#129 - Simone Giertz

About this episode

<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/simonegiertz">Simone Giertz</a> describes herself as a maker/robotics enthusiast/non-engineer. She’s also known as the Queen of Shitty Robots. She runs a YouTube channel about those robots and is a cohost on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiDJtJKMICpb9B1qf7qjEOA">Tested with Adam Savage</a> from MythBusters.<br><br>You can find her on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/simonegiertz">YouTube</a> and on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/SimoneGiertz">@SimoneGiertz</a>.<br><br>She also has a <a href="https://www.patreon.com/simonegiertz">Patreon</a>.<br><br>The YC podcast is hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/craigcannon">Craig Cannon</a>.<br><br>Y Combinator invests a small amount of money ($150k) in a large number of startups (recently 200), twice a year.<br><br>Learn more about YC and apply for funding here: <a href="https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/">https://www.ycombinator.com/apply/</a><br><br>***<br><br><b>Topics</b><br></p><p>00:00 - Intro<br><br>1:41 - "Whatever feeds the ego kills the soul."<br><br>4:21 - Maintaining passion for your work<br><br>7:16 - Building a sustainable business as a creator<br><br>9:01 - Shipping a real product - The Every Day Calendar - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/simonegiertz/the-every-day-calendar<br><br>18:01 - Being scared to step away<br><br>19:31 - Generating ideas<br><br>20:46 - Finding out she had a brain tumor, having surgery, and sharing it<br><br>26:01 - Returning to work after brain surgery<br><br>28:01 - Learnings from taking time off<br><br>29:01 - Asking for help<br><br>30:31 - Evaluating how she's spending her time<br><br>32:16 - Giving herself permission to try other things<br><br>34:21 - Challenges as a creator and entrepreneur <br><br>36:01 - Not feeling guilty about play and pursuing the things you enjoy<br><br>41:01 - Becoming less disciplined in certain areas over time<br><br>42:46 - Ali asks - How to get started when dealing with imposters syndrome?<br><br>43:06 - beep boop asks - What's your favorite robot?<br><br>43:46 - Beste asks - Are there any moments where she is bored and feels like giving up on creating new things?<br><br>44:56 - Khawar Shehzad asks - What thing do you wish you knew when you started your career?<br><br>46:06 - Olaf Doschke asks - What would have happened if Simone's toothbrush helmet wouldn't have gone viral?<br><br>48:36 - Johnathan Nader asks - What is the best version of yourself?<br></p>