Alex Bean: Divvy Co-Founder on A $2.5B Exit, Earning Sleep, and Building a Factory for Good
For this episode of NEXT, host Michael Sonnenfeldt sits down with Alex Bean, Co-founder of Divvy and Managing Partner of Tandem Ventures.
Alex’s journey begins in Redmond, Washington, where growing up amid the rise of Microsoft shaped his early exposure to innovation and risk-taking. Encouraged to experiment rather than work hourly jobs, Alex launched a string of small (often unsuccessful) ventures as a teenager—experiences that instilled resilience, comfort with failure, and an entrepreneurial mindset that would later define his career. That mindset ultimately led him to co-found Divvy, a corporate spend management platform that scaled rapidly and exited for $2.5 billion in under three years.
But this conversation goes far beyond the mechanics of hypergrowth. Michael and Alex unpack the deeper lessons Alex learned by watching three generations of family wealth—how success compounded in one generation, fractured in another, and ultimately shaped Alex’s determination to define success more holistically. He reflects candidly on the loneliness he witnessed at the end of his grandfather’s life, the identity shock that followed his own exit at age 36, and the dangerous myth that money resolves purpose rather than complicates it.
Throughout the episode, Alex offers a grounded framework for founders navigating scale, partnership, and exit: how to choose the right co-founder, when it makes sense to be second-in-command, why product-market fit feels unmistakable when it arrives, and what most people misunderstand about the emotional and relational cost of rapid growth. He also shares practical guidance on mentorship, leadership energy, and why knowing what drains you is just as important as knowing what excites you.
The conversation culminates in Alex’s vision for Factory for Good—a philosophy and operating system for families who have achieved liquidity and want to intentionally “retool the factory” of their lives. Rather than optimizing solely for money, Alex argues for designing systems that produce meaning, strong relationships, and measurable positive impact in the world. From philanthropy and parenting to shared assets and legacy planning, Alex challenges founders to confront the long-term consequences of their choices before those choices are inherited by the next generation.
Whether you’re building your first company, navigating a liquidity event, or wondering what comes next after success, this episode offers a rare, honest look at how to turn achievement into alignment—and ambition into lasting good.
Topics
02:00 – Growing up in Redmond during Microsoft’s rise
03:30 – Early startups, failure, and learning to take risks
05:30 – Are entrepreneurs born or made? The mindset of failure
07:30 – Lessons from three generations of family business
09:30 – Wealth, loneliness, and identity after success
11:30 – Why money doesn’t solve purpose
13:00 – The origin of Divvy and taking an 80% pay cut
15:00 – Product-market fit and hypergrowth
17:00 – Founder roles, trust, and partnership dynamics
19:00 – The pressure and toll of scaling fast
20:00 – Giving break: Understood.org
21:00 – Life after exit: loss of structure and identity
23:00 – The Factory for Good concept explained
26:00 – Builders vs. operators and finding what gives energy
28:30 – Knowing when it’s time to leave a business
30:30 – Raising independent children after success
33:30 – Stewardship, inheritance, and shared-asset risks
37:30 – Minority discounts and loss of control
40:00 – Teaching children the purpose of wealth
42:30 – Microsoft vs. Gates Foundation: value vs. impact
46:00 – Giving at scale and impacting lives meaningfully
49:00 – $5,000 miracles and tactical philanthropy
51:30 – Advice for Alex’s kids and family values
52:30 – Tip jar: Open by Andre Agassi + Paladin app
53:30 – Where to find Alex and closing
Mentioned:
Join this season's philanthropic giving moment where every donation made in Q1 2026 will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $100 per gift ($10,000 per organization). Donate at www.muus.com/giving.
Alex’s book recommendation - Open by Andre Agassi
Alex’s Learning App recommendation - Paladin
Alex’s social enterprise - Factory For Good
TIGER 21 is the premier peer membership organization for ultra-successful entrepreneurs, investors, and executives. Through confidential forums and shared experience, members gain perspective on wealth, leadership, and life beyond success.
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