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Astasia Myers, General Partner at Felicis, breaks down how venture capital is betting on AI and why over 80% of their recent investments are in this space. But this isn't just another “AI is the future” conversation. We dig into the real ROI happening right now in healthcare voice agents, why MIT says 95% of GenAI projects fail to reach production, and what needs to happen for that number to flip. If you're building, investing, or just trying to understand where enterprise AI is actually working (not just hyped), this episode cuts through the noise.What You'll LearnThe labor replacement opportunity: Why outcome-based AI solutions are targeting the $35 trillion labor market instead of just software budgets and how that changes everything for startups and investors.Voice AI's healthcare breakthrough: How voice agents are finally solving the operational bottlenecks in patient scheduling and communication, driving 24/7 availability with better NPS than human operators.Why 95% of GenAI projects still fail: The technical and infrastructure gaps that prevent most AI initiatives from making it to production and what's needed to fix that in 2026.The new technical risk era: After years of focusing purely on market risk, VCs are back to evaluating deep technical challenges in agentic systems, browser automation, and continuous learning loops.The exceptionalism filter: How early-stage investors are separating signal from noise when everyone can spin up an AI startup and why founder insights and lived experience matter more than ever.Timestamped Highlights00:31 – What Felicis invests in and the types of AI companies dominating their portfolio right now02:58 – Why healthcare tech is finally ready for its AI moment after years of long sales cycles and unclear ROI08:15 – How outcome-based pricing is changing the VC evaluation playbook and unlocking 10x larger TAMs13:26 – The mythical one-person billion-dollar company: Is it real, and how would investors even spot it?17:18 – Voice AI as the gateway for enterprise adoption and why this modality is different from Siri and Alexa20:08 – Democratizing AI: What ChatGPT did for consumers and what needs to happen for enterprise buildersOne Thing Worth Remembering“These technologies can price towards the labor replacement markets, which is about 10x the size of the software market itself. The ROI right now is so tangible that it is a time to invest.”Subscribe and Stay in the LoopIf this episode gave you a new angle on where AI is actually delivering value, share it with a founder or investor who needs to hear it. Subscribe so you don't miss the next conversation, and drop a comment if there's a topic or guest you want us to tackle next.
Welcome back to The SaaS CFO Podcast! In this episode, host Ben Murray sits down with Nathan Gwilliam, the founder and CEO of PodUp, for an in-depth look at building and scaling a SaaS business in the ever-evolving world of podcasting. Nathan shares his journey as a serial entrepreneur, from launching his first business at BYU to building and selling three successful companies—including Adoption.com, the world's most-used adoption platform. Nathan takes us behind the scenes of PodUp, a platform designed to streamline every aspect of podcast creation, growth, and monetization through a suite of over 60 integrated tools—including sophisticated AI features. He opens up about the inspiration behind PodUp, the challenges of integrating dozens of technologies for content creators, and how a focus on both software and done-for-you services (through Pod Allies) is redefining the podcasting ecosystem. Together, Ben and Nathan discuss PodUp's fundraising journey, the nuances of working with angel investors versus VCs, and key metrics that drive sustainable SaaS growth. Nathan also offers practical advice for founders on raising capital, finding the right investors, and why bootstrapping a functional MVP can dramatically improve your fundraising odds. Whether you're a creator, entrepreneur, or SaaS enthusiast, this episode is packed with firsthand insight and actionable takeaways for anyone looking to win big in the creator economy. Show Notes: 00:00 "Integrated Platform Solving Time Constraints" 06:23 "Comprehensive Content & Monetization Tools" 07:40 Podcast Monetization Strategy Explained 12:56 "Board Accountability and Updates" 14:11 Bootstrap Before Raising Money 18:13 DIY Software Market Challenges 22:13 Key Metrics for SaaS Survival 26:39 "Choosing SaaS Use Cases Wisely" 27:26 "SaaS vs Service Business Valuations" 30:37 "Start & Grow Your Podcast" Links: SaaS Fundraising Stories: https://www.thesaasnews.com/news/podup-raises-5-8-million-in-funding Nathan Gwilliam's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangwilliam/ PodUp's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/poduppodcasting/ PodUp's Website: https://podup.com/ To learn more about Ben check out the links below: Subscribe to Ben's daily metrics newsletter: https://saasmetricsschool.beehiiv.com/subscribe Subscribe to Ben's SaaS newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df1db6bf8bca/the-saas-cfo-sign-up-landing-page SaaS Metrics courses here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/ Join Ben's SaaS community here: https://www.thesaasacademy.com/offers/ivNjwYDx/checkout Follow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrmurray
Our show today is being sponsored by Free Float Analytics, the only platform measuring board power, connections, and performance for FREE.DAMIONAmazon to announce largest layoffs in company history, in AI push. WHO DO YOU BLAME?Former CEO Jeff BezosAICovid (This wave of layoffs results from overhiring during the pandemic)Executive Chair and largest shareholder Jeff BezosF5 Expects Revenue Hit From Cyber Attack. F5, a $20B billion technology company with impressive gross profit margins of 81%, experienced a cybersecurity incident involving unauthorized access to certain company systems by a sophisticated nation-state threat actor. WHO DO YOU BLAME?The Risk committee: Dreyer, Klein, Montoya, Budnik*Chair Marianne Budnik is deemed to have Cybersecurity experience because she serves as a Chief Marketing Officer in the cybersecurity industryPeter Klein was the CFO at Microsoft for less than 4 years, then was the CFO for WME for 6 months and then has only been a director since 2014.Risk committee member Michael Montoya specifically. F5 revealed that the director mysteriously resigned in the same filing it disclosed the cyberattack, despite having served for only 4 years. According to the proxy, had “extensive experience as an information security executive.” Following his resignation from the Board, Mr. Montoya continued his service with the Company and has been appointed as F5's Chief Technology Operations Officer.The entire board, for doing dumb modern day board things: announced that CEO François Locoh-Donou, would assume the additional role of Chair of the Board following the Company's next Annual Meeting of Shareholders 12 days after they announced the cyberattack.Investors. 98% YES average this year: 7 over 99.2%, including Risk Committee Chair Marriane Budnik with 99.6%. Nobody feels like they have to work hard to impress anyoneF5! It's a god damn cybersecurity company!How climate change is fueling Hurricane Melissa's ferocity. WHO DO YOU BLAME?Exxon CEO Darren Woods because he sued his own shareholders last year: Arjuna Capital, LLC and Follow ThisExxon CEO Darren Woods because just yesterday: Exxon sues California over new laws requiring corporate climate disclosuresExxon CEO Darren Woods because gas and oilClimate ChangeOpenAI says U.S. needs more power to stay ahead of China in AI: ‘Electrons are the new oil' WHO DO YOU BLAME?The fear-and-spending geniuses behind the original Cold War: Truman, Stalin, ChurchillPeople who historically ignored Eisenhower and his statements on the U.S. military-industrial complex when he explicitly warned that defense contractors and the military could exert undue influence on government policy. Sound familiar?Anyone who empowered the board to not be empowered when they tried to fire Sam Altman for such reasons as:Conflicts over OpenAI's rapid growth and direction, especially the tension between aggressive AI deployment vs. safety oversight.Power dynamics between Altman, key researchers, and board members — some may have felt he had too much unilateral control.The college that let Sam Altman drop outSammy Altman Citi's Jane Fraser consolidates power with board chair vote — and a $25 million-plus bonus to boot. WHO DO YOU BLAME?The entire Compensation, Performance Management and Culture CommitteeThese two long-tenured Compensation, Performance Management and Culture Committee membersDiana L. Taylor* 10 other directorships: Brookfield Corporation, Accion (Chair), Columbia Business School (Board of Overseers),Friends of Hudson River Park (Chair), Mailman School of Public Health (Board of Overseers), The Economic Club of New York (Member), Council on Foreign Relations (Member), Hot Bread Kitchen (Board Chair), Cold Spring Harbor Lab (Member), and New York City Ballet (Board Chair)Peter B. Henry*8 other directorships: Nike, Inc., Analog Devices, Inc., National Bureau of Economic Research (Board), The Economic Club of New York (Board), Protiviti (Advisory Board), Biospring Partners (Advisory Board), Makena Capital (Advisory Board), and Two Bridges Football Club (Board)The lowest common denominator effect of bank compensation committees:Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf: ~$30M special equity grant tied to becoming Chair as well as CEO (3 months after meeting)Goldman Sachs: CEO David Solomon & COO John Waldron ~$80M each (retention RSUs vesting in ~5 yrs)KeyCorp: CEO Chris Gorman & four other senior execs: ~$8M for Gorman; ~$17M combined for the five NEOsThe passive ownership (re: management-friendly) of BlackRock, State Street, and Vanguard (combined 22%): without their votes at Goldman then Say on Pay was nearly tied, which might have dissuaded the year of one-off bonuses for banking CEOs??The world is about $4.5 trillion short of securing a sustainable food supply for the future, global food and ag business CEO [Sunny Verghese, CEO of food and ag company Olam Group] says. WHO DO YOU BLAME?The world's top 28 richest people (those worth ~$160 B each) together would equal $4.5 trillionThe world's greatest sycophant Tesla chair RobynDenholm: “On the pay package specifically: “It's not about the money for him. If there had been a way of delivering voting rights that didn't necessarily deliver dollars, that would have been an interesting proposition.”Any two of these basically redundant techbro companies' market caps would sufficeNvidia ~$4.2 trillion Microsoft ~$3.8 trillion Apple ~$3.1 trillion Amazon ~$2.4 trillion Alphabet ~$2.2 trillion Meta Platforms ~$1.8 trillion Broadcom ~$1.3 trillion Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company ~$1.2 trillionBill Ackman. Because he's a douche.MATTTarget is eliminating 1,800 roles as new CEO Michael Fiddelke gets set to take over the struggling retailer - WHO DO YOU BLAME?Current CEO Brian Cornell, who's “stepping down” to the role of Executive Chair - which is basically still CEO, just on the board and doesn't have to talk to employees anymore, so he can eliminate 1800 jobs and then fade away into a multimillion dollar unaccountable board roleFuture CEO Michael Fiddelke, who starts February 1, 2026, but is current COO and was forced to send the memo to employees telling them 8% of the workforce will be cutMonica Lozano, chair of the compensation and human capital management committee of the board, who's also on the BofA and Apple boards and is the most connected board member at a highly connected board - does the chair of the human capital committee have to weigh in on firing?OpenAI - the memo makes zero mention of the fact that part of Target's problem is that it shit on gays and blacks because of a feckless internet toad named Robby Starbuck, but feels very written by AI which would account for phrases like:“Adjusting our structure is one part of the work ahead of us. It will also require new behaviors and sharper priorities that strengthen our retail leadership in style and design and enable faster execution so we can: Lead with merchandising authority; Elevate the guest experience with every interaction; and Accelerate technology to enable our team and delight our guests.”Does anyone know what that word salad actually means? Doesn't it just mean “you're fired because we basically sucked at our jobs”?Hormel recalls 4.9M pounds of chicken possibly 'contaminated with pieces of metal' - WHO DO YOU BLAME?The audit committee, the closest committee responsible for enterprise risk (ie, metal in chicken) - Stephen M. Lacy, William A. Newlands (also lead director), Debbra L. Schoneman, Sally J. Smith (chair), Steven A. White, Michael P. ZechmeisterThe governance committee - James Snee, the now retired CEO who retired somehow in January but the company still hasn't found a permanent replacement 9 months later - so they're being run by Jeff Ettinger, interim CEO? Chair Gary C. Bhojwani, Elsa A. Murano, Ph.D., William A. Newlands (also lead director), Debbra L. Schoneman, Steven A. WhiteThe one black guy on the board - Steve White - who works at Comcast, is somehow qualified to be on Hormel board, and is on BOTH the audit committee AND governance committeeThe conveyor belt that spit pieces of metal as large as 17mm long into “fire braised chicken” sent to hotels and restaurantsCervoMed appoints McKinsey veteran David Quigley to board of directors - WHO DO YOU BLAME? Board is 2 VCs, a longtime biotech CFO, and five MD/PhDs. And among those 8, there are just two woman - the co-founder/wife of the CEO and a VC. And when they did their search, they could only find a longtime professional opinion haver - a consultant from the big three?Nominating committee for lack of imaginationEx or current McKinsey, Bain, and BCG employed directors - the opinion industrial complex - make up a whopping 4% of ALL US DIRECTORSAmong boards with MULTIPLE ex opinion directors: Kohl's is 25% consultantStarbucks is 27% consultantDisney is 30% consultantsWilliams-Sonoma is 38% consultantCBRE is 40% consultant!Nominating committee chair Jane Hollingsworth, for not looking around the room and saying, “hey dudes, can we add, like, maybe, ONE other lady?”Co founders Sylvie Gregoire and John Alam (also CEO) who own 17.3% of voting power - add in Josh Boger, board chair and 12.3% voter, and you basically have the CEO daddy and his buddy Josh with 29.6% of voting controlSylvie and John's bios, which neglect to mention they're married to one anotherWe are all terrified of the future - which headline is worse for your terror? WHO DO YOU BLAME?The world is about $4.5 trillion short of securing a sustainable food supply for the future, global food and ag business CEO saysBill Gates Says Climate Change ‘Will Not Lead to Humanity's Demise' - ostensibly because billionaires in bunkers will, in fact, survive on cans of metal-filled Hormel chili.Sorry, Yoda. Mentors are going out of styleMan Alarmed to Discover His Smart Vacuum Was Broadcasting a Secret Map of His HouseJennifer Garner's baby food company is going public on the NYSE — should investors be putting their eggs in this basket?Woman Repeatedly Warned by Canadian Exchange Not to Transfer Crypto, Gets Scammed AnywayOpenAI completes restructure, solidifying Microsoft as a major shareholder - MSFT owns 27%, the non profit which controlled the company “for the benefit of humanity” now will only control it for 26% of humanity?Tesla risks losing CEO Musk if $1 trillion pay package isn't approved, board chair says - IF MUSK LEAVES, WHO DO YOU BLAME?Robyn Denholm, board chair, whose job it is to manage Musk, but does it like an overwhelmed permissive mother who parents with chocolate and Teletubbies when the kid has a tantrumKimbal Musk - I was told by a bunch of directors and institutional investors at a conference, no joke, that Kimbal was still on the board (ie, not voted out) to control his brother's ketamine intake and crazy episodes. So if he throws a tantrum and leaves, isn't it bro's fault? This is a binary trade - Musk gets extra pay/control, stock goes up and isn't de-meme'd. Musk doesn't, he leaves and the stock is de-meme'd and drops arguably by 66% or more to be more like a car company with some tech. So do we blame investors, no matter what they do? They meme'd the stock in the first place, he couldn't get a trillion extra dollars if they hadn't pumped up the stock - and now they could vote with humanity (no pay) or meme capitalism (pay)!Techbro middle school conservatism - is this Ben Shapiro and Joe Rogan's fault? A Yale economist paper suggests that Musk's politics cost between 1 and 1.26 million Tesla car sales… Would we even be worried if Musk stayed out of politics? Wouldn't the market have just paid him whatever?Pop quiz: which directors stay on the board if Musk leaves in a tantrum?Jeffrey StraubelKimbal MuskRobyn DenholmJames MurdochKathleen Wilson-ThompsonIra EhrenpreisJack HartungJoe Gebbia
Jan Szilayi is the co-founder of Reflexivity, a AI market research platform that is quietly becoming the secret weapon for some of the world's top investors.Backed by legendary figures like Stanley Druckenmiller, Thomas Peterffy, and Greg Coffey, and partnered with Microsoft, Reflexivity is already being used by major hedge funds like Millennium and Soros Fund Management to navigate the overwhelming flood of market data.In this conversation, we explore how AI is evolving from a simple data tool into an analytical partner that helps investors ask questions they didn't even know they should be asking.We discuss the key principles from legendary investors that are baked into the platform's DNA, and we tackle the big question: Could an AI one day compete with the best asset managers on the planet?⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.comReflexivity website - https://reflexivity.com/enJan Szilagyi on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-szilagyi-12284ab
Jim Curry is the co-founder and CEO of BuildGroup, a venture firm based in Austin that has raised $330 million since its founding in 2015 and backed companies like Anaconda, Vidmob, DigniFi, and Benefitfocus. He brings more than two decades of experience in product, strategy, and corporate development from roles at Rackspace and Dell, and he co-founded OpenStack, one of the most widely used open source cloud computing platforms. Jim serves on the boards of Generation Serve and the University of Texas School of Undergraduate Studies. He holds degrees from UT Austin and Harvard Business School.In this conversation, we discuss:Jim's journey from Rackspace to launching BuildGroup and why he believes in “longer, slower capital” to support mission-driven foundersHow his experience co-founding OpenStack shaped his thinking on community-driven innovation and open-source softwareWhat AI startups can learn from the cloud era—and why infrastructure still matters in the age of foundation modelsWhy Jim believes VCs often push startups to scale too fast and what sustainable growth looks like in practiceThe impact of AI on venture capital and how BuildGroup thinks about investing in software companies that solve real problemsHow founders can balance product vision with pragmatism, especially when building in volatile marketsResources:Subscribe to the AI & The Future of Work NewsletterConnect with Jim on LinkedInAI fun fact articleOn How to Develop NLP and AI Data Harvesting Using Games and Blockchains To Earn NFTs
“It can be difficult for people to know who they can speak to about it,” says Amy Lewin, of entrepreneurs who are unhappy in their own companies. Amy is the Editor at Sifted, a media platform focused on Europe's startup ecosystem and she joins The Conscious Entrepreneur podcast to discuss a survey Sifted recently posed to a number of entrepreneurs, the vast majority of whom reported experiencing poor mental health, high stress and even a strong desire to leave their businesses within the coming year. Though these figures may seem alarming, they merely shed light on common struggles and pressures felt by entrepreneurs which are so often swept under the rug for fear of looking weak or needing to maintain an ultra positive mindset in order to see their businesses succeed. On today's episode Amy will reveal more of the survey's findings as well as what venture capitalists (VCs) can do to support entrepreneurs, in whom they, after all, have a vested interest. The survey highlights the importance of a community in an entrepreneur's life. Family and friends share the entrepreneur's burden, while simultaneously being unable to relate. Professional networks of like-minded contemporaries can go a long way toward making isolated individuals feel heard and connected, as well as ease the mental health stigma. Today, Amy shares the common regret shared among most entrepreneurs and why quitting might be the best thing they could do for their careers. Quotes “It was just a real sign of the personal toll—and not just even on the founders, but on their family, on their friends, on their colleagues—just another reminder that building startups is really tough.” (4:48 | Amy Lewin) “Whenever we publish stories about that personal side of company building at Sifted, we get the most amazing response. People love knowing that they're not the only ones. And I think sometimes, startup culture is so much that you've got to be optimistic. You've got to believe that your company can be the one in 100 that's going to really make it. You hear from so many people that your idea is never going to work and you have to believe in it yourself and I think when times are really hard it can be difficult for people to know who they can speak to about it.” (6:27 | Amy Lewin) “That attitude that's going to be out there from some corners that if you are struggling in any way then you are weak and that you're not in it for the long term, which I obviously don't believe, but is obviously what some people still think.” (13:04 | Amy Lewin) “Encourage founders to go on holiday. Encourage them to have a personal life. These things are important. We all need to recharge our batteries and ‘visionaries do,' too. There's that famous saying that comes from the VC world: “I've never seen a company go bust because the founder took a week off, but I have seen plenty of companies go bust because the founder didn't.'” (18:26 | Amy Lewin and Alex Raymond) Links Connect with Amy Lewin: https://sifted.eu/articles/founder-mental-health-2024 Connect with Alex Raymond: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afraymond/ Website: https://consciousentrepreneur.us/ HiveCast.fm is a proud sponsor of The Conscious Entrepreneur Podcast. Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm
Join us for an inspiring conversation with Wyatt Lonergan, a visionary investor at VanEck Ventures, as he shares his incredible journey of becoming a key player in Web3 and blockchain innovation. Wyatt's story is one of curiosity, resilience, and a passion for building the future of finance. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a crypto enthusiast, or simply curious about Web3, this episode is packed with insights on stablecoins, DeFi, tokenized assets, and venture capital.What You'll Learn:
In this episode of GrownLearn, host Zorina Dimitrova sits down with Andrea Iorio — one of Brazil's most sought-after keynote speakers and a global authority on digital transformation, leadership, and human behavior in the age of AI. Andrea shares his groundbreaking approach to AI implementation, focusing not on the technology itself but on people, mindset, and ethics. Drawing from his roles as Head of Tinder Latin America and Chief Digital Officer at L'Oréal Brazil, he explains why most AI projects fail — and how leaders can build the skills and governance needed for long-term success. Together, Zorina and Andrea explore: Why AI success depends on human soft skills — not just data and algorithms How to create a culture of adaptability, empathy, and curiosity in business The three pillars of skill transformation from Andrea's upcoming book Between You and AI Why behavioral change, not technical training, drives digital transformation Whether you're a business leader, innovator, or lifelong learner, this conversation will challenge how you think about technology, leadership, and growth in the AI era. Instagram : @aiorio_br Linkedin : www.linkedin.com/in/andreaiorio/ Latest Book: https://www.amazon.com/Between-You-AI-Unlock-AI-Driven/dp/1394357982 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Karl Alomar, Managing Partner at M13 and former COO of DigitalOcean, joins The Tech Trek to share how being an operator changes the way you invest. He explains why M13 was built to be a truly founder-first VC firm—one that acts early, helps proactively, and builds deep relationships rooted in empathy and experience. From spotting great founders to balancing instinct and data, this episode explores how venture capital can drive better outcomes when it focuses on people as much as product.Key Takeaways• The most effective VCs act before problems surface, shaping a founder's path rather than reacting to it.• Founder–market fit often comes down to whether someone is a specialist with deep expertise or an athlete who can adapt fast.• Empathy built through years of operating experience creates trust that fuels honest conversations and better decisions.• Great founders lead with vision—they can inspire, recruit, and align teams behind a clear story of what's possible.• Even the best instincts and pattern recognition can't outplay timing, luck, and market shifts—but reflection and learning can.Timestamped Highlights(01:20) How being an operator shaped Karl's approach to venture capital(06:48) The three kinds of investors—and why empathy gives operators an edge(09:54) Creating a safe space where founders can share problems without fear(14:13) Identifying “athletes” and “specialists” when evaluating founders(20:33) Pattern matching, instincts, and the role of luck in investing(23:50) What M13 learns from postmortems on both wins and missesA Line That Stuck“To do it the right way, you have to be a proactive investor, not a reactive one.”Pro TipsKarl suggests founders build relationships with investors who understand their world and seek out those who can help them see around corners—not just react when things break.Call to ActionIf this episode resonated, follow The Tech Trek on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and connect with Amir Bormand on LinkedIn for more conversations at the intersection of people, impact, and technology.
This week on New Wave Weekly:
In this episode of Power Talks, recorded live at their Nairobi event, host Ssuna Ronald sits down with Kai Isand, a key organizer and Head of Programs for Latitude59. Dive into the story of why this premier European tech conference, born in the "startup nation" of Estonia, is making a strategic home in Africa. Kai reveals the mind-blowing reception they received in Kenya, drawing parallels between the hunger of today's African entrepreneurs and the early days of Estonia's own tech miracle.We explore Latitude59's unique role not as a direct investor, but as a high-quality connector and community builder, facilitating serendipitous moments between African startups, global investors, and policymakers. Kai discusses the success of their first investor day, the vital partnership with Smart Africa, and their ambitious goal to become the biggest and most impactful tech conference on the continent. If you're building a startup, looking to invest, or curious about the bridges being built between Africa and Europe, this conversation provides an essential insider's perspective.(00:00:46) - The Latitude59 Mission: Kai introduces her role and the success of their first investor day in Nairobi.(00:01:17) - The Estonian Story: Why the "startup nation" is looking to Kenya and what the ecosystems have in common.(00:02:49) - Building Bridges, Not Dictating: How Latitude59 fosters inclusive, co-creative communities between Africa and Europe.(00:04:34) - The "Serendipity" Model: Explaining Latitude59's role as a platform and connector, not a direct funder or incubator.(00:06:12) - The African Ambition: Latitude59's goal to become the biggest and highest-quality tech conference in Africa.(00:07:47) - Government & Policy: The crucial role of partnerships with entities like Smart Africa in shaping a thriving startup ecosystem.(00:08:54) - Advice for Startups: How founders should use events like Latitude59 to build relationships and secure funding.Power Talks is your front-row seat to the conversations shaping the future of business and technology in Africa. Host Ssuna Ronald brings you face-to-face with the most dynamic founders, investors, and ecosystem builders driving progress across the continent. From deep-dive interviews with startup founders to insights from top VCs and event coverage from hubs like Nairobi and Kigali, we unpack the big ideas, the bigger opportunities, and the game-changing conversations you need to hear.Subscribe to stay updated on Africa's innovation revolution.Enjoyed this episode? Please subscribe, rate us, and share it with a friend, a founder, or anyone who believes in the power of African innovation.Executive Producer: Ssuna RonaldSound Engineer: Gumisiriza RichardArt Direction: Abdu Latif OkalangPowered By: Latitude 59 Connect via: LinkedIn & InstagramFor Inquiries: emailpowertalks@gmail.com
Startups from Funding to Community w/ Daniela Santagelo of Freeway - AZ TRT S06 EP15 (277) 8-17-2025 What We Learned This Week: Freeway - Helping Startups - Talent • Capital • Community Talent Retention & Reinvestment are key to building a Flywheel Phoenix Tech Ecosystem is growing, but not yet mature Always need more VC Funding + Deal Flow Government Partnership as enabler for Tech Guest: Daniela Santagelo https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielaalpert/ I'm a founder, startup ecosystem builder, and civic innovation partner working at the intersection of tech, talent, and community. Through my work with Freeway Phx, I help cities, startups, and global partners co-create thriving innovation ecosystems, starting in Arizona and building bridges worldwide. I believe that opportunity doesn't just happen. It's designed. That's why I focus on activating communities, cultivating tech talent, and building connective infrastructure that turns vision into velocity. My journey spans founding multiple companies including scaling a venture-backed startup to $33M in funding and helping grow it to a $100M business. I've also spent 15 years in the Moving & Relocation industry, which gave me a unique lens on talent migration patterns and the infrastructure needed to build resilient, people-first startup communities. Like many founders, I've experienced both the highs of scaling and the lows of setback. That reinvention shaped my sharper mission: helping founders grow and give back. ⚡️ I lead Tech Talent Summits that connect employers, educators, and jobseekers
In this episode of Power Talks, host Ssuna Ronald sits down with Anil Atmaramani, a Partner at Antler focused on West Africa. Dive into the unique model of this global venture capital firm that invests at "day zero"—backing high-potential individuals even before they have a concrete idea. Anil, a Canadian with two decades of experience on the continent, reveals why he holds an unwavering conviction that "the future is African," and how Antler is structured to accelerate that future.We explore Antler's grueling, highly-selective residency program that sifts through 5,000 applications to find the top 20 founders, the traits they look for beyond a business plan (grit, resilience, and coachability), and what successful alumni like Uncover and Honeycoin are achieving. If you're an aspiring founder who has faced failure, an investor curious about pre-seed opportunities, or believe in Africa's demographic destiny, this conversation is a masterclass in founder-first investing.(00:00:51) - The Antler Model: What it means to be a "day zero" investor and how the residency program works.(00:02:34) - Investing in Founders, Not Ideas: Why Antler backs people first and how they assess character during the program.(00:04:00) - The Founder DNA: The key traits Antler looks for: grit, determination, coachability, and the willpower to face hard truths.(00:05:37) - Beyond the Check: The full suite of benefits for founders, from co-working space and cloud credits to a powerful global network.(00:06:23) - Antler's African Footprint: The impressive growth in Kenya and the upcoming launch in Lagos, Nigeria.(00:07:17) - Success Stories: A look at portfolio companies like the skincare brand Uncover and crypto-trading platform Honeycoin.(00:08:17) - The African Conviction: Anil's powerful personal thesis on why the future is undeniably African.(00:10:30) - A Message to Founders: Why failure is a "badge of honor" and a call to keep building.Power Talks is your front-row seat to the conversations shaping the future of business and technology in Africa. Host Ssuna Ronald brings you face-to-face with the most dynamic founders, investors, and ecosystem builders driving progress across the continent. From deep-dive interviews with startup founders to insights from top VCs and event coverage from hubs like Nairobi and Kigali, we unpack the big ideas, the bigger opportunities, and the game-changing conversations you need to hear.Subscribe to stay updated on Africa's innovation revolution.Enjoyed this episode? Please subscribe, rate us, and share it with a friend, a founder, or anyone who believes in the power of African innovation.Executive Producer: Ssuna RonaldSound Engineer: Gumisiriza RichardArt Direction: Abdu Latif OkalangPowered By: Latitude 59 Connect via: LinkedIn & InstagramFor Inquiries: emailpowertalks@gmail.com
In this episode of Power Talks, recorded live at Latitude59 in Nairobi, host Ssuna Ronald sits down with Mike Strano, Co-founder and COO of Yakwetu Online Limited. Dive into the ambitious mission to create a premier on-demand platform dedicated entirely to African storytelling. Mike reveals the shocking scale of the piracy crisis robbing African creatives of $803 million a year and how his company's proprietary technology is not just streaming content, but actively creating a legal, profitable ecosystem for filmmakers.We explore Yakwetu's unique four-product strategy, from the pay-per-view model of "My Movies Africa" to their groundbreaking encrypted screening tool that's being used by churches and events. Mike also shares his philosophy as a bootstrapped founder with a proven track record, why he believes his venture is a safe bet for investors, and his plan to legitimize 54,000 illegal movie shops across Kenya. If you're curious about the future of African media, entertainment tech, and resilient entrepreneurship, this conversation is a must-listen.(00:00:43) - The Big Idea: Mike introduces Yakwetu and its mission to empower African creatives.(00:01:10) - The Product Suite: A breakdown of Yakwetu's four key products, including "My Movies Africa."(00:02:16) - The $803M Piracy Problem: Mike reveals the staggering financial loss and their encrypted solution for screenings.(00:04:18) - Legitimizing an Illegal Market: The innovative plan to partner with 54,000 "movie shops" and split revenue three ways.(00:06:08) - Quality vs. Relatability: How Yakwetu curates content and the power of a good story.(00:07:48) - The Bootstrapped Journey: Mike discusses bootstrapping since 2014 and the current search for a $1M pre-seed round.(00:09:42) - The Future Vision: Yakwetu's next step as a marketplace for media, similar to Amazon's model.(00:11:53) - Global Ambitions: Patenting their anti-piracy tech for markets in Latin America, Eastern Europe, and beyond.Power Talks is your front-row seat to the conversations shaping the future of business and technology in Africa. Host Ssuna Ronald brings you face-to-face with the most dynamic founders, investors, and ecosystem builders driving progress across the continent. From deep-dive interviews with startup founders to insights from top VCs and event coverage from hubs like Nairobi and Kigali, we unpack the big ideas, the bigger opportunities, and the game-changing conversations you need to hear.Subscribe to stay updated on Africa's innovation revolution.Enjoyed this episode? Please subscribe, rate us, and share it with a friend, a founder, or anyone who believes in the power of African innovation.Executive Producer: Ssuna RonaldSound Engineer: Gumisiriza RichardArt Direction: Abdu Latif OkalangPowered By: Latitude 59 Connect via: LinkedIn & InstagramFor Inquiries: emailpowertalks@gmail.com
In this powerful episode of Power Talks, recorded live at Latitude59 in Nairobi, host Ssuna Ronald sits down with Shawn Maraya, the visionary CEO of SiteSeer. Discover how this trained architect is tackling one of Africa's most persistent problems: chronic construction delays that cost the continent a staggering $45 billion annually.Shawn reveals how his company uses a simple hard hat-mounted camera to create a "digital twin" of construction sites, bringing much-needed transparency and data-driven decision-making to an industry ripe for disruption. We dive into his journey from architect to tech founder, the challenges of introducing innovation to "old money" sectors, and his bootstrapped path to managing over a million square meters of data.Whether you're in construction, tech, investing, or just fascinated by African innovation, this conversation is a masterclass in identifying a massive problem and building a clever, human-centric solution.(00:01:05) - The Big Idea: What is SiteSeer? The vision to revolutionize construction's three pillars.(00:01:51) - The Simple Analogy: How SiteSeer works, explained using a "food delivery" model.(00:02:19) - The Tech on Site: From hard hats to "Digital Twins" - how the magic happens.(00:02:59) - The $45 Billion Problem: The shocking scale of delays and losses in African construction.(00:05:10) - The Founder's Story: Why a young, geeky architect took on this giant industry.(00:07:08) - Traction & The Future: Bootstrapping, a $1.2M fundraise, and expansion plans across Africa.(00:08:45) - Parting Wisdom: Shawn's powerful advice for every entrepreneur: "Bet on yourself."Power Talks is your front-row seat to the conversations shaping the future of business and technology in Africa. Host Ssuna Ronald brings you face-to-face with the most dynamic founders, investors, and ecosystem builders driving progress across the continent. From deep-dive interviews with startup founders to insights from top VCs and event coverage from hubs like Nairobi and Kigali, we unpack the big ideas, the bigger opportunities, and the game-changing conversations you need to hear.Subscribe to stay updated on Africa's innovation revolution.Enjoyed this episode? Please subscribe, rate us, and share it with a friend, a founder, or anyone who believes in the power of African innovation.Executive Producer: Ssuna RonaldSound Engineer: Gumisiriza RichardArt Direction: Abdu Latif OkalangPowered By: Latitude 59 Connect via: LinkedIn & InstagramFor Inquiries: emailpowertalks@gmail.com
Join Marina Franklin on the latest Friends Like Us podcast with special guests Jon Laster & Marlon Nichols as they dive into the world of venture capital, diversity in tech, and the untapped potential in Africa. Don't miss this insightful episode! Jon Laster is known for One Bedroom (2018), No More Mr Nice Guy (2018) and The 2019 ESPY Awards (2019) and check out his new series An Astute Woman Web Series. He is the Founder and C.E.O. of Blapp. Blapp is a Google-based, geo-located app that will tell you all the Black businesses that are right around you. Marlon Nichols is the co-founder and managing general partner of MaC Venture Capital, a leading seed-stage firm renowned for backing visionary founders who redefine industries. Under his leadership, MaC has grown into one of North America's largest seed-stage venture firms, surpassing $600 million in assets under management (AUM). In October 2024, the firm announced the closing of its third fund ($150 million), further solidifying its influence in the early-stage investment landscape. Marlon's portfolio includes industry-defining companies such as Airspace, Blavity, FINESSE, Gimlet Media, MongoDB, Pipe, Purestream, Thrive Market, and Shekel Mobility, among others. His keen eye for transformative opportunities has earned him widespread recognition, including consecutive placements on Los Angeles Business Journal's LA500 (2022–2025) and Business Insider's Seed 100 (Top Early-Stage Investors) for four years. Additionally, he ranks 25th on the Kauffman Fellows Fund Returners Index and has been featured in PitchBook's 25 Black Founders and VCs to Watch for six years. His expertise is frequently sought by top media outlets such as Axios, CNBC, Fortune, and more. A passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, Marlon serves on the board of Kauffman Fellows, working to expand representation for underrepresented minorities in venture capital. With a unique blend of technology acumen and leadership principles shaped by his athletic background, he actively mentors CEOs, fosters strategic partnerships, and helps founders scale their businesses into market leaders. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), TBS's The Last O.G, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Hysterical on FX, The Movie Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf. Writer for HBO's 'Divorce' and the new Tracy Morgan show on Paramount Plus: 'Crutch
Concentration beats diversification. One stock. That's all Jaden Sterling bought during the 1990s. It tripled, became capital for 125 real estate deals, and eventually funded Sterling Stock Picker, a stock-picking platform now serving 3,000 investors. What most financial advisors don't tell you: diversification is what you do when you don't know what you're doing. When Jaden's clients at Merrill Lynch held 4-6 solid companies, they were pressured to sell and diversify into mutual funds. The math later showed holding those original positions would've beaten all the churn. The path to real wealth isn't about spreading money thin. It's about focused conviction in what you actually understand. I sat down with Jaden to talk about deal structures across real estate, concentrated stock investing, raising capital from customers instead of VCs, and why your relationship with money mirrors your relationship with yourself. FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE: https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/jadensterling FOR MORE ON JADEN STERLING:https://www.sterlingstockpicker.com/jaden_sterling FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today!
Derek Champagne talks with Sramana Mitra. Sramana is the founder and CEO of One Million by One Million (1Mby1M), the world's first and only global virtual incubator/accelerator. Its goal is to help a million entrepreneurs globally reach a million dollars in annual revenue, build a trillion dollars in global GDP, and create 10 million jobs.Since its founding in 2010, 1Mby1M has become a powerful platform for democratization of entrepreneurship acceleration.Sramana also developed 1Mby1M's Incubator-in-a-Box methodology for Corporate Incubation that is used by enterprises to manage internal and external innovation endeavors.In 2015, LinkedIn named Sramana one of their Top 10 Influencers alongside Bill Gates and Richard Branson.Sramana has been an entrepreneur and a strategy consultant in Silicon Valley since 1994. Her fields of experience span from hardcore technology disciplines like Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing and Semiconductors, to sophisticated consumer marketing industries including e-commerce, fashion and education.As an entrepreneur CEO, Sramana founded three companies: Dais (off-shore software services), Intarka (sales lead generation and qualification software using Artificial Intelligence algorithms; VC: NEA) and Uuma (online personalized store for selling clothes using Expert Systems software; VC: Redwood). Two of these were acquired, while the third received an acquisition offer from Ralph Lauren which the company did not accept.As strategy consultant, Sramana has consulted with over 80 companies, including public companies such as SAP, Cadence Design Systems, Webex, KLA-Tencor, Best Buy, MercadoLibre and Tessera among others. Her work has also included numerous startups and VCs.Sramana has a Masters degree in EECS from MIT and a Bachelors degree in Computer Science and Economics from Smith College.From 2000 to 2004, Sramana chaired the MIT Club of Northern California's entrepreneurship program in Silicon Valley.Learn more at www.1Mby1M.comBusiness Leadership Series Intro and Outro music provided by Just Off Turner: https://music.apple.com/za/album/the-long-walk-back/268386576
Last Friday, billions evaporated in a liquidation cascade—and nobody knows exactly what happened because centralized exchanges won't share the data. In this sponsored episode recorded at Aptos' NYC event, Aptos CEO Avery Ching says if their Decibel perpetual exchange had been live, traders would have seen every order, every spread change, every liquidation in real-time onchain. But while critics argue existing perp DEXs like Hyperliquid are already decentralized, Ching says most still match orders off-chain in black boxes. Avery explains why Decibel (launching Q1 2026) will be different, how 500 million Indian users are coming to crypto through Reliance Jio's Jiocoin, and why Aptos partnered with World Liberty Financial despite VCs calling it "garbage in your living room." Guest: Avery Ching, CEO & Co-Founder, Aptos Links: The Composable Global Exchange Engine, by Avery Ching, CEO Aptos Aptos Post: The fully onchain trading engine built by Decibel Foundation Previous coverage of Unchained on Black Friday: Crypto's Black Friday Was Its Largest Liquidation Ever. What the Hell Happened? Timestamps:
Welcome back to the EUCVC Summit Talks, where we bring you candid conversations with Europe's leading founders, corporate leaders, and investors shaping the future of venture collaboration.In this episode, Anne C. Fleischer, Global VP of Consumer Engagement and New Business Models at Novo Nordisk, joins Henrijette Richter, Managing Partner at Sofinnova Partners, for a conversation on the future of health innovation.Together they explore how corporates and VCs are driving the next wave of digital health, the role of AI in transforming patient care, and what it takes to turn breakthrough science into scalable business models.
What does it take to build and fund the companies that are truly transforming the built environment? This week, we are joined by Jesse Devitte, co-founder and General Partner of Building Ventures and a pioneer who has spent over three decades at the intersection of architecture, construction, and technology.Jesse shares his remarkable journey, from co-founding SoftDesk, the company that laid the groundwork for Autodesk's AEC division in the early 90s, to becoming one of the first venture capitalists dedicated to the industry. He explains the origin of Building Ventures, a firm created to invest across the entire lifecycle of how we design, build, and operate our world. Supported by a network of industry leaders, the firm was founded on the belief that a wave of innovation was coming, and the built environment was ready for a new generation of transformative companies.The conversation offers a rare look inside the mind of an investor, exploring the evolution of AEC tech, the business model challenges facing architecture firms, and what it takes to get a startup funded. Jesse reveals that his team looks for more than just a good idea; they look for founders with a unique, firsthand understanding of the problem they are solving."We want them to really not pitch us on a solution for their problem. We want them to be in love with the problem. That's an earned secret to us that someone has that they can apply that makes them really unique." - Jesse DevitteThis episode concludes with a forward-looking perspective on where the industry is headed. Jesse argues that the path forward requires a mindset shift from all players: architects must "lean in" to new opportunities like industrialized construction to maintain influence, and the industry as a whole must foster a collaborative ecosystem where startups, incumbents like Autodesk, and practitioners work together to drive progress. His story is a guide to where opportunity lives, offering invaluable insights for both aspiring entrepreneurs and firm leaders wondering how capital, innovation, and design intersect to shape the future of practice.Guest:Jesse Devitte is a co-founder and General Partner at Building Ventures, a venture capital firm investing in early-stage startups that are transforming the built environment. With a career spanning over 30 years, Jesse was a pioneer in AEC software development, co-founding SoftDesk, which was acquired by Autodesk to create its AEC Market Group. He later became one of the first VCs to focus on the built world, with early investments in iconic companies like SketchUp. Through Building Ventures, he continues to support entrepreneurs who are improving how we design, build, and operate our world.Is This Episode for You?This episode is for you if:✅ You are an entrepreneur with a startup idea for the AEC industry and want to know what investors look for. ✅ You are a firm leader trying to understand the broader trends in AEC technology and investment. ✅ You are curious about the evolution of venture capital in the built environment. ✅ You want to hear the perspective of a pioneer who has shaped AEC software from the beginning. ✅ You are interested in the future of design tech, pre-construction, sustainability, and industrialized construction.
Please note that due to our 501C3 status with One Giant Leap Foundation, all donation, subcriptions and gifts must go through PayPal, Zelle or by check to The Space Show in Las Vegas. See the large PayPal button on our website home page, www.thespaceshow.com for details these supporting ways to help The Space Show. We are working to be an approved nonprofit for Substack support but the process is tedious and lengthy. In the meantime, we do ask for and need your support.We talked about a a space-themed presentation about multi-planetary topics and artificial gravity research. We explored various aspects of space colonization, including the challenges of low gravity environments, the feasibility of artificial gravity solutions, and the potential for space tourism and medical research. The discussion concluded with a seven-step sequence for space exploration and considerations for future space missions, emphasizing the need for practical solutions and sustainable funding to advance human space travel. Space Show participants included Marshall Martin, Phil Swan, Dr. Ajay Kothari, and John Hunt.I introduced the evening's space show, highlighting upcoming guests and discussing the ongoing transition of podcasting to Substack. I announced several upcoming shows, including Hotel Mars with Anatoly Sack, Dr. Benaroya discussing lunar habitats, and Sam Jimenez from Astroport Space Tech. David welcomed Joe Carroll, an expert on advanced space transportation and artificial gravity, who would be sharing his presentation later in the show. I reminded listeners about the non-profit status of the show and encouraged support for their annual campaign.Joe discussed the current state of artificial gravity research, noting that while NASA's commercial lunar destinations program includes it as a stretch goal, no immediate plans exist for funding. He highlighted efforts by VAST, founded by Jeb McCallab, and Blue Origin, both of which are seriously interested in artificial gravity for long-term human health on the Moon and Mars. Our participants agreed that research into the effects of different gravity levels on human health is crucial for future space exploration, with Marshall suggesting that the Stanford Torus could be a valuable tool for such research.Our Space Show Zoom participants discussed the feasibility and challenges of colonizing Mars, focusing on the cost implications of one-way trips versus round trips, and the potential for raising families in low Martian gravity. They explored the idea of building a space station to simulate Martian gravity and investigate the effects of long-term exposure to low gravity on human health, particularly in terms of radiation exposure. Joe suggested conducting research on animals to understand the impact of low gravity on human physiology, while Marshall raised questions about the relationship between gravity and radiation exposure. The conversation concluded with a discussion on the potential benefits of establishing a settlement in equatorial low Earth orbit as a stepping stone to Mars colonization, though David noted the lack of concrete action towards addressing the gravity problem.The group discussed two main topics: the effects of microgravity on human health and the feasibility of artificial gravity in space travel. Joe explained that while short-term stays in microgravity (up to 3 months) don't cause severe health problems, longer missions of 6-12 months could lead to coordination issues upon return. Regarding artificial gravity, Joe noted that while rotating rooms have tested different spin rates, the experience would be significantly different in a spacecraft due to the gravity gradient. The group agreed that more tests are needed to determine the optimal spin radius and speed for human comfort in space, potentially using Crew Dragon for these experiments.Joe presented a detailed analysis of artificial gravity solutions for multi-planetary settlements, focusing on Moon and Mars gravity levels. He outlined seven distinct tests needed to determine the feasibility of artificial gravity, including ground-based simulations and Crew Dragon experiments. Joe emphasized the importance of testing these concepts in Earth orbit before attempting lunar or Martian settlements, due to the high costs and long travel times associated with space missions. He also discussed the potential for tourism to drive the development of artificial gravity technology and the need to determine the optimal gravity level for human health and comfort in space settlements.Joe discussed the design and functionality of a space facility that simulates Moon and Mars gravity through rotation at different speeds. He emphasized the importance of testing human health impacts in long-term low-gravity environments and highlighted the challenges of recycling and space constraints in future Mars missions. Marshall inquired about wet launch theories, and Joe explained the potential for pre-launch modifications to space vehicles for expanded functionality. Joe concluded that future space missions would require more space and gravity simulation, suggesting that Elon's current plans for Mars missions might need adjustments.Joe and David discussed the feasibility of a space project, focusing on the potential use of Starship for missions to Mars and the challenges involved. Joe expressed concerns about the practicality of sending people to Mars without proper preparation and suggested alternative locations for a launch site near the equator. They explored the possibility of securing funding from billionaires or innovative VCs, as government support seems unlikely. Joe estimated that the project could be completed within 5 years with adequate funding.The discussion focused on inflatable space structures, with Joe and David sharing insights about existing military and commercial applications, including Bigelow's earlier work and Sierra Space's current developments. They agreed that while there's significant interest in commercial space ventures, many startups face challenges in securing sustainable funding without clear operational revenue streams, noting that current market conditions offer numerous alternative investment opportunities. The conversation concluded with David emphasizing the need for a well-defined and practically ready project to attract serious investment, rather than just theoretical concepts.The group discussed the challenges and costs associated with space tourism and medical research in space. Marshall suggested that reducing the cost per pound to orbit could make space tourism feasible, but Joe pointed out that current launch costs are too high for widespread access. David emphasized the need for a commercial revenue stream to fund space activities, while Phil proposed creating a medical research lab in low Earth orbit with a 30-year return on investment. The conversation touched on the potential for pharmaceutical companies to fund such a project, but acknowledged the lack of current plans or funding for such initiatives.Joe discussed a seven-step sequence for space exploration, emphasizing the importance of gradual progress and building public trust. The group discussed the challenges and potential of sending humans to Mars, with John raising concerns about the lack of return capability. Phil emphasized the need for long-term arguments to create support for short-term plans, while Joe shared his experience with NASA funding and the visibility of space stations. The show concluded with plans for future discussions and a reminder to “keep looking up.”Special thanks to our sponsors:Northrup Grumman, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Helix Space in Luxembourg, Celestis Memorial Spaceflights, Astrox Corporation, Dr. Haym Benaroya of Rutgers University, The Space Settlement Progress Blog by John Jossy, The Atlantis Project, and Artless EntertainmentOur Toll Free Line for Live Broadcasts: 1-866-687-7223For real time program participation, email Dr. Space at: drspace@thespaceshow.comThe Space Show is a non-profit 501C3 through its parent, One Giant Leap Foundation, Inc. To donate via Pay Pal, use:To donate with Zelle, use the email address: david@onegiantleapfoundation.org.If you prefer donating with a check, please make the check payable to One Giant Leap Foundation and mail to:One Giant Leap Foundation, 11035 Lavender Hill Drive Ste. 160-306 Las Vegas, NV 89135Upcoming Programs:Broadcast 4446: ZOOM Dr. Haym Benaroya | Friday 17 Oct 2025 930AM PTGuests: Dr. Haym BenaroyaZOOM: Dr. Benaroya is here to discuss lunar habitat architecture, policy and lots more.Broadcast 4447: ZOOM Sam Ximenes of Astroport Space Technologies | Sunday 19 Oct 2025 1200PM PTGuests: Sam XimenesZoom: CEO & Founder of Astroport Space Tech, Sam Ximenes, is with us to discuss their lunar work, his being featured by National Geographic and more. Get full access to The Space Show-One Giant Leap Foundation at doctorspace.substack.com/subscribe
Industry leaders from Coder, Scale AI, and Suger reveal why 95% of AI pilots fail—and share the frameworks that actually work to get agents into production.Topics Include:Panel features leaders from Coder, Scale AI, and Suger discussing agentic AI.MIT report reveals 95% of AI pilots fail to reach production.Challenges are rarely technical—they're organizational, mindset, and people-driven instead.Companies lack documented tribal knowledge needed to train agents effectively.Many organizations attempt AI where deterministic, rules-based automation would work better."Freestyle agents" concept: Some problems shouldn't be solved by agents at all.Regulated industries struggle when asking agents to handle highly differentiated, complex tasks.Common mistakes: building one universal agent or separate agents for every use case.Post-billing workflows and business-critical operations aren't ready for AI's black box.VCs pressure companies to define "AI-native"—but nobody has clear answers yet.Scale AI uses five maturity levels; Coder uses three tiers for adoption.Success metrics span operational readiness, business impact, and technology performance indicators.Production requires data governance, context, A/B testing, and robust fallback mechanisms.Even Anthropic uses agents conservatively: research tasks and log triage, no write-access.Path to 50% success requires agile frameworks, people change, and proper AI talent.Participants:Ben Potter - VP of Product, CoderRaviteja Yelamanchili - Head of Solutions Engineering, Scale AIJon Yoo - CEO, SugerAdam Ross - US, Partner Sales Sr. Leader, Amazon Web ServicesSee how Amazon Web Services gives you the freedom to migrate, innovate, and scale your software company at https://aws.amazon.com/isv/
Dean thought he'd have to bootstrap Axonius because no investor would fund a solution to a problem that had existed for 20 years. He was wrong—they've raised $500M. The breakthrough came when a Fortune 500 company was actively being hacked by Chinese state actors. Their first customer almost said no—they had 20 bugs during the POC. But Dean's team fixed each one within 48 hours while their competitors took quarters to respond. That speed changed everything. They went from zero to $100M ARR in under 5 years, created an entirely new category (cyber asset management), and achieved an NPS score in the 80s—unheard of in cybersecurity. His framework for the three types of enterprise journeys will change how you think about positioning.Why You Should Listen:Why responding to customer issues in hours changes everything.How to turn a "dormant pain everyone accepts" into a $500M+ company.Why speed beats everything.The 3 types of enterprise software journeys and which one VCs won't fund.Keywords:startup podcast, startup podcast for founders, Axonius, Dean Sysman, cybersecurity startup, enterprise sales, Unit 8200, cyber asset management, B2B SaaS, YC alumni00:00:00 Intro00:02:25 From Hacker to CyberSecurity00:14:46 The three types of enterprise software journeys00:18:41 Why time to value beats everything00:29:33 Thought they'd bootstrap but VCs validated the problem00:35:14 Failed POCs and landing first customer with 20 bugs00:40:10 Zero to $100M ARR in under 5 years00:45:24 When to know you have product-market fitSend me a message to let me know what you think!
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This episode is for SaaS founders tired of the "grow at all costs" playbook—who suspect there's power in saying no to the wrong customers.Most SaaS companies don't fail because of bad product. They fail because they try to please everyone. Martin Balaam, CEO of Pimberly, chose restraint over reach. Former physicist turned serial entrepreneur, he'd already scaled and exited Jigsaw24 at 3x returns. At Pimberly, he refuses customers his team can't delight—even when they're ready to sign.And this inspired me to invite Martin to my podcast. We explore how qualifying customers as rigorously as they qualify you creates compound advantages. Martin shares hard-won insights about why he walked away from license-only models, when to choose service depth over customer volume, and what happens when you give your product roadmap to customers instead of VCs. You'll discover why maintaining sub-5% churn matters more than doubling growth rates.We also zoom in on two of the 10 traits that define remarkable software companies:Aim to be different, not just betterFocus on the essenceMartin's story is proof that sustainable SaaS growth comes from doing what others call unscalable.Here's one of Martin's quotes that captures his contrarian philosophy:"I really don't want to lose customers. I know from my life experience how much time and effort, blood, sweat, and tears you have in trying to acquire a customer. We'll openly put our hand up and say I can't see that this is actually gonna add the value—even though they might be happy to sign."By listening to this episode, you'll learn:Why saying no to willing customers protects your businessWhat "VIP leads" actually means (hint: not big orders)When founder-led sales should naturally transitionWhy physical presence beats remote-first for market entryFor more information about the guest from this week: Guest: Martin Balaam, CEO & Founder PimberlyWebsite: pimberly.com
In this episode of The Valley Current®, host Jack Russo welcomes SC Moatti, CEO of Mighty Capital and author of Mobilized, for a deep dive into how venture capital must adapt to the realities of a post-AI economy. Moatti explains how artificial intelligence is extending human capability across mind, body, and spirit, creating a new generation of “invisible products” that anticipate user needs without direct interaction. She and Jack explore the evolution of entrepreneurship from mentorship-driven beginnings to today's data-fueled, capital-efficient startups, and how VCs can stay relevant amid these rapid shifts. Moatti shares insights from scaling Mighty Capital toward a billion under management, the rise of AI-powered deal flow, and why education, authenticity, and adaptability will determine which investors (and which ideas) will survive the next decade of innovation. https://a.co/d/hsWXKLy https://mighty.capital/ Jack Russo Managing Partner Jrusso@computerlaw.com www.computerlaw.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackrusso "Every Entrepreneur Imagines a Better World"®️
Jeremy Au explained how startups evolve from chaos to clarity and how fragmentation in Southeast Asia creates both problems and opportunities. He used the jungle-to-highway model to describe startup growth, compared founders to David facing Goliath, and showed how innovation, like oat milk or vaping turns small experiments into billion-dollar revolutions. Jeremy also reflected on how VCs spot talent early and why mastering Southeast Asia prepares companies for global expansion. 00:00 Jungle to Highway: Startups begin lost in a jungle, then build a dirt road through early customers, and finally pave a highway once they master product-market fit and scale 02:10 VCs as Recruiters: The best investors act like headhunters, identifying and closing founders before others do, while Southeast Asia's fragmentation turns inefficiency into opportunity 05:25 Fragmentation as Opportunity: Jeremy explains how logistics and fintech thrive amid Southeast Asia's complex, inefficient regulations, where “somebody's inefficiency is my opportunity” 08:10 David vs. Goliath: Startups win by speed and focus, using their “slingshot”—fast execution—to overcome slow, over-armored incumbents 11:45 Oatly's Rise: The invention of oat milk in 1994 shows how a startup can build a billion-dollar category by rethinking existing markets 13:20 Experimentation Over Scale: Jeremy concludes that small experiments often spark global trends, and founders who navigate Southeast Asia's “jungle” can later scale worldwide Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts #startups #founders #venturecapital #SoutheastAsia #innovation #fragmentedmarkets #scaling #DavidvsGoliath #entrepreneurship #BRAVEpodcast
Welcome to Culture Over Quota — a new segment within The E1B2 Collective Podcast hosted by Anthony “AJ” Vaughan. In this series, AJ merges two worlds that rarely speak the same language: HR and Revenue. Drawing from his journey as a founder, CHRO, CRO, and builder of multiple HR tech ventures, AJ unpacks what it truly means to scale businesses without burning out people, teams, or purpose.This isn't another “hit your number” sales show — it's a raw and forward-thinking exploration of how culture, leadership, and human psychology shape every quota you chase. AJ delves into the real tensions between founders and VCs, CHROs and CROs, sellers and buyers, and reveals how companies that prioritize people over profit actually win bigger, faster, and longer.Expect candid stories, lived lessons, and deep dives into the future of HR tech, sales culture, and organizational design — all anchored in one belief:If you build culture first, the quota takes care of itself.
Crypto follows patterns—just like every major wave of innovation. In this episode, Brad Holden of Protocol VC breaks down what really drives those cycles, how investors separate substance from hype, and where crypto and AI are beginning to converge.From evaluating early founders to understanding when to double down or step back, Brad shares how top VCs navigate frontier tech markets and what makes a company endure beyond the hype cycle.Key Takeaways• Crypto's ups and downs follow predictable adoption cycles—and understanding that rhythm matters.• Founders who focus on real problems, not hype, stand out in crowded markets.• AI and blockchain are intersecting through decentralized compute and data transparency.• Great founders show conviction, grit, and self-awareness—qualities investors notice immediately.• The strongest pitches come from founders who lead with their own vision, not what investors want to hear.Timestamped Highlights01:20 — Why crypto moves in repeating cycles and what drives each one03:40 — How blockchain transparency helps investors see real traction06:00 — Evaluating crypto startups: solving problems vs. chasing novelty10:49 — How blockchain complements and verifies AI13:05 — The hidden risk of building around hype15:53 — Why over-customizing your pitch can backfire17:50 — How top VCs view pivots and founder adaptability25:28 — The traits that signal long-term founder successA line worth remembering“Being too early is just another way of being wrong—but betting on the right founder can make up for almost anything.”Call to ActionIf you want to understand where crypto and AI actually intersect—and what real investors look for behind the scenes—follow The Tech Trek on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and join the conversation on LinkedIn.
Jatin Desai is a Co-founder & Managing Partner at Inflexor Ventures. He is a seasoned operator turned venture capitalist who has successfully built and exited businesses in both the US and India. In this episode, Jatin shares his playbook on investing in deep tech, the future of AI in India, and the single biggest challenge facing Indian startups.⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.comInflexor Ventures - inflexor.vcJatin Desai on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jatin-desai-b47b183/
Mistakes VCs Make Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Venture capitalists make mistakes just like every other investor. Here's a list of mistakes VCs make: Not investing consistently through the market's ups and downs. Valuations are better in down markets, and good deals are hard to find in up markets. Treating venture capital funding as a one-size-fits-all. There are some sectors of the market that do well with VC funding, while other sectors only waste it. Quoting returns without taking into account the management and carry fees. Fees are a cost of investing and should be counted in the return metrics. Not taking into account the overall portfolio structure. Time to exit, sector position, and other factors can help build a solid portfolio. Investing in overvalued startups. During frothy markets, one can get carried away by stellar startups even though they have outsized valuations. Not scanning the overall industry for the best deal. Some VCs choose startups because they are accessible, but this may fail to find the best startup in the industry. Funding too many deals in a specific application. Diversification is still a key factor in successful startup funding. Consider these mistakes VCs make. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: Check out our other podcasts here: For Investors check out: For Startups check out: For eGuides check out: For upcoming Events, check out For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please , share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of .
In this episode of Zero to CEO, I speak with Anya Cheng, founder of AI fashion startup Taelor and former product leader at Meta, eBay, and Target. Anya shares her journey from Silicon Valley insider to scrappy startup founder, revealing how she scaled Taelor with zero marketing budget, secured funding from top VCs, and broke barriers as a female immigrant entrepreneur. We dive into the AI behind personalized fashion, lessons from tech giants, and what it takes to build a fast-growing brand on a shoestring. This episode is a must-listen for founders, fashion innovators, and anyone chasing startup success.
How I Raised It - The podcast where we interview startup founders who raised capital.
Produced by Foundersuite (for startups: www.foundersuite.com) and Fundingstack (for emerging manager VCs: www.fundingstack.com), "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders and investors who have raised capital. This episode is with with Stephan Schenk of Stapelstein, a Berlin-based creator of colorful stacking stones and balance boards for open-ended play that encourages movement, balance, and creativity. Learn more at https://stapelstein.com/ In this episode, we explore how the Company has built a successful business in a high-cost market (Germany) while adhering to high eco standards, why Stephan decided to buyout his early investors and convert the company into a "steward-owned" business (similar to Patagonia) to better align with its mission, how he deals with cheap knockoffs, copycats and clones, the unique ROI attributes of raising capital for a steward-owned business, and more. How I Raised It is produced by Foundersuite, makers of software to raise capital and manage investor relations. Foundersuite's customers have raised over $21 Billion since 2016. If you are a startup, create a free account at www.foundersuite.com. If you are a VC, venture studio or investment banker, check out our new platform, www.fundingstack.com
Casey turned hackers into a marketplace and built Bugcrowd to $180M+ raised. But the real story isn't about cybersecurity—it's about how he validated a two-sided marketplace with almost no product, refined his pitch by literally testing it on Uber drivers until it clicked, and cracked the code on category creation when everyone thought hackers were the enemy. You'll learn about the exact moment he knew he had product-market fit, why he blew every pitch to top VCs until he reframed his vision, and how giving away 500 t-shirts did more for growth than any paid marketing. If you're building a marketplace, creating a category, or just trying to figure out how to explain what you do—this is required listening.Why You Should Listen:Master the 30-second Uber pitch test—Casey's framework for refining your message until anyone gets it.Learn why problem-solution fit without product-market fit is worthless Validate your marketplace with $500 and no codeWhy your network is your only real asset pre-Series AThe surprising ROI of early brand marketing Keywords: startup podcast, startup podcast for founders, marketplace startup, go-to-market strategy, product-market fit, category creation, B2B sales, early-stage fundraising, founder pitch, cybersecurity startup00:00:00 Intro00:01:36 From white label pen testing to the Bugcrowd idea00:18:58 Testing with MailChimp and 5000 hackers signed up00:21:46 Landing Google as customer in month four00:24:24 Blowing every pitch meeting in Silicon Valley00:33:21 The Uber pitch technique for simplifying the message00:36:57 Early go-to-market tactics and hitting $1M00:43:37 Open heart surgery and stepping back as CEOSend me a message to let me know what you think!
In this episode of the Grownlearn Podcast, host Zorina Dimitrova sits down with Maximiliano Stochyk, an executive at CoinTerminal — a Dubai-based decentralized fundraising platform helping DeFi and Web3 founders raise millions transparently while giving retail investors a fair chance to participate. With nearly a decade in the blockchain industry, Maximiliano has helped founders raise over $25 million, scaled ChainPort from $1M to $500M TVL, and built systems that eliminate the typical barriers in early-stage crypto fundraising — no staking, no token lockups, just open-access opportunity. Together, we unpack the business growth strategies that are driving the next wave of blockchain innovation — from relationship marketing and strategic business development to building sustainable revenue models in the fast-changing Web3 landscape. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome back to the EUCVC Summit Talks, where we bring you candid conversations with Europe's leading founders, corporate leaders, and investors shaping the future of venture collaboration.In this session, Andreas Munk Holm is joined by Crispin Leick, Managing Director of EnBW New Ventures, Georg Reifferscheid, Head of Sustainability Ventures at REWE Group, and Jeppe Høier. Together, they explore how corporates are deploying capital, rethinking supply chains, and integrating AI to tackle Europe's most urgent challenge: the energy transition.From evergreen venture models to decarbonizing retail operations, the discussion dives deep into how industrial and consumer giants are investing, where capital is moving fastest, and why success still depends on aligning financial and strategic incentives.
Welcome back to the EUCVC Summit Talks, where we bring you candid conversations with Europe's leading founders, corporate leaders, and investors shaping the future of venture collaboration.In this session, Sead Bajrovic of Water Impact Partners and Gijs de Bruin of PureTerra Ventures take the stage to unpack one of the most overlooked challenges in climate investing: water. From scarcity and pollution to corporate resilience and trillion-dollar opportunities, they explain why water technology must become a central pillar of Europe's impact and climate strategy.
How I Raised It - The podcast where we interview startup founders who raised capital.
Produced by Foundersuite (for startups: www.foundersuite.com) and Fundingstack (for emerging manager VCs: www.fundingstack.com), "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders and investors who have raised capital. This episode is with with Chaz Flexman of Starday Foods, AI-driven food innovation company that uses software and data to identify unmet consumer needs. Then Company then fulfills those needs with new products such as the All Day Chickpea Protein Toppers and the Abeya Allergen-Free Sweet Potato Crackers, among others. Learn more at https://www.stardayfoods.com/ In this episode, we discuss how they use market research and AI to identify unmet needs and opportunities in the CPG market, the importance of building an investor funnel of 150+ potential VCs, tips for updating investors on your funding progress to maintain a timeline, and much more. How I Raised It is produced by Foundersuite, makers of software to raise capital and manage investor relations. Foundersuite's customers have raised over $21 Billion since 2016. If you are a startup, create a free account at www.foundersuite.com. If you are a VC, venture studio or investment banker, check out our new platform, www.fundingstack.com
Welcome back to EUVC Live in Malmö, where we bring you unfiltered conversations and reflections from the people shaping Europe's venture ecosystem.As the day closed, Andreas Munk Holm, co-founder of EUVC, took the stage for the final word — a candid reflection on where real power comes from and what Europe's venture community must do next.Throughout the day, speakers discussed sovereignty, collaboration, and Europe's industrial future. Andreas' message cut through with urgency: if we want Europe to lead, we can't stop at innovation — we must step into politics.He pointed to the example of the United States, where the tech ecosystem has rallied around political power, influenced policy, and put its candidates into office. The takeaway? Values matter, but influence requires engagement — and Europe's founders and investors need to find their voice in the political arena.
SaaStr 824: VC in the AI Era - Exactly What's Getting Funded, Why & When with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin In this episode, SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin delves into the current state of venture capital (VC) funding, informed by data from over a thousand reviewed pitch decks and approximately 400,000 startup valuations on SaaStr AI. Learn about the latest trends, what VCs are looking for, and what it takes to secure funding in today's market. We'll discuss the performance metrics and benchmarks necessary for SaaS and AI startups and how AI-native companies are reshaping investment dynamics. Discover SaaStr AI's new tools, including pitch deck reviews and real-time valuation benchmarks, to help you understand where your startup stands and improve your funding prospects. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:41 VC Funding Trends and Insights 02:11 Top Quartile SaaS Benchmarks 03:14 AI Native Companies and Hypergrowth 08:00 Public vs. Private Company Growth Expectations 10:22 VC Funding Criteria and Expectations 15:35 SaaStr AI Tools and Resources 20:15 Practical Advice for Founders 26:26 Conclusion and Final Thoughts --------------------- This episode of the SaaStr podcast is Sponsored by Salesforce: Connect data, automate busywork and empower teams like nobody's business with the one platform that grows with you, every step of the way. Learn how Salesforce works for Startups at salesforce.com/smb. --------------------- This episode of the SaaStr podcast is Sponsored by Intercom:  Fin is the #1 AI Agent for resolving complex queries like refunds, transaction disputes, and technical troubleshooting—all with speed and reliability. See how Fin can deliver the highest resolution rates and highest-quality customer experience at fin.ai/saastr. --------------------- If you're serious about B2B and AI, you need to be in London this December. SaaStr AI London is bringing together more than 2,000 leaders and founders for two days of practical advice on scaling into the new year. We'll have speakers flying in from OpenAI, Wiz, Clay, Intercom, and all your favorite SaaS companies, including yours truly with Harry Stebbings for a live 20VC podcast. It'll be fun, and it's all in the heart of London. Don't miss out: get your tickets with my exclusive discount by going to podcast.saastrlondon.com --------------------- Hey everybody, the biggest B2B + AI event of the year will be back - SaaStr AI in the SF Bay Area, aka the SaaStr Annual, will be back in May 2026. With 68% VP-level and above, 36% CEOs and founders and a growing 25% AI-first professional, this is the very best of the best S-tier attendees and decision makers that come to SaaStr each year. But here's the reality, folks: the longer you wait, the higher ticket prices can get. Early bird tickets are available now, but once they're gone, you'll pay hundreds more so don't wait. Lock in your spot today by going to podcast.saastrannual.com to get my exclusive discount SaaStr AI SF 2026. We'll see you there.
"Don't be afraid to be vulnerable. Networking isn't transactional, it's about building genuine connections."Mark Shepherd turned a LinkedIn post about mental health and meeting for drinks into Gathr, a 10,000-member community of VCs, founders, and PE investors. His biggest insight? Authentic relationships beat business card collecting every time.In today's episode, I'm joined by Mark Shepherd, founder and CEO of Gathr, Europe's leading community for founders and investors. After starting his career in strategy consulting and venture capital, Mark built what began as "London Tech Drinks" into a carefully curated network that prioritises genuine peer connections over transactional networking. His journey includes an unexpected MasterChef appearance, battling OCD and anxiety, and discovering that the best business relationships are simply friendships with people who share your mission.Together we unpack:Why networking as a word is "horrible" and what you should focus on insteadHow to identify the right rooms to be in and why curation matters more than sizeThe power of reciprocity and giving before taking in building lasting relationshipsWhy vulnerability and authenticity create stronger connections than any sales pitchThe art of quality introductions and why one perfect intro beats five mediocre ones
In today's crowded SaaS market, having a great product simply isn't enough. understanding why human psychology still wins in B2B SaaS sales is very crucial. Many companies generate significant interest, such as leads, web traffic, or downloads, but still struggle to convert that attention into reliable revenue. The real issue isn't a lack of data; it's a misunderstanding of how B2B buyers actually make decisions.In this episode of Grow Your B2B SaaS, Joran Hofman hosts Jessica Pely, co-founder of Loyee.ai and former fintech CTO, to discuss why great products alone do not win in SaaS. Jessica emphasizes the need to align go-to-market strategies with real buyer behavior. Her approach combines behavioral science, data, and AI and delivers a clear takeaway: sustainable growth comes from better targeting based on behavioral signals and executing with focus.Key Timecodes(0:00) – Cold Open: Signals vs. Noise in Go-To-Market, Sales Overconfidence in B2B SaaS(0:49) – Guest Intro: Jessica Pely – LOI AI, Behavioral Economics Meets SaaS(1:30) – Origin Prompt: Behavioral Targeting in SaaS Sales(1:43) – PhD to CTO: Rational Biases & Enterprise Sales Strategy(2:58) – Founding LOI AI: Identifying Pain-Driven Accounts & Buyers(3:13) – Conversion Struggles: Interest ≠ Paying Customers in SaaS(3:38) – Targeting Models: Spray-and-Pray vs. Signal-Based Go-To-Market(4:56) – Chasing Logos: How Social Bias Derails SaaS Sales Focus(5:05) – Psychology in B2B Sales: Biases from Both Sides of the Table(5:21) – Buyer Biases: Status Quo, Risk Aversion, Loss Aversion(6:50) – Adoption Dynamics: Early Adopters vs. Most-in-Pain Accounts(8:23) – Sales Overconfidence: Deal Cycles, Forecasting & Coaching(8:30) – Sponsor Break: SaaStock Dublin – Founders, VCs, Meetings(9:39) – AI in Sales: Misconceptions & The Human Element(9:58) – 3 AI Use Cases: Automation, Insights, Autonomous Decisioning(11:17) – AI as R&D: Hire AI Like a Junior, Align with GTM(12:54) – Garbage In, Garbage Out: Build Your Sales Knowledge Base(13:43) – ICP vs. TAM: Best-Fit Profiles & Signal-Based Markets(15:15) – Customer First: Twin Companies & Lookalike Targeting(16:02) – Competitor Displacement: Migration Targeting via Pain Points(16:47) – Too-Broad Signals: Salesforce ≠ Clear Jobs-To-Be-Done(17:37) – JTBD + Job Ads: Scraping for AE Needs & Verification Pain(19:27) – Early-Stage Focus: Iterate, Learn, Focus on Fit(21:00) – AI for ICP Scoring: Cut Through Noise with Fit + Pain(22:38) – Qualitative Signals: Culture, Pricing, Sales Motions & ML(23:48) – Operating Rhythm: Reassess ICP Quarterly(24:29) – More Data Isn't Better: Limit GTM Signals to 10–15(25:45) – Human vs. AI Outbound: 2x2 Matrix for Outreach Strategy(28:33) – Growth Principle: Focus Over More – Execute Deeply(29:01) – Future of SaaS Sales: Automation + Human Differentiation(30:02) – Stage-Based GTM: Scaling from 0 → $10M ARR(31:24) – Document Everything: Train AI, Onboard Faster
In this episode, I sit down with Saul Cohen (Partner at The Expert Eye, ex-PwC) to unpack how small and mid-sized businesses can grow faster with mergers & acquisitions. We get real about today's market—why interest from buyers and sellers is up, why fewer deals are closing, and how founders can still build momentum by de-risking, acquiring strategically, and planning tax-smart exits. We cover: • How to make your company buyable (and why 85% never sell) • When an add-on acquisition beats organic growth • Values & culture fit (the hidden deal killer) • Search funds, seller-supported deals, and liquidity constraints • Baby boomer exits and the coming wealth transfer • Cash vs valuation trade-offs, and practical tax & succession tips About Saul Cohen Saul is an accountant and acquisitions advisor who's helped entrepreneurs navigate financial audits, risk, and strategic deals. At The Expert Eye, he empowers owners to go from operators to savvy investors—optimizing wealth, readiness for exit, and impactful acquisitions. If you're a founder or operator eyeing transformation, this conversation gives you the playbook to scale intentionally. Chapters 00:01:12-00:07:40: M&A Market: Risk and Liquidity 00:07:41-00:16:09: Strategies for Attractive Business Exits 00:16:10-00:21:20: Emotional & Cultural Fit in Acquisitions 00:21:21-End: Exit Preferences, Boomer Trends & Seller-Supported Deals ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How do top VCs really pick winners, and what's the “fine print” every founder misses? In this Demo Day episode, we go deep inside the investing mind of Jeff Crusey, EVP at Blacklake Group—one of the most unique and active voices in deep tech, defense, and venture capital.Jeff Crusey's journey moves from building batteries in his garage to becoming a leader at Blacklake Group, where he now guides founders and scouts the “thick tail” of defense technology startups. Jeff opens up about the habits that separate great investors from the crowd—including why reading the legal and technical fine print is a repeatable, unfair advantage in venture capital.You'll hear candid stories about Jeff's investment process—from corporate VC in climate tech to navigating the corruption of emerging markets, bouncing back from failure, and ultimately shaping the next generation of defense, energy, and deep tech founders. Jeff also debunks common venture myths: it's not always the best product or team that wins, but resilience, timing, and a willingness to start over as a beginner.Whether you're fundraising for a startup, considering a shift into deep tech, or aiming to decode what real founder success looks like, this episode is packed with actionable strategies and mindset shifts—from evaluating defensible markets to fostering low-ego, high-intellect teams. Jeff's honest blueprint for bouncing back from failed ventures, focusing on true value creation, and the future rise of AI in deep tech is a must-listen for anyone in the startup or VC world.Don't miss Jeff's practical tips for both angel investors and founders, inside stories from Blacklake Group, and a discussion of which defense innovations are set to reshape national security, from missile technology to next-gen satellite navigation.
In this episode of The Spoon Podcast, Mike welcomes Shiru CEO Jasmin Hume to the podcast to catch up on where things sit within the AI and food space in the context of Shiru's own evolution over the past couple of years. The highlights include: Talking about how VCs and entrepreneurs talk differently about how AI is being embraced in food Who will own the foundation models for food in the future How Jasmin and Shiru have evolved their company and how they talk with food brands about integrating AI How Jasmin would advise young food scientists to move forward in an era of AI It's a fun and interesting conversation, so take a listen! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today's show:Is Sora not just a copyright-killer but a TikTok-killer? Hear our review!The “This Week in Startups” team has been playing around inside OpenAI's viral app, which just hit #1 in the iOS Store. See all of Lon's creations, explore the land beyond the Uncanny Valley, and find out why the hottest new social app could stand to be a bit more social.PLUS Brave surpasses 100M MAUs… why Jason would sell ALL his OpenAI shares right away, Apple pulls the ICEBlock app from the App Store, AND how one founder hacked his local coffee shop to network and even get face time with a few VCs! It's all happening of a fast-paced Friday TWiST.Timestamps:(0:00) Why Jason started an Executive Training program at LAUNCH(05:17) Perplexity's Comet browser is now FREE to use; Jason unpacks their strategy(10:02) Monarch Money - Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com/TWIST(13:42) PLUS browser/search engine Brave passed 100M MAUs!(17:44) How a founder “hacked” his local coffee shop(20:06) Alphasense - Get deeper insights into your business with the power of AI search and market intelligence. Start with a free trial at https://www.alpha-sense.com/twist(21:35) You need to make it EASY for people to give you feedback!(25:41) A look at the leanest startups around and how companies are doing more with less(30:11) LinkedIn Ads: Start converting your B2B audience into high quality leads today. We'll even give you a $100 credit on your next campaign. Go to http://LinkedIn.com/ThisWeekinStartups to claim your credit.(30:38) Why Jason would sell ALL his OpenAI shares right away!(38:56) Lon stops by to review the Sora app; the good, the bad, and the remixes!(48:45) Apple pulled the ICEBlock app… is this a free speech issue?(56:11) A new startup wants to fight gov't corruption… and keep a share of the proceedsSubscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpFollow Lon:X: https://x.com/lonsFollow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisThank you to our partners:Monarch Money - Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com/TWISTAlphasense - Get deeper insights into your business with the power of AI search and market intelligence. Start with a free trial at https://www.alpha-sense.com/twistLinkedIn Ads: Thanks to our partner @LinkedInMktg. Start converting your B2B audience into high quality leads today. We'll even give you a $100 credit on your next campaign. Go to http://LinkedIn.com/ThisWeekinStartups to claim your credit.Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.comSubscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916
Today we're sharing a feed drop from Cheeky Pint, where Stripe cofounder and president John Collison chats with legends in technology over a pint of Guinness.In this episode, John is joined by a16z cofounder Marc Andreessen and tech investor Charlie Songhurst for a candid conversation about bubbles, downturns, and the psychology of markets. They discuss what makes Silicon Valley so hard to replace, the deep history of the Valley's ecosystem, and the future of media. From the lessons of the dot-com crash to the future of venture capital and startups, this is an inside look at how big cycles shape innovation and what it takes to build on the frontier. Timecodes: 0:00 Introduction 1:56 Marc Andreessen's early internet stories3:10 Silicon Valley, risk, and downturns8:30 Marc Andreessen's early internet days11:52 Investing across cycles16:30 Can you tell when you're in a bubble?19:10 Trust, high-status VCs & preferential attachment27:00 Venture capital, startups, and investment cycles33:34 East Coast vs. West Coast: risk and culture44:00 High trust culture in Silicon Valley50:00 Why Silicon Valley, not Boston or Europe?55:00 Company tragedies and missed opportunities1:00:00 The internet boom, bubbles, and AI parallels1:15:00 AI's impact: productivity, jobs, and society1:35:00 Crypto, stablecoins, and fintech1:50:00 Public vs. private markets & venture strategy2:00:00 Big companies, competition, and bureaucracy2:05:00 Boards, governance, and the Elon Musk method Resources: Watch more episodes from Cheeky Pint: https://www.youtube.com/@stripeListen to Cheeky Pint on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cheeky-pint/id1821055332Find John on X: https://x.com/collisionFind Charlie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlessonghurst/Follow Marc on X: https://x.com/pmarcaMarc's Substack: https://pmarca.substack.com/ Stay Updated: Find us on X: https://x.com/a16zFind us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zThis information is for general educational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy, hold, or sell any investment or financial product. Any investments or portfolio companies mentioned, referred to, or described in this podcast are not representative of all a16z investments and there can be no assurance that the investments will be profitable or that other investments made in the future will have similar characteristics or results. A list of investments made by a16z is available at https://a16z.com/investment-list/. All investments involve risk, including the possible loss of capital. Past performance is no guarantee of future results and the opinions presented cannot be viewed as an indicator of future performance. Before making decisions with legal, tax, or accounting effects, you should consult appropriate professionals. Information is from sources deemed reliable on the date of publication, but a16z does not guarantee its accuracy. Stay Updated:Find a16z on XFind a16z on LinkedInListen to the a16z Podcast on SpotifyListen to the a16z Podcast 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.
How I Raised It - The podcast where we interview startup founders who raised capital.
Produced by Foundersuite (for startups: www.foundersuite.com) and Fundingstack (for VCs: www.fundingstack.com), "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders and investors who have raised capital. This episode is with with Mark Phillips of 11 Tribes, an early stage VC fund that invests in the care and resilience of its founders. Another notable difference is that the fund focuses on businesses and founders that are pursuing profitability within their business model and comfortable seeking exit opportunities between $75M-$250M. Learn more at https://11tribes.vc/ In this episode, we discuss Mark's journey to getting into VC and how his previous (failed) startup shaped his vision, how he had over 200 Zoom pitches to get to his first yes, why selling the vision and passion worked well for Fund I, how the narrative changed for Fund II, the critical importance of resilience, tips for landing Family Offices, and more. 11 Tribes most recently raised a $46 million for Fund II from 220 HNW investors and Family Offices. That follows a Fund I that was $11 million and largely sourced from around 80 HNW LPs. How I Raised It is produced by Foundersuite, makers of software to raise capital and manage investor relations. Foundersuite's customers have raised over $21 Billion since 2016. If you are a startup, create a free account at www.foundersuite.com. If you are a VC, venture studio or investment banker, check out our new platform, www.fundingstack.com
One of the very first VCs of the Internet Era, and especially the NYC tech ecosystem, Jerry Colonna reflects on his journey from growing up in New York to becoming a successful journalist and venture capitalist. Jerry discusses his transition to venture capital, the founding of Flatiron with Fred Wilson, and the challenges faced during the dot-com bubble and 9/11. He emphasizes the importance of curiosity and the human experience in his coaching practice, aiming to alleviate suffering and transform lives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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