The FORT Podcast: James Beshara (Part 1)
In Episode 8, Chris sits down with friend James Beshara, former Founder of Tilt.com (acquired by Airbnb) and former Airbnb Exec. They discuss the founding of Tilt, entrepreneurship, philosophy and friendship.
Listen on:
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
01:42 — James’ Background
04:38 — How James got into His First Startup
11:32 — What happened to make this first startup end?
13:30 — What did you do when you came back to the US?
19:20 — The Goal for any Rational Human Being — A Long Life Full of Laughter
25:07 — Happiness = Expectation – Reality
27:44 — The Downside of Social Media
32:49 — How did the culture of Silicon Valley affect you and your business?
36:36 — Was there a shift where you were told to focus on a business model and not just on growth?
43:05 — Why do you think it is that Silicon Valley cheers for raising money as opposed to making Money?
48:26 — What is it like to work for another company after running your own?
50:45 — Do you think the culture at Airbnb is similar to Amazon?
53:14 — Do you think some of the fate of Tilt had to do with the market?
1:03:30 — Advice for an Inspiring Entrepreneur
1:05:28 — The Hard Times as an Entrepreneur
1:09:57 — The Art of Knowing Where to get Involved as a Leader
1:18:46 — The Importance of Genuine Friendship and How it Relates to Business
1:35:13 — James’ Last Advice for Listeners
1:36:49 — Chris and James’ Funniest Story
MORE ABOUT JAMES
James is a San Francisco based start-up investor, founder of Tilt.com and former Airbnb executive. Born and raised in Dallas, James has always had a knack for founding companies and has become a full-time angel investor since leaving his position at Airbnb. He also is the host of his own podcast: “Below the Line with James Beshara.”