# #097 Brad Feld: Founding Techstars, Giving First, and Mentorship

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/smart-friends-2136135/097-brad-feld-founding-techstars-giving-first-and-mentorship
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/smart-friends-2136135/097-brad-feld-founding-techstars-giving-first-and-mentorship.md
Podcast: [Smart Friends](https://stenobird.com/podcast/smart-friends-2136135)
Published: 2025-10-21T13:19:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.ejorgenson.com/podcast
Audio file: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/DTSOS6196052141.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/smart-friends-2136135/episodes/097-brad-feld-founding-techstars-giving-first-and-mentorship
Duration seconds: 3492

## Resource

Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:03:49) - Heroes (00:10:50) - How do you know when it’s time to step away from something you started? (00:18:37) - Len Fassler (00:32:52) - Mentors and inflection points in life (00:39:07) - Brad’s book - Give First (00:47:58) - The role of books in Brad’s career Links: Scribe — https://scribemedia.com Give First: The Power of Mentorship - https://amzn.to/3KT3IvF To support the costs of producing this podcast: >> Buy a copy of the Navalmanack: www.navalmanack.com/ >> Buy a copy of The Anthology of Balaji: https://balajianthology.com/ >> Sign up for my online course and community about building your Personal Leverage: https://www.ejorgenson.com/leverage >> Invest in early-stage companies alongside Eric and his partners at Rolling Fun: https://angel.co/v/back/rolling-fun >> Join the free weekly email list at ejorgenson.com/newsletter >> Text the podcast to a friend >> Or at least give the podcast a positive review to help us reach new listeners! We discuss: The role of heroes and mentors in shaping Brad’s values How "Give First" transformed startup culture How to let go of control while still fighting to the end for what matters Key mentors like Len Fassler and the life lessons they gave him Why reading, writing, and coding all serve as reflective practices Quotes from Brad: "The best way to fly is to throw yourself at the ground and miss." (Zaphod Beeblebrox quote that Brad uses to describe startups) "I love to help things get started. That’s my favorite part of the journey." "Fight to the bitter end. You try until it doesn’t work anymore." "Some things don’t end. Some things outlive you—which is delightful." "The future does not belong to me. The future belongs to people 40 years younger than me." "Give First is not a religion. It’s a phil…

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