E25 - The Finale!

This is the season finale for This Startup is being Recorded. Thank you for listening and stay tuned for Season 2!

Agenda:

• None! This was unplanned! But then in the middle of the wedding we got an urgent email about the Series A!

Takeaways:

• Happy, joy, celebration!!

Transcript

Ben: 0:07

welcome to this startup is being recorded. This recording is improvised fiction. Similarities between it and the real world are entirely intentional. Now enjoy the recording.

Kate: 0:23

Okay. We were all in here is the door closed. Everyone fits. Okay. Awesome. Um, I guess. To whoever ends up watching this, can you please email it to me? Um, our, our normal office is being used as the buffet, uh, for obviously Lars and David's wedding. And we, we just we'd like to record our meetings. And so, um, yeah, whichever producer ends up watching this, uh, please say.

Calathea: 0:52

it's, it's very handy.

Matt: 0:55

Yeah, this, is, this are all like reality TV, confessional rooms, this small, this, this is like very cozy

Calathea: 1:01

No, I wanted it to feel more intimate because I really wanted like a really intimate feel to our documentary slash reality show that we'll be thinking about the weddings.

Matt: 1:13

Yeah, well it's

Eric: 1:14

Great job.

Calathea: 1:15

Yeah.

Matt: 1:16

uh, yeah, I don't, I don't know what I expected, I guess, but it's small. It's very clean. I always thought like people cried in here. Kind of smelling that doesn't, that's not a thing, but like that, that's what I thought. Um, I'm sorry. I'm getting a sidetrack to already.

Calathea: 1:31

No, no, I get it. I do I do smell like a distinct smell. Like, you know, right before the rain comes, there's like an ozone smell. You know, there's like that when you have a lot of people crying in one space, my old office used to smell like that.

Matt: 1:43

Oh,

Kate: 1:44

Yeah. I mean,

Matt: 1:45

right. Well, we're missing out on the reception. Uh,

Kate: 1:48

I know the speeches are still happening, but, um, I didn't realize everyone in the company was going to give a speech, but anyway, Oh, man. I'm so flustered, but we're, we're here. Uh, because we really, even though it's the wedding reception of force and tape, it need to apparently sign the series a document in the next like 20 minutes. Um,

Matt: 2:11

oh, that's that's great news. I mean, that means they've, they've stepped up the.

Kate: 2:17

yeah, I mean,

Calathea: 2:19

Oh,

Kate: 2:19

but I haven't seen it. I just, I mean, it's in our emails, but I haven't even had the time to look up.

Eric: 2:24

Yeah, apparently, apparently it was stuck in John's spam folder for the last four days. Uh, and

Kate: 2:30

Oh, no.

Eric: 2:31

more time.

Matt: 2:32

okay. Let me, oh yeah.

Kate: 2:36

Okay. Let's let's just,

Matt: 2:37

it's in my spam folder. Uh, cause I have filters set up for when John Ford's me stuff. Okay. Wow. Haven't seen it until, oh, so we've been sitting on this. Excellent. Uh,

Kate: 2:47

Yeah. It's it'll be fine. It'll be fine. Um, let's do just quick, super quick intro. Cate Blanchett, chief of staff for set.

Calathea: 2:57

Oh, yeah, it's great. Creatives are for sin.

Eric: 3:02

yep. Uh, Eric, Troy Carter, chief product officer at CIT

Matt: 3:06

uh, oh, hi, uh, uh, Matt, matt.yachts. That's also my website and I am the CTO here at CIT.

Kate: 3:13

Okay,

Matt: 3:14

Okay. A lot of this looks familiar like this is definitely.

Kate: 3:17

Standard language.

Matt: 3:19

had like a highlighter or something for what changed, because these are.

Kate: 3:24

Wait, uh, section 12.

Eric: 3:29

changes. What'd he say in section 12?

Kate: 3:33

I just, there wasn't a section 12 before I remember if it's 12 was my favorite number. Um, and so I was thinking, you know, section 12 will be my favorite and then there wasn't one, but now there, now there is one.

Eric: 3:45

oh, yeah. Jumped to an 11 to 13. Last time I remember saying I look weird because usually you skipped 13, but I think it was a mistake. Maybe there was a place holder that you were missing. Okay.

Calathea: 3:55

different cultures have different numbers that they find a nerving.

Matt: 3:59

All right. Section 12, uh, additional additional assets and acquisitions

Kate: 4:08

assets.

Matt: 4:10

as part of the agreement, the entity known as CIT agrees to acquire,

Eric: 4:16

Oh, wow.

Matt: 4:17

hang on from. Uh, well, it looks like one of the investors wants to roll a company into sit, hang on. Who,

Kate: 4:28

uh, what com company? I, we, we definitely don't have any investors who have any type of couch marketplaces already in their investment portfolio. That that was a huge record.

Matt: 4:40

Yeah, no, that, I mean, that was a part of the whole. The series a thing was like, we wanted people to be on board with us as their couch marketplace. I mean, that's, maybe that's part of why they were kind of rude about us becoming the number one couch marketplace. Before we close. I'm going to, I'm going to get out my laptop. I

Kate: 5:01

what is this acquisition? All it says is rough

Eric: 5:06

her back

Kate: 5:07

LLC.

Calathea: 5:09

What was that?

Kate: 5:11

Ruff Ruff. Like not, not like the dog, not mustard, no muster muster like a Custer, but not like custard. Like Custer's last stand.

Matt: 5:24

like a rollout, like a muster AB.

Eric: 5:27

yeah.

Kate: 5:27

Yeah.

Eric: 5:28

Okay.

Matt: 5:30

All right. They don't,

Kate: 5:32

What is it about Google?

Matt: 5:34

Uh,

Calathea: 5:35

that.

Kate: 5:36

dang.

Matt: 5:36

have the.org. They don't have a. they do have a.co. Okay.

Kate: 5:43

Um,

Matt: 5:44

Is this them? Let me check. Uh,

Kate: 5:47

Yeah. Oh, this

Calathea: 5:48

you mean that there is a rough month muster.com dot or in.org available, or that somehow there were two companies that chose this God awful name.

Matt: 5:59

no, weirdly, uh, both of those are available, so I guess,

Kate: 6:04

they just

Matt: 6:05

that on my to-do list to register this?

Eric: 6:07

Yeah.

Calathea: 6:08

a brand, a

Matt: 6:09

what are these folks do?

Calathea: 6:12

that would be great.

Eric: 6:13

what's on the dot.

Calathea: 6:14

question.

Matt: 6:15

is just like a slide show of people doing outdoor adventure sports.

Eric: 6:21

Oh, hold

Kate: 6:21

Oh God,

Matt: 6:24

Oh

Kate: 6:25

there's some, they have a picture of a man who is maybe naked covered in mud.

Calathea: 6:32

Yeah, there is.

Eric: 6:33

electrocuted

Calathea: 6:34

Yeah, their Instagram is just all naked people doing yoga and wearing only sneakers. Are they a sneaker company

Matt: 6:44

It's

Kate: 6:45

a yoga com.

Matt: 6:46

no, hang on. They have,

Calathea: 6:47

or maybe a, you know, down under pruning company? Cause I have to say

Matt: 6:53

that's a good

Calathea: 6:53

everybody here, their pubic hair is very well coughed.

Matt: 6:59

Looks like they're okay. I mean, the main thing, other than all of these photos and links to their social media on their website is, uh, events. And they've got events in,

Kate: 7:09

oh,

Matt: 7:10

it looks like a lot of cities, but it's like, it's at least like an hour outside of each city.

Kate: 7:17

Oh,

Matt: 7:17

Yeah.

Kate: 7:19

God. Yeah, I

Matt: 7:20

Okay. Here we go. Sign up for the one near you. Coming soon. The Annapolis, no fun run is not actually in Annapolis.

Kate: 7:31

No fun run.

Matt: 7:33

Yeah.

Kate: 7:34

who would sign up for something like that? Well, what.

Eric: 7:40

first, first prize is a pair of a used sneakers.

Matt: 7:47

huh?

Kate: 7:48

Oh,

Matt: 7:49

signed by the original rough mustard. Themselves. Oh, hang on. This is, this

Eric: 7:54

the rough muster. Uh, oh no. Well, that's him.

Kate: 8:00

I that's. That's the same signature on this. That's the CEO.

Eric: 8:08

that is not what he's looked like in previous meetings.

Matt: 8:12

yeah. Well, I mean he, the mud washes off, I assume. Uh, sorry. Uh, Kathy, what did you say was on the signup?

Calathea: 8:21

yeah. On the signup form, they ask you for the phone number of your mother, your most terrifying teacher and your elementary school bully for quote unquote research.

Matt: 8:38

Yeah. Wow. there's a bunch of different tiers to sign up at two. If you want to do the four hour run. The eight hour deep woods immersive experience or the 24 hour survival challenge.

Eric: 8:52

goodness.

Kate: 8:54

Oh, wait, I

Matt: 8:55

they're in events. They're like a extreme sports events company. Is this is, oh, I just got it. It's like tough. It's like tough Mudder. It's like, have you guys ever, I've never done one of these, but like every big Corp I've worked at has had some weekend retreat that, yeah. That like I'm refusing.

Kate: 9:14

Yeah, no, I, I did want to, once I got stabbed in the Facebook barbed wire, but I mean,

Eric: 9:19

Oh,

Kate: 9:20

wait, so we have 15 minutes to decide if we're going to acquire this company or not.

Matt: 9:25

I forgot about the clock. Yeah. Um,

Eric: 9:27

Are there,

Kate: 9:30

already signed this. Oh my God.

Eric: 9:33

how, how, how much is it? Like, do we hit, did you have any financials? Like we, if we don't, if it doesn't work out, we can just shut it.

Kate: 9:41

Okay. They do, they did attach a due diligence stack. Let's open that. Um,

Matt: 9:46

Okay.

Kate: 9:47

wow. Okay. So pretty high margin. Um, it seems like they charge$600 for the 24 hour experience. Only cost them 30 per person.

Matt: 10:03

Uh, because the survival experience provides no food and all of the, uh warden's yeah. They call them event wardens. They're all volunteers. Okay. What are, what are muster points?

Eric: 10:18

Oh, like a loyalty program.

Matt: 10:20

Yeah, I'm more than a loyalty program. Hang on. Must have rewards. It's like a currency.

Kate: 10:31

is anyone else keeps hearing mustard? I

Matt: 10:35

know what you mean.

Kate: 10:36

but

Calathea: 10:36

very clear, a little too close for comfort, honestly.

Matt: 10:40

I, this is just, I mean, the hard thing here is what, what are our options, right? Do we send this back with strikes through, do we need to get the Mr. Rough muster on the horn and see what's going on here? I mean,

Eric: 10:56

Wow.

Matt: 10:57

This sounds like he's either trying to get access to the capital or the people that we have, or to fob this business off on John or on us. Really.

Eric: 11:11

it's clearly not a money loser. So

Matt: 11:14

That's true. Although.

Calathea: 11:16

but it's a totally different, I mean, uh, we have no experience in events, marketing.

Matt: 11:25

I mean, I don't know if I would say no experience. We've certainly had to do plenty of events work for, uh, all the political campaigns. I mean, you have the, the, the local

Eric: 11:36

of

Matt: 11:36

the state stuff.

Calathea: 11:38

Yeah, that's true. I don't know. I just, I feel like this is a very masculine hate yourself kind of brand, and I'm all about exploring the human darkness of the soul, but it just feels like tying our brand to this is going to change how people see CIT.

Eric: 11:59

I mean, you know, maybe that's what we need though. Like if our premier goal from the beginning was to shape, you know, the face of global trade and that, that includes hyper-masculine endurance races. Pit people against each other. I mean, if we want, if we want to be part of the whole, the whole thing, why, why not make this the second piece?

Kate: 12:26

Uh, yeah.

Eric: 12:28

year roadmap, but I mean, this was on there. It was on there.

Kate: 12:32

They do have a roadmap at the end of that due diligence deck, where they talk about, um, ideas of collaborating with us, you know, it's like a exercise bench slash lounger.

Matt: 12:48

And look at that home exercise equipment. Wow.

Eric: 12:52

logo on it.

Matt: 12:55

Oh, okay. Some of this makes sense to

Kate: 12:58

at our little.

Matt: 12:58

like sit, branded, um, like a cool-down area. Hang on. What are they? They call these on the course, uh, oh, quitter centers. Okay. That's, that's a rude,

Kate: 13:14

quitter sitters. Oh no.

Eric: 13:16

to love that,

Matt: 13:17

looking at an endurance event, like people need to rest. I don't know who I'm telling this.

Kate: 13:23

It seems like they used set a lot in these products, but it's a lot. Don't sit or sit no more or the anti set, you know?

Matt: 13:36

Yeah, it is really tough to reconcile with how much we've been a brand about pushing comfort and home and, uh, expressing yourself through leisure and.

Calathea: 13:48

I mean, I'm just really glad we didn't go with com fleek.

Eric: 13:52

Oh

Kate: 13:53

Yeah.

Calathea: 13:54

that would have been a nightmare.

Kate: 13:56

Oh, God. Yeah. Yeah. At least some exercises you do actually sit like squatting is kind of like getting into the sit position.

Eric: 14:04

that's that's true. Well, I mean, like you were saying, like, what are our options here?

Kate: 14:11

yeah.

Eric: 14:12

he's he's bringing 33% of the rounds funding, so.

Kate: 14:17

Ooh.

Eric: 14:17

To re to replace that is, I don't know that we can, can wait another, however long it would take to, to replace it. I, I I'm, I'm, I'm kind of fine to take the lead on this.

Kate: 14:29

Yeah, here. Let's just go through and make sure we didn't miss any of the conditions. Um, for instance, oh, we have to figure out how, what this guy, what position this guy will get. He says he, it doesn't matter what his roles and responsibilities are as long as he's referred to as the Colonel.

Calathea: 14:49

what.

Kate: 14:50

Yeah. He wants. Colonel muster.

Calathea: 14:54

Wait, he wants to be Colonel muster and not mustard.

Kate: 14:58

Yes. He wants to keep the muster brand, uh, but be a Colonel.

Calathea: 15:03

So on top of all of this, he wants us to call him a upon. Yeah.

Matt: 15:09

Yeah. You know, he is ex-military.

Eric: 15:14

And. None of us have interesting names.

Matt: 15:20

Yeah, no, he, he is a Colonel. He was, or

Eric: 15:24

Oh, he's actually, it was, a

Calathea: 15:25

Oh, that's okay. That makes a little more sense. Is his last name muster though?

Matt: 15:32

Yeah. I mean, well, yeah. That's

Eric: 15:36

Yeah, but he, he changed it. He changed it to muster when he was

Matt: 15:41

Legally that's not, that's not his doing business as name. Uh, but it's yeah,

Calathea: 15:46

No.

Matt: 15:47

still using. I, I don't know, did I, I did a walk through of a bunch of the potential investor portfolios and, uh, the background information on them, uh, most of his money was, was family money. So he uses the family name for kind of doing business as, but, uh, he's, he's leaned really hard into this, uh, rough muster personality,

Calathea: 16:10

I can tell. Yeah. Wow.

Kate: 16:14

Okay. Okay. Um, they also say that, um, they would like their volunteer program to continue, uh, looking for opportunities for volunteers to

Eric: 16:24

Okay.

Kate: 16:26

How should you use the word work in our warehouse?

Calathea: 16:30

Wait, what.

Matt: 16:32

oh yeah. This is a whole section about synergies.

Kate: 16:35

Yeah, they're saying we

Matt: 16:37

muster community is full of hardworking diligent people who are. put to work at lower, no costs. And there's a whole list of wow. Just links to yeah. Spreadsheets

Kate: 16:52

and,

Matt: 16:52

emails.

Kate: 16:54

and their mother's phone numbers and the childhood books.

Eric: 16:59

Oh,

Kate: 17:00

So the, you using the name of the child hood bully as the manager of this person helps motivate them. Interesting.

Matt: 17:12

This is very detailed.

Eric: 17:14

Oh, wait, what the hell

Matt: 17:17

Uh, what'd you

Eric: 17:17

I I'm I'm listed as a bully.

Matt: 17:22

it's about by her by whom?

Eric: 17:24

Uh,

Calathea: 17:24

Who did you bully?

Eric: 17:26

some, some Jackson white bird in Missouri

Matt: 17:32

do he will do, you know, a Jackson Jacksonville.

Calathea: 17:34

Yeah.

Eric: 17:35

doesn't ring a bell.

Matt: 17:38

Did you go to like elementary school in Missouri? What?

Kate: 17:41

Yeah.

Eric: 17:43

Oh,

Matt: 17:45

I mean, they could have moved to Missouri by now. I guess.

Eric: 17:47

No, I didn't. I mean, I didn't, but I did know it. I didn't know that Jack. And I kicked a Jackson in the face and kickball,

Calathea: 17:59

Oh my

Eric: 18:00

but that was, that was part of the game. It was it wasn't I wasn't doing it on purpose. He was playing second base. I hit a good kick

Matt: 18:07

oh, you with the ball, you

Eric: 18:08

with the ball. No, no, I didn't I didn't punch somebody or kick somebody. No, I kicked them. Keep the ball,

Calathea: 18:14

really

Matt: 18:14

heard, I heard, I kicked a Jackson in the face and I assume that was, that was foot to face.

Eric: 18:21

Yeah. Yeah, I understand. But no, but, but that was it.

Kate: 18:26

Well, seems like Jackson, white bird had a pretty nice life up until that

Matt: 18:30

Yeah, maybe that's the worst thing that ever happened to Jackson.

Kate: 18:33

yeah.

Eric: 18:35

Okay. Now I'm, now I'm really in, like, I feel like I.

Kate: 18:38

Sure. Sure. I mean, yeah, don't worry. We all have done things in our past that had affects. We didn't think about, I mean, remember Mike?

Eric: 18:47

I didn't even stop. I just ran to first base. I didn't even check if he was okay,

Calathea: 18:51

Oh, my God.

Kate: 18:52

Well,

Eric: 18:53

was seven it's kickball. I'm not that school nurse.

Calathea: 18:58

Wow.

Kate: 18:59

Have you, you don't want me to get defensive?

Eric: 19:02

Um, and I'm questioning a lot

Matt: 19:06

okay. Well, we're really close to deadline on this. Yeah, we, we need, we need to start signing, I guess. I don't know what there is to discuss. We're kind of up against the wall here. If we sign this, then the thing goes forward and we're saddled with this albatross, whatever it's going to be. If we don't sign what the deal's off, uh, are we going to be in another six months of

Kate: 19:29

I know.

Matt: 19:29

Like we're running out of runway here.

Kate: 19:31

We, we are really out of runway. Really, man. That's where rally TV documentary is going to give us a little bit, but not a lot.

Matt: 19:41

Yeah. I mean, I mean, we spent a lot of that. That was for capital improvements to the space to make, you know, like this very

Kate: 19:47

that's true.

Matt: 19:50

Okay. Well, you know, I don't know. Maybe it's easy for me to say, but it looks like from a tech perspective, their holdings are pretty simple. I see a lot of easy improvements, uh, would love to put their spreadsheet, uh, behind an authentication wall, for example, so that it's not so easy to access this very personal information. So some stuff to do here. So far, pretty simple.

Calathea: 20:15

I mean, I'm not thrilled about it, but I am excited about a new creative challenge.

Kate: 20:23

That's a good way to look at it.

Matt: 20:26

oh boy. I wish I hadn't Googled this, uh, rough muster class.

Kate: 20:37

okay.

Calathea: 20:38

is that really why they're doing lists?

Matt: 20:42

Yeah, this is, uh, negligent and its organization and supervision of race. Um,

Kate: 20:49

oh gosh. Do people get hurt at the races?

Calathea: 20:54

A lot of

Kate: 20:54

Um,

Matt: 20:56

I mean the class, uh, it does, it's a class action. It doesn't list all of the people, but there are, there are several named folks in the suit. Sorry. I can't, it's really hard for me to read these. The legally stuff is just like

Kate: 21:10

so sure

Matt: 21:11

these people heard of type setting, uh,

Kate: 21:15

we would eat this.

Calathea: 21:17

I'm sorry if there's a class action. There's no way we can sign this. I mean, if we get saddled with this like legal fees, it would make the money not worth it.

Eric: 21:26

Yeah, we have to at least be indemnified against it.

Matt: 21:31

yeah.

Kate: 21:33

is that what happens when class actions from one company?

Eric: 21:38

No, not trying.

Matt: 21:39

The class action. Okay. There's something super weird about the way this company was originally set up. The class action is specifically against the leadership of rough muster, rough muster. So it's ambiguous in the lawsuit, whether they're suing the company or the person,

Kate: 21:59

oh, no.

Matt: 21:59

the, which in fact is not the doing business as I did. Hang on this. this. is very familiar.

Eric: 22:06

Do we have any legal hours left? Yeah.

Matt: 22:10

I mean, yeah, probably not. Uh,

Eric: 22:14

Officiating The wedding.

Matt: 22:15

All right. Yeah. One of the appendices here, uh, okay. As part of taking on rough muster, they will be losing their brand identity. The reason that we get to make him, whatever employee we want is. It's because he's not allowed to be in a leadership position of any of the further events and all of this looks like these are terms that would essentially caused the class action to be invalidated.

Eric: 22:44

there we are.

Calathea: 22:46

Okay.

Kate: 22:48

I

Matt: 22:48

Well, mystery solved. I guess

Kate: 22:50

though. Like, it seems like a lot of people fell off a cliff.

Matt: 22:55

the good news is. We can make sure that doesn't happen again, right? Like if, if it's our leadership in charge of these events,

Kate: 23:06

we can put couches at like the bottom of the cliff is what you're saying.

Matt: 23:12

avoid cliffs

Calathea: 23:13

Yeah.

Eric: 23:13

of the class, a barrier to the cliff.

Kate: 23:16

Um,

Matt: 23:16

although a lot of these like really shares on Instagram are people who are like super stoked about how dangerous this.

Eric: 23:24

Right. It's like all five in one star reviews

Matt: 23:27

Yeah.

Eric: 23:28

and they all kind of say the same thing.

Matt: 23:31

Yeah. It's just, some people love it.

Calathea: 23:35

Um, Hey, how are you feeling? Cause I feel like this is a huge operations to like, just be on the ground to run all of these events.

Kate: 23:46

Yeah, I mean, that is true. I mean, a whole team of, uh, hyper-masculine volunteers, uh, could help some things. Um, I don't know. I guess I'm okay with.

Matt: 24:04

okay. Well, I'm the signing.

Kate: 24:07

Maybe it's the hormones.

Matt: 24:09

I signed, um, it's in, uh, yeah, I just, where we're, you know, we're at the clock. Uh, I don't, I don't want us to. To have our feelings, uh, hold us up to the point where we miss this. Uh,

Calathea: 24:26

Um,

Eric: 24:27

I trust the four of us can figure it out.

Matt: 24:30

yeah. I also want to be clear if any, if anybody wants to veto, like I'm totally done with that. I just, I'm fine with it. Uh, so far. So that's why I went ahead and signed. I don't, I just didn't want to be like a technical snafu holding us up.

Eric: 24:44

no. Um, I just signed it as well.

Kate: 24:46

I just, do you think this'll affect by, maybe I should have led with this, but rough muster did reach out to me about adopting that second twin that I'm having. Um, I don't know if I. I don't know. I don't think that's what I've totally related, but he seemed like a pretty good candidate. All things considered.

Calathea: 25:11

Uh,

Matt: 25:14

Yeah. I feel like maybe from a, from a care-taking perspective, given the class action suits about injuring people and putting them into dangerous injurious situations, maybe not such a great environment for raising a.

Kate: 25:34

Child. Yeah. I mean his, his, like, they did a lot of health tests on him basically. And his blood pressure was excellent. Uh, no family history of medical diseases, which I guess doesn't really matter if you're adopting, but, um, that was basically the information I got. So that looked great.

Matt: 25:57

but he didn't approach you about this as related. The series a investment, right?

Kate: 26:06

I don't think so. I mean, yeah, the applications come in like semi anonymously. You can usually figure out who it is and, um, Yeah, there was a few mentions of our investor, you know, investor who's invested in both of us is his name like, uh, I thought that was just coincidence.

Calathea: 26:32

Hey,

Kate: 26:33

said things like, you know, this is very important to you in your company's future because of what I've heard from Jared. Um, but I mean, I just thought that was. Well-wishing kind of thing.

Calathea: 26:50

I'm really worried about this kid, Kate, I I've been giving this a lot of thought and you know, now that bugs bees is fully grown and emancipated and making his own choices. Um, I'm really missing having that maternal sense in my life. And I think Kate,

Eric: 27:10

Um,

Calathea: 27:11

I am ready to adopt that child.

Matt: 27:15

Wow.

Eric: 27:17

I've got to, then I thought you were going to suggest it bugs me and adopt the child.

Calathea: 27:22

Bugsby is far too immature to adopt a child. And especially after what he did in the, you know, Iowa race, I, I just don't trust his moral judgment anymore.

Eric: 27:31

Yeah. Wow. Wow.

Kate: 27:35

I would love

Calathea: 27:35

please don't hold that against me. I mean, I tried my best with bikes B I'm really,

Kate: 27:39

Oh,

Calathea: 27:40

forward to take, you know, really pushing harder on this one.

Kate: 27:45

Yeah, no, I think I be pushing hard on babies is like great. You know, I mean, you don't want to push hard on their heads because they're malleable for like several months, but yeah, they emotionally, it's the right thing to do.

Matt: 28:02

and raising a human child is going to be very different in many respects from raising, uh, Cynthia and mascot.

Eric: 28:13

I hope.

Calathea: 28:14

In many ways, it will be easier because you're not having to create everything while raising it. I mean, the child already comes with like a personality and flash and all of those pieces.

Kate: 28:24

That's so true.

Matt: 28:26

Yeah. And isn't, uh, automatically, you know, part of the internet, which, um, yeah, it's, it's been rough for.

Kate: 28:35

Well, I think then honestly, most of my problems have been solved today. Um, and I think, you know, this, this muster guy he'll, he'll just have to accept that he doesn't get to adopt a child. He'll probably be fine with that and not hold it against.

Eric: 28:50

will go wrong.

Matt: 28:51

let's make sure all the series a paperwork is finalized before you respond. Yeah.

Kate: 28:58

Okay. Well then

Matt: 29:00

God. I hate, I hate even saying that because of. It shouldn't be business. It's super, super weird. This is tangled up in the company. So your, your body K,

Kate: 29:12

and soon to be its own body. All right, I'm going to sign it.

Matt: 29:19

Okay. All right. Last two. Good. And just in time, cause I'm, might've looked qua and uh, they broke out the good stuff. The key lime. Yeah, well, special occasion. Uh, also, Yeah. Uh, if you guys watch this later, uh, congrats, Lars David,

Kate: 29:39

Yeah. Always remember this day for so many reasons. Should we also just like do our confessionals for Lars and David while we're here.

Matt: 29:55

uh,

Kate: 29:58

I can start, um, as the future mother of your baby, one of the babies, of course, the baby that you'll separate from its twin sister. For life that we promise to not talk about so that it would have a secret parent trip trap, like moment someday. Um, I'm just very, I just feel very connected to you both. And, um, you know, during the GDPR issues, I was worried, I was really worried about our cookies and stuff, but now I realize that it led to so much more and honestly, Cookies that you chose instead of the cake art, just so beautiful in such a way to kind of tie the bow. So thank you. Thank you. Larson David for making my life fuller and my stomach and multiple.

Eric: 30:51

Hmm.

Matt: 30:52

that's a, that's hard to follow.

Eric: 30:54

Yeah,

Calathea: 30:55

honestly. Um, I guess I can go next. Um, Lars and David, I am so excited about. Our new birth of a documentary. I mean, just the story that we're going to be able to tell about CIT and thank you, Kate, because I didn't even think about the possibility that someday down the line, I will be Natasha Richardson and our kids will break you up so that I can marry any one of you. Um, I'm just putting it out there. It's probably a very long way away and I really wish you the best until that moment happens.

Matt: 31:39

uh, okay. I, I can, uh, I can go next. Uh, Larson David, uh, you know what, uh, what a real, uh, enemies to lovers story. I mean, classic, uh, I remember the shouting matches, uh, in the server room, uh, like in the individual. Cases, uh, Laura's have you, uh, you know, confronting David with every GDPR, take down a request and CCPA compliance, uh, request for information. Um, and, and seemingly, uh, you know, we talked about bullying. Uh, it seemed a little bit like bullying, but, uh, then that turned into sharing meals together, uh, you know, going through that paperwork together and, uh, It was just a really, truly strange thing to see, uh, happen. And I'm so happy for both of you. I'm so glad that you have found, uh, the, the opposite that attracts for you, you know, the piece that, uh, that helps complete your puzzle. And I wish you both, uh,

Eric: 32:53

Well, Laura Larson, David, uh, you know, you, you really have shown what it, what is possible, um, you know, here in life and not just at work, but, you know, patience and grace and collaboration, and, you know, From now on I'll I'll always have a Trump card to play when anybody says they can't team up with, with engineering. So thank you for that. Um, yeah. If, if you two could do it, then anybody could do it. And, uh, you, know, you, as you've pointed out many times you have the right to be forgotten, but I hope you never choose to exercise that. Right.

Matt: 33:34

yeah.

Calathea: 33:35

That is so nice.

Kate: 33:37

Oh,

Calathea: 33:38

nice.

Kate: 33:40

I mean, I, I think we're done here.

Matt: 33:44

Okay. Uh, everybody, that means, that means, I think that means we did it, right? Like that's that's series A closed. Uh, I mean, yeah.

Eric: 33:59

chapter ended chapter beginning.

Matt: 34:02

is months of like really questionable moral decisions, moral decisions, ethics, uh, finance, logistics, uh, we've had every hurdle thrown at us and we have, uh, jumped or bodily thrown ourselves over each one. And, and I just hate congrats that it feels weird. It feels good. And, Uh,

Calathea: 34:27

Uh, it really does.

Matt: 34:30

No thinking about hurdles. I wonder maybe I should sign up for one of these things.

Eric: 34:36

Think we got to

Matt: 34:37

where is the next rough mustard near us? Do

Calathea: 34:40

Maybe we should all do one together. Yeah. Just to give it a test out.

Kate: 34:46

Great. Yeah. Just again, remember I'm pregnant, but that shouldn't stop me.

Calathea: 34:53

Maybe Kate, you shouldn't do it. You can cheer us on from the sidelines.

Kate: 34:59

Oh. Want to miss out?

Eric: 35:01

can provide logistics. You can give us food and water at the aid stations.

Calathea: 35:05

Yeah, you'll be like a team member, a support team member, you know, like providing us detailed maps, helping us train, helping us provide snacks and aid first aid, maybe given what some of the reviews say.

Kate: 35:20

I'll bring my blood. Okay, great.

Matt: 35:24

This is great. Yeah. I think, uh, you know, there's even a sign up form for new volunteers. You will be a great quitter sitter.

Kate: 35:32

we should change that name.

Eric: 35:34

Yup.

Matt: 35:34

think so. Yeah.

Kate: 35:35

Yeah.

Calathea: 35:35

A hundred percent.

Kate: 35:37

Okay. Well, let's get back to the party.

Eric: 35:40

Yeah.

Matt: 35:41

Alright. Cheers everybody.

Kate: 35:44

Cheers.

Ben: 35:47

This meeting has ended. To subscribe to this startup is being recorded. Go to the podcast player of your choice and tap a button that likely says subscribe. More content is on Twitter at startup recorded, or shoot us an email with ideas, feedback, or your personal startup horror story. At hello@startuprecorded.com. Kate is played by Valerie Garrison. Valerie is a product manager and regularly plays with the improv troupe letters to chicken online. You can find her on Twitter at thevalgarris eric has played by Barry wright Barry is a product manager at Spotify and a co-founder of Highwire Improv. Find him by his name on LinkedIn, where he holds regular office hours or at highwireimprov.com. Matt is played by Marty Mcguire. Marty is a senior web engineer and improviser in New York city. You can find Marty's comedy code and cats on his website at M M G dot R E. Calathea is played by Robyn Stegman. Robyn is a digital campaign manager for ocean Conservancy and is a comedian mostly found at Highwire improv. You can find her on all the social medias. And she does mean all at rsteggy thank you for listening.