Startup Hustle

Startup Hustle

Startup Hustle is a podcast for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs. With the mission of telling the real story of startups and entrepreneurs, topics range from funding to failure and beyond. Join Matt Watson, CEO of Full Scale, on the Startup Hustle podcast for candid conversations and actionable insights.

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Recent

The Speed of Context: Why AI Changed What Engineers Actually Do
1375
June 25, 2026

The Speed of Context: Why AI Changed What Engineers Actually Do

Most engineering teams are still optimizing for the wrong thing. They chase the speed of code when the real bottleneck is the speed of context. Matt Watson and Eban Bisong, founder and CEO of Senvi, get into what actually changes when AI moves from a coding tool to a teammate. Eban has spent his career as a founding engineer, and his approach is hands-on: don't tell skeptical engineers AI works, show them, every standup, until the pushback turns into excitement. At Park DNA he built "RTD2," an O
AI, Protein, and GLP-1s: What's Actually Working in Health Tech
1374
June 18, 2026

AI, Protein, and GLP-1s: What's Actually Working in Health Tech

Most people are already asking AI about their health. Almost none of them believe the answers. Around 40% use it to make wellness choices, but fewer than 5% trust what it says. Matt Watson and Josh Anthony, CEO of Nlumn, dig into why. Josh has spent 25 years in food and nutrition, and his take is blunt: trust drops fast as the question gets serious, from a recipe to a diagnosis, and the fix isn't a smarter chatbot. It's pairing the data with a human people actually trust. They cover what's real
Building Software Solo with Beth Epperson of Legacy Purpose
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June 11, 2026

Building Software Solo with Beth Epperson of Legacy Purpose

Matt Watson sits down with Beth Epperson, founder and CEO of Legacy Purpose, here in the Kansas City area. Beth came up through marketing and branding, including the brand launch for Hyvee Arena, before deciding to build something of her own. Her company is built around two products. Aligned Legacy measures how people think in real time and helps teams see how aware, connected, and aligned they actually are. HICMIT, or Wisdom Illuminated, keeps a company's knowledge governed and accurate so noth
Geothermal Energy and the Future of Data Center Power
1372
June 4, 2026

Geothermal Energy and the Future of Data Center Power

Data centers are multiplying fast, and the energy demands are staggering. Matt Watson sits down with Tim Tarver, founder and CEO of Exceed Geo Energy, to talk about one of the most underrated power sources in the conversation: geothermal. Tim breaks down how his company is adapting drilling technology from the oil and gas industry to generate clean, baseload energy almost anywhere in the country, why geothermal outlasts solar and wind by decades, and how it could be the right fit for the next wa
Eric Ries: Why Good Companies Go Bad
1370
May 21, 2026

Eric Ries: Why Good Companies Go Bad

Eric Ries wrote The Lean Startup. Sold 2 million copies. Helped hundreds of people build companies from nothing. Now he's back with a harder question: why do so many of those companies eventually go bad? In this episode, Matt Watson sits down with Eric to talk about his new book Incorruptible —a deep dive into the invisible forces that corrupt organizations, why profit-maximization becomes pathological, and what it actually takes to build a company that stays great. They get into why the stage-g

Recent Blog Posts

Dallas Top Startups, 2023
March 17, 2023

Dallas Top Startups, 2023

Dallas, Texas, is home to a thriving startup scene, with diverse tech companies making waves in the industry. This article will look at 14 top tech startups in Dallas. We highlight their unique offerings and discuss their impact on the tech indu…
Kansas City Top Startups, 2023
Feb. 13, 2023

Kansas City Top Startups, 2023

And . . . we're back! This list of the top startups in Kansas City is our annual and third foray into the entrepreneurial space here in the heart of the Midwest. As always, we delve into the many startups that flourish in KC, which is continually …
Boston Top Startups, 2022
Dec. 7, 2022

Boston Top Startups, 2022

Boston, Massachusetts, is rich in nicknames and pop culture associations. However, it is best known for being a city of firsts and innovation. The city is a major tech hub and one of the US's best places for tech jobs. Find out how these 13 Boston…

About the Host

Matt Watson Profile Photo
Matt Watson

Founder, Full Scale

Tech entrepreneur and startup CTO for 20+ years. Started 4 companies with 2 exits. Including VinSolutions in 2011 for $150M.