What happens when the world's foremost startup accelerator rejects your business idea—not once, but twice? For most founders, it's where the dream stalls out. For Edward Haryono, it was the exact friction required to build a resilient, high-growth enterprise.

In this episode of The Founder's Growth Show, host John Hill, AKA Small Mountain, sits down with Edward Haryono, co-founder of Saudara (an AI-native international sourcing broker), to explore the raw reality of entrepreneurial perseverance.

Edward opens up about the grueling journey behind his acceptance into the Spring 2026 Y Combinator cohort, detailing how his team handled back-to-back rejections, stripping away ego to find genuine founder-market fit, and the pivotal decision to quit their stable corporate careers months before funding was ever guaranteed.

We dive deep into the immersive, fast-paced environment of a 200-company YC batch in San Francisco and unpack what it truly looks like to bring your whole self to a mission. Edward shares vital leadership insights on building an absolute ownership culture, balancing coachability with heavy conviction, and the psychological necessity of "burning your boats" to give your vision the commitment it deserves to succeed.

We also break down the complexities of scaling international manufacturing across multiple factories, the logistical vulnerabilities of chasing the cheapest production costs, and why founders "observe" their potential clients rather than seeking empty validation.

Edward shares a masterclass on how operators should filter startup advice, the necessity of absolute commitment over halfway execution, and how to deeply felt passion can push yourself further, even through rejection.

Connect with Edward Haryono:

Website: Saudara.ai

LinkedIn: Edward Haryono

Connect with John "Small Mountain" Hill:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnblanehill/

Website: https://adaptedgrowth.com/

Newsletter: https://podcast.adaptedgrowth.com/podcast

Book: Selling From Scratch