Payal Kadakia's 2022 conversation feels as relevant as ever, highlighting the enduring importance of authenticity in strong leadership. In this episode, the founder of ClassPass and the Sa Dance Company shares how integrating her full identity—as both a dancer and a business leader—was crucial to her success. Kadakia discusses the importance of listening to your calling, making values-driven decisions, and resisting the pressure to conform to conventional paths. Her insights on aligning passion with purpose, overcoming failure, and redefining success make this episode a must-listen for anyone aiming to build something meaningful while staying true to themselves.

The episode first aired on February 16, 2022

Justin Kan is an entrepreneur and investor best known as the co-founder of Twitch. In this conversation from 2021, Kan shares candid insights on the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, emphasizing the importance of resilience, self-awareness, and personal well-being. Reflecting on his journey—from founding Twitch to reassessing his motivations—he discusses the challenges of chasing external success and the shift toward finding fulfillment in daily habits, mindfulness, and meaningful work. His perspective highlights how true satisfaction comes not just from achievements, but from aligning one’s work with personal values and well-being.

The episode first aired on October 6, 2021.

In this compelling talk from 2016, Astro Teller, director of Alphabet’s moonshot factory, X, explores how embracing failure fuels groundbreaking innovation. He shares how a culture that rewards audacity and transparency can systematically drive progress, turning ambitious ideas into reality. Teller discusses the importance of pre-mortems, rewarding teams for shutting down projects, and creating an environment where failure is seen as an opportunity for learning rather than a setback. As we revisit this talk, its lessons remain as relevant as ever, offering valuable insights for anyone looking to foster bold thinking and transformative breakthroughs.

The episode first aired on April 20, 2016

In December 2018, Sarah Jane Friar became CEO of Nextdoor, the world’s largest private social network for neighborhoods. In her conversation with Stanford professor Tom Byers, she discussed her passion for fostering a sense of community amid the challenges of misinformation and social disconnection. Friar highlighted that Nextdoor uniquely leverages the power of proximity, allowing neighbors to connect and support one another effectively. During her early tenure, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic, she saw rapid growth in platform usage and introduced initiatives to promote kindness and support local businesses. By emphasizing the importance of neighborly behavior, Friar aims to cultivate a kinder world where everyone has a neighborhood to rely on—a vision that remains relevant as new social media platforms emerge and society navigates increasing division and isolation.

The episode first aired on November 18, 2020

As autonomous vehicles continue to evolve, we’re revisiting our 2021 conversation with Aicha Evans, CEO of Zoox. At the time, Zoox had recently been acquired by Amazon, and Evans was leading the charge in developing fully autonomous, purpose-built robotaxis. In this discussion with Stanford adjunct lecturer and former Zoox board member Heidi Roizen, Evans shares insights on innovation in a competitive market, overcoming skepticism, and leading a team at the forefront of autonomous mobility. With Zoox now making strides toward real-world deployment, this conversation remains as relevant as ever.

Much has shifted in the landscape of gender representation in STEM fields, with women making gains in recent decades. There is an increased interest among girls in pursuing STEM fields, and a growing awareness of how to support them as men continue to make up a majority of the field. Debbie Sterling, founder and CEO of GoldieBlox, exemplifies this evolution with her inspiring journey from lonely inventor to dynamic entrepreneur. GoldieBlox is a multimedia company focused on transforming the perception of toys in the traditionally "pink aisle" aimed at girls. The founder shares her journey of overcoming gender stereotypes, leading to the creation of a girl engineer character that inspires young girls in STEM. She also addresses the entrepreneurial challenges she has faced, including failure and achieving success with limited resources.

The episode first aired on April 25, 2017

Revisit timeless insights from Alberto Savoia, Google’s first engineering director and the driving force behind the launch of AdWords, in this re-released 2019 ETL episode. As the creator of “pretotyping” and author of The Right It, Savoia tackles one of innovation’s greatest challenges: ensuring you’re building a product the market truly wants. With 80% of innovations failing—even when executed competently—Savoia reframes success as not only building it right, but first building the right “it.” This episode offers powerful strategies for entrepreneurs, product managers, and innovators looking to test ideas quickly and minimize risk in today’s rapidly changing business landscape.

The episode first aired on March 13, 2019

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Stanford eCorner content is produced by the Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP), the entrepreneurship center at the Stanford School of Engineering. STVP empowers aspiring entrepreneurs to become global citizens who create and scale responsible innovations.

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For the winter 2025 installment of ETL Looks Back, we asked the team at the Stanford Technology Ventures Program to recommend some of their favorite ETL episodes from the past. Our first pick comes from Ravi Belani and features Josh Wolfe, co-founder of Lux Capital, which funds scientists and entrepreneurs who pursue counter-conventional solutions to the most vexing problems of our time. Wolfe believes ambitious projects, like creating matter from light, are essential for a brighter future. Also a founding investor with Bill Gates in Kymeta, Wolfe discusses the principles guiding his entrepreneurship and investments, sharing insights from his experiences with various innovative companies.

The episode first aired on June 7, 2023

How do graduates of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program’s entrepreneurship fellows programs apply their skills in the real world? STVP’s Tina Seelig spoke with four alumni about how they have used their academic experiences to address some of the world's most challenging problems. In this episode:

• Etosha Cave, Opus 12
• Jonah Greenberger, Bright, Inc.
• Cody Karutz, STRIVR Labs, Inc.
• Elaine Cheung, GRAIL, Inc.

The episode first aired on November 2, 2016

Stanford eCorner content is produced by the Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP), the entrepreneurship center at the Stanford School of Engineering. STVP empowers aspiring entrepreneurs to become global citizens who create and scale responsible innovations.

CONNECT WITH US

• X: https://x.com/ECorner  
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stanfordtechnologyventuresprogram/  
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StanfordTechnologyVenturesProgram/  
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ecorner  

LEARN MORE

• eCorner by STVP Website: https://stvp.stanford.edu/ecorner 
• STVP Website: https://stvp.stanford.edu/ 

Support our mission of providing students and educators around the world with free access to Stanford University’s network of entrepreneurial thought leaders: https://stvp.stanford.edu/giving-to-stvp/.

Clara Shih is the CEO of Salesforce AI and has received recognition as one of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs and TIME’s Most Influential People in AI. In this episode, she emphasizes the importance of maintaining pre-existing friendships for mental health and support during her entrepreneurial journey at Hearsay Systems, particularly when her time for developing new relationships was limited. The STVP Mayfield Fellow alum reminds us that as our companies scale, so does our role as a leader. 

This talk first aired on March 6, 2024

—-----------------------------------

Stanford eCorner content is produced by the Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP), the entrepreneurship center at the Stanford School of Engineering. STVP empowers aspiring entrepreneurs to become global citizens who create and scale responsible innovations.

CONNECT WITH US

• X: https://x.com/ECorner  
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stanfordtechnologyventuresprogram/  
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StanfordTechnologyVenturesProgram/  
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ecorner  

LEARN MORE

• eCorner by STVP Website: https://stvp.stanford.edu/ecorner 
• STVP Website: https://stvp.stanford.edu/ 

Support our mission of providing students and educators around the world with free access to Stanford University’s network of entrepreneurial thought leaders: https://stvp.stanford.edu/giving-to-stvp/.

As an entrepreneur in education, Maria Barrera, founder of Clayful, started to apply her training as a mechanical engineer to thinking about mental health and the challenges young people were facing in schools post-pandemic. In true Stanford d.school fashion, Barrera says she went into a lot of need-finding, talking to everyone she could, finding “aha” moments that would help shape her company’s preventative approach to emotional support for kids. 

This talk includes references to trauma and suicide. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a trained listener, call 988. Visit 988lifeline.org for crisis chat services or for more information. The Crisis Text Line is a texting service for emotional crisis support. To text with a trained helper, text SAVE to 741741. It is free, available 24/7, and confidential

This talk first aired on May 29, 2024.

—-----------------------------------

Stanford eCorner content is produced by the Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP), the entrepreneurship center at the Stanford School of Engineering. STVP empowers aspiring entrepreneurs to become global citizens who create and scale responsible innovations.

CONNECT WITH US

• X: https://x.com/ECorner  
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stanfordtechnologyventuresprogram/  
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StanfordTechnologyVenturesProgram/  
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ecorner  

LEARN MORE

• eCorner by STVP Website: https://stvp.stanford.edu/ecorner 
• STVP Website: https://stvp.stanford.edu/ 

Support our mission of providing students and educators around the world with free access to Stanford University’s network of entrepreneurial thought leaders: https://stvp.stanford.edu/giving-to-stvp/.