Mar 3, 2025 · 27m · the-pitch
#93 David vs. Godzilla
gold bands on the timeline = statements, start to end. Hover to read, click to jump. CC turns on captions
This episode chronicles the rise and fall of Unglue, a parental control startup founded by Alon Schwartz, as it struggles to survive direct competition and deplatforming after Apple launches its native Screen Time feature. Through Schwartz's harrowing journey of relentless perseverance, personal grief, and eventual closure, the story highlights the perils of platform monopolies and the psychological resilience required in entrepreneurship.
How this conversation actually went
Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. Josh holds 40.4% of the talking time here. How this is scored →
speaking balance: gold is Josh, purple is the guest (3 minute bins)
Alon passionately expresses outrage over Apple changing App Store policies to arbitrarily eliminate competing parental control apps.
Hardest push from Josh ▶ 4:10 Investor challenges Unglue as just Google CalendarDuring the archival pitch segment, an investor sharply pushes back on Alon's vision by questioning whether the app is merely a calendar clone.
Biggest teaching moment ▶ 23:07 Alon explains founder identity decouplingAlon educates the audience and host on the mental necessity of separating founder self-worth from business failure.
Josh holds their own ▶ 14:05 Josh highlights widespread MDM usageJosh immediately demonstrates domain knowledge by noting that countless legitimate apps rely on MDM and VPN protocols that Apple cited as policy violations.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
| Chapter | Topic | Josh as informed peer | Guest teaching | Guest disagreement | Josh pushing back | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Genesis and Development of Unglue | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Josh narrates the backstory and plays archival clips of Alon explaining the genesis of Unglue. There is no tension or disagreement; Josh provides context on the technology while Alon explains his product. | |
| The Pitch: Skepticism Over Product Viability | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | Archival pitch excerpts show investors questioning if Unglue is just a feature or Google Calendar, while Alon defends the broader vision. Josh curates the narrative on early growth and the emerging Apple threat. | |
| Making a Meaningful Human Impact | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Alon reflects emotionally on user impact and the devastating moment Apple announced Screen Time at WWDC. Josh guides the storytelling empathetically without challenge. | |
| Severe Layoffs and Running Out of Runway | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | Josh and Alon discuss Apple abruptly banning parental control apps from the App Store. Josh interjects with technical understanding of VPN and MDM policies while Alon details the unfairness. | |
| Fighting Back and Securing Reinstatement | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Alon explains how Unglue secured App Store reinstatement due to its unique router hardware, followed by his personal tragedy and Shark Tank invitation. Josh listens attentively. | |
| Pitching the Sharks and Parallel Acquisition Talks | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | Josh asks clarifying financial and timeline questions regarding the Shark Tank offer and the near-acquisition by a major router company that collapsed at the last minute. | |
| Decoupling Identity and Embracing the Failure | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Alon shares philosophical lessons on decoupling founder identity from startup failure. Josh prompts him to explore his personal takeaways. | |
| Moving Forward with Trellis and Reclaimed Pride | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Josh checks in on Alon's new role at Trellis and whether he can drink from his old company mugs with pride. Josh closes with an outro reflection on founder perseverance. |