Podcast · 11 episodes
Leap Forward
by David Rusenko · English
David Rusenko interviews the founders of companies like Airbnb, Y Combinator, and Twitch, alongside the people who first believed in them. A mom. An early boss. A college roommate. Together, they reveal the intimate, unpolished stories of how successful companies actually get built, and why it rarely looks the way you might expect.
Latest episodes
Season 1: What We LearnedSeason 1 wrap-up of the Leap Forward podcast, focusing on what founders learn by tracing how startups connect and by confronting core decisions: choosing ideas that matter, finding product-market…8 Jul 2026 · 5 min
The Strange Origins of Live Streaming: Twitch's Michael Seibel & His Co-founder Justin KanHow Justin TV (later Twitch) emerged from a “bad idea” to stream life 24/7, including the founders’ early setbacks, near-death pivots, and eventual monetization.24 Jun 2026 · 41 min
From Design Thinking to $1 Billion Healthcare IPO: Omada’s Sean Duffy + His Former BossHow Omada Health co-founder/CEO Sean Duffy turned IDEO “design thinking” research into a between-visit digital care company, later scaling it into a healthcare IPO and adapting to GLP-1 drugs.10 Jun 2026 · 46 min
All episodes
Season 1: What We LearnedSeason 1 wrap-up of the Leap Forward podcast, focusing on what founders learn by tracing how startups connect and by confronting core decisions: choosing ideas that matter, finding product-market…8 Jul 2026 · 5 min · 2 chapters
The Strange Origins of Live Streaming: Twitch's Michael Seibel & His Co-founder Justin KanHow Justin TV (later Twitch) emerged from a “bad idea” to stream life 24/7, including the founders’ early setbacks, near-death pivots, and eventual monetization.24 Jun 2026 · 41 min · 19 chapters
From Design Thinking to $1 Billion Healthcare IPO: Omada’s Sean Duffy + His Former BossHow Omada Health co-founder/CEO Sean Duffy turned IDEO “design thinking” research into a between-visit digital care company, later scaling it into a healthcare IPO and adapting to GLP-1 drugs.10 Jun 2026 · 46 min · 27 chapters
Created By Humans: Trip Adler & His DadTripp Adler’s founder journey from Scribd’s viral document-sharing growth to a major setback, then reinvention via book subscriptions; he and his father, John Adler, discuss perseverance and when to…27 May 2026 · 27 min · 16 chapters
Bobbie: Laura Modi & Her MentorLaura Modi recounts building Bobby (infant formula) after motherhood exposed flaws in the U.S.13 May 2026 · 42 min · 24 chapters
Plug: Jimmy Douglas & His First InvestorJimmy Douglas’s path from a non-traditional upbringing to founding Plug, a used EV marketplace, plus how Ann Miura-Ko (Floodgate) and other investors backed him through seed and Series A.29 Apr 2026 · 33 min · 12 chapters
Segment: Peter Reinhardt & His College Roommate And CofounderPeter Reinhardt (Charm Industrial) and cofounders describe how they pivoted from multiple failed ideas to Segment’s product-market fit, then later built carbon removal (Charm) and joined Revoi…15 Apr 2026 · 46 min · 31 chapters
Airbnb: Nathan Blecharczyk & Their First AdvisorHow Airbnb was founded and scaled by building trust through crises, from the first “Air Bed and Breakfast” weekend to the DNC launch, Y Combinator, major trust-and-safety incidents, and the COVID-19…1 Apr 2026 · 43 min · 16 chapters
Mercury: Immad Akhund & His MomImmad Akhund’s journey from Pakistan to the UK and then Silicon Valley, through failed startups (RevMap, ClickPass, Flash Games), to founding Mercury, a startup banking platform, and how he built…25 Mar 2026 · 42 min · 20 chapters
Y Combinator: Jessica Livingston & Paul GrahamOrigin story of Y Combinator (YC) through Jessica Livingston’s background and how YC’s “magic” was built: founder-centric early funding, 10-minute interviews, small initial checks, and a nurturing…25 Mar 2026 · 40 min · 15 chapters
Season 1 TrailerTrailer for “Leap Forward,” a startup podcast by David Rusenko, promising founder stories told through early believers (first boss/investor/co-founder/mom) to reveal pre-success moments and…5 Mar 2026 · 3 min · 3 chapters