The day Disneyland opened its doors, everything went wrong. Rides broke down, the asphalt melted under people’s feet, 28,000 people flooded the park—half with fake tickets—and the press called it “Black Sunday.”
But here’s the twist: that chaotic launch was the beginning of one of the most iconic brands in the world.
In this video, we break down what startups can learn from Walt Disney’s most infamous day. We explore how momentum beats perfection—and how smart teams use structure, scope, and iteration to win, especially when things don’t go as planned.
💥 For founders, builders, and product teams trying to launch fast without sacrificing quality—this is the playbook.
🎙 Featuring: Brant Choate, CTO
If you’re not using AI, you’re already falling behind. In this episode of Rise Over Run, Doug and Brant break down how AI is reshaping careers, why those who embrace it become more valuable, and how to integrate AI into your workflow without losing your unique edge. Whether you’re in startups, tech, or any evolving industry, this episode will show you how to future-proof your skills in an AI-driven world.
Great startups don’t ignore problems—they fix them before they spiral out of control. Every 90 days, something in your company stops working: processes, meetings, or entire strategies. Instead of accepting the pain, good leaders name the problem, admit it’s broken, and fix it. In this episode, Doug and Brant talk through why startups fall into cycles of chaos and how to quickly step in when things start breaking—speed and decisiveness are a choice.
Your brain doesn’t just think—it processes. Like an algorithm, it takes in information, filters what’s important, and produces decisions. But if your inputs are flawed, so are your outputs. In this episode, we break down how to curate your information diet, recognize biases, and filter your content intake for smarter, clearer decision making.
You hear a lot about what you should do to land a job, but what about the things you shouldn’t do? In this episode of Rise Over Run, Brant and Doug break down the biggest mistakes that can sabotage you during the hiring process—starting with your resume. From why trying to appear too perfect can backfire to the wrong way to ask for referrals, they cover the pitfalls that job seekers often overlook. Avoid these traps and give yourself the best chance at landing the job you’re after.
In the final episode of this three-part “Hired” series, Doug and Brant sit down with Remi’s VP of Product, Nate Hopkins, to discuss what he looks for in a candidate. From resume red flags to technical assessments, they share insights that will give you a clear idea of what signals they’re looking for in their next hire.
In the second episode of this three-part “Hired” series, Doug and Brant talk with Hailey (Operations Coordinator) and Hunter (Subject Matter Expert) about their very different paths that led them to working at Remi—one transitioning from a massive organization to a startup, and the other embarking on a six-month journey to get noticed.
In the first episode of this three-part series on Rise Over Run, Doug and Brant sit down with two current Remi employees—Cambree (Product Designer) and Sam (Engineer)—to discuss their unique paths to getting hired. They share their interview experiences, what surprised them most after joining, and how their expectations of Remi compared to reality.
If it has to be perfect, it can’t be AI—yet. CTO Brant Choate and CEO Doug Barnett discuss how, as startup founders, AI has become a huge part of their daily lives and significantly influences how they lead their business. From personal hacks that save time to strategies for scaling and making smarter decisions, they talk through how AI tools are trying to transform just about everything, and where it’s usefulness begins and ends.
Post Series A, everything changes. In this episode of Rise Over Run, Doug and Brant discuss the many ways that scaling adds complexity, why some seed-stage employees are forced to evolve quickly, and (as always) the need for speed in product launches.
Is burnout real? On this episode of Rise Over Run, Doug and Brant discuss the critical role of belief in the mission of your company, how adopting the mindset of a craftsperson versus a practitioner can protect your productivity, and why attitude is ultimately a choice.
There’s no shortage of strong opinions on the Rise Over Run podcast, and this episode explains why. Covering everything from the value of having strong, informed opinions to their importance for personal and professional growth, Doug and Brant share their insights—including the Steve Jobs quote that led Doug to leave his job and start Remi.
One of the biggest threats to your productivity is a distraction disguised as valuable work. We often confuse progress with overly ambitious event calendars and endless networking sessions. This episode, we discuss how to avoid falling into the trap of busy work that leads nowhere, how to eliminate time-wasters, and how to focus on what really moves the needle.
“To be successful at a startup you have to love winning more than you hate losing.”
We get asked all the time “should I join a startup?” or “should I found my own company?”. In this episode we share what it’s like pre and post product market fit—the tough hours, the uncertainty, and the unrelenting challenges—along with the massive opportunities and career growth.
San Francisco and Salt Lake City, two startup hubs with very different DNA. This week we break down the strengths and weaknesses of each city, discuss what it takes to build a $100B company, and what we think it would take for Salt Lake City to produce one.
🏙️ San Francisco:
Why does it continue to stand head and shoulders above the rest as the world’s premier innovation hub?
🏔️ Salt Lake City:
What are the unique advantages of building a startup here, and what geo challenges do you need to overcome to be successful?
How did Fortnite come to dominate the gaming industry? Or Canva disrupt the design giants? In this episode, we explore the stories of visionary founders behind private companies like Dylan Field of Figma, Melanie Perkins of Canva, and Tim Sweeney of Epic Games, uncovering what sets them apart and how they built their businesses differently.
In the world of career advice, you’ll hear that job-hopping every two years is the best way to get promoted and increase your salary. But is it really the best path to long term success? In this episode, we challenge this popular approach, break down the benefits of finding a company that rewards growth based on merit, and talk through how skill development and commitment can lead to long-term career satisfaction and success.
"People in your career telling you you’re great when you’re not are your enemies.”Honest feedback is one of the single most important things for progressing your career. Why do we shy away from it? Why don’t we implement it? How can we change?This week on Rise Over Run, Remi co-founders Doug and Reno dig into how to give and receive feedback, strengths as weaknesses, and how to make it work for you.
Disneyland was brought to life in 366 days.
The Empire State Building was built in 410 days.
The iPod was pitched, produced, and launched in 290 days.
How do we get back to shipping things quickly? How do you know when a product is good enough to ship? What’s the right balance between speed and quality? This episode of the Rise Over Run podcast jumps into how to manage speed vs quality in a fast moving business, and how some of the best companies in the world have proven sometimes you can have the illusion of both.
So many leaders are ready to turn over critical parts of their business to AI without thinking through all the consequences. What functions make sense to outsource to AI? What should you never give over to the algorithms? For the first time, all three Remi co-founders come together to share their thoughts on this episode of Rise Over Run.