Skip to content

Submittable CEO talks startups, life, cancer and living in Missoula, Montana.

Submittable CEO talks startups, life, cancer and living in Missoula, Montana.

Michael FitzGerald is a prolific American writer and the founder of Submittable.com. He lives and works in Missoula, Montana with his wife and two kids. Although it isn't the easiest place to run a company from, Michael lives for the joy of living, and Missoula is where it's at. The day after raising their Series A funding, Michael found out that he had a…

People

Notes

Who Is Submittable CEO Michael FitzGerald? at 0:07

Michael FitzGerald is the founder and CEO of Submittable, the Missoula company that runs submissions and applications. Full answer
Where Did Michael FitzGerald Get His Start in Software at 0:57

Michael first started his career a copywriter, in San Francisco in the 90s, during the first dot-com wave. Full answer
How Expensive Was San Francisco During the First Dot-Com at 4:39

San Francisco was "too expensive" in the 90s. Michael was paying about $650 for a Studio apartment in the Mission. Full answer
Do Startups Now Look Like the First Dot-com Crash? at 5:42

The first crash and what we are going through today does not sound alike. Full answer
How Did Michael FitzGerald End Up in Missoula at 8:54

Michael has always wanted to be a writer, but there were not many entry level jobs for a novelist. Full answer
How Did Clutchmasters Make Money From Free Clutches? at 12:04

After moving to Missoula, FitzGerald went to work for Clutchmasters . Full answer
Which Other Montana Entrepreneurs Does Michael FitzGerald Name? at 18:19

FitzGerald tells Kirill Zubovsky that small-town Montana is more entrepreneurial than Silicon Valley or New York, because for years the only steady jobs in… Full answer
How Entrepreneurial Is Montana at 18:59

Montana and small-town America are ridiculously entrepreneurial. In a small town, there are no regular jobs. Full answer
What Are the Advantages of Running a Company From Missoula, MT at 22:35

Due to lower costs, better quality of living, and availability of willing talent, companies are able to hire fair-priced employees, which enables them to… Full answer
What Did Ghost-writing Teach Michael at 24:42

By writing books for executives in top software companies Michael was able to get a front seat in whatever business they were in and to learn, while getting… Full answer
What Does It Take to Publish a Novel at 27:20

For three years he would write in the morning, go to his job, edit at night, and do it all over again until 400+ pages were ready. Full answer
Does Being the CEO Change Your Life at 32:13

Michael feels he is a very lucky person. He's been able to do what he wanted to do. He has a great family, and they are not starving. He gets to walk to work. Full answer
Is It a Good Idea to Start a Company When You Have Young Kids at Home at 35:10

FitzGerald started Submittable when his kids were 3 and 5, and in hindsight it was a silly idea. Full answer
Why Did Paul Graham Try to Stop Submittable? at 37:26

During Y Combinator, Paul Graham saw a picture of Michael and kids and wanted to make sure that Michael really wanted to do a startup, and to inflict the… Full answer
Does Submittable CEO Michael FitzGerald Think Startups Get Easier? at 42:09

Kirill Zubovsky asks whether the work never gets easier and only changes shape. FitzGerald agrees. Full answer
What Are Some Challenges With Growing Employee Count at 43:47

Adding 10 more people does not make your company 10x faster, and in some cases it makes it slower, for a while. It's normal, but you have to anticipate it. Full answer
What's the Story About Michael FitzGerald Getting Sick With Cancer at 44:23

One day Michael felt sick, went to see his doctor, and got scheduled for a colonoscopy. Missoula being a rural place, the procedure was three months out. Full answer
Why Is Metastasized Cancer So Dangerous at 46:47

Metastasized colon cancer gets into your organs, liver first, and liver is the hardest to treat. Full answer
How Did Michael FitzGerald Tell True Ventures He Was Dying? at 48:38

The day after Submittable's Series A, Michael FitzGerald had to phone True Ventures and say he was terminally ill, then leave for major surgery. Full answer
What Role Did Y Combinator Play in Curing Michael From Cancer at 50:23

When Michael found out that he got sick, he posted a message on the internal Y Combinator board asking for suggestions. Full answer
How Much Does It Cost to Cure Cancer at 52:47

A typical scenario for a cancer patient, they first go broke trying to cure the disease, and then they die. Most people cannot afford stage four cancer. Full answer
How Much Should a CEO Get Paid at 55:35

This particular CEO is getting paid less than some of his employees, putting all his money and energy into the company, banking on the future success for all. Full answer
Do Thoughts and Prayers Cure Cancer at 56:40

It might help people who believe it works, but there are also a lot of tangible things you could do to actually help a cancer patient. Full answer
How Can You Help Someone Who Has Cancer at 57:45

First, don't ask what you can help with. That simply puts the burden of creating and scheduling work onto the sick person and their family. Instead, just do. Full answer
What Is the Hardest Part About Getting Cancer at 1:00:41

When you are sick, the hardest part is lack of control. Chemo is basically poison for your body, and every two weeks you have to poison yourself. Full answer
What Should People Do With Their Life at 1:02:50

Don't get cancer. Have fun. Be kind to your fellow humans. Full answer

Related notes

Related episodes

Plays from this note through the rest of the episode.

Note