Podcasts about bonfire ventures

HR Heretics welcomes back guest Brett Queener, Managing Director at Bonfire Ventures, for a check in on the current venture landscape.Fresh from raising a $245 million fund, Queener explores how AI is fundamentally changing software companies, emphasizing the need for rapid iteration and questioning traditional playbooks. He shares thoughtful perspectives on evaluating AI startups beyond the hype, the changing nature of talent requirements, and why successful companies must embrace a "change economy" mentality to thrive.*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.coFor coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.Support HR Heretics Sponsors:Planful empowers teams just like yours to unlock the secrets of successful workforce planning. Use data-driven insights to develop accurate forecasts, close hiring gaps, and adjust talent acquisition plans collaboratively based on costs today and into the future. ✍️ Go to https://planful.com/heretics to see how you can transform your HR strategy.Metaview is the AI assistant for interviewing. Metaview completely removes the need for recruiters and hiring managers to take notes during interviews—because their AI is designed to take world-class interview notes for you. Team builders at companies like Brex, Hellofresh, and Quora say Metaview has changed the game—see the magic for yourself: https://www.metaview.ai/hereticsKEEP UP WITH BRETT, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINBrett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettqueener/Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—LINKS:Bonfire Ventures: https://www.bonfirevc.com/—OTHER RECOMMENDED LINKS:The Change Economy: —TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro (01:07) Bonfire's $245M New Fund (03:24) Today's Frothy AI Market (06:30) The 11X AI SDR Case Study (08:18) AI's Revolutionary Impact on Products (11:12) First-Time vs. Repeat Founders in AI (14:39) Sponsors: Planful | Metaview(17:38) Rethinking How Companies Operate (19:43) Hiring in the AI Era (22:58) Teams Getting Younger and AI Native (25:04) The Future of Junior Roles (28:22) The 11X Controversy Explained (30:29) Evaluating What's Real in AI Companies (33:29) Vibey Revenue and Real Value (37:00) Product Viability and Renewals (39:42) Assessing Founders and Products (42:10) The Case for In-Office Collaboration (44:31) The "Holy S**t" Product Moment (46:09) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

#updateai #customersuccess #saas #businessJon Johnson and Josh Schachter sit down with Brett Queener, Managing Director at Bonfire Ventures, to explore the rapidly evolving landscape of software companies in the age of AI. Brett shares his thoughts on the future of SaaS, the importance of speed and innovation, and the critical role of product marketing.They dive into founders' challenges and anxieties in today's "change economy," where software evolves at warp speed, and discuss what it takes to build a defensible business amidst ever-growing competition.Join us as Brett provides insights on how startups can thrive by truly solving customer problems and staying ahead in the AI-driven tech landscape.Timestamps:0:00 – Preview, Intros & BS2:22 – Bonfire & Brett's Blog: Tales from The Bonfire6:55 – Predictions & Observations: AI's Influence on SaaS13:07 – Running a Software Company Amid Rapid Change16:33 – Applying Jobs-to-be-Done Framework17:50 – Innovation Pace vs. Continual Adaptation24:45 – Product Innovation, Value, and Market Differentiation28:45 – Investor Perspective and Guidance for Startups36:38 – Evaluating Startups___________________________

In this Meet the Startup episode of the Alumni Ventures Tech Optimist Podcast, Meera Oak, Partner at Alumni Ventures, interviews Ross Correia, co-founder and CEO of Reactiv, a Toronto-based startup transforming mobile commerce. Ross shares how Reactiv's AI-powered platform, featuring a no-code app builder, AI-driven customization, and innovative Reactiv Clips, enables merchants to create seamless mobile shopping experiences. The conversation dives into Reactiv's $5 million seed round led by Bonfire Ventures, its rapid growth trajectory, and its mission to make mobile apps accessible and impactful for e-commerce businesses of all sizes. Listen now to uncover how Reactiv is redefining mobile commerce and inspiring the next wave of innovation for businesses everywhere.To Learn More:Alumni Ventures (AV)AV LinkedInAV Seed FundTech OptimistReactivSpeakers:Meera Oak Ross CorreiaLegal Disclosure:https://av-funds.com/tech-optimist-disclosures

Have you ever had a conversation that just sticks with you for days? It challenges everything you previously thought to be true. You sit up at night re-running parts of it in your head. I had one of those recently with Brett Queener, Managing Director at Bonfire Ventures.Brett's recent writings on The Implications of the AI Age on the Application Software Market caught my attention, and ultimately led to this conversation that has caused me to question everything I thought I knew about SaaS businesses. In our conversation, Brett breaks down the 3 ages of applications software, we dive head-first into an agentic future, and why all of us need to question what we think it means to do our job.You can read the Substack articles that inspired our conversation here:The Three Ages of Applications SoftwareThe Implications of the AI Age for the Application Software MarketLike this episode? Be sure to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review and share the pod with your friends! You can connect with Sean on LinkedIn or subscribe to our YouTube channel.Want to work with Sean? Reach out to him and the team at BeaconGTM to help with GTM execution at your company.Anyone interested in pre-ordering The Revenue Operations Manual can go here and use the code REVOPS20 for 20% off (or buy from any of your preferred booksellers here)!

#updateai #customersuccess #saas #business Brett Queener, Managing Director at Bonfire Ventures joins Kristi Faltorusso & Josh Schachter to shed light on the challenges faced by startups, the significance of customer success, and the transformative impact of AI in the industry. Brett shares insights from his extensive experience being on 15 boards, highlighting the critical role of board meetings and the need for a dedicated customer person in the early stages of a company. As the discussion unfolds, Brett emphasizes the significance of understanding product fit, customer needs, and the economic sustainability of customer success resources. From the impact of AI on customer success roles to the future of SaaS, tune into uncover the true worth of CS. Timestamps 0:00 - Preview & Intro 4:50 - The first CS hire 7:25 - The product is a vision 10:25 - The founders don't know 13:15 - CSMs & leaders - LISTEN!!! 17:46 - Should CSMs be responsible for upsells, cross-sells & renewals? 26:06 - We shouldn't give revenue to CS 29:20 - AI & SaaS helps you do your job 37:37 - The need for onboarding 41:16 - Solve the pains of the customer ___________________________

Brett Queener is a partner at Bonfire Ventures, with a background extending to nearly every function as an operator at Salesforce, Smart Recruiters, and more. Brett is well-versed in the mechanics of early-stage companies and this conversation covers the death rate of startups, the point of board meetings, getting people to work outrageously hard for you, and more. Kelli and Nolan's segment this week (54:00-01:09:30) discusses Jack Dorsey's decision to eliminate PIPs and expands into a broader discussion of the right sized management layer, span of control, performance review systems and how businesses can change their approach towards feedback and evaluations HR Heretics is part of the Turpentine podcast network. Learn more: www.turpentine.co -- SPONSORS: Metaview | Continuum | Lattice ✅ Metaview is the AI assistant for interviewing. Metaview completely removes the need for recruiters and hiring managers to take notes during interviews—because their AI is designed to take world-class interview notes for you. Team builders at companies like Brex, Robinhood, Quora, and Replit say Metaview has changed the game—see the magic for yourself for free on your first 5 interviews: https://www.metaview.ai/1000 ✅ Hire Fractional Executives with Continuum using this link: https://bit.ly/40hlRa9 Have you ever had a negative experience hiring executives? Continuum connects executives and senior operators to venture-backed tech companies for fractional and full-time roles. You can post any executive-level role to Continuum's marketplace and search through our database of world-class, vetted leaders. There is no hidden cost, you only pay the person you hire. And you can cancel at any time. Joincontinuum.com ✅ Discover HR software that drives performance with Lattice: https://www.lattice.com/hrheretics High performance and great culture should never be at odds; they're better together. With Lattice People Management Platform, companies efficiently run people programs that create enviable cultures where employees want to do their best work. Serving 1000s of customers of all sizes. Learn why companies from Slack to the LA Dodgers choose Lattice. https://www.lattice.com/hrheretics – RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Check out Run The Numbers! Kelli and Nolan were guests on the most recent episode: a deep dive into FIRING CEOs and EXECS. This one's hilarious. Listen here, wherever you get your podcasts: https://link.chtbl.com/runthenumbers – KEEP UP WITH BRETT, NOLAN, + KELLI ON LINKEDIN Brett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettqueener/ Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/ Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/ – LINKS: Brett Queener's exceptional (free) Guides and templates: https://www.bonfirevc.com/team/brett-queener – TIMESTAMPS: 00:00) Preview (04:31) Insights on what's in store for investors, founders, and execs for 2024 (09:06) Making that pivot in 2024 (12:32) The economics of how a VC works (16:34) Sponsor - Continuum | Metaview (19:20 There's nothing that replaces the soul of a founder (23:11) On talent planning at the executive level (29:39) Sponsor - Lattice (30:50) Signs that how a company has the right people leader (35:50) Does Brett think HR leaders, founders, companies have gone a little soft? (41:51) How to get people to love working hard and appreciate it and the negative connotations of the 40-hour work-week (46:21) On the importance of the relationship between the CHRO and the founder for company health (50:20) Brett's best hire who has transformed a company (52:49) Brett's favorite interview question that gives the best signal on candidates? (54:00) Kelli & Nolan's segment on PIPs, Performance Reviews, and Managers vs ICs

Brett Queener from Bonfire spends 20-30 hours onboarding each of his companies and shares some of his playbook and rules of thumb.  I like a lot of his operational tips: * Founders should stay involved in sales (at the seed stage) * Seed companies should hire mechanics not scalers * 20% of employees should be quota carrying * Revenue growth is tied to the number of productive sales reps hired * And many more insights from his 13 years as an executive at Salesforce

Bonfire Ventures is a venture capitalist firm with a keen interest in investing in B2B seed-stage companies. In this podcast, Tyler Churchill, Principal at Bonfire Ventures, discusses various investment trends, the notable shifts observed in the startup industry, and emphasises the significance of vertical software solutions. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bettertech/message

Jim Andelman of Bonfire Ventures joins Nick to discuss 85% Graduation from Seed to Series A, SaaS Metric Mastery, The Right Time to Stop Founder-Led Sales, and Advice for Emerging Managers. In this episode we cover: The entry point for a seed investor. The importance of being overweight on the first round. How do you respond to a correction in valuation? Knowing when to relax constraints in venture. How much does it cost to build a sales team? The right time to transition from founder-led sales to sales leader. Evaluating the margin profile of a business. The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran, General Partner of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. To learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our Website and LinkedIn and be sure to follow us on Twitter. Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Subscribe to our podcast and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Are you a founder looking for your next investor? Visit our free tool VC-Rank and we'll send a list of potential investors right to your inbox!

In this episode I interview Miki Reynolds, co-founder & executive director of Grid110, about venture capital & alternative sources of funding for startups. We discuss: The downsides of venture capital "Lifestyle" businesses vs. venture-backed startups How to raise venture capital (especially if you're an historically underrepresented founder) Resources for learning more about VC Other ways to fund your business without VC money And more About Miki: Miki Reynolds is CEO & Co-founder of Grid110, an LA-based early stage startup accelerator and community development non-profit. Since 2014, Miki has focused on activating the startup ecosystem in Los Angeles through her work with Grid110, building community, and connecting the dots for entrepreneurs through access to mentoring and critical resources. She's also a scout for Bonfire Ventures (investing in pre-seed B2B companies) and a Venture Partner at Republic. Prior to co-founding Grid110, Miki spent 10 years building digital products for clients like MGM Studios, 20th Century Fox, Dreamworks, Angry Birds, SpaceX and LiveNation before transitioning to community focused work by launching the Downtown LA campus for tech education company General Assembly. Miki is a critical part of the LA startup ecosystem and has accepted commendations from Mayor Eric Garcetti on behalf of General Assembly and Grid110. She has been recognized by LA Biz Journal as a Woman of Influence, was named to Techweek's #Techweek100, and sits on advisory councils for two of the Mayor's diversity inclusion initiatives: PledgeLA and WiSTEM LA. More info: The Pitch (podcast) The Secrets of Sand Hill Road YC Startup School "How To Get Funding For Your Startup That's *Not" Venture Capital" (Medium article) Grid110

After selling his first startup, John Tomich has already raised $130M in financing for his latest venture. The company, Credit Key, has acquired financing from top-tier investors like Bonfire Ventures, Greycroft, RedBird Capital Partners, and Fortress Investment Group.

EARLY RELEASE to help you prep for INNOVATION WEEK next week! Meet Jennifer Richard, an investor with Bonfire Ventures, focuses on SMB tech, vertical SaaS, and "anything led by a woman or a diverse founder." Interviewed by Valor investor Wiliam Leonard, Jennifer is working out of a $168M core fund to lead seed rounds and looking hard at the Atlanta ecosystem, where Bonfire has already led rounds. You'll learn more about check size, how to impress Jennifer, and how Bonfire supports its portfolio in this engaging conversation. William also shares a few of his favorite tips on how to pitch Valor as the conversation continues. In this episode, you'll also hear how to connect with William and Jennifer in person this week, which is Innovation Week in Atlanta, so listen soon and share with founders you care about!

Miki Reynolds is CEO & Co-founder of Grid110, an LA-based early stage startup accelerator and community development non-profit. Since 2014, Miki has focused on activating the startup ecosystem in Los Angeles through her work with Grid110, building community, and connecting the dots for entrepreneurs through access to mentoring and critical resources. She's also a scout for Bonfire Ventures (investing in pre-seed B2B companies) and a Venture Partner at Republic. Prior to co-founding Grid110, Miki spent 10 years building digital products for clients like MGM Studios, 20th Century Fox, Dreamworks, Angry Birds, SpaceX and LiveNation before transitioning to community focused work by launching the Downtown LA campus for tech education company General Assembly. Miki is a critical part of the LA startup ecosystem and has accepted commendations from Mayor Eric Garcetti on behalf of General Assembly and Grid110. She has been recognized by LA Biz Journal as a Woman of Influence, was named to Techweek's #Techweek100, and sits on advisory councils for two of the Mayor's diversity inclusion initiatives: PledgeLA and WiSTEM LA. Learn more at https://www.grid110.org podcast music by www.bensound.com

Mark Mullen is the co-founder and Managing Director of Bonfire Ventures, an early stage investment firm based in Santa Monica. The company focuses early stage B2B SaaS, and have historically outperformed over 90% of venture funds. Connect with Bonfire Ventures Website: https://www.bonfirevc.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bonfireventures/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/bonfire_vc Connect with Homeroom Website: https://www.homeroompodcast.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/homeroomtalks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/homeroomtalks

In der Rubrik “Investments & Exits” begrüßen wir heute Daniel Wild, Gründer und Aufsichtsrat von Mountain Alliance. Daniel hat die Finanzierung von Founderpath und Boulevard analysiert: Founderpath konnte sich 145 Millionen US-Dollar an Fremd- und Eigenkapital sichern. Das 2020 von Nathan Latka gegründete Startup aus Austin ist ein Kreditgeber für Unternehmen, die alternative Finanzierungen neben Bankkrediten, VCs und Business Angels suchen. Im Fokus der Kreditvergabe liegen B2B-SaaS-Startups die sich bootstrappen und mindestens eine MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue) von 10.000 US-Dollar haben. Mithilfe einer eigens entwickelten Software kann Founderpath in Minutenschnelle die Konditionen eines Kredits berechnen. Der Unterschied zu herkömmlichen Kreditfinanzierungen sollen die geringeren Zinsen und die längere Laufzeit der Finanzierung sein. Über 90 Prozent der 145 Millionen US-Dollar stammt von der Forbright Bank. Das restliche Kapital wird von Singh Capital Partners und einigen Business Angels wie unter anderem den Gründern von Unternehmen wie ZoomInfo, Brandwatch, Truebill und Par Tech beigesteuert. Das in Los Angeles ansässige Unternehmen Boulevard konnte in einer Series-C-Finanzierungsrunde 70 Millionen US-Dollar einsammeln. Neben der Beteiligung von Toba Capital, Index Ventures, Bonfire Ventures, BoxGroup und VMG Partners wird die Runde von Point72 Private Investments angeführt. Der 2016 von Matthew Danna und Sean Stavropoulos gegründete Software Anbieter Boulevard bietet Unternehmen im Bereich der Selbstfürsorge wie unter anderem Spas und Friseursalons eine Plattform, die Buchungen von Terminen, Kommunikation mit den Kundinnen und Kunden und Abwicklungen von Zahlungen vereinfachen soll. Das frische Kapital soll zur Erweiterung der Serviceleistungen dienen. Laut Unternehmensangaben vertrauen schon mehr als 25.000 Fachkräfte dem Softwareanbieter.

Follow me @samirkaji for my thoughts on the venture market, with a focus on the continued evolution of the VC landscape.This week brings us Mark Mullen, Co-Founding partner of LA-based seed firm Bonfire Ventures.Bonfire is based in Santa Monica and manages three Venture Capital funds with over $400MM in AUM. Mark spent 20 years as an I-banker before focusing on startup investing in 2012 with Double M capital. Mark has also been an active LP, investing in over 20 managers over the years. On the show, we talked about how he and Jim Andelman (formerly Rincon) decided to join forces to start Bonfire after each running their own VC firms. We also spoke about things like what he looks for in a great manager, his view on the seed market today, and what helped him gain so much early success as a fund manager when he was just getting started.First, a word from our sponsor:Allocate is the digital operating system for investors looking to build and manage world-class private portfolios within venture capital and other technology-focused private assets.Despite the enormous growth of the private markets and the rapid increase of retail demand for private alternatives, investing in the highest quality private assets within the innovation sector remains inaccessible and opaque.Go to allocate.co to apply to be an early-access member and join 500+ active Allocate users.About Mark MullenMark is Co-Founder and Managing Director of Bonfire Ventures. He is also the Founder of the early-stage firm Double M Partners.Prior to his investing career, Mark spent the first 20 years of his career as a telco, cable, and tech M&A investment banker working for Bill Daniels, often referred to as the father of cable TV in the US. He also served as COO of the City of Los Angeles and Senior Advisor to then-Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.In this episode we discuss:01:12 Mark’s journey to starting Bonfire Ventures and partnering with Jim09:33 How Mark found early success getting into competitive deals12:12 The power of effective scouts17:28 His view on investing in emerging managers23:01 Balancing the Firm’s brand and the individual brands when it comes to building a reputation27:00 Why Mark and Jim decided to partner up and form Bonfire31:30 Why mergers of VC firms are challenging and why raising Fund II will be a huge challenge for emerging managers35:01 How were their conversations with LPs when raising Bonfire when he and Jim decided to join forces?38:40 The health of the seed market in 202242:43 The lesson Mark has taken as his true north in investingI’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Mark. Follow me @SamirKaji and give me your insights and questions with the hashtag #ventureunlocked. If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone you’d like to hear from (GP or LP), drop me a direct message on Twitter.Podcast Production support provided by Agent Bee Agency This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ventureunlocked.substack.com

Welcome everyone to another episode of the MBIT Podcast, I am your host Shamus Madan, and today Paige Finn Doherty joins to discuss her firm Behind Genius Ventures (BGV), which is investing in early-stage product-led growth companies in the future of work and play.Paige decided it was time to launch her own fund right out of college after conducting many private investments through syndicates and SPVs. She used that knowledge and track record to raise over $1.6MM for BGV from 120 LPs. The firm is backed by Bain Capital Ventures, Tribe Capital, Bonfire Ventures, Andy Weissman (USV), Jenny Lefcourt (Freestyle), Bobby Goodlatte (Form Capital) + dozens of general partners, founders, and operators.Listen to the full story.Twitter of Host: @mbitpodcastTwitter of Guest: @paigefinnnLearn More About BGV Here: https://www.behindgeniusventures.com/Check Out The Seed to Harvest Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/seed-to-harvest/id1600933931

Paige Finn Doherty is a Founding Partner at Behind Genius Ventures. It's a early stage fund investing in product led growth companies at the future of work and play at the pre-seed/seed stage & they are backed by Bain Capital Ventures, Tribe Capital, Bonfire Ventures among others. She has also written & published her own children's book, Seed to Harvest: A simple explanation of Venture Capital. She has built a following on Twitter & also hosts her own podcast, Seed to Harvest In this episode we talk about: - How she got into Venture Capital & the startup world - Paige's formula for sending the perfect cold email - The value of producing content online & building in public - Pushing through Imposter syndrome - The value of asking for what you want - how Paige built a twitter following, podcast, VC fund, published a book at 23 years old

Mark Mullen shares the origin stories of Mull Capital, Double M Partners, and Bonfire Ventures as well as investment strategies for a successful venture fund. Guests - Mark MullenWebsite - https://www.bonfirevc.com/team1Follow Us!LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/coefficient-labsInstagram: www.instagram.com/demodaypodcast/Facebook: www.facebook.com/coefficientlabs/Twitter: https://twitter.com/coefficientlabsContact Information:social@coefficientlabs.com

Mark Mullen discusses how to form and maintain a connection with startup founders. Guests - Mark MullenWebsite - https://www.bonfirevc.com/team1Follow Us!LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/coefficient-labsInstagram: www.instagram.com/demodaypodcast/Facebook: www.facebook.com/coefficientlabs/Twitter: https://twitter.com/coefficientlabsContact Information:social@coefficientlabs.com

Mark Mullen chats about how he got his first investment banking job with Bill Daniels, the “father of cable television.”Guests - Mark MullenWebsite - https://www.bonfirevc.com/team1Follow Us!LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/coefficient-labsInstagram: www.instagram.com/demodaypodcast/Facebook: www.facebook.com/coefficientlabs/Twitter: https://twitter.com/coefficientlabsContact Information:social@coefficientlabs.com

Mark Mullen shares his experiences growing up with two entrepreneurial parents and how that influenced him into the venture capitalist he is today. Guests - Mark MullenWebsite - https://www.bonfirevc.com/team1Follow Us!LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/coefficient-labsInstagram: www.instagram.com/demodaypodcast/Facebook: www.facebook.com/coefficientlabs/Twitter: https://twitter.com/coefficientlabsContact Information:social@coefficientlabs.com

Mark Mullen shares how to form and maintain a strong relationship with startup founders and the origin story of Bonfire Ventures. Guests - Mark MullenWebsite - https://www.bonfirevc.com/team1Follow Us!LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/coefficient-labsInstagram: www.instagram.com/demodaypodcast/Facebook: www.facebook.com/coefficientlabs/Twitter: https://twitter.com/coefficientlabsContact Information:social@coefficientlabs.com

Produced by Foundersuite (www.foundersuite.com), "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders and investors who have raised capital. This episode is with Daniel Liebeskind of Topia.io, a place for people to come together in the metaverse and create interactive social experiences. In this episode, Daniel talks about the dangers of raising too much money, what you need at each round (FnF, Seed, Series A), and why he believes you should build in public. He also goes deep into what to do NOW to prepare for a future fundraise. Topia has raised $5.8 million from investors such as Alexis Ohanian, Bonfire Ventures, 35 Ventures, Rich Kleynman, basketball star Kevin Durant and others. How I Raised It is produced by Foundersuite, makers of software to raise capital and manage investor relations. Foundersuite's customers have raised over $3 Billion since 2016. Create a free account at www.foundersuite.com.

Amazing insight on how venture capitals approach crypto and blockchain projects by Sid Mofya of Draper Network, Irina Litchfield of Percival, Alon Goren of Draper Goren Holm, Nikola Stojanow of Meta Change Capital, Mark Mullen of Bonfire Ventures and Ben Lakoff of Charged Particles.

Guest Dan Rossignol is an entrepreneur, investor and lifelong learner with a proven track record as a technology generalist who can drive revenue across business verticals. He currently serves as the Chief Growth Officer at Stonehenge Technology Labs, doing business as STOPWATCH, a Bentonville, Arkansas-based unified commerce software startup that provides real-time supply chain management for global CPG brands. Rossignol is also a scout investor for Bonfire Ventures, a seed stage venture capital firm that leads Seed rounds for business software solutions company founders. Prior to his current roles at STOPWATCH and Bonfire Ventures, Rossignol was in multiple leadership positions from co-founding Ad On Feet, an experiential guerilla marketing company, to serving as the Head of Partnerships at UserTesting ($USER), where he built and ran the company's first channel sales and strategic partnership playbook across all of their strategic consulting and digital agency partnership networks. Having led business development, product marketing, and operation teams across the globe, Rossignol has a unique humanity-first approach to operating and investing. From startups to scale ups, he leverages several years of operating experiences to help underestimated teams build a better future for tomorrow, today.

Welcome back to The Room- today’s conversation is another installment in our mini-series, Movers & Shakers where we sit down with early-stage entrepreneurs to hear about their stories. Today we sit down with Paige Finn Doherty, Founding Partner of Behind Genius Ventures. Behind Genius Ventures is an early-stage fund investing in product-led growth companies and play at the pre-seed/seed stage. They are backed by Bain Capital Ventures, Tribe Capital, Bonfire Ventures, and others. Behind Genius focuses on API-first products, wellness, creator economy, and dev tools. Paige is also the author of Seed to Harvest: A Simple Explanation of Venture Capital. Today we chat about her passions, how she got into venture, and her take on future tech trends. Let’s open the door.

In this episode, Tommy talks with Mark Mullen, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Bonfire Ventures.  For more than two decades, Mark has been investing in private businesses. He helps B2B companies progress and build their networks. Building a strong VC-Founder bond is about getting to know the customers. It's the catalyst for the company's traction. Before Bonfire Ventures, Mark served as a managing partner for Double M Partners and Mull Capital. Tommy and Mark discuss what makes a good founding team, how B2B businesses can benefit from VCs, and how to know when a startup has potential. “If the founder's able to go out, articulate the vision and the story, and really be painting the picture of what the firm is trying to build, he/she will be able to hire incredible people and grow. If you can't do that, you're going to fail.” ~ Mark Mullen Main Takeaways Success requires a willingness to take risks. "Getting lucky" only happens when you do the hard work of exploring your curiosity, and giving yourself as many chances to succeed as possible. Most VCs are more interested in the people than the idea. The right VC can be immensely valuable to a founding team because they provide the money to hire the right people and acquire the right customers. One of the hallmarks of a great founding team is the passion and expertise to solve a problem. It has to be about more than a good business idea. There are different kinds of investments. Some are all about money, while others are more about personal gratification. You have to really understand your "why" as a founding team in order to find the right VC. Links Mark Mullen on LinkedIn Bonfire Ventures Bill Daniels Warren Buffet Carlyle RBC Capital Markets Austin Beutner President Bill Clinton Evercore Google Michael Bloomberg Zoom Amazon Web Services (AWS) Boulevard Figment Angel Capital Association (ACA) Connect with our hosts Mammoth Tommy on LinkedIn Subscribe and stay in touch Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts

In Episode 15 of Venture Games, my guest Jen Richard, Principal at Bonfire Ventures, talks about transitioning from entertainment to VC, working as an early employee at multiple startups, why LA is a great city for venture capital, Bonfire's recent investment in Topia, and her thoughts on diversity in the VC industry.

Mark Mullen is the Co-Founder of Bonfire Ventures, one of LA's leading early-stage funds, now on their 3rd Fund with $101M in the latest. In the past, Mark has invested in the likes of Trade Desk, Scopely, GOAT, ChowNow, Niantic and Pendo to name a few. Prior to co-founding Bonfire, Mark was a solo GP with Double M and then through Mull Capital, Mark is also an LP in other funds investing in 15 including the likes of Upfront, Freestyle, Backstage and Crosscut to name a few. In Today's Episode with Mark Mullen You Will Learn: 1.) How Mark made his way into the world of venture, came to found Double M and why he decided he wanted to co-found Bonfire and be in a partnership, not a solo GP model? 2.) Portfolio Construction: With the new fund, how did Mark think about the right portfolio construction? What is the right level of diversification? How many lines should be in the portfolio? How important is ownership today? Is it possible to build ownership in your best companies over time? How does Mark think about proactive reserve allocation today? 3.) Investment Decision-Making: How does Mark think about the right investment decision-making structure with Bonfire today? How can one retain speed but also increase the number of decision-makers? How does Mark feel about the compression of fundraising timelines today? What advice does Mark give to founders when selecting their cap table? 4.) Boards and Time: How does Mark evaluate his own style of board membership? How has it changed over time? What do the best do on boards that makes them so great? How does Mark think about time allocation across the portfolio? Should you only spend time with winners? What have been some of his biggest lessons from this? Item's Mentioned In Today's Episode with Mark Mullen Mark's Favourite Book: Undaunted Courage Mark's Most Recent Investment: Topia As always you can follow Harry and The Twenty Minute VC on Twitter here!

Dave and Thomas interview Brett Queener, partner at Bonfire Ventures, former President & COO at SmartRecruiters, product-line general manager at both Salesforce.com and Siebel... What was it like running product for Marc Benioff?  (Or, for that matter, Tom Siebel?) and much more. 

This morning Cube, a startup that builds FP&A software for the mid-market, announced that it has raised a $10 million Series A. The company previously raised a $5 million seed round that TechCrunch covered last August. Mayfield led its Series A, which saw participation from Operator Collective and Bonfire Ventures. FP&A is probably not an […]

We talk with Jim Andelman about Bonfire's new $100M Fund II, the great team additions (Jennifer Richard, Tyler Churchill, Brett Queener), what good traction looks like nowadays, and a couple great resources on tech.

Wildfire provides a unique software platform which monetizes social messaging. NLP, AI and other technologies detect product references and purchase intent within all forms of digital communication, and drive commerce for thousands of participating e-commerce merchants. Investors include Mucker Capital, Bonfire Ventures, Moonshots Capital and BAM. Glazier Advisors provides strategic consulting and advisory services to small and medium-sized businesses in the technology, e-commerce and digital media sectors. We help clients define strategy and positioning, secure investors and strategic partners, accelerate growth, scale operations and accomplish mergers & acquisitions. Support this podcast

Alex Kazerani is the co-founder and CEO of Openpath which offers a mobile and cloud-enabled access control system for businesses and landlords. The company has raised $30 million from investors like Unfront Ventures, Pritzker Group, Emergence, Sorenson Capital, Bonfire Ventures, and Fika Ventures. Prior to this, Alex Kazerani cofounded HostPro (acquired by Micron Electronics for $25 million), KnowledgeBase Solutions (acquired by Talisma for over $10 million), and EdgeCast (acquired by Verizon for $400 million).

Mark talks with us about what sort of traction he looks for when doing B2B seed investing, what sort of questions he asks founders, and his direct personal style. 

In this episode, Hall is joined by Mark Mullen of  Bonfire Ventures.   A little about Mark: Mark Mullen is co-founder and Managing Director of Bonfire Ventures. Mark has been investing in private VC-backed businesses for 17 years. Previously Mark founded and served as Managing Partner of predecessor firms Double M Partners and Mull Capital.  All of the funds focused on investing in internet, media and technology with primary emphasis on business to business software solutions. Prior to Double M Partners, Mark served as COO of the City of Los Angeles (Office of Economic Policy) and Senior Advisor to the then-Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, where he oversaw several of the City's assets including the LA International Airport (LAX), LA Convention Center, the Planning and Building & Safety Departments, as well as the Office of Small Business Services. From 1993-2007, Mark ran the international M&A and private equity group for Daniels & Associates, a boutique investment bank focused on the cable and broadband industry. Mark was a senior partner of Daniels when it was acquired by RBC Capital Markets in 2007 where he stayed until 2010 as Managing Director. Mark serves on the board of Fama, Trinity Mobile Networks, and Altice USA Inc (ATUS.N).  Mr. Mullen earned his BSBA with cum laude honors from the University of Denver in 1986 and earned his MBA in international business from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in 1992. Mark has lived and worked in San Francisco, Paris, London, Denver and New York City and currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.

Mark Mullen from Double M Partners and Bonfire Ventures imparts stories and lessons he learned while working for the father of cable, Bill Daniels, prior to his successful career as a venture capitalist. Mark discusses his focus as a B2B investor, what he looks for in the people he invests in, specific areas where he is investing, and the unique qualities of the Los Angeles ecosystem.