Calm App Founder: From $0 To $2 Billion By Making The World Meditate: Michael Acton Smith | E117
- Jan 30, 2022
- 1:34:17
- Full Episode
This weeks episode entitled 'Calm App Founder: From $0 To $2 Billion By Making The World Meditate: Michael Acton Smith' topics:
0:00 Intro 02:32 Your early years 07:04 Starting my first business - Firebox 26:11 My second business - Perplex City 36:22 My third business - Moshi monsters 43:50 The start of Calm 01:00:43 Calm helping people sleep 01:03:55 Misconceptions around sleep 01:06:54 Tough times for you this year 01:13:17 What changes are you now doing? 01:15:17 Your relationships 01:22:37 The foundations of good communication 01:25:48 How accurate is the 'hippie' stigma that comes with mindfulness? 01:27:27 Do you feel the good you've done in the world? 01:29:30 Psychedelics curing mental health 01:31:50 Our last guest question
Micheal: https://www.instagram.com/michaelacton/ https://twitter.com/acton?lang=gu linkedin.com/in/michaelactonsmith/?originalSubdomain=uk
Calm: https://www.calm.com/
Listen on: Apple podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-diary-of-a-ceo-by-steven-bartlett/id1291423644 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7iQXmUT7XGuZSzAMjoNWlX
FOLLOW ► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steven/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/SteveBartlettSC Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-bartlett-56986834/
Sponsors: Huel - https://uk.huel.com/ Myenergi - https://bit.ly/3oeWGnl
Brief Summary
Michael Acton-Smith discusses mental health, entrepreneurship, and the transformative power of mindfulness through Calm.
Key points
- Michael Acton-Smith's Journey. From failures to billion-dollar successes, Michael shares his entrepreneurial journey.
- The Importance of Curiosity. Curiosity sparked Michael's entrepreneurial mindset, leading to creativity and innovation.
- The Power of Storytelling. Michael emphasizes the human angle in storytelling for business success.
- The Urgency Trap. Entrepreneurs often feel a false urgency to act quickly, leading to rushed decisions.
- The Pivot to Moshi Monsters. After a failed game, the founder pivoted to create a kids' game that became a success.
- The Rise and Fall of Moshi Monsters. Moshi Monsters experienced rapid growth but struggled with the shift to mobile gaming.
Episode highlights
- Michael Acton-Smith's JourneyFrom failures to billion-dollar successes, Michael shares his entrepreneurial journey.“Most people would give up, and you almost wouldn't blame them.”1:31Jan 30, 2022
- The Importance of CuriosityCuriosity sparked Michael's entrepreneurial mindset, leading to creativity and innovation.“When you're curious, everything becomes interesting in life.”3:38Jan 30, 2022
- The Power of StorytellingMichael emphasizes the human angle in storytelling for business success.“Everyone is interested in the human angle.”16:41Jan 30, 2022
- The Urgency TrapEntrepreneurs often feel a false urgency to act quickly, leading to rushed decisions.“They see it as they're in a 100 meter sprint and they need to go now.”23:17Jan 30, 2022
- The Pivot to Moshi MonstersAfter a failed game, the founder pivoted to create a kids' game that became a success.“We created this new idea called Moshi Monsters for kids, stealth education.”34:10Jan 30, 2022
- The Rise and Fall of Moshi MonstersMoshi Monsters experienced rapid growth but struggled with the shift to mobile gaming.“We thought we could do no wrong until it suddenly didn't.”38:50Jan 30, 2022
- The Birth of CalmDiscovering the potential of mindfulness led to the creation of Calm, a meditation app.“What a great domain!”47:08Jan 30, 2022
- The Shift in Mental Health AwarenessSociety's understanding of mental health has evolved, making it okay to talk about it.“It is okay to be vulnerable and to talk about your mental health.”56:58Jan 30, 2022
