Leap Forward
David RusenkoDavid Rusenko interviews the founders of companies like Airbnb, Y Combinator, and Twitch, alongside the people who first believed in them. A mom. An early boss. A college roommate. Together, they reveal the intimate, unpolished stories of how successful companies actually get built, and why it rarely looks the way you might expect.
| Publishes | Twice monthly | Episodes | 12 | Founded | 8 months ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | EntrepreneurshipBusiness | |||
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Latest Episodes
Today, Reddit is the sixth largest website in the world. But it almost stopped existing. A few times. In July 2015, more than 2,000 subreddits went dark, the CEO resigned, and Reddit looked like it might not survive. At the center of its dramatic tur... more
This summer, Leap Forward is going on a short break. We’ll be back this fall with more episodes.
Listen for a look back on Season 1 and a taste of what’s next, including a family crisis over a wiped thesis, and some very big ambitions to change the... more
Live streaming feels inevitable now. But it started as what Michael Seibel called a "dumb idea."
In this episode, Michael traces the unlikely path from a post-Yale road trip to a 24-hour streaming experiment called Justin.tv. Years of pivots and spi... more
When Sean Duffy was a medical student interning at IDEO, he came face to face with a hard truth: millions of Americans with chronic disease weren’t getting the support they needed to actually get healthier. In this episode, Sean tells the story of ho... more
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Reviews
- New favorite!
This is one of my new favorites, the idea of a guest host is well executed and adds a dimension that other shows miss. Really enjoyed this season
Apple Podcasts5Neil Devani
United States3 months ago - Always interesting and always entertaining
Honestly, Leap Forward is one of the best business podcasts I've listened to recently because it totally skips the usual PR fluff to tell the real, messy stories behind massive companies like Airbnb and Twitch. Hearing directly from the people who supported them from day one—like a founder's mom or first boss—makes the whole thing feel so much more personal and genuinely inspiring.
Apple Podcasts5Lennon8United States3 months ago - Unique and Valuable Perspectives
Very well-produced podcast with outstanding guests - the perspective this show provides to listeners (both from the guests as well as the host) is unique and provides a lot of value for entrepreneurs or those contemplating taking that route (or the merely curious!). The conversation is always thoughtful and engaging and features a production that rivals any podcast out there. It’s an easy and thought-provoking listen that is worth sampling.
Apple Podcasts5Boucke07United States4 months ago
Listeners Say
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Chart Rankings
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #148 |  Canada/Business/Entrepreneurship |
Apple Podcasts | #112 |  Hong Kong/Business/Entrepreneurship |
Apple Podcasts | #189 |  Denmark/Business/Entrepreneurship |
Apple Podcasts | #194 |  Singapore/Business/Entrepreneurship |
Talking Points
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Audience Metrics
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Frequently Asked Questions About Leap Forward
What is Leap Forward about and what kind of topics does it cover?
This show spotlights the human side of startup success, focusing on origin stories, pivots, mentorship, and the messy realities behind iconic companies. Across episodes, listeners hear how founders and early supporters navigated early funding, product-market fit, crises, and culture—often through personal anecdotes, family influences, and candid reflections from investors, operators, and mentors. Notable threads include resilience under pressure, trust-building in growth phases, and the way big outcomes emerge from scrappy, imperfect beginnings. The format frequently features first-hand accounts from founders and their closest backers or early bosses, which helps listeners understand strategic decisions in a realistic, human-light. The show... more
Where can I find podcast stats for Leap Forward?
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Leap Forward. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Leap Forward and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
How many listeners does Leap Forward get?
Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Leap Forward, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.
What are the audience demographics for Leap Forward?
Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Leap Forward, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.
How many subscribers and views does Leap Forward have?
To see how many followers or subscribers Leap Forward has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.
Which podcasts are similar to Leap Forward?
These podcasts share a similar audience with Leap Forward:
1. Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy
2. The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
3. The Knowledge Project
4. Pivot
5. Freakonomics Radio
How many episodes of Leap Forward are there?
Leap Forward launched 8 months ago and published 12 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
How do I contact Leap Forward?
Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.
Where can I see ratings and reviews for Leap Forward?
Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Leap Forward from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.
View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.
How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Leap Forward?
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Leap Forward. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.
What guests have appeared on Leap Forward?
Recent guests on Leap Forward include:
1. Steve Huffman
2. Chris Slowe
3. Michael Seibel
4. Justin Kan
5. Sean Duffy
6. Trip Adler
7. John Adler
8. Laura Modi
To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.