Headspace co-founders Andy Puddicombe and Rich Pierson discuss the origins of their business partnership after meeting through a meditation clinic in London.
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
Pierson's Father Seeded Headspace And Refused Equity Until Their 2015 Series A
“He never ever once asked for any shares in the business, or any return for any of the money that he gave us. And to the point that actually when we finally did do A fundraise in 2015, like our first proper fundraise, that was when we kind of forced him to take…”
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…”