Podcasts about VC

Grok dials back the AI image generation thing. Kinda. xAI just raised all that money cause it kinda has to. Looks like the next Deep Seek model is incoming. Why a16z is officially the biggest VC firm in all the world. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. No, Grok hasn't paywalled its deepfake image feature (The Verge) Musk's xAI Burns Almost $8 Billion, Reveals Optimus Plan (Bloomberg) Chinese Firms Dominated Global Humanoid Robot Shipments in 2025 (Bloomberg) DeepSeek To Release Next Flagship AI Model With Strong Coding Ability (The Information) Andreessen Horowitz raises $15 billion for new funds (Axios) A16z's $15 Billion Fund Vacuumed Up A Fifth Of Venture Dollars Raised Last Year (Forbes) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: The Man Who Could Be Apple's Next C.E.O. (NYTimes) The cost of America's nuclear revival (FT) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this feed drop from Uncapped, Jack Altman sits down with a16z co-founder Ben Horowitz to unpack the founding bet behind Andreessen Horowitz. VC should be a better product for entrepreneurs, built on real operating experience, real networks, and real support.Ben shares how he and Marc Andreessen have worked together for 30 years, how they make decisions, and what it takes to scale a venture firm without losing the edge that actually helps founders. They also dig into why boards matter, how platform teams can change what partners do day-to-day, and the difference between “heat-seeking” investing and conviction-driven company building, especially in sectors like AI and crypto.Timecodes:00:00 Introduction 01:05 Ben Horowitz & Marc Andreessen's Partnership  04:05 Building & Leading a16z  07:16 Managing High-Powered VCs  11:01 Boards, Governance & Founder Support  15:36 Platform Services & Recruiting  17:43 Scale vs. Concentration in Venture  20:57 Why Venture Can Scale  24:27 Platform Services: What Works and What Doesn't  27:50 The Real Value of Board Membership  35:38 Media, Brand & Marketing Evolution  41:32 The Future of Media & Journalism  45:30 Limits on Venture Firm Size  49:13 Winning vs. Picking Deals  53:16 The Case Against Venture Scale  55:49 Hiring Operators & Rethinking the VC ProductResources:Follow Ben on X: https://twitter.com/bhorowitzFollow Jack on X: https://twitter.com/jaltmaWatch more from Uncapped: https://www.altcap.com/ Stay Updated:If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends!Find a16z on X: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zListen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYXListen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Stay Updated:Find a16z on XFind a16z on LinkedInListen to the a16z Show on SpotifyListen to the a16z Show on Apple PodcastsFollow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Wondering how to raise funds using equity crowdfunding?  In this episode of Crowdfunding Demystified, Salvador Briggman sits down with Chase, founder and CTO of Emission Free Generators, to break down how his team raised over $407,903  on WeFunder for a hydrogen-powered portable generator designed for safe, indoor use. In this episode, you'll learn: How military-grade hydrogen technology was adapted for a consumer hardware product Why equity crowdfunding (Reg CF) was the right funding path for a capital-intensive startup How Emission Free Generators validated demand before scaling manufacturing The storytelling framework that turned everyday investors into long-term advocates Social media traffic strategies used to drive investor interest and momentum Key Reg CF lessons for founders raising outside of traditional VC channels This conversation dives deep into what it really takes to launch a physical product, raise capital through equity crowdfunding, and build trust with investors in a massive, growing backup power market. If you're building hardware, considering Reg CF, or looking to raise capital while validating demand, this episode is packed with real-world insights you can apply today. Resources and Tools Mentioned: Book a coaching call Subscribe for Weekly Crowdfunding Tips Fulfillrite: Kickstarter and crowdfunding reward fulfillment services. They come highly recommended! Download their free shipping and fulfillment checklist FREE Kickstarter Course Kickstarter Launch Formula Audiobook FREE Crowdfunding PR Course Emission Free Generators on WeFunder The Lean Startup by Eric Ries

(0:00) Guest intros: Jasons introduces Bob Sternfels (McKinsey) and Hemant Taneja (General Catalyst) (2:52) The pace of innovation and why VC's are buying hospitals (9:30) CFOs vs CIOs and unlocking growth (20:46) The job market and why graduates aren't getting hired (27:33) Why education is broken (40:03) Tech time capsule Follow Hemant Taneja: https://x.com/htaneja Follow Bob Sternfels: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-sternfels 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

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Gusto - https://www.gusto.com/twistLemon IO -  https://lemon.io/twistQuo - http://quo.com/TWiSTToday's show: We keep hearing about how AI is killing our ability to think, filling our media with slop, and ruining our kids' ability to learn. It seems the internet is filled with negative sentiment about the future AI is bringing.Jason is joined by Grant Lee, CEO and co-founder of Gamma, as well as Steven Johnson, editorial director of NotebookLM to tackle these questions on today's AI roundtable!Grant and Steven break down how they are using AI to push forward their own productivity as well as their teams. Both say that AI makes you more creative! Steven points out that it helped him write his books by having AI do the “chore work” while he got to focus on the valuable insights and higher level thinking.One valuable tip was that AI can be used to uncover customer insights in a new medium. Steven and Grant both put customer feedback into an LLM, allowed them to have high level conversations with their whole user base about what features and products they each enjoy. If that isn't creative, then what is?Learn about all this and more in today's roundtable!Timestamps:(00:00) Introducing Steven Johnson and Grant Lee!(10:12) Gusto: Check out the online payroll and benefits experts with software built specifically for small business and startups. Try Gusto today and get three months FREE at https://www.gusto.com/twist(11:28) How Jason and the TWiST team uses NotebookLM(12:37) Will AI replace lawyers in startups and VC? Should they?(16:08) How the Gamma team uses AI understand their consumers(19:43) Lemon.io: Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://lemon.io/twist(22:38) How the Google team uses AI to “talk” to their whole user base.(24:45) Is AI replicating our brains and consciousness?(28:18) The ways that AI is changing how companies process information.(30:39) Quo (formerly OpenPhone) gives you a clean, modern way to handle every customer call, text, and thread all in one place. Try it free at http://quo.com/TWiST(31:43) Jason thinks groupchats are the modern coffee shop for interesting ideas!(32:48) Why Steven thinks AI makes creatives MORE ORIGINAL(40:02) HALF of US adults think AI makes you less creative(43:20) Grant defends using AI for doing research + making business decisions(45:28) Superforecasting — How to think about your thinking(53:00) Is education going back to blue books and oral exams?(56:30) Jevons Paradox and How AI will increase jobs for all!(59:50) Edison put whale hunters out of business but brought in electricians and movie industry(1:02:36) Jason coaches his employees to 10x themselves with AI tools to push value(1:05:54) Jason's call to join the AI revolution*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(10:12) Gusto: Check out the online payroll and benefits experts with software built specifically for small business and startups. Try Gusto today and get three months FREE at https://www.gusto.com/twist(19:43) Lemon.io: Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://lemon.io/twist(30:39) Quo (formerly OpenPhone) gives you a clean, modern way to handle every customer call, text, and thread all in one place. Try it free at http://quo.com/TWiST

继数字化浪潮之后，AI 的兴起再次给传媒行业带来了冲击。在这个新技术快速迭代的时代，传媒教育究竟还应该教给学生什么？ 去年，香港大学原有的「新闻及传媒研究中心」重新更名为「未来媒体学院」。而今天这期节目的嘉宾，也是未来媒体学院的教师 Yolanda，则是学院内人工智能创新方向的主导者。 作为一线实践者，她正带着学生在变动的行业边界中寻找新的坐标。我们讨论了：新传专业正在设计哪些新课程来应对技术的变化？老师应该如何引导学生划清新闻业中使用 AI 的边界？以及在知识随手可得的今天，还有哪些传媒专业的技能需要一对一的传授？ 面对没有现成解法的未来，相比起在岸上观望技术焦虑，或许先一步迈入不确定性，拥有在动荡中摸索、自我校准的勇气，本身也是 AI 时代稀缺的竞争力。 本期人物 Yolanda，香港大学未来媒体学院人工智能创新项目主任及讲师 徐涛，声动活泼联合创始人 主要话题 [07:49] AI 时代，港大的未来媒体学院在教哪些新东西？ [19:03] 一门融合了 AI 技术的新闻课背后，都有哪些设计考量 [29:36] 新闻系的学生为什么要学习「产品思维」 [40:06] 怎样在教学中引导学生划清 AI 工具使用的边界 [49:25] 当知识不再稀缺，还有哪些技能需要一对一传授？ Untitled https://media24.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads-2024/images/8/8dd8a56f-9636-415a-8c00-f9ca6778e511/s2FS88VG.PNG 1 月 6 号，星巴克宣布与亚朵达成联合会员合作，再次升级星巴克会员权益！星巴克钻星及金星会员可拥有最高 360 天的亚朵金会员体验，享受升级好房、双人早餐 、延迟退房等实用福利。钻星会员还能将其中的 90 天升级为亚朵铂金会员体验，额外获得最高 18 张的亚朵升房券。而星巴克银星及玉星会员，可以领取最高 30 元的亚朵无门槛立减券。除此之外，所有的星巴克会员在入住亚朵期间，更能享受双倍积星。感兴趣的朋友，可以点击链接 (https://sourl.co/2FLCNS)，一键绑定联合会员，了解更多出行住宿礼遇。 给声东击西投稿 如果你或者你认识的朋友，曾经或者此刻正身处委内瑞拉，欢迎你向我们投稿，分享你的所见所闻！ 我们会对你的信息进行保密。 投稿入口 (https://eg76rdcl6g.feishu.cn/share/base/form/shrcne1CGVaSeJwtBriW6yNT2dg) 你也可以直接通过邮箱直接联系节目组：kexuan@shengfm.cn 加入我们 声动活泼目前开放【商业发展经理、节目监制，早咖啡实习生、商业实习生和运营实习生】岗位，详情点击招聘入口：加入声动活泼（在招职位速览） (https://eg76rdcl6g.feishu.cn/docx/XO6bd12aGoI4j0xmAMoc4vS7nBh?from=from_copylink)，点击相应链接即可查看岗位详情及投递指南。 招聘 https://media24.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads-2024/images/8/8dd8a56f-9636-415a-8c00-f9ca6778e511/1TCNqViU.jpg 商务合作 声动活泼商业化小队，点击链接可直达商务会客厅（商务会客厅链接：https://sourl.cn/QDhnEc ），也可发送邮件至 business@shengfm.cn 联系我们。 关于声动活泼 「用声音碰撞世界」，声动活泼致力于为人们提供源源不断的思考养料。 我们还有这些播客：不止金钱（2024 全新发布） (https://www.xiaoyuzhoufm.com/podcast/65a625966d045a7f5e0b5640)、跳进兔子洞第三季（2024 全新发布） (https://www.xiaoyuzhoufm.com/podcast/666c0ad1c26e396a36c6ee2a)、声东击西 (https://etw.fm/episodes)、声动早咖啡 (https://sheng-espresso.fireside.fm/)、What's Next｜科技早知道 (https://guiguzaozhidao.fireside.fm/episodes)、反潮流俱乐部 (https://fanchaoliuclub.fireside.fm/)、泡腾 VC (https://popvc.fireside.fm/)、商业WHY酱 (https://msbussinesswhy.fireside.fm/) 欢迎在即刻 (https://okjk.co/Qd43ia)、微博等社交媒体上与我们互动，搜索 声动活泼 即可找到我们。 也欢迎你写邮件和我们联系，邮箱地址是：ting@sheng.fm 获取更多和声动活泼有关的讯息，你也可以扫码添加声小音，在节目之外和我们保持联系！ 声东击西 https://media24.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads-2024/images/8/8dd8a56f-9636-415a-8c00-f9ca6778e511/wEYE7jJa.jpg Special Guest: Yolanda.

Welcome to 2026. In this special New Year's episode of The Data Minute, Peter sits down with his colleague Ashley Neville from Carta's Insights Team to dissect the data that defined 2025 and forecast the trends shaping the year ahead.Ashley and Peter analyze the "haves and have nots" market where AI startups command a 40% valuation premium over their peers. They explain why solo founders now account for over a third of all new companies and how capital constraints are driving this shift.They also break down the changing landscape for startup employees, including why equity packages have dropped by 50% and why many departing workers are choosing not to exercise their options. Plus, they discuss the liquidity pressure facing VCs, the "Nvidia problem" for LPs, and what founders need to understand about the Safe market in 2026.Subscribe to Carta's weekly Data Minute newsletter: https://carta.com/subscribe/data-newsletter-sign-up/Explore interactive startup and VC data, with Carta's Data Desk: https://carta.com/data-desk/Chapters:01:14 – Ashley Neville joins the show 02:18 – Fundraising: A market of "Haves and Have Nots"03:47 – The 40% AI valuation premium06:00 – Why the bar for media coverage has skyrocketed07:34 – The surge of the Solo Founder (30% to 36%)10:00 – The concentration of startups in SF and SaaS11:17 – The new hiring reality: 10% leaner teams13:34 – Why employee equity packages are down 50%15:20 – Why employees are leaving options on the table18:43 – The "First Employee" equity bump21:10 – The need for better equity education24:02 – The liquidity crisis: IPOs vs. Staying Private28:05 – LP Psychology: Why invest in VC when you have Nvidia?29:39 – Companies staying private for 16-18 years32:10 – Fund Economics: VC vs. PE personal capital36:20 – The most common founder questions (Safes & Dilution)38:52 – OutroThis presentation contains general information only and eShares, Inc. dba Carta, Inc. (“Carta”) is not, by means of this publication, rendering accounting, business, financial, investment, legal, tax, or other professional advice or services, and is for informational purposes only.  This presentation is not a substitute for such professional advice or services nor should it be used as a basis for any decision or action that may affect your business or interests. © 2026 eShares, Inc., dba Carta, Inc. All rights reserved.

Venture capital is changing—fast. Erica shares her journey from outsider to fund founder, reveals the new rules for startup success, and explains why building your personal brand is now essential. If you want to stand out, raise money, and win in today's VC world, this episode is for you. Erica's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-wenger-ms-811b80132/ Park Rangers Capital: https://www.parkrangerscap.com/ Subscribe to my newsletter: https://thegrowthlist.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

在美国，一边是科技大厂持续裁员、岗位收缩，另一边，Meta 却不惜以天价挖角 Alexander Wang 这样的顶级 AI 人才；在中国，职场同样呈现出一种高度割裂的状态：一方面，初级岗位明显减少，应届毕业生的就业形势愈发严峻；另一方面， 顶尖 AI 人才依然能够拿到千万年薪 Offer。裁员、AI 替代、高薪抢人，这些看似互相矛盾的信号不断叠加，让人很难判断当下的人才市场，到底是在降温，还是在重构？ AI 是否正在大规模「替代工作」？为什么同一时间，会并存着「应届生找不到工作」和「AI 人才被天价争抢」？美国科技公司「边裁边招」的逻辑，和中国企业的用人策略有何不同？这一期节目，我们邀请到的嘉宾是脉脉的创始人兼 CEO 林凡。作为长期处在一线观察人才流动的从业者，脉脉同时也发布了最新的《2025 年度人才迁徙报告》，让我们得以用报告中的数据重新理解这一轮变化。 本期人物 林凡，脉脉创始人兼 CEO Yaxian，「科技早知道」主播 主要话题 [01:19] 如果用三个词总结 2025 年职场，会是哪三个？ - AI：DeepSeek 显著拉低落地成本，AI 从 PPT 走向真实业务 - 回暖：6 月起招聘需求出现明显反弹 - 贸易战：直接推动芯片与出海电商相关人才需求 [07:28] 脉脉社区里，2025 年最热的三个关键词是什么？ - AI：从「要不要用」变成「用多深、用多好」 - 年终奖：薪酬向少数高绩效核心人才集中 - 内推：海投失效，关系网络变得更重要 [13:37] 如果给 2024 和 2025 的职场打分，差别在哪？ - 2024 年明显偏冷；2025 年进入「温」的状态 - AI 岗位发布量同比增长 543%，成为核心驱动力 - 岗位回暖高度集中在少数赛道 [20:25] 哪些行业在吸人，哪些在持续流出？ - 净流入：AI、机器人、智能硬件、新能源、出海电商 - 净流出：地产、传统金融、部分传统服务业 - 智能硬件成为“覆盖面最广”的人才黑洞 [26:38] 美国科技公司的裁员，究竟在裁什么？ - 2025 年裁员规模已是四年最低 - 主要裁中层和初级（Entry-level）岗位 - 本质是「还旧债 + 投未来」 [34:00] 中国和美国，在 AI 用人逻辑上有什么不同？ - 美国：算力贵、人力贵，更强动力用 AI 替人 - 中国：算力受限，更依赖「用人放大算力效率」 - 中国互联网大厂进入「增本增效」阶段 [55:56] 为什么 2025 年主动离职率反而上升？ - 年轻人主动跳向 AI 等热赛道 - 35 岁以上人群出现「职业暂停期」 - 离职背后，是两种完全不同的动机 [59:57] 在不确定时代，求职者最看重什么？给职场新人的建议有哪些？ - 薪资重要性下降，长期确定性上升 - 行业前景、岗位成长性权重提高 - 大变革期，稳定不再等于安全 幕后制作 监制：Yaxian 后期：迪卡 运营：George 设计：饭团 商业合作 声动活泼商业化小队，点击链接直达声动商务会客厅（https://sourl.cn/9h28kj ），也可发送邮件至 business@shengfm.cn 联系我们。 加入声动活泼 声动活泼目前开放商务合作实习生、社群运营实习生和 BD 经理等职位，详情点击招聘入口详情点击招聘入口 (https://eg76rdcl6g.feishu.cn/docx/XO6bd12aGoI4j0xmAMoc4vS7nBh?from=from_copylink) 关于声动活泼 「用声音碰撞世界」，声动活泼致力于为人们提供源源不断的思考养料。 我们还有这些播客：声动早咖啡 (https://www.xiaoyuzhoufm.com/podcast/60de7c003dd577b40d5a40f3)、声东击西 (https://etw.fm/episodes)、吃喝玩乐了不起 (https://www.xiaoyuzhoufm.com/podcast/644b94c494d78eb3f7ae8640)、反潮流俱乐部 (https://www.xiaoyuzhoufm.com/podcast/5e284c37418a84a0462634a4)、泡腾 VC (https://www.xiaoyuzhoufm.com/podcast/5f445cdb9504bbdb77f092e9)、商业WHY酱 (https://www.xiaoyuzhoufm.com/podcast/61315abc73105e8f15080b8a)、跳进兔子洞 (https://therabbithole.fireside.fm/) 、不止金钱 (https://www.xiaoyuzhoufm.com/podcast/65a625966d045a7f5e0b5640) 欢迎在即刻 (https://okjk.co/Qd43ia)、微博等社交媒体上与我们互动，搜索 声动活泼 即可找到我们。 期待你给我们写邮件，邮箱地址是：ting@sheng.fm 科技早知道 https://media24.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads-2024/images/4/4931937e-0184-4c61-a658-6b03c254754d/81NaqVaT.jpg 欢迎扫码添加声小音，在节目之外和我们保持联系。 Special Guest: 林凡.

Highlights from their conversation include:CCR's Background and Journey to FleetPulse (0:41)FleetPulse Overview (1:19)Trailer Telematics Industry Primer (4:41)Technological Advancements in Trailers (5:10)The Rise of Cargo Theft (7:50)Understanding Trailer Neglect (8:18)Impact of Cargo Theft Trends (10:07)Value of Smart Trailers (12:31)Case Study on FleetPulse Benefits (14:48)  Safety Concerns in US-Mexico Trade (18:07)Establishing a Startup Culture (23:15)Investor Expectations in Industrial Tech (26:07)Hiring at Fleet Pulse (29:13)Supply Chain Prediction for 2025 (30:11)Coaching and Mentoring Approach and Final Thoughts (30:55)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.

Tzvika Graiver is the co-founder and CEO of RoboChute, the company reinventing how buildings manage trash chutes using smart, autonomous robots. With a background in law and a deep commitment to environmental innovation, Tzvika brings a unique blend of strategic insight and operational grit to the built world. RoboChute's system proactively cleans, monitors, and extends the life of garbage chutes—already delivering healthier air and lower costs in buildings across Israel. Tzvika is also the longtime Chairman of KeepOlim, a nonprofit supporting new immigrants in Israel through business development and community advocacy. Whether launching robotics or empowering new communities, he's focused on building smarter, more inclusive buildings and cities from the inside out.(01:35) The Problem with Garbage Chutes(05:46) Cost & Maintenance of Garbage Chutes(07:49) VC on hardware vs. software(12:06) Challenges & Opportunities in Robotics(21:16) Future of Real Estate & Robotics(24:02) Feature: Blueprint - The Future of Real Estate - Register for 2026: The Premier Event for Industry Executives, Real Estate & Construction Tech Startups and VC's, at The Venetian, Las Vegas on September 22nd-24th, 2026. As a friend of Tangent, you can save $300 on your All-Access pass(24:51) Robots in Real Estate Operations(25:16) The Importance of Building Automation(27:06) Innovative Solutions for Waste Management(28:23) The Role of AI in Building Management(32:03) The Rise & Fall of Roomba / iRobot & Amazon's Blocked Acquisition(35:14) Competition with Chinese Manufacturers(42:22) Collaboration Superpower: Hannah Szenes (Wiki) & Lucius Tarquinius Priscus (Wiki)

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.

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.

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Crusoe Cloud - https://crusoe.ai/buildUber - http://uber.com/twistEvery.io - http://every.io/Today's show: Jason and Alex are BACK on TWiST for 2026! This holiday season was anything but calm, with deca-corn acquisitions, massive Polymarket bets, and major new startups breaking from stealth!Jason talks the recent Nvidia-Groq $20B acquisition, a major exit for Chamath as the lead investor back in 2017! Jason delves into how the VC fund math shapes out for pre-seed VC funds vs. Series A VC funds.Jason and Alex delve into drama swirling META's AI team. Yann LeCun, META's former Chief AI Scientist, announced that he would be leaving META to become Executive Chairman at AMI Labs. LeCun left the META team in the new year, calling the new Chief AI Scientist, Alexandr Wang, inexperienced. LeCun now looks to move AI beyond the era of LLM at AMI Labs.PLUS Jason and Alex talk about the new social media app Tangle, from Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter, and Evan Sharp, co-founder of Pinterest. Their Startup, West Co, launched tangle, which seeks to become an “intentional living” app. The two look to improve how humans interact with modern tech. Jason points out that very few news products have worked, but is eager to see how two industry veterans build in the space. Timestamps:(00:00) Why Restaurants are OVER — Peptides and other self medications(06:41) Nvidia Acqui-Hires Groq for $20 BILLION(9:48) Crusoe Cloud: Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit https://crusoe.ai/build to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today.(11:00) The VC fund math between seed vs. Series A funds(15:00) META buys TWiST 500 Company, Manus! Why it matters.(20:20) Uber AI Solutions: Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at http://uber.com/twist(21:24) Why Yann LeCun left META, and what could be behind it(25:27) Producer Claude on the Gondola Crash in Zurich(29:13) Jason's Request for Augmented human intelligence(30:11) Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit http://every.io/(32:04) How one Trader made $436.8k on one bet on polymarket!(36:05) Jason's Predictions for 2026 IPOs(40:01) Is news broken? How Tangle is tackling it.(45:53) How much should startup incur in legal expenses? Should founders try to use AI to avoid costs?(50:59) Why Google should let NotebookLM cook, make it a standalone brand! *Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(9:48) Crusoe Cloud: Crusoe is the AI factory company. Reliable infrastructure and expert support. Visit https://crusoe.ai/build to reserve your capacity for the latest GPUs today.(20:20) Uber AI Solutions: Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at http://uber.com/twist(30:11) Every.io - For all of your incorporation, banking, payroll, benefits, accounting, taxes or other back-office administration needs, visit http://every.io/

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 #BESTSteve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With states stepping directly into the venture capital arena, a major shift is underway in how early-stage companies are funded—and where the next generation of innovation will be built.In this episode of The TechEd Podcast, host Matt Kirchner dives into this emerging movement with Pete Martin, Director of Portfolio Management at the MSU Research Foundation, and Alison Todak, Vice President of Entrepreneurship & Innovation at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Together, they unpack why states like Michigan are deploying public capital into startups, how PitchMI became one of the largest pitch competitions in the country, and what this means for founders, investors, educators, and the broader innovation economy.From filling early-stage capital gaps to catalyzing private investment, Michigan is using public VC models to strengthen its entrepreneurial ecosystem—and the results are showing. Pete and Alison detail the strategy behind PitchMI, the sectors driving the next decade of growth, the role of universities in spinning out new technologies, and how public and private capital partners are increasingly collaborating rather than competing.Listen to learn:Why states are stepping into early-stage VC and where private capital is falling shortHow PitchMI became a $2M competition drawing 375 statewide applicantsThe sectors Michigan is betting on—from mobility to clean tech to AI and health innovationWhy founding teams matter more than anything else at the pre-seed stageHow public VC and private VC now work together to accelerate growth rather than compete3 Big Takeaways from this Episode:1. States are stepping into early-stage VC because private capital isn't meeting the needs of pre-seed founders. Michigan's earliest-stage companies often start in a funding vacuum, and state-backed dollars are designed to close that first-capital gap. The PitchMI model shows how public investment can de-risk companies enough for private VCs to participate later.  2. PitchMI is creating a statewide pipeline of founders, companies, and investors. The competition drew 375 applicants in two weeks and activated partners across smart zones, universities, investors, and the private sector. Even companies that didn't win are already raising capital, hiring talent, and gaining visibility through the program.  3. Public and private VC are becoming collaborators in building regional innovation economies. Founders backed by public funds gain access to non-dilutive programs, state networks, and industry connections, while private firms gain earlier access to high-potential deals. This shared model is shaping how capital formation and startup ecosystems will evolve over the next decade.Resources in this Episode:Learn more about PitchMI: https://msufoundation.org/pitchmi/MSU Research FoundationMichigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)Find more on the episode page: https://techedpodcast.com/msuresearch/We want to hear from you! Send us a text.Instagram - Facebook - YouTube - TikTok - Twitter - LinkedIn

What if the most powerful communicators aren't the most polished ones? In this episode, Dia Bondi shares how watching a three-day communication skills class transformed her life. She had no resume to support her desire, but she made the ask that changed everything: "Will you apprentice me?" That mentor said yes, and 25 years later, she's still helping leaders speak powerfully from who they truly are. Dia's work goes beyond messaging to something deeper: helping clients articulate what they have to say before figuring out how to say it. She's coached VC-backed founders past Series B, VP-level executives, and even helped Rio de Janeiro win the right to host the 2016 Olympics (a $7 billion decision) without ever knowing who referred her. Dia reveals the six attributes of the most compelling communicators: they make the choice to be big in big moments, they know how to make strategic asks, they absolutely know their voice, they've got killer setups for their asks, they bridge their voice to the business really well, and they prep on purpose by actually talking through what they'll say.  She shares the story of a founder who created a 40-minute story to invite existing customers to help inform what gets built next. That task drove $10 million of value in the business. Dia also explains why the most powerful moment in her career might have been her first deal that included both cash and shares, because once she did it once, she now had the confidence and understanding to recreate it over and over again.   [00:08:20] The Ask That Changed My Life Watched three-day communication skills class about storytelling in business Had no resume to support desire to do that work Asked if he would apprentice her, and he did 25 years later still finds it compelling because it truly moves the needle for people [00:10:20] What You Have to Say vs. How to Say It Messaging is "how do I say it?" but Dia lives in the step before that "What is it that you have to say?" Until a leader can articulate things that feel innate but aren't obvious, can't create the message First articulate what you have to say, then figure out how best to express it [00:12:00] The 40-Minute Story Worth $10 Million Former client needed to invite existing customers to participate in informing product development Put together compelling story bridging what founder has to say with story of business Set up really killer ask, 40-minute story to set up that ask Client secured participation needed, will drive about $10 million of value in business [00:17:20] The First Deal With Shares Introduction to blockchain company working directly with founders First time setting up deal that included both cash and shares It paid off, and importantly gave confidence and understanding Once you do it first time, now have opportunity to do it over and over because it's in your radar [00:20:00] Helping Rio Win the Olympics bid Got a request over the internet: "We heard you're good, can you give us a call?" Turned out to be production team working on Rio's bid for 2016 Olympics $7 billion decision, got to work in those teeny tiny rooms where stories get crafted Still doesn't know who referred her, but knows what part of work it came from [00:24:40] Six Attributes of Powerful Communicators One: Make choice to be big in big moments (not about being polished or showboat) Two: Know how to make strategic asks and use asking strategically Three: Absolutely know their voice and can give good feedback to creative collaborators Four: Got killer setups for the asks they make of partners [00:27:20] The Last Two Attributes Five: Bridge their own voice to the business really well Six: Prep on purpose by actually talking through it, not just thinking about it One founder's pregame routine: end call, go downstairs, change shirt, wash face, drink water If he did that six times in day, he'd go through six shirts [00:30:00] Kevin's $16.1 Million Conversation 2003, owned cleaning and restoration company with website producing $15,000/month Mentor Joe Polish: "Come speak at event, document what you do into a course" Had never spoken publicly before, invested in Speaker's Bootcamp training Made $35,000 in course sales that day, but that wasn't the big win [00:32:40] The Real Big Win Over next 12 years sold $16.1 million worth of that course All because of one conversation: "Why don't you come down and speak?" Brought energy, joyfulness, willingness to share with generosity When you're invited, say yes   KEY QUOTES "I made the ask that changed my life. That gentleman brought me in and let me watch his class. I asked if he would apprentice me, and he did." - Dia Bondi "The most compelling communicators make the choice to be big in big moments. And that's never about being a showboat." - Dia Bondi CONNECT WITH DIA BONDI 

✍【乱翻书时刻】• 2025Meta壕购字节没收成的Manus——2017字节吞并Facebook放弃的Musical.ly——这对信息流广告超级机器，早在2012年就已如同师生，尤其是在组织与商业化上。2018年，双方的全球竞争终于亮牌。扎克伯格和张一鸣心中不同的北极星指标，抖音夸张的商业化攫取效率，构成了必然发生在2025/2026的交叉点。• 激进的商业化标杆也解释了——为何2018年初抖音赶超快手，年终国内月活就拉开2亿差距，海外TikTok遥遥领先。2017快手商业化首年就超过70亿收入。双方当年战略空间和定力的差异，大概就源于张利东刘思齐等在2014-2016三年建成了今日头条广告系统，OCPX类效果广告占比约60%，已经从KA和SMB获取了75亿的收入弹药储备。• 张利东曾经是一位怎样的记者，为什么这位传统报纸经营者那么猛，一年调高十倍销售目标？字节为何立下每月3000人+的招聘目标，全力做重支持SMB广告业务？电商平台和中国半数VC融资，为什么都被卷入这种营销风潮？百度和腾讯的商业化团队为什么无法做出有效反击？

Send us a textThe whole world seems to be debating what kind of leader we need.  In this episode, the VC will look how the Bible presents the leaders for which we all look.

Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupDaniel Rotman built Pretty Litter into a $300M+ revenue juggernaut by doing something most founders won't: going all-in on an unsexy product. In this episode, he breaks down how a single innovation in kitty litter unlocked a billion-dollar outcome—with just $1M raised and a 12-person team.For DTC founders scaling from 7 to 9 figures...How to win in overlooked categories (and why sexy products attract deadly competition)Why kitty litter was the perfect subscription productThe secret to high-margin DTC logistics (and how silica unlocked DTC viability)Daniel's media buying strategy in year 1 that drove $750K soloHow Pretty Litter used smart ops, lean hiring, and brand positioning to build a moatWho this is for: Founders, growth leads, and marketers looking to scale profitably and avoid the DTC hype trapsWhat to steal:The underdog category playbookRetention-driven brand buildingThe ops strategy behind $300M revenue and 12 employees#DTCGrowth #SubscriptionBusiness #RetentionMarketing #BootstrapStartup #EcommerceStrategy #ConsumerBrands #FoundersJourney #LeanStartup #ProductInnovation #BrandBuilding #UnsexyProducts #ScalingUp #StartupExit #PetCareIndustry #MarketingTactics00:00 – Introduction: The Power of Unsexy Products 04:41 – The Loss That Sparked Pretty Litter 16:41 – The Health Monitoring Breakthrough 20:25 – From Idea to Launch in 6 Months 23:44 – $750K Year One, Solo Founder 25:33 – Why Daniel Said No to VC 30:20 – Year-by-Year Revenue Growth to $300M+ 36:00 – How Unsexy Built a Moat and Killed the CopycatsSubscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouseFollow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletter

What actually makes a startup defensible anymore, especially when anyone can build a product overnight with AI?In this episode of Supra Insider, Marc Baselga and Ben Erez sit down with Itamar Novick, founder of Recursive Ventures and longtime operator-turned-investor, to unpack how moats are changing in the AI era and what founders (and senior product leaders) need to internalize if they want to build enduring companies.Itamar draws from over 25 years across product leadership, company-building, and early-stage investing to explain why defensibility matters earlier than most founders think, how traditional moats (marketplaces, SaaS velocity, network effects) still apply, and why AI radically compresses time-to-competition. He breaks down how Recursive Ventures evaluates teams, TAM, and moats at the pre-seed stage, why velocity has become a core signal, and how the venture model itself is being reshaped by smaller teams, faster execution, and lower capital requirements.The conversation also goes deep on founder decision-making: how to choose early investors, why community itself can be a moat, what good vs bad VCs look like when companies fail, and why product leaders should seriously consider jumping into AI-native environments, even if it means a short-term step down.If you're a product leader thinking about founding a company, advising startups, or staying relevant in the next decade, this episode offers a clear, opinionated framework for navigating what's changed and what still matters.All episodes of the podcast are also available on Spotify, Apple and YouTube.New to the pod? Subscribe below to get the next episode in your inbox

Wade Foster (CEO) built Zapier into a profitable powerhouse without traditional VC funding—just $1M post-YC, then profitable ever since. On this episode, the co-founder and CEO shares how that capital discipline shaped their ability to pivot hard when AI hit. Wade also dishes on: The GPT-4 moment that shifted Zapier's roadmap A tested formula for AI agents that actually work How to incentivize internal AI adoption   Thanks for tuning in! Catch new episodes every Sunday Subscribe to Topline Newsletter. Tune into Topline Podcast, the #1 podcast for founders, operators, and investors in B2B tech. Join the free Topline Slack channel to connect with 600+ revenue leaders to keep the conversation going beyond the podcast!   Chapters: 00:00 Introduction: Wade Foster and the Age of Agents 02:38 Zapier's Origin: Solving the SaaS Integration Problem 04:14 From Zaps to Agents: The Evolution of Automation 05:07 How GPT-4 Changed Zapier's Internal Strategy 06:43 Unstructured Data and the Rise of Vibe Building 09:56 Why Long-Term Product Roadmaps Are Now Obsolete 13:00 Transitioning from PLG to Enterprise Amidst Competition 17:58 What Actually Works: Defining Successful Agentic Workflows 20:59 Building an AI-Literate Company Culture 26:18 Future Outlook: AI Bubbles vs. Product Reality 27:38 Navigating Board Expectations During Technology Shifts 30:23 Zapier's Capital Efficiency and Fundraising History 33:58 Founder Advice: Prioritizing Long-Term Thinking  

On today's episode, Kara welcomes Adam Bedford, Co-Founder and CEO of Sans — the fast-growing home-wellness brand reimagining clean air and water through thoughtful design and advanced purification technology.Adam's journey began far from the typical startup playbook — in his mother's kitchen in Spain, where clean water wasn't a given and wellness was simply a way of life. Decades before it was mainstream, his mom installed reverse osmosis at home, sparking Adam's early fascination with how our environment shapes our health.That personal foundation eventually led Adam to co-found Sans in the earliest days of COVID — bootstrapping the brand from day one alongside his co-founder, John Fanelly. Their belief was simple but bold: wellness products shouldn't force people to choose between function and design. Today, that vision has propelled Sans into a leading DTC home-wellness brand on track to hit nine figures in 2026 — all without a single dollar of outside investment.In this episode, Adam shares the origin story behind Sans, how he transitioned from EdTech to hardware, what he learned bootstrapping a category-defining wellness brand, and why design, simplicity, and accessibility are at the core of everything Sans builds. We also dive into the future of air and water purification, whole-home wellness, and what it really takes to scale a consumer hardware company without VC backing.Adam's story is a powerful example of intuition, focus, and building something meaningful — and beautiful — for the modern home. Are you interested in sponsoring and advertising on The Kara Goldin Show, which is now in the Top 1% of Entrepreneur podcasts in the world? Let me know by contacting me at karagoldin@gmail.com. You can also find me @‌KaraGoldin on all networks. To learn more about Adam Bedford and Sans:https://www.livesans.comhttps://www.instagram.com/live.sans/https://www.tiktok.com/@live.sanshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/bedfordadam/ Sponsored By:LinkedIn Jobs - Head to LinkedIn.com/KaraGoldin to post your job for free. Check out our website to view this episode's show notes: https://karagoldin.com/podcast/783

SaaStr 835: AI + B2B in 2026: Find the Tailwinds or Get Left Behind with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin Software spend is set to hit record levels in 2026, but you're not getting any of it unless you change. SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin breaks down the paradox facing B2B companies right now: It's never been easier to scale to $100M (for a select few), while everyone else struggles. Half of all VC dollars are going into just 4 deals. IPOs ended the year with a whimper. And that AI copilot you built? It doesn't count. In this session, Jason shares the data on what's actually happening and what you need to do to capture your share of the hundreds of billions flowing into software. Key insights: Why "seed is for suckers" in today's VC environment The 3 types of AI products that unlock budget (and the one that doesn't) Why 30% of new IT budget is going to AI and how to steal it The TAM expansion math behind Cursor, Gamma, and AI SDR tools Why copilots and AI features alone won't save you The efficiency metrics every founder needs to track in 2026 If you didn't reaccelerate growth in 2025, you get a D. You can't get a D in 2026.

Robin Eissler is the founder and CEO of BoosterHub, a vertical SaaS platform built for high school booster clubs. After selling her prior business as a private jet broker, Robin volunteered to run a local booster club and discovered a messy problem run with spreadsheets, emails, and manual accounting. She decided to build a single system that could actually handle it. BoosterHub now serves nearly 600 booster programs, representing over 100,000 users. With just two full-time employees and a small dev team, the company processes more than $40M in transactions across payments, fundraising, merchandise sales, and accounting. Annual contract value typically runs $1,500–$2,000 per customer, with strong retention and expanding usage. Still independently-owned and bootstrapped, BoosterHub is approaching $1M ARR and profitability. Robin shares lessons on building complex software with a tiny team, selling to volunteer buyers, surviving seasonal revenue swings, and why slow, compounding growth can create durable SaaS businesses without venture capital. Key Takeaways Tiny Teams Work - Two employees plus contractors can build serious SaaS with focus, systems, and modern tooling. Sticky Beats Big - Hundreds of small customers compound more reliably than a handful of enterprise deals. Seasonality Is Real Education-adjacent - SaaS must survive cash spikes and winter slowdowns without panic. Founder-Led Marketing - Consistent content from the founder still drives inbound growth in niche markets. All-In-One Wins in Verticals - Being the system of record makes churn low and customer value expand naturally over time. Quote from Robin Eissler, Founder and CEO of BoosterHub "The numbers are much better than what we projected. so we're starting to see that compounding effect is really what's happening is there's just enough users and enough people in the system that they're using more of the add-on products and we're processing more volume.  "So it's starting to have that compounding effect. And so I really just admitted to myself this month, like, I think we're seeing it.  "I think we're finally seeing it. I feel like, OK, maybe for me, it's almost that I can exhale. I've been holding my breath for four years, so maybe I can breathe." Links Robin Eissler on LinkedIn BoosterHub on LinkedIn BoosterHub website Podcast Sponsor – Full Scale This podcast is sponsored by Full Scale, one of the fastest-growing software development companies in any region. Full Scale vets, employs, and supports over 300 professional developers, designers, and testers in the Philippines who can augment and extend your core dev team. Learn more at fullscale.io. 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.

On this episode, we're taking a look at the top crypto investment trends going into 2026.~This episode is sponsored by BTCC~BTCC 10% Deposit Bonus! ➜ https://bit.ly/PBNBTCCGuest: Felix O. Hartmann, Managing General Partner - Hartmann CapitalHartmann Website➜ https://bit.ly/HartmannCap00:00 Intro00:50 Sponsor: BTCC01:00 Portfolio update03:00 Crypto tokens or strictly VC equity?05:15 Top Stablecoin & Banking play?08:50 Biggest beneficiary of CLARITY Act?12:40 Tokenized Stocks: TradFi vs xStocks14:30 Vaults will reach $1 trillion17:00 Tech bubble concerns20:00 Logan Paul auction in January (Tokenized Collectibles)24:45 Top Gaming Chain?29:40 Roblox is safest play for Crypto, VR, A.I. ?30:10 Meta A.I. Agents30:46 XR Glasses Will Explode33:49 Number 1 Mistake investors make in 202636:10 Outro#Crypto #Bitcoin #Ethereum~Hottest Crypto Investment Trends For 2026

In this episode of Disruption/Interruption, host KJ sits down with Chris Dolezalek, Executive Vice President of R&D at Hum Capital. Chris shares his journey from Silicon Valley’s most highly funded startup to leading innovation in venture capital. He discusses the flaws in traditional VC, the power of resilience, and how technology and human insight are reshaping funding for diverse founders. Listeners will hear hard-won lessons from the edge of chaos, stories of near-failure and rebirth, and practical advice for founders seeking capital in uncertain times. Four Key Takeaways: Resilience is Essential [29:46]Chris emphasizes the importance of getting up after setbacks, sharing the Japanese saying, “Get knocked down seven times, get up eight,” and how resilience is a key trait for founders. Venture Capital Needs Disruption [8:15]Traditional VC relies on personal networks and outdated data, often excluding minority and female founders. Hum Capital is using real-time financial data and AI to democratize access to funding. Human Insight Complements AI [19:35]While AI can flag promising companies, Chris explains the need for human judgment—what he calls “AI whispering”—to make the best investment decisions. Learned Resilience and Growth [36:05]Chris introduces the concept of “learned resilience”—not just bouncing back, but learning from setbacks to come back stronger and smarter. Quote of the Show (32:52):“The truth about software is the Milli Vanilli effect. You don’t have to be able to sing. You just have to look good.” – Chris Dolezalek Join our Anti-PR newsletter where we’re keeping a watchful and clever eye on PR trends, PR fails, and interesting news in tech so you don't have to. You're welcome. Want PR that actually matters? Get 30 minutes of expert advice in a fast-paced, zero-nonsense session from Karla Jo Helms, a veteran Crisis PR and Anti-PR Strategist who knows how to tell your story in the best possible light and get the exposure you need to disrupt your industry. Click here to book your call: https://info.jotopr.com/free-anti-pr-eval Ways to connect with Chris Dolezalek: LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisdolezalek Company Website: https://humcapital.com How to get more Disruption/Interruption: Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/eccda84d-4d5b-4c52-ba54-7fd8af3cbe87/disruption-interruption Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/disruption-interruption/id1581985755 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6yGSwcSp8J354awJkCmJlDSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A kockázati tőke logikája látványosan elmozdult az AI megjelenésével. Az a növekedési tempó, ami néhány éve még kiemelkedőnek számított, ma sok befektető számára már nem elég izgalmas. Berecz Krisztián, a Captivate alapítója szerint a VC-k egyre inkább azokra a történetekre vadásznak, ahol akár tíz- vagy százszoros skálázás is elképzelhető rövid idő alatt. Ez azonban azt is jelenti, hogy rengeteg „jó, de nem elég AI-s” cég könnyen a partvonalon találhatja magát. Míg korábban százfős szervezetek kellettek egy bizonyos bevételi szinthez, ma már néhány tucat emberrel is globális cégek épülnek. Ez a hatékonyság azonban együtt jár azzal is, hogy sokkal gyorsabban jelennek meg új versenytársak, akár egyik napról a másikra. A Portfolio Checklist ünnepi különkiadásában azt jártuk körül, hogyan változik a startupverseny, és mit jelent mindez a hosszú távú növekedési stratégiák szempontjából.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam Ewart turned a £50 excess baggage fee into a global bootstrapped logistics company operating in 145 countries, generating over $250 million a year, and staying profitable for 15 straight years. In this interview, Adam breaks down how he built Send My Bag, the international luggage shipping service moving more than 250,000 bags annually with only 32 staff, all through ruthless automation, scrappy PR, and a customer-first obsession that outperformed airlines and traditional freight companies. What you'll learn in this interview: • How a £50 baggage fee inspired a $250M global logistics company • The exact PR strategy that landed national TV coverage for free • How Send My Bag scaled to 145 countries without VC funding • Adam's automation systems that enabled 250,000 shipments with 32 staff • How he navigated Brexit, Covid, surcharges, and international disruptions • Why customer referrals became their biggest growth engine • How he negotiated airport media, TV placements, and global partnerships • The economics behind luggage shipping and global freight networks • How to survive catastrophic industry shifts without layoffs • The mindset, execution, and resilience behind 15 years of profitable growth By the end of this episode, you'll understand how to build a lean, global service business, protect margins, automate at scale, and turn painful customer frustrations into a nine-figure opportunity. SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend with the code FOUNDR50. Just head to ⁠⁠⁠https://your.omnisend.com/foundr⁠⁠⁠ to get started. HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER Learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+ Start your $1 trial → ⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com/startdollartrial⁠⁠⁠ PREFER A CUSTOM ROADMAP AND 1-ON-1 COACHING? → Starting from scratch? Apply here → ⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application⁠⁠⁠ → Already have a store? Apply here → ⁠⁠⁠https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application⁠⁠⁠ CONNECT WITH NATHAN CHAN Instagram → ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/nathanchan⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn → ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan/⁠⁠⁠ CONNECT WITH ADAM EWART Website → https://www.sendmybag.com FOLLOW FOUNDR FOR MORE BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES YouTube → ⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/2uyvzdt⁠⁠⁠ Website → ⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com⁠⁠⁠ Instagram → ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/foundr/⁠⁠⁠ Facebook → ⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/foundr⁠⁠⁠ Twitter → ⁠⁠⁠https://www.twitter.com/foundr⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn → ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/foundr/⁠⁠⁠ Podcast → ⁠⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com/podcast

In this final episode of 2025, Drew Brucker and Rory Flynn zoom out to dissect what actually mattered this year across Midjourney, Nano Banana Pro, ChatGPT Image 1.5, Weavy, video models, workflows, and the uncomfortable truth about how fast all of this is moving.They unpack the real inflection points no one labeled at the time. Why March quietly changed everything. Why Nano Banana Pro rewired image editing expectations. Why Veo 3 reset video. Why Midjourney still feels magicalWhy workflows (not models) are becoming the real creative advantage.Along the way, they spiral into mood boards, personalization hacks, node-based systems, AI video limitations, why Hollywood feels creatively bankrupt, how Grok quietly became a research weapon, and why Midjourney's next move might determine whether it stays an artist's playground or becomes a professional tool.It's opinionated. It's nerdy. It's honest. It's occasionally unhinged.And it's the clearest snapshot of where AI creativity actually stands heading into 2026.If you're trying to keep up, slow down, or figure out where to place your bets next year, this episode is your unfair advantage.---⏱️ Midjourney Fast Hour00:00 – Episode 60 kickoff and end-of-year reflections01:50 – From niche experiment to mainstream behavior04:00 – AI finally reaches non-technical families06:18 – Why working solo in AI can feel isolating09:03 – Music, creativity, and early signs of AI music adoption11:02 – How fast AI actually shipped in 202512:14 – 100+ major releases and why that number matters13:01 – The real start of image editing workflows14:46 – March 2025 was the quiet inflection point16:06 – Multi-modal chat changed prompting forever19:20 – Veo 3 and why video suddenly jumped ahead21:41 – Why Google quietly dominated 202523:00 – Why hype cycles now last 48 hours23:51 – Nano Banana Pro and precision image control26:02 – Grok as a real-time research engine27:49 – Why physics in AI video finally started working29:12 – Nodes, workflows, and why visualization matters30:26 – Why Nano Banana Pro felt like “AGI for images”31:26 – Will 2026 move even faster?32:25 – Release cadence, VC pressure, and reality checks34:03 – Images vs video: who's actually ahead36:18 – Why Grok might be the sleeper winner38:36 – Data, platforms, and why distribution matters41:28 – Consolidation and acquisitions are coming44:14 – What Midjourney must do next45:23 – Image editing as the make-or-break feature48:43 – Workflow fatigue and creative burnout52:50 – Personalization, mood boards, and creative joy56:44 – Why mood boards drove the best work of 202559:12 – Personalization profiles vs mood boards01:00:43 – Why Midjourney still feels different01:02:27 – Scale, permutations, and professional use cases01:06:36 – Resolution, editing, and real production constraints01:10:22 – Why small failures still matter01:13:00 – Hollywood, creativity, and AI backlash01:17:17 – Why creators beat platforms01:22:25 – Audio and voice as the next bottleneck01:23:55 – Constraint-driven prompting in 202601:30:14 – Looking back at January vs now01:38:23 – Final predictions and advice for 202601:42:34 – Season two wrap and sign-off

Join the brand new season of Elite Finance Podcast with Kaushik, with Greg Giordano, from Veritas Capital, one of the leading technology & services Private Equity firms in the world! The Elite Finance podcast features elite professionals & investors from the top PE, HF, VC, IB & AI firms in the world. Kaushik is the leading voice in the High Finance space, having built 3 Private Equity platforms to date, including Onefinnet, the #1 Finance platform in the world245 | Greg's Intro350 | Greg's Experience with Onefinnet500 | What does Veritas Actually Do700 | What does it Look Like to Work in Private Equity900 | Different Kinds of Private Equity Firms1100 | What Goes in Minds of Private Equity Investors1300 | Best Practices of Due Diligence for Private Equity Firms1500 | How to Overcome Large Risks in Private Equity1710 | Strategies Employed in Private Equity2000 | How does a Private Equity Deal Look Like2240 | Private Equity : How does Value Addition Work2510 | Private Equity : Kinds of Exit Strategies2845 | Promising Market Sectors for Next 5 Years3100 | Competition : How to Standout from other Private Equity Firms3350 | Deal Sourcing : How does a Deal Lands with a Firm3600 | Importance of Teams : How is a Team Formed3850 | How to Build a Skillset for Private Equity Operator4110 | Role & Impact of Technology in Private Equity4345 | Future of AI and Human Capital in Finance Industry4630 | Balancing Short-Term & Long-Term Investments 4935 | How to Standout as Candidate for Private Equity5225 | Early Careers : How to Standout as an Analyst5530 | Potential Candidate : Important Factors to Standout5850 | How does Operational Sides of Private Equity Look Like10130 | Challenges You Face in Private Equity10355 | How does MBA help in Career10700 | One Piece of Advice10845 | Ending Note

In this episode we speak with Avichay Nissenbaum. A serial entrepreneur turned investor, and the founding partner of lool Ventures. He built and sold two startups - SmarTeam (acquired by Dassault Systèmes) and Yedda (acquired by AOL) - before dedicating his career to backing founders. Lool Ventures has invested over $200M and helped shape some of Israel's standout companies, including Beewise, NoTraffic, and Eleos Health. This conversation goes deep into the psychology of decision making, the emotional reality of investing, and the mindset that helps founders and investors navigate uncertainty. What We Dig Into: Pattern Recognition as a Superpower Avichay explains why VC is about seeing patterns long before they become obvious. He shares how reviewing 400–800 startups a year sharpens intuition, and why “sensor-tuning” is one of the most important skills an investor develops. He believes founders are often the ones who intuitively sense the future first. The AI Shift: Native vs. AI-Resilient Companies Avichay breaks down a framework every founder should understand: • AI Native - companies born on AI-first architecture. • AI Resilient - deep-tech companies that won't get erased by the next Gemini or GPT feature drop. He calls AI “the biggest shift of wealth of our generation,” and explains why resilience matters more than hype. What Makes a Founder Fundable He is blunt about what truly matters: • Tenacity • Resilience • Skin in the game • Hunger • Ability to execute under pressure He calls this the capacity to survive a “roller coaster on steroids.” He also explains why lool Ventures loves bootstrappers and founders who have already built a minimal product before fundraising. The Emotional Reality of Investing One of the most insightful parts of the discussion. Avichay describes the difficulty of shifting from builder to observer. He talks about: • Seeing founders drive straight into a wall • Knowing the solution but not owning the steering wheel • Balancing heart and logic • Acting as an advisor, not a commander His analogy: “It's like sitting next to the driver and you can't touch the wheel.” The Role of Naivety Avichay argues that naivety is often a hidden advantage. It creates the space for original thinking, passion, and courage - the ingredients behind unconventional breakthroughs. His Entrepreneurial Beginnings We go back to the moment he left a stable career to build something new. At 25, with no entrepreneurial experience, he pitched a radical product vision to his CEO, was turned down, and decided to do it himself. He shares how: • Most early feedback was “no.” • The first yes arrived only after many rejections. • Passion and discomfort worked together to pull him forward. His clarity is powerful: “You don't know. But something burns inside you.”

In this Ideas Lab episode, Kevin Coldiron speaks with venture capitalist and former founder Aubrie Pagano about what stands between today's AI hype and a truly transformative AGI economy. Rather than treating AI as destiny, Aubrie maps the frictions that hold it back: hard power limits, fragile industrial data, and agents that still cannot coordinate with humans or each other. She explains why we may be a full capital cycle or two away from real AGI and why that delay is precisely where the best opportunities lie. The conversation then widens into the “Aquarius Economy,” a possible future in which human agency, not algorithms, becomes the scarcest and most valuable asset.-----50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HERE-----Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.IT's TRUE ? – most CIO's read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.comAnd please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.Follow Kevin on SubStack & read his Book.Follow Aubrie on LinkedIn.Episode TimeStamps: 00:00 - Why agent coordination is still clunky and unreliable00:38 - Intro to Top Traders Unplugged and performance risk framing01:34 - Kevin sets up the Ideas Lab and today's focus on AGI02:59 - Aubrie's background as founder, researcher and VC shaping her lens06:04 - Why she wrote about AGI and the Aquarius Economy07:21 - AGI as the last cycle built on labor scarcity10:41 - The blockers framework and why AGI may be a cycle or two away12:58 - Blocker...

As 2025 draws to a close, it's time to pause and take stock of what's been a transformational year in design. From Figma's landmark IPO to the rise of AI across every category of product, to major brand evolutions at Nike, Netflix, and The New York Times—this year has been defined by what our guest today calls “mass acceleration.” Visit our Substack for bonus content and more: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/mark-wilson Mark Wilson is the Global Design Editor at Fast Company, where he's been tracking these seismic shifts, reporting on everything from the architecture of data centers to the comeback of wired headphones. He's a journalist who straddles multiple worlds—covering the design industry, and now co-hosting the By Design podcast. He's someone who can explain why Labuboos became an unlikely cultural phenomenon and why your kids might be more interested in building with Chompsaw than staring at a screen. Today, we're looking back at 2025 with Mark to understand not just what happened, but what it all means. We'll explore the biggest moments in design and business, and tackle the uncomfortable questions about AI—are we in a bubble? Is it actually making us more productive? And what does the future hold for designers in an automated world? We'll also dig into the design industry's blind spots, the problems that aren't getting solved because they're not sexy or VC-fundable, and why there's a growing hunger for physical craft and working with our hands in a world increasingly mediated by screens.

回望 2025，人工智能的引擎依然高速运转，但关于 AI 泡沫的质疑也从未停止。 今天的节目是硅谷徐老师 Howie 与真格基金的管理合伙人戴雨森站在2025年年末的对谈，Howie 与雨森聊了聊中美大模型这一年的追赶趋势，AI 公司的商业化路径，还有美股七巨头的长期发展，也聊了聊对 AI 泡沫的质疑、资本投入与回报的巨大鸿沟，以及2026年 AI 企业面临最大的考验是什么。 本期人物 硅谷徐老师 Howie，硅谷高管、投资人、安全AI浏览器Norton Neo创始人。小红书：硅谷徐老师 戴雨森，真格基金的管理合伙人 主要话题 [00:14] 2025 年，AI 行业有哪些出乎意料的变化？ - 中国模型公司的追赶速度明显超出年初预期 - 开源模型的主导权正在向中国转移 - 市场对 AI 的信心与对泡沫的担忧同时上升 [03:02] 中国模型为什么能在一年内追得这么快？ - 头部 SOTA 的进展从「阶跃式」变成更 incremental 的提升 - 训练成本与推理 API 价格都在显著下探 - 开源生态从年初的 LLAMA 叙事转向「中国开源模型的天下」 [07:59] 为什么硅谷又冒出一批「以研究为主」的新 AI Lab？ - 现有范式还能榨取空间，但不再是指数级/阶跃式增长 - 新范式需要更宽松、更 bottom-up 的研究环境，而不是 KPI 赛马 - 做范式创新不一定需要百亿千亿，但需要长期探索自由 [08:57] 为什么说「过去是 scaling 的日子，现在要回到 research 的日子」？ - Pretraining + Posttraining/RL 仍有效，但边际收益在放缓 - 真正想逼近更强的自我学习能力，需要研究突破来解锁 - 中美顶尖研究员开始聚焦相似的「下一步问题」（如 continuous learning、世界模型等） [22:28] Agent 为什么是「十年的开始」，而不是一年结束战斗？ - 真正的 Agent 更接近 L3：给目标与资源，能规划、执行、反思、调整 - 难点不在演示，而在完成度、可靠性与「谁来背锅」 - corner case 与错误后的 self-recovery 才是长期瓶颈 [38:06] AI 创业为什么不像移动互联网那样靠分发赢？ - 移动互联网更像分发渠道创新，AI 更像 RD 驱动的代际迭代 - 现在用户时间已被占满，新应用获客是一场「Uphill battle」 - 最有效的路径是把模型能力做成「魔法时刻」的产品体验，靠口碑扩散 [43:45] AI 到底怎么赚钱：订阅、广告还是用量计费？ - 先有好产品，再慢慢长出原生商业模式是常态（类比 Google/Facebook） - Chatbot 对搜索广告有冲击，但广告更像存量博弈（从 Google/Meta/TikTok 抢） - Token 只有 SOTA/near-SOTA 能长期收费，随后会商品化走向 flat rate/开源/端侧 [52:42] 为什么 2026 年是 AI 的第一次「交作业之年」？ - 市场已经在交易 2026、甚至 2027 的预期，预期被打得很满 - 边际定价者越来越在看用户、收入、兑现节奏，而不是宏大叙事 - 低垂果实快摘完了，提高付费率与 ARPU、跨越鸿沟都比想象难 [01:05:59] AI 时代，美股七巨头谁更危险，谁还有机会？ Knock Knock 世界年度榜单

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 Kathy Fulton, Executive Director at American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN), an organization that helps non-profits find the logistics equipment, expertise, and services they need. In this conversation, Santosh and Kathy delve into disaster recovery logistics, emphasizing the crucial role of supply chains in responding to natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes. Kathy explains ALAN's mission to enhance disaster relief by leveraging commercial logistics practices. She shares her journey into disaster logistics, the phases of disaster recovery, and the importance of resilience and collaboration among businesses and volunteers. The episode underscores the need for preparedness and effective supply chain management in disaster scenarios, and so much more. Highlights from their conversation include:Kathy's Background and Journey to Disaster Recovery Logistics (0:41)  Overview of ALAN (1:10)  Importance of Supply Chains in Disasters (4:26)  Disaster Recovery Lifecycle (7:22)  First 24-48 Hours Post-Disaster (9:55)  Role of Volunteers and Local Businesses (11:57)  Building Resilient Supply Chains (13:43)  Creative Local Business Support (16:20)  Challenges in Disaster Logistics Resilience (20:18)  Rapid Fire Segment to Close (21:23)  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 wraps up the “Best of” moments of the year for the podcast. These moments feature insightful conversations with leading voices in venture capital and fund management. Topics include the challenges LPs face in today's market, strategies for selecting and supporting emerging fund managers, evolving industry trends in fintech, crypto, and AI, and the critical importance of transparency, humility, and strong client relationships. Key takeaways highlight the necessity for a compelling thesis, expert communication, and adaptability in a hyper-competitive market, providing actionable lessons for both established players and new entrants in the venture ecosystem. Don't miss the top moments from the show this year!  Highlights from this week's conversation include: Season Highlights and the Best Of Countdown (0:34) Reflections on Venture Capital Lessons and Year-End Energy (3:45) Laura Thompson and Her Impact on LP Transparency (7:37) Challenges of Fund Underwriting and the Importance of Reference Work (11:21) Trends in Fintech, AI, Crypto, and Their Effect on Manager Selection (15:12) How to Approach Reserves and Portfolio Construction (18:55) The Difficulties and Opportunities for Emerging Managers Today (22:41) Capital Formation Insights With Guest Megan Reynolds (26:25) Why Client Experience Is as Important as Fund Performance (30:10) Industry Institutionalization, Reporting, and Relationship Trends (33:57) The Evolving Retail LP Market and the Future of Venture Access (37:41) What Makes Great Emerging Managers and Fund Builders Stand Out (41:25) Lessons Learned, Teamwork in Investing, and Season Wrap-Up (45:12) 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

This flurry of M&A deals at the end of the year (I have another one to tell you about) are people getting out while the getting is good, or is this just the start of what's going to be a big deal in 2026? And are half of the big VC raises we're seeing just folks trying to build up cash reserves to hedge either way? Meta to Buy Manus, an AI Startup With Chinese Roots (Bloomberg) After a Year of Blistering Growth, AI Chip Makers Get Ready for Bigger 2026 (WSJ) AI start-ups amass record $150bn funding cushion as bubble fears mount (WSJ) Microsoft's Nadella overhauls leadership as he plots AI strategy beyond OpenAI (FT) Waymo and Other Driverless Taxis Move Into a New Era (Bloomberg) Listen to This: Some Audiobooks Are Outselling Hardcovers (WSJ) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Big Banks on pace for a standout year. The money centers with double digit gains, and if the financials sector can stay on focus in 2026. Plus New Year, New interest in AI? What the VC landscape is looking for in the red-hot AI space, and where an early stage investor sees the most opportunity. Fast Money Disclaimer Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today's guest is someone I first came across on the Irish People in VC list—and I'm really glad I reached out. Because it turns out Maureen Haverty has one of the most fascinating jobs you can imagine: helping build the future of space. As a Principal at Seraphim Space, the world's leading space-focused VC firm, she invests globally in technologies pushing the boundaries of what's possible —and shaping the future of space startup investment.Maureen began her career in nuclear engineering, earning a PhD from the University of Manchester before making the leap into startups. At Apollo Fusion, she survived a hard pivot into space, ultimately becoming COO and steering the company through a $150M acquisition by Astra. That experience—what she calls a startup “baptism by fire”—now informs how she backs early-stage founders as both investor and board director. Her insights have been featured in The Times, and she'll soon take the stage at Web Summit to speak on “Space as a Strategic Frontier.”Key Takeaways“Build just enough”: Space startups win by testing early and often, not waiting for perfection.Kill fewer dreams: Rigor matters—but so does nurturing half-formed ideas.Get to space ASAP: In-orbit validation creates trust and unlocks massive growth.From Gantt charts to fast loops: High-performing teams test weekly, not quarterly.Customer conversations still matter: Even in space, talking to users beats assumptions.Additional InsightsWhy VC funding in space is shifting toward earlier MVPs.The hidden costs of acquisition for startup culture and speed.How Starship may reshape what's possible—size, cost, and assembly in orbit.The role of government contracts in fostering a competitive space ecosystem.Episode Highlights00:00 – Episode RecapMaureen Haverty shares how balancing rigor with creativity helped her evolve from nuclear engineer to space startup COO to VC. The key? Learning when to test, when to build, and when to let wild ideas breathe.01:35 – Guest Introduction: Maureen HavertyBarry introduces Maureen Haverty, Principal at Seraphim Space and advocate for grounded rigor in an industry literally aiming for the stars.03:35 – Learning When Not to Kill IdeasMaureen reflects on being labeled a “dream killer” and how she transformed that mindset to foster innovation with constructive rigor.07:34 – Applying Rigor Without Stifling InnovationHow Apollo used just-enough testing, internal prototyping, and diverse team strengths to build better, faster.13:54 – Rethinking MVPs in Space StartupsWhy even space companies now push to generate early revenue and test hardware pre-launch.18:19 – Customers Want Something They Can SeeBuilding a physical, testable product—even a crude one—outperforms pitch decks every time.20:32 – The $70M Lesson of In-Space TestingHow one flight test flipped customer hesitation into a flood of contracts.26:12 – Surviving the Shift from Prototype to ProductionThe real scaling challenge: maintaining culture and customer trust while redesigning for scale.30:15 – The Hidden Power of Primes and PolicyWhy space remains deeply shaped by government buyers—and how that's changing with new VC-backed players.35:33 – Starship and the Future of SpaceMaureen shares what could shift when larger...

Welcome to HALO Talks! In this episode, host Pete Moore sits down with Hewitt Tomlin, the entrepreneur behind Teambuildr—a software platform that's changing the game on how strength coaches and personal trainers deliver programming. Starting with a simple idea in college, Hewitt has built Teambuildr into a leading solution for gyms, coaches, and athletes, empowering thousands with better tools for training and performance. Together, they dive into the rapidly-evolving landscape of fitness technology, discussing the rise of strength training in gyms, the impact of AI on coaching, and how fitness pros are adapting to new ways of working in a post-pandemic world. From leveraging digital apps for personalized programs to building strong trainer-client relationships, this candid conversation uncovers what it takes to stay innovative in the fast-paced HALO sector. Tomlin also shares his passion for expanding athletic training into new markets specifically golf—with his involvement in DRVN, a fitness app aimed at merging athleticism with golf performance.  Key themes discussed Evolution of Teambuildr and fitness technology. Adoption of AI by strength coaches and trainers. Changing trends in club equipment, focus on strength. Personal trainers utilizing digital tools and apps. Balancing innovation vs. refining existing product features. Retention vs. impact as a measure of success. Entrepreneurial mindset and self-defined business goals. A Few Key Takeaways:  1.Evolution of Teambuildr and Fitness Tech: Hewitt shared the journey of Teambuildr—from its origins as a simple workout distribution platform for college strength coaches to its role as a robust SaaS solution that now supports thousands, not only in team sports but also across private gyms and brick-and-mortar facilities. 2. AI's Role in Coaching: The conversation highlighted how fitness software is rapidly moving from basic digitization (getting off Excel) to integrating AI. Early adopters among coaches are using AI as a "co-pilot" to enhance programming and audit workouts, freeing up more time to apply their expertise where it matters most. 3. Changing Attitudes Toward Training Technology: Tomlin also talked about the shift in the industry: while trainers were once skeptical about templates and AI-generated programs, there's now a broader acceptance of tech-driven best practices. Still, personalization and expertise remain key, especially for more seasoned coaches. 4. The Personal Trainer's Balancing Act: Independence vs Community: Post-COVID, many trainers tried going independent, but Hewitt noted the challenges of customer acquisition and scaling. Bigger box clubs like Lifetime offer access to a steady stream of potential clients and a sense of community, making them an attractive option for many trainers seeking sustained growth. 5. Founder Perspective: Success Isn't Just About Growth: The episode also touched on how Hewitt's vision as a founder goes beyond revenue metrics and external pressures. He values building loyal, long-term customer relationships, personal impact, and conversations with trainers and mentors over chasing aggressive growth targets influenced by VC funding. Resources:  Hewitt Tomlin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hewitttomlin   Teambuildr: https://www.teambuildr.com/   DRVN Golf App: https://www.drvngolf.com  Integrity Square: https://www.integritysq.com Prospect Wizard: https://www.theprospectwizard.com Promotion Vault: https://www.promotionvault.com HigherDose: https://www.higherdose.com

MY NEWSLETTER - https://nikolas-newsletter-241a64.beehiiv.com/subscribeJoin me, Nik (https://x.com/CoFoundersNik), as I interview Justin Donald (https://x.com/justindonald). In this episode, I sit down with the author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller, The Lifestyle Investor, to discuss his unique approach to wealth creation. Justin shares how he transitioned from being a "slave" to his sales business at Cutco to achieving financial freedom by investing in passive income assets.We dive into his early success with mobile home parks, his "flywheel" strategy for real estate, and why he currently spends up to $500,000 a year on masterminds and private coaching. From buying dog training companies to scaling home maintenance businesses with VC backing, Justin explains how to stop "buying a job" and start buying back your time.We also touch on his commitment to impact, with all his book proceeds going to fight human trafficking.Questions This Episode Answers:1. How can you achieve financial freedom before you even become a millionaire?2. Why are mobile home parks considered a premier niche for passive income and scale?3. What is the difference between survival income, lifestyle income, and earned income?4. How do you use a "cash cow" business to fund a diversified portfolio of private investments?5. Why are masterminds and peer groups the ultimate shortcut to business growth and deal flow?Enjoy the conversation!__________________________Love it or hate it, I'd love your feedback.Please fill out this brief survey with your opinion or email me at nik@cofounders.com with your thoughts.__________________________MY NEWSLETTER: https://nikolas-newsletter-241a64.beehiiv.com/subscribeSpotify: https://tinyurl.com/5avyu98yApple: https://tinyurl.com/bdxbr284YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/nikonomicsYT__________________________This week we covered:00:43 The Value of Networking and Masterminds01:34 Welcome to Nikonomics01:58 Interview with Justin Donald Begins04:01 Justin's Early Career and First Investments08:52 Transition to Real Estate Investments12:03 Balancing Business and Real Estate16:41 Achieving Financial Freedom24:23 Personal Reflections and Future Plans25:51 Back to the Show25:52 Achieving Financial Freedom27:35 Real Estate Investments and Growth29:00 Business Ventures and Success Stories32:35 The Power of Masterminds44:06 Investing in Yourself47:15 Rapid Fire Questions50:02 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Northwest Registered Agent- https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twistVanta - http://www.vanta.com/twistLemon IO - https://lemon.io/twistToday's show: Jason's already a millionaire many times over… but what are the huge, blockbuster, dream purchases that he's still holding off on? BESIDES the private jet we all know he wants? The Noti Gang has asked, and JCal finally answers, on a holiday TWiST where we're taking questions from viewers and fans.Check out the episode for lots more intriguing queries, like how to push forward and glean useful information when your first customers aren't using your product the way you'd envisioned. Plus, is there room for both AI agents and great SaaS startups in the coming years? Hear why Jason thinks there IS.AND we've got the very last Gamma Pitch Deck Competition entry before we announce our winner in the new year. Check out AskHumans, an innovative approach to improving market research.Timestamps: (00:00) On a special holiday TWiST, we're answering YOUR pressing Founder Questions!(8:35) Northwest Registered Agent - Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today!(09:35) What should a founder do when a VC reaches out cold?(13:37) The importance of maintaining “ball control”(15:35) A European founder asks: Should I take European investments if they're targeting American customers?(19:47) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist(20:51) A member of the Noti gang asks for JCal's dream mega-purchases(24:12) Why Jason thinks there's room for BOTH AI agents and great SaaS companies(27:18) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://lemon.io/twist(28:23) It's our final Gamma pitch with Zak from AskHumans!(29:24) How AskHumans uses AI to improve on marketing surveys and research(34:33) Management and measurement were designed before computers could understand language… why this matters.(35:48) Why no one ever wants to give feedback in a video(39:01) Why Zak's pitch is “two chapters of the same story”… and was this a pivot?(44:14) Why founders need to assume LLMs are going to get exponentially better*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(8:35) Northwest Registered Agent - Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today!(19:47) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist(27:18) Lemon.io - Get 15% off your first 4 weeks of developer time at https://lemon.io/twistGreat TWIST interviews: Will Guidarahttps://youtu.be/pvJa2pzuXWQEoghan McCabehttps://youtu.be/9dHN4YFkgv4Steve Huffmanhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reddit-ceo-steve-huffman-on-mod-revolt-building-a/id315114957?i=1000617333424Brian Cheskyhttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/airbnb-ceo-brian-chesky-on-early-rejection-customer/id315114957?i=1000611761112Bob Moestahttps://youtu.be/y2UMzSqX94QAaron Leviehttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/box-ceo-aaron-levie-breaks-down-box-ai-and-generative/id315114957?i=1000612384545Sophia Amorusohttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/sophia-amoruso-on-branding-raising-a-fund-portfolio/id315114957?i=1000601352978

Space startups today look a lot like the internet in 1995 – early, chaotic, and packed with upside for the founders brave enough to build in the void. With VCs going all in on space, Techstars betting big on the category, and an entire industry quietly taking over venture capital, this is a moment founders can't ignore.In this episode of Demo Day, Techstars Space Managing Director Gabriel Schlumberger breaks down why “SPACE IS THE FUTURE” is more than a catchy thumbnail – it's an actual investing thesis. Gabriel explains how launch costs, new business models, and a surge of satellites are turning space into one of the most important frontier markets for startups and venture capital.Gabriel shares his journey from Pixar, Blue Sky, and Disney to becoming a founder himself, building an FDA‑regulated glasses startup for kids in the middle of a global pandemic, and then stepping into his role at Techstars Space. That experience across creative studios, corporate innovation, and true zero‑to‑one startup chaos shapes how he now evaluates founders and why he's so bullish on space companies.You'll learn:Why space today feels like the internet did in 1995, and what that means for startup timing and upside.How Techstars is betting big on space through its accelerator with NASA JPL and the U.S. Space Force.The trait Gabriel calls “pathological curiosity” and why it separates the best founders and VCs.What actually happens inside Techstars: mentor weeks, “give first” culture, and how a few teams get picked from hundreds of applicants.A real founder story: running a hardware and medical device startup through COVID, fundraising, manufacturing, and brutal unknowns.Whether you're a founder thinking about space, a SaaS builder curious about frontier markets, or an investor trying to understand the industry quietly taking over VC, this episode is a masterclass in how the next decade of startups will be built.

Pete Syme interviews Andrea Lamparini from WeRoad, a hybrid tech company and tour operator that's rewriting the rules of group travel for millennials and Gen Z. The conversation reveals how WeRoad has achieved exceptional growth by building a community-first model where strangers become friends through small group experiences, using travel coordinators instead of traditional guides, operating as a curated marketplace where top coordinators design their own trips, and leveraging technology to scale operations with one-third of their 200-person team dedicated to tech. Andrea shares how they maintain quality with 4,000+ casual travel coordinators who each lead just one trip per year, why they leave 30-40% of each itinerary unstructured for group decision-making, how their supply model works across 68-70 DMCs globally, and why they're expanding into B2B channels including travel agencies, employee benefit programs, and corporate partnerships that already represent 17-18% of revenue. The discussion covers their VC backing (rare for a tour operator), plans for US expansion in 2026, the power of their We Meet app hosting 50,000 community members at events this year, and Andrea's key lesson learned: curating their marketplace offering earlier would have prevented the conversion drop caused by overwhelming choice.Top Ten Takeaways1. Travel Coordinators Work Alongside Local GuidesWeRoad uses travel coordinators who are the same age as travelers, depart from the same home country, and focus on facilitating group dynamics rather than delivering local expertise. Local guides are still included for museums, parks, and other sites where specialized knowledge is needed. Travel coordinators create WhatsApp groups one month before departure, balance introverted and extroverted personalities, and coordinate the 30-40% of unstructured time built into every itinerary. WeRoad has 4,000+ coordinators working casual contracts with a commitment of just one trip per year.2. Quality at Scale Without Full-Time StaffCoordinators go through online applications, webinars, group interviews, and a final boot camp weekend with 100 candidates. Most visit destinations for the first time, but rigorous hiring and training ensure consistency. Local DMC partners provide backup if logistics fail. Top performers can become "producers" who design and scout their own trips.3. Groups Decide 30-40% of Their Itinerary in Real TimeAccommodations, transport, and core experiences are fixed, but dinners, half-days, and optional activities are decided by the group during the trip based on their interests and budget. Travel coordinators provide options and handle bookings with local partners, personalizing the experience to match group energy.4. A Curated Marketplace Scales the Portfolio 5xWeRoad's internal team creates 200 itineraries while travel producers create 1,000+ more. This model scaled their catalog 5x without adding internal headcount. All producers use standardized supply agreements ensuring every DMC meets centralized requirements for safety, insurance, compliance, and capacity.5. Supply Quality Is Non-NegotiableWeRoad works with 68-70 DMCs globally, visits partner sites, and monitors quality constantly. The rule is simple: mess up once or twice and you're out. Because each group makes different choices during unstructured time, suppliers must be flexible enough to support varied activities in every destination.6. Community Extends Beyond Travel Through We MeetThe We Meet app hosts 10,000+ events across Europe where 50,000 people connected this year. Travel coordinators organize pottery classes, running groups, hiking, pub quizzes, and weekend trips in their home cities. This keeps...

In this episode of the Grownlearn Podcast, host Zorina Dimitrova (Investment Matchmaker & Strategic Growth Advisor) talks to Bryan Clayton, CEO & co-founder of GreenPal—a marketplace that connects homeowners with local lawn care professionals. LinkedIn +1 Bryan shares the real story behind building GreenPal after coming from the landscaping industry—how he learned the skills needed to build and scale a tech platform, why he chose bootstrapping over venture capital, and how relentless customer feedback became “free R&D” that shaped the product and the business model. You'll learn: How Bryan went from mowing lawns to building a tech company Bootstrapping lessons (and why many VC-funded competitors failed) How to scale with small, achievable goals and nonstop iteration Why customer support + customer obsession can become your growth engine AI's impact on operations—and what doesn't change in real-world services What it takes to build a focused marketplace in a massive, fragmented industry If you're a founder, operator, or business owner building a marketplace, scaling a service business, or trying to grow sustainably without hype—this episode is for you. About Grownlearn: We connect premium opportunities with aligned capital and provide strategic growth advisory to help businesses optimize value and scale across Europe & the U.S.

This week on Hustleshare, host Ron Baetiong sits down with tech pioneer Dado Banatao, alongside Maria Banatao of the Phildev Foundation, to trace the journey that earned him the title “Bill Gates of the Philippines”—from a rural barrio to engineering school, Boeing, and Silicon Valley. They also dive into Dado's semiconductor breakthroughs, early entrepreneurial setbacks, and the VC framework he now uses to support the next generation of Filipino founders.Resources:LinkedIn (Dado Banatao): https://www.linkedin.com/in/dado-banatao-96ba89b7/LinkedIn (Maria Banatao): https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-banatao-49721a38/Website (PhilDev): https://www.phildev.org/Links/Sponsors:OneCFO: https://www.onecfoph.co/PLDT Enterprise: https://pldtenterprise.com- MSME Fiberbiz - https://bit.ly/pldtenterprise-ROId-nbsi-fiberbiz - 5G SIM Only - https://bit.ly/pldtenterprise-ROId-nbsi-smart-postpaid Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aliett Buttelman spent eight years grinding in the dark before a single viral moment with Taylor Swift turned Fazit into an overnight seven-figure brand. In this interview, Aliett breaks down the exact pivot that saved the company, how she identified product-market fit after years of plateauing at $20K per month, and the organic social strategy that now generates over half a million views every day. From bootstrapping with $13K to navigating 100+ investor rejections and finally securing mass retail with Target, this is the blueprint for building a breakout CPG brand in one of the most competitive beauty markets. What you'll learn in this interview: • How a single Taylor Swift appearance drove seven-figure sales in 48 hours • How Aliett pivoted from slow-growth acne patches to viral makeup patches • The social content framework that produces daily 500K+ view videos • Why aspirational products can outperform problem-solving products • How to bootstrap a CPG brand with limited capital and no agency support • The exact moment Fazit discovered true product-market fit • Why Fazit chose Amazon as a primary channel (and how it paid off) • The dangers of taking bad retail deals and why most founders miss this • Lessons from 100+ VC rejections and how to know when not to raise • The behind-the-scenes strategy that secured a 1,000-store Target rollout By the end of this episode, you'll understand how to build a lean, viral-ready brand, validate demand fast, and prepare for the “overnight” moment that can change everything — even if it takes years of grit and persistence to get there. SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend with the code FOUNDR50. Just head to ⁠⁠https://your.omnisend.com/foundr⁠⁠ to get started. HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER Learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+ Start your $1 trial → ⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com/startdollartrial⁠⁠ PREFER A CUSTOM ROADMAP AND 1-ON-1 COACHING? → Starting from scratch? Apply here → ⁠⁠https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application⁠⁠ → Already have a store? Apply here → ⁠⁠https://foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application⁠⁠ CONNECT WITH NATHAN CHAN Instagram → ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/nathanchan⁠⁠ LinkedIn → ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan/⁠⁠ CONNECT WITH ALIETT BUTTELMAN Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fazitbeauty/?hl=en LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliett-buttelman-9a662312b/ Fazit Website → https://fazitbeauty.com/ FOLLOW FOUNDR FOR MORE BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES YouTube → ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/2uyvzdt⁠⁠ Website → ⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com⁠⁠ Instagram → ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/foundr/⁠⁠ Facebook → ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/foundr⁠⁠ Twitter → ⁠⁠https://www.twitter.com/foundr⁠⁠ LinkedIn → ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/foundr/⁠⁠ Podcast → ⁠⁠https://www.foundr.com/podcast

2025，我们是不是已经走进了一个临界时代？ 这一年，暖水珊瑚礁跨越了热力临界点，世界最大的冰山 A23a 解体，曾经被认为没有蚊子的冰岛也出现了嗡嗡声…… 极端气候之外，这一年，全球范围内的紧张局势持续发酵：从贸易摩擦到政治分歧，从民族到国家，人类社会中不同层面的对立似乎并未缓解，反而在一些地方变得更加尖锐。 而宏大叙事之下，身为普通人的我们，也依然要在自己具体而真实的生活中不停地应对变化、做出选择。 和过去五年一样，我们将 2025 的故事浓缩进了这一枚声音胶囊。这里收录了过去这一年，从个体到时代，那些值得被记住和珍藏的声音。期待这期节目能够说出一部分你今年的情绪和回忆，并陪伴你走向新的生活。 和往年一样，你也可以在微信公众号里找到这期「声音时光胶囊」，欢迎把它分享给更多人！你也可以在文章里找到 2020–2024 年的声音时光胶囊，慢慢回听。 公众号链接：https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/pbmnLTI-px-jy9hItxAXWg 幕后制作 制作统筹：赛德 后期统筹：沁茗 编辑：徐涛、 Mengyi 后期制作：幸倍、迪卡普里鑫 监制：可宣、 yaxian 素材收集：Stella 、马琳、 babs 、星斗 宣发：beibei 、 babs、George 、 KTzhou 、星斗 给声东击西投稿 「声东击西」一直在寻找来自不同社会和群体的真实声音。我们曾经采访过为特朗普竞选生产 MAGA 帽子的中国制造商、记录过七位在美国大选中经历起伏的华人个体，也讲述了签证突然被取消的在美留学生的故事。 如果你也有一些特别的经历、观察或想法，不论是亲身体验的故事，还是你在某个行业、社区中的所见所闻，都欢迎你向我们投稿。 你的声音可能出现在未来的节目当中，我们非常期待你的分享！ 投稿入口 (https://eg76rdcl6g.feishu.cn/share/base/form/shrcne1CGVaSeJwtBriW6yNT2dg) 你也可以直接通过邮箱直接联系节目组：kexuan@shengfm.cn 加入我们 声动活泼目前开放【商业发展经理、节目监制，早咖啡实习生、商业实习生和运营实习生】岗位，详情点击招聘入口：加入声动活泼（在招职位速览） (https://eg76rdcl6g.feishu.cn/docx/XO6bd12aGoI4j0xmAMoc4vS7nBh)，点击相应链接即可查看岗位详情及投递指南。 招聘 https://media24.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads-2024/images/8/8dd8a56f-9636-415a-8c00-f9ca6778e511/1TCNqViU.jpg 商务合作 声动活泼商业化小队，点击链接可直达商务会客厅（商务会客厅链接：https://sourl.cn/QDhnEc ），也可发送邮件至 business@shengfm.cn 联系我们。 关于声动活泼 「用声音碰撞世界」，声动活泼致力于为人们提供源源不断的思考养料。 我们还有这些播客：不止金钱（2024 全新发布） (https://www.xiaoyuzhoufm.com/podcast/65a625966d045a7f5e0b5640)、跳进兔子洞第三季（2024 全新发布） (https://www.xiaoyuzhoufm.com/podcast/666c0ad1c26e396a36c6ee2a)、声东击西 (https://etw.fm/episodes)、声动早咖啡 (https://sheng-espresso.fireside.fm/)、What's Next｜科技早知道 (https://guiguzaozhidao.fireside.fm/episodes)、反潮流俱乐部 (https://fanchaoliuclub.fireside.fm/)、泡腾 VC (https://popvc.fireside.fm/)、商业WHY酱 (https://msbussinesswhy.fireside.fm/) 欢迎在即刻 (https://okjk.co/Qd43ia)、微博等社交媒体上与我们互动，搜索 声动活泼 即可找到我们。 也欢迎你写邮件和我们联系，邮箱地址是：ting@sheng.fm 获取更多和声动活泼有关的讯息，你也可以扫码添加声小音，在节目之外和我们保持联系！ 声东击西 https://media24.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads-2024/images/8/8dd8a56f-9636-415a-8c00-f9ca6778e511/wEYE7jJa.jpg

In this CISOP episode of CSO Perspectives, Host Kim Jones sits down with John Funge, venture capitalist at DataTribe, to explore how investors view the cybersecurity landscape. Kim reflects on the tension between innovation, profit motives, and the real needs of security practitioners—raising questions about whether the industry prioritizes mitigation over true solutions. John offers a candid look inside the VC decision-making process, breaking down how teams, market fit, and long-term defensibility shape investment choices. Together, they examine how founders, investors, and CISOs can better align to drive meaningful, effective security innovation. Want more CISO Perspectives? Check out a companion ⁠⁠blog post⁠⁠ by our very own Ethan Cook, where he breaks down key insights, shares behind-the-scenes context, and highlights research that complements this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices