web01.fireside.fm Wed, 06 May 2026 07:19:52 -0500 Fireside (https://fireside.fm) Pencil Problems - Episodes Tagged with “Startups” https://www.pencilproblems.com/tags/startups Mon, 31 May 2021 07:00:00 -0400 Kent Fenwick (@kentf) and Nick Shim (@nim342) talk about their side projects, their day jobs, technology, the future, philosophy, 90s action movies, and much much more. en-us episodic Conversations on getting started, and finishing. Pencil Problems Podcast Kent Fenwick (@kentf) and Nick Shim (@nim342) talk about their side projects, their day jobs, technology, the future, philosophy, 90s action movies, and much much more. yes Pencil Problems Podcast kent.fenwick@gmail.com Response: Consumer Centric Car Buying App https://www.pencilproblems.com/49 7d152f33-bee9-447b-9f91-c20e74f9e6de Mon, 31 May 2021 07:00:00 -0400 Pencil Problems Podcast full Pencil Problems Podcast Nick responds to Kent's idea 4:15 no <p>Nick responds to Kent's idea. </p> idea, pitching ideas, mvp, agile, prototyping, feedback, startups Nick responds to Kent's idea.

]]> Nick responds to Kent's idea.

]]> Episode 48: Pitch: Consumer Centric Car Buying App https://www.pencilproblems.com/48 0a9e72a5-ec7a-4271-8ab2-06180fe93b34 Sun, 30 May 2021 07:00:00 -0400 Pencil Problems Podcast full Pencil Problems Podcast Kent pitches an idea for an app that puts the consumer in the driver seat when buying or leasing a car (pun is absolutely intended). 3:11 yes <p>I watched this video a long time ago on <a href="https://bigthink.com/videos/how-to-buy-a-car-using-game-theory-2" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">how to use game theory to buy a car</a>.</p> <p>5 years ago, I tried it, and it worked.</p> <p>Last year, I tried it again and it worked even better.</p> <p>I pitch Nick a way we could MVP and productize this car buying process for consumers. </p> idea, pitching ideas, mvp, agile, prototyping, feedback, startups I watched this video a long time ago on how to use game theory to buy a car.

5 years ago, I tried it, and it worked.

Last year, I tried it again and it worked even better.

I pitch Nick a way we could MVP and productize this car buying process for consumers.

]]> I watched this video a long time ago on how to use game theory to buy a car.

5 years ago, I tried it, and it worked.

Last year, I tried it again and it worked even better.

I pitch Nick a way we could MVP and productize this car buying process for consumers.

]]> Episode 25: Q&A - Productivity Tools, outsourcing tech, letting someone go. https://www.pencilproblems.com/25 10a48173-f8ab-41d2-92b5-2a08cb28f090 Fri, 13 Apr 2018 20:00:00 -0400 Pencil Problems Podcast full Pencil Problems Podcast We open with some project updates (ablecells.com, medium.com/fatherhood) followed by some Q&A from fans (I can't believe people still listen to this!). 1:05:07 yes <p>We open with some project updates (ablecells.com, medium.com/fatherhood) followed by some Q&amp;A from fans (I can't believe people still listen to this!).</p> <p>00:00 Project Updates<br> 17:00 Productivity Tools<br> 30:00 Does Kent own 300 domain names?<br> 33:00 Does outsourcing work for tech companies?<br> 49:00 Fan love <em>swoon</em><br> 52:00 When to move on poor hires </p> We open with some project updates (ablecells.com, medium.com/fatherhood) followed by some Q&A from fans (I can't believe people still listen to this!).

00:00 Project Updates
17:00 Productivity Tools
30:00 Does Kent own 300 domain names?
33:00 Does outsourcing work for tech companies?
49:00 Fan love swoon
52:00 When to move on poor hires

]]> We open with some project updates (ablecells.com, medium.com/fatherhood) followed by some Q&A from fans (I can't believe people still listen to this!).

00:00 Project Updates
17:00 Productivity Tools
30:00 Does Kent own 300 domain names?
33:00 Does outsourcing work for tech companies?
49:00 Fan love swoon
52:00 When to move on poor hires

]]> Episode 9: Pivot https://www.pencilproblems.com/9 cc7a8e54-b62d-4037-bc48-f897e21137f9 Wed, 15 Nov 2017 07:00:00 -0500 Pencil Problems Podcast full Pencil Problems Podcast Kent and Nick talk about pivoting a company or business, microsoft and their failure to pivot, Google and their dozens of pivots, Apple's big pivot, Facebook's huge pivot gamble, VR, AR, and when you know it's time to leave 1:49:05 yes <p>Kent and Nick talk about pivoting a company or business, Microsoft and their failure to pivot, Google and their dozens of pivots, Apple's big pivot, Facebook's huge pivot gamble, VR, AR, becoming a God in Second Life, and when you know it's time to leave </p> Kent and Nick talk about pivoting a company or business, Microsoft and their failure to pivot, Google and their dozens of pivots, Apple's big pivot, Facebook's huge pivot gamble, VR, AR, becoming a God in Second Life, and when you know it's time to leave

Sponsored By:

]]> Kent and Nick talk about pivoting a company or business, Microsoft and their failure to pivot, Google and their dozens of pivots, Apple's big pivot, Facebook's huge pivot gamble, VR, AR, becoming a God in Second Life, and when you know it's time to leave

Sponsored By:

]]> Episode 7: Rationing your Wonderbread https://www.pencilproblems.com/7 aa960893-c09d-4e73-935a-ef91d1bbb5ea Fri, 03 Nov 2017 06:00:00 -0400 Pencil Problems Podcast full Pencil Problems Podcast Nick and Kent talk about company culture, the good and bad of backchanneling, the right way to give feedback, and finding a balance between the light and the dark. 1:22:53 yes <p>Nick and Kent talk about company culture, the good and bad of backchanneling, the right way to give feedback, and finding a balance between the light and the dark. </p> Nick and Kent talk about company culture, the good and bad of backchanneling, the right way to give feedback, and finding a balance between the light and the dark.

]]> Nick and Kent talk about company culture, the good and bad of backchanneling, the right way to give feedback, and finding a balance between the light and the dark.

]]> Episode 5: Waiting for that Casper money https://www.pencilproblems.com/5 083f332f-b0c5-4a08-9e48-80280e6ed4de Fri, 20 Oct 2017 00:00:00 -0400 Pencil Problems Podcast full Pencil Problems Podcast Kent and Nick talk about ambition curves, what they would do if they got paid to do the podcast, what they really want to do with their lives, and talked more about potential productive pencil problems. 1:46:57 yes <p>Kent and Nick talk about ambition curves, what they would do if they got paid to do the podcast, what they really want to do with their lives, and talked more about potential productive pencil problems. </p> Kent and Nick talk about ambition curves, what they would do if they got paid to do the podcast, what they really want to do with their lives, and talked more about potential productive pencil problems.

]]> Kent and Nick talk about ambition curves, what they would do if they got paid to do the podcast, what they really want to do with their lives, and talked more about potential productive pencil problems.

]]> Episode 1: Everyone has a price... https://www.pencilproblems.com/1 e77c09f8-4429-4e7f-8dcb-741b64a579cd Wed, 20 Sep 2017 01:00:00 -0400 Pencil Problems Podcast full Pencil Problems Podcast Nick and Kent talk about picking projects, deciding which ones to stick with, and how parenting can be at odds with these goals. 1:20:26 yes <p>In the first episode of Pencil Problems, Nick and Kent talk about why this podcast nearly didn't happen, what projects they are currently working on, what ketones are, how they pick projects and decide which ones to stick with, how parenting is boring/exhausting sometimes and how to write long run on sentences with lots of commas :) Enjoy!</p> <p>Kent Fenwick @kentf<br> Nick Shim @nim342 </p> In the first episode of Pencil Problems, Nick and Kent talk about why this podcast nearly didn't happen, what projects they are currently working on, what ketones are, how they pick projects and decide which ones to stick with, how parenting is boring/exhausting sometimes and how to write long run on sentences with lots of commas :) Enjoy!

Kent Fenwick @kentf
Nick Shim @nim342

]]> In the first episode of Pencil Problems, Nick and Kent talk about why this podcast nearly didn't happen, what projects they are currently working on, what ketones are, how they pick projects and decide which ones to stick with, how parenting is boring/exhausting sometimes and how to write long run on sentences with lots of commas :) Enjoy!

Kent Fenwick @kentf
Nick Shim @nim342

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