Founding Scars

Every founder has a decision they don't talk about at panels.

Founding Scars is the show where they finally do. Not the highlight reel. Not the lessons learned fluff. The actual call. The one that cost them sleep, money, relationships, or all three.

The hire they made too late. The co-founder they should've cut sooner. The pivot they almost didn't make.

One founder. One scar. What it taught them about building.

For operators and founders who want the real version of how companies get made.

The Host

Vishakha Shahi

I started Founding Scars because I had too many questions and not enough honest answers.

I wanted to build a startup. Everyone around me agreed on two things: finding the right problem is brutally hard, and keeping a business alive is even harder. So I did what made sense. I started talking to the people who'd figured both out. Not the polished version. The scars version.

Founding Scars is for builders, operators, and anyone who wants the unfiltered truth about what it takes to start, fundraise, and scale. Founders, VCs, operators. Past the surface.

By day, I'm at Skan AI, helping Fortune 500 and global companies navigate digital transformation and automation strategy. 30+ projects across industries and continents.

Outside work: surfing, horse riding, and probably too much conversation.

Want to be a guest?

If you have a founding scar worth sharing — a hard call, a costly decision, a pivotal moment — we want to hear from you.

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