The Under 30 Interview 01:55 The Origin Of Vic's Motivational Mindset 03:17 Merging Passion & Purpose: The Free Haircut Concept 08:57 From High School Culture To Choosing The Barber Trade 14:29 Scaling The Business: Entertainment Agencies & Mentorship 25:29 The Media Play: "Deep Cut" & Securing A-List Guests 32:41 The Unseen Cost Of Success: Navigating Bipolar 1 39:27 The Six-Figure Financial Mistake You Need To Avoid 49:02 Corporate Social Responsibility: The First Prison Barber Academy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Stop Scrolling LinkedIn: This $20 Million AI Startup Is Fixing The Labor Market
May 1600:27:18Tap to summarizeAI agents aren't just for coding anymore—they might be your next career wingmen. In this interview with Alex York, Jack and Jill Co-Founder Saaras Mehan breaks down how his revolutionary AI recruitment platform is bypassing endless CV screenings to connect talent directly with hiring managers. 00:00 - Meet Jack & Jill: Your AI Career Wingmen 02:20 - AI Job Displacement & Fixing The Labor Market 06:47 - Removing Bias From The HR Industry 08:17 - How "Fully Agentic" Recruitment AI Works 15:29 - Why London Is The Ultimate AI Startup Hub 18:23 - Raising $20M And 22X Growth In 5 Months Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Why Ellie Kildunne Had To Turn Down The Olympics To Become The Best Rugby Player In The World
May 1200:45:16Tap to summarizeWomen’s sports are in a golden era, and Red Roses superstar Ellie Kildunne is leading the charge on and off the pitch. Fresh off an MBE, a World Player of the Year title, and a World Cup win, Ellie sits down with Forbes’ Alex York to talk about the explosive growth of women's rugby and the realities of being a modern pro athlete. 00:00 - The Explosive Rise Of Women's Rugby 08:58 - Breaking Barriers & The Path To Going Pro 14:52 - Why Kildunne Turned Down The Olympics 23:37 - How To Land Authentic Brand Deals 33:15 - Using Photography To Network & Build Brand Value 38:23 - Writing A Book At 26 & The Power Of Self-Discovery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Would You Pay Via Palm Print? This Startup Is Revolutionizing Biometric Technology
May 900:25:50Tap to summarizeWhat if you could pay for your groceries, collect loyalty points, and verify your age at a bar using just your palm? Meet Maria Marti Garcia, the co-founder of Five ID, the biometric startup turning sci-fi into an everyday reality. In this interview, she breaks down how FiveID's hardware and software ecosystem allows users to link their credit cards, bank accounts, and soon crypto stablecoins, directly to their palm print. 00:00 - What is FiveID? The Future of Palm Payments 01:52 - Leaving Revolut to Disrupt Visa & Mastercard Fees 04:18 - Building FinTech Hardware From Scratch 07:09 - How Biometric Data Encryption & Privacy Actually Works 11:14 - Pitching Investors on the Future of Digital Identity 14:45 - The Supply Chain Chaos of Building Physical Hardware 16:36 - Using AI to Code Proof of Concepts in Minutes 18:46 - The Reality of Being a Female Founder in FinTech 20:24 - Why AI Will Drastically Shrink Future Startup Teams Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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How This Entrepreneur Identified A $6 Billion E-Commerce Opportunity
May 500:21:29Tap to summarizeMeet Miha Jagovic, the visionary founder behind Bloq.it, a smart parcel locker company completely revolutionizing the last-mile logistics industry. In this interview, Miha breaks down how he took his startup from just four lockers on the ground to a massive B2B network seeing over 100 million uses a year. 00:00 - What is Bloq.it? 02:27 - Scaling from 4 Lockers to 100 Million Uses a Year 04:22 - The Tech: Why Battery-Powered Hardware Wins 07:15 - Expanding Across 10 Markets (And Why the US is Next) 10:18 - The Reality of Fundraising for a Hardware Startup 12:00 - Block It's B2B Revenue Model Explained 14:23 - Supply Chain Chaos & The Future of AI Manufacturing 17:40 - The Best Advice for First-Time Founders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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How Adam W Grew Comedy Clips Into A Global Media Company
Apr 2800:18:43Tap to summarizeRecorded LIVE from the 2026 30 Under 30 Summit in Phoenix, AZ. Digital jokester Adam W used his smartphone to bypass Hollywood’s gatekeepers and build a 55 million–strong fan base and multimillion-dollar brand empire. He shares the biggest takeaways from his journey to success and how he’s redefining the rules of showbiz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Venture capital legend, Bill Gurley.
Apr 2600:49:09Tap to summarizeFollow Forbes Under30 Recorded LIVE from the 2026 30 Under 30 Summit in Phoenix, AZ. Venture capital legend Bill Gurley takes the stage for a candid fireside conversation and audience-led AMA. From how to avoid “career regret” to the art of building strong peer groups, he’ll highlight the biggest lessons in his newest bestselling book “Runnin’ Down A Dream: How to Thrive In a Career You Actually Love.” Then, the audiences asks questions to pick the brain of the man who has mentored some of the most successful founders in history. Bill Gurley discusses the AI bubble, the biggest market opportunities for 2026, finding the right mentor and beyond! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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How K-Pop Demon Hunters' Audrey Nuna Wrote The Playbook For Creative And Cultural Disruption
Apr 2500:20:19Tap to summarizeFollow Forbes Under30 Recorded LIVE from the 2026 30 Under 30 Summit in Phoenix, AZ. Audrey Nuna made history with “Golden,” the first K-pop song to win a Grammy. Now she’s channeling that momentum into her own music and broader cultural and philanthropic impact—defying convention and expectations as she goes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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