# Sharing the triumphs, trials, and invaluable lessons of being a founder

> Join Shane Mac, cofounder of XMTP Labs, as he shares his journey in building the DM layer of the internet. Shane is also the cofounder of Squared Away, an initiative to employ military spouses as executive assistants. Previously, Shane was the CEO & cofounder of Assist, where he spent nine years dev...

- URL: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/videos/sharing-the-triumphs-trials-and-invaluable-lessons-of-being-a-founder
- Authors: [Shane Mac](https://a16zcrypto.com/team/shane-mac), [Pyrs Carvolth](https://a16zcrypto.com/team/pyrs-carvolth)
- Published: 2024-06-21
- Updated: 2025-01-29
- Focus areas: company building
- Tags: founder stories, CSX 2024 (London), video
- Format: videos

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Join Shane Mac, cofounder of XMTP Labs, as he shares his journey in building the DM layer of the internet. Shane is also the cofounder of Squared Away, an initiative to employ military spouses as executive assistants. Previously, Shane was the CEO & cofounder of Assist, where he spent nine years developing a business messaging & AI platform with partners like Amazon, Google, Facebook, Apple, and Twitter.

[Embedded media](https://www.youtube.com/embed/N-uEbtPUGoM?feature=oembed)

In this talk, moderated by a16z crypto go-to-market partner, Pyrs Carvolth, Shane discusses his experiences as a founder of multiple companies, the challenges he faced, and the lessons he’s learned along the way. Tune in for an insightful and personal conversation.

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Source: [Sharing the triumphs, trials, and invaluable lessons of being a founder](https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/videos/sharing-the-triumphs-trials-and-invaluable-lessons-of-being-a-founder) — a16z crypto. Full archive: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts