Eric Bahn is the co-founder and a GP at Hustle Fund—a pre-seed venture fund that invests in very early stage founders. He has also been a founder himself as well as a product leader at companies like Intuit and Instagram. Most importantly, he’s a husband and the father of two kids. In our conversation today we discussed:
What it means to feel joy in coming home to your family
His decision with his wife to have children
How to prioritize your spouse
Life integration rather than balance
Some non-traditional methods of recharging his batteries
A hilarious tangent about home projects including a recent plumbing success
What emerging companies he has seen that could have a significant impact on kids and future generations
Listen now on Apple, Spotify, Overcast and YouTube.
—
Where to find Eric Bahn
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericbahn/
X: https://twitter.com/ericbahn
Website: https://www.hustlefund.vc/
Where to find Adam Fishman
FishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/
—
In this episode, we cover:
[1:54] Welcome
[2:30] Professional background
[3:06] Explaining career to his kids
[4:16] Grew up in Detroit
[5:12] Childhood
[7:14] Immigrant family/being Korean in Detroit
[11:03] Talking to kids about how Eric’s parents culturally assimilated
[13:00] How did you meet wife/what does she do?
[15:45] Decision to start a family
[19:53] Earliest memory of becoming a dad
[21:50] Most surprising thing you discovered?
[23:44] Parenting approach helped professional life?
[26:53] Prioritizing wife over kids
[29:45] Where you and partner don’t agree?
[33:30] Eric’s home plumbing tweet
[36:10] Advice for younger Eric?
[39:41] What does it mean to “hustle” vs. family life?
[43:57] Leadership style influenced by having kids?
[47:37] What things has he seen in VC that will affect kids?
[52:18] What relationship do you want your kids to have with technology?
[55:09] Recharge batteries?
[59:38] Mistake you made as a father?
[1:00:08] Follow along
[1:01:11] Rapid fire
[1:04:52] Thank you
—
Show references:
Hustle Fund: https://www.hustlefund.vc/
Instagram: instagram.com
Intuit: https://www.intuit.com/
8 Mile: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298203/
McAllen, TX: https://www.mcallen.net/
Patrick Thompson Epidsode: youtube.com/watch?v=qDbmT4AgizQ
“Juicy” By Notorious BIG: youtube.com/watch?v=_JZom_gVfuw
Sonoma Raceway: https://www.sonomaraceway.com/
F1: https://www.formula1.com/
Squatty Potty: https://www.squattypotty.com/
Cocomelon: https://cocomelon.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/
Integration over Balance and What It Means to Hustle with Kids | Eric Bahn (Dad of 2, Hustle Fund)