Hindu God Shiva depicted as Lord of Dance
POPULARITY
57 episodes with nataraj
13 episodes with nataraj
6 episodes with nataraj
3 episodes with nataraj
2 episodes with nataraj
2 episodes with nataraj
2 episodes with nataraj
2 episodes with nataraj
2 episodes with nataraj
In this episode, Neil Shah, Co-Head of the Financial Sponsors Group at Evercore, sits down with Evercore's Naveen Nataraj, senior managing director and Co-Head of Evercore's U.S. Investment Banking business. During their conversation, Naveen walks listeners through his career journey – where he started and how he got to where he is today. Thank you for joining us!Neil Shah – senior managing director and Co-Head of the Financial Sponsors Group at EvercoreNaveen Nataraj – senior managing director and Co-Head of U.S. Investment Banking at Evercore© Evercore Inc. 2025. All rights reserved.The material contained herein is intended as a general market and/or economic commentary and is not intended to constitute financial, legal, tax, accounting or investment advice. The information contained in this podcast does not constitute an offer to buy or sell securities from any Evercore entity to the listener and should not be relied upon to evaluate any potential transaction. The information contained in this recording was obtained from publicly available sources, has not been independently verified by Evercore, may not be current, and Evercore has no obligation to provide any updates or changes. This podcast is not a product of Evercore Investment Research and the information contained in this podcast is not financial research. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are not necessarily those of Evercore and may differ from the views and opinions of other departments or divisions of Evercore and its affiliates. In addition, the receipt of this podcast by any listener is not to be taken to constitute such person a client of any Evercore entity. Neither Evercore nor any of its affiliates makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the statements or any information contained in this podcast and any liability therefore (including in respect of direct, indirect or consequential loss or damage) is expressly disclaimed.
Join host Nataraj as he speaks with Emily Gerber, founder and principal of SixEastern, a PR firm specializing in startups and tech companies. Emily shares her expertise on crafting effective PR strategies for early-stage startups and navigating the evolving media landscape.About the Episode:This episode demystifies the world of PR for tech founders. Emily differentiates PR from marketing, emphasizing the importance of earned media and credibility. She provides actionable advice on when to engage a PR firm, the types of media to target, and how to manage expectations. The conversation explores alternative strategies beyond traditional tech publications, including podcasts and new media platforms. Emily highlights the increasing importance of founders building their social profiles and telling authentic stories. She shares real-world examples of successful PR campaigns and offers valuable insights into navigating crisis communications.About the Guest and Host:Emily Gerber: Founder and Principal of SixEastern, a PR firm for startups and tech companies. Previously at Uber and Box. Connect with Emily: → Website: https://www.sixeastern.com/Nataraj: Host of the Startup Project podcast, Senior PM at Azure & Investor. → LinkedIn: /natarajsindam → Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam→ Email updates: https://startupproject.substack.com/→ Website: https://thestartupproject.ioTimestamps:00:02 - Introduction and Guest Introduction00:45 - Emily's Background and PR for Tech Startups01:17 - PR vs. Marketing: Understanding the Difference03:13 - When to Engage a PR Firm: Seed vs. Series A05:40 - The Unique Landscape of AI Startup PR06:19 - Top Tier PR Firms and Their Specializations08:39 - Setting Expectations and Measuring PR Success09:18 - Pitching Podcasts vs. Traditional Media14:21 - The Problem with Automated PR Pitches16:42 - Storytelling for Series A to Series C Startups17:44 - Crafting the Founder's Message for Podcasts21:08 - The Trend of Founders Going Direct on Social Media24:15 - Why Elon Musk's Strategies Don't Work for Everyone25:26 - Concrete Examples of Successful PR Campaigns29:21 - Why Traditional Media Still Matters for Startups31:12 - Pitching to New Media Platforms32:00 - Organic vs. Strategic PR: Behind-the-Scenes Tactics34:12 - SEO for AI Search Engines and the Future of PR37:18 - PR Plus Marketing: Integrating Services38:47 - Emily's Current Media Consumption: TBPN42:39 - Mentors and Their Influence44:38 - Lessons Learned in PR45:40 - Crisis Communications at Uber48:16 - Ignored Sectors in Startup PR: Enterprise SoftwareSubscribe to Startup Project for more engaging conversations with leading entrepreneurs!→ Email updates: https://startupproject.substack.com/#StartupProject #PR #PublicRelations #Startups #Tech #Media #Marketing #Communications #Founders #Entrepreneurship #TechCrunch #WallStreetJournal #Podcast #YouTube #AI #SixEastern
Join host Nataraj as he sits down with Todd Bracher, founder of BetterLab, an industrial design firm partnering with scientists and innovators to create game-changing products. Previously Executive Creative Director and Design Partner at Human Scale, Todd has also collaborated with iconic brands like Issey Miyake, Herman Miller, and 3M. A two-time International Designer of the Year and recognized by Wallpaper Magazine as a Top 100 Global Design Influencer, Todd shares his insights on the intersection of design, science, and technology.About the Episode:This episode explores the world of industrial design through the lens of Todd Bracher's extensive experience. The conversation delves into building a successful design firm and the critical importance of human-centered design. Todd recounts his journey from art school to becoming a leading industrial designer, emphasizing the role of manufacturing, materials, and understanding market needs. He highlights the shift towards sustainability in design, including the use of recycled materials and circularity principles. The discussion covers BetterLab's innovative projects, such as glasses designed to combat myopia using full-spectrum light and a UVC light-based hand sanitizer called Lightwash. Todd also shares his perspective on digital design, the influence of Japanese design principles, and his role as a design advisor with Antler, a pre-seed stage firm. He touches upon products he admires, including the Leica M camera, and the importance of integrating design early in the product development process.About the Guest and Host:Todd Bracher: Founder of BetterLab, an industrial design firm. Former Executive Creative Director and Design Partner at Human Scale. Connect with Todd: → Website: https://betterlab.com/Nataraj: Host of the Startup Project podcast, Senior PM at Azure & Investor. → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam/→ Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam→ Email updates: https://startupproject.substack.com/→ Website: https://thestartupproject.ioTimestamps:00:01 - Introduction and Guest Introduction00:55 - Todd's Background and Entry into Design01:45 - The Definition of Industrial Design03:22 - Early Influences and Drawing04:27 - Examples of Industrial Design Projects06:06 - Admired Technology Products (Beyond Apple)09:14 - Trends in Industrial Design: Sustainability vs. Consumable Products12:02 - Todd's Take on IKEA's Design and Business Model14:37 - Admired Brands: VITSO and Dieter Rams15:54 - Sustainability and Longevity in Well-Designed Products17:05 - The Business of Running a Design Firm: BetterLab19:39 - Products from BetterLab: Myopia-Correcting Glasses24:48 - Sustainability Project: UVC Light Hand Sanitizer (Lightwash)28:44 - Working with Antler: Advising Early-Stage Startups30:08 - Day-to-Day Products Todd Uses and Admits31:53 - Modern Design Aesthetics and Globalization36:01 - Todd's Take on Digital Design37:46 - Trend Back into Hardware40:01 - What Makes Japanese Design Unique42:00 - Design Hubs in the US44:13 - Current Consumption (Books, Podcasts, etc.)45:39 - Mentors and Influences: Charles Darwin46:55 - Lessons Learned: The Importance of Business AcumenSubscribe to Startup Project for more engaging conversations with leading entrepreneurs!→ Email updates: https://startupproject.substack.com/#StartupProject #IndustrialDesign #DesignThinking #BetterLab #ToddBracher #Sustainability #ProductDesign #Innovation #HumanCenteredDesign #TechDesign #Manufacturing #Materials #DesignTrends #Myopia #UVCLight #Antler #VentureCapital #Entrepreneurship #Podcast #YouTube #Tech #Innovation
Join host Nataraj as he sits down with Zach Lloyd, the founder and CEO of Warp, a company developing an intelligent terminal aimed at modernizing the command line experience for developers. Zach, a former principal engineer at Google, having worked on Google Sheets and Docs, and co-founder and CTO of Selfmade, shares his insights on the future of software development, the evolution of the terminal, and AI's role in building new products.In this episode, they discuss:How Warp leverages AI to improve developer productivityThe challenges of building an AI-powered developer toolThe future of coding and the evolution of the terminalBridging the gap between traditional terminals and modern IDEsThe current AI hype cycle and its impact on the developer communityGuest:Zach LloydFounder and CEO of WarpFormer Principal Engineer at GoogleCo-founder & CTO of SelfmadeWebsite: https://www.warp.dev/Host:NatarajHost of the Startup Project podcastSenior PM at Azure & InvestorLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam/Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindamEmail Updates: https://startupproject.substack.com/Website: https://thestartupproject.ioTimestamps:00:01 - Introduction and Guest Introduction00:55 - What is Warp?02:59 - How Developers Use Warp04:56 - Warp's Compatibility with Existing Developer Tools05:21 - Warp's Intelligence and Features06:31 - Integrating Existing Developer Nuances into Warp07:24 - Warp's AI-Powered Enhancements10:06 - The Future of IDEs and Terminals13:50 - The Evolution of Abstraction in Software Development16:37 - The AI Hype Cycle and Developer Productivity18:07 - Developer Feedback and Adoption of Warp20:30 - Go-to-Market Strategy and Customer Acquisition21:33 - Leveraging LLMs in Warp23:28 - The Role of AI Agents in Software Development25:49 - Cost and Sustainability of AI-Powered Tools27:17 - Warp's Pricing Model and Margins30:04 - Open-Source Models and Profitability32:43 - Key Metrics for Warp's Success34:45 - Go-to-Market Motion and Acquiring Customers37:40 - Using AI in Building Warp39:15 - The Impact of AI on Developer Demand41:00 - The Current State of AI and Developer Productivity43:31 - The Importance of Context and Knowledge in AI44:31 - What Zach is Consuming45:40 - Zach's Mentors46:25 - Lessons Learned as a FounderSubscribe:Subscribe to Startup Project for more engaging conversations with leading entrepreneurs!https://startupproject.substack.com/Tags:#StartupProject #Warp #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Terminal #DeveloperTools #Coding #Productivity #SoftwareDevelopment #DevOps #VentureCapital #Entrepreneurship #Podcast #YouTube #Tech #Innovation
Join host Nataraj on Startup Project as he sits down with Vanessa Larco, Partner at NEA, to discuss the transformative impact of AI on startups and venture capital.About the Episode: This episode delves into the evolving landscape of tech investing, exploring how AI is reshaping business models, pricing strategies, and the future of work. Vanessa, a former Director of Product at Box and co-founder of Funloop, shares her insights on:* The shift towards AI in venture capital* The commoditization debate surrounding LLMs* The evolving pricing models in the age of AI* Common mistakes startups make when fundraising* How to identify and secure promising deals* Vanessa's personal journey and mentorship experiencesAbout the Guest and Host:Vanessa Larco: Partner at NEA, investing in Series A and Series B technology companies. Former Director of Product at Box and co-founder of Funloop. Connect with Vanessa:→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessalarcoNataraj: Host of the Startup Project podcast, Senior PM at Azure & Investor.→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam/→ Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam→ Email updates: https://startupproject.substack.com/→ Website: https://thestartupproject.ioTimestamps:00:01 - Introduction and Guest Introduction01:01 - AI's Impact on Venture Capital04:12 - The Commoditization of LLMs08:57 - The SaaS Subscription Model and AI16:04 - AI-Enabled Investment Ideas18:50 - Life as a Partner at NEA23:42 - Working with Series A & B Companies25:40 - Traction Metrics for Series A27:59 - Case Studies: Majoree & Rewind33:04 - Common Startup Mistakes36:37 - Sourcing Deals in Venture Capital38:57 - What Vanessa is Consuming Now40:20 - Mentors in Vanessa's Career41:38 - Lessons Learned in Venture InvestingSubscribe to Startup Project for more engaging conversations with leading entrepreneurs!→ Email updates: https://startupproject.substack.com/#StartupProject #NEA #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #VentureCapital #Startups #SaaS #PricingModels #Fundraising #ProductMarketFit #Investing #Podcast #YouTube #Tech #Innovation
Join host Nataraj as he sits down with Karthee Madasamy, the Managing Director of MFA Partners, to discuss his journey from chip designer to venture capitalist in the world of deep tech.About the Episode:This episode explores Karthee's transition from a technical background in semiconductors and wireless communication to a successful career in venture capital. He shares his experiences at Qualcomm Ventures, where he led investments in companies like Waze and MapMyIndia, and discusses his current focus on deep tech companies at MFA Partners. Karthee provides valuable insights into the evolution of venture capital, the challenges of raising a fund, and the exciting potential of technologies like AI, robotics, and quantum computing.Karti dives into the nuances of investing in deep tech, sharing his investment thesis for MapMyIndia and highlighting the importance of understanding technology commoditization. He also discusses the incentive structures within corporate venture capital versus traditional VC firms, and offers advice for those considering a career in the field.About the Guest and Host:Karthee Madasamy: Managing Director of MFA Partners, previously Managing Director and Vice President at Qualcomm Ventures. → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kartheemfv/Nataraj: Host of the Startup Project podcast, Senior PM at Azure & Investor. → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam/→ Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam→ Email updates: https://startupproject.substack.com/→ Website: https://thestartupproject.ioTimestamps:00:00 - Introduction00:51 - Karthee's Journey into Venture Investing02:46 - First Job in Venture Capital04:52 - Early Deals and Learnings07:34 - Identifying Technology Commoditization09:56 - Investment Thesis for MapMyIndia13:32 - Incentives in Corporate vs. Traditional VC18:09 - Starting MFA Partners and Fundraising Challenges23:37 - Lessons Learned from Fundraising25:01 - The State of Deep Tech32:42 - Investing in PsiQuantum and the Future of Quantum Computing43:34 - Staying Updated and Influential Content45:54 - Key Learnings about InvestingSubscribe to Startup Project for more engaging conversations with leading entrepreneurs!→ Email updates: https://startupproject.substack.com/#startupproject #deeptech #venturecapital #investing #qualcommventures #mfapartners #ai #robotics #quantumcomputing #technology #innovation #entrepreneurship #podcast #youtube #tech #mapmyindia #waze #psiquantum #semiconductors
Join host Nataraj as he sits down with Aviel Ginsberg, the founder of Simply Measured (acquired by Sprout Social), managing director at Amazon's Alexa Accelerator, general partner at Founders Co-op, and now co-founder of Foundations, a shared workspace and accelerator designed to bolster Seattle's VC ecosystem.About the Episode:This episode explores Aviel's journey through the Seattle tech scene, from his arrival during the 2007 recession to his current venture. He discusses the evolution of Founders Co-op, their investment strategies, and the challenges faced by startups in the Pacific Northwest. Aviel shares insights into his investment philosophy, emphasizing the importance of founders' motivations and the long-term vision for their companies.Aviel also delves into the creation of Foundations, a community-driven space aimed at connecting founders, investors, and mentors. He discusses the need for such an anchor in Seattle's ecosystem and how it addresses the unique challenges faced by startups in the region. The conversation touches upon the changing landscape of venture capital, the impact of large language models, and the future of Seattle's tech community.About the Guest and Host:Aviel Ginsberg: Co-founder of Foundations, founder of Simply Measured, managing director at Amazon's Alexa Accelerator, and general partner at Founders Co-op. → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/avielginzburg/→ Website: https://seattlefoundations.org/Nataraj: Host of the Startup Project podcast, Senior PM at Azure & Investor. → LinkedIn: / natarajsindam→ Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam→ Email updates: https://startupproject.substack.com/→ Website: https://thestartupproject.ioTimestamps:[00:00] Introduction[00:30] What is Foundations?[00:51] Aviel's journey with Founders Co-op[01:21] Navigating the 2007 Recession[03:22] Early days in the Seattle tech scene[03:36] Transitioning from employee to founder[06:46] Founders Co-op's current focus[08:16] Evolving investment thesis[08:45] The art of investing in founders[10:47] The importance of people over product[11:07] Investing strategies and FOMO[14:23] Deal makers and breakers[14:36] The motivation of founders[16:47] De-risking entrepreneurship and motivation[18:56] The rise and fall of first-time funds[20:18] Exaggerated opportunity sizes[21:16] The realities of early-stage investing[22:20] The distortion of valuations[22:57] Winners bias and trillion-dollar companies[23:13] The illusion of constant growth[26:37] The Ally acquisition and Microsoft Viva Goals[27:50] Was the acquisition a fund returner?[28:32] The Clubhouse story[29:23] The importance of knowing when to sell[30:20] The trend of secondaries[30:50] Incentivizing founders[31:25] The future of secondaries[32:50] The vision behind Foundations[38:33] What else does Seattle need?[39:05] The need for pre-accelerators[40:38] Lack of pre-seed funds[41:02] Accessing Bay Area capital[42:41] What are you consuming?[43:14] Podcasts, books, and movies[44:31] What do you wish you knew about investing?[44:39] The long feedback loops of investingSubscribe to Startup Project for more engaging conversations with leading entrepreneurs!→ Email updates: https://startupproject.substack.com/#startupproject #seattle #startupecosystem #venturecapital #founders #foundations #simplymeasured #founderscoop #amazon #alexaaccelerator #techstars #innovation #entrepreneurship #podcast #youtube #technology #investing #davidishim #readai #ai #artificialintelligence #meetings #productivity #hybridwork #remotework
Join host Nataraj as he sits down with Jacob Bank, founder and CEO of Relay.app, a platform building AI agents to revolutionize how we work. **About the Episode:**This conversation explores the evolution of AI agents and how Relay is solving customer problems by automating cross-tool workflows. Jacob, a former product lead at Google (Gmail, G Suite), shares his entrepreneurial journey from academic AI research to building productivity tools. He discusses the challenges of product development in the fast-paced AI landscape and the importance of integrations for a successful product.Jacob explains how Relay transitioned from a workflow tool to an AI-powered automation platform. He delves into their customer acquisition strategy, focusing on product-led growth and community building, with a strong emphasis on content and partnerships.**Key Discussion Points:*** Evolution of Relay from workflow tool to AI agent platform* Building AI agents that integrate with various tools* Prioritizing integrations and the importance of robust APIs* Balancing AI automation with human-in-the-loop capabilities* Customer acquisition and the power of community building * Usage-based pricing models for AI agents* Jacob's entrepreneurial lessons learned* Scaling strategies and fundraising considerations* The future of work with AI agents**About the Guest and Host:****Jacob Bank:** Founder and CEO of Relay.app. Former product lead at Google (Gmail, G Suite), founder of Timeful (acquired by Google).→ LinkedIn: Search for Jacob Bank (currently waiting for LinkedIn Integration)→ Website: https://www.relay.app/**Nataraj:** Host of the Startup Project podcast, Senior PM at Azure & Investor.→ LinkedIn: / natarajsindam→ Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam→ Email updates: https://startupproject.substack.com/→ Website: https://thestartupproject.io**Timestamps:*** 00:00 - Introduction and Guest Introduction* 00:58 - What is Relay and how did it get started? * 07:18 - Transitioning to an AI agent platform * 08:06 - Prioritizing tool integrations* 12:14 - Traction and company scale* 13:30 - Driving adoption and product-led growth* 19:57 - Upcoming integrations* 24:19 - Open-source integrations discussion* 26:38 - Competition and differentiation* 28:15 - Pricing models* 30:19 - Lessons from previous company* 32:35 - The future of AI agents* 38:06 - Scaling and fundraising* 41:43 - Working at Google vs. StartupSubscribe to Startup Project for more engaging conversations with leading entrepreneurs!→ Email updates: https://startupproject.substack.com/#StartupProject #Relay #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Agents #AIWorkflows #NoCode #Automation #Productivity #SaaS #Integrations #CommunityBuilding #ProductLedGrowth #Entrepreneurship #Podcast #YouTube #Tech #Innovation
Join host Nataraj on the Startup Project podcast as he sits down with David Blumberg, a seasoned investor with over three decades of experience in early-stage tech companies. From his early days at T. Rowe Price to founding Bloomberg Capital, David shares his unique journey and insights into the world of venture capital. About the Episode: This episode explores David's evolution as an investor, from his initial interest in government to his realization that business and entrepreneurship were the true drivers of positive change. He discusses his early investments in Israeli tech companies, his time at Claridge, a prominent family office, and the lessons he learned along the way. David shares his investment philosophy, emphasizing the importance of strong teams, large market potential, and minimal competition. He highlights his experience with successful companies like Double Verify and Nutanix, emphasizing the value of repeat founders and the power of building strong relationships. The conversation also delves into David's personal investment strategy, his passion for energy humanitarianism, and his belief in the potential of AI to revolutionize various industries. He shares his insights on the evolving landscape of venture capital, the importance of continuous learning, and the impact of regulatory changes on the business world. About the Guest and Host: David Blumberg: Founder and Managing Partner of Blumberg Capital, a venture capital firm focused on early-stage and growth investments. → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjblumberg → Website: https://blumbergcapital.com/ Nataraj: Host of the Startup Project podcast, Senior PM at Azure & Investor. → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam/ → Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam → Email updates: https://startupproject.substack.com/ → Website: https://thestartupproject.io Timestamps: 00:01 - Introduction and Guest Introduction 00:42 - David's Location and Work Model 00:54 - David's Career Journey and Interest in Tech Investing 01:22 - Early Influences and the Importance of Entrepreneurship 05:10 - First Tech Investment and Israeli Tech Ecosystem 09:22 - Israel's Tech Growth and the Yozma Program 13:45 - Government's Role in Fostering Innovation 17:53 - The Israeli Military's Influence on Entrepreneurship 19:54 - Experience at Claridge and Transition to Bloomberg Capital 24:34 - The Evolution of Venture Capital and Bloomberg Capital's Strategies 27:15 - Working with Repeat Founders 30:40 - Decision-Making in Pre-Seed Investing 34:19 - Defining Talent in Early-Stage Founders 39:32 - Importance of Domain Expertise 41:11 - Lawyers in Leadership Roles 43:15 - Bloomberg Capital's CIO Innovation Council 48:29 - Personal Investment Strategy and Energy Humanitarianism 51:39 - Admired Investors and the Venture Capital Landscape 56:06 - Current Consumption (Books, Podcasts, etc.) 01:00 - Mentors and Their Influence 01:01 - Advice for Young Investors Subscribe to Startup Project for more engaging conversations with leading entrepreneurs! → Email updates: https://startupproject.substack.com/ #StartupProject #VentureCapital #Investing #TechInvesting #Israel #Entrepreneurship #Podcast #YouTube #Tech #Innovation #Energy #Humanitarianism #AI #CIO #BloombergCapital
This episode of Startup Project tackles that very problem! Join host Nataraj as he sits down with David Shim, CEO of Read.ai, a company that just raised $50 million in Series B funding to revolutionize how we handle meetings and work in general. About the Episode: This insightful conversation dives deep into Read.ai's innovative AI-powered meeting summarizer. David, a repeat founder, trader, investor, and former CEO of Foursquare, shares his journey, from the initial spark of an idea during a particularly unproductive Zoom call to Read.ai's current position as a top meeting note-taker. He reveals the secrets behind their rapid growth, achieving a remarkable climb from #20 to #2 in the world in less than 18 months – all with zero dollars spent on media marketing! David discusses his unique approach, combining video analysis with text, to create meeting summaries that go beyond simple transcriptions. Learn how Read.ai analyzes sentiment, engagement, and even subtle cues like speaking pace to deliver truly insightful summaries. The conversation also touches upon the future of work, with David advocating for hybrid work models and sharing his perspective on the current AI hype cycle. He provides a compelling vision for Read.ai's evolution into a true "co-pilot" for everyone, everywhere, seamlessly integrating with various platforms to streamline workflows and boost productivity. The discussion extends to David's own investment strategies, offering valuable insights into his approach to venture capital and angel investing. About the Guest and Host: David Shim: CEO of Read.ai, repeat founder, trader, investor, and former CEO of Foursquare. Connect with David: → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidshim/. → Website: https://www.read.ai/ Nataraj: Host of the Startup Project podcast, Senior PM at Azure & Investor. → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam/ → Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam → Email updates: https://startupproject.substack.com/ → Website: https://thestartupproject.io Timestamps: 00:02 - Introduction and Guest Introduction 00:54 - David's Location and Work Model 01:17 - Remote vs. Hybrid Work Models 03:37 - The Origin Story of Read.ai 05:50 - Read.ai's Initial Idea and Technological Challenges 08:42 - Analyzing Video and Text Data 11:33 - The Evolution of Read.ai's Product and Value Proposition 12:41 - Overcoming Challenges in Product Adoption and User Experience 14:50 - Customer Acquisition Strategy and Product-Led Growth 16:58 - Word-of-Mouth Marketing and Inherent Virality 19:43 - Read.ai's Expansion Beyond Meeting Notes: "Copilot Everywhere" 20:16 - Vision for Read.ai as a Universal Work Copilot 22:57 - Targeting Specific Verticals While Maintaining a Horizontal Approach 24:55 - Foundation Models and Pricing Strategies 29:15 - David's Perspective on the Current LLM Landscape 30:37 - Using AI to Optimize Internal Operations at Read.ai 34:09 - Thoughts on AI Agents and Their Current State 36:44 - Read.ai's Vision for the Next Few Years 41:11 - David's Investment Thesis and Strategies 46:21 - David's Early Career in Trading 50:59 - Current Consumption (Books, Podcasts, etc.) 52:38 - Mentors and Their Influence 54:13 - Lessons Learned as a Founder and Investor Subscribe to Startup Project for more engaging conversations with leading entrepreneurs! → Email updates: https://startupproject.substack.com/ #StartupProject #ReadAI #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Meetings #Productivity #HybridWork #RemoteWork #VentureCapital #AngelInvesting #SeriesB #Funding #Entrepreneurship #Podcast #YouTube #Tech #Innovation #AIEverywhere #Copilot
While discussing the topics:Rajyasree: We have Juror #2, which is Clint Eastwood's latest film. Which Abhinandan has not watched…Why? Because you thought I was talking about the judicial system? Abhinandan: I haven't even watched Juror #1. Rajyasree: I'll take that Nataraj pencil and put it through your eye. Abhinandan: Juror #2 is not a sequel to Juror #1? Has Juror #1 got Govinda? (proceeds to dance to a made-up Govinda-esque track)This and a whole lot of awful and awesome as Abhinandan Sekhri and Rajyasree Sen discuss the movies All We Imagine As Light and Juror #2, and the Golden Globe Awards.PS: Abhinandan also recommends his top five favourite podcasts. Have something to say? Write to us at newslaundry.com/podcast-letters.Timecodes00:00 - Introductions and announcements02:14 - Happy new year, with the same old A&R05:55 - Headlines 08:27 - NL Sena 09:25 - Subscriber letter10:19 - Topics14:35 - Parinda16:41 - All We Imagine As Light26:33 - Subscriber letters28:46 - Juror #238:47 - Subscriber letter44:06 - Golden Globes45:51 - Abhinandan's top 5 podcast recommendations References and recommendations Subscribe to NL-TNMNL Sena - Hindu RashtraAll We Imagine As LightJuror #2Demi Moore Wins Best Female Actor Parinda Click here to download the Newslaundry app on Android. And here for iOS.Produced and recorded by Priyali Dhingra and Ashish Anand. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ever wondered what it takes to build a thriving small business and secure funding in today's competitive landscape? This episode of Startup Project dives deep into the world of Hello Alice, a platform revolutionizing how small businesses access resources and capital. Join host Nataraj as he sits down with Elizabeth Gore, co-founder and president of Hello Alice, a company recently valued at $130 million! In this insightful conversation, Elizabeth shares her incredible journey, from her background in agriculture and humanitarian work to co-founding Hello Alice. Learn how she transitioned from supporting the UN to empowering 1.5 million small business owners across the US. We explore Hello Alice's innovative approach to financial technology, providing access to grants, loans, and crucial business planning services. Discover how Hello Alice itself generates revenue, beyond its mission-driven approach. Plus, we uncover the fascinating story behind their recent legal battle and how they navigated this challenge. Nataraj: Host of the popular Startup Project podcast, Nataraj brings his expertise and engaging interview style to this episode. → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam → Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam → Email updates: https://startupproject.substack.com/ → Website: https://thestartupproject.io Elizabeth Gore: Co-founder and President of Hello Alice, Elizabeth is a powerhouse in the small business ecosystem. Her experience and insights make this conversation invaluable for aspiring and established entrepreneurs. **Timestamps:** 00:01 - Introduction and Guest Introduction 01:07 - Elizabeth's Early Career and Background 03:13 - Hello Alice's Products and Services 04:47 - Hello Alice's Business Model and Revenue Streams 05:42 - Acquiring Early Customers and Growth Strategies 07:55 - The Main Needs of Hello Alice's SMB Customers 08:27 - Grants vs. Loans: Hello Alice's Funding Approach 09:24 - The Value of Grant Applications for Startups 10:02 - Post-COVID Trends in Small Business 12:36 - Popular Software Used by Small Businesses 14:01 - Customer Acquisition Strategies for Small Businesses 15:03 - Hello Alice's Future Plans and Growth Targets 16:26 - The Hello Alice Lawsuit and Its Impact 17:42 - AI's Role in Hello Alice and Small Businesses 19:15 - The Regulatory Environment for Small Businesses 22:14 - DEI Initiatives and Their Impact on Small Businesses 23:49 - Unique and Thriving Small Businesses 25:07 - Elizabeth's Information Consumption Habits 25:49 - Elizabeth's Mentors and Influences 26:17 - Lessons Learned as a Founder 26:51 - Advice for Aspiring Small Business Owners #StartupProject #HelloAlice #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #Funding #Grants #Loans #BusinessGrowth #Fintech #AI #DEI #SmallBusinessFunding #BusinessTips #Podcast #Entrepreneurs #Innovation #ElizabethGore #Nataraj
Madhukar Kumar is the Chief Marketing Officer at SingleStore (formerly MSQL), a cloud-native database company that has raised over $300M in funding. In this conversation, we explore the intersection of technical marketing, product-led growth, and the future of AI in marketing: In this episode, we cover: (00:02) Introduction and SingleStore overview (01:56) CMO role and marketing strategy (04:12) Marketing technical products to developers (08:21) Product-led growth initiatives (14:12) Product-led sales and enterprise marketing (17:49) Career transitions and journey (21:14) Skills needed for product marketing (26:12) Marketing spend and channel effectiveness (28:24) Admirable brands and marketing approaches (31:41) Evolution of communication in marketing (35:23) Perspectives on AGI (44:05) Career challenges and overcoming them (47:47) Current influences and recommendations (48:52) Mentors and career guidance (49:53) Key marketing lessons learned Where to find Madhukar Kumar: → Madhukar's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madhukarkumar/ Nataraj is the host & creator of Startup Project podcast, he is a full time product manager at Microsoft, early stage investor & advisor. → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam → Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam → Email updates: https://startupproject.substack.com/ → Website: https://thestartupproject.io Referenced: - SingleStore: https://www.singlestore.com/ - Apple Marketing - Webflow - dbrand Marketing - Pegasus Documentary - "The Beginning of Infinity" by David Deutsch #ProductMarketing #TechMarketing #SingleStore #DatabaseTechnology #DeveloperMarketing #ProductLedGrowth #MarketingStrategy #CMOInsights #B2BTech #EnterpriseMarketing #CareerTransitions #MarketingLeadership #StartupMarketing #CloudComputing #TechIndustry #BrandBuilding #AIinMarketing #MarTech #TechnicalMarketing #EnterpriseSales
My guest today is Moham Aref, CEO of Relational AI, a company that recently closed a $75 million Series B funding round. Moham shares his incredible journey spanning over 30 years in the AI and machine learning space, offering invaluable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs and tech enthusiasts alike. Moham Aref, CEO of Relational AI, Moham brings a wealth of experience, having previously led LogicBlox and Predictix, and now spearheading Relational AI's mission to simplify intelligent application development. → Website: https://relational.ai/ → Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/molham/ Nataraj is the host & creator of Startup Project podcast, he is a full time product manager at Microsoft, early stage investor & advisor. → Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam/ → Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam → Email updates: https://startupproject.substack.com/ → Website: https://thestartupproject.io Podcast Highlights: This episode covers a wide range of fascinating topics, from Moham's extensive career journey to the intricacies of the modern data stack and the transformative potential of Relational AI's technology. We unravel the complexities of descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics, demystifying these crucial concepts for a broader audience. We also discuss the challenges of finding those first five customers in the B2B world, the strategic decision to build on Snowflake, and the potential for future competition and cannibalization by larger platforms. Moham thoughtfully shares his perspective on the current hype surrounding Generative AI and its practical applications in the enterprise space. We finish with advice on leadership, mentorship, and the overall challenges and rewards of a career in tech. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction and Guest Introduction 01:55 - Moham Aref's Career Journey and Transition to Relational AI 08:30 - Understanding Descriptive, Predictive, and Prescriptive Analytics 12:00 - Early Use Cases and Target Customers for Relational AI 17:30 - The Decision to Build on Snowflake: Strategy and Competition 22:15 - Securing the First Five Customers in the B2B World 27:40 - The Modern Data Stack and Relational AI's Place Within It 34:30 - Generative AI: Hype, Reality, and Enterprise Applications 40:00 - Leveraging Generative AI Internally and for Customer Value 45:00 - B2B Sales Strategies: Content, Relationships, and Customer Focus 51:30 - Relational AI's Future Plans and Growth Strategy 54:00 - Moham's Consumption Habits: Historical Insights and Mentorship 58:30 - Lessons Learned as a Founder and CEO Don't forget to like and subscribe for more insightful conversations about the world of AI! → YouTube: https://youtu.be/9-J4eV8qvZg → Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Og8mbra1cokQ5cRJdjZn1?si=iqEOqKLLSqSbk8ehkniFqg → Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/85-ai-should-not-be-regulated-author-ml-researcher/id1551300319?i=1000673806783 → Email updates: https://startupproject.substack.com/ → Others: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/qYaG6vhTRNb#ModernDataStack #RelationalAI #AI #MachineLearning #DataAnalytics #PredictiveAnalytics #PrescriptiveAnalytics #GenerativeAI #Snowflake #B2B #Entrepreneurship #TechPodcast #DataManagement #BusinessIntelligence #CloudComputing #TechLeadership #CareerAdvice #Innovation #DataStrategy
With AI fundamentally reshaping the cloud, what does this mean for the future of security? In this episode, Nataraj Nagaratnam, CTO of Cloud Security at IBM, joins us to dive into the evolving dynamics of cloud security in the age of AI. As organizations integrate AI into their cloud environments, the traditional lines of responsibility for security are being redrawn, raising new questions about who safeguards what and how emerging risks are addressed. Nataraj unpacks how AI-generated code is introducing unique vulnerabilities, with recent studies highlighting that nearly half of organizations are concerned about the security risks posed by AI-driven development. My guest explains how the complex, multilayered enterprise AI stack—from applications and models to data and infrastructure—requires a nuanced, data-centric approach to security. This approach includes assessing data sensitivity, managing keys, and implementing tailored controls, especially as unstructured data and machine learning models bring fresh security challenges. The shared responsibility model is also undergoing a transformation, with Nataraj outlining a shift from a simple customer-provider dynamic to one that includes AI model providers and data lineage. With industries like healthcare and finance running critical systems in the cloud, regulatory frameworks are tightening, and transparency in model development and data lineage is increasingly emphasized. Nataraj explores how IBM is working to normalize these controls across sectors, enabling compliance and resilience in a diverse range of cloud environments. Automation emerges as a cornerstone of Nataraj's strategy, helping organizations maintain secure, compliant cloud environments in both deployment and operations. He illustrates a dual-phase approach—automation for initial secure deployments and ongoing compliance monitoring—to ensure that security remains robust as systems evolve. Finally, we discuss the future of cloud security, including the need for AI governance, third-party risk management, and transparency in model use, all critical as the AI-driven Supercycle unfolds. What will the future of cloud security look like as AI becomes an integral part of our digital infrastructure? Tune in to explore Nataraj's vision and strategies, and join the conversation—how is your organization preparing for the new era of AI and cloud security?
Tonight Josh Peck discusses the strange details surrounding the history of the largest and most powerful machine built by man.Donate: http://PayPal.me/JoshPeckDisclosureCashApp: $JoshScottPeck
This is a special episode. We are airing an episode where Nataraj was the guest on Learn It All podcast where he talked about trends in AI, how to leverage gen AI to build new products and how to upskill your career and find the right things to work on. Links: Startup Project Podcast: https://thestartupproject.io/ Website: https://thestartupproject.io LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam/ Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam
Startup Project Podcast: Building AI Agents for Knowledge Workers with Lutra AI Jiquan Ngiam joins Nataraj to discuss the future of AI, from the rise of deep learning to the potential of AI agents for knowledge workers. They delve into [Guest Name]'s experiences working with Andrew Ng at Coursera and Google Brain, where he witnessed the power of scaling up compute and data in pushing the boundaries of AI. Timestamps: * **0:00 - Introduction:** Nataraj welcomes [Guest Name] to the show and introduces his impressive background. * **2:28 - Working with Andrew Ng:** [Guest Name] shares his experience working with Andrew Ng, emphasizing Ng's foresight and focus on scaling up neural networks. * **6:15 - The Importance of Data and Compute:** [Guest Name] highlights how data and compute became key drivers in the success of AI, using the example of AlexNet's breakthrough in 2012. * **12:25 - Democratizing Education with Coursera:** [Guest Name] discusses the early days of Coursera and the team's vision for democratizing access to education, especially in fields like machine learning. * **17:55 - Google Brain and the Rise of Transformers:** [Guest Name] reflects on his time at Google Brain, where he witnessed the emergence of transformers and their potential for generalizing across modalities. * **21:24 - The Limits of Scaling:** [Guest Name] questions the future of AI scaling, suggesting that we may be approaching a point of diminishing returns due to data limitations and the difficulty of creating truly effective synthetic data. * **28:13 - The Need for Data on Physical Tasks:** [Guest Name] proposes a bold idea: collecting real-world data on mundane tasks to train AI agents for robotics and other applications that require replicating human behavior. * **34:23 - Lutrei.ai: AI Agents for Knowledge Work:** [Guest Name] introduces Lutrei.ai, an AI agent designed to assist knowledge workers with tasks like research, data manipulation, and automation. * **42:49 - Different Approaches to AI Agents:** [Guest Name] compares Lutrei's approach to building AI agents with other common methods, highlighting the importance of separating data and logic for reliable and scalable solutions. * **45:38 - Choosing the Right Models:** [Guest Name] discusses the diverse landscape of AI models and how Lutrei leverages different models for different tasks, from small models for summarization to larger models for reasoning and planning. * **52:04 - AI Code Generation: Cursor vs. GitHub Copilot:** [Guest Name] shares his experience using Cursor, a code generation tool, and compares it to GitHub Copilot, highlighting the potential for AI to empower average developers. * **1:00:16 - The Future of AI Code Generation:** [Guest Name] predicts that AI code generation capabilities will become ubiquitous, and the key innovations will be in user experience and interaction design. * **1:05:43 - Consuming Information:** [Guest Name] shares his favorite sources of information, including podcasts, books, and news outlets. * **1:08:44 - Mentorship and Learning:** [Guest Name] reflects on the key mentors in his career, including Andrew Ng, Daphne Koller, and John Chen. * **1:12:34 - Advice for Early Career Professionals:** [Guest Name] advises young professionals to be voracious learners and prioritize gaining diverse experiences early in their careers. * **1:16:21 - The Motivation Behind Lutrei:** [Guest Name] explains his passion for pushing the boundaries of AI while simultaneously making it accessible and impactful for a wider audience. * **1:18:33 - Closing Thoughts:** Nataraj thanks [Guest Name] for sharing his insights and expresses his excitement for the future of Lutrei.ai. **Don't miss this episode to learn more about the exciting things happening in gen AI and how it's poised to revolutionize the way we work!**
As the creator and host of the "Startup Project" podcast, Seattle-area tech senior product manager Nataraj Sindam talks with a wide range of investors and entrepreneurs, contributing to his broad perspective on the future of artificial intelligence, investing, startups, and business technology. He's also author of the Above Average email newsletter, and venture partner with Incisive Ventures. Our topics this week include: The opportunity to apply the power of large language models and generative AI to the larger world of business-to-business applications, including services tailored to workflows in specific industry verticals. How AI will drive a massive increase in data centers in the next 5-10 years to meet increased demand for compute and storage, and will require new "intelligence layers" in cloud infrastructure. The opportunities and challenges for startups to compete with large tech companies in developing foundational AI technologies, and where tech investors are focusing when it comes to AI startups. The different incentives in a traditional startup approach (focusing on getting to a minimum viable product) vs. long-term AI moonshots, exemplified by former OpenAI leader Ilya Sutskever's new venture. Apple's efforts to integrate AI into its applications and operating systems, and the tradeoffs between the Apple ecosystem and the more wide-ranging Windows/Android platform approach. In the return of our "My AI" segment, we discuss a useful way to quickly get a summary of YouTube videos using the Copilot sidebar in the Microsoft Edge browser. With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Audio editing and production by Curt Milton.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode of Oh Ship Show, host Freddie Laker is joined by Nataraj Sindam, a sper talented product manager. Nataraj leads a team of engineers and designers to build and scale Azure Files, a cloud service providing secure and scalable file storage for enterprises. With a robust background in Computer Science and Mathematics, Nataraj has significantly enhanced the performance, reliability, and usability of various products, including healthcare software, Dynamics 365, and hybrid cloud solutions.Nataraj is also the creator and host of the Startup Project, a podcast and blog dedicated to the ideas and strategies behind tech startups and venture capital. He interviews founders, investors, and experts, sharing invaluable insights on how to build, fund, and grow innovative businesses. Additionally, Nataraj invests in early-stage companies in the US and India, focusing on AI, IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS domains.Freddie and Nataraj dive into the fascinating world of AI, exploring its potential, challenges, and common myths. Join us for an engaging conversation about the future of AI and its impact on the business world.If you enjoyed this episode of Oh Ship! Show, please:
In this episode of Startup Project, Nataraj sits down with SC Moatti, a serial entrepreneur, product manager, investor, and author. SC Moatti shares insights into his diverse career path, from building successful products to launching his own venture capital firm, Mighty Capital. In this episode, you'll learn: SC Moatti's journey from engineer to VC: Discover how he built a career spanning product management, entrepreneurship, and venture capital. The secret to picking winning startups: SC Moatti reveals how Mighty Capital identifies and invests in companies with a strong product vision. Essential product management skills: Get expert advice on building a great product and becoming a successful product manager. The future of AI: SC Moatti shares his thoughts on the biggest challenges and opportunities in the world of artificial intelligence. Don't miss this insightful interview! Subscribe to Startup Project for more valuable content on building successful startups. Connect with SC Moatti: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scmoatti/ Connect with Nataraj: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam/ #startup #venturecapital #productmanagement #ai #investing #siliconvalley #mightycapital #entrepreneurship #innovation --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/startupproject/message
In today's podcast I chat with Nataraj Sindam We dive deep into: 1) Origins of Startup Project Podcast 2) Securing allocation in companies 3)Building distribution from the ground up and more You can connect with Natraj here: Website here: https://thestartupproject.io/nataraj/ You can connect with the host Roohi here: Twitter: https://x.com/roohi_kr Feel free to DM me if you have any feedback on the podcast And would appreciate a rating and review
Satya, co-founder of Scispot, joins Startup Project's Nataraj to share his journey from leading a platform team at Expedia to starting a biotech company that solves data challenges for life science labs. In this episode, we discuss: Satya's unique career path, from fashion startup owner to data expert. The founding story of Scispot, tackling the problem of unanalyzed data in biotech. The YC experience and its valuable lessons, including the importance of market signals. Scispot's growth and traction, serving a diverse range of lab-based businesses. The exciting future of AI in biotech and Scispot's role in empowering innovation. Challenges and strategies for prioritizing features and building a sustainable platform. Building a company in Seattle and the evolving startup ecosystem. Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs interested in biotech and the power of fresh perspectives. Tune in to learn about Scispot's vision for the future and Satya's insightful perspectives on entrepreneurship, data, and the evolving landscape of biotech. Connect with Satya: https://www.linkedin.com/in/satyaravisingh/ Connect with Nataraj: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam/ About the host: Nataraj is a Senior Product Manager and the host of the ‘Startup Project' podcast. He also invests in startups with Incisive.vc and writes ‘100 Days of AI', an educational series on AI. #biotech #startups #YC #entrepreneurship #data #AI #Seattle #SizePort #lifesciences #podcast #StartupProject --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/startupproject/message
Mark talks with Dr. Nataraj (Raj) Nagaratnam, CTO for Cloud Security at IBM, he drives strategy, technology and offerings around security for IBM Cloud. Raj is recognized as an IBM Fellow, he leads innovative products and capabilities that are helping businesses better manage their security.
In this episode Nataraj talked to Peter Mueller who is the founding partner of Breakwater ventures investing in early stage tech startups in Pacific Northwest and Wester Canadian Startups. The conversation includes: - how to think about angel investing & pre-seed investing? - Seattle pre-seed ecosystem - learnings from Seachange fund - thesis for breakwater - Whats making Western Canada an interesting place to invest? - investing in AI - long tail opportunity in AI & more. Follow peter on twitter here - https://twitter.com/pjsmueller Follow Nataraj on twitter here - https://twitter.com/natarajsindam Follow 100 Days of AI here - https://thestartupproject.io/100-days-of-ai/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/startupproject/message
In this episode Nataraj spoke to Brendan Rogers Ex Cofounder of Wag, a NASDAQ listed public company. Full conversation includes: - Origin story of WAG - His journey into investing in India - Why he is bullish on Indian startups? - Opinion on different sectors & more To stay in loop for future conversations check out thestartupproject.io For above average opinions on big technology sign up to https://above-average.beehiiv.com/ Follow 100 Days of AI by Nataraj at https://thestartupproject.io/100-days-of-ai/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/startupproject/message
This episode is the audio version of Nataraj's newsletter Above Average. Welcome to 49th edition of the Above Average Newsletter. Your bi-weekly source of Above Average takes on the businss of big technology written by Nataraj Sindam. 1. Why the new AI Button on Your Keyboard is inevitable?Microsoft is adding a new AI button to your PC keyboard. This is the first time Microsoft changed the PC keyboard in last 30 years. If you are a regular user of ChatGPT or its competitors you will notice your own behavior, that you use it repeatedly and it might get lost in the 10s of chrome tabs you have opened.You also realize that its a constant companion on your daily work. Microsoft already realized this and jumped head on into creating Copilots for all its products.The next step in this strategy is to have a dedicated button that will launch bing copilot which uses gpt-4 and is currently free.The move highlights couple of things:Copilots are going to an enduring form factorWe will use copilots so often that it requires its own buttonIts a great use of Microsoft's distribution power to create a new user behaviorIf this new behavior works its acts as counter to Google search. Your first step for any answer would be to tap that button and start asking the question. A better interface potentially to transition from a search dominant world to answer dominant world.2. Who is the biggest AI VC in town?As some one who closely works with a venture fund and interacted with lots of investors and invested in 20+ startups its important to note that the unseriousness of ZIRP era was prevalent in VC industry as much as it was in any other industry.This meant higher valuations that defy the gravity of the business became common. Chasing each others and asking the question “who else is investing” became the most important criteria. Deals closed faster than ever. Crypto as a sector suck more oxygen in the room that it should. Mostly because too much capital was chasing too few deals and in the process new & some old investors lost track of what is important. Its important for a VC to invest in important things in tech.Now with AI era on us, the biggest investors in AI are not the VC firms but its the fearsome foursome - Microsoft, Google, Amazon & Nvidia.The amount of investment commitments from these 4 companies has already exceeded $20B with a conservative estimate.Big tech companies never really invested in crypto like they are investing in AI.So what's the take away here - if you think AI hype cycle is similar to crypto hype cycle, you are wrong. AI is an enduring cycle worthy of hype, unlike crypto which was propped up by VCs with out enough depth.Topic 3 - My Experiments with AI:One of the reason this newsletter is less frequent than usual (from now on it will be twice a month) is because I am working on writing more on AI as part of a series I am calling 100 days of AI. If you are interested in gen AI experiments, ideas & trends follow along here. Here are some posts I have written about AI. - Design Thinking using Semantic Kernel - Get Insights from YouTube Podcast Video using Open AI's GPT 4 - Build Your Own Chat with Data App Till next time, stay above average.Nataraj --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/startupproject/message
For more unique insights on technology follow Nataraj on Twitter - https://twitter.com/natarajsindam & Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/1nataraj/ What late stage investors got wrong about investing in Startups? Confusion in the venture scene, especially with late-stage investments. Some firms raising funds for secondaries in startups, but a twist for LP investors: a cautious approach is needed. Skepticism about firms claiming expertise in both early and late-stage investments. Discussion on the industry mix-up and the need to reconsider how we negotiate prices. Emphasizing the importance of aligning return expectations with industry dynamics. Concerns about the pricing game not adding up in the long run, even with solid companies. Exploration of the industry's potential need for a rethink to optimize returns. Join the conversation at thestartupproject.io/nataraj/ #angelinvesting #youtubeshorts #venturecapital #investing #limitedpartners #vc #startups #tigerglobal --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/startupproject/message
For more unique insights on technology follow Nataraj on Twitter - https://twitter.com/natarajsindam & Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/1nataraj/ Why Rivian will become 2nd Largest EV Player in the U.S? Exploring the EV market in the US and the competition between Rivian and Tesla. Rivian stands out with a superior product, a more profitable segment, and a less controversial brand than Tesla. I predict the future paths of Rivian and Tesla, highlighting the crucial significance of the next three years for their survival and Rivian's growth. #EV #electric #predictions #technology #tesla #rivian #elonmusk #elon #electricvehicles --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/startupproject/message
Nataraj interviewed veteran VC Matt McIlwain of Madrona Venture Group on Startup Project podcast. Matt shared his insights into the state of venture capital and the impacts of AI, drawn from his 20+ years of experience. Some key takeaways: 1. Venture is a "tale of two cities" now - later stage startups are struggling, earlier stage companies embracing AI are thriving 2. Seattle has unmatched talent but lacks local capital - still over-reliant on Silicon Valley VCs 3. Incumbents have the edge currently in leveraging AI due to data, customers, ability to integrate via APIs - but long term, AI-native startups will win out 4. Partnerships forming between big tech and AI startups provide startups with computing resources while allowing tech giants to take an open, marketplace approach to AI I highly recommend tuning in to hear Matt's take on venture capital, AI, and building an enduring company. Available on all major podcast platforms - link in comments! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/startupproject/message
In this episode, Nataraj spoke with John Staenberg, a veteran of the tech and venture capital world. John took Nataraj through his early days growing up in Omaha and attending Stanford University, where he was inspired by the culture of creativity and trying new things. After graduating, John worked in real estate and then got his MBA, also at Stanford. He became fascinated by the nascent world of venture capital and startups in Silicon Valley. John landed a job at Microsoft in the late 1980s, when the company was still small and growing fast. He described the exciting “change the world” energy there, where people worked tirelessly to spread personal computers. After Microsoft, John started his own venture funds focused on bridging Seattle and Silicon Valley. He's been involved with around 200 startups over his venture career. John reflected on missing out early on companies like Google and Amazon that became huge wins. But he's also had some big successes, like Seagate. He emphasized that surprise and timing are always at play in VC investing. Nataraj and John also discussed how venture capital has matured and become overcrowded, making it hard to generate outsized returns. So John has pulled back on direct startup investing. Pivoting gears, they talked about John's passion project - starting a wine business in Argentina 17 years ago. He saw it as a way to pursue his interests and bring people together. John then explained his latest venture to Nataraj - launching a search fund to invest in other funds that acquire small businesses for entrepreneurs. He believes this model can provide great returns and opportunities. Throughout his wide-ranging career, John has stayed focused on connecting people and giving back, including through the many events he has hosted. Follow Jon at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonstaenberg/ Follow Nataraj at https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/startupproject/message
Today, Jim is joined by Nataraj Sindam who has spent his entire career learning the ins and outs of the tech industry. He and Jim analyze some of the overlooked trends happening in tech today and give some hot takes on some of the world's biggest companies. TOPICS DISCUSSED IN TODAY'S EPISODE Different paths into tech entrepreneurship Elon's X strategy Amazon's Alexa problem Amazon Ads Predictions: Rivian Food as healthcare VC trends Resources: https://above-average.beehiiv.com/ thestartupproject.io Jim Huffman website Jim's Twitter GrowthHit The Growth Marketer's Playbook Additional episodes you might enjoy:Startup Ideas by Paul Graham (#45)Nathan Barry: How to Bootstrap a Company to $30M in a Crowded Market (#41)How I Met My Biz Partner and Less Learned Hitting $2M ARR (#44)Ryan Hamilton on his Netflix special, touring with Jerry Seinfeld, & how to write a joke (#10)How We're Validating Startup Ideas (#51)
To stay up to date checkout thestartupproject.io & follow Nataraj on twitter: @natarajsindam and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam Join us in this captivating episode as we sit down with Joe Heitzeberg, a multifaceted entrepreneur who has navigated the world of technology and business with remarkable success. From his early days in the tech industry to founding his acclaimed venture Crowd Cow, Joe shares his incredible journey and valuable insights on various topics. 1. Joe's Entry to Technology 2. Working for Paul Allen 3. Import Furniture Business 4. Opportunity Cost of MBA 5. Building Viral VoIP App for MySpace 6. Selling Media Piston to Upwork 7. Starting Crowd Cow 8. Problems with Chicken in the U.S 9. Fundamental Shifts from AI 10. AI Tinkerers Follow Joe on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeheitzeberg To stay up to date checkout thestartupproject.io & follow Nataraj on twitter @natarajsindam and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/startupproject/message
This episode features Part 2 of a stimulating discussion between Dr. Nataraj (host) and Prof. Giuseppe Rega. Prof. Rega is a Professor Emeritus at Sapienza University in Rome, Italy, and is a prolific and noted scholar with many publications in nonlinear dynamics. His work ranges over a number of diverse areas including structural mechanics, controls and exploiting nonlinearity. In this episode, we discuss the history of nonlinear dynamics, the current state of the art as well as possible future directions. We laud many current developments but even complain about some directions! The discussion is split into Parts 1 and 2. Please check Episode 5 for Part 1.http://nodycast.org
This episode features Part 1 of a stimulating discussion between Dr. Nataraj (host) and Prof. Giuseppe Rega. Prof. Rega is a Professor Emeritus at Sapienza University in Rome, Italy, and is a prolific and noted scholar with many publications in nonlinear dynamics. His work ranges over a number of diverse areas including structural mechanics, controls and exploiting nonlinearity. In this episode, we discuss the history of nonlinear dynamics, the current state of the art as well as possible future directions. We laud many current developments but even complain about some directions! The discussion is split into Parts 1 and 2. Please tune in to Episode 6 for Part 2.http://nodycast.org
Namaskar India's upcoming season "Indian Concept of Time" explores the intricacies of Indian timekeeping, astrology, astronomy, and philosophy. The show takes a deep dive into the ABCDE of time, the symbolism of Nataraj, as well as the mysteries of Navgrahas and Rashis. It also delves into the philosophical concepts of Karma, Dharma, and Moksha through the lens of Karmachakra. Join us on this enriching and enlightening journey. Topic: History of India Ko-fi: http://ko-fi.com/namaskarindia UPI ID: 9893547492@paytm Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/aduppala Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/namaskarindialive/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/namaskarindialive Twitter: https://twitter.com/AradhanaDuppala Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NamaskarIndia WhatsApp Discussions: https://chat.whatsapp.com/H8IUJPlB32cA2soTjrTghV WhatsApp Announcements: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KVd5UHxumW90TxLHjkB89k --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/namaskar-india/support
Sanjana y Nataraj del Sana Holistic & Isaya Center, fueron nuestros invitados en el programa de ¡Ya es Hora! del 13 de junio, como una opción viable para tu salud mental y espiritual. Además, la organizadora de concursos de belleza, Patty Ortega, nos habló acerca de los resultados de Miss Mundo Arizona, además de llevar a nuestro estudio a algunas de las niñas y jovencitas ganadoras.#Spanish #Beauty #Podcast #Español #Missmundo
Shankari singt Om Namah Shivaya in einem Kirtankonzert bei Yoga Vidya in Bad Meinberg. Du findest diesen Kirtan im Yoga Vidya Kirtanheft unter der Nr. 699a. Weitere Erläuterungen zu diesem Kirtan sind online im Yoga Vidya Kirtanheft Blog unter Om Namah Shivaya zu finden. Hier ist der Text zum Mitsingen: Om Namah Shivaya Om Namah Shivaya Om Namah Shivaya Om Namah Shivaya ist das Panchakshara Mantra von Shiva, das Fünfsilbige Mantra. Es wird auch als Shiva Mahamantra bezeichnet. Shiva bedeutet wörtlich glückverheißend, gütig. Shiva ist auch der kosmische Tänzer Nataraj, der Meditierende, der Entsagende und mehr. Dies ist eine Live-Aufnahme Der Beitrag Om Namah Shivaya mit Shankari erschien zuerst auf Yoga Vidya Blog - Yoga, Meditation und Ayurveda.
Aseem joined Madrona in 2021 after spending almost twenty years as an operating executive. He works alongside founders building the future of next-generation infrastructure (core, security, DevOps), intelligent applications, robotics, and automation. Full conversation includes: From Intern at Windows to GM at Microsoft Azure GM at Azure to Investing at Madrona Investing at Madrona Startups vs Big Tech in AI Commoditization of LLMs Difference between LLMs & Human Brains Follow Aseem on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/aseemdatar/ To stay up to date checkout thestartupproject.io & follow Nataraj on twitter: @natarajsindam --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/startupproject/message
To stay up to date checkout thestartupproject.io & follow Nataraj on twitter: @natarajsindam T.A. McCann is a serial entrepreneur with an impressive track record. He has founded and served as CEO of several successful companies. Some notable ventures include Senosis (acquired by Google), Gist (acquired by Blackberry), and Rival IQ, a leading company in marketing analytics. McCann's expertise extends beyond founding companies. He has also held senior roles at Microsoft, where he led divisions such as Exchange and the Mobile Services divisions. Additionally, he has worked as an EIR (Entrepreneur in Residence) at Polaris Venture Partners and Vulcan Capital. Full conversation includes: Becoming a professional sailor Working at microsoft exchange Starting 5+ companies (3 exits) Working for Paul Allen & building Startup Studio Vulcan Labs Selling Gist to Blackberry Rival IQ Synosis (acq by Google) Pioneer Square Labs Systematic customer discovery & customer development process Advice to entrepreneurs raising capital Is AI a step change? Who will capture value in AI? Big tech or startups? Follow TA on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamccann/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/startupproject/message
To stay up to date checkout thestartupproject.io & follow Nataraj on twitter: @natarajsindam In this episode Nataraj spoke to Taylor Black who co-founded Fizzy Inc. Post Fizzy Taylor worked at Innovation Science Fund & currently works as a Principal Product Manager at the Office of the CTO Incubator at Microsoft. Transcript: [00:00:00] Nataraj: I looked at the portfolio there then it's completely deep tech, uh, and sort of like invention based, uh, ideas. [00:00:08] Nataraj: Uh, so what was the process of like capturing and invention and taking and productizing it and, you know, making a return out of it? Like what was the thinking process there? [00:00:20] Taylor: So the, uh, and you can read Malcolm Gladwell's take on this in a, in an article where he described our invention sessions. Um, a and the invention sessions are a bit of a riff on like an innovation session or an envisioning session or things along those lines where you, you come up with wild ideas within a particular problem space, um, in a very unfettered sort of, Um, and the whole goal of this session is to generate as many ideas as possible. [00:00:52] Taylor: That's the sole ROI you're looking for in those sessions. Um, but there's certain conditions you set for success in those [00:01:00] sessions. And so the way that we ran those sessions, and I, and I, I ran, uh, a number of them, um, is that we would prepare for months ahead of time in gathering all of the materials that related to the problem. [00:01:14] Taylor: and by materials I mean the scientific research in a particular problem space, the, uh, market, uh, and startup landscapes of that particular problem space. Um, uh, things that people had written about it. Books, articles, um, you know, YouTube videos, everything, uh, along those lines. And the goal was to, um, inform. [00:01:43] Taylor: Kind of the fermentation moment of when you're thinking about a problem, all of these things w wouldn't themselves, um, not be a solution necessarily, but there are all the things that someone who wanted to be completely informed or as, as, as informed and possible as possible about a set of [00:02:00] problems. Um, Had all of the raw material there. [00:02:03] Taylor: We'd also do customer discovery, we'd do customer interviews to understand those pain points. We'd bring people in, um, uh, and run sessions with them where they would, you know, get deep into their own, um, the problems they were encountering so that everybody who is, and everybody who's part of the sessions had to. [00:02:22] Taylor: Understand those materials, uh, deeply. We'd even quiz them on occasion. Um, it also helped that, uh, bill Gates, um, uh, whenever he came to those sessions, he would have all of those materials like completely groced. And so you, you know, you needed to have them groced too so that you didn't, you know, uh, lose face in front of Bill. [00:02:44] Taylor: But, um, Uh, but the key, so we'd, we'd get everybody, all of those materials and have them go through them, uh, a good month or so before the actual sessions happened. Um, that gave everybody an, an even playing [00:03:00] field in terms of, you know, I may be a physicist, I may be a biz dev person, I may be, um, an attorney. [00:03:06] Taylor: I may be, uh, you know, a program manager, but I have all of the same raw material. Uh, and my own perspective on it that I can bring to these sessions. The sessions themselves, them, um, were set around particular problem spaces and we'd start, we'd start each, um, session and then there's a variety of different kinds of sessions that we ram. [00:03:28] Taylor: Um, Uh, with a lot of provocations, a lot of conversation, a lot of like wild thinking and post-it notes and whiteboards of just dumping ideas out, uh, that had occurred to people or occurred in conversation or happened in the, in the hallway outside. Um, and we get all those ideas down, documenting everything. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/startupproject/message
To stay up to date checkout thestartupproject.io & follow Nataraj on twitter: @natarajsindam In this episode Nataraj spoke to Taylor Black who co-founded Fizzy Inc. Post Fizzy Taylor worked at Innovation Science Fund & currently works as a Principal Product Manager at the Office of the CTO Incubator at Microsoft. Transcript: [00:00:00] Nataraj: To me it always made sense for large companies to have some kind of incubator or accelerator model because one of the reasons I think we are seeing in this bear cycle, sort of like when the wave sort of, you know, falls down, you see who's naked scenario. [00:00:17] Nataraj: Um, I think any company which survives multi decades has to have multiple large businesses. Mm-hmm. . I think in a lot of ways, I mean, looking back, a lot of companies didn't, uh, look for long-term opportunities as much as they should. Like we can talk about like, uh, Amazon, you know, putting billion dollars into their phone, but I would argue the potential on the upside of suckers was so high they should have put in, you know, one more billion and tried the next version. [00:00:50] Nataraj: Mm-hmm. . Mm-hmm. , uh, and I. , like argue the same with Facebook in a sense. Like now they're doing this metaverse thing. [00:01:00] Um, and sort of again retreating that back now. But I feel like even Facebook with all its cash flow, uh, didn't really think, um, because they always self constrained themselves to be a social company. [00:01:14] Nataraj: Um, like I think that's sort of like a self-imposed mental model on themselves. Mm-hmm. , like, uh, I would not impose themselves like a social company. Yeah. You work good at Facebook and WhatsApp, but I mean, look at how many great technologies that came out from Facebook, open source community and like putting that social as a blanket on your company. [00:01:34] Nataraj: I think. Set a backstage for all these technologies, which could be, you know, productionized and, you know, capitalized. Mm-hmm. . Right. Uh, that's, I feel like a lot of companies, especially the large companies, are with very good cash flow sort of mixed out on business opportunities because of that reason. [00:01:50] Nataraj: That's my personal view on like, , a lot of companies could have it if it is well run. Mm-hmm. . Um, and should have it because of this reason. Right? Mm-hmm. , it's sort of [00:02:00] like you are the innovation dilemma that you'll encounter at some point as a large company, and you have to have a sort of a backup backstopping mechanism to that innovation dilemma, which every company will eventually face. [00:02:12] Nataraj: Mm-hmm. , um, So I feel like the innovation, uh, accelerator or the incubator would sort of act as that, uh, you know, that part of small investment, it's sort of like an insurance to the, uh, to innovation dyna that you would eventually encounter anyways, uh, [00:02:28] Taylor: , I think you're right. [00:02:28] Taylor: There's a, there's an inherent problem there too, though, is that, um, uh, innovation is inherently a yo low yield. . Um, and so within, and it's my kind of rule of thumb, that within two or three years of any program like ours existence, um, finance is gonna come and say, where's the revenue? Where's the roi? And if you don't have a data driven way of showing your, your anticipated revenue, your anticipated ROI on the basis of your activities, then uh, [00:03:00] it's entirely legitimate that you get. [00:03:02] Taylor: There's a, there's a, there's data driven ways of showing that the whole venture ecosystem depends on the fact that you're able to show future revenue on the basis of what you're doing now. Uh, that's how you raise funds, right? Um, and so every, uh, innovation program inside an enterprise has to have that same data-driven hygiene. For full conversation check out Episode 53. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/startupproject/message
To stay up to date checkout thestartupproject.io & follow Nataraj on twitter: @natarajsindam In this episode Nataraj spoke to Marius Ciocirlan who co-founded ShareGrid, a marketplace for filmmakers and photographers to rent and sell their equipment. It was acquired by Backstage and is now Managing Director of Techstars Seattle. Techstars expanded to Seattle in 2010, and since then more than 130 companies have gone through the program & collectively gone on to raise more than $2.5 billion in capital. Full Transcript: [00:00:00] Nataraj: So Techstars is an, you know, traditionally what we call as an accelerator, right? Yeah. Uh, so what are the founders really getting outta, um, joining tech? [00:00:09] Marius: Yeah, for sure. So, um, the Tech Techstars program essentially, uh, falls into almost three phases. So it's a 13 week program and it's kind of, uh, set up in three phases. The first phase is customer discovery, so we worked with you to ensure that like, , you truly understand who your customer is and what are they buying from you. [00:00:31] Marius: Like, you know, you, you would be surprised how many people have an idea of who their customer is, but it's not clearly defined. They don't really understand why that customer is interested in their product. So even companies that are farther along, we find. , it's always good to like really reflect on who your customer is. [00:00:50] Marius: So the first phase is customer discovery. Second phase is go to market and execution, which is more important nowadays, especially given the market [00:01:00] situation. More important than ever to actually gain real traction in your business and prove out that your business has some product market fit. And product market fit can mean different things at different stages. [00:01:12] Marius: But at least in your initial M V P, there needs to be some product market fit. And then the third phase is we're preparing you to go out in front of investors. So we're working on your pitch deck, we're working on your delivery, we're working on all of your documents, uh, getting you ready to ensure that you're ready for, uh, investors and putting you in front of investors. Full version at thestartupproject.io --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/startupproject/message
To stay up to date checkout thestartupproject.io & follow Nataraj on twitter: @natarajsindam In this episode Nataraj spoke to Taylor Black who co-founded Fizzy Inc. Post Fizzy Taylor worked at Innovation Science Fund & currently works as a Principal Product Manager at the Office of the CTO Incubator at Microsoft. Full Conversation includes: Starting a company during law school Running a WordPress server farm Why WordPress still dominates internet? Working at Innovation Science Fund Running innovation sessions attended by Entrepreneurs, Nobel laureates, Scientists & Bill Gates Fundamental technology breakthrough in Metamaterials Funding Starlink competitor Incubator inside Microsoft for the Office of the CTO Measuring Innovation inside large organizations You can connect with Taylor here on LinkedIn. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/startupproject/message
To stay up to date checkout thestartupproject.io & follow Nataraj on twitter: @natarajsindam In this episode Nataraj spoke to Marius Ciocirlan who co-founded ShareGrid, a marketplace for filmmakers and photographers to rent and sell their equipment. It was acquired by Backstage and is now Managing Director of Techstars Seattle. Techstars expanded to Seattle in 2010, and since then more than 130 companies have gone through the program & collectively gone on to raise more than $2.5 billion in capital. Full Transcript: [00:00:00] So you decided you want to be in tech. Then how did, uh, your, uh, company start, uh, share grid? [00:00:06] Yeah, so she started, um, actually the idea was kind of originated while I was, was working our group on both my co-founder and I, Raj. He was, he was, he went to film, well he went to photography school. I, uh, uh, I believe it was more of like a media communication, uh, background. [00:00:24] But he ended up in tech as well. He was a designer and front end developer and um, he was a longtime photographer and we would take walks all the time and. , he, he sold his previous company to Groupon, so he's been very entrepreneurial himself and we were always kicking around ideas of potential startups that we could start. [00:00:47] And one of the ideas was, uh, it derived from him trying to sell some of his equipment. He was like, I really want this new lens, but I already have so many lenses. How do I justify kind. [00:01:00] Investing more money into more equipment when I'm not even using the equipment I already have. So that was kind of the thread that we started to talk about the idea, and essentially the idea was a lot of filmmakers, photographers invest. [00:01:15] Quite a bit of capital into, uh, equipment, into, into different, uh, cameras, lenses, audio equipment, lighting equipment, and it's very, very expensive. I mean, we're talking thousands of dollars for a camera or lens. Sometimes for film equipment, you're looking at 40, $50,000 for cinema camera, and that doesn't count all the additional accessories and, and everything else you need. [00:01:41] I knew about this from my prior film years, and I had a lot of friends who after school, their, their thinking was, if I invest a bit of money into equipment, the chances of me being hired, uh, will increase. Because the film world is actually a very much [00:02:00] a gig economy, freelance type of world. So they were thinking, if we invest in, in this equipment, uh, I will stand amongst the rest and like be hired more frequently. [00:02:10] That doesn't always happen. So you invest all this money, but your monthly payments are coming in every day, every, every month. , but you're not always getting hired. That equipment's not always being used. So Arra and I saw that opportunity of like, there's all this idle equipment. What if you were to rent that equipment out, similar to other pure tope economies, like, uh, like u you know, like Airbnb, um, So we had the idea and we essentially wanted to validate if this is something that other people would be interested in First. [00:02:43] I spoke to a lot of my friends from Phil School and everybody said, It's a great idea, but what about if somebody steals my equipment while they're renting it? They don't come back with the equipment. So that was always kind of the big challenge that we had to face. But, but that's how the [00:03:00] idea, just to answer your question, that's how the idea kind of derived is just from a personal need and also just a brainstorm of ideas. [00:03:07] So it was essentially a marketplace for renting, uh, camera and other high-end equipment for production. [00:03:14] Exactly. Exactly. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/startupproject/message
To stay up to date checkout thestartupproject.io & follow Nataraj on twitter: @natarajsindam In this episode Nataraj spoke to Marius Ciocirlan who co-founded ShareGrid, a marketplace for filmmakers and photographers to rent and sell their equipment. It was acquired by Backstage and is now Managing Director of Techstars Seattle. Techstars expanded to Seattle in 2010, and since then more than 130 companies have gone through the program & collectively gone on to raise more than $2.5 billion in capital. Full Transcript: [00:00:00] So I was like, you know, working on Samsung, making videos and then also like working on sets, like reality TV shows and stuff like that, while at the same time doing a startup and. Uh, learning UX design. So I had to make a decision. I couldn't do both. And the reason I decided to go into tech, I remember having this kind of conversation with my significant other, is that in film it's a very traditional career path, meaning, In order to become a cinematographer or a director or a producer, you have to pay your dues. [00:00:35] Like there is very strict rules about what certain people could do on a set and what they can't do, like. I've been told in my position as a production assistant was like, you are not allowed to move that equipment. You're not allowed to move that chair because the union, you don't belong to that union. [00:00:53] So it's actually like a safety regulation or. It was a very traditional kind of [00:01:00] career path, and I realized that like I was not going to reach my dream of becoming a cinematographer or director well into my forties, probably fifties, and it was gonna take a long time where in tech it was actually the complete opposite. [00:01:18] The younger you were, the more respect you got and almost the more opportunities you received. So my goal was always like, I really enjoyed. and it seems like doors are just really opening, people are just much more supportive. If you have big ambitions, you don't have to like, wait in line and wait your turn. [00:01:38] You could just act on those ambitions. Uh, so it just felt like a much friendlier community and just more embracing. So, um, it went towards tech and I, I always planned like at some point in my career, I'll make it in tech and then I'll come back at an older age and a film and I'll be a producer and I'll fund my own films or uh, [00:02:00] documentaries or whatever, whatever that might be. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/startupproject/message
To stay up to date checkout thestartupproject.io & follow Nataraj on twitter: @natarajsindam In this episode Nataraj spoke to Marius Ciocirlan who co-founded ShareGrid, a marketplace for filmmakers and photographers to rent and sell their equipment. It was acquired by Backstage and is now Managing Director of Techstars Seattle. Techstars expanded to Seattle in 2010, and since then more than 130 companies have gone through the program & collectively gone on to raise more than $2.5 billion in capital. Full Conversation includes: How skateboarding led do film school Raising funds via grants Startup weekends Early days at Groupon Mobile Team Origin story and cofounding Sharegrid (acquired by Backstage) Joining Techstars Seattle as Managing Director What's special about Techstars Seattle? How founders should think about Techstars Seattle If you are founder and is interested in applying to TechStars Seattle you can get in touch with Marius at marius.ciocirlan@techstars.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/startupproject/message
To stay up to date checkout thestartupproject.io & follow us on twitter: @natarajsindam Deedy & Nataraj talk about Why is there no criticism about Indian startups in Indian media? What are the insidious loops in Indian startup ecosystem? Don't forget to follow Deedy's opinions at @debarghya_das! -------- Past guests of Startup Project podcast include Ali Moiz (stonks.com), Kirby Winfield (Ascend.vc), Eric Bahn (Hustle Fund), and others. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/startupproject/message
To stay up to date checkout thestartupproject.io & follow Nataraj on twitter: @natarajsindam ----- In this episode Spoke to Deedy who writes amazing twitter threads on immigration, Indian startups and more. Topic covered include: Tweet threads on Indian startups Shark Tank India vs U.S Generative AI, LLMs & Search Zero Interest Rate Phenomenon & a lot more. Don't forget to follow Deedy's opinions at @debarghya_das! ----- Past guests of Startup Project podcast include Ali Moiz (stonks.com), Kirby Winfield (Ascend.vc), Eric Bahn (Hustle Fund), and others. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/startupproject/message
To stay up to date checkout thestartupproject.io & follow us on twitter: @natarajsindam Launching a, a venture fund is not for the faint of heart, uh, and it is very much a startup activity. Geoff Harris & Nataraj talk about the challenges of launching a venture fund. Geoff spent 15 years at Microsoft in engineering leadership and executive leadership positions. His career at Microsoft began in digital media where he ran the Windows Media Player team. Full conversation includes is available here and includes: Developing Natural language processing at Microsoft Angel investing to raising a fund Core insight behind Flying Fish AI Use cases for future Web3 & Venture ----- Past guests of Startup Project podcast include Ali Moiz (stonks.com), Kirby Winfield (Ascend.vc), Eric Bahn (Hustle Fund), and others. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/startupproject/message
© 2020-2025 Ivy Podcast Discovery LLC
