LLenny's Podcast
← All people
Verified guest

Mike Maples Jr.

Mike is a legendary early stage startup investor and with his firm Floodgate

1 episode · 1 sourced appearance

Appearances and evidence

Short attributed excerpts only. Timestamps are approximate.

Frameworks in these episodes

Episode-linked context, not an unsupported claim of authorship.

Innovation4 steps

Earn the Secret by Savoring Surprises

There's no recipe for a breakthrough — hunt surprises at the edge instead of validation

Read →
Strategy4 steps

Force a Choice, Not a Comparison

Be the world's first banana, not a 10x better apple

Read →
Entrepreneurship4 steps

Live in the Future and Notice What's Missing

Don't try to think of a startup idea — get out of the present so ideas find you

Read →
Innovation4 steps

Pattern-Breaking Inside a Big Company

Make small bets that can fail a lot — and hide them from the mother ship

Read →
Innovation4 steps

The Inflection Stress Test

Four questions that separate a real inflection from a vague 'why now'

Read →
Entrepreneurship4 steps

The Three Elements of a Breakthrough Idea

Grade any startup idea on inflections, insight, and founder-future fit — not the implementation

Read →
Leadership3 steps

The Three Pattern-Breaking Actions

Movements, storytelling, and disagreeableness — how you get people to move to your future

Read →
Communication3 steps

The Three-Slide Believer Pitch

What you do, your non-obvious insight, then proof — built for believers, not objectors

Read →

Resources in their episodes

Related guests

Spot an error or want this profile removed? Request a correction or removal.