In the startup world, speed is everything. But too many founders confuse busyness with velocity, mistaking frantic activity for real momentum.
In this episode, Chris and Yaniv are joined by Keith Lucas, former product and engineering leader at Roblox, to unpack what speed actually means—and how to build it into your startup from day one.
They explore why alignment, culture, and cadence matter more than hustle, and how Keith's “Inspire, Align, Amplify” framework can unlock lasting execution velocity.
In this episode, you will:
- Understand why "busyness" is a dangerous red herring that kills real progress
- Learn how to define speed as strategic value delivered to users, not activity
- Explore how culture acts as the "fat tires" that enable rapid startup momentum
- Apply Keith’s "Inspire, Align, Amplify" framework to build cohesive, fast-moving teams
- Identify common founder traps, from toxic niceness to decision paralysis
- Design company values that actually shape behavior
- Discover why realized culture drives execution speed
The Pact
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- Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app
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Key links
Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A
The Startup Podcast website: https://www.tsp.show/episodes/
Learn more about Chris and Yaniv
Work 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/
Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/
Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/
Producer: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthur
Intro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/
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