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

Laura Spiekerman of Alloy joins Nate to discuss What Does the Future of Fintech Hold? Insights on Growth, Fraud, and Community Banking. In this episode we cover:

  • Alloy's mission and the role it plays in fintech
  • The importance of community banks in fintech design and development
  • Challenges of scaling a go-to-market business in fintech 
  • Laura's insights on the future of fintech, including concerns about fraud and blockchain technology
  • The impact of fed now on fraud prevention in fintech
Direct download: TFR_375_LauraSpiekerman.mp3
Category:Podcast Episodes -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

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

  • Kristi Ross
  • Ravi Viswanathan
  • Oz Alon

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

The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran, General Partner of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

Learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our Website. Also, follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Direct download: TRF_IS_287_LessonsLearned.mp3
Category:Investor Stories -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

Shardul Shah of Index Ventures joins Nick to discuss Assessing an entrepreneur’s imagination. What are the metrics and characteristics that demonstrate product market fit for Early-stage investing? (Shardul Shah). In this episode we cover:

  • Outsourcing security risk and the need to outsource risk.

  • The Importance of Imaginative Entrepreneurs

  • How do you think about the trade-offs of a services business?

  • Metrics and characteristics that demonstrate product market fit.

  • The evaluation criteria Shardul uses in evaluating companies.

Missed a recent episode? Go to The Full Ratchet blog and catch up!

Direct download: TFR_SHARDULSHA_1.mp3
Category:Podcast Episodes -- posted at: 4:00am EDT

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

  • Jenny Lefcourt
  • Mar Hershenson
  • Ravi Viswanathan

Each investor highlights a situation where they decided not to invest, why they passed, and how it played out.

The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran, General Partner of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

Learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our Website. Also, follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!


Kristi Ross of tastytrade joins Nick to discuss Bootstrapping to a Billion Dollar Exit, The History of Options Trading, Competing Against Robinhood, and How to Build a Brokerage Content Machine. In this episode we cover:

  • Bootstrapping to a Billion
  • Chicago Trading in the 90s
  • ThinkorSwim, TCV, and Trading to Tastytrade
  • Robinhood's Capital Intensive Strategy 
  • Using Media and Content to Build a Brokerage Powerhouse

Missed a recent episode? Go to The Full Ratchet blog and catch up!

The hosts of The Full Ratchet are Nick Moran and Nate Pierotti of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. You can follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Founders, are you frustrated by trying to find the ideal VC's for your stage, sector, and geography? Answer five questions with VC Rank and generate your customized list now.


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

  • Tim Draper
  • Jenny Lefcourt
  • Chris Sugden

Each investor discusses a portfolio company that did not survive and why it was that they failed.

The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran, General Partner of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

Learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our Website. Also, follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Founders, are you frustrated by trying to find the ideal VC's for your stage, sector, and geography? Answer five questions with VC Rank and generate your customized list now.

Direct download: IS__285_POSTMORTEMS.mp3
Category:Investor Stories -- posted at: 5:00am EDT

 Dan Ahrens of Left Lane Capital joins Nate to discuss The $30 Trillion Dollar Market Opportunity, Formulas for Successful Consumer Investing, and the Current Macro Environment. In this episode we cover:

  • Firm Building at Left Lane

  • Raising a $1.4B Fund II

  • Investing in Consumer Tech and SMB

  • The Current Macro Environment and much more!

Missed a recent episode? Go to The Full Ratchet blog and catch up!

The hosts of The Full Ratchet are Nick Moran and Nate Pierotti of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. You can follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Founders, are you frustrated by trying to find the ideal VC's for your stage, sector, and geography? Answer five questions with VC Rank and generate your customized list now.


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

  • Brian O'Malley
  • Ravi Viswanathan
  • Willy Schlacks

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

The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran, General Partner of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

Learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our Website. Also, follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Founders, are you frustrated by trying to find the ideal VC's for your stage, sector, and geography? Answer five questions with VC Rank and generate your customized list now.

Direct download: 384_Investor_Stories_284__Whats_Next_OMalley_Viswanathan_Schlacks.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am EDT

Mar Hershenson of Pear VC joins Nick to discuss Are Founders Born or Made?, What it Takes to Raise a Series A in 2023, and Weighing the Balance of Unit Economics vs Growth. In this episode we cover:

  • Path to Pear and The Forbes Midas List
  • Data on The DNA of Entrepreneurs
  • Generative AI Hype
  • Raising a Series A in 2023 & More!

Missed a recent episode? Go to The Full Ratchet blog and catch up!

The hosts of The Full Ratchet are Nick Moran and Nate Pierotti of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. You can follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Founders, are you frustrated by trying to find the ideal VC's for your stage, sector, and geography? Answer five questions with VC Rank and generate your customized list now.


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

  • Samara Mejia Hernandez
  • Julie Wroblewski
  • Brad Burnham

Each investor highlights a situation where they decided not to invest, why they passed, and how it played out.

The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran, General Partner of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

Learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our Website. Also, follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Founders, are you frustrated by trying to find the ideal VC's for your stage, sector, and geography? Answer five questions with VC Rank and generate your customized list now.


Drew Oetting of 8VC joins Nick to discuss Why 8VC's Incubation Model Works, the Most Unique Culture in Venture Capital, and Investing at the Intersection of PE and VC. In this episode we cover:

  • Why Iteration is a Key Founder Quality
  • The Incumbent Venture Capital Mindset
  • How to Marry Entrepreneurship and Investing
  • And Much More!

Missed a recent episode? Go to The Full Ratchet blog and catch up!

The hosts of The Full Ratchet are Nick Moran and Nate Pierotti of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. You can follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Founders, are you frustrated by trying to find the ideal VC's for your stage, sector, and geography? Answer five questions with VC Rank and generate your customized list now.


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

  • Ravi Viswanathan
  • Jenny Lefcourt
  • Oz Alon

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

The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran, General Partner of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

Learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our Website. Also, follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Founders, are you frustrated by trying to find the ideal VC's for your stage, sector, and geography? Answer five questions with VC Rank and generate your customized list now.

Direct download: IS282.mp3
Category:Investor Stories -- posted at: 5:00am EDT

Henrik Werdelin of BARK joins Nate to discuss What Consumer Founders Often Get Wrong, How to Build a Culture that Breeds Creativity, and Scaling Bark to IPO. In this episode we cover:

  • The Founding of Bark
  • Tips for Consumer Founders
  • Breeding a Creative Culture
  • The Path to IPO

Missed a recent episode? Go to The Full Ratchet blog and catch up!


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

  • Annie Kadavy
  • Brad Burnham
  • Ali Hamed

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

The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran, General Partner of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

Learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our Website. Also, follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Founders, are you frustrated by trying to find the ideal VC's for your stage, sector, and geography? Answer five questions with VC Rank and generate your customized list now.

Direct download: IS281.mp3
Category:Investor Stories -- posted at: 5:00am EDT

Oz Alon & Nadav Eylath of Honeybook & at.inc/ joins Nick to discuss From a Bar Owner to $100M+ ARR, How an Outsider Navigated Silicon Valley, Raising through Peaks and Troughs of Hype Cycles, and How to Select $B startups at the Incorporation Stage. In this episode we cover:

  • Honeybook's First Pitch
  • Investing in Founders at Incorporation
  • How to Sell to SMBs
  • Raising in Up and Down Markets
  • What the Future Holds For Tech Investing

Missed a recent episode? Go to the TFR Blog to catch up! 


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

  • Tripp Jones
  • Jenny Lefcourt
  • Ravi Viswanathan

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

The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran, General Partner of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

Learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our Website. Also, follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Founders, are you frustrated by trying to find the ideal VC's for your stage, sector, and geography? Answer five questions with VC Rank and generate your customized list now.


Ramy Adeeb of 1984 joins Nick to discuss 2023 Predictions P2: A16Z vs. Tiger, ChatGPT vs. Google, Hot vs. Cool Sectors, and Which Big Tech Companies are Doomed. In this episode we cover:

  • Web 3.0's Demise

  • Andreesen vs. Tiger's Brands

  • ChatGPT Challenging Google

  • Big Tech's Troubles

  • Hottest & Coolest Sectors & More!

Missed a recent episode? Go to The Full Ratchet blog and catch up!

The hosts of The Full Ratchet are Nick Moran and Nate Pierotti of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. You can follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Founders, are you frustrated by trying to find the ideal VC's for your stage, sector, and geography? Answer five questions with VC Rank and generate your customized list now.


Ramy Adeeb of 1984 joins Nick to discuss 2023 Predictions P1: Web 3.0's Demise, The AI Hype Cycle, Will Elon get the Last Laugh at Twitter, and Should Anti-Trust Take a Bite out of Apple. In this episode we cover:

  • Crypto's and Web 3.0's Correction
  • The Down Round Reckoning
  • Elon Musk and Twitter's Shakeup
  • Apple's Response to Anti-Trust

Missed a recent episode? Go to The Full Ratchet blog and catch up!

The hosts of The Full Ratchet are Nick Moran and Nate Pierotti of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. You can follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Founders, are you frustrated by trying to find the ideal VC's for your stage, sector, and geography? Answer five questions with VC Rank and generate your customized list now.


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

  • Sunil Nagaraj
  • Brian O'Malley
  • Annie Kadavy

Each investor highlights a situation where they decided not to invest, why they passed, and how it played out.

The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran, General Partner of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

Learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our Website. Also, follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Founders, are you frustrated by trying to find the ideal VC's for your stage, sector, and geography? Answer five questions with VC Rank and generate your customized list now.

Direct download: IS279.mp3
Category:Investor Stories -- posted at: 5:00am EDT

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

  • Neha Khera
  • Ravi Viswanathan
  • Ali Hamed

Each investor discusses a portfolio company that did not survive and why it was that they failed.

The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran, General Partner of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

Learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our Website. Also, follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Founders, are you frustrated by trying to find the ideal VC's for your stage, sector, and geography? Answer five questions with VC Rank and generate your customized list now.

Direct download: IS278.mp3
Category:Investor Stories -- posted at: 5:00am EDT

Jenny Lefcourt, General Partner at Freestyle Capital joins Nick to discuss Founder to Forbes Midas List, Behind the Scenes of an Intro Call, Why B2B2C is Best and Avoiding the Leaky Funnel Trap. In this episode we cover:

  • Making the Switch from Angel to VC
  • Tips For Founders Pitching Jenny and Freestyle
  • How to Reach Conviction without Consensus
  • Burn and Learn Investing
  • B2B2C and Avoiding the Leaky Funnel
  • And More!

Missed a recent episode? Go to The Full Ratchet blog and catch up!

The hosts of The Full Ratchet are Nick Moran and Nate Pierotti of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. You can follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Founders, are you frustrated by trying to find the ideal VC's for your stage, sector, and geography? Answer five questions with VC Rank and generate your customized list now.

Direct download: TFR_Jenny_Lefcourt_4.mp3
Category:Podcast Episodes -- posted at: 5:00am EDT

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

  • Aaron Holiday
  • Eric Liaw
  • Chris Sugden

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

The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran, General Partner of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area.

Learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our Website. Also, follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!

Founders, are you frustrated by trying to find the ideal VC's for your stage, sector, and geography? Answer five questions with VC Rank and generate your customized list now.


On this special replay episode, Nicole Quinn of Lightspeed Venture Partners joins Nick to discuss The Effect of Technology on Relationships, The 5 Indicators of a True Brand, The Appeal of Love/Hate Businesses, & the Rise of Super Apps. In this episode, we cover:

  • Nicole's background and path to VC
  • How Shoe Dog Shaped her Investment Philosophy
  • What are the consumer behaviors in different regions?
  • Early Signs of Success in Consumer Investing
  • And More! 

Missed a recent episode? Go to The Full Ratchet blog and catch up!


In this special replay episode, Ben Sun of Primary Venture Partners joins Nick to discuss Distribution vs. Product, Founders vs. Markets, and Winning Deals in a Hyper-Competitive Seed Market. In this episode, we cover:

  • Ben's Founder Journey
  • Primary's Thesis
  • Market vs Founder 
  • How Primary Evaluates Talent

Missed a recent episode? Go to The Full Ratchet blog and catch up!


1