{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"START","title":"How Kush Patel Built a $25 Million Business from Scratch—And How You Can Too","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3282,"description":"Kush Patel is the co-founder of App Academy, a pioneering coding bootcamp that introduced the income share agreement (ISA) model to tech education. With a background in finance and a deep passion for unlocking access to opportunity, Kush helped scale App Academy from a modest, bootstrapped startup into a $25 million revenue business with global reach. In this episode, we dive into Kush's entrepreneurial journey, from launching the first free cohort on Hacker News to transforming lives through coding education. We discuss:\nHow growing up with an entrepreneurial father shaped Kush’s mindset\nHis transition from hedge fund finance to tech entrepreneurship\nThe origin story behind App Academy and why the ISA model was revolutionary\nHow Kush scaled the company from 20 students to thousands worldwide\nThe challenges of transitioning from in-person education to online learning\nWhy bootstrapping gave App Academy a competitive edge\nLeadership lessons from growing a team from zero to over 100 employees\nHis current focus as Board Chair and why he’s investing in personal growth and health\nMuch more\nBrought to you by:\nFondo — The best all-in-one accounting platform for startups: https://www.tryfondo.com\nWhere to Find Kush Patel\nLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kush-patel-3490994b/\nWhere to Find the Host\nX: https://x.com/davj\nLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davjphillips/\nIn This Episode, We Cover:\n(00:21) Entrepreneurial inspiration from family.\n(04:49) Coding bootcamp's innovative launch.\n(09:46) Selecting students for coding class.\n(12:49) Income share agreements in education.\n(15:19) Launching and iterating contracts.\n(19:04) Growth channels for App Academy.\n(23:02) In-person coding bootcamp launch.\n(27:17) Continuous product improvement strategies.\n(30:39) Hiring for high potential talent.\n(35:09) Online education challenges and opportunities.\n(36:11) Online education community building.\n(42:11) Freemium model and brand equity.\n(44:39) Product funnel management...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/q-E1hh7K6IS4AfZiNy2p4MYVGcUOO8lQP92h8QbOEOA/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS80NzVj/MDEzNjkxNjU1N2Uy/NDFhMDQ3M2ZhNWI3/NWY0MS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}