Young, Smart, & Battling Broke

#7: Adam Novak – Building a Language Learning Startup, 200k+ Audience, and Fluency in Korea at 25

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At 25, Adam Novak is building The Fluency Project — a differentiated language-learning platform based in Seoul, South Korea.

Through bold, founder-led marketing stunts, Adam has earned over 60 million views across platforms, using creativity and street performance to reimagine how we approach language learning.

Before The Fluency Project, Adam was the founding design engineer at 222, a Y Combinator–backed social-connection startup in New York, co-founded Good Home, a wellness-focused home-inspection company, and even spent time living as a monk practicing Vipassana meditation.

In this episode, we talk about:
 • Adam’s entrepreneurial journey — the wins and the failures
 • Going solo vs. building with co-founders
 • Finances and focus in your 20s as a founder
 • Emotional resilience and mindset
 • Philosophies for building and living with intention

If you’re navigating your 20s, questioning the traditional path, or curious about building startups abroad, this conversation will hit home.

Connect & Subscribe:
 The Fluency Project – Early Access → https://thefluencyproject.notion.site/

Adam Novak on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/its_adam_novak/?hl=en

Adam Novak on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamvnovak/

Cole Hume on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/cole-hume-a737041b6/

Cole’s Substack – startups, risk & meaning → https://substack.com/@colehume

Subscribe for more conversations on meaning, money and navigating one's 20s.

Time stamps:

00:00 – Intro
02:10 – Why Adam Moved to Seoul
04:50 – Founder-Led Marketing & 60M Views
07:00 – Building Amiko (The AI Language Partner)
11:30 – Early Entrepreneurial Roots
18:30 – Joining YC-Backed Startup 222
24:00 – Lessons from YC & Early Startup Life
29:30 – Leaving 222 & Going Solo
33:30 – Co-Founding Good Home
40:30 – Challenges of Solo Founding
49:00 – Mental Health & Founder Struggles
55:00 – Is Striving a Bug or a Feature?
59:30 – Scarcity, Curiosity & Momentum
01:04:00 – Where to Find Adam
01:06:00 – Outro

Email me at colehume1@gmail.com for any feedback, ideas, or notes!