The company

GoGuardian is the fastest growing education technology company in the world. They deploy artificial intelligence to keep students safer online and make teaching easier. They have an inspiring vision to leverage technology to unleash curiosity and transform the education experience.

People

Flowstate X is a strategic adviser to GoGuardian and Jiro Taylor is coach both co-founders: The CEO, Advait Shinde and CPO, Tyler Shaddix. 

CHALLENGE & opportunity

Advait Shinde the co-founder (and current CEO) contacted us in May 2014 to ask for help “unblocking” himself. He was in a state of anxiety and overwhelm. Even though the business was growing, Advait was new to leadership and he was struggling to remove beliefs and perceived limitations in the mind that blocked his progress.

He could code like a boss… but he didn’t yet have the necessary inner skills to re-program his mind.

2 years later we began working with Tyler (CPO). His career and responsibilities were sky-rocketing. Despite being an actual genius, Tyler was restricted by feelings of inadequacy and doubts about his ability to step into new levels of leadership.

“ Working with Jiro has been the single most important factor in my development as a founder and human.”


Advait Shinde, CEO of GoGuardian

 

Process

We have a cadence of weekly calls, and we meet up in person for a retreat/ quest/ offsite 2 times a year. Hawaii, Berlin, Ojai, Byron Bay have been recent destinations.

Post-it note party or leadership offsite?

Visioning the future with Tyler & Advait on a leadership retreat in Ojai in 2017.

The journey

It’s been a very fulfilling journey working with these 2 high intelligent and introspective founders. . 

The first stage of work was all about helping the founders break through limits in the mind:

  • imposter syndrome

  • negative self-perceptions

  • fundamental limiting beliefs about life/ people/ the world/ the mind/ business works.

The removal of arbitrary limits and cognitive biases set the stage for a period of sustained personal and company growth.

The founders developed solid growth mind-sets and the refined ability to introspect, shift perspectives and create new thought patterns and habits which led to new realities. 

As the founders grew, the company continued to attract investment, customers and talent. The focus shifted towards developing elite leadership skills and the ability to thrive in highly pressurised situations.

Today the relationships deepen as we journey on the never-ending quest to explore their limitless potential as human beings and dive into ever more fertile rabbit holes.

Their raw curiosity has created the conditions for limitless growth.

 


”Jiro has helped me through so many challenging experiences- I wouldn’t be the same person without him.”

Tyler Shaddix, CPO of GoGuardian

 

Success

GoGuardian is now the fastest growing education technology company in the world. They just moved into a amazing new office in LA and international expansion beckons. The future looks bright.

When we started coaching the founders they had 20 staff and a million customers.  In 5 years they have transformed:

  • Staff has grown from 20 to 200

  • The company attracted world-class investment and venture capital

  • Customer base went from 1 million to 7 million

  • Revenue increased by 13X

Most importantly both Tyler and Advait have reached a place of solid leadership presence, self-awareness and self-belief.

They now have the tools, practices and insight to continue to grow and thrive in ever more complex situations.