#8: James Beshara - Selling a Business to Airbnb

Chris sits down with friend James Beshara, former Founder of Tilt.com (acquired by Airbnb) and former Airbnb Exec. They discuss the founding of Tilt, entrepreneurship, philosophy and friendship. Enjoy!  Follow Chris on Twitter: @Fortworthchris For more information on Chris Powers and Fort Capital, visit www.fortcapitallp.com Make Contact with The FORT at thefortpodcast@gmail.com

01:42 — James’ Background

04:38 — How James got into His First Startup

11:32 — What happened to make this first startup end?

13:30 — What did you do when you came back to the US?

19:20 — The Goal for any Rational Human Being — A Long Life Full of Laughter

25:07 — Happiness = Expectation – Reality

27:44 — The Downside of Social Media

32:49 — How did the culture of Silicon Valley affect you and your business?

36:36 — Was there a shift where you were told to focus on a business model and not just on growth?

43:05 — Why do you think it is that Silicon Valley cheers for raising money as opposed to making Money?

48:26 — What is it like to work for another company after running your own?

50:45 — Do you think the culture at Airbnb is similar to Amazon?

53:14 — Do you think some of the fate of Tilt had to do with the market?

1:03:30 — Advice for an Inspiring Entrepreneur

1:05:28 — The Hard Times as an Entrepreneur

1:09:57 — The Art of Knowing Where to get Involved as a Leader

1:18:46 — The Importance of Genuine Friendship and How it Relates to Business

1:35:13 — James’ Last Advice for Listeners

1:36:49 — Chris and James’ Funniest Story