Redefining Communication: Yoodli Founders on AI Roleplays, Confidence & Building in Seattle

In this episode of Founded & Funded, Madrona Venture Partner Patrick Ennis sits down with Varun Puri and Esha Joshi, co-founders of Yoodli, an AI-powered communications coach helping people become more confident speakers. Varun and Esha share their leap from Big Tech into startup life, eating noodles on secondhand couches while chasing a bold mission: making effective communication accessible to everyone. They dive into: The origin story behind Yoodli, (and where the name came from!) How AI roleplays bring "exposure therapy" to speaking practice. Use cases ranging from sales training to doctors having end-of-life conversations. The decision to build in Seattle vs. SF with support from Madrona and AI2. Co-founder dynamics, culture-first hiring, and why they turned down a famous Silicon Valley VC. This is a must-listen for any founder building with AI, thinking about culture-first scaling, or just wanting to speak with more confidence. Full Transcript: https://www.madrona.com/redefining-communication-yoodli-ai-roleplays Chapters: (00:00) – Introduction (02:00) – The "Why" Behind Yoodli (04:00) – Why AI & Why Now (06:00) – Who Uses Yoodli? (09:00) – Building a Category: AI Role Plays (10:00) – The Real Story Behind the Name "Yoodli" (13:00) – Early Team & Company Building (15:00) – Seattle vs. Silicon Valley (17:00) – Turning Down a Famous VC (19:00) – Co-Founders: The Power of Two (21:00) – Building Confidence as First-Time Founders (24:00) – Scaling the Team & Culture (26:00) – Seattle's Talent Pool & Startup Ecosystem (28:00) – Hiring Values (30:00) – Customer Feedback & Boundaries (31:30) – Lessons Learned as Founders (33:00) – Serial Founders?

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This episode was published on October 23, 2025.

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