What does success look like for you as a startup founder?
Bryce Altman
“Building things that people want, that they can use. Founders hear it all the time, ‘make something people want.’ I’ve worked on startups before where I wasn’t super passionate about what I was doing. I was just writing code and making it work, but the passion wasn’t there. It ends up feeling like just another job. Jobs and work aren’t super fulfilling because you’re building something for people. Getting people to use it—that’s success for me.”
Nadin Susanto
“I’ve always wanted to be someone who could create impact for other people. Even if it’s 100 people or 10 people, if I can change their lives. Of course, creating a $1bn company and job opportunities is part of it, but also to inspire people—especially being a woman in tech. It’s not very common here in Asia, and I want to change that.”
Tania Malhotra
“I want to do something useful. I see other founders, and after they build the product, they try to convince users that they have something of value. For me, success is building a product that solves a real problem. The feeling of fulfillment I get from that—you don’t get that level of fulfillment from a job. It’s about having control over what you’re building and having more flexibility over your day.”
Kshitij Pandey
“When people are using the thing that I’m building. I want people to claim it. Success definitely has a monetary aspect, but more importantly, it’s about a lot of people using my product and having their lives changed. I haven’t experienced that in the past, but I’ve worked on things like ‘fuel purity level’ or looking for blood plasma during the pandemic, where I saw how much impact a solution could have. Even if it didn’t make a lot of money, the amount of impact was phenomenal.”
Nico Christian
“I’ve enjoyed building apps that help people—I feel proud when I see my family and friends use an app that I made. Seeing them get the value from the app and knowing it’s helping them, that’s success for me.”
Himanshu Daga
“Success used to mean building a unicorn tech company—it was too fancy. Over time, interacting with other people building billion-dollar companies, my definition changed. Now, the question is: ‘Is this important? Should I spend my most valuable resource (time) on this?’ For me, success is solving a really important problem that matters. People care about personalization for health, and that’s where I find meaning.”
What was going on in your life that made you first consider joining the residency? And what did that situation feel like for you, personally?
Bryce Altman
“I still enjoyed it; it was better than working in a job which I did for years before that. I got into an accelerator program, and we got a little money. It definitely made me feel like, ‘this is what I want to be doing; I didn’t want to just be an engineer for the rest of my life.’ That passion was missing. Without that passion, I got to the point where I hated work. After doing a startup, I had to do a job at a big company, working on useless features. It was just terrible. I ended up quitting my job before we got any funding. I wasn’t doing my job. I just took a chance and quit and thought, ‘I’m going to have to take a risk at some point.’ It was the best thing I ever did. I met so many cool people; we got into that accelerator.”
Nadin Susanto
“When I discovered Athena, we were struggling. I felt like I was hitting a wall, but I didn’t tell anyone (my team) about it. As a founder, you know if something’s wrong—you spend a lot of time thinking about it. I was so stressed, so burnt out, I felt like I wasn’t making any progress. Spending months building something and not making significant progress—it was very hard on my mental health. With startup culture, it can be quite toxic because everybody wants to seem tough, and there’s no time to process your emotions. I thought, ‘If I stop and feel my emotions, I would lose all the progress I made.’ The biggest asset of a startup is the sanity of the founder.”
Tania Malhotra
“I had never thought of starting a startup. My mom and dad worked the same 9-to-5 job for 30 years. Nobody in the family thought of doing this. When I watched the recordings of Athena, I was excited. It didn’t seem very complicated to do a startup—if I follow the steps, talk to users, and do research, I’m sure I can do this one day. This gave me confidence that I could build something. Also, Siren was conducting interviews and then went on leave, so I took over doing the research. I liked talking to the nerdy scientists. The thought of building something for scientists was very cool. But when I was working a job, I didn’t have the same feeling of fulfillment. Now I can structure my day as I want to. You have to try to be disciplined for yourself and stay consistent and motivated. I tried a couple ideas before the travel space, I worked on the science space and that didn’t work, then EdTech. You need to keep getting up and falling.”
Kshitij Pandey
Nico Christian
Himanshu Daga
“I’ve been working on startup ideas for nine months, and people said they don’t want it. Then you have to decide whether to stop doing it. It’s different from looking at it like you’re going to spend ten years on it. It was like, ‘Am I doing something wrong?’ The opportunity cost of exploring, I could bear. I wanted someone to believe in me—that’s why I was so into Athena.’ As a founder, I felt like I was always making decisions intuitively, often lacking clarity or good reasoning. It was difficult but sounded like an exciting journey to explore.”
How did you first hear about Athena VC? And what made you think it might be the right fit for you?
Bryce Altman
“I got a LinkedIn message. Between the last startup and Athena, it was almost a year. I was a little bit lost and spent a few weeks thinking about ‘what’s next.’ I got a message from Jerwin that said, ‘I looked at your profile, we’ll match your salary so you can go full-time.’ To me, that sounded perfect, exactly what I was looking for. My first impression was, ‘Is this for real?’ It sounded too good to be true. But after signing up for the AMA and asking Rob a few questions, I realized this could be the right fit. Talking to Rob in that first big AMA session left an impression—‘This guy’s really smart and switched on.’ Rob took his time to answer everyone’s questions, and his focus on validation really aligned with what I was missing.”
Nadin Susanto
“I found Athena through Instagram. At first, I thought it was a scam. The page just said, ‘School sucks,’ and I thought, ‘Is this real?’ My friend even asked, ‘Are you sure this is legit?’ But I applied, and Rob reached out. The very first time we talked, he gave me extensive, thoughtful feedback on Nook, even before we talked about anything else. That was what made me feel this could be a fit. Rob wasn’t just telling me to read some book—he was engaging directly, helping us brainstorm. He actually knew the industry, unlike VCs who would say things like, ‘We want to see revenue,’ without offering any actionable feedback.”
Tania Malhotra
“I had never thought about starting a startup before. Watching the recordings from Athena got me excited. When I looked at Rob, I saw someone who was just like me—he started in college, trying to figure out what to do. That gave me confidence that I could build something too. I was also drawn to the idea of building something for scientists—it sounded so cool and aligned with my passion for research. The first interactions with the Athena team made me feel like this was a safe space to learn and grow.”
Kshitij Pandey
“I heard about Athena from a friend who searches across the internet. My initial thought was, ‘This sounds interesting,’ but I was hesitant. When I spoke to Rob, what really made me think this could be the right fit was how much he cared—not just about my idea, but about me as a founder. Rob’s trust and belief in me made a huge impact. He took time out of his busy schedule to dive deep into my story, offering thoughtful feedback on Crippay. That level of personal attention was what made me so inclined to join.”
Nico Christian
“Nadine told me about Athena after she started researching VCs and angel investors. At first, I wasn’t sure, but when we applied, I realized Athena was a smaller team than something like YC, which made it feel less intimidating. The focus on mentorship and the opportunity to work with people who genuinely cared about guiding us stood out. The lean team structure meant that we could build close connections and have meaningful conversations.”
Himanshu Daga
“I didn’t find Athena through the typical route. Muskan, from my college, reached out because she wanted to learn about integrating Antler’s practices into Athena. At the time, I was between- raising for my existing project vs exploring 3 new ideas I got interested in, Rob's offer to fund the exploration saying 'because I believe in you as a founder, & Athena is designed to figure it out, together' caught my attention. But what truly made Athena stand out was the team—Rob, in particular. He had scaled a successful business, and during our discussions, I felt like I could trust him to guide me in my personal and professional growth. For me, it felt like the right place to explore and learn without the overwhelming pressure of getting everything right immediately.”
Can you walk me through your daily life as part of the Athena residency?
Bryce Altman
“My daily life in the residency is centered around focus and motivation. Without a co-founder, having Athena feels like someone is in my corner, which is incredibly motivating. The support from Rob and the other founders in WhatsApp and Discord has made it feel less lonely. Every day, I’m more driven to move forward with my idea because there’s this constant belief from Rob and the community that what I’m building matters.”
Nadin Susanto
“My routine hasn’t changed much compared to when I was working on Nook, but it’s definitely better now. Each day, I spend time locked in a room, doing research and working a typical 9-to-5 schedule. What’s different is that now I have support from the Slack group and can lean on what I’ve learned from previous experience. The residency gives structure to what I’m doing, and I treat it like a full-time job. I’ve realized that to go fast, you need to put in the hours.”
Tania Malhotra
“My days vary intentionally to keep things fun. Some days are filled with research and outreach—messaging people on LinkedIn, brainstorming, or even flying to Singapore to get 20 minutes with a professor. I keep a diary where I note down my thoughts to avoid getting lost in my head. Other days are about learning new skills, like running Google Ads or building quick websites with no-code tools. The diversity keeps me engaged and excited while staying disciplined.”
Kshitij Pandey
“The weekly updates are a major highlight for me. Every day starts with user conversations, sharing insights with the community, and building on ideas like drones, which I’m exploring now. My daily routine has become much more disciplined and directed than before. Writing the weekly updates forces me to reflect and structure my progress, which has been invaluable.”
Nico Christian
“My days now involve a lot of learning and exploration. At Nook, my focus was purely on app development, but at Athena, I spend more time researching, reading, and watching videos about various industries, like energy trading and supply chain. It’s interesting but also challenging because there’s always more to learn. Each day is an opportunity to dive deeper into a topic I’ve never explored before.”
Himanshu Daga
“My daily life revolves around the process and pace that Athena has introduced. It’s not about rigid schedules but rather talking to users and experts regularly. The expectation to present weekly updates keeps me consistent and aligned with my goals. The residency has enhanced my ability to handle ambiguity and make confident decisions."
Can you give me a specific example of a time working with the Athena team proved valuable to you? And what do you like best about being part of the Athena residency?
Bryce Altman
"Just before my first 1-on-1 meeting with Rob, a couple hours before our meeting he sent me this massive brain dump about my idea. All of it was so good, and he had some amazing ideas about search and discovery in the podcast space. Rob’s a heavy podcast user, so his feedback really resonated. He was very discerning with what should be built first, like creating landing pages and comparing them all. That direction was invaluable for me. "It’s given me a lot of motivation. I don’t have a co-founder, so having someone in your corner, and now I have the other Athena founders—it’s less lonely. It’s awesome to hear Rob believe in my idea."
Nadin Susanto
"The structure at Athena has been incredibly valuable. Before, I felt like I was just walking in the dark, trying to figure out what to work on. With Athena, the capital and the support system allowed me to treat my startup as a full-time job. I didn’t have to juggle freelancing or worry about funding, which gave me the freedom to fully commit and stay motivated. The best part is the structure. I feel like now, instead of walking in the dark and trying to find something to work on... of course the capital is also very helpful. Starting out is tough because you need to put a lot of hours in to make it work, and work full-time to make it work. That means you have to sacrifice your day job, which means you don’t have money."
Tania Malhotra
"The motivation aspect was the biggest value for me. My ideas kept changing, and I often felt discouraged in between pivots. Rob’s approach was so encouraging—he didn’t put a lot of strict expectations on me, which helped me feel okay with not knowing what to work on. The weekly meetings and the accountability with Rob and the other residents gave me the discipline I needed to keep going. The best part is the motivation aspect, because my ideas kept changing and I felt discouraged in between. But Rob didn’t put a lot of strict expectations on me, which helped me be okay if I don’t know what to work on."
Kshitij Pandey
"The weekly updates at Athena have been transformative for me. Before, I lacked discipline and didn’t have any clear direction in my work. Writing those updates forced me to reflect and gave me a sense of purpose. Rob’s trust and the community’s support made me feel like I wasn’t just building something—I was becoming better as an entrepreneur. It’s helped me pitch $100k LOIs for my new drone idea. The best part is that Rob has this idea of making Athena better than YCombinator. That was exciting"
Nico Christian
"For the last month, we’ve jumped around different topics a lot—energy, energy trading, solar panels, now supply chain. There were a lot of business ideas I’d never learned about before. That’s interesting but also challenging. In one video there might be five more things I hadn’t learned about before. The best part is the community. There’s all these people outside Indonesia, good for people starting their own startups, and you get feedback and mentorship. You can learn a lot from them."
Himanshu Daga
"As founders, we work in a high noise zone—lots of lack of clarity. That’s the difference, even in research you have a process, a direction. You have fears, and you have people who have built these things, sharing your thought process and hearing back. You get more clarity."
What sort of tangible impact has being in the Athena residency had on your life?
Bryce Altman
"It feels similar to an accelerator, but things are happening. I’m not just building an app at home with no users anymore. I have someone who’s super smart and has built businesses that have done millions in revenue helping me. It feels a lot more hopeful… Now with Athena, this thing is in motion, and I feel excited to wake up in the morning."
Nadin Susanto
"Before, because we didn’t have money, I felt like we had to stick to this and couldn’t pivot or start from zero again. With Athena, there’s no pressure that we need to find the idea from week one. We’re actually encouraged to change if we don’t think something’s going to work… I feel so much better knowing that there are people out there who will help me if I ask them."
Tania Malhotra
"It opened a new dimension in my brain, that ‘it’s not that difficult to start a startup, even if you’re a newbie.’ If you just keep staying consistent and follow the steps in Athena’s curriculum, you don’t have the ambiguity anymore… I feel very good working on something of my own, working on being financially independent."
Kshitij Pandey
"I feel super confident now. I’m pretty sure that this is the time to build something cool, and I’m not going to miss it. I can refer myself to people—‘Hey, I’m building drones, and I’m part of this residency.’"
Nico Christian
"It’s just a really vast environment. There are so many things I haven’t gotten a chance to know. It made me realize there are a lot of other opportunities, especially outside Indonesia, which I hadn’t been exposed to before… It feels a lot more humbling, meeting people so experienced in their industry."
Himanshu Daga
"What has changed is the speed of what we’re doing. It’s not about an exact step-by-step guide—it’s about lots of theses together. When you’re stuck, it’s about what’s next to do… As founders, we work in a high-noise zone with lots of lack of clarity. Having people who’ve built these things share their thought process gives you so much more clarity."
What does that mean for you? The people in your life who matter to you?
Bryce Altman
"I don’t have a co-founder, so having someone in my corner—and now I have the other Athena founders—makes it feel a lot less lonely. It’s awesome to hear Rob believe in my idea, and to feel like I’m part of something bigger, surrounded by people who care about building things that matter."
Nadin Susanto
"My friends and family have seen how hard I’ve been working, and they’re so much more motivated now. My sister, for example, is discussing her startup ideas with me, and it feels amazing to see her inspired. Athena has given me the support I didn’t have before, and it’s a relief knowing there’s a group of people I can lean on when things get tough."
Tania Malhotra
"My parents were initially scared and apprehensive about me quitting a stable job. But now, seeing how much work I’m putting into this and the progress I’ve made, they believe I can actually do it. My friends are inspired, too—they hear me talk about things they’ve never even considered before. It feels like I’m showing them what’s possible."
Kshitij Pandey
"I’ve seen how Athena can change lives, even for people outside the program. My friend from Stanford was shocked at how quickly Athena offers support. Telling people about this program and seeing their excitement is so fulfilling. It’s not just about me—it’s about the impact this can have on so many others."
Nico Christian
"It’s been incredibly humbling meeting people who are so experienced in their fields. Being in Athena has made me want to travel more, to step outside my comfort zone and learn from others around the world. My family and friends see me learning and growing, and it’s sparked curiosity and ambition in them as well."
Himanshu Daga
"Talking to users and experts weekly has become such a valuable structure in my life. It’s not just about me anymore—it’s about sharing what I’m learning and inspiring others to push through the ambiguity of building something new. It’s made me realize, ‘This is how you build something better,’ and it’s helping those around me understand the process, too."
If a peer asked you why they should choose Athena, what might you tell them?
Bryce Altman
"Work sucks, build a company. Especially if you’re technical, you surely should be building something. Athena offers a big group of people who share that same drive and passion, which makes it even more motivating to succeed."
Nadin Susanto
"If you like to learn, even if you don’t know yet what you want to build, and you want to do it in a supportive community with mentors who give you real feedback, you should join. There’s only wins if you join—you’ll learn a lot and get help with investment. The worst-case scenario? You gain so much knowledge without wasting any time."
Tania Malhotra
"I would tell them about the mentorship—you get to learn from the best. The advisors are amazing; they don’t just give generic advice—they answer with specific, actionable steps. The financial security of matching your pay for six months takes away the biggest risks, and the peers and structured program make it easy to find your way, even if you’re feeling lost."
Kshitij Pandey
"I usually start by saying, ‘There’s this guy called Rob, and he really wants to help people build great startups.’ Then I tell them about the 6-month program, the weekly chats, and how Athena is different—it’s about building a community where you grow and sustain your product. I always highlight Rob’s personal trust and involvement, which makes all the difference."
Nico Christian
"Athena is a great place to learn and connect. You get exposed to amazing people and feedback, especially from outside your own ecosystem. For people starting their own startups, the mentorship and the chance to learn from such a diverse group are invaluable. It’s a unique environment that you won’t find elsewhere."
Himanshu Daga
"I wouldn’t tell someone to choose Athena outright. I’d ask them to consider what they want to do. If they’re serious about building startups but haven’t yet built a multimillion-dollar company, then I’d say, ‘Try the process. See if you can follow it and grow.’ If it feels like something you enjoy, Athena can intensify that journey and make it a lot more fun while giving you the tools you need."