Thoughts on startups, life, and everything in between from author, investor, and mentor Chris Yeh.
I'm joined by scientist and executive coach Lindsay Briner to discuss the neuroscience behind her work. Note that I screwed up my audio on this one (now I know how Bill Simmons feels!) but since Lindsay's voice comes through loud and clear, I decided to release this episode anyway. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/chris-yeh-podcast/support
Scott Johnson of Blitzscaling Ventures returns to discuss three new deals: Permitflow Higharc Lapse --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/chris-yeh-podcast/support
The Blitzscaling Ventures returns to discuss a new crop of VC deals, including: Craftwork Glencoco Vendelux --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/chris-yeh-podcast/support
The Blitzscaling Ventures team discusses blitzscalable deals for October, including Blackbird, It's Good, Pickle, and Siro. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/chris-yeh-podcast/support
The Blitzscaling Ventures team discusses blitzscalable venture deals for September, including Metaloop and Rocket.chat. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/chris-yeh-podcast/support
Tim Taylor joins me to discuss the concept of "holding space". It's a subject for which we have strong and conflicting feelings; tune in to see how that conflict is resolved! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/chris-yeh-podcast/support
Hello from Unreasonable FUTURE! In this episode, I sit down with Canadian entrepreneur Sean Hinton and talk about his company, Skyhive.io. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/chris-yeh-podcast/support
Scott Johnson returns to discuss blitzscalable venture deals announced in August of 2023. Today's deals include: Ideogram Modular Atmosfy Fizz
Scott Johnson of Blitzscaling Ventures returns to discuss blitzscalable venture deals for July 2023, including the slowdown in the overall VC market.
Scott Johnson of Blitzscaling Ventures returns to discuss the state of the venture market, and three new deals: Curri Albert Invent Typeface.ai
Legendary management thinker and podcaster (and fellow Silicon Guild member) Whitney Johnson joins me to talk about faith, spirituality, and how it powers her work.
Chris Yeh and Scott Johnson discuss the most blitzscalable venture deals announced in April 2023. Sorry for the delay--I've been traveling a lot!
Scott Johnson returns to discuss venture deals announced in March. Specific startups covered are: Ghost Message Matchday HeadRace
Scott Johnson returns to discuss blitzscalable venture deals announced in February, 2023. We discuss the slow recovery in venture financing, the potential impact of the Silicon Valley Bank run, and how the drought in venture fundraising might affect our strategy. We also discuss the following companies: Magma Tazapay Descope TipLink
Scott Johnson returns to discuss the state of the venture world and help score four deals: Liven (liven.love) Paradigm (paradigm.inc) MacroFab (macrofab.com Slay (slay.cool)
Scott Johnson and Jeff Abbott join me to discuss three venture deals announced in October 2022: Telda Mercantile Unito
Scott Johnson and Jeff Abbott join me to discuss a number of deals announced in November 2022. Deals discussed include: Amie WalletConnect Grouping (which Chris thinks is a fraud) Homa
Scott Johnson returns to discuss a fresh crop of venture deals. Companies covered in this episode include: PayAll HyperComply Emrgy Tract Fermat Commerce
Scott Johnson of Blitzscaling Ventures returns to discuss another month of venture capital financings. This month, the companies discussed were: Incredible Health (https://www.IncredibleHealth.com) Sphere (https://www.getsphere.com/) Vetted (https://vetted.ai) Spectral (https://spectral.finance)
Mike Trigg and I recorded an in-person conversation discussing his debut novel, "Bit Flip", and the changing morality of Silicon Valley. We'll also be holding an in-person event with Mehran Sahami at HanaHaus in Palo Alto on Wednesday, October 19: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hanahaus-presents-diagnosing-silicon-valleys-identity-crisis-tickets-388780130837
The entire Blitzscaling Ventures team assembles to discuss the venture downturn of summer 2022 and a few specific deals: Stadium Live Studios Merkle Manufactory Ghost (ghst.io)
My friend Jeff Pfeffer, legendary Stanford professor and management thinker, joins me to discuss his new book, The Seven Rules of Power. We actually discuss all seven rules through the lens of how I live my own life!
Scott Johnson and I discuss the current venture market and cover three deals from June 2022: Soba.xyz Hank Ledger
Dre and I discuss her life, how she ended up working for Playboy, and share our love of Ted Lasso, Star Trek, and especially Strange New Worlds Season 1.
Scott Johnson of Blitzscaling Ventures returns to score and discuss a fresh crop of five deals: Bubbles Switchboard StartPlaying Bravado Primitives
Scott Johnson joins me to discuss blitzscalable venture deals for April 2022. We also touch on the collapse of Terra/Luna/UST. Companies discussed are: Audyo Chalo Upside
Scott Johnson of Blitzscaling Ventures returns to discuss a new crop of venture-backed deals. This month's podcast covers: Disco City Mall Protege Espresso Systems Socket
Scott Johnson of Blitzscaling Ventures returns for another edition of our popular deal reviews. February 2022 was a record month, with 190 deals overall, and eight blitzscalable deals! TrialJectory Novi VendorPM Standard Metrics Flashfood Island PriorAuthNow Heygo Portals Labs
This episode, I'm joined by Tom Tsao, my older brother from another mother, as we discuss his eventful life and career. You'll hear about his childhood and growing up with Debbie Gibson, how fortune led him to Merrill Lynch and then to Asia, and much, much more. I had a great time, and I think you will too! https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-g-tsao/ https://gobi.vc/ https://www.endeavormalaysia.org/ https://www.presidentialscholars.org/
Scott Johnson of Blitzscaling Ventures stops by for another round of blitzscalable venture deal analysis. January's deals include: Buffalo Market Fan Controlled Football Gametime Rupifi Observable Plan Radar Draftea
My friend and fellow author Whitney Johnson joins me to discuss her remarkable life journey and her new book, Smart Growth. We talk about S-Curves of learning, metacognition, why improv is the perfect training for the uncertainty of launching something new, and much, much more. Buy Whitney's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Smart-Growth-Grow-People-Company/dp/1647821150 Learn all about her here: https://whitneyjohnson.com/
Scott Johnson returns to discuss a crop of six blitzscalable venture deals that were announced in December of 2021: Wisdom (wisdom.audio) Bounce (usebounce.com) Apex.AI Mysten Labs Sound (sound.xyz) Repl.it
Scott Johnson of Blitzscaling Ventures returns to discuss a new crop of venture deals. November deals discussed include: Fintual Imprint BetDEX Reibus NFTfi
Peter Shiao's dad was the Stan Lee of wuxia martial arts epics. And now his son and an all-star team of luminaries from the entertainment industry are building the next interconnected story universe around wuxia stories. The core IP of Immortal Studios has already been made into over 30 different television shows and movies, and that's just the beginning. Peter and Sam Ades (the former GM of DC Universe) joined me for a special live session, including audience questions. https://www.immortal-studios.com/
Scott Johnson of Blitzscaling Ventures is back to discuss another crop of blitzscalable venture deals. This is a particularly controversial month, with a heated debate about WorldCoin. Enjoy!
Scott Johnson returns for another Blitzscalable Venture Deals podcast!
Scott Johnson of Blitzscaling Ventures returns to assess another crop of blitzscalable venture deals. This months deals are: Bungalow Saturn Royal Pintu Balance
The John Madden of Mental Samurai, Dr. Ken Franklin, returns to discuss matters of love and faith. I've long admired Dr. Ken's ability to be loving, even in the challenging environment of Facebook, and he tells the story of how he developed his faith, how it was tested, and why he won't ever stop trying to love others. And if you like the wisdom of Dr. Ken, you can get it on tap in his book, "Spit Out That Apple," which is available on Amazon as a paperback, on Audible (free with your free trial), and via Kindle Unlimited: https://www.amazon.com/Spit-Out-Apple-embrace-rejecting-ebook/dp/B07XNL86MD
Scott Johnson returns to discuss another crop of blitzscalable startups. The companies covered in this episode are: Otter (get paid to take care of one other family's children) Choco (digital platform for restaurant/supplier purchasing) Block Renovation (managed marketplace for home renovations) Jones (insurance compliance for construction and repair contractors) Valora (Venmo for crypto in Brazil) Nas Academy (Make your own Masterclass for influencers)
I'm pleased to welcome my first Season 2 Mental Samurai to the show (check the archives to listen to my interviews with the three other Season 1 Mental Samurai--with a slightly different definition: Nathan Gonzalez, Dr. Jackie Boehme, and Ben Bergstrom), the purple fauxhawk himself, Wesley Chang. Wesley and I discuss the origin of his trademark look, why his dog has a similar purple fauxhawk, and where he and his fiancee plan on going for their honeymoon. Wesley also talks about strategy and how he prepared for the show. It's a great conversation, and I hope you listen in!
Scott Johnson returns to discuss five blitzscalable deals from June 2021. This episode discusses: XCLAIM Lessen Co-op Commerce Shef Snackpass
Dr. Ken Franklin returns to help me recap and break down the season finale of Mental Samurai. We discuss the individual competitors, Caroline Glymph's mental game, and reflect on the patterns we saw for the entire season. Competitors: Hercules Magnus, Real Estate Agent Caroline Glymph, Baton Twirler and Psychology Ph.D. Student Anya Lester, Forensic Scientist Jeromy Robert, Former Navy Cryptographer Joshua Florence, Pre-med College Student Laith Wallschleger, Former Pro Football Player / Voiceover Artist
Episode 7 competitor Jamaal Williams stops in to discuss his childhood in German, his many college majors, and his dual careers in government service and content creation. Jamaal also reveals why so many competitors are talking it out, and how he felt about winning $10,000, but not getting a chance to go to the Circle of Samurai. https://www.maalys-world.com/
Dr. Ken Franklin returns to help me recap and analyze Episode 8 of Season 2 of Mental Samurai. This episode featured the fewest correct answers of any episode, and also the first Mental Samurai to wear the crown without a perfect run. We also discuss the extensive IMDB credits of two competitors, who were actually regulars on two popular unscripted shows, and our admiration for Laith Wallschleger. Competitors: Krystyna Ahlers, Triple Valedictorian (Millionaire Matchmaker) Laith Wallschleger, NFL Player/Math Tutor/Voice Actor (Worst Cooks in America) David Rendon, Army Veteran / Amputee / Mountain Climber Charity Clark, Online Business Coach Shadi Ireifej, Veterinarian Nick Santo, Jewelry Designer / Daytrader
Hi folks, sorry for the delay on this episode, but I was in Monaco last week, and couldn't record until now. Once again, Dr. Ken Franklin joined me to recap and analyze the most recent episode of Mental Samurai, which featured three perfect runs, and a down-to-the-wire finish. We also discuss why stress and sleep deprivation can lead to flameouts, and learn why Dr. Ken didn't go to Stanford for college (which is the university's loss!). This week's competitors: Tony Mangione, Restauranteur Jennifer Jacobsen-Wood, Librarian Jamaal Williams, Data Analyst / Dad Haylee Hilton, Aquatic Mammal Trainer Ryan Cohen, Mechatronics Engineer (and Stanford alum) Nick Santo, Reigning Samurai
Dr. Ken Franklin returns to help me recap and analyze the action from Episode 6 of Season 2 of Mental Samurai. For the first time ever, Fox aired Mental Samurai twice in the same week, likely to avoid running into the Tokyo Olympics, so Dr. Ken and I pulled a double shift to cover the action. Competitors this week: Devin Collins, Stilt Walker (who also sings and as a teenager, opened for Chaka Khan, Dionne Warwick, and Roberta Flack) Jeff Vaughn, Professional Poker Player Jillian Gloria, Aspiring Astronaut Nick Santo, Daytrader / Jewelry Designer Kaitlyn Chu, USC Student Wes Chang, Reigning Samurai
Dr. Ken Franklin returns to break down Episode 5 of Season 2. Scott Perry tries to extend his reign as Mental Samurai for yet another episode, but he has some strong competitors standing in his way. Not only do we break down the action, we also hear Dr. Ken's technique for acing the Memory tower. This week's competitors: Avery Kane: Surfer/Drummer Victor Velez: Multi-lingual Speaker Layci Petrakis: Hunter Wes Chang: Fauxhawk Enthusiast Courtney Evans: Dentist Scott Perry: The Man Who Married His Cat
Dr. Ken dials in from his road trip to analyze the events of Episode 4, with a focus on defending champion Scott Perry. We discuss the various contestants, my desire for a Wikipedia page, and where Dr. Ken and his wife have been. Competititors: Meri J Van (model) Ashlea Archer (college professor) Jeff Ahern (sales) Alexa Lowery (homeschool teacher) Scott Perry (marketing consultant)
Scott Johnson returns for a joint analysis of venture deals announced in May 2021. This month's companies include: Contractbook Skiff Rally Poparazzi
I'm joined by Season 1 competitor Becky Eldridge, who joins me to recap Episode 3 of Season 2 of Mental Samurai. We discuss how Becky's life has changed since Mental Samurai, and what she likes and doesn't like about the new format. Then we recap the action, leading up to the amazing perfection of the newest Mental Samurai reigning champion, Scott Perry. Contestants: Ruby Ortega: Army veteran, antiques Aaron Fraley: Lab scientist, Ohioan Lisa Overman: Brand manager, gifted child Scott Perry: Marketing consultant, laughs a lot Don Hecht: Stuntman, Italian Dr. Laura Kerber: NASA scientist, Reigning Samurai
I'm joined by Episode 2's Peter Freyer, a former entrepreneur and finance executive who was also a one-time professional magician. Tune in to learn about how I know his childhood BFF, how he earned so much money doing magic, and hear the story of how being unemployed led to appearing on 11 different game shows, including both Wheel of Fortune and The Price Is Right.