He built two mainstream startups, General Assembly and Common, but now he's building a media company and taking a break from venture capital.

Tune in to my conversation with Brad Hargreaves as we talk about proptech, building brick and mortar businesses, the challenge of remote work in 2024 and beyond, being a founder, managing forever-scaling startup teams, and so much more. We'll also talk about the form and function behind his latest venture, Thesis Driven, a media company that offers a deep dive into real estate trends and urban innovation.

We also cover: Brad's journey from General Assembly to Common, why physical spaces are still essential in a digital world, how venture capital can be both a blessing and a burden for founders, the housing affordability crisis and Brad's future run for NYC mayor, and the psychology of resilience for startup founders.

This is Three Course Founders, Episode 007: Thesis Driven, with Brad Hargreaves of General Assembly and Common.

Timestamps

00:00 Introductions!

02:52 The Journey of General Assembly

04:56 The Concept of Co-Living with Common

09:37 The Importance of In-Person Interaction

16:51 Transition to Thesis Driven

23:27 Nailing the Timing: A Success Story

27:00 Managing People: Challenges and Insights

30:13 The Hybrid Work Environment

34:40 Future Ventures and Lessons Learned

38:44 Housing Affordability: A Public Policy Challenge

41:11 Using Your Calendar to Play Offense

42:26 The Journalist in a Founder

44:23 Politics and Personal Life

A special thank you to Grandma's Home in Flatiron in NYC – they were gracious hosts, the staff was awesome, and the chefs kept us fed with delicious Chinese food.

My mission with this show is to have deeper conversations with people trying to change the way the earth spins -- to follow my own curiosity, and help me and you better understand how the world works and how to move with more intention. I'm Sherveen Mashayekhi, founder and CEO of venture-backed Free Agency, and I'm an angel investor & startup super-nerd.

Follow: https://x.com/sherveen

Follow Dan: https://x.com/bhargreaves

Subscribe and stay tuned for the next episode! Weekly on Thursdays.

Be sure to leave a comment down below once you've listened to the episode! Do you have new perspective on the appeal of venture funding, or brick and mortar businesses? Do you have a new idea in edtech or proptech?

Inspired by Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, and all of the bad startup podcasts out there.

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