When Everything Falls Apart, Build Something Better with Shashank Shekhar | #27

What happens when you lose your job in a new country with no money, no network, and no backup plan? On this episode of The Pick Now Podcast, Jeff Munn sits down with entrepreneur and author Shashank Shekhar to unpack the remarkable journey from immigrant startup employee to award-winning FinTech founder. After his company collapsed during the 2008 mortgage crisis, Shashank turned uncertainty into opportunity by building a mortgage business centered around education, trust, and technology. What started as late-night blog posts eventually became Instamortgage, one of the fastest-growing mortgage companies in America. Along the way, he taught himself AI, built one of the first AI-powered digital humans in the mortgage industry, and even outpaced Zoom on Deloitte's FastTech rankings during the pandemic. In this conversation, you'll hear: How resilience beats talent without persistence Why education became his ultimate business strategy What founders can learn about AI right now How to think long-term when building a company Why limiting beliefs stop more dreams than lack of skill If you've ever wondered whether your big idea is worth pursuing, this episode might be the push you need to start.