Podcasts about VC

Three NEW topics on climate tech finance, decision tools, and mindful leadership:Finance — Gross Margin: Quality > PercentTools — Quiz: The 5 Types of WealthLeadership — Motivation: Identity > Consequences------------Join EFI's CEO group — The private room for climate CEOs making nine-figure decisions Become an EFI Climate CEO Fellow: a confidential peer community for VC- and private equity-backed CEOs in climate tech and sustainability. Capped at 50 CEOs and 50 investor mentors, representing $40B in market value or investment assets.

(0:00) Jason and Chamath welcome SEC's Paul Atkins and CFTC's Michael Selig (0:53) Atkins on how US markets have changed over his 40 year career (3:04) Top priorities across both agencies: Fixing the IPO drought, crypto regulation, cutting unnecessary rules (8:16) AI trading bots, autonomous hedge funds, and investing with leverage (15:30) Ending the "Turf War" between the SEC and CFTC, super app vision (19:15) Prediction markets, insider trading, gray area (26:56) Trump advocates for changing quarterly earnings to bi-annual (30:30) Changing the accreditation rules a priority for 2026 (34:56) HFT firms that dominate the futures markets, swap reporting (40:36) VC fund formation (46:18) US markets vs the world, crypto classification (52:54) Biggest risks: Market manipulation, crypto scams, and the Gen Z gambling crisis   SEC Chair Paul Atkins: https://x.com/SECPaulSAtkins CFTC Chair Michael Selig: https://x.com/ChairmanSelig Follow the besties: https://x.com/chamath https://x.com/Jason https://x.com/DavidSacks https://x.com/friedberg Follow on X: https://x.com/theallinpod Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theallinpod Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theallinpod Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/allinpod Intro Music Credit: https://rb.gy/tppkzl https://x.com/yung_spielburg Intro Video Credit: https://x.com/TheZachEffect

On this episode of The Money Mondays, Dan Fleyshman sits down with Courtney Reum—co-founder and partner at M13, former Goldman Sachs investment banker, and co-founder of VeeV—for a practical conversation on the show's three pillars: how to make money, how to invest money, and how to give it away. Courtney shares his path from banking into entrepreneurship and venture capital, where he now helps back and build high-growth companies through M13. y get deep into what makes a founder stand out, why most pitches get ignored, and what actually earns a second meeting with a VC firm. Courtney explains the traits he looks for beyond pattern recognition—grit, self-awareness, adaptability, and the ability to build a strong team around personal weaknesses. He also breaks down why so many founders misuse the AI label, and why staying aligned with your investment thesis matters more than chasing hype.Investing side, Courtney opens up about how his thinking has evolved over time—from taking aggressive risks to build wealth, to thinking more seriously about preserving capital, generating cash flow, and diversifying into areas like real estate. He and Dan also talk candidly about financial literacy, why families need more honest conversations about money, and how marriage, future kids, and changing life stages can shift your personal investment strategy.Discuss why giving back matters for both brands and individuals, how mission-driven companies build stronger culture and loyalty, and Dan closes with the signature legacy question: how much wealth should you really leave to your children?

"What does it actually take to get a family office to back you? In this episode, Prashant sits down with Slava Darkhaev, a family office investor based in Cyprus who deploys into emerging VC managers and direct deals across the US market.Slava breaks down how he evaluates first-time fund managers, what a real competitive edge looks like versus a rehearsed pitch, and why network quality matters far more than network size. They also get into portfolio construction, co-investment strategy, the emerging markets opportunity, and the biggest mistakes fund managers make when fundraising.⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.comTopics covered:— What "right to exist" really means for a fund manager— How to evaluate GPs before they have a track record— Why the VC power law makes network everything— LP book vs. direct co-investments — how to run both— Diversification as upside management, not downside protection— India, Southeast Asia & Latin America — the emerging market thesis— The #1 fundraising mistake GPs make repeatedly"If you're a GP raising your first or second fund — or an LP trying to build a smarter allocation strategy — this one is for you.TIMESTAMPS(00:00) - Episode Highlights(00:51) - Introduction to Slava Darkhaev & the Episode(02:19) - The 'Right to Exist' for VCs vs. Founders(05:02) - How to Identify and Back Top-Tier GPs(07:11) - Benchmarking Emerging Managers: The Insider Approach(08:42) - The #1 Trait Separating Top GPs from the Rest(11:05) - Strategy for Direct Investments vs. LP Investments(12:43) - Securing Co-Investment and Pro-Rata Rights(13:51) - A Different Take on Diversification in Venture Capital(16:07) - Investing Thesis on Emerging Trends and Macro Cycles(17:27) - Due Diligence for a Manager's Subsequent Fund(19:22) - Family Office Asset Allocation to Venture Capital(20:02) - Investing in 'Unproven' First-Time Managers(21:29) - Approach to Investing in Global Emerging Markets(24:58) - Key Advice for Fund Managers: The Power of Storytelling(25:46) - Common Mistakes Fund Managers Make When Fundraising(26:46) - Rapid Fire Round(27:51) - Conclusion & How to Connect with SlavaLINKSSlava Darkhaev - https://www.linkedin.com/in/slava-darkhaev/Prashant Choubey - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/choubeysahab⁠Subscribe to VC10X newsletter - ⁠https://vc10x.beehiiv.com⁠Subscribe on YouTube - ⁠https://youtube.com/@VC10X ⁠Subscribe on Apple Podcasts - ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/vc10x-investing-venture-capital-asset-management-private/id1632806986⁠Subscribe on Spotify - ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/7F7KEhXNhTx1bKTBFgzv3k?si=WgQ4ozMiQJ-6nowj6wBgqQ⁠VC10X website - ⁠https://vc10x.com⁠For sponsorship queries, reach out to prashantchoubey3@gmail.comSubscribe for more conversations at the intersection of family office investing, private markets, and emerging trends in wealth management.

Send a text"RAISE CAPITAL LIKE A LEGEND: https://go.fundraisecapital.co/apply"How do you spot billion-dollar founders? Ryan Miller (Angel Investor) and Kristina Simmons (Overwater Ventures) identify the "Answer-First" framework—evaluating founder psychology and commercialization potential over traditional pitch decks—as the key to elite early-stage investing on this episode of Making Billions.Why Founder Psychology is the New Due Diligence?As AI-generated pitch decks and data rooms become the 2026 industry standard, traditional "pattern matching" is no longer enough to guarantee VC success. Kristina Simmons—whose career spans Khosla Ventures, a16z, and Lululemon—shares her "Answer-First" framework for identifying the high-potential, under-represented gems that institutional investors systematically miss.Subscribe on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTOe79EXLDsROQ0z3YLnu1QQConnect with Ryan Miller:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rcmiller1/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makingbillionspodcast/X: https://x.com/_MakingBillionsWebsite: https://making-billions.com/[THE HOST]: Ryan Miller is a recovering CFO turned angel The Fresh Patch Podcast - Where Good Pets Get It. Welcome to the Fresh Patch Podcast where we talk about everything, from dog...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Support the showDISCLAIMER: This podcast is for entertainment and general informational purposes only — not legal, financial, tax, or investment advice. Nothing herein constitutes a solicitation or offer to buy or sell any security or investment product. Past performance does not indicate future results. Always consult qualified legal, financial, and tax professionals before making any investment decision. NAME NOTICE: "Making Billions with Ryan Miller" reflects the profile and aspirations of guests featured — it is not a promise, projection, guarantee, or representation of any financial result, income, or outcome for any listener, viewer, or reader. Most individuals who consume this content do not raise any particular amount of capital, and many achieve no financial result whatsoever. "Fund Raise Capital" is a brand identifier only — it is not a promise, guarantee, or representation that any member, subscriber, or listener will raise capital, attract investors, or achieve any financial or professional outcome. This show does not constitute a business opportunity, franchise, investment program, or offer of any product or service of any kind. No part of this show should be construed as a solicitation for investment in any way. Guest views are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the show or host. Host and/or guests may hold positions in assets discussed. This episode may contain paid sponsorships, advertisements, or endorsements. Sponsored content is identified where...

MIT PhD tech to mine lithium in low-concentration domestic reserves without chemical reagents or excess water use

In dieser Folge spricht Markus mit Stefan Köppl, Managing Partner bei Samira Advisors. Stefan hilft Tech-Unternehmen beim Verkauf – und hat dabei einen einzigartigen Blick auf die aktuelle Lage der europäischen Scale-up-Szene.Wir reden darüber, warum so viele Scale-ups gerade in einem Exit-Stau stecken, wie Liquidation Preferences zur Falle für Founder werden – und warum Tech Private Equity der Game Changer für Europa sein könnte.Außerdem geht's um:Stefans Gründerstory: von der Accounting-Liebe in Lissabon über IndieCampers bis zum Sprung ins Venture Capitalden wachsenden Gap zwischen VC-Bewertungen und M&A-Realitätwarum amerikanische Konzerne selten in Österreich zukaufenSeedstrapping als neues Gründermodell: kleine Runden, schnell profitabel, AI-gestütztStefans Moonshot: eine echte europäische Kapitalmarktunion – und warum das alle kleinen Schritte wert istProduction: Hanna Moser Musik (Intro/Outro): www.sebastianegger.com

Mitchell Green is a legendary growth equity investor and the Founder and Managing Partner of Lead Edge Capital, a firm with over $5 billion in assets under management. Known as a relentless "money maker", Mitchell has led investments in the likes of Bytedance, Toast, Procore, Duo Security and more. AGENDA: 0:00 The SaaS Apocalypse: Why Incumbents Aren't Going to Zero 05:50 "Dead Money": Why Public Software Estimates Were Too High 08:15 Leverage is the Enemy: Lessons from the 1999 Retail Crash 11:50 The Truth About Growth Equity: Zeroes vs. 10X Returns 15:40 Mainframes to AI: Why Oracle and SAP Will Thrive 20:35 The "Stock-Based Comp" Scandal: Silicon Valley's Hidden Crime 24:35 ByteDance vs. The World: Why China Could Win the AI War 31:50 Selling is the Job: Why Buying is the Most Glamorous Part of VC 35:45 Too Many Tourists: Why 50% of VCs Shouldn't Be in the Business 44:10 The Gross Dollar Retention Rule: The Only Number That Matters in SaaS

This week, we're back with another weekly roundup where we discuss the current state of markets as Bitcoin holds steady around $70k. We then deep dive into how to unlock 24/7 markets, insider trading on prediction markets, recent VC fundraises & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Rob: https://x.com/HadickM Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire:https://x.com/theempirepod -- Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in New York City this March! Follow the link below to grab your ticket, and use code EMPIRE200 to get $200 off your ticket! https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-nyc-2026 -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (03:20) State of The Market (08:05) How To Unlock 24/7 Markets (18:54) DAS Plug (19:20) Insider Trading On Prediction Markets (52:58) OKX Raises At a $25B Valuation (55:34) a16z & Paradigm Raising $3.5B (01:09:33) Will Crypto Prices Recover? (01:13:16) Content of The Week -- Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, Rob and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Simon Swords founded Fundipedia after starting in a backyard shed building bespoke software. Originally a custom development shop, his firm built a data governance platform for major buy-side asset managers including HSBC, Barclays, and Legal & General. Over time, Fundipedia evolved into a high-retention enterprise SaaS platform with strong net revenue retention and Rule of 40 performance. Simon navigated long consultative sales cycles, regulatory tailwinds, and a tightly networked financial services market to build a durable recurring revenue engine. After turning down an initial offer, Simon grew ARR further and ultimately sold in 2024 at approximately 10x ARR. He exited fully, used ChatGPT extensively in diligence, and now reflects on endurance, discipline, and surviving long enough for luck to compound. Key Takeaways Survive First — Don't make a mistake that kills you or the business. Staying alive creates the opportunity for luck to compound. Enterprise Patience — Two-year sales cycles are normal at the top end. Persistence and reputation matter more than speed. Rule Of 40 Discipline — Strong growth plus profitability gives founders leverage in exit timing and valuation. Problems Over Product — Founders obsess over product; buyers care about solving painful, expensive problems. Build To Exit Cleanly — Structure the company so it runs without you before you start acquisition conversations. Quote from Simon Swords, Founder of Fundipedia "I think the most important thing is not to make a mistake that kills you or the business. While you're in the arena and you've not been taken out yet, dragged off by the hyenas or lions, whatever they used back in the Roman days, you've still got a chance to make something magical happen. "You do something stupid, kill the business, kill your reputation, you're done. Entrepreneurs hate the word luck. I do feel luck. I am lucky. Of course I'm lucky. I have to be lucky. You make your own luck.  "But I'll tell you what I didn't do. I didn't make a mistake that killed me or the business and the entire way through. Even when I was going through hell, never, no matter how neurotic or anxious or all the negative kind of traits you can imagine would have flown through me. I never made a mistake that killed the business." Links Simon Swords on LinkedIn Fundipedia on LinkedIn Fundipedia website FE fundinfo website Podcast Sponsor – LaunchBay LaunchBay helps B2B software companies automate client onboarding and implementation so customers activate faster and everyone stays aligned. If your onboarding includes data collection, setup steps, approvals, training, or any level of customization, LaunchBay replaces the messy mix of emails, spreadsheets, and meetings with a clear, all-in-one onboarding system. Teams use LaunchBay to onboard clients faster, stay on top of follow-ups automatically, and deliver a smoother experience, without hiring more people or adding more tools. Visit launchbay.com/practical and get 25% off your first 3 months on any LaunchBay plan. The Practical Founders Podcast Tune into the Practical Founders Podcast for weekly in-depth interviews with founders who have built valuable software companies without big funding. Subscribe to the Practical Founders Podcast using your favorite podcast app or view on our YouTube channel. Get the weekly Practical Founders newsletter and podcast updates at practicalfounders.com. Practical Founders CEO Peer Groups Be part of a committed and confidential group of practical founders creating valuable software companies without big VC funding.  A Practical Founders Peer Group is a committed and confidential group of founders/CEOs who want to help you succeed on your terms. Each Practical Founders Peer Group is personally curated and moderated by Greg Head.

Who dares to make predictions in the current landscape? We do!  Our Predictions are back. Will our track-record continue on a high or will we be fundamentally wrong? Listen in to our Predictions for 2026 Navigation: Intro What will 2026 be all about? AI, AI and … more AI The big Hardware movements Of Start-ups and VCs Regulatory & Geopolitical Headwinds… and the Wars Fintech, Crypto and Frontier Tech Conclusion Our co-hosts: Bertrand Schmitt, Entrepreneur in Residence at Red River West, co-founder of App Annie / Data.ai, business angel, advisor to startups and VC funds, @bschmitt Nuno Goncalves Pedro, Investor, Managing Partner, Founder at Chamaeleon, @ngpedro Our show:   Tech DECIPHERED brings you the Entrepreneur and Investor views on Big Tech, VC and Start-up news, opinion pieces and research. We decipher their meaning, and add inside knowledge and context. Being nerds, we also discuss the latest gadgets and pop culture news Subscribe To Our Podcast Bertrand Schmitt Introduction Welcome to Tech Deciphered Episode 74. That would be an episode about some predictions about 2026. What will be 2026 all about? I guess this year is probably starting with a bang. We saw the acquisition of xAI by SpaceX. We saw an acquisition from Grok by NVIDIA. What’s your take about what would be the big themes in 2026? I guess it would be for sure about AI and space. Nuno Goncalves Pedro What will 2026 be all about? Yeah. I predict a year that will be a little bit more of a year of reckoning in some way. There will be a lot of things that I think we’ll start seeing through. The fact that we are in the midst of an amazing transformational era for technology, the use of AI, but at the same time, obviously, a ridiculous bubble that is going alongside it as we’ve discussed in previous episodes. I think that we’ll start seeing some early reckonings of that, companies that might start failing, floundering, maybe a couple of frauds along the way, etc. I’ll tell you what I will not make many predictions about today, which is geopolitics. Geopolitics, I will not make predictions at all. Who the hell knows what’s going to happen to the world this year in 2026? I don’t dare making any predictions on that. Back to things where I would make predictions. I think on AI, we’ll have a little bit of reckoning. We’ll talk about it a little bit more in detail during this episode. Interesting elements around the hardware and physical space. Physical space, we just dedicated a full episode to it. We won’t go into a lot of details on that, but definitely on the hardware side, we’ll talk a little bit more about it. The VC landscape is going through an incredible transformation. We’ll talk about it today as well and some of our predictions for this year. What will happen to the asset class? It seems to be transforming itself dramatically. Obviously, that has a very direct impact on startups, so we’ll talk about that as well. And then to close a little bit the chapter on this, we will address some regulatory and geopolitical, let’s call it, headwinds without making maybe too many complex predictions. We shall see. Maybe by that time of the episode, we will be making some predictions. You guys should stay and listen to us, and maybe we will actually make some predictions about the geopolitical transformations that we will see this year in the world. Then last but not the least, we’ll talk about fintech, crypto, frontier tech, and a couple of other areas before concluding the episode. A classic predictions’ episode. We normally have a pretty good track record on some of these, but right now, the world is going a bit interesting, not to say insane. Bertrand Schmitt Yes, and going back to some news, Groq technically was not acquired, but, practically, it’s as if it got acquired. I’m talking about Groq, G-R-O-Q. The AI semiconductor company focused on inference AI, and it was late December. It was a way to end the year. This year, we started again with an acquisition of xAI by its sister company, SpaceX. I guess that’s where we are starting. AI, AI and … more AI We are going to start on AI. That’s definitely the big stuff. Everything these days, I guess, is about AI or has to have some connection with AI, or it doesn’t matter. I think every company in the world has seen that. You have to have the absolute minimum on AI strategy. You better execute on this strategy and show results, I would say. For the companies that were not AI native, you truly have to have a way to transform yourself. I guess at some point, the stretch might be too much, and it’s not really reasonable. Then you maybe better stay on what you are doing, especially if you’re in tech, you better be moving faster to AI. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Just to highlight, and I think throughout the episode, you’ll see that there’re obviously a lot of implications that would manifest themselves into capital markets. I mean, we’ll specifically talk about VCs and startups later on. But the fact that everything needs to be AI, the fact that there’s so much innovation happening right now, in my opinion, and this is maybe the first pre-topic to AI, is we’ll see a tremendous increase in M&A activity this year across the board. I mean, we’ve seen already some big acquihires we mentioned in some of our previous episodes, but we’ll see a lot more activity on M&A this year. Normally, that’s a precursor to the opening of capital markets. I predict also that there will be a reopening of the IPO market that never really reopened last year, to be honest. M&A, a lot more, reopening of the IPO market. Normally, it happens in the second or third quarter of the year. That’s what my M&A friends tell me. First quarter of year, everyone’s figuring out stuff. Then last quarter of the year, things should be more or less closed. Maybe the third quarter is the big quarter. We shall see. But definitely, as a precursor to our conversation today, I think we’ll see a lot of M&A, and we’ll see reopening of the IPO mark. Bertrand Schmitt I guess last year was not as big as you could expect on M&A given the tariff situation announced in April and May. I mean, it became quite tough to do IPO in such market conditions. Definitely, we can hope for something dramatically different in 2026. I guess talking about public markets and IPO, I guess the big one everyone is waiting for is SpaceX. SpaceX getting even more interesting with its xAI acquisition. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Do you think that because of the acquisition, it’s more likely that it will happen this year, or because of the acquisition, it’s less likely that it will happen this year? Bertrand Schmitt That’s a good question. My guess is the acquisition of xAI is all about xAI needing more financing and cheaper financing. This acquisition is a pathway to that. SpaceX being a much bigger company, a company that is also making much more revenues. I could bet that there is higher probability that, actually, SpaceX will go public in order to finance itself. At the same time, will it have enough time to prepare itself for the IPO given this acquisition just happened? Can they do that in 6 months? I mean, if anyone can do it, I guess it’s Elon Musk. It’s a strategy to present an even more attractive company with an even more interesting story, a story of vertical integration from AI to space. I guess the story as it’s presented itself right now, it’s one about having your AI data centers in space. Because in space, you have much better solar energy production with solar panels. You have a perfect cooling situation because you are in space. Thanks to Starlink, you have the mean to communicate between the satellites and with Earth itself. I think if someone can pull up a story like AI data center in space, I guess Elon Musk can. There is, of course, a lot of questions about is it practical? Is it economical? Yes. I certainly agree. I’m not clear on the mass, and can you make it work? Again, I mean, Elon Musk single-handedly, with SpaceX, managed to transform the space market on its head. I mean, they are the biggest satellite launching company in the world. They have the most satellites in the world. I mean, I’m not sure I would bet against him, and I guess I would probably believe that he could pull up something. Time frames, different story. The 2-3 years data center in space for AI as cheap as on Earth, I have more trouble with that one. I mean, it’s a usual suspect with Elon Musk. You promise something unachievable in a few years, but, ultimately, you still manage to reach it in 5 or 10. Again, I would not bet against the strategy. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Yeah. I’ve talked to a couple of space experts, people that have launched rockets, and have worked JPL, NASA, and a couple of other places, etc. For what it’s worth, their feedback is, “No way in hell, and we’re decades away.” We’ll see. I mean, to your point, Elon has pulled very dramatic stuff. Not as fast as he normally says he’s going to pull it, but within a time span that we all see it. Difficult to bet against him. In terms of actually the prediction, maybe to respond to the prediction as well, will SpaceX IPO? I’m going to make a prediction that has a very high likelihood of missing the mark, but I think Tesla’s going to buy and merge them both into it. It’s going to become a public company through Tesla. That’s my hypothesis. Bertrand Schmitt No. That’s supposed to be it. That’s how you solve that. Nuno Goncalves Pedro And Elon controls the whole universe. X, xAI, Tesla, SpaceX, all under one umbrella beautifully run. And SolarCity is well in there, of course, so wonderful. Bertrand Schmitt That’s possible. Certainly, you are not the only one thinking Tesla will acquire or merge with SpaceX. To remind everyone, Tesla is around 1.3, 1.5 trillion market cap. Depending on the day, SpaceX seems to be valued at similar range, 1.2, 1.3 trillion. It looks like it’s the most valued private company at this stage. These are companies of similar size, so that’s one piece of the puzzle. When you think about the combined company, we could be talking about a 3 trillion entity. Playing right here with the biggest companies in the marketplace today. Nuno Goncalves Pedro With a couple of tweets from Elon, it will rapidly get to 4 to 5 trillion. Bertrand Schmitt That’s so tricky. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Yes. On AI and back to AI, one thing I think that we’re about to see is this will probably be the year of agentic AI. Obviously, we predict a lot of growth on that side of the fence, in particular on the enterprise B2B side. We see a lot of opportunities coming through. From our perspective, at least at Chamaeleon, we generally believe that there’s going to be a lot of movements on agentic AI. It’s also going to be probably the year of the first big fails of agentic AI that will be newsworthy. There will be some elements about that loop and how it gets closed that will happen. I think we might see some scandals already. We’re already seeing the social network of bots talking to bots. We will see other scandals going on this year even in the consumer space and in the bot to bot space, which we now can talk about or in the AI agent to AI agent space. My prediction is we will see some move forwards. There’ll be some dramatic funding rounds along the way. We’ll see a couple of really cool things out of the gates coming out that are really impressive, but we’ll also see the first big misses of the technology stack. I don’t think we’ll go fully mainstream yet this year, so it’s probably maybe something more for 2027 along the way. That would be my prediction again. I think enterprise will lead the way. We’ll definitely see a lot of stuff on consumer as well that is cool. Then we’ll all have our own personal assistance in our hands, basically, literally in our phones. Bertrand Schmitt Going back to agentic AI, we also started the year with some pretty dramatic move. I mean, the launch of Clawdbot, renamed OpenClaw. I mean, this stuff took fire in like a week or 2. It was coded by just one person who actually didn’t even code the product but used AI to build the product, 100% used AI, proposing some new ways also to leverage AI to do coding. He has a pretty unique approach. It’s not vibe coding. I would say it’s a better way to do that. Then the surprising evolution with the launch of a social network for AI agents, Moltbook. I mean, this stuff, probably there is some fake in it. But at the same time, I think it’s quite impressive because it’s the first time we see truly 100,000 plus agents communicating directly to each other. Yeah. I mean, that’s the first time we see surfacing the possibility of some sort of hive mind on the Internet. It’s pretty surprising. Right now, all of this is a hack done in a few days. By end of year, by 2 years, 3 years, we might discover that, actually, the best approach to AI might not be the AI assistant like we are doing today, but a combination of hundreds of thousands of AI working closely together. We might be witnessing the first sign of new intelligence in a way. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Things like this social network might either be Skynet, the beginning of Skynet. They might be the beginning of Her, or they might just be a fad and nothing really happens. It’s just interesting to see what these agents are doing. Bertrand Schmitt Totally. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Obviously, there are real and clear and present dangers of some of the integrations of AI we’re seeing in the market. Interesting enough, and I’ll ask you for your prediction a bit, Bertrand. I think we’ll probably see the first big mishap of AI being used in some infrastructural decision in the age of AI. I mean, we’ve seen AI issues in the past and software issues in the past. We talked in previous episodes about that as well. Mishaps of software that have led to people dying. But I think probably the first big mishap will happen this year as well. Very public mishap of the use of AI and serve its interactions with infrastructure or something that’s very platform related, etc, that will have big impact that everyone will notice. That’s my prediction for the year as well. We’ll have the first big oops moment, as I would call it, for AI in this new age of full on AI. Bertrand Schmitt I would say first some perspective. I think today, people are not using AI directly for life and death decision, at least not that I’m aware. We’re not going to let AI fly a plane, for instance, tomorrow so you can be, reassured. At the same time, given there is such a race to AI, there definitely might be some mistakes. We were talking about the social network for AI agents, Moltbook. Apparently, all the keys used to secure the AI were shared by mistake because it was not properly locked down. We can see that indirectly, mistakes will be made for sure. Two, it’s highly probable that some people will trust AI too much to do some stuff, and this stuff might not work and might have some grave consequence. Hopefully, there is not so much of this. Hopefully, it’s mostly AI used for the good. But you’re right. I mean, at some point, the more we use the technology, the more there would be issue. I mean, it’s highly probable. Nuno Goncalves Pedro That will lead me to another prediction, which is, and we’ll talk about more of it later, but it probably will lead to the first significant movement in terms of regulatory environment certainly in the US at some point if it happens in the US in particular, where there will be some movement that will be like, “Hey, you guys can’t do this anymore.” Because this will probably emerge from mismanaged interfaces. From systems having access to stuff that they shouldn’t have access to in the first place. Talking a little bit more about what’s happening in AI. You’ve already mentioned some of the issues that relate actually to security and cybersecurity. We keep talking about AI. We keep talking about all these infrastructure pieces and platforms that are being built. I think we’ll have a lot more incidents like the one you just mentioned where things will be shared that shouldn’t have been shared, where people will break systems and get into it, etc. Let’s see where that takes us, which is a little bit ironic because, obviously, with AI, the promise is that cybersecurity becomes more robust as well because there’re agents working on our behalf on the cybersecurity side. There’s also agents working on the other side. Bertrand Schmitt It’s a constant race. It’s the attackers, defenders. Each time you have new technology, you have a new race to who is going to attack or defend the best. Each new wave of technology, it’s an opportunity to challenge the status quo. Nuno Goncalves Pedro The attackers have been winning, and I feel they’ll continue winning in 2026. I think it’s going to still be a year of attack. We’ll see more and more breaches, more and more stuff that will happen. Bertrand Schmitt I don’t know if they will win. I mean, it’s normal that they win once in a while. For sure, some infrastructure is not updated as it should. Some stuff are not managed as it should, so there will always be breaches. I don’t know if things are dramatically going to change because, again, everyone who cares who is going to update his infrastructure with AI for defense. There is no question that you have no choice. We will see. That I don’t know. For sure, AI will be used to attack directly with AI. Maybe you’re able to do bigger, larger scale attack. Or thanks to AI, you are simply able to create new type of attacks more easily. AI can be used behind the scene as a way to prepare and organise new type of attacks, even if it’s not used directly live in the battle. Nuno Goncalves Pedro One topic that we’ll come back to later is the geopolitics of everything, but maybe more broadly. On the geopolitics of AI, it’s very clear that we have an arms race going on. Obviously, the US on the one hand, China on the other hand is the two extremes, putting tremendous amount of capital into data centers just at the base of that infrastructure. Chipset development, chipset access, a huge theme in terms of the export restrictions, etc, that are being forced by the US. I think it will continue. From a European standpoint, obviously, they’re stuck between a rock and a hard place, to be very honest. Let’s see what happens on that side of the fence. My view of the world is that certainly from a US and China perspective, we’re going to see a lot more movements in 2026, like big movements. The Chinese movements we always see in delay.  It takes us a couple of months, sometimes even more than that to understand exactly what’s going on. I think we’re going to see some huge moves this year in terms of the States, the United States of America, and China really pouring capital into the creation of the next big winners around AI. I think the US is obviously more visible. We see a lot of these companies. We’ve just discussed xAI and its acquisition by SpaceX or merger. I don’t know what they’re calling it exactly. Effectively, on the China side, the movements I think are already very big. As I said, it will take a while to figure out exactly what those moves are. One thing that I propose is that at some point, China will have very little dependency on chipsets from the US. I’m not sure it’s going to happen this year, but I think the writing is on the wall. Irrespective of any other geopolitical issues that is coming to the fore at this moment in time. That’s one of the key areas or in arenas of fight. Bertrand Schmitt It makes sense. If you are China, you will look at what happened. You would think that you cannot just depend on the largest of one country. It makes rational sense, the same way it makes rational sense for the US to limit exports to China because there is value to delay some peer pressure that could use these technologies for good but also for bad. If you were an ally of the US, that would be one thing. But when you are not an ally of the US, that certainly should be a different perspective. Maybe one last point concerning agents, I think there will be a lot that will revolve around coding. We can see OpenAI with Codex. We can see Cloud with code. There was, of course, [inaudible 00:18:28] that was trying to be big on agentic coding. I think agentic coding was one of the big transformation in 2025 and is going to get bigger in 2026. I think for a lot of people who do coding, there was a radical transformation in terms of what you can achieve, what you can do, how much you can trust AI to help you code. I start to think we might see this year, the replacement of not just one AI replace one coder, but one AI replace a full team because of the new ability to manage that at scale. Coding might be a common activity where you are going to think about outcomes, think about objective, think about how you organise, but not really coding by itself anymore. A big change, like you used to code, directly your hand on the stuff, but step by step, everyone is going to become a manager of agent. I think in one year, we saw enough transformation to think that in the coming year, the transformation can be even more dramatic. Nuno Goncalves Pedro The big Hardware movements Now switching gears to hardware. Obviously, a lot of movements in 2025 and over the last few years. One piece of thesis that we’ve had long-standing at Chamaeleon is that we will see the emergence of AI devices. Some of them have been tremendous failures as we discussed in the past. I predict that we’ll have a couple of really interesting full stack AI devices in the market this year. Why does that matter? Because, as many of you know, obviously, there’s compute that can happen in data centers and cloud infrastructure all over the world, but also there’s compute that can happen at the edges. The more you can move to the edges and the more you can create devices that actually allow you to have user experiences that are very distinctive at the edge, the more powerful some of these devices might become. I predict Apple will not be the first to launch anything on this. I predict probably OpenAI, after the acquisition of IO, will maybe not launch something this year, but will announce something this year. I’ll step back on that prediction. They’ll announce something this year, but maybe not launch. But we’ll start seeing some devices that have some interesting value in the market, probably devices that are AI devices, but they are very focused on very specific user flows, and so very much adequate to specific activities. I won’t make a prediction on that, but I think areas that would make sense for that to happen would be obviously around fitness, health, et cetera, et cetera, where we already have the ascendancy of products like Oura Ring and others out there. Definitely, that’s one area that might have quite a lot of developments. I think AI-first devices, devices that are very focused on compute at the edges, providing user flows that are AI-enabled to end users, we’ll see a lot more of that and a lot more activity this year. Again, I don’t think Apple will be necessarily ahead of the game. Again, maybe OpenAI will give us something to at least think about and look forward to. Bertrand Schmitt First, I’m not sure it will be that transformational because if it’s not in your phone, in your pocket, there is only so much you can do with it, and there is only so much computing power you will have. I’m doubtful it would be really impactful this year. Nuno Goncalves Pedro I feel we’ve been discussing this shift of paradigm in input and output. For me, some of these devices could lead to that shift. Because, again, a mobile phone is not a great long-term paradigm for the usage that we have because it’s really constrained by the screen. The screen is really what takes most of the battery life away. If we didn’t have that screen, what could we do? If we have the block that is as big as a mobile phone, and it didn’t have a screen, it was just compute, that’s a mini computer, a microcomputer. Bertrand Schmitt That’s a fair point, but I don’t see that transformation this year. That’s really more my point. I can see that you can have AI-enabled smart glasses, and it’s clear there is a race to AI-enabled smart glasses. My point is more to go beyond the gadget, it would take quite a while. It would need to have cameras. It would need to analyse what you see. It would need to hear what you hear. Again, it might come, but then at some point, it would be okay, what do you do with it? We have the example of the movie Her. That’s showing Her what it could be. There are definitely possibilities. It’s clear that if you take the big VR headset like the Apple Vision Pro, there is a failure from that perspective in the sense that I think it’s a great, amazing device. The big problem is that it’s doing way more that makes sense. I think there will be a clearer separation between your smart AR glasses that has to be light, that has to be always unconnected, and that’s primarily there to help you make sense of the world around you. The true VR headset that doesn’t really require much in terms of AI, and it’s just there to immerse you in a different world. For this, we know, unfortunately, in some ways, that there is not a lot of demand for it. Maybe there is little demand because you are too hidden in your own world. The technology is not working well enough yet. There are a lot of reasons. But I think Apple trying to do both at the same time, AR and VR, with the Vision Pro, was a pretty grave structural mistake. I think we would see a clearer line of separation between the two. There is bigger market opportunity for AR glasses. That, I certainly agree. There is opportunity to connect that to a computing device. As you talk about, your glasses are your screen, your phone becomes something in your pocket connected to your glasses. Nuno Goncalves Pedro For me, Apple has their way of doing things. From the perspective of what you said, they normally really plan their devices. Even if it’s a big shift in terms of a new area, like they tried with the Vision Pro, and we criticised them for launching it as a device that should have been more of a dev device that they really launched as a full-on device, but that’s their playbook, classically. I think Apple needs to change how they put products out and how they experiment with those products, et cetera. I think they have enough money to be doing everything all the time and figuring it out. If they don’t want to put it out, then they need to do a lot more hell of testing internally with their silos, but they should be playing across all these arenas, VR, AR, everything. They just should put devices out that are either ready for prime time, or they should call it something else. They should call it like this is a dev device or whatever it is. Bertrand Schmitt I agree with you. My complaint is more that it was marketed as a consumer device when it was not. It was a true developer device. Two, they tried to mix the two at once, and it made no sense. No one is going to walk in their home or in the street with their Vision Pro on their head. You have to be deranged, quite frankly, to have use cases like this. I think that for me is a crazy mistake from a company like Apple that prides itself in pure UI, pure user interface, very well-designed device for one specific use case, not mixing the two use cases. We still don’t have Macs with a touchscreen, you know?  We still don’t have an iPad with a good OS that makes use of this great hardware. For some strange reason, they decided to mix everything in the Vision Pro with a device that weighs a ton on your head and is so uncomfortable. That’s why, for me, I’m like, “Guys, what is wrong? Why did you let this team run crazy?” I hope at some point, Apple will go back to the drawing board. My understanding is that that’s what they are doing. They are going to have two devices, one smart glasses, an evolution of the Vision Pro, just focus on VR. They might actually abandon the concept of the pure VR-oriented headset. Because, from a market size perspective, it might not be big enough for Apple, quite frankly. Nuno Goncalves Pedro I read on all of the above, and people at this point was like, “Why are then players like Samsung and others not doing it. LG, et cetera?” Because those players historically have not invented new categories. They’re amazing at catching up once the category is invented, and then they scale the hell out of it, and that’s what these companies have been exceptional at. I wouldn’t see a dramatic innovation, I think, in terms of devices coming from any of the big ones on that side of the fence. Not to disrespect them in any way, but I think that’s not been their playbook ever. Again, if the origination doesn’t come from a start-up or from an Apple, I don’t see those guys going after it. My bet is that we’ll see some start-up activity and, again, hopefully, some announcement from IO now within the OpenAI world. Bertrand Schmitt I would slightly disagree with you. I see where you are coming from. But take the Samsung Galaxy Note, that sudden much bigger headphone that no one was doing that was launched by Samsung, at some point, it forced Apple to launch an iPhone Max. Let’s look at the Z Fold that Samsung launched 7 years ago, copied by everyone. Now Samsung launching a trifold. Apple has still not launched their foldable phone. I think there is a mix, actually, of sometimes- Nuno Goncalves Pedro For me, that’s not a proper new category. It’s still a mobile phone. It just happens to have a screen that folds in half. Bertrand Schmitt The iPhone was still a mobile phone, you could argue.  Nuno Goncalves Pedro No. I think the iPhone was…  I could actually agree with you on that point. Maybe Apple is not as innovative in that case. I think what Steve Jobs was exceptionally good at in terms of his ability as this master product manager was to be an exceptional curator of user flows and user experiences, and creating incredible experiences from devices based on that. That was his secret sauce. Could you say, “Wasn’t all of this stuff already around?” It was. You just put it all together very neatly and very nicely. But if you’re talking about significant shifts in how a category is done, the iPhone was a significant shift in how the category was done. The Fold is still an interesting device. I actually have a Fold right now in front of me. The 7 that you highly recommended to me that we both got, the Z Fold 7. I think they do amazing devices. I don’t think they normally are the most innovative players. Then, when they come to innovation, it comes from technology edges. Obviously, they have Samsung Display, there’s a bunch of other things. They had the ability to do foldable screens in-house themselves. Bertrand Schmitt I don’t disagree with you. I think there is an interesting situation where some companies have some strengths, another one has some strengths. My worry with Apple is that this was not demonstrated with the Vision Pro. The Vision Pro was a hot pot of technologies barely integrated together, with use cases absolutely not well-defined and certainly not something that makes sense for most of us. There is a question of has Apple lost it? While Samsung actually keeps doing their own stuff, that, yes, might be more minor improvements, but at least they are doing it. Because it looks like Apple is missing the train on even the minor improvements. By the way, you might not be aware, but Samsung launched its Vision Pro competitor. Interestingly enough, it might be a better product in some ways, being much lighter and much more comfortable. Nuno Goncalves Pedro We should play around with that and report back to our listeners. Of Start-ups and VCs Moving to venture capital and the startup ecosystem and what’s happening there, I think it is very much a bifurcated environment, and it’s bifurcated for both VCs and for startups. If you’re a startup in the AI space, and you have the hottest team since sliced bread, and you can create FOMO at the speed of light, you can raise ridiculous rounds. Five hundred million at the $3 billion, or $4 billion, or $5 billion valuation, and you still haven’t really even started. First round, you can raise 500 million. That’s back to the whole discussion on Bubble and where are we, et cetera. Some of these companies might actually become huge, some of them might not. But definitely, we are seeing really the haves and have-nots on the startup ecosystem with incredible teams raising a lot of money very, very early on or mid-stage if they’ve already existed for a while, and then the rest not being able to raise. We see a lot of non-necessarily AI sectors, some of the areas of SaaS that don’t necessarily have AI in it, or fintech, or the consumer space that are really, really struggling. If you don’t have an AI story for your startup right now, it’s extremely difficult to raise money unless your numbers are just the best numbers ever. That’s, I think, the first part of the element of bifurcation that we’re seeing today. The second element of bifurcation that we’re seeing today in terms of fundraising is for VCs themselves, and really propelled by the large VC firms raising more and more capital in recent orbits, announcing 15 billion across funds raised. Lightspeed, I think, had made an announcement a couple of weeks ago as well. They’ve raised a bunch of money as well. The big guys are all raising a lot of money. At some point in time, the question some of you might ask is, “These VCs are redeploying more and more money if they have a couple of billion for a VC fund. How does that look like? Is that still VC?” My perspective, I’ve shared before in some of our previous episodes, is that that’s no longer venture capital. At that point in time, we’re talking about something else. Private equity hedge funds, if you want to call them, maybe funds that are really driven by growth investment or late-stage investment. If you have a couple of billion under management, you’re not going to make your returns by writing a $3 million check in a series seed and leading that round.  That has implications for everyone in the ecosystem. It has implications for smaller funds that obviously have a lot more difficulty in raising capital. It’s difficult to differentiate. Last but not least, also for startups that really continue searching for that capital that is out there. Andreessen Horowitz, for example, runs Speedrun, which is a great program for companies around consumer in particular. Initially, it was a lot for gaming. But at some point in time, Andreessen Horowitz could decide that they don’t want to invest more in you. They just put money from Speedrun, which is obviously a very small check compared to the very large checks they could write mid to late stage and that will have an effect on you as a startup. What happens at that point in time if Andreessen Horowitz is not backing you up in later stages? More than that, what happens if I can’t get these big funds interested in me? Are the small funds still valuable to me? Punchline, my view is yes. Obviously, we’re a smaller fund, so there’s parochial interest in what I’m saying. Small funds can still create a ton of value for you, also in terms of credibility, ability to accompany you in those first stages of investment, and the ability to bring other larger investors later down the road as well. There’s definitely a big movement happening in terms of the fundraising for VC funds, which we shouldn’t neglect, which is the big guys are raising a lot more capital and are therefore emptying the market to smaller funds that are having more and more difficult raising at this point in time. We had discussed that there would be a need for concentration in the industry, that micro funds would need to concentrate, and we didn’t have the space for so many micro funds as we had around. But the way it’s happening is extremely dramatic at this moment in time. I think it will continue through 2026. Bertrand Schmitt Remember a few years ago, with the rise of AI, there was more and more of the question about, “What’s the point of SaaS at this stage?” Because SaaS was around for 15 years. Basically, how do you come up with something new that was not already tested, validated by the market? How do you bring something new? We say this was reinforced to the power of 10. If your product is not clearly built from the ground up for a new use case enabled by AI, anyone could then might have built your product 5, 10 years ago, and therefore, why now has no clear answer, and it’s a big problem. I’m still surprised myself to still see some entrepreneurs where you talk to them about AI because you don’t see them in the deck, and they explain to you, “It’s not yet there,” and you’re like, “What’s wrong with you guys?” Fine. Do whatever you want. Do a small business and whatever, but don’t think you can come up pitch and raise without an AI story. The second category is people who come with an AI story, but you can feel very quickly, I guess you saw that many times, Nuno, where just a story layered on top with little credibility. It’s not better. It’s not enough to just have a story. Your business needs to be radically built differently or radically proposing some brand-new use cases that were impossible to solve 5 years ago. Nuno Goncalves Pedro To stack up on that, absolutely in agreement. If you’re just adding to the story, and it’s an afterthought, and you’re just trying to make the story somehow gel, once you go into one or two layers of due diligence, your investors will very quickly realise that you’re not really AI-first or dramatically AI-enabled or whatever. It’s just you’re sort of stacking something on top of another thesis. It needs to make sense from the product onwards. It’s not just, let’s just put it together with chewing gum, and magically, people will give you money. It was true also if we remember the good old crypto blockchain days, where everyone’s investing in crypto. A lot of stories that didn’t make much sense. In that sense, it’s not very different. I would go one step further. I think in the world of the VC winter that we’re a little bit in, where it’s more and more difficult if you’re a smaller fund to raise your fund at this moment in time, there’s a lot of sources of distinctiveness still talked about, like proprietary networks, access to deal flow, fast track record, all that stuff that really, really matters. But our bet continues at Chamaeleon continues being that you need to be AI-first as a VC fund yourself. You need to have core advantages in using not only readily-available AI tools or third-party available AI tools, data sources, technology stacks, but actually building your own stack over time, which is what we did with Mantis at Chamaeleon. Again, just to reinforce that, I think we’re at the beginning of that stage. We, Chamaeleon, are ahead of the game, but we think that the rest of the market will have to move towards that as well. Still, to be honest, very surprising to me to see that many significant large players are doing very little still around some of these spaces. They have data scientists. They’re running some tools. They’re running some analysis and all that stuff, but it’s still, again, back to the point I was making for startups, all glued up with chewing gum. It doesn’t all come together nicely, which it does need to from a platform standpoint. Bertrand Schmitt It’s quite surprising. I agree with you that some VC funds might think that they can do business as usual in that brand-new world. It’s difficult to believe. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Maybe moving a little bit toward the capital formation piece. We already discussed the M&A space really accelerating. We’ve also discussed the IPO market and some predictions on that. Secondaries, there’s obviously a lot of liquidity coming from secondaries from mid to late stage. I think it will continue throughout the rest of 2026. A lot of activity in buying, selling in secondaries as some asset managers are becoming more distressed, as some very high net worth individuals and family offices are becoming more distressed as well, at the same time, where there’s a lot of opportunities to potentially arbitrage around some investments. I believe a lot of money will be made and lost this year by decisions made this year, just to be very, very clear in terms of equity, purchases, et cetera. Exciting year ahead of us. Definitely a very, very interesting market ahead of us. Secondaries, M&A, growth, and late-stage investing, also, early-stage investing will continue just for those that were wondering. Last but not least, the public markets, the IPO market as well. Bertrand Schmitt One of the big questions for the IPO market would be, will SpaceX go public? Would it be good for the startup ecosystem? Because suddenly that they go public, it would be to raise money. If they raise money, will there be any money left for anybody else? That would be an interesting test of the market. For sure, it would be proof that market are risk on financing a new IPO like this one. Or as you said, maybe there is no IPO, and it’s a merger with Tesla. Time will tell. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Regulatory & Geopolitical Headwinds… and the Wars Moving maybe to our topic of regulation and geopolitical headwinds, as we’re seeing … definitely not tailwinds. The Google antitrust verdict and, obviously, the remedies are expected to come forward now, and a lot of people are saying, “There are some risks of structural separation.” What do you think? Is it cool, but nothing will happen in the end dramatically? Alphabet or Google? I’m not sure, actually. It’s Google LLC. I think that’s the case. It’s The United States versus Google LLC. Bertrand Schmitt I’m not sure. Personally, I’m not a big fan. I think there needs to be a better way to manage some anticompetitive behavior. I’m not a big fan. There was this temptation to do that for Microsoft 25 years ago. Look at what happened. No one needed to buy Microsoft to leave space for others. I see the same with Google, and I guess they are happy to not be the number 1 in AI today, but to have an open AI in front of them. Even if they are doing a great job, by the way, to move forward and go faster and faster. Personally, quite impressed now with some of what they have released. Gemini 3 is doing great from my perspective. I’m not a big fan of this. I think to be clear, it’s important that bigger companies don’t behave anticompetitively, but at the same time, we need to find the right approach where it’s not about breaking these companies, and it’s also not about forbidding them to do acquisitions. Because then you end up with what NVIDIA just did with a $20 billion acquihire IP licensing type of acquisition, because they didn’t want to have the uncertainties. They didn’t want to wait 1–2 years in order to acquire the people and the technology, so they organised it in a different way. But I don’t like that. I think they should be able to acquire companies without facing so much uncertainty. To be clear, it’s not new. Uncertainty when you are Google, NVIDIA, or others, it happens. It has happened for a decade plus, 2 decades. I think there needs to be, for sure, some safety valves. At the same time, we want an efficient capital market. An efficient capital market need companies that can acquire other companies. If you don’t do that efficiently, it will be worse for the entrepreneurs, it will be worse for the investors, it will be worse for everybody. I think we have not reached a good equilibrium from my perspective. We need more efficient acquisition process. And at the same time, we need to also enforce faster anticompetitive behavior. Because what you talk about concerning Google, this is a case that was what? That is 10 years old. You see what I mean? This is way too long. If you’re a startup, you are dead by then. It’s like the story of Netscape facing Microsoft. They were dead long after the fact. I think we need a different approach. I’m not sure the best answer. I’m not sure we’ll get a better approach. There are probably too many vested interest. My hope is that it will get better with this current administration because, certainly, the past administration was very anti acquisition and efficient markets. Nuno Goncalves Pedro We’ve talked about the European Union AI Act a bunch of times, so I don’t want to spend too many cycles on that. The only effect that I would say is we are seeing in very slow motion the splitting of the Internet. I once had Tim Berners-Lee, by the way, shouting at me that we were going to break the Internet when we were applying for the .mobi top-level domain. I was part of that consortium that eventually did get the .mobi top-level domain, and I had him shouting at us. But, apparently, this is going to split the Internet, Tim. So in case you’re listening. Because it will create all these different rules. If your data is relating to consumers there, then it’s treated in a different way, and The US is… Well, obviously, we have the case of California with its own rules and laws. I don’t know. I feel we’re having a moment of siloing that goes beyond economic and geopolitical siloing. It will also apply to the digital world, and we’ll start having different landscapes around it. We’ll see how this affects global expansion of services, for example, around AI, particularly for consumer, but I don’t foresee anything dramatically positive. Recently, we had the whole deal around TikTok finally having a solution for their US problem where there’s now a US conglomerate magically that owns it. The conglomerate doesn’t magically own it, they just straight up own it for the US. But it was driven by many of these concerns around data ownership. Where’s the data? Where is it based? I think a lot of other concerns that have to do with the geopolitics of China, obviously, being the basis of ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, that still is a significant owner, by the way, in TikTok in US. Then also the interest in the economics of making money out of something as powerful as TikTok, to be honest, in The US. Just to be clear, I don’t think this was all about the best interests of consumers. It was also about money. Just follow the money. Bertrand Schmitt There are for sure, some powerful interest at play. But let’s be clear. I think one is data, as you rightfully said, but the other one is algorithm. It’s not as if China is authorising any competitor on its territory. They have blocked access to most of the Internet platforms from the US, either finding new rules or just trade blocking them. So I don’t think it’s fair competition. You don’t want some of that data in China about the US or European consumer. Three, it’s about the algorithm. If suddenly, you are a foreign power, and you can as we know in China, you better follow what’s required of you from the Chinese Communist Party. You cannot take a chance with influencing other stuff like elections in other countries. It’s fair from the US perspective. One could even argue it’s fair from a Chinese perspective to want that. I think the only one in the middle who doesn’t really know what they want is Europe because on one side, they want to benefit from American platforms, on the other end, they want to have some controls. On the other end, they don’t create the environment for startups to flourish. So in that weird situation where they have to accept some control by the big US providers and either provider of underlying infrastructure or provider of consumer business facing services. Then they try to regulate them. But I think they are misunderstanding the power relationship, and I think some of this regulation would get some blowback, at least by the current administration. Just, I believe, this morning, there was some news around X being under a criminal investigation in France. This is not going to end well for the French startup and VC ecosystem. This is not going to end well for France and Europe when you depend so much from your American friends. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Regulation will be weaponised. Regulation constraints around exports, all of this will be weaponised geopolitically, and the bigger guys will normally win. I think that’s normally what we’ve seen. Just on TikTok just to… And you guys, if you’re listening to us, just see if you see a pattern here, but obviously, 19.9% still owned by ByteDance of the TikTok entity in the US. It was initially said that 80% of the TikTok entity is owned by non-Chinese investors. Initially, people were saying US investors, and then they changed it to non-Chinese because MGX, I think, has 15% of it. MGX is based in the UAE, connected obviously to Mubadala, the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund. Silver Lake is in there, I think, with 15% as well. Oracle as well with 15%. Those three are the big bucket owners together, 45%. Silver Lake having collaborated with MGX before, and I’m sure a lot of connectivity there. Then you still see a pattern in this in terms of shareholders. If you don’t, then just Google it. Dell Family Office, Vastmir Strategic Investments, which is owned by billionaire Jeff Yass, Alpha Wave Partners, obviously involved with a bunch of things like SpaceX and Klarna, Virgoli, Revolution, which is Steve Case’s, a former founder of AOL, is also in there. Meritway, which is managed by partners, I think, of Dragonair. Vinova from General Atlantic, an affiliate of General Atlantic. Also, NJJ Capital, which I believe is Xavier Nil, the French billionaire that founded Iliad. Mostly American, I think, if the math is correct. 80% non-Chinese, which was what mattered, I think, in many cases. But do see if you saw a pattern in most of those investors. I won’t say anything more than that. Maybe moving to other topics, maybe just to finalise on regulation and geopolitics. In geopolitics, we should talk about wars if we predict anything. Not that we are nasty and one want to be negative, but what the hell is going on? Will we have ending to the wars we already have ongoing or not? But before that, the struggles on the App Stores, I think, will continue both for Apple and for Google Play Store. The writing’s on the wall, the EU keeps pushing it dramatically and Apple keeps just doing stuff. I’m on the board of an App Store company. Apple just creates all these things that basically make you not really… It doesn’t work. You can’t provision then an App Store on Apple devices. On iPhones, et cetera. We’ll see how that will continue going, but I feel the writing’s on the wall. Both Apple and Google will have to open up a bit more of their platforms. I’m not sure it will have a huge impact in the medium to long term, but definitely we need to see more openness in access to apps as given by the two big platform owners, Apple and Google, out there. Bertrand Schmitt Let’s be clear. Google is way more open than Apple. We both have Android devices. You can install alternative app stores. It’s a different ballgame by very far. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Google does other nasty stuff. It’s public. You can check which board I’m a part of. You can see what that company has done towards Google over time. But to your point, yes. It is true that Google has been more open than Apple, but Google has done their own things. Just to be very clear, so I’ll just leave that caveat bracketed there for people to think about it and maybe read a little bit about it as well. Bertrand Schmitt I can say that, me, from my perspective, that path of total control that Apple has been going through on all their devices, that includes macOS, pushed me to, over the past 2, 3 years, to completely live and abandon the Apple ecosystem. I just couldn’t accept that level of control, that golden handcuff approach of the Apple ecosystem, each their own obviously, they are golden, their handcuffs, but they are still handcuffs. Personally, that pushed me way more to Linux, Android, Windows, back to Windows after all these years. I just couldn’t stand it anymore. I want to pick my devices. I want to pick what I install on them, and I don’t want to be controlled like this by just one entity for all my tech devices. For me, at some point, it was just not acceptable anymore. It’s still very warm, very golden handcuffs, but for me, they were just handcuffs at this stage. Yes, what they are doing with the App Store is very typical of that mindset. I think it’s quite sad because I think it started with good intention in some ways. “We need a new computing paradigm, we need to make things smoother and safer,” but it has really become a way to control your clients. For me, it has reached a point where it’s just way too much. Nuno Goncalves Pedro There’s obviously the great power comes great responsibility that uncle Ben told Spider-Man or Peter Parker. But there’s also with great power comes shitload of money, and control. So it’s like, “Yeah. Should we open the server? Do we want to delay opening it up?” “Yeah.” Anyway, it is what it is. Maybe let’s end on the more difficult note of the episode, which is going to be around wars. What’s our prediction? Will we have an end to the Gaza situation with Israel? Will we have an end to Ukraine and, obviously, Russia? What will happen in Iran? Those are the three big, big conflicts right now. Then, obviously, if we want to add just bonus points, what’s going to happen to Greenland, and what’s going to happen to Taiwan, and what’s going to happen to Venezuela? Let’s throw the whole basket in there. We’ve never had like… Let’s talk about all these territories and all these countries. At some point in time, I’m saying this in a light manner, but it’s obviously more tragic than it should be light, and people are dying, and there’s a lot of implications of all of that that is happening right now. Do you have any predictions, Bertrand, for this year? Bertrand Schmitt No. It’s tough to predict on an individual basis. I think on a more bigger picture basis is on one side, obviously, the rise of China on one side. You have also the rise of other countries like India, while very indirectly connected to some of these conflicts are still part of the game, buying oil from Russia, for instance. At the same time, I think overall, the US is more clear about with the sheriff in town. I think it’s good because in some ways, you cannot pay for the goods, you cannot have such a massive advantage versus nearly every other country on earth and just not be clear about who is the boss in some ways. As a result, what are the rules of the game and how it should be played? The US is not alone, obviously, you have China, you have Russia, you have India, you have Europe. You have different other countries. But at some point, it’s not good when countries are not rational and are not clear. I think I prefer the current situation where things are more clear and where you have to assume responsibilities about what you are doing. It’s time to be rational again about how the world behave. Yes, the concept of power and balance of power. I think there has been that dream, maybe mostly coming from Europe, about the end of history. I think that’s simply not the case. It’s not the end of history. It’s still about the balance of power. It has always been about the balance of power. If you are dumb enough to think it was not about that anymore, I just have a bridge to nowhere to sell you. I don’t have specific prediction, but I think it’s clear there is a new sheriff in town. There is a new doctrine about the Western Hemisphere that has been in some ways resurrected on the [inaudible 00:51:35] train, and I think we’ll see more of it. I think at this point, the biggest question is for the Europeans. What do they want to do? Because right now, their position of being a dwarf militarily while being a pretty big giant economically, I don’t think it works. Nuno Goncalves Pedro I agreed on everything that you said. I do have predictions. I’ll stick a flag on the ground just with my predictions. Bertrand Schmitt Good luck. Nuno Goncalves Pedro They are mostly positive. I do think we’ll see an end or, for the most, end to the two big conflicts, the one in Gaza and the one in Ukraine. I think Ukraine will end up in readjustment of territory and splitting between Russia and the Ukraine, but the end of hostilities, I think that we will see an end to the conflict in Gaza also with a readjustment on what that will mean for the Palestinian territories and the Palestinians in general. That I’m not sure, but I feel that there will be an end to those two big conflicts. Iran, I have no clue. I will not put a stick on the ground that I have no clue. There are so many things that could go wrong there. I’ve been reading some really interesting thoughts about even some aggressive thoughts that this might be the time to really change regimes in Iran and for the US to have a bit more of an aggressive stance. I really don’t have a perspective. Obviously, there’s a lot at stake there. Then, if we talk about the other parts, Greenland, I will not opine too much on. Maybe we’re done for now. Maybe there’ll be some other concessions to the US that weren’t already there in the ’50s. Taiwan, I won’t bet either. I’m sad to say I think it might happen at some point in time, but I’m not sure when and what would drive it. Last but not the least, Venezuela is my only really negative prediction. I feel it will continue to be a significant dictatorship as it was before managed enough by other people with the difference now that it has a tax to be paid to the US in the form of oil of some sort, etcetera, and maybe gas, maybe other things as well that it didn’t have before. That’s probably my most negative prediction for the coming year on the geopolitical side. Bertrand Schmitt Without going into detail, I would mostly agree with what you shared. At least that makes sense. But as we know, it’s not always what makes sense, but what might happen. I can tell you 100% I would not have guessed this operation against Maduro. This was so well done, well executed, and shocking at the same time that it’s… I think it shows that it’s hard to guess some of this stuff because there are certainly some new ways to wage limited war, for instance. So it’s certainly interesting, and we certainly need to get used to pretty bombastic statements. But for Venezuela, I don’t think it can be worse than what it was before. I’m probably more optimistic that gradually it can get better. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Just to put perspective on why we’re not making predictions on some of these elements, I think this is a funny story, but I was in Madeira. Actually, first time I was in Madeira, although I’m originally from Portugal. I’ve never been to the islands. Obviously, as you guys know, or some of you might know, there’s a lot of connection between Madeira and Venezuela. There’s a lot of immigration from Madeira Islands to Venezuela. One of my Uber or Bolt drivers there in Madeira was Venezuelan. Was born in Venezuela, but Portuguese descent, et cetera. He was telling me this was still last year. Late last year. Because I told him I lived in US, et cetera, and he was like, “Oh, hopefully, Trump will get Maduro out of there.” In my mind, I was like, “Dude.” No disrespect to the gentleman, but it’s like, “Okay. Mike, your perspective on geopolitics is maybe a little bit exaggerated.” And a couple of days later, we know what happened. When geopolitical decisions are better predicted by some probably very astute Uber drivers, you’re like, “Maybe I shouldn’t make a bet. I have no clue what’s going to happen, no clue what’s going to happen in Greenland, et cetera.” Anyway, a couple of predictions on that element. Bertrand Schmitt That’s why it’s so right. You have to be careful with the prediction, but it doesn’t remove the fact that I think nations and companies that have to play a global game have to understand in some ways what is the game, what are the powers in place, what could happen potentially, but also be realistic. Not be about wish and dreams, but more about, what’s the power relationship? Who has the money? Who has the means? Who has the capacity to do this or that? Because if you start that way, at least the scope of what’s possible, what’s reasonable is more and more clear more quickly. Some stuff like happened with Maduro, I would never have predicted, but for sure, if there’s one country that can do this sort of stuff, it’s the US. I’m not sure anyone has a technology and the means in terms of support infrastructure to do something like this. It’s tough to predict what will happen a year from now for any specific country, but I think that even trying to get a better understanding about the forces in play and their capacity and understanding and accepting that at some point, it’s all about real politic and relationship of power, the more your eyes would be wide open about what’s possible versus simple, wishful thinking. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Fintech, Crypto and Frontier Tech Moving maybe to our last section around fintech, crypto, and frontier tech. For me, just two very quick predictions, views of the world. I think on the frontier tech side, I won’t make a prediction. I will just tell you all to go and listen to our episodes, the one on infrastructure, which is immediately prior to this one, and the episodes that we’ve had around a couple of other topics including AI, what’s the future of your children, because I think they illustrate a lot of the points that we’re seeing and manifesting themselves over the next year and over the next 2 or 3 years as well beyond that. I feel those tomes are complete in and out of themselves, so you can just go and listen to them. Then my second comment is on crypto. I feel crypto has become of the essence, particularly under the current administration in the US, very favored. Obviously, we are now in a world where crypto is just part of the economic system, and I think we’ll see more and more of that emerging, and in some ways, crypto is becoming mainstream. Question is what blockchains will be the blockchains of the future? Obviously, there’s a bunch of bets put out there. We, ourselves, as Chamaeleon, have one investment in one of the significant bets in the space. But besides that, who’s going to win or not, we feel that we’re past the crypto winter. It’s now mainstream days, and we’ll see a lot more activity in there. Bertrand Schmitt I must say with crypto, I’m a bit confused. As you say, we are past the crypto winter. There is much less uncertainty in regul

On this week's episode of The Liquidity Event, Shane and AJ break down the viral "Settrini Report," a fictional yet plausible AI scenario that rattled markets and raised serious questions about productivity, white-collar job displacement, and the future of labor's share of GDP. They discuss whether AI pricing is sustainable, what new data center infrastructure means for small-town America, and why we may be closer than ever to a zero-employee unicorn company. The conversation then shifts to the ethics and economics of organ donor compensation, including whether families should be reimbursed for funeral expenses and how incentives shape real-world outcomes. The episode wraps with a Reddit debate about paying 1.25% on a $10 million portfolio, what that fee should actually buy you, and why behavioral discipline often matters more than cost. Key Timestamps: 01:52 – How the "Settrini Report" went viral and moved markets 04:18 – AI agents replacing $180K product managers 07:02 – What happens if labor's share of GDP collapses 09:40 – Is AI pricing real, or just VC-subsidized for now? 12:11 – AI infrastructure, power plants, and small-town impact 15:03 – The rise of the zero-employee unicorn founder 18:27 – Organ donor compensation and the ethics debate 22:10 – How other countries structure organ donor incentives 24:54 – Paying 1.25% on a $10M portfolio… is it worth it? 28:41 – Market volatility, geopolitical tension, and staying disciplined

In this episode, Christian Lund, Co-Founder of Templafy, reveals how the company built an AI-powered instruction and orchestration layer that helps over 800 enterprise customers — including KPMG, IKEA, and BDO — generate millions of compliant, on-brand business documents 100x faster. Christian shares why the real defensibility in AI isn't the model itself, but the mid-layer that tells the model exactly what to do. Christian breaks down how Templafy turns a simple 8-word user prompt into a 30-page AI instruction book, how their orchestration layer ensures consistent, high-quality outputs across millions of documents, and why enterprises that tried to build AI solutions internally ended up coming back to purpose-built tools. He also shares his honest take on whether AI is a force for good, what skills knowledge workers need to survive, and what he's teaching his three kids about working in an AI-first world. Key Topics Covered - How Templafy's AI instruction layer turns 8-word prompts into 30-page agent briefs - Why the orchestration mid-layer between users and AI models is the most defensible position in enterprise tech - How a Big Four accounting firm became Templafy's very first customer - The transition from rules-based automation to AI-first document generation with agents - Why enterprises took surprisingly long to move from AI toys to enterprise-grade tools - How Templafy integrates with Microsoft 365, Salesforce, and Copilot without getting swallowed by the SaaSpocalypse - The only 2 skills knowledge workers need to stay relevant: setting direction and validating output - Why brand and thought leadership are more important than ever for SaaS companies in 2026 - How BDO Canada saved $1.65 million in one year using Templafy's document automation - Christian's investor perspective on VC moonshots vs. real businesses that generate EBITDA **Episode Timestamps** 00:00 - Introduction and what problem Templafy solves 02:01 - The origin story: from consultants with no product to enterprise SaaS 04:18 - Why finance, law, and pharma became the core customer segment 05:41 - How a Big Four firm became the first customer during the cloud transition 09:02 - What makes a company good at adopting new technology 11:00 - How Templafy sits on top of Microsoft 365, Salesforce, and Copilot 11:37 - Surviving the SaaSpocalypse and finding the new world order 17:08 - Growth in the AI era and why enterprise demand took longer than expected 21:16 - Inside the boardroom: where Templafy fits in the AI landscape 23:31 - The recipe vs. cookbook analogy: how instruction books power AI agents 28:38 - How to become defensible when every company has the same AI models 31:58 - Why humans are more important than ever in enterprise sales 35:11 - The only 2 skills left for knowledge workers 35:52 - Educating children in the age of AI 40:01 - Christian's journey from CEO to CPO to CMO to co-founder 41:17 - Why brand and trust are hyper important in 2026 45:11 - B2B vs. B2C: Templafy's enterprise focus and how it compares to Gamma 49:21 - Christian evaluates the podcast's business model as an investor 54:57 - Is AI a force for good? Christian's honest answer 57:32 - Why do you do what you do? Christian's Socials: LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianlundcph/ Partner Links Book Enterprise Training — https://www.upscaile.com/ Subscribe to our free newsletter — https://www.theaireport.ai/subscribe-theaireport-youtube

Industrial systems are responsible for 75% of global emissions, yet only a quarter of climate-focused VC money flows into them. Not because investors don't care — but because these systems are hard. They're interconnected. Capital-intensive. Slow-moving. Technically dense. And deeply under-innovated.Almanac Ventures is built to change that.In this episode of the EUVC Podcast, Andreas Munk Holm sits down with Jo Slota-Newson and Marc Sabas, co-founders of Almanac Ventures — a new European seed and pre-seed deep tech fund laser-focused on unlocking decarbonisation in industrial systems through scientific breakthroughs and commercial discipline.This is a pitch episode — a chance for the EUVC LP & GP community to hear directly what Almanac stands for, how they invest, and why the next decade of industrial innovation will be shaped by specialist deep tech funds with true scientific and financial edge.Here's what's covered:00:49 | What Almanac Ventures is — a European seed/pre-seed deep-tech fund backing scientific breakthroughs applied to industrial systems01:31 | The founding team — Jo's nanoscience PhD + 18 years commercialising deep tech, Marc's finance → CVC → impact VC journey (and Jo's 37km Channel swim)03:52 | The complementary edge — technical rigor meets financial/commercial structuring, evidenced through 45 investments and a 2.3× MOIC track record05:22 | The industrial innovation gap — 75% of emissions come from industry, yet only ~25% of climate VC targets it (because the systems are hard, complex, and interconnected)06:11 | Why industry is ripe for deep-tech disruption — 20th-century inefficiencies, high value pools, and the need for performance + cost + decarb together10:17 | “Deep tech works for venture—if you know where to look” — how to identify capex-efficient, scalable industrial technologies vs. science projects that need different capital12:25 | Case study: Hot Green — a new compressor architecture enabling industrial heat pumps for 200–400°C processes (F&B, manufacturing) with electrification upside13:49 | Case study: ReClinker — Cambridge spinout recycling cement inside steel arc furnaces, piggybacking heat, removing the CO₂-heavy chemistry step15:19 | Do you need to be an operator to invest in deep tech? — why complementary experience (science + venture + corporate + some ops) beats any single “must-have”18:35 | Investment strategy — first-check investor at TRL 4–7, pan-Europe, €300k–€1M tickets, aiming for a 25–30 company portfolio with follow-on capacity

Last month, the US AI giant Anthropic released a new Claude tool for the legal industry, triggering a sell-off in publicly listed firms like Salesforce and reigniting concerns that AI-native startups could wipe out traditional SaaS giants.So will Europe's VC-backed SaaS giants survive the AI area? And what about the VCs who've heavily backed them?In this episode of the Sifted Podcast, host Amy Lewin is joined by senior reporters Freya Pratty and Anne Sraders to unpack what the rise of AI means for Europe's VC-backed software companies — and the investors who've poured billions into them.Read more here: https://sifted.eu/articles/european-vc-saaspocalypse

From losing his entire $25,000 life savings on his first investment to backing over 70 startups, Andrew Ackerman shares proven strategies for evaluating founders, testing assumptions cheaply, and why the best entrepreneurs see deals where others see nothing. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer sits down with Andrew Ackerman, a serial entrepreneur turned early-stage investor and innovation expert. Andrew is currently a strategic advisor and head of Reach Labs at Second Century Ventures, consults on corporate innovation strategies and venture studios, and serves as an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship. He previously served as managing director at DreamIt Adventures, one of the top five accelerator programs in the world. He has invested in over 70 startups and written over 60 published articles for Forbes, Fortune, and other major publications. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: In this episode, you'll discover why Andrew looks for the instinct to hustle for deals rather than focusing on the idea itself, how accelerators fill the gap between friends and family money and proper VC rounds, and why testing assumptions with a five-dollar pack of index cards can save months of development time. Andrew explains the real difference between SAFE notes and convertible notes, what makes lawyers often terrible startup advisors, and the SeatGeek origin story that proves early testing can turn a failing startup into a billion-dollar company. ANDREW'S JOURNEY: Andrew's path started with both grandfathers as entrepreneurs, one running candy shops and the other creating insurance products. Coming out of University of Chicago in the 90s when startups weren't a thing, he chose consulting before realizing the startup world had caught up. His first venture Bunk One provided internet services for summer camps and exited successfully. His second startup taught harder lessons through founder drama and failure. Angel investing came accidentally through a pharma deal he admits he had no business making, but getting lucky early hooked him. Eventually he joined DreamIt Adventures, running their New York office. KEY INSIGHTS: When evaluating founders, Andrew looks for the instinct to hustle. He shared an example of a founder who rented pencils in fifth grade for a nickel a day. Not sold. Rented. That entrepreneurial DNA shows up early and separates successful founders from everyone else. The SeatGeek story proves early testing works. A startup in his accelerator tested conversion rates early instead of waiting, discovered they were completely off, pivoted in seven weeks, and built a billion-dollar company. Lawyers often make terrible startup advisors because their incentive structure is backwards. Billing by the hour doesn't reward speed, and careers focused on avoiding mistakes rather than making deals happen. Perfect for founders thinking about raising capital, anyone curious about how accelerators work, aspiring angel investors wondering how to evaluate founders, and entrepreneurs who want practical frameworks for testing assumptions. FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE: https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/andrewackerman FOR MORE ON ANDREW ACKERMAN:https://www.andrewbackerman.comhttps://www.amazon.com/Entrepreneurs-Odyssey-Approach-Startup-Success/dp/1032883545/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewbackermanhttps://x.com/andrewackermanhttps://www.instagram.com/andrewbackerman/FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/ https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today! Guest Bio Andrew Ackerman is a serial entrepreneur turned early-stage investor who has invested in over 70 startups. He heads Reach Labs at Second Century Ventures, previously ran DreamIt Adventures' New York office, and teaches entrepreneurship. He has written over 60 articles for Forbes and Fortune and authored The Entrepreneur's Odyssey, written as a novel because stories stick better than frameworks. Related Episodes Episode 370 - Gerry Hays: Democratizing Venture Capital Through VentureStaking Episode 350 - Tom Dillon: Understanding Business Valuation and Exit Planning Realities Episode 89 - Sherisse Hawkins: Capital Raising Journey and Funding Realities Keywords/Tags angel investing, accelerator programs, startup evaluation, founder assessment, SAFE notes, convertible notes, early stage investing, venture capital, startup testing, lean startup, DreamIt Adventures, Second Century Ventures, startup validation, startup pivots, SeatGeek

I walk through a complete 30-step playbook for building a modern SaaS company using AI agents, media, and sub-niche positioning. The core argument is that SaaS is evolving rather than dying, and the builders who win are the ones who combine a focused workflow product with a media flywheel and agent-powered execution. Drawing on my experience advising TikTok, Reddit, and building three venture-backed companies, I lay out a step-by-step framework any solo builder or small team can follow from niche selection through to becoming the default execution layer in their market. I'm hosting a free workshop so you can build your business in the age of AI. Sign up here: https://startup-ideas-pod.link/build-with-ai-2026 Timestamps 00:00 – Intro 01:18 – Step 1: Start with a sub-niche inside a big market 02:21 – Step 2-5: Map Workflow end to end 06:37 – Step 6-7: Create scroll-stopping content 10:15 – Steps 8–9: Double down on organic and run paid ads on winners 11:11 – Step 10: Capture emails from day one 11:47 – Steps 11–13: Manually perform the workflow and document every step 13:40 – Steps 14–16: Turn mechanical tasks into agent workflows and connect to real tools 14:47 – Step 17: Add orchestration, retries, and verifications 16:32 – Steps 18–19: Store user preferences and launch with high-touch onboarding 18:20 – Steps 20–21: Publish measurable proof and move to per-task pricing 21:21 – Steps 22–23: Outcome pricing and compounding value 22:07 – Steps 24–27: Expand workflows, build switching costs, create case studies 23:25 – Steps 28–30: Hire from the niche, reinvest profits, become the default layer 24:08 – Closing thoughts Key Points Start in a specific sub-niche, not a broad market — that is where sustainable cash flow lives, not VC competition. The future of SaaS starts as a service business: manually performing the workflow is how I learn what to automate. Media is a core business function, not an afterthought — content creation runs in parallel with product development from day one. Mechanical tasks are AI's strongest suit; separating judgment tasks from mechanical tasks is the key architectural decision. Per-task and outcome-based pricing is replacing per-seat models, and indie builders have a structural advantage in making that shift. Orchestration — coordinating agents, validating outputs, and resolving issues — is the new interface layer and the highest-value position to own. The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.com LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/ The Vibe Marketer - Resources for people into vibe marketing/marketing with AI: https://www.thevibemarketer.com/ FIND ME ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training Most agency owners don't fail because they're bad at delivery. They fail because they underprice, overcomplicate, and build businesses that trap them instead of freeing them. Today's featured guest unpacks the type of life he envisioned when he set out to start an agency, it took to scale from charging $2,500 a month to closing $45,000/month retainers, surviving a market collapse, and making the counterintuitive decision to split one agency into two. Eli Rubel is the founder of Matter Made, a B2B SaaS marketing agency, and No Boring Design, a premium design studio serving high-growth tech companies. He entered the agency world in 2019 after burning out on the venture-backed SaaS model, despite a previous exit. What drew him to agencies wasn't prestige or scale; it was a desire to take control over his time, lifestyle, income, and location. Agencies, when built correctly, offered the fastest path to freedom without sacrificing ambition. Over the next few years, Eli scaled MatterMade aggressively, navigated a brutal tech downturn, and rebuilt his business with sharper positioning, stronger pricing, and clearer operational boundaries. In this episode, we discussed: Why hiking prices was the right choice early one How and why he decided to create his second agency The reason that shared services failed fast Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio Sponsors and Resources E2M Solutions: Today's episode of the Smart Agency Masterclass is sponsored by E2M Solutions, a web design, and development agency that has provided white-label services for the past 10 years to agencies all over the world. Check out e2msolutions.com/smartagency and get 10% off for the first three months of service. Toggl: Agencies could be losing 15–30% of their profit every year without seeing it. The usual suspects are time tracking, messy manual timesheets, scope creep, untracked revisions, and all those "quick" client requests that never get billed. That's why Toggl created the Agency Profit Heist, a fast, interactive way to uncover exactly where your margins are leaking. Start your investigation now at toggl.com/smartagency and use the code SMARTAGENCY10 at checkout for a 10% off annual plans. Why Agencies Beat Venture-Backed SaaS (If You Want Freedom) After years in venture-backed SaaS, chasing growth at all costs, Eli was done with a model he realized was grinding him down. The pressure, the lack of control, and the delayed payoff didn't align with what he actually wanted: family, flexibility, and financial independence. Agencies offered speed to cash and autonomy, which SaaS didn't. Instead of swinging for a hypothetical future exit, Eli chose a business model that paid well now and let him design his life intentionally. It was a shift he made with eyes wide open and clear expectations. The "best" business model depends on what you want your life to look like. For Eli, agencies weren't a step down. They were a strategic upgrade. Hiking His Prices Relying on Capacity and Confidence Eli's agency launched at $2,500 a month, not because that was the "right" price, but because he backed into a simple income goal. Sixteen clients at $2,500 got him to $40,000 a month. On paper, it worked. In reality, it broke fast. As soon as clients started saying "yes" too quickly, Eli knew something was off. The work was heavy, margins were thin, and building a team at that price point wasn't sustainable. Instead of obsessing over competitive pricing, he leaned into price sensitivity testing. Every time the team hit capacity, prices went up. If prospects said no, it didn't matter, they couldn't take on more work anyway. If prospects said yes, it justified hiring and scaling. Over three years, pricing climbed from $2,500 to $45,000 per month. What he learned was that underpricing doesn't just hurt margins. It traps you in constant hiring, delivery stress, and low-leverage work. Raising prices isn't greedy, it's operational discipline. What Actually Changes When You Raise Prices Eli didn't wake up one day and charge $45,000 for the same work he was doing at $2,500. Early on, the offering was vague: "We'll help with demand gen." Strategy was loose, scope was unclear, and the team was tiny. As pricing increased, the delivery model matured into a defined pod structure with paid media, design, strategy, and leadership baked in. However, once his agency hit around $15,000 per month, the services didn't change much after that. What changed was credibility. Case studies stacked up. Results became undeniable. Sales conversations shifted from "this is a great deal" to "this is what it costs to remove risk." Eli was upfront with prospects: MatterMade would be $10,000–$15,000 more per month than competitors, and nothing about the deliverables would look different. The difference was the track record. For buyers who weren't cash-sensitive, that pitch landed hard. They weren't paying for tasks. They were paying for certainty. Why Splitting One Agency into Two Was the Right Move At its peak in 2021, MatterMade was flying high, with $4.2M in EBITDA, tech clients everywhere, and acquisition talks underway. Then the tech market collapsed. Almost overnight, VC-backed clients cut agencies, froze spending, and hunkered down. They went from crushing it to losing nearly $200,000 a month. Eli held on too long, assuming it was temporary, and paid dearly for it. During the restructuring, Eli noticed something interesting: design had become a bottleneck across tech companies. Designers were laid off, but the need for creative work didn't disappear. So he spun up No Boring Design as a separate entity, fast. New brand, new site, launched in a weekend. Within months, it was profitable. Separating the businesses allowed each to have crystal-clear positioning. MatterMade stayed focused on growth marketing. No Boring Design became a premium creative solution for companies stuck in hiring freezes. Trying to keep design tucked inside the marketing agency would have slowed everything down. Separation created speed, clarity, and growth. Why Shared Services Across Agencies Sound Smart and Fail Fast One of Eli's biggest mistakes came after the split. He tried to create a shared management company to handle leadership, recruiting, and operations across multiple agencies. On paper, it looked efficient. In practice, it was chaos. Each agency had subtle but important differences in how it worked. SOPs drifted. Leaders got stretched thin. The "squeaky wheel" agency got attention while others suffered. Eventually, Eli unwound the entire structure. The hard truth: unless your companies operate almost identically, shared services create more friction than savings. Clarity beats efficiency. Do You Want to Transform Your Agency from a Liability to an Asset? Looking to dig deeper into your agency's potential? Check out our Agency Blueprint. Designed for agency owners like you, our Agency Blueprint helps you uncover growth opportunities, tackle obstacles, and craft a customized blueprint for your agency's success.

Most job search advice comes from people still in the thick of it—anxious, second-guessing, pattern-matching off too little data. This episode is different. We sat down with three product leaders who recently landed roles at Netflix, OpenAI, and Abridge, and did a full postmortem. What they shared upends a lot of conventional wisdom: the spray-and-pray pipeline doesn't work, your AI credentials matter less than you think, and the relationships that land jobs are often years in the making.Key topics• Why you need curiosity, not experience• The "AI hungry" mindset: searching for environments that match your learning goals, not just your resume• Why the best job search intelligence comes from people who just landed, not people still looking• Why prototypes are now table stakes in take-homes• How Janie built a shortlist of 5–10 companies in a week of 50–60 conversations• Why Ben's Netflix role traces back to a cold application seven years ago• What OpenAI's interview process actually looks like—and why it's less about the past than you expect• Why most AI-native jobs aren't posted, and how to land them• How to use investor attention as a proxy for company quality• Why Ben's early interview mistake (not enough AI mindset) became the fuel for his take-homeBrought to you by• Framer—Build websites with enterprise needs at startup speeds: https://framer.link/dFacxBQ• Dust—The operating system for AI agents: https://dust.tt/skipWhere to find Nikhyl• Twitter/X• LinkedInWhere to find Ben• LinkedInWhere to find Janie• LinkedInWhere to find Julia• LinkedInJoin The Skip• Skip Coach• Skip CommunityFind The Skip• Website• Substack• YouTube• Spotify• Apple PodcastsTimestamps(00:00) How to prove your AI credentials(04:42) Introducing the three product leaders(06:00) Ben Dreier: from DoorDash to Netflix, the "AI hungry" move(08:18) Julia Roberts: nine years at Pinterest, six months off, then OpenAI(12:46) Janie Lee: going all-in on AI native at Abridge(15:26) How to build a shortlist: 50–60 conversations in a week(18:10) Ben's process: VC signals and insider conversations over job boards(21:45) Cold outreach that actually works(23:51) Ben: how curiosity, not networking, built his network(25:14) Julia's different path: cold applies, inbound, and exec recruiters(27:06) What exec recruiters are actually useful for(30:30) Ben's Netflix backstory — tracing back to a cold apply seven years ago(34:06) Staying connected with recruiters, coworkers, and people who said no(41:10) What the OpenAI interview process actually looks like(44:55) Authentic storytelling(46:40) The Netflix take-home: how mid-process feedback became a turning point(51:40) Janie: how to ace take-homes by using AI(57:52) Julia's final takeaway: know what you want before you search(59:03) Ben's final takeaway: follow the fun and genuine curiosity(59:56) Janie's final takeaway: high agency, high effort, put yourself in their shoesDon't forget to subscribe to The Skip to hear me coach you through timely career lessons. Access exclusive sessions from 100+ top product leaders at skip.coach. If you're interested in joining me on a future call, send me a note on LinkedIn, Threads, or Twitter. You can also email me at nikhyl@skip.community This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theskip.substack.com

From time to time, we'll re-air a previous episode of the show that our newer audience may have missed. During this episode, Santosh is joined by Ian Fletcher and Marc Fasteau, Co-Authors of “Industrial Policy for the United States: Winning the Competition for Good Jobs and High-Value Industries." In this conversation, Marc and Ian emphasize the need for a strategic approach to support key industries, highlighting the importance of government-sponsored research, trade protection, and a competitively valued currency. The conversation also covers the role of tariffs, workforce development, and the necessity of a unified economic strategy. The group advocates for intentional policies to foster economic growth, innovation, competitiveness in the global market, and more.  Highlights from their conversation include: Introducing Marc and Ian and the New Book (0:41) Defining Modern Industrial Policy (4:33) Industry-Based Economic View (5:35) Importance of Industry Selection (7:23) Global Perspectives on Industrial Policy (11:25) Three Pillars of Industrial Policy (17:26) List of Industrial Policy Tools (19:16) Granularity of Industrial Policy (25:27) Role of Tariffs in Industrial Policy (26:49) Workforce Development and Automation (29:00) Future of U.S. Industrial Policy (30:58) Challenges of Policy Silos (31:36) Hope for Unified Discipline in Industrial Policy (32:24) Dynamo is a VC firm led by supply chain and mobility specialists that focus on seed-stage, enterprise startups. Find out more at: https://www.dynamo.vc/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week on Swimming with Allocators, Earnest and Alexa welcome Iliana Oris Valiente, a F500 corporate executive, independent LP,   and founder of the Capital Decoded program, to explore the evolving landscape of venture capital. Iliana shares insights from her global background, discusses why generalists excel in the AI era, and outlines the challenges next-gen family offices face when entering VC. The conversation also covers the importance of clear investment thesis, trends in emerging markets, and the critical need for trust and education between GPs and LPs. Listeners will gain practical frameworks and actionable advice for navigating today's rapidly changing investment world. Also, don't miss Sidley's Shane Goudey discussing current trends in venture capital fundraising, with an emphasis on where LP investment is coming from and the growing interest in co-investment opportunities. Iliana Oris Valiente, CPA, CA  is an accomplished corporate executive, emerging tech pioneer, board member, author, and global citizen. She is a recognized media figure, having been featured from Bloomberg to The Financial Times, across TV and print.  Iliana is an angel investor, fund LP, and regularly advises family offices on emerging trends. She built Capital Decoded — an investor education program specifically designed to demystify VC as an asset class. Learn more at IlianaOV.com  Sidley Austin LLP is a premier global law firm with a dedicated Venture Funds practice, advising top venture capital firms, institutional investors, and private equity sponsors on fund formation, investment structuring, and regulatory compliance. With deep expertise across private markets, Sidley provides strategic legal counsel to help funds scale effectively. Learn more at sidley.com. Swimming with Allocators is a podcast that dives into the intriguing world of Venture Capital from an LP (Limited Partner) perspective. Hosts Alexa Binns and Earnest Sweat are seasoned professionals who have donned various hats in the VC ecosystem. Each episode, we explore where the future opportunities lie in the VC landscape with insights from top LPs on their investment strategies and industry experts shedding light on emerging trends and technologies.  The information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this podcast are for general informational purposes only. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of LERMA/'s Loud and Clear podcast, host Francisco “Pancho” Cardenas speaks with Lindsay Davis, founder and CEO of One Bee Consulting and founder and CEO of FemTech Association Asia. Lindsay shares her path from multicultural advertising in Dallas to luxury and international leadership in London, then relocating to Singapore in early 2020, where she discovered FemTech while moderating panels and reading Invisible Women. She describes FemTech as “female technology”—apps, SaaS, medical devices, wearables, and services spanning women's health across life stages, and emphasizes Asia as a large but still untapped market.The conversation outlines major barriers holding women's health back: it has been under-researched, underserved, and underfunded; stigma remains high (including a cited figure that 52% of women in Southeast Asia are uncomfortable discussing health needs openly due to fear of judgment or shame); awareness is low (42% don't use FemTech due to lack of awareness and understanding); and funding gaps persist (2.3% of total VC funding goes to women-founded companies, and only about 24% of VC decision makers in Southeast Asia are women). Lindsay also raises systemic content censorship, where women's health content is treated as risky or sexual—leading to downranking, shadowbans, and rejected ads—sharing examples like a breastfeeding support app removed for “nudity” and restrictions on terms such as “vaginal cancer,” with 95% of founders reporting content suppression.A central theme is how marketing and advertising can play a stronger role in education and normalization. Lindsay urges agencies and brands to start in-house by improving benefits, ERGs, and workplace support (including maternity return), and by offering inclusive health education programs. She argues advertising shapes culture and can drive health literacy through advocacy, PR, and more inclusive briefs that reduce gender bias. She suggests large agencies press major healthcare and pharma clients on their women's health strategies, while smaller agencies can support FemTech startups through affordable, fractional or retained marketing models aligned to early-stage budgets. Lindsay notes that in Asia many startups scale via corporate partnerships, and her association has grown into a cross-country network spanning 10 Asian markets, funded through corporate engagements and programming aimed at building awareness, trust, and access in women's health.Useful Links:Linkedin. Instagram.Web FemTech Linkedin Femtech Instagram Femtech UN report. Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Lindsay Davis, Award-Winning Founder-FemTech Association Asia I Strategic Partnerships I Community Building I Customer Experience I Milken Institute I UN ESCAP I UNFPA I Tatler Front & Female Award I Board Advisor I Moderator/SpeakerProducers:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Victor Cornejo Tell Me More Studios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pranav Kumar at LERMA/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Francisco Cardenas, Executive Director, Brand Integration at LERMA/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Chetan Puttagunta is a General Partner at Benchmark.We talk about investing in Manus, the AI company that went from zero to $100M ARR in eight months and was recently acquired by Meta.We also talk through the full history of application software, from mainframes to client-server, to the internet to cloud, why each wave reduced the barrier to entry and created an explosion in the number of new software, why legacy SaaS companies are making the same mistake on-prem vendors made at the dawn of the cloud, why software companies should be making big AI acquisitions, and how public market investors are begging private AI companies to go public.We also talk about what Benchmark actually looks for in founders, how they make decisions, and why his last two investments were consumer AI and crypto.Thanks to Sam Ross and Everett Randle for helping brainstorm topics for this conversation.Thanks you to Numeral and Flex for supporting this episode.Try Numeral, the end-to-end platform for sales tax and compliance: https://www.numeral.comSign-up for Flex Elite with code TURNER, get $1,000: https://form.typeform.com/to/Rx9rTjFzTimestamps:(0:08) Inside the $2.5B Manus acquisition(6:24) Manus' three main use cases(11:08) Taking heat on Twitter(15:10) Starting to tweet about software in 2018(22:50) The history of application software(29:15) Benchmark's 25x Fund 7(31:33) SaaS incumbents got too dominant by 2020(31:48) Going all-in on AI software in 2022(39:31) Benchmark didn't invest in the big AI labs(40:48) How cloud companies beat on-prem competitors(44:33) Why AI companies will beat legacy cloud competitors(50:04) Software incumbents should make big AI acquisitions(57:35) Why incumbents have not bought more AI companies(1:04:43) Public markets are starving for AI companies(1:10:14) Inside Benchmark's fund strategy(1:14:14) Benchmark's history of non-traditional VC rounds(1:17:56) Is the 20% ownership model outdated?(1:19:20) Chetan's rebirth as a consumer investor(1:22:39) What Benchmark looks for in founders(1:25:01) AI coding and gross marginsReferencedBenchmark: https://benchmark.com/Eric Vishria's podcast episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-5IsqFgrZMWorkday S-1: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1327811/000119312512375787/d385110ds1.htmInnovator's Dilemma: https://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Dilemma-Revolutionary-Business-Essentials/dp/0060521996Try FOMO: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fomo-never-miss-out/id6741115427Follow ChetanTwitter: https://x.com/chetanpLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chetanputtaguntaFollow TurnerTwitter: https://twitter.com/TurnerNovakLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/turnernovakSubscribe to my newsletter to get every episode + the transcript in your inbox every week: https://www.thespl.it/

✅ Check out Investorlift Here: https://investorlift.pro/4byViou In the high-stakes world of tech and real estate, most startups are a "death sentence," with only 1 in 10,000 actually reaching a major exit. In this episode, Jesse pulls back the curtain on how he went from earning less than $40k a year at age 29 to building a software empire that generated $120 million in lifetime revenue—all without taking a single dollar of Venture Capital.We dive deep into the "Infinite Money Glitch" of skip tracing, the brutal reality of losing $10 million in ARR in just three months, and why Jesse believes raising VC money makes you an employee rather than an owner. Plus, Jesse shares the discipline required to not only scale a 250-person company but also to lose 100 pounds and escape the "mental prison" of being out of shape while successful.✅ Check out Investorlift Here: https://investorlift.pro/4byViou****TimeStamps****00:00 - Intro & The Rolex "Trophy" 01:26 - The Reality of Selling Your Company 03:10 - Jesse's Origins: From $40k/Year to Real Estate 06:11 - Meeting the Partners: Andy & Evo 07:11 - Batch Skip Tracing: The "Infinite Money Glitch" 09:18 - Pivoting to SaaS: The Birth of Batch Leads 11:15 - Managing 250 People & Dealing with Bloat 13:18 - Reaching $120 Million in Lifetime Revenue 16:17 - The $10M Loss: Navigating Market Shifts 17:55 - Post-Exit Strategy & Liquidity 21:01 - Why VC is the "Next Fool" Syndrome 23:43 - Partnerships: Protecting Yourself with "Kinship" Clauses 33:41 - Bootstrapping vs. Raising Money 36:14 - A Contrarian Take on Sam Altman & OpenAI 39:23 - The Solopreneur vs. The Committee 45:15 - Real Estate Legend: The Doug Hopkins Story 50:03 - Physical Transformation: Losing 100 Pounds 56:14 - SOPs for Health: Meal Prep & Discipline 59:00 - One Piece of Advice: The Reward is the JourneyFollow Us!Robert Wensley: https://www.instagram.com/robertwensley/Zack Kepes: https://www.instagram.com/zakventures/Jesse Burrell: https://www.instagram.com/jesseburrellInvestorlift: https://www.instagram.com/investorlift/

Joe Lonsdale shares what Elon Musk and Peter Thiel were really like at PayPal, how getting rejected by every top VC fueled Palantir's founding, and how the CIA became an unlikely early investor.

Breaking into investment banking from a non-target university isn't easy — especially after 150+ applications, months of rejection, and zero connections. In this student testimonial, Kitty shares how she went from studying politics at the University of Birmingham to landing offers from UBS, Lazard, and Rothschild. From struggling with confidence to facing non-target fears head-on, this is the real story behind breaking into investment banking as a student. Segments  01:19 – Music vs Finance  03:04 – Why University of Birmingham?  03:34 – Switching from Politics to Finance  04:05 – When Banking Became Real  05:27 – Why She Joined Academy  06:55 – Networking Strategy  07:45 – 150+ Applications  08:33 – First Interview Breakthrough  10:44 – Offers from UBS, Lazard & Rothschild  11:58 – Advice to Students Check out WSO Academy — the prep that has helped thousands break into high finance. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In "The Logistics of Growth: Scaling Freight Tech Companies", Joe Lynch and Will Urban, Founder and Principal of Will Urban Consulting, discuss the strategic intersection of traditional logistics discipline and high-velocity tech innovation to drive multi-billion dollar scale. About Will Urban Will Urban is the Founder and Principal of Will Urban Consulting, a premier advisory firm specializing in scaling global logistics and freight tech organizations. With over 30 years of executive leadership experience, Will has navigated the evolution of the industry at the highest levels, holding pivotal roles at both the traditional logistics powerhouse Expeditors and the digital disruptor Flexport. During his tenure as Chief Revenue Officer at Flexport, he was instrumental in driving the company's organic revenue growth from $600 million to over $5 billion. Today, Will leverages his extensive background as a full partner at R7 and a venture partner at firms like Companyon and Nine Realms. He is a deeply connected figure in the supply chain ecosystem, serving as an investor, advisor, and board member for numerous startups and venture capital firms, where he bridges the gap between complex logistics operations and institutional investment. About Will Urban Consulting (WUC) Will Urban Consulting (WUC) is an elite consultancy dedicated to helping supply chain and freight tech companies master the "Logistics of Growth." Founded by Will Urban following his successful tenure at Flexport, the firm occupies a unique niche by providing executive-level expertise that blends traditional logistics excellence with modern digital scale. WUC is comprised of a global team of specialists—many of whom are veterans of Expeditors and Flexport—who focus on refining go-to-market strategies, accelerating revenue growth, and building sustainable sales organizations. Beyond operational consulting, WUC acts as a strategic bridge to the capital markets, helping startups navigate the complexities of fundraising by leveraging a deep network of venture capital and private equity investors. Operating on a flexible, month-to-month model, WUC provides clients with immediate ROI and unparalleled access to a global network of shippers, carriers, and industry leaders. Key Takeaways: The Logistics of Growth: Scaling Freight Tech Companies In "The Logistics of Growth: Scaling Freight Tech Companies", Joe Lynch and Will Urban, Founder and Principal of Will Urban Consulting, discuss the strategic intersection of traditional logistics discipline and high-velocity tech innovation to drive multi-billion dollar scale. The Power of Hybrid Expertise: Will Urban offers a unique "ground-up" perspective by bridging the gap between traditional logistics giants (Expeditors) and modern digital disruptors (Flexport). This dual experience allows him to help companies balance the disciplined, P&L-focused rigor of established firms with the "move fast" agility of tech unicorns. The "Inside Man" for Fundraising: For startups, navigating the VC world is often a translation problem. Will acts as a strategic bridge, helping founders articulate the value of supply chain nuances to generalist investors and ensuring they pitch to the right firms whose investment appetite matches their specific business model. A "Disciplined Grind" for Scaling: There is no "silver bullet" for massive growth. Drawing from his experience leading Flexport from $600 million to over $5 billion in organic revenue, Will emphasizes that scaling requires a disciplined, high-execution grind and a focus on building sustainable, global go-to-market programs. Democratizing Technology (The Convoy/DAT Model): A significant trend in freight tech is the transition from standalone products to integrated ecosystems. The acquisition of Convoy's platform by DAT illustrates how best-in-class technology can be used to drastically reduce the "cost to cover" a load, democratizing high-end tools for smaller trucking operations. Economics Matter (P&L Discipline): Despite the high-growth expectations of venture capital, Will maintains that the P&L always matters. He advises tech companies to align their pricing with the transactional nature of the logistics industry, as many clients prefer transactional costs over fixed, bottom-line software fees. Leveraging Relational Capital: In an increasingly digital industry, deep human networks remain a primary driver of success. Will's 30-year network of shippers, carriers, and executives provides "warm" entry points that are often more valuable than any piece of software for securing market share. Identifying and Investing in "Grit": Beyond just technical viability, Will looks for "gumption" and persistence in founders. His investment philosophy—often through his family office or as a venture partner—prioritizes individuals who demonstrate the hustle and resilience required to survive the volatile cycles of the global supply chain. Learn More About The Logistics of Growth: Scaling Freight Tech Companies Will Urban | Linkedin Will Urban Consulting (WUC) | Linkedin Will Urban Consulting (WUC) Inside the DAT – Convoy Platform Deal: What This Acquisiton Means for the Freight with Bill Driegert The Logistics of Logistics Podcast If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a positive review, subscribe, and share it with your friends and colleagues. The Logistics of Logistics Podcast: Google, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Tunein, Podbean, Owltail, Libsyn, Overcast Check out The Logistics of Logistics on Youtube  

Since 2014, the L&D Global Sentiment Survey has been a barometer of what's hot and what's not in the Learning & Development profession, guiding people development professionals towards the trends that their peers are most concerned about. In this episode, Donald H Taylor takes a deep dive into the 2026 report and explores in conversation what we should all be taking note of. Take your L&D to the next level Take advantage of thousands of hours of analysis. Hundreds of conversations with industry innovators and 25+ years of hands-on global L&D leadership. It's all distilled into one framework to help you level up L&D. Access the L&D Maturity Model here - https://360learning.com/maturity-model KEY TAKEAWAYS The strongest route to security and impact for L&D is finding real business problems through your network, then designing simple, targeted interventions that change behaviour and performance—whether or not the answer looks like traditional training. L&D cannot afford to anchor it's worth to content production. If it does it risks being commoditised instead of recognised for solving real business problems. AI is more powerful than we thought, it is helping to deliver truly personalised training. Microlearning may feel like “old news” in some markets, but the survey shows it's still emerging and powerful elsewhere. A reminder that L&D practices move at very different speeds across the world. BEST MOMENTS “The future is going to belong to people who understood early on what worked and what didn't work.” “The wrong turn is to go towards focusing on content.” Donald H Taylor Bio A recognised commentator and thinker in the fields of workplace learning and supporting technologies, Donald is committed to helping develop the learning and development profession. Donald has chaired the Learning Technologies Conference in London since 2000 and writes and speaks world-wide about Learning and Development (L&D). His annual L&D Global Sentiment Survey, started in 2014, provides a unique perspective on L&D trends from over 100 countries. He chairs the Workforce Development board for VC firm Emerge Education, and invests in, and advises, several EdTech start-ups. From 2010 to 2021, he chaired the Learning and Performance Institute. He is the author of Learning Technologies in the Workplace, a graduate of Oxford University and in 2016 was awarded an honorary doctorate by Middlesex University in recognition of his work developing the L&D profession. You can follow and contact Donald via: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donaldhtaylor/ L&D Global Sentiment Survey 2026: https://donaldhtaylor.co.uk/research_base/global-sentiment-survey-2026/ Website: https://donaldhtaylor.co.uk/ VALUABLE RESOURCES The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home ABOUT THE HOST David James  David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa.  As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D.  CONTACT METHOD  Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/the-l-and-d-collective Blog: https://360learning.com/blog L&D Master Class Series: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-masterclass-home This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Today, we are excited to welcome entrepreneur Megan Gross, founder of The Bonsoir, a boutique events firm that curates high-touch small events to bring startups and investors together. Megan is currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area and is expanding into South Florida. In this episode, she shares her journey, highlighting small, personalized events as the future of business relationships. Megan's Journey After college, Megan moved to Las Vegas to work for nightclubs, restaurants, and a major pool party. Drawn by a lifelong dream to live in Paris, she worked at the exclusive club Matignon near the Champs-Élysées as a VIP host. Although it failed to unfold as planned, it redirected her to the Bay Area, where she immersed herself in the startup ecosystem. After working on a platform of extraordinary experiences and then at Mastercard, she launched The Bonsoir as a niche, designing intimate gatherings for founders and investors,  blending hospitality and bold creativity. Bold Risks Megan believes in trusting her instincts and taking big risks, even without every detail in place. Her move to Paris and then into entrepreneurship were not calculated step-by-step strategies. They were decisions rooted in her conviction. Things did not always work out as expected, but each step redirected her toward something more aligned with her. A Competitive Advantage From the years she spent working at nightclubs, restaurants, and large-scale pool parties, Megan learned relationship skills that corporate settings seldom provide. Reading a room, remembering names, managing personalities, and creating the right energy are all directly applicable to business. As technology and automation grow, these human-centered skills become even more valuable in a digital-first world, where authentic connections truly stand out. Building Without Traditional Frameworks Launching her company without agency or corporate training forced Megan to create her own systems. Although it initially felt like a disadvantage, it allowed her to innovate beyond standard industry templates. She sources vendors from unexpected places, leverages global relationships, and builds unconventional events. The Purpose–People–Process Framework Connection can be engineered when purpose, people, and processes align. Purpose defines the specific goal of the gathering. People determine who must be in the room—and who should not. The process covers every touchpoint, from invitation wording to seating charts to follow-up. When those circles intersect, connections form intentionally rather than by accident. The Gather Method Megan's GATHER method is an acronym for her six event strategy components: Guest List, Atmosphere, Timing, High Touch, End Game, and Relationships. The Guest List is the most critical decision. Atmosphere sets the emotional tone. Timing ensures real interaction, and High Touch keeps her experiences personal and intentional. The End Game clarifies measurable outcomes, and Relationships are Megan's ultimate objective, with the event serving as the vehicle instead of the destination. Why Smaller Is More Powerful Megan believes intimacy drives impact. Her ideal event has fewer than 20 people, as that allows depth of conversation and meaningful follow-ups. Instead of a massive gathering, she recommends smaller, recurring events that build layered relationships over time. Scarcity and selectivity tend to elevate perceived value and strengthen engagement. Scaling a High-Touch Business Scaling micro-events presents unique challenges. Megan addressed this by productizing her dinner format, standardizing structure while keeping personalization intact. She built operational systems and hired leadership support, even when stepping away from production felt difficult. Delegation allowed her to grow without compromising on quality. Why AI Increases the Demand for In-Person Events As AI accelerates digital interaction, in-person gatherings become more valuable. When it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish what is real online, physical presence can build trust. Technology may automate communication, but it cannot replicate a shared human experience. BIO: Megan Gross is the founder of The Bon Soir, a boutique events firm that brings together investors and startups through smart, high-touch events that build trust and accelerate deal flow. Her training comes from running high-pressure nightclubs in Las Vegas. She later worked at a unicorn startup acquired by Mastercard, helped launch Mastercard's global Priceless Experiences platform, led a global community dining initiative at Airbnb, and built The Bon Soir into a go-to event partner for venture firms. She is based in the San Francisco Bay Area, hosts The Supper Club in San Francisco, curates private dinners for funds, and produces one of the largest events in the VC platform community. Connect with Eric Rozenberg On LinkedIn Facebook Instagram Website Listen to The Business of Meetings podcast Subscribe to The Business of Meetings newsletter Connect with Megan Gross On LinkedIn The Bon Soir  

“Show me an incentive structure and I'll show you human behavior... until employers realize they have more power than they give themselves credit for, this can't continue."My guest this week is Norm Volsky, Managing Partner at DRI and Founder of MVP Growth Partners. Norm has spent the last decade as one of the top executive recruiters in the digital health and employer benefits space - placing the commercial teams that helped build unicorns like Livongo and Hinge Health.In this episode, Norm explains why the next wave of healthcare innovation isn't about adding more "point solutions" to an already fatigued market. Instead, smart money is betting on companies that carve out high-margin, inefficient services directly from the major insurance carriers - like radiology, fertility, and specialty infusion.We discuss how Norm built an "army" of over 500 industry executives to crowdsource due diligence, why the traditional VC model fails in healthcare, and why employers and their benefits leaders are finally at a watershed moment where they must demand true fiduciary alignment from their vendors.If you want to know where the smart money is moving in employer healthcare, and why the "BUCA" carriers should be worried, this episode is a must-listen.Thank you to our 2026 sponsors!ParetoHealth: ParetoHealth empowers midsize employers with a long-term solution to reduce volatility and lower overall health benefits costs. Visit ParetoHealth.com to learn more.Samaritan Fund: A program that connects those who need help to the support they need. We are proud to offer the Samaritan Fund Program. Visit SamaritanFundProgram.com to learn more.Vālenz Health: We're Vālenz Health, your partner in improving health literacy, reducing plan spend, and delivering high-value healthcare. Visit ValenzHealth.com to learn more.Imagine360: Imagine360 helps self-funded employers save on healthcare with smarter health plans. Cut expenses by 20-30% with custom solutions. Contact us today at Imagine360.com.Chapters:[00:00:00] Intro: Recruiting in the Early Days of Digital Health[00:04:12] The Livongo Story: Selling Healthcare Direct to Employers[00:08:44] What Makes a Great Salesperson in Healthcare?[00:11:46] Spotting the Next Unicorn: The Hinge Health Experience[00:17:28] Private Equity vs. Venture Capital[00:20:00] Using Recruitment Data to Drive VC Investments[00:23:41] The "One Imaging" Pitch & Carving Out Radiology[00:30:40] Building an Army: Crowdsourcing VC Due Diligence[00:36:26] Why MVP Growth Partners Only Invests in "At-Risk" Pricing[00:41:40] Point Solution Fatigue & Identifying the "Good Actors"[00:46:17] Why Employers Must Demand Fiduciary Responsibility[00:50:41] The Future: The Erosion of the Big 3 PBMs and CarriersKey Links for Social:@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFundedListen/watch on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/

Drew Sechrist, CEO and co-founder of Connect the Dots, takes us on a journey from being Salesforce's 36th employee to building his own venture addressing one of B2B sales' most persistent challenges: unlocking the hidden power of professional networks. In this conversation, Drew shares inside stories from Salesforce's scrappy early days in 1999, when "SaaS" didn't even exist as a term and the company spent VC money "like drunken sailors" to hire account executives who gave away a beta product for free.The core of the episode focuses on Connect the Dots' mission: making warm introductions scalable and measurable. Drew explains why the traditional sales pillars of inbound and outbound are suffering in the AI era, and why "Go-to-Network" (GTN) represents the critical third pillar that AI can't destroy because it's built on real human relationships. This is essential listening for any SaaS founder struggling with cold outreach fatigue and looking to unlock their most underutilized growth asset: their extended network.Key Takeaways[00:00] Introduction to Drew Sechrist and the power of network-based growth vs. cold outreach[04:00] Drew's early career: implementing client-server CRM tools in the pre-SaaS era (Goldmine, Sales Logics, CD-ROMs)[08:00] The birth of ASP (Application Service Provider) - reading about Salesforce in the Wall Street Journal, 1999[10:00] The cold email that changed everything: reaching out to Mark Benioff and getting hired as employee #36[13:00] Category creation at Salesforce: from ASP to "on-demand" to SaaS to "cloud" - Mark Benioff defining a new market[15:00] The dotcom boom launch: B-52s playing at the launch party, spending VC money freely, hiring AEs to give away free beta product[18:00] The pivot to paid: introducing the $50/user/month model with no contracts - proving people would pay for "a website"[22:00] Scaling through the dotcom bust: losing dotcom customers but winning larger enterprises with smaller budgets[25:00] The golden handcuffs: why it was "never a good time to leave" Salesforce even after 10 years[28:00] The Mexico motorcycle sabbatical: conceiving Kuzo while riding through Baja in 2007-2008[30:00] Kuzo's vision: live Google Street View powered by crowdsourced cameras - a startup that ultimately shut down[32:00] The connection theme: from Kuzo to Connect the Dots - helping people see and leverage their networks[34:00] The core problem: thousands of missed opportunities because you can't see who you really know well enough to leverage[36:00] LinkedIn's limitation: binary connections that don't signal relationship strength (best friend vs. 30-second conference interaction)[39:00] The billion-dollar question: will people actually make introductions? The nuance of asking mom vs. board members vs. customers[42:00] Network inheritance: Drew's biggest career hack was joining Salesforce and inheriting Mark Benioff's network overnight[45:00] Investor selection strategy: you're not just getting money, you're buying a network - be intentional about your cap table[47:00] AI's role in relationship-based sales: surfacing the right relationships at the right time, not replacing human connection[50:00] The third pillar: "Go-to-Network" (GTN) emerges as inbound and outbound suffer from AI saturation[52:00] Real relationships can't be destroyed by AI: when you call your mom, she picks up - that's the power of authentic networks[54:00] Action step for founders: sign up for Connect the Dots (ctd.ai) - free for individuals, paid for companiesTweetable Quotes

Send a textEpisode 138 discusses Entrepreneur to Managed Business Transition with David Hori. David Hori is the Principle of Topline Operators a company that helps business owners with big dreams for their company. David has spent 25+ years building and scaling businesses - three VC-funded startups through acquisition, including CARMERA which was sold to Toyota.  His sweet spot is helping founder-dependent businesses break through growth ceilings or transition out entirely while keeping employees and culture intact.  He is not your typical coach – he thinks like an owner, not an advisor selling billable hours. Episode Benefits:  You can expect to gain actionable insights and strategies to help you Transition your Business.  This Podcast series is targeted to Business Owners and C-Suite Executives.  It reflects my 34 years as a Business Owner and subsequent years as a Business Mentor and Consultant.  It focuses on the various subjects and topics to help you run a successful profitable business.  They are approximately 15-minutes long so you can listen while commuting.     Reach out to me to be put in contact with David.   The Business of Business, topics are divided into 5 Categories: Management, Operations, Sales, Financial, and Personal. Support the showHelping You Run a Successful Profitable Business ! For Business Mentoring, Consulting, Schedule a Speaking Engagement, Help you with a Podcast, or to be a Podcast Guest - Contact me at: www.bcforg.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-fisher-72174413/

AI search is changing how buyers discover products. But most founders are either ignoring it, or getting sold misinformation.In this episode, Jon Mest (https://chatrank.ai/ and https://justreachout.io/) breaks down what actually drives “AI visibility” and how he's building two bootstrapped companies in a market that's shifting weekly.We get into the real execution behind:Why “pump out 1,000 blog posts” is bad strategy in AI searchWhat AI models struggle with (and the on-page fixes that matter right now)The off-page signals that influence AI recommendations (reviews, Reddit, YouTube, real human sentiment)How Jon sells a $500/mo product without spray-and-pray outboundPartnerships vs affiliates, what worked and what completely failed (PartnerStack experiment)Why podcasts are underrated for both backlinks and AI citationsJon's “rotate AI tools weekly” habit to stay sharp across modelsWhy bootstrapping beats VC for most SaaS right now (and when he'd reconsider)If you're a SaaS founder trying to understand what's real in AI search, this one will save you time and mistakes.

BGVV-1717_ Luận Thuyết Về Công Phu Của Pháp Lý Vô Vi_ Montreal_Canada_28-03-1982Vô Vi Podcast-Vấn ĐạoVô Vi Podcast-Bài GiảngVô Vi Podcast-Nhạc Thiền

Formula 1 is three competitions in one: a 200mph battle of the world's best race car drivers, the world cup of engineering where thousand-person teams spend hundreds of millions designing cars from scratch, and — as one of our listeners perfectly put it — the “Real Housewives of the Garage”, a soap opera of billionaire egos, team politics, and paddock drama that makes for incredible reality television. It's also the world's most popular annual sporting series with over 827 million fans globally — a fact that would shock most Americans, who until a recent viral Netflix series had barely heard of it.Today we tell the story of how a chaotic, deadly, and gloriously dysfunctional European racing series became one of the greatest business stories in sports. For decades, brilliant engineers and daredevil drivers dedicated their lives (and too often lost them) to a league controlled for 45 years by a single man: a former London car dealer named Bernie Ecclestone, who centralized power and extracted billions, while also undeniably single-handedly making the sport successful. Then, in a move no one saw coming, the American company Liberty Media bought the whole thing in 2017, installed a team of Fox Sports and ESPN veterans, and did what Bernie never would — professionalized it. All of a sudden famously money-losing F1 teams turned into real businesses, with the average team valuation today clocking in at an astounding $3.6 billion. Buckle up for one of our most-requested episodes: the wild story of Formula 1.Sponsors:Many thanks to our fantastic Spring '26 Season partners:J.P. Morgan PaymentsServiceNowVercelStatsigLinks:Sign up for email updates and vote on future episodes!The Formula by Joshua Robinson and Jonathan CleggDrive to Survive on NetflixF1 The Movie on Apple TVAdrian Newey, How to Build a CarSenna documentaryWorldly Partners' Multi-Decade Formula One StudyAll episode sourcesCarve Outs:Cirque du Soleil EchoSuper Bowl LX Mic'd UpTonalPrincess Peach: Showtime! on Nintendo SwitchDaloopa for historical financial dataMore Acquired:Get email updates and vote on future episodes!Join the SlackSubscribe to ACQ2Check out the latest swag in the ACQ Merch Store!‍Note: Acquired hosts and guests may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.

Awwwwwwkwaaaard… In this review episode, Mark and Dan discuss Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 7) #21, which is legacy issue #985. This issue was written by Joe Kelly. The cover features artwork by John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna, and Marcio Menyz. The interiors feature pencils by John Romita Jr. and Todd Nauck, inks by Scott Hanna and Todd Nauck, colors by Marcio Menyz, Erick Arciniega, and Marte Gracia, and, of course, letters by VC's Joe Caramagna. This issue was first released on February 4th, 2025. Rick Coste edited this episode. Alex Galucki edited the video version of this podcast. Our artwork is handcrafted by artists Ron Frenz, Sal Buscema, and Nick Cagnetti. Our theme songs were produced by Ryland Bojack, Tony Thaxton, and Spider-Maj. Our animated introduction to the show is by Josh Sutton of Panels to Pixels. Watch the show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOPCnjzQZNViyEnoOuckaVQ We would also love to see you join our Amazing Spider-Slack community board. If you'd like to join in on our amazing conversations, click this link to get started: https://join.slack.com/t/amazingspider/shared_invite/zt-42tsfhs2-yBaH6KkRmOWiW_8gCf9SmQ This week's Patreon podcasts include a review of Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 7) #22, our review of Part 1 of “Death Spiral,” and two episodes of the Whatever a Spider Can Diaries, which documents Dan’s process of writing a book about Spider-Man. If you'd like to follow along with our reviews as they are released, please check out our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/superiorspidertalk Read our B-Title reviews, collecting memories, and more in the Amazing Spider-Talk Substack! http://www.amazingspider.substack.com You can email questions to our show at amazingspidertalk@gmail.com or by clicking here. You can also BUY MARK'S BOOK, 100 Things Spider-Man Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. The post The Amazing Spider-Man (vol. 7) #21 / LGY #985 – REVIEW appeared first on Amazing Spider-Talk.

Think your 75% EBITDA margins look impressive? Unless you're running a drug cartel, Alex Rubalcava says you're probably just showing a lack of financial sophistication.In this episode of the Demo Day podcast, we sit down with Alex Rubalcava, Managing Partner of Amplify LA, to deconstruct the "delusional" financial modeling that keeps most founders from getting funded. Alex shares why grounded, realistic forecasts are the ultimate signal of a sophisticated founder and why many pitch decks are rejected before the first meeting even ends.As a veteran in the Los Angeles venture capital scene, Alex has seen thousands of pitch decks. He explains the nuance between ambitious growth and impossible math, helping entrepreneurs understand what venture capital firms actually look for in a business model. We dive deep into the mechanics of startup fundraising, the importance of unit economics, and how to build a financial model that builds trust rather than destroying it.We cover why "Mafia-level" margins are a massive red flag for VCs and the difference between financial optimism and a lack of sophistication. Alex breaks down how to present a forecast that stands up to VC due diligence and shares his current outlook on founder success in 2026. Whether you are a first-time founder preparing your seed round or a seasoned entrepreneur looking to sharpen your Series A pitch, Alex's insights on financial reality will change how you view your startup's data.Key Highlights:The "Cartel Margin" trap: Why 75% margins are a red flag.How to signal financial sophistication to investors.The current state of venture capital and startup valuation.Why your fundraising strategy needs a reality check.Lessons from Amplify LA on what makes a pitch deck stand out.

TrulySignificant.com presents Oren Fanok is the 27-year-old CEO of Pegasus Ticketing, a startup quietly modernizing how zoos, aquariums, and attractions run their operations while funneling funds into conservation. In just two years, Oren has gone from data analyst to CEO, building a unified, AI-enabled point-of-sale system that replaces outdated infrastructure across mission-driven institutions. His story is compelling for a leadership audience not just because of the tech, but because of the intention behind it. Oren designed Pegasus from the ground up with a 3% giveback model embedded into every transaction, ensuring that each ticket sold helps fund wildlife and habitat preservation. He's scaling a SaaS company in a legacy-heavy industry without chasing flash or VC hype—just long-term impact, operational simplicity, and authentic leadership.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/success-made-to-last-legends--4302039/support.

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupVida Delrahim (ex-Nike marketing leader) built WeNatal after two miscarriages, zero satisfying answers, and a pretty wild realization: fertility isn't just “a women's problem,” and the market was full of either overpriced clinic-only options or low-dose “pretty” prenatals that don't move the needle.This episode is about two things: the product gap (his + hers fertility support, done like adults) and the go-to-market gap (how you grow a sensitive health brand without playing the paid media arms race).Role-based hook: For DTC founders building trust-heavy products (supplements, wellness, personal care) who can't or won't outspend VC brands.Tactical takeaways:Why WeNatal built around a medical board + research transparency instead of influencer “seeding”The doctor + midwife + doula channel as the real “creator engine”How premium packaging accidentally became UGC bait (and drove organic sharing)Why paid media flopped for them, and what worked better: education, SEO, panels, masterclasses, emailWhat “small batch, no fillers” actually means operationally (and why most brands avoid it)Who this is for:Founders/marketers in regulated or trust-sensitive categories who need compounding growth, not a one-time launch pop.What to steal:Build a lead magnet that's actually useful (their free fertility masterclass model) → then nurture with emailGo win practitioner trust one office at a time (and let that credibility cascade into PR + podcasts + referrals)Make your packaging something people want on the counter (compliance = retention)Timestamps00:00 Why WeNatal exists02:00 Miscarriage, Hashimoto's, and the wake-up call05:00 Men's role in fertility and what the research says07:00 Treating fertility like a team sport11:00 The fertility crisis and why it's tied to overall health16:00 Building the product: medical board, formulation, manufacturing18:00 How WeNatal grew without paid ads23:00 Pre, during, and postnatal use and retention26:00 Education-led growth: blogs, masterclass, panels, email30:00 Integrity vs hype in the supplement industry34:00 What's next: Protein Plus and 2026 product bets37:00 OutroSubscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouseFollow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video

Dr. Matthew Hitchcock of Hitchcock Medical Group in Chattanooga, TN has spent over a decade proving that direct primary care is not just better medicine, it's a smarter business. In this episode, he breaks down the layered economic model behind his DPC practice, in-house pharmacy, and cash-only imaging center.What we cover:Why primary care is a loss leader in the insurance world and how DPC fixes thatHealth insurance ≠ healthcare access (and why that distinction matters)How a fully licensed pharmacy and cash-only imaging center ($350 CT vs. $2,000+) create financial resilienceWhy PE and VC-backed primary care keeps failingHow DPC can actually scale — and what kills it when it tries

Check out the episode in its original version here : https://www.gdiy.fr/podcast/alice-bentinck-vo/C'est probablement la fondatrice la plus sous-estimée d'Europe.Alice Bentinck est discrète.Pourtant, elle a contribué à construire 15 milliards de dollars de valeur d'entreprises en 10 ans.Alice est la co-fondatrice d'Entrepreneurs First, le fonds qui trouve des fondateurs avant qu'ils aient une société, avant qu'ils aient une idée, parfois avant même qu'ils sachent qu'ils pensent à entreprendre.Le modèle paraît improbable, nombreux sont les VC qui lui ont dit que ça ne marcherait jamais.Aujourd'hui, Entrepreneurs First a accompagné plus de 500 startups, et compte Reid Hoffman et Patrick Collison parmi ses investisseurs.Dans cet épisode, Alice dévoile tout ce qu'elle a appris sur les co-fondateurs : pourquoi les ruptures tuent plus de startups qu'une mauvaise idée, comment savoir en 48h si on est avec le bon partenaire, pourquoi être trois co-fondateurs peut coûter très cher, et pourquoi la mégalomanie n'est pas forcément un défaut mais une caractéristique commune à tous les grands entrepreneurs.Si vous n'avez toujours pas trouvé le bon associé, ou si vous doutez que celui que vous avez soit vraiment le bon, cet épisode est fait pour vous.Vous pouvez contacter Alice sur Linkedin.Si vous souhaitez candidater chez Entrepreneurs First, écrivez à Julia et Anastasia à cette adresse : gdiy@joinef.comTIMELINE:00:00:00 : Repérer les entrepreneurs le plus tôt possible00:10:34 : L'erreur qui tue les startups00:16:05 : Le piège des 3 fondateurs00:23:58 : Avoir la conversation difficile00:30:21 : La méthode d'Alice pour détecter les entrepreneurs potentiels00:40:23 : Lever des fonds aux États-Unis sans vendre son âme européenne00:47:28 : Comment EF est passé de 10 à 100 startups par an00:57:59 : L'importance géographique sur la vitesse d'exécution01:05:32 : Votre première entreprise n'a pas besoin de fonctionner01:12:38 : Se sentir différent : la première étape pour réussir01:27:05 : La réalité derrière le 99601:42:50 : Les entrepreneurs européens n'ont pas les bonnes priorités01:49:17 : Gérer sa santé et un portefeuille de 15 milliards grâce à l'IA01:53:56 : Le secret à 1000€ de l'heure : la magie du coachingLes anciens épisodes de GDIY mentionnés : #500 - VF - Reid Hoffman - LinkedIn, Paypal - Comment dompter l'invention la plus puissante de l'humanité#487 - VF - Anton Osika - Lovable - Internet, Business et IA : rien ne sera jamais plus comme avant#429 - Nicolas Dessaigne - Y Combinator - Le berceau des futurs géants de la tech#483 - Carlos Ghosn - Out of the box : masterclass business de l'évadé du siècle#158 Edgar Grospiron - Athlète et conférencier - Avance, fais-toi confiance.Nous avons parlé de :DuolingoLe portfolio d'Entrepreneurs firstY CombinatorNotre documentaire sur le rêve américainAu Royaume-Uni, l'impopularité du Brexit relance le débat sur les liens avec l'UEOpenAI to remove non-profit control and give Sam Altman equityAztecPolyAIThe 996 working hour systemLes recommandations de lecture :Fierce Conversations, par Susan ScottSuper Founders, par Ali TamasebThe Road Less Travelled, par M.Scott PeckHow to Be a Founder, par Alice BentinckA work in progress, par René RedzepiVous souhaitez sponsoriser Génération Do It Yourself ou nous proposer un partenariat ?Contactez mon label Orso Media via ce formulaire.Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

This weeks show starts off with classics from Horace Andy, The Paragons & Papa Tullo, The Mighty Diamonds, Hugh Mundell with The Roots Radics and Scientist, Badoo & Ranking Toyan, Willi Williams, Carlton Manning, West Molites, The Wailing Souls, Culture, The Itals, Glen Judah, Don Carlos, VC, and Cornell Campbell. New Music this week comes from Prince Alla, Jah Version, Max Romeo & OBF, Gregory Isaacs, Skarra Mucci, King Stanley & Krone, Double Tiger with Sly & Robbie, Reign Africa, Tracy Mowet, Dre Z Melody & The Irie Sounds Band, Quan Nelson, T. Natty, Micah Shemaiah, Ruckus, Perfect Giddimani, KickRaux & Yaksta, Zion Head, Xana Romeo, YT, and Wends with Escape Roots. Also this week we ride the new Zion I Kings Fruits Ripe Riddim featuring Jesse Royal, Irie Souljah  and G Whizz, and Micah Shemaiah with Pressure Busspipe. We also pay tribute to the Iconic Jamaican Reggae Producer Phil Prat who passed away last week with selections from Dennis Brown, Pat Kelly, Ken Boothe, Big Youth, Bobby Kalphat, Junior Brown, and Ronnie Davis. Enjoy!  Horace Andy - Do You Love My Music - In The Light/In The Light Dub - Blood & Fire The Paragons - A Place Called Zion - Rub A Dub Revolution - Pressure Sounds Papa Tullo - Part 2 - Rub A Dub Revolution - Pressure Sounds Mighty Diamonds - Make Haste - African Museum Hugh Mundell w/The Roots Radics & Scientist - Rasta Have The Handle/Dangerous Match Two - Junjo Presents: Wins The World Cup - Greensleeves Dr. Dubwiser - Babylon - Dub War: George Palmer Vs. Dr. Dubwiser - Time To Roots Records Dennis Brown - Let Love In - Burning Rockers: The 12” Mixes - Burning Sounds Pat Kelly & The Phil Pratt All Stars - Talk About Love/Talk About Love Version - Sun Shot Badoo & Ranking Toyan - Rocking Of The Five Thousand - Fatman 10” Willi Williams & Yabby You - Daughters Of Zion - Unification: From Channel One To King Tubby's - Shanachie Carlton Manning - Better Days - Quality Records /Jah Fingers 7” West Molites - I See A Sign - Big Dread 7” Wailing Souls - Bandits Taking Over - Fire House Rock - Greensleeves The Itals - What An Agony - Cool & Dread - Nighthawk Records Culture - The International Herb - The International Herb - Virgin Glen Judah - Mr. Collie Man/Mr. Collie Man Version - Roots Vibration 7” Ken Boothe - Artibella - Silver & Gold: The Sunshot Records Collection - 1969-1971 - Doctor Bird Big Youth - Keep Your Dread - Natty Universal Dread 1973-1979 - Blood & Fire Phil Pratt & The Revolutionaries - Natty Culture - Dial M For Murder: In Dub Style - Pressure Sounds Dennis Brown & Soul Syndicate - What About The Half/What About The Half Version - Silver & Gold: The Sunshot Records Collection - 1969-1971 - Doctor Bird Don Carlos - Black History - Live & Learn Prince Alla & The Dub Wizards Band - Drift Away/Drift Away Dub - Time To Roots Records Cornell Campbell - Two Face Rasta - I Shall Not Remove 1975-1980 - Blood & Fire Taiwan MC - Mr. Babylon - Special Request - Chinese Man Records Jah Version - Gather Round - Evidence Music Max Romeo & OBF - Bandminded People/Bad Dub - Dub Quake Records Glen Washington - Give Jah Praise Everyday - Ruff Cutt 7” Mighty Diamonds - White Squall/White Squall Dub - Better Days - Global Beats Gregory Isaacs - Bring Love To Me - Gregory Isaacs At Stingray Records - Stingray Records VC - By His Deeds - VP Records 7” Skarra Mucci & Dub Akom - Blud - Cherry Peppa Riddim - Evidence Music King Stanley w/Krone & Ting A Ling - The Wicked Harm/The Wicked Harm Version - Ting A Ling/Evidence Music Yeza & Rorystonelove - Heavy Weight - Star Of The East - Rorystonelove Double Tiger Meets Sly & Robbie - Yearning - Easy Star Records Reign Africa - Put Your Records On - Manuka Honey Riddim - Giddimani Records Tracy Mowet - Reggae Nice Again - Stingray Records Dre Z Melodi & The Irie Sounds Band - Jamaica - Irie Sounds International  Bob Marley & The Wailers - Misty Morning - Kaya - Tuff Gong Quan Nelson & Addis Records - Draw Blood - Keys Riddim - Evidence Music T. Natty & Addis Records - Milk & Honey - Keys Riddim - Evidence Music Micah Shemaiah - When Yuh Right - Natural Is The Mystic - Jah Solid Rock Music Pablo Moses - Dubbing Is A Must Pt. 1 - The Revolutionary Years 1975-1983 - Grounded Music  Augustus Pablo & Yabby You - Pablo Dread Ina Red - The Rockers Story: The Mystic World Of Augustus Pablo - Shanachie Phil Pratt - Easy Street Special - The War Is On Dub Style - Pressure Sounds  Phil Pratt - Dial M For Murder - Dial M For Murder: In Dub Style - Pressure Sounds Bobby Kalphat & The Sunshot All Stars - Money - Kingston Shuffle: Funky Sounds & Beats From Kingston Jamaica - Pressure Sounds Bob Marley & The Wailers - Crazy Baldhead Dub - Bob Marley In Dub Vol. 1 - Tuff Gong Blackbeard - Jazzz - I-Wah Dub - More Cut Records Junior Brown - What A Disaster - Pressure Sounds Phil Pratt - Don't Watch My Size - Dial M For Murder: In Dub Style - Pressure Sounds Black Uhuru - Eye Market - Chill Out - Island Records Black Uhuru - Boof N Baff N Biff - The Dub Factor - Island Records Yabby You - Conquering Lion (Groove Corporation Remix) - Select Cuts From Blood & Fire Chapter One - Select Cuts Milton Henry & The Lone Ark Riddim Force - Rastaman Beware/Beware Dub - Branches & Leaves - A-Lone Productions Phil Pratt feat. Ronnie Davis - Strange Things - Chanan-Jah/Pressure Sounds 10” Runkus - A Believer - Easy Star Records KickRaux & Yaksta - If It's Too Heavy - KickRaux Perfect Giddimani - Red & Dread - Giddimani Records Zion Head - Fight For Our Rights - Z2diZ Music Production Jesse Royal & Zion I Kings - Give Thanks - Fruits Ripe Riddim - Zion High Productions Irie Souljah feat G Whizz & Zion I Kings - Trodding On - Fruits Ripe Riddim - Zion High Productions Micah Shemaiah feat Pressure Busspipe & Zion I Kings - Don't Mix We Up - Fruits Ripe Riddim - Zion High Productions Zion I Kings - Fruits Ripe Riddim Dub - Fruits Ripe Riddim - Zion High Productions Xana Romeo & Jallanzo - Carry On - The Divine Blueprint - Charmax Music/Xana Romeo YT & Escape Roots - Weapon Of Choice - Rootsman Riddim - Superchip Records Wends & Escape Roots - Roots Gal Party - Rootsman Riddim - Superchip Records Micah Shemaiah - Strictly Rub A Dub - Natural Is The Mystic - Jah Solid Rock Music Micah Shemaiah - Strictly Rub A Dub Dub - King Of The Dub Rock 3 - Jah Solid Rock Music

What does it take to rebuild the foundation of American military power? Michael Cadenazzi, assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy, joined Ryan at a live event a few weeks back for a fascinating discussion on the state of the defense industrial base (from new VC-backed entrants to the primes), the race for critical minerals, supply chain vulnerabilities, the unsexy realities of implementation, the role of allies, and the challenges of scaling production.   He is also looking for your ideas.    Special thanks to Altana for hosting the event at which this episode was recorded.

I take Perplexity Computer for its first real spin and test five use cases that founders can use right now to make money and move faster. I connect my Gmail live, let the AI send cold outreach on my behalf, set up daily competitive intelligence monitoring, research 50 VCs for a mock Series A, and kick off a full investment memo on Shopify, all in a single session. By the end, I walk away genuinely impressed and convinced the $200/month Max plan can pay for itself with one closed deal. Timestamps 00:00 – Intro 00:35 – What We're Testing Today 02:35 – Use Case 1: Warm Outbound at Scale 15:31 – Use Case 2: Automated Competitive Intel 25:11 – Use Case 3: Investor Pipeline Research (50 VCs) 26:58 – Use Case 4: Turn a Podcast Into a Content Machine 31:39 – Use Case 5: Live Market Diligence (Shopify Investment Memo) 34:17 – Bonus: Additional Use Cases Worth Trying 36:06 – Closing Thoughts and Takeaways Key Points Perplexity Computer runs multiple research tasks in parallel using sub-agents, skills, and tools — functioning like a virtual analyst working across the open internet. The cold outreach workflow found real email addresses, researched each prospect's recent activity, and drafted hyper-personalized emails that reference specific details — then sent them through a connected Gmail account. Setting up recurring competitive intelligence monitoring (daily reports, weekly sponsor tracking) is where the tool shifts from a one-off assistant to a persistent agent running on autopilot. The VC pipeline research use case demonstrates how founders who lack a warm network can still build a structured, targeted investor list with fund sizes, thesis alignment, and partner contacts. At $200/month on the Max plan, the cost pays for itself if even one sponsorship deal or investor meeting closes from the outreach. The platform already supports connectors for Gmail, Google Drive, Slack, HubSpot, Ahrefs, Reddit, and more — making it a serious contender for centralized founder workflows. The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.com LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/ The Vibe Marketer - Resources for people into vibe marketing/marketing with AI: https://www.thevibemarketer.com/ FIND ME ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

From 100+ rejections to landing an Investment Banking role in London — this is the real story of how one student broke into IB with zero connections and no roadmap. Nikita shares his journey from Bocconi and ESSEC to securing a full-time Investment Banking offer, including the struggles, internship experience, networking strategy, and key lessons that helped him succeed. Check out WSO Academy — the prep that has helped thousands break into high finance. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dr. Cameka Smith. Founder of The BOSS Network, from Money Making Conversations Masterclass: Purpose of the Interview The interview aimed to: Highlight The BOSS Network’s mission to empower women of color through entrepreneurship, career development, and community support. Share Dr. Smith’s personal journey from layoff to leadership, inspiring others to embrace entrepreneurship. Discuss strategies for business success, funding opportunities, and mentorship for Black female founders. Key Takeaways Origin of The BOSS Network Founded in 2009 during the recession after Dr. Smith was laid off from Chicago Public Schools. Initially started as local events in Chicago; now a digital community reaching 200,000 women nationwide. Mission: Bringing Out Successful Sisters (BOSS)—promoting small business spirit and career growth. Impact & Achievements Invested in 100 Black female founders through grants. Trained 50,000 women on business strategies. Coached 10,000 women on starting businesses. Created Boss Business University, offering mentorship and digital programs. Pivot During COVID Shifted from 35% event-based revenue to 75% digital. Launched Boss Impact Fund and Invest in Progress Grant: $10,000 grants + 4-year scholarships for recipients. Combined funding, mentorship, and marketing support for sustainability. Challenges & Mindset Entrepreneurship requires planning, resilience, and community support. Dr. Smith saved money before leaving her job and leveraged relationships for growth. Quote: “Entrepreneurs will work 80 hours for themselves but don’t want to work 40 hours for someone else.” Top 3 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make Lack of research: Understand your industry, competitors, and market. No revenue model: If you’re not making money, it’s a hobby, not a business. Ignoring relationships: Networking and partnerships are key to success. Unique Marketing & Partnerships Dr. Smith built direct relationships with brands, bypassing agencies that offered “pennies on the dollar.” Created a dual revenue model: B2B (corporate partnerships) + B2C (community engagement). Core Philosophy Motto: Believe, Plan, Win. Quote: “Those that show up, go up.” Success is rooted in faith, persistence, and leveraging community. Notable Quotes “I was born to be an entrepreneur. My mother told me, until you become your own boss, you have to follow the rules.” “Less than 1% of Black women get VC funding—so we created our own fund.” “Relationships are your key to success. When social media goes away, your audience remains.” “If you have a business and you don’t have money, you’ve got a hobby.” “God will not birth anything inside of you that He will not give you the tools to deliver.” #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSupport the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Dr. Cameka Smith. Founder of The BOSS Network, from Money Making Conversations Masterclass: Purpose of the Interview The interview aimed to: Highlight The BOSS Network’s mission to empower women of color through entrepreneurship, career development, and community support. Share Dr. Smith’s personal journey from layoff to leadership, inspiring others to embrace entrepreneurship. Discuss strategies for business success, funding opportunities, and mentorship for Black female founders. Key Takeaways Origin of The BOSS Network Founded in 2009 during the recession after Dr. Smith was laid off from Chicago Public Schools. Initially started as local events in Chicago; now a digital community reaching 200,000 women nationwide. Mission: Bringing Out Successful Sisters (BOSS)—promoting small business spirit and career growth. Impact & Achievements Invested in 100 Black female founders through grants. Trained 50,000 women on business strategies. Coached 10,000 women on starting businesses. Created Boss Business University, offering mentorship and digital programs. Pivot During COVID Shifted from 35% event-based revenue to 75% digital. Launched Boss Impact Fund and Invest in Progress Grant: $10,000 grants + 4-year scholarships for recipients. Combined funding, mentorship, and marketing support for sustainability. Challenges & Mindset Entrepreneurship requires planning, resilience, and community support. Dr. Smith saved money before leaving her job and leveraged relationships for growth. Quote: “Entrepreneurs will work 80 hours for themselves but don’t want to work 40 hours for someone else.” Top 3 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make Lack of research: Understand your industry, competitors, and market. No revenue model: If you’re not making money, it’s a hobby, not a business. Ignoring relationships: Networking and partnerships are key to success. Unique Marketing & Partnerships Dr. Smith built direct relationships with brands, bypassing agencies that offered “pennies on the dollar.” Created a dual revenue model: B2B (corporate partnerships) + B2C (community engagement). Core Philosophy Motto: Believe, Plan, Win. Quote: “Those that show up, go up.” Success is rooted in faith, persistence, and leveraging community. Notable Quotes “I was born to be an entrepreneur. My mother told me, until you become your own boss, you have to follow the rules.” “Less than 1% of Black women get VC funding—so we created our own fund.” “Relationships are your key to success. When social media goes away, your audience remains.” “If you have a business and you don’t have money, you’ve got a hobby.” “God will not birth anything inside of you that He will not give you the tools to deliver.” #SHMS #STRAW #BESTSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robinhood revealed the companies their VC fund invested in… because it's IPOing this month.Stanley's Quencher sales are dropping… so it's pivoting to guys, gym bags, and protein #ManlyHow do you save Colorado's worst ski season?… With one innovative fence. And a trick from Fenway park.Plus, forget Olympic gold… because a Girl Scout just set the record for most cookies ever sold: $700K$HOOD $MTN $BTCBuy tickets to The IPO Tour (our In-Person Offering) TODAYAustin, TX (2/25): SOLD OUTArlington, VA (3/11): https://www.arlingtondrafthouse.com/shows/341317 New York, NY (4/8): https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0000637AE43ED0C2Los Angeles, CA (6/3): SOLD OUTGet your TBOY Yeti Doll gift here: https://tboypod.com/shop/product/economic-support-yeti-doll NEWSLETTER:https://tboypod.com/newsletter OUR 2ND SHOW:Want more business storytelling from us? Check our weekly deepdive show, The Best Idea Yet: The untold origin story of the products you're obsessed with. Listen for free to The Best Idea Yet: https://wondery.com/links/the-best-idea-yet/NEW LISTENERSFill out our 2 minute survey: https://qualtricsxm88y5r986q.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dp1FDYiJgt6lHy6GET ON THE POD: Submit a shoutout or fact: https://tboypod.com/shoutouts SOCIALS:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tboypod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tboypodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tboypod Linkedin (Nick): https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolas-martell/Linkedin (Jack): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-crivici-kramer/Anything else: https://tboypod.com/ About Us: The daily pop-biz news show making today's top stories your business. Formerly known as Robinhood Snacks, The Best One Yet is hosted by Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.