The Futur podcast is a show that explores the interesting overlap between design, marketing, and business.Our host (and CEO of The Futur), Chris Do, holds candid conversations with inspirational people from the worlds of design, technology, marketing, business, philosophy and personal development.These conversations go deep. With the aim of understanding who these incredible people are, what drives them to do what they do, and what can we—the listener—learn from it all.Visit thefutur.com/podcast for show notes and additional information from each episode.
Design That Builds Trust (and Sells Without Selling) - With David Fastuca | Episode 346
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In this episode, I sit down with David Fastuca, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Locomote. David shares the raw, behind-the-scenes truth of building, scaling, and exiting a startup without raising external capital. We explore the emotional challenges of entrepreneurship, the toll it takes on relationships, and why success without alignment can still feel like failure.
Timestamps:
(00:00) - Introduction
(01:15) - How David started Locomote and scaled without funding
(06:32) - The personal cost of building a business
(10:55) - Dealing with burnout and founder guilt
(13:44) - Navigating identity crises post-exit
(18:20) - How his business affected his marriage
(22:11) - What true alignment in business and life looks like
(25:40) - Stepping back from ego-driven decisions
(28:55) - Why purpose matters more than success
(33:28) - What David would change if he started over
(37:10) - Mental health strategies for founders
(41:45) - Closing thoughts
Check out today's guest, David Fastuca:
Buy David's Book: https://www.growthforum.io/buybook
David's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidfastuca/
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