Design That Builds Trust (and Sells Without Selling) - With David Fastuca | Episode 346

We want to hear from you. If you're open to a quick chat with our producer or any of the other options, it only takes a few seconds to sign up: https://forms.gle/Enzzpq5FCVQKbHV9A In this episode, I sit down with David Fastuca, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Locomote. David shares the raw, behind-the-scenes truth of building, scaling, and exiting a startup without raising external capital. We explore the emotional challenges of entrepreneurship, the toll it takes on relationships, and why success without alignment can still feel like failure. Timestamps: (00:00) - Introduction (01:15) - How David started Locomote and scaled without funding (06:32) - The personal cost of building a business (10:55) - Dealing with burnout and founder guilt (13:44) - Navigating identity crises post-exit (18:20) - How his business affected his marriage (22:11) - What true alignment in business and life looks like (25:40) - Stepping back from ego-driven decisions (28:55) - Why purpose matters more than success (33:28) - What David would change if he started over (37:10) - Mental health strategies for founders (41:45) - Closing thoughts Check out today's guest, David Fastuca: Buy David's Book: https://www.growthforum.io/buybook David's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidfastuca/ Check out The Futur: Website: https://www.thefutur.com/ Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/ Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/ Twitter: https://x.com/thefuturishere TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere Check out Chris Do: Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/ Twitter:https://x.com/thechrisdo TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo Threads:https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo Zaap: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo Clubhouse:https://www.clubhouse.com/@thechrisdo Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices