How NOT To Build: Startup Stories | A Jemini Podcast
How NOT To Build: Startup Stories | A Jemini Podcast
Podcast Description
"How NOT to Build" is about uncovering the lessons Founders, CTOs, Tech Leads, and Team Leads wish they’d known earlier.
I hope these stories spark ideas, offer guidance, and help you navigate your journey to turning vision into reality.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on themes of entrepreneurship, technology management, and startup growth, with episodes covering topics such as bootstrapping challenges, effective leadership in global teams, and insights on managing software projects. Specific episodes include discussions on hiring smart for offshore teams and balancing confidence as a leader.
“How NOT to Build” is about uncovering the lessons Founders, CTOs, Tech Leads, and Team Leads wish they’d known earlier.
I hope these stories spark ideas, offer guidance, and help you navigate your journey to turning vision into reality.
Today on the podcast I have a very unique guest. Mike Villa is not only the Retired Chief of Police at the Port of Seattle Police Department, he is also – unfortunately for him – my Father.
Now at the time of this recording Mike was planning to launch his own start up called Villa Consultancy where he would help leaders develop high-functioning teams and successful organizations. I wanted to have him on because that’s such a critical skill for every founder to have.
We talk about
- The Marine Corps Leadership Mistake That Changed Mike Forever
- Why Most Teams Fail: The Dying Art of Followership
- The Chief of Police Leadership Lesson Every Startup Founder Needs
Mike is retiring from a 36-years in Law Enforcement, where he spent significant time on the SWAT Team at Tukwila and the last 8 years as Chief of Police at the Port of Seattle.
I think you guys will really enjoy this one – this is Episode 24 of How NOT to Build.
00:00 — Retirement, Leadership, and What Comes Next
02:07 — Why Most Startups Actually Fail
03:20 — What the Marine Corps Taught Mike About Leadership
06:12 — The Leadership Mistake Mike Made During Desert Storm
09:05 — Why Isolated Teams Eventually Collapse
11:50 — The Dangerous Trap of “My Team vs The Company”
14:58 — The Dying Art of Followership
16:20 — The Easiest Way to Become Your Boss’s Favorite Employee
18:15 — Why Smart Leaders Still Need to Be Followers
20:10 — The Biggest Leadership Mistake Mike Made in 27 Years
23:45 — Why Most Leaders Secretly Crave Credit
25:25 — How Great Teams Handle Conflict and Accountability
29:10 — “You Broke My Trust” — The Conversation Most Leaders Avoid
32:05 — The Brutally Honest Team Exercise Every Company Should Try
36:10 — Becoming Chief During COVID and the Anti-Police Era
38:20 — How Mike Rebuilt Trust From Scratch as Chief of Police
40:00 — Why Leaders Need to Over-Communicate
43:15 — What “Building Relationships” Actually Means
45:05 — The Leadership Comment That Backfired Immediately
49:20 — The Best Leadership Book Mike Ever Read
52:40 — The Team Framework Mike Is Using After Retirement
56:05 — Why No Team Ever Truly “Arrives”
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
For a complete disclaimer, please see our Full Disclaimer on the archive page. The Podcast Collaborative bears no responsibility for the podcast’s themes, language, or overall content. Listener discretion is advised. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for more details.