Bastian Lehmann Q&A On Starting TipTop As A Second-Time Founder

28 Jun 2024 · 3 min

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This content was created by Max Brun. This content was uploaded by Max Brun. This is a YouTube Q&A titled "Bastian Lehmann Q&A On Starting TipTop As A Second-Time Founder" (posted 2024-06-28). The excerpt is a multi-speaker interview/Q&A featuring Bastian (Bastian Lehmann) and other participants (interviewers who address Michael and Bastien). The discussion focuses on lessons from being a second-time founder building TipTop—specifically trusting founder conviction, avoiding dilution by others' opinions, and choosing to act on informed conviction rather than constantly seeking consent.

Hey, Michael, do you want to jump on?
Yes. Hi, Bastien. Thanks so much for sharing your time today. I'm really curious about TipTop and sort of building on Mike's previous question. Was there one thing that you just felt you wanted to do differently the second time around that's really motivating you, like investing more in one area or focusing more of your energy or attention in one particular area the second time around?
No, I don't think— I think that's not the case. I think it was more the case to do even more what I believe has to be done and not being too diluted by a lot of people's opinion on what we should be doing instead. And if you're a first-time founder, then you talk to people and a lot of people, they have good intentions when they tell you what you should be doing. And nobody is shy, at least in Silicon Valley, with their opinion. And it turns out that that is helpful at times, but sometimes that's also not helpful. So if I look back at some of the decisions that we made and things that I wanted to do instead at certain moments in time, But I, but I looked for consent maybe instead of just having it my way. A lot of times, this has nothing to do with my opinion. I think it just has to do with if you are a founder, almost all you, this assumes that you as a founder know the matter more than anybody else that you interact with. Look, if you're a moron and you just want to do something and you're not smart and you don't, you don't put in the time and you don't know anything about the subject that you want to innovate in or the company you want to build, then that's not what I'm referring to. I'm not referring to like the stubborn goat who just wants to do it his way. I'm just talking about if you have a lot of conviction because you know a lot and you studied this space a lot, then I think it's good to just go with your conviction and not be diluted too often. And so I'm— that is probably what I'm most careful of, that I'm doing it differently this time around.