Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Why would someone walk away from a "dream opportunity" at Google with absolutely no backup plan?
In this episode of How I Broke Into Tech, we sit down with Stephen Congetta, the co-founder of Exponent and a Forbes 30 under 30 alumni. Stephen shares the raw story of his journey from being a high school summer tutor to becoming a Product Manager at Google - and why he eventually chose to leave it all behind for a two-year road trip across 45 states.
We break down how Stephen turned a casual $20/hour coaching side-hustle into an industry-leading mock interview platform, all while navigating business school and a global pandemic - without ever raising a cent of outside funding.
Ready to level up your career? đ
Get 50% OFF your Udacity subscription and start mastering the most in-demand tech skills today. Whether youâre into AI, Data Science, or Programming, now is the time to invest in yourself.
Promo Code: YOUTUBE50
Claim your discount here: udacity.com/experience?utm_source=organicsocial&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=campaigngtm&utm_content=youtubepromo
Episode Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:52 - First job ever
02:06 - First tech job at Google
03:19 - Why Stephen left Google
04:58 - The benefits of sabbatical
06:06 - The origins of Exponent
06:44 - Going back to school
8:13 - Accelerating Exponent in business school
8:54 - Finding product-market fit
10:41 - Going all-in on Exponent
11:23 - Growing during 2020
13:35 - Bootstrapping Exponent
14:42 - Stephen's Blueprint
In this episode, youâll learn:
- The Google PM Experience: What itâs really like in the Associate Product Manager (APM) program.
- The Power of the Sabbatical: Why Stephen took two years off to "soul search" and how it led to his biggest business breakthrough.
- Bootstrapping a Startup: How he tested his initial product (a simple PDF) for just $8 before scaling it to serve universities like Stanford.
- The Blueprint: Stephenâs three essential principles for tech leadership: Bias to Action, People-Oriented Choices, and Radical Presence.
#ProductManagement #Google #CareerAdvice #Forbes30Under30 #TechStartups #Bootstrapping #HowIBrokeIntoTech #Entrepreneurship #MockInterview #TechLeadership
Why would someone walk away from a "dream opportunity" at Google with absolutely no backup plan?
In this episode of How I Broke Into Tech, we sit down with Stephen Congetta, the co-founder of Exponent and a Forbes 30 under 30 alumni. Stephen shares the raw story of his journey from being a high school summer tutor to becoming a Product Manager at Google - and why he eventually chose to leave it all behind for a two-year road trip across 45 states.
We break down how Stephen turned a casual $20/hour coaching side-hustle into an industry-leading mock interview platform, all while navigating business school and a global pandemic - without ever raising a cent of outside funding.
Ready to level up your career? đ
Get 50% OFF your Udacity subscription and start mastering the most in-demand tech skills today. Whether youâre into AI, Data Science, or Programming, now is the time to invest in yourself.
Promo Code: YOUTUBE50
Claim your discount here: udacity.com/experience?utm_source=organicsocial&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=campaigngtm&utm_content=youtubepromo
Episode Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:52 - First job ever
02:06 - First tech job at Google
03:19 - Why Stephen left Google
04:58 - The benefits of sabbatical
06:06 - The origins of Exponent
06:44 - Going back to school
8:13 - Accelerating Exponent in business school
8:54 - Finding product-market fit
10:41 - Going all-in on Exponent
11:23 - Growing during 2020
13:35 - Bootstrapping Exponent
14:42 - Stephen's Blueprint
In this episode, youâll learn:
- The Google PM Experience: What itâs really like in the Associate Product Manager (APM) program.
- The Power of the Sabbatical: Why Stephen took two years off to "soul search" and how it led to his biggest business breakthrough.
- Bootstrapping a Startup: How he tested his initial product (a simple PDF) for just $8 before scaling it to serve universities like Stanford.
- The Blueprint: Stephenâs three essential principles for tech leadership: Bias to Action, People-Oriented Choices, and Radical Presence.
#ProductManagement #Google #CareerAdvice #Forbes30Under30 #TechStartups #Bootstrapping #HowIBrokeIntoTech #Entrepreneurship #MockInterview #TechLeadership
