Xaver Lehmann built two AI startups, sold one for $60M, and paid the price most founders don’t talk about until it’s too late.

Burnout. Identity loss. The quiet crash after the win.

In this conversation, we unpack the part of the founder journey that usually gets skipped in pitch decks and podcasts. What actually happens after the exit. Why success can feel emptier than expected. And how building at full speed without designing your life first eventually catches up with you.

Xaver shares what he learned the hard way, how burnout reshaped his definition of success, and why he now helps founders build companies without sacrificing their health, relationships, or sense of self. We talk about honest trade-offs, conviction-driven decisions, coaching versus content, and why “more” is rarely the answer founders think it is.

This is a conversation for founders chasing big outcomes, and quietly wondering what it’s all costing them.

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Chapters

• 00:00 The Journey to Exit: Reflections on Success
• 01:40 From Investment Banking to Entrepreneurship
• 06:26 Finding Product-Market Fit: The Evolution of a Startup
• 12:18 Legitimizing the Business: Milestones and Growth
• 17:06 Navigating the Acquisition Process: The Road to Exit
• 23:08 The Emotional Toll of Exiting: Personal Struggles
• 32:17 Rebuilding After the Exit: Finding New Purpose
• 39:38 The Honest Founder: Sharing Experiences and Lessons

Xaver Lehmann

Xaver Lehmann is a 2x AI founder, angel investor, and the founder of Honest Founder. After building and selling an AI company for $60M, he experienced founder burnout firsthand, reshaping how he thinks about success, growth, and leadership.

Today, Xaver helps founders build and scale sustainably through coaching, writing, and digital frameworks rooted in lived experience rather than theory. He also invests in early-stage startups and funds with fast, conviction-led decisions.

Beyond startups, Xaver supports wildlife conservation in South Africa and early childhood education initiatives in Cape Town. He has been recognised in Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe and DACH.

Who Should Listen

• Founders chasing scale and big outcomes
• Operators navigating burnout or quiet doubt
• Post-exit founders asking “what now?”
• Anyone building ambitious companies without wanting to burn themselves down

Access All Areas.

Listen: Apple || Spotify || YouTube

Subscribe: Substack

Community & Events: Founders Circle

Connect: LinkedIn

Socials: TikTok || Instagram || X

Web: startupsdecoded.com

Music Credit

“Neptuno” – Phondupe (Album: Onykia)

Startups Decoded Studio​

Filmed on location at 28th&Park. A content & production studio for New York’s visionary Builders, Investors, Artists, Musicians, & Creators to amplify their voice & share bold stories. Use the code "Decoded" for 25% off your first booking.

Casey Woo has spent over two decades inside the engine room of real companies, scaling startups as a 6x CFO and 2x COO across SaaS, marketplaces, hardware, eCommerce, and beyond.

After walking away from a successful career in public markets, Casey chose the harder path: joining early-stage startups, eating glass, and learning how companies actually get built under pressure. Along the way, he founded the Operators Guild, a global community of 1,200+ elite builders, and FOG Ventures, an operator-led investment platform backing the modern operator and GTM stack.

In this conversation, we unpack why generalist operators are becoming the new frontier for founders and investors. We talk about business as both physics and art, why judgment beats specialization early, what separates great operators from average ones, and why VCs increasingly back operator-led companies and platforms.

This is an operator-first conversation about craft, execution, and building companies that actually work, without startup theater.

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Chapters

• 00:02 Introduction to Operators and Generalists
• 01:13 Casey Wu’s Journey from Wall Street to Startups
• 03:22 The Cultural Shift: From Banking to Building
• 05:34 The Role of Operators in Startups
• 09:04 The Birth of the Operators Guild
• 12:24 Defining the Roles: Founder vs. Operator
• 15:31 The Evolution of the Operator Role
• 16:30 The Impact of Technology on Operators
• 22:34 Advice for Aspiring Operators
• 22:42 The Importance of Community in Business
• 24:23 Learning Through Experience
• 25:40 Fundamentals of Business Success
• 27:33 The Role of Human Relationships
• 28:45 The Operators Guild and Knowledge Sharing
• 34:31 Introducing Fog Ventures
• 40:44 Customer Feedback and Product Development

Guest Bio

Casey Woo is the Founder of the Operators Guild and General Partner at FOG Ventures, a leading operator-led investing platform.

A former public markets investor, Casey has spent over 20 years operating inside high-growth companies as a 6x CFO and 2x COO, guiding startups from early-stage through hypergrowth, multiple funding rounds, and pre-IPO. His experience spans software, hardware, marketplaces, eCommerce, supply chain, real estate, and professional communities.

Through the Operators Guild, Casey built a global network of more than 1,200 elite operators, the people responsible for scaling some of the fastest-growing companies in tech. Building on that foundation, he launched FOG Ventures, investing alongside operators in the modern operator and GTM software stack.

email: casey@operators-guild.com

Access All Areas.

Listen: Apple || Spotify || YouTube

Subscribe: Substack

Community & Events: Founders Circle

Connect: LinkedIn

Socials: TikTok || Instagram || X

Web: startupsdecoded.com

Music Credit

“Neptuno” – Phondupe (Album: Onykia)

Mike Adams has spent 30 years doing what most founders underestimate and then desperately need. Connecting people. Lead generation

From HP to Apple to Zoom, and across 1,000+ events, Mike has built his career by understanding how trust, reputation, and introductions actually move deals forward. Now, as the founder of introstars, he’s turning referrals into the ultimate scalable lead-gen paradigm and opening up the intro economy to be measurable, trackable, and valuable.

In this conversation, we unpack why the best growth no longer comes from cold outreach, why super connectors think differently about value, and how founders can build real leverage by investing in relationships long before they need them. We talk about the “intro economy,” the ethics of monetising connections, what kind of intros make the biggest difference, and why focusing your time on sending referrals to others will actually help your own business.

This is a conversation for founders tired of shouting into the void and curious about building growth through trust instead of hacks.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Networking in the Age of AI
• 02:02 Mike’s Journey: From Sales to Super Connector
• 06:10 The Importance of Trust and Vulnerability
• 11:56 Givers vs. Takers in Networking
• 17:35 The Role of Introductions in Business Success
• 24:01 Building Your Personal Brand Through Connections
• 24:33 Building Trust and Reputation
• 29:26 The Shift from Cold Outreach to Warm Introductions
• 37:23 The Role of AI in Networking
• 44:33 introstars: Connecting People for Mutual Benefit
• 47:06 Closing Thoughts on Human Connection

Mike Adams

The founder of introstars, an investor in 20+ startups, and the host of The Super Connectors Podcast. With over three decades in sales and marketing at companies including HP, Apple, and Zoom, Mike has built a reputation as a high-trust connector who understands how relationships really drive business.

Through introstars, Mike is building the first platform designed to reward introducers for successful outcomes, turning introductions into a measurable and sustainable growth channel. He’s passionate about helping founders, operators, and investors unlock value through genuine connection rather than transactional networking.

Who Should Listen

• Founders building partnerships and distribution
• Operators responsible for growth and BD
• Investors who rely on trusted deal flow
• Anyone who believes relationships still matter in an AI-first world

Access All Areas.

• Listen: Apple || Spotify || YouTube
• Subscribe: Substack
• Community & Events: Founders Circle
• Connect: LinkedIn
• Socials: TikTok || Instagram || X
• Web: startupsdecoded.com

Music Credit

“Neptuno” – Phondupe (Album: Onykia)