Podcasts about vcs

Send us a textComedy can tell the truth about tech faster than a slide deck—and Jason Yeager proves it. We sit down with the creator behind MyTechCEO  to unpack how satire, timing, and taste can outperform dry explainers, win brand partnerships, and build a loyal audience without resorting to shock value. If you've wondered how to make complex ideas irresistible to watch and easy to share, this conversation lays out a practical path.Jason breaks down the engine behind rapid growth: a smart blend of evergreen jokes and trend-driven content that lands while the market is paying attention. We talk through why AWS, Microsoft, and crypto brands back a satirical format, what they're buying beyond impressions, and how a distinct voice carves space in a crowded feed. We also dig into the AI hype cycle. Jason's take is clear: AI won't replace creators with taste. As machine-made sludge rises, audiences will seek real, human judgment. Use AI to raise quality, speed edits, and spot patterns—then let your taste make the final call.We go deeper on credibility: how to avoid becoming a meme page, why negative bait erodes trust, and how careful idea selection builds staying power with founders and VCs. Jason shares how his operator background shapes content strategy, how audience reactions reveal the psychology of tech (especially around AGI anxiety), and how to evolve a media brand into products without leaning on weak “shill” tactics. For builders, we map a playbook for using AI-native and no-code tools to go from idea to prototype faster, while keeping narrative sharp and audience-first.If you care about creator strategy, startup storytelling, and the future of media in the AI age, you'll leave with tactics you can use today. Follow Jason at MyTechCEO and European Kid on Instagram, then subscribe to the show, share with a founder friend, and drop a review so more curious builders can find us.This episode was recorded in the official podcast booth at Crypto Content Creator Campus (CCCC) at the Carlos Lopes Pavillion (Lisbon) on November 15, 2025. Check the video footage, read the blog article and show notes here: https://webdrie.net/from-satire-to-strategy-how-my-tech-ceo-scales-with-timing-trends-and-taste-with-jason-yeager/..........................................................................

What happens when AI, blockchain, and decentralized identity merge into a single system for human + machine knowledge? In this Grownlearn episode, host Zorina Dimitrova sits down with Billy Luedtke (ex-EY, ConsenSys, MetaMask) — now founder & CEO of Intuition Systems, the first blockchain network purpose-built for information finance. Billy breaks down: • Why decentralized information is the next frontier beyond DeFi • How Intuition's decentralized knowledge graph lets humans and AI trust the same data • Why tokenized information, decentralized search, and identity will reshape society • What lessons from Ethereum's early days shaped his vision • How Intuition gives users ownership & monetization rights over their data • Why centralized AI + search could lead to a dystopian future — and how we prevent it If you're building in Web3, AI, DeFi, decentralized identity, or data infrastructure, this episode gives a rare look into the architecture and philosophy behind one of the most ambitious projects in the Web3 space. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This Week In Startups is made possible by:LinkedIn Ads - http://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartupsVanta - https://www.vanta.com/twistPilot - https://pilot.com/twistToday's show: Did you know there's actually a shortage of US bricklayers? It's TRUE! So feel free to marvel at Monumental's brick-laying robots. They're not putting anyone out of work, but filling a much-needed gap.Join Alex and Monumental founder/CEO Salar al Khafaji for a deep-dive on how the startup is making construction robots play nice together by maintaining separate “zones” of operation, why Salar thinks startups need to focus on truly complex, real-world problems to truly blossom, and the secrets of fundraising in Europe.PLUS Alex chats with Seasats CEO Mike Flanigan about designing the next generation of autonomous marine crafts. (That is to say, ocean drones.) From their home base in San Diego, the company is trying to get completely independent of all Chinese parts. Find out how it's going, how they're overcoming the “wildly negative” ROI on maritime tech, and why we have so few defenses against tiny, agile drones.All that AND Jason takes some of YOUR Founder Questions.Timestamps:(03:23) How Monumental determined what kinds of robots construction sites need the most(06:49) How maintaining “zones” ensure that the robots all play nice with one another(07:52) There's a shortage of bricklayers, so Monumental's NOT taking anyone's job(9:16) LinkedIn Ads: Start converting your B2B audience into high quality leads today. Launch your first campaign and get $250 FREE when you spend at least $250. Go to http://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups to claim your credit.(13:21) Why startups need to tackle large-scale, complex, real-world problems to really grow(15:44) Why Monumental is building in The Netherlands, and running pilots in the UK(19:07) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist(20:44) Why construction is unique among applications for automation and robots(26:01) Salar argues that fundraising in Europe is not as hard as you may have heard(27:55) We don't just need housing, we need BEAUTIFUL housing(31:11) Pilot - Visit https://www.pilot.com/twist and get $1,200 off your first year. (33:25) How the Scout autonomous boat challenge inspired Seasats(35:28) Trying to make drones into an “iPhone Style” project(37:39) Why Seasats is focused on endurance and staying power more than launches(39:15) The complexities of working with fuel cells(42:27) The importance of beautiful design even when working on government technology(45:51) Why they're building Seasats in beautiful San Diego, CA(47:29) The challenge of getting entirely free from Chinese components(53:52) “The Power of Small Things Has Changed”(55:18) The “wildly negative” ROI on most humanoid robotics companies also applies to maritime tech(59:09) Why there are so few defense nets against people with tiny but agile drones(01:02:32) FOUNDER Q's: Is a founder working 24/7 a red flag?(01:10:11) How bad is it to use VC money to pay off credit cards?(01:12:49) A look at Cursor's unique recruitment strategy.(01:19:57) Should young VCs go to startup conferences?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/*Thank you to our partners:(9:16) LinkedIn Ads: Start converting your B2B audience into high quality leads today. Launch your first campaign and get $250 FREE when you spend at least $250. Go to http://linkedin.com/thisweekinstartups to claim your credit.(19:07) Vanta - Get $1000 off your SOC 2 at https://www.vanta.com/twist(31:11) Pilot - Visit https://www.pilot.com/twist and get $1,200 off your first year.

Your VCs have hidden value beyond capital. Most founders never ask for it.D'Arcy Martin has been Head of Platform at Outward VC for six years. She's watched hundreds of funding rounds close. And there's one pattern she sees: founders who treat VCs like a bank account versus founders who extract every ounce of value.The difference? They ask.In today's episode, I'm joined by D'Arcy Martin, who sits at the intersection of founders, LPs, and portfolio companies at Outward VC. Her job is connecting dots most founders don't even know exist. LP introductions that become your biggest clients. Portfolio partnerships that unlock new markets. Co-investor networks that solve your hardest problems.But here's the thing: if you don't ask, you don't get.The hidden benefits we unpack:Why you should reference-check your VCs before signing (and how to do it)What value adds beyond capital: sector expertise, LP networks, portfolio ecosystemsWhy VCs are startups too (and what their fundraising journey means for you)How to build your dream funding round (and which specialisms to prioritise)Why some founders get way more attention than othersThe "Christmas list" strategy: What to ask for right nowD'Arcy shares the story of one founder who sat down for a catch-up, shared they were selling to similar customers as another portfolio company, and D'Arcy connected them. Today they're doing a joint partnership and it's one of their first enterprise clients in the US.

OpenAds CEO and co-founder Steven Liss joins Eric Franchi and Joe Zappa to share which AI plays are likely to endure, how SMBs, brands, and agencies are reacting to the company's AI-native ad platform pitch, what brilliant questions VCs are asking adtech founders these days, and how OpenAds is using AI to run a more efficient startup. Plus, Steven tells the guys what the adtech equivalents of fracking and Tinder are.

This week, we're continuing our Conference Conversations series from last month's conference with a panel called "Building to Scale: Founders on Building Defensible Companies in the AI Economy."   In this panel, Conor Healy from the Yamaha Music Innovation Fund sits down with Stanley Vergilis from Tone3000, Mauhan Zonoozy from The Vinyl Bar in Shibuya,, and Jessica Powell from AudioShake . The conversation gets real about what it actually takes to build defensible moats, how to fundraise from VCs to angel investors, and the mistakes founders make along the way.    Whether you're building a startup, thinking about taking the leap, or just want to understand what's happening in the music tech startup world, this panel is packed with insights you won't want to miss.   The Music Tectonics podcast goes beneath the surface of the music industry to explore how technology is changing the way business gets done. Visit musictectonics.com to find shownotes and a transcript for this episode, and find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Let us know what you think!  Get Dmitri's Rock Paper Scanner newsletter.

How do you take a healthcare innovation from lab to market—without losing your shot at impact? In this episode of CPO PLAYBOOK, Sasha Schrode, CEO of FEMSelect, shares her founder journey from licensing IP out of the University of Pennsylvania to raising venture capital, securing FDA approval, and selling her first company. Now leading FEMSelect, Sasha reveals the hard-won lessons from navigating regulatory hurdles, reimbursement pathways, and clinical validation. She also explains how a personal cancer diagnosis in her 30s reshaped her purpose—and why falling in love with the problem, not the solution, is what separates great CEOs from the rest. You'll learn: • Why less than 1% of healthcare innovation reaches patients • The 3 filters every founder must apply before building a company • How to test product-market fit with real clinicians • How to think like an investor—and what VCs get wrong • Why the most successful CEOs start as learners Chapters 00:00 The Journey from Diagnosis to Innovation 13:18 Understanding Market Viability and Clinical Need 22:43 The Iteration Process in Med Tech 24:20 Insights on Raising Capital and Exiting 27:24 Common Mistakes in Commercialization 32:00 First Steps for Aspiring Innovators This is your masterclass on building medtech with purpose, discipline, and market-ready strategy. — Subscribe to CPO PLAYBOOK for more conversations at the intersection of leadership, innovation, and capital strategy: https://www.cpoplaybook.com/newsletter Need support scaling leadership or culture? Let's talk: https://www.cpoplaybook.com/contact-us

Fundraising used to be a relationship business. Now, it's a volume game.In this episode, we sit down with the founder of Aduro Advisors to unpack the data behind the current venture capital landscape. With $131 Billion+ in assets under administration across 650+ firms, they have a bird's-eye view of the market that few others possess.We dive deep into the "haves vs. have-nots" dynamic in VC, why the era of the generalist firm might be ending, and the exact operational mistakes that stop emerging managers from scaling. If you are raising a fund or managing a firm in 2025, you need to hear this.⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.comTopics covered:- Shift to Solo GPs: The rise of individual managers over large platforms.- Fundraising Reality: Why raising capital is now a volume-based "numbers game."- Market Polarization: The widening gap between the "haves" and "have-nots."- Specialization Wins: Why LPs favor sector-focused funds over generalists.- The 100% Rule: Data showing funds that invest 100%+ of capital outperform.- Smaller Funds: The strategic advantage of "right-sized" funds for faster returns.- Individual Investors: The massive influx of High Net Worth individuals into VC.- AI & Operations: Using AI to automate fund administration and data reporting.About the Guest:Aduro Advisors is a premier fund administration firm supporting over 650 venture capital and private equity firms with more than $131 Billion in assets under administration. Their platform, FundPanel, leverages data and AI to streamline operations for the next generation of investors.Timestamps:(00:00) - Introduction and episode overview(00:02:43) - Inspiration behind founding Aduro Advisors(00:04:25) - Major shifts in fund operations and data flow(00:05:58) - Aduro Advisors' data insights on fund performance and market recovery(00:09:48) - Evolution of fund sizes and LP composition(00:11:22) - Common mistakes made by first-time fund managers(00:12:40) - The importance of sector specialization versus diversification for LPs(00:17:24) - Surprising findings from Aduro Advisors' Q2 2025 report(00:20:16) - Longevity of firms and the "haves and have-nots" dynamic(00:23:09) - Characteristics of top-decile performing funds(00:25:48) - How Fund Panel streamlines fund administration and reporting(00:27:17) - The role of AI in fund administration(00:30:38) - Changes in fundraising approach post-pandemic(00:32:23) - Biggest opportunities for innovation in fund operations(00:33:54) - Where to learn more about Aduro Advisors and Fund PanelLearn more about Aduro Advisors:Website: https://aduroadvisors.com/FundPanel: https://fundpanel.io/VC10X links:VC10X website - https://VC10X.comFollow Prashant on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/choubeysahab#VentureCapital #Fundraising #PrivateEquity #EmergingManagers #StartupInvesting #AduroAdvisors

Welcome back to another episode of the EUVC Podcast, your trusted inside track on the people, deals, and dynamics shaping European venture.This week, Andreas Munk Holm is joined by Max Kufner, Co-Founder and CEO of again, and Jan Miczaika, Partner at HV Capital.again is one of those rare European deep-tech stories that blends academic brilliance, industrial execution, and venture pace. Born out of DTU, with roots at Stanford and MIT, again uses gas-eating microbes to turn CO₂ emissions into valuable chemicals and materials. In plain English: they take carbon that's already in the air (not the ground) and repurpose it into things we use every day, from plastics to fertilizers.Backed by HV Capital, GV, and a handful of top European and US investors, again is on a mission to decouple industrial growth from fossil carbon. But the conversation goes far beyond climate tech.Max and Jan unpack what it takes to build deep tech at venture speed, the reality of talent scarcity in Europe, the cultural differences between US and EU deep-tech ecosystems, and how to navigate board dynamics, milestone-based investing, and the journey to a Series B in a capital-intensive world.Whether you're a founder, investor, or LP curious about deep tech's reindustrialisation wave — this one's for you.Here what's covered:01:24 | again in one line — gas-eating microbes → chemicals (no oil out of the ground)02:53 | Why HV Capital backed again — climate upside and a chance to redefine European chemicals04:31 | Investor → founder pendulum — why Max went from Atlantic Labs partner back to operator06:20 | The serial founder advantage (and its hidden trap)10:17 | Building deep tech in Europe — talent constraints, optimism gaps, and moving early to the US15:30 | Multipolarity — global operations, risk appetite, and where to spend your time23:38 | Boardcraft — how to use your board (and avoid being over-managed)28:39 | On-air sparring — asset-heavy vs. platform-heavy business models33:17 | Prepping for Series B — risk, IRR, and the difference between validation and scale36:59 | Milestone-based investing in deep tech — bridges, binaries, and how to keep momentum43:12 | LPs and VCs — why deep tech is high-risk and high-alpha46:08 | Founder lessons — customer co-creation, speed, and building fast with scientists48:06 | Final reflections — Europe's industrial renewal through deep tech

If you're a startup selling to enterprises, understanding how a CIO discovers and evaluates you can change everything. Most founders believe that cold emails and polished decks drive attention, but Karthik Chakkarapani, CIO of Zuora shares that nearly 80% of the startups he evaluates are found through outbound - while researching solutions, through peers, or even on LinkedIn. For many startups, this alone can reshape how they think about go-to-market.How does an enterprise decide whether to buy from a startup or not? Karthik walks us through Zuora's three-step buying process. It starts with understanding the problem the startup solves and how quickly the product can show value. If the early signals are strong, the next step is a deeper look at ROI, integration, security and whether the company is mature enough to be a long-term partner. The final stage is legal and procurement, which is where many early-stage startups slow down.If you're building a startup, this episode offers a practical look into how CIOs think, how they make decisions and what it really takes to go from a first conversation to a signed contract.0:00 – Trailer0:53 – Buying process of startups05:19 – How Zuora's SaaS portfolio looked 2 years ago09:00 – Inbound vs outbound10:53 – How initial contact with potential customers works13:34 – Startups should be thought partners16:57 – How long it takes to create value for customers19:59 – Where startups draw the line in growth vs efficiency23:06 – Top 5 largest spends24:01 – Why only 1-year contracts for new AI startups?26:12 – Why legal & procurement struggle to understand startups29:46 – 20% of portfolio is 0–5 year old companies30:46 – Are startups not backed by VCs a red flag?34:29 – 60% in growth + 40% in day-to-day37:42 – Learnings from peer CIOs41:38 – Featurely: Case Study45:14 – Atomicwork: Case Study46:55 – Trupeer: Case Study47:51 – How Zuora uses OpenAI & Anthropic49:39 – How AI is helping personal productivity51:26 – How agents will be managed54:02 – Number of SaaS apps will go down, agents will go up55:45 – Building the right security for AI56:31 – India vs US: where founders are building from-------------India's talent has built the world's tech—now it's time to lead it.This mission goes beyond startups. It's about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.What is Neon Fund?We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that's done it before.Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we're doing it all at Neon.-------------Check us out on:Website: https://neon.fund/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShowwConnect with Siddhartha on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7-------------This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.Send us a text

From losing his $25,000 life savings on his first startup investment to democratizing venture capital for everyday investors, Gerry Hays shares proven strategies for making early-stage investing accessible through VentureStaking while teaching founders outside traditional tech hubs how to raise capital and build sustainable businesses. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer sits down with Gerry Hays, founder and CEO of Doriot and Senior Lecturer at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business. Gerry has made 75+ startup investments, taught venture capital for 20 years, and built multiple companies from zero to exit, including HomeYeah.com and Charlie Biggs Food Company. His current mission focuses on expanding venture capital access beyond coastal hubs through innovative funding models. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: In this episode, you'll discover how to participate in early-stage startup investing with as little as $10 through the VentureStaking model, why the right to invest later in winning companies proves more valuable than over-investing today, and how collapsing startup costs are fundamentally changing capital requirements for founders. Gerry shares strategies for avoiding what he calls "the fool's tax" when making your first investments, the critical importance of backing founders over ideas, and why venture investing resembles poker more than roulette. You'll also learn about building venture ecosystems within universities where students and alumni can collaborate on funding and growth, navigating the decision between raising capital versus bootstrapping your business, and the difference between venture-appropriate businesses versus lifestyle companies. The conversation explores tokenization's potential to create an ownership economy, why cultivation mindset beats consumption thinking for long-term wealth building, and what freedom from scarcity truly means in both dealmaking and life. GERRY'S JOURNEY: Gerry's path into venture capital came through painful education. After leaving law practice after just six months, he made his first investment at age 27, putting his entire life savings of $25,000 into a hazardous waste processing technology. He knew the space intimately from running lobbying for Indiana's Department of Environmental Management. The technology made sense. The market opportunity was clear. But the founder couldn't execute, and Gerry lost everything. That lesson kept him away from startup investing for a decade. Instead, he became a founder himself, launching HomeYeah.com during the dot-com boom. He acquired a small Indianapolis company with 25 lawn signs and built it into the 11th largest real estate company in Indianapolis by transactions, growing from zero to $1.8 million in revenue in just 20 to 24 months. The company sold to Help-U-Sell Real Estate in 2003, but not before Gerry experienced the challenge of raising capital outside traditional tech hubs. After the HomeYeah.com exit, Indiana University invited him to teach a new venture capital course. He's been there since 2004, creating what he calls a bridge between academic theory and real-world startup practice. Meanwhile, he co-founded Charlie Biggs Food Company, scaling it from zero to $10 million in revenue with distribution in over 1,000 retail locations before exiting through a private equity deal. FIRST INVESTMENT LESSONS: That initial $25,000 loss taught Gerry what he calls "avoiding the fool's tax." The fundamental insight was simple but profound. When you invest, you're really investing in founders more than ideas. He was simply a bad picker of founders at that point. The technology expertise didn't matter. Market knowledge didn't matter. What mattered was identifying founders who could execute through inevitable obstacles and pivots. This lesson shaped everything that followed. Gerry wouldn't touch startup investing again for ten years after that loss. When he did return, his approach centered on cultivating relationships with founders over time, watching how they respond to challenges, and building diversified portfolios that acknowledge most investments will fail. VENTURESTAKING MODEL: The VentureStaking approach emerged from Gerry's years of teaching and investing. The model allows investors to participate with as little as $10 in early-stage founders. Instead of writing large checks for immediate equity, venture stakers provide small grants to founders just getting started. If those founders break out and raise a real equity round, the stakers get invited to invest at 10 times their initial stake. The math works elegantly. Out of 25 investments of $10 each totaling $250, you might only see three worth backing in a real round. But when winners emerge, you've earned the right to participate in meaningful equity rounds without the traditional barriers to entry. This democratizes access while maintaining sophisticated portfolio construction principles. Gerry likens venture investing to poker rather than roulette. You play many hands with small amounts. You fold most of them. But when you spot real winners, you bet heavy. This is cultivation versus consumption, a long-term wealth-building game that Warren Buffett exemplifies, having created 99% of his wealth after age 65. THE COLLAPSING COST OF STARTING: One of the most profound shifts Gerry identifies is how startup costs have collapsed. What required $5 million to build ten years ago can now be created in a day for $50 thanks to AI agents, no-code platforms, and cloud services. This changes everything about capital requirements and who can be a founder. This trend combines with tokenization to create what Gerry calls an ownership economy. Instead of owning a few stocks generating passive income, people could hold tokens in 150 companies, each generating small amounts of passive income without traditional barriers to entry. The infrastructure for this future is being built now through blockchain technology and regulatory evolution. UNIVERSITY VENTURE ECOSYSTEMS: Gerry's work brings the VentureStaking model to universities, creating ecosystems where students, alumni, and faculty can participate in funding and building the next generation of startups. Indiana University has 70,000 students and 800,000 alumni. Imagine creating an arena where students pitch ideas, alumni back them with small stakes, and the community participates in the upside when founders succeed. Shared information, shared risk, shared prosperity. This approach captures innovation traditional VCs miss entirely. Founders outside coastal hubs gain access to capital. Alumni gain access to investment opportunities typically reserved for accredited investors with six-figure minimums. Students learn by doing rather than just studying theory. The model scales to any university willing to build the infrastructure. KEY INSIGHTS: Geographic location shouldn't determine access to capital. Gerry experienced this firsthand with HomeYeah.com in Indianapolis. He wasn't in California. He didn't have the right connections. That challenge drives his current work at Doriot, focused on democratizing venture capital for founders and investors outside traditional hubs. The Sam Altman example illustrates how network effects compound. Altman invested $15,000 in Stripe in 2009, now worth $650 million. That wealth creates access to more deals. Those deals create more wealth. The rich get richer not because they're smarter but because they have access. VentureStaking aims to expand that access. Contracts matter, but people matter just as much. Gerry's experience shows that when something seems too easy, like tenants responding unusually quickly to lease documents without redlines for 10-15 year commitments, it raises red flags. You can have perfect legal documents but still face challenges if you're working with the wrong people. THE SHARK TANK STORY: Gerry shares his Shark Tank experience where his former student pitched a business and received a $250,000 offer from Mark Cuban for 35% equity. Gerry advised him that existing SAFEs would push him below 50% ownership. The founder turned down Cuban's offer. That "no" to Mark Cuban kicked off Season 4 of Shark Tank and generated publicity that proved more valuable than the deal itself. The company continued growing without the investment. CULTIVATION VERSUS CONSUMPTION: One of Gerry's most powerful insights addresses how society trains people for consumption rather than cultivation. We've made sports betting legal. Prediction markets are booming. We're training young people about fast-moving money and dopamine hits. But venture investing is a cultivation game. You're dropping seeds into the ground and watching what the universe brings back. He gave a student $5,000 who wanted to build something in the travel industry. The founder pivoted to AI and Shopify and just raised $8 million at a $55 million valuation. That $5,000 investment is now worth over $200,000. The bet wasn't on the idea. It was on a founder who wouldn't quit. That's something you discover by playing the game, getting yourself into wealth-building activities where you're patient, watching, and learning. FREEDOM FROM SCARCITY: When asked about freedom, Gerry's answer cut to something fundamental. Being free from a scarcity mindset is profoundly important. Everything around us reinforces scarcity. But when you let go of that and realize how abundant things really are, it changes how you see opportunities. You can afford to be patient. You can take calculated risks. You can help others succeed knowing there's enough to go around. This mindset applies to venture capital, to dealmaking, to entrepreneurship, and to life. When you operate from abundance rather than scarcity, you see opportunities differently. Capital formation is evolving. The question is whether that evolution will democratize opportunity or concentrate it further. Gerry's betting on democratization. Perfect for investors curious about venture capital but feeling locked out of traditional opportunities, founders outside coastal tech hubs seeking capital, university administrators exploring venture ecosystem development, and anyone interested in how capital formation is evolving to become more accessible while maintaining sophisticated portfolio construction principles. FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE: https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/gerryhays FOR MORE ON GERRY HAYS:https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerryhays/ https://doriot.com FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFERhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today! Episode Highlights with Timestamps [00:00] - Introduction to Gerry Hays and the VentureStaking model [02:15] - Growing up around real estate and finding it boring initially [04:30] - The $25,000 first investment loss and avoiding the fool's tax [07:45] - Launching HomeYeah.com during the dot-com boom and growing to $1.8 million [10:20] - Capital raising challenges outside traditional tech hubs [12:30] - Selling HomeYeah.com to Help-U-Sell Real Estate in 2003 [14:15] - Teaching venture capital at Indiana University since 2004 [16:45] - Building Charlie Biggs Food Company from zero to $10 million in revenue [19:30] - The VentureStaking model explained with $10 minimum investments [22:15] - Why venture investing is poker, not roulette [25:00] - The collapsing cost of starting companies from millions to dollars [27:30] - Tokenization and the ownership economy vision [30:45] - The $5,000 investment now worth $200,000 after founder pivoted to AI [33:20] - Sam Altman's $15,000 Stripe investment now worth $650 million [36:00] - Building venture ecosystems within universities [39:15] - The Shark Tank story where student turned down Mark Cuban [42:00] - Cultivation versus consumption mindset for wealth building [44:30] - Warren Buffett creating 99% of wealth after age 65 [46:45] - Freedom from scarcity mindset in dealmaking and life Guest Bio Gerry Hays is the founder and CEO of Doriot, a platform focused on democratizing venture capital by expanding access for entrepreneurs outside traditional coastal hubs. He is also a Senior Lecturer at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, where he has taught Venture Capital and Entrepreneurial Finance since 2004. Gerry began his career in politics and law before founding HomeYeah.com, an online real estate platform that grew from zero to $1.8 million in revenue in 20-24 months and became the 11th largest real estate company in Indianapolis by transactions. The company was acquired by the private equity firm behind Help-U-Sell Real Estate in 2003. He co-founded Charlie Biggs Food Company, growing it to over $10 million in annual revenue with distribution in over 1,000 retail locations before exiting through a private equity deal. He also co-founded Apparel Media Group, later acquired by Custom Ink. An active investor, Gerry has backed 75+ early-stage companies, several of which have raised over $20 million or achieved profitability. He has been investing in Bitcoin and Bitcoin Layer 2 infrastructure since 2013. Gerry is the author of The First-Time Founders Equity Bible and has led student venture immersion trips to Asia for over a decade. 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 on Fractional CFOs and Alternative Funding Sources: Learn how fractional CFO services help companies explore diverse funding options beyond traditional venture capital. Episode 351 - Solocast on Deal Structures Beyond M&A and Capital Raising: Explore joint ventures, strategic alliances, licensing agreements, and other creative partnership models that expand growth options. Episode 89 - Sherisse Hawkins on the Capital Raising Journey: Discover the practical realities of securing investment as a founder and navigating the funding landscape. Episode 85 - Nick Adams on Seed Stage Venture Capital Funds: Understand how traditional VCs evaluate early-stage deals and what metrics matter most to institutional investors. Episode 175 - Natasha Miller on Developing Strategic Partnerships: Master the concepts of shared risk, shared resources, and creative collaboration structures that bring communities together. Episode 185 - Maximilian Rast on How to Raise Capital for Your Company: Build the fundamentals of capital raising that apply across venture, real estate, and business growth strategies. Social Media Follow DealQuest Podcast:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/Website: https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Follow Gerry Hays: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerryhays/ Company: https://doriot.com Twitter: @gerryhays Keywords/Tags venture capital democratization, VentureStaking model, early stage investing, startup funding alternatives, university venture ecosystems, tokenization investing, accredited investor alternatives, cultivation mindset wealth building, venture capital accessibility, startup investment diversification, capital raising strategies, founder backing strategies, angel investing, entrepreneurship education, blockchain tokenization, ownership economy, portfolio diversification, founder selection strategies, dealmaking strategies

Eric Franchi blesses Joe Zappa with his insights on the key dos and don'ts of fundraising, including how to get a warm intro, what makes a great pitch deck, which questions to ask VCs, and why manufacturing FOMO or including an exit slide can backfire. Plus, Eric says not to be mad at him if he's rejected you.

Jane Technologies built real-time inventory streaming technology that connects cannabis dispensary point-of-sale systems to online ordering platforms—solving a technical problem that hadn't been cracked before in the space. As a West Point graduate and Apache helicopter pilot who found cannabis instrumental in his transition from military service, Socrates co-founded Jane with his brother (a computer scientist) in 2014-2015, deliberately choosing the "pick and shovel" software play over plant-touching operations. Operating in a market where major VCs won't invest, credit card networks won't process payments, NASDAQ won't list your stock, and regulatory missteps can mean federal charges, Jane developed an extreme discipline around capital efficiency and risk management that offers tactical lessons for any founder building in constrained or emerging markets. Topics Discussed: Jane's technical innovation: streaming real-time physical inventory from store shelves to online platforms Regulatory timing: the Cole Memo, state-by-state legalization momentum, and using adjacent players as risk indicators Risk taxonomy: creating frameworks to convert market uncertainty into scored, calculable risk decisions Strategic positioning as infrastructure provider versus licensed operator to manage legal exposure Customer evolution: illicit market operators meeting institutional players in the middle, and what survives Capital structure constraints driving operational discipline: no traditional payment rails, no public markets, limited institutional capital Competitive moat building through regulatory complexity rather than despite it Jane's decision framework on legal gray areas and why "maybe" always means "no" GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Use adjacent players as regulatory canaries, then move decisively: Jane launched after observing the 2013 Cole Memo and early state legalization in Colorado and Oregon, but critically didn't move until seeing Weedmaps and Leafly operate without legal consequences. Socrates explains: "We also didn't want to be the first...No one seemed to be getting thrown in jail at that time. And so we said, okay, let's get some good lawyers. Let's be able to understand our left and right limits, but let's go do this now." This isn't about being first-mover or fast-follower—it's about identifying specific de-risking events that signal the inflection point. Jane watched for: (1) regulatory clarity documents, (2) expansion velocity across state markets, (3) other operators achieving scale without enforcement action. Founders in emerging categories should map these trigger events explicitly rather than relying on intuition about timing. Build compliance infrastructure as a moat, not overhead: Jane deliberately avoided "touching the plant" to stay outside the highest-risk licensing category, positioning as B2B infrastructure rather than a licensed operator. While competitors took shortcuts on compliance to move faster, Jane developed the internal discipline to work within state regulatory frameworks and alongside regulators themselves. The company's philosophy: "go where it's hard." When regulatory complexity is high and shortcuts are tempting, building the compliant solution that becomes the standard creates a defendable position. As markets mature and enforcement tightens, shortcut companies fail while compliant infrastructure survives. The tactical implication: in regulated markets, treat compliance work as product moat-building, not cost center overhead. Structure legal and compliance as core product development. Convert uncertainty into scored risk through systematic information gathering: Socrates articulates the critical distinction: "There's a real difference between risk and uncertainty. Uncertainty is unknown...you try to position yourself to make uncertainty known so that you can decide and score it. Hey, is this a reward or is this a risk?" Jane's framework: (1) identify the unknown factors, (2) gather information to convert unknowns into knowns, (3) score both upside and downside explicitly, (4) decide whether the scored risk justifies action. The company wouldn't cross lines even when competitors did because certain risks (federal charges, business termination) represented non-recoverable outcomes regardless of upside. Implementation: maintain a risk register where each strategic decision explicitly documents what's uncertain versus what's a calculated risk, with clear go/no-go thresholds based on downside scenarios. Capital constraints create competitive advantages through forced discipline: Operating without access to Sequoia checks, IPO paths, or Visa processing meant Jane had to master unit economics and profitability early. Socrates reflects: "This is stuff that traditionally, you go public, you raise billions of dollars, and then you decide how to get profitable. Then you decide what your cost of capital is and free cash flow, man, we had to learn that at a very young age." The result: "really good fundamentals" that scale as the business grows. While competitors in less constrained markets can mask poor unit economics with cheap capital, Jane built sustainable business mechanics from day one. The tactical approach: "ruthlessly prioritize what you do and do not build" and "scrutinize every dollar that comes in and out of the business." For founders with capital access, consider artificially constraining spend to force the same discipline rather than optimizing for growth at any cost. Optimize for survival duration, not growth velocity: Jane's entire strategy centers on outlasting competitors in a market where shortcuts eventually kill companies. Socrates: "This is not a game of speed. This is not a game of size. This is a game of endurance. And you want to just last...if we make a fatal decision and we get arrested or we do a felony or something like that, then the business is probably over." The company explicitly embraced being early, knowing they'd face years before the market fully matured, but positioned to compound advantages while others burned out. Their decision framework: if a strategic choice risks ending the game entirely (legal exposure, existential financial risk, fundamental trust violation), it's off the table regardless of upside. For markets with long regulatory or adoption cycles, model scenarios for 10+ year timelines and ensure your burn rate and strategic decisions support that duration rather than optimizing for 18-month milestones. //  Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe. www.GlobalTalent.co // Don't Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire Senior GTM leaders share the tactical hiring frameworks they use to build winning revenue teams. Hosted by Andy Mowat, who scaled 4 unicorns from $10M to $100M+ ARR and launched Whispered to help executives find their next role. Subscribe here: https://open.spotify.com/show/53yCHlPfLSMFimtv0riPyM  

What does it really take to scale a B2B software company from early traction to a category leader? In this episode, Maitlan Cramer, Managing Director at Bow River Capital, breaks down the "Capital Plus" playbook used to manage roughly $4.7 billion in assets across the firm.Maitlan moves beyond the typical VC advice, explaining why growth equity is about "rolling up your sleeves" to fix broken processes rather than just writing checks. He shares why he will always choose a great market over a great product, how to distinguish between vanity growth and sustainable revenue, and why founders need to stop fearing the "growth equity" label.⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.comWHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

Season 7 of Innovators Inside kicks off with Sherwood “Woody” Neiss — entrepreneur, venture capitalist, architect of the JOBS Act, and author of Investomers. Woody walks through how investment crowdfunding went from an eight-bullet framework to a 485-page regulation that opened startup investing to everyday people. He and Ian dig into the rise of the “customer-investor,” why doctors, scientists, and operators are backing the tools they actually use, how crowdfunding is changing access to capital for women and minority founders, and why health tech and biotech are now leading the pack. They also explore how data, AI, and tighter feedback loops are creating new “signals” for VCs, what founders get wrong about valuation and communication, and why lean, disciplined fundraising is back.Topics & Timestamps

In this powerful episode of The Mike Litton Experience, Mike sits down with Christine Healy, founder of Healy Pre-IPO, global dealmaker, former Wall Street analyst, and one of the most innovative voices democratizing access to the world's fastest-growing private tech companies. Christine's story spans three continents—from an expat upbringing in London, to the University of Chicago, to the “bright lights” of Wall Street, and ultimately to breaking barriers inside Silicon Valley and Hong Kong. After years of navigating private equity, venture capital, and global dealmaking, Christine built a boutique firm that gives everyday investors access to companies like SpaceX, Stripe, OpenAI, and more—opportunities historically reserved for billionaires, VCs, and insiders. In this episode, viewers will learn:• Why the biggest companies in the world stay private for so long• What pre-IPO investing actually is (in plain English)• How Christine broke into elite dealmaking without privilege• Her journey from banking burnout to becoming a global entrepreneur• What everyday investors need to know before entering private markets• The mindset and risk-management behind starting your own company• How access, fairness, and financial empowerment drive her mission Christine is not just changing the financial industry—she's redefining who gets a seat at the table. If you enjoy inspirational stories, disruptive innovation, and real financial insight, this is an episode you do not want to miss. Subscribe to our channel so you never miss an episode. We're growing fast—and your support helps us continue creating high-impact conversations like this one. Like, comment, and share to help us break the next milestone! Connect with Christine:Email: Christine@Healypre-IPO.comWebsite: https://www.HealypreIPO.com

From food is health to biologicals, what innovations and emerging trends took over the agbiosciences in 2025 and where are we headed in 2026? Perhaps no one better a source than Jennifer Marston, Global AgTech Editor at AgFunder News, to join us as we talk through the state of venture capital, its down market and the good news about where it's headed in the future. She gets into:  A high-level overview of the venture capital market in 2025 The categories of agbioscience that are securing deals – and the areas of the globe that seem to be doing better than others with venture capital deals The shifts in the last 18-24 months across dealmaking and what feedback Jenn has heard while talking with both VCs and startups while writing stories What the startups and entrepreneurs who are winning are doing differently With longer sales cycles, regulatory pressures, etc., does Jenn think we are due for a reset in how innovation is funded in agbioscience? Indiana's unique models unfolding with Corteva Catalyst, the launch of Elanco's One Health Innovation District and how those might create a new ecosystem in the Midwest for entrepreneurs to grow and thrive New startups and innovation partnerships out of the Midwest that have Jenn most excited right now Upcoming stories and things coming from AgFunder News that she wants people to know about 

In this episode of The Digital Executive, host Brian Thomas welcomes Mike Miglio, CEO and founder of DEIN, the decentralized marketplace transforming how risk and insurance function across the DeFi ecosystem. With a deep history in crypto law, blockchain protocols, and decentralized innovation, Mike brings firsthand insight into why insurance—at its core—is really about trust.Mike explains how DEIN aims to replace reputation-driven DeFi risk assessment with transparent, on-chain market dynamics. Instead of relying on hype, VCs, or exchange listings, DEIN enables users to “put their money where their mouth is,” allowing free-market underwriting to determine real-time pricing, utilization, and perceived trustworthiness of any protocol. Built on modular, multi-chain architecture spanning more than 150 networks, DEIN makes it possible to add coverage for new chains and assets within minutes.He also discusses the challenge of pricing risk in a rapidly evolving DeFi landscape—where only a decade of fragmented data exists—and how DEIN uses bonding-curve economics and siloed pools to maintain capital stability and underwriting discipline. As the platform scales globally, Mike shares how DEIN surfaces relevant risks based on wallet activity, ensuring users aren't overwhelmed despite the platform's massive coverage universe.Looking ahead, Mike outlines the milestones needed for decentralized insurance to reach mainstream adoption, from launching a true autonomous DAO to eventually expanding into life, property, and real-world asset insurance. His long-term vision: DEIN becoming the trust backbone for global risk, where thousands of daily claims are adjudicated by token holders who earn income participating in a fully decentralized insurance economy—empowering users, not intermediaries.A compelling discussion for anyone interested in DeFi, risk markets, blockchain governance, and the future of global insurance.If you liked what you heard today, please leave us a review - Apple or Spotify.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Alex and his co-founders spent 2018 pitching parking lot owners on computer vision tech. Every meeting ended the same way: "Cute startup, come back in 30 years." So they did something else—they bought the parking operators and implemented the AI themselves. VCs called them delusional. But today, Metropolis has 20 million members and adds 1 million new members every month. Every 1-2 seconds someone signs up.Alex's biggest lesson? When enterprise customers won't adopt your tech, don't convince them—buy them. Sometimes the only way to disrupt an industry is to become the industry. Why You Should Listen:The "growth buyout" playbook—buy old companies to force your tech Why adding friction made their product better The counter-intuitive metric: success = less time users spend in your productWhy VCs said "absolutely not" to their best strategic moveKeywords:startup podcast, startup podcast for founders, Metropolis, Alex Israel, computer vision, growth buyout, parking technology, M&A strategy, enterprise sales, B2B SaaS00:00:00 Intro00:03:05 Seeing the parking opportunity00:06:37 The original vision00:12:33 Raising $7.5M and leasing the first two parking lots00:16:04 First customer transaction00:22:58 The growth buyout strategy00:27:54 Acquiring SP Plus with 23,000 employees00:34:32 Building beyond parkingSend me a message to let me know what you think!

Most founders think VCs want a pitch deck full of market numbers, a roadmap, and a feel-good story about the future. Hoxton Ventures Partner Payton Dobbs isn't looking for any of that. He wants to know if you actually understand the game you're trying to play. In this conversation, Payton breaks down the tactical stuff founders almost always get wrong: why TAM slides don't matter how to define your real market what early signals prove you have a painkiller and not a vitamin and why most technical founders fail their first go-to-market quiz before the conversation even begins. He also talks about category creation, how to hire in the U.S. if you're coming from Europe, why pricing is a strategic weapon, and the number-one question he asks every founder — the one that quietly decides whether you're playing at venture scale or not. If you're an early-stage builder, this episode will help you level up before you start meeting with VCs. RUNTIME 1:00:46   EPISODE BREAKDOWN 02:12: Payton Dobbs' background and the value of building presence in key markets 03:25: Not all good ideas are venture scale: how to assess billion-dollar potential 04:01: Why new category creation is crucial for venture scale startups 06:35: What VCs look for in a pitch deck: TAM, SAM, and logic behind the numbers 08:06: Case study: Deliveroo and building new markets from small segments 09:07: Identifying pain points and leveraging founder expertise 10:57: Advice for technical founders: the value of complementary co-founders and commercial skills 12:23: Building frameworks: due diligence on markets, competitors, and learning from others' mistakes 13:54: Adapting go-to-market strategies for different business models (B2B SaaS, consumer, etc.) 15:00: The importance of having a perspective and being able to debate your point of view 15:50: Solo founders vs. teams: most are teams, but solo founders can succeed too 13:28: The state of the AI ecosystem in Europe and why it's accelerating 17:18: Navigating US immigration and talent: why keeping dev teams in Europe can be strategic 20:34: Common mistakes when entering the US: “If you build it, they will not come” 21:21: Do you need to reboot customer discovery in new markets? Sometimes, but not always 22:24: The importance of understanding the competitive landscape and customer needs in each market 24:54: Hiring in the US: cultural differences and what to look for in team members 27:33: Payton's parting advice for founders expanding to the US: grind, network, and be relentless 28:36: Building sales ops from scratch: tools, systems, and process before people 32:05: Understanding and accruing value in the business value chain 34:45: Signals that a team can move from tech to traction: agility, speed, and adaptability 36:37: Pricing as an art and a science; lessons from Nest and Apple 40:00: Metrics: NPS, customer surveys, and forward-looking indicators 44:42: What Payton hopes to unlock for founders by being based in the US LINKS Payton Dobbs Hoxton Ventures White paper: Europe's Sputnik Moment NVIDIA partnership: Accelerating the UK's AI Startup Ecosystem SUBSCRIBE

Ever wanted to sit at the table in The Pitch Room and ask the VCs your burning question? Three listeners got the chance on our new segment, The Hot Mic, a live listener Q&A where you get to ask the investors anything.In this episode, our VCs answer: • Should I start a venture fund? • What do you look for in a pitch? • What's the one company you regret passing on?Submit your questions for the next listener Q&A at pitch.show/hotmic. And get ready… because the Season 14 Finale drops next week. Subscribe to our email newsletter: insider.pitch.show Learn more about The Pitch Fund: thepitch.fund Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In today's Tech3 from Moneycontrol, we break down the government's big labour code update that mandates IT salaries be paid by the 7th of every month. We also dive into the blockbuster year for VCs with Rs 15,000 crore in IPO exits, Meesho's $5.9 billion listing plans, and an exclusive with Uniphore CEO Umesh Sachdev on why AI rivals NVIDIA, AMD, Snowflake and Databricks invested together. Plus, Groww's first results post-IPO reveal profit up but revenue dipping.

Late-stage financing plays a critical role in the growth trajectory of technology scale-ups, particularly as they transition from early innovation phases to market dominance and potential exits via IPOs or acquisitions. Larger capital injections can be found from multiple avenues; VCs, private equity, corporate investors, family offices, sovereign wealth funds and growth-focused hedge funds. While the volume of capital to European growth stage companies since 2015 has tripled, there is still a funding gap and bottlenecks in Europe compared to the US.In this episode three experts discuss Europe's growth stage tech landscape, the funding available, challenges ahead and what is needed to build more billion dollar companies in Europe. They are Luca Ferrari, Co-Founder & CEO of Bending Spoons, Hilary Gosher, Managing Director at Insight Partners and Tommaso Fassati, Head of Wealth Management Italy at BNP Paribas.Sources: FT Resources, Atomico, Roland Berger, Anthropic, European Commission, Semiconductor Industry Association, Korn FerryThis content is paid for by BNP Paribas and is produced in partnership with the Financial Times' Commercial Department. The views and claims expressed are those of the guests alone and have not been independently verified by The Financial Times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we're joined by Mamdouh Medhat, VP and Senior Researcher at Dimensional Fund Advisors, for an exceptionally deep, exceptionally nerdy exploration of factor investing—focusing on profitability, value, defensive equity, and the persistent misunderstandings that surround them. Mamdouh walks us through his retrospective paper (co-authored with Robert Novy-Marx) on the profitability premium, why profitability subsumes a wide range of quality metrics, and why it dramatically clarifies how we should think about defensive/low-volatility strategies. He also explains the role of profitability in value's US underperformance since 2007, why price-to-book remains a remarkably effective valuation metric, and how Dimensional incorporates these insights into portfolio construction. In the second half of the conversation, we shift to private markets. Mamdouh unpacks Dimensional's research on buyouts, venture capital, private credit, and private real estate—revealing what percentage of the global investable universe these funds actually represent, how to benchmark them properly, how much dispersion exists across managers, how fair-value accounting changed the game post-2007, and why many perceived diversification benefits are actually just return smoothing. Key Points From This Episode: (0:04) Intro to Mamdouh Medhat and why his research fits the Rational Reminder "nerdy happy place." (1:32) The story behind Mamdouh's retrospective paper with Robert Novy-Marx and the impact of the original profitability research on academia and practice. (5:36) Three things the paper examines: quality investing, defensive/low-risk strategies, and value—unified through profitability. (6:55) Why none of the 15 major academic and practitioner quality metrics add explanatory power beyond profitability. (8:18) How spanning tests show profitability explains quality, but quality does not explain profitability. (12:24) Quality measures largely load on profitability—they're noisier versions of the same thing. (13:14) The link between quality metrics and fundamental momentum, especially for QMJ and quarterly ROE. (15:18) Practical implications: profitability is a parsimonious, more efficient way to capture the "quality" dimension. (16:30) Defensive equity through the profitability lens—why high profitability predicts low volatility. (18:58) Why long-only low-volatility strategies produce zero five-factor alpha—and why a simple high-profitability/low-investment portfolio plus T-bills beats them. (22:14) Alternative value metrics (EBITDA/EV, intangible-adjusted book-to-market, etc.) don't outperform price-to-book when profitability is accounted for. (24:57) Many "improved" value metrics simply rotate in profitability exposure, not better value information. (26:17) Roughly half of US value's post-2007 underperformance is explained by its negative correlation with profitability. (28:42) Industry tilts (e.g., energy/financials vs. tech/healthcare) drive much of value's volatility—not its long-term return. (30:33) The theoretical case for combining clean valuation (price-to-book) with clean expected cash flow (profitability). (33:36) Academic implications: models must jointly explain value and profitability—and their negative correlation. (35:09) Practitioner implications: parsimony—use clear valuation and cash-flow measures, limit excessive complexity. (36:53) How Dimensional measures profitability: operating profitability (revenue – COGS – SG&A – interest) scaled by book equity. (41:09) Why tilting toward or away from countries based on aggregate characteristics rarely adds value—premiums come from stocks, not countries. (42:57) Industry-level tilts show similar patterns—industry momentum exists but is impractical due to massive turnover. (46:15) How Dimensional handles country and industry weights: sort within countries, then apply sector caps. (48:27) Private markets: private funds make up roughly 10% of the global investable universe—not 25–100% as sometimes claimed. (50:53) Benchmark choice for private funds is crucial—S&P 500 is not appropriate for buyouts or VCs. (52:00) Using KSPME (public-market equivalent), buyouts and VCs match small-cap value/growth benchmarks; private credit matches high yield; private real estate underperforms listed real estate. (55:50) Factor exposures post-2007 explain 70–80% of private-fund return variation due to fair-value accounting. (1:00:48) Wide dispersion in private-fund performance—top 5% double or triple capital; bottom 5% lose half. (1:03:49) Little evidence of manager persistence—manager selection must rely on due diligence, not past vintages. (1:08:24) No strong time trend in private-fund outperformance, but correlations with public markets have increased. (1:09:13) Many diversification benefits historically attributed to private assets were actually illiquidity-driven smoothing. (1:12:25) Rising demand and democratization likely reduce expected returns in private markets—exclusivity is fading.   Links From Today's Episode: Meet with PWL Capital: https://calendly.com/d/3vm-t2j-h3p Rational Reminder on iTunes — https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-rational-reminder-podcast/id1426530582.  Rational Reminder on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/rationalreminder/ Rational Reminder on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/ Benjamin Felix — https://pwlcapital.com/our-team/ Benjamin on X — https://x.com/benjaminwfelix Benjamin on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminwfelix/ Cameron Passmore — https://pwlcapital.com/our-team/ Cameron on X — https://x.com/CameronPassmore Cameron on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameronpassmore/ Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

This week on The Data Minute, Peter sits down with Vivek Ladsariya, Managing Director at Pioneer Square Labs, for a deep dive into the Seattle startup ecosystem and the evolving world of venture studios.Vivek breaks down why Seattle has become the quiet giant of AI infrastructure, holding the second-highest concentration of AI talent in the US, and explains why the "locked up" talent at Amazon and Microsoft is finally breaking free. He also gives a candid assessment of the venture studio model, why many studios are "zombies," how AI is forcing them to pivot to a holding company structure, and why he actually encourages his Seattle founders to move to San Francisco.They also discuss the economics of small funds vs. mega funds, why signaling risk is real for follow-on rounds, and the "unscalable" things emerging managers must do to compete. Plus: a look at an investment fighting the loneliness epidemic and a rare story of a VC voluntarily taking dilution to save a cap table.Subscribe to Carta's weekly Data Minute newsletter: https://carta.com/subscribe/data-newsletter-sign-up/Explore interactive startup and VC data, with Carta's Data Desk: https://carta.com/data-desk/Chapters:00:00 – Intro: Seattle, Studios, and AI01:10 – Welcome Vivek Ladsariya02:22 – How mega funds warped the SF market05:08 – Inside Pioneer Square Labs06:40 – The "Bar Test": Speed of funding in SF vs. Seattle09:23 – Is Seattle talent trapped in Big Tech?11:46 – The "Cracked Kid" vs. The Seasoned Exec15:50 – Why Seattle is the #2 AI hub in the US17:02 – Why Vivek wants Seattle founders to move to SF20:10 – The case against remote work for startups21:53 – Why Seattle is the infrastructure capital of AI24:11 – The Venture Studio model: Why do VCs hate it?27:10 – How AI is disrupting the studio model29:00 – The HoldCo future: Hims & Hers and Liquid Death31:22 – Using a studio to compete with mega-fund platforms33:45 – Why PSL will never raise a mega fund36:16 – The psychology of follow-on reserves38:56 – Signaling risk: "Why didn't Andreessen invest?"41:30 – Secondaries vs. holding onto winners45:28 – Are LPs tired of mega funds?46:31 – Why you can't be a solo GP forever48:56 – Investing in the loneliness epidemic (Tin Can)50:43 – The most value-add thing a VC can do52:07 – OutroThis presentation contains general information only and eShares, Inc. dba Carta, Inc. (“Carta”) is not, by means of this publication, rendering accounting, business, financial, investment, legal, tax, or other professional advice or services, and is for informational purposes only.  This presentation is not a substitute for such professional advice or services nor should it be used as a basis for any decision or action that may affect your business or interests. © 2025 eShares, Inc., dba Carta, Inc. All rights reserved.

Defense technology has shifted from a social liability in Silicon Valley to commanding 35-40% of venture capital allocation—up from a historical 10%. This isn't just trend-following; it reflects fundamental market dynamics as SaaS becomes hypercompetitive and AI lowers barriers to entry, pushing capital toward deep tech where moats still exist. Blacklake, a defense holdco based in Austin, helps emerging defense companies navigate government procurement and expand into Europe, Asia-Pacific, and allied markets. In this episode, Jeff Crusey, EVP of Technology & Acquisition at Blacklake, reveals the emerging defense tech playbook, explains why lobbying ROI dwarfs traditional GTM spending, and details what actually matters when hardware meets government procurement. Topics Discussed: Why VC capital is rotating from SaaS to deep tech and defense The defense tech go-to-market playbook versus enterprise SaaS mechanics SBIR grant programs as non-dilutive capital for hardware development Lobbying and appropriations as core revenue drivers, not nice-to-haves Field deployment and operator feedback as the only viable iteration strategy Investor evaluation criteria for hardware-intensive defense businesses Emerging threat vectors in Arctic defense and orbital domain awareness GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Launch lobbying concurrent with SBIR Phase 1 applications: Companies initiating lobbying and appropriations work at the moment they apply for SBIR grants hit revenue milestones materially faster than those treating government affairs as a later-stage function. This means seed-stage companies maintain Capitol Hill presence—a pattern that didn't exist five years ago. The talent profile matters: government affairs hires need proven relationships within specific congressional committees and appropriations staff. Initial engagements typically involve external lobbying advisors with established networks, transitioning in-house at Series A when contract pipeline justifies dedicated headcount. This is consistently the highest-ROI channel in defense GTM. Optimize for deployment speed over system perfection: Modern conflict operates as continuous technological adaptation where capabilities become obsolete within weeks, not years. Companies achieving persistent field presence with operators—not laboratory perfection—win iterative cycles. The tactical approach: deploy minimum viable hardware to operational environments, capture real-world performance data and failure modes, then rapidly incorporate feedback into next iterations. This contradicts traditional defense procurement assumptions about "exquisite systems" and requires founders to resist over-engineering before battlefield validation. Solve the prototype funding problem through non-dilutive capital: Defense investors require working prototypes before capital deployment due to hardware risk profiles—fundamentally different from software's low marginal cost of iteration. This creates a chicken-and-egg problem: prototypes require capital, but capital requires prototypes. The solution path combines bootstrapping to early proof-of-concept, then leveraging SBIR Phase 1 grants (tens of thousands) to reach demonstrable prototype stage. Phase 2 awards (single-digit millions) fund production validation. Strategic founders pursue direct-to-Phase-2 pathways when possible, compressing the timeline from concept to validated demand signal. Strip technical complexity from investor communications: Defense founders with deep domain expertise consistently over-index on technical sophistication during fundraising conversations, losing investor attention before reaching commercial traction narratives. VCs evaluate market timing, defensibility, and path to scale—not engineering elegance. The correction: communicate technology at middle-school comprehension levels. This isn't condescension; it's recognizing that capital allocators optimize for portfolio construction, not technical peer review. Founders often feel they're "dumbing down" their innovations, but clarity on problem-solution fit and market size matters infinitely more than technical specifications during early fundraising stages. Treat SBIR phases as progressive demand validation, not just funding: The phased SBIR structure functions as government-backed demand signaling: Phase 1 validates concept feasibility, Phase 2 confirms development viability, Phase 3 demonstrates production readiness for potential program of record status. Investors decode these phases as risk reduction milestones. Phase 1 awards indicate government interest; Phase 2 awards (especially direct-to-Phase-2 or enhanced Phase 2) signal validated customer pull; Phase 3 contracts position companies for program of record awards worth hundreds of millions annually. Beyond capital, SBIR progression provides founder-market fit evidence and customer commitment that traditional LOIs cannot match in defense contexts. // Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe. www.GlobalTalent.co // Don't Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire Senior GTM leaders share the tactical hiring frameworks they use to build winning revenue teams. Hosted by Andy Mowat, who scaled 4 unicorns from $10M to $100M+ ARR and launched Whispered to help executives find their next role. Subscribe here: https://open.spotify.com/show/53yCHlPfLSMFimtv0riPyM

Rahul Vohra is the Founder and CEO of Superhuman Mail.Rahul sold his company to Grammarly in July of 2025, which had just acquired Coda in 2024. Following the acquisitions, the combined companies rebranded to Superhuman in October of 2025.And it's quietly one of the most underrated businesses that no one is talking about, with over $700 million ARR and 40 million Daily Active Users. Grammarly spent 15+ years building integrations with over a million other products, that they're now layering more AI products on top of.We talk about Rahul's journey building Superhuman, go inside the acquisition, all the lessons he's learned from selling two companies, why you should design your product like a video game, and we also re-visit his famous quantitative guide to finding PMF.Thanks to Todd Goldberg, Ed Sim, Shomik Ghosh, Ryan Hoover, and Rahul's brother Gaurav Vohra for helping brainstorm topics for this conversation.Thank you to Hanover Park for supporting this episode! Upgrade your fund admin to the 21st century https://www.hanoverpark.com/TurnerTimestamps:(2:42) Inside the Superhuman acquisition(11:09) Grammarly: $700M ARR, 40M DAUs(18:53) How to sequence your product roadmap(24:43) Vision for the new Superhuman(32:43) Build your product like a video game(38:24) Designing Karamja island in Runescape(41:10) Build products like toys and games(44:53) Starting a Machine Learning PhD in 2006(48:49) Dropping out to start his first company(50:47) Rapportive's crazy accidental launch(57:56) Meeting Superhuman co-founders(1:02:17) Being 1 of 20 to access LinkedIn's API(1:06:38) Almost getting acquired by LinkedIn(1:10:32) Nearly dieing, getting acquired with 2 weeks of runway(1:20:08) Diligence from VCs vs Acquirers(1:26:37) Rahul's quantitative framework for PMF(1:30:45) How to build an enduring brand(1:31:51) Rahul's AI-powered productivity stack(1:35:01) Todd and Rahul's angel fund(1:36:45) We need more solo foundersReferencedSuperhuman: https://www.superhuman.comGrammarly: https://www.grammarly.comHigh Resolution Fundraising: https://paulgraham.com/hiresfund.htmlHigh Resolution Fundraising: https://paulgraham.com/hiresfund.htmlSuperhuman Quantitative Framework for Finding PMF: https://review.firstround.com/how-superhuman-built-an-engine-to-find-product-market-fit/Whisper Flow: https://wisprflow.aiFollow RahulTwitter: https://x.com/rahulvohraLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahulvohra/Follow TurnerTwitter: https://twitter.com/TurnerNovakLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/turnernovakSubscribe to my newsletter to get every episode + the transcript in your inbox every week: https://www.thespl.it/

It's that time of year again: Atomico's State of European Tech report has landed.In case you don't have the time to wade through its mammoth 183 charts, this week host Amy Lewin is joined by senior reporter Miriam Partington to bring you the report's most surprising findings, with a focus on talent.And it paints a rosy picture: respondents say it's getting easier to recruit and retain top-tier talent in Europe, and the continent's pool of senior tech tech employees has grown faster than the US over the last decade.But do founders actually feel that shift on the ground? And how much appetite is there to finally fix Europe's long-lamented market fragmentation? And why, a decade on, is the gender funding gap showing no signs of closing?Read Atomico's report, here: https://www.stateofeuropeantech.com/Read our top highlights, here: https://sifted.eu/articles/state-european-tech-report-2025Read about the Mistral and SAP partnerships, here: https://sifted.eu/articles/france-germany-partnership-mistral-sapRead about why VCs are ditching the boardroom for operator life, here: https://sifted.eu/articles/vcs-becoming-operatorsIf you would like to sponsor the podcast, please email commercial@sifted.eu

Hardware is… easy now?! That's what Matt Truebe said when he pitched three devices and a plan to help families with food allergies and asthma. He has tons of experience, but between telehealth and hardware, is this business just too complicated for the VCs? This is The Pitch for Above Health. Featuring investors Cyan Banister, Charles Hudson, Immad Akhund, Monique Woodard, and Rohit Gupta. ... Watch Matt's pitch uncut on Patreon (@ThePitch) Subscribe to our email newsletter: insider.pitch.show Learn more about The Pitch Fund: thepitch.fund *Disclaimer: No offer to invest in Above Health is being made to or solicited from the listening audience on today's show. The information provided on this show is not intended to be investment advice and should not be relied upon as such. The investors on today's episode are providing their opinions based on their own assessment of the business presented. Those opinions should not be considered professional investment advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jack Savage, Founder & CEO of Everyday Dose, built a 400,000-subscriber functional coffee brand from his dad's garage—but not before spending years as "the dumb kid" who needed extra time on tests, wore a suit on planes hoping to meet someone important, and cycled through ADHD medications that left him with facial tics and shame. In this conversation, Jack opens up about the scarcity mindset he inherited from watching his father's business collapse, the $500K investment deal that fell through at the last second (leaving him in tears), and why discovering he had the CYP1A2 gene—which makes 50% of us caffeine-sensitive—changed everything about how he formulated Everyday Dose. He also gets real about the unglamorous parts of scaling: living in his dad's garage at 33, battling a massive counterfeit crisis that cost the company customers and reputation, getting rejected by VCs who made him question his worth, and learning that friendships (even in business) have to be earned, not assumed. Through it all, Jack kept returning to one framework: Dharma. Are you good at it? Are you passionate about it? Are you making an impact? Does it make you money? This conversation is about finding that alignment—and what happens when you finally do. Key Takeaways & Topics Jack's early experiences with ADHD, shame, and overcompensating through ambition Why taste and clinical dosing became Everyday Dose's differentiator Building supply chain and formulation knowledge from scratch Moving into his dad's garage and bootstrapping the first version of the brand VC rejection, self-worth, and learning to scale without outside validation The emotional toll and operational cost of battling large-scale counterfeit products How Jack defines dharma and why alignment is a founder's most reliable compass Retention as a strategy: treating existing customers better than new ones Why "you can do anything, but you can't do everything" His weekly retro practice with 35 team members: what's going well, what's not, what needs to change The hidden gene that affects 50% of us and why Jack built a coffee specifically for slow caffeine metabolizers The Failure Factor Podcast was brought to you by Off The Field Coaching. Explore working with one of our coaches at http://offthefieldcoaching.com  Hosted by Megan Bruneau: therapist, executive coach, speaker, Forbes contributor, and host of The Failure Factor. For more info, visit https://meganbruneau.com   Everyday Dose on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everydaydose  Everyday Dose: https://www.everydaydose.com Megan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meganjbruneau  Megan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-j-bruneau-m-a-rcc  Subscribe to the podcast newsletter at https://thefailurefactorpodcast.com 

It's rare to find someone whose career spans 18 years in automotive manufacturing and venture capital, but Charly Mgwani, Partner at Eclipse Ventures, has done exactly that. His journey from the factory floor at Toyota, Nissan, Tesla and Rivian to backing hard tech companies gives him a perspective many VCs don't have.We sit down with Charly to explore how first principles thinking (questioning assumptions and getting back to root causes) drives real innovation in manufacturing.He walks us through Tesla's early days when they were asking questions nobody in the automotive industry had thought to ask, like whether robots could be programmed to work faster or if there was a better way to design for manufacturing.The conversation covers what Eclipse looks for in the founders they support, why being scrappy can lead to better manufacturing decisions, and why old manufacturing principles need rethinking as the industry flows in the opposite direction.In this episode, find out:How first principles thinking challenges manufacturing assumptions and unlocks innovationWhy asking “why not?” opens possibilities that “that's how it's always been done” closes offThe critical relationship between product design and manufacturability that many companies overlookWhat Charly learned about manufacturing during his time at Toyota and NissanWhy being capital-constrained can force creativity and focus in manufacturingThe questions Tesla asked that nobody in automotive had thought to ask beforeWhat Eclipse Ventures looks for in the founders they back and why that matters for hard tech companiesEnjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It's feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!Tweetable Quotes:“I was ten years into my career when Elon was asking questions that had never been asked in automotive before. By forcing us to think about things from a first principle, we started identifying levers like part consolidation that are now commonplace in manufacturing today.”“Most folks design a factory as just what's inside the shell, but then you end up with over-built systems that don't speak to each other. If you design it as one product, like how a vehicle would be designed, there are more synergistic opportunities to simplify the utilities and make them complimentary.”“Manufacturing until recently has always flowed towards low labor costs and consolidation in pursuit of economies of scale. But now it's flowing in the other direction, so that means you can't depend on previous principles and how manufacturing has always been designed.”Links & mentions:Eclipse Ventures, partnering with entrepreneurs boldly transforming the essential industries that define and propel economies. Nexiforge, reindustrializing America with AI-Powered factories for contract manufacturing.Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Marius Meiners, Mitgründer von Peec AI, spricht über die brandneue 21-Millionen-Dollar-Finanzierungsrunde mit Singular und wie er in nur 10 Monaten 4 Millionen Dollar ARR aufgebaut hat. Er teilt offen die absurden Wachstumserwartungen von Tier-1-VCs (10x im zweiten Jahr!), warum er glaubt, dass eine AI-Blase bevorsteht, wie du schon heute deine Sichtbarkeit in KI-Chats wie ChatGPT erhöhst und warum Deutschland makroökonomisch "verloren" haben soll. Was du lernst: Fundraising & Growth: Wie du in 10 Monaten auf 4 Millionen Dollar ARR kommst Warum Peec AI sich für ein früheres Raising entschieden hat Die extremen Wachstumserwartungen der VCs (10x im zweiten Jahr) Woran du erkennst, dass die AI-Blase ihren Höhepunkt erreicht Wie ihr 30 Millionen Dollar eingesammelt habt, ohne euch lange gekannt zu haben Skalierung & Fokus: Die richtige Balance zwischen Timing und Execution finden Warum Revenue Alignment im Gründerteam entscheidend ist Wie man Entscheidungen trifft und den Fokus hält, wenn man Momentum hat Warum Peec AI auf Mass Market/PLG statt Enterprise setzt Wie Marius die 21 Millionen Dollar in 12–18 Monaten ausgeben will AI SEO & Content-Strategie: Warum Google SEO im KI-Zeitalter irrelevant wird Die besten Low-Hanging-Fruits für AI Search (Listicles & Bottom-of-Funnel) Wie du Sichtbarkeit in LLMs wie ChatGPT & Perplexity misst (Visibility Score) Wie du Content für KI-Antworten optimierst (Frage-Antwort-Prinzip) Wer sich heute nicht mit AI Search beschäftigen muss Vision & Standort: Warum Deutschland makroökonomisch "verloren" hat Die Vor- und Nachteile des Gründens in Europa (Talent War vs. Kosten) Was die nächste große AI-Welle sein wird (Full-Stack AI Companies & Workspace) ALLES ZU UNICORN BAKERY: https://stan.store/fabiantausch   Mehr zum Gast: LinkedIn: de.linkedin.com/in/mariusmeiners Website: https://peec.ai/ Join our Founder Tactics Newsletter: 2x die Woche bekommst du die Taktiken der besten Gründer der Welt direkt ins Postfach: https://www.tactics.unicornbakery.de/ Kapitel: (00:00:00) Die 21 Millionen Dollar Runde & AI-Bubble (00:03:25) 4 Millionen ARR in 10 Monaten (00:04:05) Timing vs. Execution im AI-Space (00:05:58) Positionierung: Warum Mass-Market/PLG (00:09:48) Fokus und Entscheidungen im Team (00:10:24) Gründen ohne sich lange zu kennen (00:16:00) Revenue Alignment: Die wichtigste Mentalität (00:17:23) Die Rolle des CTOs: Vom Coden zum Business Alignment (00:19:47) Verrückte VC-Wachstumserwartungen (00:25:18) Auswahl des Investors: Person, Portfolio, Brand (00:28:56) Der Plan: Was passiert mit 21 Millionen Dollar? (00:32:02) Onboarding: 40 neue Mitarbeiter in fünf Monaten (00:35:10) In-house vs. Outsourcing (Recruiting, Design) (00:36:29) Wie die Idee zu Peec AI entstand (00:39:06) AI SEO: Was ist Gio und wen muss es interessieren? (00:41:21) Content-Strategie für ChatGPT (00:44:17) Sichtbarkeit in LLMs messen (Visibility Score) (00:45:52) Low-Hanging-Fruits für AI Search (00:51:04) Margins don't matter? Die Pricing-Wette (00:52:14) Defensibility: Der neue Burggraben im AI-Space (00:55:38) Die nächste große AI-Opportunity (00:59:21) Die Rolle Europas und Deutschlands im Tech-Wettbewerb

In this episode, we sit down with a true legend of the tech and investing world, Fabrice Grinda, Founding Partner at FJ Labs. With a track record that includes founding the global classifieds giant OLX (used by 350M+ people), achieving over 350 exits as an investor, and being named the #1 Angel Investor by Forbes, Fabrice shares a masterclass on what it takes to win in the world of startups.We dive deep into his incredible journey, from leaving McKinsey at 23 to chasing his entrepreneurial dream, to the bold "spaghetti on the wall" strategy of launching OLX in 100+ countries simultaneously.Fabrice gets candid about nearly going bankrupt, borrowing money on his credit cards to make payroll, and the resilience it took to build a company to $200 million in revenue.You'll also hear the untold story of how he tried to buy the "Alibaba.com" domain from a then-unknown Jack Ma, and the pattern recognition that allowed him to become an early investor in future giants like Alibaba, Airbnb, and Flexport.If you're an entrepreneur, investor, or just fascinated by what it takes to build and identify world-changing companies, this conversation is packed with priceless insights.⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.comVC10X website - https://vc10x.comFJ Labs website - https://fjlabs.com/Fabrice Grinda on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabricegrinda/

Welcome to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast! In today's episode, we're joined by Leslie Ewing  to discuss Driving Change in Canada's Plant-Based Industry: Insights from Plant Based Foods of Canada.With over twenty-five years of experience in the consumer-packaged goods sector, Leslie Ewing has been instrumental in shaping Canada's plant-based foods industry. As Executive Director of Plant-Based Foods of Canada (PBFC), she has built one of the first globally recognized plant-based organizations, creating a farm-to-fork membership that fosters collaboration, research, and industry growth. Under her leadership, PBFC has become a unified voice for manufacturers, ingredient companies, VCs, brokers, distributors, and retailers, driving market expansion and consumer adoption. Leslie was key in establishing the Plant-Based Foods Global Alliance, working alongside international partners to align efforts and support the plant-based sector worldwide. She also led the launch of Canada's first National Plant-Based Food Week, creating a platform to showcase the industry's innovation and potential. A firm believer in data-driven decision-making, she champions the use of market insights and consumer research to inform industry strategies and strengthen advocacy efforts. In addition to her leadership in the plant-based sector, Leslie has extensive experience advising and driving strategic growth for small to mid-sized companies through her own consulting company. She has worked as both an outside expert and an executive for hire, helping businesses refine their strategic direction, navigate market challenges, and accelerate growth. Her past leadership roles include Program Director for the Nutrition Facts Education Campaign, a pioneering public-private partnership with Health Canada, and Executive Director of the Confectionery Manufacturers Association of Canada. She is passionate about driving innovation, collaboration, and sustainable growth in the plant-based sector.Plant Based Foods of Canada's Socials:Website: www.plantbasedfoodscanada.caLinkedin: Plant Based Foods of CanadaInstagram & Facebook: plantbasedcanLeslie Ewing's Socials:LinkedIn:  leslieeewingPlant-Based Canada's Socials:Instagram  (@plantbasedcanadaorg)Facebook (Plant-Based Canada, https://m.facebook.com/plantbasedcanadaorg/)Website  (https://www.plantbasedcanada.org/)X / Twitter @PBC_orgBonus PromotionCheck out University of Guelph's online Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate. Each 4-week course will guide you through essential plant-based topics including nutritional benefits, disease prevention, and environmental impacts. You can also customize your learning with unique courses such as Plant-Based Diets for Athletes and Implementing a Plant-Based Diet at Home. As the first university-level plant-based certificate in Canada, you'll explore current research, learn from leading industry experts, and join a community of like-minded people. Use our exclusive discount code PBC2025 to save 10% on all Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate courses. uoguel.ph/pbn.Thank you for tuning in! Make sure to subscribe to the Plant-Based Canada Podcast so you get notified when new episodes are published. This episode was hosted by Stephanie Nishi RD, PhD.Support the show

Hello, listeners, and welcome back to First Principles, Episode 48, or the 7th episode of season 3. This is part 2 of the conversation.The host, Rohin Dharmakumar, first crossed paths with Deepak Abbot back in April 2015, even before The Ken had been founded. Rohin was chasing down an insightful breakdown of the tech ecosystem's huge user numbers during the Free Basics debate, and Deepak, a veteran operator and former product head at Paytm, was the go-to source for his data-filled, analytical posts.That same data-driven curiosity is what led Deepak to walk away from corporate life in 2019. He was clear: he didn't want to just manage; he had years left to actively "build products, you know, with my own hands". What he built was Indiagold, targeting the massive opportunity of gold in a market VCs often dismissed as an 'old economy product'.In this episode, Rohin sat down with Deepak Abbot, co-founder of Indiagold, to discuss how they are transforming India's massive $1.5 trillion gold reserve—an asset often locked away and doing nothing—into a productive force. Deepak calls this gold a "dead asset" and explains that Indiagold's mission is to change the mindset around it. They are not just giving gold loans; they are monetising a secured asset for the 250 million Indians who are excluded from formal credit due to thin or non-existent credit scores. By enabling customers to safely leverage their gold reserve, the company helps jumpstart a formal credit history and provides essential working capital.Listen in as Deepak charts his operator-to-founder journey, shares how he navigated initial VC skepticism, and details the strategy behind turning a seemingly archaic commodity into a modern fintech solution for one of India's most fundamental credit problems. Plus, a fascinating look inside a unique company culture, including why Indiagold operates without a CEO.*****This episode was mixed and mastered by Rajiv CN.Write to us at fp@the-ken.com with your feedback, suggestions, and guests you would want to see on First Principles.If you enjoyed this episode, please help us spread the word by sharing and gifting it to your friends and family.***** Join The Ken as a Podcast Producer and work with India's most ambitious storytellers! We're creating a podcast about India's biggest companies, with each episode backed by weeks of deep research. You'll lead the workflows that turn that research into exceptional narratives and bring the show to listeners around the world. Join us to help shape something exceptional. Check out the details and apply here. 

SummaryIn this episode of the In/organic Podcast, co-host Christian Hassold shares insights from the KPMG Technology M&A Conference, discussing the current landscape of mergers and acquisitions, particularly in the tech sector. In this episode, Christian shares highlights from the conference, including the pervasive influence of AI on M&A decisions, the challenges and opportunities presented by the AI investing landscape, and the importance of creative deal structures in navigating the current market dynamics. The episode also covers the “operator's dilemma” faced by CEOs - that is, the rise in peer pressure to do M&A, and what are the best practices are from leading strategics. Finally, Hassold provides an overview of current B2B SaaS deal activity and market trends based on Pitchbook data.TakeawaysThe KPMG M&A Conference provided valuable insights into current market dynamics.AI is a major factor influencing M&A decisions and strategies.VCs are increasingly making investments in AI startups without getting governance rights, and not always checking the underlying economics of the businessThe operator's dilemma highlights the challenges that CEOs face in mergers and acquisitions (M&A).Corporate development roles are seeing a significant increase in demand.Top CEOs simplify their M&A strategies to focus on core problems.Deal activity in the tech sector is on the rise, indicating a healthy market.Earnouts are becoming a significant component of deal structures.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Context of the Episode02:50 Insights from the KPMG M&A and Tech Conference06:04 AI's Pervasive Influence on Tech and M&A08:54 The AI Investing Landscape11:40 Deal Structures Sparking Innovation16:42 The Operator's Dilemma in M&A21:48 Corporate Development and Deal Activity24:38 Priorities in M&A for Corporates vs. Private Equity29:19 Case Studies of Successful M&A Strategies32:59 Market Update on Deal Activity and EarnoutsConnect with Christian and AyeletAyelet's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayelet-shipley-b16330149/Christian's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hassold/Web: https://www.inorganicpodcast.coIn/organic on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InorganicPodcast/featuredEpisode ReferencesKPMG M&A Conference AgendaKPMG 2025 Deal Market Study (buyer priorities)Kirkland & Ellis M&A Bring Down Report 2025 (earnout data) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

En este episodio analizamos el ecosistema emprendedor de Venezuela, cómo funcionan eventos como el Tech Day Caracas y qué podemos aprender de startups como Ridery y Cashéa, que crecieron en condiciones extremas. Hablamos de cómo emprender en LATAM, cómo escalar negocios con recursos limitados y qué distingue a los founders que avanzan incluso sin acceso a capital.También revisamos en detalle las mentiras del Venture Capital, los errores más comunes al buscar inversión y las señales reales que un fondo analiza antes de invertir. Explicamos cómo piensan los VCs, qué industrias priorizan, por qué el consumo es más fácil de fondear y cuáles son las estrategias de fundraising que funcionan en 2025.Además, exploramos el debate bootstrapping vs vender tu startup, cómo cambia la vida del founder después de un exit y por qué muchos emprendedores logran más felicidad y autonomía sin inversores externos.Finalmente, hacemos un análisis de la situación global de startups y AI, incluyendo las evaluaciones récord de OpenAI, el rol de los fondos soberanos y cómo estas inversiones están transformando el mapa de oportunidades en tecnología.Ideal para emprendedores, founders, inversores, developers, y cualquier persona que quiera entender cómo construir empresas en 2026.__Links del episodio:Empire of AI: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/222725518-empire-of-ai?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=JrJ0YPo7O4&rank=1A man for all markets: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30194505-a-man-for-all-marketsThe art of spending money: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/231148075-the-art-of-spending-moneyRemove Paywall: removepaywall.comVenezuela Summit: https://www.startupvenezuelasummit.com/#day-30-oct__Muchas gracias a nuestro Sponsor, Analytics Town por apoyar este episodio!¿Quieres crear un producto basado en inteligencia artificial pero no sabes por dónde empezar?En Analytics Town te ayudamos a diseñar tu nuevo producto y modelo de negocio, desde la estrategia hasta la ejecución del software con módulos de IA.Descubrimos oportunidades para tu empresa y validamos tu idea.Armamos el diseño funcional y el modelo de negocio.Diseñamos y desarrollamos tu producto potenciado con Inteligencia Artificial.Te acompañamos en todo el proceso, desde la idea hasta convertirlo en negocio rentable...Si mencionas que vienes de Indie vs Unicornio, te llevas el primer diagnóstico gratis!

In this week's episode, Ryan, Chris, and Courtney sit down with Mihailo Bozic, a dynamic 25-year-old entrepreneur whose journey from Australia to New York City embodies the classic immigrant founder story. With Serbian roots and a background in Finance and Economics from the University of Western Australia, Mihailo has already launched two impactful startups tackling real-world problems. From his first venture Envited, a social media app revolutionizing student event planning, to his current company Migrate Mate, a job board helping immigrants find visa-sponsored roles in the U.S., Mihailo shares how he bootstrapped his way to $500K ARR in just three months and built a community of over 16,000 job seekers. We dive into: The challenges of startup funding and scaling How viral LinkedIn marketing helped Migrate Mate explode Building a 15M+ follower base from a meme page Lessons from pitching to VCs as an immigrant founder Given the uncertainty surrounding today's labor market, the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, evolving U.S. immigration policies, and the shifting landscape of American entrepreneurship, this episode offers timely and thought-provoking insights into the state of the modern U.S. economy. Whether you're an investor, an aspiring entrepreneur, an immigrant chasing opportunity, or simply someone who loves a good hustle story—this conversation is packed with inspiration, practical wisdom, and real-world perspective.

On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Stephen Brittain, co-founder of InsurTech Gateway, a pioneering venture builder focused on bringing early-stage startups into the heart of the insurance world – a regulated industry that typically moves at glacial speed. Over the past decade, Stephen has helped launch and scale ventures inside one of the most regulated, risk-averse business sectors on the planet: the insurance space. He has been the spark for innovation inside large insurance corporates and the strategic partner for founders who wanted to navigate the labyrinth of regulation, procurement and distribution at scale. In other words: he has been solving the archetypal “how to innovate inside a large enterprise” question while keeping the spirit of a startup alive. KEY TAKEAWAYS I was a product /service designer, and I found myself – through building bigger and bigger products – coming up against risk, and I saw risk as a constraint. I knew that if I could only understand risk better that I might be able to do bigger and bolder and better projects. That's how I outgrew product design and moved into insurance. InsurTech Gateway's original intention was to find amazing founders and fast-track them into market with enough creative energy to survive, adapt and evolve in an environment where your first idea had to be your fixed idea. Today we give founders greater agility to learn and evolve, because no one ever knows what to do when they first start, it's a learning journey. The upside, the enthusiasm, the opportunity framing of entrepreneurialism and venturing gets everybody started, rallies people together. But, an a bad day, the downside view is actually the long-term sustainability of any new category. VCs and insurers have never sat round the table together. BEST MOMENTS  ‘The opportunity was not to make insurance sexy, it was to look at the secret powers of insurance to create mutual models to work at scale, to unlock lending and put trust into ecosystems that didn't exist before.'  ‘One of the biggest challenges in InsurTech is; to get a successful outcome from something that looked great on day 1 but didn't evolve into the opportunity.' ‘Pattern recognition has never been higher and the cost to entry and experimentation has never been lower. We recognise what works and what doesn't much better, but can we validate it with an insurer and get them onside? I think we still need to work out the connectivity.' ‘If you can work with innovators, and you understand risk, and you can help unlock that innovation, you can make it sustainable.' ABOUT THE GUESTS Stephen Brittain is the Co-Founder of InsurTech Gateway, the world's first authorised venture builder and fund focused on insurtech. A true pioneer at the intersection of innovation, investment, and impact, Stephen has spent the past decade turning bold ideas into scalable ventures that redefine how insurance and technology collide. ABOUT THE HOST Sabine is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur. She is the CEO and Managing Partner of Alchemy Crew a venture lab that accelerates the curation, validation, & commercialization of new tech business models. Sabine is renowned within the insurance sector for building some of the most renowned tech startup accelerators around the world working with over 30 corporate insurers, accelerated over 100 startup ventures. Sabine is the co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, a top 50 Women in Tech, a FinTech and InsurTech Influencer, an investor & multi-award winner. Twitter LinkedIn Instagram Facebook  TikTok Email Website This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

Joyce and Laura are done with clunky finance tools. So they built Investrio, an AI bookkeeper for solopreneurs. With only 25 paying customers in a market where QuickBooks reigns supreme, will the VCs make an early bet? This is The Pitch for Investrio. Featuring investors Charles Hudson, Elizabeth Yin, Jesse Middleton, and Dawn Dobras. ... Watch Joyce's pitch uncut on Patreon (@ThePitch) Subscribe to our email newsletter: insider.pitch.show Learn more about The Pitch Fund: thepitch.fund *Disclaimer: No offer to invest in Investrio is being made to or solicited from the listening audience on today's show. The information provided on this show is not intended to be investment advice and should not be relied upon as such. The investors on today's episode are providing their opinions based on their own assessment of the business presented. Those opinions should not be considered professional investment advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ep. 378 “What matters is that you're building something people want. The VCs will come once they see that there is something exciting.” Kipp and guest  Erica Wenger, of Park Rangers Capital, dive into the hidden playbooks behind companies that actually win in today's hyper-competitive tech landscape. Learn more on why distribution is the new moat for startups, what it means to build in public and harness cult-like communities, and which AI tools are truly overrated (and underrated) for marketers and founders right now.  Mentions Erica Wenger https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-wenger-ms-811b80132 Park Rangers Capital https://www.parkrangerscap.com/ beehiiv https://www.beehiiv.com/ Clay https://www.clay.com/ Granola https://www.granola.ai/ Get our guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/customgpt We're creating our next round of content and want to ensure it tackles the challenges you're facing at work or in your business. To understand your biggest challenges we've put together a survey and we'd love to hear from you! https://bit.ly/matg-research Resource [Free] Steal our favorite AI Prompts featured on the show! Grab them here: https://clickhubspot.com/aip We're on Social Media! Follow us for everyday marketing wisdom straight to your feed YouTube: ​​https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGtXqPiNV8YC0GMUzY-EUFg  Twitter: https://twitter.com/matgpod  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@matgpod  Join our community https://landing.connect.com/matg Thank you for tuning into Marketing Against The Grain! Don't forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Apple Podcasts (so you never miss an episode)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934   If you love this show, please leave us a 5-Star Review https://link.chtbl.com/h9_sjBKH and share your favorite episodes with friends. We really appreciate your support. Host Links: Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar   Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat  ‘Marketing Against The Grain' is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Produced by Darren Clarke.

SaaStr 829: A Hands-On Guide to SaaStr's New AI Tools with SaaStr CEO and Founder Jason Lemkin We delve into the functionalities of our SaaStr AI tools, including the AI Mentor, which has been engaged over 100,000 times, providing answers to various startup-related queries.   You'll see a demonstration of how our AI VC tools, including a startup valuation calculator, pitch deck analyzer, and benchmarking tool, work effectively to help startups understand their valuations, get honest feedback on pitch decks, and connect with VCs.   Additionally, explore our newly launched VC matchmaking system and other AI agents that have been integral in automating and enhancing SaaStr's operations. Experience these tools firsthand and discover how they can add value to your startup journey. Visit SaaStr.ai to access these tools for free and see the comprehensive suite of AI agents that we use.   00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:14 Exploring SaaStr AI Tools 01:15 Deep Dive into Digital Jason 04:20 AI VC Tools and Fundraising 05:26 Startup Valuation Calculator 06:07 Pitch Deck Analyzer 16:16 Benchmarking Your Startup 18:51 VC Matchmaking and Research 21:58 Conclusion and Q&A   --------------------- This episode is Sponsored in part by Salesforce: Connect data, automate busywork and empower teams like nobody's business with the one platform that grows with you, every step of the way. Learn how Salesforce works for Startups at salesforce.com/smb.   --------------------- If you're serious about B2B and AI, you need to be in London this December.   SaaStr AI London is bringing together more than 2,000 leaders and founders for two days of practical advice on scaling into the new year.    We'll have speakers flying in from OpenAI, Wiz, Clay, Intercom, and all your favorite SaaS companies, including yours truly with Harry Stebbings for a live 20VC podcast. It'll be fun, and it's all in the heart of London.    Don't miss out: get your tickets with my exclusive discount by going to podcast.saastrlondon.com   ---------------------   Hey everybody, the biggest B2B + AI event of the year will be back - SaaStr AI in the SF Bay Area, aka the SaaStr Annual, will be back in May 2026.    With 68% VP-level and above, 36% CEOs and founders and a growing 25% AI-first professional, this is the very best of the best S-tier attendees and decision makers that come to SaaStr each year.     But here's the reality, folks: the longer you wait, the higher ticket prices can get. Early bird tickets are available now, but once they're gone, you'll pay hundreds more so don't wait.    Lock in your spot today by going to podcast.saastrannual.com to get my exclusive discount SaaStr AI SF 2026. We'll see you there.

Reid Hoffman, Stacy Brown-Philpot, and Aileen Lee are three of the most successful, legendary leaders and investors in Silicon Valley. (The term “unicorn” for a startup valued at a billion dollars? Well, Aileen coined that.) This power trio sat down with journalist Van Jones live onstage at the 2025 Masters of Scale Summit, October 8 in San Francisco, to share candid snapshots of the investor's mindset during this time of rapid change. Learn why VCs have dramatically shifted the way they invest in entrepreneurs this year, how companies can stand out in the crowded AI space, their personal green lights or red flags, and how players on all sides can adapt.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Reid Hoffman, Stacy Brown-Philpot, and  Aileen Lee are three of the most successful, legendary leaders and investors in Silicon Valley. (The term “unicorn” for a startup valued at a billion dollars? Well, Aileen coined that.) This power trio sat down with journalist Van Jones live onstage at the 2025 Masters of Scale Summit, October 8 in San Francisco, to share candid snapshots of the investor's mindset during this time of rapid change. Learn why VCs have dramatically shifted the way they invest in entrepreneurs this year, how companies can stand out in the crowded AI space, their personal green lights or red flags, and how players on all sides can adapt.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As AI shifts from training to inference, founders, investors and VCs face a new frontier: the physical infrastructure that enables massive compute.  In this episode, Frazer and Éanna discuss:  The hidden development lifecycle of a hyperscale build - from dirt to green lights - and what that means for build‑to‑suit strategies. Why power, latency and land have become the new scalers of value, and how to spot when infrastructure constraints turn into opportunity. How investors and founders can position themselves early in this "third wave" of data‑centre build‑out to win sub‑1% of the market before it becomes crowded. — Éanna Murphy is CEO and Founder of Montera Infrastructure, a Stonepeak-backed datacenter developer focused on single tenant hyperscale campuses in North America. With over 17 years in the digital infrastructure industry, Éanna has held senior roles at Google and Yondr, scaling global delivery and operations across five continents. He serves on the boards of Digital Edge and H&MV Engineering, as an advisor to XYZ Reality and Beacon AI Centers and an Operating Partner at Stonepeak.  Éanna brings a global perspective shaped by deep experience across Digital Infrastructure, tech and capital markets. Originally from Ireland, he now lives in California with his family and is a passionate sports fan, girls soccer coach and golfer.

"We're profitable, but VCs keep approaching us. Should I take their money or stay independent?"That's the question from Neil that kicked off this Post bag episode – and it's one that keeps founders up at night.Welcome to the Peer Effect Post bag, where James Johnson and Freddie Birley tackle your toughest founder questions. This week, we dig into the VC funding vs bootstrapping debate, exploring why profitable founders still consider taking investment and what really matters when making this decision.In this episode, we unpack:Why you need to get clear on what you actually want before considering VC moneyThe hidden reality of "giving up control" and what that really means day-to-dayWhy the grass always looks greener (VC founders want profitability, bootstrap founders want funding)How to evaluate if VC money is a vehicle for what you want or a distractionThe shift from executor to creator as you scale and how that affects your decisionPlus, Freddie shares her thoughts on presence, quality over quantity, and why being fully present transforms both relationships and business outcomes.

Hello, listeners, and welcome back to First Principles, Episode 48, or the 7th episode of season 3. This is part 1 of the conversation.The host, Rohin Dharmakumar, first crossed paths with Deepak Abbot back in April 2015, even before The Ken had been founded. Rohin was chasing down an insightful breakdown of the tech ecosystem's huge user numbers during the Free Basics debate, and Deepak, a veteran operator and former product head at Paytm, was the go-to source for his data-filled, analytical posts.That same data-driven curiosity is what led Deepak to walk away from corporate life in 2019. He was clear: he didn't want to just manage; he had years left to actively "build products, you know, with my own hands". What he built was Indiagold, targeting the massive opportunity of gold in a market VCs often dismissed as an 'old economy product'.In this episode, Rohin sat down with Deepak Abbot, co-founder of Indiagold, to discuss how they are transforming India's massive $1.5 trillion gold reserve—an asset often locked away and doing nothing—into a productive force. Deepak calls this gold a "dead asset" and explains that Indiagold's mission is to change the mindset around it. They are not just giving gold loans; they are monetising a secured asset for the 250 million Indians who are excluded from formal credit due to thin or non-existent credit scores. By enabling customers to safely leverage their gold reserve, the company helps jumpstart a formal credit history and provides essential working capital.Listen in as Deepak charts his operator-to-founder journey, shares how he navigated initial VC skepticism, and details the strategy behind turning a seemingly archaic commodity into a modern fintech solution for one of India's most fundamental credit problems. Plus, a fascinating look inside a unique company culture, including why Indiagold operates without a CEO.*****This episode was mixed and mastered by Rajiv CN.Write to us at fp@the-ken.com with your feedback, suggestions, and guests you would want to see on First Principles.If you enjoyed this episode, please help us spread the word by sharing and gifting it to your friends and family.*****

Chad Peets is one of the greatest sales leaders and recruiters of the last 25 years. From 2018 to 2023, Chad was a Managing Director at Sutter Hill Ventures. Chad has worked with the world's best CEOs and CROs to build world-class go-to-market organizations. Chad is currently a member of the Board of Directors for Lacework and Luminary Cloud and on the boards of Clumio and Sigma Computing. He previously served as a board member for Astronomer, Transposit, and others. He was an early-stage investor at Snowflake, Sigma, Observe, Lacework, and Clumio. In Today's Discussion with Chad Peet's We Discuss: 1. You Need a CRO Pre-Product: Why does Chad believe that SaaS companies need a CRO pre-product? Should the founder not be the right person to create the sales playbook? What should the founder look for in their first CRO hire? Does any great CRO really want to go back to an early startup and do it again? 2. What Everyone Gets Wrong in Building Sales Teams: Why are most sales reps not performing? How long does it take for sales teams to ramp? How does this change with PLG and enterprise? What are the benchmarks of good vs great for average sales reps? How do founders and VCs most often hurt their sales teams and performance? 3. How to Build a Hiring Machine: What are the single biggest mistakes people make when hiring sales reps and teams? Are sales people money motivated? How to create comp plans that incentivise and align? Why does Chad believe that any sales rep that does not want to be in the office, is not putting their career and development first? Why is it harder than ever to recruit great sales leaders today? 4. Lessons from Scaling Sales at Snowflake: What are the single biggest lessons of what worked from scaling Snowflake's sales team? What did not work? What would he do differently with the team again? What did Snowflake teach Chad about success and culture and how they interplay together?  

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 Max Spero of Pangram, an AI detector tool. We talk about the challenges of AI in the classroom when it comes to plagiarism, and tips for how to use AI the right way to generate good content. Max also shares his journey from the Stanford dormitories to raising $4m from Semil Shah of Haystack Ventures and Kevin O'Connor of ScOp VC. Learn more at https://www.pangram.com/. 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

When Adam and Patrik met on the Slovakian National Swim team, they never imagined they'd build a startup together in the US. Can they get the VCs on board with their made-in-America electric mini skid steer, or will the blue collar market scare them away? This is The Pitch for STAG. Featuring investors Elizabeth Yin, Jesse Middleton, Laura Lucas, and Mike Ma. ... Watch Adam and Patrik's pitch uncut on Patreon (@ThePitch) Subscribe to our email newsletter: insider.pitch.show Learn more about The Pitch Fund: thepitch.fund RSVP for one of our LP meetups: pitch.show/events *Disclaimer: No offer to invest in STAG is being made to or solicited from the listening audience on today's show. The information provided on this show is not intended to be investment advice and should not be relied upon as such. The investors on today's episode are providing their opinions based on their own assessment of the business presented. Those opinions should not be considered professional investment advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices