From Community College Dropout to VC: Joe Alalou on Rejection, Resilience, and Betting on Yourself

In Episode 11 of Give and Receive, Brian Potts and Elizabeth Pyjov sit down with Joe Alalou, Co-Founder and General Partner at Daring Ventures, a New York City–based pre-seed fund backing industry-insider founders building software for the industries they know best. Joe shares his non-traditional path—from community college struggles and washing cars at Enterprise to transferring to Columbia, breaking into investment banking, and ultimately launching a venture fund built on one core belief: the market consistently overlooks mispriced talent. This conversation blends entrepreneurship, career strategy, and mindfulness—plus a practical framework for evaluating your job, why founders must learn to say “I don’t know,” and how to outlast the competition by taking one more rejection than everyone else. In this episode: Why it’s a privilege to work hard—and how to reframe the “boring” tasks The “Am I learning or having impact?” test for deciding when to leave a job Late bloomer lessons: gap years, motivation, and why readiness matters more than timing Joe’s recruiting mentorship: Wall Street After Community College and breaking into banking Founder psychology: your relationship with adversity and why it predicts success Playing to your signature strengths (and why you can’t be world-class at what you hate) Rejection as proof you’re trying—and the mindset shift that changes everything If you’re a founder, investor, or anyone navigating a career pivot, this episode is a masterclass in resilience, self-belief, and building momentum when the odds don’t feel in your favor. Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, growth, and building a meaningful life through giving and receiving. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices