Episode description

Today is a very special episode.

This week on The Startup Podcast, Chris and Yaniv are joined by Mike Filbey, founder of Pepper and former co-founder of ButcherBox.

Mike's journey is nothing short of extraordinary. He catapulted ButcherBox to soaring heights, amassing over $500 million in revenue. Yet, beneath the glitz and glamour of startup success, lay a harrowing truth.

Driven by relentless ambition, Mike pushed himself to the brink, working grueling hours to meet colossal growth targets. But success came at a grave cost – his health. Multiple trips to the ER, with no physical explanation, were the alarming wake-up call that his body and mind had paid the price of extreme stress and anxiety.

In a gut-wrenching twist, Mike chose to walk away from ButcherBox, relinquishing equity for the sake of his well-being. But the battle didn't end there. Depression loomed in the aftermath, and it took three arduous years to rediscover his purpose. A process he is still working on today.

Join us as we delve deep into the profound lessons from Mike's journey. Discover why money and success offer diminishing returns for happiness, and why seeking help and finding your "flow" activities are vital for your mental health. Listen closely for the warning signs of burnout – they might just save your life.

This episode is a profound exploration of the human side of entrepreneurship, that could reshape your perspective on the startup world. This episode is not to be missed. Tune in now!

The Pact 

Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:

• Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app

• Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early-access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe   

• Follow us on YouTube

• Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following 

Key links

• Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg 

• Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A

• The Startup Podcast website: https://tsp.show 

Learn more about Chris and Yaniv

• Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/ 

• Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/ 

  Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/