EP 249
Tyler sits down with with Colin Hodge, startup founder, growth strategist, co-owner of the dating app Down, and author of Outrageous Startup Growth, about the highs and lows of building fast-growing companies and what those experiences teach you about leadership, identity, and resilience.
Colin shares how early viral traction and massive attention created a misleading definition of success, and how that eventually led to burnout, self-doubt, and what Tyler calls a “mirror-shattering moment.” Together, they unpack the emotional side of entrepreneurship, including founder ego, external validation, sustainable growth, authenticity, empathy, and the internal work required to build something meaningful over the long term.
Meet Colin Hodge
Colin Hodge is a startup founder and author who has led companies and growth teams responsible for over 100 million users. He currently is co-owner of DOWN, a top 10 dating app in the US with millions in annual revenue, built on the growth principles and lessons shared in this book.
He achieved a successful exit for DOWN (then later reacquiring it) and 17Live, the top live-streaming video company in Asia (and still learned from plenty of failures along the way). While Chief Growth Officer at 17Live, Colin led the data-driven initiatives in growth, global expansion, and marketing, then launched the platform in the United States as the first US CEO.
A big believer in trying even in the face of daunting odds, Colin channeled his advocacy for democracy and human rights into co-founding SnowballForGood.com in 2021 to harness the power of individuals to spark change. Colin holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Cornell University and occasionally serves as a board member and keynote speaker for organizations around the world.
Colin calls many places home but is most often found in Taipei, Seattle, and San Francisco.
Resources, books, and links mentioned in this episode:
Learn more about the book
https://colinhodge.com/book/
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About the Tyler Dickerhoof Show Podcast
The Impact Driven Leader Podcast, hosted by Tyler Dickerhoof, is for Xillennial leaders who have felt alone and ill-equipped to lead in today's world. Through inspiring interviews with authors from around the world, Tyler uncovers how unique leadership strengths can empower others to achieve so much more, with real impact.
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