Lauren Dugan and Neil Vidyarthi are the husband-and-wife co-founders of Feel Good Games, creators of Little Magic Stories, an AI storytelling platform designed to spark creativity and independence in kids. They’re also parents of two boys (ages 3 and 8), longtime partners in both life and work, and startup veterans bringing a playful, grounded perspective to the founder-parent journey.

In this episode, Neil and Lauren talk about how parenting fuels their creativity, how they’ve evolved their marriage while running a company together, and why their son insists he’s the real CEO. We discussed:

• From bedtime stories to startup idea: How their son’s early-morning storytelling sessions inspired the vision for Little Magic Stories, and why they included him as “co-creators” from day one.
• Building a company with your spouse: What Neil and Lauren have learned about navigating startup stress, creative tension, and parenting chaos as co-founders and partners and the systems they use to stay grounded.
• Parenting with freedom and play: Why they embrace a “gardener not engineer” model of parenting, how they balance screen time and independence, and the moments that made them rethink control and creativity.
• The case for structured chaos: From timeboxing and project boards to flexible rituals and tag-team parenting, Neil and Lauren share the habits that help them stay focused while juggling business, marriage, and raising two kids.
• Redefining success as parent-founders: Why they believe having children has made them more ambitious, not less, and how they’ve reshaped their values around creativity, joy, and freedom.

Where to find Lauren Dugan

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurendugan/ 
• X: https://x.com/lauren_dugan?lang=en
• https://www.instagram.com/laurencdugan/

Where to find Neil Vidyarthi

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilv/
• X: https://x.com/neilvidyarthi
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neilv9999/

Where to find Adam Fishman

• FishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/ 
• Instagram: https://ww.instagram.com/startupdadpod/ 

In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Introducing Neil Vidyarthi and Lauren Dugan
(02:56) The dynamics of working with family
(05:29) Balancing work and family life
(13:52) Inspiration behind Feel Good Games
(18:30) Advice for founders and parents
(33:30) Parenting challenges and social media
(34:20) Ash's CEO video
(36:09) Parenting philosophies and boundaries
(39:20) Kids and technology
(43:12) Creative uses of AI in parenting
(44:50) Parenting mistakes and lessons
(47:59) Connecting with Feel Good Games
(49:43) Lightning round: routines, quirks, and family time

Show references:

Yoto: https://eu.yotoplay.com/
Wipes Warmer: https://urbanessentials.com.ph/products/prince-lionheart-ultimate-wipes-warmer-dispenser
Great Wolf Lodge: https://www.greatwolf.com/
Super Mario Brothers: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6718170/
My Neighbor Totoro: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096283/
The Karate Kid: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087538/
Beetlejuice: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094721/

Todoist: https://www.todoist.com/

Polygon: https://www.polygon.com/

Avail: https://www.avail.co/landlords/features

Feel Good Games: https://www.feelgoodgames.xyz/

Little Magic Stories: https://www.littlemagicstories.com/

Robert Wolfe’s Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bsi-iOjodM

Pokemon: https://www.pokemon.com/us

Pomodoro: https://pomofocus.io/

Time Boxing: https://clockify.me/timeboxing

The Freedom App: https://freedom.to/

Jay Vidyarthi - Reclaim Your Mind: https://www.jayvidyarthi.com/

Game of Thrones: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0944947/

Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/

Reed Hastings: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reed_Hastings

Arachnaphobia: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099052/

The Tao of Parenting The Ageless Wisdom of Taoism and the Art of Raising Children By Greta K. Nagel: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/331083/the-tao-of-parenting-by-greta-k-nagel/

Cry Babies: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11067738/

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