Shai Stern and host Seth Farbman rewind 25 years of building together no partnership agreement, no perfect plan just trust, discipline, and relentless execution. From cold calls vs. operations, recurring revenue over jackpots, and avoiding client concentration risk, to the messy reality of clawbacks, bad bets, and learning in public, this episode is a masterclass in how non-technical founders build real businesses.
They unpack Shai’s new platform Gotavi (incorporations, payments, payroll, insurance, background checks—one dashboard), why AI + humans beats AI alone, and a practical exercise: create your “Life Agent Prompt” in ChatGPT to surface strengths, business ideas, and your first two hires before you start.
Listen to the Show
Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/seth-farbman-on-podcast-from-startup-to-stock-exchange/id1356667808
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/54i7xkWaAALAFrUvk4WZcN
Connect with Seth
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethfarbman/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/sethfarbmanstock
TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@sethfarbman
Twitter (X) – https://x.com/sethfarbman1
Guest featured in this video:
Shai Stern – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaistern1/
About the Show
From Startup to Stock Exchange, hosted by entrepreneur and investor Seth Farbman, spotlights the journey of founders and CEOs as they scale their companies from early ideas to public markets. Each episode features candid conversations with leaders across industries, offering insights on growth, mindset, and the modern playbook for building something that lasts.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:51 How Seth & Shai met — the breakfast that launched everything
02:42 Building without a plan — intuition, trust, and no partnership agreement
05:20 Sales vs. Operations — why their opposite strengths worked
08:15 Scaling fears, first hires & landing bigger clients
10:30 Recurring revenue, client concentration & choosing SMBs
12:50 The origin of GOtv — naming story & the vision
15:40 What GOtv actually solves (incorp, payments, payroll, insurance)
18:55 Non-technical founder struggles & where AI helps (and doesn’t)
23:15 Relationship selling, positivity, and making someone’s day easier
27:05 Hard years vs. highlight years — clawbacks, mistakes & survival
30:10 The Life Agent Prompt — how to find your next business idea
32:48 Closing thoughts & how to connect with Shai / GOtv

Connect with Seth
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethfarbman/
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/sethfarbmanstock
TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@sethfarbman
Twitter (X) – https://x.com/sethfarbman1