Episodes

Dive into the world of startup boards with Joe Leech in this illuminating discussion. Learn the key distinctions between board governance and decision-making, discover the core responsibilities of directors, and identify the ideal timing for forming a board. Uncover the roles of 'board chairpersons…

In the latest episode of the Understanding VC podcast with Caroline Casson, Partner at VITALIZE Venture Capital, Caroline shares her insights on the critical aspects of due diligence for early stage startups in venture capital. She emphasizes its importance for informed investment decisions and res…

In this episode of the Understanding VC podcast, Jyri Engeström, Partner at Yes VC, makes the argument that startup founders should also be startup investors and he has created a deck on how to do it. You can find the deck in the show notes. He discusses the concept of "Dual Threat CEOs," the bene…

In this episode, Ion Hauer, Principal at APEX Ventures, discusses quantum computing's core concepts and challenges. Covering quantum basics, hardware architectures, and progress, Ion highlights the significance of quantum cryptography and its impact on industries. The conversation includes insights…

In this episode of the Understanding VC podcast, Brian Nichols, founder of Angel Squad, provides a concise yet enlightening overview of angel investing. He covers key questions about angel investors' roles, investment sizes, differences from venture capital, and its historical US dominance. The co…

In this episode of the Understanding VC podcast, Nitin Sharma, General Partner and Co-Founder of Antler India, discusses how his definition of "impact" has evolved over time. He shares his journey into the venture capital (VC) industry, and the differences he has observed between the US and India. …

In this episode of the Understanding VC podcast, Melody Koh, Partner at NextView Ventures, shares her journey as an entrepreneur, operator, and investor. Melody discusses the values she upholds as a VC, emphasizing honesty and transparency with startup founders. She shares an important lesson learn…

In this episode the Understanding VC podcast, John Zeratsky, Co-Founder & General Partner at Character, discusses the significance of design in VC and the distinction between visionary and hypothesis-driven founders. Strategy is emphasized as crucial for success in the competitive VC market, and th…

In this episode, I interview Rex Salisbury, Founder and General Partner of Cambrian, a fintech-focused VC fund. Rex discusses his choice of venture capital over starting a company, the evolution of the Cambrian community, and the role of product counsel in fintech. He explains his approach to assis…

PitchMeNot: Exploring startup pitch meetings and insightful debriefs. In this episode of PitchMeNot, we dive into the world of startup pitches as Joseph Mocanu, Managing Partner at Verge HealthTech Fund, joins me in conversation with Laina Emmanuel, Founder and CEO of BrainSight. Laina presents …

Join Vlad Tropko, Partner at Digital Horizon, as he shares valuable insights on venture capital and startup success in the latest episode of the Understanding VC podcast. Learn about Vlad's personal risk-taking experiences, the importance of a founding team's psychology, growth strategies for start…

In this episode of Understanding VC, I talk to Vinod Shankar, Partner and Co-founder at Java Capital, an early stage venture capital firm in India. With more than 18 years of experience in the industry, Vinod shares his valuable insights and experiences. Vinod also sheds light on his previous roles…

PitchMeNot: Exploring startup pitch meetings and insightful debriefs. In this episode, Saurabh Gunwant, a senior associate at 8X Ventures, a deep tech VC firm based in Dubai, and I will evaluate the innovative SaaS solution called Atmax. We will be speaking with Varun Gupta, the Founder and CEO …

In this episode of the Understanding VC, we delve into the career journey of Chandan Deep, the Vice President of Strategy and Operations on B Capital Group's Platform team for India and South East Asia. Chandan has a strong passion for building and operationalizing businesses within the tech space.…

In this episode of Understanding VC podcast, I interview Mikhail Taver, the Founder and Managing Partner of Taver Capital, an international venture capital fund based in Delaware. With over 20 years of experience in executive roles within major financial and industrial companies, Mikhail has closed…

In the latest episode of the Understanding VC, I talk to Erik Huberman, Founding Partner at Hawke Ventures. Erik shares the story of his entrepreneurial journey, starting with the launch of Hawke Media in 2014. Today, Hawke Media is the fastest growing marketing consultancy agency in the United Sta…

In this episode, I explore various aspects of the food and agriculture industry with Brian Frank, the Founder and General Partner of FTW Ventures. Throughout the episode, we learn about Brian's learnings from his internship at Intel and how they have influenced his entrepreneurial journey. We also …

In this episode of the Understanding VC podcast, Terry Chou, Partner at Alpha Intelligence Capital (AIC), talks about her background and interest in investment and finance. She shares why her team decided to move to Singapore from Hong Kong and discusses the state of deep tech in Singapore and AIC'…

In this episode of Understanding VC, we talk to Drew Sechrist, the founder of Connect the Dots, a powerful relationship intelligence platform designed to help professionals manage their networks. Drew shares his journey from his time at Salesforce to starting his own company, and discusses the impo…

In this insightful Understanding VC episode, I speak with Alex Felix, Chief Investment Officer and Managing Partner of CoinFund, as he shares his journey from being a national ski champion to a career in finance and venture capital. He discusses the differences between private equity and venture ca…

In the latest episode of the Understanding VC podcast, Rahul speaks with Shwetank Verma, Co-Founder, and General Partner at Leo Capital. Shwetank explains that he ended up in venture due to a natural progression of his experiences in building and selling companies, working as an investor at a famil…

In the latest episode of the Understanding VC podcast, Valerie Van Vu, Founding Partner at Ansible Ventures shares that they does not only invest in seasoned entrepreneurs, but also in first-time founders who have a strong passion and vision for their business. Ansible Ventures aims to bridge globa…

In the latest episode of the Understanding VC podcast, Anjali Sosale, Partner at WaterBridge Ventures, discusses her focus on finding and supporting innovative startups that serve the Indian consumer demand. Key takeaways from the podcast include the purpose of Fast Forward, the importance of condu…

In the latest episode of the Understanding VC podcast, Sheel Mohnot, Co-Founder & Partner at Better Tomorrow Ventures, discussed the impact of access to credit on low-income countries like India. He emphasized the importance of a minimum ownership of 10% for startups and the rationale behind it. Sh…