Tod Francis is the founder of the world-renowned investment firm Shasta Ventures. He has made early investments in companies like Canva, Tonal, ClassDojo, LiquidSpace, Task Rabbit, Mint and more. About 15 years ago Tod started on a journey to understand why and how great memories and connections are formed between kids and their parents. He surveyed over one thousand young adults, analyzed that data, and developed a framework for memory making and building meaningful connections. He has presented his findings to standing-room-only conferences, parents groups, and more! We talk about his findings on today's episode and what you can do right away to build lasting memories with your kids. Tod is a husband and the father of two adult children. In today's conversation we discussed:
Growing up without a father
How losing a child motivated him to focus on every moment
The research behind building meaningful connections
The Pyramid of Connection and its different stages
Tear-jerking stories from Tod's research
What parents can do right now to change their thinking on memory making and connection
Listen now on Apple, Spotify, Overcast and YouTube.
—
Where to find Tod Francis
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/todfrancis/
- Shasta Ventures: https://www.shasta.vc/bio/tod-francis/
Where to find Adam Fishman
- Startup Dad Newsletter: startupdadpod.substack.com
- FishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/
—
In this episode, we cover
[1:49] Welcome
[2:28] Tod's childhood
[3:52] Growing up without a Dad
[4:47] What is life like now?
[6:28] Did child loss change your priorities as a dad?
[8:49] Why did memory making matter to you as a dad?
[12:24] The research behind connection
[18:51] The Pyramid of Connection
[33:56] How do parents get out of the bottom layer?
[39:44] Making memories with adult kids
[42:36] Parting thoughts
[44:12] How are his sons involved in this project?
—
Show references:
Survey Monkey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/
Johnson & Johnson: https://www.jnj.com/
Mint: https://mint.intuit.com/
Shasta Ventures: https://www.shasta.vc/
Canva: https://www.canva.com/
Tonal: https://www.tonal.com/
Class Dojo: https://www.classdojo.com/
Liquid Space: https://liquidspace.com/
Task Rabbit: https://www.taskrabbit.com/
—
For sponsorship inquiries email: podcast@fishmana.com.
For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com
Production support for Startup Dad is provided by Tommy Harron at
http://www.armaziproductions.com/
How To Actually Build Lasting Memories With Your Kids | Tod Francis (father of 2, Shasta Ventures)