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.