Keith Langbo never planned to be a founder. He grew up watching his dad spend 50 years in one...

Keith Langbo never planned to be a founder.
He grew up watching his dad spend 50 years in one company, started his own career at Deloitte, then became employee #5 (and eventually president) of a high-growth recruitment start-up.
In 2012 he quit, moved 900 miles, and launched Kellica—bootstrapped, no investors, no salary for six years.


What you’ll hear:


721 coffees in six months – the networking sprint that funded his first hires.
Fail-forward culture – why Jeff & Bill (his first bosses) celebrated mistakes.
Founder ≠ CEO – the very different skills that take you from 0-5 M vs 50 M.
Moving to London and starting over: 456 cups of tea, 1st UK hire, zero office rent.
Hiring lessons: fire faster, fill your gaps, culture > résumé.
The longest dry spell: six years without a paycheck and how he kept going.
Final advice: “If you can’t survive me telling you don’t do it, you’re not ready.”


Real talk on risk, resilience and why the fast now eat the slow.