Young, Smart, & Battling Broke

Meet Parth Patil. He is a builder, a thinker, and former Clubhouse data scientist who reinvented his career multiple times to become one of the leaders of the AI revolution, leading special AI projects for Reid Hoffman.In this conversation, we cover everything from burning your savings to learn LLMs to the future of AI avatars, the potential need for Universal Basic Income, Parth's advice to his younger self, and so much more.If you are curious about the future of the labor market, how to weave AI into your workflows, and exercise your ambition, I think you will leave this chat inspired and feeling more equipped to not be replaced.Connect with Parth or me:🧠 Connect with Parth on LinkedIn📲 Follow Parth on IG🧠 Connect with Cole on LinkedIn ✍️ Read Cole’s Substack Timestamps:00:00 Intro of Parth, the AI Pioneer02:33 The Advent of Vibe Coding11:08 The Growth of GPT and Self17:46 The Financial Gamble33:44 Finding the AI Community37:05 Creating Courses for Coursera40:12 Building a Personal Brand42:27 Working with Reid Hoffman44:41 Exploring Digital Twin Projects53:05 The Meaning of Expertise in AI01:02:30 Future Headlines and Predictions01:14:04 The Tale of John Henry and AI01:20:00 Where Do People Fit In01:22:33 Automation and Universal Basic Income01:31:00 Parth Philosophy and Advice to 20-somethings01:44:24 Outro and Final Thoughts LinkedIn Young, Smart, & Battling Broke Substack Youtube Instagram X | Twitter Email me at [email protected] for any feedback, ideas, or notes!

At 25, Adam Novak is building The Fluency Project — a differentiated language-learning platform based in Seoul, South Korea.Through bold, founder-led marketing stunts, Adam has earned over 60 million views across platforms, using creativity and street performance to reimagine how we approach language learning.Before The Fluency Project, Adam was the founding design engineer at 222, a Y Combinator–backed social-connection startup in New York, co-founded Good Home, a wellness-focused home-inspection company, and even spent time living as a monk practicing Vipassana meditation.In this episode, we talk about: • Adam’s entrepreneurial journey — the wins and the failures • Going solo vs. building with co-founders • Finances and focus in your 20s as a founder • Emotional resilience and mindset • Philosophies for building and living with intentionIf you’re navigating your 20s, questioning the traditional path, or curious about building startups abroad, this conversation will hit home.Connect & Subscribe: The Fluency Project – Early Access → https://thefluencyproject.notion.site/ Adam Novak on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/its_adam_novak/?hl=en Adam Novak on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamvnovak/ Cole Hume on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/cole-hume-a737041b6/ Cole’s Substack – startups, risk & meaning → https://substack.com/@colehumeSubscribe for more conversations on meaning, money and navigating one's 20s.Time stamps:00:00 – Intro 02:10 – Why Adam Moved to Seoul 04:50 – Founder-Led Marketing & 60M Views 07:00 – Building Amiko (The AI Language Partner) 11:30 – Early Entrepreneurial Roots 18:30 – Joining YC-Backed Startup 222 24:00 – Lessons from YC & Early Startup Life 29:30 – Leaving 222 & Going Solo 33:30 – Co-Founding Good Home 40:30 – Challenges of Solo Founding 49:00 – Mental Health & Founder Struggles 55:00 – Is Striving a Bug or a Feature? 59:30 – Scarcity, Curiosity & Momentum 01:04:00 – Where to Find Adam 01:06:00 – Outro LinkedIn Young, Smart, & Battling Broke Substack Youtube Instagram X | Twitter Email me at [email protected] for any feedback, ideas, or notes!

Matt has worked all the jobs an economics undergrad considers and idolizes: investment banking, consulting at BCG, & now, big tech at Google.While working these jobs, he has moonlighted as a content creator and his educational YouTube channel has surpassed 100K subscribers.Matt is as sharp and kind as they come, and I wish I could have met and learned from him sooner. We talk professional and financial decisions when one is young as well as our favorite life hypotheses (we are not quite old and wise enough to call them philosophies ;)Its a long-ass episode, so obviously we talk about a whole lot of other interesting things.Hope you enjoy and check out the time stamps to navigate the episode!!00:00 Overcoming Fear and Embracing Content Creation01:08 Introduction02:15 Matt Huang's Journey to YouTube Success06:39 The Motivations for the Channel10:17 Navigating Career Challenges and Taking Action18:43 Mentorship and Inspirations22:03 Reevaluating Career Paths and Finding Purpose27:36 The Value of High-Octane Jobs37:01 Exploring Internet Money and Digital Entrepreneurship43:59 Dealing with Social Risks of Content Creating51:05 Handling Hate Comments and Negative Feedback55:37 Viewer Perception and Personal Growth58:41 Balancing Ambition with Personal Relationships01:01:21 Philosophy on Planning and Career Direction01:09:48 Testing the Multidimensional Human Hypothesis01:17:04 The Scarce Resource of Excellent Performers01:21:42 Future Content Directions, Closing thoughtsCheck out Matt's YouTube channel here:  ⁨@matthuang21⁩  Check out Matt's Substack here: https://substack.com/@matthuang1  LinkedIn Young, Smart, & Battling Broke Substack Youtube Instagram X | Twitter Email me at [email protected] for any feedback, ideas, or notes!

Sam Freeman went from UCLA student & nightlife promoter to Founder of two fast-growing ventures doing $1M+ in revenue — all before turning 24.→ MTRNM: A global house music brand throwing sold-out shows in airplane hangars, Japanese temples, and even the LA Natural History Museum — across 10+ countries. → Flair Collective: A creative marketing agency helping brands like Coca-Cola and Monster connect authentically with Gen Z on college campuses.In this episode, Sam and I unpack:How club promotion at 19 opened real business doorsBuilding and balancing two businesses at onceHow he built a global house music event brand with venues like the Natural History Museum of LATurning nightlife into a global brand and a marketing agencyMoney as a young entrepreneur — income, clever tax moves, investing in the businessUnconventional but effective networking frameworksDelegation, building leverage, and the true scarce resource for ambitious young peopleHere is Sam on Linkedin⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 — Introduction 03:09 — Sam’s Absurd Calendar 07:30 — What is Metronome? Changing Club Culture 14:00 — Balancing Metronome with Flair Collective 22:00 — Leveraging Nightlife for Networking 26:50 — How "Seeming Valuable" Builds a Network 30:35 — The Philosophy of Networking 35:00 — How to Network When You Have No Leverage 46:23 — The Art of Persistence in Networking 55:55 — Breaking the Financial Taboo: Sam Talks Money, Income, and Financial Strategy 01:07:40 — Advice for Younger Sam: The Power of Delegation 01:12:00 — The Ultimate Scarce Resource LinkedIn Young, Smart, & Battling Broke Substack Youtube Instagram X | Twitter Email me at [email protected] for any feedback, ideas, or notes!

At 22, Alex Michaelsen quit his job to chase a startup dream.At 24, he was nearly broke.At 26, his beverage brand, Leisure Hydration, is now stocked in every Whole Foods nationwide.In this episode of Young, Smart, & Battling Broke, Alex shares what it really looked like to build a consumer product in a saturated market — from zero income and credit card debt to standing beside Coke and Pepsi on store shelves.We talk about:💳 Surviving two years with no income and how he made it work🧃 Cracking the code to standing out in the ultra-competitive beverage space🤯 The mental load of entrepreneurship — and what he wishes he’d learned earlierThis episode is full of sharp insights and hard-earned advice. I learned way too much from Alex.🎧 If you’re neck deep in building something, wondering what entrepreneurship actually looks like, or just want some wisdom on your walk to class — this one’s for you.Try a Leisure for free with this link: https://try.gotoaisle.com/leisure-hydration-onefreeFollow the show on Substack at Young, Smart, & Battling Broke, and find me on LinkedIn or Instagram @colehume.Let me know what you think — I’m always trying to make the show better.Time Stamps:00:00 – Intro  02:47 – What it really means to launch in Whole Foods  08:49 – How Leisure stands out in a sea of lookalike drinks  12:40 – The genius strategy of getting stocked in tech fridges  19:24 – Competing with giants without getting crushed  27:20 – Entrepreneurial traits that actually make a difference  34:50 – Alex’s favorite failure and what it taught him  39:18 – What he’d shake into his younger self  42:11 – Personal finance lessons from 2 years with no income  51:17 – Is meaning worth more than money or stability?  59:05 – How to choose the *right* cofounder (and build trust)  1:05:39 – The most undervalued resource no one talks about  1:11:52 – Final thoughts + my takeaways   LinkedIn Young, Smart, & Battling Broke Substack Youtube Instagram X | Twitter Email me at [email protected] for any feedback, ideas, or notes!

What does it take to break into the world’s top consulting firms when the odds aren’t in your favor? What does the consulting path actually entail for young people? How do you balance other passions and an entrepreneurial fire when working a 9-9? This episode, I sat down with Edward Collinson, an Associate Consultant at Bain & Company, who carved his own path to success—and in the process, made history as the first Cal Poly San Luis Obispo student to land a role at one of the MBB firms (McKinsey, Bain, BCG) straight out of undergrad.Ed is sharp, funny, and refreshingly honest about his journey. We dig into:💡 How to stand out and secure a consulting role—even without a “target school” background.✍️ How his “Why Consulting” answer would be different after two years in the industry.🧐 A candid look at what’s true (and false) about the consulting world and what it looks like for youngin at a firm.🌱 How Ed balances the drive for success with building a meaningful, holistic life.Ed’s thoughtful approach to life and career is one I’ve learned a lot from, and I think you’ll find it equally valuable. Whether you’re exploring consulting, looking for career strategies, or just love an inspiring story, you won’t want to miss this one.🎧 Tune in to the episode and take away tools you can apply today.TIME STAMPS00:00 - Intro02:10 How Ed would revise his "why consulting" answer07:00 How to overcome the odds of entering MBB from a "non-target university" or non-traditional background 16:30 The 80-20 framework applied to consulting recruiting... what matters most in the process21:30 Where do people go after consulting?...understanding the high attrition rate in the industry (people typically only spend 2 years at major consulting firms)25:10 How does consulting work in terms of specialization and working in different industries28:15 How to "horcrux your life" and keep your other identities alive when in a high-octane professional setting32:10 Does flexibility exist in consulting...how much do you control your calendar?34:50 Important things that dictate your sustainability and happiness as a young adult38:00 Where Ed thinks he will be in 5 years and how he will reflect on his current self41:30 What is the ultimate scarce resource?!46:00 Ed flips the script and asks me what I think the ultimate scarce resource is LinkedIn Young, Smart, & Battling Broke Substack Youtube Instagram X | Twitter Email me at [email protected] for any feedback, ideas, or notes!

At 21, Jake Santaniello has already built a 7-figure business empire with e-commerce brands like UCLA Vintage and Martino Milano, a real estate investment fund, and a protein gummy company, Thrive Candy. And he’s done it all without a single internship—proving that building can sometimes beat the traditional path.In this episode, we uncover the strategies behind Jake’s rapid success, including:⚡ The key business partnership that fueled his growth🔄 How he’d restart his entrepreneurial journey if beginning tomorrow🎯 Whether it’s possible to build businesses as a substitute for internships and still land elite jobs like his role at Boston Consulting GroupJake’s story is a masterclass in balancing ambition, action, and innovation. Tune in to hear how he’s rewriting the rules—and how you can too.02:15 - All the different ventures and projects Jake takes on06:42 - Jake's views on building over planning08:30 - Jake's first slime "business"09:30 - Jake's powerful business partnership11:40 - What Jake optimizes for12:30 - Jake takes on consulting15:00 - The power of optimism, radical self-belief, and bad things22:00 - Mentors, inputs, and how success changes things26:00 - Jake's best investment29:00 - How Jake landed a consulting job with no internships34:00 - How Jake would restart his entrepreneurial journey tomorrow38:00 - What is the ultimate scarce resource LinkedIn Young, Smart, & Battling Broke Substack Youtube Instagram X | Twitter Email me at [email protected] for any feedback, ideas, or notes!

Welcome to the very first episode of Young, Smart, and Battling Broke! I’m your host, Cole Hume—young, beginning to be a little less broke, and as for smart...well, the jury’s still out on that one. But I hope to have a loving impact, with financial savviness and mindfulness as my guiding cornerstones.For this inaugural episode, I sit down with Tejes Srivalsan, the dynamic CEO and Founder of Poppin, a social networking app that connects users to local parties, which has already raised $2.4M in funding. Tejes isn’t just building a business; he’s building a product that integrates his passions—all while finishing his studies in computer science and cognitive science at UCLA.Tejes is a thinker and doer while being admirably honest and happy. From getting a job offer from Tik Tok through a single LinkedIn meme to almost manifesting a Trippie Redd performance at UCLA, Tejes brings an infectious energy and refreshing perspective to creating and running with opportunity.Here’s some of what we dive into:✨ How Tejes charted his own course.📩 The power of unconventional cold messaging.💡 Frameworks for navigating self-doubt & embracing delusion.💭 New definitions for entrepreneurship 🙌 Practical advice for high-ambition individuals who are determined to chart their own course.I absolutely loved recording this conversation. I am terrifyingly new to podcasting so any feedback means the world 💙Time Stamps:03:00 - Intro & how to battle doubt as a young entrepreneur13:00 - Advice for high ambition young people35:00 - How to take feedback and critically assess advice41:00 - Tejes almost gets Trippie Redd to perform at UCLA 50:00 - Unconventional cold messaging strategies & having an online presence01:22:00 - How to know yourself better & the double-edged sword of authenticity01:32:00 - Tejes’ framework for when he meets someone who sucks at something01:44:00 - What is the ultimate scarce resource? LinkedIn Young, Smart, & Battling Broke Substack Youtube Instagram X | Twitter Email me at [email protected] for any feedback, ideas, or notes!