Brian Rothenberg is a general partner at Defy, an early-stage venture firm. He was the former Head of Growth at Eventbrite and has been a serial marketplace founder; starting a services marketplace that was acquired by TaskRabbit in 2011. He's also a husband and the father of four kids. In today's conversation we discussed:
Pivoting your plans to follow your future spouse
How to divide and conquer when you've got four kids
How the family dynamic changes as it grows from one to four kids
How to prioritize time with your wife amidst the "controlled chaos" of a large family
Advice he'd give younger Brian and advice he'd ignore
The wildcard of the "third child"
How to give up being self-absorbed and become more selfless as a parent
Mistakes made as a father and the most surprising aspects of becoming a dad
Listen or watch Startup Dad on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and Overcast.
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Where to find Brian Rothenberg
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianrothenberg/
- Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/bmrothenberg
- Defy: https://defy.vc/
Where to find Adam Fishman
- Newsletter: startupdadpod.substack.com
- Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/
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In this episode, we cover:
[1:45] Welcome
[2:06] Professional background
[5:10] Childhood
[6:47] His kids and how he met his partner
[8:36] Dividing/conquering in the household
[12:07] Managing larger households and controlled chaos
[15:21] Prioritizing time with your partner
[17:04] Brian’s wife stepping back from career for household
[19:23] His earliest memory of being a dad
[20:23] Most surprising thing about being a dad
[21:17] Advice for younger Brian/Advice to ignore
[24:04] His kids’ favorite book
[24:57] Partnership/natural conflict
[27:09] Where you don’t align with partner
[29:19] Kid’s relationship to technology
[31:27] How to give up self absorption
[32:43] Importance of exercise
[34:38] Mistake as a dad
[38:03] Startup hustle culture
[41:28] Where to follow along with Brian
[42:10] Rapid fire
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Show references:
Die Hard: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095016/
Indiana Jones: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087469/?ref_=fn_al_tt_3
Cocomelon: https://cocomelon.com/
Blippi: https://blippi.com/
Maclaren F1: https://www.mclaren.com/racing/
Patagonia Fleece Jacket: https://www.patagonia.com/shop/category/fleece
Vuori Sunday Jogger: https://vuoriclothing.com/collections/joggers
Crib net: https://www.amazon.com/RUNNZER-Baby-Safety-Canopy-Climbing/dp/B08NJGZQZM/
Defy: https://defy.vc/
EventBrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/
USC: https://www.usc.edu/
Yahoo: https://www.yahoo.com/
Skill Slate: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkillSlate
TaskRabbit: https://www.taskrabbit.com/
The Lorax: https://www.amazon.com/Lorax-Classic-Seuss-Dr/dp/0394823370
Dragons Love Tacos: https://www.amazon.com/Dragons-Love-Tacos-Adam-Rubin/dp/0803736800/
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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/
Parenting Strategies For Raising Four Kids | Brian Rothenberg (father of 4, Defy, Eventbrite)