From Start-Up to Grown-Up

#3: Jake Stein, Common Paper

October 19, 2021 Alisa Cohn
From Start-Up to Grown-Up
#3: Jake Stein, Common Paper
Show Notes

Jake Stein is the cofounder and CEO of Common Paper. Previously, he was the co-founder of RJMetrics (acquired by Magento, then Adobe) and Stitch (acquired by Talend). Before RJMetrics, Jake worked in venture capital, started a landscaping business in high school, and was the 44th ranked table tennis player under 21 in New Jersey; achievements of which he is equally proud.

In this episode, Jake discusses the pros and cons of distributed teams, the questions that he and his co-founder asked before they started their company, and the challenges he ran into once his former company was acquired. You'll also hear Jake's biggest mistake, how he invites company feedback parties, and all about Whale Wednesdays.

[01:27] Entrepreneurship Origins

[03:32] Aligning Company Plans

[11:33] The Emotional Battle of Running a Business

[28:03] Written Feedback vs. Verbal Feedback

[33:23] Fostering Company Culture

[45:36] Jake’s Biggest Professional Blunder

[58:05] The Importance of Self-Care

[58:51] Advice for New Business Owners

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