The Full Ratchet (TFR): Venture Capital and Startup Investing Demystified

David Cohen of Techstars joins Nick to discuss Techstars: What Worked, What Didn't, What's Next. In this episode, we cover:

  • "What was the original vision for Techstars, when you started?
  • How has that vision changed and evolved to where it is now?
  • Techstars Ventures-- any concern that it sends a bad signal for those cohort companies that the fund does not invest in?
    What does winning look like for Techstars? How do you measure success?
  • Do you measure common VC fund metrics like TVPI, DPI, IRR, etc?
  • Do you compare yourself against the other top accelerators? If so, where do you excel?
  • Started Techstars Anywhere in 2017, first full class in '18...
  • How does one run a remote accelerator w/ the same quality of an in person one?
  • I'm going to put you on the spot here-- some founders do not have a positive experience going through Techstars or other accelerators for that matter. What type of founder is the program a great fit for and what is it a poor fit for?
  • I've noticed a focus both from you and Techstars on Mental health and wellness-- what are your thoughts on this area as an opportunity for startup innovation?
  • How about the Cannabis industry. You’re based in Boulder-- what are your thoughts on the sector and opportunity for founders?
  • Do More Faster is one of the must-have books for every founder. Super pragmatic, actionable insights. What lesson or piece of advice doesn't appear in the book that, now in 2018, you'd add as a critical item for founder's to appreciate as they go through their journey
  • Techstars’s FounderCon Europe 2018 was less than 2 weeks ago-- What would you say is the biggest difference you’ve found when working with European startups vs ones in the US?
  • What do you think Techstars looks like in five years?
  • How do you balance time spent between companies that are succeeding vs. those that are failing?
  • If you were to do it all over again, what would you change?
  • What have you learned most about yourself through your experience at Techstars?"

To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/
for all of our other episodes.

Also, follow us on twitter  for updates and more information.

Direct download: FR166.mp3
Category:Podcast Episodes -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured:

  • Chris Farmer
  • Rebecca Kaden
  • Ben Narasin

Each investor describes the most unusual situation or pitch that they've encountered as an investor.

 

To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/
for all of our other episodes.

Also, follow us on twitter  for updates and more information.

Direct download: IS89.mp3
Category:Investor Stories -- posted at: 5:00am EDT

Evangelos Simoudis of Synapse Partners joins Nick to discuss AV, Mobility, and the Disruption of Big Auto. In this episode, we cover:

 

Backstory / Path to becoming an investor
What is the investment focus/philosophy of your firm?
What are the key drivers of automotive disruption?
Can you talk about the role of big data and machine intelligence in AV?
Can you give us an overview of the framework you use for investing in mobility and talk about the new investment areas in the category
What business models have and will emerge as we adopt autonomous vehicles for on-demand mobility services?
What needs to happen for these business models to be implemented and what sort of timeline are we looking at?
Talk about some of the notable companies funded in the space and potential exits in the short-, medium-, and long-term?
What do you think will happen to the large, incumbent automakers?
Where do you find interesting big data and AI startups working on mobility-related problems outside Silicon Valley, Israel, and China?
How do you identify areas to invest, create value for your portcos, and help drive exits?
Advice for founders working on AV and mobility tech?

 

To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/
for all of our other episodes.

Also, follow us on twitter  for updates and more information.

 

Direct download: FR165.mp3
Category:Podcast Episodes -- posted at: 6:30pm EDT

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured:

  • James Hardiman
  • Nathan Benaich
  • Paul Martino

Each investor illustrates a critical lesson
learned about startup investing and how
it's changed their approach.

 

To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/
for all of our other episodes.

Also, follow us on twitter  for updates and more information.

Direct download: Investor_Stories_88_Lessons_Learned_Hardiman_Benaich_Martino.mp3
Category:Investor Stories -- posted at: 5:00pm EDT

Yoav Leitersdorf of YL Ventures joins Nick to discuss The Cat and Mouse Game of Cyber Security -- Israel, CISOs, and GDPR. In this episode, we cover:

  • How the emergence of new technologies have changed cybersecurity
  • The framework to think about cybersecurity from a VC perspective
  • Where innovation in cybersecurity stems from and how VCs impact this innovation.
  • Industries that have the most volume of devices and the most threatened by breaches
  • The purchase drivers for CSOs/CISOs today and how they determine ROI
  • The impact of GDPR on the cyber industry
  • Asset-centric vs threat-centric approaches toward information security
  • The cybersecurity Cat and Mouse analogy
  • The biggest misconception of cybersecurity

 

To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/
for all of our other episodes.

Also, follow us on twitter  for updates and more information.

Direct download: 164_164._The_Cat_and_Mouse_Game_of_C.mp3
Category:Podcast Episodes -- posted at: 8:00am EDT

On this special segment of The Full Ratchet, the following Investors are featured:

  • Jordan Nof
  • Chris Olsen
  • Elizabeth Galbut

 

Each investor discusses sectors, drivers and/or
trends that may have significant impact in the
future and are potentially positioned for outsized-returns.

 

To listen more, please visit http://fullratchet.net/podcast-episodes/
for all of our other episodes.

Also, follow us on twitter  for updates and more information.

Direct download: IS87-_Whats_Next_Nof__Olsen__Galbut.mp3
Category:Investor Stories -- posted at: 8:00am EDT

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