Podcasts about vcs

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

This week on Swimming with Allocators, Earnest and Alexa welcome David Clark, CIO at Vencap, who unpacks the realities of venture capital, emphasizing a data-driven approach to understanding returns, the persistent and intensifying “power law” in VC, and why only a small percentage of funds and companies drive outsized results. The discussion covers the challenges of evaluating new managers versus established firms, the nuances of secondary investments, and the critical importance of consistent, top-tier fund performance. Listeners will gain insight into the pitfalls of confirmation bias, the difficulties facing retail investors, and why strategy, transparency, and adaptability are key for long-term VC success. Also don't miss Rebecca Stuart of Sidley as she explains how unprecedented AI-focused acqui-hires function as talent raids that can bypass standard change-of-control protections. She also outlines legal and structural strategies VCs and startups can use like broadened definitions of change of control, retention and vesting design, and coordinated employment/comp practices, to better protect portfolios and key teams. Highlights from this week's conversation include: Welcoming David to the Show and Previewing Today's Episode (0:18) David's Shift From Traditional LP Diligence to Data-Driven Investing (2:48)   How Long Feedback Loops and Unknown Unknowns Shape Venture Outcomes (5:16)   Confirmation Bias, Narratives, and Doing Pre-Meeting Homework on Managers (6:55)   Pattern Recognition and What World-Class Founders Look Like (8:49)   Using Power Laws and Top 1% Companies as the Core LP Filter (10:40)   Why Singles and Doubles Rarely Add Up to Great Venture Funds (13:46)   AI Acqui-Hires, Talent Raids, and Risks to VC Portfolios (17:20)   Deal Structures That Avoid Change of Control and LP Protections (19:04)   Retention Tools, Forfeiture for Competition, and Staggered Vesting Cliffs (20:53)   Democratization of VC, 401(k) Investors, and the Risk of Disappointment (25:22)   Emerging Managers and the Myth of the Middle Class in Venture (30:58)   Venture Secondaries, Premium Pricing, and Why Discounts Can Be Misleading (36:04)   Scope Creep, Platform Expansion, and When LPs Disengage From Big Firms (42:06)   VenCap is one of the longest-running dedicated venture capital fund-of-funds globally, investing in many of the world's leading VC firms for over three decades. The firm's strategy emphasizes long-term consistency, deep relationship networks, and concentrated exposure to top-tier venture capital companies across cycles. Sidley Austin LLP is a premier global law firm with a dedicated Venture Funds practice, advising top venture capital firms, institutional investors, and private equity sponsors on fund formation, investment structuring, and regulatory compliance. With deep expertise across private markets, Sidley provides strategic legal counsel to help funds scale effectively. Learn more at sidley.com. Swimming with Allocators is a podcast that dives into the intriguing world of Venture Capital from an LP (Limited Partner) perspective. Hosts Alexa Binns and Earnest Sweat are seasoned professionals who have donned various hats in the VC ecosystem. Each episode, we explore where the future opportunities lie in the VC landscape with insights from top LPs on their investment strategies and industry experts shedding light on emerging trends and technologies.  The information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this podcast are for general informational purposes only. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most VCs work non-stop and still feel like they're failing. They do 2x the deals of their peers. They're at every event. And they still feel like they're not doing enough.What James Johnson and Freddie Birley reveal in this episode is what VCs won't say publicly: the loneliness, the ambiguity, the constant feeling of underperforming despite objectively crushing it.What drives this?Founders want freedom. VCs want peak performance. When you're optimizing for achievement but venture's ambiguity makes it impossible to define what "good" looks like, you're stuck in perpetual dissatisfaction.In this episode:Why most VCs feel like they're failing even when they're crushing itThe loneliness both founders and investors experience (and why both jobs are more similar than different)What actually drives each group - and why this explains why they talk past each otherHow to shift from outcome obsession (exits - out of your control) to input control (craft mastery - in your hands)For founders: Understanding this changes how you work with your boardFor VCs: This is the validation you didn't know you neededThis is Peer Effect Post Bag - James and Freddie answering your toughest questions.More from James: Connect with James on LinkedIn or at peer-effect.com

Ankur Sethi spent years at two of India's most iconic startups — Swiggy and Paytm — before leaving his operating role to found Winner Capital, a consumer-first, AI-native syndicate investing out of North America.⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.comIn this episode, we get into:→ Why consumer AI is massively underfunded while enterprise SaaS gets all the attention→ What "durable retention" actually looks like — and the ambassador signal every founder should watch for→ The 0→1, 1→10, 10→100 framework and how your mindset must shift at each stage→ Why unit economics are non-negotiable even at pre-seed→ The one operating principle from Swiggy & Paytm that most founders underestimate until it's too late→ Why launching a fund during a market correction is actually an advantage→ His honest take on India as a market — and when Winner Capital plans to enterIf you're a founder building in consumer tech or AI, or an operator thinking about making the leap into venture, this one is for you.

Startup employees are encouraged to believe in the mission. But IPO timelines now stretch well past a decade — and many never happen at all. In this episode, Ben Black, co-founder and managing director of Akkadian Ventures, explains how tech workers can think more strategically about the equity they've helped create. Drawing on more than 750 secondary transactions, Ben walks through how employees can evaluate a company's liquidity posture before accepting an offer, exercise options intelligently, understand the real value of their shares, and access secondary buyers — whether through structured programs or more proactive approaches. We also dig into the psychological side of selling: when to take money off the table, how to avoid overestimating future upside, and why “loyalty” shouldn't mean ignoring your own financial reality. Ben shares real-world examples of employees using secondaries to fund major life events — and even to bootstrap their own companies so they can retain more ownership and control from day one. Founders and VCs get a lot of attention for the risks they take. This episode is about the people who often take just as much risk with far less margin for error. * Information offered is for educational purposes and should not be considered financial advice. RUNTIME 52:37    BREAKDOWN (2:12) How Ben got into the secondary market and founded Akkadian (5:33) “The vast majority of really good companies now have secondary programs.” (8:39) Secondaries generate “a very significant part of the return of the large funds.” (9:57) Why are most companies still on a four-year vesting cliff? (12:55) Things to consider when you're 25% vested (15:22) Why so many tech workers never exercise their vested options (16:49) A framework for identifying the *right* time to sell (21:26) How to access the secondary market if your company doesn't offer a structured program (30:09) “I do see a lot of bad behavior among employees… using information that they're not supposed to use.” (32:06) Startup employees: cultivate a strong relationship with your CFO (34:08) The #1 reason why employees sell secondaries (and a few edge cases) (38:44) “You have to be really skeptical, and you need to take a lot of shots on goal.” (45:11) How many founders are bootstrapping startups using the secondary market? (48:44) How long does it take to get liquid? LINKS Ben Black Akkadian Venture Capital IPO markets look primed to accelerate in 2026, pwc, 12/12/2025 SUBSCRIBE

Dragonfly raises a $650M Fund IV amid crypto's institutional vs retail sentiment gap, the industry exodus including Kyle Samani's departure from Multicoin, OpenClaw's OpenAI acquisition and crypto Twitter harassment, X402 payment standards for AI agents, Polymarket's controversial 5-minute Bitcoin betting markets, and the brewing federal vs state regulation battle over prediction markets. Welcome to The Chopping Block — where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest in crypto. This episode kicks off with major news: Dragonfly just closed their $650 million Fund IV, making them one of the largest crypto VCs not through growth, but because others have downsized. The timing feels surreal — they keep raising right when markets dump, creating the biggest gap between institutional optimism and retail sentiment Haseeb has ever seen. But money flowing in contrasts sharply with talent flowing out. Kyle Samani left Multicoin, Arianna Simpson departed A16z Crypto, and several other crypto veterans are moving on. The crew unpacks what this "great resignation" means for an industry that feels like it's shifted from pioneer phase to settler phase. Then they dive into the OpenClaw saga — the viral AI coding assistant that got acquired by OpenAI, but not before its creator almost deleted it due to harassment from crypto Twitter demanding he launch a token. This leads to a deep discussion on X402 payment standards and why AI agents might prefer crypto over credit cards. Finally, they debate Polymarket's controversial 5-minute Bitcoin betting markets and the brewing legal battle between federal and state regulation of prediction markets. Let's get into it. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pods, Fountain, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Show highlights

On this episode of Planet Geo, we welcome Danielle Bennett—a startup operator with a venture capital background (and not a geoscientist by training) who's been talking with tons of geologists, hydrogeologists, and engineers while helping build a geoscience-adjacent mapping company at Deep Earth Tech. Danielle shares how growing up with entrepreneur parents (who ran a groundwater-focused engineering firm) shaped her path, why she started a social-impact company in college, and how she moved from corporate finance to FinTech and then into venture capital for about six years. They dig into what she's learned from working with the geoscience community—friendly, non-confrontational, and highly opinionated—and why geoscientists may be slower to found startups (a strong perfection/excellence culture and highly localized expertise). Danielle breaks down “deep tech” in practical terms (asset-heavy and/or science-and-engineering-driven tech), why capital is moving earlier into deep tech, and how VCs are increasingly pulling innovations from universities and incubators. The conversation also gets into which geoscience-adjacent areas feel investable (like shallow geothermal heating/cooling, critical minerals, and renewables) and why groundwater can be harder to fund due to public-agency buying cycles and complex bureaucracy. Danielle closes by defining key funding terms—bootstrapping, debt financing, private equity, and venture capital—plus what VCs look for (why now, why this team, and scale) and common red flags (unclear messaging, weak grasp of numbers, and unjustified mega-rounds).We hope you enjoy this excellent interview!Download the CampGeo app now at this link. On the app you can get tons of free content, exclusive images, and access to our Geology of National Parks series. You can also learn the basics of geology at the college level in our FREE CampGeo content series - get learning now!Like, Subscribe, and leave us a Rating!——————————————————Instagram: @planetgeocastTwitter: @planetgeocastFacebook: @planetgeocastSupport us: https://planetgeocast.com/support-usEmail: planetgeocast@gmail.comWebsite: https://planetgeocast.com/

Dragonfly raises a $650M Fund IV amid crypto's institutional vs retail sentiment gap, the industry exodus including Kyle Samani's departure from Multicoin, OpenClaw's OpenAI acquisition and crypto Twitter harassment, X402 payment standards for AI agents, Polymarket's controversial 5-minute Bitcoin betting markets, and the brewing federal vs state regulation battle over prediction markets. Welcome to The Chopping Block — where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest in crypto. This episode kicks off with major news: Dragonfly just closed their $650 million Fund IV, making them one of the largest crypto VCs not through growth, but because others have downsized. The timing feels surreal — they keep raising right when markets dump, creating the biggest gap between institutional optimism and retail sentiment Haseeb has ever seen. But money flowing in contrasts sharply with talent flowing out. Kyle Samani left Multicoin, Arianna Simpson departed A16z Crypto, and several other crypto veterans are moving on. The crew unpacks what this "great resignation" means for an industry that feels like it's shifted from pioneer phase to settler phase. Then they dive into the OpenClaw saga — the viral AI coding assistant that got acquired by OpenAI, but not before its creator almost deleted it due to harassment from crypto Twitter demanding he launch a token. This leads to a deep discussion on X402 payment standards and why AI agents might prefer crypto over credit cards. Finally, they debate Polymarket's controversial 5-minute Bitcoin betting markets and the brewing legal battle between federal and state regulation of prediction markets. Let's get into it. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pods, Fountain, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. Show highlights

What should VCs actually look for in a fund administration partner?In this episode of VC10X, we sit down with Shalin Madan, Co-Founder of Formidium - a global fund administration platform supporting venture capital, private equity, hedge funds, and alternative asset managers with over $33B+ in assets under administration.We go beyond the surface-level checklist and unpack what truly matters when selecting a fund administrator - especially for emerging managers.⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.comTopics covered:• The most overlooked due diligence question when choosing a fund admin• Why business model sustainability matters more than branding• How technology reflects internal discipline (and why “banning Excel” matters)• The hidden costs of managing operations in-house• Why durability is becoming more important than performance• How LP scrutiny is evolving• Why many funds and companies may not survive the next few yearsInfrastructure is no longer back office — it's strategy.If you're building a fund designed to last 10+ years, this episode will change how you think about operations, risk, and long-term durability.Timestamps:(00:00) - The Hidden Costs of In-House Operations(00:33) - Introduction to Fund Administration and Guest Shaleen Madan(01:49) - Sponsor: Podcast 10X for VCs(02:47) - Critical Due Diligence for Selecting a Fund Administrator(04:16) - How a Tech Stack Signals Quality and Reduces Risk(05:23) - Early Trends in Capital Flows and Investor Behavior(07:39) - The Institutionalization of Family Offices(09:09) - How Emerging Managers Can Handle Future Regulatory Changes(11:12) - In-House vs. Outsourcing: A Former Fund Manager's Perspective(13:54) - The Unique Operational Challenges of Crypto-Native Funds(16:35) - How Back-Office Needs Differ Across Asset Classes(20:09) - How to Properly Vet a Service Provider's Expertise(21:33) - A Contrarian Take on Capital Flows and Market Dynamics(26:56) - The Impact of AI on Pricing Power and Outsourcing(29:18) - Key Questions LPs Should Ask About Operational Infrastructure(31:36) - Lessons Learned from Rapidly Scaling a Business(33:26) - Where to Find Shaleen Madan and FormidiumConnect with Shalin:Website - https://formidium.com/Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shalin-madan-caia-b00239/Podcast Links:Prashant Choubey - https://www.linkedin.com/in/choubeysahabSubscribe to VC10X newsletter - https://vc10x.beehiiv.comSubscribe on YouTube - https://youtube.com/@VC10X Subscribe on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/vc10x-investing-venture-capital-asset-management-private/id1632806986Subscribe on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7F7KEhXNhTx1bKTBFgzv3k?si=WgQ4ozMiQJ-6nowj6wBgqQVC10X website - https://vc10x.comFor sponsorship queries, reach out to prashantchoubey3@gmail.com#VentureCapital #FundAdministration #EmergingManagers #PrivateEquity #VC10X

Most startup advice tells you how to grow, but Brian Lee is here to tell you how to survive. In this episode, the legendary founder of LegalZoom and The Honest Company reveals the "one truth" that separates elite CEOs from those who run out of runway.Whether you're a first-time founder or a seasoned operator, the role of a CEO is often misunderstood. Brian Lee (Managing Partner at BAM Ventures) joins us on Demo Day to strip away the fluff and deliver a masterclass in operational discipline. From his early days building LegalZoom and ShoeDazzle to his current work with Arena Club, Brian has seen the same patterns lead to both billion-dollar exits and total failures.In this episode, we break down "The CEO Playbook," including:The "CE-No" Philosophy: Why your primary job is saying no to good ideas so you can focus on the great ones.The Survival Mandate: Brian's #1 rule for every founder—treat money like gold and never, ever run out.Building Your Inner Circle: Why you must "hire fast and fire faster" to protect the culture of a high-growth startup.Founder Likability: Why being "likable" is actually a strategic superpower for fundraising and leadership.The VC Perspective: What BAM Ventures looks for in the pre-seed and seed stages of consumer tech.Brian also shares deeply personal insights into his transition from operator to venture capitalist, explaining how his time in the trenches allows him to spot "the signal in the noise" better than professional VCs who have never run a company. If you are looking for startup tips, fundraising advice, or a reality check on your founder success metrics, this is the one conversation you cannot afford to miss.

Alice Bentinck discusses how Entrepreneurs First helps someone to go from “no team, no idea” to funded company.  EF has helped create companies now collectively worth more than $10,000,000,000 and many participants go from zero to raising $2-15 million from top-tier VCs within months. Bentinck argues that capital is the easiest part of the journey, while co-founder fit, community, and early guidance are what really accelerate success.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if failure isn't something to avoid, but a skill to master? This episode breaks down why startups can't be built on certainty—new markets, new products, and new teams mean you're guaranteed to be wrong a lot. The goal isn't to “be right,” it's rapid error correction: make decisions, ship anyway, learn fast, and recover even faster. The conversation covers how avoiding failure leads to paralysis (“steering a parked car”), why indecision compounds in startups, and how to reduce risk by keeping failures small, reversible, and frequent (kill switches, stop rules, and capped losses). They share early personal stories—school fights and a childhood cattle business collapse—to show how overcoming real consequences builds confidence and resilience. Practical examples include choosing an ICP quickly, improving poor conversion rates through iteration, using vesting/cliffs when picking co-founders, and why even top VCs still miss constantly. The key takeaway: the most dangerous competitor is the one who isn't afraid to get hit, recover, and keep coming back—because that's as close to “invincible” as a founder can get.02:01 Failure Isn't the Enemy: Stop Optimizing for Being Right02:59 The Founder Reality: Uncertainty, Rapid Error Correction & the Boxing Analogy03:44 Safety vs Startups: Why Most People Avoid the Risk05:24 ‘Steering a Parked Car': Indecision Kills Startups07:54 Make the Call, Learn Fast: Small Failures, Big Truths09:02 We're Conditioned to Fear Failure (School, Work, Relationships)11:59 Will's Origin Story: Jason Barker and Learning to Beat the Monster14:48 Choosing to Fail on Purpose: Turning Fear into a Superpower17:06 Ryan's First Big Failure: The Farm/Cattle Business Lesson Begins17:45 Cash-Strapped Expansion: Inventory Leverage & a Brutal Winter18:09 When the Side Hustle Needs a Side Hustle (and the Cost of Neglect)18:35 Failing Hard at 12: Losing Animals and Learning to Plan19:51 Founders Don't Win by Being Right—They Win by Taking Hits21:36 Shipping While Wrong: Marketing Experiments, MVPs, and Momentum22:51 Hiring, Co-Founders & Investors: Why Nobody Can Pick Perfectly24:00 The Real Skill: Recovering From Failure (Resilience as a Reflex)30:26 Small Blast Radius, High Frequency: Reversible Bets & Kill Switches31:13 Failure Is Portable: Building a House, Living ‘Why Not,' No RegretsResources:Startup Therapy Podcasthttps://www.startups.com/community/startup-therapyWebsitehttps://www.startups.com/beginLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/startups-co/Join our Network of Top FoundersWil Schroterhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/wilschroter/Ryan Rutanhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-rutan/What to listen for:

Camille Accolas (Founder of TrustExchange, LinkedInCamille Accolas (Founder of ⁠TrustExchange⁠, ⁠LinkedIn⁠) came on the podcast and we spoke about trust and what becomes possible when we're allowed to show up as full pepole. We spoke of Camilles past in sustainability and biodiversity and how even there being able to bring people together and create containers was key to driving change. What happens when we turn the tables and change the rules of engagement between eg. VCs and Startups? How working with tangible things are more difficult to scale but easier to grasop. How we are worth more as humans than our last paycheck and how creating spaces full of presence with a clear intention has the potential to make us remember. This is a lovely convo. Check out Camilles work and enjoy!

 "BDC is powerful in the sense that it can make or break a fund… And a lot of people are trying to close funds right now." In 2022, the federal government commissioned a report asking Canada's VCs what they thought about Crown corporation BDC. The report was effectively forgotten, and the feedback was never actioned. Why? What did the report have to say about Canada's largest venture investor? And with Canadian VC in a multi-year lull, is BDC's "steady hand" approach preferred or simply necessary? BetaKit reporter Madison McLauchlan joins to discuss. Related Links: The feds asked investors for candid feedback on BDC. It was never actioned BDC head says bank pulled back from life sciences "too early" as it preps new VC fund BDC unveils $4-billion defence technology platform Another fund partner leaves BDC "A perfect storm": 2025 was the worst year for Canadian VC fundraising since 2016  

Emmanuel et Guillaume discutent de divers sujets liés à la programmation, notamment les systèmes de fichiers en Java, le Data Oriented Programming, les défis de JPA avec Kotlin, et les nouvelles fonctionnalités de Quarkus. Ils explorent également des sujets un peu fous comme la création de datacenters dans l'espace. Pas mal d'architecture aussi. Enregistré le 13 février 2026 Téléchargement de l'épisode LesCastCodeurs-Episode-337.mp3 ou en vidéo sur YouTube. News Langages Comment implémenter un file system en Java https://foojay.io/today/bootstrapping-a-java-file-system/ Créer un système de fichiers Java personnalisé avec NIO.2 pour des usages variés (VCS, archives, systèmes distants). Évolution Java: java.io.File (1.0) -> NIO (1.4) -> NIO.2 (1.7) pour personnalisation via FileSystem. Recommander conception préalable; API Java est orientée POSIX. Composants clés à considérer: Conception URI (scheme unique, chemin). Gestion de l'arborescence (BD, métadonnées, efficacité). Stockage binaire (emplacement, chiffrement, versions). Minimum pour démarrer (4 composants): Implémenter Path (représente fichier/répertoire). Étendre FileSystem (instance du système). Étendre FileSystemProvider (moteur, enregistré par scheme). Enregistrer FileSystemProvider via META-INF/services. Étapes suivantes: Couche BD (arborescence), opérations répertoire/fichier de base, stockage, tests. Processus long et exigeant, mais gratifiant.   Un article de brian goetz sur le futur du data oriented programming en Java https://openjdk.org/projects/amber/design-notes/beyond-records Le projet Amber de Java introduit les "carrier classes", une évolution des records qui permet plus de flexibilité tout en gardant les avantages du pattern matching et de la reconstruction Les records imposent des contraintes strictes (immutabilité, représentation exacte de l'état) qui limitent leur usage pour des classes avec état muable ou dérivé Les carrier classes permettent de déclarer une state description complète et canonique sans imposer que la représentation interne corresponde exactement à l'API publique Le modificateur "component" sur les champs permet au compilateur de dériver automatiquement les accesseurs pour les composants alignés avec la state description Les compact constructors sont généralisés aux carrier classes, générant automatiquement l'initialisation des component fields Les carrier classes supportent la déconstruction via pattern matching comme les records, rendant possible leur usage dans les instanceof et switch Les carrier interfaces permettent de définir une state description sur une interface, obligeant les implémentations à fournir les accesseurs correspondants L'extension entre carrier classes est possible, avec dérivation automatique des appels super() quand les composants parent sont subsumés par l'enfant Les records deviennent un cas particulier de carrier classes avec des contraintes supplémentaires (final, extends Record, component fields privés et finaux obligatoires) L'évolution compatible des records est améliorée en permettant l'ajout de composants en fin de liste et la déconstruction partielle par préfixe Comment éviter les pièges courants avec JPA et Kotlin - https://blog.jetbrains.com/idea/2026/01/how-to-avoid-common-pitfalls-with-jpa-and-kotlin/ JPA est une spécification Java pour la persistance objet-relationnel, mais son utilisation avec Kotlin présente des incompatibilités dues aux différences de conception des deux langages Les classes Kotlin sont finales par défaut, ce qui empêche la création de proxies par JPA pour le lazy loading et les opérations transactionnelles Le plugin kotlin-jpa génère automatiquement des constructeurs sans argument et rend les classes open, résolvant les problèmes de compatibilité Les data classes Kotlin ne sont pas adaptées aux entités JPA car elles génèrent equals/hashCode basés sur tous les champs, causant des problèmes avec les relations lazy L'utilisation de lateinit var pour les relations peut provoquer des exceptions si on accède aux propriétés avant leur initialisation par JPA Les types non-nullables Kotlin peuvent entrer en conflit avec le comportement de JPA qui initialise les entités avec des valeurs null temporaires Le backing field direct dans les getters/setters personnalisés peut contourner la logique de JPA et casser le lazy loading IntelliJ IDEA 2024.3 introduit des inspections pour détecter automatiquement ces problèmes et propose des quick-fixes L'IDE détecte les entités finales, les data classes inappropriées, les problèmes de constructeurs et l'usage incorrect de lateinit Ces nouvelles fonctionnalités aident les développeurs à éviter les bugs subtils liés à l'utilisation de JPA avec Kotlin Librairies Guide sur MapStruct @IterableMapping - https://www.baeldung.com/java-mapstruct-iterablemapping MapStruct est une bibliothèque Java pour générer automatiquement des mappers entre beans, l'annotation @IterableMapping permet de configurer finement le mapping de collections L'attribut dateFormat permet de formater automatiquement des dates lors du mapping de listes sans écrire de boucle manuelle L'attribut qualifiedByName permet de spécifier quelle méthode custom appliquer sur chaque élément de la collection à mapper Exemple d'usage : filtrer des données sensibles comme des mots de passe en mappant uniquement certains champs via une méthode dédiée L'attribut nullValueMappingStrategy permet de contrôler le comportement quand la collection source est null (retourner null ou une collection vide) L'annotation fonctionne pour tous types de collections Java (List, Set, etc.) et génère le code de boucle nécessaire Possibilité d'appliquer des formats numériques avec numberFormat pour convertir des nombres en chaînes avec un format spécifique MapStruct génère l'implémentation complète du mapper au moment de la compilation, éliminant le code boilerplate L'annotation peut être combinée avec @Named pour créer des méthodes de mapping réutilisables et nommées Le mapping des collections supporte les conversions de types complexes au-delà des simples conversions de types primitifs Accès aux fichiers Samba depuis Java avec JCIFS - https://www.baeldung.com/java-samba-jcifs JCIFS est une bibliothèque Java permettant d'accéder aux partages Samba/SMB sans monter de lecteur réseau, supportant le protocole SMB3 on pense aux galériens qui doivent se connecter aux systèmes dit legacy La configuration nécessite un contexte CIFS (CIFSContext) et des objets SmbFile pour représenter les ressources distantes L'authentification se fait via NtlmPasswordAuthenticator avec domaine, nom d'utilisateur et mot de passe La bibliothèque permet de lister les fichiers et dossiers avec listFiles() et vérifier leurs propriétés (taille, date de modification) Création de fichiers avec createNewFile() et de dossiers avec mkdir() ou mkdirs() pour créer toute une arborescence Suppression via delete() qui peut parcourir et supprimer récursivement des arborescences entières Copie de fichiers entre partages Samba avec copyTo(), mais impossibilité de copier depuis le système de fichiers local Pour copier depuis le système local, utilisation des streams SmbFileInputStream et SmbFileOutputStream Les opérations peuvent cibler différents serveurs Samba et différents partages (anonymes ou protégés par mot de passe) La bibliothèque s'intègre dans des blocs try-with-resources pour une gestion automatique des ressources Quarkus 3.31 - Support complet Java 25, nouveau packaging Maven et Panache Next - https://quarkus.io/blog/quarkus-3-31-released/ Support complet de Java 25 avec images runtime et native Nouveau packaging Maven de type quarkus avec lifecycle optimisé pour des builds plus rapides voici un article complet pour plus de detail https://quarkus.io/blog/building-large-applications/ Introduction de Panache Next, nouvelle génération avec meilleure expérience développeur et API unifiée ORM/Reactive Mise à jour vers Hibernate ORM 7.2, Reactive 3.2, Search 8.2 Support de Hibernate Spatial pour les données géospatiales Passage à Testcontainers 2 et JUnit 6 Annotations de sécurité supportées sur les repositories Jakarta Data Chiffrement des tokens OIDC pour les implémentations custom TokenStateManager Support OAuth 2.0 Pushed Authorization Requests dans l'extension OIDC Maven 3.9 maintenant requis minimum pour les projets Quarkus A2A Java SDK 1.0.0.Alpha1 - Alignement avec la spécification 1.0 du protocole Agent2Agent - https://quarkus.io/blog/a2a-java-sdk-1-0-0-alpha1/ Le SDK Java A2A implémente le protocole Agent2Agent qui permet la communication standardisée entre agents IA pour découvrir des capacités, déléguer des tâches et collaborer Passage à la version 1.0 de la spécification marque la transition d'expérimental à production-ready avec des changements cassants assumés Modernisation complète du module spec avec des Java records partout remplaçant le mix précédent de classes et records pour plus de cohérence Adoption de Protocol Buffers comme source de vérité avec des mappers MapStruct pour la conversion et Gson pour JSON-RPC Les builders utilisent maintenant des méthodes factory statiques au lieu de constructeurs publics suivant les best practices Java modernes Introduction de trois BOMs Maven pour simplifier la gestion des dépendances du SDK core, des extensions et des implémentations de référence Quarkus AgentCard évolue avec une liste supportedInterfaces remplaçant url et preferredTransport pour plus de flexibilité dans la déclaration des protocoles Support de la pagination ajouté pour ListTasks et les endpoints de configuration des notifications push avec des wrappers Result appropriés Interface A2AHttpClient pluggable permettant des implémentations HTTP personnalisées avec une implémentation Vert.x fournie Travail continu vers la conformité complète avec le TCK 1.0 en cours de développement parallèlement à la finalisation de la spécification Pourquoi Quarkus finit par "cliquer" : les 10 questions que se posent les développeurs Java - https://www.the-main-thread.com/p/quarkus-java-developers-top-questions-2025 un article qui revele et repond aux questions des gens qui ont utilisé Quarkus depuis 4-6 mois, les non noob questions Quarkus est un framework Java moderne optimisé pour le cloud qui propose des temps de démarrage ultra-rapides et une empreinte mémoire réduite Pourquoi Quarkus démarre si vite ? Le framework effectue le travail lourd au moment du build (scanning, indexation, génération de bytecode) plutôt qu'au runtime Quand utiliser le mode réactif plutôt qu'impératif ? Le réactif est pertinent pour les workloads avec haute concurrence et dominance I/O, l'impératif reste plus simple dans les autres cas Quelle est la différence entre Dev Services et Testcontainers ? Dev Services utilise Testcontainers en gérant automatiquement le cycle de vie, les ports et la configuration sans cérémonie Comment la DI de Quarkus diffère de Spring ? CDI est un standard basé sur la sécurité des types et la découverte au build-time, différent de l'approche framework de Spring Comment gérer la configuration entre environnements ? Quarkus permet de scaler depuis le développement local jusqu'à Kubernetes avec des profils, fichiers multiples et configuration externe Comment tester correctement les applications Quarkus ? @QuarkusTest démarre l'application une fois pour toute la suite de tests, changeant le modèle mental par rapport à Spring Boot Que fait vraiment Panache en coulisses ? Panache est du JPA avec des opinions fortes et des défauts propres, enveloppant Hibernate avec un style Active Record Doit-on utiliser les images natives et quand ? Les images natives brillent pour le serverless et l'edge grâce au démarrage rapide et la faible empreinte mémoire, mais tous les apps n'en bénéficient pas Comment Quarkus s'intègre avec Kubernetes ? Le framework génère automatiquement les ressources Kubernetes, gère les health checks et métriques comme s'il était nativement conçu pour cet écosystème Comment intégrer l'IA dans une application Quarkus ? LangChain4j permet d'ajouter embeddings, retrieval, guardrails et observabilité directement en Java sans passer par Python Infrastructure Les alternatives à MinIO https://rmoff.net/2026/01/14/alternatives-to-minio-for-single-node-local-s3/ MinIO a abandonné le support single-node fin 2025 pour des raisons commerciales, cassant de nombreuses démos et pipelines CI/CD qui l'utilisaient pour émuler S3 localement L'auteur cherche un remplacement simple avec image Docker, compatibilité S3, licence open source, déploiement mono-nœud facile et communauté active S3Proxy est très léger et facile à configurer, semble être l'option la plus simple mais repose sur un seul contributeur RustFS est facile à utiliser et inclut une GUI, mais c'est un projet très récent en version alpha avec une faille de sécurité majeure récente SeaweedFS existe depuis 2012 avec support S3 depuis 2018, relativement facile à configurer et dispose d'une interface web basique Zenko CloudServer remplace facilement MinIO mais la documentation et le branding (cloudserver/zenko/scality) peuvent prêter à confusion Garage nécessite une configuration complexe avec fichier TOML et conteneur d'initialisation séparé, pas un simple remplacement drop-in Apache Ozone requiert au minimum quatre nœuds pour fonctionner, beaucoup trop lourd pour un usage local simple L'auteur recommande SeaweedFS et S3Proxy comme remplaçants viables, RustFS en maybe, et élimine Garage et Ozone pour leur complexité Garage a une histoire tres associative, il vient du collectif https://deuxfleurs.fr/ qui offre un cloud distribué sans datacenter C'est certainement pas une bonne idée, les datacenters dans l'espace https://taranis.ie/datacenters-in-space-are-a-terrible-horrible-no-good-idea/ Avis d'expert (ex-NASA/Google, Dr en électronique spatiale) : Centres de données spatiaux, une "terrible" idée. Incompatibilité fondamentale : L'électronique (surtout IA/GPU) est inadaptée à l'environnement spatial. Énergie : Accès limité. Le solaire (type ISS) est insuffisant pour l'échelle de l'IA. Le nucléaire (RTG) est trop faible. Refroidissement : L'espace n'est pas "froid" ; absence de convection. Nécessite des radiateurs gigantesques (ex: 531m² pour 200kW). Radiations : Provoque erreurs (SEU, SEL) et dommages. Les GPU sont très vulnérables. Blindage lourd et inefficace. Les puces "durcies" sont très lentes. Communications : Bande passante très limitée (1Gbps radio vs 100Gbps terrestre). Le laser est tributaire des conditions atmosphériques. Conclusion : Projet extrêmement difficile, coûteux et aux performances médiocres. Data et Intelligence Artificielle Guillaume a développé un serveur MCP pour arXiv (le site de publication de papiers de recherche) en Java avec le framework Quarkus https://glaforge.dev/posts/2026/01/18/implementing-an-arxiv-mcp-server-with-quarkus-in-java/ Implémentation d'un serveur MCP (Model Context Protocol) arXiv en Java avec Quarkus. Objectif : Accéder aux publications arXiv et illustrer les fonctionnalités moins connues du protocole MCP. Mise en œuvre : Utilisation du framework Quarkus (Java) et son support MCP étendu. Assistance par Antigravity (IDE agentique) pour le développement et l'intégration de l'API arXiv. Interaction avec l'API arXiv : requêtes HTTP, format XML Atom pour les résultats, parser XML Jackson. Fonctionnalités MCP exposées : Outils (@Tool) : Recherche de publications (search_papers). Ressources (@Resource, @ResourceTemplate) : Taxonomie des catégories arXiv, métadonnées des articles (via un template d'URI). Prompts (@Prompt) : Exemples pour résumer des articles ou construire des requêtes de recherche. Configuration : Le serveur peut fonctionner en STDIO (local) ou via HTTP Streamable (local ou distant), avec une configuration simple dans des clients comme Gemini CLI. Conclusion : Quarkus simplifie la création de serveurs MCP riches en fonctionnalités, rendant les données et services "prêts pour l'IA" avec l'aide d'outils d'IA comme Antigravity. Anthropic ne mettra pas de pub dans Claude https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-is-a-space-to-think c'est en reaction au plan non public d'OpenAi de mettre de la pub pour pousser les gens au mode payant OpenAI a besoin de cash et est probablement le plus utilisé pour gratuit au monde Anthropic annonce que Claude restera sans publicité pour préserver son rôle d'assistant conversationnel dédié au travail et à la réflexion approfondie. Les conversations avec Claude sont souvent sensibles, personnelles ou impliquent des tâches complexes d'ingénierie logicielle où les publicités seraient inappropriées. L'analyse des conversations montre qu'une part significative aborde des sujets délicats similaires à ceux évoqués avec un conseiller de confiance. Un modèle publicitaire créerait des incitations contradictoires avec le principe fondamental d'être "genuinely helpful" inscrit dans la Constitution de Claude. Les publicités introduiraient un conflit d'intérêt potentiel où les recommandations pourraient être influencées par des motivations commerciales plutôt que par l'intérêt de l'utilisateur. Le modèle économique d'Anthropic repose sur les contrats entreprise et les abonnements payants, permettant de réinvestir dans l'amélioration de Claude. Anthropic maintient l'accès gratuit avec des modèles de pointe et propose des tarifs réduits pour les ONG et l'éducation dans plus de 60 pays. Le commerce "agentique" sera supporté mais uniquement à l'initiative de l'utilisateur, jamais des annonceurs, pour préserver la confiance. Les intégrations tierces comme Figma, Asana ou Canva continueront d'être développées en gardant l'utilisateur aux commandes. Anthropic compare Claude à un cahier ou un tableau blanc : des espaces de pensée purs, sans publicité. Infinispan 16.1 est sorti https://infinispan.org/blog/2026/02/04/infinispan-16-1 déjà le nom de la release mérite une mention Le memory bounded par cache et par ensemble de cache s est pas facile à faire en Java Une nouvelle api OpenAPI AOT caché dans les images container Un serveur MCP local juste avec un fichier Java ? C'est possible avec LangChain4j et JBang https://glaforge.dev/posts/2026/02/11/zero-boilerplate-java-stdio-mcp-servers-with-langchain4j-and-jbang/ Création rapide de serveurs MCP Java sans boilerplate. MCP (Model Context Protocol): standard pour connecter les LLM à des outils et données. Le tutoriel répond au manque d'options simples pour les développeurs Java, face à une prédominance de Python/TypeScript dans l'écosystème MCP. La solution utilise: LangChain4j: qui intègre un nouveau module serveur MCP pour le protocole STDIO. JBang: permet d'exécuter des fichiers Java comme des scripts, éliminant les fichiers de build (pom.xml, Gradle). Implémentation: se fait via un seul fichier .java. JBang gère automatiquement les dépendances (//DEPS). L'annotation @Tool de LangChain4j expose les méthodes Java aux LLM. StdioMcpServerTransport gère la communication JSON-RPC via l'entrée/sortie standard (STDIO). Point crucial: Les logs doivent impérativement être redirigés vers System.err pour éviter de corrompre System.out, qui est réservé à la communication MCP (messages JSON-RPC). Facilite l'intégration locale avec des outils comme Gemini CLI, Claude Code, etc. Reciprocal Rank Fusion : un algorithme utile et souvent utilisé pour faire de la recherche hybride, pour mélanger du RAG et des recherches par mots-clé https://glaforge.dev/posts/2026/02/10/advanced-rag-understanding-reciprocal-rank-fusion-in-hybrid-search/ RAG : Qualité LLM dépend de la récupération. Recherche Hybride : Combiner vectoriel et mots-clés (BM25) est optimal. Défi : Fusionner des scores d'échelles différentes. Solution : Reciprocal Rank Fusion (RRF). RRF : Algorithme robuste qui fusionne des listes de résultats en se basant uniquement sur le rang des documents, ignorant les scores. Avantages RRF : Pas de normalisation de scores, scalable, excellente première étape de réorganisation. Architecture RAG fréquente : RRF (large sélection) + Cross-Encoder / modèle de reranking (précision fine). RAG-Fusion : Utilise un LLM pour générer plusieurs variantes de requête, puis RRF agrège tous les résultats pour renforcer le consensus et réduire les hallucinations. Implémentation : LangChain4j utilise RRF par défaut pour agréger les résultats de plusieurs retrievers. Les dernières fonctionnalités de Gemini et Nano Banana supportées dans LangChain4j https://glaforge.dev/posts/2026/02/06/latest-gemini-and-nano-banana-enhancements-in-langchain4j/ Nouveaux modèles d'images Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5/3.0) pour génération et édition (jusqu'à 4K). "Grounding" via Google Search (pour images et texte) et Google Maps (localisation, Gemini 2.5). Outil de contexte URL (Gemini 3.0) pour lecture directe de pages web. Agents multimodaux (AiServices) capables de générer des images. Configuration de la réflexion (profondeur Chain-of-Thought) pour Gemini 3.0. Métadonnées enrichies : usage des tokens et détails des sources de "grounding". Comment configurer Gemini CLI comment agent de code dans IntelliJ grâce au protocole ACP https://glaforge.dev/posts/2026/02/01/how-to-integrate-gemini-cli-with-intellij-idea-using-acp/ But : Intégrer Gemini CLI à IntelliJ IDEA via l'Agent Client Protocol (ACP). Prérequis : IntelliJ IDEA 2025.3+, Node.js (v20+), Gemini CLI. Étapes : Installer Gemini CLI (npm install -g @google/gemini-cli). Localiser l'exécutable gemini. Configurer ~/.jetbrains/acp.json (chemin exécutable, --experimental-acp, use_idea_mcp: true). Redémarrer IDEA, sélectionner "Gemini CLI" dans l'Assistant IA. Usage : Gemini interagit avec le code et exécute des commandes (contexte projet). Important : S'assurer du flag --experimental-acp dans la configuration. Outillage PipeNet, une alternative (open source aussi) à LocalTunnel, mais un plus évoluée https://pipenet.dev/ pipenet: Alternative open-source et moderne à localtunnel (client + serveur). Usages: Développement local (partage, webhooks), intégration SDK, auto-hébergement sécurisé. Fonctionnalités: Client (expose ports locaux, sous-domaines), Serveur (déploiement, domaines personnalisés, optimisé cloud mono-port). Avantages vs localtunnel: Déploiement cloud sur un seul port, support multi-domaines, TypeScript/ESM, maintenance active. Protocoles: HTTP/S, WebSocket, SSE, HTTP Streaming. Intégration: CLI ou SDK JavaScript. JSON-IO — une librairie comme Jackson ou GSON, supportant JSON5, TOON, et qui pourrait être utile pour l'utilisation du "structured output" des LLMs quand ils ne produisent pas du JSON parfait https://github.com/jdereg/json-io json-io : Librairie Java pour la sérialisation et désérialisation JSON/TOON. Gère les graphes d'objets complexes, les références cycliques et les types polymorphes. Support complet JSON5 (lecture et écriture), y compris des fonctionnalités non prises en charge par Jackson/Gson. Format TOON : Notation orientée token, optimisée pour les LLM, réduisant l'utilisation de tokens de 40 à 50% par rapport au JSON. Légère : Aucune dépendance externe (sauf java-util), taille de JAR réduite (~330K). Compatible JDK 1.8 à 24, ainsi qu'avec les environnements JPMS et OSGi. Deux modes de conversion : vers des objets Java typés (toJava()) ou vers des Map (toMaps()). Options de configuration étendues via ReadOptionsBuilder et WriteOptionsBuilder. Optimisée pour les déploiements cloud natifs et les architectures de microservices. Utiliser mailpit et testcontainer pour tester vos envois d'emails https://foojay.io/today/testing-emails-with-testcontainers-and-mailpit/ l'article montre via SpringBoot et sans. Et voici l'extension Quarkus https://quarkus.io/extensions/io.quarkiverse.mailpit/quarkus-mailpit/?tab=docs Tester l'envoi d'emails en développement est complexe car on ne peut pas utiliser de vrais serveurs SMTP Mailpit est un serveur SMTP de test qui capture les emails et propose une interface web pour les consulter Testcontainers permet de démarrer Mailpit dans un conteneur Docker pour les tests d'intégration L'article montre comment configurer une application SpringBoot pour envoyer des emails via JavaMail Un module Testcontainers dédié à Mailpit facilite son intégration dans les tests Le conteneur Mailpit expose un port SMTP (1025) et une API HTTP (8025) pour vérifier les emails reçus Les tests peuvent interroger l'API HTTP de Mailpit pour valider le contenu des emails envoyés Cette approche évite d'utiliser des mocks et teste réellement l'envoi d'emails Mailpit peut aussi servir en développement local pour visualiser les emails sans les envoyer réellement La solution fonctionne avec n'importe quel framework Java supportant JavaMail Architecture Comment scaler un système de 0 à 10 millions d'utilisateurs https://blog.algomaster.io/p/scaling-a-system-from-0-to-10-million-users Philosophie : Scalabilité incrémentale, résoudre les goulots d'étranglement sans sur-ingénierie. 0-100 utilisateurs : Serveur unique (app, DB, jobs). 100-1K : Séparer app et DB (services gérés, pooling). 1K-10K : Équilibreur de charge, multi-serveurs d'app (stateless via sessions partagées). 10K-100K : Caching, réplicas de lecture DB, CDN (réduire charge DB). 100K-500K : Auto-scaling, applications stateless (authentification JWT). 500K-10M : Sharding DB, microservices, files de messages (traitement asynchrone). 10M+ : Déploiement multi-régions, CQRS, persistance polyglotte, infra personnalisée. Principes clés : Simplicité, mesure, stateless essentiel, cache/asynchrone, sharding prudent, compromis (CAP), coût de la complexité. Patterns d'Architecture 2026 - Du Hype à la Réalité du Terrain (Part 1/2) - https://blog.ippon.fr/2026/01/30/patterns-darchitecture-2026-part-1/ L'article présente quatre patterns d'architecture logicielle pour répondre aux enjeux de scalabilité, résilience et agilité business dans les systèmes modernes Il présentent leurs raisons et leurs pièges Un bon rappel L'Event-Driven Architecture permet une communication asynchrone entre systèmes via des événements publiés et consommés, évitant le couplage direct Les bénéfices de l'EDA incluent la scalabilité indépendante des composants, la résilience face aux pannes et l'ajout facile de nouveaux cas d'usage Le pattern API-First associé à un API Gateway centralise la sécurité, le routage et l'observabilité des APIs avec un catalogue unifié Le Backend for Frontend crée des APIs spécifiques par canal (mobile, web, partenaires) pour optimiser l'expérience utilisateur CQRS sépare les modèles de lecture et d'écriture avec des bases optimisées distinctes, tandis que l'Event Sourcing stocke tous les événements plutôt que l'état actuel Le Saga Pattern gère les transactions distribuées via orchestration centralisée ou chorégraphie événementielle pour coordonner plusieurs microservices Les pièges courants incluent l'explosion d'événements granulaires, la complexité du debugging distribué, et la mauvaise gestion de la cohérence finale Les technologies phares sont Kafka pour l'event streaming, Kong pour l'API Gateway, EventStoreDB pour l'Event Sourcing et Temporal pour les Sagas Ces patterns nécessitent une maturité technique et ne sont pas adaptés aux applications CRUD simples ou aux équipes junior Patterns d'architecture 2026 : du hype à la réalité terrain part. 2 - https://blog.ippon.fr/2026/02/04/patterns-darchitecture-2026-part-2/ Deuxième partie d'un guide pratique sur les patterns d'architecture logicielle et système éprouvés pour moderniser et structurer les applications en 2026 Strangler Fig permet de migrer progressivement un système legacy en l'enveloppant petit à petit plutôt que de tout réécrire d'un coup (70% d'échec pour les big bang) Anti-Corruption Layer protège votre nouveau domaine métier des modèles externes et legacy en créant une couche de traduction entre les systèmes Service Mesh gère automatiquement la communication inter-services dans les architectures microservices (sécurité mTLS, observabilité, résilience) Architecture Hexagonale sépare le coeur métier des détails techniques via des ports et adaptateurs pour améliorer la testabilité et l'évolutivité Chaque pattern est illustré par un cas client concret avec résultats mesurables et liste des pièges à éviter lors de l'implémentation Les technologies 2026 mentionnées incluent Istio, Linkerd pour service mesh, LaunchDarkly pour feature flags, NGINX et Kong pour API gateway Tableau comparatif final aide à choisir le bon pattern selon la complexité, le scope et le use case spécifique du projet L'article insiste sur une approche pragmatique : ne pas utiliser un pattern juste parce qu'il est moderne mais parce qu'il résout un problème réel Pour les systèmes simples type CRUD ou avec peu de services, ces patterns peuvent introduire une complexité inutile qu'il faut savoir éviter Méthodologies Le rêve récurrent de remplacer voire supprimer les développeurs https://www.caimito.net/en/blog/2025/12/07/the-recurring-dream-of-replacing-developers.html Depuis 1969, chaque décennie voit une tentative de réduire le besoin de développeurs (de COBOL, UML, visual builders… à IA). Motivation : frustration des dirigeants face aux délais et coûts de développement. La complexité logicielle est intrinsèque et intellectuelle, non pas une question d'outils. Chaque vague technologique apporte de la valeur mais ne supprime pas l'expertise humaine. L'IA assiste les développeurs, améliore l'efficacité, mais ne remplace ni le jugement ni la gestion de la complexité. La demande de logiciels excède l'offre car la contrainte majeure est la réflexion nécessaire pour gérer cette complexité. Pour les dirigeants : les outils rendent-ils nos développeurs plus efficaces sur les problèmes complexes et réduisent-ils les tâches répétitives ? Le "rêve" de remplacer les développeurs, irréalisable, est un moteur d'innovation créant des outils précieux. Comment creuser des sujets à l'ère de l'IA générative. Quid du partage et la curation de ces recherches ? https://glaforge.dev/posts/2026/02/04/researching-topics-in-the-age-of-ai-rock-solid-webhooks-case-study/ Recherche initiale de l'auteur sur les webhooks en 2019, processus long et manuel. L'IA (Deep Research, Gemini, NotebookLM) facilite désormais la recherche approfondie, l'exploration de sujets et le partage des résultats. L'IA a identifié et validé des pratiques clés pour des déploiements de webhooks résilients, en grande partie les mêmes que celles trouvées précédemment par l'auteur. Génération d'artefacts par l'IA : rapport détaillé, résumé concis, illustration sketchnote, et même une présentation (slide deck). Guillaume s'interroge sur le partage public de ces rapports de recherche générés par l'IA, tout en souhaitant éviter le "AI Slop". Loi, société et organisation Le logiciel menacé par le vibe coding https://www.techbuzz.ai/articles/we-built-a-monday-com-clone-in-under-an-hour-with-ai Deux journalistes de CNBC sans expérience de code ont créé un clone fonctionnel de Monday.com en moins de 60 minutes pour 5 à 15 dollars. L'expérience valide les craintes des investisseurs qui ont provoqué une baisse de 30% des actions des entreprises SaaS. L'IA a non seulement reproduit les fonctionnalités de base mais a aussi recherché Monday.com de manière autonome pour identifier et recréer ses fonctionnalités clés. Cette technique appelée "vibe-coding" permet aux non-développeurs de construire des applications via des instructions en anglais courant. Les entreprises les plus vulnérables sont celles offrant des outils "qui se posent sur le travail" comme Atlassian, Adobe, HubSpot, Zendesk et Smartsheet. Les entreprises de cybersécurité comme CrowdStrike et Palo Alto sont considérées plus protégées grâce aux effets de réseau et aux barrières réglementaires. Les systèmes d'enregistrement comme Salesforce restent plus difficiles à répliquer en raison de leur profondeur d'intégration et de données d'entreprise. Le coût de 5 à 15 dollars par construction permet aux entreprises de prototyper plusieurs solutions personnalisées pour moins cher qu'une seule licence Monday.com. L'expérience soulève des questions sur la pérennité du marché de 5 milliards de dollars des outils de gestion de projet face à l'IA générative. Conférences En complément de l'agenda des conférences de Aurélie Vache, il y a également le site https://javaconferences.org/ (fait par Brian Vermeer) avec toutes les conférences Java à venir ! La liste des conférences provenant de Developers Conferences Agenda/List par Aurélie Vache et contributeurs : 12-13 février 2026 : Touraine Tech #26 - Tours (France) 12-13 février 2026 : World Artificial Intelligence Cannes Festival - Cannes (France) 19 février 2026 : ObservabilityCON on the Road - Paris (France) 6 mars 2026 : WordCamp Nice 2026 - Nice (France) 18 mars 2026 : Jupyter Workshops: AI in Jupyter: Building Extensible AI Capabilities for Interactive Computing - Saint-Maur-des-Fossés (France) 18-19 mars 2026 : Agile Niort 2026 - Niort (France) 20 mars 2026 : Atlantique Day 2026 - Nantes (France) 26 mars 2026 : Data Days Lille - Lille (France) 26-27 mars 2026 : SymfonyLive Paris 2026 - Paris (France) 26-27 mars 2026 : REACT PARIS - Paris (France) 27-29 mars 2026 : Shift - Nantes (France) 31 mars 2026 : ParisTestConf - Paris (France) 31 mars 2026-1 avril 2026 : FlowCon France 2026 - Paris (France) 1 avril 2026 : AWS Summit Paris - Paris (France) 2 avril 2026 : Pragma Cannes 2026 - Cannes (France) 2-3 avril 2026 : Xen Spring Meetup 2026 - Grenoble (France) 7 avril 2026 : PyTorch Conference Europe - Paris (France) 9-10 avril 2026 : Android Makers by droidcon 2026 - Paris (France) 9-11 avril 2026 : Drupalcamp Grenoble 2026 - Grenoble (France) 16-17 avril 2026 : MiXiT 2026 - Lyon (France) 17-18 avril 2026 : Faiseuses du Web 5 - Dinan (France) 22-24 avril 2026 : Devoxx France 2026 - Paris (France) 23-25 avril 2026 : Devoxx Greece - Athens (Greece) 6-7 mai 2026 : Devoxx UK 2026 - London (UK) 12 mai 2026 : Lead Innovation Day - Leadership Edition - Paris (France) 19 mai 2026 : La Product Conf Paris 2026 - Paris (France) 21-22 mai 2026 : Flupa UX Days 2026 - Paris (France) 22 mai 2026 : AFUP Day 2026 Lille - Lille (France) 22 mai 2026 : AFUP Day 2026 Paris - Paris (France) 22 mai 2026 : AFUP Day 2026 Bordeaux - Bordeaux (France) 22 mai 2026 : AFUP Day 2026 Lyon - Lyon (France) 28 mai 2026 : DevCon 27 : I.A. & Vibe Coding - Paris (France) 28 mai 2026 : Cloud Toulouse 2026 - Toulouse (France) 29 mai 2026 : NG Baguette Conf 2026 - Paris (France) 29 mai 2026 : Agile Tour Strasbourg 2026 - Strasbourg (France) 2-3 juin 2026 : Agile Tour Rennes 2026 - Rennes (France) 2-3 juin 2026 : OW2Con - Paris-Châtillon (France) 3 juin 2026 : IA–NA - La Rochelle (France) 5 juin 2026 : TechReady - Nantes (France) 5 juin 2026 : Fork it! - Rouen - Rouen (France) 6 juin 2026 : Polycloud - Montpellier (France) 9 juin 2026 : JFTL - Montrouge (France) 9 juin 2026 : C: - Caen (France) 11-12 juin 2026 : DevQuest Niort - Niort (France) 11-12 juin 2026 : DevLille 2026 - Lille (France) 12 juin 2026 : Tech F'Est 2026 - Nancy (France) 16 juin 2026 : Mobilis In Mobile 2026 - Nantes (France) 17-19 juin 2026 : Devoxx Poland - Krakow (Poland) 17-20 juin 2026 : VivaTech - Paris (France) 18 juin 2026 : Tech'Work - Lyon (France) 22-26 juin 2026 : Galaxy Community Conference - Clermont-Ferrand (France) 24-25 juin 2026 : Agi'Lille 2026 - Lille (France) 24-26 juin 2026 : BreizhCamp 2026 - Rennes (France) 2 juillet 2026 : Azur Tech Summer 2026 - Valbonne (France) 2-3 juillet 2026 : Sunny Tech - Montpellier (France) 3 juillet 2026 : Agile Lyon 2026 - Lyon (France) 6-8 juillet 2026 : Riviera Dev - Sophia Antipolis (France) 2 août 2026 : 4th Tech Summit on Artificial Intelligence & Robotics - Paris (France) 20-22 août 2026 : 4th Tech Summit on AI & Robotics - Paris (France) & Online 4 septembre 2026 : JUG Summer Camp 2026 - La Rochelle (France) 17-18 septembre 2026 : API Platform Conference 2026 - Lille (France) 24 septembre 2026 : PlatformCon Live Day Paris 2026 - Paris (France) 1 octobre 2026 : WAX 2026 - Marseille (France) 1-2 octobre 2026 : Volcamp - Clermont-Ferrand (France) 5-9 octobre 2026 : Devoxx Belgium - Antwerp (Belgium) Nous contacter Pour réagir à cet épisode, venez discuter sur le groupe Google https://groups.google.com/group/lescastcodeurs Contactez-nous via X/twitter https://twitter.com/lescastcodeurs ou Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/lescastcodeurs.com Faire un crowdcast ou une crowdquestion Soutenez Les Cast Codeurs sur Patreon https://www.patreon.com/LesCastCodeurs Tous les épisodes et toutes les infos sur https://lescastcodeurs.com/

In this episode of the Crazy Wisdom Podcast, host Stewart Alsop sits down with Lars van der Zande, founder and CEO/technical architect of Inkwell Finance, for what Lars describes as his first-ever podcast appearance. The conversation covers a wide range of blockchain infrastructure topics, including Lars's work with Sui and Solana blockchains, the innovative capabilities of Ika's programmatic wallets and blockchain of signatures, and how Inkwell Finance is building revenue-based financing solutions for on-chain entities—from AI agents to protocols. They explore the evolving landscape of crypto regulation, the merging of traditional finance with blockchain technology, the future of decentralized legal systems, and how the user experience barrier is being lowered through technologies that eliminate constant transaction signing. Lars also discusses Inkwell's embedded financing approach and their pre-seed fundraising round.Links mentioned:- Inkwell's website: inkwell.finance- Inkwell on Twitter: @__inkwell- Lars on Twitter: @LMVDZandeTimestamps00:00 Introduction to Inkwell Finance and Technical Architecture02:06 Understanding Sui and Solana: Blockchain Dynamics05:55 The Role of Ika in Inkwell Finance11:51 Leviathan: Revenue Generation and Financing in Crypto17:38 The Future of AI Agents and Programmatic Wallets23:23 Smart Contracts: Legal Implications and Future Directions25:06 The Future of Inqvil Finance25:42 Decentralization and Its Evolution27:32 The Merging of Traditional and Crypto Systems29:33 Global Financial Dynamics and Market Reactions31:48 The Collapse of Traditional Financial Systems32:46 Jurisdictional Shifts in the Crypto World33:59 Legal Systems and Blockchain Integration35:57 On-Chain Credit and Financial Opportunities39:29 The Role of AI in Finance41:30 Learning from Peer-to-Peer Lending History43:14 Disruption in Insurance and Risk Management44:54 On-Chain vs Off-Chain Data46:54 The Evolution of the Internet and Blockchain49:12 Future Subscription Models in BlockchainKey Insights1. Ika's Revolutionary Blockchain Signature Technology: Lars discovered Ika, a blockchain of signatures built on Sui that enables any blockchain transaction to be signed without revealing the underlying message. Using patented 2PC MPC technology, Ika splits key shares across validators and encrypts them in transit, performing complex cryptographic operations that allow smart contracts on Sui to generate signatures for transactions on any other blockchain. This eliminates the need to build separate smart contracts on each blockchain, fundamentally changing how cross-chain interactions work and opening possibilities for truly interoperable decentralized applications.2. Programmatic Wallets vs Traditional Wallets: Traditional wallets like MetaMask require manual user approval for every transaction through a front-end interface, but Ika's D-wallet introduces programmatic wallets with policy-based controls embedded in smart contracts. These wallets can execute transactions based on predetermined conditions checked against on-chain data like Oracle prices, without requiring individual user signatures. For example, a Bitcoin D-wallet can hold native Bitcoin without wrapping or bridging to a custodian, and smart contract policies determine when and how that Bitcoin can be transferred, creating unprecedented security and automation possibilities for decentralized finance.3. Inkwell's Revenue-Based Financing Model: Inkwell Finance is building Leviathan, a revenue-based financing platform for on-chain entities including protocols, AI agents, and individual traders with verifiable track records. Borrowers receive capital based on their on-chain performance metrics like sharp ratio and drawdown, with loan repayment automatically deducted from their revenue stream. The profit split structure allocates approximately 60% to borrowers, 30% to lenders, and 10% split between Inkwell and integrating platforms. This creates a sustainable lending model where flight risk is minimized through D-wallet policy controls that restrict how borrowed capital can be used.4. Wallet-as-a-Protocol and the Future of User Experience: The crypto industry is moving toward embedded wallet solutions that eliminate the friction of traditional wallet management, with Wallet-as-a-Protocol representing the next evolution beyond services like Privy and Dynamic. Unlike current embedded wallets that lock users into specific applications, Wallet-as-a-Protocol enables single sign-on across multiple applications while users maintain control of their keys. Combined with app-sponsored gas fees, this approach allows non-crypto-native users to interact with blockchain applications without knowing they're using crypto, removing the biggest barrier to mainstream adoption and creating web2-like user experiences on web3 infrastructure.5. AI Agents as Financial Entities: AI agents are emerging as revenue-generating entities with on-chain transaction histories that create verifiable track records for creditworthiness assessment. Inkwell Finance is specifically targeting this market, recognizing that AI agents will need wallets and capital to operate effectively. The programmatic nature of D-wallets pairs perfectly with AI agents, as policy controls can restrict agent behavior to specific smart contract interactions, preventing unauthorized fund transfers while allowing automated trading or revenue generation. This creates a new category of borrower that operates 24/7 with completely transparent performance metrics, fundamentally different from traditional loan recipients.6. Cross-Chain Liquidity Without Asset Transfer: Ika's technology enables users to take loans against revenue generated on one blockchain and deploy that capital on entirely different blockchains without moving their original liquidity positions. For instance, someone earning yield on Sui's Fusol protocol could borrow against that revenue stream and deploy capital on Solana opportunities, effectively creating multiple on-chain businesses that generate their own credit scores and revenue to service debt. This ability to read state across different blockchains from within smart contracts opens possibilities for multi-chain strategies that don't require withdrawing capital from productive positions, maximizing capital efficiency across the entire crypto ecosystem.7. The Convergence of Traditional Finance and Crypto Infrastructure: The regulatory landscape is rapidly evolving with initiatives like the Genius Act and Clarity Act creating frameworks where traditional financial systems merge with crypto infrastructure through mechanisms like stablecoins backed by US treasuries. Companies are increasingly establishing entities in the United States to access capital networks and Delaware's established legal framework while issuing tokens through jurisdictions like Switzerland. This hybrid approach, combined with emerging concepts like Gabriel Shapiro's "cybernetic agreements" that make smart contract parameters legally enforceable in traditional courts, suggests the future isn't pure decentralization but rather a sophisticated integration of on-chain and off-chain legal and financial systems.

In this episode of the Grownlearn Podcast, I speak with Sean Tepper — Founder & CEO of Tykr — about what it really takes to invest intelligently and build a scalable fintech company from scratch. Sean started with a simple Excel-based stock rating model. Today, Tykr serves over 13,000 customers across 50+ countries and is raising a $1.3M seed round — after achieving strong product-market fit, improving conversion rates from 25% to 70%, and reducing churn below 5%. We discuss: • Where beginners should actually start with investing • Investing vs trading — and why most people confuse the two • The #1 mistake retail investors make • How to avoid losing money in the stock market • Why fundamentals still matter in a tokenized world • How Tykr outperformed the S&P 500 • What real product-market fit looks like before raising capital • SaaS subscription growth strategies that actually work Sean also shares transparent performance data, marketing insights (including YouTube as a lead engine), and why open-source calculations helped build trust with both users and regulators. If you're a founder, investor, SaaS builder, or simply someone who wants to make smarter long-term financial decisions — this episode delivers clarity.

Tiffany Yeh, MD is the CEO and Co-Founder of Eztia Materials, a climate-tech venture developing energy-efficient cooling materials to protect people from extreme heat. With a mission to advance hard tech solutions at the climate-health nexus, Tiffany draws on her unique background as a physician, engineer, and public health advocate to build technologies that improve global health in a warming world.(01:13) - Dr. Ye's Background & Inspiration (01:52) - The Heat Challenge(05:20) - Singapore and the Power of Cooling(06:32) - Why Construction Has Been Slow to Adapt (07:22) - The Human Factor(08:14) - HydroVolt Technology(09:29) - Business Model, Distribution & Competition(11:19) - Worker Comfort (15:32) - Hidden Productivity Crisis Brewing(18:18) - Feature: Blueprint: The Future of Real Estate 2026 in Vegas on Sep. 22-24 (19:21) - The Secret Sauce Behind HydroVolt (20:31) - Prototyping & Real-World Applications (21:32) - Measuring Impact & ROI (23:34) - Pitching to VCs & Investors(25:31) - Product Roadmap(29:08) - Collaboration Superpower: Lionel Messi

Welcome back to the EUVC Podcast, where we bring you the people and perspectives shaping European venture.In this pitch episode, Andreas Munk Holm sits down with Pedro Ribeiro Santos, Partner at Armilar, to walk LPs through the story, strategy, and succession plan behind Armilar Fund IV — the firm's new pan-European early-stage fund.Armilar is one of Europe's longest-standing independent tech VCs and Portugal's original venture firm. Born inside a bank 25 years ago, spun out almost a decade ago, and now a multi-generational partnership, the firm has backed some of Portugal's most important tech companies and quietly built a track record of dragons (fund-returners), not just unicorns.Fund IV doubles down on what the team knows best: early-stage, tech-intensive companies across data, digitalization, and connectivity, with a strong focus on Portugal & Spain and selective investments across the rest of Europe.ShareHere's what's covered:01:17 | What is “Armilar”?02:30 | Origins & Spinout 03:40 | Why being based in Portugal with almost no local ecosystem 04:50 | From US to Europe, Then Back Home 07:22 | Fund IV in a Nutshell 09:44 | Geography & LP Backbone11:41 | Track Record, DPI & Dragons 13:51 | Selected Portfolio & Staying Power 16:19 | Team & Generational Design 21:38 | Iberia's State of Play (Portugal & Spain) 27:45 | Golden Visa & LP Angle 29:29 | Closing & What LPs Should Care About

Episode 80: Fair Investment Practices by Venture Capital Companies Law Quick hit today to discuss California's new Fair Investment Practices by Venture Capital Companies Law (“California Regulatory Overreach” as I call it), which mandates venture capital firms to collect and report demographic data about the founding teams of the companies they invest in. I outline the requirements, implications, and potential challenges that VCs may face due to this law, and share my concerns about its practicality and the reliability of the data collected.   Key Points From This Episode: Who is subject to this new law?What must Covered Entities do to comply?By when must they do all this?My quick takes on this new law.One piece of advice moving forward. Disclaimer: This show is for informational purposes only. Nothing presented here constitutes legal, investment or tax advice. The guests that join us share their considerable fund-related wisdom, but everything they share here is their personal opinion and for educational purposes only. On this show, they are speaking for themselves, and not for their employer or any affiliated entity. Tokens of Wisdom is produced by Dave Rothschild, partner at Cole-Frieman & Mallon LLP headquartered in San Francisco, California. For more information, visit https://colefrieman.com/ Links Mentioned in Today's Episode: Dave Rothschild - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidcrothschild/Cole-Frieman & Mallon LLP - https://colefrieman.com/Music by Joe Ginsberg - https://www.instagram.com/thejoeginsbergFor any questions or comments, email: tow@colefrieman.com

Infrastructure was passé…uncool. Difficult to get dollars from Private Equity and Growth funds, and almost impossible to get a VC fund interested. Now?! Now, it's cool. Infrastructure seems to be having a Renaissance, a full on Rebirth, not just fueled by commercial interests (e.g. advent of AI), but also by industrial policy and geopolitical considerations. In this episode of Tech Deciphered, we explore what's cool in the infrastructure spaces, including mega trends in semiconductors, energy, networking & connectivity, manufacturing Navigation: Intro We're back to building things Why now: the 5 forces behind the renaissance Semiconductors: compute is the new oil Networking & connectivity: digital highways get rebuilt Energy: rebuilding the power stack (not just renewables) Manufacturing: the return of “atoms + bits” Wrap: what it means for startups, incumbents, and investors Conclusion Our co-hosts: Bertrand Schmitt, Entrepreneur in Residence at Red River West, co-founder of App Annie / Data.ai, business angel, advisor to startups and VC funds, @bschmitt Nuno Goncalves Pedro, Investor, Managing Partner, Founder at Chamaeleon, @ngpedro Our show: Tech DECIPHERED brings you the Entrepreneur and Investor views on Big Tech, VC and Start-up news, opinion pieces and research. We decipher their meaning, and add inside knowledge and context. Being nerds, we also discuss the latest gadgets and pop culture news Subscribe To Our Podcast Nuno Gonçalves Pedro Introduction Welcome to episode 73 of Tech Deciphered, Infrastructure, the Rebirth or Renaissance. Infrastructure was passé, it wasn’t cool, but all of a sudden now everyone’s talking about network, talking about compute and semiconductors, talking about logistics, talking about energy. What gives? What’s happened? It was impossible in the past to get any funds, venture capital, even, to be honest, some private equity funds or growth funds interested in some of these areas, but now all of a sudden everyone thinks it’s cool. The infrastructure seems to be having a renaissance, a full-on rebirth. In this episode, we will explore in which cool ways the infrastructure spaces are moving and what’s leading to it. We will deep dive into the forces that are leading us to this. We will deep dive into semiconductors, networking and connectivity, energy, manufacturing, and then we’ll wrap up. Bertrand, so infrastructure is cool now. Bertrand Schmitt We're back to building things Yes. I thought software was going to eat the world. I cannot believe it was then, maybe even 15 years ago, from Andreessen, that quote about software eating the world. I guess it’s an eternal balance. Sometimes you go ahead of yourself, you build a lot of software stack, and at some point, you need the hardware to run this software stack, and there is only so much the bits can do in a world of atoms. Nuno Gonçalves Pedro Obviously, we’ve gone through some of this before. I think what we’re going through right now is AI is eating the world, and because AI is eating the world, it’s driving a lot of this infrastructure building that we need. We don’t have enough energy to be consumed by all these big data centers and hyperscalers. We need to be innovative around network as well because of the consumption in terms of network bandwidth that is linked to that consumption as well. In some ways, it’s not software eating the world, AI is eating the world. Because AI is eating the world, we need to rethink everything around infrastructure and infrastructure becoming cool again. Bertrand Schmitt There is something deeper in this. It’s that the past 10, even 15 years were all about SaaS before AI. SaaS, interestingly enough, was very energy-efficient. When I say SaaS, I mean cloud computing at large. What I mean by energy-efficient is that actually cloud computing help make energy use more efficient because instead of companies having their own separate data centers in many locations, sometimes poorly run from an industrial perspective, replace their own privately run data center with data center run by the super scalers, the hyperscalers of the world. These data centers were run much better in terms of how you manage the coolings, the energy efficiency, the rack density, all of this stuff. Actually, the cloud revolution didn’t increase the use of electricity. The cloud revolution was actually a replacement from your private data center to the hyperscaler data center, which was energy efficient. That’s why we didn’t, even if we are always talking about that growth of cloud computing, we were never feeling the pinch in term of electricity. As you say, we say it all changed because with AI, it was not a simple “Replacement” of locally run infrastructure to a hyperscaler run infrastructure. It was truly adding on top of an existing infrastructure, a new computing infrastructure in a way out of nowhere. Not just any computing infrastructure, an energy infrastructure that was really, really voracious in term of energy use. Nuno Gonçalves Pedro There was one other effect. Obviously, we’ve discussed before, we are in a bubble. We won’t go too much into that today. But the previous big bubble in tech, which is in the late ’90s, there was a lot of infrastructure built. We thought the internet was going to take over back then. It didn’t take over immediately, but there was a lot of network connectivity, bandwidth built back in the day. Companies imploded because of that as well, or had to restructure and go in their chapter 11. A lot of the big telco companies had their own issues back then, etc., but a lot of infrastructure was built back then for this advent of the internet, which would then take a long time to come. In some ways, to your point, there was a lot of latent supply that was built that was around that for a while wasn’t used, but then it was. Now it’s been used, and now we need new stuff. That’s why I feel now we’re having the new moment of infrastructure, new moment of moving forward, aligned a little bit with what you just said around cloud computing and the advent of SaaS, but also around the fact that we had a lot of buildup back in the late ’90s, early ’90s, which we’re now still reaping the benefits on in today’s world. Bertrand Schmitt Yeah, that’s actually a great point because what was built in the late ’90s, there was a lot of fibre that was built. Laying out the fibre either across countries, inside countries. This fibre, interestingly enough, you could just change the computing on both sides of the fibre, the routing, the modems, and upgrade the capacity of the fibre. But the fibre was the same in between. The big investment, CapEx investment, was really lying down that fibre, but then you could really upgrade easily. Even if both ends of the fibre were either using very old infrastructure from the ’90s or were actually dark and not being put to use, step by step, it was being put to use, equipment was replaced, and step by step, you could keep using more and more of this fibre. It was a very interesting development, as you say, because it could be expanded over the years, where if we talk about GPUs, use for AI, GPUs, the interesting part is actually it’s totally the opposite. After a few years, it’s useless. Some like Google, will argue that they can depreciate over 5, 6 years, even some GPUs. But at the end of the day, the difference in perf and energy efficiency of the GPUs means that if you are energy constrained, you just want to replace the old one even as young as three-year-old. You have to look at Nvidia increasing spec, generation after generation. It’s pretty insane. It’s usually at least 3X year over year in term of performance. Nuno Gonçalves Pedro At this moment in time, it’s very clear that it’s happening. Why now: the 5 forces behind the renaissance Maybe let’s deep dive into why it’s happening now. What are the key forces around this? We’ve identified, I think, five forces that are particularly vital that lead to the world we’re in right now. One we’ve already talked about, which is AI, the demand shock and everything that’s happened because of AI. Data centers drive power demand, drive grid upgrades, drive innovative ways of getting energy, drive chips, drive networking, drive cooling, drive manufacturing, drive all the things that we’re going to talk in just a bit. One second element that we could probably highlight in terms of the forces that are behind this is obviously where we are in terms of cost curves around technology. Obviously, a lot of things are becoming much cheaper. The simulation of physical behaviours has become a lot more cheap, which in itself, this becomes almost a vicious cycle in of itself, then drives the adoption of more and more AI and stuff. But anyway, the simulation is becoming more and more accessible, so you can do a lot of simulation with digital twins and other things off the real world before you go into the real world. Robotics itself is becoming, obviously, cheaper. Hardware, a lot of the hardware is becoming cheaper. Computer has become cheaper as well. Obviously, there’s a lot of cost curves that have aligned that, and that’s maybe the second force that I would highlight. Obviously, funds are catching up. We’ll leave that a little bit to the end. We’ll do a wrap-up and talk a little bit about the implications to investors. But there’s a lot of capital out there, some capital related to industrial policy, other capital related to private initiative, private equity, growth funds, even venture capital, to be honest, and a few other elements on that. That would be a third force that I would highlight. Bertrand Schmitt Yes. Interestingly enough, in terms of capital use, and we’ll talk more about this, but some firms, if we are talking about energy investment, it was very difficult to invest if you are not investing in green energy. Now I think more and more firms and banks are willing to invest or support different type of energy infrastructure, not just, “Green energy.” That’s an interesting development because at some point it became near impossible to invest more in gas development, in oil development in the US or in most Western countries. At least in the US, this is dramatically changing the framework. Nuno Gonçalves Pedro Maybe to add the two last forces that I think we see behind the renaissance of what’s happening in infrastructure. They go hand in hand. One is the geopolitics of the world right now. Obviously, the world was global flat, and now it’s becoming increasingly siloed, so people are playing it to their own interests. There’s a lot of replication of infrastructure as well because people want to be autonomous, and they want to drive their own ability to serve end consumers, businesses, etc., in terms of data centers and everything else. That ability has led to things like, for example, chips shortage. The fact that there are semiconductors, there are shortages across the board, like memory shortages, where everything is packed up until 2027 of 2028. A lot of the memory that was being produced is already spoken for, which is shocking. There’s obviously generation of supply chain fragilities, obviously, some of it because of policies, for example, in the US with tariffs, etc, security of energy, etc. Then the last force directly linked to the geopolitics is the opposite of it, which is the policy as an accelerant, so to speak, as something that is accelerating development, where because of those silos, individual countries, as part their industrial policy, then want to put capital behind their local ecosystems, their local companies, so that their local companies and their local systems are for sure the winners, or at least, at the very least, serve their own local markets. I think that’s true of a lot of the things we’re seeing, for example, in the US with the Chips Act, for semiconductors, with IGA, IRA, and other elements of what we’ve seen in terms of practices, policies that have been implemented even in Europe, China, and other parts of the world. Bertrand Schmitt Talking about chips shortages, it’s pretty insane what has been happening with memory. Just the past few weeks, I have seen a close to 3X increase in price in memory prices in a matter of weeks. Apparently, it started with a huge order from OpenAI. Apparently, they have tried to corner the memory market. Interestingly enough, it has flat-footed the entire industry, and that includes Google, that includes Microsoft. There are rumours of their teams now having moved to South Korea, so they are closer to the action in terms of memory factories and memory decision-making. There are rumours of execs who got fired because they didn’t prepare for this type of eventuality or didn’t lock in some of the supply chain because that memory was initially for AI, but obviously, it impacts everything because factories making memories, you have to plan years in advance to build memories. You cannot open new lines of manufacturing like this. All factories that are going to open, we know when they are going to open because they’ve been built up for years. There is no extra capacity suddenly. At the very best, you can change a bit your line of production from one type of memory to another type. But that’s probably about it. Nuno Gonçalves Pedro Just to be clear, all these transformations we’re seeing isn’t to say just hardware is back, right? It’s not just hardware. There’s physicality. The buildings are coming back, right? It’s full stack. Software is here. That’s why everything is happening. Policy is here. Finance is here. It’s a little bit like the name of the movie, right? Everything everywhere all at once. Everything’s happening. It was in some ways driven by the upper stacks, by the app layers, by the platform layers. But now we need new infrastructure. We need more infrastructure. We need it very, very quickly. We need it today. We’re already lacking in it. Semiconductors: compute is the new oil Maybe that’s a good segue into the first piece of the whole infrastructure thing that’s driving now the most valuable company in the world, NVIDIA, which is semiconductors. Semiconductors are driving compute. Semis are the foundation of infrastructure as a compute. Everyone needs it for every thing, for every activity, not just for compute, but even for sensors, for actuators, everything else. That’s the beginning of it all. Semiconductor is one of the key pieces around the infrastructure stack that’s being built at scale at this moment in time. Bertrand Schmitt Yes. What’s interesting is that if we look at the market gap of Semis versus software as a service, cloud companies, there has been a widening gap the past year. I forgot the exact numbers, but we were talking about plus 20, 25% for Semis in term of market gap and minus 5, minus 10 for SaaS companies. That’s another trend that’s happening. Why is this happening? One, because semiconductors are core to the AI build-up, you cannot go around without them. But two, it’s also raising a lot of questions about the durability of the SaaS, a software-as-a-service business model. Because if suddenly we have better AI, and that’s all everyone is talking about to justify the investment in AI, that it keeps getting better, and it keeps improving, and it’s going to replace your engineers, your software engineers. Then maybe all of this moat that software companies built up over the years or decades, sometimes, might unravel under the pressure of newly coded, newly built, cheaper alternatives built from the ground up with AI support. It’s not just that, yes, semiconductors are doing great. It’s also as a result of that AI underlying trend that software is doing worse right now. Nuno Gonçalves Pedro At the end of the day, this foundational piece of infrastructure, semiconductor, is obviously getting manifest to many things, fabrication, manufacturing, packaging, materials, equipment. Everything’s being driven, ASML, etc. There are all these different players around the world that are having skyrocket valuations now, it’s because they’re all part of the value chain. Just to be very, very clear, there’s two elements of this that I think are very important for us to remember at this point in time. One, it’s the entire value chains are being shifted. It’s not just the chips that basically lead to computing in the strict sense of it. It’s like chips, for example, that drive, for example, network switching. We’re going to talk about networking a bit, but you need chips to drive better network switching. That’s getting revolutionised as well. For example, we have an investment in that space, a company called the eridu.ai, and they’re revolutionising one of the pieces around that stack. Second part of the puzzle, so obviously, besides the holistic view of the world that’s changing in terms of value change, the second piece of the puzzle is, as we discussed before, there’s industrial policy. We already mentioned the CHIPS Act, which is something, for example, that has been done in the US, which I think is 52 billion in incentives across a variety of things, grants, loans, and other mechanisms to incentivise players to scale capacity quick and to scale capacity locally in the US. One of the effects of that now is obviously we had the TSMC, US expansion with a factory here in the US. We have other levels of expansion going on with Intel, Samsung, and others that are happening as we speak. Again, it’s this two by two. It’s market forces that drive the need for fundamental shifts in the value chain. On the other industrial policy and actual money put forward by states, by governments, by entities that want to revolutionise their own local markets. Bertrand Schmitt Yes. When you talk about networking, it makes me think about what NVIDIA did more than six years ago when they acquired Mellanox. At the time, it was largest acquisition for NVIDIA in 2019, and it was networking for the data center. Not networking across data center, but inside the data center, and basically making sure that your GPUs, the different computers, can talk as fast as possible between each of them. I think that’s one piece of the puzzle that a lot of companies are missing, by the way, about NVIDIA is that they are truly providing full systems. They are not just providing a GPU. Some of their competitors are just providing GPUs. But NVIDIA can provide you the full rack. Now, they move to liquid-cool computing as well. They design their systems with liquid cooling in mind. They have a very different approach in the industry. It’s a systematic system-level approach to how do you optimize your data center. Quite frankly, that’s a bit hard to beat. Nuno Gonçalves Pedro For those listening, you’d be like, this is all very different. Semiconductors, networking, energy, manufacturing, this is all different. Then all of a sudden, as Bertrand is saying, well, there are some players that are acting across the stack. Then you see in the same sentence, you’re talking about nuclear power in Microsoft or nuclear power in Google, and you’re like, what happened? Why are these guys in the same sentence? It’s like they’re tech companies. Why are they talking about energy? It’s the nature of that. These ecosystems need to go hand in hand. The value chains are very deep. For you to actually reap the benefits of more and more, for example, semiconductor availability, you have to have better and better networking connectivity, and you have to have more and more energy at lower and lower costs, and all of that. All these things are intrinsically linked. That’s why you see all these big tech companies working across stack, NVIDIA being a great example of that in trying to create truly a systems approach to the world, as Bertrand was mentioning. Networking & connectivity: digital highways get rebuilt On the networking and connectivity side, as we said, we had a lot of fibre that was put down, etc, but there’s still more build-out needs to be done. 5G in terms of its densification is still happening. We’re now starting to talk, obviously, about 6G. I’m not sure most telcos are very happy about that because they just have been doing all this CapEx and all this deployment into 5G, and now people already started talking about 6G and what’s next. Obviously, data center interconnect is quite important, and all the hubbing that needs to happen around data centers is very, very important. We are seeing a lot movements around connectivity that are particularly important. Network gear and the emergence of players like Broadcom in terms of the semiconductor side of the fence, obviously, Cisco, Juniper, Arista, and others that are very much present in this space. As I said, we made an investment on the semiconductor side of networking as well, realizing that there’s still a lot of bottlenecks happening there. But obviously, the networking and connectivity stack still needs to be built at all levels within the data centers, outside of the data centers in terms of last mile, across the board in terms of fibre. We’re seeing a lot of movements still around the space. It’s what connects everything. At the end of the day, if there’s too much latency in these systems, if the bandwidths are not high enough, then we’re going to have huge bottlenecks that are going to be put at the table by a networking providers. Obviously, that doesn’t help anyone. If there’s a button like anywhere, it doesn’t work. All of this doesn’t work. Bertrand Schmitt Yes. Interestingly enough, I know we said for this episode, we not talk too much about space, but when you talk about 6G, it make me think about, of course, Starlink. That’s really your last mile delivery that’s being built as well. It’s a massive investment. We’re talking about thousands of satellites that are interconnected between each other through laser system. This is changing dramatically how companies can operate, how individuals can operate. For companies, you can have great connectivity from anywhere in the world. For military, it’s the same. For individuals, suddenly, you won’t have dead space, wide zones. This is also a part of changing how we could do things. It’s quite important even in the development of AI because, yes, you can have AI at the edge, but that interconnect to the rest of the system is quite critical. Having that availability of a network link, high-quality network link from anywhere is a great combo. Nuno Gonçalves Pedro Then you start seeing regions of the world that want to differentiate to attract digital nomads by saying, “We have submarine cables that come and hub through us, and therefore, our connectivity is amazing.” I was just in Madeira, and they were talking about that in Portugal. One of the islands of Portugal. We have some Marine cables. You have great connectivity. We’re getting into that discussion where people are like, I don’t care. I mean, I don’t know. I assume I have decent connectivity. People actually care about decent connectivity. This discussion is not just happening at corporate level, at enterprise level? Etc. Even consumers, even people that want to work remotely or be based somewhere else in the world. It’s like, This is important Where is there a great connectivity for me so that I can have access to the services I need? Etc. Everyone becomes aware of everything. We had a cloud flare mishap more recently that the CEO had to jump online and explain deeply, technically and deeply, what happened. Because we’re in their heads. If Cloudflare goes down, there’s a lot of websites that don’t work. All of this, I think, is now becoming du jour rather than just an afterthought. Maybe we’ll think about that in the future. Bertrand Schmitt Totally. I think your life is being changed for network connectivity, so life of individuals, companies. I mean, everything. Look at airlines and ships and cruise ships. Now is the advent of satellite connectivity. It’s dramatically changing our experience. Nuno Gonçalves Pedro Indeed. Energy: rebuilding the power stack (not just renewables) Moving maybe to energy. We’ve talked about energy quite a bit in the past. Maybe we start with the one that we didn’t talk as much, although we did mention it, which was, let’s call it the fossil infrastructure, what’s happening around there. Everyone was saying, it’s all going to be renewables and green. We’ve had a shift of power, geopolitics. Honestly, I the writing was on the wall that we needed a lot more energy creation. It wasn’t either or. We needed other sources to be as efficient as possible. Obviously, we see a lot of work happening around there that many would have thought, Well, all this infrastructure doesn’t matter anymore. Now we’re seeing LNG terminals, pipelines, petrochemical capacity being pushed up, a lot of stuff happening around markets in terms of export, and not only around export, but also around overall distribution and increases and improvements so that there’s less leakage, distribution of energy, etc. In some ways, people say, it’s controversial, but it’s like we don’t have enough energy to spare. We’re already behind, so we need as much as we can. We need to figure out the way to really extract as much as we can from even natural resources, which In many people’s mind, it’s almost like blasphemous to talk about, but it is where we are. Obviously, there’s a lot of renaissance also happening on the fossil infrastructure basis, so to speak. Bertrand Schmitt Personally, I’m ecstatic that there is a renaissance going regarding what is called fossil infrastructure. Oil and gas, it’s critical to humanity well-being. You never had growth of countries without energy growth and nothing else can come close. Nuclear could come close, but it takes decades to deploy. I think it’s great. It’s great for developed economies so that they do better, they can expand faster. It’s great for third-world countries who have no realistic other choice. I really don’t know what happened the past 10, 15 years and why this was suddenly blasphemous. But I’m glad that, strangely, thanks to AI, we are back to a more rational mindset about energy and making sure we get efficient energy where we can. Obviously, nuclear is getting a second act. Nuno Gonçalves Pedro I know you would be. We’ve been talking about for a long time, and you’ve been talking about it in particular for a very long time. Bertrand Schmitt Yes, definitely. It’s been one area of interest of mine for 25 years. I don’t know. I’ve been shocked about what happened in Europe, that willingness destruction of energy infrastructure, especially in Germany. Just a few months ago, they keep destroying on live TV some nuclear station in perfect working condition and replacing them with coal. I’m not sure there is a better definition of insanity at this stage. It looks like it’s only the Germans going that hardcore for some reason, but at least the French have stopped their program of decommissioning. America, it seems to be doing the same, so it’s great. On top of it, there are new generations that could be put to use. The Chinese are building up a very large nuclear reactor program, more than 100 reactors in construction for the next 10 years. I think everybody has to catch up because at some point, this is the most efficient energy solution. Especially if you don’t build crazy constraints around the construction of these nuclear reactors. If we are rational about permits, about energy, about safety, there are great things we could be doing with nuclear. That might be one of the only solution if we want to be competitive, because when energy prices go down like crazy, like in China, they will do once they have reach delivery of their significant build-up of nuclear reactors, we better be ready to have similar options from a cost perspective. Nuno Gonçalves Pedro From the outside, at the very least, nuclear seems to be probably in the energy one of the areas that’s more being innovated at this moment in time. You have startups in the space, you have a lot really money going into it, not just your classic industrial development. That’s very exciting. Moving maybe to the carbonization and what’s happening. The CCUS, and for those who don’t know what it is, carbon capture, utilization, and storage. There’s a lot of stuff happening around that space. That’s the area that deals with the ability to capture CO₂ emissions from industrial sources and/or the atmosphere and preventing their release. There’s a lot of things happening in that space. There’s also a lot of things happening around hydrogen and geothermal and really creating the ability to storage or to store, rather, energy that then can be put back into the grids at the right time. There’s a lot of interesting pieces happening around this. There’s some startup movement in the space. It’s been a long time coming, the reuse of a lot of these industrial sources. Not sure it’s as much on the news as nuclear, and oil and gas, but certainly there’s a lot of exciting things happening there. Bertrand Schmitt I’m a bit more dubious here, but I think geothermal makes sense if it’s available at reasonable price. I don’t think hydrogen technology has proven its value. Concerning carbon capture, I’m not sure how much it’s really going to provide in terms of energy needs, but why not? Nuno Gonçalves Pedro Fuels niche, again, from the outside, we’re not energy experts, but certainly, there are movements in the space. We’ll see what’s happening. One area where there’s definitely a lot of movement is this notion of grid and storage. On the one hand, that transmission needs to be built out. It needs to be better. We’ve had issues of blackouts in the US. We’ve had issues of blackouts all around the world, almost. Portugal as well, for a significant part of the time. The ability to work around transmission lines, transformers, substations, the modernization of some of this infrastructure, and the move forward of it is pretty critical. But at the other end, there’s the edge. Then, on the edge, you have the ability to store. We should have, better mechanisms to store energy that are less leaky in terms of energy storage. Obviously, there’s a lot of movement around that. Some of it driven just by commercial stuff, like Tesla a lot with their storage stuff, etc. Some of it really driven at scale by energy players that have the interest that, for example, some of the storage starts happening closer to the consumption as well. But there’s a lot of exciting things happening in that space, and that is a transformative space. In some ways, the bottleneck of energy is also around transmission and then ultimately the access to energy by homes, by businesses, by industries, etc. Bertrand Schmitt I would say some of the blackout are truly man-made. If I pick on California, for instance. That’s the logical conclusion of the regulatory system in place in California. On one side, you limit price that energy supplier can sell. The utility company can sell, too. On the other side, you force them to decommission the most energy-efficient and least expensive energy source. That means you cap the revenues, you make the cost increase. What is the result? The result is you cannot invest anymore to support a grid and to support transmission. That’s 100% obvious. That’s what happened, at least in many places. The solution is stop crazy regulations that makes no economic sense whatsoever. Then, strangely enough, you can invest again in transmission, in maintenance, and all I love this stuff. Maybe another piece, if we pick in California, if you authorize building construction in areas where fires are easy, that’s also a very costly to support from utility perspective, because then you are creating more risk. You are forced buy the state to connect these new constructions to the grid. You have more maintenance. If it fails, you can create fire. If you create fire, you have to pay billions of fees. I just want to highlight that some of this is not a technological issue, is not per se an investment issue, but it’s simply the result of very bad regulations. I hope that some will learn, and some change will be made so that utilities can do their job better. Nuno Gonçalves Pedro Then last, but not the least, on the energy side, energy is becoming more and more digitally defined in some ways. It’s like the analogy to networks that they’ve become more, and more software defined, where you have, at the edge is things like smart meters. There’s a lot of things you can do around the key elements of the business model, like dynamic pricing and other elements. Demand response, one of the areas that I invested in, I invest in a company called Omconnect that’s now merged with what used to be Google Nest. Where to deploy that ability to do demand response and also pass it to consumers so that consumers can reduce their consumption at times where is the least price effective or the less green or the less good for the energy companies to produce energy. We have other things that are happening, which are interesting. Obviously, we have a lot more electric vehicles in cars, etc. These are also elements of storage. They don’t look like elements of storage, but the car has electricity in it once you charge it. Once it’s charged, what do you do with it? Could you do something else? Like the whole reverse charging piece that we also see now today in mobile devices and other edge devices, so to speak. That also changes the architecture of what we’re seeing around the space. With AI, there’s a lot of elements that change around the value chain. The ability to do forecasting, the ability to have, for example, virtual power plans because of just designated storage out there, etc. Interesting times happening. Not sure all utilities around the world, all energy providers around the world are innovating at the same pace and in the same way. But certainly just looking at the industry and talking to a lot of players that are CEOs of some of these companies. That are leading innovation for some of these companies, there’s definitely a lot more happening now in the last few years than maybe over the last few decades. Very exciting times. Bertrand Schmitt I think there are two interesting points in what you say. Talking about EVs, for instance, a Cybertruck is able to send electricity back to your home if your home is able to receive electricity from that source. Usually, you have some changes to make to the meter system, to your panel. That’s one great way to potentially use your car battery. Another piece of the puzzle is that, strangely enough, most strangely enough, there has been a big push to EV, but at the same time, there has not been a push to provide more electricity. But if you replace cars that use gasoline by electric vehicles that use electricity, you need to deliver more electricity. It doesn’t require a PhD to get that. But, strangely enough, nothing was done. Nuno Gonçalves Pedro Apparently, it does. Bertrand Schmitt I remember that study in France where they say that, if people were all to switch to EV, we will need 10 more nuclear reactors just on the way from Paris to Nice to the Côte d’Azur, the French Rivière, in order to provide electricity to the cars going there during the summer vacation. But I mean, guess what? No nuclear plant is being built along the way. Good luck charging your vehicles. I think that’s another limit that has been happening to the grid is more electric vehicles that require charging when the related infrastructure has not been upgraded to support more. Actually, it has quite the opposite. In many cases, we had situation of nuclear reactors closing down, so other facilities closing down. Obviously, the end result is an increase in price of electricity, at least in some states and countries that have not sold that fully out. Nuno Gonçalves Pedro Manufacturing: the return of “atoms + bits” Moving to manufacturing and what’s happening around manufacturing, manufacturing technology. There’s maybe the case to be made that manufacturing is getting replatformed, right? It’s getting redefined. Some of it is very obvious, and it’s already been ongoing for a couple of decades, which is the advent of and more and more either robotic augmented factories or just fully roboticized factories, where there’s very little presence of human beings. There’s elements of that. There’s the element of software definition on top of it, like simulation. A lot of automation is going on. A lot of AI has been applied to some lines in terms of vision, safety. We have an investment in a company called Sauter Analytics that is very focused on that from the perspective of employees and when they’re still humans in the loop, so to speak, and the ability to really figure out when people are at risk and other elements of what’s happening occurring from that. But there’s more than that. There’s a little bit of a renaissance in and of itself. Factories are, initially, if we go back a couple of decades ago, factories were, and manufacturing was very much defined from the setup. Now it’s difficult to innovate, it’s difficult to shift the line, it’s difficult to change how things are done in the line. With the advent of new factories that have less legacy, that have more flexible systems, not only in terms of software, but also in terms of hardware and robotics, it allows us to, for example, change and shift lines much more easily to different functions, which will hopefully, over time, not only reduce dramatically the cost of production. But also increase dramatically the yield, it increases dramatically the production itself. A lot of cool stuff happening in that space. Bertrand Schmitt It’s exciting to see that. One thing this current administration in the US has been betting on is not just hoping for construction renaissance. Especially on the factory side, up of factories, but their mindset was two things. One, should I force more companies to build locally because it would be cheaper? Two, increase output and supply of energy so that running factories here in the US would be cheaper than anywhere else. Maybe not cheaper than China, but certainly we get is cheaper than Europe. But three, it’s also the belief that thanks to AI, we will be able to have more efficient factories. There is always that question, do Americans to still keep making clothes, for instance, in factories. That used to be the case maybe 50 years ago, but this move to China, this move to Bangladesh, this move to different places. That’s not the goal. But it can make sense that indeed there is ability, thanks to robots and AI, to have more automated factories, and these factories could be run more efficiently, and as a result, it would be priced-competitive, even if run in the US. When you want to think about it, that has been, for instance, the South Korean playbook. More automated factories, robotics, all of this, because that was the only way to compete against China, which has a near infinite or used to have a near infinite supply of cheaper labour. I think that all of this combined can make a lot of sense. In a way, it’s probably creating a perfect storm. Maybe another piece of the puzzle this administration has been working on pretty hard is simplifying all the permitting process. Because a big chunk of the problem is that if your permitting is very complex, very expensive, what take two years to build become four years, five years, 10 years. The investment mass is not the same in that situation. I think that’s a very important part of the puzzle. It’s use this opportunity to reduce regulatory state, make sure that things are more efficient. Also, things are less at risk of bribery and fraud because all these regulations, there might be ways around. I think it’s quite critical to really be careful about this. Maybe last piece of the puzzle is the way accounting works. There are new rules now in 2026 in the US where you can fully depreciate your CapEx much faster than before. That’s a big win for manufacturing in the US. Suddenly, you can depreciate much faster some of your CapEx investment in manufacturing. Nuno Gonçalves Pedro Just going back to a point you made and then moving it forward, even China, with being now probably the country in the world with the highest rate of innovation and take up of industrial robots. Because of demographic issues a little bit what led Japan the first place to be one of the real big innovators around robots in general. The fact that demographics, you’re having an aging population, less and less children. How are you going to replace all these people? Moving that into big winners, who becomes a big winner in a space where manufacturing is fundamentally changing? Obviously, there’s the big four of robots, which is ABB, FANUC, KUKA, and Yaskawa. Epson, I think, is now in there, although it’s not considered one of the big four. Kawasaki, Denso, Universal Robots. There’s a really big robotics, industrial robotic companies in the space from different origins, FANUC and Yaskawa, and Epson from Japan, KUKA from Germany, ABB from Switzerland, Sweden. A lot of now emerging companies from China, and what’s happening in that space is quite interesting. On the other hand, also, other winners will include players that will be integrators that will build some of the rest of the infrastructure that goes into manufacturing, the Siemens of the world, the Schneider’s, the Rockwell’s that will lead to fundamental industrial automation. Some big winners in there that whose names are well known, so probably not a huge amount of surprises there. There’s movements. As I said, we’re still going to see the big Chinese players emerging in the world. There are startups that are innovating around a lot of the edges that are significant in this space. We’ll see if this is a space that will just be continued to be dominated by the big foreign robotics and by a couple of others and by the big integrators or not. Bertrand Schmitt I think you are right to remind about China because China has been moving very fast in robotics. Some Chinese companies are world-class in their use of robotics. You have this strange mix of some older industries where robotics might not be so much put to use and typically state-owned, versus some private companies, typically some tech companies that are reconverting into hardware in some situation. That went all in terms of robotics use and their demonstrations, an example of what’s happening in China. Definitely, the Chinese are not resting. Everyone smart enough is playing that game from the Americans, the Chinese, Japanese, the South Koreans. Nuno Gonçalves Pedro Exciting things are manufacturing, and maybe to bring it all together, what does it mean for all the big players out there? If we talk with startups and talk about startups, we didn’t mention a ton of startups today, right? Maybe incumbent wind across the board. But on a more serious note, we did mention a few. For example, in nuclear energy, there’s a lot of startups that have been, some of them, incredibly well-funded at this moment in time. Wrap: what it means for startups, incumbents, and investors There might be some big disruptions that will come out of startups, for example, in that space. On the chipset side, we talked about the big gorillas, the NVIDIAs, AMDs, Intel, etc., of the world. But we didn’t quite talk about the fact that there’s a lot of innovation, again, happening on the edges with new players going after very large niches, be it in networking and switching. Be it in compute and other areas that will need different, more specialized solutions. Potentially in terms of compute or in terms of semiconductor deployments. I think there’s still some opportunities there, maybe not to be the winner takes all thing, but certainly around a lot of very significant niches that might grow very fast. Manufacturing, we mentioned the same. Some of the incumbents seem to be in the driving seat. We’ll see what happens if some startups will come in and take some of the momentum there, probably less likely. There are spaces where the value chains are very tightly built around the OEMs and then the suppliers overall, classically the tier one suppliers across value chains. Maybe there is some startup investment play. We certainly have played in the couple of the spaces. I mentioned already some of them today, but this is maybe where the incumbents have it all to lose. It’s more for them to lose rather than for the startups to win just because of the scale of what needs to be done and what needs to be deployed. Bertrand Schmitt I know. That’s interesting point. I think some players in energy production, for instance, are moving very fast and behaving not only like startups. Usually, it’s independent energy suppliers who are not kept by too much regulations that get moved faster. Utility companies, as we just discussed, have more constraints. I would like to say that if you take semiconductor space, there has been quite a lot of startup activities way more than usual, and there have been some incredible success. Just a few weeks ago, Rock got more or less acquired. Now, you have to play games. It’s not an outright acquisition, but $20 billion for an IP licensing agreement that’s close to an acquisition. That’s an incredible success for a company. Started maybe 10 years ago. You have another Cerebras, one of the competitor valued, I believe, quite a lot in similar range. I think there is definitely some activity. It’s definitely a different game compared to your software startup in terms of investment. But as we have seen with AI in general, the need for investment might be larger these days. Yes, it might be either traditional players if they can move fast enough, to be frank, because some of them, when you have decades of being run as a slow-moving company, it’s hard to change things. At the same time, it looks like VCs are getting bigger. Wall Street is getting more ready to finance some of these companies. I think there will be opportunities for startups, but definitely different types of startups in terms of profile. Nuno Gonçalves Pedro Exactly. From an investor standpoint, I think on the VC side, at least our core belief is that it’s more niche. It’s more around big niches that need to be fundamentally disrupted or solutions that require fundamental interoperability and integration where the incumbents have no motivation to do it. Things that are a little bit more either packaging on the semiconductor side or other elements of actual interoperability. Even at the software layer side that feeds into infrastructure. If you’re a growth investor, a private equity investor, there’s other plays that are available to you. A lot of these projects need to be funded and need to be scaled. Now we’re seeing projects being funded even for a very large, we mentioned it in one of the previous episodes, for a very large tech companies. When Meta, for example, is going to the market to get funding for data centers, etc. There’s projects to be funded there because just the quantum and scale of some of these projects, either because of financial interest for specifically the tech companies or for other reasons, but they need to be funded by the market. There’s other place right now, certainly if you’re a larger private equity growth investor, and you want to come into the market and do projects. Even public-private financing is now available for a lot of things. Definitely, there’s a lot of things emanating that require a lot of funding, even for large-scale projects. Which means the advent of some of these projects and where realization is hopefully more of a given than in other circumstances, because there’s actual commercial capital behind it and private capital behind it to fuel it as well, not just industrial policy and money from governments. Bertrand Schmitt There was this quite incredible stat. I guess everyone heard about that incredible growth in GDP in Q3 in the US at 4.4%. Apparently, half of that growth, so around 2.2% point, has been coming from AI and related infrastructure investment. That’s pretty massive. Half of your GDP growth coming from something that was not there three years ago or there, but not at this intensity of investment. That’s the numbers we are talking about. I’m hearing that there is a good chance that in 2026, we’re talking about five, even potentially 6% GDP growth. Again, half of it potentially coming from AI and all the related infrastructure growth that’s coming with AI. As a conclusion for this episode on infrastructure, as we just said, it’s not just AI, it’s a whole stack, and it’s manufacturing in general as well. Definitely in the US, in China, there is a lot going on. As we have seen, computing needs connectivity, networks, need power, energy and grid, and all of this needs production capacity and manufacturing. Manufacturing can benefit from AI as well. That way the loop is fully going back on itself. Infrastructure is the next big thing. It’s an opportunity, probably more for incumbents, but certainly, as usual, with such big growth opportunities for startups as well. Thank you, Nuno. Nuno Gonçalves Pedro Thank you, Bertrand.

Are you actually growing your product, or just stacking signups that never turn into usage?A lot of teams get stuck there. More registrations feel good, but it's not the same as real usage, paid adoption, and a pipeline you can trust. And now with AI in the mix, it's easy to create more activity without getting more signal.In this episode of B2B SaaS Marketing Snacks, hosts Stijn Hendrikse and Brian Grav bring on their first guest, Alex Laventer.Alex has spent years in growth roles in B2B SaaS, including leading growth at DataStax and now leading go-to-market work on an AI agent product at IBM.The conversation gets practical fast, what “growth” really means, and how teams split (or combine) growth marketing and product growth.You'll walk away with a clearer way to measure growth, how to set up tracking you can rely on, and where AI can help (and where it tends to distract), including lead scoring and workflow automation.In this episode, you'll learn:Why signups mislead growth conversationsWhere teams lose signal without trackingHow PQLs connect product and marketingPerspective on sales assist with PLGExample: AI-assisted lead scoring workflows By the end, you'll know what to measure, what to ignore, and what to fix next so “growth” stops being a vague label and starts being a real operating system. Resources shared in this episode:BSMS 88 - Why founders overestimate PLG, and what VCs should check before investingBSMS 23 - Product led growth vs. sales led growthThe Foundation of a Successful SaaS GTM (Go-to-Market) Strategy T2D3 CMO MasterclassSubmit and vote on our podcast topicsABOUT B2B SAAS MARKETING SNACKSSince 2020, The B2B SaaS Marketing Snacks Podcast has offered software company founders, investors and leadership a fresh source of insights into building a complete and efficient engine for growth.Meet our Marketing Snacks Podcast Hosts: Stijn Hendrikse: Author of T2D3 Masterclass & Book, Founder of KalungiAs a serial entrepreneur and marketing leader, Stijn has contributed to the success of 20+ startups as a C-level executive, including Chief Revenue Officer of Acumatica, CEO of MightyCall, a SaaS contact center solution, and leading the initial global Go-to-Market for Atera, a B2B SaaS Unicorn. Before focusing on startups, Stijn led global SMB Marketing and B2B Product Marketing for Microsoft's Office platform.Brian Graf: CEO of KalungiAs CEO of Kalungi, Brian provides high-level strategy, tactical execution, and business leadership expertise to drive long-term growth for B2B SaaS. Brian has successfully led clients in all aspects of marketing growth, from positioning and messaging to event support, product announcements, and channel-spend optimizations, generating qualified leads and brand awareness for clients while prioritizing ROI. Before Kalungi, Brian worked in television advertising, specializing in business intelligence and campaign optimization, and earned his MBA at the University of Washington's Foster School of Business with a focus in finance and marketing. Visit Kalungi.com to learn more about growing your B2B SaaS company.  

Welcome to another episode of the EUVC Podcast! Today, we're diving into How Corporates Might just be able Beat VCs in the AI Race. Or maybe more importantly, how we can collaborate.Our guest is Alex Dang, co-author of the bestselling book The Venture Mindset: How to Make Smarter Bets and Achieve Extraordinary Growth. Alex is a seasoned technology executive and innovation advisor with over two decades of experience. He was a product leader at Amazon, where he launched new businesses across e-commerce, supply chain, and AI; a partner at McKinsey, helping Fortune 500 companies build digital ventures; and today advises corporate leaders and investors on AI strategies, venture building, and applying VC principles to large organizations.In this conversation, Alex shares provocative insights on why the venture mindset is now non-negotiable for corporates in the AI era, where incumbents hold hidden advantages over VCs, and how to avoid “innovation theater” while turning data, distribution, and scale into real venture wins.Let's jump in!Here's what's covered:01:56 | The Venture Mindset in one frame with nine principles from 20 years of Stanford VC research: uncertainty → portfolios → outliers03:44 | The post-book update Alex wishes he had added time compression: “days, not weeks,” and the rise of the “one slice team”05:53 | Venture mindset applied to AI 07:34 | Why “adding AI” is the wrong framing; start customer-backward, not tech-backward08:43 | “AI theater”, innovation theater and press release strategies vs real product value11:19 | The European corporate trap: regulation, consensus, and downside protection as the enemy of transformation11:56 | The right AI rollout sequence with start in back office to learn and protect trust, then go customer-facing at scale15:21 | Why CVCs die after 3.7 years: incentives, leadership fear, and why corporate venturing fails structurally17:24 | AI is now the world's most democratized intelligence: everyone has the same tools; the gap is execution18:47 | Where corporates fit in venture + startup ecosystems: strengths: data, distribution, enterprise scale20:38 | When corporates should build in-house, when to partner, and why AI must become an internal muscle25:24 | Incentives drive behavior: why executives won't take venture-style risks unless failure is structurally safe28:18 | AI-native teams and corporate reskilling among smaller, senior teams + digital workers replacing junior tasks35:24 | What happens to the average corporate employee: tasks disappear, workflows evolve, but people still matter38:50 | If Alex were CEO: how to move a workforce into an AI-safe future and target 25% profit uplift through AI44:01 | Most counterintuitive venture principle — “drop bad ideas fast” and why persistence is sometimes the wrong discipline46:05 | What top CEOs are doing right now: coding with Claude, learning by building, and staying close to users49:00 | The compounding effect: “what was impossible 6 months ago is normal today” and why constant feedback loops win

If you're an early-stage CPG founder struggling to raise money, it's probably not your product—it's your pitch list. In this episode we're talking about Why Your First Investor is Also Your Customer. We break down why the right investors are often already fans of your brand and your product, and how to identify those early believers. Make this mindset shift now and stop wasting time in the wrong rooms. Click below and start targeting smarter. Topics Covered; Your first investors are likely to be your customers. Many founders pitch to the wrong people, like VCs. Angel investors are often passionate about the problem you're solving. Lead with pain points, not product features. Finding believers in your product is crucial for early funding. Networking is key; start with personal connections. Ask your network for introductions to potential investors. The investor community is more cautious in uncertain times. Building momentum requires talking to many people. Shift your mindset from seeking investors to finding believers.   About Your Host Jayla Siciliano, Shark Tank entrepreneur turned real estate investor, excels in building brands, teams, and products. CEO of a bi-coastal luxury short-term rental company, she also hosts the Seed Money Podcast, where she's on a mission to help early-stage entrepreneurs turn their ideas into reality! Connect Website: https://seedmoneypodcast.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaylasiciliano/ Subscribe and watch on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@seedmoneypodcast/    Subscribe, Rate, & Review Please rate, follow, and review the podcast on https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/seed-money/id1740815877 and https://open.spotify.com/show/0VkQECosb1spTFsUhu6uFY?si=5417351fb73a4ea1/! Hearing your comments and questions helps me come up with the best topics for the show!   Disclaimer The information in this podcast is educational and general in nature and does not take into consideration the listener's personal circumstances. Therefore, it is not intended to be a substitute for specific, individualized financial, legal, or tax advice.

2025 marked the end of a four-year slide in series A financings for biotechs, with 144 biotechs raising an aggregate of $8 billion, up $1 billion from the prior two years. On the latest BioCentury This Week podcast, BioCentury's Danielle Golovin assesses which companies VCs backed last year and what their investments say about where technology is headed.Washington Editor Steve Usdin offers a perspective on why compounded Wegovy is an assault on the biopharma industry and also explains how the spending bill signed into law last week is a rebuke to proposed White House biomedical cuts.And Executive Editor Selina Koch unpacks her interview on The BioCentury Show podcast with neuroscientist and Seaport Chair Steven Paul, noting that while serendipity drives drug discovery in psychiatry, it's engineering that gets it across the finish line.View full story: https://www.biocentury.com/article/658367#BiotechFinancing #SeriesAFunding #VentureCapital #DrugDiscovery #BiopharmaPolicy00:00 - Introduction02:15 - Start-up Spotlight11:03 - Compounded Wegovy18:10 - Congress Rebuffs Trump Cuts23:50 - Steve Paul on NeuropsychiatryTo submit a question to BioCentury's editors, email the BioCentury This Week team at podcasts@biocentury.com.Reach us by sending a text

 Early-stage founders spend years learning how to fundraise from venture capitalists.But very few ever look beyond the VC sitting across the table.Just like founders need to fundraise from VCs, VCs need to fundraise from limited partners.Who are the guys who give VCs the molah-molah?What are the hidden incentives?And how those dynamics quietly shape fundraising, timing, and pressure.“Everyone thinks they're pitching one person. They're not.”Ariel Barack is a Senior Partner and the Chief Executive of Ordway Selections, a private investment office investing primarily in food and agriculture, health, blockchains, and digital assets.As Einstein said, “You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.”Well, today we will look at the rules of the game, so you can play better than anyone else.This was a very interesting conversation, and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.LinksConnect with Ariel Barackhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/arielbarack/Mentioned: Anterra Capitalhttps://anterracapital.com/Connect with the host:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/schmidt-marina/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠marina@wearekinetik.comCould use some help with your comms? Check out ⁠⁠https://www.wearekinetik.com/

How do the world's smartest institutional investors actually allocate capital?In this episode, we sit down with Nolan, a veteran CIO with over two decades of experience allocating capital for endowments, foundations, family offices, and healthcare systems — overseeing more than $90B in assets across public and private markets.We go deep into how institutions think about risk, liquidity, and long-term returns, why venture capital remains a power-law game, and how investors are navigating today's biggest shifts — from AI and private credit to diversification risks and market cycles.This conversation pulls back the curtain on how capital is really deployed behind closed doors — especially in a world where exits are slower, fundraising is harder, and everyone is asking whether we're closer to 1997… or 1999.⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.comWhat you'll learn in this episode:- How institutions decide how much risk they can truly take- Why venture capital allocations haven't disappeared — but have slowed- Private credit vs venture capital: how LPs actually think about the trade-off- How AI is reshaping portfolios across public and private markets- Why diversification matters more now than during bull markets- What CIOs are watching for as we head into 2026Whether you're a fund manager, LP, founder, or just curious about how institutional money really works, this episode offers rare, first-principles insight into long-term capital allocation.(00:00) - Podcast Teaser: Risk, Returns, and Venture Capital (00:48) - Introduction to Nolan Bean and FEG Investment Advisors (02:20) - Nolan's Career Journey: From Associate to CIO (03:16) - What is FEG and the Outsourced CIO (OCIO) Model? (05:18) - The Four Key Risks for Institutional Investors (08:32) - Ranking Institutions by Risk Appetite (10:20) - A Breakdown of Institutional Asset Classes (13:05) - Institutional Openness to New Investment Strategies (15:30) - The Evolving Landscape of Venture Capital (17:36) - Why VC Fundraising Has Slowed Down (19:12) - Venture Capital vs. Private Credit: An Institutional Debate (21:32) - Current Institutional Preferences in VC Funds (Stage & Sector) (24:01) - Evaluating the Risk of an AI Bubble (26:54) - Domestic vs. Global Allocations (29:19) - The Unspoken Need for Diversification (31:29) - Commodities as a Portfolio Hedge (34:29) - Advice for Fund Managers Raising Capital (36:22) - Market Outlook and Expectations for 2026Connect with Nolan:https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolanbean/Podcast Links:Prashant Choubey - https://www.linkedin.com/in/choubeysahabSubscribe to VC10X newsletter - https://vc10x.beehiiv.comSubscribe on YouTube - https://youtube.com/@VC10X Subscribe on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/vc10x-investing-venture-capital-asset-management-private/id1632806986Subscribe on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7F7KEhXNhTx1bKTBFgzv3k?si=WgQ4ozMiQJ-6nowj6wBgqQVC10X website - https://vc10x.comFor sponsorship queries, reach out to prashantchoubey3@gmail.com

Market research used to take four weeks and cost $20,000. Steve Phillips built Zappi to turn that into four hours and $2,000—and he started 12 years ago, long before generative AI made this vision sound obvious. Now, with nearly 300 people and $80 million in revenue, he's challenging his organisation to double revenues in five years without adding headcount by pairing every employee with an AI agent to handle the annoying, time-consuming work.In this episode, Steve breaks down why entrepreneurs can actually be lazy (in the right way), why you should never hire yourself, why innovation is a mindset rather than an age, and how going from 40 to 140 people in six months was utterly disastrous but created an amazing culture that propelled the business for years. He also shares why he stepped aside as CEO, how he maintains his role as Chief Innovation Officer, and why the future is already here—we're just not utilising AI to do amazing things in business yet.What you'll learn:

Jeremy Au breaks down how venture capital really works after the check clears. He explains how VCs silently re-rank startups every year, why most companies get deprioritized, and how a tiny number of winners carry an entire fund. The discussion covers angel buyouts, secondaries, IPO strategy, and the tension between founders and boards during exits. It's a candid look at portfolio math, hidden incentives, and the survival rules founders rarely hear out loud. 01:47 The Hidden VC Scoreboard: Investment does not end evaluation. Partners continuously judge companies and shift attention toward expected winners. 04:45 The Brutal Portfolio Math: Most companies fail, a few return small wins, and one or two generate the 50x outcomes that power the entire fund. 06:20 Every Round Is a New Test: Each funding round resets conviction as investors decide whether to double down or step back. 13:25 Founder Vision vs. Board Incentives: Acquisition decisions split control from economics  founders want long-term vision while boards optimize for return timing. Watch, listen or read the full insight at  https://www.bravesea.com/blog/vc-survival-game 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 #venturecapital #startupstrategy #portfoliomanagement #founderjourney #startuptruths #unicornmath #exitsandipo #vcinsights #startupgrowth #BRAVEpodcast

Linktree: ⁠https://linktr.ee/Analytic⁠Join The Normandy For Additional Bonus Audio And Visual Content For All Things Nme+! Join Here: ⁠https://ow.ly/msoH50WCu0K⁠In this segment of Notorious Mass Effect, Analytic Dreamz explores Royal Match, the dominant free-to-play match-3 puzzle game from Dream Games, the Istanbul-based powerhouse founded in 2019 by ex-Peak Games executives including CEO Soner Aydemir. Launched globally in early 2021 after a 2020 soft launch, it features King Robert as protagonist in polished, ad-free gameplay where players match 3+ tiles like crowns, coins, and shields to complete objectives—collecting items, breaking obstacles like vases and chains, or clearing paths—across move- or time-limited levels.The core loop includes regenerating lives (5 total), earning stars to decorate and progress the castle meta-layer, and deploying boosters like rockets, TNT, light balls, and hammers earned through combos or purchased. Events such as Sky Race (PvP-style), tournaments, quests, team alliances, streak rewards, card collections, and minigames drive engagement. With over 12,400 levels by late 2025 (expanding biweekly with 100+ new ones every two weeks), progression is endless—no true endgame—demanding thousands of hours, especially for F2P players facing aggressive difficulty scaling and near-miss designs that push impulse buys for extra moves or boosters.Analytic Dreamz breaks down its extraordinary success: 300M–370M+ downloads, lifetime revenue surpassing $5–7B (with $1.3–1.4B in 2024–2025 alone, topping casual/puzzle charts), and ~55M MAU. Dream Games, now valued at ~$5B following a major 2025 CVC Capital Partners investment (providing liquidity to early VCs while founders retain majority control), dominates match-3 IAP revenue share through masterful user acquisition (heavy Apple Search Ads, creative pin-pull campaigns) and retention via live ops—no ads interrupting play.Praised for smooth UX, polish, and uninterrupted experience (4.7/5 store ratings), it faces criticism for paywalls, "rigged" difficulty spikes, Super Hard levels, and misleading ads. A 2024 gambling lawsuit in Washington alleged coin purchases resemble gambling, though no major resolutions noted. Sequel Royal Kingdom (2024) adds PvP and ranked play, already generating hundreds of millions.Join Analytic Dreamz to unpack how Royal Match redefined mobile puzzle dominance through relentless monetization, UA strategy, and live service mastery, turning Dream Games into a top global publisher. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/analytic-dreamz-notorious-mass-effect/donationsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Many high-income professionals do everything “right” — strong careers, disciplined saving, smart investments — and still feel financially stuck. In this episode of the Grownlearn Podcast, I sit down with Lane Kawaoka, real estate syndicator, 3× Amazon best-selling author, and host of the Wealth Elevator Podcast, to talk honestly about why that happens — and what actually changes the trajectory. Lane has participated in acquiring 10,000+ units totaling over $2.1B in real estate, working closely with engineers, physicians, and entrepreneurs who want passive, tax-efficient income without becoming landlords or chasing hype. We go beyond surface-level real estate talk and focus on how capital really scales — where cash flow matters more than net worth, why single-family rentals often hit a ceiling, and how syndication, structure, and market selection change the outcome. In this conversation, we cover: Why high earners often feel trapped despite strong incomes Why single-family rentals rarely lead to real financial freedom How real estate syndication actually works (without the fluff) How high earners legally reduce large tax bills The Wealth Elevator framework: what to do at $100K, $1M, and $5M net worth Why secondary and tertiary markets attract long-term capital How to think about diversification across real estate, equities, and commodities This episode is especially relevant for investors, founders, and executives who want clarity — not noise — around building durable wealth and sustainable cash flow. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In this episode, Kevin Moore shares the unfiltered story behind starting his first VC fund after nearly 15 years of preparation—from leaving a stable engineering career, to learning sales the hard way, to discovering why LPs don't care about your past track record the way you think they do.⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.comWe go deep into:- Why there is never a “right time” to start a fund- The biggest misconceptions first-time GPs have about LP fundraising- Why selling is at least 50% of a VC's job- The hidden costs (financial and emotional) of becoming a fund manager- How to think about fund size, LP targeting, and early credibility- What separates aspirational GPs from those who actually close Fund I- Kevin also opens up about doubt, discipline, faith, and the internal routines that helped him stay grounded through long stretches of uncertainty.If you're:Considering launching your first fundExploring a transition into venture capitalCurious how LPs actually evaluate emerging managersOr simply want an honest look at what VC really looks like behind the scenesThis episode is for you.Timestamps:(00:00) - Preview(00:45) - Introduction to the episode and guest, Kevin Moore(01:35) - Sponsor Read: Podcast10X(02:16) - Kevin's 16-year journey to starting a VC firm(02:53) - The origin story: From civil engineer to financial advisor(04:45) - The "never a right time" philosophy for making big leaps(05:03) - Key lessons learned from being a financial advisor(05:25) - Why sales skills are crucial for a General Partner (GP)(06:29) - Why choose venture capital over other finance paths?(08:15) - The first order of business when starting a VC firm(08:28) - The challenge of securing working capital and startup costs(10:06) - Balancing GP commitment and operational expenses(10:47) - How to de-risk a fund launch by pre-vetting LPs(12:40) - How to right-size your first fund(13:57) - Identifying and targeting the ideal LP profile(15:48) - The biggest misconception about LP fundraising(17:57) - What to do differently in the first 10 LP conversations(19:19) - How to pace conversations with LPs(20:00) - The "Know, Like, Trust" framework for LP relationships(22:14) - The most valuable "No" from an LP(25:42) - Designing the fund's identity and investment focus(27:44) - The most underestimated part of building a firm(29:12) - The first non-obvious hires and processes needed(30:52) - Overcoming serious doubts during fundraising(32:24) - Using daily routines to manage external uncertainty(33:54) - The most overrated advice for starting a VC firm(36:24) - The one thing to pressure test before quitting your job to start a fund(37:55) - Rapid Fire Round: Serac Ventures' Investment StrategyConnect with Kevin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinjosephmoore/https://substack.com/@kevinatseracvcPodcast Links:Prashant Choubey - https://www.linkedin.com/in/choubeysahabSubscribe to VC10X newsletter - https://vc10x.beehiiv.comSubscribe on YouTube - https://youtube.com/@VC10X Subscribe on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/vc10x-investing-venture-capital-asset-management-private/id1632806986Subscribe on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7F7KEhXNhTx1bKTBFgzv3k?si=WgQ4ozMiQJ-6nowj6wBgqQVC10X website - https://vc10x.comFor sponsorship queries, reach out to prashantchoubey3@gmail.com

What is the single most powerful indicator that a founder will succeed? According to Ben Savage, it isn't just a great product or a massive market—it's the "Compete Test". When a seasoned investor looks at a founder and realizes, “That's not somebody I want to compete with,” they know they've found a winner.In this episode of Demo Day, we sit down with Ben Savage, Partner at Clocktower Technology Ventures, to demystify the internal frameworks used by top VCs to evaluate talent and risk. With over 13 years at Clocktower, Ben shares his deep expertise in the "Foundational Economy"—investing in FinTech, energy, and industrials.Key TakeawaysThe "Unbeatable" Founder: Why the best indicator of success is being a person that others are afraid to go up against in the market.The 4-Part Investment Framework: How Clocktower evaluates every deal based on Founder Quality, Narrative Quality, Fit, and Value.Investor vs. Operator: Why "making the donuts" is fundamentally different from coaching from the sidelines, and why you must choose a spike.The "I" vs. "We" Red Flag: How small shifts in vocabulary reveal a founder's true ability to build a world-class team and culture.Navigating the AI Disruption: Why founders today must either lead with an AI-centric strategy or risk being disrupted at an accelerating pace.The Power of Simplicity: Why the best investment decisions often come from cutting through complexity to the "dumb" or obvious version of a story.Ben also opens up about the "lonely journey" of entrepreneurship and why radical vulnerability is a superpower for building long-term partnerships.

You've got the hustle, the product, and maybe even a pitch deck—but if you're talking to the wrong type of investor, you're setting yourself up for silence and wasted time. In this quick episode of Seed Money, I'll help you understand exactly how friends and family, angel investors, and VCs think—and why each one needs a different pitch. I've made these mistakes myself, pitching VCs way too early with nothing but a dream, and I want to save you from the same frustration. In this episode, you'll learn: Why pitching VCs too early is usually a dead end How to tailor your message to friends and family vs. angel investors vs. VCs What each group actually looks for before writing a check The #1 red flag that turns off early-stage investors How I burned time in the wrong rooms and what I'd do differently How to reduce ghosting by pitching the right people at the right time About Your Host Jayla Siciliano, Shark Tank entrepreneur turned real estate investor, excels in building brands, teams, and products. CEO of a bi-coastal hospitality company, she also hosts the Seed Money Podcast, where she's on a mission to help early-stage entrepreneurs turn their ideas into reality!    Connect: Website: https://seedmoneypodcast.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaylasiciliano/ Subscribe and watch on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@seedmoneypodcast/    Subscribe, Rate, & Review Please rate, follow, and review the podcast on https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/seed-money/id1740815877 and https://open.spotify.com/show/0VkQECosb1spTFsUhu6uFY?si=5417351fb73a4ea1/! Hearing your comments and questions helps me come up with the best topics for the show!   Disclaimer The information in this podcast is educational and general in nature and does not take into consideration the listener's personal circumstances. Therefore, it is not intended to be a substitute for specific, individualized financial, legal, or tax advice.

Conectar los tres pilares del ecosistema en un solo lugar parece imposible: Startups buscando capital, VCs buscando deals y LPs buscando dónde invertir. Catalina Taricco, COO de Impacta VC, revela la estrategia detrás de Impactaland, el hub especializado dentro de ETM Day que logró precisamente eso.En este episodio aprenderás:- Por qué Impacta VC dejó de buscar startups para enfocarse en LPs- Quién es el "animal invisible" de la cadena de inversión (y por qué importa)- Cómo diseñar eventos para generar "serendipia" y negocios reales- La diferencia crítica entre un emprendedor Pyme y una Startup- Por qué el Venture Capital es un deporte de equipo (Co-inversión)Frase clave:"En esta industria es lo contrario, donde el éxito del otro es el éxito del ecosistema en total. Y eso no pasa en otras industrias, es un círculo virtuoso muy lindo." - Catalina TariccoCapítulos:00:00 - Intro: Quién es Catalina Taricco y su rol en Impacta VC01:49 - Qué es Impactaland: El Hub de inversión dentro de ETM Day02:37 - La diferencia clave: Startup Founder vs Emprendedor Tradicional04:12 - Hackeando la Serendipia: Cómo Jaime encontró su inversión en Focus05:11 - El Pivote: De "Impacta Launch" (Startups) a "Impactaland" (LPs)07:06 - LPs: El "Animal Invisible" del Venture Capital11:20 - La mentalidad de Co-Inversión: Por qué colaboran los VCs12:51 - Historias de guerra: Live Fundraising y creatividad en eventosInvitado(s):Catalina Taricco - COO & Director de Marketing en Impacta VCLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catalinataricco/Sígueme para más sobre Startups y Venture Capital:LinkedIn: es.linkedin.com/in/jaimersb/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaimersbWeb: https://www.jaimesotomayor.com#ImpactaVC #Impactaland #VentureCapital #Startups #InnovacionSinBarreras #LPs

As African startups mature, the leap from seed to growth brings a new set of challenges — longer fundraising cycles, institutional expectations, governance, and the realities of scaling across fragmented markets. In this episode of Fund/Build/Scale, I sit down with Ngetha Waithaka, partner at Norrsken22, one of the continent's leading growth-stage funds. We talk about how investors evaluate African startups as they approach Series A and beyond, how founders can tell whether their business is truly venture-scale, and when bootstrapping may be the smarter path. We also dig into practical issues founders don't always hear about early enough — institutional readiness, governance, cross-border expansion, and how currency volatility shapes long-term outcomes. If you're an African founder preparing for growth capital, or an operator trying to understand what serious investors are actually looking for, this episode offers a clear-eyed look at what it takes to build something durable. RUNTIME 46:36   EPISODE BREAKDOWN (2:13) Ngetha unpacks Norrsken 22's origin story and thesis (5:15) Should you bootstrap, or is your idea venture-scale? (10:30) Before talking to VCs, make sure you can demonstrate “institutional readiness” (15:05) African founders “have to start very early on the governance journey.” (20:17) Ngetha works with founders “from all over the map.” (22:55) Should African founders use Silicon Valley as a success model? (29:43) A few thoughts on currency fluctuations and international expansion (37:41) Where is Norrsken 22 looking for opportunities? (39:09) The difference between building for one market and building for Africa (44:24) Ngetha's advice to his younger self: “Success is not a linear journey.” LINKS Ngetha Waithake Norrsken 22 TymeBank AutoChek   SUBSCRIBE

Yash Sharma is the founder of Total Finance Resolver, a boutique financial intelligence firm serving SaaS founders, VCs, and private equity operators.He specializes in building investor-grade FP&A systems, valuations, and acquisition-readiness frameworks for scaling SaaS companies.His firm also performs AI-driven financial and technical due diligence for VC and PE funds, helping investors assess revenue integrity, product scalability, and operational risks with greater speed and accuracy.In this episode we cover:00:00 - Intro02:04 - Where Founders Misread Runway During Scaling10:46 - Common SaaS Metric Misconceptions12:30 - Building Investor-Grade Finance17:03 - Financial Blind Spots That Delay or Kill Fundraising19:38 - What to Fix First When Preparing for Due Diligence23:20 - Using AI to Improve SaaS Valuations Going Into 202625:48 – Yash's Favorite Activity to Get Into a Flow State25:56 – Yash's Advice for His Younger Self26:15 - Yash's Biggest Challenges and Goals for 202627:11 - Instrumental Resources for Yash's Success29:00 – What Does Success Mean for Yash Today29:46 – Get in Touch with YashGet in Touch with Yash:Yash's LinkedInWebsiteMentions:Naval RavikantLionel MessiBooks:Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa YoganandaMore About Akeel:TwitterLinkedInMore SaaS Podcast EpisodesSaaS ConsultantsHow To Value Your SaaS Company

Sats Terminal is the first native Bitcoin super app, bringing together Bitcoin loans, yield, and trading in a single interface and developer SDK. Sats Terminal is backed by YZi Labs (formerly Binance Labs), Coinbase Ventures, and Draper Associates.The founders of Sats Terminal recently joined the Bitcoin.com News Podcast to talk about the technology.Stan Havryliuk (CEO and Co-Founder) and Rishabh Java (CTO and Co-Founder) of Sats Terminal shared their journey, starting with their backgrounds in crypto and fintech. Stan had previous experience with Bitcoin.com and running a large Eastern European exchange, while Java had built and sold a fintech company, finding crypto to be a more open building environment. The inspiration for Sats Terminal stemmed from a highly problematic user experience Stan encountered while trading BRC20s, which resulted in him overpaying significantly for a single token. This incident highlighted a clear need for good, user-friendly interfaces in the growing Bitcoin DeFi market to encourage wider adoption. The two founders met online while working on a previous project and formalized their partnership after meeting in person in Buenos Aires.The company secured notable financial backing from major investors. Java's connection to Coinbase Ventures was established after winning an AI agent hackathon at their San Francisco office, which led to a successful pitch. Stan described how they were quickly accepted into the YZi Labs (aka Binance Labs) accelerator program after applying shortly before the deadline on a friend's recommendation, benefiting from a good product growth trajectory at the time. They also received early backing from the Draper family of VCs, including Draper Associates, Draper Dragon, and Boost VC. Stan's key advice for aspiring startups seeking funding is to "just keep building" and iterating fast, emphasizing that consistency compounds into success, alongside networking and participating in hackathons.Java elaborated on the evolution of native Bitcoin assets, moving from Ordinals to BRC20s and then to the improved Runes standard. He reported that Sats Terminal has already captured approximately 70% of the market share for trading Runes, showcasing their success in the ecosystem. They also acknowledged that the Bitcoin ecosystem's complexity, due to the lack of a central authority, means the market will ultimately decide which token standard becomes the long-term winner.The core of Sats Terminal's vision is encapsulated in their motto: "never sell your Bitcoin," but instead to make it work through products like trading, earning, and borrowing. Stan highlighted their belief that Bitcoin is the "only pristine collateral for loans," and their products are laying the groundwork for Bitcoin's transition from "digital gold" to a "productive asset." Java detailed their Borrow product as a self-custody, trust-minimized cross-chain loan solution where users can collateralize their Bitcoin for a loan without KYC. Stan announced that the first version of the Earn product, designed to simplify DeFi complexity for end-users, is being finalized and expected to go live in the next few weeks.Stan Havryliuk, CEO and Co-Founder of Sats Terminal, early Bitcoin investor and Web3 veteran with over eight years of experience scaling crypto businesses worldwide. Ex-Bitcoin.com and zondacrypto.com (BitBay.com).Rishabh Java, CTO and Co-Founder of Sats Terminal, serial entrepreneur, inventor, and Bitcoin builder with a proven track record of creating great technologies. Winner of 50 international hackathons, awarded by Steve Wozniak at 15 for BCI tech and exited Web2 startup at 21.To learn more about the project visit the website, and follow the team on X.

The brutal truth about why Silicon Valley is blowing billions on glorified autocomplete while pretending it's the next iPhone. We're diving deep into the AI investment circus where VCs who can't code are funding companies that barely understand their own technology. From blockchain déjà vu to the "ChatGPT wrapper" economy—this episode will make you question every AI valuation you've ever seen. Fair warning: We're naming names and calling out the hype. Don't listen if you work at a "revolutionary AI startup" that's just OpenAI's API with a pretty interface.   #AIBubble #VentureCapital #TechReality #StartupBullshit  

Guest Nixo Rokish Panelists Eriol Fox | Victory Brown Show Notes In this live episode of Sustain from Devconnect in Buenos Aires, host Eriol Fox and co-host Victory Brown sit down with Nixo Rokish, Protocol Support Lead at the Ethereum Foundation, to unpack how Ethereum's deeply decentralized governance actually works in practice. They dive into the nuts and bolts of coordinating 100+ core contributors across 11+ client teams, why neutral facilitation is crucial, how Ethereum's upgrade and EIP process avoids “single maintainer” failure modes, and what lessons other open source projects can steal to make their own governance more sustainable. The episode concludes with Nixo promoting the EthStaker project focused on decentralized staking. Hit download now to hear more! [00:00:38] Nixo explains Ethereum as a rare example of truly decentralized governance and she describes the Protocol Coordination team. [00:02:25] Why does this governance model matter for sustainability? Nixo says most projects rely on 1-2 key people and if they leave, the project can stall or die. [00:04:09] Eriol asks if anyone resists this decentralized, community-led governance model. Nixo says active participants are mostly enthusiastic about the process and the main friction from VCs wanting more control and social media “ship faster” pressure. [00:05:51] Eriol talks about money and influence entering open source projects and Nixo shares that core devs are motivated by building systems for many people, not concentrating profit. [00:08:00] Nixo walks through the Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) process. [00:11:38] Victory asks how they manage consensus with so many people and companies involved. Nixo explains 11+ client times, only one is within EF, other are independent companies/nonprofits. [00:13:36] Eriol reacts to how impressive it is that devs can reach consensus via facilitation and asks Nixo for advice for smaller open source projects that want to adopt similar practices. Her key advice is to have a neutral facilitator. [00:16:13] Nixo shares where you can find her on the internet and she spotlights a project she used to work at called, EthStaker. Links podcast@sustainoss.org richard@sustainoss.org SustainOSS Discourse SustainOSS Mastodon SustainOSS Bluesky SustainOSS LinkedIn Open Collective-SustainOSS (Contribute) Richard Littauer Socials Eriol Fox X Victory Brown X Nixo Rokish X Devconnect-Buenos Aires, Argentina 2025, 17-22 November Ethereum Ethereum Foundation Institute of Forecasting & Planning EthStaker Credits Produced by Richard Littauer Edited by Paul M. Bahr at Peachtree Sound Show notes by DeAnn Bahr Peachtree Sound Logistical support by Tina Arboleda from Digital Savvies Special Guest: Nixo Rokish.

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 Gesa Miczaika of Auxxo Female Catalyst Fund, a venture firm that backs female-founded startups based in Europe. Learn more at https://auxxo.de/ In this episode we discuss the opportunity of investing in female founders, how the firm evolved from angel investing into a VC fund, tips for cracking into German family offices and raising capital from the European Investment Fund 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

In this episode, I'm joined by Jon Callaghan, co-founder and managing partner at True Ventures, and Julie Bornstein — CEO and co-founder of Daydream, founder of The Yes, and former COO of Stitch Fix — to break down what investors really evaluate in the first 18 months of a company's life. Drawing from their shared history as investor and founder, we talk candidly about runway, hiring before certainty exists, conviction versus ego, and how trust between founders and investors gets tested when plans change.  Julie explains how she approached budgeting and milestones for The Yes as a non-technical founder, while Jon shares how early-stage investors assess learning, decision-making, and leadership long after the pitch meeting ends. RUNTIME 50:28   EPISODE BREAKDOWN (2:43) Jon: “Julie and I met in graduate school.” (4:24) Julie chose a different VC firm for her first seed round at The Yes (10:33) How would Jon have assessed The Yes if he didn't know Julie? (13:14) Julie: “Runway is your best friend and your biggest gift.” (14:59) How non-technical founders can sketch out a financial model  (22:37) Jon: “There's an immense river of goodness that flows underneath Silicon Valley.” (25:30) How did True Ventures size up SAM for The Yes? (29:00) Only work with engineers who understand your problem (31:25) Some of Jon's post-check expectations for founders (41:44) What are some questions founders should ask VCs in their first meeting? (45:42) One experiment a pre-seed/seed-stage founder can try next week (48:14) The final question LINKS Julie Bornstein Jon Callaghan True Ventures Daydream Top e-commerce veteran Julie Bornstein unveils Daydream—an AI-powered shopping agent that's 25 years in the making, Forbes, 6/25/2025 Pinterest to Acquire THE YES, an AI Powered Shopping Platform for Fashion, press release, 6/2/2022 StitchFix SUBSCRIBE

Welcome back to the EUVC Corporate Podcast. This week, Jeppe sits down with Axel Deniz, CEO of Bosch Business Innovations and Head of Venture Building at Bosch.Axel is building Bosch's venture-building engine with a clear mandate: get Bosch technology out into the world, through founder-led spinouts, joint ventures, and seed rounds that can stand on their own with external investors. With ~80,000 active patents, 20 new patents per day, and 20,000 researchers globally, Bosch has the assets. Axel's job is turning them into investible companies.

In this episode of the Grownlearn Podcast, host Zorina Dimitrova speaks with Bryan Adams, CEO and founder of Happydance and a leading voice in employer branding, talent attraction, and candidate experience. As AI tools like ChatGPT transform how candidates apply for jobs, organizations are facing a new challenge: too many applications, inflated credentials, and weaker cultural alignment. Bryan explains why traditional employer branding tactics are now backfiring and how leading companies are shifting from “attraction” to filtering, self-selection, and truth-based storytelling. In this conversation, we explore: How AI and LLMs are changing recruitment at scale Why applicant volumes have exploded and what it breaks The limits of ATS and AI screening from a legal and compliance perspective How authentic storytelling helps candidates self-select out Why employer branding is moving from marketing to executive strategy How culture, leadership messaging, and transparency directly impact company value This episode is essential for founders, executives, investors, and HR leaders who want to understand how talent strategy, culture, and technology influence long-term performance and valuation. Bryan Adam's Business' Website: https://www.happydance.love/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

VCs aren't just judging your deck and market size, they're judging you as a human being. In this episode, Jesse Draper breaks down exactly why investors walk away from “impressive” founders and strong companies when the founder fails the character test.Jesse Draper is the General Partner at Halogen Ventures, a fund backing primarily female founders and “future of family” startups, with over 80 portfolio companies and multiple unicorns including Babylist, The Flex Co, and theSkimm. After seeing countless pitches, she's developed a clear pattern: the number one reason she passes is not the idea, but the behavior of the founder.In this conversation, Jesse shares the unfiltered truth about what makes VCs reject impressive founders—even when the startup looks great on paper. She explains why she refuses to partner with “brilliant assholes” and why she needs to believe she can work with you for 10 years before writing a check.You'll learn:The specific founder behaviors that make investors say no: arrogance, lack of transparency, poor communication, and ghosting your cap table.Why responsiveness and openness consistently show up in top‑performing founders, regardless of past exits or pedigree.How Jesse evaluates “good human” traits in pitch meetings and pitch days, and why your attitude toward process is a massive signal.What to do after a no from a VC, and how the best founders turn rejections into future yeses.Jesse also talks about pattern recognition in venture capital, why she's so focused on future of family and women-led startups, and how founder behavior shows up years after the first pitch in board rooms, updates, and tough moments. Whether you're raising your first round or scaling a unicorn, this episode will help you understand how investors really think about you as a founder.

In this inspiring episode of the Payne Points of Wealth, Ryan sits down with Jimmy Chen—founder and CEO of Propel, the groundbreaking fintech company modernizing America's social safety net and serving millions of low‑income families each month. Jimmy shares his remarkable journey from arriving in Kansas City as a four‑year‑old immigrant from China with parents who had just $200, to becoming a Stanford graduate, early product manager at LinkedIn and Facebook, and ultimately the creator of one of the most impactful social‑good tech companies in the country. You'll hear: How Jimmy's childhood shaped his relationship with money, scarcity, and grit—including his early “entrepreneurial” idea to sell his toys to avoid being a burden on his family   His realization that Silicon Valley was building tech for people like themselves, not for the millions relying on programs like SNAP.   The company's 11‑year journey—from 60 investor rejections and a $12,000 Kickstarter, to raise $90 million from top VCs and investors like Serena Williams and Kevin Durant.   Why Jimmy hires self-reliance, resilience, and at least one successful —not pedigree.   The massive role AI now plays in Propel's product, customer support, and internal operations.   What he believes the future of education, work, and technology will look like in an AI‑driven world. Jimmy also opens up about the “chip on his shoulder” to succeed, his father's work ethic, why frugality helped and hindered him, and the music that shaped him as a kid, navigating life in a new culture. This is a powerful story of ambition and purpose—proof that game‑changing ideas don't just come from Silicon Valley, but from childhood uncertainty and a deep commitment to help those less fortunate in our country.   Tune in for a conversation that's heartfelt, eye‑opening, and packed with wisdom for entrepreneurs, parents, and anyone navigating big decisions about money, purpose, and impact

From investment banker to crypto fund strategist, Stas Sukhinin shares insider perspectives on how credit committees really make decisions, why over-leveraged companies fail fast during downturns, and where stablecoins are creating trillion-dollar transaction opportunities. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer sits down with Stas Sukhinin, a finance veteran with over 19 years of experience spanning investment banking, corporate lending, and alternative asset management. Stas began his career at internationally recognized institutions including UniCredit and Societe General, where he helped pioneer mezzanine loan products in Eastern Europe. By age 29, he had become a senior partner at one of the region's largest mezzanine lenders, managing a team of 20 finance professionals and overseeing a $450 million loan portfolio. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: In this episode, you'll discover what really happens inside credit committees when your loan application gets reviewed and why factors unrelated to your business can determine outcomes. Stas explains how strong companies can go from healthy to restructuring in just three to four months when leverage catches up with them, and the critical difference between how first-time owners and experienced operators approach debt decisions. You'll learn the two key factors that determine how much debt your business can handle, why working capital provisions in purchase agreements deserve more attention than most buyers give them, and how sellers legally present financials in the most favorable light. The conversation also covers Stas's experience investing in the 2017 ICO boom where 90% of projects went to zero but winners returned 50x to 100x, why venture capital investors sometimes block deals that would be life-changing for founders, and where stablecoin transaction volume is already reaching trillions while most people remain unaware. STAS'S JOURNEY: Stas's path into finance started at age 14 when a classmate brought a business magazine to school. Reading about business owners selling companies for millions crystallized his direction. He knew he wanted to be in corporate lending where he could see businesses, analyze financials, and speak directly with owners while working with numbers at a bank. His first role as a junior credit analyst gave him exactly that. He progressed from working with small businesses that had no financials to mid-sized companies to large corporations. Each step taught him more about how deals really get done from inside the institutions making funding decisions. CREDIT COMMITTEE INSIGHTS: Stas pulls back the curtain on what actually happens when loan applications reach credit committees. The reality differs dramatically from what most business owners imagine. Factors affecting approval can seem completely unrelated to the specific deal. Maybe the bank already has a competitor in their portfolio. Maybe the receivable financing department has a different relationship with someone in your industry. One offhand comment from a committee member who hasn't read the full memo can change the entire trajectory of a conversation or result in higher interest rates. DEBT MANAGEMENT LESSONS: The pattern Stas has seen destroy companies in months follows predictable steps. Revenue drops or stagnates. Margins deteriorate because of increased competition and client uncertainty. Debt ratios that looked comfortable suddenly reach concerning levels. Refinancing options disappear just when needed most. Interest rates climb. Everything compounds simultaneously. The difference between experienced and first-time business owners comes down to scenario planning. Experienced operators build safety margins and stress-test assumptions. First-time owners assume conditions will continue as they are. That assumption determines survival. ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS: Stas joined a crypto investment fund at its inception in 2017 during the ICO boom. Out of many investments, approximately 90% went to zero. The winners returned 50x or 100x. His observation about liquidity cycles was particularly interesting. Traditional venture now averages seven-year holding periods while crypto projects can reach liquidity events in three or four years through token distributions. On stablecoins, Stas sees enormous opportunity in programmable money. Transaction volume is already in the trillions though most people in developed countries don't realize the scale. Goldman Sachs reportedly reduced bond settlement time from three days to minutes using blockchain technology. Perfect for business owners considering debt financing, entrepreneurs navigating capital raising, and anyone interested in how credit decisions really get made and where alternative investments are creating new opportunities. FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE: https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/stassukhinin FOR MORE ON STAS SUKHININ: https://www.thesourcer.so https://www.linkedin.com/in/stassukhinin/ FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/ https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today! Episode Highlights with Timestamps: [00:00] - Introduction: Stas Sukhinin's 19 years in finance from investment banking to crypto [03:26] - First deal experience: Structuring a real estate development loan with disbursement tied to sales [05:47] - Hidden factors: Why deals get rejected for reasons unrelated to underwriting criteria[08:20] - Committee dynamics: How one comment from an uninvolved member changes deal trajectories [11:41] - Timing and instruments: When companies use the wrong type of capital [15:55] - Risk assumptions: The difference between first-time and experienced business owners [18:29] - Volatility factors: How income stability determines appropriate leverage levels [21:09] - M&A implications: Structuring adjustment provisions for concentration risk [24:09] - Liquidity advantages: Why crypto offers shorter holding periods than traditional venture[27:55] - Venture math: The story of a VC blocking a life-changing exit for 1x returns [29:27] - Due diligence limitations: Legal ways sellers present favorable financials [32:14] - Stablecoins explained: Digital tokens designed to maintain dollar parity [36:31] - Programmable money: Smart contracts that execute automatically on conditions [38:00] - Financial advisory services: How Stas helps business owners understand their financials[39:14] - Freedom defined: Removing gatekeepers and accessing financial systems without barriers Guest Bio: Stas Sukhinin has over 19 years of experience in finance spanning investment banking, corporate lending, and alternative asset management. He began his career at internationally recognized institutions including UniCredit and Societe General, where he helped pioneer mezzanine loan products and shaped the market in Eastern Europe. By age 29, Stas had become a senior partner at one of the region's largest mezzanine lenders, managing a team of 20 finance professionals and overseeing a $450 million loan portfolio. He later served on boards of several private companies, deepening his expertise across credit investments and corporate governance. Recognizing early opportunities in alternative assets, Stas joined a crypto investment fund at its inception in 2017 and continues to lead its strategy and operations. He now helps business owners run more efficiently from the lens of financials through his advisory practice. Host Bio: Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker with more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Show Description: Do you want your business to grow faster? The DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer reveals how successful entrepreneurs and business leaders use strategic deals to accelerate growth. From large mergers and acquisitions to capital raising, joint ventures, strategic alliances, real estate deals, and more, this show discusses the full spectrum of deal-driven growth strategies. Get the confidence to pursue deals that will help your company scale faster. Related Episodes: Episode 350 - Tom Dillon: When NOT to Take Venture Capital Money: Explore alternative funding sources including private credit, SBA loans, and sale-leasebacks with a fractional CFO who works with startups on capital strategy. Episode 370 - Gerry Hays: Democratizing Venture Capital Through VentureStaking: Discover alternative approaches to early-stage investing that don't require massive checks or exclusive networks. Episode 85 - Nick Adams: Seed Stage Venture Capital Funds: Understand how traditional VCs think about early-stage deals and what metrics they evaluate from the investor perspective. Episode 351 - Solocast: Deal Structures Beyond M&A and Capital Raising: Learn about joint ventures, strategic alliances, licensing agreements, and other creative partnership models for business growth. Episode 324 - Sejal Lakhani-Bhatt: Tech Due Diligence in M&A: Explore how technology systems and cybersecurity impact business valuation and deal outcomes. Episode 330 - Pete Mohr: Preparing Your Business for Exit: Understand why sellers often cause deals to fail and how to prepare for the emotional aspects of selling a business. Follow DealQuest Podcast: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/ Website: https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Follow Stas Sukhinin: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stassukhinin/ Website: https://www.thesourcer.so Keywords/Tags: corporate lending insights, credit committee decisions, debt management for businesses, mezzanine lending, alternative asset management, crypto investment strategy, stablecoin business applications, EBITDA management, leverage risk, working capital due diligence, venture capital exits, ICO investing, blockchain finance, programmable money, business financing, capital structure, due diligence strategies, financial advisory, dealmaking, business growth strategies

This Week In Startups is made possible by:Circle.so - http://Circle.so/twistDeel - http://deel.com/twistUber AI Solutions - http://uber.com/twistToday's show:Not long ago, promising young Japanese graduates wanted to go work for the largest, most established, and even oldest corporations: Sony, Mitsubishi, and the like. But now, just over the last few years, more and more Japanese people are becoming entrepreneurs and founders. TWiST Japan continues with a fascinating look inside the country's growing startup ecosystem with special guest, venture capitalist Shinichi “Shin” Takamiya. He'll walk Jason through how Japan stayed ahead of the rest of the world in technology, but started falling behind when it came to founding companies, and how the Japanese are now starting to level the playing field.PLUS why his fund, Globis, sees other VC firms as collaborators rather than the competition… How AI is helping Japanese and American founders build their companies more quickly… Why Jason prefers training younger people to become VCs rather than hiring more experienced players… Shin's guide to eating out in Tokyo… and much more!Timestamps: (00:00) We're so excited to bring Founder University in Japan!(04:15) Jason and our guest first met 15-25 years ago…(06:06) How is Japan always so far ahead of the rest of the world?(08:29) Globis is one of Japan's largest and oldest venture capital firms!(10:48) Circle.so -  the easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand. TWiST listeners get $1,000 off Circle's Professional Plan by going to http://Circle.so/twist(12:38) Why founders need to play the long game when it comes to networking(15:03) “The founder is the most precious resource in the startup community”(16:50) Shin takes us inside his Mercari (a massive Japanese marketplace site) investment(18:20) How startups became “cool” in Japan, just recently(19:43) Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit http://deel.com/twist to learn more.(21:09) You don't have to tell an investor your whole story… just get them interested(25:28) Why Jason likes to train young folks to be VCs, rather than hiring for experience(28:44) The differences between being candid and rude(29:44) Uber AI Solutions - Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at http://uber.com/twist(35:40) Why Globis sees other VC firms as collaborators(39:08) The world's OLDEST company is 1500 years old… and it's from Japan…(39:54) Why a lot of great businesses aren't right for VC investment(43:34) Why picking the right market is so crucial(48:37) When you know the direction of change but can't predict the timing(50:34) How founders are using AI to build better companies faster(54:39) Shin's guide to eating out in Tokyo*Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com/Check out the TWIST500: https://twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm/*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/*Thank you to our partners:(10:48) Circle.so -  the easiest way to build a home for your community, events, and courses — all under your own brand. TWiST listeners get $1,000 off Circle's Professional Plan by going to http://Circle.so/twist(19:43) Deel - Founders ship faster on Deel. Set up payroll for any country in minutes and get back to building. Visit http://deel.com/twist to learn more.(29:44) Uber AI Solutions - Your trusted partner to get AI to work in the real world. Book a demo with them TODAY at http://uber.com/twistCheck out all our partner offers: https://partners.launch.co/

Evan Ratliff started a company last summer. He and his co-founders came up with a name, hired a team, built a website, and launched an app. They interviewed interns, planned a company hiking trip, and fielded inbound interest from VCs. Normal startup stuff. Except for one thing: All of Evan's employees are AI agents. So are his co-founders. He's been documenting the journey on his podcast Shell Game — what works, what doesn't, and what it might tell us about a future where AI employees are everywhere. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/nbi

Dan Nathan sits down with FirstMark Capital co-founder Rick Heitzmann and Jesse Chasse from RBC Capital Markets to unpack why 2026 is the first year VCs feel truly bullish again, as resilient growth, easing rates, and maturing AI set the stage for a new tech cycle. They dig into how AI-powered startups are disintermediating legacy SaaS names, why 80-90% of venture returns still come in the public markets, and what it takes to build the next Pinterest, Shopify, DraftKings, or Airbnb. The conversation covers AI's impact on white-collar jobs, the shift from infrastructure to application-layer winners, and what the coming wave of marquee IPOs means for valuations, scarcity, and whether we're in a bubble or a genuine AI-driven supercycle. —FOLLOW USYouTube: @RiskReversalMediaInstagram: @riskreversalmediaTwitter: @RiskReversalLinkedIn: RiskReversal Media