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/

—

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Nate Quigley is the co-founder of Chatbooks, the photo book company that helps families preserve their memories from Instagram photos. He started the company after a wave of nostalgia hit as his oldest child approached leaving home, only to spend years building a product nobody wanted. Then his wife Vanessa stepped in, suggested they simply print Instagram, and became the accidental co-founder who helped turn the company around.

He’s also a father of seven, a grandfather of two, and officially the first Startup Dad guest to also be a Startup Granddad. Nate brings a rare perspective on what it means to build a company while raising a big family and then watching those kids grow into adults with lives of their own. He shares how parenting has taught him to release control, stay curious, and create family rituals that give kids a place to come back to. We discussed:

• Co-founding with your spouse: How Vanessa’s intervention saved Chatbooks and what it’s been like building a company together for more than a decade.
• Treating the company like a family farm: Farm families don't talk about work-life balance because work and life are the same thing.
• Parenting seven very different kids: How Nate’s approach changed from child one to child seven and why one parenting playbook never works for every child.
• Learning to let go: Why Nate believes the hardest parts of parenting and leadership come from guiding people without trying to control every outcome.
• Creating family rituals that stick: The traditions that helped Nate keep a household of nine connected.
• Helping kids navigate technology: How Nate thinks about phones, social media, AI, and using tools that create better conversations instead of just tighter controls.

Where to find Nate Quigley

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natequigley/

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 Nate Quigley, Co-Founder and CEO of Chatbooks
(02:23) Raising seven kids and becoming an empty nester
(04:13) How Vanessa became the accidental co-founder
(05:39) The simple pivot that saved Chatbooks
(10:05) Treating the startup like the family farm
(12:47) How parenting changed from kid one to kid seven
(14:39) Learning to let go as a dad and leader
(17:36) Birding, curiosity, and observing your kids
(21:51) Advice for founders who want to become dads
(25:06) Family night and the Quigley Creed
(28:50) Creating family rituals that actually stick
(30:53) The 15-year-old adventure tradition
(32:53) Why letting kids grow up is so hard
(37:01) Parenting through phones, social media, and screen time
(48:15) Lightning round: fly fishing, minivans, and dishwasher rules

Resources From This Episode:

Chatbooks: https://chatbooks.com/

Chatbooks’ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chatbooks/

Bark: https://www.bark.us/

Analog: https://goanalog.co/

Brick: https://getbrick.com/

A River Runs Through It (Film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105265/

—

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Gabe Larsen is the CRO of Atonom, an AI company building always-on AI agents. He has spent his career leading go-to-market teams at high-growth companies, including Kustomer, Meta, and InsideSales.com.

He’s also a father of five boys, ranging from six months to 14 years old, along with his wife Carolyn. In this conversation, Gabe shares why he believes fatherhood doesn’t slow down ambition, it sharpens it. We talked about how raising kids has made him more focused, more empathetic, and more direct as a leader, and why the same skills that matter at home - prioritization, hard conversations, and presence - show up every day at work. We discussed:

• Fatherhood as leadership training: Why Gabe believes becoming a Dad can make you more focused, empathetic, and effective at work.
• Kids expose wasted motion fast: How parenting forced Gabe to cut through busy work and get clearer about what actually matters.
• Building a family operating system: The family mission, values, and quarterly goals Gabe uses to help his five boys grow.
• Monthly one-on-ones with each son: Why Gabe creates structured time for hard conversations, check-ins, and connections.
• Work-life integration: How Gabe thinks about ambition, presence, travel, marriage, and making the moments at home count.
• Raising AI-native kids: Why Gabe is cautious about phones and social media, but wants his kids to learn how to use AI productively.

Where to find Gabe Larsen

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabelarsen/

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 Gabe Larsen, CRO of Atonom
(02:37) Why kids can make you a better leader
(03:48) How family sharpens ambition and focus
(04:57) The brief, mission, debrief rhythm
(06:23) Why kids expose wasted motion fast
(07:43) Building a family mission and quarterly goals
(10:29) Having hard conversations at home and at work
(14:17) How fatherhood shifted Gabe’s emotional center
(16:53) Letting go of balance and finding integration
(19:54) Gabe’s advice for founder parents
(22:17) How Gabe and Carolyn made a career shift work
(28:04) Marriage, pressure, and playing to your strengths
(31:30) Choosing presence when your phone pulls you away
(43:07) Lightning round with binkies, dad robes, Dora, and minivans

Resources From This Episode:

Atonom: https://atonom.ai/

Dora The Explorer (TV Series): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0235917/

The Karate Kid (Film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087538/
Back To The Future (Film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088763/

Remember The Titans (Film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0210945/

—

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For sponsorship inquiries, email: podcast@fishmana.com
For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com

Ashish Kundra is the CEO of Conceptual, a growth agency that helps companies like Cursor, Perplexity, Superhuman, Fenty Beauty, GPTZero, and dozens more. Prior to that, he led growth at DuckDuckGo and founded two other companies.

He’s also a husband and the father of a four-year-old son. In this episode, Ashish shares why starting a company when his son was one made sense for his family, how being married to a pediatrician shapes their parenting, and why he believes small falls prevent big falls. We discussed:

• Being married to a pediatrician and how that shapes parenting: Why Ashish sees it as a major advantage in handling health, nutrition, and everyday parenting decisions.
• Starting a company when his son was one: Why Ashish felt that early parenthood was still the right time to build something of his own.
• Avoiding over-parenting: How he gives his son more agency and lets natural consequences do some of the teaching.
• Why small falls prevent big falls: How Ashish thinks about struggle, discomfort, and building resilience early.
• Tracking happiness and contentment: Why he journals regularly and what he’s learned about sleep, exercise, and stress.
• Why your child is not your trophy: How he thinks about ambition, identity, and raising a son without ego.

Where to find Ashish Kundra

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashish-kundra-5a9b784/
• X: https://x.com/akundra

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) Welcome Ashish Kundra, CEO of Conceptual

(02:57) What it is really like being married to a pediatrician

(05:15) Nutrition, hydration, and diet hacks that actually help

(08:31) Why he started a company when his son was a baby

(12:38) Avoiding over-parenting and giving kids more agency

(16:41) Why small falls can prevent bigger ones later

(20:01) Tracking happiness, sleep, and stress in real time

(24:13) The weekly one-on-one that keeps their marriage aligned

(25:47) How he and his wife divide life at home

(27:44) Grandparents, family planning, and designing life on purpose

(29:34) Embracing imperfection as a parent and partner

(31:15) Raising a kid without turning him into a trophy

(34:33) The mistake he wishes he could redo as a dad

(35:53) Navigating startup pressure and family time

(37:59) Lightning round: strollers, quesadillas, Cocomelon, and minivans

Resources From This Episode:

Conceptual: https://conceptualhq.com/

Baby stroller: https://a.co/d/0aRvEiDH

The Sound of Music (Film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059742/

The Lion King (Film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110357/
Mrs. Doubtfire (Film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107614/

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For sponsorship inquiries, email: podcast@fishmana.com
For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com

Robert Whitney is the Co-Founder and CTO of Hapiko, the company that invented Stickerbox, an AI powered product helping kids create and play in more imaginative ways. Before starting Stickerbox, he helped scale New York Times Games, Grailed and spent time at Anthropic thinking deeply about the future of AI and how it will shape the next generation.

He’s also a co-parent to a four-and-a-half-year-old son in New York City. In this conversation, Robert shares how fatherhood changed the way he approaches work, decision-making, discipline, and presence. We also talk about co-parenting as a founder, his shift away from a hard-partying New York lifestyle, the parenting principles he’s developed, and why he believes most AI products are failing kids. We discussed:

• Why parenting is the ultimate life experience: How becoming a dad made Robert more grounded and less reactive.
• Co-parenting while building a startup: What it looks like to split time as a founder and a parent, and how Robert thinks about being fully present in each mode.
• Leaving behind a hard-partying New York lifestyle: Why Robert made a major life change years before becoming a dad, and how sobriety reshaped his priorities, energy, and sense of self.
• How loss changed his perspective on fatherhood: What losing his mom shortly after becoming a parent taught him about time and presence.
• What most AI products get wrong for kids: Why Robert believes kids need safer, simpler, more thoughtful tools.
• How Stickerbox started with his son: The rainy-day moment that turned into a company built around play and creativity.

Where to find Robert Whitney

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertjwhitney/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertjwhitney/
  
  

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 Robert Whitney, Co-Founder/CTO of Stickerbox

(02:12) Why parenting is the ultimate life experience

(06:11) Co-parenting while building a startup

(09:46) Leaving behind his hard-partying New York lifestyle

(13:56) The career shift that forced deeper self-reflection

(16:09) Losing his mom and learning to value presence

(18:18) Why he got pulled into AI for kids

(22:13) The biggest AI risks facing children

(27:16) Why safety matters more than being on the bleeding edge

(32:20) Parenting principles that help him let most things go

(34:38) Why he makes his son help with everything

(38:27) Why slowing down and sleeping on things matters

(43:07) Why discipline matters more than motivation

(48:12) How Stickerbox was created with his son

(52:58) Lightning round: Yoto wins, bowling obsession, and manual minivans

Resources From This Episode:

Stickerbox: https://stickerbox.com/

Hapiko: https://hapiko.com/

Yoto: https://www.yotoplay.com/

Moana (Film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3521164/
My Neighbor Totoro (Film): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096283/

Dodge Caravan (Car): https://www.dodge.com/grand-caravan.html

—

Support Startup Dad
For sponsorship inquiries, email: podcast@fishmana.com
For Startup Dad Merch: www.startupdadshop.com