Maksymilian Podraza is an Application Engineer at Accenture and former startup founder. He co-founded Own It, a startup that built an app and community for skateboarders. This conversations centers on the truths of starting a company.

We discuss perfectionism, imposter syndrome, privilege, building products, gaining users, and the problems with the public perception of startups. Startups are difficult and strange. Instead of talking about how we're all doing great all the time, let's talk honestly about what's working, what's not, and how it's affecting us and the people around us.

GUEST

• Maksymilian Podraza LinkedIn
• Accenture Website

PODCAST

• Safa Mahzari
• Patreon
• Alluxo Website

TERMS

• Imposter syndrome = a psychological pattern where people doubt their skills or accomplishments and has a persistent fear of being exposed as a fraud
• FAANG = Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google
• UI = user interface

TIMESTAMPS

• 0:00 - Episode intro
• 1:28 - Perfectionism
• 9:58 - Growing up in Poland
• 18:19 - Imposter syndrome
• 29:40 - Public perception of tech founders
• 52:00 - Psychological toll of starting a company
• 1:03:54 - Working at a Fortune 500 corporation
• 1:10:54 - Final thoughts and wrap up