EPISODE 4 WITH KYLE WELLER: TAKING RISKS, BUILDING FUTURES
- defyingtheoddspodc
- May 9
- 3 min read
🚀 MEET KYLE WELLER
Kyle Weller is the Head of Product at OneHouse.ai, leading the charge in data innovation. With nearly a decade at Microsoft, Kyle left a stable corporate job for the high-risk world of startups. His journey is a testament to the power of vision, risk-taking, and resilience—the core principles of defying the odds. 📌 LinkedIn Profile 🌍 Website: www.onehouse.ai
🔥 DEFINING THE ODDS: KYLE’S PERSPECTIVE
💡 "Defying the odds means seeing the barriers ahead and pushing through anyway. It’s about saying NO to obstacles and taking action—even if success isn’t guaranteed."
🚀 Key Insight: Defying the odds isn’t about reaching the finish line—it’s about committing to the journey, taking risks, and pushing forward despite the uncertainty.
🌟 FROM MICROSOFT TO A STARTUP: A LEAP OF FAITH
💼 WHY LEAVE A SECURE JOB?
Kyle spent nine years at Microsoft working on Azure Databricks, helping it grow into a billion-dollar product. He had everything—stability, career growth, and success.
So why leave?
✅ A venture capital firm reached out about a new startup ✅ The CEO was a respected leader Kyle admired ✅ The technology solved a major problem in the market
His Defy Ventures experience, where he met incarcerated entrepreneurs taking risks to rebuild their lives, reshaped his perspective on fear and uncertainty.
💡 "I started thinking about risk differently. Could I really pass up the opportunity to build something from the ground up?"
🏗️ BUILDING FROM SCRATCH
Kyle went from leading teams at Microsoft to working in a tiny conference room with a handful of engineers.
3 Years Later:
✔ $67M raised in venture capital ✔ 50-person engineering team built ✔ Developed a product solving real-world data challenges ✔ Competing against tech giants like Databricks and Snowflake
💡 "We’re the underdog, but that’s what makes this exciting. We’re building something disruptive, and the big guys know it."
💡 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM EPISODE #
🛠 1. YOUR NETWORK IS YOUR NET WORTH "Opportunities come from relationships—build your network before you need it."
🚀 2. YOU DON’T NEED A PERFECT PLAN—JUST START "If you wait for the perfect time, you’ll never take the leap."
🎯 3. COMPETE BY BEING DIFFERENT, NOT BIGGER "Don’t try to outmuscle giants—find where they’re weak and move fast."
🔥 4. FAIL FAST, LEARN QUICKLY "If you’re not embarrassed by your first product, you launched too late." – Reid Hoffman
🌍 5. TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR STORY "At Microsoft, I was part of something big. Now, I’m building something big."
📌 CONTACT KYLE WELLER
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📌 LinkedIn Profile 🌍 Website: www.onehouse.ai
Kyle is open to mentorship, networking, and discussions on AI, startups, and product development.
💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION & SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE!
📢 What’s the biggest risk you’ve taken? 💡 Share your story in the comments!
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🎉 HIGHLIGHTING OUR SPONSORS
Helping individuals unlock their full potential in communication, leadership, and business strategy. | Training formerly incarcerated individuals with coding skills for careers in tech. | Transforming lives by providing entrepreneurship training for justice-impacted individuals. |
🚀 Until next time—keep pushing forward, stay resilient, and never stop defying the odds.
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