Daniel Ahmadizadeh’s website

Currently growing Crustdata, a Y Combinator startup. In 2025, we’ve scaled from $700K to $5M ARR (as of )

Previously led two Y Combinator–backed startups as CEO. I was also the first investor in Motion after their YC batch at seed — now a $550M company.

I teach entrepreneurship at Columbia University and Stanford University. Courses include Becoming an Entrepreneur, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and Changing the World Through Venture Creation. Each student ends the course by presenting at Demo Day, sharing the story of a specific human being whose problem they solved.

Outside the classroom, my work as a founder has been featured in WSJ, The Today Show, NPR, and I've spoken at Harvard, Princeton, and TED (as a TED Resident).

My framework, Start With One, focuses on solving a real problem for one real person as the microcosm of an entire market. I've taught 500+ students to build more practical, human-centered companies.

Founders use Start With One to launch and validate their ventures. You can read testimonials here or join my weekly Start With One session for live advice.

Outside of work, I focus on health, family, and writing. I'm a graduate of Columbia Business School and am exploring doctoral research in entrepreneurship education. Here are my values and a preview of the book I'll publish next year.