Podcast appearances and mentions of Charles Hudson

Anastasia Trofimova sold everything, moved across the world and started Sundae to make food content shoppable—linking influencers, grocery carts, and brand dollars. Her pitch checks all the boxes. But when she asks for a $10M valuation, things got complicated. Will investors buy in, or bail at the register? This is The Pitch for Sundae. Featuring investors ⁠Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Ben Zises and Kate McAndrew. ... Watch Anastasia's pitch on YouTube (@thepitchshow) and Patreon (@ThePitch) Subscribe to our public email newsletter: insider.thepitch.show Join our private investor community on Substack: thepitch.fund Register for the Season 13 Finale Watch Party: pitch.show/party *Disclaimer: No offer to invest in Sundae is being made to or solicited from the listening audience on today's show. The information provided on this show is not intended to be investment advice and should not be relied upon as such. The investors on today's episode are providing their opinions based on their own assessment of the business presented. Those opinions should not be considered professional investment advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a decade in the ER, Dr. Therese Canares built CurieDx—an AI-powered app that can detect strep throat from a smartphone photo with 88% accuracy. But when she pitches both a consumer and enterprise play, the investors push back: can one founder really do it all? This is The Pitch for CurieDx. Featuring investors Paige Finn Doherty, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Jesse Middleton and Jenny Fielding. ... Watch Therese's pitch on YouTube (@thepitchshow) and Patreon (@ThePitch) Subscribe to our public email newsletter: insider.thepitch.show Join our private investor community on Substack: thepitch.fund Register for the Season 13 Finale Watch Party: pitch.show/party *Disclaimer: No offer to invest in CurieDx is being made to or solicited from the listening audience on today's show. The information provided on this show is not intended to be investment advice and should not be relied upon as such. The investors on today's episode are providing their opinions based on their own assessment of the business presented. Those opinions should not be considered professional investment advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of The Distribution, host Brandon Sedloff sits down with Charles Hudson, Managing Partner and Founder at Precursor Ventures, to explore the challenges and opportunities of pre-seed investing. Charles shares how his early career at In-Q-Tel and Uncork Capital shaped his thesis for launching Precursor—a fund intentionally designed to write small checks to first-time founders before there's traction, product, or even a network. They discuss the philosophy behind backing “strangers with data,” how to identify founders with the resilience and creativity to thrive at the zero-to-one stage, and what's often misunderstood about investing in companies before traditional signals exist. Charles also reflects on why staying small by design is key to Precursor's success and how firm culture, founder psychology, and capital strategy all intertwine in early-stage venture. They also cover: * How product velocity is a leading indicator of startup success * The shift from institutional seed to pre-seed and why timing matters * Red flags and green flags when backing solo vs. co-founding teams * Why domain expertise isn't a requirement—and when it actually matters * Precursor's use of founder assessments and frameworks for diligence * Thoughts on AI, market timing, and where the next generation of breakout companies will emerge This episode is a must-listen for investors, founders, and allocators who want a firsthand look at how conviction, curiosity, and consistency define the earliest stages of venture capital. Links: Charles on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chudson/ Precursor Ventures - https://precursorvc.com/ Brandon on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bsedloff/ Juniper Square - https://www.junipersquare.com/ Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:01:51)  - Charles' background and career (00:13:52) - Advice to young professionals (00:17:06) - More on Charles' career  (00:30:45) - Launching Precursor (00:34:39) - The current state of Precursor and their mindset toward investing (00:38:33) - What to look for in founders (00:42:38) - How do you narrow your funnel of founders you're interested in investing with? (00:54:40) - What's your view on AI as an investable industry?

Julian Alvarez wants to turn every student into a super-learner. With $1M in ARR and 180,000 monthly active users, he's off to a strong start. Can Jungle become the Duolingo for studying, or will ChatGPT steal his lunch money? This is The Pitch for Jungle. Featuring investors Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin,  Jesse Middleton, Ben Zises and Kate McAndrew. ... Watch Julian's pitch on YouTube (@thepitchshow) and Patreon (@ThePitch) Subscribe to our public email newsletter: insider.thepitch.show Join our private investor community on Substack: thepitch.fund Register for the Season 13 Finale Watch Party: pitch.show/party *Disclaimer: No offer to invest in Jungle is being made to or solicited from the listening audience on today's show. The information provided on this show is not intended to be investment advice and should not be relied upon as such. The investors on today's episode are providing their opinions based on their own assessment of the business presented. Those opinions should not be considered professional investment advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With deals from LinkedIn, Figma, and a Fortune 100 giant, Kelsey Willock's startup Aura Finance is off to a strong start. But will early traction be enough to justify a steep valuation in a competitive space? This is The Pitch for Aura Finance. Featuring investors Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Jesse Middleton, Jenny Fielding and Kate McAndrew. ... Watch Kelsey's pitch on YouTube (@thepitchshow) and Patreon (@ThePitch) Subscribe to our public email newsletter: insider.thepitch.show Join our private investor community on Substack: thepitch.fund Register for the Season 13 Finale Watch Party: pitch.show/party *Disclaimer: No offer to invest in Aura Finance is being made to or solicited from the listening audience on today's show. The information provided on this show is not intended to be investment advice and should not be relied upon as such. The investors on today's episode are providing their opinions based on their own assessment of the business presented. Those opinions should not be considered professional investment advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Royi Metser's smart running shoe promises fewer injuries—but are runners ready to subscribe to their shoes? This is The Pitch for Avelo. Featuring investors Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, and two new investors to the show, Ben Zises and Kate McAndrew. ... Watch Royi's pitch on YouTube (@thepitchshow) and Patreon (@ThePitch) Subscribe to our public email newsletter: insider.thepitch.show Join our private investor community on Substack: thepitch.fund Register for the Season 13 Finale Watch Party: pitch.show/party *Disclaimer: No offer to invest in Avelo is being made to or solicited from the listening audience on today's show. The information provided on this show is not intended to be investment advice and should not be relied upon as such. The investors on today's episode are providing their opinions based on their own assessment of the business presented. Those opinions should not be considered professional investment advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Typically a startup pitch that requires building a manufacturing facility would send VCs running for the hills. But could Whitman Kwok's high margin, zero-inventory model be the exception to the rule? This is The Pitch for KAV Sports. Featuring investors Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, and two new investors to the show, Ben Zises and Kate McAndrew. ... Watch Whitman pitch his startup on YouTube (@thepitchshow) and Patreon (@ThePitch) Subscribe to our public email newsletter insider.thepitch.show Join our private investor community on Substack at thepitch.fund Register for the Season 13 Finale Watch Party at pitch.show/party *Disclaimer: No offer to invest in KAV Sports is being made to or solicited from the listening audience on today's show. The information provided on this show is not intended to be investment advice and should not be relied upon as such. The investors on today's episode are providing their opinions based on their own assessment of the business presented. Those opinions should not be considered professional investment advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michele Callegari has grown Barberino's to the #1 luxury men's grooming brand in Italy. Can he replicate the same success in the US – and if he does, will the Italian investors want their cut? This is The Pitch for Barberino's. Featuring investors Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin,  Jesse Middleton, and two new investors to the show, Ben Zises and Kate McAndrew. Watch Michele pitch his startup on YouTube (@thepitchshow) and Patreon (@ThePitch) Join our private investor community on Substack at thepitch.fund Subscribe to our public email newsletter insider.thepitch.show Register for the Season 13 Finale Watch Party at pitch.show/party *Disclaimer: No offer to invest in Barberino's is being made to or solicited from the listening audience on today's show. The information provided on this show is not intended to be investment advice and should not be relied upon as such. The investors on today's episode are providing their opinions based on their own assessment of the business presented. Those opinions should not be considered professional investment advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Guest: Ben Chestnut, Former CEO and Co-Founder of MailchimpIf you find yourself selling your startup, then Mailchimp co-founder Ben Chestnut has some important advice for you: Get a dog. When Intuit bought Mailchimp in 2021 for $12 billion, the company asked Ben if he wanted to stay on as CEO, but he chose to “walk off into the sunset” and let the new owners take over. After that, he estimates it took 6 to 12 months before he stopped checking his email, social media, and calendar with the same level of stress a CEO might have. Adopting a dog, he discovered, forces you to “get OK with the voices in your head."“After the acquisition, that's all I do, I walk the dog,” Ben says. “And the dog was good therapy ... No judgments from a dog.”Chapters:(01:09) - Growing slow (03:06) - The long journey (07:48) - Is money a burden? (09:35) - Building globally in Atlanta (11:22) - Ben's upbringing (12:59) - The first 10 years (17:58) - Scaling to one billion emails (19:22) - Freemium (23:32) - No equity (26:00) - Deciding to sell (33:55) - “I'm a sunset guy” (35:29) - Stress and support (37:25) - Time with the parents (39:07) - Get a dog (42:24) - The voices in your head (46:03) - Serial and “Mailkimp” (53:00) - Hiring interviews (57:14) - Fitness routines (59:27) - Lights off (01:01:46) - AI & reinvention (01:06:30) - The worst days (01:09:15) - What “grit” means to Ben Mentioned in this episode: Intuit, Wolt, DoorDash, LinkedIn, Dan Kurzius, Salesforce, ExactTarget, Pardot, Constant Contact, Rackspace, Free by Chris Anderson, Wired Magazine, Charles Hudson, the Freemium Summit, Drew Houston, Dropbox, Evernote, Phil Libin, TechCrunch, Brian Kane, Catalyst Partners, Georgia Pacific, Scott Cook, Bing Gordon, Vinay Hiremath, Loom, Joe Thomas, Caltrain, Flickr, Saturday Night Live, Droga5, Cannes Film Festival, Strava, Twitter, LinkedIn, Nvidia, Glean, Rubrik, Amazon AWS, and Mechnical Turk.Links:Connect with BenLinkedInConnect with JoubinTwitterLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.com Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

Khaylah Epps wants to change the face of healthcare in the south. This is The Pitch for Oma Health. Featuring investors Cyan Banister, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell and Jesse Middleton. ... Watch Khaylah pitch her healthtech startup on YouTube @thepitchshow Register for our virtual Season Finale Watch Party on December 11th pitch.show/party To invest with us, become an LP in thepitch.fund *Disclaimer: No offer to invest in Oma Health is being made to or solicited from the listening audience on today's show. The information provided on this show is not intended to be investment advice and should not be relied upon as such. The investors on today's episode are providing their opinions based on their own assessment of the business presented. Those opinions should not be considered professional investment advice.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is your AI hallucinating? This AI can fix it. This is Chinar Movsisyan's pitch for Feedback Intelligence. Featuring investors Cyan Banister, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell and Jesse Middleton. ... Watch Chinar pitch her AI startup on YouTube @thepitchshow Register for our virtual Season Finale Watch Party on December 11th pitch.show/party To invest with us, become an LP in thepitch.fund *Disclaimer: No offer to invest in Feedback Intelligence is being made to or solicited from the listening audience on today's show. The information provided on this show is not intended to be investment advice and should not be relied upon as such. The investors on today's episode are providing their opinions based on their own assessment of the business presented. Those opinions should not be considered professional investment advice.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Could robots bring healthcare access to rural America? This is Ryan James' pitch for Dopl. Featuring investors Cyan Banister, Charles Hudson, Josh Muccio and Jesse Middleton. ... Watch Ryan pitch his healthtech startup on YouTube @thepitchshow Register for our virtual Season Finale Watch Party on December 11th pitch.show/party Applications are closing soon for our winter cohort, founders raising pre-seed or seed can apply to pitch at pitch.show/apply To invest with us, become an LP in thepitch.fund *Disclaimer: No offer to invest in Dopl is being made to or solicited from the listening audience on today's show. The information provided on this show is not intended to be investment advice and should not be relied upon as such. The investors on today's episode are providing their opinions based on their own assessment of the business presented. Those opinions should not be considered professional investment advice.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can a college advisor disrupt the system from the inside? This is Julia Dixon's pitch for ESAI. Featuring investors Cyan Banister, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell and Jesse Middleton. ... Watch Julia pitch her edtech startup on YouTube @thepitchshow Register for our virtual Season Finale Watch Party on December 11th pitch.show/party Applications are closing soon for our winter cohort, founders raising pre-seed or seed can apply to pitch at pitch.show/apply To invest with us, become an LP in thepitch.fund *Disclaimer: No offer to invest in ESAI is being made to or solicited from the listening audience on today's show. The information provided on this show is not intended to be investment advice and should not be relied upon as such. The investors on today's episode are providing their opinions based on their own assessment of the business presented. Those opinions should not be considered professional investment advice.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Two of Josh's favorite hobbies—beer and startups—collide in The Pitch Room. This is Dean Eberhardt's pitch for ReCraft. Featuring investors Cyan Banister, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell and Jesse Middleton. ... Watch Dean pitch his beer technology startup on YouTube @thepitchshow Register for our virtual Season Finale Watch Party on December 11th pitch.show/party Applications are now open for next season, founders raising pre-seed or seed can apply to pitch at pitch.show/apply To invest with us, become an LP in thepitch.fund *Disclaimer: No offer to invest in ReCraft is being made to or solicited from the listening audience on today's show. The information provided on this show is not intended to be investment advice and should not be relied upon as such. The investors on today's episode are providing their opinions based on their own assessment of the business presented. Those opinions should not be considered professional investment advice.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chad Wilson wants to disrupt history class with video games. This is The Pitch for immersionED. Featuring investors Cyan Banister, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell and Jesse Middleton. ... Watch Chad pitch his edtech startup on YouTube @thepitchshow Register for our virtual Season Finale Watch Party on December 11th pitch.show/party Applications are now open for next season, founders raising pre-seed or seed can apply to pitch at pitch.show/apply To invest with us, become an LP in thepitch.fund *Disclaimer: No offer to invest in immersionED is being made to or solicited from the listening audience on today's show. The information provided on this show is not intended to be investment advice and should not be relied upon as such. The investors on today's episode are providing their opinions based on their own assessment of the business presented. Those opinions should not be considered professional investment advice.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What happens when disaster strikes and the internet goes down? This is Jorge Rios' pitch for Bridgefy. Featuring investors Cyan Banister, Charles Hudson, Josh Muccio, and Jesse Middleton. ... Watch Jorge pitch his peer-to-peer networking tech on YouTube @thepitchshow Register for our virtual Season Finale Watch Party on December 11th pitch.show/party Applications are now open for next season, founders raising pre-seed or seed can apply to pitch at pitch.show/party To invest with us, become an LP in thepitch.fund *Disclaimer: No offer to invest in Bridgefy, Inc. is being made to or solicited from the listening audience on today's show. The information provided on this show is not intended to be investment advice and should not be relied upon as such. The investors on today's episode are providing their opinions based on their own assessment of the business presented. Those opinions should not be considered professional investment advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What if you could take someone's vitals, using just the sound of their voice? This is the pitch for Vital Audio. Featuring investors Cyan Banister, Charles Hudson, Mac Conwell and Jesse Middleton. ... Watch Nyamitse-Calvin Mahinda's pitch his healthtech startup on YouTube @thepitchshow Register for our virtual Season Finale Watch Party on December 11th pitch.show/party To invest with us, become an LP in thepitch.fund *Disclaimer: No offer to invest in Vital Audio Inc. is being made to or solicited from the listening audience on today's show. The information provided on this show is not intended to be investment advice and should not be relied upon as such. The investors on today's episode are providing their opinions based on their own assessment of the business presented. Those opinions should not be considered professional investment advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Biomimicry (noun): the design and production of materials, structures, and systems that are modeled on biological entities and processes. Founder Capella Kerst invented a material that mimics a geckos' gravity defying grip. This industrial velcro could be a multi-billion dollar industry, and geCKo Materials is shooting for the moon. I mean, they're already on the International Space Station... how hard can it be? Featuring investors Cyan Banister, Charles Hudson, Mac Conwell and Jesse Middleton. ... Watch the geCKo Materials pitch on YouTube @thepitchshow To invest with us, become an LP in thepitch.fund *Disclaimer: No offer to invest in geCKo Materials PBC is being made to or solicited from the listening audience on today's show. The information provided on this show is not intended to be investment advice and should not be relied upon as such. The investors on today's episode are providing their opinions based on their own assessment of the business presented. Those opinions should not be considered professional investment advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of The Data Minute, Peter Walker (Head of Insights at Carta) is joined by Charles Hudson (Managing Partner and Founder, Precursor Ventures and writer of the Venture Reflections Substack - chudson.substack.com) for a deep discussion about pre-seed deals, the differences between multi-stage and small funds, and the types of investing that work in this AI dominated market. They also cover SAFEs, how pre-seed investing has changed, Charles' time in the National Venture Capital Association, and how what happens in Washington can affect emerging managers nationwide.Subscribe to Carta's weekly Data Minute newsletter: https://carta.com/subscribe/data-newsletter-sign-up/Explore interactive startup and VC data, with Carta's Data Desk: https://carta.com/data-desk/Chapters:00:00 Welcome1:42 Intro to Precursor Ventures7:06 The changes in pre-seed syndication13:38 Setting aside reserves in funding15:23 Competing with multi-stage funds19:12 Distinctions in AI funding 23:09 Making the case for small funds30:51 SAFEs and priced rounds37:47 Handling LP concerns39:34 Secondary selling and liquidity 43:24 Speed round questions43:29 Most interesting sector or subsector for investment?44:12 Most unique way that a GP has brought value to a portco?45:45 The one question more founders should ask in fundraising?48:16 The National Venture Capital AssociationThis presentation contains general information only and eShares, Inc. dba Carta, Inc. (“Carta”) is not, by means of this publication, rendering accounting, business, financial, investment, legal, tax, or other professional advice or services, and is for informational purposes only.  This presentation is not a substitute for such professional advice or services nor should it be used as a basis for any decision or action that may affect your business or interests. © 2024 eShares, Inc., dba Carta, Inc. All rights reserved.

Phil Barrar sold his last company for $65 million. Now he's back in the game with FutureMoney, an investing platform that helps parents create generational wealth for their kids with the Junior Roth IRA™. Featuring investors Cyan Banister, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell and Jesse Middleton. ... Watch the FutureMoney pitch on YouTube @thepitchshow To invest with us, become an LP in thepitch.fund *Disclaimer: The information provided on this show is not intended to be investment advice and should not be relied upon as such. The investors on today's episode are providing their opinions based on their own assessment of the business presented. Those opinions should not be considered professional investment advice. No offer to invest is being made to or solicited from the listening audience on today's show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A new season is here! Fourteen pitches start August 14th with one crazy season finale to tie it all together. These startups will blow your mind, and if you're an investor on the show… your wallet. BONUS: Stick around at the end of the trailer for a special behind the scenes interview with Charles Hudson, Cyan Banister, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell and Jesse Middleton. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As a glacier guide in Alaska, Georgia Grace Edwards had a problem: her pants. While the male guides just unzipped and did their business, she had to find a secluded place and completely undress in the freezing tundra. So Georgia Grace created the GoFly zipper technology to help everyone go on the go. Will the investors get behind this consumer product or is this business just too messy? Featuring investors Cyan Banister, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell and Paige Finn Doherty. ... Watch the Gnara pitch on YouTube @thepitchshow To invest with us, join our investor community at thepitch.fund *Disclaimer: The information provided on this show is not intended to be investment advice and should not be relied upon as such. The investors on today's episode are providing their opinions based on their own assessment of the business presented. Those opinions should not be considered professional investment advice. No offer to invest is being made to or solicited from the listening audience on today's show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join Shaherose & Aamir as we reflect on our conversation with Charles Hudson of Precursor Ventures. Highlights: Don't forget the macro: Government regulations can lead to massive opportunities or failures. We discuss case studies of companies like Samsara, Movtive (fka KeepTrucking), Republic, and Zum, showing how regulatory shifts led to category-creating opportunities. Charles' worst investment was wiped out due to changes in government regulation. Team vs market: We discussed the interplay between having the right team, idea, and timing for startup success. Charles evaluates opportunities 70% team and 30% idea. Both Aamir and I take a more balanced approach than Charles does.Fund size vs. outcomes: Reflecting on the past learning, "Your fund size is your strategy." We wonder what role that played in Charles' decision to invest in the Athletic, later acquired by the NY Times for $550M.Links:Follow Charles Hudson on Twitter: @chudsonRead Charles' blog on SubstackLearn more about Precursor Ventures: Precursor VenturesConnect with Charles Hudson on LinkedIn: Charles HudsonConnect with Us:Follow the First Funders PodcastNewsletter with behind-the-scenes access and key takeawaysTwitter/X: @shaherose | @aviraniEmail us with feedback and suggestions on topics and guestsDisclaimer: This is for information purposes only. This is not investment advice.(00:00) - Introduction and Format Change (00:39) - The macro matters (03:40) - Learning from past investments while staying open minded, what about bias? (04:12) - Team vs. Market (10:36) - Fund size vs outcomes (16:17) - Investors don't know it all

Hailing from Michigan, Charles developed an early obsession with the public markets in high school. Charles Hudson is now the Managing Partner at Precursor Ventures, a pre-seed venture fund that has defined and has become synonymous with “pre-seed”. Charles is known for his ability to identify and mentor early-stage companies that have the potential to disrupt their industries - first and early - including companies like the Athletic (acquired by the NY Times for $525m), Bobbie (recently raised a $70m Series C), Carrot Fertility (recently raised $75M Series C) and Pair Eyewear (recently raised $75M Series C).Charles writes checks of $250k - $500k at Pre-seed and Seed. He is a Generalist with a focus on digital health, media, and software.Highlights:The boomerang back to VC: Charles shares his unique path from Michigan to Silicon Valley, starting in VC, then moving to Google and various startups before returning to VC.Founding Precursor Ventures: Charles spotted an opportunity to invest in non-obvious founders pre-product and pre-revenue while other firms moved upstream in 2015. This made him one of the first in a second wave of pre-seed firms to launch, and 10 years later, he's become the go-to first funder.Evaluating Founders vs. Ideas: Charles is a founder-first investor (founder 70%, idea 30%). He shares his criteria for assessing talent and reveals indicators of success that have generated alpha in his portfolio.Investment Strategy over Trends: Even in the face of trends like crypto, AI, and the economic downturn, Charles stays steady and focused on people and his definition of pre-seed, not morphing with industry shifts.Links:Follow Charles Hudson on Twitter: @chudsonRead Charles' blog on SubstackLearn more about Precursor Ventures: Precursor VenturesConnect with Charles Hudson on LinkedIn: Charles HudsonConnect with Us:Follow the First Funders PodcastNewsletter with behind-the-scenes access and key takeawaysTwitter/X: @shaherose | @aviraniEmail us with feedback and suggestions on topics and guestsDisclaimer: This is for information purposes only. This is not investment advice.(00:00) - Intro (00:52) - Early Days and Building Community (03:09) - Interning at Smith Barney to the CIA's Venture firm (08:59) - Embracing Risk and Independent Thinking defines a solo GP (11:05) - Operating Experience As Product Manager, then Business Development at Google and a Return to VC (16:50) - Charles' first role as an advisor surprisingly had a $300M acquisition by Paypal (19:55) - Joining Softech (now Uncorked) in 2010 when Seed investors were known as Super Angels (21:10) - Launching Precursor to fill the gap created by Super Angel Funds going upstream and defining a new category - "pre-seed" (23:50) - First Investments: the role of macro tailwinds and headwinds (27:57) - Evaluating Founders 70% and Ideas 30% (31:03) - The Role of Business Model Innovation in Generating Alpha (33:25) - Learning from Challenging Investments: If you don't know its ok, but say something (38:01) - Staying True to Your Investment Strategy (40:44) - Charles' best investment: The Athletic, acquired by the New York Times for $525M (45:55) - How he Decides: Evaluating Founders and Their Potential, Weird Patterns, Product Velocity, Remote Teams (51:38) - Current Investment Strategies, Focus Areas and Check Sizes (53:25) - Following High-Potential Talent vs. Investing Theses: People vs. Market vs. Product Evaluations (57:00) - Speed Round

Lending is one of the oldest markets in recorded history. But founder Luis Sánchez believes there's an opportunity that remains untapped… manufacturing companies in Mexico. Can Luis mint a Mexican unicorn? Or will the investors decide that this market is just too niche? Featuring investors Elizabeth Yin, Charles Hudson, Beck Bamberger, Pascal Unger and Mac Conwell. ... Watch the KredFeed pitch on YouTube @thepitchshow To invest with the VCs on the show, join our investor community at thepitch.fund Superfans can join The Pitch UNCUT and get early access to unedited versions of all ten pitches on season 11. ... *Disclaimer: The information provided on this show is not intended to be investment advice and should not be relied upon as such. The investors on today's episode are providing their opinions based on their own assessment of the business presented. Those opinions should not be considered professional investment advice. No offer to invest is being made to or solicited from the listening audience on today's show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Twin sisters Nilo and Jennifer Rahmani used to be site reliability engineers. Where they worked night and day to keep servers running at companies like Slack. But Nilo and Jen left their cushy jobs in tech to build Thoras AI, a platform that helps startups scale and optimize their cloud infrastructure using AI. Will the investors get down on site reliability, or will this “family business” scare them away? Featuring investors Cyan Banister, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell and Paige Finn Doherty. ... Watch the Thoras AI pitch on YouTube @thepitchshow To invest with the VCs on the show, join our investor community at thepitch.fund Founders can apply to pitch at our next recording event in San Francisco this June. No intro required, just go to pitch.show/apply Superfans can join The Pitch UNCUT and get early access to unedited versions of all ten pitches on season 11. ... *Disclaimer: The information provided on this show is not intended to be investment advice and should not be relied upon as such. The investors on today's episode are providing their opinions based on their own assessment of the business presented. Those opinions should not be considered professional investment advice. No offer to invest is being made to or solicited from the listening audience on today's show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We thought it would take years before AI could replace a podcast host. That is, until founder Edward Brawer slid into Josh's DMs to pitch his startup, PodcastAI. Edward thinks he can make podcast producers 10x more productive and he already signed two big name podcasters. Now can he convince the big name investors that PodcastAI will deliver 100x returns? Featuring investors Elizabeth Yin, Charles Hudson, Beck Bamberger, Pascal Unger and Mac Conwell. ... Watch the Podcast AI pitch on YouTube @thepitchshow To invest with the VCs on the show, join our investor community at thepitch.fund Founders can apply to pitch at our next recording event in San Francisco this June. No intro required, just go to pitch.show/apply Superfans can join The Pitch UNCUT and get early access to unedited versions of all ten pitches on season 11. ... *Disclaimer: The information provided on this show is not intended to be investment advice and should not be relied upon as such. The investors on today's episode are providing their opinions based on their own assessment of the business presented. Those opinions should not be considered professional investment advice. No offer to invest is being made to or solicited from the listening audience on today's show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What if your favorite online store had models that look like you: your skin tone, your height, your body shape? That question propelled Vita Mallela to start Flock AI. Their AI generated models could help brands eliminate pricey photoshoots. But with AI startups so en vogue, how will the investors know if this AI startup is the one to walk the runway with? Featuring investors Elizabeth Yin, Charles Hudson, Beck Bamberger, Pascal Unger and Mac Conwell. ... Watch the Flock AI pitch on YouTube @thepitchshow To invest with the VCs on the show, join our investor community at thepitch.fund Founders can apply to pitch at our next recording event in San Francisco this June. No intro required, just go to pitch.show/apply Superfans can join The Pitch UNCUT and get early access to unedited versions of all ten pitches on season 11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Monica Williams wants to revolutionize the period experience for tweens. With $5 million in sales in just two years, she's on her way. Now she wants to raise venture to scale her bootstrapped company. Will Monica get to pitch the big vision for RedDrop or will investors write her off from the start? Featuring investors Elizabeth Yin, Charles Hudson, Beck Bamberger, Pascal Unger and Mac Conwell. ... Watch the RedDrop pitch on YouTube @thepitchshow To invest with the VCs on the show, join our investor community at thepitch.fund Founders can apply to pitch at our next recording event in San Francisco this June. No intro required, just go to pitch.show/apply Superfans can join The Pitch UNCUT and get early access to unedited versions of all ten pitches on season 11. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kavitta Ghai struggled in school due to autism and ADHD until a positive experience with a college professor transformed her academic journey. Convinced this was the future, she launched a startup to make classrooms more accessible. Now, she just needs a VC to lead her $3 million seed round. Will Kavitta pass the test with the investors in The Pitch Room? Featuring investors Cyan Banister, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell and Paige Finn Doherty. To invest with the VCs on The Pitch, join our investor community at thepitch.fund Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Charles Hudson and Manu Kumar are two of the best early-stage investors in the world. This week, they both penned meaningful essays declaring that the fundamentals of early-stage investing have changed, possibly permanently. Charles states: For the past 18 months, the Series A market has been very quiet. Outside of AI-related investments, it feels like deal volume is off 75%. The Series A investors I know don't feel any pressure to make investments and don't really seem that excited or interested in much these days. Unfortunately for seed-stage companies, the Series A market can remain on strike longer than most seed-stage companies can remain solvent. He predicts a significant dip in the number of seed-stage companies doing a Series A, a drop in Series As, and fewer extensions or bridge rounds. Manu Kumar of K9 Capital extends the theme and suggests only companies building real businesses with real customers and revenue will survive. He implores companies to understand the following: Early stage venture, particularly Pre-Seed and Seed stage venture, is a different game today than it used to be 10 years ago. LPs and GPs should be aware of this dynamic as they make investment decisions. This follows from Sam Lessin's theme a couple of weeks ago, declaring that the era of larger checks coming in at later rounds is now over. At Signalrank, we have always distinguished between organic unicorns, built over many years from the seed stage, and artificial unicorns created by a single large check in an early round. Organic is always best and can survive downturns. In this week's video of the week, Jaimie Rhode doubles down on the theme, explaining that in venture capital, only power-law companies matter. Those companies grow to valuations, enabling an entire fund to be returned or more. The venture capital industry relies on the few power law winners returning invested capital. In the heady days of 2019-2022, it was possible for a power-law company to emerge fast due to a single round of financing. And then quickly go on to do two or three more rounds within a year or two. Charles and Manu correctly point out that this is unlikely, except perhaps in AI. A power law winner will have to be built organically. The implication is that early-stage investing will need to become once again deliberate and patient. I use the word capitulation (with a question mark) in the title, but this is just a recognition of reality. Capitulation to reality is a good thing. So, no, it is not a capitulation. But it begs the question, can venture capital support wealth creation if it is really a lottery for a power law winner? Is there a way to benefit from the growth in venture-backed companies without needing to play the lottery of picking individual companies? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thatwastheweek/message

For our season 10 finale, we're trying something crazy. We're giving you a full pitch from start to finish with no editing whatsoever! Founder Chase Robbins presents his snack delivery business, Handle, to investors Paige Doherty, Neal Bloom, Elizabeth Yin, Mark Phillips and Charles Hudson. Will they back this college dropout who promises on-campus deliveries in 15-minutes or less? Or will they steer clear of a space that's seen billions of VC dollars go up in flames? You can also watch the Handle pitch on YouTube. To learn more about Chase's snack delivery startup and the investors featured on this episode, check out the Handle show page. Enjoying the podcast? Use this link to text a friend! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever stood at the recycling bin wondering, “Is this cup really recyclable?'' Enter Nicole Toole, the founder of ECGO, an AI-powered app designed to tackle this confusion. With ECGO, you snap a photo of any item, and the app will tell you how to properly dispose of it. But as mind-blowingly awesome as this is, the investors wonder how much money can you really make from trash when you're selling to universities.  You can also watch the ECGO pitch on YouTube. Today's investors are Elizabeth Yin, Erica Wenger, Jillian Manus, Martin Tobias and Charles Hudson. To learn more about Nicole's recycling startup and the investors featured on this episode, check out the ECGO show page. Enjoying the podcast? Use this link to text a friend! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Venture investors have spent the last decade searching for the killer use case for VR. Today's founder, Andrew McHugh, thinks he's found it with his startup, Wist. But days before Andrew gave his pitch, Apple sent shockwaves through the industry by announcing their new headset, the Vision Pro. Will investors be skittish about the tech giant entering the space? Or is it a sign that VR's big moment has finally arrived? Today's investors are Paige Doherty, Neal Bloom, Elizabeth Yin, Mark Phillips and Charles Hudson. To learn more about Andrew's augmented reality startup and the investors featured on this episode, check out the Wist show page. You can also watch this pitch over on our YouTube channel @thepitchshow. Enjoying the podcast? Use this link to text a friend! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

About Our Guest:Charles Hudson is a well-known figure in the Silicon Valley venture capital space. He is the founder and managing partner of Precursor Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm. With over 26 years of experience in the industry, Charles has made a name for himself as a trusted investor and advisor to numerous successful startups. Summary:Charles Hudson, founder and managing partner of Precursor Ventures, shares his insights on venture capital and the process of investing in high-growth companies. He emphasizes the importance of investing in the right people and the challenges of evaluating early-stage startups. Charles also discusses the role of the board of directors and the impact of acquisitions on venture capitalists. Key Takeaways: Venture capital is a sub-branch of finance that aims to fund high-growth companies and help them achieve their full potential. The most important factor in investing is the founder's ability to turn their idea into reality. Venture capitalists aim to find outlier companies that can become worth hundreds of millions or billions of dollars. The role of the board of directors is to evaluate the performance of the CEO and provide guidance and support. The venture capital industry is slowly evolving to be more open and inclusive, but there is still progress to be made. Quotes: "I'm investing mostly in things that don't yet exist." - Charles Hudson "The more money you raise, the less fixated I am on the idea because money equals time." - Charles Hudson "Good boards can make you a better leader, a better CEO." - Charles Hudson "Sometimes good people pick bad ideas." - Charles Hudson "I want invest in companies that I think can become IPO candidates." - Charles Hudson Transcripton --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lexib/message

When Mariam Braimah led product design at Netflix she struggled to find participants in Africa to test new products. So she started Kimoyo Insights, a research analytics platform that helps companies like Microsoft & Flutterwave gather feedback from African consumers. But Kimoyo doesn't quite fit the venture mold. Can Mariam convince investors to make a bet on user research in the data desert of Africa? Today's investors are Erica Wenger, Jillian Manus, Martin Tobias and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Madeline Fraser tried to design her engagement ring online, she was stunned to find it couldn't be done. After bringing a cash deposit to a rando in LA, Madeline got her custom ring and, with it, a new business idea. She started Gemist – a vertical SaaS product for jewelers. It's the kind of business VCs love, but that means they'll expect the business to be flawless. Will Gemist pass inspection or will slight imperfections blow the whole deal? Today's investors are Paige Doherty, Neal Bloom, Elizabeth Yin, Mark Phillips and Charles Hudson. If you would like to invest in Gemist, go to pitch.show/gemist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Charles Hudson is the Managing Partner at Precursor Ventures, a classic seed-stage investment firm focusing on B2B software applications, B2C software and services, and connected hardware. Charles also serves as the Board Chair at the National Venture Capital Association and is a lecturer at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Before launching Precursor, Charles was a Partner at SoftTech VC, one of the most active seed stage investors in Internet and mobile startups. He was also the Co-Founder and CEO of Bionic Panda Games, an Android-focused mobile games startup. He spent several years working at In-Q-Tel, the strategic venture capital group for the Central Intelligence Agency. You can learn more about: 1. How to start a VC fund 2. How to craft a compelling pitch to LPs and cultivate an influential investor network 3. How to create a unique fund strategy    ===================== YouTube: @GraceGongCEO Newsletter: @SmartVenture LinkedIn: @GraceGong TikTok: @GraceGongCEO IG: @GraceGongCEO Twitter: @GraceGongGG =====================

On this day in 1865, British climber Edward Whymper and six companions completed the first ascent of the Matterhorn.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Co-founders Kelvin Johnson and Max Huc know first impressions are everything. That's why they created Brevity, an AI powered software to help craft a persuasive first pitch. But pitching a pitch product to a room full of pitch experts proves to be a bit of a challenge. Which brings up a question: what's more important, the pitch itself or the Q&A? Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Founder Ariana Vargas wants to destigmatize talking about mental health. So she built a social app. No wait, now it's a Slack app for the workplace? This founder is willing to do whatever it takes to secure investment - maybe too willing. Will Ariana build the business she wants, or the one investors want?  Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. If you've been enjoying our comeback season, will you share The Pitch with a friend? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jenna Sereni believes the best product recommendations come from family and friends. That's the genesis of her social shopping app, HandsDown. Her pitch starts out like normal - until the investors flip the script and start pitching back, sending HandsDown on an entirely new path.   Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Upcoming Event!How Can Mindfulness Give You a More Abundant Retirement?Are you ready to let go of anxiety and find the peace of mind you seek as you prepare for your golden years? Your Answer Lies in These 5 Critical Retirement Questions: Am I on track for financial independence?What do I need to do to get on track?How do I design a mindful investing portfolio?How do I manage that portfolio and my income over time through changing markets?How do I prepare non-financially for retirement? What are the dominant variables in a happy retirement?Learn more: https://courses.mindful.money/mindful-retirement-review-workshop/Charles Hudson is the Founder and Managing Partner of Precursor Ventures, and early-stage venture capital firm focused on investing in the first institutional round of investments for the most promising software and hardware companies. Today, Charles joins the show to discuss the work he does as a venture capital investor, his philosophy of investing in diverse founders with a variety of ideas, and traits he looks for in an attractive investment. Charles explains the landscape of venture capital, shares the value that Precursor Ventures provides to founders, and discusses his passion for helping entrepreneurs scale and grow their businesses.

This tale starts with a problem Kehan Zhou found when trying to buy a hobby farm. Zillow didn't have good search options for land and LandWatch.com was even worse, so Kehan ventured off to combine computer vision technology and satellite imagery to create a new rural property search platform, Terrascope. But the investors wonder if this innovative technology is wasted on the wrong customer. Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are tons of companies popping up in the scheduling space now that Calendly is valued at 6 billion dollars. Everyone wants to build the next billion dollar calendar app, including Dave Matthews, founder of Dotcal. He thinks he's created a scheduling platform that will take over the space. But will the investors place their bets in Dotcal or is the scheduling race already overbooked?  Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Phil Nadel, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. If you would like to invest in Dotcal, go to pitch.show/dotcal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A few years ago, Claire Smith moved back to her family farm, where they practice sustainable farming, and created Teffola. It's granola made with an ancient Ethiopian grain called Teff, which is filled with lots of protein, fiber, iron, and calcium. The only problem is… no one's heard of it. Is it too risky to invest in a business that needs to educate consumers on a rare ancient grain and on sustainable farming practices? Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Phil Nadel, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. To try Teffola yourself, visit pitch.show/granola Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Clothing rental companies get a bad rap in the VC world. It seems like no matter how much money investors sink into them, they always just… fail? But today's founder thinks she found a way to make it work. Capri Wheaton is going after a demographic that always has to be red carpet ready: sorority girls.  Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. If you're interested in investing in Dressd, visit pitch.show/dressd, and if you'd like to taste the product on next week's episode, go to pitch.show/granola Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

AWSM Sauce founders Carl and Paul have perfected a sustainable way of making sauce. But then, they had another idea – a futuristic way of getting sauce on our plates. Will the investors see this as a two-innovations-in-one deal, or will they get lost in the sauce?  Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Phil Nadel, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. Carl and Paul were kind enough to put together a sample pack of what the investors tasted in the room. So if you'd like to try some AWSM sauce yourself, head over to pitch.show/sauce and check out The Pitch Pack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Founder Luis Medina Rivas travels across the world to pitch his big vision on how to solve one of the most important problems of our time - energy. His pitch is close to perfect. However, the VCs worry about the location of his company and come back to him with an easy solution, but it's up to the founder to decide what's right for his company. Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Mac Conwell, and Neal Sáles-Griffin. If you are interested in investing in Tether, visit pitch.show/tether and if you'd like to literally taste next week's pitch alongside the investors, go to pitch.show/sauce

Charles Hudson is the Managing Partner and Founder of Precursor Ventures, an early­ stage venture capital firm focused on investing in the first institutional round of investment for the most promising software and hardware companies. Under his leadership, Precursor Ventures has raised four funds and has over $175 million under management. He has invested in 250 companies and supported more than 400 founders, including the teams behind Clearco, Juniper Square, The Athletic, Incredible Health, Carrot, and Pair Eyewear.  Prior to founding Precursor Ventures, Charles was a Partner at Uncork Capital and Co­Founder and CEO of Bionic Panda Games. He holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a B.A. in Economics and Spanish from Stanford University. Charles maintains close connections with his alma mater through volunteer service and teaching at GSB. He is an active member of the VC community, serving on several advisory boards and as a mentor to a number of emerging managers. Charles also serves on the Advisory Board for the San Francisco Opera Association. --------- Take the Next Reality Hero Quiz at http://www.heroesofreality.com