The Creators, Part 2: The rewards of resilience

Five successful founders share the secrets of high-growth companies

Entrepreneurship isn’t easy. Taking an idea and turning it into a successful company takes grit, determination, resilience, and plain old hard work. The founder’s journey can be lonely and challenging, but the rewards are worth the struggle.

In the first installment of Lightspeed’s “The Creators,” we spoke with veteran entrepreneurs John W. Thompson, Christa Quarles, Mark Anderson, and Ariel Cohen about the trials and tribulations of launching new enterprises.

This time, we sat down with five inspirational founders who’ve overcome the odds to build high-growth companies in sectors ranging from Fintech and recruiting, to healthcare.

In frank discussions with both myself and my colleague at Lightspeed Ling Wong, Henry Ward (Carta), Michelle Davey (Wheel), Garrett Lord (Handshake), Alexi Robichaux (BetterUp), and Laura Spiekerman (Alloy) open up about the challenges they face, what keeps them going through difficult times, and what their advice is for other founders on the company-building journey.

Topics discussed include:

* The need to spot market opportunities other entrepreneurs cannot see

* How to go about developing the right relationships

* Dealing with rejection as an early-stage company

* The difficulties of breaking through barriers in entrenched industries

* How to go from squeezing every dollar to investing at scale

* The best ways to activate every company’s most valuable asset — the people who work there

* The resilience that allows founders to face their fears and grow

We present this series as a way to inspire other founders at different points on their own entrepreneurial journeys to stay the course when the going gets rough. Thank you to our guests this season for sharing their raw, candid insights with us.

Click below to see the series trailer, and scroll down for full-length interviews.