#118 Max Richter: Move Fast and Break Things - Building Insta360

Max Richter grew up in Stuttgart, Germany, surrounded by cameras—his father was a photographer with a Leica who ran an advertising business. After studying engineering and business, Max found himself restless in corporate life, eventually making his way to Shenzhen, China, where he met a campus legend named JK who had borrowed $2,000 from his father to start a camera company. What happened next was a decade-long journey of near-bankruptcy, pivotal pivots, and ultimately building Insta360 into a company that challenged GoPro and partnered with the very camera brand that filled Max's childhood home. Today, Max serves as a co-founder of Insta360, a company that's redefined how millions of people capture and share their lives.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• The "dark year" of 2017 when Insta360 had over 100 employees, was running out of cash, and Samsung had just entered their market—and the unexpected user behavior that saved the company

• Why the moment you're closest to giving up is often the exact moment you need to push through, and how this principle turned a struggling startup into a company that makes $30+ million annually

• The career advice Max wishes he'd known at 25 about the dangers of overthinking and why "just starting" beats perfect planning every single time

• How immersing yourself in uncomfortable, foreign environments shapes you into a more open-minded person—and why Max believes traveling early is one of the most underrated career accelerators

• The sacrifices nobody talks about when building a global company, and why finding the intersection of passion, profit, and societal impact matters more than any single factor alone

#117 Jay Shetty: On Finding Your Purpose

Jay Shetty has inspired millions of people through his inspirational YouTube videos, best-selling books and his podcast, On Purpose. He shares much of his wisdom as a former monk through his teachings. In this interview we discuss:

-The #1 trait of high performers

-The hardest part of finding your purpose

-Why we should study people instead of envying them

-The best career advice he ever received 

-What we get wrong about trauma

-How to cultivate meaningful relationships and more..

Key Topics Covered

[0:00-3:00] Introduction & Studio Setup

• Jay's background and accomplishments

• Discussion about podcast studio design and creating an inviting atmosphere

• Jay's use of "Easter eggs" in his studio (pictures of eyes for eye contact, heart shapes)

• Philosophy behind creating energetic spaces

[3:00-8:00] Interview Style & Presence

• Jay's approach to being present during interviews

• Not planning next questions while guests are talking

• Importance of preparation vs. presence in interviews

• Leaving in thinking pauses and awkward silences

• Balance of 10% planned questions, 90% organic flow

[8:00-12:00] Childhood Heroes & Influences

• David Beckham as a major influence growing up

• Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and wrestling fandom

• Reading Martin Luther King and Malcolm X biographies as a teenager

• Combining entertainment/storytelling with impact/service

[12:00-18:00] Childhood & Family Influence

• Being bullied for being overweight and skin color

• Mother as an "emotional shield"

• Key concept: High standards, high grace - holding yourself to high standards while showing compassion when you don't meet them

• Roger Federer's philosophy: "When I'm playing a point, it's the most important point. When it's over, it's the least important."

[18:00-22:00] Finding Purpose - Core Philosophy

• Purpose as a daily commitment, not a one-time discovery

• Purpose = passion in action

• MLK quote: "Those who love peace must learn to organize as effectively as those who love war"

• Strategy and sincerity must go together

• Systems and execution are just tools that can be used for good

[22:00-28:00] The Work Behind Purpose

• Purpose requires daily work and commitment

• Like maintaining physical fitness - it's not a one-time achievement

• Purpose is active, dynamic, and evolving

• Key insight: Purpose is about transformation, not titles

• Vehicles (podcasting, speaking) vs. actual purpose (helping people find peace and purpose)

[28:00-32:00] Princeton Commencement Speech

• Honor of speaking at Princeton's class day

• Nerves and preparation for the speech

• Steve Jobs's Stanford speech as inspiration (listened to it daily for 9 months)

• Student response and impact of the speech

[32:00-36:00] Four Major Life Decisions

• Based on 5,000-year-old Vedic literature

• Four pillars: Dharma (purpose), Artha (money), Kama (love), Moksha (liberation/service)

• Why service to humanity was included as the fourth decision

• Service as what the human heart is wired for

• Research showing people are happier when spending money on others

[36:00-42:00] Success & Service Philosophy

• High performers need both success and service

• Strategy and sincerity go hand in hand

• Key principle: "We are wired for generosity but educated for greed"

• The middle path vs. living in extremes

• Why privilege creates more responsibility to give back

[42:00-45:00] Career Advice

• Best career advice: "Open every door first, keep walking through the ones that remain open"

• Don't wait for one door - knock on multiple doors

• Jay's TV show rejections leading to starting On Purpose podcast

• The "Third Door" concept - sometimes it's not the front door

[45:00-50:00] Podcast Launch Struggles

• Production company backing out 2 weeks before launch

• Being told "people won't listen to you for an hour"

• Self-funding and launching anyway on Valentine's Day 2019

• Building everything in-house vs. relying on external companies

[50:00-54:00] Dealing with Rejection & Criticism

• Learning that most people won't get your vision

• Experience from becoming a monk - looked like failure entering and leaving

• People project their limitations onto you

• This pattern continues with every new venture (like Juni beverage company)

[54:00-62:00] Juni Sparkling Tea Business

• Jay's personal sugar addiction story

• Wife's influence as nutritionist in changing his diet

• Creating healthy alternatives that taste good

• Juni's ingredients: ashwagandha, lion's mane, green tea/hibiscus, reishi mushroom, acai cherry

• Business success metrics and growth on Amazon

• Philosophy: "Something shouldn't taste bad to be good for you"

[62:00-65:00] Rapid Fire Questions

Trauma insights from Dr. Gabor Maté:

• Trauma often happened before the traumatic event

• If you couldn't tell your parents about something bad, the real trauma was not trusting them in the first place

• Importance of maintaining communication lines with loved ones

Relationship advice:

• A relationship is only worth saving if BOTH people want to save it

• Don't waste energy convincing someone to stay in your life

• People change for themselves, not because others want them to change

Cultivating meaningful relationships:

• Biggest blind spot: thinking "we should just get each other"

• Meaningful relationships require meaningful disagreement and discussion

• Both partners must work on themselves individually AND the relationship together

• Growth happens at different paces

[65:00-67:00] Final Wisdom

What Jay wishes he knew at 27: "No matter what your intention is, no matter how much you care, no matter how much you try, you will always be misunderstood by people who want to misunderstand you."

Key Takeaways

1. High Standards, High Grace - Hold yourself to high standards while showing compassion when you fall short

2. Purpose is Daily Work - Not a one-time discovery but a daily commitment and practice

3. Study vs. Envy - Learn from successful people rather than being bitter about their success

4. Strategy + Sincerity - Good intentions need good systems to create real impact

5. Open Every Door - Don't wait for one opportunity; pursue multiple paths simultaneously

6. Both People Must Want It - Relationships only work when both parties are committed to making them work

#116 Keith Hawk: Relentless Focus on the Process

Keith "Pistol" Hawk was VP of Sales at LexisNexis where he led a salesforce of over 1,000 people. He co-authored "Get-Real Selling: Your Personal Coach for REAL Sales Excellence" and he's given many keynote speeches at corporate events about leadership. 

In this episode we discuss:

-How his upbringing helped him become self-reliant at an early age

-The power of presence when raising children

-The keys to a long, happy marriage 

-Pitfalls of leadership

-Having hard conversations at work, and more

Key Timestamps & Topics

[00:00 - 05:30] The Pistol Pete Origin Story

• How his kids nicknamed him "Pistol" after Pete Maravich

• Early athletic influences: Pete Rose's "Charlie Hustle" mentality

• The value of effort over pure talent

• Growing up in small-town Ohio

[05:30 - 12:00] Early Lessons in Self-Reliance

• Selling seeds door-to-door at age 11

• Paper routes and ice cream sales at ballparks

• "You lose the fear of the word no"

• Parents who didn't helicopter - letting kids deal with adversity

[12:00 - 18:30] His Father's Inspiring Journey

• Dad went from factory welder to engineering degree

• Driving 45 miles each way to night school for 8 years

• Graduating college the same week Pistol graduated high school

• "He really worked hard for a guy that didn't like school when he was young"

[18:30 - 25:00] Parenting Philosophy: Presence Over Interference

• Not being helicopter or "lawnmower" parents

• The one-match fire challenge and building self-reliance

• Being available for counsel without leading by the nose

• "Very good for counsel, especially my dad"

[25:00 - 32:00] The Ultimate Dad Move

• Missing only 2 games in AJ's 11-year NFL career

• Splitting games with his wife during college overlap years

• "You go to your kids' games, right? I just get to do it for a longer time"

• AJ flying back for kids' games during NFL Draft weekend

[32:00 - 40:00] Youth Sports Coaching Wisdom

• Focus practice time on playing the game, not calisthenics

• "These are kids. They're already in shape"

• Multi-sport over specialization: "It's about competing"

• The "running a Trotwood" team-building exercise

[40:00 - 48:00] Marriage: Keeping It Fresh After 45 Years

• The daily ritual: brushing teeth before going home

• "I want to treat her like I'm going on a date with her"

• Avoiding the trap of taking each other for granted

• Being intentional about being a servant leader

[48:00 - 55:00] Sales Philosophy: Success Follows Customer Success

• Writing "Get Real Selling" only on airplanes

• "My success can only follow the success of the customer"

• Why great salespeople are listeners, not talkers

• The stereotype problem with sales

[55:00 - 65:00] Leadership Lessons: Front Lines vs. Ivory Tower

• Leading a 1,500-person sales organization

• The importance of being on customer calls

• "There's no substitute for direct communication"

• Focus on process metrics, not just end results

• "What are the plays we're running that are successful?"

[65:00 - 75:00] Hiring: Simulations Beat Interviews

• AT&T's all-day simulation process

• "Interviews are useful, but are not enough"

• Looking for organization and listening skills

• Putting candidates in the "natural habitat" of the job

[75:00 - 85:00] The Career Pivot That Changed Everything

• Getting replaced as head of sales

• Proactively approaching the new CEO with a solution

• "I am a collection of experiences, skills, and knowledge"

• Five years as the "battle-tested" customer problem solver

• Coming back as "a sharpened weapon"

[85:00 - 92:00] Golf and Making Yourself Available

• The "Join Us" philosophy on the golf course

• Meeting 70-80 new people in four months

• "If you make yourself available, people really appreciate that"

[92:00 - 98:00] Rapid Fire: Books, Advice, and Legacy

• Recommended episodes: Kat Cole, George Raveling, latest Hawk Boys episode

• Book recommendations: "The Score That Matters," "In Search of Excellence"

• What he hopes his sons say about him: "He was always there for me when I needed him"

[98:00 - 102:00] Three Career Success Principles

• Organize your life: Be proud of how you go about your business

• Become a tremendous communicator: Public speaking can help you "outrun your other skillset"

• Always be a great teammate: Not just an individual contributor

Key Quotes

"My success can only follow the success of the customer."

"Great players are easy to scout. It's the good ones that lure you into thinking they're great."

"You've gotta fight through the nos to get to the yeses."

"It's our duty as a leader to be in a good mood."

"Little eyes are watching all the time."

Resources Mentioned

• Book: "Get Real Selling" by Keith Hawk and Michael Boland

• Book: "The Score That Matters" by Ryan Hawk

• Book: "In Search of Excellence" by Tom Peters

• Podcast: The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk