Listen Now

Taylor Clauson, the Founder and Managing Partner at Abstraction Capital, talks about how he builds conviction from the founder’s ‘why story’. Taylor highlights the challenges faced by technical founders outside Silicon Valley and New York, and discusses what really affects alpha in a founder. In this episode, you’ll learn: 4:42 Why the ‘why story’ is more important than the pitch deck 8:50 Bangalore is closer to San Francisco than Sacramento is 15:17 There’s always a chance to turn a ‘no’ into a ‘yes’. 20:13 “I'm bullish on overlooked founders” - Taylor Clauson The non-profit organizations Taylor is passionate about: Big Brothers Big SistersAbout Guest Speaker Taylor Clauson is the Founder and Managing Partner of Abstraction Capital. Taylor invests in early-stage B2B companies that are building tools for developer productivity and software infrastructure. He spent 7 years at a Kansas-City based firm called OpenAir Equity Partners, investing in and building IoT and data companies. Also, he is a Kauffman fellow, class 23.About Abstraction Capital Abstraction Capital is a Kansas-based early-stage venture capital firm building tools for developers and software infrastructure. Abstraction also focuses on companies building dev tools and workflow automation that reduces the time required to build, deploy, and measure the performance of the software.Next Episode In our next episode, we welcome Jasleen Kaur, an investor at Nyca Partners, to talk about how she finds investment opportunities across wealth tech, SMB technology, and ESG areas. Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode. Follow Us:  Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook

Ariana Thacker, founding partner at Conscience VC, dispels some myths about venture capital. Ariana talks about how entrepreneurial experience influences the investment playbook. She also shares her thoughts on qualities of a founder that she thinks are more important post-COVID. In this episode, you’ll learn: 6:52 Is a bit more entrepreneurial experience a drawback? 9:45 Why founders with non-traditional paths into venture are becoming more interesting to VCs 12:01 Do you need an investor network for your company to get in front of investors? 15:23 Barrier to entry litmus test 19:05 Founder’s resourcefulness vs geographic location: Which is more important? The non-profit organization that Ariana is passionate about: Society of Women EngineersAbout Guest Speaker Ariana Thacker is the Founding Partner at Conscience VC. Ariana is a technical investor with technical expertise spanning Fortune 500 companies to early-stage start-ups. She is also a community leader for diversity. She allocates 50% of her portfolio to diverse and female founders. Ariana tenured as President of Society of Women Engineers and is the founder of congressionally-recognized philanthropic organization. Fun fact: Ariana writes poetry & rapAbout Conscience VC Conscience VC is a Miami-based early-stage fund pioneering the intersection of consumer and science.  Portfolio companies include Shapeways, Nimbus, Wave Life, Aqua Cultured Foods, Last Gameboard, Harmony Baby Nutrition among others.Next Episode In our next episode, we welcome Taylor Clauson, the Founder and Managing Partner at Abstraction Capital, to talk about how he builds conviction from the founder’s ‘why story’. Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode.  Follow Us:  Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook

Andrew Scott, a founding partner at 7percent Ventures, talks about distilling the essence of your vision and your business into the deck. Andrew shares wisdom that he’s gained from his experience working with entrepreneurs across different geographies. He also gives his perspective of how the startup ecosystem in Europe needs to change. In this episode, you’ll learn: [2:11] How the venture ecosystem is growing in Europe [7:34] Why taking money from the wrong investor is the worst thing a founder can do [14:15] Tips on how to make your pitch deck say less but be more impactful [19:50] Essential components of strong investor-founder relationships The non-profit organizations Andrew is passionate about: The International Conclave of Entrepreneurs (ICE)About Guest Speaker Andrew Scott is a founding partner at 7percent Ventures. Currently based in London & Lisbon, Andrew has been an investor since 2014, has 20 years’ experience in technology, and is a founder of 6 startups. His specialisms include D2C, social & market networks, B2B SaaS and quantum computing. Andrew is also co-founder of ICE, a non-profit global network of tech founders and investors, established in 2009.About 7percent Ventures 7percent Ventures is a London-based venture capital firm that invests in early stage tech startups which represent billion dollar opportunities. The firm focuses on next generation early stage tech investing, bridging Europe and the USA. 7percent portfolio companies include Challau, Earnr, Neurolabs, Gensyn, Hybryd, Volta, Versadex, among others.Next Episode Coming up in Episode 96, we welcome Taylor Clauson, the managing partner at Abstraction Capital to talk about the importance of telling your why story. Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode that will drop next Tuesday.  Follow Us:  Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook

Kfir Kachlon, the Co-founder and General Partner at 91 Ventures, shares his journey from being a lawyer to investing in deep tech startups. Kfir explains why he likes debating hard questions with founding teams. In addition, he points out key things founders need to do when pitching for the investor to see their startup as a great investment. In this episode, you’ll learn: 5:24 The product may change, but the character and abilities of the founding team is something you can bank on. 7:04 How mentorship makes accelerator programs all worth it. 11:34 How to convince an investor that your startup is a good investment for him and his LPs 15:01 Hard questions expose the behavior, dynamics and vibe of the founding team. The non-profit organizations Kfir is passionate about: Magen David Adom in IsraelAbout Guest Speaker Kfir Kachlon is the Co-founder and General Partner at 91 Ventures. He is an early-stage investor focused on supporting brilliant teams who are building industry-defining tech startups. Kfir previously founded AnD Ventures, an early-stage VC firm focused on the Israeli startup ecosystem.  Prior to founding AnD Ventures, he was a senior member of OurCrowd’s investments team and the FrontierTech and AgriFood technologies lead at OurCrowd, where he led dozens of investments in cutting-edge technologies.About 91 Ventures 91 Ventures is a new Israeli early-stage venture capital firm focused on deep tech startups.Next Episode Coming up in Episode 95, we welcome Andrew Scott, founding partner at 7percent Ventures. Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode.  Follow Us:  Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook

Jake Gibson, the Founding Partner at Better Tomorrow Ventures, gives a refreshing view of how FinTech is going to touch every part of the world. Jake discusses how the market downturn has impacted startups and gives a FinTech VC’s point of view on key Web3 trends. In this episode, you’ll learn: 1:32 It's way too early to say anything like ‘FinTech is overdone’ or ‘FinTech is dead’.  13:50 Does a playbook exist for raising startup capital in the current market downturn? 19:48 Web 3: many entrepreneurs following the hype; investors looking for impact 23:27 Why ‘move fast and break things’ is not a good strategy for FinTech startups The non-profit organizations Jake is passionate about: GiveWellAbout Guest Speaker Jake Gibson is the Founding Partner at Better Tomorrow Ventures (BTV). Jake is one of the most active and most experienced FinTech venture capital investors. He's based in Silicon Valley and invests in very early-stage startups. Previously, he was an active angel investor and before that an investor at 500 FinTech. He is also the co-founder of NerdWallet, which is one of the earliest fintech startups. He served there as COO from 2010 to 2014. The personal finance company went public in 2021.About Better Tomorrow Ventures Better Tomorrow Ventures (BTV) is a Silicon Valley-based early-stage fintech-focused fund that leads rounds in pre-seed and seed-stage companies globally. BTV is currently investing out of its second fund, driven by the “Everything is FinTech” theme. Companies in its portfolio include Unit, Salsa, Amitruck, Vitt, Creditbook, FarmRaise, CloudTrucks among others. Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode. Follow Us:  Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook

Maryanna Saenko, Co-founder and Partner at Future Ventures, talks about what attracts caring investors to venture capital. Maryanna shares examples of her successful investments in deep tech and gives useful tips to help technical founders convince the investor in the first meeting. In this episode, you’ll learn:4:13 How can caring venture capitalists help in creating a more verdant future that is more equitable for all?11:28 Why you should understand your investor’s fund term/investment timeline13:45 Bring your technical team to the first meeting24:06 Tips for increasing transparency within the venture capital industry The non-profit organizations Maryanna is passionate about: World Central Kitchen, CAREAbout Guest Speaker Maryanna Saenko is a co-founder of Future Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in frontier technologies across diverse industries. Maryanna has an interest in robotics, quantum computing, biotechnology, aerospace, and the future of food. Previously she was at Khosla Ventures, and prior to that at DFJ, where she focused on frontier technology investments. She was also an investment partner at Airbus Ventures where she led a series of venture investments strategically aligned with Airbus’ future-of-aerospace initiatives. Before Airbus, Maryanna was a consultant at Lux Research and a research engineer at Cabot Corporation.About Future Ventures Future Ventures is a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm that invests in early-stage founder-led, mission-driven companies at the cutting edge of disruptive technology and new industry formation. The firm’s areas of focus include commercial space exploration, deep learning, quantum computing, robotics, AI, blockchain, sustainable transportation, synthetic biology and clean meat. Recent Future Ventures’ investments include: 64xBio, Alice Technologies, Beeflow, Cambrian, Commonwealth Fusion Systems, Copernic Catalysts, Deep Genomics, Doloromics, Earthshot Labs, Faeth, Gameto, Ockam, Opentrons, and Verdant Robotics. Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode. Follow Us:  Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook

Ayush Jain, a Senior Associate at Revolution’s Rise of The Rest seed fund, shares his career journey from engineering to product management to investing in entrepreneurs that are outside the traditional tech hubs. Ayush highlights some important trends that are disrupting the healthcare industry. He also explains why the “failing fast” mantra that people ascribe to entrepreneurship can be misleading. In this episode, you’ll learn: 5:13 How Revolution is making capital more accessible outside of San Francisco, Boston and New York 8:57 Perseverance stems from conviction in a problem you're solving. 17:04 What major trends are driving entrepreneurship within the healthcare sector? Non-profit that Ayush is passionate about: Minds MatterAbout Guest Speaker Ayush Jain is a Senior Associate at Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund (ROTR Seed). Ayush is responsible for investment sourcing, execution, and portfolio support. Before joining Revolution, he held lead roles in R&D, Global Marketing, and Global Product Management at Stryker and J&J. He previously spent several years in the MedTech space, at startups and Fortune 500 companies. Ayush designed, developed, and launched 3 breakthroughs, life-saving implants to treat brain aneurysms and peripheral vascular disease, which now collectively generate $300M+ in global revenues. Ayush also served as the Co-President of Minds Matter San Francisco, an education non-profit serving over 100 low-income high school students, where he raised $1M+ while leading the organization’s 350 volunteers.About Rise Of The Rest Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund (ROTR Seed) is a venture capital fund that invests catalytic capital in the most promising seed-stage companies located outside of Silicon Valley, New York City, and Boston. ROTR Seed sources and vets the best seed-stage opportunities in cities across the country through Rise of the Rest Road Trips and the yearly Rise of the Rest Summit. The fund has invested in many companies, among them Medzoomer, Insurate, Qwick, Dimension Inx, gennev, flytedesk, MEGH Computing, Lumenari, kidizen, ripple, Qoins, Stord and Branch. Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode. Follow Us:  Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook

Gale Wilkinson, founder and managing partner at Vitalize Venture Capital, shares her wisdom on building startups with entrepreneurs. Gale talks about investing in the future of work and future of learning technologies, and highlights the questions she asks founders to understand their north star. In this episode, you’ll learn: 4:44 What investors are looking for when they ask “Why did you pick this business?”  6:08 How the virtual experience trend is driving innovation 11:37 Themes that influence how we think about the future of work 16:39 Benefits of angel networks to investors and founders The non-profit organization that Gale is passionate about: Chicago BlendAbout Guest Speaker Gale Wilkinson is an angel investor and the Founder and Managing Partner at Vitalize, a seed fund and angel community investing in future of work + learning software. Gale is also a startup advisor and is currently a founding Board member of Chicago Blend, an organization focused on increasing diversity in VC and startups. Previously, Gale founded IrishAngels, one of the largest angel groups in the world. She also founded two failed startups, consulted for new product launches with Nielsen, and was part of the strategy team at Orbitz.About Vitalize Venture Capital Vitalize Venture Capital is a Chicago-based early-stage B2B software fund and 300+ member angel community investing in the high-potential future of work and future of learning technologies. Vitalize has offices in Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Portfolio companies include: CloudEagle, NOWHERE, The Mom Project, Toucan, Zingtree, Abstract, Enklu among others. Learn more about Vitalize Venture Capital on Vitalize’s YouTube channel and The VITALIZE Podcast. Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode that will drop next Tuesday.  Follow Us:  Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook

Joan Schmit, professor of risk and insurance at the Wisconsin School of Business, talks about risk management in business. As the program lead of Creative Destruction Lab-Wisconsin Risk Stream (CDL Risk), Professor Schmit discusses the objectives of the program, and gives examples of how connecting mentors and entrepreneurs through it is helping to improve society. In this episode, you’ll learn: 7:55 What’s the role of startups and founders in shaping the future of risk management? 13:01 Benefits of CDL Risk mentorship to entrepreneurs focused on risk and insurance 17:56 How can you participate in CDL’s mentorship program? Who are the mentors? Non-profit organization that Joan is passionate about: World Central KitchenAbout Guest Speaker Professor Joan Schmit holds the American Family Insurance Distinguished Chair in Risk Management and Insurance at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where she has been on the faculty since 1988. Professor Schmit has published extensively in insurance and legal journals. Among her areas of expertise include insurance regulation, microinsurance, reputation risk, enterprise risk management, and the interaction of law and economics in an insurance and risk management context. She is a lead with the Creative Destruction Lab-Risk, focusing on the Risk stream. With a goal of “transforming society’s ability to manage risk,” the stream is designed for seed-stage organizations with ventures focused on risk.About Creative Destruction Lab Creative Destruction Lab is a nonprofit organization that delivers an objectives-based program for massively scalable, seed-stage, science- and technology-based companies. Currently, CDL runs 16 Streams in 10 locations globally (five sites in Canada, three in the United States, and two in Europe). Ventures who are accepted to the program work with mentors to sharpen objectives, prioritize time and resources, and raise capital. Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode that will drop next Tuesday.  Follow Us:  Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook

Schwark Satyavolu, a General Partner at Trinity Ventures, shares lessons from his many years of experience as a founder, operator, technology executive, and now an investor. Schwark talks about unwillingly getting into FinTech when he was building Yodlee, and how he got into investing in crypto startups. He also gives an interesting explanation as to why he likes investing in naive fast learners. In this episode, you’ll learn: 1:52 The 2000 bubble burst forced me to (unwillingly) get into FinTech - Schwark 6:19 A similar thing that happened to FinTech is happening to crypto. 19:31 Why naive fast learners succeed in building big companies 22:57 Should you pause your startup building until the prevailing macroeconomic volatility eases? The non-profit organizations that Schwark is passionate about: Asha, PrathamAbout Guest Speaker Schwark Satyavolu is a General Partner at Trinity Ventures. A decades-long financial services insider, Schwark is a serial entrepreneur and inventor with 15 patents. He focuses on fintech, AI and security startups that are laying the fundamental building blocks for the technology-based ecosystems of the future. Before joining Trinity, Schwark co-founded two fintech companies, Yodlee (YDLE) and Truaxis. He also ran a $200 million division of Mastercard and served as a public company executive at LifeLock (acquired by Symantec).About Trinity Ventures Trinity Ventures is a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm that invests in passionate entrepreneurs who are transforming revolutionary ideas into reality.  Trinity focuses on early-stage investments in social commerce and entertainment, digital media, Saas, and cloud and infrastructure. The firm has invested in leading companies such as Aruba Networks, 21Vianet, Blue Nile, LoopNet, Photobucket, SciQuest, Starbucks, BeachMint, Infoblox, Trion Worlds and Zulily. Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode that will drop next Tuesday.  Follow Us:  Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook

Winter Mead, the founder and CEO of Coolwater Capital, tells us about Coolwater, a new organization that’s changing the way venture capital investors build new firms. Winter takes us behind the scenes to show us how venture capital works and how LPs think about the industry. In this episode, you’ll learn: 3:25 Why supporting emerging managers is critical to the growth of the venture capital ecosystem 8:53 How limited partners choose VCs 19:05 Why the venture capital ecosystem needs more innovation. Non-profit organization that Winter is passionate about: First GraduateAbout Guest Speaker Winter Mead is the Founder and CEO of Coolwater Capital. Winter’s mission is to enable capital markets by bringing transparency to venture capital. He has worked as a Limited Partner specializing in venture capital, and invested approximately $1-billion across 80 firms. He has been involved with two leading industry organizations: as a member of the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) and at the committee level of the Institutional Limited Partners Association (ILPA). Winter has authored the book “How To Raise A Venture Capital Fund: The Essential Guide on Fundraising and Understanding Limited Partners”, an enlightening read for any emerging VC. About Coolwater Capital Coolwater Capital (formerly Oper8r) is one of the world’s leading VC accelerators, striving to build the next generation of institutional VCs with their programs and resources. Coolwater views its core benefit for aspiring fund managers as demystifying the world of limited partners. Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode.  Follow Us:  Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook

Andy Kangpan, a Principal at Two Sigma Ventures, shares his experience supporting founders building enterprise software, cybersecurity, and crypto startups. Andy talks about the growth of decentralized finance (DeFi) and gives real-life risk management tips for entrepreneurs and investors wishing to venture into DeFi.  In this episode, you’ll learn: 4:15 Risk-taking for venture capital investors means thoughtfully making calculated bets on ideas that have a clear path to sustainability. 8:30 Ideas for finding unique insights into quickly growing nascent spaces 12:13 Decentralized finance represents a big paradigm shift, but are we there yet? 16:33 How risky is decentralized finance as an asset class? What should founders know before venturing into this field? The non-profit organization that Andy is passionate about: NYU Entrepreneurship InstituteAbout Guest Speaker Andy Kangpan is a Principal at Two Sigma Ventures. He currently focuses on investments in enterprise software, cybersecurity, and crypto. Andy has been an operator, advisor and investor. Prior to joining Two Sigma, he was an investor with ff Venture Capital where he invested in early-stage companies building innovative technologies in areas such as robotics and machine learning. Fun fact: In his spare time, Andy enjoys skateboarding, gaming, devouring science fiction, and going to concerts around the city.About Two Sigma Ventures Two Sigma Ventures is a New York City-based venture capital firm investing in transformative companies harnessing information growth and computing power to change the world. The firm supports data- and computing-driven transformation in every industry - from infrastructure tools and healthcare to real estate and consumer hardware. Its portfolio companies include Anomalo, Brella, Carbon, Enveda, Firedome, GitLab, Odeko, Remote, Radar among others.Next Week’s Episode Coming up next week in Episode 87, we welcome Winter Mead, the founder and CEO of Coolwater Capital. Coolwater is a new organization that is changing the way venture capital investors build new firms. Winter will take us behind the scenes to show us how venture capital works, how LPs think about the industry and what Coolwater is doing to revolutionize the sector. Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode that will drop next Tuesday.  Follow Us:  Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook

Paige Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures, shares her lessons from setting up her VC firm and writing her book ‘Seed to Venture’ about the venture process. Paige elaborates on her investment discipline and why she likes investing early in the future of work and future of play startups. In this episode, you’ll learn: 3:15 Entrepreneurs who are customer centric and who have a high build velocity are able to make proper shifts when things change rapidly. 5:24 Seed to Venture: A book about the world of venture, what it is, why it matters and how it works. 17:18 Socratic discussion of the market, entrepreneur, and opportunity makes the investment decision simpler. Non-profit organization that Paige is passionate about: All RaiseAbout Guest Speaker Paige Doherty is a Founding Partner at Behind Genius Ventures, investing in early-stage companies at the future of work and the future of play. She’s the author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults about venture.  Previously, Paige was a developer success engineer at WorkOS and TVC Capital. She also served as chief of staff at a stealth ecommerce startup, spent three years at Northrop Grumman in systems testing/product management, tutored SDSU students in calculus, and developed web & social content for various businesses.About Behind Genius Ventures Behind Genius Ventures is a next-gen venture capital firm that invests in product-led growth companies at the pre-seed/seed stage that are centered around the Future of Work and Future of Play. The firm has started investing its $5 million first fund in core investments including Pallet (a job site for independent creators), gamified fitness startup Aviron, and FYPM. Early backers of Behind Genius Ventures include Union Square Ventures’ Andy Weissman, Free- style’s Jenny Lefcourt, Bain Capital Ventures and Tribe Capital. Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode that will drop next Tuesday.  Follow Us:  Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook

Jonathan Heiliger, General Partner at Vertex Ventures, talks about how the startup ecosystem has changed, and explains why founders DO/DON’T need to be in Silicon Valley. Jonathan also sheds light on the problem of matchmaking. He proposes solutions for ensuring that founders meet and partner with investors who are fit for them. In this episode, you’ll learn: 4:27 A lot has changed in the startup ecosystem but Silicon Valley hasn’t lost its culture of supporting people. 16:05 What founders should expect when they work with investors and partners who run a concentrated portfolio. 24:28 Diversity in technology hubs is critical to maximizing the technology revolution’s potential Non-profit organization that Jonathan is passionate about: VC OpenDoorAbout Guest Speaker Jonathan Heiliger is a General Partner at Vertex Ventures. Jonathan currently serves on the board of directors of Webmonsters, in addition to Vertex portfolio companies PerimeterX, CloudAcademy, and SpaceIQ. He has individually invested in and actively helped several companies, including Cloudera, Coravin, Diffbot, Dropbox, Square, and ThousandEyes. Prior to founding Vertex Ventures, Jonathan started the seed practice at North Bridge Venture Partners where he was General Partner (2012- 2014) and led global infrastructure, site architecture, and internal systems at Facebook  (2007- 2012). Previously, Jonathan held executive engineering roles at Wal-Mart and Danger (acquired by Microsoft), was COO for Loudcloud (Opsware), and co-founder and CTO of GlobalCenter. Fun fact: Jonathan started rebelling against his parents when he was nine years old by staying up all night to game, hack, and program a new computer.About Vertex Ventures Vertex Ventures is a global network of operator-investors who manage portfolios in the U.S., China, Israel, India and Southeast Asia. Vertex is a trusted partner to some of the world’s most enterprising founders who seek to disrupt large markets. The firm supports entrepreneurs with unmatched operating experience and deep access to the capital, talent, partners and customers they need to build truly global businesses. Its portfolio includes LaunchDarkly, PerimeterX, Very Good Security (VGS), Desktop Metal, testlio, and many more. Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode that will drop next Tuesday.  Follow Us:  Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook

Mark Suster, General Partner at Upfront Ventures, talks about how he transitioned from being an entrepreneur to investing in startups. Mark elaborates his Lines and Dots technique for evaluating founders. He also points out some fundraising mistakes to avoid, especially when the capital market is undergoing correction. In this episode, you’ll learn: 6:27 Entrepreneurs need different kinds of help at different stages of their company. 10:47 Cadence, ability to hire talent, and ability to ship code are tell-tale signs of a successful founder. 15:03 Taking fundraising as part of your day job, and allocating time for it, is critical to building a strong company. 23:03 Don’t optimize for short-term valuation. Inevitably, everybody ends up raising capital downstream even if they thought they were not going to. Non-profit organization that Mark is passionate about: Defy VenturesAbout Guest Speaker Mark Suster is a General Partner at Upfront Ventures. Previously, Mark was the founder & CEO of Koral (Acquired by Salesforce.com in 2007) and BuildOnline (acquired by The Sword Group). Upfront Ventures backed both startups. Mark became VP, Products at Salesforce.com after the acquisition of his company. He had been working with Upfront partners for 8 years prior to joining as a General Partner, to help fund like-minded entrepreneurs. Mark writes a blog, Both Sides of the Table, in which he shares his views on tech trends and offers advice to start-up founders. Fun fact: Ask Mark about triathlonsAbout Upfront Ventures Upfront Ventures is an LA-based venture capital firm that focuses on early-stage technology companies. Founded in 1996 in Los Angeles with investing professionals based in LA, San Francisco, and Paris, Upfront has backed standout teams across all technology sectors, including Ring (acq. by Amazon), TrueCar (NASDAQ: TRUE), Bird, MakerStudios (acq by Disney), GOAT, Apeel Sciences, thredUP, Invoca and Kyriba (acq by Bridgepoint). Upfront invests about half of its capital in the fast-growing Southern California ecosystem, with the balance across the country as well as investments in Europe and Israel. Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode that will drop next Tuesday.  Follow Us:  Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook

Michael Cardamone, CEO and managing partner at Forum Ventures (formerly Acceleprise), demystifies the effects of public market volatility on startups. Michael gives his perspectives on the recent market downturn, and his advice for founders building B2B SaaS companies on how to manage market volatility. He also gives more details about how he looks at opportunities when he invests in startups. In this episode, you’ll learn:4:15 What benefits does a founder gain from working with a sector-dedicated accelerator over a generalist accelerator?11:50 Key things for startup founders to do to weather market downturn21:48 How can innovative startups harness the power of community? Non-profit organization that Michael is passionate about: Big Brothers Big SistersAbout Guest Speaker Michael Cardamone is the CEO and managing partner at Forum Ventures (formerly Acceleprise). In addition, he is an angel investor in the pre-seed or seed rounds of Flexport, Naturebox, and Station; among others. Michael hustles hard for his portfolio companies, providing hands-on support and mentorship every day in person or on Slack while making key connections to dozens of customers, investors, and key partners.About Forum Ventures Forum Ventures (formerly Acceleprise) is a B2B SaaS-focused seed fund, pre-seed accelerator program, and community with offices in San Francisco, NYC and Toronto. Forum for Founders, the accelerator program, is a flagship 15-week pre-seed program designed to give founders personalized guidance, support from a growing SaaS community, plus the capital to get their companies to the next level. Companies in Forum's portfolio include: FirstBase, Fireflies.ai, Indio, Oncue, Courier, People Data Labs, Roots Automation, Inscribe, Sote, Silq, VendorPM and CoProcure. Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode that will drop next Tuesday.  Follow Us:  Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook

Matt Harris, Partner at Bain Capital Ventures, talks of how he wanted to become a big fish in a small pond when he started investing in fintech. How has that turned out for him two decades later? Matt elaborates his practical approach when evaluating new investments, and gives tips for managing a startup’s expenses to ensure sustainability. In this episode, you'll learn: [3:36] Great investors are optimistic and empathetic when listening to founders’ stories. [6:35] Pros and cons of investing across stages in a single sector [25:41] Why should founders be careful about what P&L components to beef up? [29:51] Decentralization is taking over centralized systems, and it’s not just in financial services. Non-profit organization that Matt is passionate about: EndeavorAbout Guest Speaker Matt Harris is a Partner at Bain Capital Ventures, and he focuses on investments in financial technology and services. Matt sees a huge amount of revenue, profit and market cap shifting from regulated financial institutions to entrepreneur-led insurgents, across payments, lending, capital markets, real estate and insurance. He has invested in companies like acorns, BlockFi, defi solutions, Digital Currency Group, Corvus, FINIX, hi Marley, Justworks, Passport, roofstock, and many others. Fun fact: Matt is obsessed with military history. Someday he'll write a book connecting the strategy and tactics of insurgency with what he has learned about entrepreneurship.About Bain Capital Ventures Bain Capital Ventures is a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm that invests in seed to growth-stage startups that use tech to disrupt existing markets or create entirely new ones. BCV leverages the global platform of Bain Capital to help founders access networks, partners and customers that are pivotal on the path to scale. Companies in BCV’s portfolio include Archive, soona, Topography Health, Clockwise, Arc Technologies, Ankorstore, Cogsy, acorns, Clari, Vesta, BlockFi, defi solutions, Digital Currency Group, Corvus, FINIX, hi Marley, Justworks, Passport, and roofstock. Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode that will drop next Tuesday.  Follow Us:  Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook

Vikrant Shaurya, the CEO and founder of bestsellingbook.com, shares his unusual entrepreneurial journey. Vikrant narrates how he got early believers to support him in building his first company after dropping out of college. He talks of how he has used the lessons he learned from his initial entrepreneurial failure to build a world-renowned publishing company. In this episode, you’ll learn: [1:44] I dropped out of engineering  college the day I read Rich Dad Poor Dad. - Vikrant  Shaurya [7:30] Explore your potential when young and don’t fear to fail. [22:15] As an entrepreneur, you have a unique chance to change lives on a daily basis.About Guest Speaker Vikrant Shaurya is the CEO and founder of bestsellingbook.com. He’s also the author of two #1 bestsellers: P.O.W.E.R: The Success Mantra, and How to Write a Bestseller: Become a Bestselling Author, Attract High-Value Clients, and Skyrocket Your Authority. Vikrant is the most-viewed author for “eBook Publishing” on Quora and is recognized by the National Academy of Bestselling Authors.About Bestsellingbook.com Bestsellingbook.com is a professional publishing service that includes ideating, writing, editing, publishing, and marketing books to become #1 bestsellers on the likes of Amazon, The Wallstreet Journal, and USA Today in just six months or less. Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode that will drop next Tuesday.  Follow Us:  Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook

Nuno Gonçalves Pedro, founder and managing partner at Chamaeleon, talks about founding his  new VC firm and how they’re using technology to manage investment processes. Nuno reiterates the importance of entrepreneurs spending more time to know investors before meeting them. He also shares useful dialogue tips for founders to continually improve how they communicate with investors. In this episode, you’ll learn: [5:31] How due diligence in a technology-augmented VC firm looks like [15:58] Know more about whoever you are meeting with on the investor’s side. [19:48] Stop talking only about your product; have a fun human-to-human dialogue with investors. Non-profit organization that Nuno is passionate about: West to West, Partnership for Children & YouthAbout Guest Speaker Nuno Gonçalves Pedro is the founder and managing partner at Chamaeleon. He focuses on consumer software, consumer hardware and horizontal SaaS. Formerly, he was the founder and managing partner at Strive Capital, the first ever early-stage VC quant firm and fund in the US, and senior expert and member of Asia-Pacific TMT leadership team at McKinsey & Co. He co-hosts Tech DECIPHERED, a podcast that deciphers the meaning of entrepreneur and investor views on big tech, VC and start-up news.About Chamaeleon Chamaeleon is a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm that invests globally in product-led early-stage startups offering consumer software/hardware, SaaS, PaaS, Blockchain, and deep & frontier tech. Chamaeleon partners have invested in companies like Gusto, Rubrik, App Annie, Enish, Virta Health, DraftKings, RobinHood, Advertio, Bepro, jscrambler, AI Spera, keepsafe, mindprober, and others.  Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode that will drop next Tuesday.  Follow Us:  Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook

Sam Toole, Principal at Primary Venture Partners, talks about opportunities for building healthcare solutions, and how building a healthcare business is different from other businesses. Sam also highlights common mistakes that founders make when engaging with pre-partner level investors. In this episode, you’ll learn: [6:02] Regulatory and infrastructure changes that are accelerating opportunities for tech-focused founders focused on healthcare [10:53] What does your impatience to solve the problem mean to investors? [15:22] How to ensure that your relationships with pre-partner level venture capital investors result in good outcomes for your startup. Non-profit organization that Sam is passionate about: Surfrider FoundationAbout Guest Speaker Sam Toole is a Principal at Primary Venture Partners, where he spearheads new enterprise and healthcare investments. Before making the shift to investing, Sam was an operator and entrepreneur for 10 years. Most recently, Sam was General Manager at Nomad Health, a healthcare labor marketplace. He started at Nomad Health as their sixth employee on the sales side, helping the company build relationships with hundreds of healthcare organizations. In college, Sam launched two businesses: a surf school and an e-commerce company.About Primary Venture Partners Primary Venture Partners is a New York-based venture capital firm focused exclusively on investing in NYC founders creating transformational startups in the healthcare, e-commerce and fintech sectors. Primary’s portfolio includes ARK, Balanced, Bedrock, Bravely, Black Crow, Bravely, Dandy, Flock, Fly Machine, Jukebox Health, K Health, Lili, Marker, Olive, Perry, ROUND, Spark, Upfront, Zenlytic, Jet, Chief, Mirror, Noom, Latch, Alloy and many more. Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode that will drop next Tuesday.  Follow Us:  Twitter | Linkedin | Instagram | Facebook