The Seen

Eric McHugh quit his consulting job with no backup plan and went all-in on crypto back before most had even heard of Bitcoin. Since then, he’s built in Web3, worked inside one of the world’s top startup incubators, and is now building Dataing- an AI-powered platform changing the way modern dating will work entirely.In this episode of The Seen, we dive into:- The secret LinkedIn strategy that brings you jobs and investors (without even applying)- Why data will become the most valuable resource of the next decade (and how he’s building around it)- The one mindset shift that separates high-performers from everyone else- What advising bankrupt Fortune 500 companies taught him about growthFollow Eric:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericdouglasmchugh/Dataing - https://dataing.io 

In less than 16 hours, Troy Munson went from idea to 12 companies ready to pay. He’s gone on to build and sell multiple startups, navigating six-figure exits while still working full-time. But now he’s gone all-in on the latest side gig, scaling it from 15 companies to over 1,000 requesting access in under five months. If you think you move fast, this will truly break your frame.In this episode of The Seen, we dive into:- Exactly how YOU can make $15k/month in profit RIGHT NOW- How he grew his LinkedIn to drive 90% of his revenue- The real math behind scaling and selling a SaaS company- How to get companies to pay before you even have a platform- The worst mistake you can make when getting acquired (and how to avoid it)Follow Troy:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/troymunson/TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@eatwithtroyInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/eatwithtroy/ 

In this closing episode of 2025, Kaia breaks down the biggest lessons from every founder, builder, and operator, who was on the show this year.She dives into:- The common threads every top performer shared- The moments (and mess-ups) behind the scenes that you've never heard- The takeaways you need to hear before 2026- The secret sauce of The Seen (AKA how the magic happens)Thank you everyone for being here this year.We'll see you in 2026 ;)Kaia's LinkedIn that she kept mentioning - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaia-tham/

As the founder of the Dumont Project (now acquired by Cart.com, valued at $1.6B), Dawn Perdew has managed over $5B in ad spend for some of the biggest brands in the world.In this episode of The Seen, we dive into:- The one metric every company should be watching daily- How Fortune 500 companies and startups should think very differently about scale- The early warning signs that your company is going to fail- The biggest mistakes founders make when scaling paid media- The most underrated forms of advertising (that you probably haven’t even heard of)Follow Dawn:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawndumontperdew/ 

Take one look at Rupert Barksfield’s LinkedIn and you’ll wonder how one person has done all that he has.  A serial entrepreneur who has founded companies across Web3, AI, fintech, medtech, crypto, and more, Rupert is someone whose career looks almost impossible on paper, until you hear the story behind it.In this episode of The Seen, we dive into:- The fundraising mistakes that kill startups, and how Rupert avoided them while raising $30M- The exact playbook he uses to build a startup from scratch across any industry- The validation test that every founder should do right away- How to build momentum in the first 6-12 months- The one signal that tells him a founder is going to make itFollow Rupert:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rupert-barksfield/

This is the only interview where the guest isn’t alive (technically).  After interviewing Kunal Gupta last week about scaling his newsletter to $1M, raising $80M for his first company, and his experiments on life, we decided to push the interview one step further… And interview his AI clone.In this episode of The Seen we ask AI Kunal everything we didn’t get to in the human interview.  We dive into:- Why he never monetised Pivot 5 with paid subscription- How to implement an AI agent in your life (right now)- The exact conversation that landed him Time Inc as a client- How he validated his earliest AI pilots in his business (step-by-step)- What he would do today to grow a newsletter to 10, 1000, and 10 000 subscribersFollow Kunal:Talk to his AI - https://kunal.live LinkedIn - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/bykunal/⁠Personal Website - ⁠https://kunal.live/⁠Blog - ⁠https://www.howto.live/⁠Pivot 5 - ⁠https://join.pivot5ai.com/⁠Books - ⁠https://www.amazon.com/stores/Kunal-Gupta/author/B0CKLTXMM4?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

He once raised over $80 million for his first company.  Now, Kunal Gupta’s built a $1M newsletter with over 1 million subscribers… all with zero humans involved.  From building companies, to running experiments on life (like going 2 years without buying a single thing), Kunal challenges what it really means to create, scale, and to live with intention.In this episode of The Seen, we dive into:- The first thing you should do before starting a business- The exact stack Kunal used to build a $1M ARR AI-native company- Why fundraising shouldn’t actually be hard- How to leverage AI to get ahead- The most underrated habits to level up in life and business- How to spot real problems worth solving (and filter out fake ones)Follow Kunal:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bykunal/Personal Website - https://kunal.live/Blog - https://www.howto.live/Pivot 5 - https://join.pivot5ai.com/Books - https://www.amazon.com/stores/Kunal-Gupta/author/B0CKLTXMM4?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

What began as a late-night game between roommates transformed into Pictionary, a global phenomenon that sold over 38 million copies and generated over $1.2 billion in sales.  In this episode, Rob Angel shares how a 22-year-old waiter with no money, no experience, and no plan turned a backyard idea into one of the most successful games of all time.  From reading the dictionary cover-to-cover to turning down a multi-million-dollar deal, Rob reveals the moments that defined his inspirational journey, and the lessons every entrepreneur should hear.In this episode of The Seen, we dive into:- Why Pictionary nearly failed before it ever hit the shelves- How to build a billion dollar brand without funding, experience, or a plan- What to do when everything goes wrong (because it will)- How to turn a random idea into a real product- The unexpected marketing strategy that made Pictionary go viral (before the internet)Follow Robert:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/therobangel/ 

Over 2.5 million students, parents, and teachers use SaveMyExams every month.  What started as one tutor’s solution to bad study resources has quietly become one of the most trusted learning platforms in the world.  Founded by Jamie Undrell, SaveMyExams began as a small side project and has now grown into global education business- all built from scratch, without any outside funding.In this episode of The Seen, we dive into:- Why the smartest business plans are hiding in your own problems- How to spot real demand… Before you’ve even built a thing- The mindset and model that turn good ideas into lasting businesses- The one thing you must do before starting any business- How to test and validate ideas- without spending a cent- The one question that reveals whether your idea will grow or dieFollow Jamie:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-undrell/SaveMyExams - https://www.savemyexams.com/ 

If you’ve ever googled ChatGPT, you’ve probably seen his face.  Igor Pogany is the creator behind ‘The AI Advantage’, the YouTube channel that’s gained almost 400k subscribers and over 26 million views by making AI accessible, practical, and impossible to click away from.  But behind the viral videos is the true story of what it takes to succeed: failed channels, relentless consistency, and an entrepreneurial drive that fuels every move.In this episode of The Seen, we dive into:- How to think about virality as a repeatable strategy, not a fluke- The secret behind titles, thumbnails, and why we click- Designing videos that hook viewers from start to finish- How to turn your content into revenue and build communities that last- The framework for consistently producing quality content that drives engagementFollow Igor:YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@aiadvantageLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/igorpogany/AI Advantage Community - https://www.myaiadvantage.com/ 

A 10x bestselling author, 60k followers on LinkedIn, and one of only three coaches in B2B to break multiple seven figures solo… Justin Michael is a legend in the sales world.  With over $1 BILLION in client revenue generated, he’s built an unconventional career blending Silicon Valley grit, outrageous outbound stunts, and deep psychological frameworks that change how people sell.In this episode of The Seen, we dive into:- The crazy outbound tactics that closed multi-million dollar deals (drones, cakes on dry ice, and the infamous cutting boards)- The hidden psychology behind objection, and how to transform any ‘no’ into an immediate 'COUNT ME IN'- The number one thing that kills conversions (and how you can prevent it)- How to re-think sales to close bigger dealsFollow Justin:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljustin/Books - https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B093QYRYR5 

From a literature degree with zero technical background, to the CEO of Zomato Portugal, Nuno Fernandes is a pioneer in the digitalisation of the gastronomy scene.Today, he's the CEO of Dig-In, the food tech giant mapping restaurants across Europe through cutting-edge data and AI.In this episode of The Seen, we dive into:- The all-or-nothing management buyout of Zomato Portugal- High-agency approaches (like cutting launch times from 30 days to just 48 hours)- Why being 'unqualified' might be the biggest edge you can have- How to thrive when everything goes upside down (aka 'combat mode')Follow Nuno:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nunomiguelpf/Dig-In Website - https://www.dig-in.pt/en/

From food stamps and selling $1.50 chocolate bars on the street... to being the only non-Ivy League hire in his McKinsey & Co class, being named CEO of the Year, co-founding a Mexican restaurant chain, helping Skype grow to a billion-dollar valuation, and building the fourth most followed account on LinkedIn- Eric Partaker has lived the kind of career most people only dream about.In this episode of The Seen, we dive into:- The unconventional strategy that got Eric into McKinsey against 2,000 Ivy League applicants- How he helped scale Skype to a multi-billion-dollar exit to eBay- The lessons (and brutal mistakes) from building and losing a fast-growing restaurant chain- How a mid-air heart attack at 35,000 feet forced him to reevaluate his work habits- The number one important driver of success (that you can start using today!)- How he grew his LinkedIn following from zero to over 1M (and the exact 80/20 tactics he used)- His 3-step "alarm" system to perform at your best in business, health, and relationshipsFollow Eric:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericpartaker/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ericpartakerofficial/YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@EricPartaker1Website (with newsletter) - https://ericpartaker.com/

Sales expert Paul Caffrey reveals why most people never become elite sellers, and the brutal, fixable reasons why deals don't close.In this episode of The Seen, we go deep into:- The #1 thing elite sellers do that average ones don't- How to identify the real reason your pitch keeps getting ghosted- The two most important moments in a meeting- LinkedIn growth strategy- The exact ChatGPT prompts Paul uses before big meetings- How AI frees up 2+ hours/day for sellers to actually talk to customersFollow Paul:LinkedIn -https://rebrand.ly/773fafWebsite - https://rebrand.ly/paulcaffrey