Grit

Guest: Sean Henry, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Stord

In this episode, we cover: How Sean's first business of selling electronics on eBay came into being - and what he loves about supply chain (05:04) … A look at Stord’s cloud supply chain platform - and why Sean does not want to be defined by his age as a young founder. (13:23) … Sean’s thoughts on the impostor syndrome that founders of hyper-growth startups experience - and a discussion about correlating professional credibility with age. (19:58) … The Steve Jobs quote that changed Sean’s life as an entrepreneur - and why Atlanta, Georgia is the perfect location for Stord. (24:40) … The tension between living in your current state, your desired future state, and the delta in between - and a look at Stord’s growth into a billion-dollar business. (30:26) … Sean’s unique, yet successful series A pitch to Kleiner Perkins - and a look at the supply chain industry and Stord’s impact on the 1.3 trillion dollar global market. (41:34) … Sean’s Medium article about the “first-time founder mindset” and why it’s important to “learn how to learn.” (54:26) … Why it’s a great time to join Stord. (58:39)

Show Notes

Stord, a Kleiner portfolio company, and its co-founder/CEO, Sean Henry, are defying a multitude of limits. While Sean is ranked as the youngest unicorn founder, he refuses to let his age define him. Demonstrating an entrepreneurial spirit from a very young age, he’s always angling for the advantage. Sean has undoubtedly found a crucial advantage with Stord, as it continues to rise as a leading cloud supply chain platform and pioneer in the industry.

In this episode, Sean discusses his Stord journey–from building the company to its massive scale–and Stord’s groundbreaking concept that has feet in two worlds. He provides valuable insight on the “first-time founder mindset” and the competitive advantages that come with founding a hyper-growth company. Sean also offers a perspective for anyone who has doubts about their own ability to be an innovator and founder.

In this episode, we cover: 
  • How Sean's first business of selling electronics on eBay came into being - and what he loves about supply chain. (05:04)
  • A look at Stord’s cloud supply chain platform - and why Sean does not want to be defined by his age as a young founder. (13:23
  • Sean’s thoughts on the impostor syndrome that founders of hyper-growth startups experience - and a discussion about correlating professional credibility with age. (19:58)
  • The Steve Jobs quote that changed Sean’s life as an entrepreneur - and why Atlanta, Georgia is the perfect location for Stord. (24:40)
  • The tension between living in your current state, your desired future state, and the delta in between - and a look at Stord’s growth into a billion-dollar business. (30:26)
  • Sean’s unique, yet successful series A pitch to Kleiner Perkins - and a look at the supply chain industry and Stord’s impact on the 1.3 trillion dollar global market. (41:34)
  • Sean’s Medium article about the “first-time founder mindset” and why it’s important to “learn how to learn.” (54:26)
  • Why it’s a great time to join Stord. (58:39)

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What is Grit?

Grit explores what it takes to create, build, and scale world-class organizations. It features weekly episodes highlighting the leaders who are pushing their companies to make a difference. This series is hosted by Joubin Mirzadegan, go to market operating partner at Kleiner Perkins, a venture capital firm investing in history-making founders.