Embracing Fear in Business: Lessons from Founders on Personal and Professional Growth

In this episode, the two Adrians - one a VC-backed founder, the other a bootstrap founder - approach the topic of fear shaping their life as an entrepreneur.

From childhood heights that led to daring parkour moves, to the anxieties of account keeping and the looming specter of disappointing investors, the Adrians dig deep into the emotional rollercoaster of building a company. They trade firsthand stories of paralyzing decisions—like firing a team member or risking precious resources on SEO—and reflect on how fear can sometimes act as both a brake and an accelerator for growth.

What you’ll hear:

• Fear as a Driver for Action and Growth
• Regret, Reflection, and Learning
• Different Types of Pressure: Bootstrapping vs. VC Funding
• Decision-Making Under Fear
• Personal Growth Through Discomfort and Failure

You’ll hear how regret can haunt more than failure, why VC pressure feels different from bootstrapped stress, and how facing the scary parts of entrepreneurship can actually unlock new skills and resilience. Whether you’re struggling to hit "send" on that cold email or debating a risky business move, this episode reminds us that fear isn’t just a barrier—it’s often the signpost pointing toward our next big leap.

Timestamps:

00:04:06 – Defining Fear in the Startup Context
00:06:11 – Facing Fear of Failure and Disappointment
00:08:11 – Fear as Motivation to Act
00:11:04 – Regret vs. Inaction
00:14:55 – Reflection and Progress through Mistakes
00:15:18 – Comparing Risk Between Bootstrap vs VC
00:19:06 – Building Solid Foundations Before Scaling
00:19:45 – Pressure and Fear in Bootstrapping
00:23:43 – Navigating Internal vs External Pressures
00:25:06 – Overcoming Fear of Rejection and Healthy Discomfort
00:26:09 – Using Fear as a Signal for Action
00:27:42 – Personal Story: Facing Rejection Outside Business
00:29:27 – Business Story: Public Speaking and Pitching
00:32:14 – Embracing Negative Emotions for Growth
00:33:39 – Long-Term Decisions and Missed Opportunities
00:35:38 – Reversible vs Irreversible Decisions

Adrian Spataru - Founder of Cleanvoice AI
https://www.linkedin.com/in/spataru/
https://cleanvoice.ai

Adrian Ispas - Co-Founder & CEO of Vatis Tech
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-ispas
https://vatis.tech

When Passion Isn’t Enough: Startup Fails, Mental Plateaus, and Moving On

In this episode, the two Adrians - one a VC-backed founder, the other a bootstrap founder - approach the topic of failure. From stories about failed investment pitches and learning new skills, to reflecting on the often lonely and painful process of entrepreneurship, both Adrians share personal anecdotes and practical insights. They explore how failure evolves from an emotional burden into a valuable signal for growth - and even a source of freedom. Along the way, there are laughs, candid admissions, and a real look at how resilience is built through repeated missteps.

What you’ll hear:

• Understanding Failure: Definitions and Personal Meaning
• Shades of Failure: Not Always Binary
• The Loneliness and Challenges of Entrepreneurship
• Finding Freedom in Failure
• Summing Up: What Failure Means to Each Adrian

If you’re on the startup rollercoaster, remember: failure isn’t the end. It’s just feedback. Keep building, keep bouncing back, and let each “oops” push you forward.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Early Business Failures and Lessons

04:02 - Struggles in Securing Funding

08:22 - Chess and Personal Growth

11:11 - Embracing Failure in Chess and Startups

15:32 - Entrepreneurship: Embracing Failure and Growth

17:53 - Rapid Personal Growth Through Entrepreneurship

20:54 - Soul-Crushing Experimentation Journey

23:53 - Navigating Uncharted Entrepreneurial Waters

28:10 - Embrace Freedom in Personal Narrative

30:00 - Defining Personal Failure

Adrian Spataru - Founder of Cleanvoice AI
https://www.linkedin.com/in/spataru/
https://cleanvoice.ai

Adrian Ispas - Co-Founder & CEO of Vatis Tech
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-ispas
https://vatis.tech

Dealing With Stress as a VC-Backed and Bootstrap Founder

Welcome back to “Two Adrians Walk Into a Startup…” In today’s episode, both Adrians - one a VC-backed founder and the other a bootstrapper - speak about the emotional rollercoaster of startup life, with a central focus on stress.

What you’ll hear:

• Morning routines
• Keeping habits under pressure
• Stress relief through sports or music
• Lessons from years of entrepreneurship
• How stress evolves over time
• New challenges that still linger

From looming product launches to investor expectations, product delays, and even the dreaded bureaucracy of bookkeeping—the founders unpack the everyday sources of pressure and share their personal (and sometimes unconventional) ways of coping.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Managing Entrepreneurial Stress
06:06 - From Stressful VC Start to Confidence
07:33 - AI Revolutionizes Market Dynamics
13:43 - Managing Startup Stress Tips
16:17 - Morning Exercise Routine Origins
19:03 - Stressful Startup Phase Experience
20:56 - "Entrepreneurship and Energy"
26:43 - Sports Relieve Stress
30:15 - Maintaining Habits Under Stress
33:03 - Rethinking Relaxation and Enjoyment
36:30 - "Seeking Stress Management Tips"

Adrian Spataru - Founder of Cleanvoice AI
https://www.linkedin.com/in/spataru/
https://cleanvoice.ai

Adrian Ispas - Co-Founder & CEO of Vatis Tech
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-ispas
https://vatis.tech

Founder or Employee: Why I Chose the Harder Path

Two founders. Two paths. One backed by venture capital, the other bootstrapped.

This episode is about the personal motivations that drove Adrian and Adrian away from traditional employment and into entrepreneurship, discuss what life might look like if they hadn’t chosen the founder path, and recount the scrappy early days of their ventures. You'll hear candid stories about working multiple jobs, labeling data by hand, and the emotional rollercoaster of building tech from scratch when no one else believes in you.

What you’ll hear:

• Early struggles: coding from scratch, endless data labeling, juggling side jobs
• The emotional cost of solo vs. co-founding
• First wins - realizing their tech could rival Google
• Fundraising pressures: investors, hype, and the case for staying niche
• The lingering question: “What do I envy about the other path?”

They reflect on pivotal moments - like the first time their product outperformed tech giants - and the unique pressures that come with each funding strategy. And, in a rare moment of honesty, both Adrians admit to a little bit of envy for the other’s path while uncovering some of the myths and conspiracies around startup success and venture capital.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Choosing Entrepreneurial Adventures Over Routine

04:24 - Startup Privilege and Opportunity Barriers

08:45 - Creating Vatis Tech: Solving Podcast Search

12:22 - Podcast Editing & Adobe Frustrations

16:57 - "Founding Vatis Tech with Trusted Allies"

20:24 - Early Data Labeling Challenges

22:42 - Balancing Execution with Limited Resources

25:57 - Competing with Industry Giants

29:14 - Investor Expectations vs. Startup Growth

32:29 - Logo Generation Project Marketing Insights

37:46 - "VC Bias in Business Books"

39:30 - "Zero to Solve" App Journey

42:37 - "Embrace Failure and Patience"

Adrian Spataru - Founder of Cleanvoice AI
https://www.linkedin.com/in/spataru/
https://cleanvoice.ai

Adrian Ispas - Co-Founder & CEO of Vatis Tech
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-ispas
https://vatis.tech

Would you take that check again?

Two founders. Two paths. One backed by venture capital, the other bootstrapped. This episode breaks down the tradeoffs of startup funding in today’s environment, where open-source tools and cheaper tech stacks have changed the rules.

What you’ll hear:

• How modern stacks cut startup costs
• VC mentorship vs. hard-earned lessons
• Lean customer acquisition that actually works
• Filtering advice to fit your model
• Why experience beats theory in practice

The conversation pulls from real stories of juggling roles, messy early days, and the strange art of “vibe processing.” Conventional wisdom on scaling gets tested, and bootstrap founders will recognize why some popular playbooks simply don’t apply.

Timestamps:

00:00:05 – Bootstrapping vs VC Funding

00:02:41 – Startup Risks vs Investment Strategies

00:08:14 – Challenges of Defining Ideal Customer Profile

00:11:01 – Challenges of VC-Backed Growth

00:14:41 – Building a Team from Recommendations

00:17:07 – Vibe Processing in Marketing Workloads

00:18:20 – Exit Expectations in Business Growth

00:19:08 – Exit Expectations and Humble Goals

00:20:17 – Building a Sustainable Business

00:22:20 – Learning Marketing for Startups

00:24:30 – Relevance of Business Books Today

00:26:29 – The Role of Books in Business Success

00:30:31 – Embracing Failure and Confidence

Adrian Spataru - Founder of Cleanvoice AI
https://www.linkedin.com/in/spataru/
https://cleanvoice.ai

Adrian Ispas - Co-Founder & CEO of Vatis Tech
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-ispas
https://vatis.tech