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Startup Dad

Startup Dad

By: Adam Fishman
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Adam Fishman (author of a top business newsletter on Substack with 11K+ subscribers) interviews executives, entrepreneurs, and company leaders in technology companies who are also fathers. They discuss the tough aspects of work, parenting, family, the mistakes made and lessons learned along the way. All episodes at www.startupdadpod.com.Adam Fishman Parenting & Families Relationships
Episodes
  • Everything Is Trivial After Infant CPR | Ben Norment (Dad of 3, Founder/CEO of Stork Exchange)

    Everything Is Trivial After Infant CPR | Ben Norment (Dad of 3, Founder/CEO of Stork Exchange)
    Jun 11 2026

    Ben Norment is the Founder and CEO of Stork Exchange, a company helping parents access high quality baby gear at more affordable prices by working with retailers and manufacturers to resell returned products. He started building the company right as he and his wife, Cyndal, were expecting their first child.

    He’s also a father of three, with kids ages five, four, and seven months. His parenting journey has included the chaos of launching a startup while becoming a dad, moving states, and navigating an incredibly difficult NICU experience with his second child. We discussed:

    • Starting a parenting company as a new dad: How Ben launched Stork Exchange while expecting his first child and became his own target customer.
    • Surviving a traumatic NICU experience: How Ben’s second son’s medical complications and hospital stay changed his view of parenting.
    • Keeping startup stress in perspective: Why performing CPR on his infant son made company problems feel more manageable.
    • Taking a team first approach at home: How Ben and his wife stay aligned, support each other, and avoid being pitted against each other.
    • Letting kids be bored: Why Ben believes boredom builds creativity, independence, and imagination.
    • Choosing analog parenting in a tech heavy world: Why Ben limits screens, avoids outsourcing parenting to AI, and wants childhood to stay hands-on.

    Where to find Ben Norment

    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-norment-83425b50/
    • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stork_exchange

    Where to find Adam Fishman

    • FishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com
    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/
    • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/
    • X: https://x.com/fishmanaf

    In this episode, we cover:

    (00:00) Welcoming Ben Norment, Founder/CEO of Stork Exchange
    (02:57) How Stork Exchange helps parents save on baby gear
    (06:04) Starting a company while expecting his first child
    (10:19) Why nothing fully prepares you for dad life
    (11:43) Surviving the NICU and infant CPR
    (16:46) How trauma changed his view of parenting and startups
    (20:44) Advice for founders starting families
    (23:46) Why kids need to be bored
    (25:39) Letting go of perfect parenting frameworks
    (28:54) Why every parenting season eventually passes
    (32:38) How Ben and Cindel tag team hard moments
    (34:07) Building a unified front in marriage
    (36:52) Why kids need to see parents as people
    (39:06) Letting kids be kids instead of chasing achievement
    (48:50) Lightning round: BabyBjörn, Toy Story, rocks, and minivans


    Resources From This Episode:

    Stork Exchange: https://storkexchange.co/

    SNOO: https://www.happiestbaby.com/products/snoo-smart-bassinet

    BabyBjörn Bouncer: https://www.babybjorn.com/products/baby-bouncers/

    UPPAbaby Vista V3: https://uppababy.com/strollers/full-size/vista-v3/

    Doona: https://www.doona.com/car-seat-stroller/discover-doona

    Toy Story (Film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114709/

    Home Alone (Film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099785/


    —


    Support Startup Dad

    For sponsorship inquiries, email: podcast@fishmana.com
    For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com
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    55 mins
  • Dad Bods, Brains and Testosterone | Darby Saxbe (Mom of 2, Author and Professor at USC)

    Dad Bods, Brains and Testosterone | Darby Saxbe (Mom of 2, Author and Professor at USC)
    Jun 4 2026
    Darby Saxbe is a clinical psychologist, professor at USC, and one of the few researchers in the world studying how men’s brains change when they become fathers. She is also the author of Dad Brain: The New Science of Fatherhood and How It Shapes Men’s Lives, a book that explores the neuroscience, hormones, mental health, relationships, and social shifts that come with becoming a dad.She’s also a mom of two teenagers and a returning guest on Startup Dad. We discussed:Understanding how fatherhood changes the brain: Why Darby believes becoming a parent is a major window of brain plasticity, similar to adolescence.Writing Dad Brain from both science and personal experience: How Darby’s own father, stepfather, husband, and kids shaped the story behind the book.Rethinking testosterone and masculinity: Why testosterone often drops in new dads and how that can support bonding, patience, and caregiving.Recognizing dad mental health risks: How depression and anxiety can show up differently in fathers and why dads are often invisible in postpartum care.Building confidence through hands-on parenting: Why dads need reps, trust, and real responsibility instead of being treated like backup caregivers.Making fatherhood more supported at work and at home: How better leave policies, dad communities, and cultural expectations can help men become more engaged parents.Where to find Darby SaxbeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darbysaxbe Website: https://www.darbysaxbe.com/Natalgazing Substack: https://darbysaxbe.substack.com/X: https://x.com/darbysaxbeWhere to find Adam FishmanFishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/ X: https://x.com/fishmanafIn this episode, we cover:(00:00) Welcoming Darby Saxbe, Author and Professor at University of Southern California(02:19) Celebrating the launch of Dad Brain(05:17) How Darby’s dad shaped the book(11:19) Writing about stepfathers, grief, and family complexity(13:52) Why parenthood rewires the adult brain(18:17) The U-shaped curve of dad brain changes(22:07) Why fatherhood is both costly and rewarding(30:04) What testosterone changes reveal about fatherhood(38:50) Why the manosphere gets masculinity wrong(43:56) Rethinking oxytocin, cortisol, and hormone myths(47:14) Why dads’ postpartum depression gets missed(51:26) Why the NICU can feel like a no man’s land(53:48) Why the dad bod is real(57:10) Why bedtime dads help the whole family sleep(01:00:36) How rough and tumble play helps kids grow(01:02:48) Why dad brain belongs at work(01:14:43) Why paternity leave needs a better design(01:23:48) Lightning round: sea horses, Homer Simpson, sushi, and tiny carsResources From This Episode:Pre-order Darby’s Book, Dad Brain: https://bookshop.org/p/books/dad-brain-the-new-science-of-fatherhood-and-how-it-shapes-men-s-lives-darby-saxbe-phd/0dec68c3d890e5a7 Darby’s Substack, Natal Gazing: https://darbysaxbe.substack.com/ Darby’s previous episode on Startup Dad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBvgqimMv6EWhat’s On Her Mind by Allison Daminger: https://www.allisondaminger.com/book Father Nature by James Rilling: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262048934/father-nature/ —Support Startup DadFor sponsorship inquiries, email: podcast@fishmana.comFor Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com
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    1 hr and 31 mins
  • I Use Hostage Negotiation Tactics With My Daughter | Walter Velazquez Taboada (Dad of 2, Architect at Winning by Design)

    I Use Hostage Negotiation Tactics With My Daughter | Walter Velazquez Taboada (Dad of 2, Architect at Winning by Design)
    May 28 2026
    Walter Velazquez Taboada is a consultant and former operations leader at Winning by Design, where he helps executive teams navigate complex decisions and organizational change. Originally from Cuba, Walter has lived across Spain, Mexico, and China, bringing a global perspective to both work and family life.He’s also a father of two, navigating parenting with an 8-year-old daughter and a seven-month-old son while balancing differing parenting styles, cultural perspectives, and the realities of modern technology. We discussed:Parenting without a playbook: Why Walter and his wife skipped the parenting books and learned by adapting in real time instead of following rigid frameworks.Having kids eight years apart: How becoming a dad again later in life completely changed Walter’s perspective on stress, presence, and enjoying the newborn stage.Letting kids find their own path: Why Walter believes children aren’t blank canvases and how he tries to guide his daughter without forcing his own ambitions onto her.Using FBI negotiation tactics in parenting: How Chris Voss’ “Black Swan” framework helped Walter uncover what his daughter was really feeling.Navigating parenting disagreements with your partner: How Walter and his wife work through different views on screen time, hygiene, and risk tolerance.Helping kids navigate technology and AI: Why Walter is delaying full internet access and thinking carefully about screens, AI, and digital habits.Where to find Walter Velazquez TaboadaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/walter-velazquez-taboada-87244529 Where to find Adam FishmanFishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/ X: https://x.com/fishmanafIn this episode, we cover:(00:00) Welcoming Walter Velazquez Taboada, Architect at Winning by Design(02:32) The Disney rollercoaster story that traumatized his daughter(04:56) Growing up across Cuba, Spain, and Mexico(07:32) Starting a family young and figuring it out as they went(08:33) Having kids eight years apart changes everything(13:44) Parenting without a playbook or parenting books(17:31) Screen time, hygiene, and parenting disagreements(19:43) Why Walter doesn’t believe in a perfectly unified parenting front(22:53) The crocodile soccer ball rescue mission(27:50) Why kids mirror everything their parents do(30:28) Letting kids find their own path in life(35:55) Using FBI negotiation tactics to understand his daughter(41:42) How fatherhood changed Walter’s leadership style(46:30) Helping kids navigate screens, AI, and the digital world(53:55) Lightning round: diaper genies, minivans, and terrifying Halloween costumesResources From This Episode:Winning by Design: https://winningbydesign.com/ Never Split the Difference (Book by Chris Voss): https://a.co/d/0hv2cKv1 Diaper Genie: https://diapergenie.com/ Inside Out (Film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2096673/ Alien: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078748/ Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (Book): https://a.co/d/0iZ25Y78 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) (Film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067992/ Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (2005) (Film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367594/ Wonka (2023) (Film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6166392/ Electric Screwdriver: https://a.co/d/0881w1k7 —Support Startup DadFor sponsorship inquiries, email: podcast@fishmana.comFor Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com
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    1 hr and 1 min
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