<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1902723/open_sms">Send us a text</a>In this episode, James Evans, co-founder of Command AI (acq by Amplitude), shares his entrepreneurial journey- from childhood ambitions to launching a startup in college and scaling it through YC. He talks about turning a side project into a venture-backed company, navigating the startup grind, and eventually getting acquired by Amplitude. James breaks down the realities of startup life, including hiring, sales vs. product-led growth, and the psychological weight of being a founder. He also walks through the acquisition process, post-acquisition integration, and how he’s continuing to grow in a new role. This episode is packed with candid insight into early-stage building, decision-making, and what comes after the “win.”00:00 Starting a Company: The Myth vs. Reality  00:08 Interview with James Evans: Early Life and Entrepreneurial Aspirations  01:41 College Days: The Birth of Command AI  02:50 From Side Project to Startup  04:31 Entering Private Equity After Graduation  05:34 The YC Experience and Why Speed Matters  13:26 Marketing and Growth: What Actually Works  16:32 Conserving Innovation and Picking the Right Bets  16:54 Remote Work as a Strategic Choice  17:48 Marketing: From Popups to Planes  19:17 Avoiding Overthinking and Moving Fast  20:30 Angel Investing and Operating Insights  22:38 Hiring, Firing, and Early Team Building  26:02 The Amplitude Acquisition: How It Happened  30:14 After the Exit: Integration and Personal GrowthConnect with Paige 🌱💜 Behind Genius Ventures blog | <a href='https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbkJOdF9jT0FhUjhMLVpYU3lsRG9XZ1IyNTRoZ3xBQ3Jtc0tuZ0ptdUI3OXFPQjBhZTZVRFhHWnF2bWR5UTM5U19sOTNKTmRVMkZHR2R5X1lRNjg5TF9zazNpeU4wS1N2c0MxcmlLR2xod004RjllN1VaUVc0X2ptanJvY21ObVhNaWhTSmFsMWIyWVpoOXN4WllvMA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.behindgeniusventures.com%2F&v=_d90D4avvY8'>https://www.behindgeniusventures.com/</a> Personal Blog | <a href='https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqblp5c2tXS2g1WjhsUU5URjN6U0oyNDhSQ0Frd3xBQ3Jtc0tuS3FjQmNPalpNTlpla3ZvWGpjbDg2TEpIdTJkTXpWS1ZPZGhJLWdyV0VocWtzRzBuNVBCQnBYRGdxZlk0aFJnNmNNc0wwUjM0Y1Z4NkdyMkZLdjFpeTdTaU12QXNCWVA2QjFRX3hzT0tOLWwwZl9qNA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fpaigefinndoherty.com%2F&v=_d90D4avvY8'>https://paigefinndoherty.com/</a> Twitter | <a href='https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbVdENTVaOWdveVJiWWtmc3pzanFTdlZFWXY2d3xBQ3Jtc0ttYVNZb1Z2d3FMLWRRVmg3emszOEU5T0VzZVZtLW9HRFFtb1pUTEIycW1hWjVtMDg0c2JQWTExVWREd0ZvSkNfNFpONFVOSnhfOUpxOHhoWVp5Qi1adjdPZTFrYXdEOTRVQ0VWdmFoYUt6Z1hoSEVqZw&q=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fpaigefinnn&v=_d90D4avvY8'>https://x.com/paigefinnn </a> Links 🔗 James Evans – <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesbevans/'>https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesbevans/</a> 🔗 CommandBar – <a href='https://www.commandbar.com/'>https://www.commandbar.com/</a> 🔗 Y Combinator – <a href='https://www.ycombinator.com/'>https://www.ycombinator.com/</a> 🔗 Amplitude – <a href='https://amplitude.com/'>https://amplitude.com/</a><a rel="payment" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1902723/support">Support the show</a>

Podurama

Home

Trending

Personal

Your Podcasts

New Episodes

My Files

Favourite Episodes

Tags (Folders)

Recently Played

Bookmarks

Followed Playlists

James Evans’ Lessons Learned Building a >$50M YC-Backed Business & Selling it to a Public Company | Ep 95

Seed to Harvest

AI Chapters

AI Insights

Reviews