Best Podcast Episodes About Founders Fund
Everything podcasters are saying about Founders Fund — curated from top podcasts
Updated: Apr 02, 2026 – 38 episodes
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Ridealong has curated the best and most interesting podcasts and clips about Founders Fund.
Top Podcast Clips About Founders Fund
“… we cover a wide range of topics from his great books, lecture series to his partnership with Cosmos and a very intriguing idea about what great founders are truly like. This is a great conversation with Jonathan. Please enjoy it. Jonathan, what, third time that you've been on Infinite Loops? Third time. Welcome. Not the tenth time, I've been told. I was quite proud of that coming into this, but then I realized. Yeah, Alex Stanko has you really beat for right now, but that doesn't mean you can't catch up. Is three pretty good? Three is definitely pretty good. And, you know, it's kind of a …”
“… always be motivated by delusion. Delusions that would pop if they were too introspective. If you want to produce an innovative society, I think you're going to have to have a lot of crazy people. My guest today is a repeat guest, Jonathan B. And today we cover a wide range of topics from his great books, lecture series to his partnership with Cosmos and a very intriguing idea about what great founders are truly like. This is a great conversation with Jonathan. Please enjoy it. Jonathan, what, third time that you've been on Infinite Loops? Third time. Welcome. Not the tenth time, I've been told. I was quite proud of that coming into this, but then I realized. Yeah, Alex Stanko has you really beat for right now, but that doesn't mean you can't catch up. Is three pretty good? Three is definitely pretty good. And, you know, it's kind of a lead-in to my first question. It seems like you've had three different lives, right? You were a math competitor. You were at a startup. So you understand that ecosystem. And now you're having a great success with the lecture series. Anything across all those three that you either learned where you were like, wow, that's just like a startup or that's just …”
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The most successful founders often lack self-awareness and are driven by delusions that fuel their actions. This intriguing phenomenon suggests that forgetting certain truths can lead to greater innovation and execution. In a world where introspection may hinder progress, embracing a bit of delusion might just be the key to success.
“… in XAI. I think we're all looking at this and sort of thinking about the flop in the river, as Jason says. All right. So, Delian, you're the Founders Fund kid on the show today. If you go to the portfolio page, the first entry, the first thing is SpaceX. So tell us what the firm is thinking. What are you shooting for? And what will your return be on a net IRR basis from your SpaceX checks? Yeah, I do think it's probably going to be one of the greatest, you know, sort of venture investments of all time. Yeah, I think we originally got involved in somewhere around like 2009 or so. We were one of …”
“… Austin, we're all like, oh, my goodness, buy a house now because it's about to get ugly. But I think, you know, the same is true for all the folks who have been invested in SpaceX for a decade now. And, you know, even more recent folks like we're investors in XAI. I think we're all looking at this and sort of thinking about the flop in the river, as Jason says. All right. So, Delian, you're the Founders Fund kid on the show today. If you go to the portfolio page, the first entry, the first thing is SpaceX. So tell us what the firm is thinking. What are you shooting for? And what will your return be on a net IRR basis from your SpaceX checks? Yeah, I do think it's probably going to be one of the greatest, you know, sort of venture investments of all time. Yeah, I think we originally got involved in somewhere around like 2009 or so. We were one of the you know sort of first bank you know sort of external checks And then along the way you know sort of continue to you know sort to double down across a variety of our funds including some of our latest growth funds Yeah. I mean, what are we expecting? Look, I think SpaceX has basically built up the best telecommunications business ever made …”
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Elon Musk's SpaceX IPO could be one of the greatest wealth creation events in history, potentially valuing the company at $1.75 trillion. This moment not only promises liquidity for investors but also empowers new founders to take risks and innovate, benefiting the entire startup ecosystem. The IPO opens doors for young investors, making Musk's ambitious ventures accessible to a new generation.
“… straight into the shredder upon receiving them and if he had spent 100 of his time on the resume And I think that basically right which is the great founders will basically buy you enormous upside that may break rules in all kinds of directions and may break precedent in all kinds of directions. And the world's best business plan executed by a mediocre team will almost certainly get lapped by a great team. Let me say, having said that, this sounds easy. Of course, why is that hard? It's because it's somewhat tautological, right? Because we define great founders as the ones that have great outcomes. …”
“… for people who don know he invested in Apple and Intel right in the seed rounds and like in many many other great companies for like 30 years was that he would have been a better venture investor had he fed all of the business plans and pitch decks straight into the shredder upon receiving them and if he had spent 100 of his time on the resume And I think that basically right which is the great founders will basically buy you enormous upside that may break rules in all kinds of directions and may break precedent in all kinds of directions. And the world's best business plan executed by a mediocre team will almost certainly get lapped by a great team. Let me say, having said that, this sounds easy. Of course, why is that hard? It's because it's somewhat tautological, right? Because we define great founders as the ones that have great outcomes. And so it's a lot easier after the fact to be able to say, oh, yeah, you know, Steve Jobs is a great founder when you look at the success of Apple. But nevertheless, I think that is the answer, which is when you have special people, you should back them almost, you know, basically almost without consideration of other factors. And when you don't, …”
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Great founders can break rules and achieve extraordinary outcomes, according to Marc Andreessen. He emphasizes the importance of intelligence, courage, and relentless drive as essential traits for startup success. In his experience, backing exceptional founders often leads to outsized returns, regardless of conventional wisdom.
“… you ask? They did not answer the question, but they are open to... Where is Securitize deployed? Securitize is the... issuer of BlackRock's Biddle Fund on Ethereum and Arbitrum. I think also on Solana. I think you could probably just imagine they did just go on chain. It's probably chain agnostic. Yeah. But it's probably starting with Ethereum. Yeah. Securitize has been a big player in this. They have already tokenized over $4 billion in assets. There's also talk of securitizing IPO-ing at some point this year. I'm not sure if they still plan to do that by route of SPAC or something like this. …”
“… Exchange as they normally do But if the receiver of those tokens of those equities, wants to turn them into tokens, the New York Stock Exchange is building out that pipeline with Securitize to have those trade on blockchains. Which blockchains, might you ask? They did not answer the question, but they are open to... Where is Securitize deployed? Securitize is the... issuer of BlackRock's Biddle Fund on Ethereum and Arbitrum. I think also on Solana. I think you could probably just imagine they did just go on chain. It's probably chain agnostic. Yeah. But it's probably starting with Ethereum. Yeah. Securitize has been a big player in this. They have already tokenized over $4 billion in assets. There's also talk of securitizing IPO-ing at some point this year. I'm not sure if they still plan to do that by route of SPAC or something like this. So I'll have to be on the lookout for that, but that could be a Pretty big IPO if they catch this narrative wind. Yes, yes. Yeah, it could be the circle IPO of security tokens or tokenized securities. David, we talked about this, I believe, in October of last year. And this felt like big news to me at the time, which was the idea that JP Morgan, …”
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JP Morgan, the largest bank in America, has officially started allowing institutional clients to use their Bitcoin and Ether as collateral for loans. This marks a significant milestone in crypto adoption, as these digital currencies are now part of the bank's collateral stack, enabling clients to leverage their crypto assets for further investments. The implications of this shift could reshape how institutional investors interact with cryptocurrencies in the financial landscape.
“I think in some ways nothing has changed, but everything has changed, right? Still looking at the same fundamentals, customer acquisition is important. But how are you going to kind of maintain your position? Do you pay more attention to churn than you did before? It's always been a very important thing, especially in the SaaS era. of people wanted to type, you know, net positive retention and so forth. But if someone can show up to your 10 million ARR business and crush it, is churn now even more important at the earlier stages of vetting a startup? …”
“I think in some ways nothing has changed, but everything has changed, right? Still looking at the same fundamentals, customer acquisition is important. But how are you going to kind of maintain your position? Do you pay more attention to churn than you did before? It's always been a very important thing, especially in the SaaS era. of people wanted to type, you know, net positive retention and so forth. But if someone can show up to your 10 million ARR business and crush it, is churn now even more important at the earlier stages of vetting a startup? Yes and no. So there have been some high-flying marquee companies, and I won't name names, but we all know them in the sort of bi-coding space that have had awful churn numbers. And some VCs have been passed because of that. But I think one of the things that will change is as the AI models get better, and that's what everyone is riding on, then …”
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Today, startup founders are evolving into multi-skilled superheroes, mastering everything from legal issues to marketing strategies. This shift is crucial as the tech landscape demands higher standards, leaving those who don’t adapt struggling for funding. The rise of AI tools is also enhancing product quality, making it essential for founders to keep up or risk being left behind.
“they are getting massive investments by mega funds. So we're seeing this sort of pull to the top where the largest funds have the most money to kind of, you know, to throw around for the biggest companies. And so there are fewer deals that are being made there. So that's, you know, maybe not so great news, I guess. But we're definitely seeing a recovery in VC and in startup land in general. It's just been a little bit uneven. Is that a post-pandemic recovery? Is that sort of what that means? …”
“they are getting massive investments by mega funds. So we're seeing this sort of pull to the top where the largest funds have the most money to kind of, you know, to throw around for the biggest companies. And so there are fewer deals that are being made there. So that's, you know, maybe not so great news, I guess. But we're definitely seeing a recovery in VC and in startup land in general. It's just been a little bit uneven. Is that a post-pandemic recovery? Is that sort of what that means? It's really been over the last year. We were in quite a wobble after the pandemic. I mean, just everything. You would hear a lot about dry powder investment that would just... VC firms are just sitting on money and limited partners started to get who are investing in venture capital and private equity firms were getting very impatient and have been …”
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Solo founders are surging in the startup world, with a 10% increase in their numbers over the past five years, largely driven by advancements in AI. This shift allows them to build products faster and more cost-effectively, attracting significant VC investments despite a competitive funding landscape. As a result, startups are now reaching billion-dollar valuations in just two to three years, a timeline previously unheard of.
“When arguments arose about constitutional interpretation, both sides claimed to understand the founders' original intentions, much as Romans claimed to understand their ancestors' customs. The layering of historical reference upon reference created a political culture obsessed with precedent and continuity, even while adapting to constant change. The irony, of course, is that Rome's Republic eventually failed and transformed into an empire. The founders knew this, feared it and designed their system to prevent it, yet couldn't eliminate the …”
“When arguments arose about constitutional interpretation, both sides claimed to understand the founders' original intentions, much as Romans claimed to understand their ancestors' customs. The layering of historical reference upon reference created a political culture obsessed with precedent and continuity, even while adapting to constant change. The irony, of course, is that Rome's Republic eventually failed and transformed into an empire. The founders knew this, feared it and designed their system to prevent it, yet couldn't eliminate the possibility. America's subsequent history included imperial expansion, massive growth in executive power, development of a permanent military establishment and a stormous wealth inequality. Precisely the developments that undermined Rome's republic. Whether these represent American exceptionalism successfully adapting Republican government to modern …”
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The influence of ancient Rome on American political principles remains profound, with founders learning from its successes and failures. They aimed to create a republic that would avoid the pitfalls that led to Rome's decline, fostering a political culture that values historical awareness and civic virtue. This ongoing dialogue between the past and present continues to shape American governance today.
“… there's a lot of dynamics that get played out in the boardroom. We just had another guest on who is talking about this issue around many times women founders seem to be removed from their company without them. And I've talked to some really well-known companies before, not on this show, just privately, who, if I said their names, people would know them, like household names. They were all removed from their companies. It's great. There's a whole group of women that meet up, I guess, who have all been removed to talk about like what you can do in the future. Why do you think this is happening? And is …”
“And there was a whole dynamic there as well. And there was a reason for that because when they were raising the next level of capital, they needed the face that was going to represent what that next face was going to be. So there's a lot of dynamics that get played out in the boardroom. We just had another guest on who is talking about this issue around many times women founders seem to be removed from their company without them. And I've talked to some really well-known companies before, not on this show, just privately, who, if I said their names, people would know them, like household names. They were all removed from their companies. It's great. There's a whole group of women that meet up, I guess, who have all been removed to talk about like what you can do in the future. Why do you think this is happening? And is it related to what you were just saying around the future of the company? Is it only is it because there's not a lot of women who are founding larger companies? What do you think it is? So I think that there's it's it's first of all, I don't think it's random. Right. High profile founder removals have happened to men and women, but the pattern …”
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Women founders are often removed from their companies due to a power dynamic that favors male leaders in the venture capital landscape. With less access to capital and board allies, women face heightened scrutiny and pressure, especially during stressful growth phases. This systemic issue highlights the urgent need for change in the startup ecosystem to support female entrepreneurs better.
“… But there's a very astute observation you made in your blog archive because you're trying to, you know, essentially this post is trying to educate founders, just like recruiting is the most important thing you're doing at the very beginning of the company, maybe forever. And you're underestimating how difficult it is. And you tell the story of Jim Clark in the blog archive. You're like, this guy was a legend. He was. Like most famous person,”
“… I know that, and he was very sad about this, Silicon Graphics is not the company that's going to be able to do these things. And so I have to build the new company that's going to do it. I want to hear more about what it was like working with them. But there's a very astute observation you made in your blog archive because you're trying to, you know, essentially this post is trying to educate founders, just like recruiting is the most important thing you're doing at the very beginning of the company, maybe forever. And you're underestimating how difficult it is. And you tell the story of Jim Clark in the blog archive. You're like, this guy was a legend. He was. Like most famous person,”
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Jim Clark foresaw the future of computing by predicting that $50,000 workstations would shrink to $300 chips and that standalone computers would become networked devices. His visionary ideas clashed with the conservative CEO of Silicon Graphics, leading to a pivotal conflict that ultimately drove Clark to create a new company focused on software and connectivity. This story highlights the tension between innovation and traditional management in the tech industry.
“… to automate manufacturing using AI. The company is reportedly raising about $70 million at a $700 million valuation, and it's backed by firms like Founders Fund and Excel. And the idea is to connect frontier AI systems to the physical world. A lot of people are talking about this and trying to do it. And in particular, this platform analyzes video from factory floors, uses that data to train robots and software systems so they can coordinate the entire production process from design to finished goods coming off the line. And one of the reasons they want to do this is geopolitical. They want to make …”
“… is if we're using AI and if these are sort of highly skilled jobs. And so the question is, we saw last week, it was announced that Bob McGrew, who used to be OpenAI's chief research officer, he's launching a startup called Arda, and it's trying to automate manufacturing using AI. The company is reportedly raising about $70 million at a $700 million valuation, and it's backed by firms like Founders Fund and Excel. And the idea is to connect frontier AI systems to the physical world. A lot of people are talking about this and trying to do it. And in particular, this platform analyzes video from factory floors, uses that data to train robots and software systems so they can coordinate the entire production process from design to finished goods coming off the line. And one of the reasons they want to do this is geopolitical. They want to make manufacturing dramatically more automated so that it is economically viable to move production back to the US and Europe instead of relying on China or Vietnam or some other countries that actually they can produce goods more cheaply. So people reacted to this sort of the same way they reacted to the developer advocate role that we just talked about. …”
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A new startup, Arda, is aiming to revolutionize manufacturing by automating processes with AI, raising $70 million at a $700 million valuation. This technology could make it economically viable to bring production back to the US and Europe, but it raises concerns about job replacement instead of job creation. As AI systems analyze factory data to coordinate production, many are left wondering if this will lead to a future where robots take over human jobs.
“… stations, ground stations, now you start to get to do the application layers on top of those. And so I look forward to, I think one day you'll see Founders Fund lead around in a lunar ice mining operation. I don't think we're quite ready for that in terms of all the infrastructure. But I also don't think that's like 10 years away. I would bet that in the next five years, we lead a $10-plus million financing round into a lunar ice mining operation. I can't wait for it. There's also a satellite bus company that you invested in. How are they doing? EnduroSat, the CEOs, you know, sort of here, they're …”
“… I have 24-7 Internet basically in space and can talk to my satellite whenever. And so I think we think about these things as sort of like there's like layers of infrastructure. And as you build up each layer, reusable rockets, space factories, gas stations, ground stations, now you start to get to do the application layers on top of those. And so I look forward to, I think one day you'll see Founders Fund lead around in a lunar ice mining operation. I don't think we're quite ready for that in terms of all the infrastructure. But I also don't think that's like 10 years away. I would bet that in the next five years, we lead a $10-plus million financing round into a lunar ice mining operation. I can't wait for it. There's also a satellite bus company that you invested in. How are they doing? EnduroSat, the CEOs, you know, sort of here, they're rocking and rolling. They, like, continue to somehow be profitable, EBITDA positive, you know, north of 2x revenue growth, you know, sort of year over year. Which, by the way, there's, like, literally no other space company that's at their scale, you know, sort of doing that. And so, yeah, he's deeply impressive. He's got this, like, huge 250,000 …”
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In the next five years, we could see significant investments in lunar ice mining operations, potentially led by Founders Fund. This emerging trend is part of a larger shift in space exploration, where infrastructure like reusable rockets and space factories will pave the way for new applications. As the industry evolves, companies are also working on innovations like 24/7 internet in space and solar power beaming.
“… discounting is a real problem in public market investing, but I think it's a problem in startups in all areas of life. How do you look for potential founders How do you calibrate their time preference methodology I think I should embed this as an explicit thing I don't think I have it explicitly done right now. I don't think I ask people about their time preference. I would also go on a little bit of a stretch here and say that there are some founders who win because of a very short time preference and some founders who win because of a very long time preference. It depends on how their psyche …”
“… is infinite, right? And by that, I mean, I have children, grandchildren, hopefully great-grandchildren. I have organizations that I would like to support, et cetera. So my time preference is not literally, but figuratively infinite. Hyperbolic discounting is a real problem in public market investing, but I think it's a problem in startups in all areas of life. How do you look for potential founders How do you calibrate their time preference methodology I think I should embed this as an explicit thing I don't think I have it explicitly done right now. I don't think I ask people about their time preference. I would also go on a little bit of a stretch here and say that there are some founders who win because of a very short time preference and some founders who win because of a very long time preference. It depends on how their psyche works. For somebody, a very clear goal, get this pilot, get this client. They work in a very sprint-oriented manner, but they recharge every week or every month. And then they sprint again and sprint again and sprint again. And that's how they win. And we know about organizations. I would argue that Google was an organization like that. They've tried so …”
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Understanding time preferences can drastically change your investment strategy. Some founders thrive with a short-term focus, sprinting towards immediate goals, while others succeed with a long-term vision, expanding their reach over time. Recognizing these differences could be the blind spot that impacts your evaluation of potential leaders in startups and beyond.
“We have a seed fund, a venture fund, a growth fund, an expansion fund, and some of these investments are in the expansion slash public portfolio, and those tend to be much larger public buys-ish kind of investments. I think the reality of the situation is if you ask what people are using, They're using everything. And yes, the sands are shifting, and there's a lot of leapfrogging. And because there's a lot of leapfrogging, there's just a strong desire for all …”
“We have a seed fund, a venture fund, a growth fund, an expansion fund, and some of these investments are in the expansion slash public portfolio, and those tend to be much larger public buys-ish kind of investments. I think the reality of the situation is if you ask what people are using, They're using everything. And yes, the sands are shifting, and there's a lot of leapfrogging. And because there's a lot of leapfrogging, there's just a strong desire for all these tools. And I think there are a lot of companies that are just paying for all the tools because it's making their employees way more productive than without them. And so instead of choosing they choosing to buy all of them And the question is does that last forever Or do you start standardizing on one or two or three Our view is that it not a zero …”
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Investing in diverse companies like Citadel and Airbnb can be invigorating, especially for someone with ADD. The thrill comes from engaging with outlier founders who aim to change the world, making context switching not just manageable but enjoyable. This unique perspective highlights how passion for innovation drives productivity and investment decisions.
“… is correct. I continue to believe that. I think good companies tend to have traction fairly early and then just sustain it for a decade plus. To the founders, that's toiling. Let's say you're listening and you're about two years into your company and you're maybe having a tough time getting money and building that first product that consumers or businesses really love, either through attention or dollars. Two years is the difficult time. The heuristic that I would use is if the information I'm getting from the market is not informing me on a more and more specific path, I would consider resetting. …”
“Nuances. I mean, if I was starting another company, I'd call it nuance. Right. So I think what you're saying is correct. I continue to believe that. I think good companies tend to have traction fairly early and then just sustain it for a decade plus. To the founders, that's toiling. Let's say you're listening and you're about two years into your company and you're maybe having a tough time getting money and building that first product that consumers or businesses really love, either through attention or dollars. Two years is the difficult time. The heuristic that I would use is if the information I'm getting from the market is not informing me on a more and more specific path, I would consider resetting. And what I mean by reset is oftentimes, and this is wearing my YC hat, seeing hundreds and thousands of companies, is oftentimes is like the co-founding, like literally the foundation upon which the house is built is not correct. It's like, imagine you built this house and every time you put a cup of water and it slides off the table and it falls on …”
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Resetting your startup could be the key to long-term success, especially if you're struggling in the first two years. Founders often mistake the symptoms of failure for the foundation of their business, but recognizing when to pivot can lead to breakthroughs. Embrace the journey of learning and iteration, rather than the pressure to succeed immediately.
“… be here well it's been just 10 months since you were last on sorcery for your 75 million dollar series b now you're back for your $80 million led by Founders Fund. What happened? I always like to say, if you are growing, then you're probably undervalued. We were approached by the Founders Fund team, who's been on Nominal's cap table really from the beginning over the sort of December holidays with a really, really attractive offer to lead a financing. And I was sort of thinking about it in terms of, I think you always want the sort of external realities to match kind of the internal momentum that we were …”
“… $155 million. Move fast and break things. If you move fast and break things, you're also breaking people. People are going to get hurt. I would say it's not magic it's sorcery Cameron Trey welcome to sorcery thank you for having us pumped to be here well it's been just 10 months since you were last on sorcery for your 75 million dollar series b now you're back for your $80 million led by Founders Fund. What happened? I always like to say, if you are growing, then you're probably undervalued. We were approached by the Founders Fund team, who's been on Nominal's cap table really from the beginning over the sort of December holidays with a really, really attractive offer to lead a financing. And I was sort of thinking about it in terms of, I think you always want the sort of external realities to match kind of the internal momentum that we were feeling at Nominal over the course of 2025. We had really a breakout year. And so when the Founders Fund team kind of approached us with a really good proposition of leading a financing, it just made all the sense in the world. So yeah, we're pumped. Might I add your last financing happened in 10 days This one was preempted So there some sort of …”
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Nominal's rapid rise led to an $80 million financing deal with Founders Fund, just 10 months after their previous $75 million round. Their unique approach to creating efficiencies in business and the booming demand for their software stack caught investors' attention, showcasing how fast-growing companies can be undervalued. This highlights the importance of aligning external opportunities with internal momentum for startups.
“… we did a seed round a few years ago, that led that deal at a much higher valuation than you'd think a seed would be. But when you looked at the founders, if you looked at what they had, you looked at the technology built off the back of themselves, right? There was value to have the round being that high, but that would be very non-traditional. In the same vein, you'll see A's at 100 million, especially in AI and others, right? Or even seed rounds at that high, which still could be a great value. But yeah, when you look at a return mix, depending on what you're underwriting them for, whether or …”
“… right Uh cause you really just need to conform to what the VCs they're going to give you. Right. It's definitely run, run by them. Um, but point being, if you, if you get out of there, you'll see some wildly different types of values. Um, you know, we did a seed round a few years ago, that led that deal at a much higher valuation than you'd think a seed would be. But when you looked at the founders, if you looked at what they had, you looked at the technology built off the back of themselves, right? There was value to have the round being that high, but that would be very non-traditional. In the same vein, you'll see A's at 100 million, especially in AI and others, right? Or even seed rounds at that high, which still could be a great value. But yeah, when you look at a return mix, depending on what you're underwriting them for, whether or not it's a fund or a standalone single entity deal, you can still capture great value, even if you're paying a little bit higher because of the execution risk compressing. Right. So if I can compress the execution risk and still get a good return. Then adding possibly two years and a lot more execution risk for the absolute return is a little bit …”
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Entrepreneurs often receive applause at the start and finish of their journey, but it’s the middle where they need support the most. This segment reveals what investors look for in founders, emphasizing the importance of understanding market needs and focusing on solving real problems. A founder's ability to articulate their vision and target audience can make or break their success in securing funding.
“… that I think that they would have, how would I even know where they would know the exact problem? What do you see is the biggest mistake when founders are pitching you? because I think I don't see a lot of VCs talking specifically about like, this is what I want to see. But I would imagine though, that there are a lot of mistakes or bad pitches or things like that, that you would see on an ongoing basis. So what do you see that you're like, this totally is the wrong thing to do when you're pitching a VC? I mean, there's a bunch of things that can go wrong. So first of all, when VCs say no to …”
“… it, it's not gonna be attached to my rifle. It's gotta be on my hip or whatever it is. You need that feedback. Yeah, I could see you need the firsthand experience in order to really solve the problems. Like myself, I wasn't in the military. So the problem that I think that they would have, how would I even know where they would know the exact problem? What do you see is the biggest mistake when founders are pitching you? because I think I don't see a lot of VCs talking specifically about like, this is what I want to see. But I would imagine though, that there are a lot of mistakes or bad pitches or things like that, that you would see on an ongoing basis. So what do you see that you're like, this totally is the wrong thing to do when you're pitching a VC? I mean, there's a bunch of things that can go wrong. So first of all, when VCs say no to founders, like every founder should know this, Like 99% of the time, it has nothing to do with the company that's in front of them. It's like they just did a deal last week. And so their partner, because of internal from politics, is probably going to be the one that gets to do the next deal. Or they've invested in a company like yours and they …”
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Founders often fail to secure funding because they lack passion and dismiss their competitors. A VC reveals that excitement and thoughtful answers are crucial for making a strong impression. Understanding the competitive landscape can be the difference between success and failure in pitching.
“… an area where they could improve. I ask anyone who's chasing any career, are you like that? The question I have for you is like, what do you see in founders who are winners or losers? One element of being a great founder, and we're talking about people that can not just start a small company, but one that can grow it into a much bigger company. One element is salesmanship. And it's not something that you hear a lot of people talk about. But in order to grow a company to a very large size, obviously you have to sell customers. You also have to sell employees and you have to sell partnerships and you …”
“… the opportunity that's out there for you. Kobe Bryant, after winning his fourth championship, asked if he could come to Houston to learn Hakeem's footwork in the post. It's a powerful statement that someone with that much success was trying to find an area where they could improve. I ask anyone who's chasing any career, are you like that? The question I have for you is like, what do you see in founders who are winners or losers? One element of being a great founder, and we're talking about people that can not just start a small company, but one that can grow it into a much bigger company. One element is salesmanship. And it's not something that you hear a lot of people talk about. But in order to grow a company to a very large size, obviously you have to sell customers. You also have to sell employees and you have to sell partnerships and you have to sell incremental investors and you're just out and you own the brand of the company, which you're likely promoting that nauseam. And if you're not good at that, it'll be very difficult to outrun the other company, you know, that may be competing for that. So that's one. It took me probably my entire 25 years to come to terms with this. But …”
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Ridealong summary
Kobe Bryant, even after winning his fourth championship, sought to learn from Hakeem Olajuwon to improve his footwork. This relentless pursuit of growth is a hallmark of successful founders, who exhibit an unyielding determination to succeed despite setbacks. Understanding this mindset can be crucial for anyone looking to thrive in competitive fields, as exemplified by entrepreneurs like Travis Kalanick of Uber.
“I think really good companies, the very, very, very best companies tend to have founders and CEOs who ask pretty aggressive questions. Zuckerberg, Larry Page, those guys who have kind of gotten all the way to the mountaintop, they're pretty blunt. If you're running away from the truth to preserve feelings, that's a very dangerous thing in a tech company. And the kind of corollary to that is it's really important that bad news travels fast. That if something's wrong, that as CEO you find out about it. And so you need that bluntness. …”
“I think really good companies, the very, very, very best companies tend to have founders and CEOs who ask pretty aggressive questions. Zuckerberg, Larry Page, those guys who have kind of gotten all the way to the mountaintop, they're pretty blunt. If you're running away from the truth to preserve feelings, that's a very dangerous thing in a tech company. And the kind of corollary to that is it's really important that bad news travels fast. That if something's wrong, that as CEO you find out about it. And so you need that bluntness. Ben Horowitz didn't feel like he knew what he was doing as CEO until about four years in. His company went public when it was 18 months old. He says that feeling is more normal than most founders admit. Horowitz has spent more than 15 years at Andreessen Horowitz, backing and coaching founder CEOs. The pattern he sees in the ones who fail isn't a …”
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Ridealong summary
Successful CEOs like Zuckerberg and Larry Page thrive on bluntness and fast communication of bad news. Ben Horowitz reveals that hesitation in decision-making, termed 'decision debt,' can cripple a company, making it crucial for leaders to confront issues head-on. This insight highlights the stark difference between thriving founders and those who falter.
“… and a long memory of Grudges, and I won't say who it was, but there's probably a handful of people out there who can guess. You have a lot of co-founders now, a lot of executives that you work with. How do you select for folks who won't do that to you? How do you select the right people? Extreme loyalty. Extreme loyalty and trust. I don't know. I mean, it's important. Like, we just kicked this thing off a year ago. Look, I started Oculus when I was 19 years old. And I mean, you also got to remember the story of who is a founder, who is a co-founder. It's fluid and dynamic and always changing …”
“… found out about it later in unrelated litigation, that email came up in discovery. And anyway, I've not had a chance to ring the bell yet. Maybe when Androald goes public, I'll finally be able to ring that bell. But I got to admit, I have a long memory and a long memory of Grudges, and I won't say who it was, but there's probably a handful of people out there who can guess. You have a lot of co-founders now, a lot of executives that you work with. How do you select for folks who won't do that to you? How do you select the right people? Extreme loyalty. Extreme loyalty and trust. I don't know. I mean, it's important. Like, we just kicked this thing off a year ago. Look, I started Oculus when I was 19 years old. And I mean, you also got to remember the story of who is a founder, who is a co-founder. It's fluid and dynamic and always changing with the ebb and flow of history. One of my ideas is to have a blockchain company where everyone agrees what the founding story is and who the co-founders are, and then it goes into the blockchain so that nobody can come back and say that they're a co-founder. There's a guy running around now who says that he's a co-founder of Oculus, who was very …”
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Ridealong summary
In the world of startups, loyalty can make or break a team. Palmer Luckey, founder of Oculus, reveals how a backstabbing incident nearly cost him a chance to ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange after his company was acquired by Meta. This experience taught him the importance of selecting co-founders and executives who embody extreme loyalty and trust.
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