DiscoverFrom Start-Up to Grown-Up#88: From Startup to Grown-Up: Eddie Kim, Co-founder and CTO of Gusto - Wearing different “hats” as a leader; learning to get his hands off the keyboard and enable others instead; and how to build a growth mindset
#88: From Startup to Grown-Up: Eddie Kim, Co-founder and CTO of Gusto - Wearing different “hats” as a leader; learning to get his hands off the keyboard and enable others instead; and how to build a growth mindset

#88: From Startup to Grown-Up: Eddie Kim, Co-founder and CTO of Gusto - Wearing different “hats” as a leader; learning to get his hands off the keyboard and enable others instead; and how to build a growth mindset

Update: 2025-03-25
Share

Description

Eddie Kim is the CTO and cofounder of Gusto, which serves 400,000+ small and medium-sized businesses nationwide by helping them onboard, pay, insure, engage, and provide benefits for their teams, in one integrated, friendly, and easy-to-use platform. Eddie’s career has been shaped by chance encounters, a passion for software, and a deep commitment to growth. Before Gusto, he launched his first company—an experience that ultimately led him to reconnect with his future co-founder, Josh Reeves.

In this episode, Eddie opens up about co-founder dynamics, leadership struggles, scaling a company, and the surprising tools he uses to stay aligned with his team.

Episode Highlights & Timestamps

🔹 [00:00 ] - The Decision-Making Process of a Leader
🔹 [02:00 ] - The Origin Story of Gusto: A Half Marathon That Changed Everything
🔹 [06:00 ] - Co-Founder Dynamics: How Eddie, Josh, and Tomer Divided Leadership Roles
🔹 [10:00 ] - Managing Ego: Accepting the CTO Role Instead of CEO
🔹 [12:00 ] - Hands Off the Keyboard: How Eddie Transitioned from Engineer to Leader
🔹 [15:00 ] - The Role of Mentors: Lessons from Jeremy Stoppelman (Yelp) & Drew Houston (Dropbox)
🔹 [17:00 ] - Breaking Stereotypes: Being an Asian Founder of a Unicorn Startup
🔹 [20:00 ] - The Role of Company Values in Decision-Making & Hiring
🔹 [24:00 ] - Encouraging Debate in an Organization & Aligning the Team
🔹 [32:00 ] - Wearing Multiple Hats: The Skill Every Leader Must Master
🔹 [38:00 ] - The Highs and Lows of Hiring Executives
🔹 [40:00 ] - Gusto’s AI Initiatives: How AI is Revolutionizing Payroll & HR for Small Businesses
🔹 [45:00 ] - Eddie’s #1 Advice for Founders: The Power of a Growth Mindset

Resources & References

📖 Mindset: The New Psychology of Success – Carol Dweck

🎙️ Listen to my previous conversation with Gusto Co-Founder & CEO Josh Reeves (Episode 58)

Where to Find Eddie Kim

🌍 Website: www.gusto.com
🐦 Twitter: @edawerd
💼 LinkedIn: Edward Kim

Connect with Alisa!

Follow Alisa Cohn on

Download her 5 scripts for delicate conversations (and 1 to make your life better)

Grab a copy of From Start-Up to Grown-Up by Alisa Cohn from Amazon

Comments 
loading
In Channel
loading
00:00
00:00
x

0.5x

0.8x

1.0x

1.25x

1.5x

2.0x

3.0x

Sleep Timer

Off

End of Episode

5 Minutes

10 Minutes

15 Minutes

30 Minutes

45 Minutes

60 Minutes

120 Minutes

#88: From Startup to Grown-Up: Eddie Kim, Co-founder and CTO of Gusto - Wearing different “hats” as a leader; learning to get his hands off the keyboard and enable others instead; and how to build a growth mindset

#88: From Startup to Grown-Up: Eddie Kim, Co-founder and CTO of Gusto - Wearing different “hats” as a leader; learning to get his hands off the keyboard and enable others instead; and how to build a growth mindset

Alisa Cohn