Podcast: Off the Record at the i-lab with MassChallenge CEO John Harthorne

MassChallenge CEO and co-founder John Harthorne showed up to our first "Off the Record at the i-lab" chat in full business attire, and immediately began apologizing to the student entrepreneurs present for being "too overdressed." "I normally don't dress like this, but I just came from a meeting with [redacted]." But such is a the life of a man who is constantly running around the globe, and meeting with business leaders and heads of state to spread the word about MassChallenge, one of the world's largest startup accelerator programs. In a lively discussion, Harthorne gives his unfiltered perspectives on the good times/bad times that were part of building MassChallenge, and how it has grown into a global force for promoting ideas and entrepreneurship. His description of teetering on the edge of failure just before having the "a-ha moment" that eventually led to the creation of MassChallenge should resonate with everyone, and it's an example of Harthorne's candidness that alone is worth the listen. [embed]http://soundcloud.com/harvard-innovation-labs/john-harthorne-off-the-record-6-22-16-1145-am[/embed]