PODCAST · business
Traction Podcast
by Traction Podcast
The Traction Podcast provides founders with the tools to optimize their mind, body, and business for peak performance.
Episodes
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Dr. Nnamdi Orakpo: The ADHD Diagnosis Nobody Is Testing For
Most high performers treat sleep like a negotiation. Something to borrow from.Something to sacrifice.Something to fix later. But the body does not negotiate forever. In this episode, Dr. Nnamdi Orakpo joins Lloyed Lobo on Traction to unpack why sleep is one of the most important operating systems...
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Kenny Santucci: The Fatal Assumption Behind Modern Healthcare
Kenny Santucci became famous competing under pressure on MTV’s The Challenge. But the most important competition of his life began years earlier. As an overweight, self-conscious teenager, Kenny discovered wrestling and strength training. Fitness did not just change his body. It changed how he…
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Silicon Valley Veteran: “Why Buddhist Monks Won't Get Us to Mars”
Andy Johns helped build some of the most important growth engines in Silicon Valley. Facebook. Twitter. Quora. Wealthfront. He worked across nine billion-dollar companies, became one of the most respected growth leaders in tech, and reached the level of career success most founders dream about....
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Dr. Steven Muskal: Why Your Wearables Are Making You Sicker
What if the future of human performance is not another supplement, another wearable, or another biohack, but a better relationship with your own data? Dr. Steven Muskal has spent more than four decades at the edge of AI, chemistry, biology, and drug discovery. Before AI was cool, he was using...
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The GLP-1 Revolution Explained by a Doctor Running 20+ Pharma Trials
Dr. Tom Elliott has spent more than four decades at the forefront of diabetes, endocrinology, and metabolic health. He is the founder and medical director of BC Diabetes, an associate professor at UBC, and has been involved in more than 20 pharmaceutical clinical trials exploring the future of...
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Julia Klim: When Health Optimization Starts Backfiring
Julia Klim is redefining what it means to live and perform well in a high-pressure world. As former Head of Strategic Partnerships at Equinox Group, she helped transform the brand from a luxury gym into a full-spectrum healthspan platform. She launched Optimize by Equinox, an elite longevity...
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National Gold Medalist: “Supplements Are Useless If You Ignore These 3 Basics”
Caroline Mundell has been competing at the highest levels of Olympic weightlifting while running two gyms and raising three kids. She is a 7x Provincial Masters Olympic Lifting Champion, 2x National Champion, Bronze medalist at the 2018 World championships Barcelona, and most recently the 2025...
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He Studied $6.4 Trillion Worth of Founders. Here's What They Shared | Mark Macleod | Traction
Mark MacLeod, founder of Limitless.CEO, has sat with some of the most consequential founders in tech. As Ex-CFO of Shopify and FreshBooks, GP at Real Ventures, Canada's largest seed fund, and founder of a leading SaaS investment bank, he has personally overseen over $1 billion in exits. He has…
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Peter Danenberg: "I've Spent 13 Years at Google. Here's What AI Still Can't Replace."
Peter Danenberg has spent his career at the edge of what humans and machines can do. As a senior software engineer at Google DeepMind, he leads development on Gemini. Before tech, he co-founded CrossFit Crown City, scaling it to 450 members across two locations. He holds degrees from Harvard and...
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$100M Health CEO: “87% of People Who Do This Reverse Diabetes in 6 Months”
Jim Donnelly knows how to build health empires. As the founder and former CEO of Restore Hyper Wellness, he scaled a cryotherapy and wellness franchise to hundreds of locations before stepping away. Then life forced him to start over. A near-fatal car accident, the loss of his father, and his own...
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He Managed $100M at DARPA. Here’s What It Did to Him
Jason Syversen has spent more than 25 years operating at the highest levels of cybersecurity, venture capital, and applied technology. As a Program Manager at DARPA, he managed a $100M cybersecurity portfolio focused on advanced national security systems. He later founded and exited Siege...
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Whoop's CPO on What Ironman Training Revealed About Building Companies
Silicon Valley legend Ed Baker, CPO at WHOOP and ex growth chief at FB and Uber, is our guest on this episode of Traction. Ed helped Facebook cross one billion monthly active users, joining after scaling and selling his 25-million-user startup, Friendly, to the company. He then became VP of…
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Dr. Wayne Diesel: What World-Class Athletes Teach Entrepreneurs About Performance
What if the reason most high-performance careers end early isn’t effort, but how performance is managed over time? In this episode, Dr. Wayne Diesel, elite sports physiologist and long-time performance leader across the NBA, NFL, Premier League, and international rugby, and Ray Walia explore how...
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The Peak Performance Code: How to Use Your DNA to Work Smarter, Age Slower, and Recover Faster with Dr Matt Dawson
What if you could extend your healthspan, sharpen your focus, and increase your stress resilience by decoding your DNA? In this powerhouse episode, Dr. Matt Dawson, ER physician and early longevity pioneer turned health tech founder, and Lloyed Lobo discuss how startup founders can optimize their...
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The Founder Lifestyle Is Killing You - Part 2
Building a startup rewards intensity, not longevity. In this episode of Traction, Alex Bruyn joins Lloyed Lobo to challenge the founder playbook. Drawing from repeated burnout and serious health failures, Lloyed argues that hustle is not a badge of honor, it’s a structural flaw in how...
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Nearly Died After The Exit - Part 1
Most startup stories focus on the win. Very few talk about what it costs to get there. In this episode, Lloyed Lobo sits down with Alex Bruyn, co-founder of Karak Creative, for a candid conversation about the realities founders rarely say out loud. From taking an unconventional path into tech to...
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Why Your Startup Keeps Hiring the Wrong People
The talent market has shifted in ways that make hiring harder for early-stage teams. In this episode, Melissa Kwan and Lloyed Lobo talk about why salaries jumped, why interviews often look better than the work that follows, and how these gaps slow companies down. They share what they’ve learned...
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The Fine Line Between Founder and Fraudster
Fake it till you make it is a phrase founders hear early and often. Ambition can drift past honesty faster than most founders realize. This episode looks at how pitching and fundraising expectations shape the stories founders tell and the pressure to appear further along than reality. Lloyed Lobo...
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The Founder Breakup Playbook: Lessons From the Companies That Didn't Survive
Building a startup together tests everything you believe about trust. In this episode, serial entrepreneur Lloyed Lobo and Melissa Kwan, CEO at eWebinar, unpack the cofounder confessions founders whisper but rarely admit: love turned liability, handshake deals gone wrong, and the quiet resentment...
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Venture Capital Is A Ponzi Scheme
Building a startup is like jumping off a plane and assembling the parachute mid-air. In this episode, serial entrepreneur Lloyed Lobo and Melissa Kwan, CEO at eWebinar, break down the reality of scaling: the discipline constraints create, the myths founders chase, and why too many companies lose...
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Rethinking the VC Path: Startup Truths with Greg Head of Practical Founders and Gregslist
Most founders don’t need venture capital — they just need the truth about their options. In this episode, Greg Head, Founder of Practical Founders and Gregslist, shares why most founders don’t need to follow the venture capital path to succeed —and how alternative strategies often lead to better...
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5 GTM Rules Every Founder Should Know with Bocar Dia of Forum Ventures
If you're building before validating the market, you're not a founder — you’re a hopeful builder. In this episode, Bocar Dia, Partner and GM at Forum Ventures, shares how to build a capital-efficient, scalable sales motion in B2B SaaS, from idea to product-market fit and beyond. Drawing from his...
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From 0 to $5B: Scaling Enterprise in the AI-Native Era with Lindsey Scrase, Checkr
Scaling without losing speed is harder than it looks — especially when you're chasing enterprise customers and building an AI-native platform. Lindsey Scrase, Chief Operating Officer of Checkr, Inc., reveals how her customer-first mindset, forged during her tenure at Google Cloud, is driving...
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How To Win GTM in the AI Era with Anthony Enrico, LeanScale
Most GTM teams are stuck in a 10-year-old playbook — Anthony Enrico, Founder and CEO of LeanScale, shows how to break the cycle. Previously Head of RevOps at Boast.AI, where he helped scale the company past $20M ARR, Anthony now advises and enables dozens of founders and revenue leaders to…
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Turning Customer Service Into a Growth Engine with Jeff Titterton of Stripe
Crises aren’t just setbacks — they’re strategic moments to elevate customer experience. In this episode, Jeff Titterton, Chief Marketing Officer of Stripe, breaks down why investing in customers during uncertain times is the most resilient path to long-term growth. Drawing from his time as COO at...
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$146M in Health Tech: The Unfiltered Playbook for Fundraising & Scaling in a Tough Market
Innovation is the driving force behind unlocking better patient experiences and improving access to quality care. In this episode, Derek Streat, Co-Founder and Former CEO at DexCare, shares his journey of transforming healthcare access through innovative technology solutions. Derek dives into how...
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The Rise of AI-Powered Fintech with Roy Luo of ICONIQ
The venture capital landscape is evolving fast, and founders who don’t adapt will be left behind. Roy Luo, General Partner at ICONIQ, shares insights on the shifting dynamics of startup funding and what it takes to scale in 2025. With investments in companies like Figma, Canva and Ramp, Roy…
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Using AI To Scale Smarter: Marketplace Strategy with Brian Rothenberg, defy.vc
Is generative AI rewriting the rules for how startups scale, hire and grow? In this episode, Brian Rothenberg, Partner at Defy.vc, explores how the resurgence of the Bay Area, the rise of generative AI and the future of marketplaces are reshaping the startup landscape. We revisit Brian’s 2017…
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Turning a Blog into a Multi-Million-Dollar Business with Alex Theuma of SaaStock
Building a thriving SaaS community isn’t just about content — it’s about creating real, in-person connections that people keep coming back to. Alex Theuma, Founder of SaaStock, shares how he transformed a simple blog into one of the most influential SaaS conferences in the world. He unpacks the...
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Scaling Past $100 Million With Speed and Precision with Dan Rogers of LaunchDarkly
Scaling a company requires more than just great ideas — it demands execution, urgency and adaptability. In this episode, Dan Rogers, CEO of LaunchDarkly, shares how he has built high-performance teams and driven sustained success, drawing from his experience leading growth at Microsoft, Amazon,...
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Why the Future Belongs to Agentic AI with Daniel Saks, Landbase
The companies that win the next decade won’t just adopt AI — they’ll redesign how work gets done from the ground up. Daniel Saks, CEO and Co-Founder of Landbase, returns to share lessons learned from scaling two companies across two major technology waves. Daniel explores how the path from SaaS…
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$5B in Venture Deals: What Founders Need To Know with Nick Washburn of Intel Capital
Venture capital isn’t just about funding — it’s about making the right bets at the right time. Nick Washburn, Senior Managing Director of Intel Capital, shares insights on founder-investor dynamics, venture capital strategies and the evolving landscape of AI-driven business models. Specifically,...
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The Rise of AI-Native Companies and Product Leadership with SC Moatti of Mighty Capital
The most valuable asset in business today isn’t technology — it’s data. Those who control it, refine it and protect it will dominate their industries. SC Moatti, Managing Partner of Mighty Capital, shares insights on the evolving role of product managers, the impact of AI on product development…
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The Wealth Ladder: Unlocking Financial Freedom with Scott D. Clary
Building wealth isn’t just about working harder — it’s about working smarter. In this episode, Scott D. Clary, Founder and Host of Success Story Podcast, shares his journey in entrepreneurship, personal branding and wealth creation. He explains how building a personal brand can serve as a...
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From Zero to $180 Million in 6 Years by Turning Customers Into Influencers with Joseph Thompson, Kits.com
Building a lasting brand in a rapidly changing digital world requires adaptability, strong insights and an authentic customer connection. Joseph Thompson, Co-Founder and COO of Kits.com, shares insights on building and scaling brands in the evolving digital landscape. As one of the earliest...
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5 Lessons From Selling to Millions of Developers
Think marketing to developers is all about hoodies and hackathons? Think again. As the developer-led economy is poised to grow to a TRILLION dollars, companies that offer products for developers must refocus to a business-to-developer (B2D) model as developers become not only users of products…
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The Intersection of AI and Engineering Leadership with Farhan Thawar, Shopify
Farhan Thawar, VP and Head of Engineering at Shopify, reflects on the evolution of remote work, hiring strategies and the role of artificial intelligence in engineering. Farhan shares insights drawn from his extensive experience, including founding and scaling startups and contributing to shaping...
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7 Proven Practices for Becoming a High Performing CEO with Mark MacLeod, Startup CEO Coach
The biggest outcomes tend to be founder-led, and building anything great is a long and hard journey. In this episode, Mark MacLeod,, Startup CEO Coach and host of the Startup CEO Podcast, shares his framework for generating long term sustainable results without burning out and without sacrificing...
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Building AI Agents That Understand Humans with Marissa Chacko, Google
Marissa Chacko, Former Director of Product Management at Google, kicks off the inaugural episode of “The NextWave Podcast by Traction” with a discussion on the evolution of conversational agents and AI technology. With over a decade of experience spanning companies like Google, Lyft and…
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Rebels and Missionaries: How Breaking Norms Helped Rafael Loureiro Raise $30M To Scale Wealth.com
In this episode, Rafael Loureiro, Co-Founder and CEO of Wealth.com, shares insights from his journey from CTO at Emailage (acquired for $500m by LexisNexis) to Cofounder and CEO at Wealth.com which recently closed a $30m Series A led by Google Ventures. Under Rafael's leadership, the platform has...
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How I Raised My Last Round — Lessons From Starting, Pivoting and Raising $30M
In this episode, Aydin Mirzaee, CEO and Co-Founder of Fellow.app, shares his journey from founding his first startup to leading a successful meeting productivity platform. As a seasoned entrepreneur, Aydin highlights lessons he learned through building and pivoting startups and his unique...
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Decoding Marketing Attribution in the AI Era with Mada Seghete and Alex Bauer
On this episode, Mada Seghete, Co-Founder, CEO and Marketing at Upside, and Alex Bauer, Co-Founder, Product at Upside, share their journey of rethinking how businesses measure the true impact of their marketing and sales efforts. Drawing on years of experience in the tech industry, they provide...
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Building Engineering Excellence with Bruce Wang, Netflix
In this episode, Bruce Wang, Director of Engineering at Netflix, shares his journey from founding startups to leading engineering teams at one of the world’s biggest entertainment companies. With a rich background in tech leadership and a founder mindset, Bruce delves into the lessons learned…
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Transforming a $1.4-Trillion Market with Spotnana’s Sarosh Waghmar
In this episode, Sarosh Waghmar, Founder, Co-chairman, and Chief Product Officer of Spotnana, shares his journey from building a self-funded $70-million business to launching venture-backed Spotnana with over $150m in funding. Sarosh dives into his experiences, detailing his passion for creating...
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Building a $7B Health Tech Platform with Rob Schutz, Co-Founder of Ro
Rob Schutz, Co-Founder of Ro and Founder of Snagged.com, shares insights from his entrepreneurial journey, creating successful companies in health tech and beyond. He details his path from healthcare consulting to becoming a key player in the telehealth industry. Rob also discusses how his…
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How To Build a Scalable Go-to-Market Machine with TK Kader
In this episode, TK Kader, Founder of ToutApp, Inc. and TK | Unstoppable, shares invaluable insights on how to build a scalable go-to-market machine that not only drives 3x growth but also sets the foundation for long-term success in SaaS businesses. TK breaks down the essential strategies that…
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Leveraging Product-Led Growth and Acquisitions to Become a $3B Company with Doug Winter of Seismic
On this episode, Doug Winter, Founder and CEO at Seismic, talks about how he grew Seismic from a small startup to a major player in sales enablement. Doug shares the key moments and strategies that helped Seismic succeed, including important acquisitions and staying focused on goals.…
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4 Things We Did To Go From 0 to 120 Million Users with Prashanth Chandrasekar, Stack Overflow
In this episode, Prashanth Chandrasekar, CEO of Stack Overflow, shares lessons from growing to over 100 million users.. Specifically, Prashanth discusses: - 4 key pillars in the journey of scaling SaaS companies - The importance of assessing the direction of company progress. - Building with the...
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Building a $47 Billion Rocketship with Dave Pickles of The Trade Desk
In this episode, Dave Pickles, Co-Founder of $47 billion adtech behemoth The Trade Desk, shares lessons from building and scaling the company with little to no funding. Dave explains: - The early challenges and failures they faced, including tech problems and market uncertainties. - How they kept…
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How to Define a Winning Product Strategy with Dan Olsen
In this episode, Dan Olsen, Author of "The Lean Product Playbook," explores the essentials of crafting effective product strategies. With a background in working with industry giants like Google, Facebook, Amazon, Uber, Box and Walmart, Dan offers valuable insights into achieving product-market…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Traction Podcast provides founders with the tools to optimize their mind, body, and business for peak performance.
HOSTED BY
Traction Podcast
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Traction Podcast have?
Traction Podcast currently has 177 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Traction Podcast about?
The Traction Podcast provides founders with the tools to optimize their mind, body, and business for peak performance.
How often does Traction Podcast release new episodes?
Traction Podcast publishes regularly with 177 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Traction Podcast?
You can listen to Traction Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Traction Podcast?
Traction Podcast is created and hosted by Traction Podcast.
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