026 - Jess Walker - What Happens when your Business Grows 10,000% in 48 Hours, Exiting (Selling) a Business at 25, Dealing with Co-Founder Betrayal, VC Life & Doing What Scares You
- S3E26
- 52:21
- March 22nd 2024
I’m going to put it simply: I think Jess Walker is one of the most brilliant, savvy, wise, beautiful and kind human beings I have ever met. She’s one of those humans who sprinkles gold dust. I had been planning to interview Jess for years because I have always marvelled at how she lives her life. She operates at such a high level in her career and away from it exhibits a kind heart, listens incredibly well, knows how to have fun and can’t help but make you smile. She’s an incredible friend - it’s a privilege to be in her world.
We explore Jess’ journey to her current role at AirTree and dive into her mindset. Here’s a few talking points I really enjoyed:
- Processing 10,000% growth in a business in 48 hours
- Doing a stand up comedy course to become more comfortable with public speaking
- The similarities between setting up a fund and starting a business
- Some tech entrepreneurs really did sell chocolates on the school bus
Jess was a candid and insightful guest - detailing her process when learning to exit her first business, dealing with a co-founder betrayal and how determination and resilience are founder superpowers are examples of where this conversation becomes a goldmine to anyone in startups or thinking about starting their own business.
Enjoy this one folks: Jess is a superstar and deserves all of your ears.
TIMECODES
00:00 - 08:50 - Intro & Jess’ Origin Story
08:50 - 21:02 - Exiting a Business, Moving to Australia
21:02 - 24:32 - A Co-Founder’s Betrayal
24:32 - 30:22 - Black Nova & AirTree
30:22 - 34:44 - Fishburner’s Board Role, Steep Learning Curves and Comedy Reliefs
34:44 - 41:11 - Facing Your Fears, 10000% growth in 48 hours
41:11 - 48:41 - The hyphen?, Coping with Burnout & The Value of Determination
48:41 - 50:37 - The Billboard & Outro
Unmapped with Mike Kelly
Unmapped is an exploration of the human desire for travel. Why do we travel? What do we learn from it? How does it enrich our experience of the world? What impact do our travels have on the rest of our lives?
Mike speaks with pioneers, adventurists and trailblazers from around the planet, hearing their stories and unlocking the life secrets they’ve learned from their time on (and off) the beaten path.
This Podcast has been produced by Bondi Radio Media Group, and creative illustrations of the host and authors contributed by Moral Studios.
Meet the Host
“Unmapped is my next journey; a true passion project. It’s an opportunity to express my way of life and to give mavericks a platform to share the beauty of their lives. It’s easy to feel trapped in society but freedom is always available and for me, it was travel which showed me that.”