Sami Inkinen: "Why the Two Weeks Following Our IPO Were the Worst of my Life" | E1120

ℹ️ EPISODE INFO

Released

February 28, 2024

Duration

1h 13m

Channel

The Twenty Minute VC

Watch on YouTube

▶ Open ↗

📝 EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Sami Inkinen is the Co-Founder and CEO of Virta Health, the company reversing type 2 diabetes. Before Virta, Sami was the Co-Founder of Trulia, steering the company to a successful IPO and its eventual sale to Zillow Group. Outside of the boardroom, he launched Fat Chance Row, a daring venture to row 2,750 miles across the Pacific, unsupported with his wife, rowing 18 hours straight per day. ----------------------------------------------- Timestamps: (0:00) Intro (00:40) Introduction & Childhood (02:34) Discovering Ambition & Possibilities (06:32) Drive to Create & Be Valuable (12:54) Addictive Personality & Observing Behaviors (20:00) Impact of Financial Success (24:28) Feeling Directionless & Seeking Clarity (26:45) Authenticity vs Vulnerability (33:24) Challenges of Working with Your Spouse (37:25) Secrets to a Great Marriage (48:10) Losing Passion & Knowing When to Quit (51:25) Tying Identity to Company (55:34) Protecting Against Burnout (59:50) Being a Great Father (01:06:18) Quick-Fire Round ----------------------------------------------- In Today’s Episode with Sami Inkinen:

1. From Farm in Finland to IPO Founder: Relationship to Money How did Sami’s humble upbringing on a farm in Finland impact his early mindset and ambition? How does Sami analyze his relationship to money today? How has it changed over time? Why was the two weeks following Trulia’s IPO the worst two weeks of his life?

1. The Secret to Marriage: Rowing 2,750 Miles Together: What are some of the biggest lessons on marriage Sami has from spending 45 days rowing the Pacific with only his wife for company? What was their single biggest argument over the 45 days? What did Sami learn from it? Sami worked with his wife, what are the biggest pros and cons of working with your spouse? Would Sami recommend it? What does Sami believe are the core fundamentals that underpin the best marriages?

1. The Secret to Parenting: The Regret of Delegation: What is Sami’s biggest regret when it comes to parenting? How does Sami think about what it means to be a great father today? How has that changed? How did Sami’s relationship with his wife change when they had kids?

1. Relationship to Identity: Why does Sami believe tying your identity to the company, as a founder, is so dangerous? How does Sami advise on creating multiple personas to prevent this? Why does Sami believe that all the best founders are addicts to some extent? ----------------------------------------------- Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3j2KMcZTtgTNBKwtZBMHvl?si=85bc9196860e4466 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-twenty-minute-vc-20vc-venture-capital-startup/id958230465 Follow Harry Stebbings on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HarryStebbings Follow Sami Inkinen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/samiinkinen Follow 20VC on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/20vchq Follow 20VC on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@20vc_tok Visit our Website: https://www.20vc.com Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://www.thetwentyminutevc.com/contact ----------------------------------------------- #20vc #harrystebbings #venturecapital #podcast #business #samiinkinen #founder #virtahealth #diabetes #healthylifestyle #marriage #trulia #diet #davidgoggins

🎤 SPEAKERS

• Sami Inkinen

  guest

• Narrator

  other

• Harry Stebbings

  host

🧾 EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of The Twenty Minute VC, featuring Sami Inkinen and Narrator, Sami Inkinen: "Why the Two Weeks Following Our IPO Were the Worst of my Life" | E1120 explores from IPO High To Existential Crisis: Sami Inkinen On Meaning Sami Inkinen, co‑founder of Trulia and CEO of Virta Health, traces his journey from a humble Finnish farm to Silicon Valley success, and how his IPO windfall triggered one of the lowest periods of his life. He describes realizing that money and achievement did not deliver lasting happiness, leading him to meditation, deeper self‑awareness, and a redefinition of ambition around impact and family. Inkinen discusses addictive founder tendencies, mental health, marriage, parenting, and why cultivating multiple identities beyond “founder” is essential for resilience. He also reflects on building Virta Health to reverse diabetes at scale and the long, mission‑driven nature of that work.

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