#2 Tech Entrepreneur Justin Kan: Net Worth, Self Worth, and the Hedonic Treadmill
Justin Kan built Twitch, sold it for nearly $1 billion, and still felt unfulfilled. In this episode, he shares the truth about money, success, and happiness—and how to break free from the endless chase for more.
Who is Justin Kan?
Justin Kan is a tech entrepreneur, investor, and former Y Combinator partner, best known as the co-founder of Twitch, which Amazon acquired for $970 million in 2014. Before that, he launched Justin.tv, one of the first live-streaming platforms, which later pivoted into Twitch. He also co-founded Socialcam (acquired by Autodesk for $60 million) and Atrium, a legal tech startup that raised $75 million before shutting down. Today, he runs Goat Capital, helping early-stage founders build the next generation of startups.
Beyond business, Justin has been open about mental health, burnout, and finding fulfillment beyond financial success.
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
5:02 - From Hardware Experimentation to Twitch’s Origins.
7:27 - Justin’s First Startup and Entering Y Combinator.
15:00 - Embracing the Beginner’s Mindset and Feeling Like an Outsider.
20:52 - The Power of Risk-Taking and Luck.
22:59 - Selling Twitch.
24:08 - Coping with Stress and Pressure During the Twitch Sale.
26:37 - Daily Practices for Mental Clarity.
32:40 - Coping with Anxiety as the Human Experience.
35:50 - Balancing the Internal and External.
40:22 - Finding the Balance Between Serving Others and Yourself.
42:40 - Justin’s Meditation and Prayer Journey.
46:27 - How Justin’s Ideas Have Changed Since Getting Older.
51:25 - Who Justin Looks Up To and Life’s Biggest Challenges.
57:27 - How Justin Measures His Life.
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