#129 - Simone Giertz

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