What really changes when you build your second company? In this episode, Corey and Mike discuss the mindset shift that happens when you’ve done it before—from forcing a business plan onto the world to discovering what’s actually needed. They dive into why iteration beats vision, how to turn low-fidelity ideas into learning engines, and the underestimated power of staying lean. Whether you're scaling your first startup or rethinking your next move, this conversation unpacks how second-time founders think, move, and build differently.

What happens when a private equity executive and a PhD scientist team up to fix the way we consume news? In this episode, Mike Shannon and Corey Ferengul sit down with Tim Huelskamp, co-founder and CEO of 1440, the fast-growing media startup with over 4.5 million subscribers and some of the most enviable unit economics in digital publishing. Tim breaks down the strategic bets, early missteps, and flywheel mechanics behind building a high-trust, curiosity-driven brand from scratch. From his days turning around industrial companies in Alabama to building a fully remote team with zero employee churn, Tim shares what it really takes to scale something enduring—and why treating your team like royalty might be the smartest business move of all.

Karl Hughes has done what many founders aim for but few actually achieve: he built a company that didn’t need him. In this episode, Karl shares how he scaled a technical content agency to seven figures, took a full month off, and began acquiring other small service businesses through micro M&A.

We dive into:
– How to design for founder independence
– Why reps beat perfection when building teams
– The overlooked opportunity in acquiring niche agencies
– How to grow sustainably without outside funding

If you're a founder thinking long-term, this episode is a blueprint for building companies that last.