Glue Guys

Paul Goldstein joins the Glue Guys to talk about coaching Stanford tennis, turning individual athletes into a team, finding glue guys in an individual sport, and what competition teaches us about confidence, sportsmanship, leadership, and life. From Kobe Bryant’s “play to learn” mindset to the problem with youth sports specialization to Stanford’s epic comeback against Wake Forest, this conversation is a deep dive into what it really means to compete.

Why do some people stay great for decades while others burn out? The guys dive into the psychology of longevity — through the lens of LeBron James, Steph Curry, Tom Brady, and their own careers in sports and business. The conversation moves from the will to prepare, to burning bright versus burning long, to why elite competitors keep going even after they’ve already accomplished everything.

Ravi Gupta and Shane Battier sit down with tech visionary Bret Taylor, co-founder of Sierra AI and former CTO of Facebook, co-CEO of Salesforce, and chairman of OpenAI. Taylor shares his philosophy on career evolution, explaining why he refuses to let an "ossified version of his past self limit his future self." The conversation covers his journey from Google Maps co-creator to AI entrepreneur, insights on parenting in the AI era, the importance of communication and clear thinking, and his partnership with co-founder Clay Bavor. #BretTaylor #SierraAI #AI #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #Tech #CEO #Career #growth #Innovation #Founders #GlueGuys

In this episode of Glue Guys, Alex Smith, Shane Battier, and Ravi Gupta dive deep into the concept of aging - both professionally and personally. They explore how different industries favor youth over experience, the power of compounding growth versus explosive success, and finding sustainable urgency in your career. Shane shares his "Imperial Period" concept using music analogies, Alex discusses the challenges of staying relevant in sports media, and Ravi breaks down why consistent 20% growth beats sporadic 80% spikes. The conversation covers everything from health anxiety to maintaining authenticity as you age, choosing whose opinions matter, and balancing professional opportunities with being present for family. A honest discussion about mortality, legacy, and the wisdom that comes with getting older. #GlueGuys #AlexSmith #ShaneBattier #RaviGupta #ProfessionalGrowth #Aging #CompoundGrowth #SustainableUrgency #ImperialPeriod #CareerAdvice

Teams that gel. It’s every leader’s ambition. And legendary college football coach ⁠Urban Meyer⁠’s specialty. His approach earned him 17 championship titles, 3 perfect seasons, 5x coach of the year, and one of the most winning records in history (187-32). What does it take to go from a collection of players to a winning institution? Alex and Coach reflect on their time together at Utah. Coach Meyer opens up about the personal toll of his obsessive pursuit of excellence. The conversation gets into the heart, mind, and soul of one the greatest coaches of all time to unpack what it takes to stay on top of your game and win as one team.

Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal, hosts of the mega-hit podcast Acquired, join Glue Guys to share their incredible journey from side hobby to multi-million dollar business. They reveal how they've doubled their audience every year for 10 years through organic growth and discuss their intense research process. The duo opens up about David's leap from venture capital to full-time podcasting, their "game day" recording rituals, and how they've redefined podcast monetization by focusing on quality over quantity. From grading tech acquisitions to telling the stories of business legends, Ben and David explain how they've created a unique product through obsessive craftsmanship and authentic chemistry.

Shane Battier and Ravi Gupta dive deep into the art of risk-taking. They explore when to "swing big" versus playing it safe, drawing from Shane's NBA career and Ravi's venture capital experience. The duo discusses earning the right to take risks, avoiding financial and opportunity ruin, and why standing pat can sometimes be the riskiest move of all. From basketball strategy to startup decisions, they break down how to evaluate upside potential, overcome loss aversion, and separate identity from outcomes. Plus, practical advice on lifestyle choices, the "nobody cares" principle, and why great stories never start with "I went home after dinner."

Mandell Crawley, Chief Client Officer at Morgan Stanley, shares his extraordinary journey from growing up on Chicago's west side to the C-suite of Morgan Stanley. After losing his mother at age 2 and father at 17, Mandell was raised by his grandparents who instilled values of faith, education, and resilience. Mandell discusses vulnerability as a superpower, the balance of purpose and profit, and how trust enabled his non-linear career path. A powerful conversation about authenticity, gratitude despite adversity, and the importance of staying true to yourself while climbing the corporate ladder. ----- This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠ Ramp⁠⁠, the financial operation platform that simplifies everything about how businesses spend money and spend their time. You can manage spend approvals, control your expenses, automate your accounting, track your vendor relationships, book your travel and delight your entire workforce with intuitive business software. Ramp enables you to focus all of your attention on what's most important. Get started now and build a more efficient team and a more profitable business, whether you have five employees or 25,000. Go to⁠⁠ ramp.com/gg⁠⁠ to sign up for free and receive a $250 welcome bonus. ----