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Karthik Puvvada
5x founder and podcast host
Karthik Puvvada, often referred to as "KP," is the Senior Founder Relations Manager at Paddle, a global fintech startup valued at approximately $1.4 billion. In his role, he focuses on creating and managing educational and community programs for founders, notably leading Paddle's accelerator program called AI Launchpad, which has supported over 187 startups from 68 countries in building and scaling their software businesses.123
Prior to joining Paddle, Karthik was the founder and CEO of Build In Public Fellowship, an ed-tech initiative that assisted numerous early-stage founders in overcoming challenges related to growth and product development. He has a diverse entrepreneurial background, having co-founded two SaaS startups and launched over 15 side hustles since 2018, many of which he built publicly to engage an audience.12
Karthik is also recognized as a prominent figure in the "build in public" movement, which encourages founders to share their entrepreneurial journeys online. His contributions to the startup community have earned him accolades such as the "Community Member of the Year" award from Product Hunt in 2022, where he significantly aided startups with their go-to-market strategies.12
In addition to his work at Paddle, he is a part-time Venture Partner at Utopic Ventures, investing in innovative ideas, and has hosted a podcast that features interviews with notable entrepreneurs and business leaders.2 Karthik has built a substantial online following, leveraging social media to connect with and support aspiring founders globally.12
Highlights
Quote on my mind:
“Confucius had a great saying that every man has two lives, and the second starts when he realizes he has just one.”
— Naval Ravikant
This year I’m redefining my internal monologue
I’m no longer just a guy who has to deal with life’s shit and twists and problems and hurdles
I’m a fire fighter and my duty is to put out fires daily and challenges as they come
By God by my side, I’m going all in
Every day I don’t want to wake up dreading what new challenge will be thrown my way but instead what new lesson I can learn
Which new / old person I can serve
How I can handle “hard” better
Nothing is too easy or too hard
It’s neutral and it depends on how you view it
You might as well program your mind to be empowering