Headspace co-founder Rich Pierson discusses how his father provided early funding to get the company started without requiring equity upfront.
Opinion
Pierson: The US Possesses A Uniquely Supportive Culture For Ambitious Startups
“I think in the UK, you speak to someone about an idea, and they'll give you a thousand reasons why you can't do it, and I think in America, you say the same idea, and they go, there's a thousand reasons why it'll work, and have you thought about making it bigg…”
Opinion
Pierson: US Optimism Makes It Superior to UK for Ambitious Startups
“I think in the UK, you speak to someone about an idea, and they'll give you a thousand reasons why you can't do it, and I think in America, you say the same idea, and they go, there's a thousand reasons why it'll work, and have you thought about making it bigg…”
Assertion Supported
Puddicombe's Hodder & Stoughton Book Advance Funded Early Headspace Operations
“We managed to get a book deal, a three book deal with Hodder and Staunton, and the advance from that, which I think, you know, still, at that time it was like one of the highest advances paid for a debut non-fiction author, really funded the rest of the busine…”
Opinion
Pierson: Headspace Can Scale Content Using Instructors Beyond Andy Puddicombe
“As long as we always stay true to the way that we build products, I think there's a huge room to bring in other voices, other experts that aren't Andy, so.”
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Puddicombe Made Pierson A Co-Founder Because He Couldn't Afford To Pay Him
“Andy actually said to me, would you come and, would you like to work with me? And I thought he was saying, it's my business. Would you like to come and work for me? And I was like, yeah, sure. He said, well, I can't afford to kind of pay you. But would you do …”
Assertion Supported
A Three-Book Publishing Advance Funded Early Headspace Operations
“Secondly, it started a process where we managed to get a book deal, a three book deal with Hodder and Staunton, and the advance from that, which I think, you know, still, at that time, it was like one of the highest advances paid for a debut non-fiction author…”