Send us a text

In this episode, host Paige Doherty sits down with Adam Gartenberg, co-founder at 640 Oxford and former Head of Product & Ops at Uber Rider Innovation.

They discuss Adam's 400 factory tours to build unique investment insights, how to build with urgency, the psychology of early-stage execution, and Adam’s unique lens on product strategy, shaped by startup experience and scaling inside Uber.

Watch the full episode for:
Early-stage speed & decision-making
Leading product in scrappy vs. scaled environments
Lessons from Uber & 640 Oxford
Advice for builders trying to gain traction


Connect with Paige 🌱💜
Behind Genius Ventures blog | https://www.behindgeniusventures.com/
Personal Blog | https://paigefinndoherty.com/
Twitter | https://x.com/paigefinnn

Connect with Adam Gartenberg 🌱💜
Twitter | https://x.com/adamgartenberg
Email | adam@sixfortyoxford.com

Support the show

Send us a text

Alex Bean, co-founder of Divvy (acquired by BILL.com for $2.5B), joins us to share his founder journey - from teaching ski lessons at 16 to starting multiple scrappy businesses, to scaling Divvy into a fintech giant.

In this episode, we talk about the lessons learned from both early failures and billion-dollar success, what not to do when launching a company, and how he's now building Factory to support other founders.

This episode includes:
• His earliest business ideas (including one called “Plum Tree Jewelry”)
• Why chasing margins doesn’t work
• Divvy’s scale-up and acquisition journey
• What he's building now with Factory for Good
• Advice to young founders just getting started

Reach out to Paige:
paige@behindgeniusventures.com
Twitter/X: https://x.com/paigefinnn
Website: https://www.behindgeniusventures.com/

Connect with Alex:
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexbean/
Factory for Good– https://factoryforgood.com/

Listen to Seed to Harvest everywhere:
Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/seed-to-harvest/id1600933931
Youtube – https://www.youtube.com/@seedtoharvest/videos

Support the show

Send us a text

In this episode, James Evans, co-founder of Command AI (acq by Amplitude), shares his entrepreneurial journey- from childhood ambitions to launching a startup in college and scaling it through YC. He talks about turning a side project into a venture-backed company, navigating the startup grind, and eventually getting acquired by Amplitude. James breaks down the realities of startup life, including hiring, sales vs. product-led growth, and the psychological weight of being a founder. He also walks through the acquisition process, post-acquisition integration, and how he’s continuing to grow in a new role. This episode is packed with candid insight into early-stage building, decision-making, and what comes after the “win.”

00:00 Starting a Company: The Myth vs. Reality
00:08 Interview with James Evans: Early Life and Entrepreneurial Aspirations
01:41 College Days: The Birth of Command AI
02:50 From Side Project to Startup
04:31 Entering Private Equity After Graduation
05:34 The YC Experience and Why Speed Matters
13:26 Marketing and Growth: What Actually Works
16:32 Conserving Innovation and Picking the Right Bets
16:54 Remote Work as a Strategic Choice
17:48 Marketing: From Popups to Planes
19:17 Avoiding Overthinking and Moving Fast
20:30 Angel Investing and Operating Insights
22:38 Hiring, Firing, and Early Team Building
26:02 The Amplitude Acquisition: How It Happened
30:14 After the Exit: Integration and Personal Growth

Connect with Paige 🌱💜

Behind Genius Ventures blog | https://www.behindgeniusventures.com/

Personal Blog | https://paigefinndoherty.com/

Twitter | https://x.com/paigefinnn

Links
🔗 James Evans – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesbevans/
🔗 CommandBar – https://www.commandbar.com/
🔗 Y Combinator – https://www.ycombinator.com/
🔗 Amplitude – https://amplitude.com/

Support the show